Nigeria Content Online

Former President,
Olusegun Obasanjo, the current Chairman, Board of Trustees of the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), , yesterday evening held a
meeting with governors of south-west states elected on the platform of
the PDP, to strategise on common positions ahead of the forthcoming
party primaries and polls in the governors’ respective states.

The closed-door
meeting, which took place at the private residence of Mr Obasanjo at
the Hilltop, Abeokuta, lasted for over four hours. It had in attendance
the Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel; Oyo State governor, Adebayo
Alao-Akala; Ekiti State governor, Segun Oni; Osun State governor,
Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as well as former Ondo State governor and party
leader in the state, Segun Agagu.

Speaking with the
press afterwards, Mr Obasanjo said the meeting was convened at the
request of governors of the south-west. “We resolved to hold
consultative meeting among ourselves; me as the BOT Chairman, they as
leaders of the party in their respective states,” he said.

Putting heads together

Mr Obasanjo further
said, since the PDP has resolved the issue of zoning, “we have decided
to have a preliminary meeting to put our heads together in the
south-west.” The BOT Chairman, who said another similar meeting would
take place soon, stated further that the issue of zoning has been laid
to rest. “We are going to have another meeting in due course and when
we hold that meeting, we will be talking to you in a more relaxed and
more prepared fashion than this impromptu.”

On the visit of the
party National Chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, to Ogun State today over
the unresolved political crisis in the state, Mr Obasanjo declared that
the party chairman is not coming to pay him a visit, hence, he is not
interested in addressing the issue further.

Similarly, on the proposed visit of Goodluck Jonathan to the state
next month, Mr Obasanjo also told journalists that he is not aware of
the president coming to the state. “I am hearing of the visit of the
president for the first time,” he said.

A Federal High
Court in Lagos on Friday ordered that the former Managing Director of
Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola, should remain in the
custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Akingbola is
standing trial before Mohammed Idris on a 22-count charge of
mismanagement of depositors’ funds and money laundering. The accused
was to have been arraigned on Thursday, August 12, but the court did
not sit because of the absence of the judge.

Mr Akingbola’s bail
application by his lead counsel, Felix Fagbohungbe, was opposed by
Godwin Obla, the EFCC’s counsel. Mr Fagbohungbe, in applying for bail,
said that the offences Mr Akingbola was charged with were bailable.

The prosecuting
counsel, however, objected to the bail application, arguing that he was
served the notice on Thursday and would need some time to respond to
the motion.

Mr Obla also noted
that the prosecution had a court order to remand the accused in custody
for 14 days, to allow for proper investigation by the anti-graft agency.

Mr Idris consequently ordered the accused to be remanded in EFCC custody but assured of an accelerated trial in the case.

Mr Akingbola, who
returned to Nigeria on August 3, after a year of self-exile in London,
had earlier been declared wanted by the EFCC.

Mr Idris adjourned the matter till August 23 for the hearing of the bail application.

Nigeria is a melting pot of
nations, as British imperialism compelled the various nations to have
common ancestry in 1914, with the amalgamation of the Northern and
Southern Protectorates as a British colony. It is also common knowledge
that the views of the various nationalities lumped into one huge area
of British influence were neither sought nor considered.

After independence, Nigeria, like
most countries artificially created to suit the purposes of expired
imperialists, became saddled with challenges of nation-building,
promoting oneness and national unity. It is obvious the root of our
problems partly lies in our historical past, the rest lies with us.
Much as we cannot change our past, there is so much we can do to shape
our future.

The tragedy of the Nigerian
situation is that while the British colonialists used the strategy of
divide and rule, our local power brokers and peripheral capitalists
adopted the strategy of divide and plunder.

Take the over-vexed issue of
zoning as an example. What is essentially an internal issue of the PDP
and its members has been overblown to assume national relevance. Failed
and discredited politicians who are solely concerned about their
selfish interests rather than national interests are being allowed to
set the agenda of public discourse, instead of media practitioners.

