Nigeria Content Online

The President,
Centre for Disease Control, Thomas Frveden, has decried the prevalence
of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) in the country.

Mr. Frveden made
the remark during the inauguration of projects and scientific
facilities at the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre,
Zaria.

However, he did not give the current statistics of TB and HIV in Nigeria.

He explained that
the facilities, which are the best in West Africa, are to ensure full
diagnosis of HIV and AIDS as well as Tuberculosis patients, with a view
to reducing the spread of the menace among the people. He urged the
Federal Government to increase the diagnostic centres of the deadly
diseases, especially in remote areas, adding that private clinics
should be co-opted into the programme.

The fire that
gutted the registry of the Eket High Court has affected the pace of
court sittings at the Eket Judicial Division in Akwa Ibom, with a judge
yesterday suspending hearing on a case to enable him re-admit six
documents that were lost in the fire incident.

An early morning
fire razed Eket High Court 2 in 2009, destroying vital documents
admitted by the court as evidence and exhibits. Many litigants who had
pending cases with relevant documents had to plead with the two judges
in the area to admit photocopies of such documents as exhibits. The
litigants incurred extra costs, as pending cases suffered numerous
adjournments owing to the extra time spent by both parties and their
counsel in scrutinising the photocopies of the documents.

“It is now that we
are feeling the impact of the fire that destroyed the court’s registry;
it is causing a lot of delays, and the situation is even worse for
those who did not keep copies of documents submitted to the court,” a
litigant stated.

The National
Directorate of Employment (NDE), Oyo State branch, on Monday, urged
various establishments to stop the distribution of motorcycles to
youths.

Some establishments
distribute motorcycles to youths, as part of efforts to alleviate
poverty among Nigerians. But Martins Ola, the Oyo State Coordinator of
NDE, said such organisations should instead, encourage the youth to
learn a trade.

He said, during an
interview with journalists in Ibadan, that encouraging the youth to
learn a trade would make them to be self-employed, and enable them to
offer employment to others; rather than operate okada business as a
means of livelihood, as it is not a job that can last long.

Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has presented a
cheque of N20m to the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, for the
reconstruction of her burnt dormitories.

The governor, who presented the cheque to the
college authorities during a visit to the school, said his
administration was working towards making the state reference point in
the country. He challenged the students to remain good citizens, and
asked them to always support and pray for the government. He stressed
his readiness to solve their pressing needs and commended them for
maintaining a clean environment.

Mr. Obi announced that the school had been
selected to host the state’s Microsoft Academy, and the government
would soon provide the school with laptop computers after training
teachers on their use. He also promised a utility bus to the school,
and mandated the commissioner for environment to visit the erosion site
threatening the college for urgent intervention.

The principal of the college, Ngozi Ekwenibe,
described the governor as education-friendly, and pointed out that the
school had benefited immensely from his government. She listed the
renovation of science laboratories, supply of science equipment, a
generator set, bore holes, computers, construction of toilets, and the
computer academy as some of the contributions of the governor to the
school. Mrs Ekwenibe thanked the governor for promising a school bus,
as well as provision of adequate personnel to enhance effective
teaching and learning in the school.

The
National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has reviewed the
curricula and course specification for several programmes at National
Diploma, Higher National Diploma and professional post-HND levels, the
board’s acting secretary, Ade Ojo Aimola, has said yesterday in Akure.

Mr Aimola, who
spoke at a workshop on technical education, said the board decided to
review course specification covering engineering, environmental
studies, business and related studies in the nation’s 278 polytechnics,
in order to keep abreast with modern day development in the fields. He,
however, said the board was worried about obsolete nature of curricula
in technical and vocational schools across the country, saying NBTE
would soon begin the review of curricula for technical schools and
colleges in the country as well.

“The review became
imperative because the last review of the curricula was last done in
2002,” he said, adding that the federal ministry of education, NBTE,
and African Development Bank also intended to evaluate and fill the
identified gaps in the selected curricula to meet national development
goals, as identified by Africa Development Fund in 2009. Some of the
courses to be affected, according to him, included Electrical
Installation, Radio and Television Work, Computer Studies, English,
Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Entrepreneurship, and Information and
Communication Technology.

