Nigeria Content Online

The Senate president, David Mark has commended the
National Association of Resident Doctors for ending their four-week
industrial action.

The senate president gave the commendation on
Monday after the striking doctors announced their return to duty after
four weeks of industrial action to demand for the payment of their five
months arrears of salary, and restoration of decaying infrastructure in
government hospitals, and lack of professional training abroad.

The resident doctors called off their strike on Saturday last week.

Thanks for saving lives

The senate president who met with the doctors over
the strike action, last week said he was pleased that the doctors
listened to his plea to save lives and return to work.

Tunde Aremu, the president of the association,
confirmed that their meeting with the senate president facilitated
their plight and that they are giving the government the benefit of
doubt to redeem their promise.

Mr Aremu said the striking doctors called off
their strike in the interest of the general public and that the
authorities have assured them that their unpaid allowances was included
in the 2010 supplementary budget which was passed by the senate last
week Wednesday.

“We were pleasantly surprised that (the 2010
supplementary budget) was passed in the senate on Wednesday and passed
second reading in the House of Reps.” Mr Aremu said. “The remaining
part of the (pact) is now with the executive arm and we hope that it
will be sorted out because we will be having a meeting in two weeks
time. I expect the executive arm to do its part before the end of the
two weeks.”

On the part of the infrastructure decay, he said
the senate president has asked for some more time to consider the
problems since it is an issue that requires a long term approach to
solve.

On the issue of training abroad, the association’s
president said the senate is also looking into the matter to find ways
they can help.

He however added that if the government defects, they may also embark on another industrial action.

“We want people to start appealing to government
now to make sure they do their part of the bargain because we don’t
have any alternative again.” Mr Aremu added.

The doctors had embarked on an indefinite strike
over failure of the Federal government to implement the consolidated
Medical Doctors Salary Scale, (CMDSS).

But at a meeting with the Senate President, the
senate president undertook to intervene so that government meets its
own side of the bargain.

“Dialogue is the best option to any disagreement or crisis.” The senate president said.

He reiterated the resolve of the government to
meet the demand of its workforce including medical workers so that the
dividend of democracy will trickle down the ladder.

Former minister of
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday told a
Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, that it lacked the power to try
him over allegations of abuse of office as minister. He said that the
proper court to try him was the Abuja High Court.

Counsel to the
former minister, Akin Olujimi, filed a preliminary objection saying
that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters
Commission (ICPC) Act of 2000, which his client had been charged on,
had been repealed and so the federal court lacked the jurisdiction to
try the matter. “The prosecution acknowledges that the charges stand on
nothing,” said Mr Olujimi. “The effect of a repealed law is that it is
a nullity, and no charges founded on it can stand.”

In response to the
preliminary objection, the prosecution said that the court could assume
jurisdiction in the matter because it involved an agency of the federal
government and a former minister in the federal cabinet. Trial Judge,
Adamu Bello, adjourned ruling on the case to 13th October.

Mr. El-Rufai and two others were accused by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission of illegally allocating land in the FCT to
friends and relatives, some of whom included Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, the
daughter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The other accused
persons are Altine Jubrin, former director general of the Abuja
Geographical Information System, and Ismail Iro, former general manager
of the agency. All three men pleaded not guilty.

The Bureau of
Public Procurement (BPP) yesterday raised alarm over the abuse of
stipulated procurement due processes by ministries, departments and
agencies (MDAs).

Emeka Ezeh, the
Director General of the procurement agency, who stated this at the
third National Procurement Forum, said the revision of the threshold
for contracts valued at between N50 million and N1 billion has led to a
high incidence of malpractices, including contract splitting,
collusion, award of contracts to same persons using different company
names, and abuse of prequalification procedures.

Though he said the
implementation of the Public Procurement Act (2007) has largely
succeeded in democratising the public contracting system, by promoting
competition, and helping curb wastefulness in the application of public
funds, Mr Ezeh said the greatest challenge the bureau is facing has
been the resistance from members of the elite class in the society.

“I am the most
investigated public officer in Nigeria today, because a few powerful
class of elite see the implementation of the Act as being responsible
for the non-implementation of the budget. They have been using
blackmail, media, frivolous petitions against my person and officers of
the Bureau. In some cases, they try to use investigative agencies like
the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police to intimidate.

“I have appeared
over 250 times before various committees of the National Assembly and
uncountable times at the ICPC along with officers of the bureau, who
are constantly offered all kinds of goodies, ranging from promise of
contracts to money, all in attempt to circumvent the process and bring
the hard earned reputation of the bureau to ridicule,” he stated.

