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The presidential candidate of the
Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in the 2007 general elections, Attahiru
Bafarawa, on Tuesday described the death of former governor of Kano
State Abubakar Rimi as “a political tragedy to Nigeria.”

This is even as new leader of the Mega
Party, Pat Utomi, and the Nigerian Labour Congress blamed the state of
insecurity in the country for the late flamboyant politician’s death.

“Rimi’s death remains a political
tragedy to our dear nation. We will miss him for his genuine views and
comments toward sustaining our nation’s democracy and the rule of law,”
Mr. Bafarawa said.

He said the late Abubakar died an
accomplished political genius and statesman who fought for unity and
equity in the nation’s democracy.

State of security

Mr. Utomi said the death “is a pointer
to the worsening situation of the state of security on one hand, and
the state of our health institutions on the other.”

“Because of the prominence of Rimi as a
former governor and foremost politician, we got to hear about this
incident,” he said. “But hundreds, maybe thousands, of this morbid
drama play themselves out daily in the lives of Nigerians all over this
nation.”

He said it is time for policy-makers to face up to the challenge of
our social infrastructure, saying “the dismal state of which
constitutes one of the major impediments to foreign investment in
Nigeria.” The Nigeria Labour Congress says the death “symbolised the
tragic state of our nation, marked by profound insecurity of lives and
property. The instances of serial sad incidents like this create the
notion, rightly or wrongly, that our leadership attaches little or no
value to the lives of the citizenry.”

Founder of the Living Faith Church
(Winners Chapel), David Oyedepo, yesterday confirmed his visit to the
ailing Nigerian President, Umar Yar’Adua, along with other Christian
leaders. He declared that he owes no public explanation on the visit,
which he described as ‘private.’ The cleric spoke in an interview with
NEXT in Abeokuta, shortly after attending the 54th birthday
thanksgiving service in honour of the Ogun State governor, Mr. Gbenga
Daniel, held at Valley View of the government house.

“It is true that I visited him,” he said. “It is a private visit, and I don’t owe the public any obligation.

It is a private visit and I don’t want
to comment further on it.” When asked if there was any prayer session
held for the sick President, Mr. Oyedepo replied: “We prayed for him.
Please excuse me, I have to go. I have told you it was a private
visit.”

Lack of integrity

Mr. Oyedepo, in his sermon at the
ceremony, posited that men of integrity are lacking in the country and
that “Nigeria is largely integrity sick at all levels – family, church
and government levels.” He made comparison between this generation and
past generations, stating that, “our forefathers are no ruffians. They
were men of integrity with a rich culture.

“If you come from a house of thieves,
you are not likely to find a wife because they would trace your
character. Unqualified men and women are occupying positions of
leadership in all facets of Nigeria life. We must not put a novice in
office. We must ensure appropriate placement of our people, so that the
nation can move forward. Many people have no knowledge whatsoever of
what they are doing, yet they are doing it.”

Mr. Oyedepo said it is strange that
some people in government cannot define budget, yet he has to
appropriate a budget. “The church should help to infuse a sense of
character and honour ins the people,” he said.

The Editor of Daily Independent,
Ikechukwu Amaechi, has replaced the executive director, publications of
The Punch Newspapers, Azubuike Ishiekwene, on the Panel of Judges for
the 2010 CNN MultiChoice African Journalists Awards.

NEXT could not confirm reports that Mr.
Ishiekwene, who was the chairperson of the panel of judges of the 2009
edition of the awards, might have been removed due to the allegation of
fraud levelled against him by the former editor of The Punch, Steve
Ayorinde.

The Punch’s Management is currently investigating the allegations.

A tough one

In a telephone interview, Gbenga
Adefaye, chairman of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, commended Mr.
Ameachi’s appointment, describing him and other Nigerians who had been
members of the panel as “worthy members of the guild.” He also said
that Mr. Amaechi’s appointment is “a judgement on the quality of
journalism coming out of Nigeria”.

However, when asked to react to the
replacement of Mr. Ishiekwene, Mr. Adefaye called it a “tough one.”
According to him, “The panel of judges of the CNN award is an
independent body with its own rules for appointment and engagement of
members of board and these rules and procedures I’m not familiar with.”

