The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said its reaction to the
bribery allegation against President Goodluck Jonathan, over the
construction or ‘renovation’ of a church in his village, has nothing
to do with religious or ethnic considerations.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the issues involved are
those of ethics, constitutionality and the rule of law, saying anyone
or group that attempts to make it a religious or ethnic issue is doing
a great disservice to the nation.
It also urged religious leaders in particular and other opinion
leaders in general to always rise above politics and primordial
considerations in commenting on such issues.
”Sadly, since the bribery allegation came to the fore, we have seen
otherwise respectable religious leaders joined the fray and used
uncomplimentary words just to be seen to be defending the President.
We have seen how they attempted to use religion to divide
Nigerians. This is unfortunate and must never repeat itself.
”Like these unwary religious leaders, we have also read comments from
some ethnic jingoists making it look as if the criticisms of the
President’s solicitation and acceptance of a church ‘gift’ from a
foreign construction company doing business with the government he
heads is targeting the South-South or the Niger Delta.
”All these developments confirm what we have always known: That this
is President is the most divisive Nigerian leader ever, and he and his
‘supporters’ will not hesitate to play the religious or ethnic card
even when the issues involved have nothing to do with that. Any
criticism of his actions is immediately interpreted as an attack on
the Ijaw, the Niger Delta, the South-South or Christians. This is not
the stuff of good leadership,” ACN warned.
The party went on: ”The last time we checked, President Jonathan was
voted into office by people of all ethnic and religious groups. He is
not the President of the Niger Delta, neither is he the President of
Christians or Muslims, but the President of all Nigerians. He should
always remember this.”
It wondered where the religious leaders now rushing to the President’s
defence were when this same ACN campaigned rigorously
for him to be sworn in as Acting President, when his boss was ill and
he was marooned; or why they never came out to defend the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua when we criticized his administration’s policies.
”We will like to put it on record that our reaction to the issue was
based on published reports that the President himself admitted
soliciting
and accepting the church gift. We maintain that this is an impeachable
offence and that the National Assembly should investigate it and take
the necessary action. Whether the National Assembly does so or not
will not mitigate the rightness of our stand,” ACN said.
It was a fixation to read in some of the newspapers of 6th April 2012 that Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State had directed the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NEPAD) coordinators in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state to get on a project/programme that would be of profit to the bucolic natives. What made it grubby was that the programme was tagged, “Social Subsidy Scheme”. And that no fewer than 1,200 poor residents of the state had been shortlisted for empowerment.
Orji, speaking through his Special Adviser on NEPAD, Prince Emeka Nwachukwu, said that the aim was to ensure that the rural people felt contact of governance. Ekputu! Imagine where a government is opening two sites in Aba and Umuahia for an unbolt market where commodities, especially food stuffs, fruits and crops, would be sold. Is this not laughable when the people are not supposed to be pityingly treated as if they are beggars? They said that they were opening the market to avoid the involvement of market unions whom they believed influence the hike in prices of goods. Humbug!
This project makes the allegation of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) untouchable that Orji was commissioning non-existent projects. Please see newspapers of Friday, 30 March 2012. The party described the government of Orji as media government, where commissioning of projects was not on ground and that one of such projects was to be commissioned in Aba on Friday of that time. Was this the market?
Even though that the party made its claims on the ground of allegation, some of us investigative journalists who have taken independent tours of such projects, as the party called on us to do, have found out that the party was not just making defamation of Orji-led government but rather, the government is paper tiger indeed.
According to the Chairman of the party in the state, Onapuruagu Prince Ukaegbu: “APGA, Abia State chapter, decry Governor Orji’s obsession with the incident of February 28, at the Aba sports stadium and the attendant mania to reverse the humiliation which he claimed he suffered as a result. This has clearly led to governance coming to a halt in the state, as all efforts of government have been concentrated at soothing the governor’s bruised ego. It is this same obsession that led to the attack on our liaison office in Aba and money meant for developmental projects has been wholly consigned to one form of propaganda or the other with officers of state struggling to outperform each other in this gory drama at ingratiating self to the governor. APGA Abia State chapter calls on the political editors, journalists and media practitioners who have been contracted by the state government for the great makeover, to, while on the assignment, veer off from the well choreographed route and go on their own tour of vital roads like: Ngwa, Obohia,Eziukwu, Omuma, Uratta, Osusu, Ukaegbu and Emelogu, just to mention a few. It is then that the true picture can be ascertained.”
These areas and beyond are pits of hell! True. But it is only a buffoon that chases the rat while his or her house is on fire. There is no sensible person that would like to be identified with any case of shame be it robbery, scandal, rape, etc., but Orji did. Please, see newspapers of Sunday, 18 March 2012. Orji intervened in the shamefaced Oteh-Reps face-off, whereas his state was crying of abysmal representation and governance.
