Apo traders, victims’ families protest over court judgment (Read full details)

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They were charged with culpable homicide for the killing of Ifeanyi Ozor, Chinedu Meniru, Isaac Ekene, Paulinus Ogbonna, Anthony Nwodike and Augustina Arebun.

Members of the Apo Traders Association and families of the six murdered Igbo traders stormed the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) to register their displeasure over the judgment of an FCT High Court, which sentenced two of the six prosecuted Police officers to death.

The aggrieved protesters criticised the judgment read by the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, on Thursday, where two Police officers, Ezekiel Acheneje and Emmanuel Baba, were sentenced to death for killing two of the six Igbo traders in Abuja on June 8, 2005.

The two policemen were found guilty of the extra-judicial killing of Augustina Arebun and Anthony Nwokike at the Gaduwa Estate of Abuja.

Chairman of the association, Chimezie Ifeh, who led the aggrieved protesters, said they were opposed to the court judgment, saying: “The real culprits of the gruesome of murder of the ‘Apo Six’ are left of the hook.

“It was Danjuma Ibrahim, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) that orchestrated and executed our brothers and sister. But the same Police officer and his cohorts were freed on Thursday by the court.

“We urge the AGF to appeal against the judgment and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

“The two people that were sentenced were acting under instructions from Danjuma. So, I don’t see the reason why Danjuma would be free and the two other policemen would be sentenced to death.

“Why did the court set Danjuma free and sentenced the two to death? We are not happy; we don’t understand. We are praying the minister to look into the matter.”

A brother to one of the deceased, Mr. Edwin Meniru, told journalists that his brother’s death left the family devastated.

He disclosed that his father died one year after his brother’s death, following the shock from the gruesome murder of Chinedu, whom he said his father loved so much.

The peaceful protest, which began from the premises of the FCT High Court at Maitama, terminated at the Ministry of Justice with a call on the minister to properly review the case with a view to appeal against it.

The protesters carried placards and banners, with various inscriptions, such as, ‘We want justice done in Apo Six killings,’ DCP Danjuma Ibrahim can’t go scot-free,’ among others.

Addressing the protesters on behalf of the AGF, Director of Legal Drafting in the ministry, Mr. Tahir Hamza, commended them for the orderly manner they carried out the protest, promising that the AGF would look into their grievances.

He appealed to the aggrieved families to remain law abiding, promising that the judgment would be studied and appropriate steps taken to address the issues.

Justice Bello, while delivering judgment in a nine-count criminal charge brought against the six policemen by the Federal Government, said the court had no option than to convict the two men on account of their own confessional statements that they shot the two traders upon instruction from a superior officer.

Justice Bello said the action of the two policemen was callous and barbaric, because by law, they were supposed to preserve lives of innocent citizens.

The three freed policemen, including Danjuma (alleged to have given orders to the two convicted police men to kill the traders), Othman Abdulsalami and Sadiq Salami, who were charged with conspiracy and culpable homicide, contrary to Sections 97 and 221 of the Penal Code, were discharged and acquitted by the court for want of evidence.

Justice Bello said from the totality of the evidence placed before the court, the charge of conspiracy cannot be established against the freed policemen, because of the inability of the prosecution to convince the court that the men met and agreed to kill the six traders on June 7, 2005 while returning from a night club along Gimbiya Street in Area 12 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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Dan Mou’s new book harps on educating The African Girl Child…Read full details

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In countries around the world today, women groups of all kinds are campaigning for equal rights for both men and women in the critical areas of politics, education, job provision, custody rights, land ownership, and so on. Regardless of advancements made in certain quarters, most countries in Africa still have laws that restrict girls or women from gaining education. Some of these laws are not particularly legal, but result from the superstitious and patriarchal beliefs that are handovers from past generations.

Dan Mou’s Girl Child Education, Democratic Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa (Pan African Publishing House, Abuja; 2015) comprises of 13 chapters and 120 pages. The first section contains 10 chapters, which ‘examines the issues of girl child education, democratic governance, and sustainable development in Africa’, while the second part consists of three chapters, which ‘focus squarely on the questions of the African family, the woman, and societal values.’

Whereas, the girl child embodies as much talent and skills as the boy child, the girl child tends to be given less considerations in most African societies. The author informs about this prevalent neglect and discrimination, addresses the causes, and provides alternate solutions.

