Attack on Emir of Kano, a wake-up call –IBB

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Former Military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has said the attack on the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, which reportedly left four people dead is a wake-up call to all. Babangida said the reported cases of terrorist attacks are becoming frightening, as he calls for serious security alert by all and sundry. General Babangida said it was not in doubt that our dear country was undergoing serious security threats on a regular and unbroken basis.
According to him: “The reported cases of terrorist attacks are becoming frightening and serious call for security alert by all and sundry. Despite spirited efforts by government, it is disturbing that this ugly trend has refused to depart from us, reason why government must change tactics and methods in handling this security challenge.” The former military president queried: “What could be the motive behind the attack? What does anyone stand to gain by attempting to kill an emir that is nearing 80?” He added that, “the Emir of Kano stands out as one traditional ruler who does not seek favour from those in governments and outside it and who, over the years had been able to live an exemplary life to the admiration of all.
His record of achievements, the stability and candour he has brought to bear on the throne are virtues that will live for posterity.” The General who prayed Allah to continue to grant the emir good health for today and the future, said it was against this backdrop that he found it condemnable for anyone to attempt the emir’s life, advising the Federal Government to exploit the option of dialogue with members of the insurgent groups to arrest this prevailing drift in our national security.
“The use of force has proven to be inadequate and ineffective to checkmate this ugly trend. We must, therefore, put hands together to find a more rewarding and meaningful end to this security concern. Dialogue is my number one preference in this regard. Government must also encourage positive discourses among its political appointees delivered with respect and rendered in temperate language to soothe the mood of the nation.
Language of force will not help us in our strong determination to address this insecurity problem. We must engage ourselves constructively and in a manner that puts the interest of the country far and above other partisan consideration.” “I wish to use this opportunity to condole with the emir and the people and government of Kano State over the sad loss of palace aides. May Allah, in His mercy and grace, reward them with Aljanah Firdaus. Amin.

ACN appoints merger committee, restates commitment to merger with CPC, ANPP

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The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has appointed a 19-member committee with the mandate to negotiate its planned merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the committee, to be chaired by Chief Tom Ikimi, has as members Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, governors Babatunde Fashola and Rauf Aregbesola, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyawu, George Akume and Abike Dabiri-Erewa. Other members are Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Sen. Chris Ngige, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Hadjia Rabiat Eshak, Dr. Ibrahim Y. Lame, Alhaji Yusuf Ali and Alhaji Lai Mohammed. ACN said the appointment of the committee was an indication of its total commitment to making the merger a reality, adding that there was no going back in the party’s determination to work with the CPC and the ANPP to rescue and salvage Nigeria.
It also congratulated the leadership of the CPC and the ANPP, which had already named their own merger committees, for their patriotism, and appealed to all Nigerians to support the planned merger. “This is not about the ACN, CPC or ANPP but about our country Nigeria, which is tottering on the edge of disaster due mainly to the lack of leadership and failure of governance by the ruling PDP since 1999. The merger of the three parties is like a ‘Noah’s Ark’ which all Nigerians who are tired of the endless drift of our country must enter into.
“This is not about winning power at the centre at all costs, as the naysayer will want Nigerians to believe. It is about putting the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians above everything else. “We will also like to inform Nigerians that contrary to what the doubters and spoilers are saying, the three parties are going into the merger plans unconditionally and without a set mind over posts or anything else. The only issue that has been settled is the urgent need to rescue and salvage our country. In this regard, the opposition knows it has a date with history,’’ ACN said.

