TODAY NEWS

2015 Stalls Jonathan's Talks With 'Rebel' 

Governors

Two issues stood between President Goodluck Jonathan and seven aggrieved governors of the party in their efforts Tuesday night to resolve the dispute that caused the break of the party, Daily Trust learnt yesterday.The issues included the governors' demand that Peoples Democratic Party national chairman Bamanga Tukur be removed and that President Jonathan should not rush into declaring for re-election in 2015.The meeting is scheduled to resume Sunday."I can tell you that Sunday's meeting will determine the way forward," a source at the meeting said.The source said Jonathan had earlier conceded to the first three demands of the governors which included that the Adamawa State PDP leadership backed by Governor Murtala Nyako be restored and that the suspension on the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi from the party be lifted.When the governors raised the third issue on the leadership of the Nigerian Governors' Forum, Jonathan was said to have indicated that it was a governors' affair and directed that Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu and his Jigawa counterpart Sule Lamido meet to sort it out, agreeing that he would be amenable to their decision.But on the matter of Tukur's removal which the group has been canvassing, the president was said to have tarried, saying he needed to make consultation. The aggrieved governors' delegation also said they needed some time to make consultation.The source said the president's side which appeared eager for a quick fix to the problem had asked that the meeting reconvened yesterday. But while the time to resume talks was being discussed, one of the aggrieved governors raised the issue of 2015."He told the president that 2015 is a very sensitive matter so he should not rush into declaring that he will contest. He advised the president to give the matter some deep thoughts," the source said.At this juncture, Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke was said to have intervened, asking why the president was being handed down conditions.But Imoke was cut short by another 'rebel' governors who told the meeting that they were only holding Jonathan to the promises he made "at four different occasions" and not handing down any conditions.Meanwhile the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Barrister Ahmed Gulak, yesterday described as unconstitutional, the demands by the seven aggrieved governors of the party.In an interview with State House correspondents yesterday, Gulak failed to state what the demands were, but said they were inconsistent with the constitution of the party and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.The presidential aide, however, noted that efforts to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party were ongoing as elders had waded in.

Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Irrevocable, Mark Says

Senate President David Mark has said that the law banning same-sex marriage in Nigeria was irrevocable.Senator Mark maintained that inspite of criticisms and pressure from some sections of international community, the National Assembly will not revoke the law."Same-sex marriage is against our law and tradition and indeed offensive to humanity," he said.Mark spoke at a dinner he hosted for priests attending the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) holding in Otukpo, Benue State.He again appealed to religious leaders to use their weapons of prayer and fasting to actualize transformation both in "our hearts and the society in order to overcome the numerous socio- political and economic challenges confronting the nation."In their separate remarks President of CBCN Ignatius Kaigama and Archbishop of Abuja diocese John Cardinal Onaiyekan harped on peace and harmonious relationship between and among various religious groups.

