The Nation Newspaper

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  • Tukur: we won’t dump Ondo PDP exco

    Tukur: we won’t dump Ondo PDP exco

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday said the party has no plan to dump its Executive Council in Ondo State or align with Governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party (LP).

    He debunked rumours that the party’s structures have been handed over to Mimiko, who was declared winner of the October 20 governorship election.

    In a letter to the PDP’s candidate in the Ondo governorship election, Chief Olusola Oke, former Governor Olusegun Agagu, Ondo PDP Chairman Ebenezer Alabi and former Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo, Tukur said the Ondo chapter is “enduring, time-tested and very dependable”.

    He said the national leadership believes in the competence of the Ondo PDP Exco to win future elections.

    Oke said: “I congratulate the leadership and members of our great party in Ondo State for its good performance in the just-concluded governorship election.

    “Although we were not declared winner, I am happy and proud of our party’s performance, despite all odds. In spite of the loss suffered by the party in the election, Ondo PDP leaders are good ambassadors and worthy leaders.

    “The party’s national leaders are satisfied with the fighting spirit, candour and leadership competence of Oke and the state chapter of the party.

    “I assure you of my assistance and support as well as that of other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and other national organs of the party at all times.”

     

  • ‘West Africa needs $26b for regional electricity inter-connectivity’

    The West African sub-region requires $26 billion to carry out the electricity inter-connectivity of the sub-region.

    Mr. Amadou Diallo, the Secretary-General of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), said this yesterday in Abuja at the seventh session of the general assembly of the WAPP.

    He said the sub-regional electricity inter-connectivity programme is progressing and many West Africa countries are moving towards having a common electricity platform.

    Diallo said many of them, especially Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali and Mauritania, have embarked on power reform programmes across the sub-region.

    The sub-regional power reform programmes, he noted, are concentrated on regulatory, generation and transmission issues.

    Diallo identified tariff as one of the challenges confronting the sub-regional electricity inter-connectivity initiative. This, he said, is too high for the people but low for the countries.

    Earlier, Mr. Olushola Akinniranye, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria and host of the session, listed some achievements of the WAPP initiative as the construction of the Ikeja West 330kva line that will supply power to Cotonou and the ongoing power stations for Togo, Benin and Ghana.

    He said WAPP also suffers from lack of funds to execute the projects, but hoped that the pool would continue to look for more funds to execute its projects.

    Diallo and Akinniranye said it was impossible for Nigeria to give out power much more than it needed, adding that “we don’t supply more than we use to other West African countries.”

  • Youths urged on nation building

    The Principal Coordinator of Modella Afrik, Raymond Iroham, has urged Nigerian youths to be at the vanguard of promoting the virtues of peace, orderliness and moral rectitude, which are tools for national transformation.

    He spoke at the launch of Modella Afrik at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Milk and Honey Chapel, Mende, Maryland, Lagos.

    Iroham said young people are the leaders of tomorrow and they must exhibit good leadership qualities that will facilitate growth and development.

    He said governments across the world are grappling with wars, inhuman treatments and terrorism, which are mostly orchestrated by immoral and ungodly youths who would have sought redress when aggrieved through peaceful mechanism.

    He noted that God is in dire need of youths who will surrender themselves to Him and help in the campaign for a safe and better world fit for all to live in.

     

  • Rep faults govt programmes

    A member of the House of Representatives, Amere Akintayo (ACN, Osun) has reiterated the determination of the House to present a budget of hope and prosperity next year.

    He said it is unfair to compare Nigeria with other countries on the $80 crude oil benchmark as proposed by the House while other parameters were conveniently ignored by the government.

    According to him, some of the touted empowerment programmes of the government were mere media hype with insignificant impact on Nigerians.

    He said the government should measure the impact of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) as well as the N200billion agriculture loan to farmers, among several others.

    Akintayo said the House won’t swayed by unrealistic comparison with other economies that have always been known for transparency and accountability.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Community storms court over monarch’s kidnap

    Where is Chief Lawrence Oragwu? This is the question on the lips of the people of Adazi-Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State.

    Oragwu, who was their acting traditional ruler, was kidnapped on June 2, last year. Till date, security agencies have no clue of his whereabouts.

    Members of the community, led by the President, Adazi-Nnukwu Town Development Union, Lagos Branch, Chief Theophine Enemuo, stormed the Federal High Court, Lagos, last Monday, where a judgment was set to be delivered in a suit filed against security agencies over the kidnap.

    In tears, they wondered how their chief and leader would be abducted and has not been found, a year and four months after. To them, it is absurd.

