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VOL. 7, NO. 1948 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011
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THE BATTLE FOR BAYELSA
•PDP insists on primary •Sylva writes INEC again •North’s elders chide Jonathan •Yenagoa residents trek as •PAGES police flood town 3, 6 & 43
F
ORMER British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has predicted a bright future for Nigeria’s economy. According to him, if well developed, Nigeria’s economy will become one of the strongest in the next 30 to 40 years. But he gave a caveat: the
How Nigeria’s economy can grow, by Brown From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt
economy cannot grow without the development of power/electricity, road/transport, education and agriculture, among others.
Brown spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday in his keynote address at the Rivers State Investors’ Forum. The theme of the conference is: “Change That Works”.
The former British Prime Minister said: “For the world economy to move forward, there must be cooperation. We are at the turning point in world economy, which
will no longer be dominated by Europe and America. Nigeria has a bigger role to play, especially with oil and gas. Continued on page 4
•From left: Redeemed Christian Church of God General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the late President Musa Yar’Adua’s wife Hajia Turai, Minister of Education Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, frontline lawyer Mrs. Folake Solanke (SAN) and University of Ibadan (UI) Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole at the university’s 63rd Foundation Day ... yesterday. Pastor Adeboye, Mrs Yar’Adua and Mrs Solanke got awards. PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI
Subsidy: Lawmakers give Jonathan four conditions President intensifies lobby of Senators, Reps
S •Dr Jonathan
ENATORS and members of the House of Representatives have tabled four conditions before President Goodluck Jonathan to approve his request for fuel subsidy withdrawal. It was also learnt yesterday that the President planned to meet with the principal officers of the Senate again on why the National Assembly should reason with the government on the controversial issue.
From Yusuf Alli, Abuja
Barely 24 hours after the National Assembly kept Jonathan in suspense over the withdrawal of the subsidy, the Presidency began intense horsetrading to woo Senators and members of the House of Representatives. But most Senators and House members have asked their leaders to prevail on the President to meet four conditions.
The conditions are: •publication of the list of the beneficiaries of past fuel subsidy; •presentation of facts and figures on the true picture of the “subsidy”; •release of palliative measures Nigerians will enjoy, if the subsidy is removed and an Action Plan to make the measures work; and •concrete work plan on how to make all refineries function at optimal level. A source, who pleaded not to be
named, said: “We have presented these tall demands to our principal officers as conditions for the acceptance of the government’s plans to withdraw fuel subsidy. “We said they should take all these conditions to Jonathan and get satisfactory answers before we can back him. Our position cuts across all parties in the National Assembly. “We do not want a situation whereby Continued on page 4
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