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Tag: strategies

  • Strategies for effective legislation

    Strategies for effective legislation

    The 24 members of the Kwara State House of Assembly recently converged on Ede, Osun State, for a-three day retreat on budget assessment, bills, motions and petitions processing.

    Out of the 24 legislators, only six of them are second timers. The remaining 18 are first term lawmakers.

    Resources persons were drawn from the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), Abuja and private sector. A retired clerk of the House of Representatives, Chief Niyi Ajiboye was also on hand.

    No fewer than 20 members of the Osun state House of Assembly led by their Speaker, Najeem Salam witnessed the closing session of the retreat.

    Some of the legislators spoke on their experience at the retreat.

    House Majority Leader Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke said: “The seminar was actually designed to address some basic areas. One, assessing budget in line with new International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAs) methods; to assess anything you have to knowledgeable about it and we were taken through has increased out knowledge and understanding of how IPSAs as a new method of accounting system can be used to assess budget.

    “The other has to do with how members can function very well. I mean processing of bills and motions. It is important because we come from different backgrounds and the moment one becomes an honourable member, you have to understand your responsibility as a member of the house to address issues properly. This will make us better legislators. It will have a ripple effects on the state government too.”

    The legislator from Oke-Ogun Constituency, Kalman Fagbemi said the retreated had fortified him for legislative functions.

    Fagbemi, a lawyer, said: “There were certain things we did not know before but now we have conscientised. We are going to use the knowledge which we have acquired here in the passage of 2016 budget. I will urge first timers to use the knowledge which they have acquired in this retreat in discharging their legislative duties.”

    Ahmed Ibn Muhammed representing Kaiama/Wajibe/Kemanji constituency said “I want to tell you that with this training I am more equipped with ways to draft bills and motions. This will help me in my legislatives in the state. I believe that with this we are going to apply it.”

    The member representing Ilorin North-West, Abdulrafiu Abdulrahaman, noted that the workshop has been a good adventure.

    “We have been able to acquire new skills; because as a legislator you have to be acquainted with the basic rudiments in legislation and as a legislator you have to be involved in research,” he added.

    Hajia Aisat Budurin from Ilorin East and a first timer hailed the timeliness of the seminar, saying that it has exposed her to the rubrics of legislation.

    She added: The retreat has exposed us more knowledge about budgeting. It will assist us on how to do our oversight. They have prepared us to know what to do before, during and after the oversight.

    “The resource people are competent hands. They have prepared us well on how to draft motions, bills and petitions which are what we are in assembly for. This will prepare us to be more active in the floor.”

    The speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, said that: “The main reason for the retreat is that bulk of members is first timers. The art of legislation is a technical one. So we need to train and retrain. We hope that at the end of the exercise our legislators will be at par with others in any part of the country.”

    The former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary decried the high turnover rate of legislators in the country.

    He said: “The high rate of turnover of legislators in the country is hampering effective and efficient legislative functioning in the country. Nigerians should know that it is tax payers’ money that is being used to train new members. It is like bringing a new law student to come and argue motions in court. Nobody can stand up and argue motions or prepare motion; you have to go through the rubric.

    “So, if you keep bringing new members those states will keep spending money to train the new members; money that could be used for something else. This expenditure is unnecessary and avoidable.

    “The people should start clamouring to our governors, parties and stakeholders to reduce the turnover rate to the minimum so that the money that will be used in training the legislators will be expended on something else.

    Alhaji Najeem Salam aligned with his colleague, saying: “Sometimes it is out of the personal interest of some leaders to change the house members. Otherwise, the experience gathered for years is enough for the House of Assembly to continue and you can see the money being wasted on the training of members. Nobody is saying some members had to in the house perpetually.

    “Look at what happens in developed democracies, in America, members of the parliament will be there for years. Why they are doing it is because of the experience they had gathered over the years that can be deployed to develop their members and state. There had to be a drastic reduction in the number of new members that will be coming into the assembly.”

    Osun State House of Assembly Speaker, Ngion Najeem said it was time the various state Houses of Assembly are weaned financially from the executive.

    Salam added that without financial independence for the state legislators “all these trainings will amount to theory and exercise in futility.

    “We, therefore, appeal to the presidency to sign the amendment act that will give room for the independence of the states Assembly into law. It is only Lagos state House of Assembly that has partial independence from the executive.”

