Nigeria Content Online

The former President
of Botswana, Festus Mogae, will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group
(COG) to the forthcoming general elections in April.

This was revealed by
the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma on Monday in London
after constituting the group which he claimed was at the invitation of
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Mogoe is
respected in the global community for the effective reforms he undertook
during his two term as the leader of the South African country. Mr
Mogoe in 2008 won the prestigious Mo Ibrahim prize of Achievement in
African Leadership. A prize that has remained elusive ever since then as
no other African leader has been found worthy.

The COG is expected
to comprise 13 experienced persons, supported by a team from the
Commonwealth Secretariat headed by Amitav Banerji, Director of the
Political Affairs Division. They are expected to arrive in Nigeria on 26
March 2011, and to stay until 15 April 2011.

According to Mr
Sharma, “the Commonwealth has a long and substantial history of
engagement with Nigeria” as he noted that “it is important that the
forthcoming elections are well-organised, credible and peaceful.” He
expressed his delight over the observation mission noting that the
elections were ‘critical’ in the nation’s history and he stated his hope
that the electoral process and the outcome will further strengthen the
democratic process in the country.”

Role of the observer group

The mandate of the
Commonwealth Observer Group is to observe the preparations for the
election, the polling, the counting and the results process, and the
overall electoral environment. It will assess the conduct of the process
as a whole and, where appropriate, make recommendations for the future
strengthening of the electoral framework in Nigeria.

The group will determine in its own judgement whether the elections
have been conducted according to standards for democratic elections.
The group’s report will be submitted to the Commonwealth
Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the government of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, the INEC, political parties, and eventually
to all Commonwealth governments.

Japanese authorities
have taken a major step in managing a nuclear crisis by connecting all
six earthquake-damaged reactors to power supply.

But it’s too soon to say the crisis has reached a turning point, experts said on Monday.

Power has been
connected but not switched on to crank up most coolers and pumps, which
may have been badly damaged in the quake and tsunami that on March 11
triggered the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Only one
pump has been activated. The damaged reactors and their spent fuel pools
at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 240 km North of Tokyo,
urgently need cooling from air-conditioners and from water pumped in.

U.S. Energy
Secretary, Steven Chu, asked by CNN whether the worst of Japan’s 10-day
nuclear crisis was over, said: “Well, we believe so, but I don’t want to
make a blanket statement.” U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman,
Gregory Jaczko added that radiation levels at the plant appeared to be
falling.

But nuclear experts in the U.S. and elsewhere were not quite as positive.

“I am not sure if
the crisis has passed but it is definitely a step in the right
direction,” said Peter Hosemann, a professor at the University of
California Berkeley’s Nuclear Engineering Department.

“It is getting
better. However, we don’t know if the pipes and connections and pumps
still work at this point or what works and what not. But having power
makes external water supply easier.” At Fukushima, 300 engineers have
worked around the clock inside an evacuation zone to contain the worst
nuclear accident since Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986.

The most badly damaged reactors are No. 3 and 4, which were both hit by explosions last week.

Japan’s nuclear
safety agency said pressure was rising in the most threatening reactor,
No. 3, which contains highly toxic plutonium, and this may have to be
released by “venting” steam, a step taken last week that discharged low
levels of radiation into the atmosphere.

Japanese authorities say they have established power lines to all the reactors.

Reactors 5 and 6
have not been much of a problem since a diesel pump was activated last
week, cooling down both the reactors and their spent fuel ponds.

“Reactors 5 and 6,
they are now in what’s called cold shutdown, and the spent fuel cooling
ponds are at normal temperatures,” said Tony Irwin, a former nuclear
plant manager who now lectures at Australian National University.

“They are in the
sort of situation now we would like to see 1, 2, 3 and 4 in.” The other
reactors are damaged but more or less stable, although the spent fuel
cooling pond at reactor 4 is also a particular worry.

The reactor’s core was drained only last November and the radioactive spent fuel transferred to the pond.

“There was already spent fuel in there so there was quite a high load of spent fuel in that pond,” said Irwin.

