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The presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Nuhu Ribadu, has challenged the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, to a debate. Mr. Ribadu, who made the remarks in a release made available to NEXT by its campaign organisation yesterday, said that since 1999, PDP presidential candidates had been shying away from debates because they had nothing to offer, adding that the present state of the nation was a clear testimony to the fact that PDP had no meaningful agenda for the nation.

Mr. Ribadu said that in spite of the fact that the price of crude oil had been selling well above the benchmark price, the PDP-controlled government had not been able to address the critical issues of power and poverty in the country.

Acoording to the ACN flag-bearer, President Jonathan, a Ph.D holder, should be bold enough to face Nigerians to tell them what plans he has for the nation and how he intends to implement such plans. He said gone were the days when politicians would mount the soap box to make empty promises which would eventually leave the country in a worse state than they met it. Mr. Ribadu, however, said that as a presidential candidate, he had well-articulated and thought-out plans that he was ready to defend before Nigerians. It was reported recently that the PDP had given a condition for the hosting of a presidential debate among the different candidates vying for the presidential seat, which had caused a setback in the conduct of the debate.

The Labour Party yesterday commenced its gubernatorial campaign in Jos with a pledge to calm frayed nerves and restore the old glory of Plateau State as “home of peace and tourism”. Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters at the Polo playground venue of the event, the national chairman of the party, Dan Iwuanyanwu, said it was regrettable that the image of Plateau has been destroyed by internecine fighting.

“I want to assure you all that come May this year, the Labour Party will give you a government that you desire,” Mr. Iwnanyanwu told supporters. “It is unfortunate that the government in place cannot guarantee you safety and peace.” He said the PDP government has continued to watch helplessly as an orgy of violence goes on and claiming the lives of innocent people.”

Mr. Iwuanyanwu described the Labour Party as a source of hope and justice for the ordinary Nigerian, adding that “any one who is not part of this event, who is not here to participate and behold this great day and moment, is an enemy of Plateau State.

Change is possible

Speaking after receiving the flag of the party as its gubernatorial candidate in the April elections, Plateau State deputy governor, Pauline Tallen, paid tribute to the Labour Party, acknowledging that the event is a culmination of a process of struggle to liberate the people of Plateau state. With a campaign slogan tagged “change is possible”, Mrs. Tallen said everyone in the state need a change from bad and ineffective governance to good leadership.

“We desire a change from violent crises, chaos and destruction to the era of peace”, she said, promising to bring reconciliation of all ethnic groups in Plateau State by running an all-inclusive government.

“We all desire a change from exclusive government to an all-embracing government”. Harping on why she fell out with her boss, the governor of the state, Jonah Jang, Mrs. Tallen said a change from tribal government to a government that all stakeholders have a role to play is necessary to bring about reconciliation and restore confidence and bring back the lost glory of the state. Former governor, Joshua Chibi Dariye, John Shagaya and Lumumba Da Adeh were presented with party flags as senatorial candidates for Plateau Central, South and North respectively.

Sixteen members of the State House of Assembly, who followed Mrs Tallen into the Labour Party from the PDP were also presented with flags. Earlier, tragedy struck in Kassa, about 20 kilometres south of Jos, when two buses collided. Police authorities confirmed that 12 persons died in the accident, while 21 others sustained various degrees of injuries. The police statement signed by Apev Jacob, the police spokesperson, said “the cause of the accident is being investigated”.

The House of Representatives yesterday said it might deny approval for this year’s N4.6 trillion budget, unless the 31 agencies listed in the Fiscal Responsibility Act surrender their spending estimates for scrutiny as required by the law.

While the departments are exempted from routine annual budgeting, the Act demands that their financial plans for each year be tendered to the legislature by the Minister of Finance alongside the rest.

Section 21 of the 2007-legislation requires that the organisations, including mega groups like as the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, lay the proposals before the National Assembly through the Minister of Finance.

Lawmakers say that this requirement has not been followed over the past years, arguing that the failure has been used as a cover by the organisations to unilaterally spend internally-generated funds without approval.

