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Dissolution of LGs brews crisis between Benue gov, deputy

Crisis of confidence is now brewing between the Benue State governor, Mr Gabriel Suswam and his deputy, Chief Steven Lawani, over the dissolution of local government in the state. The governor, according More »

We are ready to negotiate with Boko Haram -FG

THE Federal Government, in collaboration with some traditional rulers, is set to bring the Boko Haram sect to the negotiating table, with a view to ending the menace of violence triggered by More »

Sack of striking doctors in Lagos

The decision by the Lagos State Government to sack 788 medical doctors in the State public service was the height of a month-long industrial action embarked upon by the doctors under the More »

Subsidy probe: Reps submit resolutions to presidency •Copy AGF, EFCC, ICPC, others

NJC reinstates Salami •NJC writes President Jonathan on decision •PDP vows to go to court

About nine months in the cold and with a split decision of 11 against nine, the suspension on the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, by the National More »

Allegations of fraud against Speaker Atunwa ..How Atunwa spent N33m on functional Assembly website-Chief Whip

The Kwara State House of Assembly is boiling over allegations of multimillion naira fraud, mismanagement and official highhandedness against Speaker Razak Atunwa, who critics allege is running the House affairs like More »

Dissolution of LGs brews crisis between Benue gov, deputy

May 11, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

Crisis of confidence is now brewing between the Benue State governor, Mr Gabriel Suswam and his deputy, Chief Steven Lawani, over the dissolution of local government in the state.

The governor, according to an impeccable source, had approved the dissolution of 19 out of the 23 local government areas of the state before he left the country with President Jonathan Goodluck on Wednesday.

The approval for the sack of the 19 council chairmen followed a law passed by the state House of Assembly, ordering the the sack of caretaker chairmen who have stayed beyond six months in the saddle and for elections to be conducted in the council areas.

It was gathered that the caretaker committees of 19 local government areas had stayed in office for close to one year, hence, the decision of the governor to adhere to the new law, and he approved the sack of the affected council committees with the exception of Makurdi, Tarka, Agatu and Gboko council areas, whose caretaker committees were constituted about three months ago.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that as soon as the governor left the shore of the country, his deputy was said to have tampered with the document with the inclusion of Okpokwu Local Government chairman, who was said to have spent close to a year in office.

It was gathered that the attention of the governor was drawn to the statement issued by the Media Adviser to the governor, Dr Cletus Akwaya, on a radio programme on Wednesday, which included Okpokwu in the councils not dissolved, but the subsequent bulletin on the same radio the following day indicated that the council had been removed from the bulletin.

According to the source close to the corridor of power, the governor was furious with the doctoring of his approval by his deputy and was said to have expressed his displeasure over the development.

We are ready to negotiate with Boko Haram -FG

May 11, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

THE Federal Government, in collaboration with some traditional rulers, is set to bring the Boko Haram sect to the negotiating table, with a view to ending the menace of violence triggered by the sect and its activities that have claimed many lives, the Minister of Defence, Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed, has disclosed.

Speaking on Thursday, when he received the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Colamine, in his office, Mohammed, who made this disclosure, noted that the Federal Government was committed to the speedy resolution of the crises that had hindered progress in the country.

“The concern of the government is peace and what the government is doing is for the benefits of all Nigerians,” he said.

According to him, the security challenges posed by the Boko Haram sect were temporary, adding that with dedication and hard work, the challenges posed by the group had been restricted to some few local government areas, even when their original intention was to make Nigeria ungovernable.

He assured that President Goodluck Jonathan was determined to make the difference in the governance of the country with the transformation agenda, adding that the changes being envisaged would make the citizens embrace positive ways of doing things.

The minister said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian government and the Italian government, which, he said, would enhance Nigerian peacekeeping efforts, was awaiting the ratification of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Sack of striking doctors in Lagos

May 11, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

The decision by the Lagos State Government to sack 788 medical doctors in the State public service was the height of a month-long industrial action embarked upon by the doctors under the umbrella of The Medical Guild.

The striking doctors were demanding, among other things, a 100 percent implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) and what they called “questionable taxation” by the state authorities. Negotiations between the state government and the Medical Guild to call off the strike which began April 6, could not resolve the issues in contention.

Matters however got to a head last Sunday when a statement from the Head of Service (HOS) announced to the surprise of many, the sack of the 788 doctors. Of the affected number, 316 of them were in the employ of the State University Teaching Hospital, while the remaining 472 were working in other hospitals across the state.

Explaining the acts leading to the decision of the government, the HOS in the state said the government took the action because negotiation on the issues in contention were still ongoing when the doctors began the strike.

