Nigeria Content Online

The National
Assembly has increased the benchmark oil price for the 2011 budget from
the proposed $65 to $75 per barrel, as both the Senate and the House of
Representatives passed the appropriation bill.

Iyiola Omisore, the
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, whose committee
reviewed the budget, said the increase was with the approval of the
Finance Minister, Olusegun Aganga. Crude oil prices are currently above
$100 per barrel, and Mr Omisore said the excess will be saved in the
Sovereign Wealth Fund in case of a shortfall. The budget is predicated
on crude oil production of 2.3 million barrels per day, Joint Venture
production of $5.4 billion, a GDP of 7 percent, and an exchange rate
pegged at N150 to $1. Habitually, almost every other item on the
expenditure column of the 2011 budget was increased.

The lawmakers
approved a budget of N4.971 trillion budgets for the 2011 fiscal year.
The budget is composed of N496.617 billion for statutory transfers,
N445.096 billion for debt service, N2.467 trillion for recurrent
(non-debt) expenditure, while the balance of N1.562 trillion was
approved for capital expenditure. The executives had proposed an
aggregate expenditure of N4.226 trillion, comprising N196.12 billion
for statutory transfers, N542.38 billion for debt service, N2.481
trillion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure and N1.005 trillion for
capital expenditure.

Higher than expected

The 2011 budget is
N745 billion higher than that proposed by the executive. According to
Mr Omisore, the budget is at least N312 billion higher than the
proposed amount due to additional proposals sent in by the executives.
He said the increases were to cater for the rehabilitation of Niger
Delta militants under the government’s amnesty programme, the new
minimum wage and consolidated salary structure for Academic Staff Union
of Universities. The balance of N433 billion was due to requests for
extra funding and modifications that were carried out in the budget of
certain government agencies “due to re-prioritization of their spending
within the original ceilings.”

The passed budget contains a surge in the capital expenditure by
N557 billion. There is, however, no noticeable difference in the
overhead expenditure, which Senate President David Mark had threatened
to cut during the budget presentation ceremony in December last year.
The House of Representatives also passed the budget, as the lawmakers
announced plan to take a break to pursue their re-elections. Highlights
of the capital expenditure in the budget include N188.976 billion
budgeted for the works ministry, N99.071 billion for power, and N87.880
billion for the office of the National Security Adviser.

Writer Lola
Shoneyin has been longlisted for the Orange Prize For Fiction for her
novel, ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives.

The book, published
in the UK by Serpent’s Tail and in Nigeria by Cassava Republic Press,
depicts a raucous polygamous household presided over by Baba Segi,
husband to four wives and father to many children. It is the first
novel by Shoneyin, author of three poetry collections and one
children’s book.

She is one of nine
debut novelist on the longlist of 20 international writers. Shoneyin is
only the second Nigerian writer to make the Orange longlist. Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie won the prize in 2007 for ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, her
novel about the Biafran war.

Established in
Britain in 1996, the Orange Prize is awarded annually for writing by
women. It comes with a cash prize of £30,000 and the presentation of a
miniature sculpture known as the ‘Bessie’.

Also on this year’s longlist is British/Sierra-Leonean author
Aminatta Forna whose book, ‘The Memory of Love’, has already won this
year’s Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Africa Region. The Orange
shortlist will be unveiled on April 12 and the winner announced in
London on June 8.

Anambra State
governor, Peter Obi, said he walks without fear of molestation unlike
some of his colleagues, adding that his performance in office is a
guarantee that he can always visit any of his constituents any time,
even in the markets.

Mr. Obi, who spoke
yesterday in Onitsha when his campaign team visited many of the markets
in the commercial city, said he was not afraid of meeting his people
one on one.

“I’m confident of
my accomplishments in office and therefore, not afraid to meet the good
people of Anambra State one on one. I have not performed like some
other governors for me to be afraid of being pelted with pure water
sachets. Rather, I have kept faith with the people of Anambra State and
am even more determined to pursue those things that will improve your
welfare,” Mr. Obi said.

