Nation
THE STATES
FCT
Three more political parties were Tuesday registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) bringing the number of parties to 57.
In a statement, INEC Director of Public Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umemegere said the commission approved the registration of the parties after having satisfied all the requirements specified in section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said the approval was given at the commission meeting Tuesday.
They include the National Transformation Party (NTP), Democratic Party for a Peoples Federation (DPPF) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
Benue
The Benue State House of Assembly has insisted that the Pesident, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, must appear before it to make firm commitments on the agreement he entered into with the Benue State Government, which he has allegedly breached by reducing the shares of the state at Benue Cement Company Plc (BCC).
Addressing reporters at the assembly complex Tuesday after Dangote failed to appear before the House for a second time over the share crisis between Dangote Group and Benue State, House of Assembly, Speaker, Terseer Tsumba, stated that the Assembly had given the business mogul the last opportunity to appear before the lawmakers on January 12, 2010.
He said the last two dates given to Dangote to appear before the house failed to yield any results as the business mogul only sent his representatives.
Tsumba said that Dangote Tuesday chose to send a deputy managing director of his group who was in company of some senior staff of the BCC Plc. He stressed that the House was not satisfied with the action of the BCC core investor; hence the decision to give him the last chance to appear before the Assembly.
Plateau
Mr Biran Dadi of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) was Tuesday sworn in as chairman of Lantang North Local Council, Plateau State.
His inauguration followed a judgement by the State’s Local Government Appeal Tribunal, which deemed him the lawful winner of the council polls earlier given to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC).
Swearing in Dadi Tuesday, the Governor Jonah Jang lauded the council chief for his diligent pursuit of his mandate through the courts.
Jang said the swearing-in was another demonstration of his administration’s resolve to live by the rule of law.
The Local Government Appeal Tribunal has so far upturned three council elections in favour of the opposition parties. The Action Congress (AC) has retrieved Lantang South and Bokkos councils from the PDP through the appeal.
Kaduna
Officials of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) Tuesday in Kaduna urged the presidency to relieve the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma of his appointment for allegedly undermining the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank Limited (NACRDB), as well as the nation’s peasant farmers. The NACRDB branch of NUBIFIE accused Ruma of gradually killing the bank because of his selfish interest with all sorts of uncivilised policies that are against the survival of the bank.”
The union in a statement jointly signed by NUBIFIE, NACRDB chairman, Ade Martins Odigie and the president at the association, Bala Waziri and made available to journalists in Kaduna, alleged that Ruma, whose ministry is not even part of the shareholders of the bank, had continued to undermine the financial institution in addition to running it like his personal estate. The unions further claimed that the alleged “selfish activities of the minister have brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerian farmers who relies solely on credit facilities from the agric bank.
Ekiti
Legal Luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and proprietor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has criticised universities operating from rented facilities saying such universities were set up for profit making. Speaking Tuesday at the inauguration of the governing council of ABUAD, Babalola said the need to make a difference in university education informed the setting up of his own university, adding that ABUAD has set the standard for future private universities in the country.
He maintained that many of those who got license to operate a university and are doing so from a rented apartment are after profit, saying this ought not to be the situation.
Babalola pointed out that many great universities all over the world were not established for profit making, adding that ABUAD is meant to operate like them, giving to the society quality university education.
Also, while playing host to the management at ABUAD, Ekiti State governor, Mr. Segun Oni, said the state government has spent N8 billion on the funding of state-owned tertiary institutions in the last two and half years.
He said the amount surpasses the N7.5 billion expended on the same tertiary institutions by previous administrations in the state during a period of 11 years.
Gombe
Accounting profession in the country may be on the verge of losing out in the global standard practice due to inflation and pervading political insensitivity to critical economic issues, the National President of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Mrs I.F. Gafar has said.
Gafar explained that the challenges in the practice of the profession, due to the unsavory external environment, has made data compatibility impossible because of poor handling of accounting historical records.
The ANAN boss, who made the assertion while delivering her address at the sixth session of the mandatory continuing professional development programme held recently, in Gombe, noted that the greatest challenge facing accountants in the country was the ability to improve reporting standard that would suit the pace of global development.
She therefore challenged the professional accountants to be alert and watchful as that would enable them to prepare for the unforeseen financial changes in the world economy in which the Nigerian economy was an integral part.
Gafar had therefore re-emphasised the need for continued training and retraining of accounts, as it was required by the profession in compliance with the international ethics and best practices of learning about new practice opportunities.
Plateau
The Plateau State budget performance in 2009 financial year was negatively affected by the November 2008 civil unrest in Jos, the state capital, fall in oil price and non reimbursing of the state of over N10 billion as its shares of excess foreign debt reductions handed over to Nassarawa state.
Governor Jonah Jang who lamented that all these adversely affected the state government projections, noted that the resources gulped by the management of the Jos mayhem would have been expended on the provisions of water and other social amenities.
According to him, it increased internal borrowing to cover the envisaged budget deficit, which impacted negatively on 2009 budget performance.
The state is to spend N74.8 billion in 2010, as against N78.4 billion in 2009, representing N4.5 billion decrease. Chief Jang, spoke while presenting 2010 Appropriation Bill to the state legislature recently.
According to him, the estimated Recurrent Revenue for 2010 is N33.5 billion as against N38.2 billion for 2009, while the Recurrent Expenditure gulped N25.8 billion in 2009 financial year.
Lagos
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice I. Akerele Tuesday freed 34 inmates of Ikoyi prison.
Akerele who ordered the release of the inmates during a visit to the prison said her action was pursuant to section 1 (II) of the criminal justice release from Custody Special Provision Act Cap 340, 2004 law of the Federation of Nigeria.
The freed inmates were those who had been in custody longer than the maximum period of imprisonment which they could have served if convicted of alleged offence.
She said the move was to decongest the prison and urged the beneficiaries to go and sin no more.
Ondo
The lingering agitation by the organised labour movement for better wages for workers in the nation’s public sector may end on a positive note early next year.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Adetokumbo Kayode (SAN), declared in Akure, Ondo State capital Tuesday that “a new wage regime that would put smiles on faces of Nigerians, would take off soon.”
According to the minister, who is on a three-day official visit to Ondo State, final arrangements are already being put in place by all the concerned stakeholders in the wage issue to prepare a workable and acceptable framework in the first month of the new year.
He disclosed that the Justice Alfa Belgore panel, which was set up by President Umaru Yar’Adua to streamline issues pertaining to agitation over the wage matter, has been approved by the Federal Government.
His words: “The issue of minimum wage is under process. The Federal Government approved the Justice Belgore Panel, which hasp Labour, employers and government as members. We have been divided into sub-committees and we have been working and it is for the committee to round off its assignment.
“I asked them to round off early next year so that we can move on. We want to change from minimum wage to living wage. We want to have a salary that can allow people to live purposeful life and take care of the vagaries of the effects of the global and national economies on our social lives.”
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.