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The Minister of
Information and Communication, Dora Akunyili, on Thursday asked
journalists to promote “the courage to publish the truth and perish”
and make it a professional canon.

Mrs. Akunyili said
this as the special guest of honour, at a media stakeholders’ debate
titled “150 years of journalism, how far?”

The debate was organised by the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to commemorate the 2010 Press Week.

As the 2011 general elections approach, Mrs. Akunyili called for “rigorous investigative reports.”

The minister noted
that, after 55 years of the existence of the NUJ, the profession should
bold, fair, and balance in its reports.

“The imperative
need for electoral matters to be reported with a spirit and principle
of dispassionate arbitration cannot be overstated,” she said. “For us
to have the much desired free and fair election, reports on the event
must be thoroughly and rigorously investigated to unearth and publicise
truth and truth only.”

Better pay for journalists

Ray Ekpu, the
event’s chairman, who is also the chairman of Newswatch, described
Nigerian journalism as a giant with feet of clay. Mr. Ekpu said
journalism has gone from being an “unprofitable, frustrating, and
soul-depressing career in the 1930s,” according to the late Obafemi
Awolowo, to being a profession where journalists now “wear nice clothes
and drive exotic cars.”

On the other hand,
Mrs. Akunyili condemned the poor remuneration of journalists, blaming
same for the “unethical journalism in which practitioners, powerless to
effect change within (their organisations), become outwardly oriented
and begin to trade both media space and professional conviction for
money and material.”

She promised to
champion the cause for a separate and enhanced salary structure for
journalists and appealed to “the ownership and management of the
private sector journalism centres to urgently revisit their personnel
policies, especially, as it relates to compensation.”

FOI Bill

Though Mrs.
Akunyili avoided the long-standing call for the passage of the freedom
of Information Bill into law, the Editor of THISDAY Sunday, Yusuph
Olaniyonu, described the failure of the National Assembly to pass the
bill as a lost opportunity.

Mr. Olaniyonu, in
his remark, asked the minister “to use her good office to re-initiate
the FoI Bill as an executive bill given its salience to achieve
objective reporting.”

The guest lecturer,
Ralph Akinfeleye, the head of the University of Lagos mass
communications department, called for the immediate passage of the bill
because more than eighty democracies in the world have passed the FoI
into laws.

“If our leaders are serious about transparency, rule of law, and
accountability, and good governance, this is the time to pass the FoI
bill that has been with them for over a decade,” he said.

The Lagos State
government on Thursday donated two three-bedroom apartments, one each
to the families of two journalists murdered in Lagos recently by gunmen
who are yet to be apprehended by the police.

The recipients are
the family the late Bayo Ohu, a political editor with The Guardian
until he was murdered on September 20, 2009, and the family of the late
Edo Sule Ugbagwu who was a judiciary correspondent with The Nation
until he was shot dead on April 25.

The state’s
commissioner for information and strategy, Opeyemi Bamidele, made the
presentation at a media stakeholders’ debate titled ‘150 years of
journalism, how far?’ The debate was organised by the Lagos chapter of
the Nigerian Union of Journalists to commemorate the 2010 Press Week.

Mr Bamidele, who
represented the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, at the event, also
announced the donation of N1m to the widow of Mr Ugbagwu, to a loud
applause from the participants, including the information and
communication minister, Dora Akunyili, who was the special guest of
honour at the event.

The donation
fulfilled the promise made by Mr Fashola following a rally held by the
Lagos NUJ complaining of the killings which have placed journalists and
their families on the endangered lists.

Reading from the
governor’s speech, the commissioner advised journalists “to adopt a
sociological approach in discharging their responsibilities. This
approach would help rebrand Nigeria and her citizens in the comity of
nations.” According to him, the same approach was used in South Africa
when the apartheid regime fell. “We can adopt the same approach in
Nigeria by deploying our cultural and traditional values to promote
ourselves. This is the only way we can attract foreign investors and
rebrand our country internationally.”

Mrs Akunyili expressed strong misgivings at the frequency with which
journalists constitute the victims of targeted killings in our country
but avoided the long-standing issue of the Freedom of Information Bill.

Goodluck Jonathan yesterday appointed Ojogbane Adegbe, a Lt. Colonel, as his Aide de Camp.

Born on May 12,
1972, Mr. Adegbe graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy, (NDA),
Kaduna, in September 1995, as a member of the 42 Regular Course. He
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Masters in
Intelligence and International Security from Kings College, London.

