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The Ministry of Interior has generated
a total of N59.3 billion since the inception of the e-passport system
project, said the minister of Information and Communication, Labaran
Maku, yesterday.

Speaking after the Federal Executive
Council meeting which was chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan, the
minister, flanked by the now-acting minister of Interior and the
ministers of Police Affairs and National Planning, Humphrey Abbey and
Shamsudeen Usman, respectively, said the money generated has gone into
the national treasury.

During the FEC meeting, which lasted
for about three hours, the council ratified the contract awarded for
the production of six million e-passport booklets and 3.5 million
wafers and laminate, to a total of N13.9 million.

“The minister of Interior, in
continuation of his programme to deliver e-passport as part of the
internationally agreed deadline of April this year to cross over to
e-passport across the world, today brought a memo to council for
ratification for the award of contract for the production of six
million e-passport booklets and 3.5 million wafers and laminate in the
total sum of N13,950,280,000 to Erin Smart Nig. Ltd.”

He said the company that won the
contract has been the one involved in the production of e-passports for
the Ministry of Interior since the inception of the e-passport system.

He also said the award of the contract
will help the immigration service meet the demand for e-passports for
Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.

“Also this contract involved
maintenance services for the entire e-passport infrastructure at home
and in about 53 e-passport centers domiciled in Nigerian embassies
abroad. This project has been on for some years on the public-private
partnership. Government does not budget for it at all; it is a
contractor-financed programme which indeed has been generating
resources for the Ministry of Interior.”

Developing the Niger DeltaMr Maku also
said during the council meeting that the Niger Delta received lot of
attention. In the first memo that came to the FEC, the NDDC gave
contracts for the construction of six key roads in the region. The
minister noted that the purpose of these roads is to improve
infrastructure in the region and enhance development in line with the
government priority of bringing development in the Niger Delta to a
level that is commensurate with the resources that the region has
brought to the nation.

“As part of the amnesty programme,
government has made it a key national priority to facilitate the speedy
development of the oil producing strata,” he said. Roads worth a total
of N20,978,585,691.74 were ratified by council. He explained that these
contracts had earlier been approved by the president but because of the
work and value involved, “traditionally, the council ought to approve.”

The roads to be constructed as part of
this package include Ididep Ikot Odiong Ikot Ibiono Road, as well as
the construction of roads and a major bridge in Akwa Ibom State.
Erosion control project in Ibiono Ibom also in Akwa Ibom state. The
third road construction project is the road from Ayan Ikot Ikpayak to
Ikot Offiong, and Ikot Enine to Ikot Iboanam, also in Akwa Ibom State.
The fourth is the construction of Ama Oboke Eze Ofia Isu Nzerem Ikpe
Road in the Isiokwe Ehime Mbano local government area in Imo State.

The fifth road to be built is the Asa
Obile Road also in Imo State, and the last is the Mbiama Junction West
road in the Igbogene Ahoada West LGA of Rivers State. The roads are
expected to be completed at various period ranging from one to two
years.

The minister said the second memo was
presented by the president on the ratification of contracts for
infrastructure projects in the Niger Delta. “The total cost of project
is N27,560,764.525. Again, these projects that range from roads
construction to hospitals are allocated in various part of the Niger
Delta,” he stated.

The projects include: the construction
of Afia Nsit Ikot Mbang Road in Akwa Ibom State; the Ibaka Bati Jetty;
and Ibak Ikot Akoedo Ibom Ikot Road located in Akwa Ibom State. In
Bayelsa State, construction will commence on two 50-bed coastal
hospital complexes at Ekowe and Ekeremo, as well as the Akogbene Esama
Ogbenama road. Imo State will receive funding for the Ughelli flood
remediation, the construction of the Oguta Lake bridge, and the
construction of the Umudike international drainage system. Finally,
construction in Rivers State will comprise of Kula International Road
and the construction of Akujagu Ama forestry protection.