No one could tell what Orji wanted to gain in such intervention. Does he want to choreograph it as well? Is this not the case of a man who has lost focus to good governance? Whereas his people of Abia State wanted him to wade into construction and reconstruction of the many decayed infrastructures in the state, but cockily he was here engaging in the rotten smelling face-off between the Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Aruma Oteh, and the House Committee on Capital Market.
Either that Orji’s aides were not professionals or they wanted to be in the news at every given bad or good opportunity, if not, how could in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ugochukwu Emezue, Orji was calling on both Oteh and the Reps to embrace peace, whereas Abia State had people representing them in the House, and was not at peace at home, either. This is a case of overzealousness of a governor. In the Nigerian parlance, it is called, Busy Body. Ho! Ha!!
Orji even insisted that Oteh-Reps face-off was the differences that could be reconciled, whereas the act involving the Oteh was condemned by even a neophyte in the discourse of Nigeria when properly explained to understand what the problem was. A snake must beget snake!
It was only a governor like Orji that could have intervened in such apologetic case of Oteh because she’s from Abia. Hear him: “Having watched with studied silence the development, which seems to have created some verbal exchange between the committee and the DG who is an Abian, it is time to intervene”. You may call him a lawyer, when he added that if the Oteh had made any distasteful proclamation during the scenario, “it was as a result of the way the committee’s chairman handled the issues at stake”. Bad mouthon a bad case!
He even argued the idea of passing a vote of no confidence on the Oteh, saying that she had a proven integrity. Hmmmmm! If Orji maintained that Arumah Otteh was not the Director-General when the market crashed, then, who can he say is the governor of Abia State that has crashed under his stewardship. Kettle calling pot black? Bunkum!
We suggest Orji should learn from Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, ex-Governor of the state and his political mentor, whom many ndi-Abia have seen as their choice. In an unconfirmed rating during Kalu’s presidential ambition in 2007, one observer said that we are hungry of Kalu ‘because of some positive changes he had created in his rule in Abia State”, which the observer said include: 1. Proven unity by demonstrating that Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters. In one of his posters, I saw him wearing Muslim robe. 2. Proven he is coming to bring development in Nigeria by the impact he has been able to create in his rule. 3. Proven he has the knowledge to rule even the world by his involvements in making peace among tribes, villages, countries and lots more. 4. He has proven that he is kind-hearted by so many helps he has rendered to the needy in Nigeria (of which Governor Orji was among the beneficiaries). 5. We know that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh”, variably, he has made so many promises which he will accomplish if voted for presidency. 6. He has proven that he is a dynamic leader. He has touched many areas for instance, in the development of infrastructure like free medical care, free education in Abia State, even in football excerpt; leading Enyimba Football Association to her great height.
Just imagine! This is to mention only but a few things that Dr. Kalu has been doing for Nigerians. Kalu has been doing this for a better Nigeria, which has given him a reputable image. Measuring his image with that of Orji anywhere in the world is like measuring Imo Hill with Mount Everest. Kalu represents the latter. What we have got under Orji is such statement as “The state planned to set up three functional Skill Acquisition Academy in each of the senatorial districts for training of unemployed in various trades”. He wants people to go and trade (which is not bad), but only his wards should go to school for hiking school fees in Abia State?
In earnest, Orji should stop making noise, upon noise and noise and maybe corruption, without good governance. He was supposed to be a blessing in that state, but badly timed, he preferred the opposite, expertising in erecting bullet proof residences, which is not joyous in the real sense of governance and democracy. His, is a bad image.
Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman representing Kogi Central Senatorial District has reiterated his call for the quick completion of the dualisation of Abuja/Lokoja/Okene road to ease vehicular movement during festive periods and prevent accidents.
Abatemi-Usman, who spent about 15 hours to travel from Abuja to Okene on Easter Friday due to gridlock, lamented the pains Nigerians are made to go through on the road.
According to the Senator, who trekked for about 30km while actively assisting in the control of traffic, the only solution to the problem is for the Federal Government to ensure that the contractors handling the project are adequately mobilised to complete the dualisation of the road.
In a statement signed by Michael Jegede, the Senator’s Media Assistant, Abatemi-Usman was quoted as saying that, “it is unimaginable the kind of pains the good people of Nigeria are subjected to on this road at every festive periods because of traffic congestion. This is why I think the Federal Government has to see to it that this road is completed in due course. It will equally go a long way in reducing the rate of accidents along the route which has claimed many lives because of its deplorable condition.”
