UN team to visit Nigeria over arms shipment

THE United Nations is sending an eight-man team to Nigeria in the third week of January over the arms shipment intercepted from Iran, a senior official has said.

The UN panel of experts on Iran is expected in the country on January 18 for a three-day working visit, the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The panel’s earlier request to visit Nigeria this month was not cleared from Abuja due to administrative reasons, the official said.

Yesterday, Iranian businessman Azim Aghajani, who is facing trial along with three Nigerians over the importation of the illegal arms into Apapa port in Lagos, was granted bail by an Abuja High Court.

The Nigerians on trial with him are Ali Abbas Jega, Aliyu O. Wamako and Muhammed Tukur Umar.

They were arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court which remanded them in SSS custody.

The Iranian,　on Dec 16, approached the court through his lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), for bail, relying on sections 341(2) and (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code; and Section 35 (4) 39 of 1999 Constitution.

He also prayed that the bail be sustained, pending his trial by the court.

Granting the bail application, Justice Ishaq Bello held that since the prosecution failed to file a counter affidavit to the application, there was no basis denying the accused bail.

He ordered him to produce two sureties in the sum of N20 million each.

The sureties must be citizens of Iran and officials of the embassy.

The eight-man UN panel was appointed last month by the UN Secretary-General to monitor states’ implementation of the sanctions against Iran.

Nigeria’s Maj-Gen. Ishola Williams is a member of the panel, which is coordinated by Salome Zourabichvili of France.

Other members of the panel expected to visit Nigeria are Jonathan Brewer from the UK, Kenichiro Matsubayashi from Japan and Jacqueline W. Shire from the United States.

Also on the team are; Elena Vodopolova from Russian, Christof Wegner from Germany and Wenlei Xu of China.

The panel while in Nigeria will meet with officials of some key government agencies involved in the investigation.

They will also inspect the seized cache of arms.

Nigeria reported Iran to the UN in November after security agents intercepted weapons hidden among building materials on a ship docked in Lagos in October.

Four persons, including one Iranian, were arrested and charged to court over the seized weapons.

The weapons include assorted calibers of mortars and 107 mm rocket launchers, designed to attack static targets and used by armies to support infantry units.

Sales Manager Wanted At Main One Ltd

Main One Cable Company Limited (‘Main One’) is the first submarine cable company offering open access, wholesale broadband capacity in West Africa. Main One is wholly African-owned with a vision to expand the much needed capacity on the African continent and reduce costs of broadband communications across the Continent. This vision is being realized via a submarine cable system that was declared ready for service in July 2010 with initial landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Portugal – linking West Africa to the rest of the world via Portugal and the United Kingdom.

JOB TITLE: SALES MANAGERS
Reporting to: Sales & Marketing Executive
Location: Nigeria

Reponsibilities
• The Sales Managers will be responsible for the sale of wholesale capacity and broadband solutions and manage relationships with targeted accounts to drive increased network utilization.
• They will develop respective plans for aggressive achievement of high value sales in timely fashion and negotiate detailed technical requirements and performance expectations with customer.
• They will also interface with customers at the C-Level and below in the organizations to drive sales and see to effective deployment and growth on the Main One network.

Requirements
• A University degree in Marketing, Business Administration or related field
• Minimum of 8 years cognate experience with at least 6 in sale of technology or telecommunications products or services in a B2B model
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Must also be able to identify customer needs and work with the Main One technical team to proffer appropriate solutions
• Must possess good relationship management and customer service skills

Remuneration
Attractive remuneration packages, a pleasant working environment, and challenging career prospects await the successful candidates.

Method of Application
To apply, please email your curriculum vitae – only once – to hr@mainonecable.com within two weeks of this advertisement. Ensure you indicate your name and the role you are applying for, in the subject line of the email.

All applications will be treated in confidence. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

For more information contact : hr@mainonecable.com

Trouble in Ikole-Ekiti over alleged plan to relocate federal varsity

Trouble returned to Ekiti State in the early hours of Thursday when irate protesters stormed the streets of Ikole-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of the state over alleged plan by the state government to move a federal university allocated to the state and earlier slated for the community to Oye-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area of the state.

But the state government has accused leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of being behind the spreading of the “falsehood” that precipitated the protest.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on telephone over the matter, said the government had not made any such pronouncement, adding that some PDP leaders from the state, operating from Abuja, spread a rumour that the university would be sited in Oye and not Ikole where the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, in his power over the Land Use Act, had promised to site the university.

The protesters, made bonfires in strategic places in the town and displayed placards of various inscriptions, condemned the alleged plan to move the proposed university.