New Analysis:As Nigeria goes to war

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On top of the unrelenting insurgency at home and a wobbling economy, Nigeria last week deployed a contingent of 1200 soldiers to war-torn Mali where Al-Qaeda-backed Islamic rebels are having a free reign in the northern part of that country. The military involvement of Nigerian troops, including the Air force came after the Senate granted President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for such sub-regional security expedition.
This has come 17 years after the end of Liberian civil war(1990-1996) in which Nigeria played a dominant role under the security mechanism known as the ECOMOG.
Nigeria’s deployment of troops in Mali may be part of her ambition to play its usual ‘Big Brother’,and dominant role in West Africa’s politics, however, President Jonathan articulated compelling reasons for such risky military expedition in his letter addressed to the Senate President,David Mark, a former soldier.In the letter seeking the Senate consent, as required by section 4(5)of the constitution, President Jonathan the crisis in Mali has the potential risk of spelling over to Nigeria and other West African countries with grave security and political consequences, if not contained.
The President’s letter dripping with a sense of urgency, read:”As a responsible member of the international community, and given our our recent experiences with insurgency and terrorist activities,especially in the northern parts of the country, I felt compelled to urgently approve the deployment of Nigerian troops”. Clearly, the lesson of Boko Haram in the North became a monster that it is today apparently because government and security agencies in Nigeria failed to take early warning signs seriously. And now, Nigeria is living with warnings not heeded.
Besides,the President reminded the Senate of the recent concern voiced by the United Nations Security Council on the deteriorating human and security situation in the north of Mali which is reported to have become more delicate by the presence and entrenchment of disparate and desperate terrorist groups,among them, the fundamentalist Al-Qaida operating in the Islamic Maagreb whose insurgency activities in the north of Mali pose a present danger beyond that Sahelian region. Beyond that, the President’s letter drew the attention of the Senate to key resolutions of the Security regarding the crisis in Mali,in particular,resolution 2071 issued last month.
The resolution was in response to the request of Malian President, Dicconda Traore, calling for immediate military assistance. The same request was directed to the west African subregional organisation, ECOWAS. The ECOWAS offensive is, among other things, to contain further infiltration of terrorists into other countries of West Africa.                         Undoubtedly, this is a genuine concern.And Nigeria cannot afford not to respond, or else it loses the decade-long ambition to continue to play a dominant role in West Africa’s geo-politics.The situation in Mali is beyond war. Its iron-cast politics and influence peddling and the interplay of events at national, regional and international levels.
Nigerian contigent is about 31.5 percent of the 3,300 strong force from the ECOWAS 15-member states under the platform of Afrca International Support Mission (AFISMA) and the European Union Training Mission(EUTM). Already, France, Mali’s colonial masters swiftly responded to the Malian government request and its forces have destroyed some of the rebels’ strongholds in the north using its warplanes. The addition of Nigeria Air force in the mix is expected to complement the efforts of the French government.        In spite of the ‘big brother’role of Nigeria in many west African country, a lot of concerns have been raised,among them the risk in both human lives and financial terms.
In six-year Liberian war, Nigerian lost hundreds of soldiers and civilians, among them journalists, notably. Chris Imodibie of the Guardian and Tayo Awotosin of Champion newspapers. But the military authorities say they are acutely aware of the risks involved in Mali. According to the Chief of Army Staff(COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika by participating in Mali, Nigeria would be enhancing its own security at home. He said the efforts of Nigeria should be seen as “peace enforcement with the use of force”. The position of the COAS can be likened to th position held by America’s George Washington, when he said,” there is nothing likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet an enemy”.
Surely, the rebels in Mali are potential enemies. However, whatever exploits or gains Nigeria might make by its military involvement in Mali, it will count as nothing if government takes its eyes of the ball of the challenges at home, including insecurity as serious, if not more desperate than that situation in Mali.

