Nigeria Content Online

The Nigerian
Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on Wednesday said that it has
commenced the migration from the current terrestrial operations to
satellite-based navigation to enhance safety across the nation’s
airspace.

According to the
agency, arrangements have been concluded for the takeoff of the project
in March, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has
been contracted to carry out the job which is to cost the organisation
₦360 million. “There are ample opportunities for airlines to fly in and
out of the airport with flexibility. It is going to be economical for
them as they will burn less fuel, make quicker turn and talk less with
the Air Traffic Controllers,” said Supo Atobatele, General Manager,
Public Affairs, NAMA at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.

The satellite
navigation system configures a country’s airspace with the Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which is carried out through the
World Geodetic System 84 (WGS84) survey. Its completion will augment
flight operations, making it easier and safer for pilots to navigate
through the airspace. Funds spent in the acquisition of aviation fuel
will be reduced to a “large extent” when the satellite navigation
system is in place, and the difficulty experienced by airlines and air
traffic controllers in the positioning of aircraft in motion and on the
runway will be adequately corrected, according to the airspace agency.

Mr. Atobatele said
that the federal government will bear the cost of the project, adding
that the International Air Transport Association has carried out survey
of the 22 airports controlled by the Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria (FAAN) including two others owned by the Akwa Ibom and Gombe
State governments. The NAMA spokesperson noted that at the moment the
project commenced at four major international airports in the country,
Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja; Port
Harcourt Airport, Rivers; and Aminu Kano Airport, Kano.

“With this
movement, we’ve gone digital and the issue of obsolete equipment is no
longer there. The GNSS is a modern trend in air navigation spatial
coordinate of terrestrial points, which was established by the ICAO
(International Civil Aviation Organization) and it’s the acceptable
international terrestrial reference framework known as WGS84,” he said.

Mr. Atobatele
disclosed that some foreign carriers have been picked for the test
flights of the new system and that the ICAO had set a deadline of 2016
for all member countries to migrate to the new regime, adding that the
agency looks forward to completing the project by 2012. “When fully put
into use, pilots in flight will depend more on the satellite to
navigate to the airport covered by the survey and depend less on land
aids.

NAMA had trained its personnel, airline technical staff, naval
officers and air force personnel for efficient handling of the
equipment.”

The continued
absence of Ibrahim Ida, Chairman Senate committee on Defence and Army
has stalled the passing of the Anti Money Laundering bill.

Mr. Ida represents
Katsina Central constituency in the Senate and heads an ad hoc
committee that was mandated by the Senate in July last year to
recalibrate the bill which the senator thought too harsh at the time.

Mr. Ida has since
the beginning of the week been absent each time the bill came up for
hearing. Traditionally, the Senate does not legislate on bills if the
author is not present in the plenary because the author has the
responsibility of defending the spirit and letters of the bill as well
as offer clarifications to fellow lawmakers on any ambiguous part of
the bill.

The anti-money
laundering bill is a complementary legislation to the anti-terrorism
bill which was passed by the Senate last week. Both the anti-money
laundering and anti-terrorism bills are based on recommendations of the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF), established by the G7 Summit held
in Paris in 1989. The anti-money laundering bill will replace the 2004
version of the same bill which is said to lack the relevant provisions
that will make it fully compliant with the recommendation of FATF.
Passage of the anti-money laundering bill will mark Nigeria’s full
compliance with the international requirements for combating terrorism
recommended by FATF.

President Goodluck
Jonathan, for the third time in 11 months, written the lawmakers early
last week to expedite legislation on the Anti-terrorism and Money
Laundering Bills. Following the President’s repeated appeals to the
lawmakers, the Senate hurriedly passed the anti-terrorism bill on
Thursday last week, with enthusiasm to pass the complementary
anti-money laundering bill this week. However, each time it was
presented for hearing, Mr. Ida, the author of the bill was absent.