The government also explained that its decision was necessitated by the refusal of the doctors to answer queries issued to them to explain their absence from work without leave, and in disregard to rules and regulations guiding strikes in the public service.

The government had earlier described the strike as “illegal and a blackmail”, and had vowed to invoke the relevant provisions of the Trade Dispute Act if the doctors refused to call off the strike. Hundreds of patients seeking healthcare in the state hospitals have suffered untold hardship since the strike began. Tens of patients have reportedly died because of lack of doctors to attend to them.

However, we oppose the decision to sack the striking doctors, no matter how ill advised and self-serving their demands were. Indeed, their sack is an overkill, very draconian and an ill wind that might have far reaching repercussions beyond Lagos State if it is allowed to stand. In that regard, we urge the state government to rescind the sack order and commence a forthright negotiation with the striking doctors on all the issues in dispute. The doctors, on their part, should call off the strike immediately and return to the negotiation table. Dialogue should be given a prime place in such a sticky matter because lives of patients are involved and should be taken into consideration above other things.

However, the doctors need reminding once again that certain things must precede industrial action. In this connection, the doctors must be aware of their Hypocratic oath to which they all swore. This forbids them from withholding medical care from patients in need of their services. We had earlier advised the doctors before the strike began on this onerous professional responsibility and the need to place greater premium on human life. Sadly, they ignored this timely advice. All the same, monetary gains should not stand in the way of the health of patients. It has become expedient to remind the aggrieved doctors that even though they deserve good pay and the compliment of their entitlements, for the very vital role they play in health delivery, their work will be more appreciated if, despite certain limitations, they show good understanding and exemplary conduct in their demands and duties.

Above all, the Lagos State Government should not be high-handed in the treatment of the doctors. There must be give-and-take in the dialogue towards resolving the knotty issues that led to the strike. Of crucial importance is for the state government to fulfill its own part of the agreement entered into with the doctors. In the last one month that the strike has been on, essential services in the public hospitals in the state have been paralyzed. This should not be allowed to drag further. Our message to the two parties is simple: let wise counsel prevail.

Subsidy probe: Reps submit resolutions to presidency •Copy AGF, EFCC, ICPC, others

May 11, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

THE coast is now clear for the presidency to start the implementation of the House of Representatives resolutions on the Honourable Farouk Lawan-led ad hoc committee that probed the fuel subsidy regime in the country, as the House leadership hinted on Thursday that all the relevant government agencies had officially received the resolution.

Fielding questions from newsmen during the weekly media briefing in Abuja, the chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Honourable Zakari Mohammed, confirmed that relevant Federal Government’s agencies, including the Economic and Commercial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practicies and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), among others, had received the resolution.

According to him, “I can confirm here that the resolutions of the House on the fuel subsidy probe has been forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation, EFCC, ICPC and others early this week for necessary action and we got acknowledgements from the agencies.”

While restating the determination of the House to see the full implementation of the resolutions to logical conclusion, he said with the latest development, there would be no excuse for any of the agencies to claim ignorant of the probe panel report.

This is coming just as Honourable Mohammed said the embattled Director-General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, who accused the former chairman of the House Committee Capital Market and other Institutions, Honourable Herman Hembe, of demanding N44 million from the commission during the botched probe into the near collapse of the capital market, would face the House Ethics and Privileges Committee, alongside Honourable Hembe and others.

The House spokesman added that the dramatis personae in the bribery saga would now face the committee now being chaired by the Minority Whip of the House, Honourable Samson Osagie.

NJC reinstates Salami •NJC writes President Jonathan on decision •PDP vows to go to court

May 10, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

About nine months in the cold and with a split decision of 11 against nine, the suspension on the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on August 18, 2011 for misconduct, was lifted on Thursday.

source at the council meeting disclosed that voting was employed to thaw the ice after over three-hour argument for and against the lifting of the suspension created a logjam, with the opposing parties reportedly not ready to shift ground.

The meeting which started on Wednesday had seen the members of the council being served with copies of court processes of a suit brought against the council by the Peoples Democratic Party (Osun and Ekiti State chapters) and the National Secretary of the ruling party and former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, seeking to stop the council from considering the issue due to the pendency of about four suits on it.

A council source told our reporter that members of the council were asked by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, to study the processes alongside the report of the Justice Mariam Aloma-Mukthar’s five-man reconciliation committee, which recommended Salami’s reinstatement despite its reported failure to meet with the other main actor in the crisis of confidence that rocked the judiciary last year, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu.

When the meeting resumed on Thursday, members were said to have argued for and against the consideration of the Mukthar committee’s recommendation due to the pendency of the Oyinlola and PDP’s suit on the one hand, and the suit tabled before the Court of Appeal, Abuja by Salami himself on the other hand, in which he claimed that the NJC was not his employers and could not sanction him.

