The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Commission decries increasing piracy

    Commission decries increasing piracy

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has decried the increasing rate of piracy despite every effort towards curbing it.

    At this year’s World Book Day celebration, stakeholders identified piracy and the advent of new technology as major issues hampering creative works from blooming, even as they described piracy as a crime worse than robbery.

    The commission, saddled with the responsibility of protecting the rights of authors and other creative artists also noted that piracy is among the factors that destroy creative abilities of authors and artistes as well as a country’s economy.

    According to the NCC, the presence of new technology makes it difficult for authors to have control over their works.

    It, however, promised to review the Copyright Act with a view to bringing it up to international standard.

    Speaking in Abuja during the celebration, the Director-General of NCC, Mr. Afam Ezekude who was represented by a Director in the Commission, Mr. Jacob Fagbemi urged those involved in the act to desist from it.

    The Commission urged authors to extend their licensing right to digital platform so as to disseminate their work to more readers as well as to discourage people from purchasing pirated materials.

    “We are asking people to desist from indulging in piracy because it destroys the country’s economy and the creative ability of any author.

    “People who have laboured to use their brains to put something down should not be robbed by some fraudulent individuals that just go and reproduce the works of other authors without authorisation. Piracy is worse than robbery,” he said.

    On the trend of piracy in the country, he said: “The realisation of the basic aim of the statutory protection of authors has become more challenging given the influence of new technologies.

    “Prior to now, literary authors were confronted with the pervasive syndrome of piracy as well as wanton reproduction of materials through photocopying. “Currently, there are more intense challenges. The evolution of digital technology and electronic networks like the internet has made possible instantaneous transmission of creative content globally with limited control by the author.”

    The Commission, however, revealed that it has initiated a comprehensive review of the Copyright Act to address some of the issues.

    Mr. Ezekude said: “The review will, among other things, bring the Act in line with international standard of copyright protection in various international treaties to which Nigeria is signatory and ensure that challenges of contemporary technologies are well taken care of.

    “We encourage right owners to explore new business models that can ensure easy access to legitimate creative content. Authors and publishers of literary works should explore the possibility of extending their licensing activities to the new digital platform of accessing creative content in order to encourage wider dissemination of their works and as a means of discouraging the reading public from patronising pirated materials.

    “Our dwindling reading culture can be revitalised if teachers, parents and stakeholders make books look interesting and attractive.”

    Some of the schools represented at the event held at the International Community School, Abuja are Nurul Bayan School, Premier Academy Lugbe, Greater Heights Academy, Cherryfield Academy, Adeola International School and Kingsville Academy.

  • Jonathan, governors and Boko Haram

    Jonathan, governors and Boko Haram

    With the deployment of more bomber jets, equipment and troops to the stronghold of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states mid last year, it was expected that the deadly attackers would have been eradicated by now.

    Also the news last year that the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau sustained fatal gunshot injuries during gun battle with the Nigerian troops and later died gave Nigerians a false hope that Boko Haram and other terrorists’ acts will soon be a thing of the past.

    Even after changing the Service Chiefs early this year, President Goodluck Jonathan had insistently promised that the tempo against terror will change and the menace would be brought to an end.

    When Air Marshal Alex Badeh took over from Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim in January as the new Chief of Defence Staff, he initially declared that the issue of Boko Haram and other acts of terrorism will come to an end before April this year. He later denied the statement.

    But now, we are more than half way into the month of April and it seems as if the insurgency is on the rise.

    Boko Haram and other terrorist groups that appeared to have been restricted to the Northeast of the country for several months, struck Monday last week at a bus park in Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    While official deaths from the attack alone have been put at 75, many eye-witnesses and early arrivals at the scene of the bomb blast maintained that over 300 persons must have died from the attack.

    Just as Nigerians and the international community were still mourning over the latest bomb attack in Abuja, news filtered on the same day in the night that over 100 secondary school girls have been abducted by the insurgents in Borno State.

    With the latest attacks, some Nigerians have observed that the insurgency is on the rise because the government is not adopting the right approaches to the issues and that past recommendations, including those of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, headed by Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Kabiru Turaki, were not implemented.

    Other observers have also faulted the government for its inability to unmask the sponsors and financiers of the insurgency over the years despite making arrests of key members of Boko Haram and other groups.

    Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, who has majorly been at the receiving end of the attacks, had recently declared that the insurgents are better equipped and well-motivated to carry out the evil attacks than the Nigerian troops. But the Federal Government refuted his claims.

    A more worrisome development was the initial statement last week by the Defence Headquarters that only eight out of the 129 reportedly abducted school girls have not been rescued. The statement was later countered by the same Defence Headquarters.

    The school community in Borno State had, at the weekend, claimed that only about 14 of the school girls escaped from their abductors and those others are still missing.

    This calls to question the quality of information being passed to the President by the security agencies.

    Another grave allegation with a tendency to work against Nigeria’s success over the insurgents is the claim that some key military men in the Nigerian troop are working hand-in-hand with the insurgents.

    Worried by the upsurge of the insurgency, not only was the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting last week mainly devoted to the attacks last week, President Jonathan also summoned state governors and the National Security Council for a meeting in Abuja over the security challenges.

    The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, at the end of FEC meeting last week, maintained that Nigeria is currently faced with one of the worst forms of terrorism across the globe.

    Also speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the security meeting between Jonathan, governors and service chiefs, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum and Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio said: “Mr. President graciously listened to us and he said since it is a national issue, we must have all the 36 governors in attendance.

    “So, I believe strongly notice will be going out and all governors will be meeting with Mr. President and service chiefs Wednesday next week so we can sit and discuss and proffer solutions to the current insecurity in the country. I believe it will come to an end.

    “We must face the situation and it is not something we can politicise, you don’t politicise security. All hands must be on deck. The entire country, every single Nigerian must contribute his or her quota towards bringing the current situation to an end.

    “I believe that if you are not a soldier, you can also be an informant. And, of course, you know that this thing is becoming like an HIV. If you are not infected, you are affected. Your children are also involved, your grand children and relations. If people are now attacking schools to disrupt the lives of children, how will you not be concerned? A market woman is affected when motor parks are being bombed. So, there is no way any governor in Nigeria will not be concerned and will not show interest.

    “In bringing this situation to an end, all Nigerians must know that we must be our brother’s keepers as far as security is concern,” he said.

    With Jonathan’s next security meeting with state governors fixed for tomorrow and other new strategies to be adopted, it is hoped that the ongoing killings will be stopped and total peace and harmony restored to the country.

  • ‘Old generation hampers confab’

    Again, the membership of the National Conference has been called to question. A member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Rafiu A. Ibrahim has said the exercise may end up fruitless because there are too many people there who belong to the same generation of people who have determined the fate of the country for years.

    Dr Ibrahim, who represents Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency, also expressed reservation on the selection of delegates with old people taking the large chunk of the membership.

    He therefore, urged the federal government to correct the anomaly in order tackle the multifaceted problems plaguing the nation.

    The legislator was speaking to reporters in Offa, headquarters of Offa Local Government Area, shortly after his inauguration as honorary President of Mess Committee of the Nigeria Navy School of Health Sciences, Offa.

    He said, “My major reservation is that the confab is skewed towards the old age. They are too many. Spent forces cannot decide on how our tomorrow will be. That’s the only problem. I’m not against the confab, I’m not against the intention. That one will be judged by the outcome. I’m not against about anybody’s opinion there because we are all Nigerians.

    “But if we must talk about tomorrow, somebody that has no take in tomorrow, somebody that has taken a fixation or position on issues, most of them are there. They had already taken position. If you see me and my brother whereby we have thought an idea, by the time he talks to me I change. The same thing for him. If he’s thinking of something and I enlighten him on it, he changes, because we have take in the future.

    “Now, we have so many old people at the confab. So, we hope that they’ll allow the young ones there to be able to have something concrete.

    The intention of the president is good. The people that are there are prominent citizens. But the only thing is that it is skewed towards old age.”

    He pointed that inadequate representation and leadership inequality has been partly responsible for under-development being experienced in all spheres.

    The lawmaker, who is a member of the House Committee on Navy and Appropriation, said he was determined to initiate programmes that would better the lot of the people and called for more support from the people to be able to achieve the lofty dreams.

  • Residents to benefit from club’s gesture

    The Guardian of the Citizens Club, a socio-cultural organisation, has disclosed that over 70 residents of Abuja will benefit from an empowerment scheme and loan facilities to start their own businesses.