Anambra Poll - Court Decides Andy Uba's Fate 

Today

Port Harcourt — A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt is expected to rule today on notice for interlocutory injunction seeking to uphold the candidacy of Andy Uba in place of Tony Nwoye in the tussle over who represents Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election.Before the substantive suit is determined, the plaintiffs in the case, including factional Chairman of Anambra PDP, Ejike Oguebego, are asking the court to order the PDP National Working Committee, NWC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to accept the August 24, 2013, party primary which produced Andy Uba as flag-bearer under Oguebego's faction of the party in the state.Arguing the motion at yesterday's hearing, the plaintiffs, through their counsel, Jude Nnodum, SAN, are also asking that INEC and the PDP-NWC be ordered to accept Andy Uba as the candidate of the party for the November 16 Anambra governorship poll.Nnodum submitted that the Ken Emeakaye-led executive of the Anambra PDP faction that produced Tony Nwoye's candidacy did not have the authority to conduct the primaries and produce any flag-bearer as expelled members."This has not been denied by the defendants and that tilts the balance in favour of the applicants. So this court, in consonance with the Federal High Court Laws of the Federation 2004 has the power to issue the interlocutory injunction," Nnodum pleaded with the presiding judge, Justice Nganjima.At the hearing, counsel to the first defendant (PDP), Tagbo Ike, and Bath Igwilo and that to the conjoined third and fourth defendants, U.I. Igweneme, countered that the court should throw away the application on ground that a court of coordinate jurisdiction in Abuja had earlier invalidated the plaintiffs as executives of the state PDP."Plaintiffs' claim to the PDP is assailed by the judgement of that court of coordinate jurisdiction in Abuja which stands as it has not been appealed. So this court cannot vacate that court decision."You cannot vacate an order made by your learned friend in FCT", Tagbo Ike urged Justice H.A, Nganjiwa."U.I Igweneme in further argument against the application contended that "another court in Anambra had on July 5, 2012, nullified the election of the plaintiffs and considered it a product of impunity while also frowning at their attempt to appeal that ruling."That court decision was a completed act. This court cannot restrain by injunction, an already completed act," he said.Justice Nganjima, after consideration of the arguments and counter arguments, fixed ruling on the application for today.

Obj - Chicken Farmer Playing Chicken

In this unfolding crisis of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, I have kept my eye on the familiar antics of one man. This man has almost single-handedly shaped the type of democracy we are practising.But for the gallant of efforts of his opponents and enlightened members of our society, Nigerian democracy would have degenerated to the type we see in countries like Zimbabwe, which is under the oldest president in the world, Bob Mugabe.The man I speak of is no other than Olusegun Obasanjo, retired general of the Nigerian Army, two-time ruler of Nigeria, first as a military ruler for 31 months, and second as an elected president for another 96 months (and thus the longest Nigerian ruler, having dusted the nine-year national record which General Yakubu Gowon tenaciously held for 30 years).Yet, Obasanjo is not satisfied. At "over 80" (as his son, Gbenga, once disclosed) Obasanjo is not tired of anything. He does not want to retire from anything. He does not want to withdraw from anything to allow today's people have a go. He and his cohorts, such as Tony Anenih, Ahmadu Ali, Bamanga Tukur and other fossils of our political system, are stubbornly bent on hijacking the opportunities that rightly belong to the today's people. People, who were called "leaders of tomorrow" 30, 40 years ago, are still in the queue, waiting for Obasanjo and his cohort of gerontocratic "sit-tighters" to shove along, but in vain.Obasanjo as elected president, wanted to remove the two-term limit in our Constitution to enable him do a Mugabe. We said no.Then, he delved into his political party, the ruling PDP, with a fallback option of installing himself as the Life Leader. If we would not allow him to rule us from Aso Villa, he might as well do it from his palatial mansion in Owu Abeokuta. Part of his elaborate scheme to achieve this ambition was to sponsor and plant his men, women and other loyalists in the ruling party, the states and the federal legislature.In the South West wing of the party, he planted people from wards to the zonal levels. Obasanjo, who prides himself as an Africanist, once abused the Great Zik of Africa for taking the title of Owelle of Onitsha. He had rudely grunted: "Mhm! From Zik of Africa to Owelle of Onitsha!" Years later, a man whom the late Sonny Okosun once eulogised as "African soldier" went and took the title of Balogun of Owu. One of his self-confessed godsons, Alhaji Kashamu Burruj, a stalwart of the PDP in Ogun State, recently lamented that Obasanjo has fallen from convening national meetings of the party to being a regular facilitator of ward meetings! Zik can relax in his grave.

Labaran Maku on ASUU

The Minister of information, Labaran Maku,  was reported on page 10 of The Punch September 5,2013  as saying that, Nigeria would be shut down if the Federal Government honours its pact with ASUU. Could it be that Maku could not differentiate between granting a request and implementing an agreement  already reached?  The minister needs to think deeper to  realise that high- profile corruption like the petroleum subsidy fraud, pension scam and lopsided budgeting are worse albatross on the survival of the Nigerian nation than giving to ASUU what rightly belongs to it. With the resources at its disposal, the Federal Government has been unable to protect lives and property.

