The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fate

  • Gbemi Saraki’s fate in the balance

    IN Nigerian politics, your last name goes a long way in determining how far you can go. And if you are the child of Olusola Saraki, late Senate Majority Leader in the Second Republic and strongman of Kwara politics, you may enjoy certain political privileges from the Federal Government without breaking sweat. Little wonder rumours of Senator Gbemisola Saraki’s recent nomination for ministerial role do not come as a shock to many.

    Gbemisola, daughter of late Saraki, is a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State and has become a major force for the party in Kwara State since her elder brother, Senator Bukola Saraki, defected to the All Peoples Congress (APC). In shocking twist, however, when the list of ministerial nominees was finally released over a month ago, Gbemi’s name was conspicuously missing.

    Some said she was dropped at the last minute because a powerful clique in Abuja worked against her interest. Others say her nomination is only being delayed until the end of the ongoing National Conference where Gbemi is a delegate.

  • Fola Adeola turns 60

    Fola Adeola turns 60

    With a life that boasts of sterling feats, including being a frontline banker and taking a shot at the nation’s number two position in the 2011 general election, Fola Adeola has every reason to be thankful. This is more so as he will be attaining the landmark age of 60 in a few weeks.

    The co-founder and pioneer Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank’s birthday will come up in January. But information scooped by CelebWatch indicates that friends and family members of the fair-complexioned banker turned politician are already putting heads together to make his 60th birthday grand and exceptional.

    A planning committee is said to have been constituted with a mandate to ensure a memorable celebration. But it was also learnt that the occasion may not be devoid of political colouration with the rumour that the Chairman of FATE Foundation is nursing a governorship ambition, even though he came out to deny any such ambition when his posters flooded the streets of Abeokuta a few months ago.

  • Fate unkind to Sharks, says Ndubuisi

    Fate unkind to Sharks, says Ndubuisi

    Heartland coach Nduka Ndubuisi has said Glo Premier League side Sharks were unlucky to have been paired with his team in the Federation Cup round of 16 knockout stage.

    Both sides ended the round of 16 evenly matched at 1-1 after full time inside the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City on Wednesday but the Naze Millionaires outscored the Blue Angels 4-3 in the penalty shootout to progress to the quarterfinals of the annual football event.

    Heartland will confront Glo Premier League side Akwa United in the quarterfinals.

    Ndubuisi said Sharks came all out to upturn the table but met the side determined to make it a treble.

    “Sharks could have comfortably beaten another side but for the fact that they met the title holders. They gave their best and proved that they’re a Premier League side, a performance inconsistent with a side at the bottom of the league table.

    “The aura of being the reigning champions steeled our resolve to fight to the finish and helped us tremendously to survive Sharks’ unyielding spirit. It was a good game and a big advertisement for the Federation Cup.

    “I believe we’re steadily on the right path to winning the Cup for three consecutive times, we’ve again served the notice to other challengers that we’re not in a hurry to relinquish our firm hold on the Federation Cup title,” said the former Mbaise Lions coach to supersport.com.

    Ndubuisi described his side’s quarterfinals opponents, Akwa United, as another good side on the path of elimination from the Federation Cup.

    “Akwa United are a good side and good opponents, too for the quarterfinals but be rest assured that the Cup holders will play in the final and eventually achieve their treble goal,” said the former Sharks coach.

    Heartland won the Federation Cup in 2011 at the expense of Oriental foes, Enyimba and against Lobi Stars in 2012 in Lagos.

  • Tukur’s fate shaky as eight NWC members resign

    Tukur’s fate shaky as eight NWC members resign

    After almost 24 hours of horse-trading, loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday took a break from their battle to save Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Bamanga Tukur’s job.

    The pro-Jonathan camp, led by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio, plans to frustrate a plot by some aggrieved governors to raise a vote-of-no confidence against Tukur at today’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling party.

    Anti-Tukur governors yesterday held consultations on how to either get the National Chairman out or boycott the NEC, if the conduct of the meeting will not be “democratic”.

    Eight members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and eight Deputy National officers yesterday resigned from office to face a fresh election at the mini-National Convention of the party on July 15

    According to sources, some members of the National Caucus are opposed to Tukur’s removal.

    They were said to have advised President Goodluck Jonathan against playing into the hands of the governors who are planning to hijack the party structure for the 2015 poll.

    It was also learnt that Caucus members opted for calling Tukur to order than outright removal because it would not help the party’s unity.

    Some members of the National Caucus reportedly queried the rationale for removing Tukur when he is not listed among those whose election was invalidated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    INEC on April 8, 2013 nullified the election of 12 of the 16 NWC members.

    The lucky four, whose election followed due process, are Tukur; the sacked National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; the removed National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha; and the Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani.

    But there were fears in the Presidency’s camp that some governors and aggrieved members of the G-84(comprising state chairmen and secretaries) might spring a surprise at the NEC meeting.

    The anxiety prompted a series of meetings with members of the G-84 by Akpabio, who canvassed the need to preserve the party’s unity by retaining Tukur.

    A source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “The Presidency and its loyalists (including some G-16 governors in PDP) and some National Caucus members are opposed to the removal of Tukur.

    “They believe the crisis in the party could be resolved if Tukur’s alleged excesses are curbed. These infractions border mostly on disrespect for the PDP Constitution.

    Some party leaders see Tukur’s removal as a slight on President Jonathan, who supported him to become the national chairman.

    Jonathan’s loyalist are said to have prevailed on him to use the NEC meeting to actually determine states that are loyal or not to him as the party’s national leader .

