Yesterday [November 3, 2012] saw the gruesomeness of Aluu community killings resurrected in a community in Lagos.
Four men allegedly went to rob on Friday night but were caught by the residents of Mushin and burnt alive along Vono street in Mushin, Lagos State.
Reactions following the gruesome murder of the yet to be identified robbers – have been gradually begun to reach the general public. Efforts by the security officials in Lagos to suppress the incident from reaching the public are currently underway. This is according to human rights activist knowledgeable of the incident.
As the South-east continues to push for power shift in 2015, leading exponent, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu Sunday urged ambitious Northern politicians to tap from the wisdom of Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Generals Yakubu Danjuma and Abdusalami Abubakar.
According to Kalu,the trio, all prominent Northerners, looked at the larger picture even when opportunity offered itself, and chose not to satisfy self-first.
He said,”Alhaji Bello,the Sarduana,would have been the first Prime Minister of Nigeria in 1957,but he dashed it to Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.As Premier of the North, he brought fellow Premiers Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo together,ahead of the 1957 Constitutional Conference in London where among other things,it was agreed that the country should have a Nigerian Prime Minister.Even when Zik and Awo took up positions in Lagos,the Sarduana chose to remain in Kaduna.”
On Danjuma,Kalu brought in the assasination of General Murtala Mohammed in 1976.”Gen.Danjuma could have usurped power then.The Head-of-State was dead,his next in command Gen.Olusegun Obasanjo’s fate was unknown since the bullets meant for him landed on Ordnance boss Col.Reys Mathew Dumuje.As Army Chief,Danjuma sent Lt.Col.Ibrahim Babangida to shake Lt.Col Bukar Dimka,and later, Lt.Col. Chris Ugokwe to clear Radio Nigeria.He would later encourage Obasanjo who had emerged from Col. Olu Bajowa’s house, to take over”.
The former Abia state governor also gave credit to Gen.Abubakar.”Here was a man who was to be retired in June 1998,his month of birth[June 13 1942] and a tough month[following June 12]since 1993.Then he got the Presidency on a platter of gold.With both Air-force and Army background,Gen.Abubakar could have continued with military dictatorship.He chose to leave in 11 months,a man of honour,”Kalu emphasised.
Concluding, Kalu said the journey to 2015,needed more men of honour and transparent honesty,leaders with a sense of history,patriots who would stand up against marginalisation and preach a Fair Deal for the Igbo.
It is no longer a secret that Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and the All Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have headed back to court in a bid to challenge the legality of the Supplementary election which was held in Imo State on May 6th, 2011.In order to carry everybody along, there is a dire need to amplify the genesis of this suit so that the reader can be carried along. The gist of the suit is that the governorship election which was held in Imo State on the 26th day of April, 2011 was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).The election was declared inconclusive because elections did not take place in some Local Government Areas and a ward. The local government areas where election was not held include Ngor Okpala, Oguta, Ohaji/Egbema, Ikeduru and Orji ward in Owerri North Local Government Area. The supplementary election was eventually held on May 6th, 2011.On the 7th May, 2011,INEC released the result and declared Owelle Rochas Okorocha the winner and Governor-Elect .According to INEC result, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA),emerged winner after he polled 336,809 votes to beat Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) who polled 290,496 votes.
