Pray for Nigeria!

Enugu State Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime urges Nigerians to spend more time in prayer for the progress, growth and unity of the nation.

Governor Chime pointed out that Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate, extolled the power of prayer and relied heavily on its efficacy in very difficult times during his life on earth.

In a Christmas message in Enugu, signed by his Special Adviser on Media, VinMartin Obiora Ilo, Chime who recalled our journey as a nation since independence, said that Nigeria needs God’s guidance more than ever in confronting many of the challenges facing our country today.

While assuring indigenes and visitors coming home for Christmas that they were returning to an Enugu State , where security of life and property was guaranteed and most of the infrastructure are working, he restated his preparedness to sustain the development efforts of the present administration and thanked them for their continued support and cooperation.

Enugu Governor, also, solicited for more prayers by all Nigerians for the quick recovery of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who he described as a God fearing leader, who has worked assiduously in his determination to move Nigeria forward and has also created the enabling environment for state Governments to function optimally.

While wishing all Nigerians a merry Christmas and God’s divine blessings in the New Year, Chime congratulated Nigeria on the golden celebrations of 50 years of her Independence as a nation state in 2010.

Seasonal Greetings To Nigerians!

Let me start by wishing Nigerians who are Moslems a belated Barkar De Salah. To those Nigerians who are pagans, may the almighty God bless you people this Christmas Season. To Nigerians of other faith(s) and religion, may God bless you people as well. To the Nigerian Christians, of which am one of them, I wish you all a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year (2010).  Please permit me to also pray for all Nigerians using Psalm 91 verse 11, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways”. May the good God continue to give his angels charge over our great country. (Pic shows our 'sickest' President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua) 
 
A lot of activities take place every Christmas period, especially the fact that people at home and abroad visit loved ones. This involves a lot of traveling either by road, sea or air. For those people that will be driving this period, please kindly drive with care and more importantly, avoid drink driving. The state of our road network should be a recipe for careful driving. I expect the Federal Road Safety Commission to do more work in enforcing road safety measures this Christmas period. There is need for the enforcement of road safety measures; this is in order to ensure compliance with the rules or deterrence from committing traffic offences.
 
For those traveling by the water ways, I urge total compliance with all safety measures. For our airline pilots, please be kind enough to observe all safety rules including observing the alcohol limit. Many airline pilots have violated the alcohol limits. In October 2008, a pilot working for United Airlines was arrested on a flight heading from Heathrow airport ( United Kingdom ) to San Francisco ( America ) for having over the limit alcohol level in his system. In May 2009, an American Airlines pilot bound from Heathrow to Chicago was arrested for failing a breathalyzer test. Alcohol can impair pilots’ abilities to operate an aircraft effectively. In the United Kingdom , the alcohol limit for pilots is the equivalent of a glass of beer. It is stricter in the United States of America .
 
Many airline operators in the developed countries maintain strict alcohol policies. United Airlines claims its alcohol policy is among the strictest in the airline industry. These and many more other safety measures should be replicated by the Nigerian airline operators and pilots. Safety should be the watch word especially now that a lot of people are traveling. Pilots should avoid being under pressure.
 
This season (Christmas) usually call for reflections on the year (2009) that is almost ended and resolution(s) for New Year (2010). For the New Year (2010) resolution(s), I will urge Nigerians to love one another. Let us love each other and above all, let us love our neighbor like our self. There is so much animosity and hatred in the land. We need to love one another, because love begets love, and love brings peace. Lets preach peace wherever there is misunderstanding. The nation and the people can only prosper in an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Same should apply to various communities/villages that are at war with each other.
 
I will also advocate togetherness among Nigerians. There are more to gain by being one big country. Nigeria is in no way near the population or the complexity of China and India , yet these countries have not broken up. United States of America is also a multi cultural country but still remains one country. I also know the case of former Yugoslavia and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Ironically, most former countries of Eastern Europe/USSR ( Poland , Czechs, Hungary , Romania , etc) and Yugoslavia have joined the European Union. The European Union is a typical example of what togetherness can bring. European Union is made up of twenty seven (27) countries, with headquarters in Brussels . Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is also an example of togetherness in the making. Late Kwame Nkrumah (former President of Ghana) propagated one Africa, whereas late Nnamdi Azikiwe (first Nigerian President) preached one Nigeria .
 
There are free movement of goods, services and personnel within the European Union. There is a common monetary union and the use of common currency (the euro). Many more countries like Turkey , Ukraine , Georgia , etc have applied to join the European Union, but politics and other strategic considerations are hindering the admissions of these aspiring nations. The European Union remains the main trading partner of all African countries including Nigeria . While advocating togetherness, I will not fail to point out that our togetherness should not be at the detriment of one group/tribe/region or the other. I will want to see justice, fair play, and equity in our togetherness. I had earlier called for the abolition of quota system and federal character. We cannot make a head way as a nation with those systems in place.
 