    He urged state assemblymen to put the era of impeachment behind them to ensure stability in the country’s democracy.

    “Unnecessary impeachment will not guarantee stability in the country. I appeal to our colleagues not to allow that to happen in Kwara State,” he added.

    Former Clerk of the House of Representatives Chief Niyi Ajiboye spoke on the domination of the legislature by the executive.

    It is a very serious issue and it is not that easy for the legislature to completely extricate itself from the domination of the executive.

    The retired clerk said financial independence of the legislature would make that arm of government more vibrant and effective.

    His words: “This is because the executive controls the purse. Whoever controls the purse has the power of almost everything. Without adequate finance for the legislature, it cannot survive and if the legislature does not pander sometimes to the executive, it can be starved of funds. This is the biggest weapon the executive uses against the legislature.

    “The only way out is continuous education on their responsibilities, they can overtime during interaction with the executive convince it to leave them alone to manage their affairs; if we have the right people in the right place.

    “But this can happen in the state that has a governor that is forthright, ready to work and has no skeleton in his cupboard.

    Speaking on “effective legislative exercise,” the Head, Research, NILS, Dr Asimiyu Abiola, said the state Houses of Assembly were more susceptible to executive interference than federal.

    He attributed executive interference to inadequate experienced members occasioned by high turnover of legislators.

    Dr Abiola recommended strengthening of oversight functions of the legislators to reduce corruption and enhance sustainable development in states.

    Others are “independence of anti-corruptions agencies from the executive rather they should report to the legislature; there is a great need to support public trust and confidence about the legislature and other public institutions charged with oversight; indeed, Nigeria does not need so many of the anti-corruption agencies –or anti-corruption laws-if oversight of these agencies and laws can be made more effective.”

    This, according to him, will require reversal of legislators’ high turnover more for legislators in the art and science of oversight functions.

    He advocated for effective implementation of the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    On the budgeting system, Dr Abiola said that Nigeria would only experience growth and development when its budget is 70 percent capital and 30 percent recurrent expenditure.

    He added that Nigeria’s budget system had over the years been traditional, but he subscribed to the zero budgeting being proposed by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

    “Nigeria’s budgeting system has been traditional. We need outcome based budgeting. Zero-based budgeting is better than traditional but it is not the best,” he said.

    He called for a budget act that would specify when the president or governor should present the budget to the legislature, “at the discretion of the president or governor.”

    He said budget is expected to “increase employment opportunities or reduce unemployment; reduce inequality and reduce poverty.”

  • ‘Our strategies for surviving recession’

    Procurement Specialist, Lagos Eko World Bank Project,  Kayode Adeleye has called on Nigerians to develop individual survival strategies to cushion the effects of global economic recession plaguing nations, including Nigeria.

    He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the second Great Ife Alumni Association meeting held on Independence Day at Springhill Hotel, Oko Oba.  ‘Survival Strategies in an Economy in Recession’was the theme of the lecture.

    Adeleye cautioned the people against succumbing to fear and anxiety, instead, to take measured risks to help assure their future and that of their children.

    He said: “For many, the global recession is a time of anxiety, challenges… The question is: how will we come out? Will we have made the most of our opportunities? In challenging times, we need to balance risk against opportunity, although it is not always easy. We often forget to look for opportunities in tough times because fear makes us focus on risk and danger. But it is in uncertain times that we can find the greatest opportunities, because we get shucked out of our safe pod and are then able to re-think our lives.”

    The business specialist offered several strategies to adopt in order to flourish in tough times and survive recession.

    He said: “Deal with reality, rather than denial; focus on core skills and hone in on them; improve your productivity by making each hour count; let go of what holds you back and spend time with positive people; have a contingency plan to keep you prepared for any situation; network with others; and develop new skills, preferably entrepreneurial.”

    Adeleye also appealed to Nigerians to cooperate and be patient with government as it tries to recover from recession.

    He said: “Times like this call for people who can see afar. The people should not protest against a system that is trying to heal itself. We should unite, find what we are good at and capitalise on them.”

    The guest speaker advised parents to invest in their children’s future by engaging the in entrepreneurial skills acquisition.

    “I advise the nation to tighten its belt. This is a time that is reminding us about the need for us to do a rethink, reorganisation and reorientation of our programmes and lifestyles. Inculcate and invest entrepreneurial skills into your kids. We should not wait until they are graduates before we do this,” he said.