“And that has been
giving the main radiation effects on site.” He said of the efforts at
the plant: “I think it’s all going in a good direction, but we are not
at a point where we can say we are totally happy.” Engineers have been
spraying the coastal complex with thousands of tonnes of sea water so
fuel rods would not overheat and emit more radiation.

Najmedin Meshkati, a
nuclear and environmental expert at the University of Southern
California Los Angeles, said the measures were necessary but raised a
fresh, and serious, concern.

“Where does the sea
water drain?” he asked. “This is now radioactive waste water. Has there
been any measurement of its radiation effect?

“I am interested to
know how this water is being disposed, if it is being disposed or just
allowed to drain to sea. That is the hidden part of this catastrophe.”
Japanese authorities have acknowledged that some of the water may be
spilling into the ocean, but said they doubted it would have any effect
on human health.

They agreed it needed to be monitored.

Overall, however, experts were more optimistic than they were earlier in the crisis.

“My read is, that they’re at least holding their own,” said Murray Jennex, professor at San Diego State University, California.

“Things are not getting worse. That’s actually good news right now.
The longer they go, the cooler the stuff starts to get, and the less
likely there is to be a severe problem.”

Last week, Paulinus
Ushie, a native of Obadem village in Utugwang in Obudu Local Government
Area of Cross River State but based in Ondo State shocked the entire
community when he beheaded his cousin, Agbama Ibogu, for money ritual.
Mr Ushie was said to have returned from Ondo State early this month with
a plan to kill his mother or any other person and use the victim’s head
for ritual. After plotting for one week on arrival, he decided to
confide in Mr Ibogu who kicked against the plan. When Mr Ibogu realised
that Mr Ushie was bent on carrying out his evil plan, he decided to
caution Mr Ushie’s mother.

Alternative plan

Since he could not
get his mother, Mr Ushie decided to focus on Mr Ibogu as an alternative
target. He waited until his victim got back from his trip to a nearby
market and beheaded him with a sharp machete. The scream from his
victim attracted the attention of neighbours to the scene. Soon, a mob
has gathered. They caught Mr Ushie with the head of his victim in a
polythene bag. The angry mob left the lifeless body of Mr Ushie at the
Utugwang police station.

The traditional ruler of Obudu Local Government Area, Uti Joseph
Davis Agba, described the incident as an abomination. He said “the time
has come for us to stop our youth from having this mentality of getting
rich quick through whatever means.”

A non-governmental
organisation, ActionAid Nigeria, has urged the federal government to
revive the agricultural sector to improve the nation’s economy.

Tunde Aremu, policy,
advocacy and campaigns coordinator of the organisation, told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that if the agricultural
sector is revived and taxes properly accessed, money will be available
to improve the lot of Nigerians.

“We don’t believe in
poverty alleviation; we believe that poverty can be eradicated totally
and when we say poverty can be eradicated totally, we are also talking
about absolute poverty. People must live a life of dignity.”

Mr Aremu maintained that poverty eradication can be achieved if
Nigerian leaders do more to apply the country’s resources on projects
that are beneficial to all.

Russian Prime
Minister, Vladimir Putin said on Monday a U.N. resolution authorising
military action in Libya resembled “mediaeval calls for crusades” after
Western forces launched a second wave of air strikes.

As diplomatic
tempers over the campaign flared, officials in Tripoli said a missile
intended to kill Muammar Gaddafi had destroyed a building in his
fortified compound, which was heavily bombed in 1986 by the Reagan
administration.

“It was a barbaric
bombing,” said government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim, showing pieces of
shrapnel that he said came from the missile.

“This contradicts
American and Western (statements) … that it is not their target to
attack this place.” There was no comment on the strike from attacking
forces.

In an appearance on
Libyan television on Sunday, Gaddafi promised his enemies a “long war”
after the U.N.-authorised intervention in the uprising against his
41-year rule of this oil producing north African desert state.

“The resolution is
defective and flawed,” said Russia’s Putin, whose country did not use
its power to veto the resolution at the United Nations. “It allows
everything. It resembles mediaeval calls for crusades,” Mr Putin added.

