Nigeria Content Online

Following the defeat of an attempt
to alter the 2010 Electoral Act in a manner that will allow political
appointees regain their eligibility as voting delegates at the
conventions of political parties, presidency aides appear set to launch
a new tactics to woo lawmakers into re-introducing the “dead” bill.

Sources say the senate’s decision
to kill that aspect of the electoral law was received as a rude shock
by the president and his campaign team.

However, president Jonathan’s
campaign organisation has decided to start a fresh attempt to lobby the
lawmakers to re-introduce the bill.

Even though the standing rules of
both chambers of the national assembly prohibit the re-introduction of
a bill that has been rejected, Sully Abu, head of publicity for the
Goodluck Campaign Organization told NEXT they will stand their ground.

“We haven’t given up. We will go
back and negotiate and ask questions,” Mr. Abu said. “There is not
absolute victory or defeat. There is no monopoly of wisdom either in
the presidency or the national assembly. We hope that we will have a
meeting of the mind with the senate to see sense on the matter.”
Analysts, however,

believe that judging from the
unity predicated on common interest displayed by the senate in arriving
at their decision on Wednesday; the Jonathan campaign team might find
it extremely difficult to re introduce the bill.

Last Wednesday, the senate acted
in a largely unified manner to shut down Mr Jonathan’s attempt to
reshape the 2010 Electoral Act. Their action was devoid of the usual
political or ethnic sentiments that usually colour similar debates.

“It was obvious their actions were premeditated,” Fred Idowu, an independent political analyst said.

“They were determined to “kill the
bill” and perhaps send a message to the presidency. The senators were
convinced the bill is toxic to the current electoral act and self
serving – to the president – judging from the changes the bill proposed
to bring.” The bill proposed three major amendments to the current 2010
electoral act. It sought to give the leadership of Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) the power to determine the sequence in
which elections are held; it also wanted political parties to adopt the
system of indirect primaries – the type of primaries usually adopted by
PDP – for the choice of its candidates.

What the amendment meant to do is
to allow political parties to change at will the rules governing
procedures for primaries by issuing new guidelines, rather than relying
on the provisions of the current 2010 Electoral Act.

The bill proposed that Section
87(8) of the Electoral Act 2010 should be deleted. That section
provides that no political appointee at any level shall be a voting
delegate at the convention or congress of any political party for the
purpose of nomination of candidates for any elections.

Section 87(8) is viewed as
revolutionary because it prevents the president and governors from
flooding political party congresses with ministers, special advisers,
commissioners and other political appointees who would vote to choose
their boss or the candidate of their boss’ choice.

While the civil society and the
opposition – both within and outside the PDP – described the action of
the senate as patriotic, Mr. Abu said the setback at the senate has
sharpened their resolve to move on stronger.

Loyal appointees

The President’s campaign team
greatly rely on the votes of the various political appointees serving
in this administration to push their principal through in the primaries
of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Before President Jonathan made up his mind to run for the presidency in the forthcoming elections,

there were 1027 splinter campaign organizations sponsored by political appointees within the government.

During the presidential
declaration which took place mid September, an official at the
presidential villa said that the level of sponsorship the president
received from his appointees was up to 95 per cent.

Attendees at the declaration were
also seen clad in uniformed dresses bearing their support for the
president and which political appointee was sponsoring them.

NEXT also gathered that the
lawmakers, in the closed meetings, had considered this impassioned
support from his staff before arriving at the decision not to allow
voting by personal aides; bearing in mind it will give the president an
unfair edge over the other contestants.

Goodluck Campaign Organization, however, disagrees with that all appointees are rooting for the president.

“The fact that they are appointees does not make it compulsory that
they will vote for the president. After all, you will not have a gun to
their heads that they must vote for him,” Mr. Abu argued. “These are
people that were carefully chosen across various areas of the country,
so they represent the different sections of the country so they have
legitimate political interest and representation.”

Last Wednesday, a crucial meeting
of the 12-member committee appointed by the Northern Political Leaders
Forum (NPLF) to pick a consensus candidate among the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) aspirants from the northern part of the country, was
shelved at the last minute.

The parley was convened following
the failure by the committee, during a previous one, to agree on who,
among the former military president, Ibrahim Babangida; former vice
president, Atiku Abubakar; former national security adviser, Aliyu
Gusau and the incumbent governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, should
challenge President Goodluck Jonathan, himself an aspirant, in the
forthcoming primaries of the PDP.