Dissatisfied with the result of the election, the PDP filed an Election Petition at the Imo State Government Election Tribunal headed by Justice E.N.Kpojime as Chairman, Hon Justice M.I.Sirajo and Justice E.O.Osinuga as members. In the suit numbered EPT/IM/GOV/04/2011, the main grounds of the petition were that the PDP candidate scored the majority of the lawful votes cast at the said election, and (2) that the supplementary election held on the 6th of May, 2011 was invalid being in breach of the provisions of both the Electoral Act2010 (as amended) and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
On Saturday, the 12th day of November, 2011 the Tribunal delivered its judgment. Before the judgment, the Tribunal had with the concurrence of all the parties in the matter formulated issues for determination:(1) Whether the supplementary election conducted on the 6th day of May, 20II was held in compliance with the provisions of both the Constitution and the Electoral Act and (2) Whether the candidate of the PDP (i.e. CHIEF Ikedi Ohakim) scored the majority of lawful votes cast at the election. Delivering the judgment on Issue No I, the Tribunal after analyzing the various statutory provisions and the relevant statutory provisions and especially Section 178 Subsections1 and2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and reviewing the cited cases held that the Supplementary Election held on the 6th May was held in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended) and Electoral Act 2010(as amended).On the strength of the weight of evidence, the Tribunal consequently held that, the petition, on this ground is accordingly dismissed(see pages 27-32 of the judgment).On issue No 2(i.e. whether Ohakim scored the majority of lawful votes cast at the election of April 26th2011.The Tribunal held :“From the above analysis of the evidence as presented by the petitioner and the respondents, we come to the irresistible conclusion that on issue NO.2,we hold that the petitioner has failed to prove that its candidate scored the majorityof the lawful votes at the election”. The Tribunal further held: “the petitioner can only be declared the winner with the majority of lawful votesif it proves that it scored even one vote above336, 809 scored by the first Respondent or that this number consists of unlawful votes which when subtracted will make it the winner. We have not seen any such proof from it in this petition. It cannot therefore be declared winner of any election”. In its unanimous judgment, the Tribunal held that “the petition lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed in its entirety”. I have merely tried to compress the 50 page judgment of the Elections Petitions Tribunal in order to carry you, the reader, along.
Dissatisfied with the judgment of the Election Petitions Tribunal, the PDP appealed to the Court of Appeal, Owerri. For inexplicable reasons, the judgment was shifted to the Court of Appeal, Abuja. The Court presided over by Justice Tijani Addullahi who led four other Justices of the Court in a unanimous decision held that the PDP appeal lacked merit and was therefore dismissed. The Court subsequently upheld the election of Okorocha of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).Justice Abdullahi held:”After a careful consideration of the preliminary objection filed by the appellant, we hold that it lacks merit and is hereby dismissed. The appeal also lacks merit and also dismissed with N50,000 cost against the appellant”
Dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal Judgment, the PDP appealed to the Supreme Court. Delivering judgment in the morning of March 2nd, 2012, Justice Ngwuta who delivered the lead judgment cited sections 285(7) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which requires that the judgment must be delivered within 60 days. He declared that, though, judgment was delivered within the period allowed (i.e. 60 days), the reason for the judgment was given outside the constitutionally allowed period of 60 days. Justice Ngwuta then declared that judgment of the Court of Appeal in Owerri on January 6th, 2012 was a nullity because an explanation for the ruling was given outside the 60 days allowed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).It is pertinent to recall that the Court of Appeal, Owerri gave its judgment on January 6th, 2012 but the reasons for the decision was given on January 24th, 2012.
While the PDP was pursuing its case of truncating the election victory of Governor Okorocha through the Election Tribunal/the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, the All Congress of Nigeria(ACN) and its Governorship candidate, Senator Ararume,were doing the same thing through the Federal Court of Appeal, Owerri. At this point there is a need for the reader to take judicial notice of the decision of the All Congress of Nigeria(ACN) and Senator Ararume to file their suit through the Federal High Court instead of the Imo State Elections Petitions Tribunal ,Owerri. Should his case start from the Elections Petitions Panel or from a regular court? More clarifications will be made on this angle elsewhere. In the ACN/Ararume AND Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suit NO.FHC/CS/OW/133/2011 ,the plaintiffs(ACN and Ararume) are asking the court to determine (a)”Whether under Section 178(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) the Defendant was competent to hold an election to the office of Governor of Imo State in less than 30 days to the expiration of tenure of office of the incumbent Governor of Imo State (i.e. the 29th day of May, 2011? ;(b) Whether by the combined effect of Sections 178(4)of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(As Amended) and or the Electoral Act,2010(As Amended),the Defendant was empowered to conduct a supplementary election in Imo State to the office of Governor other than an election in the entire Imo State as one constituency in less than 30 days to the expiration of tenure of the incumbent Governor of Imo State?