The Ekiti State government, however, assured the people of the state that the decision to site the university in Ikole-Ekiti remained unchanged despite the subversive activities of “a few cabal.”

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the governor on media, Alhaji Mojeed Jamiu, following deep consultations with relevant stakeholders, including officials of the Federal Government, state government, traditional rulers and community leaders, Governor Fayemi chose Ikole-Ekiti as site of the new university.

He said, “before the decision to site the university in Ikole was made public, the governor had also consulted with President Goodluck Jonathan, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC).”

“The decision to site the university in Ikole-Ekiti was informed by the need to avoid unnecessary acrimony among communities at a time we are still grappling with self-inflicted crisis, borne out of indiscriminate and self-serving siting of tertiary institutions in the state.

ANPP chief seeks audit of riverside polling stations

Ahead of the re-run election in Delta State, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship aspirant, Chief Michael Aristotle Ighofose has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct an audit of polling stations in riverside communities.

Ighofose, who was said to have been wrongfully excluded from the 2007 governorship election, maintained that for a free and fair re-run election, INEC must set up a special election monitoring task force for the riverside areas.　

Ighofose made this appeal at a press briefing in Warri during which he said experience in previous elections showed that elections hardly took place in the riverside communities, adding that both the electorate and INEC officials often shied awway from the creeks for fear of violence, intimidation and kidnapping.

He said: "Our experience in previous elections have shown that elections hardly take place in these areas as both the electorate and INEC　officials shy away from going to the creeks to conduct elections for fear of intimidation, violence and sometimes kidnapping."

　He alleged that election results declared from the creeks often showed candidates get more votes than the number of eligible voters there.　

Ighofose expressed confidence in the ability of INEC to conduct credible re-run election, stressing that the re-run election in Delta State was a litmus test for INEC and the integrity of Prof. Attahiru Jega.　

He said ANPP was ready to wrest political control of the state from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that campaign committees and coordinators have been appointed for the various senatorial districts.

He further said if elected, his government will focus on peace and security, youth empowerment and wealth creation, free education at primary and secondary school levels, subsidy for tertiary education and infrastructural development of rural and urban centres to promote industrialisation.

He urged the electorate to rise against election riggers and ensure that their votes count.

Bad weather disrupts international flights in Lagos

Hundreds of passengers were on Sunday stranded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos following the cancellation and rescheduling of various international flights by different airlines.

The development, which is due to the harsh weather prevalent in most parts of Europe, saw to the disruptions of both in-coming and out-going flights, a situation which led to the placating of passengers by airline operators at the international airport.

“Due to extreme weather conditions at UK airports, there have been temporary disruptions to inbound and outbound British Airways flights,” said Moyela Muyiwa, media representative for British Airways.

Mr Muyiwa disclosed that the carrier’s night flight to London from Lagos has been rescheduled adding that Monday’s flight from London, Heathrow to Lagos and Abuja may be affected.

Hoping for a change

The carriers’ representative pleaded with passengers to bear with the airline, as he noted that Sunday’s flight from Abuja to London will be diverted to Brussels.

“Passengers will be lifted out of Brussels to London on Monday baring any other unforeseen issues,” he said.

Other carriers at the airport affected by the ice and snow weather effects in Europe include: Arik Air and Air Nigeria, formally Virgin Nigeria.

“Our flights are cancelled because London, Heathrow airport is currently shut down,” said Adebanji Ola, spokesperson for Arik Air when contacted.

Expressing various concerns on the development, some passengers prayed for better weather in due course.

“This is a natural issue and nothing can be done, we could only hope and pray for a fair weather so that we can embark on our diverse activities and see our families,” said Oyetunji Johnson, a passenger at the airport.

Nigeria loses N.7bn, as Chevron shuts down stations •JTF arrests Togo’s son, sister

NIGERIA is losing about N700 million, as American oil giant, Chevron , has shut in 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day in Delta State, following the damage done to its facilities on Saturday by the militants.
The pipeline services some oil production platforms in the swamp operations of the company in the oil-rich state, before it was breached by some militants on Saturday.

Findings revealed that some oil flow stations producing about 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day were affected by the action.

The ill-fated pipeline had been ruptured more than five times within two years, a development which led to epileptic operations by the oil major in the area.

The General Manager, Government and Public Affairs of the company, Mr Femi Odumabo, told the Nigerian Tribune in a telephone interview on Sunday night that the pipeline was breached by some faceless persons.

Odumabo stated that the pipeline had been isolated while investigation into the incident had begun.