He explained since the Nigerian Guild
of Editors is not privy to these rules and procedures, it will be
difficult for it to say for sure why Mr. Ishiekwene was removed.

Though he allowed that the removal
“might be remotely connected to the on-going allegation against Azu,”
he also said it might mean nothing, recalling that Doyin Abiola, former
managing director of the defunct Concord Newspapers, used to be a
member of the panel of judges of the awards but Mr. Ishiekwene was
invited to serve on the panel after she vacated her position on the
panel.

Attempts to speak with Messrs
Ishiekwene and Amaechi did not succeed. Mr. Ishiekwene answered our
call, but did not say a word after our reporter introduced himself and
the reason for his call. Mr. Amaechi could not be reached on the phone,
although one of his associates at the Daily Independent said he
travelled to the east.

New panelists

Mr. Amaechi, who holds a masters degree
in International Journalism from the University of Cardiff, United
Kingdom started his journalism career with The Guardian and has worked
for publications such as The News, Tempo and PMNews.

On arrival from the United Kingdom in 2007, he was appointed the Editor of the Daily Independent.

According to the list of the judges
published on the CNN website for the prestigious awards, other members
of the panel are José Luís Mendonça, Press Counsellor to the Angolan
Permanent Delegation to UNESCO; Zipporah Musau, managing editor for
Magazines, The Standard Group Ltd Kenya, Joel Kibazo, journalist and
media consultant; Jean-Paul Gérouard, deputy editor-in-chief, France 3
TV; Arlindo Lopes, secretary general, Southern African Broadcasting
Association; FerialHaffajee, editor-in-chief, City Press, South Africa
and Kim Norgaard, CNN Bureau Chief, South Africa.

The Awards are in their fifteenth year and this year’s edition will take place in Kampala, Uganda in May.

The House of Representatives will today commence investigations into the controversial contract for Abuja airport’s second runway. The project, planned for a whopping N64 billion, can build two new airports, lawmakers say.
The House Aviation Committee has confirmed that key officials of the nation’s aviation industry are expected at the hearings. They will be required to explain their roles in the contract award, estimated as one of the highest in the world.
The former Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, the Senior Special Assistant on Aviation to the ailing president, Shehu Iyal, and the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Richard Asuebeogun, are some of the officials expected to appear before the committee today.
The House committee chairman, Bethel Amadi, explained over the weekend that the investigative hearings are not intended as an indictment, but to offer opportunities to the officials to explain their side of the story.
Contract inflation
Julius Berger Plc. was awarded the contract for the construction of a second runway for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on January 8, 2010, after initial bidding, at the sum of N63.4 billion, according to procurement documents obtained by the committee.
Ministry officials had argued that the job was necessary to compliment the aging first runway, which has endured heavy traffic for over three decades.
At the awarded amount, the project is considered possibly the most expensive globally, reflecting the nation’s poor procurement ethics that give room for contract inflation.
“Based on the information available to us,” Mr. Amadi had told his colleagues during debate on the issue in early March, 2010, “the amount is far too high, way too expensive and outrageous when compared to similar constructions around the globe.” When the cost of the contract became public knowledge, the House of Representatives ordered an investigation. They suspended further construction, arguing that based on indices available to it, the amount could turn over two new airports.
A member of the committee, Mayor Eze, who represents Imo State, told NEXT the investigations will go beyond an “ordinary hearing where noise will prevail,” as the lawmakers probe the unclear contracting procedures that saw the airport project sum allegedly inflated to the massive figure.
“We understand that appropriate work has to be done and at the end of the day, we will let Nigerians judge and appreciate the committee’s work,” he said.
Most expensive
Lawmakers heard details of airport and runway constructions in other countries and within Nigeria, where the cost hovered a little more than N40 billion. Mr. Amadi also explained how the ministry officials repeatedly turned down the committee’s invitation to give details of the award throughout 2009.
In details finally submitted in February 2010, the contract cost had soared to more than N80 billion from an initial proposed N4billion, and finally settled at the present award cost of N63.5 billion.
The committee was mandated to conduct investigative hearings and report in three weeks, while the construction remained suspended.
The former Aviation Minister, Mr. Omotoba, under whose tenure the contract was awarded, will be expected to explain how the ministry and Julius Berger Plc., arrived at the amount for a 4.5 km runway.