Prior to his
appointment, Mr. Adegbe served at 1 Division Intelligence Group,
Kaduna; 26 Motorized Battalion ECOMOG, Sierra Leone; Nigerian Army
Depot, Zaria; Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (HQ NAIC); Office of
Defence Adviser, London, United Kingdom; Intelligence Production
Centre, HQ NAIC, as well as 81 Division Intelligence Group, Lagos.

He hails from Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, and is married with three children.

Meanwhile, the
Delta State government yesterday attributed the relative calmness and
increased business activities in the Niger Delta region to the peace
initiatives of the late president, Umaru Yar’Adua. Speaking after a
courtesy call by a delegation of Delta State elders on Mr. Jonathan at
his Aguda House residence, the Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan,
said the contribution of late Yar’Adua to the Niger Delta can be
confirmed by increased oil production and freedom of movement.

The
House of Representatives has ordered investigations into the massive
Abuja airport road project which the lawmakers say bear questionable
features in funding and terms, similar to the Abuja airport runway
currently under a similar probe.

Investigators are
to find out how the former Federal Capital Territory administration,
under Adamu Aliero, arrived at the whopping N257 billion for the
expansion of the twin outer expressways that lead to the city airport.

Also, they are to
determine why the administration discarded earlier agreed that the
project be funded through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the
private sector paying 60 per cent, while the government paid the
remaining.

Shortly after
flagging off the construction, Mr. Aliero secured the approval of the
late president, Umaru Yar’Adua, and opted for a total government
funding of construction work, the motion sponsor, Dino Melaye said.

The job was awarded
to Julius Berger Plc, which has recently come under attacks for
undertaking to construct a 4.4km Abuja airport second runway an
“outrageous” cost of N64 billion.

In the road
contract , a member, Gbenga Onigbogi, who said he accessed the terms,
alleged the company quoted a tonne of iron rod for N500, 000 each
against market price of N100,000.

“We need to find
out why jobs involving the Julius Berger don’t always go through
competitive bidding and the costs are often times varied,” said Rivers
state member, Betty Appiafi.

The House Aviation
committee has held hearings on the runway contract where shocking
details were revealed. Its reports have yet to be formally submitted
and approved by the house.

At that amount, the
contract was granted without a bill of quantity, in-house costing by
the aviation authorities. Also amazing negligence on the role of the
Bureau for Public Procurement was uncovered.

For the Airport
road construction, recently named after Mr. Yar’Adua, the
representatives are opting for an independent Adhoc committee to
conduct the inquiry.

The investigations
have been long in coming, after lawmakers raised concerns last year,
about the abandonment of the PPP option with the former FCT Minister,
Mr. Aliero, when the construction began.

Skeptical lawmakers

Mr. Aliero
explained then that the decision was taken after the federal government
discovered that the option will “mortgage Nigeria”.

“The private group
that was supposed to partner with government was to get money from the
commercial banks and the agreement would have made the government to
pay the interest rate which was too high,” recalled Leo Dilkon, the
Deputy Chairman of the House Finance committee, which met with Mr.
Aliero.

The interest rate amounted to N140 billion, Mr. Dilkon said.

But the lawmakers
are doubtful of the explanation, questioning whether such details were
overlooked before the signing of the contract.

“I see a similarity
between what happened on the airport runway project and what is
happening here,” said Igo Aguma, who represents Port Harcourt
constituency. “We need to find out how water entered the boat.” The
inquiry is to decide the true term of the deal, re-evaluate the
project, re-measure the road distance, compare charges for similar
construction in other parts of the northern zone, and recommend
prosecution for those found guilty of misdeeds.

John
Kuffour, the former president of Ghana, on Thursday asked Nigerians to
support our country’s new helmsman in achieving his visions, as he
assured that Goodluck Jonathan is capable of moving the nation forward.

Mr Kuffour, who
spoke to aviation correspondents at the presidential wing of the
Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, on arrival from Abuja,
maintained that though Nigeria is facing challenges, the president
should be given the chance to settle in order to efficiently discharge
his duties.

“I’m sure now there
is a bit of crisis in the country, but the president is very new. Let
him settle into his job; I’m sure he will give the leadership the
nation wants,” he said.

Asked to comment on
whether Mr Jonathan should run for the 2011 presidential elections in
Nigeria based on the zoning formula adopted by the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), the ex-Ghanaian leader declined, saying that
the issue is domestic and should be handled by Nigerians. He added that
our government should abide stipulated rules.