When contacted,
Mr. Ida rejected calls and did not reply text messages sent to his
official mobile line. The bill is not new to this kind of treatment at
the upper chamber . In July 2010, a deliberation on the bill was called
off after a slow-moving debate and adoption of the individual clauses
in the bill due to the absence of the initial author of the bill, Sola
Akinyede (PDP Ekiti state).

Although the
senators complained of the complex provisions of the bill which they
said could only be explained by the author, the senators also showed
apathy towards the bill. It was thereafter committed to the Mr. Ida
headed ad hoc committee for further calibration but it never came back
for hearing till the president’s last letter of reminder. Deadline for
the passage of the bill has since expired on June 30.

The governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola,
on Thursday, called for presidential debates for aspiring candidates vying for
the seat of the number one citizen of Nigeria.

Mr. Fashola, while speaking to reporters at the
presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on his way back from
a lecture titled: ‘Abundance of Possibilities for Nigeria’, which he delivered
at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, disclosed that higher institutions should
partner with their respective communities in a bid to make democracy work
better in the country.

“I am surprised that even as we speak, there is
no information that there will be a presidential debate, and we are going to
elect a president in the next few weeks. Now, democracy is always concerned
only about whether a candidate has been picked by popular choice.

“Democracy does not assure us that that candidate
knows what to do about security; it does not assure us that that candidate
knows what to do about electricity, or indeed about transportation or
healthcare. It is only processes built within the democratic process like
debates that enables the public test the preparedness of the candidates,
whether or not they are ready or they are even aware of what their problems
are,” Mr. Fashola said.

The governor disclosed that higher institutions
of civilised nations organise debates to get the basic information of whether
their choice candidate has the wherewithal to take the community to a better
level.

“This is what is done by universities like
Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and others for prime ministerial, gubernatorial,
and presidential elections in the two oldest democracies in the west. I didn’t
expect that we will be going to an election and at least there would not be a
debate held in each of the six geopolitical zones; three for the vice
presidential candidates, three for the presidential candidates in our
institutions of higher learning. How much will it cost to organise that and
televise it live?” He queried.

‘We need young leaders’

Mr. Fashola further called for young leaders in
Nigeria, arguing that it is by this that the country will be able to
efficiently tap from the knowledge of the youth.

“I think it is obvious now to everybody what
young people can do. For the very first time, they entrusted youth corpers with
the voter’s registration exercise and so far so good.

“If we don’t give this young people a chance,
then are we truly really sure that this democracy is about them, are we really
sincere that the future truly belongs to them? When 40-year olds are now
leading nations and our 40-year olds can’t even get to the Senate, they can’t
even become governors. Are we really preparing this generation for the future?
Those are the issues really. We cannot point to success in other countries and
refuse to do what those people are doing to get things right,” he said.

Striking Doctors

The Lagos State governor called on doctors in the
city to understand the constraints faced by the government, adding that the
government has done its best by increasing the pay of the workers.

He, however, said he will continue to dialogue
with the medical practitioners, as opposed to the demand for their sack by his
predecessor, Bola Tinubu.

“I think the point is that we will continue to
engage and appeal to them. This is not a war of who is superior; this is a war
of rationality and reason, and we think that the point has been made. It is not
a choice that we do not want to pay; it is the reality that we cannot afford to
pay the full sum that they are asking for.

“After salaries, we have to buy drugs; after
drugs, we have to power medical equipment and keep patients alive; after all of
these, we have to pay security; we have to build roads; we have to build more
schools; we have to provide water supply. These are all involved in this
process and not everybody can really have everything that he wants.

“We have made a compromise, we have increased salaries, and once again, I
appeal to them to see themselves as part of the solution rather being a
problem,” he said.

Lack of funds for
the construction of gas pipelines to power stations in the country may
affect the federal government’s road map on power. The Chairman,
presidential task force on power, Barth Nnaji made this assertion on
Thursday during a meeting with the joint committee of the National
Assembly on gas, where they discussed the progress of the various
gas-to-power projects in the country.