Describing the
petitions as healthy, as they help strengthen the process to bring
accountability and good governance in the system, Mr Ezeh urged the
petitioners to desist from constantly interfering with the procurement
process.

Guest speakers from
United States, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Tanzania,
Trinidad and Tobago as well as Ghana would share their experiences at
the forum, while heads of key local institutions would also present
papers.

The Minister of
Finance, Olusegun Aganga, who was the event’s Chairman, said the forum
was timely – coming at a time when the nation needs to take all
necessary steps to address her infrastructure deficits and restore the
country on a structurally sounder basis for renewed economic growth.

The Bureau of
Public Procurement is a major ally in the process and was created as
part of government’s effort to sanitise the procurement practices in
the public sector following a World Bank study which revealed that the
nation was getting less than 40 per cent value for its public
expenditures.

Describing this as
unacceptable, Mr Aganga said any government serious about checking
public wastage of its resources will not hesitate to initiate radical
changes necessary to curb the excesses, pointing out that the first
step was the establishment of monitoring and price intelligence unit in
the Presidency.

Though he said the
administrative unit recorded limited successes in its mandate, the
minister said there is need for a stronger structure under the agency,
adding that government is determined to sanitise the process of public
expenditure, by entrenching a planned approach to such exercise, as
against existing ad hoc approach.

“To this end,
government is working towards reviewing its expenditure to strengthen
the monitoring and implementation processes, to entrench a
performance-based budget system,” he said, adding that this will help
consolidate on the successes achieved so far in the monitoring and
implementation of government projects.

The proposed
system, he explained is a process of rewarding chief executives of
government agencies and departments for best practices in their
businesses based on some stated performance indicators bordering on the
level, quality and efficiency of implementation.

The pilot of the
new scheme is to be implemented in the key big spending government
agencies either before the end of the year or early next year in
conjunction with the International Monetary Fund.

While urging
participants to move towards adopting measures capable of enhancing the
quality, accountability and efficiency of public expenses adopted by
the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Vietnam and the
Philippians under the construction sector transparency initiative led
by the Department for International Development (DFID).

“We must take every step necessary to achieve transparency and
accountability to ensure that Nigerians get value for every Naira spent
as well as enhance the quality and efficiency of government’s
expenses,” he said.

Nigeria is
interested in whatever happens in Niger Republic because of shared
cultural affinities with the country, President Goodluck Jonathan has
said.

Speaking during a
meeting with the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Asha Rose
Migiro, on the sidelines of the 15th African Union Summit in Kampala,
Uganda, the President noted that any negative occurrence in Niger
Republic would impact negatively on Nigeria in terms of massive influx
of refugees.

Mr Jonathan said
that Nigeria had “recently sent grains and financial support to
alleviate the harsh effects of the current drought in its northern
neighbour” and is “prepared to do all that is necessary to restore
democracy in Niger”.

A lasting bond

He also said
“Nigeria whose former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar
(rtd), is the ECOWAS Special Envoy and Chief Negotiator in Niger, is
midwiving the transition project in that country with the support of
Senegal and Ghana, adding that it would ensure that the March 2011
deadline for the interim military leaders to conduct elections and hand
over to civilians is met”.

Mr Jonathan who is
the ECOWAS Chairman, said there is need to encourage and mentor the
“young military leaders in Niger Republic who have shown some sincerity
of purpose” to hand over next year.

On the situation in
Guinea Bissau, the President urged the United Nations and other
development partners to provide the necessary funds to be used to
reform the old soldiers and officers, retrain the young ones and
conduct elections.

The UN Deputy Secretary General had earlier brought up the current
happenings in Niger Republic, Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire
during the discussions.

Vice President Namadi Sambo has frowned at the poor and slow pace of work on the National Integrated Power Project projects.

Mr. Sambo expressed
his displeasure, yesterday, at a special Technical meeting with
consultants, contractors and stakeholders on National Integrated Power
Project (NIPP) distribution component in State House, Abuja,

The contracts for the project were signed in 2007 with a duration of one year and should have been completed before now.

The Vice President
said the administration is committed to providing Nigerians with
adequate power supply, noting that “the federal and state governments
have contributed over $10 billion for the project and generating plan
is at over eighty per cent completion, which will be handled by new
distribution companies owned by Nigerians. There will be no business as
usual”.