Cornered Islamic Terrorists Fight To The Death

Boko Haram related violence in the north has left nearly 200 people dead in the last month. Over 1,700 have died in the last three years. The four month old army offensive in the north has driven Islamic terrorists from the cities and they are now being hunted in the countryside with the help of pro-government militias. Boko Haram quickly sensed that the local volunteers were a major threat as they were often young men who knew the area around their villages well and thus often knew where Boko Haram was hiding in the forests and bush. That, coupled with the aircraft and helicopters the military had meant the Boko Haram men have been forced to spend most of their time trying to stay hidden, or raiding rural towns and villages to kill the “vigilantes” (as some call the pro-government militias, who are often unarmed) to discourage this sort of cooperation with the army. That is working in some cases, but in others it just creates more anger. Boko Haram is really polarizing opinion up north, with most people wanting the Islamic terrorists gone, or just dead.Using the many documents seized during the early weeks of the offensive against Boko Haram the government has sent banks throughout the country a list of people and organizations believed to have opened bank accounts for the terrorist funds (mostly from robbery and extortion). When found, the accounts have been frozen. Nigerian, and American, intelligence are going over all the names found during these raids, looking for people with any prior terrorist connections. American assistance is largely limited to intelligence but that is proving very damaging to Boko Haram finances and communications. Boko Haram is not dead, but it is badly hurt and could still recover.President Johnson fired nine of his ministers because of a split in the ruling party and opposition to him running for another term in 2015. The outbreak of Boko Haram violence in the north and the documenting the extent of oil revenue loss ($6 billion a year, at least) from theft down south has caused a split in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There is a lot more enthusiasm about suppressing corruption now, especially  since decades of dictatorship ended in 1999. People are frustrated because there has been a lot of talk from politicians but not a lot of progress in curbing this bad behavior. In the last few years there has been a lot more exposure of the massive fraud and theft, largely fueled by half a century of oil revenue. Many Nigerians take comfort in that trend, but are also dismayed at how entrenched the corruption is and how resistant to change many prominent and powerful Nigerians are. Some of the new political parties are run by corrupt politicians while others are reformers and there seems no quick end to this struggle. The vice president and seven state governments formed the New PDP in late August. Unfortunately the New PDP seems more interested in power than in clean government. The corruption provides the cash that enables politicians to get elected (via bribes and intimidation in addition to advertising and hiring campaign workers). The more you can steal the more secure your hold on power is. Another big problem for corrupt politicians these days is the tendency of courts coming after them when they leave office (and lose their immunity from prosecution). It used to be possible to flee the country with your loot, but now many countries will arrest and extradite you back to Nigeria if a Nigerian court makes a convincing case against you.September 11, 2013: In the north (Borno state) the army found and destroyed two Boko Haram camps and then pursued the fleeing terrorists, calling in an air strike to halt the fleeing gunmen and allow troops to catch up with them. Some fifty Boko Haram members were killed in these operations.September 10, 2013: In the north (Borno state) Boko Haram has attacked twice in the last two days, killing 56 civilians in an effort to intimidate civilians and discourage the formation of defense (against Boko Haram) militias.September 8, 2013: In the north (Borno state) Boko Haram attacked a town that had formed an anti-Boko Haram militia, killing twelve of the militiamen. Five Islamic terrorists were killed as well.September 6, 2013: In the south (River state) police claimed major success against kidnapping gangs which have become a major problem. Police say the crime rate has been reduced because of operations against these specialized gangs. Of 16 kidnappings reported to police recently, police found and rescued nine of the victims, although another two were killed by their captors. The raids seized 38 guns, much other equipment and twenty stolen vehicles. Sixteen kidnappers have been killed and 63 others arrested.September 5, 2013: In the north (Borno state) Boko Haram attacked two towns in the last two days seeking out and killing twenty men suspected of belonging to pro-government militias.