Anambra guber: Court declares Andy Uba PDP candidate
PORT HARCOURT—JUSTICE H.A. Nganjiwa of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to accept the result of the primary election conducted by Ejike Oguebego’s faction of PDP in Anambra State which declared Senator Andy Uba governorship candidate for the party in the November 16 election.The court held “that the 1st and 2nd defendants are to forthwith comply with the order of this Honourable court made on August 6, 2013.“That the 1st and 2nd defendant are to accept the results that emerged from the plaintiffs’ ward and state congresses pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction or pending the hearing and determination of the motion to set aside the interim order“That 1st and 2nd defendants are hereby restrained from accepting the wards and state congresses results from Ken Emeakey-led PDP executive from Anambra State, pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction and the motion to set aside the interim order made on August 6, 2013”Justice Nganjiwa adjourned the matter to August 30.
Lingering ASUU Strike: A Festering Sore On The Nation's Conscience
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) views with deep concern and discontent the ongoing and indeed a recurring strike in our nation's ivory towers by the Academic Staff Unions of our Universities (ASUU) which has entered its 9th week without any sign of being resolved soon as parties in the crisis continue to trade blame and spoil for more actions on the matter.We have watched with keen interest as the Dr. Nasir Issa Faggie-led ASUU declared a 3-day warning strike before it finally embarked on an indefinite strike action on July 1, 2013 towards ensuring that the Federal Government honoured the cardinal agreements reached with the University lecturers since 2009. According to ASUU, those agreements include: -•Injection of proper funds to revitalize the Nigerian Universities•Provision of Federal Government’s Assistance to state universities•Progressive increase of annual budgetary allocation to education to 26% between 2009 and 2020, and Earned Allowances, Amendment and the Pension Retirement age of academics on the profession cadre from 65 to 70 years•Establishment of the Pension Fund Administrator Governing Council•Transfer of Federal Government’s landed properties to universities as the setting up of research and development units by companies operating in Nigeria as well as teaching and research equipment.
In essence, ASUU is simply asking the Federal Government for proper funding of the universities to bring them to the level to compete with world acclaimed and prestigious ones which the University of Ibadan (UI), the premier University once attained as one of the 10 best Universities in the world.While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Pius Anyim led Government Team is insisting that Government cannot afford full adherence to those agreements, ASUU is insisting it cannot shift ground on any of the already agreed issues since according to it, necessary concessions were granted before those Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were reached with the Federal Government in 2009.Though President Jonathan may not be the President then, since government is a continuum, the administration is duty bound to implement the signed agreements as he was also the second in command.Against all the stated backdrop and considering the enormous toll incessant strikes have had on the nation’s university education system, which to say the least, has made the country’s best University today to rank only amongst the hinds 6,000 in the world while most of our graduates are simply ‘unemployable’, the nation’s scarce resources are routinely frittered away through unabated sleaze and in the face of endemic corruption at all levels of governance.PENGASSAN joins millions of concerned Nigerians and groups to appeal to Suswam led Committee to sheath their sword by embracing dialogue as a means of finding a lasting solution to the recurring problem of under funding of the nation’s education. This is so as education remains a major plank for sustainable development and veritable means of rediscovering the dream of the founding fathers of the nation.More worrisome for the majority of the talented youths whose sponsored can not afford a private or foreign school, and have rested all hope in the public schools now imagine the kind of future generation they are bound to build as they are turned out half-baked as a result of irregular and sandwiched session and curriculum.PENGASSAN cannot but frowns at the degenerating Government habit of reneging on Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) freely entered into. While Government feigns to be contending with financial challenges over ASUU' demans. We strongly advise Government to refocus the nation's budget and expenditures to priorities areas which education stands out by using this strike events to declare a State of Emergency in the Education Sector with a view to finally securing it for better rewarding future of our youths.
Gani Fawehinmi: Activists Commence 4th Memorial Anniversary in Lagos, Demand Creation of Freedom Park in Abuja
Activists from various civil society organizations today addressed a press conference in Lagos to kick-start a three-phase programme commemorating the fourth anniversary of the death of the radical human rights advocate and lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.They called on the government to rename the headquarters of National Human Rights Commission in the federal capital as GANI FAWEHINMI HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE, and to establish a Freedom Square in his name also in the city where aggrieved Nigerians, CSOs, activists can gather peacefully to protest and express their feelings about bad governance.The activists also announced that they have registered the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organization (GAFAMORG) with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) specifically for the annual commemoration of the passing of the radical lawyer on September 5, 2009.Under GAFAMORG this year, a “road show” will be held in Lagos on August 31 starting from the Obafemi Awolowo Way link-bridge and ending at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square in Ojota, the scene of the mass protest against the removal of fuel subsidy by the government in January last year.On September 5, GAFAMORG will hold their main event, a public lecture, at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos Airport Hotel, at 10.00am. A ‘Night of Tribute’ is also scheduled for the same day at Jabita Hotel on Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, at 6pm.The activists said it was imperative to analyze current anomalies in Nigeria, describing the likely actions Chief Fawehinmi might have taken were he still alive.They spoke highly against corruption, government ineptitude, the education crisis that has resulted in the ASUU strike, and impunity, among other menaces.
Police smash criminals hideout in Aba, arrest 20
ABA — TWENTY suspected criminals are now in detention in Aba following a raid, yesterday, by the Police from Ariaria Division of the city on two Indian hemp spots said to be haven for notorious criminals within Ariaria International Market.The arrest came barely one week after the Police from the Area Command in Aba raided a hotel which allegedly serves as criminals hide-out in the city centre where no fewer than 20 suspected criminals were apprehended.The spots identified as ‘Black Kingdom’ at Samek by Old express road and ‘Snow White’ at Bakassi were all located near Ariaria International Market.It was gathered that before the police raid, ‘Black kingdom’ was one of the areas where drug addicts in the city relocated after they were dislodged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, from their former location at ‘York’ at Park road.It was further gathered that most criminals who operated within the commercial city usually gather at the two locations not only to smoke, but also to hatch plans on how to unleash terror on residents.The operation was carried out in conjunction with policemen mobilised from other divisions in the Aba Area Command which led to the arrest of 20 suspects alleged to be members of robbery gangs which have been terrorizing the city of late .When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna described the raid as a proactive measure taken by the Police Command in the state to ensure that the state was free from all forms of criminality.“We are raiding hideouts in a bid to ensure the society is being ridden off crimes and criminality because we know that those hideouts are possible places where all the hoodlums hide and from there, they go about to perpetrate their evil acts. So, police raiding hideouts is not out of place.“It is a proactive measure adopted by the command in order to ensure that the state is free from crime and criminality, especially in Aba.“If in the course of interrogation one is found culpable or cannot give an accurate account of him or herself, definitely, that person will be prosecuted if linked up with any crime. while those that can established their personality will be released.Ogbonna however, urged the public to report promptly to the police any place(s) suspected to be hideout(s) for criminals, stressing that the police in the state has a zero tolerance for criminal activities in whatever disguise.
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