He, however, cautioned motorists to always exercise patience, as according to him, impatience on the part of drivers equally contributed to the hold-up situation.
We the undersigned, who are key officials of the Youth Wing of the All Progressive Grand Alliance in Abia State, wish to bring to your notice how some “parasites” have been feeding fat on the resources of Abia State, with the indulgence of the Governor of the state, Chief Theodore Orji, who does not want to do any good for the state but to pursue his 2015 ambition to become either the vice president or the president of the Senate.
As have been stated very clearly since Orji came into office, there is nothing significant that he has achieved. He has only been spending the state’s resources at the expense of the ordinary citizens who should be benefitting from the dividends of democracy and sharing the money with those he feels could help his ambition to move up the political ladder though he is a failure.
Here is a list of those who are gratified monthly by Governor Orji from Abia State treasury:
General Ike Nwachukwu – N25 million
A former Senate president – N25 million
Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife- N25 million
Chief Chukwu Nwachukwu – N5 million
Chief Obiwa Onwuta- N5 million
Chief Mawu, former member House of Reps – N1 million
Elder Abaelu – N5 million
Senator Uche Chukwumerije- N10 million
Senator Nkechi Nworlu – N10 million
Senator Emma Nwata- N15 million
Chief Orji’s wife and son – N250 million
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan – N300 million
A journalist, Emeka Obasi – N2.5 million
The Chief of Army Staff – N50 million
Bishop Ikechi Nwosu, the Anglican Bishop of Umuahia – N1 million
Rev. Charles Nbauwuike – N250,000.
Jerry Kalu -N250,000
Chief Joe Irukwu -N5 million
Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe – N10 million
Onyema Ugochukwu –N5 million
Chief Vincent Ogbulafor – N5 million
Igboko Igboko –N200,000
He also gives huge sums of money monthly to security agencies to keep his enemies silent. And they have been doing this perfectly.
Given the background that this is a government that has earned close to $10 billion since coming into office less than five years ago, how do you justify the poverty that has become the lot of our people except for this wastage of our commonwealth? We find this very disturbing especially in the light of the fact that the rest of the money is used by Governor Orji in the purchase of houses in the state and outside it. He is at present removing the roof of the house he recently bought in Umuahia for new fittings that will befit his status,
Yet, Governor Orji has not paid the salaries of civil servants for six months. Most of the projects he is commissioning were projects executed by local government chairmen over five years ago. The bridge he recently commissioned in a higher institution in the state was constructed by the Education Trust Fund.
So, what are we benfitting from this government led by Chief Theodore Orji? Nothing. It is time for him to vacate that seat.
—
Innocent Okechi, President, APGA Youth Wing
Okoro Justice, Secretary General, APGA Youth Wing.
Forum Citizens might be spelled bound as report emerges that Udoedehe v. Akpabio’s case was “struck out by the court of appeals holding in Calabar.”
Concerned about the aspersion Udoedehe’s faithfuls might cast on the integrity of the court, if the report is true, I have decided to provide analysis of what is most likely going on in the case for those who are interested to know. In doing so, I am not trying to persuade the cynical ones who might still be of the impression that “the justices are corrupt and have been bribed by Akpabio”
ANALYSIS:
Again the problem seems to be incompetent representation by the parade of out of State Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) representing Senator Udoedehe.
It seems to me that Udoeedehe’s lawyers should have known that their appeal of the original dismissal of the case does not automatically stay the running of the 180 days limitation period required by law in disposing election disputes on the merits. Consequently, they should have moved the Tribunal for a stay of the running of the 180 days until the final disposition of the case by the reviewing courts without prejudice to the right of Senator Udoedehe to Petition the Tribunal to reinstate the case or reopen the case for good cause shown.
They “did not seek a stay” I presume. In considering request for a stay, courts usually take into consideration the possibility of irreparable injury in the event that the reviewing court reverses their decision especially cases of such public importance as this.
The error is jurisdictional – meaning that the Tribunal lost subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case after Udoedehe won the case at the Supreme Court and returned to the Tribunal for a hearing on the merits.
For the foregoing reason, the decision of the Tribunal and the court of appeals are in my view legally correct.
The case is now on its second trip, I presume, to the Supreme Court.
We cannot say with certainty what the Supreme Court Justices might decide to do. But rarely do they grant a writ of review on dismissals based on lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Because the case is so politically contentious, a ruling in either direction would send an encouraging message that the court is an honest empire. However, the fact that the highest court reverses rulings of the Tribunal does not mean nor should it be construed that the Judges of the Tribunal and Justices of the court of appeals were “bribed.”
Meanwhile, every legal victory means a political success for Governor Akapbio.