    Another source added that if there is any fear on the part of the Presidency, it is about the likelihood of the aggrieved governors and G-84 members springing a surprise with a vote-of-no-confidence on Tukur.

    “The aggrieved governors and the G-84 members have been meeting, amid the fear that a NEC member can raise a vote-of-no confidence against Tukur.

    “The outlook is such that anything could happen at the NEC meeting. Both pro and anti-Tukur groups are not leaving things to chances,” the source said.

    The PDP Stakeholders Forum insisted on Tukur’s exit in a pre-NEC message to members last night.

    The message, signed by the Coordinator of the Forum, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, reads: “We have confirmed the news of the official resignation of eight members of the PDP NWC and eight deputy national officers few hours ago. The officials whose elections were faulted by INEC have signed their resignation letters, which will take effect from tomorrow after the NEC meeting.

    “As we salute the courage and loyalty of these men and women, we wish to condemn the plan of Tukur to challenge NEC when he has lost all political grounds to remain in office.

    “The NEC must be bold enough to sack Tukur if the PDP must move forward.”

    Of the 36 states and the FCT, Tukur is believed to have the backing of 19, those against him are 13 and undecided or divided states are five.

    The Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting at the Presidential Villa last night may determine the direction of the NEC meeting.

    A party leader added: “I know things may still take shape before the NEC meeting. We are all awaiting the outcome of the BoT session.”

  • What fate awaits UTME, NECO?

    What fate awaits UTME, NECO?

    Is it true? This has been the question on the lips of many since the news broke of the planned scrapping of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) by the Federal Government.

    The Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies recommended that 114 agencies, among them UTME and NECO, be abolished, merged or reverted to their parent ministries.

    According to the report, if UTME and NECO and others are scrapped, the government would save about N862 billion between 2012 and 2015 in operations cost.

    Media reports said after the abolition of UTME, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) would act as a clearing house for institutions which will conduct entrance examinations for candidates by ensuring standards and checking multiple admissions.

    Though the Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, has described the story as a rumour, saying there is no Whitepaper yet on the report, university administrators, parents, teachers, students, educationists and others are worried. They are anxious about the government implementing policies that could affect the education system.

    Many are divided on whether NECO, which conducts the National Common Entrance Examination and Basic Certificate Examination Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) for Federal Government Colleges and JAMB which coordinates the UTME should continue to function the way they do. While some say they should be scrapped, others recommend that their duties be modified to serve Nigerians better.

    When he chaired the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU), former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Prof Is-haq Oloyede, advocated that universities be allowed to examine their students.

    He, however, argued that the UTME is still relevant. In a chat with The Nation on Tuesday, Oloyede said while universities should screen their intakes, UTME should serve as a first level screening to trim down the number of candidates.

    He said: “JAMB itself was created by the universities not by government and that was why the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin was the first chairman of the board of JAMB. Our position is not that there should be no qualifying national examination. Our position is the autonomy of the universities to screen their intakes. What we are saying is that there should be layers of screening. The national exam will first weed them out. If anyone does not pass the first examination, then he has no business with the second screening.”

    Oloyede faulted the non-release of the Oronsaye report, noting that if released, Nigerians would be able to advise the government better.

    “Unfortunately, if you don’t have facts about an issue you will just be commenting blindly. If that report was available on the internet, we would have known what the committee considered in reaching its conclusions and we would have been able to give informed comments which can help government reach more equitable decision,” he said.

    Rector of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Dr A.A. Lawal urged the government not to scrap the two examining bodies.

    The bodies, he says, play an important role of conducting standardised examinations.

    “We strongly believe that JAMB and NECO have roles to play in standardising examinations, that is why we would not subscribe to those bodies being scrapped,” he said.

    Allowing institutions to conduct their own entrance examinations has some merit, according to Prof Ayo Olukoju, Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos. He said under such regime, candidates would have more choices of institutions as they could take entrance examinations of many schools and be admitted to as many. Also it would be an advantage if they had to miss one because they could make it up with others, which is not possible with the UTME which holds once in a year.

    “The plus side is that the students have a number of more choices. If they are not chosen here they can be chosen elsewhere. Nigerian universities were able to whether the storm in the 70s when they conducted entrance examinations.”

    On the down side, he said the cost of admissions would be much more, since the process would be lengthier.

    He said: “The first reaction is to say that since there is no white paper on the issue, there is nothing definite yet. If there is no UTME, students will start travelling all over the country which would multiply cost. Also the admissions process will be protracted unduly as we would have to wait for all the institutions to conduct their examinations.”

    The high cost of admissions is one of the 10 reasons Mr Ike Onyechere, founding chairman of Exam Ethics Marshals International, headquartered in Abuja, says JAMB should be scrapped. In a letter to the Federal Government entitled: “Still on the need to scrap JAMB”, Onyechere said candidates spend as high as N136,000 on forms, travel expenses, lobbying and other sundry matters.

    The letter reads: “Exam Ethics Marshals International estimates the cost of seeking admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions at N136,000 per candidate on the average. This includes the cost of UTME and post-UTME forms, cost of scratch cards, cost of travelling and hotel accommodations, etc, etc. The convoluted UTME admission process opens parents and students up to all sorts of extortion rackets: payment for sighting of scripts and results, payment for change of admission letters, change of course letters, late admission letters. Extortion rackets associated with post-UTME include payment of fees for: ‘admission processing’; ‘accreditation’; ‘result reconciliation’; ‘clearance’; ‘opening of departmental and faculty files’ etc. In fact the cost can be as high as N500,000 depending on the course and the institution of choice e.g medicine and law.”

