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Some elders of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) in Ogun West Senatorial District have petitioned the
national chairman of the party, Okwesilieze Nwodo, asking him to
intervene in the issue of the alleged imposition of Isiaka Gboyega by
the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, as the gubernatorial aspirant under
the ticket of the party.

The elders, who rejected Mr Gboyega’s
ambition, alleged he was imposed by Mr Daniel in connivance with
members of the PDP Ogun West Apex Council, which they said was
constituted by the governor for the purpose.

Among those who signed the petition
were Kayode Adeyemi, Saka Adeoti, Kayode Kudoro, Wale Jimoh, Bola
Amusan, Remi Oladapo, Tunde Olorode, Bisi Olatunji, Sunday Adeosun,
Bisi Olaoye and Kudirat Badmus.

They said that the members of the
council, which included Salamatu Badru (deputy governor), Boye
Adeshina, Bisi Popoola, Ayo Otegbola, Matilda Apampa and Bolaji Aretola
hold different positions in Mr Daniel’s administration and are the
governor’s stooges willing to dance to illicit, anti-party whims and
caprices.

They said the governor’s action was capable of foisting electoral disaster on PDP Ogun State in the 2011 elections.

Aggrieved leaders

“We are aggrieved party leaders and
concerned eminent citizens of Peoples Democratic Party from Ogun West
Senatorial District of Ogun State and we vehemently oppose and condemn
the illegal imposition of Ma Isiaka Gboyega by Otunba Gbenga Daniel,
the Executive Governor of Ogun State as the gubernatorial aspirant
under the ticket of PDP in connivance with PDP Ogun West Apex Council,”
the petition stated.

“Moreover, it is common knowledge that
the said Apex council was constituted by Otunba Gbenga Daniel and
virtually all the six members are currently serving in the various
parastatals of Ogun State and are on the payroll of Otunba Gbenga
Daniel’s administration.” They said their rejection of Mr Gboyega as
the party’s gubernatorial candidate are necessitated by the facts that
he is the current managing director of Gateway Holdings Limited and is
currently facing various charges of financial misappropriation of
public funds before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They also said that their zone is
blessed with seasoned, experienced and dynamic talents such as Lekan
Ojo, Tunji Olurin and Kola Bajomo, stressing that these are some of the
people who can salvage the state from its present sordid and deplorable
condition.

Blameless Daniel

However, Aliyu Nurudeen, a media aide
to the governor, denied the elders’ allegation, saying he (governor)
was not involved in the ambition of Mr Gboyega.

“It is an Ogun West issue,” Mr Nurudeen said in a telephone interview yesterday.

“The governor has nothing to do with it. He has no hand in it. Let
the PDP national leadership call him and he will explain to them. In
any case, they are free to write a petition.”

Tragedy was averted
in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday when a tanker loaded with fuel
crushed 10 vehicles in a row, after the driver lost of control of the
truck.

NEXT investigations
at the scene of the accident, in Ijaiye area of the town, revealed that
the problem started at about 10am when the tanker driver was
manoeuvring his way into the Oando Petrol Station to off-load his cargo.

As the driver was
about driving into the station, located in a hilly area, the truck
suddenly developed a brake failure, causing the vehicle to descended to
the major and busy Ijaiye Road.

The driver began shouting on top of his voice to intimate residents, passersby and motorists about the looming calamity.

Running for safety

As they heard him,
people ran helter-skelter for safety and motorists immediately ran out
of their various vehicles. Several of these vehicles were crushed by
the tanker, but no life was lost.

As at the time of
visiting the scene, the driver of the tanker was said to have taken to
his heels, apparently to avoid any possible attack by owners of the
destroyed vehicles.

Taiwo Samson, the
head of the state road transport management agency, the Rescue, Traffic
Compliance and Enforcement Corp (TRACE), who led his team to the scene,
said the team immediately contacted the State Fire Services.

“We got a telephone
call and had to race down here,” he said “It was on getting here we
discovered the havoc the truck had caused. But luckily for all, nobody
was killed in the accident.” At the scene, staff of the fire services
were on standby to prevent any outbreak of fire, while the road was
also blocked.

Rasheed Sowole, a
transporter in the area, said the incident showed the need by the
government to discourage people from parking vehicles they intend to
sell, on roadsides.

He said such
vehicles contributed to the confusion of the truck driver, who was
trying to avoid them before he lost control of the truck.