He, however, declined to confirm the number of the production platforms affected by the action and their production strength.

But an independent source in the oil company, who craved anonymity, said “I can confirm to you that about three flow stations were shut down and we are currently recording a production shut-in of about 50,000 barrel per day (bpd) due to the unfortunate incident.

“This is, no doubt, another setback to the operations of Chevron in the Niger Delta and we hope that the security challenges in the region would be seriously addressed by the authorities and relevant stakeholders.”

Odumabo, in the interview, added that the company’s management decided to suspend operation through the pipeline to prevent damage to the environment.

Meanwhile, the fragile security situation in the Niger Delta region was, again, threatened, as the nine-year-old son of the wanted militant in the region, John Togo, Peres and the his elder sister, Mrs Patie Otoruna, were arrested by the Joint Task Force (JTF), on Sunday.

As of press time time, it could not be confirmed if the action was a bait to force the wanted militant leader to surrender to the authorities.

The Togos were being detained at the Third Battalion, Effurun, the headquarters of Delta sector of JTF.
Togo’s lawyer, Mr Carsley Omo-Irabor, who confirmed the arrest of the duo in a telephone interview with the Nigerian Tribune, asked the authorities of the JTF to release them with immediate effect.

Togo had, last week, asked the JTF to guarantee his safety and restrict the activities of the troops in the creeks as conditions for him to surrender to the security agency.

The spokesman of JTF, Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Antigha, however, denied knowledge of the arrest of the duo.

Akunyili Will Succeed Obi as Governor, Says Mbadinuju

The defection of former information and communications minister, Dora Akunyili, to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is a prelude to her becoming the governor of Anambra State after the incumbent Peter Obi, a former governor of the state, Chinwoke Mbadinuju told NEXT at the weekend. Mr Mbadinuju said Mrs Akunyili’s foray into politics and her membership of APGA could be Mr Obi’s way of repaying her for supporting him during his successful bid for a second term at the February 6 governorship poll in Anambra State. Mr Obi’s tenure will end in 2014.

Shortly after Mr Obi won that election, the defeated candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chukwuma Soludo, had alleged that Mrs Akunyili worked for the incumbent governor. Although Mr Obi and some other APGA members had laughed it off as the tantrums of a defeated man, Mr Soludo succeeded in convincing many of his supporters on the veracity of his allegation. But Mr Mbadinuju, who also reportedly has plans to contest the governorship post again, said Mrs Akunyili must have joined the race to realise a bigger ambition.

‘If anyone knows Dora, the person should know that she does not do anything in vain. I seem convinced that Dora has her eye on the governorship seat of Anambra State,” Mr Mbadinuju said. “She knows she won’t go far in that her ambition if she remained in PDP. After the last Anambra guber election in which APGA’s Peter Obi defeated PDP’s Chukwuma Soludo, Dora must have done her homework to come to the conclusion that since Mr Soludo is now the leader of PDP in the state, she would have no chance of getting a ticket to run for governor when Soludo also has his eye on the same seat come next election.

‘During the last guber election, Soludo had accused Dora of anti-party activity in helping Obi to win the contest. If that is correct, then there will surely be a pay-back from Governor Obi to reciprocate the alleged Dora’s assistance in his victory. And by the way, Obi is from Agulu and Dora married an Agulu man, so Dora and Peter Obi are related by marriage, and nobody should be surprised to see Dora as governor of Anambra State courtesy of Peter Obi. This will be so if Anambra PDP fails to put its house in order before the next election.’

Akunyili’s campaign starts

The former governor, who had a running battle with some leaders of the PDP while in office, said the recent political development in Anambra State was a clear indication that the PDP was in serious trouble in the state after failing to heed his previous warnings. He said he had foreseen the current scenario and warned against it.

‘I warned against a situation like this as I was being forced out of office in 2003, and now we have seen it because we were all witnesses. And we have also seen that it is not possible for one to eat one’s cake and still have it. Let us keep believing that one day it shall be well,’ he said.

Mbadinuju however refused to be drawn into the argument of whether the move by Akunyili was a political gamble, pointing out that only time would tell whether she made a mistake in leaving a comfortable position as minister for another that appeared risky.

Meanwhile, barely a week after deciding to run represent Anambra Central senatorial zone under APGA, Mrs Akunyili will today kick-start her campaign by embarking on a tour of her constituency after a courtesy visit to the governor.

Mrs Akunyili is believed to enjoy the support of many APGA candidates running for other positions and NEXT gathered authoritatively that they planned to use their already established structures to assist her in reaching the grassroots, given the short period between her declaration and the party primaries slated for January 2.