    While it costs a candidate so much to seek admission in Nigeria, in neighbouring Ghana, where universities conduct their own entrance examinations, Onyechere said it costs only N12,000, which is 20 times less.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Prof Samson Adenola Ayanlaja, wonders why the controversy over the government’s plan. According to him, if the government which put up the parastatal decades ago now finds it irrelevant, then its action is justifiable.

    Ayanlaja recalled how JAMB came under fire in times past, saying: “Why did government propose its scrapping in the first place? It is because it was later found out that there is no correlation between students’ performances in UTME when placed side by side the post-UTME universities conducted to again ascertain students’ validity. So, if the panel set up by government which comprised responsible decision makers came to the conclusion that it (UTME) should be scrapped based on the information they had gathered, then I have no objection to that.”

    He said if UTME must be scrapped, tertiary institutions should be allowed to test-run the new measure to see how it works before anything is done.

    “Universities have been conducting post-UTME for some years now to reassess candidates’ validity and the results have been laudable. So, I don’t think the issue of whether they will abuse it (conducting qualifying exams) or not should not arise now. Let’s get to the bridge first before we cross it. If, in future, the process is abused, I believe all vice-chancellors will come together to make necessary amends.”

    Sixtus Charbel Esinulo, a student, whose sister is writing the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE), welcomed the idea of scrapping the UTME, saying it would enable students gain admission easily. He added that it will also make Nigeria meet international standards when it comes to admitting students into universities.

    “JAMB frustrates students too much. I pray that they keep to their word,” he said. There are other candidates who agree with him. Akomolafe Isaac, who is sitting for this month’s UTME, said it should be scrapped from the admission process because in the country of nations only Nigeria operates under a controlled admission board. He said scrapping UTME means there would be a decrease in special centres which makes students lazy.

    Another candidate, Endurance Adu, said he supports the scrapping of UTME because it does not help the admission process.

    “Some people have written JAMB so many times without success. Some of them become hopeless and even reject admission offers later in life because of their age. Some pass UTME and post-UTME but cannot get admitted without bribing the officials.” He said it would improve the rate of reading.

    A parent, Mr. Adewumi Bamigboye, believes that the UTME is a waste of money and time because of the post-UTME.

    His words: “UTME should be scrapped, I see it as a waste of money and time to parents and students. No matter the score of a student, the institution will still conduct its own entrance examination so what is the essence. I only pity the staff in UTME offices. UTME limit student’s ability to try many entrances into institution; once you pick an institution as your first choice and it fails that is the end for that year but this new introduction, applicants can try different institutions.”

    A teacher, Mr Oladunjoye Oluwagbemiga, said scrapping NECO and UTME will lead to other problems.

    “The two are established for a purpose. Can someone tell me their negative impact, though NECO needs to be re-organised. The two have created jobs for many, what will be the fate of the staff. If UTME is scrapped, the institutions will be too powerful, brilliant brains may not be given admission to favour the rich ones. UTME gives equal right to both the rich and the poor to be admitted,” he said.

    If at all anything should be scrapped, Dickson Aneke, coordinator, Apex Brilliant Academy, Isolo, said it should be the post-UTME, noting that the reasons given for scrapping of UTME are not genuine.

    “They said that the credibility of JAMB is under threat. If they leave the exam in the hands of the school, it will become too expensive. The post-UTME should be scrapped instead because they are not doing what it was created for,” he said.

    Another UTME candidate, Adekunle Michael, said if UTME is stopped, corruption will prevail. “Students wont need to read; they will just go to the school, bribe and get admitted,” he said.

    Like JAMB/UTME, NECO also has protagonists and antagonists. While some say it should continue to exist because it gives candidates a second chance if they fail the SSCE conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), others believe NECO should be scrapped because its certificate enjoys less patronage than that of WAEC.

    Bamigboye is for NECO’s retention because “it gives opportunity to students who did not perform well in WAEC to put in their best.”

    Prof Olukoju agrees, saying: “The rule of choice still applies. I support that NECO should be allowed to conduct examinations.

    Given that WAEC is a regional body, Prof Oloyede said NECO can serve Nigeria.

    Prof Oluwole Familoni of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said while he is indifferent to the scrapping or not of NECO, the examining body should not continue to conduct the Basic Education examination since the certificate is not actually in demand.

    “At the JSS level, if you look at Lagos and some other states, they conduct the basic education examination. And then NECO does the same thing. What are they doing with the certificate? Nothing,” he said.

    Those calling for NECO’s scrapping do so because of concerns that the certificate is inferior to WAEC, though the examinations are the same.

    Samson Lucky, an SS3 pupil of Abesan Senior High School, Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, is one of those that think NECO is of no relevance.

    His words: “NECO should be scrapped, it is local unlike WAEC. We didn’t want to pay for the NECO form but we were forced to; it is not relevant, it is not recognised and it is unacceptable internationally. I want to study in Ghana after my SSCE so I can’t use NECO. WAEC is enough. If I’m allowed, I wouldn’t write NECO.”

    Regarding NECO, Onyechere questioned the veracity of the body’s statistics.