The Federal Executive Council has approved the
procurement of 100,000 doses of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) ACWY 135
Vaccines for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency
(NPHCDA), to secure and protect the lives of Nigerians intending to
embark on the Hajj pilgrimage from the any outbreak of Cerebrospinal
Meningitis.

The procurement, which costs N126.5 million, has a budgetary provision of N173,250m.

While briefing pressmen after the weekly FEC, the minister of state for Information and Communication,

Labaran Maku said the procurement has a delivery period of 12 weeks.

“The minister of health, through a memo, sought
council’s approval for the award of contract for the procurement of
100,000 doses of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) ACWY 135 Vaccines for
the National primary healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).

“Nigeria pilgrims are preparing to embark on the 2010
Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca soon and immunization against CSM with ACWY
vaccines is a mandatory requirement for Nigerians. The CSM ACWY 135
vaccines, when administered to intending Hajj pilgrims will protect
them from any outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis during the
pilgrimage to the Holy land”.

“In order to secure the health of our pilgrims
council approved the award of contract for the procurement of 100,000
doses of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) ACWY 135 Vaccines for the
National primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), in favour of
Messrs GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited, in the sum of
N126,500,000.00 with a delivery period of 12 weeks”.

Delta roads

The minister of Niger Delta Affairs also brought a
memo to the council seeking approval for the award of a contract for
the Dualization of Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway-Obehia
-Azumini-Ukanafun (50km) Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom states and the
Engineering Construction for section II which stretches from Akwete to
Ukanafun, KM20+000_KM+000.

Mr Maku, who briefed alongside his counterparts from
the ministry of Niger Delta and Finance, Sam Ode and Yabawa Wali, said
“the construction of this road is a major post amnesty intervention
programme of the government for the Niger Delta region. The execution
of this project will create employment opportunities, curb restiveness
and generate wealth through increased socio-economic activities of the
region. It will also enhance safety of lives and driving comfort of
road users”.

According to him, due to paucity of funds for the full project take
off, the ministry had phased the project implementation starting from
section 1, Obehia junction to Akwete, earlier awarded in the sum of
N13billion.

Next month’s
climate conference in Cacun, Mexico, “will be a total fraud,” the Prime
Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, said yesterday in Addis Ababa.

Mr Zenawi, who
heads the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on
Climate Change, shocked particpants at the ongoing Seventh African
Development Forum when he said the massive deficit in global leadership
guarantees that the proposed conference would end badly.

In words devoid of
diplomatese, the Ethiopian leader, who is also co-chair of the High
Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, also suggested that,
‘it is possible the following one in South Africa will also be a
failure.’ Guests at the high table which included Jens Stoltenberg,
Prime Minister of Norway; Jean Ping, chairperson of the African Union
Commission; Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana and Donald
Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, appeared stunned
by Mr Zenawi’s words. The thousand- strong audience however clapped in
support of the frank assessment.

Mr Zenawi said in
the face of such clear failure in global leadership, African leaders
must find the means to react adequately to the situation irrespective
of what happens in the international community. He said a lack of
global leadership shows that structural issues are at stake, including
an unwillingness to stand up to vested interests and to challenge
myopic views.

He said the promise
that $100 billion will be made available for Africa by 2020 to fight
climate change is only feasible if leaders from developed countries
responsible for most of the climate damage are willing to face up to
their responsibilities. He also rejected the notion that the money is
to be given as aid, saying it is rather a “downpayment on reparation”
to a continent suffering from problems it did not cause.

He said African
leaders, however, “are not going to wait until these guys are converted
to sanity. We will just continue to use the limited resources we have.
Leadership in our case means fighting for every cent they owe us, but
in the meantime doing all we can on our own.”

Change of strategy

Mr Stoltenberg, who
co-chairs the advisory group on climate change financing, agreed with
Mr Zenawi that there are reasons for concern that the conference in
Cacun will be disappointing.

He said it is
impossible to expect that the so-called comprehensive legally binding
agreement on climate change, which failed to materialise in the last
conference, will be reached in Cacun, or even in the next conference in
South Africa. He suggested reduced expectations in the form of
short-term goals that are possible, such as progress on staving off
deforestration and on some aspect of the financing.

Mr Mogae said even
though Africa is the least guilty of climate crimes and suffers
disproportionately, it is incumbent on the continent to find projects
it can self finance to mitigate the effects, rather than wait
indefinitely for succour from abroad. He also blamed African leaders
who fail to use the advantage provided by the last climate conference
to press home their advantage.

“I hope that, as leaders, in future when we agree on a position that
serves our interests, we would be heard to be supporting that position.
We need to crystallise our tactics,” he said.

The Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC), will not give its founder, Muhammadu Buhari,
automatic ticket to contest the 2011 presidential election.

The CPC spokesman,
Dennis Aghanya, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that Mr Buhari
will have to contend with other members of the party who have shown
interest in contesting the presidential election on its platform.

He, however, said none of the presidential aspirants, including Mr Buhari has purchased the party’s expression of interest form.

“Our leader Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari, will also have to slug it out with some people who
have also indicated interest to contest the position of presidency
under our party,” he said.

“Apart from Gen.
Buhari, there are other party members who are interested in vying for
the Presidential ticket of our great party. But none of them has picked
form yet.”

Mr. Aghanya also
said that the congress to fill the various positions in the party will
be conducted soon. He added that in order to ensure that internal
democracy reigns in the party, no officer will be returned on
affirmative basis, It runs contrary to the principle of democracy which
the CPC stands to enthrone in our polity,” he said.

North rules

The CPC spokesman
said that at least 17 aspirants, mostly from the northern part of the
country, have so far picked the nomination forms of the Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) to contest next year’s governorship election
on the platform of the party.

Also, over 30
persons have also purchased the expression of interest forms to contest
elections into the Senate and the House of Representatives.

According to him,
Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Sokoto, Adamawa, Jigawa and Kebbi
States recorded the highest number of the aspirants that have purchased
the governorship forms while at least two persons purchased in some
southern states.

He also said that
in states like Kano and Katsina, over 40 persons have purchased forms
per constituency while over 60 persons in those states have bought
House of Assembly forms.

Mr Aghanaya, who
did not disclosed how much each form costs, said all female aspirants
are exempted from paying for the forms as a way of encouraging them.

The Joint Committee
of Non-Academic Staff Union and the Academic Staff Union of
Polytechnics of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, have vowed to continue
with their strike until the state government accede to their demands.

The unions’ vow is
coming despite the death of three of their leaders in an auto crash on
October 5. The workers had embarked on an indefinite strike about three
months ago, demanding for the implementation of the 53.37 percent
salary increase (CONTEDISS) for staff of the institution. Three union
leaders of the institution died while returning from Akure, where they
had gone to negotiate with the state government over the new pay rise.

The Chairman of
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Rufus Giwa branch, Olabamiji
Kumuyi, who spoke with reporters on behalf of other unions at the end
of the seven-day mourning organized for the late union leaders,
expressed dismay at what he called “nonchalant attitude” of the state
government towards the implementation of 53.37 percent salary increase.
He said their counterparts at the Adekunle Ajasin University were
enjoying the full payment of the new wages since April, while the
polytechnic workers have not been answered.

Honour to the dead

At the prayer
session in honour of their deceased colleagues, which was attended by
1,500 staffers of the institution, the workers also agreed to declare
every 5th of October as public holiday in the institution to remember
the dead union leaders. “We have agreed to make every 5th of October as
a public holiday in the institution,” said Mr Kumuyi. “The day is set
aside to remember the union leaders who laid down their lives for the
institution.”

The union leader called for the immortalization of the union leaders
to serve as a way of encouragement for others and ensure that they
remain in the memories of workers and students of the institution. He
added that some buildings in the institution would be named after the
dead union leaders, adding that the various unions in the school would
not allow the families of the deceased to suffer.

The All Nigeria
Peoples Party (ANPP) and the National Conscience Party (NCP), on
Wednesday, moved to galvanize the other opposition groups to oust the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party from power during the forthcoming
general elections.

At the national
headquarters of the ANPP in Abuja, the national leadership of both
parties agreed that the 11 years of PDP rule have brought hardship on
Nigerians and that unless the opposition come together and capitalize
on the transparent electoral process being worked out by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the ruling party will
continue in power. Femi Falana, who led the NCP delegation, said as the
largest opposition party, the ANPP has failed the nation. According to
him, while it was vibrant, it, alongside the Alliance for Democracy,
won many states in the north and the south.

Mr Falana regretted
that the ANPP allowed itself to be infiltrated by “undemocratic
elements that succeeded in weakening it for the ruling party to thrive
in bastardizing the nation’s economy.” He urged the party faithful to
rejoice at the emergence of Ogbonnaya Onu as their new chairman, noting
that it was because of his personality that made the NCP to seek to
work with the largest opposition party and other progressive groups in
the country. He urged the ANPP and other political parties not to allow
the proposed Electoral Act amendment sent by Goodluck Jonathan to scale
through at the National Assembly, warning that if it does, political
parties will suffer the cause.