He said although
government is prospecting for alternative fund for the gas-to-power
project, the possibility of attaining the projected 40,000 megawatts by
2020 from thermal power plants is being frustrated by none allocation of
fund in the budget.

“There is no way we
can shy away from infrastructure if we want to grow the economy and
power is critical,” he said. “I want you to look at it very well because
this is key but government alone is not going to fund it. The private
sector will have to look for money to come, because the plan is for
government to develop the infrastructure to deliver the gas to the power
plants and then hands off power generation and distribution in 2011.”
“Provision of infrastructure for gas is key to unlocking economic growth
in Nigeria,” the task force chairman stressed.

The Director
General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogwu, however,
denied the statement that the project has no budgetary allocation. He
informed the Committee that N195 billion has been set aside for national
domestic gas development in the 2011 budget.

He, however,
admitted that government cannot provide the total N725 billion needed
for the project in a budgetary year because of pressing demands from
other sectors.

According to Mr
Okogwu, the sector needs another round of “holistic review.” “One of the
things plaguing the sector is because investment is not robust; we are
not spending sufficient funds. But as managers of the nation’s
resources, we need to prioritise.

“In 2011, we have
provided N195 billion, it is there in the budget. N725 billion is close
to a trillion. You will not get that from the budget in any year because
the aggregate budget is a little above one trillion, so asking us to
put another money into the budget will create problem,” Mr Okogwu
argued.

The Committee directed the budget office to enlist the gas-to-power project in the 2011 budget.

“You should give them funding even if it means looking for a third
party to attract national prominence,” Osita Izunaso, Chairman, Senate
committee on gas said. “In this next two weeks, let us have a framework
of how you are going to achieve the third party and if there is no fund,
there is no point continuing with the project. The Task Force should
wind up.” Mr Izunaso declared.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday
ruled that Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom state is the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the April general
election.

Presiding Judge, Abdu Kafarati, delivering
judgement in the suit filed by a PDP aspirant, Frank Okon praying the
court for an order to stop the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) from recognising Mr Akpabio as the party’s candidate,
said the evidence brought by the plaintiff to argue his case were mere
assertions.

Mr Kafarati subsequently struck out the suit for
lacking in merit and ordered that Mr. Akpabio be recognised by the
electoral body as the authentic governorship candidate of PDP in Akwa
Ibom state in the April polls. “The suit was more of an academic
exercise, but since the court has been approached, the door will not be
shut against the plaintiff but rather the court will look at the merit
of his case and having looked at the merit, it is of my view that the
suit lacks merit, on this ground I strike out the case”.

The plaintiff had, earlier through his counsel,
Andem Ndem dragged INEC, the PDP and Mr Akpabio to court, seeking an
order of interlocutory injunction restraining PDP from transmitting the
name of Mr Akpabio to INEC based on the result of the governorship
primaries held on January 9, 2011. Counsel to the PDP, Olusola Oke,
brought a preliminary objection praying the court for an order striking
out the suit on grounds that the party had internally redressed the
wrong for which the plaintiff came to court. Mr Oke informed the court
that the plaintiff had earlier petitioned the party over the January 9,
2011 primary election and the party had reacted to the petition by
cancelling the initial election and conducting a re-run, which Mr
Akpabio also won.

A group of lawyers has called for the immediate resignation of
both the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Aloysius Katsina-Alu and President of
the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami to allow the judicial panel of inquiry into
cases of allegations against them to do its work.

The convener of the group, Malachy Ugwummadu, at a protest held
in front of the High Court of Justice, Ikeja said the continuous stay of the
two judges in the position of leadership is an opportunity for them to scuttle
justice and cover up the dirty details behind proofs of the allegations.

