THE NATION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2011
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NEWS Appeal Court upholds Yobe senator’s election From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos
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•House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha (right), greeting Rev. Father Joe Egbale (left) at the inauguration of an Information Technology (IT) centre at Mother Mary Colman Memorial Secondary School, Ogbor Nguru, Imo State…yesterday. With them are: Rev. Father Theo Nwalo and Rev. Sister Uche Anyanwu.
Ige’s killers must be punished, says Tinubu A S Nigeria marks the 10 th anniversary of the murder of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Chief Bola Ige, today, former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu urged the Federal Government not to rerst until the killers are brought to justice. Tinubu, who analysed the circumstances of Ige’s death, noted that it was futile to silence him. According to him, though Ige has been silenced, physically, his ideas and ideals would continue to endure. “Whoever thought killing Uncle Bola would bring an end to his ideas and ideals must have realised how fatally flawed they were,” Tinubu said. “But the federal authorities must not rest until they find and punish those behind that dastardly murder; no matter how high ranking they are in the
By Olamilekan Andu
society.” The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader said it is a shame Ige’s killers are still on the loose 10 years after the heinous crime, adding that this has cast a slur on Nigeria’s criminal justice system. He said: “The political system operated by the ruling government has failed to unmask the killers of the former attorneygeneral of the federation. For a country like Nigeria that mouths the rule of law not to be able to resolve Ige’s murder is regrettable. “Rather than take his death seriously and bring the killers to justice, the government is allowing them to walk the land freely and even contest elections.” Tinubu insisted that the search for Ige’s killers must
continue because other good nations spend decades to unravel similar high profile murders. On political developments 10 years after the assassination of the foremost politician, the ACN National Leader said: “Ige may have fallen by cowardly assassins’ bullets, but his progressive political ideas have proved the reigning ideas 10 years after his death.” He examined developments in the Southwest to buttress his claim, saying those who thought killing Ige would arrest progressives’ triumph in the region’s politics and progressive appeal nationwide had been proved wrong. Tinubu said: “When they struck our inimitable Uncle Bola exactly 10 years ago, they thought they had killed
his political persuasion with him. But after stealing the vote back in 2003 and even killing and maiming more of our people to maintain their steal in 2007 in Olusegun Obasanjo’s do-ordie electoral storming, the castles they built in the air have tragically unravelled,” he said. “Now, it is Uncle Bola that has the last laugh; for those evil forces of reaction, who thought they could thrive only after Ige had been cowardly but physically eliminated, have themselves been banished to political Siberia.” He noted that the former minister’s death was “tragic, not for Ige himself - even if he suffered physical elimination and those he left behind were traumatized but tragic for our country, which needed his erudition and winning ideas”. Then former governor urged the Nigerian political elite to contest on the basis of ideas and not on murderous thoughts.
HE Court of Appeal, sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, has upheld the election of Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The lawmaker is representing Yobe North in the National Assembly. It threw out the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Hassan Ayos Husseini, challenging the election of the senator. Delivering judgment, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi said: “The notice of appeal filed by the appellant on August 22 is hereby struck out.” The National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Lawan winner of the National Assembly election in the April 9 poll. Husseini challenged the result of the election, petitioning the election tribunal. He alleged that the election of Lawan was marred by malpractices. The PDP candidate urged INEC to declare the senator’s election invalid and organise a fresh poll. The appeal, according to the court, was against the judgment of the National and State House of Assembly Tribunal in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. The tribunal delivered its verdict on August 2 through Justices Pat Onajite Kuebola, Edu Eze and Muntari Yusha’u. Dissatisfied by the tribunal judgment, the petitioner proceeded to Jos to file his appeal on August 22.
Globacom awards N750m scholarship
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LOBACOM has launched a new tariff package targeted at Nigerian youths. It enhances subscribers’ access to voice and data services at low rates as well as offering scholarships to students. Globacom said the package, G-BAM Hi5ive, allows subscribers to call five special numbers at five kobo per second and enjoy free access to the popular social networking site, Facebook. Globacom’s Group Chief Operating Officer Mohammed Jameel said subscribers on the package also get free airtime and free night calls.
He noted that a major aspect of the programme, the G-BAM Scholar, empowers the student community in Nigeria by offering $5million (about N750million) scholarship for 1,000 students. Jameel said 250 students would be awarded $5,000 scholarship every quarter “to help aspiring students to fulfil their academic ambitions, pursue their dreams and passion, and take care of meritorious students and young people”. According to him, the GBAM Hi5ive is a youthcentred package designed with the lifestyle of Nigerian youths in mind.