Mystery dead bodies: Gov Obi offers N5m for clue

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A reward of N5 million has been offered by Anambra and Enugu state governments for anyone with genuine clue to who dumped the dead bodies at Ezu River in Amansea, Awka North Local Government, Anambra State, which borders the two states.
Governor Obi, who cut short his overseas trip because of the incident made the offer on behalf of the two states yesterday, when he visited the scene where the bodies were found, assuring that both states would ensure that those behind the incident were exposed. He disclosed that he was with the ailing Governor of Enugu State; Mr. Sullivan Chime in London when the information on the discovery of the floating dead bodies was relayed to them, declaring that the two states had decided to leave no stone unturned in unraveling the mystery behind the incident.
He said: “It is a very bad development, which every human being should be sad about at this modern age. This is unacceptable. Human life is sacred and we should respect all the sanctity of that. “I thank the Anambra State Police Commissioner Bala Nasarawa and his Enugu State counterpart, Musa Daudu for their quick responses on Saturday and other security agencies, we want to unravel the mystery behind this. There is no suspicion for now. But the most important thing for us is to know the source of this despicable act. We are no longer in barbaric age.
“We are putting up N5 million to whoever that will give us genuine clue of what happened. We cannot take this in our society today. I was with Governor Chime of Enugu State when this information came.” The governor who visited the scene in company with Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Bala Nasarawa, his Special Adviser on Security, Col. Molokwu (retd) among others said he would work closely with the acting Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi to ensure that the homicide department of the two states’ police commands evacuates the dead bodies from the river within a short time.
He however advised the people of the area not to fetch water from the river, promising that the two states would ensure that drinking water was provided for them because of the contamination of the river, which is their major source of water. He said: “Let me tell the people of these communities that nobody should fetch water in the river again.
We are going to provide the communities with portable water. This river has become poison for anybody and this will be done soonest.” Meanwhile, the people of Amansea and their neighbouring communities were still in fears over the incident, especially, as the source of the dead bodies had not been unraveled. As at press time, evacuation of the dead bodies was in progress.

Public flays Lagos Ambulance Service over boy’s death

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A story of a five-year-old boy, Enoch Ibirogba, whose death was attributed to alleged unresponsiveness of Lagos State Ambulance Service’s officials, has sparked a wave of outrage from members of the public.

The majority of the readers of the story, which PUNCH Metro published on Friday, said the alleged unresponsiveness was an indication that governments at all tiers did not value humans.

A reader, who identified himself simply as Remi, wrote, “I feel sorry for the child’s father and it is sad that this young boy, Enoch, died because of bad leadership.

“In Europe, the kind of treatment available to a sick cat or dog is sometimes better than that available to humans in Nigeria.”

Another reader, Jay Dee, said, “Even in Mali, ambulance services work 24 hours everyday and everywhere. Emergency service is very active there.”

A comment by Yomi Ajiboye also expressed concern that Nigeria had not been able to establish an efficient ambulance service.

“What is there to depend or rely on in this country if an ambulance service can fail? This is too bad. The people at the ambulance service may know little or nothing about health. Something needs to be done fast,” he stated.

“It is a pity, human lives mean nothing to many professionals in Nigeria,” a reader named Muyiwa commented.

He said it was more saddened that the child could not get quality service from staff of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

But not all readers heaped the blame on the emergency officials.

A reader, who identified himself simply as James, said security concern might have prevented LASAMBUS officials from responding at the time.

“We cannot blame the officials for their non-response in this kind of situation considering the hour of the day they were called. We cannot blame them because of insecurity in the country,” he said.

Another reader, Jay Jay, blamed the boy’s father, Olufemi Ibirogba, for not looking hard enough for a commercial vehicle to rush his son to hospital.

He was, however, replied in another comment by Dr. Ben, “Jay Jay, it appears you did not read the story well. By the way, do you live in Lagos?” He asked.

The boy’s father, Olufemi Ibirogba, had said he called the state’s emergency number, 767 around 12am on January 13 when his son had a health crisis in the middle of the night and he was repeatedly assured by a responder that an ambulance would be sent to pick his child.

He said after he waited for five hours, he went out around 5am and got a commercial bus which took Enoch to the hospital.

By the time he got the bus, the boy’s condition, according to him, had deteriorated.

Enoch died in the evening of that day at LASUTH.