“Our claims and predictions is in full realisation and
recognition of the composition of the judiciary. As a self regulatory body, the
Nigerian judiciary is structured and configured in such a manner that the
identified principal actors are both in the leadership of virtually all the
relevant regulatory institutions and organs of the judiciary as chairman and
member respectively. By virtue of Section 12 (a)(b)and section 20(a)(c) 0f Part
A of the Third schedule of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1999, the CJN is the chairman of both Federal Judicial Service commission and
National Judicial Council, while the PCA is also a high ranking member of both
bodies just as they occupy similar strategic position in the legal
practitioners’ Privileges committee as well as the National Judicial Institute.

“These are the institutions that have the statutory
responsibility to self regulate the affairs of the judiciary particularly
regarding discipline and control. It is therefore evident that no meaningful
investigation, probe or inquiry can go on with their continued stay as the CJN
and PCA respectively,” he said.

One of the Lawyers, Ubani Monday said: “We the concerned members
of this profession now call on those involved to step aside from their respective
offices forthwith to allow for a full scale independent judicial panel of
inquiry comprising men and women of proven integrity and character to be headed
by a retired jurist in the calibre of Justice Chukwudifu Oputa or Justice
Kayode Eso.” He said.

The group however commended the intervention of the Nigeria Bar
Association for resolving to also investigate the allegations. The crisis
started after Mr Katsina-Alu in his capacity as the Chief Justice of the
Federation promoted Mr Salami from his present position of the President of the
Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court.

In Mr Salami’s rejection letter dated February 4, 2011, Mr Salami claimed
that he was moved to the Supreme Court with an aim to replace him with Mr
Katsina-Alu’s stooge. He stated that, “I prefer to follow in the wake of my
worthy predecessors who in spite of their experiences retired as Presidents of
the Court of Appeal with their honour and reputation unsullied. The present
unholy move to push me out of the Appeal Court for whatever reason has no
precedence in our legal history.” Mr. Salami said.

South Africa-based
Nigerian, Kole Omotoso, of the Africa Diaspora Research Group yesterday
said one of the greatest hurdles against the nation’s development is
the inconclusive revenue allocation system.

Mr Omotoso who
spoke at the Ondo State Cultural Centre in Akure, said there must be
deliberate efforts to fund institutions and make them work.

The lecture titled,
“Liberation from Perdition: What option for a Nigerian politician,
Service at National Level or Service at State Level,” was part of the
activities marking the second anniversary of the administration of the
state governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

The need to evolve
a resource control system, according to him, was in tandem with the
constitutional provisions that the federal government has no control
over how states utilise their resources.

He said, “While all
nations invest in their national government the wealth of the nation,
it is how that wealth is shared that is of the greatest importance.” Mr
Omotosho, a Professor of English Studies, said the reason why
politicians prefer service at national level was the desire to halt
legislative hindrances to state development.

“The sole and most
valid reason for a politician serving at the national level instead of
the state level is the burning desire to rectify, to help to correct
legislative mistakes and idiosyncrasies that make development
impossible at the state and local levels. The failure to convert the
national government from the government of men to the government of law
is located in the Sisyphean struggle of the Nigerian politicians to
roll up the heavy stone up the steep slope of Nigerian political and
economic existence.

“If it is
impossible to do anything at the state level because of the ideas and
concepts at work at the national level, it might be time for the
Nigerian politician to serve at the national level. But there must be
clarity as to the reason for going there. It is to be able to do
something there,” he declared.

Explaining his
argument, Mr Omotoso lamented the constitutional obstacle to the
control of security apparatuses by the governors in their states which
sometimes lead to the use of militias. “Within the constitution of the
country, state governments have no control over the police in their
states. This is an impossible position to be for the governors.

What alternatives
do they have other than conniving with these various groups to have a
semblance of a coercive force to give a semblance of authority without
bowing and scraping to the federal government?” he said.

In his remarks, Mr
Mimiko said the future of the country depends on the quality of
education at all levels which is why the Labour Party administration in
Ondo State has come up with the idea of building mega primary schools
as a foundation of education.