The state governor
has been leading the campaign team of his party, All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA), in the run up to the 2011 general elections. Included
in the team are candidates of the party such as former information and
communications minister, Dora Akunyili; Chuma Nzeribe; and Uche
Ekwunife, among others.

Tumultuous crowds
yesterday welcomed Mr. Obi to Onitsha as he solicited votes for members
of his party in the upcoming general elections in the country. At
Bridge Head Market, Ochanja Market, and other markets in Onitsha
visited by the train, the reception was also tumultuous as traders
closed shops, even against the advice of the governor, to receive
APGA’s campaign train.

“I will improve the welfare of traders not only in Anambra but Anambra traders elsewhere,” Mr. Obi said.

He noted that even
when he did not have a single member in both the state House of
Assembly and National Assembly, he had ensured that Anambra State
received its dues at all time.

He told them that
if Anambra people were pleased with him and wanted the good of the
state, they would honour him by voting all APGA members to various
offices so that they will work with him for the good of the state.

While presenting
Senator Joy Emordi to the Bridge Head traders, he said that though she
was not an APGA member before, she made some useful contributions not
just to Anambra State but to the entire southeast when she headed the
education committee at the Senate.

“She made sure that
all federal universities in the southeast got their dues. If voted
again into the Senate, she will surely replicate the same feat,” Mr.
Obi said.

‘Support Akunyili’

Still at the Bridge
Head Market, a minor drama ensued when the names of APGA members
contesting for various positions were mentioned.

At the mention of
Dora Akunyili, wild shouts of ‘Akunyili na Emordi ka anyi ga eso’ (we
endorse Akunyili and Emordi) rent the air intermittently.

One of the traders
in the market, who identified himself as Michael Okeke, said that they
(Bridge Head) traders were happy with the efforts Mrs. Akunyili made in
ridding the market of fake drugs dealers, thus bringing good name to
the market and healthy living to the citizenry, who were hitherto
compelled to buy fake drugs.

Senator Emordi later thanked the traders for their belief in APGA and assured them that the party would not disappoint them.

Attempts by some
hoodlums suspected to be hired by the opposition to disrupt the rally
was checked by the sheer number of APGA supporters.

The Onitsha rally
ended at Onitsha south local government headquarters, where the elders,
selected from across Onitsha, pledged that APGA would not lose any vote
in the election.

From there, the campaign train went to Nteje in Oyi council area of the state and was welcomed by huge crowd also.

Opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday said it has uncovered
plan by the ruling Labour Party in the state to constitute a panel to
probe the immediate past governor of the state, Olusegun Agagu.

The PDP also
accused the LP of planning to investigate other political office
holders who served at the local government level during the immediate
past regime.

Addressing
reporters in Akure yesterday, the chairman of the party, Omotayo Dairo,
said the probe panel was being engineered to witch hunt Mr. Agagu, who
is the senatorial candidate of the party in Ondo south senatorial
district.

Mr. Dairo, who said
his party was surprised that the probe panel was coming close to the
election, said it was also targeted to keep two other candidates who
had served as chairmen of local governments out of the race.

Other members of
the PDP targeted by the panel, according to Mr. Dairo, are: Adedayo
Omolafe(Expensive), PDP’s candidate for Akure south/ north federal
constituency, and Albert Akintoye of Irele/Okitipupa federal
constituency.

The duo, who served
as council bosses, would be arrested alongside Mr. Agagu over trumped
off charges, Mr. Dairo alleged. He also said that the PDP in the state
has no confidence in the capability of the state police command to
forestall the rising political violence in the state, in view of what
he said are the spates of violence against members of the party.

Daring the state

Mr. Dairo also
accused the government of using the judiciary to unnecessary detain
their members over flimsy charges, just to keep them away pending the
conclusion of the election.

“This attitude is
not only cheap, but absolutely pedestrian. As a matter of fact, they
have began the implementation of this sinister plan by already
incarcerating members of our party,” he said.

However, the state
government has denied the allegation, saying it was not planning to
witch hunt any of the PDP candidates in the state.