    He said: “In its 2000 and 2001 examinations, NECO announced a pass rate of 100 per cent. All candidates passed all the papers they entered in the two years. This was greeted with a national uproar because of the abnormality. In the June/July 2007 examinations, NECO announced that 987,395 candidates out of 1,015,561 that sat for the examinations passed. That is 97.2%. pass rate (Daily Trust, Friday, October 12, 2007). By November/December 2008, the pass rate declined to 27.74% (Daily Trust, March 24, 2009). In the June/July 2009 result, it further went down to 10.53% (The Punch Wednesday, October 7, 2009). And for November/December 2009, we came down to a pass rate of 1.80% (The Nation, March 17, 2010.) Note the steady decline in pass rates. From 100% in 2001 to 97.2% in June/July 2007 to 27.74% in Nov/Dec 2008 to 10.53% in June/July 2009 and then to 1.80% (almost zero) in Nov/Dec 2009. Is it possible for Nigeria to move from being a country of geniuses to being a country of complete idiots within a space of 10 years? Is cooking of pass statistics downwards NECO’s answer to rising public opinion that its examinations are “easier” and “cheaper” than that of WAEC?”

  • Touch of Fate (2)

    Don, what’s the matter? Are you alright?” Helen asked worriedly.

    He did not respond but closed his eyes and placed his right hand on his brow. After a while, he opened his eyes and spoke.

    I’m ok. I’ve been taking these malaria drugs and they make me feel dizzy at times,” he explained.

    “Sorry about that. Maybe you should go home and rest. We could always hang out some other time,” she said, still looking worried.

    He shook his head, insisting he was fine.

    They chatted for a while with Helen doing most of the talking while he listened, a pensive look on his face.

    Before parting that night, he promised to call in a few days so they go out on another date.

    “I’ve enjoyed our time together. Let’s do this again,” he said as he kissed her on the cheek before she alighted from his car in front of her house.

    About a week later, when she did not hear from him, she called his mobile.

    “I was worried that maybe you had not recovered from the malaria,” she stated. “So, how are you feeling now?” she enquired.

    He told her he was alright but had been unable to contact her due to work commitments. But Don knew in his heart that that was not the whole truth. Much as he liked her and wanted to see more of her, he had decided to keep away for certain reasons which he could not explain to her.

    “Actually, I have an invite for you,” Helen said, adding, “One of our executive directors at the bank is retiring soon and a party is being planned for him next week. It’s at the Ritz Hotel and it’s going to be a classy do. I want you to be my date for the evening.”

    His initial reaction was to decline, but hearing her sweet voice again and realizing how much he had missed her, he accepted.

    The party turned out to be a glitzy affair as Helen had predicted. Mr Thompson, the director that was leaving, who was a Briton, was one of the pioneer staff of the bank when it was established some decades earlier. Some of the top officials of the bank including the M.D, some directors and senior management staff were in attendance. There was lots to eat and drink and plenty of speeches as well.

    “Nice party,” Don said some time later. They were taking a walk by the hotel pool. Inside the hall, a live band was playing and some of the usually serious minded bankers were letting their hair down and grooving to the beats.

    “You can go back and continue with your dancing if you want,” she suggested, sitting on a chair by the pool. He had danced with a couple of her colleagues including the loquacious Tina who had been clinging onto him all evening. Due to her leg injury, she could not dance and had sat watching the couples on the dance floor a bit enviously.

    “No. I’m cool. It was getting a bit stuffy inside,” he said, sitting by her. They sat in silence for a while, taking in the scenery and savouring the cool, fresh air.

    Then turning to him, she said:

    “I know you might say it’s none of my business. But you told me the other day that you called off your wedding to the lady you were planning to marry a week to the day. What really happened?”

    He sighed, before telling her a tale of infidelity and betrayal.

    “I caught her in bed with my best friend. He was someone I trusted so much and we were like brothers. He was to be my best man at the wedding. I just couldn’t get over the betrayal of trust especially on her part. It put me off relationships for a long while,” he stated quietly.

    She reached for his hand and held it.

    “What a sad story,” she noted. “These things happen. I have some horror relationship tales as well,” she added. And she went on to tell him about her last boyfriend who turned out to be a fraudster. “He claimed to be a businessman, an importer of computers and accessories. One day, he told me he had secured a contract at a government ministry to supply computers worth about N100 million. He begged me to use my connection at the bank to secure a loan to import the items,” Helen narrated. It was while the loan application was being processed, she added that a colleague who knew someone at the ministry made enquiries concerning the contract.

    “It was then the truth was revealed- there was no contract! He wanted to dupe the bank and disappear abroad with the money once he had received it. Of course I ended the relationship! The most painful thing was that instead of showing remorse for his misdeeds, he wrote me a terrible letter. He called me all kinds of names including a cripple, disclosing that the only reason he dated me, was because of my job- as I could facilitate his access to bank loans easily. Can you imagine that?” she said.

    “He was a very bad person. Thank God you found out about him on time,” Don stated.

    “Yes. It was a lucky escape for me. As his guarantor, I would have ended up being saddled with repaying the money. Where will I see such a huge amount of money to pay back to the bank? “ she wondered.

    “You know, we are two of a kind, been through so much heartache…” Don said, holding her by the shoulder and drawing her close.

    “Yes,” she intoned, resting her head on his shoulder…

     

    The revelation

    After that night, they saw regularly for the next couple of months. And soon, a relationship blossomed between them. To Don, it was never part of his plan to get so close to her but try as he could, he could not stay away from her. There was something about her that kept drawing him to her and it got to a point where he stopped trying to resist. He had fallen in love and there was no point denying it. Besides, he found in Helen some of the qualities he had always wanted in a woman- she was caring, loving and faithful. After the incident with his ex-fiancé, he wanted a woman he could trust and he saw that in Helen.

    About eight months after they started dating, Don proposed to her one evening at his home. Though she had been expecting something like that from hints he had been dropping, Helen still looked surprised when she saw the ring he had slipped on her third finger.