Members of the committee expected
at the meeting were Adamu Ciroma (chairman), governors Danjuma Goje of
Gombe State, Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Babangida Aliyu of Niger
State, representing North East, North West and North Central
geo-political zones. Also expected were former senate president,
Iyorchia Ayu; former PDP national chairman, Audu Ogbeh; former
Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Yusuf and Ahmed Kurfi, from
Bauchi State.

They were appointed into the
committee by the Forum in the middle of last month to search for a
consensus candidate to run in the primaries.

Sources however revealed that the
meeting, scheduled to hold at the prestigious Transcorp Hotel, was put
off because of an urgent need by the committee members to tour the 19
northern states to sell the idea to the members of the PDP in the
region.

It was further gathered that the
need for the tour arose in order to rubbish whatever gains were made by
the campaign outfit of Mr Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo. The
Jonathan campaign outfit led by its director general, Dalhatu Tafida
had visited the north-west zone and was in north central zone when the
committee decided to embark on its own tour.

Some northern members of the PDP
had argued that it was wrong for the president to join the race since
there was an agreement reached by the party, some years ago, that
presidential power should rotate between the north and the south.

The group also argued that with
the death of former President Umaru Yar’Adua in office last May,
another northerner should emerge in 2011 after Mr Jonathan (Yar’Adua’s
deputy) might have completed the tenure began by the last president.

However, Mr Obasanjo and some
other members of the party are insisting that any Nigerian has a right
to contest the presidential election, irrespective of the region their
region.

In their determination to keep
power in the north, the northern forum initiated a meeting with the
quartet of Babangida, Abubakar, Gusau and Saraki as well as their
aides, on September 18, during which they resolved to present a common
candidate for the presidential election. They also resolved to set up
an eight-member team to deliberate on the matter.

Those at the meeting were Raymond
Dokpesi from Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation; Chris Mammah of
Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation; Ben Obi of Aliyu Gusau Campaign
Organisation and Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, then of Bukola Saraki Campaign
Organisation.

Although, the committee membership
was expanded to 12, that appears to be the last time it reached a
consensus on any matter, prompting speculations that the single
candidate plan might fail. Before last week’s meeting was shelved, the
committee members, who were christened in “the 12 wise men” had met
several times without achieving the aim for which they were appointed.

Though both the aspirants and
their supporters have variously claimed that they will respect the
wishes of the committee, their utterances and actions so far have
suggested the contrary, thereby endangering their assignment. In the
course of the pre-primaries campaign, each of the four aspirants have
flaunted their credentials, sometimes in utter embarrassment to the
others.

For instance, Mr Abubakar has
severally claimed that of the lot, he has the best democratic
credentials, having been in politics for so many years and vice
president of the country for eight years under a civilian dispensation.
This is perceived as an indirect attack on Mr Babangida and Gusau, both
of whom are retired military generals.

On his part, Mr Saraki has been hammering on the issue of generational change.

Only last week, the 48-year-old
governor reportedly told presidential hopefuls born before the nation’s
independence in 1960 to withdraw from the race. Again, this was
interpreted as ‘missiles’ fired at Messrs Babangida, Abubakar and
Gusau, all of whom are in their late 60s.

People deceiving people

Mr Babangida has also not been
averse to flaunting his experience in government. He said having run
the country for eight years, he is best positioned to be the consensus
candidate. Yet, Mr Gusau would claim that his experience in the
security circles puts him ahead of others.

If anything, these utterances and
actions, which suggest desperation, have tended to frustrate the plan
of the 12-member committee.

At a recent all-night meeting, Mr
Ciroma was said to have expressed concern over the success of the
committee if its members continued to canvass support for their
principals. Source said he expressed frustration when the committee
could not take a vote he called on the matter.

Besides, there appears to be a
lack of commitment on the part of members of the committee to the
cause. For instance, some members regularly shun meetings, often
without any explanation. Despite being invited several times, Messrs
Lamido, Babangida Aliyu and Goje have continued to boycott the
meetings, causing the committee to postpone its meeting.

Also disturbing is Mr Ayu’s entry
into the presidential race. The former senate president, from Benue
State, is said to have shocked his fellow committee members when he
announced his intention to contest the presidency two weeks ago.

Furthemore, the northern
presidential aspirants were jolted when a new entrant into the race,
Sani Aminu, distanced himself from the quest. Mr Aminu, who hails from
Katsina, told journalists, he would only concede to consensus
arrangement at the level of the party.

