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Worried by the incessant abduction of
its members, the Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association
(NMA) has petitioned Goodluck Jonathan on the state of insecurity in
Edo State, particularly kidnappings, with the doctors apparently being
the main targets.

No fewer than four doctors have been
kidnapped in the state within the last four weeks, with the abduction
of a couple, Olabisi Ihenyen, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal
Psychiatric Hospital, Benin, and her husband, Lionel, last week being
the latest. The doctors blamed the porous security situation in the
country on insensitivity on the part of government officials at all
levels.

In a petition signed by the
association’s chairman, Philip Ugbodaga; Secretary, Emmanuel Ighodaro
and the Public Relations Officer, Kennedy Alohan, and made available to
NEXT yesterday after it was presented to the president through the
state government, they suggested that the federal government should
also review and redeploy heads of security apparatuses in the states as
he has done at the federal level.

“Kidnapping, which started like child’s
play a few years ago in Port Harcourt, has since assumed a life of its
own and has defied all solutions,” the doctors said. “It has now gone
beyond a remote trend to become a constant part of our existence. As
doctors, we are extremely worried that we are unable to practice our
profession in an atmosphere of fear, anxiety and insecurity.

“In the past couple of months, at least
18 medical/dental doctors have been abducted in Edo State, creating
fear and anxiety in the minds of doctors practicing in the state.
Clearly, Edo is now tops in the despicable crime of kidnapping of
doctors.”

Constant fear

The statement said the security
situation has put doctors in constant fear, as they are unable to
engage in call duty and emergency services rendered after normal work
hours. They, therefore, called for the convocation of a national
conference on kidnapping, to find a way forward.

“The sweeping changes in the top
echelon of the nation’s security apparatus you undertook recently
should be immediately extended to the security establishments in all
states of the federation, and especially Edo State,” he said. “There is
a need to restructure Nigeria to accommodate state and community
policing. The security agencies should stop kidnapping now. We believe
they are capable of doing it if they are ready to work. The general
feeling of the people now is not whether it will happen but when, where
and who the next target would be.”

The doctors said the effect of kidnapping on the state is too
enormous, as it scares away potential investors and robs the state of
the benefit of development opportunities. “It clearly appears to us
that the only safe place to live in Nigeria is Aso Rock,” they said.
“We therefore urge you to deploy the same security arrangement in the
villa to the rest of Nigeria. That is the only way we can be assured
that you are truly working in the interest of the people of this
country.” The NMA also said the scourge of kidnapping is a direct
result of the “long-standing irresponsibility of successive Nigerian
leaders,” resulting from bad governance and corruption. It also blamed
Nigeria’s “sad culture that venerates wealth without regard to its
source”.

Property worth millions of naira, and about 10 shops,
were destroyed in a fire that started at around 1am at the Kasuwar Waya
Market, Bauchi, before it was controlled by officers of the fire
service and assistance from members of the public.

The chairman of the market, Baba Uba, who spoke with
the press at the scene of the incident, said the fire emanated from an
electrical fault from a shop that sells electronics.

“Businessmen and traders must always switch off their
electrical appliances when closing for the day, to avoid future
occurrence of such an incident,” he said. “If we observe this principle
of turning off all electrical gadgets, we will prevent disasters, not
only in our shops, but also in our homes.” He called on the government
and private individuals to come to the aid of the affected victims, as
the shops were their only source of livelihood.

Mr Uba, who expressed gratitude to the fire service
and members of the public that assisted in putting out the fire, said
henceforth, he would use his authority as chairman, to sensitize the
traders in the market on avoiding anything that would result to future
disasters in the market.

Permanent secretaries of the ministry for special duties and that of
state emergency have visited the scene of the incident to ascertain the
level of damage and commensurate with the victims over the fire
incident.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), yesterday
shifted its national convention by one day, apparently to allow
Goodluck Jonathan use the Eagles Square, the venue of the convention,
to launch his presidential bid. The two-day convention, which was fixed
for today and tomorrow, has now been shifted twice.

The chairman of the National Convention Planning
Committee (NCPC), Ibrahim Geidam, announced at a news conference
attended by members of the two factions of the party in Abuja
yesterday, that the event would now hold tomorrow September 18 and
Sunday September 19.

Mr Geidam, who is also the Yobe State governor,
denied insinuations that the convention was shifted because of Mr
Jonathan’s declaration. He said September 17 has been set aside for
members’ arrival from different parts of the country.