Apart from the two suits, there are two others brought by the Assistant Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, Noah Ajare and former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, kicking against the consideration of the reinstatement recommendation, given the refusal of Salami to withdraw his suit against the council.

In Oni’s case, which is now at the Court of Appeal, he is pushing for Salami’s prosecution for perjury, which was given life by the testimony of Musdapher during the alleged corruption probe of Salami and Katsina-Alu, wherein he claimed that Salami lied on oath on his allegation against Katsina-Alu.

Aside the suits, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had also launched a fresh investigation at the prompting of Oyinlola into allegations that communications firm, MTN Nigeria, manipulated the call logs of Salami to provide a soft-landing for him during the probe of his alleged unethical communication with chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

MTN had recently confessed that it released the call logs rejected by the NJC probe panel for being of doubtful origin; a position that created room for the clean bill given to Salami on the handling of Ekiti and Osun governorship appeals by the Justice Umaru Abdullahi probe panel.

It was learnt that while a majority of the jurists on the council were disposed to the body respecting the pendency of the cases in court, especially Salami’s, lawyer-members were said to have argued in favour of total disregard of the pending suits in the consideration of the Mukthar panel’s recommendation.

Members who reportedly pushed for the council to overreach the courts reportedly argued that there was no restraining order emanating on Oyinlola and PDP’s case, while also reportedly submitting that the decision to sanction Salami was also taken in defiance of his pending suit in court.

After more than three hours without a compromise, Justice Musdapher, who a council source disclosed had been on high-wire trouble-shooting to resolve the issue before his departure from office in about two months time, reportedly called for voting on whether or not the Mukthar recommendation should be discussed and carried.

With a particular Chief Judge of a state in the North abstaining, a few jurists reportedly provided support for the block vote delivered by lawyers on the council, to give Salami a razor-edge advantage over members pushing for respect of pending suits, including Salami’s.

With the two-vote advantage, it was carried that the Mukthar panel’s recommendation should be upheld, with the CJN reportedly directing the administrative head of the council to write to President Goodluck Jonathan on the majority decision and the need for Salami’s reinstatement as PCA.

It could not be ascertained as of press time whether Jonathan would simply reinstate him through proclamation or he would have to pass it through the Senate as was the procedure for replacing him with the acting PCA, Dalhatu Adamu, when the council suspended him.

However, the PDP is saying that the matter has not ended, as it signified its intentions, on Thursday, to challenge the council’s decision in the court of law.

In a statement signed by the Osun State chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, the PDP described the report of the suspension reversal as the darkest chapter in the annals of the nation’s judiciary, vowing to challenge the illegality to the highest court in the land while querrying the participation of ACN governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, at the meeting.

The party wondered what would become of the essence of justice and the judicial sector if its symbols like the NJC and CJN were riding roughshod on due process of law, adding that since the council had made nonsense of judicial process, Nigerians would be pardoned whenever they chose to follow in the footsteps of the NJC and the CJN, by overreaching the courts.

The party said it was shocked that politics of self-preservation could be employed by those occupying the top echelons of the judiciary on issues of law, adding that the desperation of the CJN to hand a parting gift to Salami was understandable because “he landed him in a bigger mess of perjury.”

The PDP said it would challenge the development in court, saying “discussing a matter that is pending before the court by the NJC is a dangerous signal and a bad omen for the judiciary in the country.”

The party urged Jonathan not to be a part of the illegality carried out at the NJC meeting, while asking the president to show respect for the rule of law by not acting on the NJC recommendation until all the cases pending in court on the matter are dispensed with, especially Salami’s.

The PDP said; “What was done at the NJC meeting of today simply amounts to an affront on the judicial system and the import is that, if members of the Bench could ignore pending court matters, other Nigerians will be right to do so, and the country will surely head for a state of anarchy.

“It is on this note that we are urging President Jonathan to take into consideration the pendency of about four cases on the issue of Justice Salami’s reinstatement before assenting to the NJC recommendation as doing otherwise will mean that Nigerians should begin to disobey the courts.”

Both the media aide to the CJN, Mohammed Adamu and the NJC’s image-maker, Soji Oye, declined comments on the development.

Allegations of fraud against Speaker Atunwa ..How Atunwa spent N33m on functional Assembly website-Chief Whip

May 10, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

The speaker however denied the allegation sayingI received a letter of complaint on the 4^th of May, 2012 from the Chief Whip of the House alleging some financial misdemeanour against me.