    An official of the club, Mr. Akachukwu Nwankpo said that the empowerment programme will enable Nigerian citizens to contribute to the growth and development of the country, even as he said it would prevent them from indulging in evil deeds.

    He blamed the current situation in the country on the inability of citizens to independently create wealth, said the growth expected can only be achieved if natural and human resources are properly harnessed.

    The Guardian of the Citizens Club further explained that until Nigerians start thinking of what they can do for themselves and the country, progress won’t be achieved.

    It also disclosed that the common good of the country can be achieved if citizens learn from founding fathers and football teams.

    Mr. Akachukwu Nwankpo noted that the best in Nigeria can be achieved if the natural gifts of its citizens are appropriately harnessed.

    Speaking on the empowerment scheme in Abuja at the induction of over 70 residents, Mr. Nwankpo said: “We are ready to give them fair access to funding, employment and enterprise alongside conditions that stimulate their enthusiasm.

    “We offer enterprise opportunities, give loans and also train them on the values of the club. We empower them so that they can help themselves and, in turn, help the country.

    Some of the partners of the club are First Bank Nigeria Plc and Eta Zuma Group. Residents were lectured on how to become entrepreneurs while some were taught how to make coal stove.

    Nwankpo, however, noted that what stands as obstacle between Nigeria and its progress is self-inflicted.

    “Some of the obstacles” he said, “are tribalism, indiscipline, corruption, selfishness and political jobbers. They blind us from the great promise of Nigeria and promote divisiveness that mess up our effort at making this rich land a successful country.

    “It is time we learnt from our founding fathers and our football teams in order to harness the potential of every citizen and together pursue the prosperity of Nigeria for the happiness of all.

    “The successes of our founding fathers and that of our football teams have demonstrated that we can achieve Nigeria’s greatness if we develop and mobilise the natural gifts of over 160 million Nigerians.

  • Searching for peace in Southern Kaduna

    Searching for peace in Southern Kaduna

    In the comfort of the conference hall of the General Hassan Usman Katsina House popularly known as State House in Kaduna, the Michael Zuokumor-led peace committee engaged leaders of the Southern Kaduna people and the Fulani for two days. What were they discussing? How to end attacks on Southern Kaduna communities that have left several people dead in midnight attacks. Present at the meeting were various Fulani organisations as well as leaders of the communities that recently came under attack.

    Many others who have been attacked in the past or who still stand the risk of being attacked were left out.

    That did not go down well with Governor Mukthar Yero who told members of the committee that they should be holding the meeting in the villages affected by the attacks and not in the comfort of air conditioned conference all. Yero believes that holding the meeting in Kaura would have been the best option as it will give the victims the feeling that something positive was being done about their plight.

    Yero told the committee that they should make efforts to actively engage the local people in their assignment, pointing out that it is only through active interaction with those directly affected that the panel can identify the true causes as well as solutions to the crises. He noted that “the crisis is not about religion or ethnicity. It is being engineered by some people using religion just in their selfish interests adding that rather than hold reconciliation meetings with elites who are the ones escalating the situation for selfish aims, “the meeting should have been held in Kaura and other affected communities in order to involve people at the grassroots, so that you can sit down with the natives and Fulanis to resolve the matter.”

    Rather than listen to the opinion of the governor and possibly visit the scene of the attacks, the committee sat and held discussion with the supposed aggressors and victims. Interestingly, while the southern Kaduna people have consistently accused the fulanis of being the ones attacking their villages (about 37 of such attacks have taken place since 2011), the Fulanis have never agreed that they were responsible for such attacks.

    This explains why a coalition of civil societies and non-governmental organisations in the area are not comfortable with the meeting and the agreement that came out of it. Zuwaghu Bonat of the Southern Kaduna Development Associations Forum question the rationale for the meeting.

    He said, “are they telling us that the Fulanis that were there and purportedly signed the cease fire agreed that they were the ones killing our people? Did they agree that they are the ones killing our people? We need to know that categorically because if they are the ones killing our people, did they explain why they are killing our people? We never attacked them, but they say warring parties and we know that there is nothing like warring parties because we are not fighting with anybody.

    Therefore the question of signing a ceasefire does not arise. It is just another round of politics as far as we are concerned”.