The NBTE and other
stakeholders in technical education, including the federal government,
had invited experts to Akure, the Ondo State capital, to brainstorm on
what are those things to be put in the curricula that would bring them
up to date to meet the needs of more recent technologies.

The Director of
NBTE, James Aboi said the skills training and vocational education
institutions were created with the goal of poverty reduction and its
subsequent eradication in the country.

An Abuja-based lawyer and human rights activist, Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan has dragged the Speaker of the House of Representatives,

Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman
Nafada to a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly inflating the
cost of 380 units of Peugeot 407, two years ago. Mr Akpan is also
asking that Messrs Bankole and Nafada should be investigated by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent
Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over the transaction valued at N2.3
billion.

Joined as defendants in the suit no
FHC/ABJ/CS/409/2010, instituted on Monday, are the Office of the
Speaker, Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria Limited, Inspector General of
Police, Attorney General of the Federation, and Federal Inland Revenue
Service.

The suit was instituted barely 24 hours after Mr Bankole claimed there was no underhand deal in the transaction.

The chief press secretary to Mr
Bankole, Idowu Bakare, however told journalists that the Speaker has no
problem whatsoever with Mr Akpan going to court.

“The only concern now is the
orchestrated blackmail targeted at the EFCC by these desperados, but
they will surely fail,” he said. Mr Akpan, in the sworn affidavit,
sought a declaration that the purchase of the cars to the tune
N2,359,486,500 by the House was riddled with corruption and unbridled
gratification and it was done without lawful authority, illegal, void
and fraudulent. He also sought a declaration that the transaction was
not only irresponsible, fraudulent and an abuse of power by Mr Bankole
but that a whopping N421,486,500.00 of tax payers money remains
unaccounted for.

He said that out of the contract sum, a
total of N117,974,325.00 was paid as Value Added Tax (VAT) on the
contract, and that the subsequent direct payment of a further sum of
N117,974,325.00 to FIRS by the House was fraudulent and unlawful.

Mr Akpan, therefore, sought an order of
mandamus directing Mr Bankole and the PAN management to refund
N421,486,500.00 being the difference in value from the said transaction
(with interests at the going market rate) to the coffers of the Federal
Government of Nigeria within 7 days).

He also sought for an order of mandamus
directing the Speaker, his deputy and the FIRS to account for the
N117,974,325 besides refunding the N421,486,500.00 to government’s
coffers.

The lawyer further contended that the
refusal or reluctance by the EFCC and the attorney general to prosecute
Mressrs Bankole and Nafada “for this fraudulent, sordid and
unprecedented abuse of power is unlawful.” According to him, there is
nothing in the EFCC Act, 2004 that requires the Commission to submit
investigation activities to the Presidency for “approval” as its
chairman, Farida Waziri recently claimed.

He also claimed that there is nothing
in the 1999 Constitution, the House of Representatives Rules and/or any
other law, for the time being, in force empowering the Mr Bankole as a
person, the Speaker and his deputy “to embark on this sordid and
fraudulent abuse of office, power and privilege.” He, therefore, sought
an order of mandamus directing the EFCC to, without delay, commence
legal proceedings based on its investigation report on the N2.3 billion
car scam.

Call for joint investigation

The legal practitioner also asked that
the Inspector General of Police, ICPC and the EFCC to jointly
investigate and possibly prosecute the Speaker, his deputy and the PAN
over the transaction.

Mr Akpan also demanded an apology, in a
form acceptable to him, to be published in 10 national newspapers by
Messrs Bankole and Nafada “for this massive and gross breach of duty,
fraud and abuse of power.” He claimed that, at the risk of sounding
immodest, he has been a patriotic and vociferous commentator on public
issues and a critic of national acclaim on matters affecting the peace,
order and good government of the country.

According to him, the disturbing media
reports on the vehicle transaction in the House galvanised him to
undertake some investigation and gathering of facts and documents.

The suit was instituted the same day Mr
Bankole denied any wrong doing in the N2.3 billion car deal. The
Speaker, who was on his way to Russia had told reporters that he
couldn’t have been involved in the scam having been aware that his
predecessor, Patricia Etteh was removed for allegedly inflating the
contract sum to renovate the official residence of the Speaker and her
deputy.