He added that on the 7^th of May 2012 wrote a letter to the Chairman, House Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Public Service and Judiciary referring the matter to him. The letter refers to the serious allegation of mismanagement of Kwara state House of Assembly fund against the Speaker, Razak Atunwa representing Owode/Onire Constituency of Asa local government of the state by Hon Iliasu Ibrahim. The letter itself if dated 2^nd May, 2012.

“Iin accordance with the rules 67P/4P1of the rules of the Kwara state House of Assembly as amended I hereby refer the case to you for thorough investigation and consequent report of finding to the House”, he said.

In line with rule 67/P3 your committee is authorized to investigate any alleged violation by a member and recommend resolution to the House at the committee within appropriate in the circumstances.

Atunwa, who is favoured by Bukola Saraki as Speaker to check the crony Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed from asserting himself, is in a running battle to save his political career after the House Chief Whip, Iliasu Ibrahim, authored a strong-worded petition challenging Atunwa’s leadership style and accusing him of serial mismanagement of funds capable of denting the image of the House.

It would be recalled that both Atunwa and Ibrahim, who is a ranking member of the House, are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The petition alleges, among other things, that Atunwa serially violates the law in the running of the House affairs, including his alleged refusal to consult with House leadership on legislative matters, arbitrary award of fictitious contracts, failure to account for funds allocated for the running of the Assembly and travel allowances for members, and alleged diversion of House funds for private use.

The petition is dated May 2, 2012 and addressed to the Speaker through the Clerk of the House. It is titled “Serious Allegations of Mismanagements of Kwara State House of Assembly Fund Against Rt. Honourable Razak Atunwa Representing Owode/Onire Constituency of Asa LGA/Kwara State by Honourable Iliasu Ibrahim of Ipaye/Malete/Oloru Constituency of Moro LGA. ”

A member of the House who craves anonymity said the issues have polarised the PDP-dominated House, which has directed its Ethics and Privileges Committee to probe the allegations.

Ibrahim alleged in the petition that Atunwa re-awarded a contract for an already functional website at the rate of N33, 888,700 (Thirty three million, eight hundred and eighty eight thousand, seven hundred naira) via a memo coded KWHA/S/35/121/82 of 19^th March, 2012. He insisted the contract was unnecessary and did not follow the due process.

According to Ibrahim, Atunwa through a memo titled KWHA/5/135/Vol./455 and dated March 12, 2012 sought to collect another N81, 500,000 (Eighty one million, five hundred thousand naira) for projects not approved by the House and without the knowledge of other principal officers.

The Chief Whip also raised questions on the “money released for the recent overseas trip and much was spent so far out of the N135, 000,000 (N135m)? How much money has so far been released for capital projects between 2011 and 2012 and how much has been spent? How was the fifteen million naira (N15, 000,000) released for the hosting of the North-Central Forum of Speakers spent? Details of the expenses incurred for the pursuit of your personal ambition of becoming the Chairman of the Niger Speakers Forum.”

He also lampooned Atunwa for his “arrogance and corruption”, adding: “As a foremost lawmaker and a lawyer by profession, you cannot claim to be unaware of the deleterious effects of financial mismanagement and other abuses on the integrity and reputation of the Assembly. With this recklessness of yours, how can the House carry out its oversight functions when you are so corrupt and utterly insensitive?”

The full memo reads: “Without any prejudice, I wish to express my dissatisfaction at your style of leadership since the inauguration of the 7^th legislature in June 2011. Having observed the conduct of your leadership for about a year, it is important to draw attention to serious lapses on your part that can bring the entire image of the House into disrepute and in jeopardy should all the issues become a public knowledge.

“As legislators, we are expected to be extraordinarily honest, transparent and prudent in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the Assembly. As lawmakers and custodians of the law and order, we should shun any acts that are detrimental to the welfare of members as well as the wellbeing of the generality of the people of our constituencies. Indeed, ours must be leadership by example. Unfortunately your attitude and general conduct in the management of the affairs of the Assembly have been one of disappointment and regret because you have been so power intoxicated and arrogant that you have no regret for the views and feelings of anybody on important matters of the House.

“In his wisdom, Sen. Bukola Saraki retained some of us for certain purposes. We were probably asked to come back because of the experience we had gained in the course of our last tenure. We are expected to serve as the stabilising factor by providing from time to time useful advice and suggestions on issues of common interest. By arrogating all power to yourself and conducting the affairs of the Assembly in absolute secrecy, you have given enough room for suspicion as many of us are of the view that large-scale fraud and financial mismanagement are the order of the day as far as the Assembly matters are concerned. Otherwise I would like you to address or clarify these issues:

Why has there been no principal officers’ meeting since the inception of the 7^th legislature nearly a year ago? Rather what we witnessed were mere briefing sessions which is abnormal.