     

     

  • Strategies for surviving price war

    Strategies for surviving price war

    The atmosphere in and around shopping places has been tense since the beginning of the first quarter of this year. Retailers have been engaged in price slashing to stay afloat, TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.

    It is the end of the first quarter of the year, and it is the tradition of retailers at this time to compete with discount and promotional sales offers. Retailers in Lagos say a price slash is the main spend driver of consumers; as such, they have promised to continue to cut prices and introduce promotional packages to help them keep their old customers and attract new ones.

    A retailer at Isaac John Street, Ikeja, Lagos, Mrs Aina Oduwole, is aware that the competition among retailers have been fierce since this quarter began. But she is not ready to give up; she will continue to introduce attractive price slash programme to retain her customers.

    She said: “I am not particular about getting prospective customers. I want to be able to keep the ones I have. My unique selling point is availability of quality items at affordable prices. I have been able to build an edge for myself and I do not intend to lose out now that there are competitions every.”

    Mrs Oduwole foresees the regular London shoppers staying and doing all their shopping in Nigeria. She has been encouraging some of her customers who travel abroad often to stay here and buy all that they need and they have been yielding. She said it took a long time to achieve that. But since the people know they can get the same quality stuffs at her place, they have not stopped patronising her.

    Like Mrs Oduwole, Rita Ochunna, who has a store at the Alade Market, also in Ikeja, said her strategy to survive the price war with her competitors and avoid defeat is by stocking varieties and a mix of what customers want all the time.

    According to her, if a retailer stocks insufficient merchandise, he  might not be able to meet up with the standard in the market. Ochunna had done a research before she leased the shop. She had asked the people living in the area what kind of goods they want to see in her store.

    Then she came to terms with the finding that if the people occupying an area where a retailer is about to be introduced, say they want branded goods from Italy or any other part of the world, that’s what the retailer have  to give them, because that’s what they would choose to buy.

    She understands that everything is chosen according to the merchandise requirement of the market place and that if after the people have been consulted; they say they are only going to consume Nigerian products; the retailer cannot give anything else if he wants to succeed.

    Findings have shown that the most common cause of price wars is when retailers are trying to increase market shares, which usually means taking share from competitors and one of the fastest way to do that is by lowering prices. Price reductions make more people choose a particular offering over those in the same category and this automatically increase market shares.

    According to experts, there are things to do when competitors change their prices. They advise that for retailers to survive the price war and come out victorious, they either respond to competitors challenge or ignore. And if competitor’s price goes up or down, it is only normal that the other retailers also move their price up or down.

    Some retailers have agreed that they do not have to win a price war; but they must be able to survive it. To survive, many of them say they are ready to always differentiate their products and segment their customers. They say they are not going to quit the business or leave the market but will step up their game by bringing in innovations into what they have to offer.

    Experts have also advised that when it comes to price wars, it is important to think hard as a retailer and know how to survive and possibly win in the market since it is difficult to know what competitors are thinking. They say it is always important to remain vigilant, control costs and do the best one can at segmenting the market, pricing and at differentiating products.

    Broll Nigeria, a body responsible for the management of shopping malls in the country has always advised that if a competitor serves the same customers as another, one could segment the market by lowering prices only to customers who really consider the competitor. A retailer, who wants to be immune to competitive price pressure should focus on differentiating his products, in other words, adding value and targeting customer segments with offerings designed for them.

    For Modupe Shopeju, a grocery retailer in Gbagada, Lagos, to stay in the competition, she would read the industry news and competitor’s press releases. She would find out why competitors made a price change.

    According to her, it might be that such retailer is attempting to get rid of excess inventory or trying to fill a factory. Its costs may have gone up, the price change may be temporary and not necessary for her to follow suit. She understands that her competitors will lower their prices in response and they’re not going to sit back and let her take their share in the market.

    Shopeju said she understands that to win a price war doesn’t mean putting competitors out of business. What it should mean is ending up with more profit when the price war is over than when it started. She says her strategy is to lower costs by increasing volume.

  • Volkswagen targets cost-saving strategies

    Volkswagen  said it has adopted some cost-saving targets. It’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Martin Winterkorn, said in an interview on German TV Channel ZDF that the company was on track with efficient programmes to achieve the targets.

