14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2012
APGA calls for LG elections in Abia BY ANAYO OKOLI
U
MUAHIA—ABIA State chapter of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has called on the state government to set in motion the process of conducting local government elections, saying it was unconstitutional to run the councils through caretaker committees. Governor Theodore Orji had three months ago announced that the council elections would be conducted next month and urged both the ruling and opposition parties to prepare. However, a few weeks later, the state House of Assembly over ruled the governor’s position, saying the election would not hold next month because the state electoral body, ABSIEC, was not prepared due to lack of budget for the election. But rising from an emergency meeting in Umuahia weekend, APGA reminded the state of the need to have elected leaders at the local government level, and urged the government to hasten up and conduct elections at that level.
ACN chieftain urges Nigerians to pray for unity BY ONOZURE DANIA
L
AGOS—FORMER National ViceChairman South-West, of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Mr. Tajudeen Olusi, has urged Christians in the country to rededicate their lives to the virtues of Christ and pray for peace, unity and prosperity of Nigeria. Olusi said in an interview that if Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims alike, could imbibe the virtues of Christ, who remained calm and forgiving in the face of persecution, Nigeria will be a very good place to live. Olusi, while expressing optimism that the New Year will usher in peace and abundance for Nigerians, also appealed to Nigerians to rededicate their lives to the service of their fatherland by shunning corruption and wanton destruction of lives and property in the new year.
2015: We’re not against Jonathan —Yar’Adua associates BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
A
BUJA—ASSOCIATES of late President Umaru Musa Yar ’Adua, have distanced themselves from reports that they had regrouped and mapped out strategies to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from securing a second term ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and winning the 2015 presidential polls. A leading member of the group and former Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Senator Adamu Aliero, said in a statement yesterday that there was no iota of truth in the story, insisting that the group had not met in the last three years. “We did not meet in Abuja, Katsina or Kaduna as insinuated in the report. We have no reason to conspire or plot against President Goodluck Jonathan, who was Vice-President to the late President Yar ’Adua. Since Yar’Adua’s death, we have done our best to support the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, which went ahead to win a re-run poll in Kebbi State. “None of us has lived in trenches. We have no basis to go
back to political trenches. We are not guerilla or subterranean politicians. We are not involved in political conspiracy or insurgency. To confer this derogatory status on us is to assume that we are at war with the state or President Goodluck Jonathan. We have no cause to engage in any political conspiracy,” he said. According to the former Kebbi State governor, the group was
not under pressure from any quarters to stop President Jonathan, who was a loyal deputy to late President Yar’Adua. The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to a report alleging that some cabinet members and associates of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua have regrouped to
LAUNCHING: From left: Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Osten Olorunsola; Director General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Dr Joseph Odumodu, and Head, Consumer Protection, Lagos, Mrs. Ngozi Obidike, at the launch of Mobile Fuel Laboratory by SON.
SURE-P: FG to employ 3,000 youths, women, vulnerable persons in Enugu BY TONY EDIKE
E
NUGU—THE Federal Government has ordered the immediate employment of 3000 youths, women and vulnerable persons in Enugu State under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P. Under the programme, the participants will be engaged
under a scheme called Community Services, Women and Youth Employment, CSWYE, and paid a monthly stipend of N10,000 each. The CSWYE employees or participants will work in projects such as rehabilitation of hospitals and primary health centres, rehabilitation of schools and repairs of educational infrastructure, con-
struction of water supply projects, sanitation, brick moulding and other repairs of critical community projects. State Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Mr. Nnamdi Asomugha, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Enugu.
Jumia partners JP Morgan to boost e-commerce In a statement, weekend, the desired results first for our cusin Nigeria
L
AGOS—JUMIA, an online retail company, has entered into partnership with globally renowned financial institution, JP Morgan, to boost Electronic e-commerce in Nigeria. The company has also concluded plans to create an additional 100 jobs next year from its current 150 staff.
company said its decision to partner with JP Morgan, was to help it function at innovative peak, and overcome the challenges of infrastructure, communication including supply and logistics and expand into other markets beyond Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. “Through a consolidation with JP Morgan, we have begun to grow our business and yield
tomers and then, our organisation. “With products and brands from electronic, computing, mobile, fashion, games and consoles, etc, we have consolidated our business with various foreign partners, grown our staff strength from 15-150 in six months, with plans for an additional 100 jobs next year,” the statement said.
Yuletide: Ohazulike warns motorists against reckless driving mas celebrations. BY NNAMDI OJIEGO &
IKENNAASOMBA AGOS—WORRIED by the incessant road carnage, especially during festive periods, Eze Hyacinth Ohazulike, the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, has admonished travellers particularly Ndigbo, to drive with caution while travelling for Christ-
L
stop President Goodluck Jonathan from securing a second term ticket or winning the presidency in 2015. There was no any iota of truth in the story. It must have been a mere imagination of the reporter in question. All those mentioned in the report were shocked by the extent to which their integrity was impugned.”
In his goodwill message to Ndigbo, during the end-of-year celebration, Ohazulike stressed the need for travellers to always adhere to traffic rules to avoid unnecessary accidents leading to loss of lives and valuables. He said: “For all Ndigbo travelling home this yuletide, I urge them to avoid over-speeding
and reckless driving. This is the only way they can avoid unnecessary accidents and be alive for their families. “Ndigbo should also continue to maintain peace and order in Lagos State and the country in general, because we have been known to always be at the forefront of peace in the country.”
Elechi urges improved public procurement modalities
A
BAKALIKI—GOVER NOR Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State has called for improved public procurement modalities to ensure the durability of equipment and other facilities. Elechi made the call in Abakaliki, yesterday, while inspecting damage on some parts of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Abakaliki, complex, gutted by fire on Saturday night. The fire completely burnt the NTA studio, the Master Control Room and some equipment worth millions of naira. The governor expressed sympathy with the management and staff of the organisation over the incident and described it as tragic. He noted that although the real cause of the incident had not been ascertained, the presumed cause of faulty electrical wiring could have been avoided through proper procurement processes. The governor said: “We hope that relevant NTA authorities will carry out thorough investigation on the incident to avert a recurrence. “However, the state government is ready to assist the organisation.”