On the basis of the above questions, All Congress of Nigeria (ACN)and Senator Ararume areseeking a declaration /reliefs that: “the Defendant(INEC) was not empowered by any law to hold supplementary election in IMO State as it has done; a declaration that the said supplementary election was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void; An order directing the Defendant to conduct an election in the entire Imo State as one Constituency for the office of Governor, Imo State as provided by Section 178 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended);and any other order(s) as the Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance”. I have decided to present this clarification in order to throw the light so that our people will see the way out of the maze and the interminable governorship litigations in Imo State. The recent permission granted the PDP and Chief Ikedi Ohakim has no reasons to create any anxiety among certain sections of the electorate. The inclusion of PDP and their governorship candidate, Chief Ikedi Ohakim), as a party to the suit does not, in any way, give them any iota of leverage neither does it diminish the chances of the other parties to the suit. Perhaps, it is pertinent to state that in the originating summons which was filed in the Federal High Court, Owerri, suit NO FHC/CS/OW/133/2011, the suit was between Action Congress of Nigeria/Senator Ararume as Plaintiffs AND Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Defendant. It was later that Governor Okorocha and All Progressives Grand Alliance applied to be joined as parties to the suit .Their demand was allowed by the court. So, there are no reasons for some sections of the electorate to panic or to express anxiety for the simple reason that the PDP and Chief Ikedi Ohakim are now parties to the suit.
The bottom line of the ongoing suit is that Imo State is back to where it was in 2007.All the ingredients that featured in the protracted governorship tussle in Imo State in 2007 are all present in the present political face -off between the various parties. In the second and concluding part of this analysis, I will delve into more exhaustive and dispassionate appraisal of the issue in order to assuage any anxiety in the electorate. In that analysis,it will be pertinent to situate the ongoing litigations in the context of what happened in the last dispensation, especially, the AGBASO VS INEC suit which protracted from May, 2007 and ended in January, 2011.We shall take a peep into the Supreme Court judgment on the AGBASO/INEC suit which was delivered on the 16th July,2010.After the Supreme Court judgment ,the governorship candidate of the ALL Progressives Grand Party(APGA),Chief Martin Agbaso,went back to the Court of Appeal, Owerri where he prayed the Court of Appeal to set aside its earlier judgment of 14th April,2008 which upheld the decision of the Election Tribunal that the Election Tribunal did not have jurisdiction to entertain Chief Agbaso’s suit. We shall take another peep into the Judgment of the Court of Appeal,Owerri on the demand that its earlier Judgment of 14th April,2008 should be set aside in order to set up a fresh panel to try the suit.
The present suit in the Court of Appeal will eventually end in the Supreme Court of Nigeria. When that happens, it will tantamount to asking the Supreme Court of Nigeria to set aside its landmark judgment of 16th JULY, 2010-a judgment which has since become a critical Judicial Precedent and Stare Decisis. At the end of the analysis, the direction of the ongoing suit will become a matter for personal conjecture. When the Supreme Court gives its final judgment on the suit, it will be a classic case of “what goes round ,comes round”, more so, when viewed from the context of the Chief Agbaso/INEC suit which started in April 2007 and ended on the 19th day of January,2011.
The driver attached to the Rivers State first lady’s convoy has died of electrocution during the State’s routine Saturday’s environmental sanitation.
The driver identified as Ibiba Jack died when he tried to rescue the life of a staff of the Government House who was trapped in a naked wire while trimming grasses with a mowing machine within the new state government house complex.
Eye Witnesses at the scene who spoke to our correspondent said the driver got killed while using his leg to free the man who has been trapped by the lawn mower machine which has already been entangled by naked life wire, and was already harming the user.
The Chief of Staff Government house, Chief Tony Okocha, who confirmed the incident described the death as unfortunate, and attributed the cause as sheer carelessness.
Chief Okocha said the new government house complex staff Quarters were not fully connected to electricity; rather residents take the alternative of careless connection of light from source.
