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Four Igbinedion Varsity teachers die
Amosun: I didn’t charter plane at N26m NEWS
NEWS
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Page 57
•Allegation malicious, says official
•Vehicle plunges into Ovia River
www.thenationonlineng.net
TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH
VOL. 7, NO. 2241 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
N150.00
•President Jonathan (second left) and (from left) Vice President Namadi Sambo, Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu and former Chief Justice Alfa Belgore at the retreat...yesterday PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN
Constitution ‘ready in June’
No oil deal with Zambia, says Anyiam-Osigwe’s firm
From Onyedi Ojiabor and Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
P
RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday promised Nigerians a people-oriented constitution. He said the Presidency would “shortly’’ send the proposed bills on the amendment along with the report of the Justice Alfa Belgore Committee on Constitution Amendment to the National Assembly. Dr. Jonathan spoke at a session with labour leaders, ethnic nationality chiefs and civil society groups, as part of the government’s plan to amend the 1999 Constitution – a job which Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha said would be completed in June, next year. Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim spoke of the civil society, significant role Continued on page 8
T •Ihedioha
HE Anyiam-Osigwe family yesterday denied any commercial involvement in Zambia’s oil transaction with Nigeria beyond its role in securing an approval for a government-to-government crude sale. Their lawyer has written the Attorney-General of Zambia, demanding an “immediate re-
By Joseph Jibueze, Staff Reporter
traction” of a statement by the country’s Permanent Secretary, Mines, Energy and Water Development, Mr George Zulu, published in Times of Zambia and The Zambia Daily Mail. The letter, dated September 4, 2012, obtained by The Nation, is signed by the law firm of Ka-
besha and Co, Kabwe, Zambia. It reads: “We act for Mr George Anyiam-Osigwe who has instructed us to seek legal redress against the Zambian Government and/or Mr George Zulu, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water DeContinued on page 4
More attacks on GSM firms MTN, Airtel, Glo, Etisalat masts destroyed in Yobe, Kano Gunmen burn govt offices Tighter security for masts
G •NCC Executive Vice Chairman Eugene Juwah
UNMEN suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect have stepped up their attacks on telecommunications equipment. They attacked more masts in Damaturu, Potiskum – both in Yobe State – and Kano on Wednesday night and early yesterday. The Ministry of Religious Affairs, which houses the Hajj Commission in Damaturu, was burnt down overnight. But security agents moved fast to protect the facilities. The attacks on masts in Yobe towns of Damaturu and Potiskum ground
From Duku Joel, Damaturu and Kolade Adeyemi, Kano
telephone lines, except the MTN network, which was very erratic. In Kano, suspected gunmen attacked masts at Kwanar Ganduje in Sharada on Wednesday night. Police spokesman Magaji Majiya said the police received information on the attacks about 10:30pm. ”We mobilised our men to the scene and the inferno was promptly put out by men of the state Fire Service,” he said. The local government INEC office on
Potiskum Road and the Centre for Mass Literacy and Adult Education behind First Bank in Gwange were destroyed by the gunmen. Potiskum resident told The Nation on the telephone that about five masts including those of Airtel, Etisalat and Glo, were destroyed. Seven were destroyed in Damaturu. “From what I gathered, seven masts were burnt in Damaturu. There is one near my house on Potiskum Road. Their generator was burnt down by these boys,” the resident said. The Boko Haram sect claimed re-
sponsibility for the attacks’ last night, warning of more violence. The gunmen also burnt down the Yobe State Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday night. Hospital sources said that 16 people, including an official of the protocol department of the Yobe State Government, were killed in the attack. The official was said to be returning from work when he was caught up in the gunfire. “As at this morning, I counted about sixteen people that were brought to the Continued on page 4
•AGRIC P17 •SPORT P23 •SOCIETY P25 •BRAND P29 •POLITICS P43