PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2013
PAGE 5
News
You are a serial blackmailer, ACN tells Maku From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos
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he Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) has described the Minister for Information, Labaran Maku, as a disoriented wayfarer and a serial blackmailer. The party explained that its
position was informed by the sour grape the Minister hauled on the Lagos state government as a result of refusal to be part of the of good governance tour. It said that Governor Fashola’s refusal to honour Maku’s “tour of folly” remains the reason why Maku made the “nonsensical”
statement that Governor Fashola is doing nothing when every other opinion thinks otherwise. In a statement in Lagos, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, the party said that it was ridiculous and senile for the Minister to demonstrate this low level of opinion about a globally
lauded government just because Lagos refused to entertain the kind of “banality” Maku and his ilk have employed to extort states in the name of good governance jamboree. “If Maku in his voluntary blindness saw only progress in the environmental sector in Lagos,
can he tell us even one sector his PDP Federal Government has made a mark in 14 years of waste l in Nigeria? “Can he show us what he has done in the Federal Ministry of Information for the period he has been Minister,” the statement said.
Kebbi Information Commissioner dies From Ahmed idris, Birnin Kebbi
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he Kebbi state Commissioner for Information, Sani Muhammad Kangiwa, has died. Reports said that he passed on, on Monday after a brief illness at the age of 54. Kebbi state Governor
and his deputy were among other prominent people and government functionaries who attended the internment of the deceased, in accordance with Muslim rites. Kangiwa who was at a time Secretary of the PDP in the state was appointed Commissioner four years ago.
Borno pays Niger Republic N124m for electricity From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
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orno state government has spent the sum of N124 million for generating 33KVA line electricity from the neighbouring Niger Republic for the communities of Malamfatori town in Abadam local government area of the state. The state Commissioner for Housing and Rural Electrification, Sugum Mai Mele, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the achievements of the ministry in the last two years. He said that government deemed it necessary to adopt the
measure in order to salvage the community from years of total power outage, noting that the communities are close to Niger Republic. According to him, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Nigerien Electricity Company and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) on behalf of the state government. The Commissioner said that over N4 billion was spent on the electrification of rural and urban communities across the state, to compliment the efforts of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Speaker denies collecting money to impeach Niger Gov
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iger State House of Assembly yesterday described as false insinuations that each of the 24 members was being induced with the sum of N70 million to impeach Governor Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu. Reacting to media reports on the plot by some highly placed individuals to infiltrate the Assembly, the Speaker, Adamu Usman, said the members could collect “poison money” from any quarters to commence impeachment proceedings against the Governor. According to him, “As far as we are concerned, we have not been approached individually or collectively to impeach the Governor or given money to move against the Governor.” Addressing newsmen shortly after an executive session of the House, Usman added that, “as Speaker, I am saying it loud and clear that there is nothing like that, we cannot collect poison money in order to soil our name. “The politics of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum or Northern Governor’s Forum does not concern us, we do not oversee them, we should not
be dragged into it.” The Speaker assured the people of the state that the Legislature and the Executive will continue to team up in order to collectively provide more dividends of democracy to the electorate. On the purported meeting held in Zone A Senatorial Zone by Former Minister of Information and member, PDP board of trustee, Professor Jerry Gana, Usman said no member of the Assembly was invited, especially those from the district. “As a major stakeholder from the Zone and the entire state, I was not approached in formal or informal about such plot.” According to him, those behind the imaginary plot are out to sow seed of discord between the legislative arm and the Executive because the Governor is living up to the expectation of the people of the state and the Assembly. “As far as the House is concerned the Governor is performing, MDAs have just submitted their quarterly budget implementation report and it shows very impressive figures, they are on course.”
President Goodluck Jonathan (middle); President Nhamajo Serifo of Guinea Bissau (left), and his wife, Mrs Isolina Nhamajo, during their visit to the State House, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye
Ezekwesili opposes Jonathan’s move to head NCP By Umar Muhammad Puma
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ormer Minister of Education and pioneer Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday called on the National Assembly to kick against the proposed amendment to the Public Procurement Act, which seeks to make the President, Chairman of the National Council on Procurement (NCP). Ezekwesili who gave the advice at a two-day interactive session organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement, said the world over, presidents and ministers have no business
…Says President, ministers have no business discussing contracts
awarding contracts. She alleged that there was a plan to amend the Public Procurement Act, to make way for the President as Chairman of the NCP but advised Jonathan not to allow himself to be misled. According to her, “I learnt that there is a move for an amendment of the legislation (PP Act) in order to give the chairmanship of the Council to the president. “Why would anybody do that? He should not allow anybody to do that to him. “To make the President the Chairman of the NCP is totally
not the most effective and most efficient thing to do in the arena of public policy. “There is absolutely no reason why the head of public procurement should be a politician. “He must be a professional who must go through recruitment process and competitively emerge.” Chairman of the House committee, Olajumoke OkoyaThomas, said the forum was aimed at making the MDA’s adhere to tenets of the Procurement Act, 2007 and domesticate it.
Fresh communal clash in Nasarawa, scores feared killed From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia
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n what may appear to be a spillover of skirmishes between Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Benue state, another deadly communal clash has erupted in Rukubi, Ekye Development Area of Nasarawa state. It allegedly involving Agatu tribesmen and Tiv farmers in the area, with scores feared killed yesterday. Our correspondent gathered
that the fight broke out between the two neighbours because of an allegation suggesting that the Agatus were harboring Fulani mercenaries to be employed in launching attacks on the Tivs along border communities between Benue and Nasarawa states. Though the number of casualties in the skirmishes could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, a source who spoke to Peoples Daily on phone,
disclosed that several houses were torched, with many people fleeing the area for safety. The source however could not say how many people lost their lives as a result of the clash. Efforts by our reporter to reach police authorities on the matter proved abortive as the command’s spokesman, Cornelius Ocholi, declined comment on the issue. He claimed to be outside the state on official assignment.