Heads may roll after Jonathan’s police college visit

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SHOCKING discoveries by President Goodluck Jonathan during his unscheduled visit on Friday  to the Police College, Ikeja, may lead to a major shake-up  in  the Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry  of Police Affairs, findings by The PUNCH have revealed.

A Presidency official, who spoke to one our correspondents in confidence, on Sunday, said, “The picture being painted is that of total neglect of the police training colleges, including the one in Ikeja.

“But the fact is that some money was budgeted for those colleges. How has the money been spent? There will be a probe and anybody found wanting will be sacked.”

Already, sources said top officials at the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Police Service Commission, and the office of the Inspector-General of Police have  been put under scrutiny over the condition of  the PCI.

It was also gathered that the DIG ‘E’ Department, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, who oversees training in the Nigeria Police, might be called upon to give explanations on the “unacceptable magnitude” of rot in the police training schools.

Jonathan, who could not hide his anger during  the visit to the PCI  en route Cote d’Ivoire for the ECOWAS Summit on Mali, said  that the  rot , being televised as a documentary on a Lagos-based privately-owned Channels Television, was meant to tarnish the image of his  administration.

The documentary was said to have informed his unscheduled visit to the college.

  “This is a calculated attempt to damage the image of this government. The Police College, Ikeja, is not the only training institution in Nigeria,” he had said.

His questions on who got Channels  to film the depreciation in facilities caused by years of sustained decay were not answered  by  the embattled commandant of the college.

A confidant of the President said that Jonathan was of the view that those appointed to occupy sensitive positions had failed to do their jobs.

The President’s visit coincided with a  wedding reception being held at the Police College.

There were fears that the police college had long deviated from the standard norms associated with a police formation .

It was learnt that the field of the Police College was being rented out to the public for ceremonies ranging from weddings, funerals and sundry social activities. The proceeds from such rentals hardly appear in the college’s books nor do  they  reflect in the maintenance of facilities in the school.

Also, those in charge of the PCI  were alleged to place priority on such rentals at the expense of serious training programmes in the school.

The Police Public Relations Officer  of the PCI, Mr. Agu Genny, however, said he did not know if money was paid to the college for renting the field as it was not under his responsibility.

“I don’t know how much or if money is paid for using the field because it is not my responsibility. That question should be directed to the officer in charge of finance or the commandant of the college”, he said.

Like the proceeds from the rentals, monies realised from  billboards, including spectacular  boards that are rented by advertising agencies, are not accounted for.

An officer, who declined to give his name because of the sensitivity of the scandal, said, “Look, for many years outdoor advertising agencies have always  erected their spectacular billbords in our premises.

Mother jailed five years for throwing baby in river

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A 30-year-old mother, Yidiat Bakare, has been sentenced to five years in prison by an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court for throwing her three-month-old baby into a river in Ifon-Osun community, Osun State.

Yidiat was said to have thrown the baby into the river to express her grievance following a disagreement with her husband, Amodu Bakare.

According to the charge sheet obtained on Friday by our correspondent, the offence was committed on January 10, 2013 at about 4pm.

The woman, who pleaded guilty to the offence when the charge was read to her, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

Police prosecutor, Mr. Oladoye Joshua, said her behaviour resulted in the death of the baby, stressing that the offence was punishable under Section 325 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2003.

Yidiat’s lawyer, Mr. Jimoh Daramola, urged the court to be lenient in its judgement, describing the incident as a personal tragedy to the mother.

After listening to the positions of the prosecution and defence counsel, Magistrate Olusola Aluko found Yidiat guilty.

The magistrate described the crime as unacceptable and heinous.

Aluko said, “People should exhibit restraint during disputes. It is always good to seek amicable resolution of conflicts at all times.

“The baby sent to the grave does not know whether the parents were quarrelling or not. This crime is unacceptable and heinous.”

He thus sentenced Yidiat  to five years in prison with hard labour without an option of fine.