“I would say this
is very much an internal matter for Nigeria, our biggest country in the
continent,” he said. “We should trust the governments to work by their
constitutions and respect the constitutions.”

Meeting with Obasanjo

Prior to Mr
Kuffour’s arrival at the airport, Nigeria’s former leader, Olusegun
Obasanjo, arrived the VIP wing and on disembarking from his vehicle,
went straight to the lounge to await Mr Kuffor.

The former Ghanaian
leader, who went on to the lounge to meet with Obasanjo, where they had
a 35-minute conversation, later disclosed that they discussed issues
affecting the continent.

“We discussed how Africa will move forward steadily to the benefit of all of us the citizens,” he said.

The police have
arrested an outraged man for killing one Musibau Olopade, a middle-age
artisan, who was caught with his wife inside their bedroom in Abudu
village, Ilogbo-Ota, Ogun State.

The state
Commissioner of Police, Musa Daura, who told the press at Eleweran
Police Headquarters, Abeokuta, said Abdullahi Adekunle faces charges of
murder and would be prosecuted by the police authority for the death of
Mr Olopade.

Mr Daura said on
the fateful day, Mr Adekunle had gone to work, but returned home early
to meet the deceased having sex with his wife on their matrimonial bed.
A fight ensured between the two, and in the process, Mr Olopade was
stabbed.

‘The suspect
returned from work and met one Musibau of the same village on his bed
having sexual intercourse with his wife, the suspect stabbed Musibau
Olopade with a knife at the back and he died before getting to the
hospital,’ the police boss said.

The suspect, Mr
Adekunle who was paraded alongside his allegedly unfaithful wife,
confirmed that he stabbed the deceased to death.

Return with money for food

Mr Adekunle, a
bricklayer, said he had gone to work, but came back home to give money
to his wife for food items only to met the door to their room locked.

“When I returned
home and noticed that the door to our room was locked from behind, I
knocked severally, but there was no response. So I had to force the
door open, and to my surprise I met the man having sex with my wife,”
he said.

“It was at this
stage that a fight ensured between me and the man, so I took a knife
and stabbed him at the back when he was trying to bolt away. I never
knew he would die of the attack.” The wife at the centre of the
tragedy, Funmilayo Adekunle, said the deceased forced her into having
sexual intercourse with him.

“He just entered our room when my husband was not around and forced me unto the bed before having sex with me,” she said.

The housewife, who claimed to be a canteen attendant, said nemesis
caught with her and the deceased when her husband suddenly returned
home.

Nestled on the bank
of the Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State is the Agwagune
community. Due to its geography, the people of Agwagune mostly engage
in two occupations: farming and fishing. And there is a large market
within the community for sale of produce.

But over the last
decade, the coastal surroundings of Agwagune has become its albatross.
Perennial flooding and erosion have decimated the landscape, sweeping
away houses and farms and unsettling the people. All these have meant
the loss of fame, and sales for Agwagune, for the community was reputed
as a rural trading hub and picturesque scenery for tourism.

This picture is not
peculiar to Agwagune. In most rural parts of Cross River State, nature
appears to have gone beserk. Rainstorm disasters, raging floods, and
mudslides have become the lot of the people these recent times.
Residential houses, schools, churches, hospitals, economic trees,
communication masts, and public offices have been at the receiving end
of this rage. The consequence is a dislocation of social and economic
life.

Natural disasters
in Cross River in the last three years can be likened to a “biblical
deluge”. Every wet season is accompanied by savage rainfall, resulting
in some deaths and million naira worth of damages.

Even in Calabar,
the state capital, and other urban centres, sewers are clogged while
streams in rural communities overflow their banks – blocking streets
and foot paths.

Appeals for aid
flood government relief agencies, but the magnitude of the disaster
often overwhelms government’s response. Since each destruction leaves
in its wake mud slides, de-capped houses, loss of income, poverty and
emotional stress, it is always a struggle to rehabilitate the victims
and assuage their feelings.

In all these,
Agwagune is a case study. On the heels of the environmental degradation
of this community comes problems of inaccessibility. Vehicles now find
it difficult driving in. Thus, the economy of Agwagune, like other
villages around it, appears victimised by nature.

The havoc wrecked
on houses by flood and erosion has prompted the state government to
build some housing units for the displaced. But these apartments are
like a drop in the ocean. The federal government, which promised 200
units of 400 flats in Agwagune to solve the problem of accommodation,
is yet to fulfill the promise after five years of waiting. Now, there
is pressure on Abuja to keep to its word.

