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The Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Usman Nafada, on Wednesday, accused the officials of
the Federal Ministry of Works of colluding with road contractors to do
poor jobs, saying it is the major reason why roads fail in the country.
Mr Nafada spoke in Abuja at a public hearing on a bill sponsored by a
suspended member of the House, Austin Nwachukwu (PDP, Imo) alongside 10
others for unruly behaviour on the floor and accusing the leadership of
corruption.

The bill is titled, “A bill for an Act
to Construct, Build and Maintain Roads and Erosion Projects for Five
Years before Handing Over and Other Matters connected therewith.” Mr
Nafada, who represented the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole at the hearing,
said the ministry officials do not carry out proper on contractors
executing government’s job and in most cases compromise standard for
pecuniary gains.

Urgent need for action

“We need to do something on the state
of our roads,” he said. “I don’t want to blame the construction
companies, there are people supervising them. For a certificate of no
objection to be raised, there is someone either in the ministry or
FERMA that would have said the project was satisfactory. Fraudulent
practices by these officials cause roads to fail.” The deputy speaker
regretted that Nigeria spends more money on road than other African
countries but still has more bad roads than those countries.

“The problem of Nigeria is corruption,”
he said. “Neighbouring countries spend less than half of what Nigeria
pay per kilometre for road construction, yet they get better roads
produced for them at the end of the day. Roads in better clime are
constructed to last for at least 30 years but roads in Nigeria hardy
last two years before collapse. Some are even washed away before they
are commissioned. This is not good enough but those saddled with the
task of monitoring the stages of the construction up to finishing are
in most cases part of the problem.”

He did not spare the foreign
construction companies operating in Nigeria either. Mr Nafada accused
accusing them of building substandard roads for Nigerians. “Foreign
companies operating in Nigeria, you know the condition of roads in your
country,” he said. “It is criminal for you to come here and build
sub-standard roads that will not stand the test of time.” However, Mr
Nafada applauded the efforts of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency
(FERMA), stating that the agency has been trying to improve the quality
of the roads they construct.

The works minister, Sanusi Daggash blamed the state of the roads
across the country on untimely and late releases of funds. He noted
that the level of deficits incurred by government on road construction
is high. He called for the establishment of a contingency fund to be
domiciled in the Ministry of Works to deal with emergency maintenance
works that are no budgeted for. The minister added that the operations
of FERMA could be enhanced if the agency is given a free hand in
choosing the roads to be maintained just as he demanded that the agency
should be put on first line charge. Olumuyiwa Ajibola, who stood in for
the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) blamed the state of the roads
in the country on inadequate time for planning and design, imperfect
system of contract award, lack of quality supervision, inadequate
funding and contract administration and inappropriate usage of roads
all contribute to putting the roads in a deplorable condition.

In
its ongoing effort to end kidnapping menace in the country, the Nigeria
Police Force (NPF) has arrested over 400 kidnappers and rescued many
victims from the clutches of criminals, the Force Public Relations
Officer (FPRO), Emmanuel Ojukwu, said in Abuja, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Mr.
Ojukwu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the Inspector-General
of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, has described the payment of ransom to
secure the release of kidnap victims as an encouragement of the vice.

The statement cited
Mr. Onovo’s displeasure with payment of ransom to the kidnappers,
saying that the IGP has warned that the police would take “serious
action against persons who encourage the vice” by ensuring such payment.

It, however, urged
that cases of abduction should be reported promptly to the police,
saying that useful information has helped the police and “the Nigeria
Police Force (NPF) has over 400 kidnappers in its custody and had
rescued many victims from the clutches of criminals,” the statement
added.

Also at its
secretariat yesterday, the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of
Journalists (NUJ), has maintained that it was optimistic that the four
kidnapped journalists and driver would soon regain their freedom.

“Government should, however, rise up to tackle the problem of kidnapping,” said Deji Elumoye, the council’s vice-chairman.

No freedom yet

Speaking while
receiving the delegations on solidarity visits from the state
government and the Council of Lagos State Indigenes, Mr. Elumoye said
that the national secretariat of the NUJ had temporarily relocated to
Umuahia to address the problem. He also narrated how the union’s
national president, Garba Mohammed, had received a call at 9 a.m. today
from the kidnappers and was allowed to speak with the chairman of the
state council, Wahab Oba.