    He said he hoped the programmes would help the company to narrow the profit gap with international rivals.

    It would be recalled that the Europe’s largest carmaker sold a record 10.1 million vehicles across the multi-brand group last year.

    But the company is seeking to cut costs at its core division by five billion euros ($5.66 billion) over the next two years.

  • Fed Govt plans strategies to boost agric

    Fed Govt plans strategies to boost agric

    the federal Government may unveil some strategies to boost agriculture this year, it has been learnt.

    A source told The Nation that the government would improve funding to agriculture to enhance productivity, market linkages and access to e-extension technology.

    According to the source, there are plans to improve the private sector distribution of seeds and fertiliser, expand irrigation farming, and introduce crop and livestock insurance policies. The mechanisation policy under the agricultural transformation agenda, which began last year with Zamfara State, is expected to extend to more states this year. It will provide subsidised services to poor farmers to cultivate more land and produce more food. The move, the source maintained, is necessary to stimulate investments in agricultural transformation and food security and strengthen the country’s ability to achieve sustainable production following the falling oil price.

    The  source  expressed the  concern of  the  government about high cost of production in agriculture sector, that the needs to be reduced, erratic rains, a rapidly expanding population to feed, low commodity prices, competition from other sectors, unethical trade practices and poor management, ensuring  that  these bottlenecks would be addressed and growth attained as an all-inclusive approach will be employed in the  year to fully exploit the sector’s potential and maximise farmers’ earnings.

    Despite the setbacks faced last year, the source disclosed, the sector still recorded growth, food price stability resulting from increase in the quantum of food produced, adding that this year’s key tactic would be to ensure farmers spend less to produce more.

    This, he said, would be driven through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework and continued efforts at working with the state governments to confront the challenges facing farmers. The implementation of Staple Crops Processing Zones will create more farm jobs, attract more rural infrastructure and ensure easier aggregation of farm produce at less cost per unit.

    Focusing on youth, government will build on the launch of Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) to reach more educated youth within the set target of 740,000 to 750,000 all across the country, to entrench the transformation of the sector by supporting the youth to establish and run viable agribusiness enterprises that will add significantly to food production in Nigeria.

  • Judicial Reform Bill : Strategies for speedy passage

    Judicial Reform Bill : Strategies for speedy passage

    We have been assembled here to propose amendments to the provisions relating to the Judicature in The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) Decree no 24 of 1999, otherwise called “the 1999 Constitution” imposed on the country by the Abdulsalami Abubakar junta. Notwithstanding the false claim in its preamble that it was made and enacted by the Nigerian people the decree has been said to be the grundnorm by the courts. To that extent it is a legal document which  lacks legitimacy because of its fraudulent origin. Since the interests of the ruling class are well protected by the decree it is being adjusted and reviewed, from time to time, with a view to consolidating to guaranteeing political stability.  Hence the suggestion of a holistic review of the decree has been unanimously rejected by the members of the National Assembly regardless of political affiliations. Even the idea of subjecting the proposed amended Constitution to a referendum has been dismissed by an arrogant political class which has sheer contempt for the people. In so far as the managers of the neo-colonial state are not prepared to appreciate that sovereignty belongs to the people the agitation for an inclusive, democratic, transparent, and legitimate Constitution will not abate after the on-going review would have been concluded.

    The retreats for senators on the review of the constitution, the one-day meeting convened by members of the House of Representatives in the 360 federal constituencies and the intellectual interventions of the political elite cannot be a substitute for the direct participation of the poeple in the constitution making process. Having excluded the people from the democratic exercise of fashioning a new Constitution for the nation the on-going review is going to produce a document that will accentuate the demand for the convocation of a sovereign national conference. Although I am convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that the amended Constitution will not stand the test of time I have decided to partake of the discourse out of respect for the Rule of Law Group Development Foundation.

    The Judicial Reform Bill 2012

    Based on the recommendations of the 29-member committee of jurists and legal practitioners set up to inquire into the crisis in the judiciary a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Dahiru Musdapher submitted a Judicial Reform Bill to the National Assembly in July 2012. The current Chief Justice, the Honourable Justice Maryam Aloma Muktar is reported to have endorsed the bill. Essentially the bill has proposed that appeals from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court shall only be by leave of the latter, reference to the appellate courts on constitutional matters has been abolished while the Supreme Court is conferred with the additional jurisdiction of rendering judicial opinion based on application made by either the President or Governor of a state. The bill has also proposed a composition of the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Council to reflect democratic participation of relevant stakeholders. The removal of judicial officers has been altered to ensure a greater degree of fairness.