Every market day,
traders from the urban centres and other rural areas struggle to visit
Agwagune to buy or sell. While traders from the cities go there with
cloths, electronics, metals and shoes to sell, the natives provide
agricultural produce for purchase, including okro, yam, cassava, garri,
vegetables, fish, as well as farming implements like hoes, diggers,
fishing nets, cutlasses, spears, and shovels.

The farm produce
are, of course, sold cheaply due to the now difficult terrain of
Agwagune. Often these produce, because of their perishable nature, rot
away once buyers from the city cannot access the community.

Uprooted in the community

Last October, an
unprecedented flood swept away crops and farmlands, as well as homes in
the community. Farmers warn that the harvest is likely to be meagre
this year as a lot of the crops were washed away.

An assessment by
the joint team of the National Emergency Management Agency [NEMA] and
the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency [SEMA], showed that
the situation was beyond the individuals and the community to handle.
The agencies donated foodstuff and building materials to the community.

The traditional
ruler of Agwagune community, Onun Fidelis Effime, who received the
materials, appealed to the federal government to, without further
delay, commence construction work on the promised 200 units of 400
flats for the landslide victims.

One of the
displaced persons from the community, who now lives with relatives,
Joseph Ogbodim, said he has been squatting with his kinsman for the
past two years.

“The six room
apartment is grossly inadequate for his family and mine, given the
African extended family system. My humble appeal is to government and
those concerned to make concerted efforts towards rehabilitating us”,
he said.

One of the children
of the victim, Michael Ogbodim,15, who likes to play football with his
peers in the compound, said though his uncle has been generous in
accommodating them for this long, it would have been better for them to
live in their own house.

“At the age of 15,
custom demands that I should begin to plant economic trees such as
pear, coconut, orange, flowers, and mangoes around our compound which I
can grow up to appreciate, but this cannot be done in another person’s
compound,” he said.

The Court of
Appeal sitting in Enugu, yesterday ordered the Senate president, David
Mark to swear in Alphonsus Igbeke (ANPP) as the senator representing
Anambra North Senatorial Zone.

The court also
ordered that the clerk of the Senate should comply with the order,
which it had earlier disobeyed by permitting former senator, Joy
Emordi, to return to her seat at the Senate by the leadership.

As she received
news of her second defeat at the Appeal Court yesterday, Mrs Emordi
silently walked out of the senate chamber during the usual plenary
proceeding.

She had, only on
Tuesday, received her April salary and a N40 million constituency
allowance for the second quarter immediately she returned to the office.

The court had, on March 25, declared Mr. Igbeke winner of the senatorial polls of April 14, 2007 for Anambra North.

Following the
order, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrew
the certificate earlier issued Mrs. Emodi to Mr. Igbeke in compliance
with court directive.

But the court, in
a lead ruling delivered by Suleiman Galadima, decried the senate’s
refusal to comply with the March 25 judgment and berated counsel
representing the Senate and Mrs. Emordi for failing the judiciary and
their client.

The court, while
ordering the withdrawal of the certificate issued to Mrs. Emordi, again
affirmed that Mr. Igbeke had the majority of the lawful votes cast in
that election.

Controversial claim

Mrs. Emordi had
filed two applications before the court, asking it to refer a
substantial issue arising from its judgment of March 25 to the Supreme
Court because it was in conflict with its judgment of Feb. 10, 2009.

The court however
held that there was no conflict in its judgments, pointing out that the
judgment of March 25 declared Mr. Igbeke winner of majority of lawful
votes in that election and that he was not a part of the February 10
suit.

It pronounced that
the said suit of February 10, 2009 was between Jessy Balonwu of Labour
Party and Joy Emordi of the PDP and that Mrs. Balonwu’s case was
dismissed on grounds that she did not join the lawful parties in the
suit.

The court pointed out that the issues were clear and distinct.

Mrs. Emordi’s
fresh application of May 7 also sought for determination that three
judges of the Court of Appeal disqualify themselves from further
participation in the processes of the appeal, and a new panel be
reconstituted.

Mr. Galadima
however warned that, “the court cannot allow itself to be intimidated
in any guise by counsel. It is the prerogative of the president of the
Court of Appeal to reconstitute a panel.’’ The judges also condemned
the delay of cases by counsel through frivolous applications and
thereby dismissed the applications – pointing out that there was no
merit in granting them the reliefs they sought in rulings concurred by
the five justices.

