NEWS
Nigerian Tribune _ _ _ F,--r:.::iday, 8 April, 2011
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Oyo govt distributes N90m " cheques, 80 motorcycles to farmers By Seye Adeniyi
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ETERMINED to make Oyo State one of the food baskets of the country, the Oyo State government, on Thursday, distributed cheques worth N90 million to farmers in different parts of the state, to empower them and enhance their food production capacity. The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Mr Kunle Ishola, while addressing hundreds of farmers from different parts of the state that gathered inside the farmers' hall of the Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme (OYSADEP), Ibadan/ Ibarapa zonal headquarter, Moor Plantation, Apata,
Ibadan, before distributing the cheques to them, said the state government was determined to banish hunger and achieve'food security for the people of the state. According to him, the official inauguration and distribution of motorcycles to facilitators ' as well as cheques to farmers participating in the National Programme for Food Secu-
"We continue to support fully Professor Jega and other like-minded election officials in their efforts to achieve better elections, but we are also monitoring the political environment closely. "Democracy is important and we are prepared to take appropriate measures against those individuals
~t~O;~~~~~ .Osun PDP alleges plan to hack into INEe computer 1. ~~ess of Nigeria organisation, Mr Yanju cially designed 路for that pur-
(ACN) has alerted the Independent National Electoral Commission (!NEC) and serurity agencies to an alleged plot by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to disrupt the rescheduled National Assembly election tomorrow. In a statement released in Ibadan, on Tuesday, by the Director of Publicity of the ' Senator Ajirnobi campaign
in Ekiti, because this will allow for deployment of state goverment machinery to the two federal constituencies on Saturday. "Holding election in just two ou t of the six federal constituencies in the state would amount to a by-election and we all saw wha~ the government in Ekiti did during the Moba Lotal Government by-election. "Therefore, INEC should hold all the NASS elections in Ekiti the Same day, else we will be forced to believe that !NEC was carrying out the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) agenda.
Presidency keeps Jega under surveillance (Continued from page 4) The decisions taken after the meeting, the N~
~:c ~~~~ ~a~~ :..:,;~ Jonathan ~:~ l~i~e~~~n ~~!si~e~t re-affirmed con-
places such as Cote d ' Ivoire, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. "If Nigeria's current elections are not a significant improvement over the 2007 and if the current electionsdonotmeettheexpectations of a majority of voters, the Nigerian people will lose confidence in their leaders, their democratic institutions and the capacity of Nigeria to sustain a positive democratic trajectory. 'We believe Nigeria has an historic opportunity to
Oyo ACN alleges plan to disrupt NASS election Adegbite, the party said it pose. had been inundated with The alarm followed a rereports that stalwarts of the lease by the state chapter of PDP in the state had been the ACN, in which it acthreatening ACN members cused security agencies of that they would disrupt the seizing laptops belonging to election tomorrow, to forstall its ICf consultant. the massive tum out of votThe ACN said there was ers in areas identified as no law barring it from "destrongholds of the ACN. veloping softwares to moniThe campaign organi- tor elections." . sation also said creation of 路 Osun State chairman of more jobs for the citizens of the PDP, Sunday Ojo Willthe state was close to Senator iams, in a statement issued Ajirnobi's heart, which he on Thursday, urged security would irnplementifvoted for agencies to intensify efforts as governor of the state. at aborting the plans of the It said that rather than ACN, with the connivance sacking the existing civil sec- of the state Resident Elecvants, the administration toral Commission (REC), Dr would' employ additional Rufus Akeju, to compromise 20,000 youths, in order to re- the !NEC system and its duce the rate of unemploy- database. ment in the state. 'Group advises Jega According to the statement , "there is no iota of 'political group in Festac Town, Lagos truth that ACN government will sack anyone, whether State, Achievers Foteacher or civil servant, to rum, has advised the chairpay the N18,000 minimum man of the Independent wage. We have the resources National Election Cpmmistocaterfortheexistingwork-' sion (INEC), Professor' ers and the 20,000 to be ern- Attahiru Jega, to monitor the ployed." INEC officials and Resident On the allegation of at- Electoral Commissioners tempt by the PDP to cause (RECs)on the conduct of the chaos in the state, the party rescheduled National Asstated further that PDP stal- sembly election tomorrow. warts were also threatening According to a statement that they would change the signed by the public relavenue of polling units in tions officer of the, group, many parts of the state, ahead Kola Folorunso, "with the of the election tomorrow. shaky start of the ongoing Meanwhile, the Osun elections, the entire NigeriState chapter of the PDP has ans will hold Professor Jega raised the alarm over a plan responsible for its success by the ACN to hack into the or failure at the end of the - computer system of the day." INEe, using a software spe-
Again, !NEe postpones NASS election in 25 states'
(Continued from page 4) . materials to conduct the Meanwhile, the Peoples National AsSembly election Democratic Party (PDP) in throughout the state, it Ekiti State has protested should postpone them to . plan by the INEC to hold April 26." The state chairman of only the election into the House of Representatives in the party, Chief Bola OluEkiti South constituencies I Ojo, said the PDP did not and II tomorrow, saying believe that it was because that "If INEC does not have of materials that INEC shifted the polls, adding that "even in the South senatorial district, where !NEC on Golden opportunity for wants to hold House of Nigeria while exchanging Representatives ,election, views with stakeholders in materials were used last Abuja, said the Federal Gov- Saturday." . ernment was not solely reChief Olu-Ojo said "our sponsible for the S).Ia:ess of position is .t hat there should "these watershed elections." not be staggered elections
We'll sanction election cheats in Nigeria -us (Continued from page 4)
rity (NPFS), Root and Tu~ , . Expansion '- Programme (RTEP) and FADAMA III projects in the state we~e parts of the promises of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala to boost agricul tural development in every part of the state. The commissioner said the occasion marked another step and a demonstration of the commitment of the current administra- . tion in the state to partner with relevant stakeholders, in order to ensure food serurity.