    However, the judicial reform is conspicuously silent on the appellate jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court. Having been clothed with the powers to hear and determine all matters relating to labour, employment and industrial relations to the exclusion of any other court it is dangerous to limit the right of appeal of aggrieved parties to the limited area of the breach of fundamental rights.

    Included in the judicial reform is the duty imposed on the heads of courts to amend the rules of practice and procedure of the high courts and the appellate courts to enhance quality of justice delivery and ensure speedy dispensation of justice. But the administration of justice cannot be substantially improved upon if the system continues to allow the filing of filing frivolous interlocutory applications and stay of proceedings to frustrate trials and obstruct the course of justice. While the right to file interlocutory appeals from the High courts to the Court of Appeal is recognised there should be no stay of proceedings once a trial has commenced. It is hoped that the proposed rules will guarantee uniformity in the rules of the various high courts.

    STRATEGIES FOR SPEEDY PASSAGE OF THE JUDICIAL REFORM BILL

    Since the Judicial Reform Bill was submitted last year not much has been done by the judiciary and the Nigerian Bar Association to mobilise their members to debate the 52 proposals contained therein. In the same vein, the bill has not been circulated among legislators and other stakeholders in the society. Therefore, the copies of the bill ought to be well circulated in the print and electronic media.

    In addition to the initiative of the Rule of Law Development Foundation the National Judicial Council and the Nigerian Bar Association should, as a matter of urgency, organise seminars and workshops for judges and lawyers on the bill. Such enlightenment programmes may lead to a qualitative amendment of the contents of the bill.

    The National Assembly should be made to appreciate that the passage of the judicial reform bill will not achieve the desired objective if the Administration of Justice Bill, Prisons Amendment Bill, Police Amendment Bill and other relevant bills are not passed.

    Having regard to the difficulty of amending the Constitution some of  the provisions relating to the judicature should be transferred to the laws establishing the courts recognised by the Constitution.

    The judicial reform bill has failed to address lack of access to justice by the generality of our people. Hence it is silent on the relevance of public officers’ protection laws, pre-action notices and the application of the doctrine of locus standi. In particular, the rules of court should specifically encourage public interest litigation to promote public accountability and constitutionalism.

    The penchant of courts to sacrifice justice at the altar of technicalities has to stop. The misleading application of section 285 of the Constitution by the Supreme Court has made a mockery of the intention of the legislature. It is high time Nigerian courts returned to the path of  liberalism in the interpretation of the Constitution.

    Being an elitist proposal the judicial reform bill has not taken cognisance of  the magistrate and area courts, customary and sharia courts which are daily patronised by the majority of our people. More so, that appeals arising from the decisions of such inferior courts are curiously allowed to terminate in the Supreme Court! It is my submission that no genuine judicial reform can succeed if it fails to protect the interests of the over 90 per cent of our people who have no contact with the high courts and the appellate courts.

    Many of the recommendations aimed at sanitising the judiciary do not require constitutional amendment but the commitment of the National Judicial Council to rid the judiciary of corruption and other forms of misconduct. In this regard the National Judicial Council under the leadership of the Honourable  Justice Maryam Aloma Muktar, CJN is determined to purge the judiciary of bad eggs while the rules of practice and procedure of the courts are being reviewed to enhance the quality of justice delivery. The Chief Judge of the federal high court, the Honourable Justice Ibrahim Auta  has braized the trail by issuing practice directions to provide for the day to day trial of cases of terrorism, corruption etc.

    In the past, the country benefited immensely from the appointment of distinguished  legal practitioners and law teachers as Justices of the appellate courts. Even some Chief Judges were elevated to the Supreme Court bench without going through the Court of Appeal. Such jurists  added value to the quality of the decisions of the courts and enhanced the integrity of the judicary. But without any justifiable basis the National Judicial Council has turned such appointment into a promotion exercise among serving judges. The ongoing judicial reform should return the judiciary to the glorious past when judges were selected among the best in the legal profession.