But, in a conflict seen as a highlight of the ambiguity of some federal laws, the 31 bodies, which also include the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Public Enterprise, insist that the laws backing their creation granted them the needed waiver and the authority to spend such funds as they deemed fit.

The controversy escalated late last year, with the lawmakers insisting on the law after the CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido, accused the National Assembly of cornering 25 per cent of the national budget.

Yesterday, the House rescinded an earlier resolve to speedily pass the 2011 budget next week, warning that it would no longer do so until the 31 organisations forward their estimates as earlier directed.

Out of control

“We are not just going to pass the budget like that. The 2011 budget will not be passed without the budgets of the thirty-one agencies,” the deputy speaker, Usman Nafada, said while addressing concerns on the issue raised by many members.

“Their overhead is more than that of the entire nation. And such huge amount of money should pass through the purview of the people’s parliament, nobody is above the law,” he added. “The fact that your brother is the head of an agency today does not mean that you should not obey the law. Nobody is above the law.” As of yesterday, he said, only four organisations had heeded the call to adhere to the law; a call first made by the speaker, Dimeji Bankole, during budget presentation by President Goodluck Jonathan last year.

Committee chairmen spoke of their frustrations with the organisations that had refused to surrender the proposals. They threatened to sanction heads of the departments while agreeing that the budget be suspended until the directive is carried out.

Earlier setbacks

The passage of the 2011 budget suffered the same fate in the upper legislative chamber. Iyiola Omisore, chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation had on the 28 February written to the Senate President, David Mark that the 31 agencies must submit their spending estimates for 2011. Mr Omisore insisted that this is in line with Section 21 subsection (1) (2a,b) and 3 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) and it must be complied with before the final passage of the 2011 budget.

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly matters, Muhammed Abba Aji, has denied ever saying that it is impossible for the Igbos to become president in 2015. “I have not in any time made such statements,” Mr Abba Aji told reporters in Abuja on Thursday. “Contrary to this statement, I strongly believe that my Igbo brothers and sisters have equal rights with all members of other ethnic groups of our nation to seek any public office including the exalted office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He was reported to have said that if Mr Jonathan wins the 2011 elections, Namadi Sambo, the current vice president will step in to fill that position in 2015 if the president keeps his promise of ruling only one term.

“The statement as it relates to Vice President Namadi Sambo is entirely my personal view, which he neither desired nor solicited. I therefore hereby withdraw it, and regret any misunderstanding that it might have generated.” On the Freedom Of Information Bill, the Special Adviser also adjusted his earlier comments. Rather than his earlier stand that he will ensure that the president does not sign the bill into law when it is eventually passed by the Senate, Mr Abba Aji said he was just pointing out the ills of the bill.

“What I did was to draw attention to the conflict that in my view, it is likely to have with the seventh schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as it relates to the oath of office and the Official Secrecy Act which is yet to be repealed.

“I also tried to make distinction between the Freedom of Information Bill, which seeks to compel public officers to reveal official matters and the Freedom of the Press which is already enshrined as section 39 of the Constitution.” Mr Abba Aji had said, in Maiduguri, that he was disappointed in the House of Representatives for passing the bill. He said he expected the senate to throw it out, or he would be left with no option but to advise the president not to assent to the bill.

ActionAid Nigeria, an international non-governmental
organisation, on Wednesday called for the removal of the Special Adviser to the
President on National Assembly Matters, Mohammed Abba-Aji, for saying he would
advise President Goodluck Jonathan not to sign the recently passed Freedom of
Information Bill. The House had passed the bill into law last week.

A member of the House of Representatives, Abike Dabiri-Erewa
(Action Congress of Nigeria, Lagos) had also called on the Presidency to sack
Mr Abba-Aji last Tuesday. In a statement in Abuja, the ActionAid country
director, Hussaini Abdu, said Mr Abba-Aji’s statement showed his insensitivity
to the aspirations of Nigerians in the last 12 years.