“They are taking good care of us, but nothing is as good as having our freedom”, the vice chairman quoted Mr. Oba as saying.

According to the
Lagos State delegation, which was led by the commissioner for
information, Opeyemi Bamidele, “there is no reason for anyone, either
for physical gains or to heighten the tension in the country, to allow
himself or herself to be driven into doing the obnoxious crime.”

According to him,
the state government is working with the federal government and other
security agencies to ensure the safe return of the NUJ leaders.

“Kidnapping for
ransom, trying to endanger lives and property in any manner, is not
capable of providing employment or putting money into the pockets of
people”, Mr. Bamidele said.

The commissioner, on behalf of the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, expressed the state government’s solidarity with the NUJ.

The convener of the
Council of Lagos State Indigenes, Sumbo Onitiri, also expressed shock
at the incident and advised the National Assembly to hasten the passage
of the Freedom of Information (FOI) and anti-terrorism bills.

He described the
incident as a “national menace” and suggested the passage of other
bills that could improve the welfare of Nigerians.

An assistant
director (Information), Office of Lagos State deputy governor, and a
former president of the National Association of Women Journalists
(NAWOJ), Toro Oladapo, who accompanied the NUJ officials, consoled the
wives of the kidnapped men, assuring them that their husbands would
soon be released.

African
leaders must act urgently to boost agricultural production to avoid a
worsening of the food crisis already being experienced in some
countries, President Goodluck Jonathan has said .

Speaking during a
meeting with the Director-General of the Food and Agricultural
Organisation (FAO), Jacques Diouf, at the Presidential Villa yesterday,
Mr. Jonathan said that African governments need to evolve and implement
more measures to address the problems hindering increased food
production such as water scarcity and an aging farming population
system.

“Africa really
needs to do more. We must encourage commercial farming. The problem of
young people not wanting to farm is compounded by an aging farming
population and must also be addressed. We must start now to plan and
take action to confront these and other challenges in the area of food
production,” the President said.

He promised Mr.
Diouf that the Federal Government would continue to support and
cooperate with the FAO in its efforts to ensure food security in Africa
and other parts of the world, saying that the organisation’s efforts
under Mr. Diuof’s leadership were already having a beneficial impact on
Africa.

Mr. Diouf told the
President that Nigeria was making good progress in the area of food
production, but could do more to not only ensure its own food security,
but also contribute to other less endowed African countries.

He expressed hope
that under President Jonathan’s leadership, Nigeria will commit more
funds to boosting agricultural production and move much more rapidly
towards doubling its current levels of food production.

The
House of Representatives, yesterday, began hearings for a proposed law
that will scrap Nigeria’s current nuclear safety-centered legislation
and allow a national development of nuclear energy.

The law, if passed,
will equip the Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority, which is currently
focused on the nuclear safety and radiation protection, with the
capacity to search for and develop a national capacity for nuclear
energy production as adopted by the federal government in 2005.

The government
reached the more technically and politically charged decision of
nuclear energy in January 2005, beginning the cultivation for the
acquisition of nuclear power plants for electricity generation.

Safety standards

The House of
Representatives chairman on petroleum resources, Bassey Out, whose
committee is saddled with the responsibility of fashioning the law,
said nine years after the starting of the NNRA, the Act setting it up
has turned up with openings that make it incapable to meet with
international standards for such development.

“It has been tested
and found not to satisfy and meet with international safety standards
for the radiation protection, nuclear safety, security and safeguards,”
he said.

The major challenge
of the present Act, according to the committee, is to fashion
adaptation to global rules on the proliferation and usage of nuclear
materials for peaceful purposes.

The law will also
accord the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) the right and
obligation to ensure the safeguards are applied in accordance with the
terms of the legislation.

The
Nigerian Medical Association, yesterday, criticised the federal
government on the declining security in the country, blaming the
weekend’s abduction of journalists on an “insensitive” government, and
a “corrupt” police.

The NMA, through
its chairman, Idris Omede, condemned the government’s response to the
rampaging insecurity in some areas of the country, which is hallmarked
by incessant kidnappings, such as the four journalists abducted last
Sunday.