“All are to note that the national convention of our
great party will hold on the 18th and 19th September 2010 as scheduled.
Accreditation will start on Saturday 18th September at Agura Hotel
while Eagle Square remains the venue of the convention,” the governor
said. Mr Geidam, also announced the reconciliation of the two warring
factions of the party, adding that their members would work together
for a common goal. He announced the lifting of the suspension placed by
the Edwin Ume-Ezeoke leadership on six members of the faction, which,
last month, organized a parallel national executive committee meeting
during which it dissolved the former national working committee. The
decisions, he said followed a letter the party received from the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday morning,
saying it does not recognize any of the factions.

Not recognised

The INEC said in the letter dated September 15, and
signed by the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, that it would
only relate with the convention committee until a new executive council
is elected at the convention. The commission, according to him, also
said the Transition Management Committee (TMC) set up by the party
three weeks ago is not recognized by either party’s constitution or the
Electoral Act.

The chairman said the national electoral body also
included a list of the 20-member convention committee which it
recognizes and which should organize the event. According to him, those
whose names were not on the lists despite their appointments by the
opposing faction, had been taken care of and had been given various
assignments.

“Against this backdrop and after due consultations
with stakeholders in the party, I am happy to announce that we have
resolved the issues at stake and we will work together in the overall
interest of our party, the ANPP,” Mr Geidam said.

“All factions, sides and groups within the party
stand dissolved and all of us will now work towards a common goal of
repositioning and refocusing our great party to the path of victory.

“Those who are said to have been suspended, their
suspension is hereby declared null and void. They are part and parcel
of us and they are going to participate in all the affairs of the ANPP.
And the faction which went to court when the crisis began has agreed to
withdraw the case.”

No decision on chairman

Mr Geidam said the party is yet to decide which of
the six geopolitical zones that would produce the national chairman,
following the disagreement that trailed the zoning formula adopted by
the national caucus last month.

Among those who attended the press conference are
governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff; former deputy governor of
Bauchi State, Garba Gadi; former deputy governor of Jigawa State,
Ibrhaim Hassan Hadeija; senators, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Kabiru Gaya, Sani
Ahmad and Maiji Maina Lawan. Others are the chairman of the splinter
group, Mohammed A. Mohammed, John Odigie-Oyegun, George Muoghalu,
Vitalis Ajumbe and chairman of the Transition Management Committee,
Abdulrahman Adamu.

They had reportedly held a meeting somewhere in the
Asokoro District of Abuja before moving to the national secretariat of
the party for the press conference.

Meanwhile, a member of the party, Bashir Tofa, will
tomorrow formally declare his intention to contest the presidential
election in 2011. Mr Tofa, who was the flag bearer of the defunct
National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1993, will make the declaration
at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.

He becomes the second aspirant on the platform of the ANPP, after Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau.

Ibadan, the Oyo
State capital, experienced peace on Thursday, as the state police
command commenced a 24-hour surveillance on all the major motor parks
to forestall a repeat or escalation of Wednesday’s wee-hour
bloodletting between the two factions of the state’s National Union of
Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

Since early
Wednesday, the police have beefed up security across the town to
restore peace shattered by the fight which reportedly claimed three
lives and damaged scores of vehicles.

Convoys of police
patrol vehicles moved round the major motor parks within the city,
while Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and other patrol vehicles,
manned by stern-looking policemen, were stationed at various areas of
the town on Thursday.

Olabisi Okuwobi,
the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the effort was
on the orders of Baba Adisa Bolanta, Commissioner of Police, to ensure
that the peace of the town is not disrupted and hoodlums are not
allowed to inflict injuries on innocent citizens living in the state.

Ms Okuwobi said the
police were on top of the situation, but added that they were yet to
apprehend more suspects in connection with the incident, aside the two
arrested on Thursday.

In spite of this, unconfirmed reports of skirmishes were reported at a few of the motor parks in Ibadan on Thursday.

Hardship on commuters

Members of the
drivers’ union withdrew their vehicles from the roads yesterday,
thereby, imposing hardship on commuters. The union members said they
did that to protest the killing of their members in Wednesday’s fight.

Lateef Salako (aka
Elewe-Omo), led other members of his group to the offices of the state
governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala; the state commissioner of police as well
as the complex of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) to
display the corpses of three of his members who were allegedly killed
during the fight.

Since the fight
involved heavy exchange of fire power, doubt has been raised on the
police’s claim that the fight only claimed the three lives being
carried around by Elewe-Omo.

NEXT’s
investigation at the state police headquarters yesterday revealed that
until early Thursday, Mr. Bolanta was not privy to the fact that the
attack was provoked by the Elewe-Omo’s faction, who had used the cover
of night to dislodge the faction of the recently reinstated Lateef
Akinsola (aka Tokyo), from their Olomi state secretariat.

