Februa ry 20, 2011
SUNDAY TRUST
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Climatologist calls for creation of climate change institute Climatologist, Professor Temi Ologunorisa has urged the Federal Government to establish an institute to strengthen its climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Ologunorisa, Director, Institute of Climate Change and Environmental Issues, Osun State University, Osogbo made the request in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He said that such would assist in the collection of climate change data, analyses and development of adaptation mechanisms. "The country has yet to prepare a national programme that would identify priorities and needs to enhance climate change adaptive capacity. "It is not enough to just have a unit of the Ministry of Environment handling issues of climate change. What we need is a full fledged climate change institute;' he said. The climatologist urged the government at all levels not to pay lip service to climate change
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Aspirant petitions CPC By Abdulwasiu Hassan n aspirant for the Okene/ Ogori Magongo Federal Constituency in Kogi state, Ochiji Ahmed Tijjani, has petitioned the Congress for Progressive Change (CPCl over alleged evasion oflaid-down rules in screening of candidates for the CPC ticket in the constituency and what he called "the purported election". In a letter signed by the aspirant and his campaign director, Ibrahim Hassan, Tijani alleged that no election took place in the Okene/Ogori Magongo Federal Constituncy on the 9th of January, 2011 and that he would challenge "any cook" result in a
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court.
Tijani appealed to the leadership of theparty to address what he described as "this injustice and irregularities so that our great party which portrays justice, fairness and positive change will not be proved otherwise:' The letter claimed that the
other contestants for the CPC ticket in the constituency, Mr Omolori Ochiji Isah and Mrs. Salamat Salihu, were not qualified to contest for the primary election in the Hrst place. He described Omolori Ochiji Musa as"a card-carrying member of the PDP" adding that "This Omolori Ochlji Isah did not pay for the expression of interest form or nomination form as at 8th January, 2011 (Spm) that he was screened by the screening committee. This action negates and violates the epe party guidelines and constitution (page, section 1, 2d and 7). He (Omolori Ochiji Isah) was given form 001, 002,003 to r.n by the Deputy Chairman of CPC without following the due process." He also alleged that Mrs. Salamat Salihu did not pay for expression of interest form on the eve of the election. "Both Omolari Ochiji Isah and Mrs Salamat Salihu failed to present their tax clearance to the screening
committee and were screened."
continued the letter. In declaring that no primary election took place throughout the constituency on the supposed election date, the aspirant claimed "That neither the wards chairmen, Local Government Chairmen and non of any aspirant was given primary election guideline to know where, when and how the primary was to be conducted" It goes further: "There was no security personnel, the INEC Officers, Okene Local Government party Officers, Ogori Magongo Local Government officers and the ward officers at the party's designated Centers for the primary election in Okene/ Ogori Magongo constituency. Alleging that Mrs Salamat Salihu was wrongly given "form CPC/KG/002," the letter affirmed that "Ochiji Ahmed Tijani remain unopposed as none of the other two aspirants was able to meet up with party guidelines and constitution,"
Kogi MRDD members decamp to PDP By Sule Lazarus embers of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) in Kogi State have decamped enmasse to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the April 20Ll general elections. A ceremony to mark the formal defection of the party members to the PDP took place at the IkejeIgah, Olamaboro Local Government Area, country home of the gubernatorial aspirant of MRDD in 2007 elections, Col Suleiman Babanawa (rtd),last week. At the occasion, thousands of members of the MRDD declared their sup-
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port for the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kogi State, AJhaji Jubrin Isa Echocho. Speaking to our correspondent on why he decamped to the PDp, Babanawa said, "This is the most realistic thing to do in Kogi State today. In 2007 gubernatorial election, we keenly contested and made a strong impact But in 2011, we want to give support to Echocho because we believe he is the kind ofleader we need in Kogi today:'According to Babanawa, though he would not contest the 2011 elections, he was prepared to give all the necessary support to the PDP candidate to ensure that the party won the election.
In the controversial 2007 elections, the MRDD gubernatorial candidate came third, behind PDP's Governor Ibrahim Idris and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP's) candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu. In the forthcoming polls, there are several candidates in the battle for Lugard House, Lokoja. They include the PDP candidate Echocho, ANPP's Prince Audu, as the two front runners, while other parties like the Congress for Progressive Change, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the Fresh Party, among others have candidates who have massive supporters.
He listed such organisations to include: Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCFl, Adaptations Fund and Strategic Priority on Adaptations. "We urgently need to be committed to building structures which would enable us to access the international climate change funding assistance," Ologunorisa said. He explained that there was a poor understanding of adaptation and inadequate data for evidencebased analyses. He said that there were gaps in the climatic data and trends, baseline
natural
resources.
accurate data on drought and flooding, as well as socioeconomic conditions.
issues, but partner with climate
Ologunorisa said that the country lacked human and institutional capacities to deal with climate change and its effects on people and the environment. "Institutional and profeSSional competencies have yet to be fully developed for appropriate implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation
change funding international
measure in our communities;' he
organisations.
noted. (NAN)
US vetoes UN condemnation of Israeli settlement
T
he Obama administration wielded its first veto at the UN Security Council last Friday night in a move to swipe down a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory. The US stood alone among the 15 members of the Security Council in failing to condemn the resumption of settlement building that has caused a serious rift between the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority and derailed attempts to kick-start the peace process. The Palestinians have made clear that they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel suspends settlement building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The decision placed the US in a controversial position at a time
when it is already struggling to define its strategy in a tumultuous Middle East. The 14 member countries backing the Arab-drafted resolution included Britain and France.
The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said the decision to use the veto power - open to the Hve permanent members of the UN, of which the US is one - "should not be misunderstood to mean we support settlement activity~
She said Washington's view was that the Israeli settlements lacked legitimacy, but added: "Unfortunately, this draft resolution risks hardening the positions of both sides and could encourage the parties to stay out of negotiations." But the isolated stance of the Obama administration risked the appearance of weakness in its approach to the search for
Middle East peace and set it on a contradictory course to its
earlier tough language against the settlements. The Palestinian observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said the veto was unfortunate. "We fear ... that the message sent today may be one that only encourages further Israeli intransigence and impunity," he said. Washington's controversial move clearly riled other members of the Security Council. Britain, France and Germany put out a jOint statement in which they explained they had voted for the resolution ÂŤbecause our views
on settlements, including east Jerusalem, are clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace, and constitute a threat to a two-state solution. All settlement activity, including in east Jerusalem, should cease immediately." William Hague said he. understood
Israeli
concern
for security, but said that was precisely why Britain had backed the resolution. "We believe that Israel's security and the realisation of the Palestinians' right to statehood are not opposing goals. On the contrary, they are intimately intertwined objectives:' The US has used its veto 10 times since 2000, nine of which involved backing the Israeli side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
1I, tormerly known as ADEOYE-
ADESEYE OLABISI, now wish to be known as ADESEYE BISI. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note