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Federal
investigators are getting ready to probe the allowances drawn by
members of the National Assembly, who are considered the most overpaid
but the most under-performing public servants.

The Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related offences commission (ICPC) last
Tuesday fired the first shot by way of an inquiry to the Clerk of the
National Assembly, asking for details and copies of all the vouchers
that have been used to pay legislators since 2007.

Emmanuel Ayoola,
the chairman of the commission, had stated at a forum last week, as
reported by NEXT, that investigators from his agency would commence a
thorough scrutiny into the allowances being collected by the
legislators. Investigators told NEXT yesterday that they had not heard
back from the National Assembly but could understand the jolt this
could cause a group of Nigerians who had settled into a prolonged
practice of “poor behaviour.” Mr Obasanjo, the former president,
recently lashed out at the legislators, accusing them of grand
corruption, including receiving about N250 million in salaries and
allowances.

“Yes, we have sent
the Clerk of the National Assembly the letter. We expect their response
and also their full cooperation in our investigations,” the media
consultant to the ICPC, Folu Olamiti, told NEXT, confirming the moves
of his agency.

However, Daminabo
Monima, the director of Information of the National Assembly, expressed
ignorance when NEXT tried to find out if the office of the clerk had
received the letter.

“I am not aware of such a request. If I am aware, I will tell you,” Mr Monima stated.

Unapproved money

However, an
official in the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, who
requested anonymity, hinted that they have received such a letter,
explaining that “I think it has been forwarded to the Directorate of
Personnel, since it involved payment and allowances to legislators; and
the Directorate of Legal Matters, since it involved an investigation
agency”. A senior official at the same office, however, became hostile
when he learnt that a NEXT reporter was seeking to know about the
letter from the ICPC, declining to answer any question.

Salaries and allowances of legislators, as well as those of other
public office holders, are approved by the Revenue Mobilisation
Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). As reported by various media,
including NEXT, however, each senator receives N48 million quarterly,
as “office running cost,” while each member of the House of
Representatives receives 35 million naira for the same purpose. This
money is not approved by the RMAFC.

The Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) and its governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, have been sued
in a federal high Court in Abuja, over their much publicized plan to
sell off the four troubled banks to new investors.

The shareholders
of the banks have approached the court for an order of interlocutory
injunction stopping Mr Sanusi and the central bank from carrying out
the planned sale of the banks.

The shareholders
asked the court to prohibit the two defendants, their servants, agents
and privies from inviting bidders to buy over the four banks pending
the determination of the court action.

The four banks are Union bank plc, Oceanic Bank International plc, Intercontinental Bank plc and AfriBank plc.

In the suit, filed
by Nnodu Okeke, the shareholders operating under the Registered
Trustees of the Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, asked
the Federal High Court to stop the CBN governor from making
pronouncements on the sales bid and from making statements capable of
prejudicing their suit.

The shareholders
also claimed that, as the owners, they have a deep interest to protect
in the four banks, and as such the two defendants be prevented from
making any move or taking any action capable of jeopardizing their
interests.

In a 28-paragraph
affidavit in support of the suit, the aggrieved shareholders are asking
the court to determine whether Sanusi and the Supreme Court have powers
under the law to sell off the four banks in the way and manner they had
planned.

They also claimed
that in spite of the court action and papers served on the CBN, the
defendants had continued to make efforts to sell off the banks.

Nothing to lose

With several
documents attached to buttress their claims, the shareholders stated
that the bank sales, if allowed, would cause them irreparable losses in
terms of their business and investments in the bank.

The affidavit,
deposed to by one Ijeoma Nwankwo, a lawyer, claimed that the rights of
the shareholders are in danger should the two defendants be allowed to
frustrate their suit with the planned sales of the banks.

The plaintiffs claimed that Mr Sanusi and the CBN have nothing to
lose if the interim order was granted and that they were ready to enter
into an undertaking as to damages to be paid to the two defendants if
their case was found to be frivolous in the end. The case has been
adjourned to September 23 for hearing.