When the three
corpses were brought to the governor’s office late Wednesday, Taofeek
Arapaja, deputy governor of the state, who spoke on behalf of the state
governor, promised the government’s readiness to probe the killing and
bring the culprits to book.

The threat and
promise notwithstanding, many Ibadan residents believe that the
sustained mayhem inflicted on the state by the hoodlums is made
possible by the state’s politicians, who often use the hoodlums for
their selfish ends. The renewed violence is already building tension in
the state, particularly as preparations towards the 2011 elections
gather momentum.

Despite the state
government’s proscription of the union and its order that the local
government chairmen should take over the management of parks across the
state, the same old situation of thugs collecting money from drivers
still dominates parks in the state. Tokyo claims these men belong to
the faction controlled by his opponent, Elewe-Omo.

The governor of Kogi State, Ibrahim Idris, on
Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), seeking to stop the electoral body from holding
governorship election in the state next year.

Mr Idris is asking a Federal High Court in Abuja to
prevent the commission from holding elections for his seat until April
5, 2012. He joined his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, as
defendant in the case.

Tenure elongation

Last month, INEC announced that the tenures of
governors who were re-elected after their 2007 elections were cut short
by tribunals will end on May 29, 2011. Mr. Idris is one of five
governors who fall into the category. Others are the governors of
Ekiti, Adamawa, Bayelsa, and Cross River.

In the originating summons filed by Mr. Idris’
counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, the lawyer said “since he (Idris) was elected
to the office of Governor of Kogi State in a fresh election conducted
by INEC and took Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on 5th April,
2008, there would be no room for election until 2012”.

INEC is the first defendant in the suit while PDP is second defendant.

Mr. Idris’ action was commenced upon the expiration
of an ultimatum issued to INEC in a letter written by his counsel
asking it to discontinue any step towards conducting an election for
the governorship seat in Kogi State which it has scheduled for January
2011.

Specifically, he cited the provision of Section 180
(2) of the 1999 Constitution, providing for a – four year tenure of
office for a governor from the day he took the Oath of office and Oath
of Allegiance as the sacrosanct provision of the law which cannot be
abridged or ignored.

He is also praying the court for “an order of
injunction restraining the PDP, whether by itself, its agents, servants
or privies, or whosoever and howsoever defined or called from releasing
guidelines / timetable and from conducting primaries or putting
machinery into motion or from taking any decision on candidates(s) to
contest Governorship Election in Kogi State on the platform of PDP
against January, 2011.”

Matter of interpretation

Mr. Fagbemi wants the court to resolve the questions
in the governor’s favour, consequently declare that his tenure would
run until April 5, 2012 and that INEC was incompetent to abridge his
four year tenure by conducting any election into the office while his
tenure subsists.

He wants the court to declare that INEC cannot
conduct any election into the Kogi State Governorship election earlier
than sixty days before Idris’ terminal date of April 5, 2012.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the matter, as it has not been assign to any Judge.

The National Executive Committee of the PDP met on
Wednesday and ratified the guidelines for the party primaries for all
elective offices. The NEC also ratified the fees to be paid for
expression of interest/ nomination fees by aspirants.

Special congresses election at state assembly
constituencies hold nationwide on October 2, 2010, while the run-off if
any is slated to hold on October 4, 2010.

Electoral appeals arising from the exercise hold on October 5, 2010.

A gubernatorial primary is to hold from October 6-8, 2010. On
October 6, 2010 there will be special congresses (Primary Elections)
and LGAs in senatorial district 1. On October 7, 2010, it will be the
turn of LGAs in North or West 2, while on October 8, 2010, LGAs it will
hold in senatorial district 3. Electoral appeals is fixed for October
10, 2010.

The Police Command in Kano
State on Wednesday arrested 34 persons in different parts of the
state for offences ranging from armed robbery, drug peddling to
kidnapping.

Parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters, Muhammad Gana, Police
Commissioner in the state, said the Police had declared the state a war zone for
criminals.

He said the command had also put in place a house-to-house
monitoring strategy to flush out criminals
from their hiding places.

Mr Gana cited the case of a
suspect involved in kidnapping a businessman who was also duped of
more than 29,000 dollars.

The commissioner, however, said the police will
require the support of residents in information gathering until crime was
reduced to its barest minimum.

The federal government has approved the review of the Owena Dam Water Treatment Plant Project in Akure,

Ondo State, which
commenced in May 2007. An additional sum of N4.3 billion has been voted
for the project, increasing the total contract sum to N11.6billion.