    “It’s so beautiful!” she enthused, then added. “Of course I will marry you, darling! At least that will stop Tina from trying to snatch you from me.”

    After things had quietened down a bit, they sat making tentative plans for their wedding.

    “But Don,” Helen stated some time later, “Much as I love you and want to be your wife and I suspected you were going to propose, I thought maybe, you would wait for sometime…”

    “Wait for what?” he asked.

    “For us to get to know each other better. We’ve not even been dating for up to a year,” she noted.

    “Baby, what more do I need to know about you? Afterall, I’ve known you since you were a little girl like this,” he said, raising his hand to indicate the height of a ten year old child.

    “Don! That’s not true! I was not as small as that!” she said heatedly.

    “You were!” he insisted, laughing at her.

    She picked up one of the empty bottles of red wine on the table they had drunk to celebrate their engagement.

    “Say that again and I will hit you with this,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

    He jumped up from the couch and standing at a safe distance, repeated his earlier statement about her height, his hand raised at the same angle.

    “Ah! Somebody is going to join his ancestors today!” she shouted, getting up to run after him, the bottle raised in a threatening manner…

    * * * *

    It was about a month to the wedding. Preparations were in top gear and like most brides-to-be, Helen was excited about the coming nuptials. One evening at his apartment, they sat going over the guest list on Don’s computer. It was growing longer by the day and Helen was trying to prune it to a reasonable figure.

    “It’s too long. I think 300 is a more reasonable number,” she said, scrolling down the list of names.

    “You are right. Well, you take care of it. I’m going to see Patrick about the groomsmen’s outfits,” he stated, picking his car keys from the side table. Patrick was going to be his best man at the wedding.

    After he had left, she worked on the list for a while. She was saving the document in a folder when something attracted her attention. She clicked on the file and began reading it. At the end, she sat staring at the screen, too stupefied to move.

    Could this be true? Or was she dreaming? How could it be? That her own Don, the love of her life, the man she was planning to marry was the one who had been driving the night of the accident back in school that had left her nearly crippled? But it was all there- the details of what had happened that night; the party, the drive back to the campus, hitting her and abandoning her by the roadside half-dead, wounded, bleeding, unconscious…

    It was in his private files which she had stumbled upon by chance. In a way she was glad, the truth was out. But on the other hand, she wished fervently that she had remained ignorant of the truth and had continued in her dreams and hopes for the future that now suddenly looked so bleak.

    “Baby, I’m back. How is the list coming up?” Don said as he walked in through the front door. But he was stopped in his tracks by the strange look in her eyes- a mixture of despair, anger, disappointment and hopelessness…

    To be continued

     

    •With this revelation, things can definitely not be the same between the lovers. What next? Don’t miss the juicy details next Saturday!

    •Names have been changed to protect the characters’ identities

     

    •Send comments/suggestions to psaduwa@yahoo.com or 08023201831.

  • 2013: What fate for PIB, other bills?

    2013: What fate for PIB, other bills?

    OF the various bills considered by the Senate before its break in December 2012, three stood out.

    The first was the Appropriation Bill, which was meant to correct the lopsided budget cycle in the country. The second and third were the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the Anti-Terrorism Bill. The oil bill is uppermost because of the alleged plundering of the nation’s oil resources by oil majors and internal collaborators in the sector. Also, while the anti-terror bill is equally sacrosanct due to the present level of insecurity across the nation.

    Observers have said these bills will test the integrity, resolve and commitment of the Senate in its law making role for the good governance of the country.

    For the Senate, passing the PIB in 2013 appears to be an uphill task. No sooner was the bill slated for second reading than was it shot down. Most senators, especially, of northern extraction, are bent on not touching the bill with a long pole. Let it stay in the cooler, they seem to be saying.

    The PIB was the culmination of plans by the Executive to reform the petroleum sector. The process began with the setting up of the Oil and Gas Sector Reform Implementation Committee in 2000. The bill was first presented to the National Assembly (NASS) in 2008. But it suffered still birth in the Sixth National Assembly for lack of executive cooperation. Also, there were too many versions of the bill in circulation.

    The Executive Bill entitled a “Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of a legal, fiscal and regulatory framework for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria and for other related matters” was reintroduced by President Goodluck Jonathan in July, when the senators were about to observe their annual recess.

    It was read for the first time in September. But opposition to the passage of the PIB, seen in many quarters as representative of the ideal in the petroleum industry, reared its head in the Senate on Tuesday, December 18, 2012. Lawmakers suspended the consideration of the bill, despite spirited efforts by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, to ensure that it was read for the second time.

    Ndoma-Egba had barely risen to his feet for the lead debate on the PIB, when the chamber turned rowdy. Majority of the senators insisted that the debate should be postponed indefinitely.

    Efforts by the Leader to make his colleagues see the need and urgency to start the debate were unsuccessful. The senators wanted the debate on the PIB deferred in view of the “mood of the nation” regarding the death of former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Owoye Azazi; former Governor of Kaduna State Patrick Yakowa and four others in a Navy helicopter crash in Bayelsa State.

    Ndoma-Egba’s lead debate was meant to signpost the second reading of the bill. He reminded his colleagues of its importance, especially the fact that people have expressed fears that the National Assembly was not disposed to considering it. He also told his colleagues that the Senate, through its chairman on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang had told Nigerians that the bill would be debated that fateful day. He warned that not taking the debate on the PIB on its first allotted day would send the wrong signal to Nigerians who may see the Senate as not committed to its passage. The PIB, he said, is the key to to realization of the much sought reforms by Nigerians in the oil and gas sector.