“I am yet to get in touch with the
Northern Political Leaders Forum. I am not part of them,” he said. “But
if there is any consensus within the parameters of PDP, we would
welcome it. PDP is PDP, we aren’t talking of North or South.”
Expectedly, Mr Jonathan’s camp has cashed in on this apparent confusion
to raise its stake. The Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organsation says the
gang up against the president would fail because it is not based on any
programme.

“The consensus arrangement being
pursued is based on sheer opportunism and driven by an undemocratic and
illiberal spirit,” Sully Abu, spokesman of the organization, said.
“That is why they have continued to be at pains to explain that they
are at work, irrevocably committed to the success of the arrangement.

They have continued feverishly with their individual campaigns while
they continue to protest their commitment to subsume their individual,
galloping ambitions. Who is deceived?”

The North West
geo-political zone has suddenly become the beautiful bride courted by
all the presidential aspirants of the ruling People Democratic Party
(PDP).

At the last count,
five of the aspirants, Goodluck Jonathan, Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku
Abubakar, Bukola Saraki and Aliyu Gusau have either showed up in the
region or sent foot soldiers to do the ground work necessary for them
to achieve their desire.

One reason for the
special interest in the zone, which comprises Kano, Katsina, Jigawa,
Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kebbi states, is that it boasts a huge
voting population and enough delegate votes to make or mar the chances
of any presidential candidate.

The zone, which
pride itself as the most politically astute part of the country, has
more delegates than any other geo-political zone; and in any election,
can muster an estimated 10 million votes. It is also the centre of
conservative north, home to the Sultan of Sokoto and leader of Muslims
in the country. Besides, it is the zone where late president Umaru
Yar’Adua hails from.

The feeling among
the local populace in the aforementioned states is still that of loss.
It is believed that for political expediency, aspirants, who are
conscious of the sensibility of the people, will rather concentrate
their energy in the zone than anywhere else. There is also the fear
that if all necessary ground work are not done by the PDP, the people
might, out of protest, vote en masse for Muhammadu Buhari in the event
that an aspirant from another zone picks the party’s presidential
ticket.

For strategic
reasons, the zone has produced five out of the country’s 14 Heads of
state and elected presidents; namely Murtala Mohammed, Shehu Shagari,
Muhammadu Buhari, Sani Abacha and Umaru Yar’Adua whose influence is
still been felt in the civil service, academia, military and
para-military establishments across the country.

All the states in
the zone, apart from the redoubtable Kano, are governed by the PDP. The
governor of Kano, Ibrahim Shekarau, belongs to the All Nigeria Peoples
Party (ANPP).

After the disputed
2003 presidential elections Mr. Buhari who enjoys large support in the
zone claimed he won the elections, leading to tension in the entire
region. The Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero had to lead a delegation of
influential traditional rulers to pay the then winner of the
presidential election, Olusegun Obasanjo, a solidarity visit in order
to douse tension in the zone.

Presidential
liaison officer to Mr Shagari in the second republic, Tanko Yakassai
said he believes the fact that the zone has a larger population than
any other zone in the country and the influence of the sultanate on
other northern zones were reasons enough for the zone to become the
most sought after by politicians.

“I think in my own
view, the reason why you see politicians concentrating in the
north-west is because we are in democracy which they said is game of
numbers,” he said. “We have the highest number of people. We have more
National Assembly members than any other zone, highest number of
delegates of any political party, not PDP alone.

“Another factor is
the influence of the Sokoto caliphate on the other zones in the north,
including the north central states of Kogi and Niger. If you go to the
north east, the caliphate also has its influence on Borno State, Yobe
and the rest. These and many more reasons are why all attention is on
the zone.” The national vice chairman of the PDP for the North-west,
Danladi Sankara agrees with his assertion. “I must confess that the
Northwest is the most sensitive geo -political zone in the country,” he
said. “The zone has produced brilliant politicians in the past and we
have the highest population and the highest numbers of PDP delegates.”
On whether the zone should produce the next president, Mr. Sankara said
the constitution which is supreme allows everyone to contest and as law
abiding citizens the people respect that.

“This zone does not
have a particular person that we are supporting now among the
aspirants, but whoever emerges the winner of the primaries I assure you
will enjoy the total support of this zone, and as you are aware that
this zone is a PDP dominated one,” Mr. Sankara said.