Noting that some of
the contracts period have expired, Mr. Sambo directed that the
Ministries of Power, Solid Minerals and the contractors concerned as
well as major suppliers of equipment such as transformers and
manufacturers should hold a meeting to review the contract agreements
to provide a revised programme of work to reflect the period of
completion, design and other associated components of the project
within four weeks.

He also disclosed
that he will soon make a detailed presentation of the NIPP project to
the National Economic Council and therefore urged that all problems and
challenges facing the project be made available for the presentation.

Mr. Sambo promised
to meet with the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over the
problem of land in Kubwa, Nyanya and Mararaba, as well as write to
governors and local council bosses in whose domains the contractors are
facing land disputes to resolve the matter in order to allow for urgent
completion of the project.

He also directed that issues of letters of credit be addressed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) within two weeks.

“Suppliers need to
have authentic delivery programme of supplies to ensure that they are
delivering the equipment within the time frame of the agreement,” he
cautioned.

Mr. Sambo
re-assured that all challenges working against the completion of the
project will be removed as he encouraged contractors and consultants
that those who performed well will be considered for another contract.

The contractors adduced their challenges to include land disputes
which impeded some of them from commencing work on site and lack of
letters of credit, among others. They specifically noted the challenges
they face in Ajaokuta, Okene, Ankpa, Opolo, Abolema and among others.

In view of the
rising spate of kidnapping cases in the country, the Nigerian Police
Force lacks the technology, skill, and organisation to effectively
communicate on an operational level, not to talk of saving life and
properties, KOWA party said.

Considering the
level of their inefficiency, Nigerians should not expect any miracle
from the police to put an end to the rising crime wave, the KOWA
party’s public relations officer, Remi Sonaiya, said.

“It is also a known
fact that management systems used by the police agencies are outdated
and inadequate. As a result, there is a dearth of accurate crime
statistics, proper evidence documentation and storage, and forensic
technology,” Mrs. Sonaiya said.

KOWA Party, an
acclaimed alternative political party in the country, however, indicted
the police on the alarming rate of kidnappings all over the country,
alleging their complicity in the seemingly unstoppable rate.

Briefing the media
over the issue, Mrs. Sonaiya said “that the state of insecurity in our
land, which led to the rampant kidnapping cases, is as a result of the
inability of those charged with the responsibility of ensuring our
safety and well being to do so.”

She stressed that
corrupt and inept leadership promotes insecurity and “breeds a general
state of anarchy all over the world.” According to her, “the police
have been used to terrorise the Nigerian people in various ways by the
leadership of this country. For instance, they provide covering and
protection to those who engage in heinous crimes and other illegal
acts, who normally should be prosecuted,” she accused.

The party claimed
that the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo, in his recent
remarks, impliedly acknowledged KOWA Party’s stand on this issue by
indicting the police “as constituting a significant part of the
problem, thereby failing to render their statutory services to the
Nigerian people,” she said.

The party warned
that failed policing in the nation is a serious threat, even to the
nation’s sovereignty, and it must be immediately addressed.

The newly
established political party stated that the most effective way of
tackling the evil of insecurity is through the institution of good
governance.

“When those in leadership are perceived by the people as being
concerned only with their own interests, jostling for positions and
ensuring a life of extreme luxury for themselves and their families,
while the aspirations of the people for a simple but dignified human
existence do not strike any chord of compassion in them, then
frustration drives some to take the law into their own hands, and to
seek justice whichever way they can,” she explained.

The
Nigerian Police Force is compromised and has refused to prosecute
suspected certificate forgers in the Lagos State House of Assembly, the
Peoples’ Democratic Party had accused.

In a petition
addressed to the minister of police affairs, Adamu Waziri, dated July
19, 2010, and signed by Ishola Durosinmi on behalf of the Amuwo Odofin
chapter of the PDP, the party insisted that the police is shying away
from prosecuting the offenders.

“Not only have we
complained to the Nigeria Police Command in Lagos State, the command
investigated and found the allegations to be true. However, instead of
them prosecuting these people, it would appear that they have been
compromised in the last one year that the case has been pending,” the
PDP members said.

NEXT had, in
previous reports, detailed how two members of the Lagos House of
Assembly, Bola Badmus-Olujobi, the deputy speaker of the house; and
Risikat Adegeye, who represents Amuwo Odofin II constituency, are
involved in the forgery of their West African Examination Council
(WAEC) senior secondary school certificate examination result. Both of
them are members of the Action Congress.