    Oragwu, a retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, was abducted by unknown gunmen in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, on his way from church. He was at the time the Acting Igwe of Adazi-Nnukwu.

    Enemuo said the community has been in shock since the abduction. They are urging President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Peter Obi to intervene and get security agencies to find Chief Oragwu, alive or dead, so the community and family can have some peace.

    The community leader said: “The position of my community Adazi Nnukwu is that all stone must be turned in respect of knowing the whereabouts of our respected chief, Lawrence Oragwu, the acting Igwe of Adazi Nnukwu who was kidnapped over a year ago.

    “It is over a year since he was abducted and series of petitions and complaints have been lodged with various security agencies. Up till today, no positive response has been received. Hence, we accompanied our son to court to compel the security agencies concerned to act in accordance with law.

    “Our demand, with due respect to our President, Goodluck Jonathan, our brother governor, Peter Obi and security agencies is that Chief Lawrence Oragwu should be found dead or alive so that the community can move forward.

    “Chief Lawrence Oragwu, the Ezenna Okeosisi na Eche Ndo (A father-king who protects his people like a huge tree) served the nation meritoriously and retired as Customs Area Comptroller.

    “The High Chief of the town should not be said to be missing! Our people say that Isi nze ato na mba (The head of a king should not be lost in another clan). Therefore the mystery behind his abduction should be unraveled.”

    Enemuo urged the people of Adazi-Nnukwu to remain prayerful, saying: “Our prayer to the authorities is that our community needs an answer as to the whereabouts of Chief Lawrence Oragwu.

    “I urge the people of Adazi Nnukwu to remain calm and continue to pray to God Almighty, so that at the end of the day, the whereabouts of Chief Lawrence Oragwu will be known.”

    Meanwhile, the court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris, in a judgment last Tuesday, ordered the Director-General, State Security Services (SSS), and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the abduction of Chief Oragwu.

    He ordered the IGP to mandate a special unit of the police to commence or take over and conclude the investigation.

    Both the police and SSS must transmit to the court’s Registry a type-written report of their respective investigations “within three months,” the judge ordered.

    Justice Idris noted that the respondents did not defend the action. He, therefore, entered judgment in favour of the plaintiff, Mr Nnamdi Oragwu, a lawyer, who is the royal father’s son.

     

  • Anambra to resettle flood victims

    A committee set up by Anambra State Governor Peter Obi to assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) following the recent floods has moved to various communities in the state to assess the extent of damage the floods did to them.

    The team, led by the Secretary of the State Government (SSG), Mr Oselloka Obaze, said it is concerned about how to prevent epidemics in the affected communities.

    The committee spoke yesterday at the state Emergency Agency (SEMA) office in Awka, the state capital, when it received the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Relations, Sen. Ben Ndi Obi.

    The Presidential aide said he responded to the call by the governor for more support to the flood victims with over 300 tubers of yam, 21 bags of rice, 21 bags of Semovita, bags of garri and beans, among others.

    Obaze said: “The bigger challenges are yet to come. That is, resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the victims. Again, the biggest of them all is hunger.

    “We are going to need more help from our people. My house is under water, but my concern is for those who have no means of fixing themselves back because some of us are not equal. I can take care of myself.

    “Mr President approved N17billion for flood victims, while Anambra, which is in the A-List, got N500million. When the water recedes, you will see that some trillions of naira will be required.”

    Ben Obi hailed the governor for his quick intervention when the floods overtook parts of the state.

    He warned that if the situation is not properly tackled, it could cause epidemics.

     

  • Court rejects request to summon Clark on Ibori’s $15m

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday refused the oral application to summon Southsouth leader Chief Edwin Clark for his comment on the controversial $15 million traced to the convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

    Ibori allegedly offered the money as bribe to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Clark called for the sack of the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, following the “needless controversy” in which the money was shrouded by the suit filed by the commission.

    At the resumed hearing of the suit filed by the commission seeking forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government yesterday, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) criticised Clark for commenting on an issue that is before the court.

    Ruling on the request to invite the elder statesman, Justice Gabriel Kolawole said the application was diversionary.

    Justice Kolawole said Clark is neither a party nor counsel in the matter before him.

    He, however, said the commission is at the liberty to file a formal application to summon Clark before him.

    Meanwhile, a London lawyer, Mr. John Aina, has filed an application on behalf of an individual, Mr. Olalekan Kayode, urging the court to remit the $15 million bribe money to him on trust for the public.