I want to see more synergy among Nigerians in business, researches, community services, etc. I believe two heads are better than one, and three should be better than two. I want to see more Nigerians cooperating to build massive business conglomerates so as to create employment opportunities for our brothers and sisters who are unemployed. It will be a good idea to have business mergers that will survive, than having a sole proprietor that will close business. Let us work together to offer community services to our people. There are a lot we can do for our people without the government. Synergy should also apply to our political parties. Let like minded and “true” political groups merge together to form a formidable opposition party. As it is, the opposition parties have not truly taken its position in Nigeria .
 
I will also propose the United Kingdom form of shadow cabinet for all third tier system of government in Nigeria , that is the local, state, and federal government. I will suggest that all opposition parties should form shadow cabinets in all the 774 local governments, 36 states and also at federal level. The idea will be to provide constructive criticism and provide alternative and better policy framework. Opposition parties/groups are an essential part of every democracy. Lets challenge and change those things that are hindering our development and progress as a people. Let us stop complaining and put efforts together to change our society. Every little effort counts. Let us also remember that its better for us to try and fail than fail to try.
 
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year (2010) to all Nigerians. May God bless Nigeria .
 
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
 
 

Nnamani' s Legacy of Fraud

Architect Nnaemeka Nnamani, outgoing Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, is accused of corrupt practices.

Less than a month to the expiration of his tenure, Architect Nnaermeka Nnamani, Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu state, is enmeshed in financial scandals. Nnamani is one of the five council chairmen who lost their second term bids in the forthcoming council polls in the state on the platform of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). (Picture shows Architect Nnaemeka Nnamani, outgoing Chairman of Nkanu West Council)

Nkanu West is the council area of origin of Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, former governor of the state, Chief Ken Nnamani, former Senate President, Chief Jim Nwobodo, former governor of old Anambra state, and Chief Onyemauche Nnamani, former Secretary to State Government (SSG) among others.

Architect Nnamani’s troubles began when he recently embarked on a controversial reallocation of stalls at the famous Agbani market (Eke Agbani), located in the headquarters of the council.

Apart from alleged ejection of the original traders in the market, and re-allocating same to, mostly, his favorites, Nnamani stands accused of embezzling the council’s funds to the tune of N77 million. The Architect-turned politician, it was alleged, collected the sum of N133, 000.00 per stall from each of the allottees, but issued a receipt of only N3, 300.00 to them.

Incidentally, the alleged fraud is a subject of a suit pending before an Agbani High Court. The suit, numbered: AGB/HAGB/13m/2009, has as plaintiffs, Chika Chukwu, Chukwuma Ani, Okpogu Nnaji, Emmanuel Mebuge, Nwanosike Okenwa, Comfort Onu, Oko Ogbodo, Roseline
Nkanu West Council and Chief Ude Okoh, Chairman, Agbani Power of Attorneys

The suit, brought in form of Motion on Notice, listed conditions which the council authority outlined for the stalls reallocation to include: N130, 000.00 for decked stores in respect of which only N3,000.00 receipt would be issued; N80,000.00 for undecked ones with similar conditions. The council, the suit pointed out, insisted on cash payment for the re-allocated stores.
While the decked stores are said to be 260 in number, the undecked ones are 140.

It is, therefore, the contention of the suit that the decked stores would, at the rate of N130, 000.00 per stall, fetch Architect Nnamani’s administration N33.8million. It is, also, estimated that the council would wreck in N11.2million from the undecked stores of N140 at the rate of N80, 000.00. The suit sums up receipts from both the decked and the undecked stores to be N45million, adding that, out this amount, Nnamani’s regime would declare only N1.2million for the local government treasury.

This is not all! The suit maintained that the 700 open stores in the market would attract for reallocation the sum of N50, 000.00 per store, and that N35million is the expected yield from the open stores. Nnamani’s administration, the suit adds, would, out of this sum, declare only N2.1million for the council.

Thus the traders’ suit summarizes: “The full financial implication is that the first defendant would have extracted from the community on full allocation, the sum of N80million out of which N3.3million would be declared for the government, thus leaving for the incumbent politicians of the first defendant N76,700,000.00”.