 Parents remanded for assaulting son with hot charcoal

Also, an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court has ordered that the parents of a 12-year-old boy, David Ajibade, be remanded in prison custody for allegedly pouring hot charcoal on the boy.

David’s 49-year-old father, Elkannah Ajibade, and his wife, Elizabeth, were arraigned for allegedly tying David up and pouring hot charcoal on him as a deterrent for attending a church’s vigil.

The charge sheet obtained by our correspondent on Friday explained that the offence was committed on January 2, 2013, in Okinni community of Egbedore Local Government Area of the state.

Specifically, the court was told that the couple allegedly tied-up the hands and feet of David while they poured hot charcoal on his body.

Police prosecutor, Sergeant Elisha Olusegun, said the boy was thrown out of the house after he was bathed with charcoal, adding that a good Samaritan took him to a juvenile centre.

Olusegun said the parents were arrested after the boy was brought to the juvenile centre, adding that the offence was punishable under sections 516, 335 and 351 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2003.

Both parents pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and causing bodily harm.

Their lawyer, Mr. O. O Alabi, applied for their bail, assuring the court that the accused persons would provide reliable sureties and would not jump bail.

But the Magistrate, Mr. Adebayo Lasisi, refused the bail application, ordering that both parents be remanded in Ilesa prison.

Lasisi also ordered that the boy should be brought to court on January 25 – the next adjourned day.

He said the boy’s appearance in court would provide an opportunity to ascertain his condition.

Gambo Wants Marshall Plan for Police Colleges

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Former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Gambo-Jimeta, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to come up with a concrete marshall plan to salvage the nation’s police colleges from decay.

Gambo-Jimeta made the call yesterday during a chat with journalists, where he lamented that neglect by successive administrations had resulted into the deplorable condition of most of the country’s police colleges as well as other government institutions.

Reacting to Friday’s visit to the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos, by the President, following a documentary on the college by Channels Television, the former National Security Adviser (NSA) said the visit portrayed Jonathan as a responsive President who sees wrongs and corrects them.

“My joy knew no bounds when I saw the President himself at the Police College after Channels Television had shown the decrepit and most horrible situation in that premier training institution for our police officers and men.

“Mr. President’s prompt response by going there could only come from a very decent heart that requires the type of change this country wants.

“When Channels Television showed us the footage of that video, that was two nights before the President’s visit, I was so depressed because this was the institution I had attended from 1958 to 1960 and was one of the best on the entire African continent.

“So when I saw it in the manner Channels Television had exposed it, I was terribly devastated.  “I thought how could this happen to any of the government institutions of this country that has been given a budget, that is supposed to be under the supervision of one area or the other, and still be allowed to be in the state that we were shown?

“Then I also remembered a similar thing we saw about the National Stadium in Abuja, one of the best in the world. We just woke up to see the type of neglect and rubbish that it had turned out to be.

“So Mr. President exonerated himself as a person who, because when he sees anything wrong, he will do everything in his power to correct it. I hope he will do everything within his power to launch a marshall plan to retrieve that institution and similar institutions that have been neglected throughout the country,” he said.

Gambo-Jimeta urged the President to identify all the officials responsible for the ugly situation at the Police Colleges with a view to bringing them to book

13 Police Recruits Killed in Auto Crash

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For them, it was a stillborn dream. All the hopes and preparations to be members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), at the end of the day, have turned out to be a fruitless endeavour. Up till yesterday, it was a dream they had all thought they had realised. What more could stand between them and their ambitions to be members of one of the foremost security agencies in Nigeria? They had scaled all the preliminary hurdles that would give them a place in the police college. Having survived the rigorous training that their chosen calling entails, they believed, as the cliché goes, that the sky is their limit.

Having received their positing letters to their different places of assignment, each of them was looking forward to an eventful career in the police. But unknown to them, fate has a different design for them.  What it had in store for them did not bode well with their plans.