Jonathan targets Lagos

Despite suffering a string of losses in the South West recently, the Peoples Democratic Party is determined to wrest Lagos State from the tight grip of the Action Congress of Nigeria which has ruled the state since 1999.

President Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend in Ibadan urged leaders of the party in the South-West to work at winning the gubernatorial election in Lagos, or the PDP will always rue its inability to take over a state so strategically located.

Speaking at a parley with delegates at the Mapo Hall in Ibadan the president said, “If you don’t get Lagos we will continue to be tormented. I have discovered that Lagos as a result of its strategic position has the capacity to intimidate other South West states. We have more political weight in Lagos State. Our analysis proves that if a clean election is conducted PDP will win.” He added that, “The figure of supporters I have of other ethnic groups in Lagos show that PDP can beat any other party. We are more prepared and confident that we can win ahead of any other presidential aspirant now. I assure you that we are committed and I encourage you to work harder to win South West clearly especially Oyo, Ogun and Lagos”.

The President and Vice President Namadi Sambo, had at the weekend visited the South-West region in a bid to lobby delegates for the presidential primaries of the PDP slated for January.

Kinship with Ibadan

The president and his vice flew into Ibadan, the Oyo State capital yesterday afternoon to have consultations with various groups in the party and notable South West elders.

Mr. Sambo, in his speech, noted that the President and himself both served in Ibadan during their National Youth Service Corps’ days and so must be considered “Ibadan boys.”

According to him, “I served in the Ministry of Works in Ibadan so I am an Ibadan boy. President Jonathan has all the experience, the first to have served as deputy governor, governor, vice president and now the president. He is transparent, patient and a patriotic Nigerian and we are working together to develop, construct and transform this country.’’

In his remark, the Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala said Ibadan was the heart of the South West, and no matter the court pronouncements in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun, PDP remains strong in the South West and will soon claim Lagos State.

The Zonal Coordinator of Jonathan/Sambo Campaign and Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, said the 585 delegates’ vote from the south west that was promised the president would be delivered.

“What we are doing is not speculative but a definite operation and total delivery does not mean operation work at ease”.

He assured the president that 51 delegates of Lagos, 60 of Ekiti, 80 of Ondo, 108 of Ogun, 153 of Oyo and 133 of Osun states will deliver the south west vote for the Jonathan/Sambo ticket during the January 13th primaries.

All for one

Speaking for the south west Mr. Daniel said, “If we do it well we will stand before our President and demand our rights in terms of development. South west stands for true federalism and we agree that the Jonathan/Sambo ticket represents that concept. We have a candidate who has everything other candidates are looking for, he is already the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, our job is to reconfirm what we already know that come 2011 election we will give our vote to Mr. President”.

Also speaking on behalf of the party chairmen in the region, Dayo Dairo, the PDP chairman of Ondo State affirmed the promise that all delegates from the region will give their votes to Mr. Jonathan.

The leader of the South West branch of the Association of Chairmen of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), John Obafemi, of Ogun State said, “For us the election has been concluded. This is our own project to ensure we deliver the Jonathan/Sambo ticket. All ALGON chairmen in the country had agreed to vote Jonathan/Sambo and we in the South West are looking forward to seeing you sworn in on May 29th 2011”.

Speaking on behalf of the members of the House of Representatives in the region, Duro Fasheyi said, “we have resolved in our meeting, our word is our bond. We won’t change our vote. We are reaffirming our vote on January 13th and all we ask is that we need you to stand by us”.

Speaking on behalf of women in the region, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, assured the duo of the women’s vote in the south west, since they had all been sensitised by the president’s wife, Patience Jonathan through the Women for Change Initiative and Jonathan’s support for women.

She said, “We assure you of our vote since you have promised us 35 per cent affirmative action, you have our votes but keep your promise”.

Iyiola Omisore, a Senator, moved the motion that the 585 delegates in the region should pledge their total votes to the Jonathan/Sambo ticket come January 13th.

Some of the PDP leaders expected to hold consultations with the President include Alao-Akala, Mr Daniel; former Ondo State governor Olusegun Agagu, the sacked Ekiti State governor, Olusegun Oni, Mrs. Etteh, Richard Akinjide and Raji Rasaki.

Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Sambo also visited the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Olugade.

Other notable personalities include the Minister of Defence, Adetokunbo Kayode, Minister of Youth, Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, Minister of Special Duty, Taoheed Adedoja, Minister of Commerce, Jubril Martins Kuye, the Head of Service of the Federation, Oladapo Afolabi, Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Caleb Olubolade, and the Director General Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Dalhatu Tafida.