According to him,
government must get primary education right to ensure that graduates in
the country are able to compete favourably with their peers across the
globe.

The governor also agreed that state governments must not wait for
the Federal Government before developing at their own pace, noting that
development in the south west under the late Obafemi Awolowo was often
ahead of the Federal Government.

Oyo State
pensioners nearly disrupted the signing of the state’s 2011
appropriation bill on Wednesday as they surged at the main gate of the
governor’s office to protest non-payment of the arrears of their
allowances.

The pensioners, in
an address prepared by their chairman, Lateef Adegoke, accused the
government of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of consistently falling on
promises to pay the allowances.

“It is exactly 305
days ago, precisely Friday, 30th April, 2010, when Oyo State governor,
Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, promised to commence the payment of the
arrears of 142 % owed Oyo State pensioners,” Mr. Adegoke said.

“On that day, 30th
April, 2010, the secretary to the state government, Olayiwola Olakojo,
issued a press statement in which he stated government’s intention to
pay the arrears. The commissioner for finance, Bayo Bankole, reinforced
this statement, albeit belatedly, on 22nd October, 2010. We were so
sure of these statements that we swallowed hook, line and sinker what
we were being told,” he said, as he relayed the many assurances from
the government.

Mr. Adegoke alleged
that when they kept mounting pressure on the government to fulfil its
promises, its agents told them that the file was already on the
governor’s table, awaiting his signature, and at another time, told
them that the delay was occasioned by the lateness of the state Pension
Board to submit the file.

“We have finally
found out that the governor’s statement of 30th April, 2010, and that
of his commissioner for finance of 22nd October, 2010 were barefaced
lies meant to deceive Oyo State pensioners,” the statement read further.

Despite efforts by
the security personnel manning the governor’s office’s gate to prevent
the senior citizens from entering the premises, noise of their
anti-government chants disturbed the signing of budget going on at the
Executive Council chambers yesterday.

They said that the
government could not pay the arrears even when it has “the money for
obscene frivolities,” adding that the governor was not labour-friendly
and only interested in fighting imaginary foes.

Boost revenue

Speaking at the
budget signing ceremony, the governor said he would intensify effort
this year to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),
saying the nation’s monolithic economy is having telling effects on
administration.

While promising the
people of the state to always embark on projects that will put smiles
on their faces, he urged them to ensure that they protect government
properties in their area and try to report any form of vandalism
promptly.

In his own speech,
Olawale Atilola, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, regretted
activities of the legislative arm of government at the state level is
being hampered by their reliance on fund from the executive.

Mr. Atilola informed that his house jerked up the original budget
proposed by the state governor with N4.5 billion to take care of some
areas not adequately catered for.

The gubernatorial
candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Kwara State, Mohammed
Dele Belgore, has described as political extremism Tuesday’s
demolitions of his billboards and those of other opposition candidates
in the state by thugs suspected to be working for the PDP and the state
government.

Mr. Belgore said
such acts were meant to intimidate Kwarans whom he said wanted a break
from the years of misrule, suppression, and corruption. He, however,
warned that “no amount of intimidation can hold back the drive for
liberation his party is championing in the state.”

Opposition
politicians in Kwara State alleged that the PDP and the state
government sponsored the violent removal of opposition billboards to
impress the visiting Nigerian president that there was no opposition to
the PDP in the state.

All the billboards
belonging to the opposition in the state capital were destroyed,
leaving only billboards belonging to the PDP governorship candidate,
Abdulfatah Ahmed.

“This is to alert
the whole world to the barbarism and political extremism going on in
Kwara State at the instance of the ruling PDP and the state government.
This barbarism is underscored by the recent violent actions of the
thugs loyal to the party, some carrying out their barbaric actions
right under the protection of the state government,” Rafiu Ajakaye, the
media aide to Mr. Belgore, said.