The Kogi State
government will soon be reimbursed for constructing federal roads in
the state, President Goodluck Jonathan has promised.

The president made
the remark when he visited the state to inaugurate a specialists’
hospital, the Kogi International Market, and the Lokoja-Ajaokuta Road.

Mr. Jonathan said he was impressed with the projects, as they positively affect the lives of residents of the state.

“I am happy with
the state governor because he never waited for the federal government
to construct the federal roads in his state,” he said. “Rather, he went
ahead to construct the roads.”

Mr. Jonathan
promised that all federal government projects located in the state will
be completed before the end of his tenure in office.

Projects for the people

According to the
state’s governor, Ibrahim Idris, the market, constructed at a cost of
N3.8 billion, is expected to provide over 4,000 jobs in its over 2,000
shops.

The governor also
explained that the new 200-bed specialist hospital was established at a
cost of about N1.5 billion. He boasted that the hospital had 22
consultants and 64 doctors covering virtually every field of medicine.

Mr. Idris said that
the 24-kilometre Lokoja-Ajaokuta Road, a federal road linking the
south-east and south-south to northern Nigeria, was constructed for
N3.3 billion.

He said his
government had spent N6.4 billion in the construction of three federal
roads, and will be grateful if the federal government reimburses the
funds.

The federal
government is determined to fast-track the completion of the dredging
of the lower Niger River, the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel
Company, as well as the resuscitation of the National Iron Ore Mining
Company, in Itakpe, Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday.

Speaking while
delivering an address at the official commissioning of some key
projects in Kogi State during a one-day working visit to the state
yesterday, Mr Jonathan also made a pledge to see to the completion of
the construction of ports in Baro, Lokoja, Idah, Onitsha and Sapele, to
boost our nation’s economy.

President Jonathan
said the completion of the projects “will be of immense benefit not
only to the people of Kogi State, but other Nigerians at large. I am,
therefore, committed to an early completion of these projects”.

While
congratulating the Kogi State governor, Ibrahim Idris, on the
inauguration of the international market and other projects, Mr
Jonathan said the completion of the projects will go a long way in
delivering the dividends of democracy to the electorate.

Mr Jonathan, who
arrived at the Lokoja old Stadium aboard a helicopter at 11.20am,
headed straight to the Lokoja Specialist Hospital, where he
commissioned the project. Thereafter, he proceeded to commission the
Ganaja-Ajaokuta Road, despite heavy rain fall, before inspecting the
stadium and the Lokoja water project which was constructed at a cost of
N9.9 billion and has a capacity to provide 10 million gallons of water
daily.

The president’s
final task was the commissioning of the Lokoja International Market,
which was constructed at a cost of N3.8 billion.

The governor later said that the two projects would be completed by the first quarter of 2011.

Completing the road

In an address at
the commissioning ceremony, Mr Idris urged the federal government to
revive “the Lokoja Port project, which has been abandoned, and
graciously ensure the construction of the Idah Port in order to ensure
their completion and to complement the commendable dredging project
which your administration has embarked upon”.

“I implore your
excellency to actualise Ajaokuta project to incorporate all the major
components and ensure the full realisation of this project. If you can
do this sir, your name will be in gold when the history of this nation
shall be written for posterity,” he said.

While also thanking the president for the ongoing dualisation of the
Abuja-Lokoja-Okene Road, Mr Idris said, “we, however, appeal to your
excellency to use your good offices to fast-track the completion of the
project, to reduce the high incidence of road accidents which has
consumed so many lives”.

Former minister of
the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, has said that Nuhu
Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, has all it takes to become the president of Nigeria.

Speaking at a
leadership forum for the youth yesterday in Abuja, Mr el-Rufai blamed
our nation’s economic failure on bad leadership. “Anyone that has been
in the corridors of power in those days should retire and allow people
like my brother, Nuhu Ribadu, to rule,” he said.