    The pleading by Ndoma-Egba fell on deaf ears. To many observers, the stiff opposition by a section of the Senate has been interpreted as prelude to the fate that may eventually befall the PIB when the Senate resumes in January next year.

    Apart from the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) as exemplified by the stance of the northern lawmakers, there are apprehensions that what is at play is comparable to the proverbial ‘voice of Jacob and the hands of Esau’.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, urged Ndoma-Egba to step down the debate to the next legislative day. But while seconding the motion moved by Ndoma Egba, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima emphasised that the bill be stepped down to another legislative day. But, the bill did not appear on the order paper the next day.

    The question on the lips of many observers of the development in the Senate is why northern governors and lawmakers are against the passage of the PIB? It was learnt that the governors had engaged consultants to dissect the bill so as to make informed contribution to the bill. The consultants allegedly returned a damning verdict that passing the PIB in its current form would be detrimental to the region. They allegedly concluded that it will end up pumping more resources to the Niger Delta from the Federation Account. And that if the political elite from the region are not wary of the bill, it could lead to a 10 per cent increase in the resources of the states from the Niger Delta in addition to the 13 per cent derivation being enjoyed by oil producing states.

    The report allegedly advised the NGF to thoroughly scrutinise the bill, since it was sent to the National Assembly without the input of the federating units. The report indicated that the Niger Delta would add other allocations to the existing 13 per cent derivation fund, coupled with funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the amnesty programme.

    It was also gathered that the north is angry that the PIB did not prioritise gas supply to the region, just as it was uncomfortable that revenue accruing to four states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and River’s is more than that of 19 states of the North combined. The region also criticised some sections of the bill which makes provision for the Petroleum Host Communities Fund (PHCF).

    Section 116 and 117 of the bill reads: “There is established a fund known as the Petroleum Host Communities Fund. The PHC Fund shall be utilized for the development of the economic and social infrastructure of the communities within the petroleum producing area.”

    Another major provision of the bill, which the North is opposed to, has to do with what it called apparent divestment moves through the establishment of a National Oil Company, the National Gas Company and the National Petroleum Assets Management Corporation in the bill.

    The consultants commissioned by the NGF reported that “on top of the 13.5 per cent statutory derivation from the Federation Account, the mandatory Federal budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) levy of 3% of oil operations and the massive amount of Federal funds being spent on the Niger Delta Amnesty programme, the new PIB is adding 10% of the profit of all oil and gas companies to the Niger Delta states and communities.

    “Currently, without this new addition, four states (Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers) earn more than the 19 northern states combined. One wonders what kind of federation we would end up with, if this situation is escalated by the new PIB. In any case, what really is the constitutional standing of this particular provision in the bill?

    “These and many more other issues in the Petroleum Industry Bill need very close scrutiny by the Northern Governors Forum. Without this exercise, it is very possible for the states in the region to be legally short-changed through the process of legislation, despite having the majority membership in the two chambers of the National Assembly.”

    A senator from the region, who spoke on the matter on condition of anonymity said: “The PIB is a booby-trap for the North. We have all resolved to oppose the passage of the Bill into law and we are at a comfortable advantage because we have the majority in the two chambers.

    “Our main grouse borders on the establishment of Host Community Fund which we want removed from the bill because that will indirectly shoot up the derivation from 13.5 per cent to 45 to 50 per cent for oil producing states. We have commissioned a study and done our calculations.

    “Going by what is computed in the PIB, oil states and communities will enjoy about 29.5 per cent derivation. But we know that there are other inherent advantages which cumulatively could lead to 45 to 50 per cent derivation for oil-producing states.

    “What has assisted us is that we have the backing of our colleagues from the Southwest and some from the Southeast. When cocoa, groundnuts, palm oil and other commodity products were fetching revenue for the nation, nobody spoke of host community fund.”

    Another ranking lawmaker said: “What is painful is that the present 13.5 per cent derivation being enjoyed by oil-producing states was put in place by past northern heads of state. So, no one can accuse the North of gang-up against Southsouth or oil producing states’ interests.

    “What we want is a united Nigeria where all the federating units will have equal stake. The padding of the PIB to guarantee more revenue for oil-producing states should not have been when a Southsouth leader is in charge and when another Southsouth citizen is manning the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”

    On plans to divest equity in the proposed new National Oil Company and the National Gas Company, the northern leaders said there is “no provision for safety net to protect the interest of the region.”

    They said the PIB ought to protect the north’s right to invest in these two companies because of its low participation in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

    The report added: “The plan to divest equity in the new National Oil Company and the National Gas Company is not in itself an issue; the problem is to implement this provision of the law without any safeguards for equity and national spread.

    “The communities and businesses in the northern states are not very active players the Nigerian Stock Exchange. In this regard, simply off loading the equity of these national assets on the stock market could lock the people of the region out of ownership of these critical resources.

    “The region must therefore, insist on legislating guarantees for equity and national spread on whatever divestment plans there are for oil and gas assets.”

    It is not only the north that is opposed to the passage of the PIB. The International Oil Companies (IOCs) want the status quo to remain and because they are uncomfortable with it, they will readily align with any opposition force to scuttle its passage into law for selfish interests.

    The oil majors, it was learnt, are of the view that the new 2012 draft PIB submitted to the Parliament in July, if passed as it is, will make it unprofitable for new investments worth $108 billion to go ahead.

    Mark Ward, who is chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil Nigeria and the President of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, which includes Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Agip, said at a recent workshop organized in Lagos by Ernst & Young that tax terms in the bill are “so uncompetitive, thus rendering offshore oil and gas projects unviable, and could halt investments.”