A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has sentenced an undergraduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University , Ago-Iwoye, Mr. Olasaidi Dare, to five years imprisonment over an attempt to obtain money under false pretences in a cyber café belonging to a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Olabode Ola in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state.
Justice Lawal Shuaibu sentenced the convict and ordered that his imprisonment should take effect from the date of his arrest.
Dare was arrested on March 31st, 2008 at Friendly’s Cyber Café located at Friendly’s Hotel along Adebayo Street, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state while attempting to defraud an un-suspecting victim overseas using the internet facilities of the café. He was arrested alongside other suspects, one of whom had earlier been convicted by the same court.
The owner of the hotel, Senator Ola is already standing trial at an Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, before Justice Adeyemi over an alleged illegal use of his premises and failure to register his cyber café with all regulatory agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He is being tried along with the manager of the cafe.
The EFCC, in an operation codenamed Cyberstorm 1, raided all illegal cyber cafes all over the nation in March 2008. The operation yielded several arrests and exposed several owners of un-registered cafes. Dare was among those arrested and his conviction only reinforces the illegality and criminality of his actions. Senator Bode Ola’s trial is still running in the court.
Delta state government has frowned at the slow pace of work been executed by the ULO and Wokson construction companies at the sectors A and C of the Ughelli-Asaba dualization road of the state.
Commissioner for special infrastructures, Barr. (Mrs.) Orezi Esievo who expressed government’s disappointment while on inspection of the road challenged the contractors to as a matter of importance step up their pace of work so as to beat the stipulated time of completion. “I will use this opportunity to appeal to the contractors in sectors A and C to step up the pace of their work.” and commended the contractor handling the sector ‘B’ of the road, Consolidated Contract Construction (CCC) Nigeria Limited.
Esievo urged the other contractors to emulate CCC as government was no longer happy at their delay and slow pace of work on the road as well as shortage of personnel and equipment on site. “The pace of work on sector A and C are very slow and you know Deltans expectations are high for this road and this administration of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has put all that it needed to do to make sure that the contractors deliver on time and as we talk the problem of funding has been taken care of as such the contractors must obey their own part of the obligation.”
Conducting the commissioner and her entourage round the sector B of the 55 kilometers road, Project Manager of CCC, Mr. Bassam.A.Kawash assured the state government of the completion of the project at the stipulated time adding that before the end of May this year 22 kilometers of the road will be opened for public use.
“Before the rains sets in we will be opening 22 kilometers of the road for public use and we are very serious in completing this project for public usage. We came to Delta state to participate in the developmental agenda of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. The entire 53 kilometers road of sector B have been graded apart from 9 kilometers where the issue of compensation was been handled, as soon the issue is resolved the remaining 9 kilometers will be worked on.”
Gov. Owelle Rochas Okorocha has urged the federal government to partner with the state government through its interventionary programmes on agriculture to boost cassava production in the state. The governor who stated this when the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina paid him a courtesy visit in government house, stated that with third position in cassava production in the country, Imo has the potentials of producing enough cassava flour for local consumption and export under the federal government agricultural revolution scheme. He said “Imo is an Agulerian state with vast agricultural potentials. We presently occupy third position in cassava production which means that our state has the potentials of producing enough cassava flour for local consumption and large commercial quantity for export if federal government partners with us. Apart from creating massive job opportunities, the programme also has the capacity to diversify our economy which presently depends on crude oil.” Gov. Okorocha disclosed that the state government has taken proactive steps in the agricultural sector which led to the concessioning of Imo Palm Plantation formerly known as Adapalm to Roche Group through which about N3.5 billion was generated. He added that efforts are being intensified to ensure that the moribund Avutu Poultry is revived to function on its optimal capacity while arrangements are already perfected to plant improved variety of palm seedlings in each of the 27 local government areas. Gov. Okorocha further expressed that the government has engaged the services of some agricultural experts from South agricultural under Rural Agricultural Programme (RAP) for massive food production, disclosing that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and Republic of Kosovo has been signed on the exportation of agricultural produce from the state. Earlier, the Minister, Dr. Adesina said that federal government has concluded plans to build an Industrial cassava plant in Imo state to harness its potentials in cassava production. He disclosed that under the ongoing agricultural revolution in the country, federal government would assist Imo state government would assist Imo state government to actualize its bid of reviving the Avutu poultry. He applauded the developmental strides of Gov. Okorocha on the infrastructural development of the state and the policies and programmes introduced to ensure food security in the state.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has received with sadness, news of the passing away of His Royal Highness, Igwe Mathias Ekweremadu, the father of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, President Jonathan commiserates with Senator Ekweremadu and the entire Ekweremadu Family of the Anekeoji Mpu Autonomous Community of Enugu State.