Mr Bankole also said he was not
bothered about the seven days ultimatum given to him by 10 members of
the House to resign from office or be disgraced out of office. He
challenged the lawmakers, who called themselves “progressive members”
to make public the documents they claimed to have relating to his
(Speakers) involvement in shady deals, including the car scandal.

Mr Akpan is the second lawyer to take
action over the N2.3 billion car transaction. On October 19, 2008,
Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo also wrote Mr Bankole asking him to explain
within 72 hours the alleged inflation in the cost of the 308 vehicles
to N539,46 million, out of which N117.97 million accounted for the
Value Added Tax (VAT). Mr Keyamo subsequently appeared before the
Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House, which probed the
allegation. The committee, in its report absolved the Speaker and the
House leadership of any blame.

Meanwhile, leader of the progressive members, Dino Melaye said the
group of 10 lawmakers will today address journalists on their quest to
have Mr Bankole resign from office. He refused to speak further on what
the group will do since the Speaker refused to quit, saying “wait till
tomorrow”

The decision of Shell Petroleum Development Company
(SPDC) to ignite a new flare in Opolo-Epie, Bayelsa State, is further
testament to the company’s flagrant disregard for the people and
environment of the Niger Delta and a direct threat to government’s
efforts to bring about genuine and lasting peace in the region, the
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has
cautioned.

ERA/FoEN’s warning is coming against the backdrop of
field monitoring reports over the weekend that confirmed the Opolo-Epie
flare lit by the oil giant on Sunday June 13, 2010, is still raging,
fouling the air and threatening the peace that exists in the community.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the environmental
justice group described the development as “worrying,” warning that it
was a throwback to a similar action by the company at the Gbaran/Ubie
Gas Gathering Plant in nearby Gbarantotu Community in November, 2009,
which was put out only after ERA/FoEN and members of the community
mobilized and kicked against it.

More flaring

“It simply beats the imagination what the rationale
is behind Shell’s igniting of a new flare barely days after it
announced it had downed the volume of flares in the Niger Delta by 65
per cent because of so-called gas gathering infrastructure that will
gulp an estimated $3 billion at completion. But we can, however, try to
input that that announcement was mere propaganda,” said ERA/FoEN
Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey.

“While it may not be too surprising that Shell is
taking this course of action due to our own government’s double-speak
and excuses on why flares continue, we are emphatic that Shell must
respect the rights of the Opolo-Epie Community and the generality of
Niger Delta people to a pollution-free environment by halting the
noxious plumes.” According to Mr Bassey, it was the height of
insensitivity for flare sites to be set up at a time the global
community has risen with one voice to condemn the practice, even as he
added that successive administrations have demonstrated insincerity in
halting routine gas flaring or put in place appropriate sanctions that
will guarantee an end to it.

He explained that gas flaring is a monumental waste
of Nigeria’s natural resources, and a mark of unacceptable double
standards by the oil companies, which not only contributes to
greenhouse emission but also violates the rights of the communities
around the flare sites, and must stop immediately.

“We have said it time and again that Shell’s much-touted investments
in the so-called gas gathering infrastructure is only a ruse to buy
time and perpetrate flaring. This is evidence that the wellbeing of
oil-bearing communities means nothing to the company and it remains
indefensible. The flares in Opolo-Epie and other sites in the Niger
Delta must stop now,” Mr Bassey said.</

The four gunmen who
invaded Gbemisola Saraki’s Maitama home in the early hours of Sunday
are armed robbers and not assassins, the police have said.

Richard Ciroma, the
deputy commissioner of police in charge of investigation in the Federal
Capital Territory, made the claim yesterday in an interview.

He said police
investigators arrived at the conclusion after speaking with occupants
of the house who witnessed the incident. The police had taken Ms
Saraki’s aides present at the time of the attack into custody at the
Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) office in Abuja for interrogation.

Mr. Ciroma
explained that information gathered from their interrogation revealed
that the alleged armed robber entered into the compound when one of the
cooks “opened the gate to pick the phone he claimed to have left behind
in the car.”