China’s official
newspapers on Monday stepped up Beijing’s opposition to air attacks on
Libya, accusing nations backing the strikes of breaking international
rules and courting new turmoil in the Middle East. China also did not
veto the U.N. resolution.

Libyan rebels welcomed the second wave of attacks.

“The committee
rejects foreign troops on the ground but we encourage the bombardment of
Gaddafi’s army,” Ahmed El-Hasi, a spokesman for the February 17
opposition coalition, said in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi
where the uprising began.

He said rebels
coordinated with international powers on air strikes. “There is a
connection between us. One, to pinpoint the position of Gaddafi’s
troops, and two, to pinpoint the position of our fighters so they don’t
get hit with bombardments.” Accounts from the rebel-held western city of
Mistrata appeared to show Gaddafi forces, in a change of tactics forced
on them by air attacks, were trying to mingle with the civilian
population, making it hard to target them from the air. Rebels said
women and children were being used as “human shields”.

“Eat us alive”

The first strikes on
Saturday halted the advance of Mr Gaddafi’s forces on Benghazi and
targeted Libya’s air defences in order to let Western warplanes patrol
the skies of Libya.

The second wave of
Western air strikes also hit Mr Gaddafi’s troops around Ajdabiyah, a
strategic town in the barren, scrub of east Libya that rebels aim to
retake and where their fighters said they need more help to take the
battle to the enemy.

“If we don’t get more help from the West, Gaddafi’s forces will eat us alive,” rebel fighter Nouh Musmari told Reuters.

The U.N. mandated
intervention to protect civilians caught up in a one-month-old revolt
against Mr Gaddafi also drew criticism from Arab League chief Amr
Moussa, who questioned the need for a heavy bombardment, which he said
had killed many civilians.

Mr Moussa said on Monday however that the League respected the U.N. resolution while stressing the need to protect civilians.

The United States,
carrying out the air strikes in a coalition with Britain, France, Italy
and Canada among others, said the campaign was working and dismissed a
ceasefire announcement by the Libyan military on Sunday evening.

Henri Guaino, one of
French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s closest aides, said strikes were not
aimed at ousting Mr Gaddafi but said they were likely to last “a little
while”.

Underlining its
commitment to avoiding civilian casualties, Britain’s Defence Ministry
said one air force mission was called off because of civilians in the
target area.

“As the RAF GR4
Tornados approached the target, further information came to light … As
a result the decision was taken not to launch weapons,” a ministry
spokesman said.

The intervention in
Libya is the biggest in an Arab country since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Withdrawal of Arab support would make it harder to pursue what some
analysts say could in any case be an open-ended campaign with an
uncertain outcome.

Italy said it had
warplanes in the air, after U.S. and British warships and submarines
launched 110 Tomahawk missiles on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Gaddafi’s compound

Late on Sunday
night, Libyan officials took Western reporters to Mr Gaddafi’s compound
in Tripoli, a sprawling complex that houses his private quarters as well
as military barracks, anti-aircraft batteries and other installations,
to see what they said was the site of a missile attack two hours
earlier.

A short walk from a
brightly lit tent where Mr Gaddafi receives his guests, the three-storey
building stood in ruins, and a circular hole was visible on its gutted
facade. The United States says it does not have Mr Gaddafi on its target
list.

The wrecked building
was close to a house in the compound which was attacked by the Reagan
administration and which was never rebuilt.

Outside in a symbol of defiance, a giant golden fist crumples a model of a U.S. warplane.

With Mr Gaddafi
having vowed to fight to the death, there were fears his troops might
increasingly try to force their way into cities, seeking shelter from
air attacks among civilians.

In Misrata, a rebel
spokesman said pro-Gaddafi forces had killed seven people there on
Sunday. Residents said water supplies were cut off and Libyan troops had
encircled the city.

“The Gaddafi forces
are forcing people from Zawiyah, al Mahjoub and Al Ghiran out of their
houses and giving them Gaddafi’s pictures and the (official Libyan)
green flag to chant for Gaddafi,” Hassan, a rebel spokesman, told
Reuters.