Nigerian Ruling Party Governors Back Jonathan

Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan received the backing of 20 state governors to win the ruling People’s Democratic Party’s nomination at primaries on Jan. 13.

The governors, all members of the PDP, said Jonathan should serve “for a period of four years only” if he wins the election set for April 9, according to a statement handed to reporters yesterday after a meeting in Abuja, the capital. Six PDP governors didn’t sign the statement, and Nigeria’s remaining 10 governors are members of the opposition.

Jonathan became president of Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous country, succeeding Umaru Yar’Adua, a Muslim northerner who died in May 5, three years into his first term. As a southern Christian, his candidacy is contrary to an unwritten party rule to rotate the country’s top office between the mainly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south for two four-year terms.

Jonathan’s decision to contest in next year’s vote has divided the PDP, with a group of northern politicians backing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to challenge the president for the party’s nomination. The state governors supporting Jonathan cut across the West African nation’s regional and religious divide and described his candidacy yesterday as a continuation of his joint ticket with Yar’Adua.

Former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, who dropped out of the race to back Abubakar, threatened last week to quit the PDP if a northerner isn’t chosen as its candidate.

Peaceful Change

Abubakar added to tension over the dispute on Dec. 15 when he told supporters in Abuja that “those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable,” in reference to Jonathan’s candidacy.

The State Security Services, the security police, told politicians today to tone down the rhetoric.

Politicians should “henceforth desist from making unguarded statements which have the capacity to undermine and subvert the stability of the nation,” SSS spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said in an e-mailed statement. “Appropriate sanctions will be brought to bear heavily on any person found violating this warning.”

Nigeria has suffered periodic outbursts of religious and communal violence that have claimed more than 13,000 lives since 1999, according to the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

Nigeria Reduces Parliament’s 2011 Spending, Punch Reports

Nigeria’s budget announced on Dec. 15 slashed money allocated to parliament for its operations next year to 111.2 billion naira ($718 million) from 156 billion naira in 2010, Punch reported.

About 108 billion naira is for recurrent expenditure, while 3.21 billion naira is for investment, according to a breakdown provided in the Lagos-based newspaper.

Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said last month that lawmakers are responsible for a quarter of the government’s recurrent expenditure, a statement that parliament demanded he retract.

‘Sack RECs of annulled polls’ - Fashola

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sack Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who signed the results of the 2007 governorship elections that were annulled by the Court of Appeal.

The governor spoke yesterday when the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its President, Mohammed Garba, and West African Journalists Association (WAJA) officials visited him at Lagos House, Alausa Ikeja.

He said such commissioners should be prevented from getting any electoral position for next year’s polls.

He said this should be the first step for INEC to show that it can organise credible polls.

PDP to Hold Primaries January 13

Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) said on Friday it would hold presidential primaries on Jan. 13 ahead of nationwide elections in April.

The PDP primaries for state governorship elections will be held on January 9, the party said in a statement

Atiku warns against blocking change

Former vice president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar has warned that a violent change in the leadership of Nigeria might occur if the current political leaders fail to encourage peaceful change.

He also warned the PDP leadership to embrace reforms in the party or risk becoming irrelevant in the nation's polity.

Mr Abubakar spoke in Abuja at a national stakeholders conference convened by the Northern Political Leaders Forum, Igbo Political Forum, South South Unity Forum and Yoruba Redemption Group. The theme of the conference was ‘Building Consensus for National Unity." The former vice president, during his brief remarks, said the conference was not about him, but about the unity and stability of the country, adding that the conveners were determined to bring the country back to the path of honour and integrity.

"If the PDP does not bring reform, it stands the risk of making itself irrelevant. Let me again send another message to the leadership of our country, especially our political leadership - those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable. But that is not what we want for our country," Mr Abubakar said.

Zoning and Nigeria's future

The chairman of the occasion and former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, in his opening remarks, lamented that some political actors are not only trying to put the question of national unity in the back burner, but are actively trying to undermine it by jettisoning measures that are deliberately designed to promote and guarantee it.

He said the insistence of some presidential aspirants and their supporters to maintain zoning and rotation of power between the component parts of Nigeria is in the long term interest of the country and its people.

Mr Babangida recalled that when the PDP was formed, it was conceived as a big tent that would house the diverse sections, groupings and interest of the country in an amicable and orderly power sharing arrangement, stressing that dumping the arrangement will affect the electoral fortune of the party.