Pundits believe
that any politician worth his salt and who is keen for political power
will do himself a big favour by reaching out to the zone.

Mr. Babangida, who
was a military president for over seven years, has a retinue of retired
military chiefs and politicians that he once mentored in the region to
fall back on at this critical period of the electioneering process in
the zone.

In Kano, for
instance, the gap-toothed former general is either attending weddings
or burial ceremonies that enable him reach out to the people of the
zone. It is a known fact that he regularly sneaks into town to
strategise with his supporters on how to win back power.

Among Mr.
Babangida’s supporters in Kano are former minority leader of the House
of Representatives in the second republic, Junaid Mohammed and former
speaker of the House Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’abba.

Mr. Na’Abba, whose
support might have been prompted by the godfather of the PDP in Kano,
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said he believes Mr. Babangida is the most
experienced of all the aspirants.

“I don’t believe
that Babangida destroyed anything and I don’t believe that Babangida
introduced corruption in this country, he did not introduce
corruption,” Mr Na’Abba said. “When the late Murtala Mohammed became
Head of State, he promised to fight corruption. This means that during
the days of Gowon, there was corruption. When Chukwuma Nzeogwu and his
co-travellers overthrew the Balewa government, they said they were
going to fight corruption because they said Tafawa Balewa, Nnamdi
Azikiwe, Sardauna were all corrupt.”

Musa Danbirni, who
is head of media for Kano State IBB 2011 campaign, said Mr. Babangida
has done enough in the zone for the delegates to give him their votes
in block.

“Babangida is the
man to beat in this zone,” he said. “My advice for other aspirants is
to concentrate in other places where they think they are popular and
stop wasting their time and resources here. People will be surprised
why I’m saying so, but the truth remains that he done a lot for this
zone when he was the military president.” The former military president
has Zamfara State governor, Aliyu Muhammadu Shinkafi in his camp and
enjoys the support of the Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido and a
tacit endorsement of former Kano State governor, Musa Kwankwaso.

Jonathan’s footprints

Supporters of
President Jonathan, who are conscious of the traditional support some
of his opponents enjoy in the zone, are not resting on their oars as
members of his campaign team, led by Dalhatu Tafida have traversed the
entire states of the North West several times.

Incidentally,
majority of the people in the campaign team of the president come from
the North West. Mr. Tafida is from Kaduna State; former minister of
Internal Affairs and national director, campaign and logistics, Saidu
Balarebe Sambawa, hails from Kebbi. The special assistant to the
President on political matters, Akilu Indabawa is from Kano.

Mr Jonathan, who is
billed to be in Kano on Tuesday, may have kick started his campaign
subtly in the zone. He has paid repeated visits to Sokoto, Kebbi and
Zamfara states, partly to meet with victims of the recent flood
disaster and for other official matters of state.

When the campaign team visited Kano last week, Mr. Sambawa assured the people that the president would sweep the polls.

He further said
that going by the appreciable reception members of his team received in
the five states within the North West geo-political zone, there is the
guarantee that Mr Jonathan would emerge winner of next year’s election.

“You see us
campaigning, we are not sitting because our president is an incumbent;
we are going to everywhere and talking to people we shouldn’t be
talking to get the votes. This is because he is a president who
believes in fairness, justice, ensuring adequate security for lives and
properties. The president was ready for the primaries before now,” Mr
Sambawa said.

The team also
attacked suggestions that the president does not possess the qualities
needed for governing a country such as Nigeria, saying Mr Jonathan is
exceptionally patient, has listening ear and has the aspiration of
Nigerians in mind.

“Here is somebody
who was a deputy governor, he was a governor, he was a vice president
and he is now the president. Can you give me any person who has gone
through this politically in this country? None,” Mr Sambawa said. “This
Goodluck/ Sambo ticket is one of the most educated ticket we have ever
had in this country. So, for anybody to make that type of comment, does
not seem to have respect for the office of the president.” Although it
was gathered that Mr Lamido avoided members of the campaign team, the
Jonathan team received the warmest of receptions accorded from Mr
Kwankwaso, who is himself angling to return to the Kano government
house next year.

The visit by the
Jonathan team came barely 24 hours after former vice president Atiku
Abubakar stormed Kano, Jigawa and Kaduna states. Although he could not
meet Mr Kwankwaso, Mr. Abubakar met with stakeholders of the party and
assured them that he would ensure that the PDP reclaims Kano from the
All Nigerian peoples party (ANPP) at the polls.