Proponents of zoning argue that it
is fair and equitable. It gives a sense of belonging and promotes
stability. Moreover, there is a subsisting agreement reached at the
formation of the party, on power rotation and zoning. Opponents of
zoning are quick to counter that zoning actually negates fairness and
engenders mediocrity, as it excludes competent candidates from other
zones who could be the best for the job. To such candidates, zoning
amounts to being born at a disadvantage. Every disadvantage is hurtful
and unjust. Why should a full-blooded Nigerian, or anyone for that
matter, be made to suffer or endure any discrimination or injustice in
our own country? Nigerians have been elected to the British Parliament
to serve the British people and Americans now have a man with his roots
in Kenya as the American President. To nullify all the seeming
platitudes of zoning, they submit that it violates the provisions of
Nigeria’s constitution. Hence, it is illegal and unlawful.

So, either way, we are under
siege. What hope for the common man who can hardly afford three square
meals daily, let alone afford a bullet-proof vest or personal security
guards?

Most politicians are one fool
makes many. They employ the use of words and phrases coined to fuel
their inordinate ambition. They pretend as though their effort is for
the good of the country but we know them for what they truly are,
devious.

Experience has shown that the
interest of the masses matters less to these aspirants jostling for
positions with desperate zeal. Look at President Obama, his hair went
grey within the first six months after he assumed office. That’s the
trait of hard work. That’s the Badge of Service. The reverse is the
case out here; it is bye-bye to want, hard work and stress. Hunger is
forever banished from their crib right from the moment they assume
office. Then, a ‘reign of terror’ in all manner of SUVs to oppress the
very same people on whose back they rode to office! A man is not good
just because of where he comes from. It amounts to gross disservice to
campaign for Goodluck Jonathan in order to compensate for the wrongs
that the Niger Delta has suffered. That, too, is sectionalism of a
sort. The entire country is President Jonathan’s constituency.

Zoning is both a fact and an
aberration. Zoning is a fact because it exists in PDP’s Articles of
Association. However, zoning is an aberration because Nigeria’s
Constitution does not recognise it. Zoning should not be confused with
federal character, and the PDP is not one of the entities described in
the context of the federal character principles contained in Section 14
of the constitution. It is absurd to think that we could promote
national unity by unfairness or through an illegality.

It is apparent that zoning is a
convenient tool for elite capture of power. It is a means to an end
rather than an end itself. However, the onus is on the PDP and its
stakeholders to re-evaluate and re-negotiate the contentious provision
of power rotation and zoning in accordance with the dictates of
Providence and public mood, if Mr Jonathan is to fly the party’s flag
at the presidential election in 2011.

The overbearing influence of the
party’s state governors also needs to be re-examined, as some of them
are distanced from the people. Public perception of the PDP is that of
an “arrangee party” of money bags. The party needs to re-invent itself
and be more relevant to the aspirations of the people.

The immortal words of the late US
President Dwight Eisenhower cannot be more apt: “If a political party
does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a course
that is right and that is moral, then, it is not a political party; it
is merely a conspiracy to seize power”.

Wind of change

In terms of ethno-religious
composition, the “north” is polarised. It is trash to talk of “northern
hegemony” in this day and age as I.B.M. Haruna, a retired Major
General, did recently. We are well into the 21st Century, soldier man!
The “monolithic north” is fast disappearing like the morning haze on
the ascent of the sun.

Nigerians of northern descent are
now conscious that the so-called interests of ‘the north’ is, in
reality, the interests of the oppressive few.

Additionally, there is a new
political awareness on the part of the northern political elites that
the social, economic and infrastructural development of the region
cannot be tied to ethno-religious interest and cleavages. Consequently,
an unprecedented phenomenon now permeates the country, as we witness
the emergence of ‘New Nations’, New Alliances and the formation of new
Power Blocks.

The wind of change is gathering
strength, ready to blow away those standing in its path and who are
hell bent on milking our country dry. Nigerians are sick and tired of
being led by politicians of dubious quality.

In the not too distant future,
citizen Ali Bassam from Jos will be able to contest for an elective
post in Ibadan, and win based on competence and his programme for the
people of his constituency. It is only then that we can truly say that
Nigeria has come of age.

Ojo is a London-based freelance journalist

Shortly after the death of Umaru Yar’adua, his
predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as president on May 6,
2010, . Over the past 100 days, President

Jonathan has announced some policies, appointed officials and set up committees.

Some of the most notable policies made were the
banking reforms, the appointment of new Independent Electoral
Commissioners and their chairman, and the banning–and unbanning–of
the national football team, the Super Eagles.