Seven Nigerians
arrested after a seaborne attack on Guinea’s presidential palace in
February last year have been sentenced to 12 years in prison, a Malabo
court said Monday.

The Nigerians were
found guilty of terrorism and also fined 149 million CFA francs
(230,000 euros, 310,000 dollars), court president Antonio Pascual Ojo
Ebobo said, reading the sentence.

The court also
announced the release of 11 Equatorial Guineans – all members of the
opposition People’s Union Party – who had been suspects in the February
17, 2009 attack. Seven of them had already been freed last month.

The accused
Nigerians told interrogators they were on their way by sea to Cameroon
when they were driven off course by a storm and stopped by the
Equatorial Guinea navy.

The army repelled
the attack which, officials said at the time, involved fighters from
the Nigerian rebel Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND), which later denied involvement.

South Africa’s
antitrust watchdog said it raided the offices of South African Airways
SAA)and another airline, as part of an ongoing probe into price fixing
related to the soccer World Cup.

The competition
commission said in a statement on Tuesday that it had searched the
offices of South African Airways, budget airline Mango and an industry
group last week, seizing documents and electronic data.

The investigation
comes as demand for flights and accommodation during the FIFA 2010
World Cup has so far failed to meet expectations.

The probe – which
is also targeting airlines British Airways, Comair (COMJ.J) and 1Time
(1TMJ.J) – was first announced in January. At that time, the commission
said SAA had promised to cooperate with the investigation, provided it
was excluded from prosecution.

The searches last week were prompted by suspicion that SAA and Mango
may have withheld information from the investigation, the commission
said.

The National Poverty Alleviation
Programme (NAPEP) in Katsina State, in collaboration with an NGO,
Service to Humanity Foundation, has donated 100 goats to 50 women in
Bindawa Local Government Area of the state.

The goats were donated under the second
phase of NAPEP’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, which
covers seven local government areas in the state.

Speaking while launching the programme
on Tuesday in Bindawa, the wife of the state governor, Fatima Shema,
said the animals were given out to women, including widows, in addition
to cash given to them under the NAPEP CCT programme.

She noted that the cash being given to
the beneficiaries monthly is meant to assist them in educating their
children, especially the orphans.

She disclosed that, apart from the cash
and animals been given freely to the beneficiaries, economic trees
would also be given to them as part of efforts to improve their
socio-economic well being.

In his address, the Bindawa Local
Government Chairman, Abdu Umaru, commended NAPEP and the NGO for the
gesture, saying that the council had also given 2,000 exercise books to
pupils and 500 text books to teachers in the area to enhance learning
in schools.

Each of the 50 women in Bindawa got two goats and a cash donation of between N3,000 to N5,000.

Indigenes of Ibeno and fishermen operating in Akwa
Ibom have condemned the frequent oil spills from the Quo Iboe oil
fields, and its negative impact on fishing and marine life.

Ibeno community, near Eket in Akwa Ibom, last week
reported another oil spill suspected to be from the Qua Iboe oil field,
operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN).

It will also be recalled that MPN reported that a
leak on a crude pipeline on December 4, 2009 caused the discharge of
unknown volume of crude into the Atlantic Ocean.

However, Mobil in a statement released in Eket on
Tuesday, confirmed receiving reports of the crude oil deposits around
Ibeno, but said that the source of the crude oil was unknown as tests
conducted on the samples showed that the spill did not emanate from its
facilities.

Community sources in Ibeno however, dismissed the
claims of the oil company. They said that it was a way to evade paying
compensation for losses incurred by fishermen and repairing damages
done to the environment as a result of the spill.

Herkings Inyang, Secretary to Ibeno Clan Council,
said the community was surprised that Mobil denied responsibility for a
spill that occurred in its host communities where its pipelines ran
through. “It is hard to believe that a multi-national like Mobil will
be so dishonest to deny responsibility.