"The critical balancing fulcrum sustaining that arrangement is the principle of zoning and rotation of public and party offices," he said. "This is, without any doubt, what is responsible for the remarkable successes that the party was able to register in successive elections in the country. Any attempt to disrupt this arrangement therefore portends ominous prospect to the electoral fortunes of the party, but seriously endangers orderly political transition in the nation." A former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, who was the guest speaker at the occasion, said zoning and rotation of public offices are not limited to Nigeria, noting that it is practiced in other countries, like Switzerland as well as organisations like the European Union and United Nations.

According to him, those condemning the principle of rotation and zoning are merely endangering the unity of the country.

Noting that the concept of zoning was a concession to the south by the northern part of Nigeria, Mr Nnamani said the latter holds the aces because 61 per cent of the delegates to the national convention of the PDP are from that part of the country, while the south constitutes only 39 per cent.

PDP politics

He insisted that the PDP has a clause that recognises zoning in its constitution, adding that rather than implementing that clause, some people are overheating the polity.

Criticizing the position of Ohana eze Ndigbo, the socio-cultural organisation for endorsing the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan to succeed himself, Mr. Nnamani said, "What if that individual endorsed fails to win the primaries? So, if you read such things, disregard it. To make matters worse, these people endorsing are not delegates."

Mutiny: 27 soldiers formally regain freedom

The 27 soldiers jailed for mutiny were on Wednesday formally breezed into freedom following their pardon by the Nigerian Army.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered in Ibadan, on Wednesday, that the released soldiers, who were put in different prisons across the country, arrived at the Kuje prison, Abuja, by 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

One of the counsel for the soldiers, Mr Peter Adonu, told newsmen in Ibadan that they (soldiers) left Kuje Prison around 12 noon to the Army headquarters, Abacha Barracks.

He said that it was at the garrison that they were addressed by the Garrison Commander on the decision reached by the Army Council to pardon them.

The soldiers were, however, given three weeks leave after which they were expected to report at their various units to claim their benefits.

Force admits losing eight officers in face-off with militants

The Joint Military Task Force, code-named "Operation Restore Hope", on Wednesday admitted losing eight of its officers in the recent face-off with militants in the Niger Delta. The JTF, however, denied embarking on indiscriminate shooting in the Ayakoromor community in the area. The commander of the task force, Charles Omoregie, a major general made the clarification in Yenagoa during a solidarity visit by some Ijaw elders led by a former minister of police affairs, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo.

Mr. Omoregie, however, said the loss of the military personnel would not deter the task force from achieving its goal of apprehending and bringing self-styled "Gen" John Togo, a militant leader, to justice. The commander, who listed the fatalities in the gunfight in the waterways of the Niger Delta with Togo's men as seven soldiers and a mobile policeman, said the decision to downplay the casualties was to douse any tension in the region. The victims were part of the JTF personnel that were injured during an ambush by men of the camp belonging to Togo and amongst whom some died as a result of the lack of immediate medical attention.

False alarm

Mr. Omoregie described as mischievous the purported destruction of Ayakoromor community as peddled by some individuals in the Delta and also denied that the JTF had embarked on indiscriminate killings.

According to him, "We did not carry out a massacre in Ayakoromor as widely and mischievously reported. I tell you my elders without any fear of contradiction that the entire Ayakoromor incident has been politicised. The latest figure is that we killed 50. People are just mentioning numbers for selfish reasons. Let those with the facts on the massacre prove it. We are still focused on apprehending and bringing John Togo to justice. The immediate goal of the JTF is to assist the indigenes of Ayakoromor to return to their community."

Mr. Omoregie also informed the Ijaw leaders of the receipt of relief assistance from the Defence Headquarters in Abuja for the rehabilitation and restoration efforts needed for peace in Ayakoromor.

Earlier, Mr. Bozimo had said that though they had heard various accounts of the incident at Ayakoromor, they decided to get the version of the JTF in order to take a position on the issue.

"We don't think all we have heard is true and we have decided to get your own side of the story," he said.

He said the Ijaw leaders had refrained from talking on the Ayakoromor incident because of the uncertainties surrounding it. The residents of Ayakoromor had, at a news briefing in Yenagoa last Monday, alleged that men of the JTF killed 51 natives during the December 1 attack on the community, a claim the military had denied.

Police arrest Oyo lawmaker, 40 others at PDP rally

IT was a bad day for a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Jimoh Fadipe, on Wednesday, as he was molested and arrested along with about 40 other persons by the police for allegedly attending a political rally, fully armed with dangerous weapons.

Fadipe is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator, representing the Ibadan South-East constituency in the state legislature and he is already campaigning to return to the Assembly for a second term.