He also pointed out
that the gunmen went away with five laptops and one Nissan vehicle
which the police recovered after it was abandoned within the city of
Abuja.

The position of the
FCT police buttresses the argument of Emmanuel Ojukwu, the national
spokesperson of the police. He too claimed it was a burglary attempt.

According to Mr.
Ciroma, the investigation into the matter is ongoing. He added that the
cook who had opened the gate has been detained but other aides have
been released.

Mr. Ciroma added
that the detained cook had aided the robbers after they gained entry
into the compound. He said that when the “assailants asked for the keys
to Ms Saraki’s room, the senior cook did not want to cooperate with the
robbers but the suspect revealed to the robbers that the key was with
the senior cook.”

Ms. Saraki who reportedly travelled out of Abuja some days before the attack remained silent on the issue throughout Monday.

Colleagues and other visitors were seen visiting her Maitama home but most were turned away.

The shallow water
channel of the Calabar seaport is preventing bigger vessels from
sailing into the port, and also hindering the Navy from effectively
policing pirates in the high seas, the Eastern Command of the Nigerian
Navy has said. Benjamin Acholonu, a Rear Admiral and flag officer
commanding the Eastern Naval Command, called on the federal government
to award contract for the dredging of the Calabar River as that will
enable large ships with heavy cargo get to the port. During the regime
of the late Sani Abacha, the Calabar port was dredged by a foreign
company to encourage heavy vessels to sail through and facilitate
economic and commercial activities at the Calabar Export Free Trade
Zone, constructed by the federal government in 1991. But the job was
poorly done forcing large ships to continue avoiding the port.

Low water level

“Some of the
problems or challenges we encounter in the Calabar area are criminal
activities of pirates and the low water level of the channel. The
Calabar channel is not safe for navigation. Calabar port has a sandy
shore, mud and wreck along its channel. This wreck is visible during
low water season,” Mr. Acholonu said.

“But during high
water level, water covers the wreck. This is dangerous for ships coming
in. Naval ships like to manoeuvre freely, but if you have restricted
water, it is difficult for them to operate”, he said.

According to Mr Acholonu, the Navy is having difficulties patrolling the area to check the activities of pirates.

He however
explained that the strategies put in place by his command has helped to
keep pirates at bay, noting that though Calabar is off the Atlantic
Ocean, his men have it as a patrol beat to check oil bunkering and
smuggling.

Only recently, the
Eastern Naval Command arrested and paraded two men who specialise in
perforating oil pipes linking the Calabar jetty with the Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation Tank Farm at Esuk Utan, in Calabar
Municipal Council to siphon petroleum products.

“More is expected from the federal government for the provision of
platforms. These platforms help the navy to operate. With them, we
perform to expectations and compete favourably with our counterparts
from other countries,” he added.

Independent candidacy is a major way for more women to be elected into political offices, a former minister has said.

Olufunke Adedoyin,
a former minister of state on Youth Development, said this in a paper
she delivered at the Annual Press Week organised by the Ogun State
Chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, in Abeokuta on
Monday.

Titled ‘Role of
Women in Stabilizing Democracy in Nigeria 2011 and Beyond’ Ms. Adedoyin
at the Iwe Irohin Press Centre further noted that economic power is
also critical to the ability of women to participate in democratic
governance.

She said from the
statistics available over the years, women and the youth represent more
than 70 to 80 per cent of committed voters in every election, lamenting
that, “with this compelling figure women have ended up holding the
short end of the stick when the elections are concluded and political
offices and political patronage are being dispensed”.

According to her,
this may have been influenced by culture and traditions which have
always kept women queuing behind the men in almost everything.

“Women at all levels must brace up to the challenges and demands that these opportunities will create,” she said.

“Women must
therefore break out of the cocoon of subservience and/or relegation
they have been consigned either unconsciously or by design and brace up
to save the Nigerian nation from the present day political oppressors”
Adedoyin stated.

The former minister urged that women “must begin to build war
chests, which we can deploy to advance our own agenda and we must be
ready to support party activities and fund women who are actively
seeking political office”.