fidence in the !NEC chairman, noting that he would have forwarded a new name to the National Assembly if he did not have confidence in him. However, indication that INEC is now leaving no stone unturned towards cleaning its house has started emerging, as it directed a probe of one of its commissioners (name withheld), who was suspected .of being the mole to some politicians. The suspicion against the commissioner allow the Nigeria people the sternmed from a text mesopportunity to elect their sage being circulated in local, state and national Abuja, detailing his alleged representatives in a climate unwholesome activities free of violence and intirni- which portrayed him as a dation. We hope thatoppor- mole. The text was sent also tuni ty will not be lost," he to some !NEC officials and added. . journalists. Meanwhile, US AmbasThe commissioner in sador to Nigeria, Terence question, who hails from McCulley, on Thursday, one of the northern states, said only Nigerians, by according to investigations, their vote and by their com- had raised the issue at a mitment to democracy, meeting of top officials could ensure that the elec- which was held at the!NEC tions are free, fair,and trans- headquarters the previous parent. day, wi.th,the claim .that he He said the US encour-- was bemg blackmailed. H~ reportedly told the aged all eligib~e Nigeri~,. .... to turn out agam and prove ,meeting.,that he could trace to the world how much t~e'attempt to blackmail they believed in the derno- him to a hange~-{)n who, he .. ddin th SaId, made futile attempts cratic process, a g at to extort money from him It was only through a sus- , for no just cause stressing tained commitment to de- that he resorted'to blackmocracy that free,.fair, cred- mail to get at him. ible and peaceful electio,n s It was learnt, however" could be promoted. that all the policemen and The envoy, who spoke men of the State Security
Services (SSS) in !NEC had been directed to probe the cated place of duty and commissioner, with a view embarked on illegal escort to unravelling the allega- . duty to Akure, Ondo State, where they were arrested. tions levelled against him. The defaulters claimed Meanwhile, the police has announced the restric- to be. on escort duty of un. tion' of movement from speCIfIed sum of money, 10.00 p.m on Friday, to 6.00 which they said belonged to a lawmaker. a~m on Saturday. Also, there will be restriction of people from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p .m on SaturTaiwo Adisa, Abuja day within the voting areas and centres. presidential ca.rnForce Public Relations paign council of Officer, Olusola Amore, President Goodluck who announced this on Jonathan, .on Thursday, deThursday, reminded Nigescribed the excuses given by rians that the restriction of movement during the elec- the presidential candidate tion would remain in force of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major,till the end of election. According to him, this General Muhammmadu restriction order was to en- Buhari (retd), for the cancelable law enforcement lation of the Lagos Metroline agents to monitor the activi- Project as scandalous and a ties of miscreants, thugs slap'on the face of the Lagos and other criminal ele- people. The campaign council, ments, who might intend to use the cover of darkness to in a statement by its media interrupt the smooth con- department, said it was duct of election. scandalous that Buhari had Those on essential du- suddenly found voice to ties and !NEC officials are defend the inexplicable erexempted from this restric- ror, more than 30 years af. tion order. ter he committed the crime. In another development, The council also said the Inspector-General of Buhari's excuses amounted Po.lice, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, to contempt for the people of on''Thursday, approved the dismissal of two policemen Lagos, who daily suffered who were found to have the traffic gridlock on the engaged in illegal election roads. "After almost 30 years of duty. The dismissed police- silence, Major-General men are No. 210711 !shaya Buhari has finally found his David and No. 430026 voice and provided a specious political excuse for his Yusuf Abdullahi The men were formerly disastrous cancellation of attached to 44PMF Force the Lagos metro line project. Headquarters, Abuja and 'While speaking with his without lawful excuse or political associates in Lagos, permission, left their all"" ,Buhari explained that the
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Lagos Metro Line: Jonathan's campaign tackles Buhari
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project was cancelled because his government did not want to take more loans or devalue the naira. "It is interesting that Buhari has found his voice now, when the presidential election .is days away, after shOwing contempt and disdain for the people of Lagos and, indeed, Nigerians, by refusing to provide any explanation for the numerous acts of wickedness and high-handedness of the military dictatorship he led. "Sadly though, MajorGeneral Buhari is all too economical with the facts. His spokesman, Mr Yinka Odurnakin, told Saturday Punch a few weeks ago that Buhari knew nothing about the cancellation and that it was the late Gbolahan Mudashiru who unilaterally cancelled the contract. But today, Buhari has categorically repudiated Mr Odumakin's poorly concocted lies, But was Buhari Iiirnself telling the whole truth? 'We wish to state, however, that Buhari is just trying to score cheap political points and is being cleverby-half when he said the project was terminated be-
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cause of financing issues. "Firstly, the project which was initiated by the administration of "Alhaji Lateef Jakande, was going on smoothly and on schedule before the coup-d' etat by General Buhari. The project would, no doubt, have been completed on time if not for General Buhari's coup and the transportation nightmare Lagosians face today would not have existed. "The visionary Jakande administration had concluded all the plans to finance the project, putting everything in place for 'its successful execution. The government had secured a $450 million loan at six per cent fixed interest rate for 25 years. As at the time the project was cancelled, the government had paid parts of the loan and, therefore, had no worry about financing the project," the statement read. The council said the cancellation of the Lagos metro line project by Buhari was shortSighted and immoral, adding that the people .of Lagos and, indeed, Nigeria would not be fooled by cheap political moves to win votes.