Pa,g~THR~E--.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiTiiiiiHiiiiliiiiSDiiiiiiiiA'Yiiiii·"i i i¥i i iOli i i·1iiiiiiiiii'Nii i Oi i i·i i i58ii i 8i i i4'i i iPi i iagii;;;e..3 T"vo-MINUTE BRIEFING
Friday, June 3, 2011
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NEWS
N628m Scam: House Clears Etteh of Corruption Barely three and a half years after she was forced out of power on allegations of corruption and abuse of public office, fanner Speaker of the House of Representatives, Han Patricia Olubunmi 'Etteh was yesterday given a clean bill of health and exonerated from any Wrong doing in tl", infamous residence renovation scandal tlJat rocked the lower chamber of the National Assembly in 2007.
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EDITORIAL
Reviving Igbo Language and Culture Worried Omt Igbo 'Ianguage is becoming endangered in schools, market places, public places and in homes, Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi recently estab- lished·schools for the teaching of Igbo language and inculcation of Igbo core values.
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LJGC
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POLmcs
Amosun's Mission to Re-build Ogun Shortly afler his inaugumtion last Sunday, Ogun State govemor, Senator Ibikunle AmoSon reeled out a list of progmmmes which his administration intends to implement within his four-year tenure in order to make life easier for the people of be state.
-L-R: Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck JonalhaJJ; and Clrainnan, Presidelltial Project Assessment Committee (PPAC), Arc. Ibrahim Bww, a"d other members of lhe committee a1 the presentation of the report of lhe committee to Ole presidellt oJ the Presidential Villa, Ahuja ... yesterday
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PHOlU: GOOwill Omoigui
UNIDO: World Is Entering Permanent Food Crisis he United Nation Industrial Development OrganiS<1tion (UNlD0) yesterday declared UJat the world is entering an era ·'o f permanent food crisis. 111e ·UNIDO Representative and Director, Regional Office in Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, said that O,e situation is likely to be accompanied by political unrest and will require mdical refonn of O,e international food system. KomJawa, who spoke during the qilarterly business luncheon of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCC)) tagged "Industrialisation in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities". stressed that according to a new study, the prices of staple crops, such as maize, could rise by 180 pet:eent by 2030. .He said the iinplication of such unprecedented price increase . is that the Nigeria's poorest people, who spend up to 80 percent oLtheir income on food, will be hit hardest. He noted that the study predicts that the avemge price of staple foods will more Olan double in the next.20 years. leading to an unprecedented reversat in human development. "Aocording to the National Bureau of Statistics· (NBS), Nigeria spends about N300 billion on food imports alone (food, beverages and processed combined)," he said. He pointed out O,.t Nigeria's aspiration for industrialisation cannot be achieved or poverty reduced significantly without a reliable source of cheap energy saying that the Gross National lncome per capita for Nigeria is US$I ,190 compared to US$32,330 for Austria. According to him , countries without reliable power supply per capita happen to be Ore poor• .est·countries in the world stating . that there is a correlation between poverty and energy access. "Thu s, an energy sector "evelopment policy must facilitate industrialisation and promOle use of energy for produc-
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By Crusoe Osagie tive pwposes, and not just shining electricity on the poverty," he said. Also speaking at the 'event, the President of LCC!, Otunba Ferni Deru, said the manufacturing sector is critieal to the growth and development of any economy saying that in Nigeria, the sector now contributes less than five percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GOP) as against 30 to 40 percent contributiOn in some other developing economies. He stated that the importance
of the manufacturing sector is underscored by the fact that it has high potentials to create job opportunities. improve technology acquisition and alleviate poverty, especially at the level of Small and Medium Industries (SMIs). He added that it also encourages the use of local mw materials. Deru said the sector is currenUy faced with a multitude of problems which he listed as the worsening power supply situation putting enormous pressure on the cost of production. He added that the costs of
WEEKENDFILE
Desolate... Tale of the First Church on Northern Soil Lying in a small town, Gbobe, at the other srde of Ole River Niger - just at the tip of the confluence, in Lokoja, Kogi State and almost lost in history is the first clmrch on nortllem Nigeria soil - The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), which foundation was laid by Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowtller in 1857. P 23
diesel and Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), which selVe as alternati ve sources of energy, have also become exorbitant. He pointed out that multiplicity of taxes and levies corning from aU levels of government have become a major burden for manufacturing enterprises. He said cost of funds which is currently in Ole runge of 20 percent to 25 percent is still too high for sustainable manufacturing enterprise. "The challenge now is how to move our industrial sector forward in the light of O,ese overwhehning problems ," he said.