The Chief of Staff who visited the Federal University of Port Harcourt Teaching
Hospital where the survivor of the electric accident was rushed to, confirmed that Jack’s corpse had been deposited in the mortuary.
Meanwhile, a statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor, David Iyofor, stated that Jack was involved in a domestic electrical accident.
“Ibiba Jack was a dedicated, hardworking staff of Government House and we are all deeply touched by this sad, sudden loss. Governor Amaechi and his Wife, whom Ibiba worked directly with, were indeed deeply shocked and saddened by this unfortunate loss. They sympathized with the bereaved family”, the statement continued.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLA-N) rebel soldiers train in the Nuba Mountians, in South Kordofan (AFP/File, Adriane Ohanesian)
KHARTOUM — Sudanese rebels on Friday said they shelled the capital of South Kordofan again after a major battle that killed 70 government troops and seven insurgents.
Seventeen members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) were also wounded in the clashes northeast of the capital Kadugli, in what the rebel spokesman said was their worst casualty toll since fighting began in the oil-producing state in June 2011.
“It is the biggest loss that happened to us since the war began,” the spokesman, Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, told AFP. “In many cases we’ve lost two, three, four.”
Last October, however, the South Kordofan governor said hundreds of rebels had died in an assault on one town.
Analysts say casualty figures from either side in the war should be treated with caution.
Access to the area is restricted and telephone communications sporadic, making verification of claims by either side difficult.
Sudan’s army spokesman could not be reached for comment.
The ethnic and religious-minority SPLM-N belongs to an alliance of Sudanese rebels seeking to overthrow the Khartoum regime.
They have reported an upsurge in fighting since Sudan and South Sudan in September signed a deal for a demilitarised border buffer zone designed to cut support for the insurgency.
Lodi said government troops supported by tanks, warplanes and helicopter gunships tried to take rebel-held Dldko village about 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Kadugli in an unusual day-long battle against rebels firing down from a mountain.
He said seven government troops were left on the ground and survivors took away the rest of their dead.
As the army fled towards Kadugli, rebels fired 10 mortar rounds targeting military positions in the town, he said.
Witnesses in Kadugli could not be reached for comment.
The rebels have cited a series of aerial bombings as justification for their periodic shelling of Kadugli over the past month.
They say they have targeted military installations and killed a number of troops, but official media say several civilians have been killed by rebel mortar fire.
Four mortar rounds fell near the UN Children’s Fund compound in Kadugli during shelling early last week, the UN said.
“On October 25, all UN personnel in Kadugli were instructed to temporarily relocate” to a peacekeeping base and the International Organisation for Migration office outside the town, the UN’s weekly humanitarian bulletin said on Friday.
Sudan and South Sudan fought a border war in March and April, leading to a UN Security Council resolution which ordered a ceasefire and settlement of crucial unresolved issues.
The agreement on the border buffer zone was among a series of deals on oil and security which leaders of the two countries hailed as ending their conflict.
The SPLM-N were allies of southern rebels during Sudan’s 22-year civil war, which ended with a 2005 peace deal that led to South Sudan’s independence in July last year.
Sudan has accused South Sudan of supporting the SPLM-N, a charge which analysts believe despite denials by the government in Juba.
The war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where SPLM-N is also fighting, has affected an estimated 900,000 people, but more than a year of talks has failed to get food aid into rebel zones where serious food shortages are reported, the UN has said.
Nigeria’s Former Head of State, Gen Mohammadu Buhari has come under
attack as members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram purportedly
asked Federal government to negotiate with him in Saudi Arabia on their
behalf.
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A Member of the House of Representatives from Jos South-Jos East
Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Bitrus Kaze used harsh words to
describe Gen. Buhari’s antecedents and the faceless Boko Haram sect.
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In an online statement sent to African Examiner, the lawmaker urged the
federal government not to negotiate with Boko Haram, which he branded as
terrorists.
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His words: “Anyone who has been following on the internecine violence
perpetrated especially North of the Niger by these merchants of death
should understand their choice of Gen Buhari. Eventually the men behind
the masks are beginning to unveil.