“They are bringing
them to Misrata so they can enter the city and control it by using the
civilians as human shields because they know we are not going to shoot
woman and children and old people,” he said by telephone from Misrata.

No-fly zone in place

The U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said the no-fly zone was now in place.

But Defense
Secretary Robert Gates said the United States would not have a
“pre-eminent role” in maintaining it, and expected to turn over “primary
responsibility” within days, perhaps to Britain or France.

U.S. officials,
eager to avoid similarities to the invasion of Iraq and the toppling of
Saddam Hussein, have been playing down Washington’s role and emphasising
that overthrowing or killing Mr Gaddafi is not the goal of the attacks
on Libya.

Mullen told CBS television the endgame of the campaign was “very uncertain” and acknowledged it could end in a stalemate.

Mr Gates told
reporters: “I think this is basically going to have to be resolved by
the Libyans themselves.” French planes fired the first shots of the
intervention on Saturday, destroying tanks and armoured vehicles near
Benghazi.

France sent an
aircraft carrier towards Libya and its planes were over the country
again on Sunday, defence officials said. Britain said its planes had
targeted Libya’s air defences, mainly around the capital Tripoli.

Other countries, including Qatar, also dispatched aircraft to participate in the operation, U.S. officials said.

Ogun State governor,
Gbenga Daniel yesterday stunned political observers by attending
campaign rally of the opposition, Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). The
rally held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta was organised
by the PPN, to launch the campaign of its governorship candidate,
Gboyega Isiaka and other candidates. Mr Daniel arrived the campaign
ground mid-way into the programme and was received by members of the PPN
who were mostly those who defected from the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP). He told the PPN supporters that he has become an elder statesman
who will support anything good but insisted that he would work towards
the re-election of President Jonathan “If we see anything good, we must
endorse it. What we are witnessing today is good and we must support
it. Even though you are not happy, you have declared your support for
President Jonathan, we will vote for him because we are working for him.
I have come to feed my eyes and my eyes are seeing good things today,”
Mr Daniel declared.

In his own speech,
PPN governorship candidate, Mr Isiaka told his supporters that he is on a
path of greatness. “I am more than being convinced that we have the
capacity and the courage to govern Ogun State more than any other
candidates in the race. With your continued support and understanding,
we are sure of victory at the polls.” He declared.

PDP asks questions

Meanwhile, the Tunji
Olurin Campaign Organisation said it received with mixed feelings the
inclusion of Mr Isiaka’s name in the list of governorship candidates
released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for
Ogun State.

In a statement
issued and signed by Lai Labode, Chairman, Sub-Committee on Media &
Publicity. The party said “on the one hand we welcome his formal
entrance into the race because we do know that his inclusion in the list
will afford him an opportunity to test his popularity alongside other
candidates in the April polls.

“On the other hand,
we are concerned at the way and manner his name was smuggled into the
list through the backdoor. It is clear to all that the deadline for the
withdrawal and substitution of candidates was February 28, 2011, yet as
at March 3, 2011 when the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered its
judgment, Isiaka and others were parties in a suit seeking to validate
the primaries that produced them as the authentic candidates of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP);the statement pointed out.

“So, the questions
that all men of good conscience should ask are: at what point did Isiaka
become a candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN)? Was it before
or after the judgment? What would have happened had the court declared
him as the candidate of the PDP? What is the role of INEC in all of
these?” the party asked.

Former members of
the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in
Furupagha, an Ijaw clan in Ondo State, have vowed not to allow any
election to take place in the state if the Federal Government fails to
recognise former leader of the group in the on-going dialogue with MEND.

In a statement made
available by the ex-militants in Akure, the Ondo State capital through
their spokesman, Ebakormor Ayebi, the youth said failure to carry along
their leader, known as “Creek Lion” in the proposed dialogue with other
leaders of MEND, will not augur well for the existing peace currently
being enjoyed in the state.