“All the billboards
in Ilorin belonging to the ACN governorship candidate, Mohammed Dele
Belgore, and other opposition candidates were either defaced or
uprooted outrightly by thugs being sponsored by the PDP-led state
government. At Emir’s Road, near the Belgore’s family house, for
instance, these thugs arrived at around 12.30am in a convoy of eight
vehicle containing arms and munitions, shooting sporadically into the
air to scare away any potential challenger of their barbarism, and then
tearing down the billboards.

“These actions were
repeated almost in all the key areas across the state capital,
including at Unity, Airport, and Iyana Afon Junctions, and at the Gairi
Alimi Roundabout, where they destroyed our billboards despite the fact
that the sites were duly registered and paid for under the auspices of
the Kwara State Advertising and Signage Agency (KWASA),” Mr. Ajakaye
said.

Remain calm

Mr. Ajakaye noted
that the message the ruling party and the state government are sending
to the people of Kwara is that the coming April polls would not be free
and fair.

“They have told anybody who cares to listen that the election would be a do-or-die affair,” he said.

Mr. Belgore, who
said he will not support violent reaction to the attacks, said politics
is about improving the lives of the people.

“Such actions can’t
stop liberation effort,” he said, urging the “provoked people” of Kwara
State to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands.

“These barbaric
actions only go to show that the state government and its agent
provocateurs have no respect for law and order,” he said.

Efforts to get the
reaction of Mas’ud Adebimpe, spokesperson to the Kwara State governor,
Bukola Saraki, did not succeed at press time.

Former Minister for Power and Steel, Tunji Ishola
Sarafa has been appointed as the Chairman of Campaign Committee of the
Peoples Democratic Party{PDP} governorship candidate in Ogun State,
Tunji Olurin.

Mr Sarafa, who was an aide of the incumbent governor,
Gbenga Daniel in 2003 before they later parted ways, was yesterday
announced by the party leadership at the Peoples Democratic Party{PDP}
Secretariat, Onikolobo, Abeokuta.

Other committee members for the campaign team
include, Semiu Sodipo, Dayo Adebayo, Ade Odulaja, Banjo Ogunbiyi and
Michael Fasinu [the Majority Leader of the Ogun State House of
Assembly}.

The inauguration ceremony was witnessed by Mr Olurin,
his deputy, Tunde Oladunjoye, party candidates for State Assembly,
House of Representatives and Senate as well as party chieftains.
‘‘Today, I believe, marks the beginning of our collective journey to a
renewed Ogun State. It is indeed a point whereby our efforts must be
made momentous,” chairman of the party, Dayo Soremi, said. ‘‘We are
gathered today to further spur ourselves with the utmost need to gird
our loins in the bid to ensuring 100% success for our great party at
the April polls. I congratulate all party members to have successfully
come this far.”

The party boss charged the committee as well as
other members to double their efforts in endearing the party and its
candidates to the minds of the masses. ‘‘The time to work more
assidiously than ever for our collective success, the time to
consolidate on our long anticipations and struggles has come ,” he
said.

Working hard

Mr Olurin said the party has mandated the campaign
committee to work hard, just as he called on other members to give
necessary support for the committee. “We must use our experience to
make our party great” expressing optimism that by May 29, 2011 he
would be the next governor of the state alongside with other elected
candidates of the party,” he said.

“We shall not discriminate, our party is well
prepared for election. I believe in unity of PDP in Ogun State. Nobody
will be able to divide us. By May 29, Oke-Mosa straight. We shall win.
My activities has carried me all over the world, it would not be
difficult for us to use that experience.”

Mr Ishola said the job is for all members of the party, assuring
that, his committee will not disappoint the party leadership and
members. ‘‘Our objective is victory at the poll for PDP,’ he said.
‘‘Victory is ours, the sign we see today is a right step in right
direction. I want to enjoin everybody to give maximum support, the
committee shall not let you down.”