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“In my view, Gen Buhari like the Boko Haram is a religious extremist who
cannot be trusted to negotiate for sustainable peace in Nigeria.
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“In the buildup to the 2003 Presidential elections, Gen Buhari was reported
to have asked Muslims across the country to vote only for the presidential
candidate that would defend and uphold Islam. Even before the emergence
of Boko Haram, Gen Buhari had vowed not to “stop the agitation for the total
implementation of the Sharia in the country.”
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“If it is too much to say Gen Buhari has a soft spot for Boko Haram, the
incontrovertible facts show that he has consistently instigated violence in
Nigeria.
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“In his desperation to rule Nigeria again, Gen Buhari ordered his supporters
in 2011 to “finish” anyone who tampers with the votes, whatever that means.
Sheik Lemu may have attempted although unsuccessfully to vindicate him,
but at least his Presidential Panel on Post Elections Violence
acknowledged Gen Buhari’s “provocative utterances” which according to
them appeared to have been “misconstrued by many voters to include
recourse to violence.” Nigerians won’t forget in a hurry that after his woeful
loss to President Goodluck Jonathan, many voters resorted to violence
leading to unquantifiable loss of innocent lives and properties.
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“Against this backdrop therefore, it is unthinkable that anyone will expect
peace from an engagement with an advocate of violence like Gen Buhari. By
nature, thorn bushes do not yield bananas! The terms under which Boko
Haram terrorist are seeking negotiations in the first place invariably offend
the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which
government has sworn to uphold, protect and defend.
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“They are asking for what they have been bombing Nigerians for all these
murderous years. Any government that considers as cardinal the protection
of lives and properties of its citizens cannot contemplate any negotiation
with those demanding for the release of captured terrorists who are in the
custody of security agencies awaiting trial. A government that has not
compensated victims or reconstructed any place of worship destroyed by
these suicide bombers has no business sitting at the same table with
terrorists under any guise.
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“On the verge of 100th anniversary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, President
Jonathan cannot afford to be deceived into mortgaging Nigeria’s national
sovereignty in the name of dialoguing with terrorists in Saudi Arabia or
anywhere. Desperate power mongers like Gen Buhari will more than likely
misconstrue this as an opportunity to negotiate for 2015 albeit in the name
of peace. There is no country in the whole wide world that has ever
succeeded in checkmating terrorists by negotiating on their terms. Peace
and terror like light and darkness do not and will never mix.”
Amonumental fraud involving billions of naira meant for the rehabilitation of several Police dilapidated barracks across the country has been uncovered with a furious Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, setting up a Special Task Force at Force headquarters to unearth those behind the fraud.
The fraud was uncovered even as it has emerged that over N5billion of the N7billion released by the federal government in 2010 for payment to contractors who had completed jobs for the Police in the last five years was diverted into a bank by a former administration of the force while the contractors have wallowed in suffering.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that while most of the barracks which are in embarrassing state were recorded as having been awarded for renovation and money released for such repairs, there was nothing on ground to collaborate such records.
It was later discovered that hundreds of millions of naira was fraudulently taken away or shared allegedly by senior police officers in connivance with some contractors particularly those said to be working in the works department.
In this regards Saturday Vanguard learnt that an Assistant Inspector General of Police, some Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners and others like CSP’s, SP’s etc, are being investigated by the task force.
The task force is also tasked with unraveling why contracts for renovation of barracks and procurement of equipment were awarded with the money available for payment but the funds suddenly disappeared when the contracts were duly completed.
The source disclosed that the IGP is upset, how fund meant to renovate police barracks were mismanaged and nothing to show for it.