Why was the Clerk/Secretary to this statutory Body of Principal Officers not invited to cover the meetings (if any), as was always the case in the 5^th and 6^th legislature?

If you have been holding the Principal Officers’ meetings as mandated by law, where are the records in terms of minutes, resolutions etc?

Records of contracts being awarded without due process of law, and the amount of consultations with the principal officers, tender boards’ procedure etc

Documents of all the contracts singlehandedly awarded by you since inauguration.

Renovation of the Assembly Complex for which funds have been released in the last one year

Award of contract and signing of agreement to your legal/consulting firm to handle the clearing of the Assembly Complex to the tune of Eighteen Million Naira

Purchase of flat screen television sets and various electrical gadgets worth several millions of naira without recourse to the Principal Officers and of course without appropriate documentation by the Tender Committee

Monthly allocation to the House in the last 11 months i.e June 2011 to April 2012

Salaries and allowances of both members and the staff within the last one year

What is the left over on a monthly basis after salaries and allowances?

How much was the money released for the recent overseas trip and much was spent so far out of the N135,000,000 (N135m)?

How much money has so far been released for capital projects between 2011 and 2012 and how much has been spent?

How was the fifteen million naira (N15,000,000) released for the hosting of the North-Central Forum of Speakers spent?

Details of the expenses incurred for the pursuit of your personal ambition of becoming the Chairman of the Niger Speakers Forum

Money released for the Eid-il-kabir/Xmas and New year celebrations

The re-award of website project that had been completed by the 6^th Assembly, and on which you also collected N33,888,700 via a memo – KWHA/S/35/121/82 of 19^th March, 2012

What about the N81,500,000 you intend to collect with a memo KWHA/5/135/Vol./455 of the 12^th of March 2012 on the award of various contracts without the knowledge of the rest of the Principal Officers and as usual without due process?

“Mr. Speaker, without furnishing us adequate information on the above subject matters as a matter of urgency, we cannot in good conscience dispel or deny the insinuation that the transactions are characterised with sharp practices which require proper investigation as he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. As a foremost lawmaker and a lawyer by profession, you cannot claim to be unaware of the deleterious effects of financial mismanagement and other abuses on the integrity and reputation of the Assembly. With this recklessness of yours, how can the House carry out its oversight functions when you are so corrupt and utterly insensitive?

“On a number of occasions, I have contemplated and even threatened to resign my position as Chief Whip because of greedy and self-centred behaviour of the Honourable Speaker. I rescued a lot of situations that could have brought the integrity of the House into disrepute, especially the purported sack of 18 members of casual labour to pave the way for dubious and self-serving award of contract your consulting firm for N18, 000,000

“Other than for you to succeed as Speaker, there is nothing else to my insistence that things must be conducted in accordance with the civilised standards. Unfortunately, each time I offered well-meaning advice and suggestions on various House issues, your responses have always been one of rude and arrogant attacks, much like somebody who is scared of public scrutiny. The Legislative Arm of Government, as I once pointed out to you, should set enviable standard in democratic practices in terms of openness and accountability because we are supposed to assist the other arms of government to properly carry out their functions and responsibilities.

“Here, it is important to assure you of our loyalty and support since your success is my pride. The Deputy Speaker, who keeps misadvising and misleading you, is the person to be wary of. I once told him that in the event of your downfall, it was not going to be a straight transition to him because of the political arrangement on the ground if that is the real reason he is doing all the sycophancy. As an elderly person and a father, I told you severally that I will never bear any malice against you. “However, it is within my rights and the rights of other members to know what is happening regarding the general administration and finances of the Assembly. And keeping us in the dark can only breed disharmony and crisis as we shall firmly insist on our fundamental right to know and be involved in the process.

“We all must be prepared to learn one or two things from the leadership style of our great leader, Sen. Bukola Saraki. He is open, transparent and wants the best for all of us. He does not believe in exclusiveness when it has to with public administration and that is why he was able to achieve so much in democratic and humanitarian leadership. What gave Senator Saraki the significant mileage is his readiness to take advice and useful suggestions on important issues.

“Former Speaker Ibrahim Bio also did well because in spite of his experience as legislator at both the State and National levels, he was also ready to consult and take advice on matters of the House. We should thank God for his time.

In conclusion Mr Speaker, you can only fool the people for some time you cannot fool them all the time. I have decided to follow this path of truth and justice because sooner than later these issues will become a matter of public interest and there will be no hiding place for somebody like well known for fairness, justice and equity. It must be recognised that as members we are all equal and therefore entitled to be respected and our views and grievances taken into consideration as you lead responsibly.