“The greatest weakness of this neo-classical micro-economic approach to the problem of girl child education is its exclusive focus at the individual level; thereby ignoring the structural factors by so doing. It provides little insight into the structural determinants of girl child discrimination in education and other areas by the fathers.”

Why has the problem of girl child education persisted till this century? The book gives explicit reasons for this, and itemises the factors responsible for the dilemma. The author also states that the problem persists today due to failure in state policies.

Mou writes, “The argument is that the state lacks the autonomy to ensure that its policies are in the interests of all groups and classes in the society. Instead, the state, therefore, its policies, is completely hostaged to serving the interest of the dominant classes and groups on which it depends.”

The author, in dealing with this plight, makes several suggestions, which, if applied, could yield positive change. A major suggestion the author makes is in adopting the policies of good, democratic governance.

In section two, on the other hand, Mou focuses on the African family, the woman, and societal values. Quoting former President Jimmy Carter, he said, “The family is the first Government. If we want less Government, we must have stronger families, for Government steps in by necessity when families have failed.”

The author uses this pithy submission to emphasise the core role the family plays in society and in allocating roles to its members. The author wraps up the section in a concise style, when he said, “Clearly, even though the bourgeoisie (liberal) and Marxist thinking and analysis may not have adequately conceptualised or reckoned with it, the family is a very potent unit to target or focus public policies, especially if they are to benefit the children, including the girl child, the youth, the women, the disabled, the aged and other venerable members of the society or nation.”

Mou’s Girl Child Education, Democratic Governance… is a must read, as the book contains astounding information needed to correct a major societal lapse. It exposes the average African to the persisting problem of discriminatory actions the girl child still experiences even in 21st century. If government really wants to practice good democracy, it needs to wake up to the call for reorientation of its citizenry in this aspect. Education should not be the exclusive preserve of only one gender – the boy or girl child. All hands being on deck to make Africa great and must include giving the girl child deserving education!

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Appeal Court refuses to sack Ugwuanyi (Read full details)

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Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,

Supreme Court to deliver judgment on Abia election May 12
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, yesterday declined to sack Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State over allegation of illegal nomination by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the April 11, 2015, governorship election.

In a judgment delivered by a three-man panel of justices led by Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson, the court struck out the appeal marked CA/A/157/2015, lodged by Senator Ayogu Eze.

Eze had prayed the appellate court to remove Ugwuanyi on the ground that he was not validly nominated by PDP for the gubernatorial election.

He further told the court that Ugwuanyi emerged from a kangaroo primary election, which according to him, was conducted on December 8 by some leaders of the party.

The appellant, through his lead counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adelodun, (SAN), insisted that Ugwuanyi was merely handpicked by some persons at the National Headquarters of the Party in Abuja, and that the purported primary election was organised with fake list of delegates.

He also argued that the primary election, which produced Ugwuanyi was in breach of section 87(4)(b)(I) of the Electoral Act.

But governor Ugwuanyi through his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), prayed the appellate court to dismiss the pre-election case which he said, was lacking in merit.

In its judgment, the appellate court held that under section 87 of the Electoral Act, Eze, lacked the locus-standi to challenge Ugwuanyi’s nomination, having admitted that he did not participate in the primary that was conducted by the King Asara Asara-led electoral panel of the PDP.

It also held that the trial high court ought to have dismissed the case for want of jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has reserved judgment on Abia State governorship election matter till May 12.

Dr. Samson Ogah had filed an appeal, challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court and affirmed the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

Ogah is contending that governor Ikpeazu gave false information about his tax clearance certificate with which he contested the primary election, and as the second person in the primary election conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said he is the rightful candidate to have won the 2015 election.

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Disquiet in Akwa Ibom opposition party

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John James Akpan udoedeghe

Party, Akpanudoedeghe trade words over expulsion

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) is battling internal crisis as the leadership of the party are at loggerheads over the expulsion of its 2015 governorship aspirant, Senator John James Akpanudoedeghe and the purported dissolution of the State Executive Committee (SEC).

It was rumoured that the party’s SEC has been disbanded with the setting up of another organ called Forum of State Officers, chapter executives and ward executives to act in place of the disbanded executive.