“The president’s special adviser’s statement reflects
insensitiveness to the aspirations of the Nigerian people who for about 12
years have clamoured for a law enabling them to have access to information on
how their affairs are run,” he said.

Mr Abdu further argued that if the Jonathan administration is
truly committed to fighting corruption in the country, it would not take kindly
to any person in the government who takes stands against the bill.

A bill for all

Mr Abdu said, as far as the ActionAid is concerned, the bill
makes it possible for the citizens of the country to have access to information
as well as strengthen the National Assembly and the state legislatures in the
performance of their oversight functions.

“The FOI bill as we know does not only makes it possible for
the citizens to have access to information but also strengthens the National
Assembly and the states parliaments in the performance of their oversight
functions.

“The bill will further enable security agencies and other
anti-corruption bodies in the country to perform their duties without
hindrance”, Mr Abdu said.

While recognising the right of individuals to express personal
opinions on issues of national importance, the country director said it was
unacceptable for a senior government official to blatantly take on the whole of
the country with such an expression of disdain.

Mr Abdu asked Mr Jonathan to remove Mr Abba-Aji from office,
saying “the retention of such person in his government is a signal to Nigerians
that President Jonathan is against Nigerians having access to information and
has been paying lip service to anti-corruption crusade.”

Mr Abdu also called on the Senate to quickly concur with the
House of Representative on the bill and pass it into law, saying “This,
perhaps, is the best opportunity for members of the current Senate to write
their names in gold and go down in history as bequeathing the nation such
legacy as the FOI Act.”

Meanwhile, the Presidential Spokesperson, Ima Niboro had on
Tuesday dissociated the Presidency from Mr. Abba-Aji’s comment, claiming that
he has no right to speak for the government.

He also told the Media that President Jonathan could not have done the
bidding of Mr. Abba-Aji, as the latter was only expressing a personal opinion.

The presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC), Mohammadu Buhari, yesterday launched his campaign in Kaduna,
charging his supporters to deal ruthlessly with anyone who tries to rig the
April elections.

Mr Buhari, who addressed thousands of his supporters during the
flag-off of the North-West Zonal rally of the party held at Murtala Square,
Kaduna said the 12-year rule of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party has not
been beneficial to Nigerians. He said PDP succeeded in compounding insecurity,
abject poverty, religious intolerance and tribalism.

He said if voted into power, he will ensure that road networks
and alternative transportation systems such as railway and water transportation
is improved upon. He also promised that his government will ensure that power
failure is a thing of the past and that employment is generated for the growing
army of youth.

“In our government, we are going to improve the welfare of the
police, ensure that we provide them with security gadgets to protect the
citizens of the country but not to kill their people. Our youth will have job
to do in order to be self employed,” he said.

Mr Buhari, who has promised not challenge the results of April’s
election in any court, said Nigerians should do all within their powers to
protect their votes. He reminded his supporters of his usual exhortation on the
election.

“Come out and vote, protect and escort your votes, and make sure
that you finish with voter’s riggers in the country. Don’t allow them to steal
your votes this time around. Protect your votes as people of Kano, Bauchi and
Lagos did in 2007,” he said.

The CPC’s vice presidential candidate, Tunde Bakare also said
time has come for change in the country.

“It is time to ask PDP to pack its belongings from Aso Rock,” he
said.

The chairman of the party, Tony Momoh described Mr Buhari as the
only candidate that will save the country from bad leadership. He called on the
party’s supporters who registered with INEC to come out and cast their votes
for CPC and defend it.

The rally was attended by over a hundred thousand people from
across the north-west zone. The presentation of flags to the various
gubernatorial candidates from the zone was suspended as a result of the crisis
in Kano and Katsina states.

Trouble in Niger

Leaders of the party have also warned that there is going to be
a revolution in Minna if the state government tried to stop them from their
presidential campaign rally.

The secretary of the party, Buba Galadima said there are plans
by the PDP government to stop the party’s rally in Minna, Niger State.