“I wish to call on all members to be vigilant and be ready to check the excesses of the corrupt leadership of the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdulrazak Atunwa. Otherwise no one of us will be exonerated when it becomes a full-scale scandal in the Assembly.”

President Goodluck Jonathan has no plan to Change ministers

May 10, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

Contrary to recent speculations in the media about a so-called impending cabinet reshuffle, the Presidency wishes to state emphatically that there is no truth whatsoever in the said reports.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathansaid he has implicit confidence in the ability of the current crop of ministers to deliver and has no plan to undertake any replacement at the moment.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, on Wednesday, May 9, there is also no truth in the alleged tension among ministers as a result of the rumoured imminent cabinet change. This is a calculated attempt to cause disaffection within the cabinet and divert the attention of members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) from their unwavering commitment to the implementation of the Transformation Agenda of the Jonathan Administration.

The speculation about cabinet change is the handiwork of mischief makers who seem bent on frustrating the good intentions of the Federal Government to deliver on the campaign promises of President Jonathan.

We advise the public to ignore the antics of these mischief makers.

Mother’s Day:Any cause for celebration?

May 10, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March, April, or May. It however complements Father’s Day, the celebration honoring fathers.

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood occur throughout the world including Nigeria, where Mother’s Day is a very important occasion; the extent of the celebrations varies greatly. In some countries, it is potentially offensive to one’s mother not to mark Mother’s Day. In others, it is a little-known festival celebrated mainly by immigrants, or covered by the media as a taste of foreign culture.

In almost all countries around the world, but especially in Nigeria, flowers have become a symbolic gift of Mother’s Day. Amongst other flowers, carnations have become the most common flowers for Mother’s Day, since they were delivered at one of its first celebrations by its founder. This also started the custom of wearing a carnation on Mother’s Day

When celebrating Mother’s Day we must have at the back of our minds that it’s also a time to consider the thousands of Nigerian mothers that are missing; remember the women who didn’t survive pregnancy or childbirth and hundreds of thousands of women who die needlessly because they live in a place where maternal health care is out-of-reach however these deaths are preventable through dissemination of information.

It is on record that over 70 percent of maternal deaths in Nigeria are due to five major complications namely: hemorrhage, infection, unsafe abortion, hypertensive disease of pregnancy and obstructed labour.

In addition, poor access to and utilization of quality reproductive health services contribute significantly to the high maternal mortality level in Nigeria. According to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 30 percent of Nigerian women cited the problem of getting money for treatment, while 24 percent cited the problems of accessibility to health facilities and transportation.

About 17 percent reported the problem of not getting a female provider in the hospital, while 14 percent reported the problem of not wanting to go alone. Again, 14 percent said that the problem of ignorance of where to go for treatment, while one in ten women complained of problem in getting permission to visit hospitals.
However, majority of births in Nigeria 66 percent occur at home (either in church maternity ) and only one-third of live births during the five years preceding the most recent demographic health survey occurred in a health facility. A smaller proportion of women receive postnatal care, which is crucial for monitoring and treating complications in the first two days after delivery. Only 23 percent of women who gave birth outside a health facility received postnatal care within two days of the birth of their last child. More than seven in ten women who delivered outside a health facility received no postnatal care at all.
It is a well known fact that the Nigerian health system as a whole has been plagued by problems of service quality, including unfriendly staff attitudes to patients, inadequate skills, decaying infrastructures, chronic shortages of essential drugs and the well-known “out-of-stock: syndrome.

In some hospitals, equipment such as sphygmomanometers, thermometers, weighing scales, delivery kits, waste bins and mucus extractors are unavailable. Many do not have regular supply of electricity because they cannot maintain a standby generator. Some do not even have a regular water supply and thus require their patients to provide their own water. Coupled with all these, staff are demoralized by inadequate and irregular remuneration. Many have relocated to industrialized countries where they will be adequately remunerated.

Evidence exists on the relationship between the density of health workers and maternal mortality rates in Nigeria. Slightly more than one-third of births in Nigeria are attended by doctors, trained nurses and midwives. This is in spite of the fact that the level of assistance a woman receives during delivery can reduce maternal deaths and related complications.

The attitude of many nurses/midwives towards pregnant women and those in labour is poor. In the course of their professional duty as nurses/midwives, they act inappropriately to the woman in labour. Such attitude raises the question of what the duties of a nurse/midwife are to a woman in labour. Sometimes, one wonders if they have any knowledge of the literal meaning of their profession or even what their profession entails.
However, the fact that health facilities physically exist in the sense of bricks and mortar do not necessarily mean that they are functional. Many hospitals in Nigeria are poorly equipped and lack essential supplies and qualified staff. In fact, a 2003 study revealed that only 42 percent of public facilities in Nigeria met internationally accepted standards for obstetric care. The health sector as a whole is in a dismal state. The prevailing problems then are still persistent and are yet to be addressed due to Nigeria’s long-standing socio-economic situation and crises of leadership.