The PDP chapters in the 11 local government areas in Ibadan had organised the rally, which was held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, as part of the preparations of the party for the forthcoming general election.

However, before the arrival of the state governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, at the venue of the rally, the police, apparently acting on a tip-off, embarked on a stop and search exercise and, in the process, found several guns, including four pump action double barrel guns, pistols and charms in four vehicles.

Promptly, the cars - a Mercedez Benz salon (BC 254 EPE); Nissan Xterra Jeep (OYHA 09 A); Hyundai Accent salon (FP 682 KJA) and a Nissan bus (AW 69 BDG) - were impounded by the Police, while about 40 people, said to be loyalists of Fadipe, were also arrested and taken to the Mapo Police Station, Ibadan.

The lawmaker, from whom two English pistols were said to have been confiscated, was arrested while seeking to effect the release of his ‘boys’, an attempt which infuriated the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the police station, Mr. Francis Ojomo, who immediately ordered that he should be arrested and detained at the station.

Meanwhile, addressing the mammoth crowd and PDP members at the rally, Governor Alao-Akala, said that his administration had fulfilled all its electoral promises, maintaining that the PDP would retain its position as the ruling party in the state after the 2011 elections.

Promising not to let the people of the state down, he carpeted those who were opposed to him as he declared that nobody could frustrate his administration in its quest to improve the living condition of the people.

Dora Akunyili quits cabinet, joins APGA – Daily Trust

Professor Dora Akunyili has resigned her position as information minister with effect from yesterday to seek the Anambra Senatorial District ticket under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
President Goodluck Jonathan has since accepted her resignation and appointed Minister of State for Information and Communications Labaran Maku to replace her as the substantive minister.
Akunyili, who turned-in her resignation letter yesterday at the weekly Federal Executive Council, told the council that she has decided to cross-over to the APGA, which is the ruling party in the state, to seek for APGA’s ticket.
She also told council that having reflected over the years about events in Nigeria and in particular her state, Anambra State, “I have, therefore, decided to join my Governor, Peter Obi, who is doing a great job in continuing to build Anambra State as an APGA senator. In this regard, I intend to pick the nomination form today to run for the office of Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.”
Shortly after briefing State House correspondents at the end of her last FEC meeting, Akunyili, drove in convoy of about 50 vehicles to the APGA national secretariat in Abuja where she paid N3.5 million for the nomination forms to run against Barrister Chike Maduekwe for the APGA senatorial ticket.

Recurrent expenditure gulps 59% of 2011 budget

The trend of disproportionately high rate of recurrent expenditure that has characterised Nigeria's annual budget estimates has persisted, as it will gulp 59 percent of the 2011 budget.

Figure from the N4.226 trillion budget that was presented to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday proposes N2.481 trillion for recurrent expenditures. This is contrary to government's earlier plan to cut recurrent expenses.

The Finance Minister,Olusegun Aganga, had the penultimate week, in a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Finance and Aids, Loans and Debt management in Abuja said that he was working on changing the trend in the country's supplementary expenditure which was suffocating capital expenditure.

Mr. Aganga's view was corroborated by the Senate President, David Mark who told Mr Jonathan on Wednesday, during the budget presentation ceremony in the National Assembly, that disproportionate ratio of recurrent and overhead expenditure to capital expenditure is unacceptable and unsustainable.

"No nation desirous of meaningful development can afford such a disproportionate allocation of its financial resources between consumption and investment towards its own future development," the Senate President told the President. "This means that the cost of running government has been increasing at an unsustainable rate. We must all rise together and address it."

Cutting it

He added that the National Assembly will henceforth re-evaluate budget aggregates and other major macroeconomic variables across the board for all Government(Ministries Departments and Agencies) MDAs and other arms of government to lower the personnel and overhead expenditures, and improve the level of appropriations for capital expenditures." we must drastically cut down the cost of running government vertically and horizontally in the three arms of government as well as the three tiers of our federating unit," the Senate President said. "In this regard, the National Assembly will lead the crusade. We will make the required sacrifice and review our recurrent expenditure. We expect others to make similar sacrifice."

Mr Jonathan, however, said the government is mindful of the unsustainable trend in recurrent expenditures and is implementing a wide range public financial management reforms which will boost fiscal prudence and increase quality and efficiency of spending.

"To ensure that this trend does not result in the crowding out of the critical capital investments required to achieve our development goals, a high powered Expenditure Review Committee was established to suggest practical measures to rationalise recurrent expenditure without compromising the quality of service delivery," the president said.