If they had known that their career wish would be the harbinger of their death, perhaps they would have demurred in pursuing further the urge to join the police. But being prescient is one gift God was not generous with. And 13 police  recruits who were killed yesterday in an auto crash in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, were among the multitude of His creation that were not imbued with clairvoyance. Like hundreds of others, they had fulfilled all the preconditions and undergone the necessary training to proudly adorn the police uniform. 

However, unlike many of their colleagues, they will never live to reap the reward of their training and perseverance.
Yesterday, on their way to Nasarawa State where they were posted to, the end of their earthly journey came when the bus conveying them to their destination crashed in Omu-Aran.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), no fewer than 13 police recruits were burnt to death while six others were critically injured in yesterday’s auto accident.

The newly posted recruits were said to be on their way to Nasarawa State when the accident occurred at about 10 am.
The accident occurred on the Omu-Aran-Ilofa road at the same spot where a commercial motorcyclist died in an auto accident in December 2012.

An unspecified number of women were among the dead in the accident involving an 18-seater bus and a Mercedes Benz 190 model.
Most of the occupants of the bus, which took off from Ilorin, were said to be of Kwara origin and had just finished their police training.

They were said to be on an exchange posting to Nasarawa State.
According to a witness, the Mercedes Benz car marked AC 345 DKA was heading toward Omu-Aran before it had a head-on collision with the bus close to the Federal Government College.

The number plate of the bus was squeezed to pulp following the impact of the accident making identification impossible.
Another witness and an auto mechanic, Adekunle Azeez, said that the driver of the car, who was critically injured, had lost grip of the steering wheel, making it difficult for him to steer the car away from having the head-on collision with the bus.
“The car was on top speed on its way towards Omu-Aran and I think the driver lost grip of the steering wheel and swerved before ramming into the bus. The bus immediately caught fire,” he said.

The 13 corpses, which were burnt beyond recognition, had been deposited at the mortuary by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

Those who sustained injuries were taken to the Omu-Aran General Hospital for treatment.
The Divisional Police Officer in Omu-Aran, Rasak Adebayo, confirmed the incident and said his command had started investigations.

ACN: Nothing Will Stop Our Merger Plans

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                              Tinubu & Buhari

Determined to ensure that the merger plans by all or major opposition parties in the country sail through, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) formally unveiled a 19-member merger committee, with a vow that no obstacle would derail the opposition parties’ mission of uniting to salvage the country.

While the party hinted it was committed to concluding the merger plan with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), it said the party’s 19-member committee had been given the mandate to negotiate its planned merger with CPC and the ANPP.

The on-going merger talks  between opposition political  parties in the country have generated mixed reactions from Nigerians, some of whom have expressed doubt over its workability.

In a statement issued yesterday by the ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the opposition coalition was poised to prove doubters wrong by ensuring that nothing prevents them from realising their goal, not even the quest for political offices.

“We will also like to inform Nigerians that contrary to what the doubters and spoilers are saying, the three parties are going into the merger plans unconditionally and without a set mind over posts or anything else. The only issue that has been settled is the urgent need to rescue and salvage our country. In this regard, the opposition knows it has a date with history!” ACN said.

ACN explained that the opposition merger arrangement was a product of a collective desire by Nigerians to come together and arrest the slide in the fortunes of the country.

According to the party, all the merging political parties have resolved to set aside personal interests and work for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

“This is not about the ACN, CPC or ANPP but about our country Nigeria, which is tottering on the edge of disaster due mainly to the lack of leadership and failure of governance by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999. The merger of the three parties is like a ‘Noah’s Ark’ which all Nigerians who are tired of the endless drift of our country must enter.

“This is not about winning power at the centre at all costs, as the naysayers will want Nigerians to believe. It is about putting the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians above everything else,” he said.

The ACN committee which is to be chaired by Chief Tom Ikimi, has members who include Olusegun Osoba, Niyi Adebayo, Governors Babatunde Fashola and Rauf Aregbesola.