    He is also not comfortable with holding the meeting without those he called the critical stakeholders who are supposed to be part of a peace deal if there will be anything like that. However, at the end of the meeting, leaders of the two groups allegedly agreed to a ceasefire even though many people in southern Kaduna, especially the youth does not believe that there is anything like cease fire since according to them, “we are not fighting anybody”.

    Zakari Sogfa, a former Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna State and coordinator of the CSO/CBO said they have every cause to believe that the “so called agreement” will not stand the test of time. According to him, “southern Kaduna is not the only place where they have signed such peace agreement. In Benue state, they did that and the following day, what happened? You cant abandon your basic responsibility as security forces and rely on peace and mediation to take over the constitutional role you are supposed to play. If I were at the meeting, I would have asked the DIG what guarantee he is giving the people to fall back on. How are we sure that if we sign this, worse things will not arise the following day like it happened in other places? The reports of peace and reconciliation meetings they have had in the past, why have they not implemented them? As we have stated, we are not fighting fulanis. It is the fulanis that are fighting us and the government has misunderstood it. It is not an issue of conflict, but an issue of genocide. The hypothesis here is that a group of people are bent on exterminating a section of the country and they are doing that with ferocity ad you are saying that the remedy is a peace meeting between the two sides. That is ridiculous. What you must do is to stop the carnage first and investigate to find out what is happening. Are you saying that if they kill my people, I should go and attend a peace meeting with those who are killing my people? The blood of those killed is crying out for justice and the justice the state can offer them is to call them to government house and humiliate them into signing an agreement. When was it prepared, who negotiated it, what are the terms? How can an agreement be binding on a people who are unaware of the terms and conditions?

     

  • Life after Nyanya blast

    Life after Nyanya blast

    Monday, April 14 has gone down in history as a black Monday. This was the day a motor park in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory was bombed by the Boko Haram insurgents. Many died and several others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the blast that took everyone by surprise.

    Residents of the area, for the first time experienced the height of man’s inhumanity to man.

    Days after the blast, residents of Nyanya, Mararaba and Masaka were still in pains and counting their losses. The Nyanya Park used to be a busy centre, especially with the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) restriction of mini-buses from plying some routes in the city. So, the Nyanya Park served as an alternative for commercial motorists.

    Again, the park served as the first point where people coming in from Nasarawa and even Plateau first stop to board vehicles for town. After the blast, the park has become a shadow of itself.

    Unlike before, few people are seen around the park. The park that hosts a market where people trade on second-hand clothing materials, bags and shoes was almost empty because people are afraid to get close to the scene of the unfortunate incident.

    Military and security operatives have since condoned off the site, keeping close watch on the few people hanging around. The park opposite it which has since been converted into a new park for the El-Rufai buses was equally empty as passengers who might have boarded the buses from town alighted from the buses and hurried off the park.

    Although security agents have since declared the area safe, most residents say the horror of the blast has been etched in their psyche.

    An old man Alhaji Dauda Garba, sat at the far end of the new park dejectedly, with few kola nuts in a tray which he sells, explained that he sells kolanuts in the old park in a bid to take care of his large family in Kano before the blast. He regretted that the blast has affected his means of livelihood as he could not make sells to take care of his family.

    He further explained that he was at the park early that day carrying his wares about. But he had become fagged out after going round few times, even as he said he had decided to go to the mosque adjacent the park and rest for awhile. He was just about getting up to return to his business when he heard a loud blast that seemed to rip his stomach open.

    Garba explained that most of the people who died that day didn’t die at the park, adding that there were some people who were across the park who died as a result of iron rods that flew from the park after the explosion and killed or injured them as far as the NNPC Filling Station that is more than 200 meters away from the Nyanya Park.

    He narrated about an incident in which a young man who was across the road had his head split into two by an iron rod. Also a motor spare part of one of the buses flew to the road from the park and killed another victim. He also recounted how the head of a woman that was selling okpa in a wheelbarrow at the park flew across the road into a gutter.

    Garba said: “My body is still weak since the blast and I still find it difficult eating without throwing up.

    “There were young people that push wheel barrows about or those that sell pure water, locally made tea or other things at the park, which are still missing. Some people are still dying even days after the event and this time round, they are unaccounted for. Some of these people who were affected by the blast left the scene after they were hit by objects only to die after walking a short distance. They had to be buried quietly without any official announcement.

    “Even on Tuesday and Wednesday, we still found some of our people that lay inside or under abandoned vehicles and died there. Some of them were not seen by the emergency personnel because they ran away from the scene in fear only to die elsewhere.