“These projects on completion are expected to add value to the Niger
Delta development area in terms of provision of infrastructure and
improvement in health and medical services in the region. Also, it is
expected to generate thousands of jobs for the youth, especially those
that have joined the amnesty programme as well as other unemployed
youths across the Niger Delta region,” Mr Maku said.

Kaduna State government will settle the medical bills of the victims of violent protests that erupted in the state on Sunday. Governor Patrick Yakowa made the promise after visiting some of the victims on their hospital beds in hospitals within Kaduna metropolis on Tuesday.

He directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide relief materials to internally displaced persons, currently taking refuge in various locations, including military and police barracks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that no fewer than 300 of the victims are receiving treatment at various Hospitals. Meanwhile, the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state has been relaxed.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to Mr Yakowa on Media, Reuben Buhari in Kaduna said the curfew had been relaxed from noon to 5p.m. on Wednesday. The statement added that the curfew had also been relaxed from 8 a.m. to 4p.m. from Thursday to Sunday (April 21-24). Public places, including markets, parks and financial institutions had remained closed in the state since Monday because of the 24 hour curfew.

The youth campaign
organisation of Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, on Tuesday pleaded
with the youth of Bauchi State to shun violence. Instead, the group
said, they should as future leaders always explore peaceful ways of
expressing their grievances.

The chairperson of
the organisation, Hussaini Aliyu, made the plea at a news conference in
Bauchi. He expressed regret over the orgy of violence that trailed the
presidential election in the state. Mr Aliyu said that given the fact
that the presidential election was free and fair, the act of violence
experienced in parts of the North was most unfortunate. “The election
was peaceful, but after the exercise some unpatriotic citizens decided
to create chaos in order to achieve their selfish objectives.

“This is not democracy at all. We should understand that we are the
future. We need to plan our future and should not allow ourselves to be
used as political thugs,” he urged.

The vice
presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in last
Saturday’s presidential election, John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday
expressed shock at the poor performance of his party in the election,
saying the figure ascribed to it looks unreal.

He, however, said
the party hierarchy will meet next week, after the governorship and
state house of assembly polls to consider its response to the result of
the presidential election.

The ANPP candidate,
Ibrahim Shekarau, came a distant fourth position in the election with a
total score of 917,012 votes, according to the result announced by the
Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday.

President Goodluck
Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 22,469,484;
Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, 12,214,853;
and Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, 2,790,978.

But Mr Oyegun, in
an interview, said the ANPP’s poor outing could not be divorced from
text messages and misinformation sent out by some unknown persons about
24 hours before the poll.

He explained that
the message specifically stated that some candidates had withdrawn from
the presidential contest to pave way for others, adding that even some
PDP members were involved in it.

“We still don’t
understand. I was surprised about the figure we got. But I think it can
also be attributed to text messages going round before the election
that some candidates were no longer running,” he said. “In fact, the
night before, the messages were going round that everybody must vote
for a particular candidate. I am not guessing. It was what I heard,
myself. That changed the picture of the whole thing and the support for
us just collapsed. So, the whole thing looks unreal, uncanny to me.”

No decision on result

Asked if the party
would have got more votes if the alleged messages were not sent out, Mr
Oyegun said, “Oh naturally! Of course!”

The vice
presidential candidate, who could not say exactly if the ANPP would
challenge the result of the presidential contest in court, said the
party’s national leadership will meet next week to study the conduct
and result of the election before taking a stand.

“We’ve not got to that stage (of going to the court),” he said.
“We’ve to know exactly what happened. We’ll meet Tuesday next week
after the governorship election to assess the total situation, that is,
if the situation in the country will allow for the next election. We
need explanations and I hope we will get to the bottom of it.”

To forestall any uprising that may arise during the
gubernatorial elections, the Inspector General (IG) of Police is to
oversee the polls on Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State.

The State Commissioner of Police (CP), Felix Uyanna,
said yesterday in Uyo, that the top police officer, Hafiz Ringim or a
deputy Inspector General was expected in the state for the April 26
elections.