FOLLOWING THE CRASH OF HIS airplane IN YOLA, ADAMAWA STATE, WHERE HE AND his AIDES SUSTAINED VARIOUS DEGREES OF INJURIES, MANY THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE POWER VACUUM KNOWING THAT HE JUST SWORE IN A NEW DEPUTY GOVERNOR DAYS BEFORE THE CRASH. BUT INTERESTINGLY, FEELERS FROM GOVERNMENT CIRCLES SHOW THAT SUNTAI STILL CALLS THE SHOT FROM THE HOSPITAL BED IN GERMANY, WRITES WOLE AYODELE
Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai who is currently recuperating in a German hospital after surviving a plane crash penultimate Thursday, is still calling the shotS as governor of the state. Suntai, was flown to Germany last Saturday in a Swiss Air Ambulance, a Challenger 604 with registration number HB JRC after being treated at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola and National Hospital, Abuja where he was visited by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Before being flown abroad, his condition was said to be critical, but stable as confirmed by President Jonathan and the Chief Medical Director of National Hospital while fielding questions from journalists after his get-well visit to the governor at the hospital.
Though no official information was provided about the degree of injuries he sustained in the crash, unofficial reports indicate that he has a broken shoulder and limbs as well as lacerations on his face and this has raised fears that he may remain in the hospital for a while. This presumption, THISDAY gathered, ignited calls and campaigns for his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar to take over as acting governor of the state in line with the provision of the 1999 constitution precisely section 190 (1)(2) as amended which stipulates that the deputy governor should take over if the governor is on leave or is unable to discharge the functions of his office.
Sub-section 1 reads: “Whenever the Governor is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the Speaker of the House of Assembly to that effect, and until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary, the Deputy Governor shall perform the functions of the Governor as Acting Governor.”
Sub-section 2 reads: “In the event that the Governor is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration mention in sub-section (1) of this section within 21 days, the House of Assembly shall, by a resolution made by a simple majority of the vote of the House, mandate the Deputy Governor to perform the functions of the office of the Governor as Acting Governor, until the Governor transmits a letter to the Speaker that he his now available to resume his functions as Governor.”
However, with the condition he was before being flown abroad, it was impracticable for the governor to transmit a written letter to the Speaker of the House of Assembly as stipulated in sub-section 1 leaving the House of Assembly without any alternative other than to invoke sub-section 2.
Few hours after news of Suntai’s crash was broken, there was a report that a clique comprising of National Assembly members from the state that has been at logger head with Suntai sponsored some hoodlums to chase away the deputy governor from his official lodge ostensibly to debar him from assuming office as acting governor.
But in total contradiction to the report, another clique comprising of top officials and close associates of the governor was said to have perfected plans to frustrate Garba Umar and prevent him from stepping temporarily into Suntai’s shoes. The clique is rumoured to be positioning the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ambassador Emmanuel Njiwah to act as governor in the absence of Suntai.
Debunking the report of his being chased away by hoodlums from his official residence, Alhaji Garba, who was only sworn-in as deputy governor of the state on October 5th, following the impeachment of the former deputy governor, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi described the report as not only mischievous, but misleading.
According to him, “The report is totally false, mischievous, and misleading. In fact, there are no thugs in Jalingo in the last five years. I was sworn-in as deputy governor of the state. The governor is only sick and not dead. He is in a stable condition as confirmed by Mr. President and the Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, Abuja. I remain the deputy governor of the state,” he declared.
And in collaboration with Umar in the wake of calls that the deputy governor should assume as acting governor of the state, the House of Assembly declared that Suntai remains the governor of the state notwithstanding his condition.
Taking a swipe at those calling for Umar to assume duties as acting governor, the House says Suntai would remain as governor until his physicians confirm that he is no longer physically and mentally fit to continue to be in office.
Giving the position of the House in a telephone interview, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Ishaya Gani told THISDAY that Suntai would remain the governor and Umar his deputy until a medical report from his physicians indicate that the governor was no longer physically and mentally fit to function as governor.
“Medical doctors of the governor have to confirm that he’s not fit to continue in that office before an acting governor would be sworn-in. I doubt if it is possible to swear-in the deputy governor at this stage because there is no report that the governor is no longer capable to function in that office,” he declared.
Continuing, Hon Gani noted: “Here, the governor is still alive and from reports, he is still physically and mentally fit to act and function as governor. Therefore, there’s no basis at this stage to swear-in an acting governor.”
Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Abel Peter Diah said the situation on ground does not warrant the swearing-in of the deputy governor as acting governor, saying there is a condition to be fulfilled before that can happen.
According to him “The situation on ground does not warrant the deputy governor to be sworn-in as acting governor. There’s a condition to be fulfilled, but we’ve not gotten to that stage,” adding “that the present situation in the state is totally different from the situation that necessitated the swearing-in of Goodluck Jonathan as acting President.”
However, some members of the Assembly who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity said no matter the level of loyalty of members for Suntai or their sentiments for him, the path of constitutionalism must be strictly followed and adhered to as they insist that the state is bigger than any individual.
“We are praying for the governor’s speedy recovery and return from abroad. But the constitution is very clear on this issue and I don’t think there’s anyway the Assembly or anybody can change that. If the governor does not return on or before the expiration of the 21 days stipulated in the constitution, the Assembly would have no alternative than to follow the provisions of the constitution”, says a member representing one of the constituencies in the Southern zone of the state.
Meanwhile, Suntai’s condition is said to have improved tremendously since his admission at the German hospital and has been giving directives to Umar on phone to run the affairs of the state.
Specifically, he was said to have given the deputy governor the authority to approve and release funds for the running cost and payment of salaries of staff of Taraba Publishing Company Limited, publishers of Nigeria Sunrise, the state owned newspaper. Suntai was billed to give approval for the release of the Sunrise fund a day after he was involved in the crash and the SSG, Ambassador Njiwah met with the deputy governor to resolve the issue. Umar was said to have put a call through to his boss who directed him to release the fund.
Beside the Sunrise fund, THISDAY gathered that the governor directed his deputy to give approval for some other pending issues as well as release funds for same though reliable sources say the governor might return to the country next week or before the 21 days stipulated by the constitution for the House of Assembly to mandate the deputy governor to act as governor.
As the clock continues to tick towards the 21 days prescribed for the declaration of Umar as acting governor, and the people of the state and Nigerians generally continue to pray for Suntai’s speedy recovery, Suntai continues to call the shots and exercise his powers as governor even on his hospital bed in far away Germany.
Nigeria has now taken a front seat in the business of private airplane ownership which is now a trend and competition among the rich in the country.
More exciting revelations have emerged that the penchant for private jets acquisition has cost wealthy Nigerians over 1 trillion Naira in five years.
The luxury trend actually rose by 650% between 2007 and 2012, this has increased the rate of private jet acquisition from 20 in 2007 to over 150 in 2012 which has placed Nigeria and china as the fastest growing private jets markets in the world.
A republished report by Forbes magazine said that that in the last five years, wealthy Nigerians had spent over $6.5 billion acquiring new private jets, which made it the continent’s biggest market for private planes
Contrary to media reports that there are more than 100 private jets in Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, said that there are only 71 operating in Nigeria.
The NCAA’s spokesperson, Mr. Sam Adurogboye disclosed in an interview that only ten private jets are registered in Nigeria while 61 others are registered in foreign countries.
“Foreign registered means the aircraft is registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of another sovereign state or country while Nigeria registered means it is under the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority registry of aircraft,” Adurogboye said.
“Where you register your aircraft has the oversight (function) over the aircraft. Any aircraft that has 5N at the tail means it is Nigeria registered. 5N was given to Nigeria by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization),”he said.
Such aircraft, Adurogboye added, “fly in and out. They can be here today and elsewhere tomorrow. They pay for landing, parking, overflying and fueling.”
He did not disclose how much it costs to register a private jet with the NCAA but said “it is a little amount of money.”
He said, the figure of 130 private jets in Nigeria published in the local and foreign media, including in Forbes, was false.
“I don’t know how they got their figures. As I am explaining to you, we just have 10 Nigeria registered private aircraft owners and 61 foreign registered.”
He said all the aircraft in Nigeria were registered in company’s names rather than private names.
He could not, however, give our correspondent the name of the companies, whose owners can easily be found from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.