Other members are, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, Pastor Osagie IE-Iyawu, Senator George Akume and Hon.Abike Dabiri-Erewa. Senator  Lawal Shuaibu, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Senator Chris Ngige, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Hadjia Rabiat Eshak, Dr. Ibrahim Y. Lame, Alhaji Yusuf Ali and Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

ACN said the appointment of the committee was an indication of its total commitment to making the merger a reality, adding that there is no going back in the party’s determination to work with the CPC and the ANPP to salvage Nigeria.

It also congratulated the leadership of the CPC and the ANPP which have already named their own merger committees for their patriotism, and appealed to all Nigerians to support the planned merger.

But former governor of Ondo State, Chief Olusegun Agagu, who dismissed the planned merger as being of no effect, noted that it would not affect the electoral fortunes of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  at the 2015 general elections.
Agagu disclosed this in Ilorin Kwara State over the weekend while speaking with journalists.
He also said the merger of the affected political parties would not see the light of the day.

According to him, “even if the merger eventually materialises, it will not affect the winning chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP} come 2015 general elections.”

He said: “The present differences among some members of the PDP which is not unexpected in an emerging democracy would soon be over.”

The former governor stressed that it was a common occurrence in a large party like the PDP.
He noted that “other opposition parties were looking forward to the disintegration of the PDP but said it was the only party today in the country that is most formidable and resilient and with a crisis resolution mechanism.”

Speaking on the unemployment rate in the country, the former governor said it was not peculiar to Nigeria alone.
He stressed that, “even in America, Great Britain and Spain, the unemployment rate which their governments were also battling with are not only terrible but also horrible.”

Agagu said the present administration under President Goodluck Jonathan was making series of efforts to reduce unemployment rate in the country in the area of transportation by resuscitating the railway system, improving the power sector and in the aspects of industrialisation through low interest rates for industrialists.

He also suggested that any political party that did not make any substantial impact on the electorate should be disqualified by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) in its ambition in 2015.

Agagu therefore, declared that he was not interested in contesting for governorship election in his state again.
He appealed to President Jonathan to always engage people that would give him sincere advice and good policy on the governance of the country.

Fayemi: It’s Fed Govt Oppressing Governors

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Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olukayode Fayemi, at the weekend, said contrary to the perception that Nigerian governors are using their platform to strangulate the Federal Government on every front, it is the government at the centre that is oppressing them.

Fayemi, who said the perception was now ingrained in the public’s consciousness, however, explained that one of the reasons the governors are unhappy with the way the country is being run was that none of them can say for certain how much the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) rakes in revenue because it is a secret held by the Federal Government.

“To the best of my knowledge, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) is not written into the constitution of this country; it is a voluntary body, funded voluntarily and meetings are attended voluntarily by its members.

“Its decisions are not binding on the country; its resolutions are shared with the press from time to time and to the best of my knowledge, it is not because I belong to that forum.

“It is almost always driven not by politics and I would not be saying this. I am not a member of the political party that is in the majority in the governors’ forum. It is only things that we agree on that we push collectively.

“There are a lot of things that governors do that they don’t do together. So I don’t know how anyone would come to the conclusion that we are frustrating the country, oppressing the president and not allowing the constitution reform process to progress. It is not evidenced by facts.

“This is a federation and in a federation, we have two federating units. When you have two federating units, they are not subordinate units; they are the coordinate units. That is the language we use in political science,” he said.
Fayemi added that it was totally absurd and nonsensical because he was unaware of any federation in the whole world that operates like Nigeria.

“You cannot hijack the powers of a coordinate federating unit but that is what happens here. And because governors are not the most popular public office holders, people conflict logic with illogicality and that is how I see it,” he said.

Speaking on the agitation for state police, as one example of some of the disagreements between the states and Federal Government, Fayemi said: “Our argument has never been about state police, the media described it as state police. It has always been about multi-level policing because we were never against federal police.