However, the chairman of the party, Dr. Amadu Attai, dismissed any purported crisis in the party as untrue and unfounded, saying: “The state executive of the party, under my watch is intact.”

He also said there was no organ known as Forum of State Officers, chapter executives and ward executives “the State Executive Council (SEC) of the party had not been dissolved.”

According to him, “The rumour making the rounds about the dissolution of the SEC was being peddled by the expelled members of the party and Akpanudoedeghe. There is no such body known to the constitution of the All Progressives Congress.”

It would be recalled that sometime ago, Attai announced the expulsion of Akpanudoedeghe from the party over alleged anti party activities.In addition, it was gathered that the embattled senator had before his expulsion, rebuffed all reconciliatory moves by the leadership of the party and traditional leaders including peaceful overtures from the national headquarters of the party.

Attai said the party had on January 23, expelled Akpanudoedeghe, which was contained in a letter addressed to the APC national vice chairman/zonal chairman South-South.

“We are also aware that those darting these chain of vicious attacks and cheap blackmail are employed by and doing the bidding of Akpanudoedeghe with the sole purpose of ridiculing and hurting the image of our party in the state.

“We wish to most emphatically reemphasis here that the said Senator Akpanudoedeghe who is sponsoring all the campaign of calumny against our party and some of its leaders was recently expelled from the APC in Akwa Ibom State and he stands excommunicated,” he added.

Explaining reasons Akpanudoedeghe was expelled, the party chairman said all the necessary entreaties were employed to reconcile the Senator with its senior citizens, leaders, stakeholders and members, and traditional leaders, but to no avail.

“It is on record that when notified of the sundry harmful anti-party activities perpetrated by the said Akpanudoedeghe, the APC national leaders and stakeholders initiated various reconciliatory moves. And again, Akpanudoedeghe in his usual way scorned the gestures outright.

However, Akpanudoedeghe, who addressed the media, described his purported expulsion as a ruse and of no effect.He said the state chapter of the party has no power to expel him “it does not have the right to do that, it is only by a party convention that you could expel somebody of my status in the party, so what they claimed to do is of no effect. Those names and signatures are complete fake. My ward chairman’s name is Monday Utuk. My chapter chairman is Emmanuel Andy. Everybody knows that.

“Moreover, the SEC in question does not exist again because our real members have passed a vote of no confidence on them especially by the forum of State Officers, Chapter Executives and Ward executives. We now have a new executive made up of people who share the ideals of the party and who laboured under sweat and blood to fight the PDP,” he said.

He added that the Attai-led executive was being sponsored by some ‘money-bags’ who recently joined the APC from the PDP.He alleged that some cabals in the party wanted him out because they have collected money from some personalities who recently joined the party, adding: “Attai was a pauper when we admitted him but now they have bought two jeeps for him and he is building an upstairs for himself.”

He called on the national headquarters of the APC to be wary of those that were only interested in their personal pockets and do not have the interest of the party members at heart “that is why we passed a vote of no confidence on them. We now have people who love the party and the people who laboured for the growth of the party.”

Asked whether the factional executive have the blessings of the national leadership of the APC, the ex-minister insisted that the problem remained that of the state branch and would be solved by members of the party in the state.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kImqoz

‘Buhari should seek services of sociologists to overcome challenges’

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Some university teachers have enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to consult the services of sociologists to tackle the enormous social disorders threatening the peace and unity of the country.

The lecturers also suggested that the government must endeavour to fully utilise research findings from the academia and make judicious use of its recommendations in its policy direction and decisions

Associate Professor and Head, Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Dr. Olufunlayo Bammeke made the suggestion while briefing on the activities for the celebration of the golden jubilee of the department recently, said this will help the administration to overcome many of the problems confronting it.

Bammeke stated that all the societal challenges confronting the nation falls under the sociological domain, and experts have carried out series of research on the root causes and have prescribed solutions to the challenges.

In the same vein, another Associate Professor of Sociology, Ndukaeze Nwabueze, said until people in governance begin to judiciously use research findings and prescriptions, the societal challenges may persist. He also called for introduction of sociology as a subject in secondary schools.

According to Bammeke, “Sociologists have a lot to offer this nation, in terms of ideas and knowledge; proffering solutions to developmental challenges we are facing. All the development crises facing Nigeria, the kidnapping, terrorism, corruption, ethno-religious conflicts and other divisive factors, fall under the sociological domain.