“I am also speaking
for other progressive parties in Nigeria who are desirous to work with
the people of the ANPP so that we can together terminate 12 years of
misrule that this country has gone through,” he added.

Falana-Onu partnership

The Public Order
Act, which the Police has been capitalizing on to stop lawful rallies,
according to Mr Falana, has since by repealed by the court and wondered
where the force derived its power to abort rallies.

“In Ghana, the
police can’t stop any one or group from congregating for whatever
purpose,” he said. The police would have to go to court to get
permission to stop any meeting. Its only in Nigeria that the police
will seat in their office asking you to come and obtain a permit to
exercise your right. This must stop, why should anybody’s campaign be
stopped?” Mr Onu, who expressed joy at the visit of the NCP leadership,
said that the ANPP has taken up the challenge and would work with
others to ensure the PDP from power.

“We will ensure
that we dislodge all those who have visited out youth with
unemployment, violence on our innocent people, kidnapping on innocent
citizen and poverty on the masses,” he said. “I believe strongly that
it is time for the opposition to prove a point and provide an
alternative which Nigerians are yearning for.” He praised Mr Falana for
being a dogged fighter and a promoted of democracy and good governance,
adding that but for his efforts, many truths would have been buried in
the country.

Mr Onu also said
that the ANPP will soon confer on the NCP chieftain a special honour
for his efforts at working to strengthen opposition in Nigeria.

Angolan opposition

Meanwhile, the
leader of Opposition in Angola, Anthonio Roberto Neto, visited the ANPP
leadership yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

Mr Neto told the
party members led by Mr Onu that he was in Nigeria to “share views,
ideas and knowledge with the ANPP leadership as the largest opposition
party in Nigeria just his party, Democratic Party of Angola.” He said
he had suffered injustices including incarceration in the hands of his
home government. Mr Neto said his visit would also afford him
opportunity to see how the opposition parties in Nigeria relate with
INEC, adding that he will still contest the presidency of Angolain 2012
elections.

According to him, his experience in Nigeria will guide him in his electoral campaign.

Mr Onu thanked the visitor and stressed the need for oppositions
across the continent to work together to bring about good governance in
African countries.

The federal
government yesterday arraigned Bodunde Adeyanju, a former aide of
ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo, before a Federal High Court in Abuja
for his alleged involvement in the $180 million Halliburton bribery
scam, and he was granted bail.

Arraigning the
accused person, counsel to the federal government, Godwin Obla, in an
amended charge, said that the accused sometime between 2002 and 2003
accepted a cash payment of N140 million from one George Mark.

He told the court
that Bodunde’s alleged illegal collection of the monies ran contrary to
Section 1 and 15 (d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable
under Section 15(2)(b) of the same Act.

Adding that the
accused also within the jurisdiction of the court between 2002 and 2003
accepted another cash payment of the sum of $500, 000 from one Hans
George Christ. Specifically, he said that the accused further violated
Section 1 and 15 of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under
Sections 15(2) (b) of the Act.

When the charge was
read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. “Your
Lordship, I do not have any complexities or collected any monies from
anybody as alleged in that charge; I am not guilty,” he said.

And his lawyer, Mr
Akinyemi Aremu, in an oral application, asked the court to grant him
bail, saying that the accused person is a first offender and will not
jump bail if granted. He said the alleged offence is a bail-able one
and if convicted, the accused is liable to two years imprisonment or a
fine of N250,000, or both. The prosecutor, Mr Obla, said he would leave
the issue of bail to the discretion of the court.

No objection

The presiding
judge, Adamu Bello, while ruling on the bail, said, “To me, when a
prosecutor says he leaves the issue of bail to the discretion of the
court, is a modest way of saying he has no objection.” Subsequently, he
granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million, and one surety in
like sum. The surety must be a responsible citizen of Nigeria who
resides within the jurisdiction of the court, and must sign an
affidavit of means. However, he said the accused person should be
remanded in prison custody if he fails to meet the bail conditions. He
adjourned the matter to December 16 for trial.

The Halliburton
case has been beset by setbacks. When the matter was first mentioned in
August, a Federal High Court judge, David Okorowo, disqualified himself
from hearing the $180 million Halliburton bribery scandal, after the
federal government failed to produce the accused persons in court.

Also, the federal
government recently said it withdrew the charges it filed against
Julius Berger Nigeria Limited. The construction giant was said to be
involved in the $180m Halliburton scam.

But it said it
would file a civil action against Halliburton Corporation in the United
States to seek compensation and restitution within the next 14 days.