He noted that the presence of the IG or his deputy
in the state was one of the measures taken by the police hierarchy to
ensure that there was a level-playing ground for all political parties
during the elections.

In accepting the apology of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in the state, John Akpanudoedehe
on allegations levelled by the ACN that the CP was partisan and that he
be removed, Mr Uyanna mentioned to the ACN governorship flagbearer that
he was free to lay his complaints to the IG or the deputy IG when he
arrived, if he felt the CP was not doing well.

“I want to assure you that in the forthcoming
elections, there will be fair play and justice. I assure you that on
May 26, either the IG or the deputy IG of Police will be here.

“All these things are in an effort to ensure a
level-playing ground. If you feel I am not doing well, you can walk up
to him and lay your complaints,” he said.

Mr. Akpanudoedehe who noted that the electorate
would need to be safe to cast their votes on Tuesday, appealed to the
CP to caution his men against intimidating people at the polling
centres.

He called for a restoration of relationship between
the police and the ACN which he said was lost during the tenure of the
erstwhile CP, Walter Rugbere.

“We are here to ask for a free and fair election.
People need that confidence in the police to go out without being
intimidated by government officials. Our vote must count to bring about
peace and security to this place. We plead with you to guarantee our
security and our votes.

“Let Akwa Ibom people not listen to any speculation that I have
withdrawn from the race. How can a winning governor withdraw?” he asked.

Some former
warlords of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)
yesterday held an emergency meeting following the outbreak of riots in
some part of the country over the outcome of last Saturday’s
presidential election.

The meeting blamed
what they called “disgruntled politicians and crises-profiteers” for
the crisis, saying the masses of the north are as marginalised as their
counterparts in the southern part of the country. They also promised
not to promote any retaliatory actions in the south-south.

“We condemn, in
very strong terms, the post-election violence being perpetrated and
sponsored in parts of northern Nigeria by disgruntled politicians and
crises-profiteers. We regard the outbreak of violent protests as
uncalled-for, barbaric and very retrogressive,” the group said at the
end of the meeting. “But we dare assert that this sponsored violence
does not in any way mirror or reflect the inner feelings of the
overwhelming majority of the northern masses. The northern masses, just
like their brothers and sisters in the south, particularly the Niger
Delta, are victims of years of misrule under the same persons
orchestrating the post-election violence across the north.”

A source at the
meeting said all former leaders of MEND and some former insurgent
fighters, as well as activists in the Niger Delta, were present at the
meeting held at Gbekebor Creek in Burutu local government area of Delta
State. Other selections of ex-combatants also met in Lagos and Abuja.

Declaration

The former
militants said the northern masses suffered similar deprivation as
their southern compatriots and thronged the voting centres in their
respective wards last Saturday to vote for change. “We are calling on
the international community as well as all men and women of good
conscience to promptly prevail on this political jobbers who are
stoking the embers of war across the north to sheath their swords,
given that the consequences of their action would most likely endanger
the unity of this country,” the group said. “We are piqued that, for
once, an eminently qualified Niger Deltan has won the freest and
fairest presidential election in Nigeria and some crises-profiteers in
the north are sponsoring violent protests. It is so sad and
regrettable.” The group also called on security agencies to secure the
lives and properties of all Nigerians in all parts of the country so as
to avoid the escalation of the post-election crisis.

Declaring their
support for the victory of Mr Jonathan and enjoining other Nigerians to
defend his mandate, the former militants warned that if a Niger Deltan
cannot be accepted to legitimately govern Nigeria, they shall not allow
a non-Niger Deltan to rule over resources found in the area.

“We console those
who have lost loved ones and heard-earned property and pray that the
good Lord who aided the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan as the popularly
elected President of Nigeria will replenish their loses in record
time,” the group said.