In a statement on
Tuesday, Mr. Omede said the shocking hostage taking, and other similar
cases, show a falling commitment on the part of government, to the
security of lives and properties, amid thickening attacks by criminals.

Living in perpetual fear

“We are bothered by
this way of insecurity and perpetual fears, consequent upon the
government and system in attention to materials, equipment, and
manpower on security matters,” he said.

The association
said the government and the police have failed to ensure safety of
Nigerians through a culture of lack of dedication and severe corruption
in the policing system.

“These smack of government insensitivity, poor neighbourhood or community policing, unseriousness and corruption in the system.”

The association
said the situation now calls for urgent action on the part of the
federal government and claimed that some of its members too have also
been kidnapped within the region in the past few months.

“A people and
productivity centered government should put a halt to this. Nigeria
government should live up to her responsibility, one of which is to
protect life and properties.”

The association
called for the prompt release of the abducted journalists, a day after
the Inspector General of Police announced an ultimatum to the abductors.

“NMA expresses concern that these act will continue to impact
negatively on conducive business environment for national development,”
it warned.

Former Cross River
State governor, Donald Duke, has described the ruling Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) as no longer qualified to be called a political
party.

Mr. Duke stated
this yesterday at a conference organised by the Save Nigeria Group
(SNG) and the Change Nigeria Project (CNP) at the Transcorp Hilton
Hotel, Abuja, while reacting to claims by a special assistant to the
PDP national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, that the party has been
reformed.

“PDP held a lot of
hope for Nigerians. It started off as a great party. But today, it has
ceased to be a party. It is now a platform to win elections,” Mr. Duke
said.

The former governor, while calling for greater grassroots
participation in Nigerian politics, stated that “politics is too
important to be left to politicians.”

A Nigerian, Alache
Ode, who is an aide to the Minister of National Planning, has been
awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE), by Queen Elizabeth. The
OBE is an equivalent of Nigeria’s Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

Minister of State
for Information and Communications, Labaran Maku, who spoke to pressmen
at the presidential villa after the weekly federal executive council
meeting, said Ms. Ode was honoured because of her humanitarian services
to the UK communities. “She committed nearly 18 years building the
capacity of over 50 organisations to become effective,” he said. “She
also developed a programme that attracted three million pounds sterling
to send to over 600 skilled UK Diaspora professionals to work in about
18 countries of Africa and Asia.” He also said Ms. Ode developed the
capacity for “funding and building framework for an 18 million pounds
(DFID) grant to small and Diaspora organisations, and that she has been
advocating at over 30 international conferences perspective and
approach to development to become mainstream.”

The minister said the federal government is touched by the woman’s
passion for service and urged other Nigerians to emulate her spirit. He
added that the intriguing thing about Ms. Ode’s work was that it was
done for free as inspired by her passion for service for global
inclusion of disadvantaged personsl; and that she dedicated it to all
the unsung heroes of Nigeria, her native Benue State, the people of the
Middle Belt, and to God Almighty.

The Executive Council of the Federation, yesterday,
approved the downward review of the contract for the extension and
resurfacing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

The contract was reviewed from N3.56billion to N3.32billion.

Briefing reporters after the closed door session,
Dora Akunyili, the Minister of Information and Communications, said,
“With the modification, the contract sum was downward reviewed from the
initial sum of N3.56billion to N3.32billion, thereby saving government
N249.37million.”

Fidelia Njeze, the minister of Aviation, who was also
present at the briefing, said “the modification became necessary so as
to accommodate the resurfacing of the second central parallel taxiway
and associated links which have failed at several portions and very
vital to the entire project”. Ms. Njeze noted that these were omitted
in the initial scope of works.

She said the project has a completion period of six months.

Other decisions

At the meeting, the executive also approved the award
of contract for the execution of Zobe Water Supply project phase II in
the sum of N9.96billion, with a completion period of 18 months. It also
approved the contract for the consultancy services for the Zobe project
in the sum of N253.26million.

Officials said they considered the positive impact
the project will have on the lives of the people around the area where
the project is located before approving the contract.

The minister of agriculture, Ahmed Abdullah, also
briefed the council on the comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development
Programme (CAADP) process in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region, which
was adopted in Maputo in July 2003 by Africa Union heads of state and
government. CAADP is seen as the action plan that guarantees a bright
future for Africa especially in achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).