INEC recruits 11,000 for Adamawa poll
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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has recruited 11,000 ad hoc workers to conduct the Adamawa State governorship election on January 14, next year. The INEC State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Malam Kassim Gaidam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola, the state capital, yesterday, that non-sensitive election materials were already in place.
Bayelsa governorship primary final, says PDP NEC •Continued from page 2 to dissolve some State Executive Committees before the expiration of their tenure. NEC affirms its commitment to provision of the party constitution on tenure of officials and urged officials concerned to disregard such rumours.” “NEC was briefed on progress of the PDP Constitution Review Committee, led by the National Legal Adviser. The committee is still working but has made substantial progress in fashioning a new constitution, which shall be in tune with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act. The review Committee shall present a comprehensive report in due course.” Alkali said NEC received from Sambo a report on the planned removal of fuel subsidy, which it endorsed, urging Nigerians to embrace the plan to avoid the collapse of the economy. Speaking during the NEC meeting, President Jonathan maintained that the proposed fuel subsidy removal is not intended to inflict pains on Nigerians but to avoid a serious crisis.
Sylva: Activists urge UK, US to intervene HE international comm-unity is to intervene in the political logjam in Bayelsa State. This followed a petition by five civil society groups, under the aegis of Coalition for Credible Elections in Bayelsa State, sent to the embassies of six countries considered to have “cordial relationships” with Nigeria. The petition dated December 13, 2011 was sent to the ambassadors or the high commissioners, of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Switzerland. Titled “An urgent call for international intervention in Bayelsa State”, the petition was signed by representatives of The Polaris Network, Ijaw Media Network, Niger Delta Democratic Initiative, Save Bayelsa Group and the Bayelsa Restoration Agenda. In it, the civil society groups highlighted what they called the “political tumult in Bayelsa State with its negative impact on the political development of the country, the possibility of descent into anarchy in the state, possible reversal of the political and social
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He said: “Now, the issue is deregulation and people will like to ask why the PDP government is inflicting pains on Nigerians. But, there is no way myself and the gover-
gains made in the state and the total implication for peace process in the Niger Delta”. They called on the international community to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to allow Governor Timipre Sylva contest the election in February. They claimed the political imbroglio in the state has “defied all local attempts” to resolve it. The groups said: “We ask that these governments should prevail on the Federal Government and President Goodluck Jonathan to obey electoral laws and respect democratic principles to enable Governor Timipre Sylva contest the election. “The impact of this intervention by the international community will prevent a breakdown of law and order that will heat up the polity anddisrupt the peace that took the collective efforts of leaders in the Niger Delta to build in the last two years. “We request that the international community should act timely to prevent a slide into anarchy,” the group stated.
nors - because we have discussed it over and over and we have agreed that it is the only way is to resolve the problems and relieve the pains on our people. Other-
wise this country will enter into serious crises.” “We are not taking the decision because we want to see Nigerians suffer, but we want to see a situation where more
Nigerians will be able to get jobs; the economic activities to be stimulated, so that people will have opportunity to survive with or without government.” The President went on: “On the budget, most of us know that our target is to refocus the economy because we believe that we cannot continue to depend on oil. If the experts are saying that the reserve of oil that we need will last for 35 years or about, then, we have to diversify, especially in the area of agriculture and manufacturing so that our children will not check out of the country.” On elections, he said: “There are also matters before the Tribunals which are plus and minus: we are winning some and losing some. There is the one of PDP versus PDP; like the one in Bayelsa State, even in my own senatorial district. I don’t even know how to interpret the judgment. The signals we are getting from Katsina State looks quite promising. By God’s grace, PDP will continue to have significant majority in both national and state assem-
blies.” Acting National Chairman Abubakar Kawu Baraje noted that the party is suffering from indiscipline and antiparty activities. He urged the NEC to re-constitute the National Disciplinary Committee. He also pointed out that there is gross abuse of the waiver being granted by the party. Many former national chairmen, members of the Board of Trustees and other members of NEC and state chairman attended the meeting. Among those present were Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Bayelsa’s Timipre Sylva, Kaduna Governor Patrick Yakowa, Katsina Governor Ibrahim Shema, Plateau Governor Jonah Jang, Sokoto Governor Aliyu Wamako, Niger Governor Babangida Aliyu, and Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido. Others include former Deputy National Chairman, Bode George, former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, former chairman Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, another exclaimer Solomon Lar.