Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

The seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party have announced their decision to merge with the All Progressives Congress. The governors, at the meeting they had with the leadership of the APC in Abuja on Tuesday, said their decision was aimed at rescuing the country. A former Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, announced the decision after the meeting, which was held at Kano Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. Among the governors at the meeting were that of Rivers (Rotimi Amaechi), Kano(Rabiu Kwankwanso), Adamawa(Murtala Nyako), Kwara(Badulfatah Ahmed) and Niger(Dr. Babangida Aliyu). The governors of Jigawa and Sokoto states, Sule Lamido and Aliyu Wamakko respectively were absent. Baraje said the governors were part of the decision. Some leaders of the APC like its Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and a former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), were in attendance. ...

After a hectic six months of battling Islamic insurgents under a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, President Goodluck Jonathan came back to the National Assembly early in November 2013, to ask for a six-month extension to enable the armed forces complete the job. The Senate gave its express approval, even though a few of its members from the troubled zone grumbled. The House of Representatives was not so expeditious. It summoned the Service Chiefs on November 20, 2013 to explain in greater details before also granting the President’s request. The Service Chiefs made it clear that more military resources were needed to establish the level of stability in the areas before the emergency rule could be called off, warning that this might go on for a much longer period than expected. We are aware of the displeasure that citizens from those areas have expressed over the extension, particularly given the challenges it imposes on their economic and social activities. T...

Thabo Mbeki FORMER South African President, Thabo Mbeki’s contention that ordinary Nigerians deserve as much blame as the politicians for the leadership failure in the country provides a valid platform for the re-evaluation of citizens’ role in governance in Nigeria. According to the man who took over the mantle of leadership from the great Nelson Mandela, it is only the citizens themselves that can put a stop to bad leadership. We agree. Democracy’s efficacy and legitimacy are predicated on an informed citizenry; without active and knowledgeable citizens, democratic representation remains empty; without vigilant, informed citizens, there is no check on potential tyranny. Mbeki’s position quickly brings to mind the statement credited to a French historian and political thinker, Alexis de Tocqueville, that “in a democracy, the people get the government they deserve.” Given his background as an activist and freedom fighter, whose struggles helped to bring down the obnoxious aparth...

AON boss Worried by the unending crisis in the  aviation sector, President, Chartered Institute of  Aviation of Nigeria,  and Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria  Dr, Steve Mahonwu, says  air safety could only be ensured through improvement in  equipment and facilities at the airports . Mahonwu, who spoke at the 23rd convocation/ matriculation ceremony of the Institute Of Transport and Management Technology and official opening of International Training Centre of the institute, noted that aviation is a dynamic business and urged the country to imbibe the culture of training and retraining to promote aviation dynamics. He explained that the opening of the of the  institute’s International Training Centre  marks a new dimension in the  transport sector as technology was being enhanced through training and retraining, adding that  aviation safety is a continuous  phenomenon . The former  Transport and Aviation Minister,L...

A Niger State magistrate court sitting in Minna, the state capital, has sentenced one Isah Aliyu to five years imprisonment for intending to sell his 9-year-old child for N10m. The 30-year-old man attributed his action to poverty. The incident occurred on November 15 when the buyer, one Mallam Magaji, agreed to buy the child for N7 million. But the buyer promised to pay half of the money and balance at a later date. The father of the child was said to have refused because of his desperation to collect the N7 million at once. After the negotiation, the father agreed to the half payment but, instead of bringing the money, the buyer headed for the police station to report the deal. The police then followed Magaji to the meeting place and arrested Aliyu who was still waiting for the money so that he could hand over his son. Aliyu was charged to court under the clause prohibiting selling of child in the Niger State Child’s Right Act. Aliyu pleaded guilty and was summarily sentenced to ...

Alh. Lai Mohammed With the governorship election  in Anambra State declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and mixed reactions trailing the outcome, the interim National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, argues, in this interview, that the exercise remains irredeemably defective. Excerpts: The governorship election in Anambra State has come and gone… It has not gone. Okay it is still ongoing but while some are calling for outright cancellation of the election,   INEC has vowed to go ahead with a supplementary election. What  happens if it goes ahead with the supplementary poll? There are many options to be explored and such options will be discussed at the NEC meeting of the party. But what does INEC mean by supplementary election? The November 16 governorship election  in Anambra  State is irredeemably defective. We do not understand what INEC means by supplementary electi...

The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated the Committees on Petroleum resources (Upstream and Downstream), National Planning and Finance, to investigate relevant government agencies over dwindling oil revenue in Nigeria. The committees are expected to report back to the House within four weeks. This resolution followed a motion moved by Rep. Ben Nwankwo ( PDP-Anambra) which was unanimously adopted. Nwankwo said that the near total dependence on oil as the major source of revenue had almost reduced the country to a mono-product economy. “This reliance on oil has made Nigeria’s economy not only fragile but also extremely vulnerable and under constant threats from even the slightest developments in the world oil market,’’ he said. According to him, Nigeria’s crude oil market is under serious threat arising from the discovery of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing or franking. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that franking is a process of forcing water, chemicals and...