    “For instance, people inside the bathing house not from the park were affected as well by the blast. Most of them were killed inside the bathroom.

    “Till now, we are still searching for some people who are missing. Sometimes when you ask for someone, you will be told that he died in the blast. They all died there or are in the hospital.

    “The government needs to see the way lives are being lost in the country. They have to do something to save the lives of people in this country because they cannot exist without us and vice versa.”

    The Chief of Nyanya, Danladi Iya, Sarkin Nyanya who lives very close to the park said he was in bed when the incident occurred, adding that the ground shook and his ceiling and windows all fell apart from the impact. He said he was so terrified that he could not get up from his bed.

    The Chief, who said the blast, had weakened him pleaded with residents to pray for the country and go about their businesses without fear or intimidation from anyone.

    Mr. James Oche who sells rugs around the park said he was about 200 meters from the park on that day when he heard the explosion.

    He said: “I witnessed the horror that occurred on that day. For me, if this type of thing continues to happen, then I don’t think the country is any longer safe for me because, frankly speaking, I may plan to either leave the environment or travel out of the country because I no longer feel safe in my country.

    “We that do businesses here are not talking about our businesses anymore because my brother went out to buy goods this morning. Formerly, they used to bring the goods to us here but now the Whiteman said he could not come down to Nyanya. So, I don’t know what we will be doing now.

    “My advice to the government is to try to do something urgently concerning this security situation in the country because everybody is afraid. Right now, if someone throws fireworks (knockout) in the air, people will start running for fear. It is not good for people to be intimidated by his countrymen.”

    Another resident who identified himself as Levi Nwobodo said: “Everybody around here live in fear. Before now, the park was always busy with people selling second-hand clothes and different items. But now, everywhere is empty because people are scared of returning to the market.”

    A food seller close to the park, Rebecca Shehu said: “This thing that happened is really shocking because we did not envisage it. The government needs to take decisions about the issue because people are losing their lives almost on daily basis.

    “I can no longer sleep well since after the incident because the blast affected my room. All my windows broke and iron rods from the blast entered my room.

  • The pain of no fuel

    The pain of no fuel

    It started like a joke. When fuel scarcity resurfaced in the FCT, it was first noticed in some parts of the city but in no time, it spread everywhere, leaving residents with long faces.

    Within a day or two many filling stations resorted to selling in trickles, while major distributors restricted their business to night hours when they are sure to make more money from black market vendors.

    First, everyone was confused as to the appropriate time to get the commodity at any filling station.

    Black marketers took over Abuja with containers, which according to findings, majorly contain diluted PMS.

    The situation was worse in the rural areas where filling stations are located.

    In Kuje, when Abuja Review visited, the situation was tense. Out of five filling stations located in the area, only the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) sold, with long queues.

    Findings also revealed that most filling stations especially in Kuje are not checked by the regulatory authority.

    Motorists on the fuel queue had a raw deal because sometimes, after the attendants had sold to a few people, the station would announce that they had run out of fuel.

    Many motorists without fuel in their car had to leave their vehicles at the station waiting and hoping to buy the next day.

    Residents called on the Federal Government to tackle the scarcity which has caused serious hardship to all.

    Some of them, who were lamenting outside Oando filling station where operators of the station refused to sell to motorists, explained that most petrol stations have refused to sell fuel to motorists because of the fear of prolonged fuel scarcity.

    Mr. John Ona, one of the residents who spoke with Abuja Review, said he has been looking for fuel for the past two days without any headway, adding that any fuel station he visited from Kuje to town, the operators refused to sell fuel.

    His words: “The truth is that nobody knows what is causing this scarcity in Abuja; almost all the filling stations have stopped selling fuel, without any genuine reason. If you ask the operators, they will tell you that they do not have fuel and even when you see filling station selling fuel, you will queue for hours before you buy the product.

    “The situation is getting out of hands; people are suffering in the FCT because of some greedy petrol operators who are hoarding the fuel for no reason. The federal government should do something about it, because, it is spoiling the good report of ‘no fuel scarcity’ during this administration.”

    Another resident, Mrs. Agnes Shekwo, said that the scarcity is seriously affecting the lives of the people, because, apart from using the product for vehicles, it is not available for residents to use to power the generator for businesses when there is power failure.

