lHEGUAIiDIAN,SundajJune S,20n
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tiO~any people believed that the governor's dull public image and poor public approval of his style and stint would tum the tide against his come back bid. But thanks to well-rooted political machinery and aggressive foot soldiers, the April 26 election produced a result that threw up mixed feelings among residents. Not many people expected the stalwan opposition from former haymakers of the ruling Peoples Democratic Parry, (PDP)whojoinedtheAlINigeria Peoples Parry, (ANPP) to produce a dismal outcome_ While many were taciturn, aides and political associates r::I'"
DfS'8andment of NYSC ADisserVice ib' Elechi Humours Aides, rth..saYSSdie'me's Coordinator . , ' l b ' D' 'I . De ays Ca Inet lSSO utlon ~ the nation's Constitution, Elechi, on Friday, announced the dissolution of his cabinet, of the governor engaged ina ' whichwasmadeupofl8comsubdued victory dance. missioners,sevenSpecialAdIt was perhaps against this visers and four Personal curious background that Assistants. Elechi promised not to disThe dissolution, which was solve hiS cabinet saying that announced at the end of a the commissioners and valedictory Executive Council sundry appointees should be Session in the State Executive left to savour the ecstasy of Council Chambers, Governelectoral conquest ment House, Abakaliki, by However, no sooner had the Chief press Secretary Dr. governor's feelings been Onyekachi Eni, indicated that made public than words the dissolution would take efbegan to make the rounds fect from Saturday, June 4, that he had, as early as Febru- 2011. ary, raised a list of possible apElechi reiterated his stand pOintees if he gets re-elected. during the signing of a multiBowing to the dictates of pliciry of biHs passed by the
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Expert Proposes Radical Refonn For Power Sector from Simaon Nwakaudu, Makurdi EORMER Managing Direc-
Ctor of Niger Paper Mills, Jebha, Dr james Abu, has called on the federal government to scrap the Ministry of Power and set up a task force on power generation directly responsible to the president, saying the move will solve the intractable electriciry challenges facing the nation. The suggestion comes as Power Holding Company of Nigeria IPHCN J groans under the weight of an N847,877,149.5S debt owed it by consumers in Umuahia, Abia State. AddreSSing a press conference in Makurdi on Wednesday, Dr Abu urged the Federal Government to ado pt a shon
coonIi.·nator of the National Youth ServIce Corps (NYSC) In !lgawa: State, Mr. Nurudeen Baba, has said calJs for disndlrig the N'lSC scheme will be a dISservice to some North,e rn statesthatrely heavUy On its scheme to beef up . ~anpower needs II). education, health and other areas. Baba, who spoke to The Guardian against the backdrop of Gills for the scheme to be scrapped following the murder of10 servjng corps members In post-election diSturbance§, S4ld that in ~ igawa 310 , ne NYSC contributes 80 per cent of teaChers. !'Ie, -d abolishing the schemewoulaamount to a.ggrayattng npowerproblems In Northernsrates, es~any.~coril, (ing to him,advantagt:S of the scheme I?utwelgb dfs<\dvantages; hence call for dISbandment IS IDIsplaced. !. : -John Akubo, Dtjise ,
NATIONAL and medium term approach towards resolving the electricity challenges of the nation. Abu, a former ex-officio member of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Parry, PDP, for eight years, said the crippling power crisis cannot be resolved through bureaucratic methods that have seen billions of naira go down the drain. uThe present situation where the Ministry of Power and a committee with the Vice PreSident and governors are coordinating powerprojects cannot solve the electricity challenges of the nation. "Instead, the country
would continue the rigmarole we have witnessed in the last u years. "President Jonathan should set up a task force, peopled by seasoned professionals, to drive the process of power generation in Nige. ria. "The nation no longer needs a Ministry of Power or committee of governors that cannot understand the technicalities of power generation and the requirements to help pull the nation out of the woods," he said. The senior lecturer at the department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Minna, called for investments in small units of power generation plants of 20 to 30
state House of Assembly into law that his new cabinet would Include about 60 per centofmembersoftheoutgoingcabinet He stressed that the idea is to ensure continuity and consolidation of some of the projects still going on in the State_ He promised thatafterl8 to 24 months into the new adI I' ministration, there would be a complete overhaul of the entire State Executive Council. He therefore urged the former members of the cabinet !THE need forTaraba State governor, DanbabaSun~, to to continue to see themselves r1 focUs resources towards ileveIopment of rural ateas, has as pan of machineries set up become a source of concern to fonner govern(JrShip, candifor the smooth running of the date of the Progressive People Alliance, BabaAdi. Adl who liield the PPA flag in 2001 election but later decampetl to the government f OP and swed as chalrmart In the ~mpaign organjs,!tion of Ithe re-elected governor, urged suont3.1 to Ilmltemph'!Sls on 3alingo. the state capital, by giving priority to rur.iI ~eas. Answenngquestions from reponers m Jalingo. at the\jleekend, e lam'ented that the capital and its environ attracted the ovembt'sattention during the last four years. "Ill my opinmegawatts at state and sena, on, Dahbaba ~oncentrated his ~ons in and atoun4 ]alingo, torial district levels. ' He said African nations, and the'reason is because, for a state capital, it was Jl,ot devel·oped. so,he focused on It, in ord~r to make it look liI<\e a state like South Africa and Botswana are generating ,capital. My advice to him now Is ~at he should go toe<!cb of the l6calgov('rnment ateas and develop them." high megawatts througfi ' , 1 -Charles Akpeji, I aijngo. coal-powered plants. According to him, Nigeria has quality surface coal deRe~dS posits in Benue, Enugu, Kogi rrHi; former commJssioner for Education, Sdence and Techand Nasarawa States, which nology in Kwata State,Alha"ji.BolajiA,bduUabi, has.I~uded should be exploited to im- various education reforms earned out m the statedunng the prove the nation's output. )ast four years, sayin~ i~ boosted ,numeric an~ Iiter~cy level of Abu suggested that the na- [primary school FUPUs ttl the state. Abdullahi, maId!)g a r'O" tion should construct more ,View of efforts 0 the ministry under him at the weekend m thermal plants across the nlorin said 33 per cent of pupils in primary four in public country, while hydropower schoo'is in the state could not reijd In 2007, as against only 10 plants should be built as a Iner cent at present Reacting to the tmpact of the Education , long-term solution. ltectorSupj1?rt Programme in Nigeria l ESSPIN), Abdullahi He kicked against con- :said the inItiative has put the nation's education on the path struction of nuclear power lof success. The ESSPIN is in Six states of the federation: Enugu, plants, saying the nation jigawa, Kadima, Kano, Kwara and Lagos States. lacks discipline to maintain _ '-Abiodun Fagbemi, Dorin, such facilities.