He had banned the team from playing in any
international matches for two years, following their poor performance
at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but also reversed the ban before
a deadline set by FIFA for the reversal, elapsed. He further took steps
to clean up the country’s football by dissolving the board of the
Nigeria Football Federation, and also ordered an audit of the finances
of the World Cup project.

Mr Jonathan has also clocked several air miles
through trips to several countries, as both the leader of Nigeria and
that of ECOWAS. He also made history as the first Nigerian leader to
embrace social networking as a tool of governance, with a popular page
on Facebook. The signing of the Management Corporation of Nigeria
(AMCON) Bill into law, during his tenure, is a major aspect of a reform
which has had a huge impact on the banks and the entire economy.

But some Nigerians said the reforms have left some
out in the cold. An Abuja based policy analyst, Chukwuemeka Obi, said
“many bank heads fell prey and ever since, we have been expecting that
government will give them a chance to defend themselves, before totally
branding them negatively. As it now stands, people cannot even borrow
or if they do, it is at a very exorbitant interest rate. Not much has
been happening. There is just so much to do and a 100 days is just not
time enough to justify his performance.”

Citizens’ rating

Nwankwo Nnaemeka, an environmental consultant who
also lives in Abuja, rates Mr Jonathan a whopping 75 per cent. “He has
done more of politiking than the real thing, which is giving him the
popularity. So far, so good. He has done surface changes, which have
helped improve his popularity. Like the ministerial changes, INEC and
NCC. We are yet to see real deep rooted sustainable changes. However, I
rate him 75 per cent.”

Audu Khark, a banker, said: “I think he is still
trying to find his feet. For me, he hasn’t done much but I think the
best he has done is maintain stability in the political system. His
worst is kidnap of journalists, which goes to show that security under
him is still very slack.”

But more than anything, Mr Jonathan’s 100 days in office have been
dogged by public debates of whether or not he should contest for the
presidency in 2011.

South-east politicians have
cancelled their political summit, following what it called the peaceful
resolution of the zoning debate.

The South-East Political Summit
was planned to express their position on zoning of the presidential
candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2011
presidential election. However, the conveners called it off on Friday,
after the party declared its stance on the zoning debate on Thursday.

The Deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu, who is also the promoter of the summit, said the meeting
was no longer necessary, adding that they support the resolution of the
party.

“The resolution of the zoning
argument in the PDP has made the planned South East Political Summit
scheduled for August 16, unnecessary,” he said.

Support for decision

“It is noteworthy that, on access
to the presidency of this country, the South-south has been the least
favoured,” the Deputy Senate President said. “This is the first time
that somebody from the South-south is reaching that position after 50
years of nationhood.

“On the account of the peculiar
circumstance of the Jonathan presidency, there is need to carry along
all parts of the country by giving access to the highest position in
the land. And giving the contribution of the South-south geopolitical
zone to the economy of the country, the PDP NEC’s decision should be
viewed from this perspective,” he said.

“Nigeria has in the past addressed
similar injustices, like the June 12 which gave rise to the national
consensus on the South-west presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo.” The
deputy Senate President also made case for an Igbo president in future,
saying that, like the South-south, the South-east has presided over
Nigeria for only six months.

“I hope that at the appropriate
time, this point will be noted by the entire country with a view to
addressing the injustice and concede the presidential slot to the
South-east,” he said. “This sense of fairness, equity and justice is a
sure foundation for peace and progress in this country. I urge
Nigerians to support this peace initiative.”

One voice

He also advocated unity and
cohesion in the zone, saying, “Time has come for the South-east to
speak with one voice and for all the stakeholders to work in unison, in
the overall interest of the people of the South-east.

“South-east in the past has worked and contributed immensely to the
unity and progress of this country as a major component of the nation
and will never shy away from that commitment. Working together, we can
build an enviable nation in spite of our diversity. We must all be
prepared to make sacrifices and show understanding,” he said.

The Action Congress
of Nigeria leaders said yesterday that the party is no longer a mere
opposition party, but has “moved on to become a government in waiting.”

The party also
described as mere “wishful thinking”, the statement credited to
Goodluck Jonathan that the opposition has conceded the presidency to
the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2011 general elections.

