PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012
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Concerned Northerners empanel strategic c’ttees on national issues By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
T
he Coalition of Concerned Northerners (CCN) has resolved to support calls for the restructuring of the federation in order to address the lopsidedness in the structure of the nation’s politics and economy. To this end, 11 committees comprising: Coordinating; Interfaith Dialogue and Intercommunity Harmony; Security; Education; Media; Economy; Policy Frameworks; Strategic Investments & Infrastructure; Agriculture; Water Resources &
Senate wants more High Court judges By Ali Alkali
T
he Senate yesterday unanimously called for the increase in the number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 100. After debating a bill which seeks an Act to amend the Federal High Court Act 2005 to make provision for the increase, the lawmakers agreed that the current number of high court judges in the country cannot cope with the overwhelming demands in their courts. Leading the debate, the sponsor of the bill, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu West), said since the Federal High Court (Amendment) Act 2005 which pegged the number High Court judges at 70, “Over time, this number of judges has become grossly inadequate in view of the extensive expansion of the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. With a very wide jurisdiction including government revenue and taxation, companies and allied matters, admiralty, intellectual property legislation, immigration and emigration, drugs and poisons, pre-election, constitutional and criminal matters, to mention but a few, the workload of the judges who are spread thinly across the divisions of the court is fast assuming unbearable proportions.” While agreeing with the general principle of the bill, some senators, however, expressed concern over pegging the number of the judges to 100.
Mineral Investments; Constitutional Amendments; Revenue & Fiscal Systems; Structure of Nigeria Federalism; Youth Strategy & Contacts; and Borno Dialogue were inaugurated to address the various challenges facing the north. Also, the group called on the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) to liaise with other stakeholders in the region such as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Union (NU), Jama’atul Nasirl Islam (JNI), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), women, youth and student bodies and other groups to join hands to tackle the identified threats confronting the region. They also highlighted the threats posed by the resurgent activities of Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), other Niger Delta militant groups, Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), in addition to the threats and recent calls by groups for a sovereign national conference.
L-R: Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i, Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Akinwunmi Adesina, and Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye
HRW: Boko Haram attacks on schools undermine education
By Etuka Sunday
T
he Human Right Watch (HRW) has condemned the various attacks on schools in Borno by the Boko Haram, saying it has undermined the right to education of children. A press release by HRW yesterday, stated that ‘since the beginning of 2012, suspected Boko Haram members have attacked, damaged, and, in a few cases, destroyed at least 12 schools in and around Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, temporarily leaving several thousands children
without access to education. The release also has it that around February 20, the first three schools–Kulagumma Primary School, Abbaganaram School, and Budum Primary School – were set on fire. Between February 26 and 29, at least four schools were burned, and on March 1, five schools were set ablaze in what appeared to be a coordinated attack, including Sunshine Stars Secondary School and Success Secondary School, which had an enrollment of 700. As a result of the attacks, 5,000 students are staying home from school.
Lamenting on the situation, the deputy children’s right director, Zama Coursen-Neff, said “Boko Haram’s attacks on schools represents a new and reprehensible development since the group began its campaign of violence in 2009,” and therefore appealed to the set that “Children and educational institutions should be left alone”. However, Boko Haram spokesman, Abul Qaqa, asserted that the attacks were in response to attacks against Quranic schools and the arrest of local clerics by members of the security forces
due to the believe that some Islamic teachers in the area are using their Quranic schools as recruitment and training grounds for new Boko Haram members. “We are attacking the public schools at night because we don’t want to kill innocent pupils”, he said. Meanwhile, Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at HRW said: “Besides taking measures to prevent violence, the authorities need to make every effort to keep the police and military from committing abuses and making matters worse”.
aPDP leadership: ACN accuses Jonathan of ‘one-man show’ By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
T
he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused President Goodluck Jonathan turning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into a ‘one man show’. In a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity
Secretary of ACN, Lai Mohamed, the party refuted the statement credited to President Jonathan, where he accused the leaders of opposition parties for turning their parties into one-man businesses, insisting that the President recently brushed aside his party’s constitution and single-handedly installed a governor of his choice
in his state, Bayelsa. According to ACN, ''Saying the PDP is the only truly democratic party and that other parties are one-man shows is a cruel irony, we see the comments attributed to the President, which we have waited for him to deny to no avail, as one of the many gaffes which have come to define the Jonathan
presidency, rather than a statement to be taken seriously.'' The party therefore advised the President to always show deep introspection in his public comments, saying he is not just presiding over any country, but one with the largest concentration of black people on earth, which bestows a lot of responsibility on him.
7 killed as gunmen attack police station, LG secretariat in Borno From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
U
nknown gunmen on Tuesday carried out multiple attacks at four different areas of Borno state, gunning down seven persons. The first attack occurred when gunmen raided Mafoni ward of Maiduguri, the capital city, killing three people. The attackers, four in number drove into the area in tricycles, around 5.30 pm, firing several
shots in the air, before heading to the shop of their victims where they shot them dead. The second attack, took place in Konduga town, headquarters of Konduga local government council of Borno state, when gunmen launched coordinated attack, which left three people dead. It was gathered that the incidents happened at 6.30pm when a team of three different gunmen firing assault rifles invaded the divisional police office in the area, the local government
secretariat and two churches. Among those killed were three policemen and a five-year-old boy, after being hit by stray bullets behind the divisional police office. Residents of the town told newsmen that shortly after the Magrib prayer the assailants stormed the local government secretariat and started shooting sporadically into the air which made people to scamper for safety. Sources in the town said gunshots rented the air from around 7pm till 10pm when the
gunmen unleashed mayhem in the town. When the attackers struck at the police station, three of the five policemen on duty were gunned down, while others fled. Parts of the station were razed down after the gunmen detonated explosives inside. While at the council’s secretariat, the invaders set fire to several offices. Over six vehicles and office of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) inside the
secretariat complex were also gutted by fire. At the EYN Church the residential residence of the pastor and the church auditorium were razed while at the Catholic the whole building was also razed. Spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Samuel Tizhe, who confirmed the incidents, however denied that three policemen affected in the attack were killed, saying “they only sustained injuries and are responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital”.