The court awarded N25,000 cost each against the first and second respondents.

Following the
death of President Umaru Yar’Adua last week, the Vice President,
Goodluck Jonathan, assumed the post of the President pursuant to
section 146 (1) of the Constitution. As the new President, he is
required by section 146(3) to appoint a Vice President with the
approval of each House of the National Assembly. It has been contented
in some quarters that he is bound to pick a candidate sponsored by the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

As far as the 1999
Constitution is concerned, the nomination and the appointment of the
Vice President are within the exclusive discretion of the President
subject to the approval of the National Assembly. If the Constitution
had wanted the ruling political party to nominate or sponsor the Vice
President it would have said so in unambiguous terms.

In making a case
for the nomination of the Vice President by the PDP, reliance has been
placed on sections 137 and 142 of the Constitution. As both sections
essentially deal with the nomination and qualification of the running
mate of the President for purpose of election, they are totally
irrelevant with respect to the appointment of the Vice-President
envisaged by section 146(3) of the Constitution.

In the celebrated
case of Attorney-General of the Federation v. Atiku Abubakar (2007), it
was the contention of the President, Olusegun Obasanjo, that the Vice
President was deemed to have resigned his post having decamped from the
PDP to the Action Congress contrary to the provisions of sections 137
and 142 of the Constitution.

In rejecting the
contention, the Supreme court held, abundanti cautela “That the
Constitution intends the Vice President to be an associate of the
President does go beyond the time the election was conducted and they
have won.” See also the case of PDP v.INEC (1999) 11 NWLR (PT 626) 200.

In view of the
fact that we are not dealing with an election in which a presidential
candidate is not compulsorily required to pick a running mate sponsored
by the same political party, President Jonathan is not under any legal
obligation to appoint a PDP member as Vice President.

Even where section
147(5) of the Constitution states that “No person shall be appointed a
Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified to
be a member of the House of Representatives” it has not been suggested
that by any right thinking person that every Minister has to be a
card-carrying member of the ruling political party.

It ought to be
made abundantly clear that the election of the President and the Vice
President on a joined ticket should not be confused with the
appointment of the Vice President by the President following the death
of a sitting president. In any case, since the Constitution has not
created any role for the PDP or the Governors’ Forum in the nomination
and appointment of the Vice President, the President should proceed to
appoint a competent Nigerian of his choice, subject of course, to the
approval of the National Assembly.

Femi Falana is a lawyer and human rights activist

Nigerians should
support the Niger Delta region of the country to retain the presidency
in 2011, Bayelsa State governor, Timpreye Sylva said yesterday in
Lagos. President Goodluck Jonathan is from Bayelsa State, in the Niger
Delta.

Mr Sylva, who spoke
at the presentation of two poetry anthologies authored by Sam Omatseye,
chairman of The Nation editorial board at the Nigerian Institute of
International Affairs (NIIA), noted that the region has played
prominent role in the nation’s history, dating back to the
pre-amalgamation era when the region was a major producer of oil-palm.

The Bayelsa
governor also expressed displeasure with his party’s (the People’s
Democratic Party) zoning arrangement, saying “the Niger Delta should be
considered for the presidency of the nation. Whatever zoning
arrangement that is on ground, we (Nigerians) should realise that the
Niger Delta is ripe for the leadership of the nation.” Mr Sylva said he
was happy at the emergence of Mr Jonathan as the nation’s leader
following the death of Umaru Yar’Adua.

“I am proud at last
that the Niger Delta has produced the president, as the region is a
very important component of the nation. We fought a war and after
consultations we have willingly disarmed and surrendered our weapons.
The Niger Delta deserves this opportunity to continue in the office.”

However, in his
reaction to the governor’s call, the representative of the Sultan of
Sokoto, Danladi Bako said the quality leadership should be the major
requirement for the nation’s leader and the region where he/she comes
from should not be an issue.

Intellectuals needed

Commenting on the
book launch, a former commissioner of Lagos State, Dele Alake decried
the low-turnout at the book presentation.

“Events like this
gives us hope in the ray of darkness that elopes Nigeria, which all
good men and women must embrace to move us to the light,” he said.

“Without a sound
intellectual base, a society/people is lost.” Mr Alake said one of the
major problems of Nigeria is the lack of visionary leaders.

“When we destroy the intellectual base of a country, the soul of the
nation is lost,” he said, adding that “intellectual works are very
important in our national development for the elevation of governance
from a mundane to something substantial and concrete.”