Atiku’s focus

The former vice
President met Kano PDP leaders in the residence of a former deputy
governor in the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. “In 1998, I left Adamawa
and came to Kano to make Kwankwaso the governor of this state. I’m back
again to remake him the governor of this state, God willing, by 2011
and you all know that whatever I focus to achieve, I always do that no
matter the obstacle,” Mr. Abubakar said.

Mr Gusau has also
woven into his narrative, the impression that he is a son of the Zone.
His campaign handlers claim he should be the one to complete the
eight-years due the Zone following the inability of Mr Yar’Adua to
complete the job as a result of his death.

While other
aspirants have been working assiduously to garner support from this
zone, the campaign team of Mr. Gusau and Mr. Saraki have not been as
prominent in the zone. They are however believed to be working
underground for now. Mr. Gusau, for instance, has been holding meetings
with politicians across different political party platforms in the zone.

Ogun State
Governor, Gbenga Daniel yesterday warned of collapse of the Peoples
Democratic Party {PDP} in the South-west of the country as a result of
the incessant internal wranglings within the ruling party, especially
following loss of two states of Ekiti and Ondo.

Mr Daniel made the
prediction at the second stakeholders meeting and inauguration of
Coordinators of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign, held at
his Aseludero Private Residence in Sagamu, Addressing the meeting,
which comprises the Jonathan South-West Campaign team,

Daniel said the only way out is for the party to put its house in order.

“We must tell
ourselves the truth, we have not managed our victory well,” he said.
“The capacity of our party to manage crisis is nil.” The governor, who
is the South-west Coordinator for the campaign team, linked the fear of
winning next elections to the loss of Ondo and Ekiti states to the
opposition.

Scary news

Lamenting the
ouster of Segun Oni by the court ruling, Mr Daniel frankly declared,
“The worst came recently when we legally lost Ekiti.

What happened in
Ekiti State is a shame for all of us, nobody expected it” adding that
for those in Osun State, “what I am hearing is scary.”

Admitting that the party has challenges and hurdles to cross to win
impressively in the forthcoming elections, the governor said: “We must
not take things for granted, what we have in our hand is major. If we
should again lose Osun, PDP is gone. If we are not careful, that may be
the end of our party. He then appealed to all stakeholders to take a
second look at the problems and find ways of resolving the internal
wrangling.

The Senate on
Thursday received the report of its ad hoc committee on constitution
review on the second amendment to the constitution.

The report is based on the public hearing organised by the Senate on the bill three days earlier.

The bill was read
for the first time the week before and according to the deputy Senate
president, Ike Ekweremadu, the bill is in consonance with the new dates
demanded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for
adjustment to the election time frame.

The bill sent from
the president proposed that election be held not earlier than 90 days
and not later than 30 days before the end of tenure of the running
office, as against the prevailing constitutional provisions of not
earlier than 150 days and not later than 120 days.

Although the
contents of the report are yet to be made known, indications have
emerged that the Senate may have proposed a wider time line.

“We are hoping that
if we give them not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days,
it will give them the scope of time they need,” Ayogu Eze, the Senate
spokesman told reporters the previous day.

“They (INEC) do not
even need to change the law after this particular year when they are
through in this next election. If they have time, they can start early
because they now have enough time to start and fix election. So, we
have given them enough scope within 150 days and 30 days. And I want to
assure Nigerians that that will be delivered timely,” Mr. Eze added.

The bill comprises
of 10 clauses dealing with time frame for elections and matters
surrounding which court will be the final court of hearing for election
petitions concerning governorship elections.

With the current
development, voting on the bill is expected to hold on next Tuesday and
thereafter, an accelerated hearing in the House of Representatives and
the state Houses of Assembly is expected to follow.

“Nigerians should
not be very anxious about whether we will meet the time frame to make
all the necessary amendment both in the Constitution and the electoral
act.

“We have enough
time … but I believe it will not go beyond Tuesday this time around,
and that is really the crucial thing that INEC needs to give them that
breath of time,” Mr. Eze said.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has promised
to review the school fees paid by part time students of the Ambrose
Alli University, Ekpoma. He also promised to hold a dialogue with full
time students over their fees after getting the facts on how much the
school earns and how much will be needed as subvention from the state
government to take the school to an enviable height.