“We acknowledged the role of the federal police in a federation, but state police have their own role, local police have their own role and even university campus police units have a role in that multi-level approach to security.”

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governor maintained that he was not aware of any governor that has ever argued that federal police are unacceptable and were unwanted. “We have always argued for a multi-response to our security challenges,” he said.
Dwelling on the issue of lack of transparency at NNPC, Fayemi said: “Another thing is our interpretation of Section 162 of the constitution. We have a religious interpretation of it in the governors’ forum, which is why we are in court in about four cases.

“Section 162 (2) of the constitution is very clear that every penny that comes into the coffers of the Nigerian state goes into one and one account only – the Federation Account. Not JP Morgan, not Citi Bank. But over and over again, we run this federalism as if it is a unitary state and our authoritarian military past is affecting us.

“People do not pay fidelity to this critical issue. Monies are collected by the NNPC, we do not know the amount; no governor in this country can tell you how much this country earns on a daily basis.

“Shouldn’t I be whipped at home that I am supposed to be part of an entity and there is accountability and transparency, yet nobody gives me a full picture of what is earned? Time and again governors have raised this issue at all sorts of forums and we have four cases on this at the Supreme Court.

“We like what Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance) has been doing by publishing what goes to us, that is fine. Our people should know what goes to us so that they can monitor us.

“But we too want to know the actual money earned by the Nigerian state to which we belong so that we can also challenge with our own independent analysis. People should support that instead of haranguing us.”

Fayemi said he would not accept the fact that devils are saints, “but I don’t believe that governors are the devils that they are painted by a variety of people who cannot even stand up to scrutinise themselves.

“We have just become the football that everybody wants to kick. If you are a governor, you are a rogue; if you are a governor, you are a criminal and yet, nobody can come around and give specifics on what you have done.”

He admitted that there are governors who have misbehaved, “but what I have noticed as a detached observer is that we have seen progressive improvement from those who got into governors’ offices from what used to obtain previously, and accountability has also increased because our people are more conscious of their rights and of the questions to ask.”

MATCH REVIEW AS NIGERIA TAKES ON BURKINA FASO AT THE ONGOING AFCON IN SOUTH AFRICA

Insideafrik
SPORTS

Nigeria winger Victor Moses is expected to make his Africa Cup of Nations debut on Monday, having overcome a knock to take his place against Burkina Faso.
The 22-year-old is expected to start alongside Chelsea colleague John Obi Mikel in Nelspruit as the Super Eagles begin their campaign for a third title. 

Captain Joseph Yobo is poised to equal Nwankwo Kanu's record of six Nations Cup appearances for Nigeria.

Burkina Faso have gone 17 matches without a win in the Cup of Nations.
The team failed to win a point at the tournament in 2012, but with striker Aristide Bance fit to start there is an air of optimism around the squad.
The return to fitness of his strike-partner Alain Traore, after a heel injury, is a further boost for Burkina Faso although Monday's game may come too soon for him.
Traore is seen as a key part of the squad, having scored a decisive stoppage-time goal to put them through at the expense of the Central African Republic.
Nigeria have had mixed results in the build-up to the tournament, drawing 1-1 with Catalonia, being held to a 0-0 draw by fellow qualifiers Cape Verde, beating Sparta Rotterdam 1-0 before easing to a 5-0 victory over Portuguese second division outfit Farense.
But having been among the dominant forces in African football a decade ago, the Group C match against Burkina Faso marks their return to the Nations Cup after missing out on the tournament a year ago.
Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo: "Winning the trophy is not going to be easy but I promise we will give it our best shot. Let us not get beyond ourselves. The focus for now is on getting past the group stages and only then should we think about quarter-finals and, hopefully, the semi-finals and final."
Nigeria winger Victor Moses: "We have prepared well and, having missed the last tournament, wish to make Nigerians proud by the end of it."
Burkina Faso striker Aristide Bance : "I believe we have learnt from past failures and have a realistic chance of getting out of the group."