The chief press
secretary to the governor, Kola Olabisi, said the state government does
not need the opposition party to tell it the time and the schedule of
the probe panel.

“Agagu has dared us
to probe him, saying his hands are clean. Why is he now afraid of
probe? We have the inalienable right to set up a probe panel. It is our
right to probe them and they cannot tell us the time and how,” Mr.
Olabisi said.

The state
government also dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Agagu before the
National Judicial Commission over the Appeal Court judgement that
invalidated his election. The government described the petition as an
irresponsible exercise, saying the petition was “a mere rehash of the
illogical questions unsuccessfully posed in the past.”

The commissioner
for information, Ranti Akerele, said that the action of the PDP in the
state further showed that they are suffering from poverty of ideas.

“We are amused that men who allegedly have benefitted from the
services of lawyers could be wondering why the Petition Tribunal and
the Court of Appeal did not give judgment in respect of elections in
Local Government Areas where there were no judicial questions posed,”
Mr. Akerele said.

The presidential
flagbearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Nuhu Ribadu, has
said that a positive change has come to the nation and the era of
corruption in high places, non-accountability of public funds, abuse of
power and reckless spending of tax payers money and oil revenues will
soon become a thing of the past.

The former
anti-graft czar said this at the flag-off campaign of Ovie Omo-Agege,
the party’s governorship candidate in in Delta State, on Wednesday in
Effurun. Mr Ribadu noted that there are testimonies to show that the
ACN has credibility in the country today, using the party’s
achievements in states like Lagos and Edo, as examples. “Vote for your
son, Ovie Omo Agege, so that Delta can start working and send me to
Abuja for effective, transparent and good governance,” he said. “What
is happening in Edo State today, we want to see it happen in Abuja and
other states where ACN is not ruling. Wherever you see ACN, you see
performance, you see competence.”

‘Nigeria is sick’

While speaking at
the event in Delta State, former governor of Lagos State and a leader
of the party, Bola Tinubu, described Nigeria as a sick nation that
requires urgent attention. “We all know that Nigeria is sick and if we
all agree that Nigeria is sick, what we need at this point is a doctor
or a surgeon that cure the nation of its many sickness,” he said. “And
it does not matter where the physician that will cure this sickness
comes from in any part of the country, what matter most is the ability
to do a good job by curing this sickness.”

He urged Nigerians
to play down ethnic sentiments, especially those that border on
regional interest, but look critically at the credibility and pedigree
of all the candidates in order to choose who will deliver. “As an
individual, if you fall sick today, you consult a doctor and when you
get to the hospital, you do not ask which ethnic group did the doctor
come from beause all you wanted was to get the necessary treatment that
would address the ailment and that also is applicable to the Nigeria
case,” he said. “This nation’s sickness got worse 12 years ago when the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took over the mantle of leadership and
only a very vibrant, credible and result-oriented person like our
presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, has all it takes to deliver the
country from this sickness”

Mr Tinubu, who
criticised the economic policies of the ruling party right, explained
that the present situation had further degenerated to the extent that
“Nigerians now need good luck to sleep at night with electricity, need
good luck to land safely at the airport and also requires so much good
luck to drive safely on our roads that has turned death traps.”

Late arrival mars rally

The campaign train
of the party had arrived at the Samuel Ogbe Stadium venue of the rally,
only to meet a handful of party faithful. Supporters had thronged to
the stadium as early as 10am, and had withstood the scorching sun for
hours as they waited for the candidates. However, by 3pm, most of them
drifted away. At 5pm, the campaign train, led by Edo State Governor,
Adams Oshiomhole, arrived the stadium.

After appologising for the delay, on behalf of the entire party
leaders, Mr Oshiomhole said: “Obasanjo promised to provide stable power
supply in six months, but we are yet to have it after 12 years. They
promised to provide seven million jobs, but they have destroyed more
than seven million jobs. We need to play back those tapes to remind
them. Nuhu Ribadu confronted corruption and defeated it. He brought
governors and ministers to justice. He might soon bring presidents to
justice.”