“Our ideas and solutions are not just abstract, these are ideas that are coming out of research that experts have conducted. We have colleagues who have done a lot of research on Boko Haram issue for example, telling us that this is coming much more from what the British had started. So when they are talking about education, it is not just that they are against education but against anything that has western values and so on, and there is a history behind all of that agitation.

She continued, “If you look at the issue of the South-South and the Niger Delta, also there is a history behind it. And if you look at it sociologically, you find that there is a problem coming from within the communities and people feeling marginalised. So, a lot of research approach can be shared with government, a lot of ideas can be shared which will be offered to the society.

“So government and policy makers should adopt our research findings as policy direction and all the recommendations and actually use it, not jettisoning it when it comes to taking decisions. The gap between the academia and the policy makers should be bridged. The research findings should guide their policy directions.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kokG7Y

NNPC raises February fuel import by 222,000 tonnes

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By Michael Eboh

Abuja—The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, said it had increased the February supply of Premium Motor Spirit into the country for February by six cargoes, totaling 222,000 tonnes. The corporation said it had also raised trucks of kerosene and diesel to retail outlets across the country to 250 truckloads daily.

The NNPC in a statement in Abuja, stated that these among other steps were part of elaborate measures to sustain supply of Premium Motor Spirit, (petrol), Automotive Gas Oil, diesel, and Dual Purpose Kerosene, DPK, otherwise called kerosene, nationwide.

Acting NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Saidu Mohammed, disclosed this when he chaired an emergency meeting on the Corporation’s downstream operations.

Specifically, he said:  “These measures include: increasing the February supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), by six additional cargoes to the existing national PMS sufficiency of over 32 days; immediate importation of three additional Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) cargoes before the end of February; and an order for massive 250 trucks per day loading of AGO and DPK, from across the three NNPC refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.”

Mohammed stated that the NNPC would transmit the full list of marketers involved in off-taking AGO and DPK to the Department of State Service (DSS) for appropriate follow-up by the security agency to forestall possibility of any stakeholders engaging in foul play.

He explained that the move to provide additional PMS cargoes of 37,000 tonnes each was to give further comfort and stability to the robust petrol sufficiency nationwide.

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Investments in Oil & Gas Free Zones to grow 50% in 3yrs

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By Emeka Anaeto

AHEAD of Nigeria’s recovery from economic recession, the new management at the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), last weekend indicated that it has concluded plans to rev up investments in the oil and gas free zones in the country by 50 per cent in the next three years.

The oil and gas free zones attract and concentrate local and foreign direct investments to the designated zones where the investors enjoy special international status with incentives and operating environment at global best standards.

Managing director of OGFZA, Mr Umana Okon Umana, who made this disclosure in an interaction with newsmen at the agency’s headquarters in Onne, Rivers State, stated that the targets were part of its recently unveiled 3-year strategic roadmap.

He said the roadmap reflected the vision of the OGFZA to be the premier agency of government for the promotion of investment in the nation’s oil and gas free zones.

The targeted growth rate, according to him, would cover the value of new investments, number of new companies attracted and zones created as well as revenue to the federal government and employment generation.

Presently the value of investments in the zones is about $20 billion, while the number of companies is about 140 with total employment of about 200,000.

Investment opportunities

On the revenue side Umana stated that between January 2010 and December 2015, the Nigerian Custom Service generated revenue of N143.2 billion from the oil and gas free zones alone, while the Nigerian Ports Authority generated$2.1 billion and N19.3 billion also from the oil and gas free zones.

In the opening drives towards the new goals the agency has re-developed its website for a more effective communication of the investment opportunities in the zones, while the addition of a biweekly newsletter now enhances interaction with existing and prospective investors.

Umana said the agency’s drive for new investments would be facilitated by a corporate culture of integrity, respect for investors and due process, transparency and accountability, as well as passion for and customer-centric engagement with investors.

Commends NASS for amending enabling laws

Meanwhile, Umana has commended the National Assembly for taking steps to amend the principal Acts of both the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and OGFZA.

Umana said his expectation was that when the amendments are passed they would remove imperfections in the two laws, thereby putting both OGFZA and NEPZA on the path to fulfilling their mandates for the good of the economy and benefit of all Nigerians.