Mr Oshiomhole, said this when he visited the
institution yesterday. He said he has agonised over what to do about
the institution as several efforts to get information on how it is run
in order to plan for the future has failed.

The governor’s presence in the institution was
greeted by the students with calls for reduction in their school fees.
He advised the students to nominate their representatives to air their
grievances and, one after the other, they came to say their schools
fees were on the high side. They said they were not consulted before
the increase was made and many of them were finding difficult to pay
the new fees.

Mr Oshiomhole said he visited the school to talk
directly with the students to hear their concerns and share views as
they have a right to know what is happening in their institution.

“The University was receiving a subvention of N150
million monthly, which was increased to an average of N205 million
monthly since we came on board,” he said.

He said the management of the school was requesting
for N310 million as monthly subvention, in addition to maintaining the
current school fees. “Up till now they have not been able to tell me
how many students are in the school, how much the school earns and what
it is spent on,” he said.

He said he asked the management of the school about
three times how much the school earns, and each time he was given a
different figure. The subvention to the university shocked the
students, who started leaving the hall in droves especially after the
governor had addressed their concerns on the school fees.

The governor however noted that the problems of the school were
beyond school fees, and promised to build two new hostels for the
institution and provide the school with two 42-seater buses to ease the
problem of transportation.

The Goodluck/Sambo
Presidential Campaign Organisation, on Thursday, accused the leader of
the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), Adamu Ciroma of playing divisive politics.

The organisation,
in a statement in Abuja last night, said Mr Ciroma, whose group is
demanding the retention of the zoning arrangement of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), said rather than help to build the country, he
is playing up ethnic and regional sentiments that no longer exist.

It added that it
had been reluctant to attack the NPLF leader because of its respect for
him but it would no longer do so because of the divisive role he had
adopted.

Mr Ciroma, a former
finance minister, had during an interview two days ago with Voice of
America (Hausa Service), vowed that the north would frustrate Goodluck
Jonathan’s ambition to succeed himself next year. He insisted that it
was the turn of the north to produce the next president in accordance
with the zoning arrangement of the ruling party.

“The Goodluck/Sambo
Presidential Campaign Organisation has been reluctant to take on Mallam
Adamu Ciroma, as he leads the charge against the legitimate aspiration
of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek his party’s nomination to
contest the 2011 presidential elections,” the organisation’s
spokesperson, Sully Abu, said.

“This reluctance
has derived from our utmost respect for him as an elder statesman, a
party grandee and a man to whom this country has given a lot. The least
the people of Nigeria expect from a man of his status is to help build
the country and help repair any ethnic and sectional fault-lines that
may exist. But alas, Mallam Adamu Ciroma has taken on a rather divisive
role. Insisting that he is speaking for the North he has been playing
the politics of division and in a way which would not edify the
country’s unity.”

Arrogant few

The organisation
said Mr Ciroma’s insistence that the north should produce Mr Jonathan’s
successor flies in the face of overwhelming evidence of the yearning of
all Nigerians including the NPLF leader, to see change in the way the
country is governed and especially in their material condition.

It noted that
“indeed, every available indication is that our people are sick to
death with the divisive politics of yesterday and those who have been
responsible for the country’s underdevelopment and regression. No one
should delude himself that he is speaking for the north or any other
part of the country for that matter unless they are willing to go along
with the people’s yearning for change, fundamental change.”

On the zoning
formula, the organisation argued that going by the circumstances of Mr
Jonathan’s ascension to the Presidency and his ambition, the president
is entitled to contest just as other applicant, adding that any loyal
party man should have the discipline to abide by the decision of the
party.

The campaign outfit
of the president also said that it recognises the last ditch ambition
of some applicants for whom 2011 represents a last chance to fulfil
their dream, stressing that such desperation should not be equated with
the interest of our people.

“It is Almighty God speaking through the people who will determine
the future of Nigeria and President Jonathan and not the arrogant few
who seek to play God,” the organisation said.

The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), said it is alarmed by the series
of bomb threats to senior officials and its offices in a manner similar
to the independence day bomb blasts in Abuja.

The spokesman of
the anti-graft agency Femi Babafemi, who said this at a press briefing
on Thursday, condemned the threats issued against its officers,
including the agency’s chairperson, Farida Waziri, and warned that
masterminds of these threats will be treated strictly as terrorists.