The Minister of
information and communication, Dora Akunyili said this while briefing
journalists after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting which
was initially chaired by Goodluck Jonathan, who later left to condole
with victims of the flood in Sokoto State, leaving Vice President
Namadi Sambo to chair the meeting.

Flanked by the
minister of state, Labaran Maku and the Minister of State for
Education, Mrs. Akunyili said a provision for Owena Dam Water Treatment
Plant Project has been made in 2010 Capital Budget.

“The contractor
commenced work in May 2007. However, due to foundation treatment,
changes in the final design and price escalation of construction
materials, the contractor requested for augmentation to the tune of
N4,703,236,922.69 to ensure completion of the project; but the BPP
reviewed the augmentation downward to N4,339,944,789.53” she said.

The council also
granted approval for the augmentation of contract for completion of the
Sabke Dam head work and access road project in Daura Local government
of Katsina State. The project was handed over to the ministry of water
resources by the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) in 1999.

Council approved a
total of N415 million as additional cost, increasing the total sum to
N1.2billion, with a completion period of ten months.

Mrs. Akunyili said there is an amended appropriation in the sum of N6billion in 2010 for the project.

Africa water council

The meeting also
approved the ratification of hosting Agreement and Domestication of the
African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and authorized the ministry
of justice to prepare the instrument of ratification.

The African
ministers responsible for water had converged in Abuja in 2002 and
adopted the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on “water- a key to
sustainable Development in Africa” and had decided to establish the
African Council on Water. The secretariat is to be established in Abuja.

FEC also approved
the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of
Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses; and the Agreement
and Statute on Functioning of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Other approvals are those for Nigeria to sign the Convention on
Substantive Rules Regarding Intermediated Securities (also known as the
Geneva Securities Convention) as well as the Convention on the Law
Applicable to Certain Rights of Securities Held With an Intermediary
(the Hague Securities Convention).

About 83 vehicles
were destroyed on Wednesday as members of the two factions of the Oyo
State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)
engaged one another in hot battle in the wee hours of the day.

The vehicles, which included exotic cars and commercial vehicles, were either burnt or vandalised by the rampaging hoodlums.

An eyewitness told
NEXT that the fracas started around 1am when sporadic shooting started
within the neighbourhood of the Academy-Olomi state secretariat of the
union. Buildings within the area also fell victims of the shooting, as
some of them were riddled with bullets, while the damaged vehicles were
either shot at or matcheted.

Like a fresh war
scene, the adjoining streets in the area were littered with hundreds of
disused cartridges and carcasses of the damaged vehicles.

The duel, which
reportedly lasted for about three hours, saw the assailants enter the
union’s secretariat where furniture and other valuable equipment were
destroyed. The assailants shot their ways into the building after
destroying a black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) belonging to Lateef
Akinsola (aka Tokyo), recently reinstated chairman of the union, who
was suspected to be the target of the attack.

Mr. Akinsola was said to have narrowly escaped being killed as he left the building before the attackers gained entrance.

Scores injured
during the fight have been hospitalised at an undisclosed hospital in
Ibadan, where they are believed to be safe from arrest or possible
further attack.

Lekan Aleshinloye,
a factional secretary of the union, told journalists in Ibadan that
members loyal to Tokyo had the premonition of the attack, adding that
the information informed the decision of some of them to keep vigil at
the office.

He said the men
stationed at the office premises confronted the assailants as soon as
sporadic shootings started. He added that the men retreated when they
saw that the assailants were led by policemen identified as men from
the state’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

He claimed that
besides the 15 vehicles that conveyed them to the scene, the assailants
convoy was backed with a police Armoured Personnel Carrier.

Blameless police

The state police
command, however, denied any culpability in the matter. Baba Adisa
Bolanta, state commissioner of police, said his men were only drafted
to the scene to restore peace when information on breakdown of law and
order in the area were reported to the police. He said the police had
arrested two suspects in connection with the incident.

Abiodun Ige, the
area commander in charge of Iyaganku, led a combined team of armed
policemen and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to
the troubled area at about 11am to assess the extent of damages.

Mr. Ige came in company of all the divisional police officers in charge of the police divisions in the area command.

Both Tokyo and
Lateef Salako (aka Elewe-Omo), the two proverbial elephants in the
fight, could not be reached on phone yesterday as their mobile phones
were said to have been switched off.

A statement by the
state police command, signed by its spokesperson, Okuwobi Olabisi, said
it has recovered three dead bodies. It said the bodies were brought to
the police headquarters by Eleweomo at about 12 noon yesterday.

“The command wants to use this medium to assure good members of the
public of their safety in view of the crisis rocking the state NURTW.
Troublemakers, no matter how highly placed in the society and their
foot soldiers, are by this medium warned to desist forthwith as the
command has deployed both human and material logistics needed to tackle
their activities headlong,” she said.