Umana said efforts to amend the laws have come at the right time when the Federal Government is focused on the drive to diversify the economy. He explained that while the amendments would deepen specialization and efficiency in the oil and gas sector, they are at the same time expected to strongly encourage investment in the non-oil sector.

 

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I will retrieve my mandate from Akeredolu, says Abraham

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Olusegun Abraham

• Urges supporters to shun governor-elect’s inauguration
• PDP promises to provide credible opposition in Ondo

The runner-up in the September 3 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) in Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Abraham, has declared that he would employ the necessary means to sack the governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu, and regain what he claimed was a mandate given to him.

He also dispelled insinuations and allegations that he teamed up with the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and its governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, to defeat APC during the last polls.

Abraham, who refuted the allegations at a meeting with his support group in Akure at the weekend, said he did not and would not dump the APC despite the current challenges and internal crisis that rocked the controversial primary, but to fight on to reclaim his alleged mandate.

According to him: “We worked for APC because that is our party. We are members of the big family of APC. People know what we are fighting for. We are saying this because of the rumours making the round that we are no longer in APC and that we worked for AD during the last governorship election.

“We are not supporting AD. We are not members of any group forming mega party. We belong to APC. About the forthcoming inauguration, we are not yet ready for that now. We are still busy with how to retrieve our mandate. Don’t go to where they are going to beat you.”

He said he would relentlessly pursue the course of retrieving his mandate.

Meanwhile, the APC state publicity secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, dismissed any remark by Abraham that presents the party in bad light.

He noted that the APC was a disciplined party which celebrates moral values and places premium on integrity.

“I believe Dr. Abraham is a gentleman and a respected figure in the society. We are enjoining him to embrace the winner of the governorship polls to move the state forward,” he said.

In another development, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has declared its resolve to form a strong opposition against the incoming APC government.

The party’s state director of media and publicity, Mr. Ayo Fadaka, said this in Akure at the weekend while refuting an allegation against Governor Olusegun Mimiko by the APC.

Fadaka, who denied that N500 million was set aside by Mimiko for PDP members as not only spurious but also petty, added: “The allegation does not in any manner represent any fact. It is a conjecture of wild imaginations.

“It is unfortunate that the APC does not seem to realise that unleashing falsehood does not do its image any good.”

“The governor has not kept any money aside to take care of any member of our party.

“As our party is leaving government, we are looking forward to how we can provide a credible and logical opposition to the incoming APC government.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lG3E25

Christian Chukwu still cautious despite Rangers’ away draw

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Chukwu

Enugu Rangers began their CAF Champions League campaign on a bright note, earning a 1-1 draw with Algeria’s JS Soaura in the North African country at the weekend. The draw means Rangers only need a goalless draw in Enugu to qualify for the third round of the competition’s qualifying series.

However, despite the draw, Rangers’ Chief Executive Officer, Christian Chukwu, says the team must brace up for the battle of their lives if they desired passage to the next round of the competition.

The Rangers’ delegation returned to the country yesterday morning aboard an Air Maroc flight and went straight to Enugu.

Chukwu, who praised the team for their feat in Algeria at the weekend, advised the coaches and players to be ready to get back to work in preparation for the second leg.

He applauded the players for showing maturity and discipline in the face of provocation, intimidation and adverse weather at the Bechir Stadium, venue of the match.

“Despite all these odds, the players endured to secure a decent result that puts the team in a vantage position going into the return leg match on Sunday, February 19, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu,” Chukwu said, while assuring the players that all the logistics would be put in place to make preparation for second leg easy for them.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2l5kTMW

Governor urges more investment to beat economic recession (Read full details)

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Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed

The much needed solution to economic recession in Nigeria is to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state governments, Kwara state Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has said.

Ahmed, while canvassing determination and patience from Nigerians during the “trying moments” of the nation said the IGR so collected should be used for prompt provisions of infrastructure for the use of the people.

He said from a paltry sum of less than a billion naira yearly, the state at presents has the potentials of generating about N15 billion.

He spoke in Ilorin during the town hall meeting bankrolled by the Federal ministry of Information. The event was the North-Central edition of such a forum attended by six ministers.

The event according to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was packaged to enhance unhindered dialogue between the electorates and the government.