As they mourn their father and patriarch of the Ekweremadu family, the President urges Senator Ekweremadu, his siblings and other relatives to take solace in the knowledge that Igwe Ekweremadu lived to a grand old age, and in passing on, has left many worthy and exemplary legacies for his children and members of his community.
President Jonathan prays that God Almighty will grant Igwe Ekweremadu’s soul eternal rest.
Since about six months or so, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and prominent human right activist, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has been pushing with his usual commendable fervor for a law he has termed the “Fly Nigeria Act”. If such bill is passed by the National Assembly, it will become mandatory for public office holders, other state officials and indeed any Nigerian travelling outside the country on government expense to fly Nigerian airlines. I have been informed that Olisa Agbakoba has presented a private bill to the National Assembly and that another provision of the “Fly Nigeria Act” is that Nigerians travelling on international routes not covered by Nigerian airlines must use foreign airlines that have code-share agreements with a Nigerian carrier.
In the vision and words of the supporters of such bill, it is clear that they see the bill as a first step towards in a chain of self-propagating advantage situation wherein one successful solution leads to more of a desired result which generates still more desired results for the country. So they argue that if passed into law and a significant number of Nigerian travelers are forced to fly Nigerian airlines, there will be an automatic and rapid decrease in the amount of money paid into the coffers of foreign airlines operating in Nigeria, this will translate into a rapid increase in the revenue of Nigerian airlines and this will in turn lead to a significant increase in their profitability which in turn will lead to expansion of airline operations which will then generate employment opportunities and even help boost the development of allied infrastructural facilities such as the Lagos Airport.
On the surface, all these sound rather convincing and even appealing because the platter comes also with patriotic seasoning: Take money away from foreigners and give it to locals, force Nigerian officials to fly Nigeria etc. This is all romantic, but in reality wrong and if implemented might even make things worse. The idea of forcing any Nigerian to choose particular airlines by law is obsolete and smacks of a kneejerk reaction to the crisis Arik is facing.
Like every other traveler in the world, Nigerians, whether public officials or private citizens make their choice of airline based on price, safety and type of service they get from a carrier. Past experiences with Nigeria Airways and later Virgin Nigeria have shown that in reality, given the chance, Nigerian public officials and influential private Nigerians will fly Nigerian airlines where they are sure they can influence and abuse the system. Olisa Agbakoba and other supporters of this bill should speak to staff operating in this sector and they will hear about a lot of appalling episodes where flights have been delayed to please ministers and their ilks. They will hear of sorry episodes where flights have been rerouted in obedience to orders from above.
If we want Nigerian airlines to expand, be profitable and to employ more people, the efficient way forward is to make them competitive and attractive to not only Nigerians but also to the rest of the world. Our strategies for having stronger and truly internationally competitive airlines will have to focus on pricing, punctuality, safety and customer service. At the moment, Nigerian airlines are struggling not because there are not enough passengers but because they struggle to service the ones they have. Their problems are financial, infrastructural and largely managerial. A cursory look at the performance at domestic flights within Nigeria wherein all competing carriers operate on a more or less level playing field will tell you which airline is regarded as clearly the most reliable in terms of punctuality, safety and good customer service. What is that airline doing? That is what we should be making our own airlines do.
The foreign airlines which Nigerian public officials and private citizens tend to prefer on international routes gain their preference because they deliver better customer services, because they tend to be more punctual and because they are perceived to be safer. Yes, they tend to be more expensive and there are even cases where they maltreat some Nigerian passengers but those cases need to be dealt with by the consumer protection offices of the NCAA. If we want Nigerian airlines to become the preferred airlines of Nigerians and indeed other travelers then we need to make them work on becoming competitive by performing as well as their rivals and by providing attractive features such as more generous baggage allowance and working on their pricing strategies.
Nigeria Airways is dead and may its ghost hunt all those who killed it; the Nigerian airlines of today are privately owned and they are in the business with the legitimate quest of making profit. If you guarantee them a stable source of revenue by forcing some Nigerians to fly them, what incentive do they have to improve their services? If the revenue that comes from government paid tickets is big enough to require a national law and then you give all of it to Nigerian airlines in this case one i.e Arik; why should they bother to cater well for non public officials or even try to expand beyond?
By the way, the 49 U.S.C 40118 commonly referred to as the “Fly America Act” cited by Olisa Agbakoba as a model for his bill was wrong from day one and it is now generally considered obsolete and is being replaced by other bilateral/multilateral open skies agreement. Let us not pick from the waste bin of the USA.