Also, the minister of Tourism, culture and national
orientation, Abubakar Sadiq A. Mohammed, briefed the council on the
need to ratify the new charter for African cultural renaissance adopted
by the heads of state and government of the AU at its 6th ordinary
session held in Khartoum, Sudan in 2006 to replace the one adopted in
January 1976 by the defunct OAU.

The formal launching of the charter would be
performed in October during the 3rd session of the AU ministers of
culture conference in Abuja.

The council directed the Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, to commence
preparation of the instrument for ratification of the new charter.

Nigeria and the United Nations Security Council were also discussed.

The Presidency of the UN Security Council rotates in
an alphabetical order amongst the five permanent members and 10
non-permanent members of the council and Nigeria has been a
non-permanent member for two years since October 2009.

On July 1, Nigeria assumed the chairmanship of the UN
Security Council. Mrs Akunyili said “accordingly, Nigerian permanent
representative to the UN Professor Joy Ogwu will chair the council
meetings. On July 16, 2010, Nigeria is introducing a debate in the UN
Security Council as part of the tradition of the council. Nigeria’s
foreign affairs minister, Odein Ajumogobia, will chair the debate which
has the topic: The use of preventive diplomacy as a tool: the
challenges for Africa” she added.

Senate President, David Mark, has
declared that the present National Assembly is ready to make history by
being the first legislature to create states outside the military
regime.

He made this known today when he
received a delegation agitating for the creation of Gurara State out of
the present Kaduna State in Abuja. `

According to Mr. Mark, the Assembly
would break the jinx that states could only be created by the military.
He assured Nigerians that the committee on the review of the 1999
Constitution would be fair to all in the consideration of states to be
created.

Describing the demand for Gurara State
as genuine, the senate president noted that it was a clear
demonstration of their desire to bring the people closer to the
government, and urged them to unite and eschew religious or ethnic
sentiments.

The leader of the delegation, Bawa Magaji, said the creation of the
proposed Gurara State was approved by the Kaduna State House of
Assembly in its resolution on Nov. 18, 2009. “The proposed Gurara
State, with headquarters in Kachia, has a population of 3,383,207 and a
land mass area of about 28,393 square kilometres,” he said.

Abdulkadri
Oniyang and Amina Zakari, the two newest national commissioners of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have expressed doubts
over the use of electronic voting in the 2011 election.

The two
commissioners said Nigeria was not ready for electronic voting yet, an
indication that they might not support its introduction in next year’s
election.

During an interview
session that preceded the confirmation of their appointments by the
Senate, both commissioners argued that introducing electronic voting
now may disenfranchise some Nigerians.

“The essence of
voting is to ensure that people are able to exercise their civic
right,” Mr. Oniyangi argued. “I don’t think electronic voting will give
room for the people to exercise their right.” He, however, said
electronic voting would suffice if accuracy of statistics was the focal
issue.

On her part, Mrs. Zakari argued that the voters are not sufficiently educated to use the electronic voting platform now.

“If we don’t have enough education, it will be difficult to apply,” she said. “We have to educate the voters first.”

Their confirmation
brings the number of national commissioners of INEC confirmed by the
Senate, so far, to nine. Two vacancies are yet to be filled. President
Goodluck Jonathan had withdrawn his nomination of Abdullahi Bagudu
Mamman, a retired military general, who is a member of the Board of
Trustees of the PDP; and Mohammed Zakki Anka, an ambassador who aspired
for the governorship of Zamfara State in 1999.

Fit commissioner

Mr. Oniyangi, 75, who currently runs a private clinic, said he was very fit for the INEC job.

“I am very fit,” he
declared. “If there is any evidence to show that I am going down, I
will be the first to throw in the towel. As I am now, I think I am
going to stay till I’m 105,” he said.

Mr. Oniyangi also argued that he would not be susceptible to bribery and corruption while serving in the position.

“I am not hungry! I
was born with a silver spoon. Anybody who knows me in Ilorin should
know that. So, I will not be swayed, and I think national issue is more
important than taking bribe,” he added.

The two commissioners promised to efficiently utilise their
experience in both public and private life to ensure adequate planning
and delivery of election materials to polling booths on time.