Mr Jonathan had,
while speaking with journalists at the end of the PDP National
Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, said PDP members
will work together because what happens in the party happens in the
whole country.

He said that the
zoning debate was even being spearheaded more by non-PDP members. “In
fact, they have already conceded the presidency to us. Otherwise, they
have no business coming to join our own debate. That means that they
have already known that the PDP will produce the president of this
country but they want us to do it well,” President Jonathan said.

But the Action
Congress, through a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its
spokesman, Lai Mohammed, said Mr Jonathan’s overly-exultant statement
revealed that he might have mistaken the parties that joined the PDP in
the Government of National Unity, for the real opposition. He added
that the ACN considers Mr Jonathan’s statement nothing but subtle
blackmail. “But we take solace in the fact that Nigerians have rejected
the do-nothing PDP, as they (PDP) will realise in 2011. A party that
cannot resolve its problems amicably cannot be expected to provide good
governance at any level.

“The ambivalent resolution that was cobbled together at the PDP NEC
meeting in Abuja on Thursday has further shown the confusion that is
reigning supreme in the PDP. In one breath, they endorsed zoning and,
in another, they said anyone can run. This deliberate ambiguity is the
devil’s alternative for the PDP, and will sound the death knell of the
disappearing behemoth next year,” he said.

Farida Waziri, the
EFCC Chairperson, said on Friday that she was not under pressure from
any quarters to drop any case under investigation.

She also debunked
the allegation of shoddy handling of the prosecution of the former
Delta State governor, James Ibori, claiming that Mr Ibori was in
hospital in Dubai, and promised that the commission was working with
the Metropolitan Police to extradite him to the UK for trial.

Mrs Waziri said
that her purported sack and alleged shoddy handling of the prosecution
of Mr Ibori as well as the non-investigation of the Siemens bribery
scandal and the petition filed by some lawmakers against the leadership
of the National Assembly, were mere faceless publications. “Each time I
travel outside the country, I receive a sack letter in those soft-sell
newspapers, those kinds of junk newspapers, and in the minds of
faceless and narrow-minded cowards.

“If you really have
a story or an issue, you know where to go. If the leadership of EFCC is
not equal to the task, you know where to take up the matter.

“Bring out your
facts and figures, and we will confront each other. You don’t go
behind. We know the people behind the allegations,” she said.

Mrs Waziri said
that there had been a lot of obsession with the leadership of the EFCC,
because the 2011 elections were fast approaching. She advised the
public to discountenance such reports, saying, “They are not to be
taken seriously.”

The EFCC
Chairperson also announced that the commission was almost concluding
investigations into the Siemens bribery scandal. “The investigation is
not easy because Siemens AG has transferred some of those involved to
Germany and dismissed them. These are the witnesses to sustain the
trial, but we are not deterred.

“We are going to do
some prosecution; nothing will be swept under the carpet. And the same
goes for the petition submitted by some members of the National
Assembly,” she added, explaining that EFCC’s investigations were kept
discrete in order not to cause embarrassment to anyone before trial
commences.

The Lagos State
governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday said that the state has
employed 300 additional sweepers to clean its waterways.

Mr Fashola
announced this at the opening of the 2010 Street Sweepers Workshop
organised by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the
Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

The governor also
presented wheelchairs to 10 physically challenged persons, out of the
25 engaged to sweep some of the pedestrian bridges in the metropolis.

The two-day workshop, which ends on Friday, has as its theme, “Cleaner Lagos, safety first”.

Mr Fashola
explained that the offshore sweepers would complement the over 10,000
street sweepers in the state, saying they were icons of change.

“You are critical
contributors to the improvement of our lives and healthy living and are
as important as doctors and nurses,” he said.

He said that various experts had been contracted to deliver papers on safety, a sign that the state government cared for them.

Mr Fashola also
presented certificates of performance, grinding machines and generating
sets to the best 10 sweepers in the state.

Ola Oresanya, the
Managing Director of LAWMA, said that 57 street sweepers lost their
lives in accidents along the highways since the inception of the
service in 2007.

“Health and safety
of lives on the roads have been the greatest challenges being faced by
the sweepers and that is why we have decided to focus on safety first
in this two-day workshop,” he said.