“I am not campaigning for anybody, but you know where my heart is.”

He lamented that
young people have not participated fully in the politics of the nation,
except in their use as thugs for political parties. He noted that since
2006, when the last voter registration exercise took place, about 16
million people have reached the voting age of 18.

“It was young
people that got Obama elected in America,” he said. “Young people
should do it in Nigeria and elect their own Obama.”

Pat Utomi, founder
of the Lagos Business School, agreed that a failure of leadership in
past administrations was the nation’s foremost problem.

“What this means is that our future does not lie in past leadership,
otherwise, we will have the same result in our future as we had in our
past.”

Only 42 per cent
of students, which represents 677,007 candidates of the 1,351,557
candidates that sat for the May-June 2010 West African Senior School
Certificate Examination (SSCE), obtained five credits and above, the
Head of Nigeria National Office (HNO) of WAEC, Iyi Uwadiae, said in
Lagos on Thursday.

Mr Uwadiae said
only 534,841 candidates obtained six credits and above in the
examination, while 337,071 candidates obtained credits in English
language, mathematics and at least three other subjects.

The West African
Examinations Council (WAEC) also said it has withheld the results of
77,168 candidates who sat for the May-June 2010 West African Senior
School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Mr Uwadiae said the withheld
results were owing to alleged involvement of the affected candidates in
examination malpractice.

Fully processed

The council said
that the results of 1,278, 843 of the 1, 351,557candidates who sat for
examination were fully processed, while 72,714 candidates had few of
their subjects still being processed.

“I am delighted to
announce the release of the results four weeks ahead of schedule. A
total of 1,058,806 candidates, representing 78.33 per cent, have two
credits and above, 936,470 68.84 per cent) have three credits and above
and 806,583 (59.67 per cent) have four credits and above.

“Also, 677,007
candidates obtained five credits and above while 534,841 candidates
(39.57 per cent) obtained six credits and above,” he said.

He added that
451,187 candidates obtained credit and above in English Language while
560,974 obtained credit and above in mathematics.

He said 98 blind
candidates sat for the examination, out of which 13 obtained credits in
five subjects, including English language. These special candidates
were exempted from taking mathematics and science practicals.

Out of the 1, 351,557candidates that sat for the examination, some 611,893 were female.

Abia
State governor, Theodore Orji, yesterday oversaw the swearing-in of
Acho Nwakanma as his deputy governor, saying the action marked the
completion of the liberation of Abia State from the shackles of
undemocratic governance and the entrenchment of true democracy.

Speaking at the
swearing-in of Mr. Nwakanma in Umuahia on Wednesday at the Government
House, he said that unlike his predecessor, the new deputy governor was
nominated by himself and has been approved by the state legislature.

Mr. Orji explained
that the need for a new deputy governor arose from the impeachment of
Chris Akomas, adding that contrary to insinuations in some quarters,
his impeachment was not instigated by the executive.

“We have liberated
Abia from the shackles of undemocratic government. I stand to be held
accountable for the actions of Mr. Nwakanma because I nominated him
personally and the house endorsed him,” he declared.

The governor said
that normalcy has returned to the state, as those who were at war with
him have reconciled with him and are now working with his
administration.

In his acceptance
speech, Mr. Nwakanma pledged his total loyalty to the governor and Abia
State, adding that since he survived a more difficult administration he
would have no problem with the present one, which he said was more
democratic.

The new deputy
governor, who had earlier served as the deputy speaker of the state
House of Assembly and later the deputy governor during the last lap of
Orji Uzor Kalu, said he was familiar with the office of a
second-in-command and would give his total support to the governor.

Mr. Nwakanma is the sixth deputy governor the state since the creation of the state.

Efforts
to reach a reasonable conclusion on modalities for the payment of 142
per cent arrears of pensioners in Oyo State were, on Wednesday,
frustrated as a meeting held between leaders of the state chapter of
Nigeria Union Pensioners and the government ended in a deadlock.