The rising cost of maintaining four private jets has forced flamboyant Nigerian pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo, to set up a commercial airline that uses four airplanes that had hitherto served as part of his private fleet.
According to findings, the cost of chartering a private jet ranges between $6,000 and $8,000 per hour, while chartering a helicopter costs between $8,000 and $10,000 per hour.
Industry analysts are of the opinion that each chartered aircraft operator makes an average of four flights per week, with each lasting three hours on the average.
Using an average of $7,000 per hour, the seven chartered jet operators make at least $588,000 (N88.2m) every week, broken down to 12 hours each, multiplied by $7,000 and the number of operators.
Further investigations revealed that chartered aircraft operators were now engaged in intense competition over Nigeria’s emerging niche market, as they had introduced diverse upscale products to capture the country’s bourgeoisies.
Both the chartered jet and helicopter markets have been buzzing with activities in recent times, according to operators.
Industry sources revealed that more foreign operators were planning to enter the market very soon.
The development, it was gathered, had forced the indigenous operators to begin re-strategising by buying new jets and helicopters.
A visit to some of the chartered jet and helicopter operators’ terminals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, revealed a fast emerging market.
At the Caverton Helicopters hangar and Apple Green aircraft maintenance hangar beside the international wing of the airport, workers enthused about the prospect of a growing market.
Various manners of VIPs from the corporate world and government circles usually throng the terminals to patronise the services of the operators.
Governors from a particular region in the country and key senators are known to be regular faces at the terminals.
It will be recalled that recently, the Rivers State governor Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi acquired a Brand new Bombardier Jet at the cost of 45 million U.S dollars, placing him on the list of wealthy Nigerians with private jets.
In the presidential election next week, it’s all coming down to a few states, Ohio chief among them. According to HuffPost pollster aggregation figures, Obama has the edge in the “birthplace of aviation” state, averaging 48.5% compared to Romney’s 46%.
But according to the latest YouGov/Xbox poll, Ohio has slightly more Romney supporters than Obama supporters.
That said, while slightly more respondents said they intend to vote for Romney, a majority of the same respondents said they expect Obama to win. And here’s the twist: According to economist David Rothschild, “when the intention (i.e., support) and expectation of respondents in a poll point in opposite directions, the expectation is correct over 75 percent of the time.”
YouGov/Xbox is the poll Microsoft and YouGov have been running through Xbox LIVE. To vote, you answer questions in a preliminary questionnaire that surveys your gender, age group, geographical location (by state) and general voting preferences (Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc.) before answering the poll question(s) on tap.
I didn’t participate in the Monday, Oct. 29 poll that generated the above results, but to give you a sense of how this works, today’s poll questions include stuff like: “Is your opinion of Barack Obama favorable or unfavorable?”, “What is your opinion of Mitt Romney?” and “How serious a problem do you think global warming is?”
In Monday’s YouGov/Xbox Poll, Rothschild says 12,479 U.S. respondents were interviewed, 642 of those indicating they live in Ohio. Of the latter group, 48.3% indicated support for Obama and 51.7% for Romney. But 51.1% of the same Ohio-based respondents said they expected Obama would win (as opposed to 48.9% for Romney).
But wait, shouldn’t intention matter more than expectation in an election? It sounds like common sense, right? Not necessarily. According to an academic study on voter expectations co-conducted by Rothschild and University of Michigan Business and Public Policy professor Justin Wolfers, “polls of voter expectations consistently yield more accurate forecasts than polls of voter intentions.”
One possible reason for this: Expectation questions incorporate more information, says Rothschild.
Every person possesses a batch of both public and private information about the election, and when a pollster asks them about their intention, the pollster is extracting only a small portion of that information; the pollster is just getting the respondent’s support on that day. The expectation question captures information about the respondents social network (e.g., who the respondent thinks her friends and family will vote for) and more public information (e.g., what the respondent is seeing in the news), along with the respondents’ intention to vote and support for one or the other candidate.
It’s an intriguing idea, one that’s especially interesting considering this “expectation” survey is being conducted through such an unconventional medium (the Xbox 360).