It would be recalled that the United States Ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCulley has said that Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is “unacceptably high”.
McCulley spoke at the inauguration of six family planning centres by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Lagos.

He said: “Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is at an unacceptably high level. It is estimated that one in eight women die yearly of pregnancy-related complications. Nigeria has the second highest rate of maternal death in the world.
“While factors like early marriage, teenage pregnancy, low contraceptive usage, unsafe and illegal abortions contribute to the high mortality rate, poverty is a major driver to this preventable situation.

“Women in Nigeria still have an average of six children each, and, according to the 2008 edition of the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey, 20 per cent of married women of reproductive age want to space or limit births, but are not using any method of family planning.
“The low usage of family planning services calls for greater private health sector involvement to complement the Nigerian government’s effort in providing family planning and reproductive health services to its citizens.

“With more than 11,000 physicians and 56,000 practising nurses, the private health sector is well positioned to play a more significant role in improving maternal and child care in Nigeria.

“The survey results also show that 61 per cent of current users of modern family planning methods obtain these services from the private health sector. The country’s rising population is likely to stimulate greater demand for services in this sector.
“Today, the US government, through USAID, is inaugurating the SPSFP/RH project to improve reproductive health services provided by the private sector.

NIGERIA as a nation is blessed with both human and natural resources, yet women die everyday from the scourge of maternal mortality. Most of these deaths are avoidable as compared to the United States of America where only one in 4,800 obtains.

However, one of the millennium development goals is to improve maternal health care. This was adopted by the international community at the United Nations Millennium Summit im 2000 with the aim of achieving 75 per cent drop from the level of maternal mortality in the year 2015.

But come to think of it, would this really be possible in this country where women die from a wide range of complications in pregnancy, child birth or postpartum period which in most cases are caused by poor health at conception and lack of adequate care needed for the healthy outcome of the pregnancy for themselves and their babies.

Nigeria is still battling to achieve regular power supply in the 21st century, a time where virtually every activity of man has gone digital and most hospitals are not excluded from this reign of darkness.

Pregnancy which ordinarily should be a thing of joy is now seen as a death warrant for most women due to the weak and poor primary health care system and less qualified staff in most rural communities

Every year, more than 133 million babies are born, 90 per cent in low and middle income countries. When their mother die, the chance of their survival is slim. Lack of maternal care is a major cause of babies’ death and disability among infants.

More so, every year, three million babies are stillborn. Almost one quarter of these babies die during birth. The causes of these deaths are similar to the cause of maternal death: obstructed or prolonged labour, eclampsia and infection such as syphilis.

The afore mention is preventable if our leaders identify the improving maternal health, quality health system and the barriers to access health services and tackled them at all levels .In addition there should be proper education to pregnant women on how to take care of themselves during pregnancy through enlightenment campaign an our women will live and Mothers Day will be for appreciated by all.

Gov Ahmed got outstanding award on agriculture

April 13, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has been awarded the Outstanding Agricultural Development Icon of Year 2011 for his contributions to the country’s agricultural development.

In a press statement from the government house and made available to press meen in Ilorin stated that The award was conferred on him by African Leadership Magazine, organisers of the African Development and Industry Leadership Awards held in Washington, DC, US on Wednesday night.

The event, which honours those individuals who have contributed to the economic development and growth of Nigeria, also saw the conferment of awards on Central Bank Governor, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and legal luminary and former presidential candidate, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite.

The organisers applauded Governor Ahmed for scaling up the state’s agricultural revolution, starting with his role as Chairman of the New Nigerian Farmers projects in the administration of former governor Bukola Saraki to his robust Agricultural policies since becoming governor.

The organisers also praised Ahmed’s strong vision for agriculture in Kwara State which has attracted huge foreign direct investment such as the N70 billion rice processing project and a $150 million agricultural processing complex into the state and started the process of establishing Kwara as the hub for agriculture in Nigeria.

Ahmed was also commended for his structured and empirical approach to development planning, especially the linkages between commercial agriculture, youth empowerment, food security and wealth creation.

Responding, Governor Ahmed thanked the organisers for recognising Kwara State’s strides in Agriculture and dedicated the award to ‘the hard working people of Kwara State home and abroad’.

Governor Ahmed said his administration was determined to create shared prosperity for the people of Kwara State and other stakeholders through a strategic emphasis on the state’s key strengths in agriculture and invited Kwarans in the diaspora to return home to take advantage of the state’s growing potential in Agriculture.