The meeting was attended by Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo);
Ateke Tom; Asari Dokubo; Bibopre Ajube (aka Shoot At Sight), Ezekiel
Akpasibewei, Farah Dagogo, Africa Ukparasia, Paul Ezizi; Reuben Wilson,
Joshua Macaiver, Ferdinand Amaibi; Tamunegiyeifori Proby; Kenneth
Opusinji; Kile Selky Torughedi; Bonny Gawei Aboy Muturu; Hendrick
Opukeme; Paul Bebenimibo; Dennis Otuaro; Gomoh Ekiyou; Saibakumo Wilson
Gbaire; Andabafa Opunamah, and Soboma Jackrich.

A coalition of
civil society organisations monitoring the 2011 general elections has
alleged that the presidential election results in about 12 states may
have been doctored. The coalition at a press conference in Abuja on
Tuesday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s
(INEC) to investigate the allegation.

Clement Nwankwo,
the executive director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC)
speaking on behalf of the coalition, Civil Society Election Situation
Room, commended Nigerians for their determination in voting and
protecting their votes in the presidential election.

Mr Nwankwo,
however, said that the collation process seems to have been the weakest
link in the election management process. “INEC appears to have been
ineffective in its oversight function as far as monitoring and
controlling the collation process was concerned. This state of affairs
raised doubts about the authenticity of some of the figures arising
from this process.” “Of particular note were the exceptionally high
turnout figures in Abia (77%), Akwa Ibom (75%), Bayelsa (85%), Bauchi
(63%), Cross River (63%), Delta (68%), Edo (74%), Enugu (62%), Kaduna
(65%), Imo (84%), Plateau (62%) and Rivers (76%) states. This was
against the national average of 53%. Such a high turnout is quite
atypical of Nigerian elections and we call on INEC to rigorously
investigate the authenticity of these figures.”

Some irregularities

Furthermore, he
said the group observers also noted a number of irregularities. “One
area of concern was significant instances of underage voting in Bauchi,
Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba States. In
particular, Bajoga, Funakaya Local Government Area in Gombe State saw
irate youths attempting to lynch the Resident Electoral Commissioner –
along with a number of journalists – who sought to enforce the
prohibition against underage voting.” He added that the contestants,
their parties and supporters have a corresponding duty to respect the
final results. “Any complaints at this stage should be channelled
through the appropriate election result verification and dispute
resolution processes. The Civil Society Election Situation Room
unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the violence and killings
which have attended the announcement of the results.”

The Situation Room
of the coalition is made up of groups such as Action Aid Nigeria,
Transition Monitoring Group, Centre for Democracy and Development,
Justice Development and Peace Commission, Policy and Legal Advocacy
Centre, CLEEN Foundation, among others.

The Oyo State
governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and his other colleagues fielded as
candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had their day at the
Appeal Court in Ibadan on Tuesday as two rulings of the court were made
in their favour.

The appellate court
threw out an application requesting a shorter timeframe within which
the involved parties could file their briefs. This would have allowed
an accelerated hearing of the suit against their emergence as the
party’s candidates for elections in Oyo.

Wole Oyelese, Lekan
Balogun, Azeem Gbolarumi and 34 others filed the suit to appeal against
the decision of Jonathan Sharkharo of the Federal High Court in Ibadan
to set aside his earlier interim order restraining the Independent
National Electoral Commission and the PDP from recognizing Mr
Alao-Akala and others as the party’s candidates.

Also the court
granted the prayers of Lateef Fagbemi, lawyer to Dejo Afolabi, the
state PDP chairman, for the amendment of the records of proceeding and
permission to allow the use of documents brought by him as complements
to the record of the Federal Court, in order to adequately guide the
appellate court in its proceedings.

Mr Fagbemi had, at
the last sitting, sought the relief of the court to allow him to
include exhibits B and C, which comprise his jottings and newspaper
cuttings, respectively, on what transpired at the lower court, to
augment the ‘incomplete’ record from the lower court.

New records acceptable

The three-man
panel, comprising Stanley Alagoa, Sidi Bage and Modupe Fasanmi, ruled
that the additional records are important and would be helpful in the
course of the proceedings.