    CONCLUSION

    No doubt, the Judicial Reform Bill 2012 is a bold attempt by the Honourable Justice Dahiru Musdapher CJN (as he then was) to utilise the review of the 1999 Constitution to effect sweeping reforms in the Judiciary. The National Judicial Council and the Nigerian Bar Association should lead the campaign for the passage of the bill. As the passage of the bill alone cannot promote the administration of justice the campaign should be linked with the demand for the passage of other bills which are equally pending in the National Assembly.

    To demonstrate that the judiciary is committed to the reforms the recommendations which do not require any legislation should be carried out without any further delay. Efforts should therefore be intensified by the National Judicial Council to review the procedure for recommending candidates for appointment to the higher bench, the removal of corrupt judges from the bench and the amendments of the rules of practice and procedure of the high courts and the appellate courts. The cooperation of the Nigerian Bar Association, the human rights community and other stakeholders is a sine qua non for the success of the judicial reforms.

  • Jonathan’s new strategies for South East, South West

    Jonathan’s new strategies for South East, South West

    The fear of facing an electoral drubbing in the North and South West in the 2015 presidential election is forcing President Goodluck Jonathan’s strategists to firm up other options. Remi Adelowo reports

     

     

     

    The expected declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for a second term may be months away, his political strategists are not taking chances to ensure that he posts a good showing at the polls.

    In the last few months, Presidency top aides have been having sleepless nights to strategise on a ‘foolproof’ formula to achieve a set of clear objectives.

    Two of these objectives include how to neutralise real and perceived opposition within and outside the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and using certain elements to make inroads into areas considered as shaky in the president’s support base.

    The Nation gathered that for each of the nation’s six geo-political zones, the president’s handlers are working on different options to ensuring that key political figures key into the 2015 re-election project.

     

    South East: Beyond a presidential visit

    A few days ago, the president visited Enugu to commission the remodelled terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport. Done with this task, the president proceeded to the Presidential Lodge where he was hosted by the state government.

    Present at the occasion were prominent past and current political office holders and businessmen including the former vice-president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, and all the South-East governors, to mention but a few.

    Expectedly, the president said all the right things. Describing the region as his ‘backbone’, Jonathan reiterated his promises to attract considerable federal presence to the area. He cited the completion of the Onitsha Sea Port early last year which had been abandoned for several years, while also assuring the audience that the plan to build the Second Niger Bridge amongst other projects were on course.

    But despite the support the president seemingly enjoys in the South East, The Nation gathered that the president and his strategists are not leaving anything to chances.

    Four political parties, according to The Nation’s findings, would be used as the platforms to guarantee that the president gets a bloc vote at the next presidential election.

    With the PDP support already taken for granted, the other parties enlisted for the project are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), its offshoot, United Progressives Party (UPP) headed by Chief Chekwas Okorie, and the Labour Party (LP), which membership is dominated by former PDP members.

    The coordination of APGA will be handled by Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, who enjoys a close-knit relationship with the President much to the discomfiture of PDP governors in the South East.

    Obi, besides being a member of the powerful Economic Management Team that advises the president on the nation’s economy, is also alleged to be the only governor that has accompanied the president more on foreign trips.

    With speculations rife that APGA may not field a presidential candidate in 2015 like it did in the 2011 elections, there are strong indications that the party may once again adopt Jonathan as its flag bearer in 2015. This same scenario, sources disclosed, may play out in UPP.

     

    The game plan for South West

    More than any other zone in the country, close aides of the president are allegedly placing priority attention to the South West. “The Presidency’s strategists believe that if Jonathan cannot repeat his excellent showing in the 2011 election in 2015, he should at least win one third of the votes in at least four states in the South West,” said a source.

    The Nation authoritatively gathered that the president having come to the conclusion that chieftains of his party, PDP, across the region may not deliver the much needed votes for him in 2015, he is alleged to have pencilled down Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, as the arrowhead of his re-election campaign.

    The medical doctor-turned-politician, it was learnt, is being positioned to serve as a counterforce to the larger-than-life influence of politicians in the dominant Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    What is also giving the president a source for concern is the crisis that has bedevilled his party in the South West, and which has remained intractable. In almost all the states in the region, PDP leaders are at daggers drawn over the control of the party, while several attempts at reconciliation are yet to achieve the desired results.