He added that the government has already saved N12 billion in personnel cost by introducing an integrated payroll and personnel information system in 16 MDAs.

Auditing NNPC

The president also added that the government intends to block all revenue leakages in the system by conducting audits for all revenue generating agencies including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

He also said the government will strengthen the pre-shipment inspection for crude oil and gases, fast track the implementation of key reforms by the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Custom Service.

The 2011 budget estimates is 18% less than what was budgeted last year. It comprises N196.12 billion for statutory transfers, N542.38 billion for debt service, N2.481 trillion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and N1.005 trillion for capital expenditure.

The 2011 budget is predicated on assumptions that reflect the outlook for 2011 and "our expectations for improvements in domestic oil production, stability in the international oil markets and sustained economic growth," the president said.

The assumptions include: oil production of 2.3 million barrels per day, benchmark oil price of $65 per barrel, exchange rate of N150 per US dollar, joint venture cash calls of $4.5 billion, and projected growth rate of 7%.

‘No vacancy in Aso Rock'

Former chairman of the board of trustees of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Anenih, on Monday, advised all presidential aspirants to forget such ambition, saying that there is no vacancy in the presidency, even as preparations for the presidential primaries of the party gathers momentum.

Mr. Anenih, who spoke in Benin at the opening of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation in Benin City, insisted that President Goodluck Jonathan remains Nigeria's consensus candidate for the election.

"We know that there is the Adamu Ciroma consensus candidate. We also know that there is a Nigerian consensus candidate and for that reason, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock. I don't waste my words, but we should prepare not only for the primaries, but for the general election to elect Goodluck Jonathan as president and Namadi Sambo as vice president," Mr. Anenih stated.

Speaking in the same vein, the director general of Jonathan/Sambo campaign organisation, Dahlatu Tafida, corroborated Mr. Anenih's comments, saying, "it is evident that there is no vacancy in every state we have visited. This is because we trying to sell a national product (Jonathan) and not a local product."

Mr. Tafida told the mammoth crowd at the ceremony that Edo State was the 27th state his organisation has so far visited, just as he called on warring PDP members of the state to close ranks and forge a common front to dislodge their opponent from the Edo State Government House.

Edo State coordinator of the campaign organisation and former deputy governor of the state, Lucky Imasuen, said the support for Jonathan was as a result of his ability to deliver democracy dividends to the people.

The event was witnessed by the deputy governor of Cross River State; a representative of the acting governor of Delta State; PDP senators, House of Representatives members, and PDP chairman in the state, Dan Orbih, amongst others.

Government budgets N4.2tr for 2011

The federal government has proposed a budget of N4.2 trillion for the 2011 financial year, with a crude oil benchmark pegged at $62 per barrel.

Capital expenditure is expected to take N1 trillion while the remaining N3.2 trillion will be gulped by recurrent expenditure.

It was confirmed that contrary to earlier reports, the federal government intends to commence a cut in the recurrent expenditure starting from the 2012 financial year. The Presidency was however still tinkering with the budget proposal ahead of its presentation to the joint session of the national assembly today.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, approved a request by President Goodluck Jonathan to extend the lifespan of the 2010 budget to March 31, 2011.

Mr Jonathan had made the request to the National Assembly two weeks ago, following the row between the House and the Executive arm over the poor implementation of the capital component of the budget.

The House had threatened not to consider the 2011 Appropriation Bill until it was satisfied with the implementation of the capital profile of the budget. It however, rescinded the decision last week after the president’s letter.

Cutting the work force

It was learnt that the government can only cut recurrent expediture if things can be reviewed, like the downsizing of the workforce in the ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) of government; and the merging of ministries, and parastatals.

Available information also revealed that the government is looking at the prospect of voluntary retirement and payoff for civil servants who are willing to leave the service.

“All these are cost saving measures but they are things that cannot be done overnight. It is not a six months thing. The government will have to do this gradually and over time,” a top Presidency official said yesterday in an interview.

The ministry of finance, as part of steps towards the auditing of staff of the civil service and MDAs had already spent over N12 billion in building a database of staff in 16 MDAs with a view to cover all the MDAs and parastatals of government by the end of the 2011 financial year.

“This processes require time,” the source said adding that “people who will be laid off will have to be paid or provided alternative jobs. It has to be planned carefully in order for it not to have a back lash effect,” the source said.

It was however gathered that the disproportionate budgeting pattern had been a subject of concern to the Minister of Finance Olusegun Aganga, hence the setting up of a committee in September to review the expenditure pattern and advise government appropriately.

The committee, as at the time of finalising the 2011 budget proposal, was yet to turn in its report.