Mohammed sharply criticized the alleged Islamisation rumour of Nigeria as false and impossible citing the secularity nature of the nation just as he urged the media to desist from giving a platform for issues that could engender religious crisis in the country.

Besides, Mohammed warned of insinuations in some quarters that the Nigerian army, “the symbol of unity in the country” allegedly participated in the alleged carnage in Southern Kaduna.

According to him, the compositions of the Nigerian Military made it difficult for any particular tribe to dominate the institution.

Minister of state for Budget and National Planning Zeinab Ahmed, said the infrastructure decay deficit was more than what 30 per cent of the nation’s budget could bridge without extraneous inputs.

The proposed borrowing by the Federal Government, according to Ahmed was to fund capital projects and not for recurrent projects.

The Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole said the need to revitalise the primary health education was paramount to the government noting that about 70 per cent of patients seeking medical help at the teaching hospitals have no need of such if the primary care were upgraded.

Adewole who promised a new dawn for Nigerians in health assessments said when fully developed quality healthcare would be brought to the rural population in Nigeria. He promised an interface between the primary and secondary healthcare systems in Nigeria.

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Fashola blame paucity of funds for inability to fix roads (Read full details)

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Minister of Works, Power and Housing Babatunde Fashola

The Minister of Power Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola yesterday identified paucity of funds as a major challenge that militated against the implementation of the 2016 Budget.

Fashola stated this when he met with the Mr Tobi Okechukwu-led House committee on works to defend his ministry’s 2017 Budget proposal disclosed that there are about 200 projects on-going across the federation.

Flanked by officials of his ministry, he explained that N456b was appropriated for the three Ministries in 2016 of which N301,850b was appropriated for work on roads projects.

He said of the N301 billion appropriated in 2016, only N140 Billion was released, putting the budget performance on execution of capital project at 53 percent.

Saying payment certificates to the tune of N185 Billion was still outstanding, he remarked that there is need to re-categorize federal road so as to reduce the road burden on the federal government.

He explained that some roads with interstate links have been sandwiched by municipal and city development, hence have become intercity roads and streets, adding that such roads should be removed as federal roads and handed over to states to ease the burden on federal government.

Underlining government commitment to fix all federal roads, he remarked that there is no state in the country where one road project or the other is not on-going.

The Minister disclosed that plans were afoot to harmonise and standardize Road furniture in collaboration with Agencies like Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC to ensure that commuters to adequately informed about road situations through road signs.

“We need to standardize Road furniture. Where they exist, there is no uniformity. We need to standardise it, put village names, colour codes, standardise the quality of lettering and change quality of sign posts. FRSC is part of the planning and Abuja Lokoja highway will be a pilot project for the standardization of Road Furniture” Fashola said.

Fashola also called for a reduction in duration of contract processing, saying that six weeks is too long because road construction is a seasonal project and often contractors are caught up in the rains due to the delays experienced in the contract process just as he said that even when the process is quickly concluded, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) also take some time before contract certificates are issued to qualified contractors.

The minister equally told the House that despite the number of roads that needed attention in the country some roads were specially penciled down by President Buhari and were prioritized. Such Roads include the Lagos – Ibadan – Oshogbo – Ilorin road, Kano – Maiduguri road, Enugu – Porthacourt road as well as the second Niger bridge, assuring that roads captured in the 2016 budget but were not capitalized will get the needed attention before the life span of the budget expires as long as there is funding.

He said 2017 budget of the Works component was based on six priority areas that will focus on critical economic routes with heaviest traffic Adding that N150.4b or 52 percent of capital budget was proposed for such routes, while the second priority roads or agriculture producing hub would gulp N43b or 17.8 percent of the capital expenditure.

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Recession biting hard on Nigerians, says Saraki (Read full details)

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Pledges legislation to easy suffering
The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has bemoaned the negative impact of the current economic recession saying that it has impinged on the standard of living of the ordinary citizens, and a major source of concern for the National Assembly.

He however assured that the National Assembly is working assiduously to ensure that critical and fundamental legislations that would get Nigeria out of recession would be passed without delay.

Speaking while receiving a delegation of the European Union (EU) on Democracy Support and Election Coordination to the National Assembly in Abuja, Saraki said, “The National Assembly was committed to resolving the country’s economic challenges through relevant legislation as a deliberate measure towards enhancing the welfare of the people.