The union staged a peaceful protest to the office of the state governor, yesterday, to press home their demands.

The protest
followed a brief congress held at the pensioners’ office in Ibadan and
led to a meeting between the union’s delegations, led by its chairman,
Lateef Adegoke, while the secretary to the state government, Olayiwola
Olakojo, represented the state government.

According to a
communiqué issued after its congress yesterday, the union said the
parties could not agree on the time and modalities for the payment of
the owed money.

The union held a
congress in Ibadan yesterday to assess the level of commitment of the
state government to the promised it made on April 30, 2010 on the
prompt payment of the arrears.

It came up with a
six-point communiqué, in which its positions on the attitude of the
government and its representatives in the matter were viewed as well as
the way out of the current situation.

Jointly signed by
Lateef Adegoke and Olusegun Abatan, chairman and secretary
respectively, the statement said Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala did not
give any condition for the payment of the arrears when he was making
the promise in April.

The union also
frowned at the disdain the state’s Head of Service, Kudirat Adeleke,
has expressed on the plight of pensioners and vowed not to relate with
her on the matter any more.

Suffering pensioners

It then fixed
another congress for August 25 to “appraise government’s response (if
any) to pensioners’ demand for the payment of 142 % pension arrears”.

Advising the
government to pay the agitated arrears in three months instalments, the
union directed its leadership to return to the drawing board and come
up with strategy that will effect the payment quickly if the government
fails to respond before the date of the next congress.

Pensioners in the
Customs, Immigration and Prison Services, also, yesterday, cried out to
the Federal Government over the payment of the arrears of the
harmonized pensions, gratuities and allowances approved for them since
2000.

In a press
conference addressed in Ibadan, the retirees complained that they
suffer hardship and deprivation due to the failure of the pension
office in Abuja to harmonize and implement the various circulars on
pensions due to them over the period.

The Ondo State Government yesterday said the Ondo
State University of Technology (OSUTECH), Okitipupa will take off from
a temporary site if the contractors at the original site refuses to
speed up action. Besides, government also promised to constitute the
Governing Council of the university next week.

Mr Mimiko, who disclosed this while presenting a
new 18-seater Toyota Hilux bus to the National Association of Ondo
State Students (NAOSS) in Akure, said his administration is committed
to the early take off of the institution and that his government is
striving hard to ensure that academic work start immediately.

“I also sincerely hope that the National
Universities Commission (NUC) will soon return to the state and return
the operational licence of the institution and I can assure you that
the University will be developed to be one of the best universities
across the globe,” he said.

He urged the students to shun all forms of social
vices capable of disrupting their academic pursuit and advised them to
be actively involved in the campaign against electoral malpractices.

“As leaders of tomorrow, you must devote your time
to your education in order to come out in flying colours and become
responsible citizens that will contribute to societal development”, he
said.

Maintain the bus

The governor said the state government would
provide a professional driver who will be in charge of the vehicle to
avoid its being misused and prevent damage.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and
Students Affairs, Olamide George praised the state government for the
gesture, which he said will facilitate the operations of the members of
the association.

The president of NAOSS, Temola Temidayo expressed
the readiness of the association to prevent all forms of electoral
fraud in next year’s general election and enjoined the state government
to release money for the maintenance of the vehicle, which he said will
only be used for the association’s activities.

The Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, Altine Daniel, confirmed the
arrest of the suspect in Yola on Wednesday.

Hussaini Gambo, a
Youth Leader in Wuro-Jabbe ward, Yola South local government, where the
incident occurred, told journalists that the suspect had a quarrel with
his aged mother at her residence in Wuro-Jabbe on Saturday.

He said that the
quarrel led the son to beat her to a state of coma, forcing neighbours
to rush her to Yola Specialist Hospital, where she passed away on
Monday.