The return of Creek Lion

Mr Ayebi noted that
the group, under the leadership of “Creek Lion” is prepared to call on
all ex-freedom fighters in the creeks of Gbelebu, Taribor, Ebijaw,
Zion, Makporo, Kolonbou, Ubagbororo, Siluko, Kekere, Ofinege, Okwa,
Madagbayo and Ezide; to take up arms and stop the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting elections in Ondo State.

The central body of
MEND had, last week, issued a threat that it will unleash terror in
some parts of the country, including Abuja and Lagos, and political
gatherings over what the group described as the federal government’s
defiant approach to the demands of the freedom fighters on post-amnesty
programme of the federal government.

The militant group
said while it will leave the high command of MEND to face the issue of
fresh hostilities on oil installations and political gatherings, the
Furupagha section of MEND will ensure that no INEC official is allowed
to stay and conduct election in any polling booth in all the 203
political wards in Ondo State if its demands are not met.

Meeting the unhappy

But the Special
Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku had said
that the Federal Government is ready to enter into dialogue with MEND
over the latest threat. Mr Kuku said, “so many threats will come, but
this particular one, we’re not taking it lightly; we’re going to look
into it. It is about engagement, we’re going to engage anybody that is
aggrieved.” Mr Kuku hails from Arogbo-Ijaw, Ese-Odo council area of
Ondo State, which forms part of the area the militant group claimed the
federal government abandoned in the scheme of things.

Within the first
one month in office, the federal administration of the National
Conscience Party (NCP) will provide 50, 000 jobs for the youth of the
country, if voted into office in the April 9 election.

The vice
presidential candidate of NCP, Yunusa Tanko, stated this in Abuja
yesterday. Mr. Tanko, who is the running mate to Dele Momodu, said that
the NCP will not spend a whopping N18 billion to purchase presidential
jets while millions of Nigerians are unemployed.

He listed some of
the things Mr. Momodu will do if he wins the presidential elections:
transform governance in the country, revive the economy, provide social
amenities and prosperity, among others.

He stressed that the party’s presidential ticket represents the change Nigerians have been waiting for.

“If voted into
power, the Momodu-Tanko presidency will provide 50,000 job
opportunities to young graduates within one month in office, using
agriculture as a basis for mass employment.

“The economy will
be redirected from heavy dependence on oil revenue. Bank interest rate
will be drastically reduced to boost the operations of local
industries,” Mr. Tanko said.

The vice
presidential candidate also said the middle class, which has been
obliterated due to the economic situation, will be restored and
empowered to contribute to national development, while civil servants
will be adequately remunerated and motivated to serve the country.

“This is the change Nigerians desire and the change they will get in April 2011 if voted into office,” Mr. Tanko said.

The vice
presidential candidate commended the International Republican Institute
(IRI) for its role in producing a Code of Conduct for Political Parties
and formation of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

He noted that the code, which IPAC and most of the 63 political
parties have signed, is vital for the success of the April elections
and urged political parties and politicians to abide by its provisions
to ensure free, credible, and peaceful elections the nation deserves.

The Oyo State
commissioner of police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, at the weekend, reiterated
his command’s readiness to ensure violence-free elections in the state
in April.

The police chief
had, on Friday, paraded four suspects arrested after a violent clash
between members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) at Onipe village in Oluyole local government
area of the state.

The clash was an
aftermath of a raid on the village by political thugs in which its
longstanding serenity was shattered, leading to infliction of injury on
some residents as well as wanton destruction of properties.

Mr. Bolanta
promised to start intercepting campaign vehicles to see if occupants
use them to convey ammunitions to rally grounds. He said his command
would also conduct intermittent raids on some black spots in the state
to mop up hoodlums who could be used by politicians to disrupt voting
and confer undue advantage on their sponsors during the coming
elections.

“We are sending
clear signals to hoodlums in the state that we will not allow anybody
to disrupt the elections. We will, from now, intercept campaign convoys
and check if the occupants are carrying arm. Anyone caught with arms
will be arrested and treated as an armed robber,” he said.

Speaking on the
suspects arrested at Onipe, the police boss said he was not going to
give their names and political parties they belong to, saying the
police wants to remain neutral in the unfolding political drama in the
state.