He disclosed that the current standard of living of the ordinary citizen remains a source of concern to the lawmakers.

According to him, “The legislature would not be seen to have succeeded in its primary responsibilities without the masses feeling legislative impact on their living standards.”

He commended the EU Parliament for the critical role it played in monitoring the 2015 general elections in Nigeria, which according to him, “Has set a new standard for other African countries to emulate.”

In his remark, the leader of the delegation, Santiago Fisas noted that the legislators would not be seen to have succeeded in their primary assignments without legislative actions impacting positively on the masses through improved standards of living.

The EU delegation had earlier paid similar visits to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, chairmen of critical committees of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Clerk to the National Assembly and the Director General, National Institute for Legislative Studiers, where the issues of areas of collaboration and support by the group were extensively discussed.

The delegation, under the aegis of Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) of the EU were in the country to support Nigeria’s parliamentary democracy, and also ascertain areas of collaboration with the National Assembly.

Its aim was to lend support to democracies in the areas of strengthening parliamentary capacity, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) process and increase public confidence in democratic governance.

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APC in the throes of crises (Read full details)

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APC

Plateau, Delta, Gombe state chapters in trouble
As the national body of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to grapple with internal crises since it took over government at the centre in 2015, many of the state chapters of the party are not exempted from local disputes that are pitting their members against one another.

In Plateau State, the party has refuted allegations that the chapter chairman, Mr. Latep Dabang has hijacked and personalised its affairs and running it as though it were his estate.

In a statement yesterday, Secretary of the party, Alhaji Bashir Sati Musa said the purported letter in circulation claiming to have emanated from some members of the state’s executive was a figment of their imagination.

In the letter, the state chairman was accused of “hijacking the party machineries, insincerity in appointments, personalisation of the party and unaccountability of party funds.”

However, the party dismissed the allegations, saying: “We want to make it clear that this is a spurious and unsubstantiated allegations and a figment of imagination of some elements who want to destabilise the party for their selfish ends.”

Although, the party admitted there were similar allegations last year by some aggrieved members, “the matter had since been resolved, said the party.

According to the party, “The matter then was thoroughly investigated, deliberated upon and later found out that there was no iota of truth in the allegations and it was therefore laid to rest.

“But to the surprise of the party, some misguided elements last week dusted the old petition and presented it as a fresh fact to malign the state chairman, deceive party faithful and also to give impression that the party in Plateau State is in crisis,” the statement added.

The feuding crisis in the Delta State branch of party took a turn for the worse recently as the chairmen and secretaries across the nine local councils of Delta North Senatorial district suspended the senatorial chairman, Mr. George Okafor over alleged misappropriation of Christmas rice and anti-party activities.

In a letter dated February 6, 2017 and addressed to the state chairman of the party, the aggrieved chairmen and secretaries pointedly accused Okafor of gross misappropriation of the Christmas rice package as well as allegedly collecting the sum of N10, 000 each from the councils as transportation cost for the rice.

The letter, which was jointly signed by eight out of the nine chairmen and six out of the nine secretaries of the councils’ executives asserted that Okafor short-changed them by holding on to the four bags of rice each, while also allegedly collecting N10, 000.00 each from the councils for the purpose of transporting the bags of rice.

The chairman of the party in Oshimili South local council, Ogbueshi Ben Onwuka who read the suspension letter at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba claimed that Okafor was not fit to continue to pilot the affairs of the party in Delta North.

Okafor however refuted the allegations.

In Gombe State, hoodlums were said to have attacked the state’s Caretaker Committee chairman, Capt. Bala Jibrin during a stakeholders meeting where he was delivering a lecture.

Meanwhile, the embattled chairman alleged that Senator Mohammed Goje sponsored the attack.

The bickering has to do with the forthcoming local government elections in the state, which had already pitted the party’s leadership against one another.

According to Jibrin, “I was assigned by the national body of the APC to ensure that meeting was properly held and report back to it but it appears some cabals do not want that to happen for whatever interest.

However, Goje has since denied the allegations, saying the perpetrators of the act must have acted on their own.

Goje, who spoke through one of his former commissioners said, “The thugs might have acted on their own because they were not also satisfied with the current leadership of the party.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2luecAn