Agriculture, he said, has the potential to economically empower the people of Kwara State, generate youth employment and lead to accelerated growing, adding that he is pleased Kwara State is leading the way in this regard.

who was voted Best Governor in Northern Nigeria by Global Excellence Magazine last m

You can’t drain excess crude account •Okonjo-Iweala tells govs

April 13, 2012 Toyin Adebayo No comments

THE Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has carpeted the state governors for their insistence on sharing funds from the Excess Crude Account, which now has a balance of $3.6billion rather than saving it in the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).

The minister, who spoke at the first Civil Society Forum Agenda in Abuja, stated that the Excess Crude Account was supposed to metamorphose into the SWF.

However, she said the governors were vehemently opposed to it, saying that it was a fight to be able to get $1billion saved in the SWF.
At present, she stated that the nation did not have anything to fall back on in case of any economic crisis, as every month, the funds in the Excess Crude Account were being shared by the various arms of government instead of being moved into the SWF.

According to her, “If oil prices drop now, we have nothing to cushion the effect as $3.6billion is not enough to take us for any length of time.”

She said the period between 2003 and 2007 was the only steady time in the Nigerian economy, because that was when the country developed the Excess Crude Account and started saving.

Disclosing that when the world economic crisis started in 2007, oil price went from $147 per barrel to $38 per barrel overnight, the minister said “we were able to go to the pool we had to smoothen expenditure in the difficult years of 2008 and 2009. But if that happens now, we might not be able to handle it, as every month, the governors have been insisting on sharing the money, saying that they can save for themselves.

“Nigeria spends all it makes when oil price is high, but the moment it goes down, all sectors of the economy crash because there is no saving to fall back on,” adding that “it is the major reason why the country’s GDP growth goes up and down.”

The minister, who disclosed that part of the transformation agenda of the present administration is to build infrastructure and push something aside for the future, lamented that Nigeria was the only oil-producing country that did not have savings in any form, saying that it was very risky for the economy.

Dousing the fears being expressed in some quarters that the SWF might not be well managed, the minister said there are provisions in the Act setting it up, which had taken care of issues relating to transparency, adding that there should be no fears by Nigerians that the money would not be well managed, as the government was doing it to safeguard the economy and Nigeria’s future.

The minister said at the moment, the nation is not selling up to 2.48million barrels as it ought to due to activities of pipeline vandals, which had forced production to drop.

“It is a pity that at the moment, we are not able to benefit from high oil price in the international market, because we are not producing as forecast for this year and this is affecting our revenue. There are other sectors of this economy that we can use to our advantage and the government is currently working hard to ensure that we develop other sectors to grow the economy.”

Okonjo-Iweala stated that Nigeria cannot continue to depend on selling only crude oil to the international market.

Okonjo-Iweala said more than 75 per cent of government revenue came from only one product that Nigeria sold, which is oil. She said it was very unhealthy that only crude oil would determine the growth of the Nigerian economy.

She frowned on the rate at which money was spent in the country without savings from high oil prices.

She said “when we have high oil prices and we are able to sell, we sell and spend everything. We don’t save anything. When the oil prices crash,” we also crash, that is why we are unable to meet present-day challenges, including salaries.”

The minister then spoke on the issue of fuel subsidy, stating that more than 39 per cent of the federal budget was going into fuel subsidy.
She stated that the government needed to stop the payment in order to improve on the roads and develop the health and education sectors.

The minister said that a country like Ghana that just found oil had also phased out its subsidies.

She stated that the government was looking at other revenue generating products for the country, including agriculture, saying more farmers could now get fertiliser and that previously it was the rich people that collected and sold it in the market.

She stated that the minerals sectors had improved its input to the Gross Domestic Product of the country to about 18 per cent.

According to her, government was trying to create jobs, through programmes like the ‘You Win programme’, ‘Public Works programme’ and the SURE. She stated that the youth got jobs from the programmes strictly on merit.

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Mother’s Day:Any cause for celebration?

Gov Ahmed got outstanding award on agriculture

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Dissolution of LGs brews crisis between Benue gov, deputy

We are ready to negotiate with Boko Haram -FG

Sack of striking doctors in Lagos

NJC reinstates Salami •NJC writes President Jonathan on decision •PDP vows to go to court

Allegations of fraud against Speaker Atunwa ..How Atunwa spent N33m on functional Assembly website-Chief Whip

President Goodluck Jonathan has no plan to Change ministers

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Dissolution of LGs brews crisis between Benue gov, deputy

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NJC reinstates Salami •NJC writes President Jonathan on decision •PDP vows to go to court

Allegations of fraud against Speaker Atunwa ..How Atunwa spent N33m on functional Assembly website-Chief Whip

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