Mr Babafemi said
an unidentifiable group had on October 20 sent text messages to the
telephone numbers of some media executives warning of impending bomb
attack on the EFCC and its top officials. The contents of some of the
text messages, which he claimed were “written in poorly-worded English
language” read; “we want to inform innocent ones to vacate EFCC
building, NASS, and some other commissions in FCT.” “Farida is not
fighting corruption but wickeding poor masses for nothing.” “We know
that Jonathan cannot understand what we mean because he don’t know the
cost of garri in the market now. We must pick her life or death even
those big officers she is using against us else she is removed. We are
ready now”.

Mr Babafemi noted
that the group threatened to bomb the EFCC on November 6, accusing the
Commission of “disorganizing banks, firms, coys, REA and block their
account since 2008.” “On November 6 FCT will smoke, big and small will
run and vacate”.

He said the agency
will seriously address the succession of threats, “the Commission and
its officials are already used to the daily threats coming from those
that are scared of facing the consequence of their actions. But the
latest dimension to it is what the Commission is taking seriously and
determined to track down those behind them and smoke them out”

While adding that
“we will do everything needed to protect our officials and offices,” he
also warned that “the disgruntled elements, hiding under the cover of
some public establishments, to act as agents of terrorists to fight a
battle they cannot win …will soon be unveiled and their troubles
compounded.”

EFCC’s officials have come under severe attacks, even assassination
in recent times with the murder of the head of the forensic unit in
Kaduna State in September and the attack on some agents of the
commission in South East Nigeria.

CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi, yesterday
in Abuja, warned that more chief executive officers (CEOs) of banks
will join Cecilia Ibru, former Oceanic Bank CEO, in jail.

Mr. Sanusi said this during a breakfast meeting of financial regulators in Nigeria at the 16th Economic Summit in Abuja.

He was reacting to a suggestion that
justice and fair play were not applied in the sacking of some of the
former bank CEOs, and dismissed insinuations that the banking reforms
were biased.

“There was a reason for every action taken. The reforms carried out in the banking sector were not a northern agenda,” he said.

He further revealed that five banks will soon get new owners, if conclusions in the processes were completely carried out.

Integrity in finance

Other speakers also emphasised the need
for honesty in the financial industry. Arunmah Oteh, director general
of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), called for high levels
of integrity in the capital market, to restore confidence amongst
investors.

She said following scandalous reports
of share manipulation under the previous SEC boss, the commission now
cooperates with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and
the Central Bank to check wrongdoings in the financial market.

Fola Daniel, commissioner of insurance
at the National Insurance Commission, said that his organisation had
installed measures like the proper monitoring of insurance companies,
in a bid not to experience what happened in the banking sector.

He also said that they have tried to create awareness in order to
change the wrong perception about the insurance industry in Nigeria.

The President of Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) and the Sultan of Sokoto have been made permanent Heads of the
Federal Government delegation during Christian and Muslim pilgrimages.

President Goodluck Jonathan announced the decision on
Thursday at the inauguration of the headquarters of the Nigerian
Christian Pilgrims Commission, in Abuja. He said government decided to
stop the nomination of ad-hoc heads to pave way for continuity and
efficiency.

“We have resolved that head of federal government
delegation to Isreal and Rome will henceforth be the President of CAN,”
he said. “Now, we want to make it permanent and we are doing the same
thing for hajj. The spiritual head of the Muslims who is the Sultan of
Sokoto will continue to be the Amir Hajj. Any year he is not able to
go, he will recommend the head. We want to institutionalise it so that
we can have proper record”.

Mr Jonathan, who said government had resolved to
work closely with religious organisations to strengthen the education
sector and bring it back from its lost glory, said one of the greatest
challenges of the sector is the lack of morals and values in children,
contributing to mass failure in general examinations.

Back to the old system

He also said government was prepared to revert to the
old system where religious bodies played vital roles in the education
system and inculcated moral values and discipline in children.

Mr Jonathan, who dedicated the building to the ‘peace
and stability in Nigeria and to the goodwill of every Nigerian,
irrespective of religious affiliation,’ urged the leadership of the
Commission to look for ways to generate funds to assist the less
privileged to pay their way to pilgrimages.

The President, and governors of Gombe, Rivers, Benue,
Enugu and Kaduna states were honoured for the roles they have played in
assisting the Commission and pilgrims in general.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Kennedy
Okpara said the 2010 pilgrimage activities would commence on Oct. 28
and end in December.

He thanked the President, the awardees and others who had
contributed significantly to the success of the Commission since
inception in 2007.