Nigeria Content Online

The Ondo State
office of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) yesterday sanctioned
eight 2009/2010 batch C Corps members posted to Ondo State for
absenteeism and abscondment.

Jaiye Ojumu, the
State Coordinator who disclosed this at the passing out parade of the
corps members, said the suspended corps members were part of the 949
youth posted to the state in 2009.

He however noted
that ten of them were given state award for their contribution to the
development of the state through community development programme.

Babatunde Ogundare
was overall best youth corps member for building a medical clinic for
inmates of the Olokuta Maximum Prison Akure.

“Ogundare
distinguished himself during the one year mandatory service. He built a
modern clinic in an over-crowded prison in Akure,” Mr Ojumu said.

State governor,
Olusegun Mimiko urged the corps members to allow lessons of dignity of
labour, self reliance, selfless service and peaceful co-existence that
they imbibed in the last one year to guide them for the rest of their
lives.

“The era of higher
education as a meal ticket or passport to plum employment should give
way to a season of entrepreneurship,” he said, charging Nigerian youth
to resist any attempt by politicians to subvert the democratic process.

Mr Mimiko also
warned corps members that will be engaged by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) as ad-hoc staff to kick against any
irregularities that some politicians might want to perpetrate. “As the
electioneeringcampaigns have commenced, I want to charge the youth of
this nations to resist being used to subvert the democratic process,
they should conduct themselves in an orderly manner.”

Edo State governor,
Adams Oshiomhole also called on members of the NYSC to join the
campaign against corruption in the country, adding that when the youth
join in the fight against corruption, it means a bright hope for the
future of the country.

He spoke at the
passing out ceremony of corps members deployed to Edo State, where it
was also revealed that two of the corps members died during the service
year.

Mr Oshiomhole said
the lure of easy wealth has turned many youth to the vices of “crime,
cultism, corruption and indiscipline” but said he expected that “as ex
corps members, you will not be found treading the path of crime and
corruption.” The governor said he was satisfied with the corps members’
selfless service in the past one year in the state. He said their
effort have greatly imparted on the socio-economic landscape of Edo
state, especially in the rural communities where majority of them
served.

The state commissioner for youth and sports, Anita Evbuomwan said 13
of the corps members would be asked to repeat their service year over
acts of indiscipline, an action she said “serves as a deterrent not
only to those erring corps members, but also to those still serving.”

Palpable tension is
mounting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as the Court of Appeal
sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, will today deliver judgement in the
petition filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate,
Kayode Fayemi, against the majority verdict that declared Governor
Segun Oni of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the
governorship re-run election in the state in 2009.

Ayo Salami, the
president of the Courts of Appeal is expected to lead four other
eminent Appeal Court judges to deliver the judgment.

Mr. Fayemi is challenging the conduct of the election in five wards thus:

Ifaki wards 1 and 2, Orin/Ora, Usi – all in Ido/Osi local government, and Ipoti Wards A and B in Ijero local government.

Counsels to Mr.
Fayemi and the ACN, Tony Adeniyi, and that of the PDP, Obafemi Adewale,
acknowledged the receipt of the notice, saying the notice came to them
at about 11am yesterday.

The Action Congress
of Nigeria(ACN) governorship candidate in the state, Kayode Fayemi, had
filed an appeal last May against the return of Governor Segun Oni in
the highly vilified election that was held on April 25 and May 5, 2009.
The rerun election was held following an earlier suit filed by Mr.
Fayemi against the election of Mr. Oni in 2007. The Appeal Court in
Ilorin, headed by Mohammed Dattijo, had, on February 17, 2009,
nullified the election and ordered a rerun.

Mr. Oni had earlier
won through a split verdict at the lower tribunal, chaired by Hamman
Barka, where three of the five-member panel, including Mr. Barka,
validated the election of the governor.

Police deployed

Meanwhile, police authorities in Ekiti have deployed over 3000 policemen to all the 16 local government areas of the state.

The spokesperson of
the State Police Command, Jimoh Mohammed, confirmed the deployment,
assuring that the police would ensure that no one or group is allowed
to take laws into their hands. He warned politicians to desist from
anything that could jeopardise the existing peace in the state as a
result of the outcome of the judgment.

“The command headquarters in Ado Ekiti has mobilised its men to all
the police divisions in the sixteen local government areas to reinforce
those that are already on ground. The command is poised to curtail any
violence that may erupt as a result of the verdict,” he said.

Efforts to outshine
one another by politicians in Oyo State, led to the abrupt ending to a
book launch organised in honour of the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Samuel
Odulana Odugade 1, in Ibadan on Thursday.

Political aides to
the Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and a group of local
government chairmen in the state threw decorum to the wind as they sang
abusive songs to interrupt the address delivered by Bola Tinubu, former
governor of Lagos State, who was the chief launcher at the occasion.

The drama started when Mr Tinubu was called upon to give his address and make a formal presentation of the book to the public.

Starting with the
usual protocol, the former Lagos State governor had no problems with
his address until he got to the heart of the presentation, which was
critical of the system that produced the incumbent state governor and
the aftermath of the process.

Supporters of Mr
Alao-Akala, who were mobilized in large numbers to overwhelm the
opposition, started to boo Tinubu and sang different songs. But they
got a match from the opposition, as counter choruses echoed from the
other side.

At a stage when the
opposition seemed to be gaining the upper hand, state political office
holders and local government chairmen joined in the fray and forced Mr
Tinubu to discontinue his address.

Having waited
intermittently for the singing to subside, the former Lagos State
governor insisted he was going to finish his address, no matter how
long it takes.

He, however,
realized he would not continue since the atmosphere was already
charged. So, he stopped the address and went ahead to present the book.

Mr Tinubu thereafter left the scene with most of the opposition politicians present at the book launch.

Among those who
left with him were Lam Adesina, former Oyo State governor and leader of
the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); Teslim Folarin, Senate Leader;
Rasidi Ladoja, a former governor of the state, and a host of other
members of the opposition.

When he rose to
give his remark as the chief host, Mr Alao-Akala admonished the
Olubadan to caution his chiefs against polluting the traditional seats
of the state with partisan politics.

Apparently
disappointed by the turn of events at the book launch, the traditional
ruler delegated his response to one of his chiefs.

Politics of supremacy

The late arrival of
invited guests delayed the commencement of the programme. The Soun of
Ogbomoso, Oyewumi Ajagungbade, left the venue before the programme
began, after waiting for hours sitting alone at the high table without
any other invited dignitaries to join him.

Also, for reasons
yet unclear, Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba
land, left immediately the governor’s convoy entered the premises of
the event.

The politics of
supremacy did not end in chanting and making remarks. The book launch
proper also had some colours of politicking.

Mr Tinubu launched
the book with N1 million. When it was the turn of the Oyo State
governor, he did the same with N10 million while other pledges of
millions also came from his aides and other political office holders in
the state.

Mr Tinubu, in his speech, had praised the courage of the Olubadan, whom he said had brought grit to the royal seat of Ibadan.

“When most people
in the land were playing safe, anxious and fearful not to offend the
powers-that-be, the Olubadan launched a full scale campaign on such
vile politicking, and why it dirtied the traditional institution,” he
said. “That was an act of great courage, since the Oba was not only
fighting the locals who were abusing the traditional institution, he
was also up against the all-mighty federal might, whose managers then
were benefiting from the abuse.”

The book was a biography of the Olubadan and was reviewed by Kunle Lawal, a professor.

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.