    “The president is not putting all his eggs in one basket. He is not comfortable using his party members to handle his campaign and already looking at other options,” said our source.

    Mimiko’s victory at the Ondo State governorship election in October last year during which he reportedly got the tacit endorsement of the Presidency has further given fillip to the belief in the president’s camp that he has what it takes to sell the candidacy of Jonathan to the electorate.

    “Mimiko is a politician in whom the president is well pleased. If the plan afoot remains unchanged, he would be the face of the president’s campaign in the South West in 2015,” a source declared.

    Another politician whose support is being sought is the National Leader of Accord Party (AP) and former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, whose popularity in the state, particularly in Ibadan, the largest voting bloc, will be exploited in the president’s favour.

    Our source added, “Ladoja is desperate to return to the Government House. If it gets to crunch time, he would need the support of the centre to succeed. The presidency also needs him, so it’s a case of you-rub-my-back-I-rub-yours.”

    Also contained in the ‘Operation win South West’ plan is the massive rejuvenation of Labour Party structures in all the states in the region, with the party expected to field candidates for all elective political offices.

    Part of the strategy further includes nominating disgruntled members of the ACN (All Progressives Congress) as candidates of LP, thereby dividing the bloc votes that ACN is likely to garner.

     

    Other regions not left out

    For the North East and North West zones, sources revealed that the president is not giving up that he could pull an upset at the next election.

    The Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, has allegedly been handed the brief to secure the base for the president in 2015.

    Plans are also being fine tuned to allegedly arm-twist Yuguda’s counterpart in Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, whose relationship with the presidency and the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has been frosty in recent times to back the president’s re-election in 2015, findings have revealed.

    In the North West, another avowed supporter of the president, Governor Ibrahim Shema, is expected to take charge of the 2015 project, with sources alleging that he will play a more prominent role than the vice-president, Namadi Sambo, in the next 2015 presidential campaign.

    For the North Central, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State is likely to be picked as the campaign coordinator ahead of other experienced politicians like the Senate President, David Mark, who also hail from Benue.

    Suswam is one of the closest governors to the president, a reason why his choice as the anchorman for the president’s campaign in the region was an easy decision to make.

     

  • JTF adopts new strategies

    The military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers State said it has put in place new strategies to stop illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and crimes in the state.

    The Commander of the Army 2 Brigade and Sector Two of JTF Brig.-Gen. Osasogie Uzamere, spoke yesterday at the Brigade’s 2013 annual range classification exercise in Igwuruta.

    Uzamere said JTF had uncovered new techniques used by oil thieves to sabotage the nation’s economy and as such, renewed its tactics to ensure its proficiency to combat oil bunkering.

    “Under the direct guardian of the JTF Commander, we have deployed soldiers to Southern Ijaw (in Bayelsa) to form a base for expanding our operations against oil thieves and pipeline vandalism.

    “We have re-strategised and introduced new tactics into our operations; of course it will not be appropriate for me to tell what strategies we have put into place; but I do assure that the JTF Sector Two is committed and having successes.”

     

  • Getting your dream job: Techniques, strategies

    Welcome to another Monday and another series in our self-made avowal to empower individuals to get their dream job in the shortest possible time. The inspiration came from Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and feedback from numerous readers of The Nation.

    You’ve got that great résumé in hand and you are rearing to get on and be on your mother of all searches: to find a job! But wait, it takes much more than having just a résumé and bristling energy to have a successful job search. You need a search game plan.

    The job hunter or career changer can find job hunting to be a frustrating experience. Fact is, it’s a job finding a job! There are no set of rules for job hunting; no magic formulas or solutions. However, by utilising all the options available to us, we can make the job search more efficient and be successful in the shortest possible time.

    A successful job search starts with thorough preparation and planning. This is true whether you are beginning your career, seeking re-employment or considering a more satisfying occupation. First assess your characteristics; take a good look at who you are and what you have done.

    This will require time and effort, but the time you invest will be worthwhile. Self-assessment can help you to decide on a realistic job objective. The information you discover will also be helpful when writing your resume, completing job applications and preparing for job interviews.

    In exploring career options the questions are:

     

    Do I want to remain in that field?

    • Would the strengths I have serve in a related field of work?

    • Would I consider returning to school to learn new job skills which are in demand?

    • As a recent college graduate, could I translate my strengths into a career?