The Emir of Dutse,
Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi, has said it is time for the nation’s political
class to shun ethnic bigotry and embrace tolerance, dialogue, and
peaceful co-existence in the search for an enduring democracy in the
country.

Speaking when he
received President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP presidential campaign
team in his palace in Dutse, Jigawa State, yesterday, Mr. Sanusi
decried the resort to hate and ethnic bigotry, hostile confrontations,
and character assassination among the political class, noting that
these could hamper the nation’s pursuit of an egalitarian democracy.

“Recent events in
the country call for serious concern in our pursuit for an egalitarian
democracy. Hostile confrontations as against tolerance and dialogue;
character assassination and blackmail as against reasoning and
consensus; hate and ethnic bigotry have beclouded our values of
affection and fairness.

“Our nation has
suffered enough bloodletting; it makes no sense to take up arms against
each other in the pursuit of selfish interest; it makes all the sense
in the world to lift up arms and embrace anything that nourishes
enduring peace. Allah is the owner of sovereignty. He gives sovereignty
to whom He wills, and takes sovereignty away from whom He wills,” the
royal father stated.

He hailed Mr.
Jonathan for his “deliberate policy efforts” to bridge the educational
gap between the north and the south, as well as reducing the social gap
between Islamic and conventional education through the establishment of
more federal universities and Almajiri model schools, particularly in
northern Nigeria, with Jigawa State among early beneficiaries.

The traditional
ruler also commended the commitment of the president to the conduct of
free and fair polls in the country, come April, while praying for the
present administration to succeed in this direction, in spite of “the
antagonism of all who profit by the preservation of the old order.”

While emphasising
peaceful co-existence among the citizenry, the Emir noted: “It is high
time for our political elites to realise that the only way to achieve
practical and enduring peace in the Plateau and other hot spots in our
country is to take the profit out of ethno-political conflicts.”

Earlier, Mr.
Jonathan had promised that his administration, if given a fresh
four-year mandate, will fight poverty aggressively, describing it as a
common national plague that “does not speak different languages.”

He said his
government will pursue the unity of the country at all times. The
president expressed government’s concern for the danger of desert
encroachment in parts of the north and assured that modern technology
initiatives will be employed to curtail the trend.

While restating
government’s resolve to generate wealth for the nation’s teeming
youthful population, Mr. Jonathan said modern irrigation methods will
be introduced, especially in northern Nigeria, to stimulate the
agricultural sector, and achieve a diversified economy in the process.

“Goodluck Jonathan
and Namadi Sambo mean well for this country. We believe in the unity of
this country and we will work with the best brains to turn around this
country for good,” the president said.

The governor of
Kano State governor and presidential candidate of the All Nigeria
Peoples party (ANPP), Ibrahim Shekarau, on Wednesday, said the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) has failed Nigerians and should be voted out of
power.

Mr. Shekarau, who
spoke at an ANPP campaign rally for the Southwest held at Mapo Hall,
Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said the Jonathan administration has no
achievements to point to in its campaigns.

“The present
government of President Goodluck Jonathan is an offshoot of that of
Late Umar Musa Yar’Adua. The government has a Seven-point agenda which
is being pursued by the present government. Let them point to one of
the seven agenda that has been fulfilled since the beginning of this
regime. It has being a period of deceit and non-fulfillment of
promises,” he said.

The Kano State
governor also said for the nation to regain its lost glory, it must
experience transformation in all key areas of her socio-political
economy, submitting that such is what the ANPP bears in mind as it
feature candidates for the next elections.

“We in the ANPP are
not just yearning for change in personalities. But change in education.
Change in healthcare provision, reliable leadership, sustainable road
network and total reformation of Nigeria,” he said.

He told the
gathering that the he and his running mate, Odigie Oyegun, are the best
combination for the country to get her to the desired state, having
done well as chief executives of their respective states.

“When we talk of
change, we know what we are talking about. It is not an abstract
change. It is not about wishes or empty promises. I and my running mate
have practically demonstrated the change when we were in government”.