Mrs. Badmus-Olujobi
claimed in the forms she submitted to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) that she attended Amuwo Grammar School,
Agboju, Lagos, and that she obtained West African School Certificate in
June 1988; while Mrs. Adegeye, in the form CF001 deposed to on 18
December, 2006, claimed that she attended St. Timothy College, Onike,
Iwaya, Lagos, and that she obtained West African School Certificate in
June 1977. The WAEC had since denied issuing both certificates.

Intervene urgently

The PDP, in its
petition, claimed that it had “written petitions to the office of the
Inspector General of Police, as well as the senate committee chairman
on police affairs, Gbenga Ogunniya; and that “Ogunniya indeed spoke to
the Inspector General of Police on this matter and the IGP assured him
that prosecution will be done immediately.

“This was about four months ago, and nothing still has been done,” the party claims.

The PDP, which claimed that some of its own members had been
prosecuted and convicted for similar crimes before, want the minister
to “intervene urgently towards ensuring the prosecution of these
fraudsters who have been illegally collecting all manners of allowances
and remunerations from tax payers money and using the funds to suppress
our party’s existence in Lagos State.”

The opposition
Action Congress has urged the federal government to provide the
N72billion that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) said it
needs to prepare a new voter register towards the preparation of a
credible election in 2011.

“Let the Jonathan
administration back up the president’s persistent assurance of
organising credible polls next year by giving the much-needed resources
to INEC so it can build a solid foundation for the 2011 elections by
compiling a fresh voters’ register,” the party stated. “Failure to
provide the money required for that purpose will translate to setting
up INEC to fail next year, and this will be a disaster for Nigeria.”

The party also
challenged the federal government and the National Assembly to provide
all the required financial resources and the legal framework
respectively to make it possible for INEC to organise successful
general elections next year. In a statement issued in Ilorin, on
Sunday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party
said that “the federal government must urgently provide the N55 to N72
billion which INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, said would be needed to
compile a fresh voters register for the critical elections.”

It also requested
that “the National Assembly must provide the necessary amendments to
the Electoral Act to facilitate the compilation of the fresh electoral
register, which is the single most important requirement for the
organisation of free, fair, credible and transparent polls next year.”
Stating that for a country “that has $37 billion in Foreign Reserves
and $3 billion in its Excess Crude Account, N72 billion – which is less
than 500 million US dollars – is but a very little price to pay for the
organisation of successful polls next year and the consolidation of the
country’s democracy.”

New Electoral Act

The party also
tasked the National Assembly to provide the legal framework by amending
the necessary sections of the Electoral Act, especially Sections 10 (5)
and 21. “As our party has noted, the belated amendment of the
Constitution, especially Sections 116 (House of Assembly), 132
(President) and 178 (Governors), to the effect that elections must hold
between 120 and 150 days before the end of their tenures, has created
huge problems for INEC and made it a fait accompli for the commission
to organise the 2011 polls based on the hugely discredited Iwu’s
voters’ register,” stated Mr Mohammed. “

But if the National
Assembly will put national interest above any other considerations and
stop playing cheap games, it can still salvage the situation by
postponing the commencement of the Amendments so that elections can
hold in April, and amending Sections 10 (5) and 21 of the Electoral Act
to give more time for fresh voter registration. Amending Section 10 (5)
of the Act will reduce the end of registration and updating to between
30 and 60 days, and provide additional 8-12 weeks to the 16 weeks
available to compile a new register. Also, amending Section 21 of the
Electoral Act will reduce time for compiling supplementary register,
after calling for objections, from 60 days to 30 days and give about 20
weeks to correct the new register.”

INEC had, last week Thursday, said it will require at least N55.1
billion to organise a “substantially more credible” voter’s register
ahead of the 2011 general election.

Despite
the huge insult he received from the police for alerting them on an
alleged plan to disrupt the peace of the state by men of the state
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), former chairman of
the union, Lateef Akinsola (aka Tokyo), has again warned the state
police command to be prepared.

He spoke with
journalists in Ibadan at the weekend, saying the police needs to appeal
to his successor, Lateef Salako (aka Elewe-Omo), whose loyalists had
allegedly concluded plans to unleash mayhem on the state tomorrow
(Tuesday). The warning was the second Tokyo is making to the police in
less than two weeks.

He said that the
National Industrial Court, Abuja, is expected to give a judgment on the
suit he instituted to challenge his forcible removal from office before
his term’s expiration. He told journalists that the plan was to cause
serious mayhem in the state capital and its adjoining towns, if the
judgement goes against Elewe-Omo.