    • Is self-employment a possibility?

    • In answering these questions, carefully consider personal circumstances, your lifestyle, health, family circumstances and financial needs. Keep these factors in mind when making career plans.

    • Considering everything you know about yourself, try to think of some career possibilities that you could do well arid would enjoy.

     

    Organisation is key

    Staying organised in the hunt is imperative. It is extremely important to be organised. Maintain a notebook with contact sheets for recording names and information relative to your efforts. Keep copies of all job leads or ads that you respond to. Maintain a calendar or weekly plan of action for your job hunt and record and review the number of contacts made each week.

    As stated earlier, it is job looking a job! If you are experiencing a career transition, staying in the routine of a job hunt is difficult. Remember, you are marketing yourself daily. Begin each day with the attitude that you are “open for business.’ Follow the plan you established for yourself and keep with it until you’ve reached your goal. Don’t unwittingly extend your job search time by limiting the techniques you use. There are several techniques and strategies for effective job fishing. We shall proceed to look at them.

     

    Networking

    Networking is a key process in job seeking, job keeping, and position advancement, in the future it will be necessary to give greater attention to this process as competition for good jobs becomes keener and advancement opportunities become fewer. More and more, individuals must learn to develop and use networks of contacts if they are to best achieve their goals and career potential.

    Networking in a nutshell, is nothing more than asking the people you already know to help you find out about the job market and meet the people who are actually doing the hiring.

    The hard facts “Informal contacts account for almost 75 per cent of all successful job searches. Agencies find about nine per cent of new jobs for professional and technical people, and ads yield another 10 per cent or so.

    Don’t hesitate to talk to friends, acquaintances, and neighbours about your job search in reality, you are asking for advice, not charity. Most of the people you contact will be willing to help you, if only you will tell them how. You probably know more people than you think. The key to making progress is to start asking the right people for the right kind of assistance.

    The ultimate object of your job search is to convince the person who has the power to hire you that you ought to be working for him or her. The one you want to talk to is not necessarily the president of a company; it is rather the one who heads the department that could use your expertise.

    Direct contact with the hiring authority is far and away the most effective job-hunting method. Your strategy and schedule should reflect that fact, and most of your energy should be devoted to direct contact. You may want to explore other methods of contacting potential employers, but that should take up no more than a quarter of your job – hunting time.

    How do you find the hiring authority? If you are lucky, someone you know periodically will tell you whom to see and introduce you. Otherwise, you will have to do some homework. If you cannot find out who heads the department that interests you, call the company and ask the operator.

    Do not assume you can get to the hiring authority through the personnel depart-ment. If at all possible, you will avoid filling out ally personnel forms until you have had a serious interview. The same goes for sending resumes. In general, resumes are better left behind after an interview than sent ahead to generate a meeting.

     

    The informational interview

    The contacts you make during your preliminary informational interviewing will be the core of your network in your job hunt. You will also want to zero in on other contacts within your career area. Your goal is to get referred to the person who has the power to hire you.

     

  • We’ll employ better strategies in governance, says Amaechi

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has assured that his administration would employ better strategies in governance, by laying the foundation for a future the people would be proud of.

    He said his administration was conscious that posterity would not forgive it, if it failed to make use of the opportunity given by the Rivers people to make significant progress.

    Governor Amaechi said this in his New Year broadcast.

    He said his government carried the lessons of the past with it and looked forward to guaranteeing the survival of the present and future generations.

    The governor said his administration was conscious of the fact that the impact of the decisions taken today would have consequences for the people, noting that small actions taken collectively could add up to real change.

    Amaechi, who is also the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), said: “Leadership lives and dies by its ability to engage, influence and care for the people. Leadership is about trust, stewardship, care, concern, service, humility and understanding.

    “This is the type of bond that will survive challenges, and downturns, and this is the reason we have worked to improve the past and give hope for the future. We believe that we can only earn your trust and loyalty if we add value to your lives.

    “As you know, we inherited a near, comatose education sector, our health infrastructure had broken down, power remained a major challenge despite our huge investments in that sector and our road infrastructure was in dire need of urgent intervention.

    “In addition, the challenges of militancy and its attendant insecurity had brought our economy to a standstill. Our once thriving economy was worse than a shadow of its old self.

    “Our development approach this year will balance competing needs against the social and economic challenges that we face.”