Last Thursday,
Attahiru Jega finally got his wish. The INEC boss was all smiles after
both chambers of the National Assembly approved the INEC budget at
N87.7bn.

A NEXT investigation can reveal, however, that this figure has been vastly inflated.

Aside from the
controversial N13.7bn, which was tacked on at the last minute as a
“profit margin,” other figures in the budget have also come under close
scrutiny. The largest purchase items on the budget are the Direct Data
Capture machines, which the new INEC chief has repeatedly stated will
cost exactly $2000.

The data machines
are intended to be used for registering voters and conducting the
elections. The machines are not single units but a composite which
include: a fingerprint scanner, a high resolution camera, a backup
power pack, an integrated printer and a laptop.

Cheaper alternatives

NEXT contacted
various international suppliers of the aforementioned components and
the highest quotation for the combined total was no more than $1134. A
Digita Persona fingerprint scanner costs $58.76 a unit. A 20.0 USB
Webcam costs no more than $11.98 a piece. A 14” Dual Core Laptop with a
320GB hardrive can be obtained for $525.77. A 16-24V Power Battery
backup which offers uninterruptible power supply can be bought for
$170.62. Finally, a top of the range Canon BJC-85 Portable Colour
Bubble Jet printer is available for $367.37.

The total cost for
all of these items is $1134.50, almost $900 cheaper than the stated
$2000. In naira terms this equates to a differential of N16.2bn.

Kayodu Idowu, Mr Jega’s media aide, said that the specifications of the required components were very sophisticated.

“The specifications
for the machines are designed to ensure durability,” he said. “We have
to ensure that these machines have value and as such they are long term
investments.” He added that he was not at liberty to disclose the exact
specifications but that all interested parties could find out directly
from the electoral commission.

Supplier palaver

However, according
to a source close to the procurement process, the high cost of the data
capture machines indicates that INEC did not explore different options
when preparing their budget. The source added that a Bangladeshi firm,
which was initially detailed to handle the bulk of the supply, has been
frozen out by other interested parties.

“The contract for these machines alone is being handled by over 10 different suppliers,” the source said.

“They (INEC) have
divided the supply into three streams: data integration, hardware and
software supply. Due process was not followed, talk less of the public
procurement act. The most capable, one company that managed the data of
almost 100 million voters in Bangladesh, was not even considered.

“Now, some of the
approved suppliers are going back to them because they don’t know how
to execute the contract.” Mr Idowu denied that the identity of the
suppliers had been finalised by INEC.

“We are still
deliberating on various applications and no name has been finalised,”
he said. “Time is a key factor, yes, but we have to engage with
reputable suppliers.”

Keeping it local

One of the local
companies bidding to supply electronic voting material agrees that INEC
could save much more money by looking inwards. Nigerian communications
satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd claims that the commission could save almost
N20 billion if it used its locally designed smart cards to capture
biometric data.

Ahmed Rufai, the
company’s managing director, said, “With our proposal, each voter’s
card would have an in-built smart card which would hold all the
information required for registration and voting.

“The machines they
want to import are nothing more than metal boxes. Instead of sending
out all that money to develop other economies, why not explore local
solutions that can offer the same or better value?” Mr Rufai added that
aside from initial meetings, there has been no further contact from the
commission.

“We are working
with a consortium of local hardware manufacturers. We made our proposal
over two weeks ago and the chairman vowed to come and visit our
premises. So far, that has not happened.”

Repaying excess

An INEC official
said that the issue of excessive costs was irrelevant at this stage
because the commission would refund any surplus money.

“The reason you may say these costs are high is because of time,” the source said.

“Therefore, in the
interest of time, we needed to move quickly. Our calculations had to go
for the upper limit rather than going back with our begging bowl in
case we ran out of money.

“Besides, the chairman has already given assurance that all extra
monies appropriated to the commission would be refunded to the
treasury. If at the end of the day, the chairman does not deliver, then
you can start questioning the amount spent. This is a transparent
process and will be tracked all the way.”

The
federal government may soon roll-out punitive measures against senior
civil servants who abstained from writing last Monday’s competence and
promotion pre-qualification examination organised by the Office of the
Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

The examination was
conducted at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, for senior
civil servants on Grade Levels 14 to 16, otherwise referred to as the
directorate cadre.