However, Mr Alagoa,
the presiding judge, refused to allow the inclusion of photocopies of
some national dailies as part of the court records, saying they were
neither certified as genuine copies nor the original versions of the
papers.

The court also
overruled an objection raised by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), lead
counsel to the aggrieved PDP member, that Mr Fagbemi should not have
been the one to file the application for amending the court’s records
since his client had withdrawn from the case at the lower court and has
been excused ever since. The court said the lawyer has the right to
present the additional record because he was a party to the original
suit.

“The applicants are challenging the completeness of the records of
the court. What he sought to be amending is simply an order to add
exhibits B and C and the leave is hereby granted to use exhibits B and
C as supplementary records,” Mr Alagoa said.

For a greater part
of yesterday, the freedom of Theophilus Osim Onyuku, the Cross River
State gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) was denied him
as he was holed up at the Atakpa police station in Calabar answering
questions bordering on alleged anti-party activities and his subsequent
suspension from office as the chairman of the party in the state.

Mr .Onyuku, who was
invited by the police last Monday, showed up yesterday morning only to
be detained by the police. He is the embattled state chairman of the
party in Cross River who also won its governorship primary to become
its candidate.

Last week, the
national leadership of the party suspended Onyuku, a psychiatric
medical doctor, for anti-party activities. It also directed him to
vacate the office of chairman of the party and hand over all documents
and property of the party to the vice-chairman, pending investigation
into allegations leveled against him.

Two persons, Onyuku
and Imah Nsa Adegoke, have been parading themselves as the
gubernatorial candidate of LP, with their posters competing for
attention in the state. The duo are jostling to represent the party in
the governorship election coming up next year, following the tenure
elongation granted the incumbent state governor, Liyel Imoke.

Mr Onyuku reacted
swiftly to the purported suspension, saying it had no place in law
since due process was not followed. He also denied involvement in
anti-party activities of any kind, saying the fact that he comes from
the same local council as Mr Imoke does not mean he was working for him.

“The police have
been asking me to explain my level of involvement in purported
anti-party activities. I have told them everything that I know. At no
time did I align with the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) nor work for
Governor Imoke. Those who know me know that I’m an unrepentant critic
of the state government. The allegations against me are absurd and
cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt. This is a party affair. If
there is any crisis in Labour Party, its chieftains and stalwarts
should be allowed to resolve it themselves. .”

‘Due process candidate’

Mr Onyuku, who
described himself as the authentic candidate of LP for the governorship
election in Cross River State, said he emerged through due process and
challenged any person parading herself as candidate to prove when and
how she got elected as candidate.

His interrogation at the police station attracted the sympathy of other opposition politicians in the state. company.

The police said they invited him based on a petition sent to them
that Mr Onyuku should stop parading himself as the state chairman of LP
because he has been suspended from office over anti-party activities.

The Adamawa State
government has sacked the chairman of Michika Local Government Area of
the state, Steven Nuhu. According to a release signed by the secretary
to the state government, Kobis Ari Thimnu, Simon Vandu, a retired Air
Force officer, is to take over the administration of the council as the
new sole administrator. The statement directed security agencies in the
state to give the new administration all the necessary support.

Assumption

Although the state
government did not give any reason for the dissolution of the executive
council of the local government, the action may not be unconnected with
the violent protest which broke out in the state by youth protesting
the victory of president Jonathan.

The violence
resulted in wanton destruction of lives and property in the state. It
was particularly bad at Michika, where religious worship areas were
torched and some deaths recorded.

Mr Nuhu has been
engaged in a running battle with Mr Nyako. He had earlier accused the
governor of being behind his inability to pay council employees for
several months when the governor came to Michika to campaign. He said
illegal deductions by the state government of local government
allocations was behind the poor financial state of the local council.

Mr Nuhu is also known to be a supporter of Buba Marwa who is seeking to unseat the governor.

Some of Mr. Nuhu’s supporters claimed his sack is political and had nothing to do with violence in the area.