    The $108 billion is the sum of the planned capital expenditure of all the oil majors from 2012 to 2025, Ward said.

    Already, the Federal Government is said to have lubricated its lobbying machine to get the northern senators and members of the House of Representatives from the region to see reason and pass the bill. But how far the government can go against this whirlwind of opposition and perceived backdoor resource grabbing schemes through the Bill for the oil-producing region is yet unclear.

    Also, the proceedings of the Senate on the anti-terrorism bill were stalled shortly before it took a break. The storm arose first, when some members of the Conference Committee did not sign the bill, prompting it to be stood down. Also many questioned the wisdom of conferring on the National Security Adviser (NSA) the powers to coordinate security agencies’ activities in the fight against terrorism.

    Specifically, the committee recommended that the office of the National Security Adviser shall be the coordinating body for all security and enforcement agencies and shall provide support to all relevant security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and military services to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria and ensure the effective formulation and implementation of a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy for Nigeria.

    But the chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang rejected the recommendation, arguing that, in the first place, the NSA’s office is not known to law and therefore, it will be wrong and inappropriate for the National Assembly to confer such a sensitive responsibility on such an office which, according to him, is merely advisory.

    During the debate, Senate President David Mark had noted that the Senate could not amend the report because it was prepared by the conference committee of both chambers. “Our committee went there and agreed that the House of Representatives’ version on the issue be adopted,” Mark said.

    The session became heated when Mark put the question twice for the adoption of the report as the voice vote sounded equal between the ‘ayes’ and the ‘nays’.

    Mark called for the suspension of the debate, following the apparent tie. He said: “The way we normally express our views is either yes or no. But since this is too close to each other, I will call on the Senate Leader to move a motion for me to suspend the debate on it.”

    Also pending before the Senate is the arrest warrant issued against the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, following his refusal to appear before the Senator Aloysius Etok-led probe panel on the mismanagement of pension funds in the country. The Senate, observers say, would not allow its word fall to the ground without accomplishing that for which it was meant. So, it is left to be seen, if Maina and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who was mandated to arrest him, would have the last laugh against the institution of the National Assembly.

    The Anti-Terrorism Bill and PIB are expected to generate intense heat and inflame passion in the New Year. But having underscored the PIB as the Bible of the oil industry in Nigeria, the Seventh Senate cannot but rise to the challenge of putting the nation first by enacting this law for good governance profitable. It is left to be seen if the National Assembly would at this time bow before the powerful cabal in the oil industry and the northern oligarchy presently arrayed against the PIB. Many Nigerians expect the National Assembly to show resolve, tenacity and commitment to the course of the nation and future generations by passing the crucial bills into law, no matter whose ox is gored

  • CLATTENBURG RACISM SAGA: Mikel knows fate today

    CLATTENBURG RACISM SAGA: Mikel knows fate today

    The Football Association will today make their announcement on the action they will take over Mark Clattenburg race-row allegations — Sportsmail understands they are unlikely to charge the referee.

    FA officials have spent a significant sum on legal advice and taken their time in order to come to the right decision.

    The announcement will come 18 days after Clattenburg was accused of calling Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel a ‘monkey’.

    The police Wednesday shelved their race abuse investigation into referee Mark Clattenburg after receiving no complaint from Chelsea.

    The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are no longer investigating a complaint, made by the Society of Black Lawyers, regarding Clattenburg’s conduct.

    The FA inquiry finished on Friday and they have since been receiving legal opinion on a draft document.

    It has been delayed due to the vast amount of paperwork involved.

    Chelsea submitted 1,250 pages of evidence delivered by bike courier to the FA’s three-man compliance unit when John Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand — a charge he was later found guilty of by the FA.

    They have a full-time QC amongst their employees and it is believed the club will have been equally as thorough with this case.

    If, as expected, Clattenburg, 37, is cleared by the FA it will leave Chelsea’s reputation in tatters after their captain John Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand by a Football Association independent regulatory commission.

  • Taraba divided over governor’s fate

    Taraba divided over governor’s fate

    In what is reminiscent of the dark days when the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was flown to a Saudi Hospital, thus creating a vacuum in the presidency, the accident that sent Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai to a German hospital for treatment is creating tension in the state. Correspondent FANEN IHYNGO captures the general mood among politicians and government officials in the state.

     

    The plane crash involving Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai and some of his aides has been pushed into the political arena in the state.

    If Suntai survives, he would come back to serve or rule a deeply divided state.

    Suntai was on Thursday, October 25, involved in an crash, in a plane flown by him. Also on board the ill-fated Cessna 208 aircraft were his Aide de Camp (ADC) Dasat Iliya, the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Timo Dangana and his Chief Detail, Joel Dan. They all survived the mishap, but sustained varying degrees of injuries.

    The governor is said to be recovering and this should be good news. But in Taraba, it is bad news to a host of people. While millions of Nigerians are praying for the governor’s speedy recovery, many Taraba people have been found to behave in a way suggesting that they are more comfortable with the current state of affairs. The crash has shown that the state is gravely divided against itself. What is the governor’s sin? “Politics”, said an analyst.

    When the accident occurred, it was first reported that the governor had died. It was appalling to learn that while some people were agonising, others publicly celebrated the news..

    Investigation reveals that the polarisation is deepening by the day. On Monday, a group of people protested in Jalingo, demanding the where abouts of the governor.

    Sources even alleged that not a few political allies of Deputy Governor Alhaji Garba Umar had gone a step further to congratulate him over his boss’ accident, expressing optimism that the deputy governor will soon wear the governor’s crown.