“We are not
supporting anybody and we are not harbouring anybody. That is why we
are parading this people. If there is any problem anywhere, people
should endeavour to report to the police and not take laws into their
hands,” he said.

He urged
politicians to stop accusing the police of taking sides and blaming the
institution for unrest they (the politicians) mastermind and inflict on
the people, admonishing them to sell themselves to the people through
issue-based campaign rather than violence or buck-passing.

The hands of the police

When NEXT visited
Onipe at the weekend, the residents alleged that those who came to
attack villagers were accompanied by some police officers.

They said the
thugs, believed to be members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),
were coming from a campaign rally in a nearby town.

Adebayo Opaleye, the village head, recalled that the thugs stormed the village around 4pm, wielding dangerous weapons.

“When I was told of
their arrival, I thought they wanted to come and campaign as others
often did. But they did not. Instead, they descended on the people,
injured them, and destroyed properties here,” he said.

At the heart of the
crisis at Onipe are accusations and counter-accusations between the ACN
and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over destruction of
campaign posters.

The PDP was said to
be the more established party at Onipe and the ACN thugs, who injured
them on Thursday, allegedly got furious when they were told not to
remove posters of PDP candidates pasted on walls.

Two victims are still in hospital as at last weekend, receiving treatment.

The presidential candidate of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN), Nuhu Ribadu, and his running mate, Fola Adeola,
yesterday assured the people of Kano State that the ACN would wipe
their tears by running an open government if elected in the April polls.

The candidates address a large crowd of ACN supporters in Kano during the party’s presidential campaign to the state on Sunday.

“We are going to provide the change the people are
asking for; we promise to work hard and win. We are going to succeed in
this election,” Mr. Ribadu said.

“We have a good message and we also have good
messengers. We have seen our gubernatorial candidate, and how much he
has been accepted in Kano. You have also seen the rest of us. People
are excited and delighted. We are very happy with what we have seen
here in Kano and it is amazing, and I don’t think anybody has seen
anything like this since the beginning of this transition period,” he
further said.

He assured the people that good days are ahead, with
an ACN government in power, and urged the crowd to vote the party at
the polls.

Mr. Ribadu said he was satisfied with the level of turnout, saying it signifies acceptance of the party in Kano.

“We have seen clearly that people are talking about
change, and that the broom revolution has reached Kano. We are glad and
happy, and we are ready to take this challenge. We are the party of the
moment, and we are going to take Kano, and already, we have taken Kano,
no doubt about it. But it is a challenge. We would take it and we would
work hard,” Mr. Ribadu added.

The Kano State ACN governorship candidate, Abdullahi
Tijani Mohammed Gwarzo, urged the party supporters to come out enmasse
and vote for the party in the April polls. He pointed out that the
massive turnout was a clear indication that the people are yearning for
change.

Government of the greedy

Former governor of Lagos State, Ahmed Bola Tinubu,
described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the party inflicting
poverty on Nigerians.

Mr. Tinubu said in the last twelve years, the PDP has
subjected the nation to infrastructural deficiency and economic
backwardness.

“For 12 years, 90 per cent of our power supply is a
disaster in Nigeria, because of PDP corruption, because of PDP failure,
because of the PDP leadership. They define democracy as government of
the people, by the people, and for the people. But democracy, according
to PDP, is government of the greedy, for the greedy and by the greedy.

“PDP and ANPP are one and the same, and I want all
Nigerians to be wary of these two parties, because they have the same
antecedents and characteristics. So Nigerians should not repeat the
mistakes of the past by voting them to power. What they did in Kano to
the deputy governor is a clear manifestation that they are a party of
betrayal,” Mr. Tinubu said.

He expressed confidence that the Ribadu/Adeola candidacy would usher in the change that Nigerians have been waiting for.

Other leaders of the party at the rally are the national chairman of
the party, Bisi Akande; the director general of Ribadu/Adeola Campaign
Organization, Audu Ogbe; former minister of labour, Musa Gwadabe; and
the party’s governorship candidate in Katsina State, Usman Bugaje.