“On our way coming to this place, I got a massage from Minna
police command that we cannot hold our rally their tomorrow (today). I want to
tell the commissioner of Police in Minna that no man can stop our rally. There
will be a revolution in Minna if police, Army, Navy of Air Force try to stop
us. No any man can stop us to exercise our constitutional right in our
country,” he said.

Mr Galadima said the people are tired of the leadership of the
PDP and called on CPC supporters across the country to come out en masss to
vote for Mr Buhari and the CPC in other to bring change in the country.

“What you’re witnessing today, over two million people that are
here today is higher than that of Goodluck/Sambo campaign rally in all over the
36 states that they have visited in the country,” Mr Galadima said. “This is
just the beginning, we are out to make sure that we bring the end of the
leadership of PDP in this country.”

Meanwhile, one person was feared killed while several others
were injured on Tuesday during a clash between PDP and CPC supporters in Katsina.
The incident happened in Dandagoro village, at the outskirt of Katsina, when
the motorcade of the state governor, Ibrahim Shema, which was returning after a
political rally in Kankia, allegedly ran into the campaign team of the CPC
governorship candidate, Yakubu Danmarke.

Three vehicles, including that of the state PDP chairman, were damaged in
the incident.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday in Abuja at the
commissioning of the Nigeria Police aircraft/helicopter hangar at the Nnamdi
Azikwe International Airport, called on all tiers of government and the private
sector to commence the payment of their own share of the N1.5 trillon meant for
the Police Reforms Programme in the interest of security.

The president maintained “that the ongoing reforms in the police
has made it mandatory for government to provide essential facilities and
logistical equipment needed by the force to ensure that government delivers on
its primary responsibility of providing adequate security for its citizens.”

Mr. Jonathan was represented by the Minister of Police Affairs,
Humphrey Abah. He said the federal government is expecting the delivery of two
additional police helicopters – a Cessna Citation XLS “for higher command and
control and high level operational duties” by the force.

According to him, “It is noteworthy that the ongoing reform
programme of the Nigeria Police Force has placed a high premium on the
provision of facilities and logistical equipment to ensure that government
delivers on its primary responsibility of providing a secured environment to
its citizens.” The president added, “All these efforts are practical
demonstrations of the commitment of this administration to protecting the lives
and property of all citizens across the width and breadth of this country.”

Answering questions from reporters, the minister urged the
members of the public and the media to daily appreciate the sacrificial work of
the police to spur them to do more.

He said, “That is the kind of ‘energization’ that the policeman
will get when you encourage him and say something good about him. So I want to
appeal to us gentlemen of the press, find a portion of your publication that
says something, daily, good about the policeman, that says something positive
good about the policeman.”

On the violence that has engulfed Bornu and Plateau states in
view of the forthcoming April elections, the minister said calm would soon be
restored in the areas.

“If you notice, Bornu has been calm and it is going to be calmer
by the grace of God. We are getting to Jos and Jos will also be calm in the
next few weeks. The deployments we have done are just beginning to spread and
take root.

“We are deploying both IT and human material resources. We are
deploying vehicles. In the next one or two weeks all our deployments will be
complete and I believe that you will begin to help us sing a new song that
those places are calm,” he stated.

The project, which was awarded in June 2005, was later stalled due to the
unavailability of funds but work recommenced in June 2010 through funds
provided by the present administration according to the permanent secretary of
the ministry, Bukar Goni Aji. At the event were the Inspector General of Police
Hafiz Ringim, the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Parry
Osayande, former chairman of the PSC, Simon Okeke, and the Senate and House
Committee Chairmen on Police Affairs.

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday allayed fears that its candidate, Goodluck
Jonathan, will find it difficult to secure victory in the South West and North
West geo-political zones of the country during the April 9 presidential
election.

The director of youth of the PCC, Dare Adeleke, who stated this
in a chat with journalists in Abuja, said that reports from the field indicate
that Mr. Jonathan, who is the incumbent president, has massive support in the
two zones.