    Aina urged the court not to forfeit the money to the Federal Government on the grounds that all the looted funds recovered from the families of the former Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha; former Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic Bank Cecilia Ibru; former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye and Halliburton were “re-looted” by government officials.

    He said he would constitute a trust committee on behalf of Nigerians, which shall determine what projects to execute with it for the benefit of the masses.

    Before adjourning hearing till November 11, Justice Kolawole told parties to serve all pending applications.

    Clark had accused Lamorde of displaying gross incompetence in the manner he was handling the case.

    He said: “Nigerians desire a more serious body to fight corruption and not the EFCC that is being manned by Lamorde.”

    The elder statesman said there was no controversy over the ownership of the money as is being insinuated by the anti-graft agency in the suit before the court.

    He said all involved in the forfeiture suit filed by EFCC should be probed.

    Clark believes the money might have been offered as bribe to former EFCC boss Nuhu Ribadu to compromise him in the investigation of the N120 billion supplementary budget fraud allegation against Ibori.

    Justice Kolawole had granted an order forfeiting the money to the Federal Government, following an exparte application by the EFCC.

    Ibori allegedly offered the money as bribe to Ribadu through an undisclosed source in 2007.

    The money had been in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since Ibori denied offering the money to Ribadu.

    But the Delta State Government filed an application to counter the forfeiture order.

    It said the money belongs to it and should be returned to its treasury.

  • Headteachers not exempted from teaching, says Ogun

    The Ogun State Government yesterday said headteachers of public primary schools are not exempted from teaching and writing lesson notes. It warned headteachers against shying away from such responsibilities.

    The government said this would check a situation where some teachers slip into redundancy.

    It said teachers’ promotion letters for 2009 and 2010 have been released and the running cost for the 2011/2012 session paid.

    The Chairman of the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Chief Mufutau Ajibola, spoke while addressing public primary school teachers in Abeokuta North, Ijebu North and Yewa North local government areas.

    Ajibola urged the teachers to be more dedicated to their job and dress decently.

    He said the government was rehabilitating 1,234 classrooms in 376 schools and 278 schools are being built across the state.

     

  • PHCN official electrocuted in Osun forest

    An official of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has been electrocuted in a forest in Osun State.

    It was learnt that the deceased and other PHCN workers were trying to identify the cause of power outage in some parts of Ondo and Ekiti states when the incident occurred.

    PHCN engineers are yet to identify the cause of the eight-day old power outage.

    A source said the PHCN team spent the weekend in a forest between Erin-Ijesa in Osun State and the boundary towns of Ikeji-Arakeji and Owena in Ondo State, trying to identify the fault.

    An Akure engineer, Mr. Adewale Oketade, blamed the worker’s death on the management of the PHCN.

    Oketade said it was dangerous for engineers to work on power lines because the larger parts of the installations were built in forests, which have difficult terrains.

    He said air surveillance should be used for the easy detection of faults.

    PHCN spokesman, Akure Business Office, Mr. Adegoke Ademola confirmed the death.

    Ademola said PHCN engineers were still working on the power lines in the forest. He said electricity would be restored in the affected areas before the week runs out.

  • Woman, 41, docked for alleged N21m theft

    A 41-year-old woman has been arrested and charged before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing N21.1 million belonging to one Abiodun Shode.

    The suspect, Mrs Yemisi Ifezue, was arraigned by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) on three counts of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.

    Prosecuting Superintendent of Police (SP) Frank Emerho told the court that the suspect and others at large sometime in November 2009, obtained N21.1 million from the complainant under the pretence of supplying him 10 trucks of petroleum product from African Petroleum (AP).

    Emerho said although the total amount involved was N40 million, the suspect later returned N20 million to Shode but failed to pay the balance.

    He said the offence, which was committed at Ilesanmi Idowu Street, was contrary to and punishable under Sections 409, 312(1)(2)(3), and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011.

    However, Mrs Ifezue, who told the court that she was a business woman, said the case was a business transaction that got soiled.

    She alleged that she was duped and that was why she could not deliver the consignment as agreed.

    The suspect, who admitted that she has paid part of the money, told the court she has not been able to complete the payment following her mother’s ill health.

    She opted for an out-of-court settlement, noting that she was willing to pay the complainant his balance.

    Presiding Magistrate F. O. Davies-Abegunde granted the suspect bail in N3 million with two sureties each in like sum.

    She said the sureties must be responsible citizens of Nigeria and resident in Lagos with evidence of regular tax payment,

    Mrs Davies-Abegunde adjourned the matter to November 13.