According to him,
as a law abiding citizen, his piece of information was to assist the
police in being proactive in their efforts to maintain law and order in
the state.

“Their plan is to
print T-Shirts bearing my (Tokyo) portraits, which their boys will wear
on Tuesday and go to town to cause a breakdown of law and order. We
appeal once again to the Oyo State Police Command to rise to the
occasion.

“And let me seize
this opportunity to correct the misrepresentation in an earlier
interview where I was quoted to have said that we have no confidence in
Oyo Police. I want to say it categorically that we have no other police
to run to except Oyo Police, who have been trying their best in the
past to maintain law and to curtail the excesses of Elewe-Omo boys.

“We have confidence
in them to continue to perform their constitutional role to the best of
their ability. I’m using this opportunity to tell the police to arrest
and prosecute anybody wearing any T-Shirt bearing my portrait to
ferment trouble. I have waited patiently all this while because of my
confidence in the judiciary, which is the last hope of common man. I
don’t believe in self help, hence my decision to approach the court to
seek redress,” he said.

The police, last
week, upbraided Tokyo for portraying it as ineffective over its dealing
with the incumbent officers of the NURTW in the state.

In a press release,
signed by its spokesperson, Olabisi Okuwobi, the command described
Tokyo as a known criminal who jumped bail granted him by the court.

Leadership in contest

Apart from
cautioning his successor against inflicting chaos on the state this
week, Mr. Akinsola has also appealed to the police to prevail on Mr.
Salako to stop trespassing on a parcel of land he bought on behalf of
the union before he was sacked from office unceremoniously.

Explaining that the
land was acquired to build a befitting office, driving school, and a
hospital for the use of members of the union, Mr. Akinsola said he was
in possession of the title deeds of the land, which, according to him,
costs N6 million.

He added that such
action is necessary because the leadership status of the union is still
in contest before a competent court of law.

“We heard that
Elewe-Omo is planning to encroach on that land tomorrow (today) to lay
foundation. He did not buy that land, and since there is dispute in
court over the leadership of the union, he should wait for Tuesday’s
judgment.

“Moreso, he had
used the land to go and collect N200,000 each from 83 branches of our
union on the pretext that he wants to use the money to develop the land.

“The following
week, he used the money to buy jeep. He has no good plan for that land.
If not, he will not go and arrange for hand-made blocks to erect any
structure on the land. The police should prevail on him to steer clear
of the land for now,” he said.

But, Elewe-Omo, in a live television programme at the state-owned
station on Sunday, said his regime has been preoccupied by lifting the
status of the union and that of its members in the state.

The Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has spoken of “wide measures”
Nigeria is adopting in response to the global financial crisis, in
which he named the well-criticized anti-corruption campaign as one.

Mr. Bankole spoke
to journalists in Abuja on a presentation he made at the United Nations
headquarters, Geneva, at the 3rd World Conference of Speakers of
Parliaments which held between July 19 and 21, 2010.

The theme of the conference was “Parliament in the world of crisis: Securing global democratic accountability.”

Mr. Bankole, who
has recently been accused of corruption and has yet to face an open
investigation, told participants at the meeting that Nigeria has
recorded a high level of anti-corruption campaign, and listed the
effort as part of strategies adopted by the government to deal with the
impact of the crippling global economic crisis. The speaker named last
year’s bank cleansing, in which senior officials were removed and
charged for aiding banking fraud and non-performing loans, as part of
such glory. “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in fact
detained many bank executives and public officials, as it investigates
allegations of massive banking fraud and official corruption,” he said.

Diversify the economy

He said Nigeria’s
fight against all forms of corruption in the strive to enthrone
accountability, reduction of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), Cash
Reserve Requirement and the Liquidity Ratio are some of the measures
adopted by government to mitigate the effects of the global economic
downturn. Mr. Bankole highlighted other government’s intervention to
the crisis to include the Central Bank’s intervention, by providing
about $2.6 billion in emergency recapitalization to some banks whose
balance sheets was eroded by toxic loans.

This was
strengthened by the National Assembly’s passage of the Assets
Management Commission bill, recently signed into law by President
Goodluck Jonathan, to deal with the issue of bank’s toxic assets.

The measures, Mr. Bankole told the participants, were required to
shore-up liquidity in the Nigerian economy. He also informed them that
in an effort to diversify the Nigerian economy and broaden the non-oil
sector, government has commenced a comprehensive review of its
agricultural policy with focus on large scale private sector commercial
agriculture.