He faulted the permutations that the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC) flag-bearer, Muhammadu Buhari, and Nuhu Ribadu of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will defeat the president in the aforementioned
zones, saying they were wrong.

Mr. Adeleke said Nigerian youth of voting age who are fully
determined for change are prepared to ensure victory for Mr. Jonathan. He said
his interaction with youth across the geo-political zones show that religion
and ethnic affiliations would not be factors that would shape 2011 presidential
election.

“Various youth organisations have been trooping to Legacy House
(Jonathan’s campaign headquarters) and all they have been doing is to express
their support and participate in the emergence of the man, Goodluck Jonathan,
as president and the whole secretariat has been appreciative of their
solidarity.

“They are determined to make the new dispensation truly
government of the people and it showed in their massive turn out during the
voter’s registration exercise and it was certainly because of the love they
have for President Jonathan. You know they used to show this indifferent
attitude before. But there is a change of attitude this time around, not only
to voter’s registration, but voting for Goodluck Jonathan,” Mr. Adeleke said.

Shun violence

Mr. Adeleke described the south west as Mr. Jonathan’s second
home, stressing that it was the reason the people of the zone trooped out to
attend his campaign rally in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a few weeks ago.

He said the council is planning to visit universities to
mobilise the youth while enlightenment programmes would also be organised to engage
them on the need not to partake in violence during the election period.

“We are also going to create a youth mobilisation committee to engage them
at the grassroot. We want to impress on them Mr. President message of one man,
one vote,” he said.

The House of
Representatives has passed the new Minimum Wage Bill which will enforce
N18, 000 as the least paid wage nationwide, while recommending a paltry
N20,000 as penalty for defaulting employers.

The bill was sent
to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan late last year
and is now central to the president’s effort at securing wide support
from public and private sector workers for his re-elections.

The lawmakers had earlier named the bill as one of the few that will be given accelerated attention as they resumed January.

They adopted the
recommendations of the House joint Committee on Labour, Employment and
Productivity, and Finance on the law, before allowing the bill through
a mandatory third and final reading Wednesday.

The bill was passed two weeks ago by the Senate, and now requires only the presidential assent to become law.

However, there are doubts whether or not some state governors will pay the new amount.

The House
committees recommends that any employer that fails will pay N20,000 on
conviction and extra N1,000 daily as long as the breach continues. It
is not clear whether the amount will be paid to the employees.

Employers of labour in respect of which the law apply shall also
have the duty to keep records of wages or conditions of employment to
show compliance with the law or to face the same penalties.

Aside from being
the commercial and entertainment capital of the sub-region and the
nation, Lagos has the largest number of voters as revealed by the just
concluded voter’s registration. The state boasts of over 6million
registered voters for the forthcoming general elections hence the
appeal by the president to the voters to support him and his party’s
controversial candidate.

The state
according to the Central Bank of Nigeria is responsible for over 50% of
the revenue earned in the continent’s third largest economy and its
host to the busiest seaports and airports in the West Africa sub-region
boosts its relevance.

With these
alluring economic credentials, the state has pulled through the
nation’s history as the only state consistently ruled by the opposition
party, despite all the shenanigans of the People’s Democratic Party (in
particular) to capture the state since the advent of democracy in 1999.

Though riddled
with aging infrastructure, the state recently rated as the fourth worst
state to reside in the world by the Economic Intelligence Unit of the
Economist magazine, the state has improved its manner of income
generation at a whopping N16bn per month, which is geared towards
revamping its infrastructure and making the city a model city.

A lot of
projections have already being made on the potential of Lagos as a mega
city and one of the most populated cities in the world with an assumed
population of 18 million people, the state has been tipped to be the
third mega city in the world by the Year 2050 after Tokyo .

Everything about the city makes it mouth-watering for the ruling
party but with state’s chaotic traffic been made worse with very
incessant visit by the president which gets the entire city lock-down,
the PDP might just be shooting itself in the foot against a governor
who is highly popular and drives along the traffic without even using
the annoying sirens.