    “We need fuel to power our generators for us to effectively do our businesses. But since the scarcity of petroleum product, I have not been able to get fuel to put on my generator, and we hardly have electricity light in my area.

    “Last week, all the meat I kept in my freezer to prepare food in my restaurant got spoilt, because of power outage and no fuel to use in my generator. The federal government should call whoever is involved in the fuel scarcity to order. Because, the whole thing is getting out of hands,” she appealed.

    Abba Attahiru said: “We do not know what is causing the fuel scarcity but we just woke up one morning and started experiencing it. Nobody is giving us a true story of what is behind the scarcity. All the same as Nigerians we have been trying to cope. Suffering and smiling as usual. For me I think it is connected to the political problems we are having in the country because with the trend of things that is happening now, insecurity, suspension of CBN governor, among other and you know a lot of bodies have been showing their grievances. I think we have putting our efforts into making Nigeria a better place as in we the populace. Government should look at the suffering of the masses. Because we made them to be where they are today, they should try to resolve the crisis of fuel scarcity.”

    Mr. Patrick Odeh also lamented saying: “We were thinking that this type of thing will not surface again in Nigeria having experience free flow of fuel for the past two years. We just believe that it is artificial and then it will be dealt with appropriately. Government should do the needful. We have no reason suffering fuel scarcity in this country with all the refineries that are in place. I leave in Kuje.”

    Authorities of the filling stations visited refused to speak with Abuja Review on the matter.

    At the black market as at the time of filing this report, 10 liters was sold for N2,000 while two liters was sold for N400.

    Most people buy it due to the fact that they must go to work to look for their daily bread.

    Mrs. Lamid Adeniyi said: “We do not know where we are going in this Nigeria. Our leaders should help us, we are really suffering. Everything is politics.”

    A petroleum marketer who pleaded anonymity told Abuja Review what could be responsible for the scarcity.

    The source who owns a filling station in Port Harcourt said: “The issue of the scarcity is artificial because refineries are work. There are repairs going on. It is not peculiar to the north. Everywhere has it own problem because of short supply. There will not be increase in pump price of petroleum product. You can see that people are now making sharp business and the marketers are now using the opportunity to make statements that there may be increase in pump price. And when you hear that, you will want to stock the product to last you for some time.”

  • N360tr to be spent on centenary city

    N360tr to be spent on centenary city

    It has been confirmed that the Abuja Centenary City will cost more than N360 trillion to build.

    The city which is expected to be completed in 60 months will comprise five five-star hotels, apartment units, the best convention centre in Africa, apartment units and lots of other commercial structures which are hoped to provide more than 250,000 jobs.

    The city will also be a unique landmark for the country to mark the country’s unity and 100 years of amalgamation.

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Sen Bala Mohammed made the disclosure during the week at the signing agreement on the development of the centenary city, between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Centenary City Plc.

    Mohammed who handed over the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) to the private developers assured that the Original inhabitants are being duly compensated and will be relocated.

    His words, “The land is going to be subjected to due diligence and nobody will be short-changed, it will be developed in a manner that will provide employment that will accelerate the development of the Federal Capital City (FCC) and the territory as per the concept of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) act.

    “FCDA will be part of the project to ensure that everything conforms to the Abuja master plan.

    “The portion of 1064 hectares is being seeded as a concession to the centenary PLC. The FCT is taking a small portion of equity of 5%, where our own premium and development control charges are going to be put as part of the equity contribution.

    “This is not a project that has the problem of resettlement and compensation, when we started , we insisted that enumeration must be carried out, all with the economic trees and other compensation must be paid and the Centenary city PLC have paid fully a 100% into our account and we are doing the enumeration and payment as per the entitlement of all the people of the Centenary land, what is outstanding, is maybe the houses, that will be subjected to more diligence and enumeration and they have the resources to pay them, there is no any agitation or fear expressed by the settlers or people of these area.”

    He also said, “Because they are very happy that for the first time, before a project is completed or done, their own resettlement, compensation and entitlements are being settled and we discuss with them in a bottle up approach in the way and manner that er are also doing the land swap but certainly, there are apprehensions because formerly, FCT have been developing without taking into cognisance the needs of the original inhabitants.

  • Grassroots women urged to be self-reliant

    Do not sit back and wait for your husbands and others to help you earn more money; go ahead, seek to be self-reliant.