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Smalhscale Farmers In Behue Get Loan
IC'MAiLSCALE farmers, numberinglOo, from the tb)-ee SenaUtorial Olstricts of Benue State at the weekend received '. 'loans from the National Assodatlon of Nigerian 1taders ~NANfS). PreSenting the chequeS to the leaders of the Middlep elt srniIJ Scale FarmerS Network (MIBSSFANET), at Benue Ho,tels;Makurdi, NANIS president, Ken Ukaoha, said the . Itneasure became necessary to help increase the quantlty and quality of food available to Nigerians, since small-scale fannlers,according to him, contribute over 90 per cento( food :t onsumedin the na:tion. Hesaid NANTS was offenngthe loan Ito Benu¢ fanners to show that government can be assisted to ensure development and economic growth. Programmes Manager of the Benue State AgriCultural Develo!,,!'ent AuithoritY, Dr CU. Egbo, commended NANfS for making funds , vailable to farmers to Improve their fanning activities. -Simeon Nwakaudu, Makunli
More Nigerians Welcome FoI Act :
!'J1{E Nigena Network of NGOs (NNNGO) has;given kudos J
1 to President Jonathan for signing into law the' Freedom
!of InformationAct, expressing optimism that the move will
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President Goodluck Jonathan (right); Acting PDP National Chaiman. Haliru 8ello: Former BOT Chairman. Tony Anenih and Vice President. Hamadi Samba. al the opening of a two·day refreat for elected naUonal officials and governors of the PDP at the International Conference Centre, Abuja... Friday, PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA
By Kamal Tayo Oropo
A MIDST pomp, Lagos State £\Governor, Babatunde Fashola, inaugurated the state's seventh House of Assembly, with a charge to the legislators to promote laws that would fast track development . The inauguration followed unanimous re-election of the Speaker, Mr. Sabit Adeyemi lkuforiji, (Representing Ikeja Constituency I) and his Deputy, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, (representing Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency I) who were both administered the oath of office by the Clerk of the House, Olatunji Taiwo The event, which com-
Fashola Tasks State Assembly On Development, Ikuforiji Returns As Speaker LAGOS menced at about l1am yesterday at the inner chamber of the House, was held under tight security. It witnesseil the presence of state chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chief Henry Ajomale, the deputy governor, Mrs. AdejOke Ore lope -Adefulire, Fashola's wife, Abimbola, members of the dissolved State Executive Council, members of the diplomatic
corps, traditional leaders and ACN supporters. The governor, who addressed the 40 all ACN member Assembly, compriSing 18 new and 22 returning members, said it has all it takes to effiCiently perform the task of lawmaking and bring good governance to the people. lkuforiji stressed that the commitment of the House towards democratic ideals and the principle of separation of powers remains un-
shakeable. Commending the contribution of the last session, Fashola said the rich mix of new members would inject fresh perspectives to the state legislative outlook. He reminded the lawmakers that legislative work is a career, nurtured by experience and passion to serve the common and l?ublic good rather than a deSire to prosper Individual interest. He urged them to make laws that will improve the wellbeing of dtizens.
,ensure good governance and protection of,human rights. According to a release, Signed by NNGO s Legal AdVIser, Ayo Adebusoye, the group said although Nigerians have -Cought ,a lon~ battIe to enthrone transparency and ac,countability, it is gratifYing that the Act wUI henceforth require 'all institutions to proactively disclose baSIC Information about their structure and ]>rocesses and manLdates them to build the capacity of staff to effectively im,plement and comply with provisions of the Act." I He said: ·Civil society and the media must be vigilant to '('nsure compliance by goverDillent authorities. State gover.nors must also be pressurised to pass the Act in their re·spective states." , ' Also, the Head of Department, Mass Communication, at the Anambra State University Igbariam campus, Levi Chinaka Nwodu. has rlraised Jonattian for Signing the bill ihto .law, describing it as a step in·the rig!lt direction. , He told The Guardian in an interview over the.weekend' that the measure would advance democratic stability in the countryand make political office holders responsive to rhe plight o{ masses. He said clamour for a civll SOCiety cannot be achieved in a climate of Ignorance. ·Weate in a country where corruption have been so elevated, but since we now have unhindered access to information, based on the law, journalists will be empowered to' publish objective, public interest information t1iatWill help' rbring about a civil society. He warned perspns who may wish to .use the new law to threaten national security to desiSt. "1be bUlls not a -guatantee that a dtizen shouldhe lawless, andifis not cliecke<L j,?urnalists will aban~on investigatiVe journalism and ethical precepts," he s3.ld. . . - Chilli Iloamaeke
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