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BUSINESS
Aviation Minister:'Jonathan Shortlists Three Professionals President Goodluck Jonathan may have heeded the call from aviation industry stakeholders to appoint a professional as the next aviation minister. 1bis is following speculations O,.t the President has selected three aviators for possible appointment of one of them as the next minister.
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N' Assembly Saved Nigeria's '.D~mocracy,Says Mark enate President: David Mark yesterday reviewed the activities oftJle 6th session of the National ,Assembly, which commenced ·on· June 5, 2007. saying orieoof its highpoints was the February 9, 2010 motion on 'Doctrine of Necessity' which saved the nation's democmcy and rescued the country from the brink of collapse. He said, while formally declaring OJe 6th session of O,e Senate closed yesterday, that the prolonged ill-health oflate President Umaru Musa Yar' Adua, which took him out of .the country for more than Ouee months WiO,out properly handing over the reins of power to his deputy. was a major test of O,e nation 's legislative competence. He, however, praised his colleagues for rising StODUy to the occasion, saying, "that singular action by this distinguished Red Chamber saved our dear country from imminent political crisis to the contentment and .applause of majority of Nigerians." 111e Senate President further said that the doctrine of necessity concept has not only enriched the nation's politicallei<.icon but also "rescued us from the brink," not-
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From KUlIle Akogltn ;"Ab,"a not judge our perlorrnance on the face of how we handled this lacuna alone but in other areas." He listed those "otber areas" to include the constitutional amendments and Electoral Act amendments. "The 601 Senate for the first time successfully amended the 1999 Constitution", Mark said, stressing U,.t "despite its very cumbersome processes, we did not do it just once but Utrice, with Ole confIdence and support of the generality of our people." He added that, "through comman understanding and our com. rnitment to the provision of the greatest good to the· greatest number of Nigerians, we have
been' able to aocomplish' what hitherto wasbrunded an impossible task". "By this action, Nigerians now apprec iate that the Constitution can be tailored to meet their dreams and aspirations through systematic review to make it responsive to the elligencies of democratic global best practices," he said. On the issue of Electoral Act .amendment, tbe Senate President said: "I am indeed happy to have been part of the 6th Senate which also successfully carried out the amendment of the E;lectorai Act (20'10)" , stressing that '''This amendment provided the water-shed for the conductoffree,fairandcredible elections. by the Independent National Electoral Commission (\NEC) this year." He expressed happiness O,e just concluded elections have not only satisfied the yearnings and aspirations of majority of Nigerians, but also widely commended by the international community. Mark also used the occasion to pay tribute to the duo of the late Senators Tawar Wada and Peto Dukku, both from Gombe State. ~~~the~. -
CITY STRINGS Our Expectations from Fashola, By Lagosians For many, Lagos is touted as tl,e land flowing with rnilk and honey, hence the massive flooding of people from all parts of the country and beyond into tile city on a daily basis. With its dense population of about 18 million inhabitants, amenities are bound to be stressed.
INTERNATIONAL
Syria: 15 Killed in Fresh Attack Syrian government troops have heavily bombarded Rastan. near Hams, in the centre of the country, killing at least is people, activists said. More than 50 people have been killed in ROstan since a military opera~ tion there started at the weekend.
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SPORTS
Batista Under Fire Argentine Football Association (AFA) president JUlio-Grondona has accused coach Sergio Batista of jeopardizing the reputation of the national side, foUowing the 4-1 mendly loss to Nigeria. The humbling defeat in ' Abuja on Wednesday arrived just a month before the start of the Copa America (July 1-24), which Argentina ~host.
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