The
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed
Adoke, said this at a press briefing in Abuja last month, on the
Halliburton prosecution and other related matters.

The senate on Wednesday said it should not be held responsible if the 2011 elections fail.

While debating the
second amendment of the constitution, senators were of the view that
they have done everything possible to ensure that the 2011 general
elections are credible, free and fair.

The deputy
majority leader of the senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who spoke at the end
of the sitting, said the public should know where responsibilities lie
because the current amendment to the constitution is at the instance of
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The senators, who
generally expressed scepticism over the success of the 2011 elections,
rebuffed claims that they are responsible for the hitches in the
electoral process and that they have been bribed by the executive to
effect amendment in the electoral act in their favour.

“We are not trying
to frustrate the elections next year,” David Mark, the senate president
said. “We are doing everything humanly possible to make the election
free and fair.” His colleague, Patrick Osakwe (PDP Delta state) added
that:

“Nigerians should
be aware that in case there is any failure in the elections, the
national assembly has done its best for INEC.”

Bill advanced

The senate said it
was set to conclude the second amendment to the 1999 constitution next
week following the successful passage of the bill through second
reading on Wednesday.

The bill proposes
that election be held not earlier than 90 days and not later than 30
days before the end of tenure of the running office, different from the
current constitutional provisions of not earlier than 150 days and not
later than 120 days.

Mr. Mark, while
closing debate on the bill, asked the senate ad hoc committee on
constitution review to submit a clean copy of the bill by next week for
passage into law.

The bill was read
for the first time on Tuesday and, according to the deputy senate
president, Ike Ekweremadu, is in consonance with the new dates demanded
by the Independent National Electoral Commission for adjustment to the
election time frame.

The bill comprises 10 clauses dealing with time frame for elections and matters of election petition and adjudication.

While most
senators argued in favour of the amendments to the constitution, some
proposed that the time frame for conduct of elections be completely
expunged from the constitution and inserted into the electoral act for
ease of future amendments.

However, the
second clause that seeks to let governorship election petitions get to
the Supreme Court was met with serious opposition.

“With this amendment, there will be a reinstatement of governorship
elections tribunal which the first amendment abrogated,” the deputy
senate president said. “The aim here is to cure the ill of contrary and
contradictory judgments often witnessed in Appeal Court decisions on
governorship election appeals.” Many senators were of the opinion that
there was no need extending such gesture to the governors. Others
argued that allowing the petitions to drag for so long would give
governors an unusual advantage over the contesting parties.

Irked by Nigeria’s rising debt profile,
President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the National Economic
Management Team to draw up a new guideline for external borrowing, the
Minister of State for Information and Communications, Labaran Maku,
said yesterday while briefing pressmen after the weekly Federal
Executive Council.

Mr. Maku said the decision was reached
to ensure that Nigeria borrows for projects that will have a direct and
immediate impact on the country’s economy.

The minister also said the president,
“frowns at a situation where, after exiting the London and Paris club
of creditors, Nigeria should again return to the situation of the past.
Therefore, external borrowing must be tied to productive activities
that generate revenue, improve economic development, increase Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and increase employment in the country”.

He said the president also directed a
thorough analysis of every loan that Nigeria intends to take
subsequently, whether by the federal or individual state governments,
to ensure that the loans must have impact on the economy.

From “today onwards, the question of
new debts or new external loans will be tied to the new guidelines to
be developed by the National Economic Management Team” Mr Maku said.

“The President was very emphatic about
this development because the Nigerian economy is in need of productive
activities. A situation where loans might be taken that are not
directed at development or increasing infrastructure or increasing the
general volume of goods and services in the economy will not be in the
best interest of Nigeria”.

New shares in AfDB

The minister also said the executive
gave approval to the Ministry of Finance to pay up Nigeria’s new share
capita allocated by the African Development Bank (ADB).

“Council equally approved the payment
of N6.5 billion (USD43.341 million) per annum for 8 years, starting
from 2010 with the N1.7billion provided in the 2010 budget in addition
to the issuance of promissory note for the balance of N4.8billion,” he
said.

“The ADB had offered Nigeria 386,021
unit of shares from its Sixth General Capital Increase out of which
23,215 constitutes the paid up portion. The value of the paid up
portion of 23,215 is USD346.730million which is about N52.01billion.”

In 2006, Nigeria paid off its multi- billion dollar Paris Club debt.
The move, which was said to have cleared the way for greater government
spending on infrastructure, healthcare and education, is now gradually
being threatened by a new debt profile.