Which other oil company operates here?

“It is very funny because Addax operates far away near Nigeria’s
maritime boundary with Cameroun, while Total is also very far from
here, so did the oil fly to Ibeno?”

A major contentious
issue during the debate on the report of the House of Representatives
ad-hoc committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution last week was
that of the minimum qualification of aspirants to the House and the
Senate.

The 44-member
committee headed by the deputy speaker, Usman Nafada recommended that
any Nigerian aspiring to be a senator or a representative should have
at least a diploma.

The constitution,
in Section 65 (2) (a) stipulates that a person shall be qualified for
election into the National Assembly if, “he has been educated up to at
least School Certificate level or its equivalent…” But the committee
proposed an amendment to the section substituting for certificate the
words “Diploma level or its equivalent and obtained the relevant
certificates and has served as a member of the National Assembly.” The
clause “has served as a member of the National Assembly” means that
anyone who has served for at least three months as a member of the
federal legislature would be exempted since that would have afforded
him or her the opportunity of learning the legislative proceedings.

Not surprising, the issue generated an intense and prolonged debate during the plenary session.

For the lawmakers
in support of the recommendation, the reduction in the quality of
education in the country makes it imperative to review upward the
minimum qualification of those who make law for Nigerians at the
federal level. They also believed that if the qualification is raised,
it would compel many to embrace education, which is a major determinant
in the productivity of the lawmakers.

But those opposed
to the recommendation argued that if the amendment is carried through,
many Nigerians may be disenfranchised due to poor educational
background. From the tone of the debate, it was not difficult to fathom
that they were protecting many of their colleagues who possess only
school certificates.

In the current
National Assembly, about 0.94 per cent of the 109 senators are school
certificate holders while about 4.74 per cent of such people are in the
360-member lower chamber.

According to the
“The Lawmakers: Sixth Assembly,” the percentage of senators with
O’Level GCE in 1999 was 6.6 percent but dropped to 4 percent in 2003
while in the House, the statistics showed that in 1999, those with O’
Level Certificate were 9.4 percent in 1999 and 7 percent in 2003.

It also said that
the proportion of senators with the first degree has been fairly
stable, with 44.3 percent in 2007 as against 46.7 percent in 1999 and
43.2 in 2003; while in the House, the movement has been quite dramatic
– from 55.7 percent in 1999 to 44.6 percent in 2003 and 48.96 percent
in 2007. Senators with second degrees have risen from 20.6 percent in
1999 to 31.1 percent in 2007 while in the House they have grown from
17.7 percent in 1999 to 31.16 percent in 2007.

The book concludes:
“This trend seems to have been strengthened by the general awareness of
the need for better learning and deeper knowledge of policy making
among the earlier crop of lawmakers. Many of the 1999 class of
legislators were known to have either availed themselves of
opportunities for courses during their tenure or return to school at
the end of their tenure.” Despite the perceived improvement, the
quality of debates on the floor of both chambers is still low, and
sometimes embarrassing. Others are merely warming the seats.

For improved
training, educational qualification is a major determinant of the
quality of debate in any forum, including the legislature. Therefore,
the ad-hoc committee deserves some kudos for that recommendation.

However, as can be
seen, education is not all it takes for our lawmakers to be more
productive. Controversially, some of those certificates paraded by our
lawmakers are fake. How can one explain, for instance, why a senator
who served between 1999-2003 and who claimed to have a doctorate degree
could not make a simple sentence in English? Then there was the House
of Representatives member (between 2003 and 2007) with an advanced
diploma who could not say a word in English throughout the four years
he served.

It is common
knowledge that with some good money, you can obtain any certificate. It
is also not in doubt that some kinds of diploma can be obtained within
a space of three months, whether in Nigeria or abroad. So, it is not a
big deal obtaining a diploma certificate for the purpose of
participating in an election to come to the National Assembly as is
being proposed by the Nafada Panel.

What is important, therefore, is the kind of exposure the lawmakers
get when they come to the legislature. Our lawmakers need constant
training and re-training on legislative duties. It is necessary for the
relevant authorities to organise seminars and retreats to enable them
improve on their productivity.