Investigations
carried out in Abuja during the week showed that the government was not
happy with the widespread condemnation and boycott of the examination
orchestrated and spearheaded by the Association of Senior Civil
Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN). A senior official at the Head of Service’s
office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the
government views the abstention as a clear case of the insubordination
and indiscipline that it has been trying to tackle in the public sector
service.

He said a
far-reaching government decision is in the offing, no thanks to the
angry reactions from most of the senior civil servants who wrote the
examination, and who have accused the Head of the Civil Service of the
Federation, Steve Oronsaye, of disrespecting the court case filed by
the ASCSN.

The judge handling
the case, however, threw it out last Wednesday, saying further hearing
on it is useless as the test had already taken place. David Okorowo,
the judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, struck out a motion seeking
to stop the test but consequently adjourned the substantive suit to
October 22 for hearing.

Mr Oronsaye is said
to be reviewing the exercise and all the issues surrounding the
boycott. A senior official in his office said that if the federal
government goes ahead with its plan to sanction the absentees, it could
result in outright sack, suspension, or non-promotion of all those that
would be identified.

The Chief Press Secretary to Mr Oronsaye, Tope Ajakaiye, confirms this.

“The civil service
has rules and regulations,” he said. “This (body of rules and
regulations) is what is called Public Service Rules. There is a
procedure for seeking redress if a civil servant feels his or her case
was not fairly treated. But what they did is obviously wrong. For every
act of indiscipline in the civil service, there is a sanction. At the
right time, they will be sanctioned. Do not forget that the Federal
Government of Nigeria issued the directive that they disobeyed. I can
assure you that they will be sanctioned at the right time.” Mr
Ajakaiye, who did not state the particular punishment the government
will mete out, explained that over 3000 civil servants actually sat for
the examination. He said the process witnessed no ugly incident,
whatsoever.

Widespread condemnation

Some civil servants who sat for the test were, however, unimpressed with its handling.

A Director in a
government parastatal, who didn’t want to be identified, said, “The
examination is the worst exam the public service could be subjected to.
The training has no bearing whatsoever with the kind of questions we
were asked to answer. Essentially, the questions were meant to be
applied to the training organised to meet those kinds of questions. For
instance, the training I attended, which was the first batch, we never
had course materials. Even after our training, the exam did not take
place until after six months. There were others who finished
immediately and went for the test. I am sure they are the ones that
will be lucky to pass.

“If officers are to
be subjected to this kind of test, there should be a procedure, maybe a
handbook, a textbook in which you know where you concentrate and pass.

A situation in
which an exam is prepared so that people can fail from the beginning, I
do not think is good for this country. That man (Oronsaye) may have a
good idea but the implementation is very horrible.” Another participant
at the test, a female Assistant Director, said she took the test
against her will in order not to risk sudden termination of her job.

Legal protection

Public sector
experts say the federal government may take some time before
sanctioning the absentees because a wait-and-see position was necessary
in respect of the court case.

According to legal
experts, one possible means such senior civil servants could take to
protect their jobs is to explore the full options of respite provided
by the laws of the land.

Asked what impact
the court case could have on the examination, especially as it has
already been conducted, Mr Ajakaiye said the Head of Service was not
aware of any case in court against him or his office.

“A court case
usually involves two or parties, each of which must be properly served
with the court papers. As at now, we are not aware of any court case
that has been instituted by any group. As I am talking to you right
now, the HOS has not been served any notice.” About 104 plaintiffs
filed the suit, challenging the directive from the HOS Office
compelling them to write a competence examination. Apart from the HOS,
the other defendants are: the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC)
and the Attorney-General of the Federation, who is also the Minister of
Justice.

The plaintiffs are
arguing that their promotion to the next directorate cadre is vested in
the Federal Civil Service Commission, the 2nd defendant, as provided in
the relevant sections of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic and not in the Head of the Civil Service of the
Federation, the first defendant.

The FCSC, which
could not be reached for official reaction to the test as at the time
of going to press, has remained silent on the examination.

Commenting on the discipline displayed by those who defied the rains
to write the examination, Mr Oronsaye said, “It is interesting that
while the association was calling up people not to register for the
test, many of its members actually turned out to register. Here, they
have written the test.”