Restore confidence

Mr. Shekarau promised to restore confidence in governance, saying Nigerians do not trust the PDP government.

Speaking earlier,
national chairman of the party, Ogbonaiya Onu, urged supporters of the
party to go from house to house to canvass votes, arguing that it has
the best team to serve the country.

He said the party
has demonstrated in three states where it currently has governors that
the problems plaguing the country can be solved if the right people are
put in positions of authority.

Mr. Onu also said the country needs to have free and fair election, asking for the cooperation of all to achieve this.

“If we go out and
vote, we will make rigging impossible. We will elect leaders who enjoy
the trust of their people and have their confidence,” he said.

President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday promised to run a government that will cater for the
yearning and aspirations of all Nigerians, if elected President in
April.

Mr. Jonathan told
the large crowd of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters gathered
at the Kano Polo ground to witness his campaign that he shared a lot in
common with them.

He recalled that he
came from a poor background whereby, at a point in his life, he never
envisaged that he could rise to his current position of power and
authority.

The President
promised that if voted into power, he will live by the ideals of
uplifting the downtrodden which the late political leader of Kano,
Aminu Kano worked for in his day.

“We would play
politics without bitterness, we would offer selfless service to the
people, and we would help the downtrodden because I share similar
background with you too,” Mr Jonathan said.

“I am one of those
from a poor background. If I am here today, it means there is hope for
you too. I will give hope to the young and jobless. We will unite all
Nigerians and bring peace to this country of ours.”

Mr. Jonathan, who
was delayed from mounting the rostrum for about 30 minutes due to break
down of the public address system, emphasised the need to resuscitate
the power sector.

Promising that
over-reliance on electric generators would reduce drastically in the
next four years, he assured the ecstatic crowd that small and medium
scale industries required to provide employment opportunities would
come back to life if the goal is achieved.

Underlining the
importance of agriculture to Nigerians, he promised to revive
irrigation farming, rehabilitate poor road network and ineffective rail
system to further open up windows of opportunities to Nigerians.

Happy Kwankwanso

The elated Kano
State governorship candidate of the PDP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso expressed
delight to have Mr. Jonathan in the state. He listed the Kano Western
Bypass road project, Irrigation projects at Imawa and Kadawa and the
choice of Kano as an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) as some of the
federal government projects in the state.

Urging supporters
to vote for Mr. Jonathan and all PDP candidates, Mr. Kwankwaso, who was
governor of Kano from 1999 to 2003, described the state as a home of
PDP from 2003 to date

At the heavily
secured venue, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Bello Haliru,
received dozens of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) decampees led by
former Director General of Kano Pilgrims board Sani Lawan Kofar Mata to
the PDP.

Among chieftains of
the PDP on Mr. Jonathan’s entourage were his Vice, Namadi Sambo and his
wife, Amina who is from Kano; former Speakers of the House of
Representatives, Salisu Buhari and Ghali Umar Na’abba; Tony Anenih,
Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman; Minister of Education
Ruqayya Ahmed Rufai and Minister of power, Nuhu Wya.

The weekly Federal
Executive Council meeting was yesterday shelved when no minister showed
up at the presidential council chambers hall, venue of the meeting.

No reasons were
given for the postponement of the meeting, but a presidency source said
it might have to do with the presidential campaign of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), which ended yesterday in Jigawa and Kano states.

The campaign tour,
which lasted for more than a month, affected the attendance of the
ministers at the weekly meeting where issues concerning governance and
the country are discussed and decisions taken.

The last two
council meetings were presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo
while the president continued his campaign. Last week’s meeting
witnessed a scanty turnout of ministers. Since the start of the
campaign, the memos discussed during the meetings have dropped to
almost zero, with the time spent at such meetings ranging from 20
minutes to one hour as against the usual two hours and more.

Over the past five
weeks, President Goodluck Jonathan and Mr. Sambo have campaigned across
the six geo political zones, with several ministers in tow.

