14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2013
Boko Haram: Pay compensation to victims before amnesty — Ikedife
A
BY VINCENT UJUMADU
WKA —FORMER President of Oha naeze Ndigbo in Anambra State, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to consider compensating the families that lost their loved ones to the attacks of violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, and the carnage the group carried out before granting amnesty to the sect. Ikedife, who was the presidential liaison officer for Anambra State during the Second Republic, spoke at the inauguration of Anambra State chapter of Bilie Human Rights Initiative (BHRI) at Nnewi. According to Ikedife, if granting amnesty to the Boko Haram Islamist sect will bring From right: Dr. Uche Udeani, consultant; Yetunde Adesanya, trustee/keynote speaker; the three awardees; Dr. Sola Majekodunmi, founder of Adesola Solarin Majekodunmi Foundation, ASMAF; Dr. Oyewusi Ibidapo peace to Nigeria, it should be considered and Obe, chairman at the occasion; Dr. Modu Denloye, trustee and Prof. Soga Sofola, chairman BoT of ASMAF, at the people who claim to be Boko Haram group must be identified and the carnage they have the Foundation's third scholarship awards, in Lagos
ASUU moves against VC over senate members of governing council BY VINCENT UJUMADU
A
WKA — THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has threatened a showdown with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Boniface Egboka, over alleged violation of the directive of the visitor, President Goodluck Jonathan, on the appointment of Senate members into the Governing Council of the institution. Vanguard gathered the institution’s ASUU had, at its emergency meeting on April 9 resolved to boycott all Senate meetings until it was properly constituted according to law, those opposed to ASUU had continued to attend Senate meetings and elect internal members of the Governing Council. The institution’s chairman of ASUU, Prof. Ike Odimegwu, maintained that the composition of the university’s Senate has been a contentious issue.
Gov declares zero tolerance for kidnapping in Abia State BY ANAYO OKOLI
U
MUAHIA — ABIA State governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has restated the determination of his government to ensure that kidnappers never returned to Aba in particular and the state generally. In fact, the governor boasted that the state was fully prepared for armed robbers and kidnappers. The governor said it was because the government fought criminals, especially kidnappers, out of the state that roads and other developments were being witnessed in the state. Orji, who spoke yesterday in Aba during the commissioning of seven of the 16 roads he flagged-off in January, said if the kidnappers were still terrorising people in the state, the roads would
not have been done. Recalling the bad state of Aba, both in security and infrastructure before now, Orji said better days awaited Aba residents, but urged them to always pay their taxes to enable government do more. He announced that the state had introduced a single tax regime against the old system where all manner of people demanded for different taxes from residents, most of which ended in private pockets. “We have introduced single tax regime. We are not happy with double taxation. Pay your tax and leave the rest for me. My job is to give you conducive environment and ensure that you are comfortable. “First, we have to thank God who helped us to fight kidnappers. If they were still here, we would not have
5,000 Abia youths petition NASS over non-inclusion in amnesty programme BY ANAYO OKOLI
U
MUAHIA — NO few er than 5,000 repentant Abia youths have petitioned the National Assembly, complaining of non-extension of
amnesty to them after they had dropped their arms. The youths were those previously involved in criminal acts, including kidnapping, who voluntarily surrendered their arms in 2010 when the state government offered them
Commuters stranded as bus drivers, task force clash BY VINCENT UJUMADU
A
WKA — TRAVELLERS passing through Awka, Anambra State, had an ugly experience yesterday as members of the state task force on the registration and branding of commercial vehicles clashed at the popular Aroma junction in
done these roads and other things we are doing in Aba. “When I came here in 2010, Aba people, all fled. But today, everybody is back. We have flagged-off 16 roads and we have done 10 roads under two months. “I want Aba people to believe in government that tells you the truth, my yes is my yes and my no is my no. When we say we will do something, we will do it. I never told Aba people that I will do work on all Aba roads. I told you I will work on some roads. “Any politician who tells you that he will build all the roads in Aba is not sincere, because it is not possible. We are bringing new things in Aba. “This is a working government. I am not interested in praises, but I know that I'll be celebrated," Orji said.
carried out equally evaluated. His words: “If granting the Boko Haram group amnesty will bring peace to Nigeria, let us consider it. But whom do you grant amnesty to? You must identify the persons and then evaluate the carnage they have carried out. “Those people who lost their loved ones, husbands, wives, children must be compensated because they have lost souls for no reason or mistakes of their own except that they lived in the North. “In this country, the constitution allows free living and free enterprise in any part of the country. Is it then an offence that these victims lived in the North? Why should you go and annihilate them, destroy their property and businesses? So compensation should come before amnesty. “The second thing is to identify who they are. They appear to be faceless, but they must be some people, because the effect of their presence is visible everywhere. And then what are their objectives and what are they really fighting for?
the state capital over alleged non-compliance with the payment of the prescribed levies. One of the bus drivers had allegedly packed to pick a passenger when members of the task fore pounced on him and impounded his vehicle. Noticing what happened to their colleague, other driv-
ers blocked the expressway and for several hours, movement was virtually hampered. According to the drivers, members of the task force have been making things difficult for them. They added that they were forced to pay all kinds of levies while passing through Anambra State.
amnesty. Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, Chief Uzor Azubuike, disclosed this, Monday, in Umuahia when he led members of his committee on a courtesy call on Governor Theodore Orji shortly before they began to hear the youths' petitions. Azubuike said: “We are here because of petitions received
from over 5,000 Abia youths previously involved in criminal activities. They are complaining that they were not included in the Amnesty programme of the Federal Government. “If they are not listened to, it has the capacity to engulf the nation into crisis. There is danger of a backslide if the youths abandoned their criminal acts and nothing is done to resettle them.
Dangote plans 400,000 bpd oil refinery
A
FRICA’S richest man, Aliko Dangote, plans to invest up to $8 billion to build a Nigerian oil refinery with a capacity of around 400,000 barrels a day by late 2016, the
tycoon told Reuters on Tuesday. It would almost double Nigeria’s refining capacity currently 445,000 barrels per day among four refineries.