    That was the message some grassroots women took home in Abuja at an empowerment conference organised for them.

    Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Zainab Maina gave them the nudge at the Rural Rescue Outreach Foundation’s first grassroots women empowerment conference in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Empowering women, Hajia Maina said would contribute to the promotion of full and equal participation of women in nation building and bring the nation closer to eradicating poverty and promoting peace in Nigeria.

    The minister who was represented by a Deputy Director at the ministry, Mr. Olowoofoyeku Olusoji said: “I commend Rural Rescue Outreach Foundation (RROF), who taught it wise to organize a conference of this nature that would unfold set of principles to offer guidance on how to advance and empower women in their workplace, market and rural communities thereby bringing about their rapid development.

    “Your initiative correlates directly with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, that stipulates development and empowerment of all citizens especially women.

    “Let me emphasise that it is part of my ministry’s mandate to ensure the well being of Nigerian women whom we have over the years engaged in various activities and programmes designed to boost their income at grassroots.

    “Some of the programmes targeted at them include the establishment of Women Fund for Economic Empowerment (WOFEE), Business and Development Fund for Women (BUDFOW) and the Establishment of Skills Acquisition Centres (ESAC) all over the federation. Sincerely, these schemes were established to stimulate economic empowerment of women and further impel them to be self reliant.”

  • Jonathan and the rule of law

    Jonathan and the rule of law

    President Goodluck Jonathan often reiterates his administration’s commitment the rule of law.

    Declaring his belief that law is an instrument for social engineering and political transformation, the President has pledged to ensure that all actions of his government will conform to the rule of law, including observation of human rights norms.

    To sustain the confidence of the people in the rule of law, at a point, he challenged the managers of the nation’s judiciary to constantly review the country’s laws.

    The President has also enjoined the judiciary to always give credible and well-reasoned judgments in order to enhance social justice and fairness.

    Apart from declaring his commitments to the rule of law in Nigeria, the president has also taken the campaign to the world stage.

    Speaking at the first-ever High-Level Plenary Session on the Rule of Law at the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York in 2012, he called for global order based on the rule of law.

    Stressing that the rule of law at international level must be based on the core principles of the United Nations which were further reaffirmed in the 2005 World Summit Document, he promised that all pledges made by Nigeria to the international community would be met.

    Pushing for nations to honour their international obligations, he specifically pointed out that nations have the obligations to refrain from threat or use of force, to settle disputes through peaceful means, to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and abide by international humanitarian law.

    Still, the Presidency under him has been accused in some instances of interfering with the rule of law, while the administration has also been criticised for acting slowly in some burning issues, especially corruption.

    A case in point was the belief in some quarters that the Presidency interfered with the rule of law in the case that culminated in the National Judicial Council (NJC’s) suspension and eventual removal of the former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, who was believed to have stood firm against the perversion of justice and the abuse of power.

    On allegation of moving too slow on some issues, it has been said that the President had to allow the rule of law to follow its rightful course in order not to be seen as a dictator.

    The President, however, has said that sometimes he feels like moving faster than the rule of law to address some issues, especially bordering on corruption, but that he must wait for the law to take its course.

    Speaking last week while receiving the outcome of the National Stakeholders Forum on Electoral Reform from the Chairman of Ken Nnamani Centre for Leadership and Development and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, the President recalled his encounter with the Auditor-General of the Federation on a particular corruption allegation.

    He said: “Then, I called the Auditor-General and say ‘Look, you must look into this and tell Nigerians’ and you know what the man told me, he said ‘Mr. President the law establishing the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation does not say you, President have to direct me. There is a process and that process has to take its course.’

    “So these are the issues. But that is the law and there is a reason for that. So, I agree with you totally for us as a nation to progress, irrespective of the challenges, irrespective of the pains, we must all obey the rule of law otherwise it will be an animal kingdom where somebody wakes up and do whatever he likes.” He said

    He went on: “The rule of law, especially when the issue is about corruption. I told people that, yes, if you want the president to go outside the law to do things, as a president and executive president, I am a primary beneficiary. But, it is not too good for the society because one, I am also a politician.”

    “If I try to do things that way, then truly I may use it to help myself or help my party or so. So, whether the process is slow or not, we must obey our laws. We must obey the rule of law, and the society will be normal,” he stated.