Do your job

Mr. Jonathan had,
during the zonal tour, advised members of the cabinet not to allow the
campaign to affect their performance in their different ministries. He
also said that they could attend the campaign in their various zones or
states rather than striving to be at all of the campaign rallies.

The state tour,
which started on the 16th of February, took the president’s team to
Taraba, Plateau and Benue states in the first week; Kogi, Kwara, Niger,
Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra states in the second week; Ogun, Lagos,
Ondo, Ekiti, Osun states in the third week; and then Cross River, Akwa
Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Sokoto states.

The tour ended with Yobe, Borno, Gombe, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa.

The Action Congress of Nigeria on Monday, during a town-hall meeting in Lagos, paraded before a large number of youth an array of its best candidates for the coming general elections in April.
The event had the party’s presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu and his vice, Fola Adeola, and the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, address a number of issues raised by the youth. Questions answered ranged from education to employment and job creation. Others were power, security, and resource management.
In his opening remarks, the Lagos State governor, who is seeking a re-election for another four year term, stated that the “townhall meeting demonstrates the committement of the ACN to make democracy meaningful in Nigeria.”
Decribing himself and his vice as “the new face of Nigeria that the nation has been looking for,” Nuhu Ribadu noted that the country is currently suffering from the mismanagement of its resources and he that the first thing the ACN government will do is to “stop the bleeding immediately.”
“We will produce a honest leadership that will fix this country and make a country that we will all be proud of,” Mr. Ribadu said.

Opportunity in challenges
Acccording to Mr. Fashola, the party has defined its character ahead of what he called “an uphill task to transform the remaining 32 states of Nigeria.”
“That change can only be achieved if ACN takes over at the federal level to implement a people-focused economic strategy,” he said.
The party presently controls four states in the country.
On addressing the dilapitated standard of education across the country, Mr. Fashola said his government has just recruited graduates of key subjects that students are failing and are required to make a minimum number of credits before admission into the university. He claimed the graduates have been trained to be excellent teachers, with adequate welfare provided for them.
This he describes as seeing “opportunity in challenges by creating jobs in the education and transportation sector in a bid to address the problem.” He urged the youth to be prepared for hard work, saying “the work lies in getting our hands dirty in building our country.”

Corruption, the bane of power
Speaking on power, Mr. Ribadu, the former anti-corruption czar, noted emphatically that “the reason why we do not have power is corruption,” adding that “destroy corruption, take it out, and we will give you electricity and good health.”
He also admitted that sabotage, lawlessness, and ineptitude were responsible for the failure of the ruling party to provide power, despite spending billions of dollars on the problem.
Affirming that he was there when contracts were signed to supply materials to build power stations, Mr. Ribadu noted that up till today, the materials were yet to be supplied and the contractors, who he claimed were friends of the government, are nowhere to be found.
Mr. Adeola, who spoke on the need to tackle the lack of capacity required in the power sector, stated that “within one year, we (the ACN) will achieve something” by tackling the capacity, and start producing people who can address the issue and we will start producing power.”
The former banker explained that the party will be using a long and short term approach to address the problem, as he vowed that “the short term has to be addressed as soon as possible because it is an emergency and while that is being done, the long term approach for sustainability will be worked out.”
On the issue of security, the party’s presidential candidate said there are over 12 million Nigerian graduates roaming the streets without jobs, and he noted that the provision of jobs for this unemployed multitude will reduce crime.
He also noted that to address the issue of security, the nation’s security operatives must be empowered. This was a point corroborated by all the three aspirants, who called for a change of attitude from Nigerians to the police officers who are expected to sacrifice their lives in protecting others.
The Lagos State governor also re-stated the need for each state to have its own police force, and explained that the police force could be a good avenue to create employment if the standard of the profession can be upgraded to make it attractive for young graduates to want to build a career in the force.
The candidates all enjoined the youth to collectively build a society that will make it impossible for corrupt people to survive in the society.
The town hall meeting, which kicked off late due to delayed return of the presidential candidates from Abia State, where they went for their presidential campaign, was streamed live on the internet and broadcasted live on television.