Goodluck Jonathan yesterday decorated
the newly appointed service chiefs. The service chiefs were promoted
one step higher in their ranks.

President Jonathan implored them to
ensure that the menace of kidnapping is wiped out of the country,
through cooperation with the Nigerian Police Force.

The decoration ceremony took place
shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council
(FEC) meeting at the Council Chambers of the presidential villa. Family
and friends of the newly decorated military chiefs were on ground to
witness the occasion, which took off shortly after 10am.

The newly appointed Director General of
the State Security Service (SSS), Ita Ekpenyong, and the DG of the
Nigerian Intelligence Agency, E. O. Oladeji, were also recognised.

The promotion of the Acting Inspector
General of police, Hafiz Ringim, to the post of substantive IG is
pending the confirmation of the National Council of States, which is
made up of governors.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mr
Jonathan urged the chiefs to devise measures to reposition the defence
intelligence system both at home and abroad. “We are all gathered to
witness the decoration of the nation’s chief of defence staff, and
chiefs for the army, navy and air force, who in the exercise of my
powers as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I appointed last
week,” the president said. “The chief of defence staff, Oluseyi
Petirin, former Air Marshal, is now Air Chief Marshal; the Chief of
Defence Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, was Major-General, is now
Lieutenant-General; the Chief of Naval Staff, Ola Ibrahim, was a Rear
Admiral, is now Vice-Admiral and the Chief of Air Staff, Mohammed Dikko
Umar, was Air Vice Marshal, is now Air Marshal.”

Political challenges

Mr Jonathan stated that in spite of
several political challenges we have faced as a nation, the armed
forces have, in the last one decade, remained resolute in defence of
democracy in our country.

“The armed forces’ complete submission
to civil authority in compliance with the provisions of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has helped to sustain
our collective efforts to develop a true democratic culture in the
country,” he said.

“For this act of unflinching loyalty, I
commend our officers and men. I thank the immediate past chief of
defence staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.
Ibrahim Danbazau; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ishaya
Ibrahim; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Petirin who is now the
CDS, for the sterling leadership they provided to the armed forces in
the last two years of their service.

“I urge you to see your appointment as
another opportunity for higher service to your fatherland. You must,
therefore, remain committed, dedicated and loyal to the constitution of
the Federal Republic.”

He said the men were coming to service
at a very critical moment in our history, with our country facing
internal security challenges, such as kidnapping, militia terrorizing
parts of the country and others. “You must work effectively with the
police to ensure that we put this ugly part of Nigeria’s history behind
us as soon as possible.

“Government will do everything to
support you to make sure that these rampant cases of kidnapping and
militia harassing, maiming, destroying and killing people in parts of
this country, is a thing of the past,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to cooperate with and support the new officers to
succeed, adding that their “success will bring security to this country
that all Nigerians are looking up to”.

The Federal government yesterday denied that only
fifty per cent of electricity workers have being paid the monetisation
benefits which was agreed upon for the suspension of a nationwide
strike by the workers weeks ago.

The Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wyas told NEXT
Wednesday that while the payment has not been completed as claimed by a
senior official of the union over the weekend, more than 80% were paid
as at Tuesday.

“Out of over 44,000 eligible workers, over 36,000
have been verified and paid,” he said in a text message yesterday.
“Outstanding is over 8,000 only,” he added.

The National Union of the Electricity Workers called
off its strike on August 26, 2010 after agreeing with the federal
government that the disputed benefit totalling about N67 billion would
be cleared within two weeks.

As the date elapsed last Sunday, the Secretary of the
electricity workers union’ Joe Ajaeroh said only 50% of the targeted
beneficiaries could be met hinting at the possibility of renewed
industrial action in the sector.

The union acknowledged there was a disparity between
the amount claimed to have been paid by the government, and those
actually paid. It however hoped to harmonise the differences between
Monday and Tuesday, allowing for the two public holidays declared last
week.

But the Minister said the delay in completing the
payment exercise was due to a complex verification of lawful
beneficiaries resulting from poor records. “These outstanding are due
to poor records, lack of proper identification of next of kin for
deceased workers, unavailability of those who have left the service” he
said. The issues are currently being addressed by external auditors, Mr
Wya stated.

The union could not confirm its position to NEXT as at yesterday but
seems to be in agreement with the claim made by the federal government.
The organising secretary of union’s Abuja Zonal office, Temple Iworima
said the payment is going on, and so far, 33,000 workers were paid
while the few leftovers are to be resolved.