    Although, Umar who was only sworn in on October 5, to replace impeached Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, has said he will never wish his boss dead.

    “It has been my prayers that he recovers speedily”, he told journalists at a press briefing while reacting to gossips that a repeat of what happened when the late President Umaru YarAdua was flown to Saudi Arabia was in the making in the state.

    But, importantly, what does the law say? Following the Yar’Adua incident that compelled the National Assembly to invoke the doctrine of neccesity as an ingenious way out of the constitutional logjam, the legislators, in 2010, amended the constitution to introduce an automatic take over by deputy governrs in acting capacity in the event that, for any reason, the governor is absent from his desk for three weeks.

    section 190 of the constitution, as amended, provides that 21 days is enough to invoke the section in the event that the chief executive at the state level fails to transmit to the House of Assembly a letter transferring power to his deputy in the interim. The same applies at the federal level in case the President fails to adhere to the provision of the amended section 145 of the Constitution.

    Before the ill-fated incident, there were already growing concerns as to why the governor had chosen to be flying aircrafts by himself. A pharmacist, Suntai also holds a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) which he obtained in 2010, after attending the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, Kaduna State. He successfully flew the Caravan Cessna plane to obtain his licence. Since then, he has been embarking on solo flights in his leisure or official trips.

    But, given the risks involved, his opponents had argued that it was unwise of him to take the task of running a state and flying an aircraft at the same time; he should have employed the services of a pilot, they argued. Suntai’s opponents had also accused him of dedicating more time to flying than governance, especially as the road network in Taraba State is still largely underdeveloped. Even now that his condition is between life and death, many are still criticising him, wondering why the chief executive loved running around in a plane at the least opportunity when 90 per cent of Taraba masses were trekking and grappling with the vicious cycle of poverty.

    The governor himself had once admitted that flying, to him, was more of a “passion.” Many had actually predicted the disaster before it finally occurredy..

    When it occurred, the scientific or methodical reason was that, while approaching the Yola Airport for landing, Suntai lost contact with the Control Tower and the aircraft disappeared on the radar. His subsequent efforts to ascend with the aircraft failed. Whether it was a hi-tech problem or a blunder on his part, the biggest question many have been asking is, “why must the governor be flying himself?”.

    Another issue is that the governor’s aides were flown abroad for treatment only after grim criticisms and protests from the victims’ families and other concerned Nigerians. Critics had challenged why the governor was treated “as a god while his subjects as dispensables” in an unfortunate accident which left all their mortal bodies injured. “What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander”, they held.

    Before the crash, it was an open secret that Suntai was serving a politically polarised State, split into at least six factional groups. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on whose platform Suntai won his first and second terms, is fragmented. The state civil service is divided into two camps, with some aligning with the governor’s opponents. Then, there is religious division.

    Suntai is a Christian, but because of the combination of his names, many take him for a Muslim faithful. Since the creation of the state on August 27, 1991, the Muslims have only played the second fiddle. There is no gainsaying that the Muslims are clamouring for a Muslim governor. The Christians, who believe they have the numerical edge over their Muslim brothers, have also been scheming how Suntai would successfully hand over the baton of power to another Christian in 2015.

    Last but not the least is ethnic politics. Taraba is made up of so many ethnic groups, with a total population of about 2.4 million. appointments are sometimes made to reflect ethnic diversity, rather than the state’s geo-political zones and or the individual’s experience. For instance, a Jukun governorship aspirant for 2015 believes the poll would be his, so also feels a Kuteb, a Kona, Fulani, Chamba, Wurukun oran Ichen.

    The state has been ruled by only two ethnic groups,: by former Jolly Nyame, a Mumuye, and Suntai of Chamba extraction. Already, the political atmosphere in Taraba is charged, with allegations that Suntai was grooming another Mumuye to succeed him when he bows out in 2015. Amid these disputations, the days ahead are really uncertain in the aftermath of the governor’s plane crash. Power abhors vacuum. If Suntai does not survive or survives with incapacitation, his deputy, a Muslim would be constitutionally sworn in as governor. If his time to recover takes too long, Umar would also be sworn as acting governor. This has been the proverbial dry meat for the people of Taraba these days as no discussion has been complete without a mention of the injured governor’s condition and what it holds for the state.

    If Umar takes charge, by freak of fate, as one analyst simply puts it: “the political direction will change”.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sacked NIMC workers bemoan fate

    Sacked NIMC workers bemoan fate

    About 4000 workers of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) sacked by the Director-General, Chris Onyemena, have threatened to hand over the DG to God, if his decision is not rescinded even as some have been recalled and directed to attend a workshop in Asaba Delta state.

    Some of the recalled workers, who went for the workshop at Hotel Benieza Asaba, The Nation gathered, were those who have higher degrees. They were tutored on registration of National Identity card and management of data base as anchored by the Deputy Director in charge of training, Mrs. Florence Igboke.

    One of the victims who did not want to be named said, ‘’We are not against his sack but let him follow the due process of sack. Some of us have worked for 15 years, 20 years and 29 years

    Last year, the commission said it had discovered 4,000 “ghost workers” in its fold and was planning to reduce its personnel cost which rose from N3.3 billion in 2011 to N4.2billion in 2012.

    The Labour Adviser to the Director-General of the commission, Ayo Olorunfemi, said the organisation was one of the few offices in the country with majority of its workforce in the junior cadre.

    The affected staff members were inherited by NIMC from the defunct Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR), under the former Ministry of Internal Affairs, now Ministry of Interior, the commission said.