The suit, filed on behalf of the traders by their counsel, J.O. Emodi (Esq) of Dr. Z. Chukwuemeka Anyogu & Associates, Enugu, sought an interlocutory injunction restraining Nnamani’s council and others involved from re-allocating stores at the market pending its determination.
The suit, also, prays the court for a declaration that consistent with their stalls allocation letters and payments of their stallage fees, the defendants lack the capacity/vires, unilaterally or in concert with one another to void or reallocate their stores at the market. The reliefs include a declaration that consistent with the allocation letters, the plaintiffs are the bonafide allottees to their respective stores in the market.

It would be recalled that the suit was preceded by a pre-action notice which, the traders alleged, was snubbed by the council chairman who, alongside his political thugs, soldiers and policemen, invaded the market and broke into their shops. The traders lament that even when the incumbent Chairman, Architect Nnamani, did not, within his two years in office, improve the market in anyway, he still wanted to eject the traders and reallocate their stores to himself and his cronies.

Chukwu Chika, Coordinator, Eke Agbani Traders Association (alias Integrity Group), told THEWEEK that it was the administration of Barrister Jerry Ene in the council that started the transformation of Eke Agbani into a modern market. Ene’s tenure spanned from 1999 to 2001. Chukwu maintained that development in the market had stopped where Ene left it in 2001 when he left office.

“The market’s development was left where Hon. Barrister Jerry Ene left it over eight years ago. Till now, no succeeding council chairman, including Architect Nnaemeka Nnamani, was able to even put a block on top of another in the market”, Chukwu quipped.

Speaking in the same vein, a prominent indigene of the area, Chief David Onyeabo, said the sudden reallocation of stalls in the market seems politically motivated, warning that the exercise, if allowed to go on, would have plunged the traders into untold hardship.

Also speaking, Hon. Augustine Nnaji, a community leader, condemned Nnamani’s meddlesomeness in the market. Hon. Nnaji lamented that the market does not even have conveniences while most traders do their business under the scorching sun and rain, yet Architect Nnamani cared a hoot.

Said Nnaji, “Our position in Agbani is that stalls should not be reallocated until development of the the market is completed. For now, the market has not even reached 50 percent completion”.
It has to be noted that the allegations against Nnamani did not stop at stalls allocation fraud only. A petition earlier addressed to the local government’s councilors by Eke Agbani Market Women Association, accused the Nnamani’s administration of complicity in unduly levying the traders. These alleged illegal levies range from N1, 000.00 development levy, N600.00 annual rate for 2008, N500.00 burial levy, as well as N1, 200.00 and N600.00 for 2009 rent among others.
The petition, signed by Mrs. Okochi Sussan and Amushi Rose, Coordinator and Secretary respectively, urged the legislators to investigate the stalls allocation and the rampant cases of illegal levies in the market by Architect Nnamani’s leadership.

In response to the appeal by the women group, the council’s legislative council, on July 2 this year, passed a resolution urging the executive to suspend every action as regards the sale of stalls at the market pending outcome of investigation by the committee set up by the council’s legislature. The legislative council’s resolution was signed by Hon. Godwin Nwatu (Leader) and Mrs. Ani M.N, Clerk of the House.

THEWEEK was told that Nnamani’s administration snubbed both the traders’ appeals/litigation, as well as the resolution passed by his councilors, and went ahead with the ejection of the traders and reallocation of their stalls.

Thus on November 18, Nnamani, reportedly accompanied by Mike Onuh, Agbani Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and Sunday Nnamani, the council’s Supervisor for Finance, stormed the market with a retinue of political thugs, soldiers and police to break into the traders’ stalls. The traders claimed that the invaders, who welded all sorts of cutting instruments, went into the market, cut keys to the stalls, and destroyed and, in some cases, carted away goods belonging in the traders. Over 1000 stalls were reported to have been so looted!
As a result of the foregoing, the traders went on strike, and shut down the market. After their three days strike which ended on November 21, the restive traders poured out into the streets in protests against the reallocation of their stores by Nnamani’s council.
It was the intervention of Governor Sullivan Chime that, eventually, brought the situation to normalcy.

Following a petition sent to the Governor on behalf of the traders by Dr. Z. Chukwuemeka Anyogu, their counsel, dated November 19, 2009, the Governor sent a delegation, led by Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, former SSG, to intervene and quell the crisis. Chime’s government, also, announced the cancellation of all the allocations already made by Architect Nnamani’s administration. It was learnt that part of the instruction was that all the allottees should be reimbursed their monies.

Efforts to get Nnamani to react to the allegations were fruitless.

For now, it is peace of the grave yard until the exit of Architect Nnamani from the council.
END.

Professor of Controversies

Is Edwin Onyeneje, Rector of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), an academic professor or is he an impostor assuming what he is not?

Is Edwin Onyeneje, Rector of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, an academic Professor? Does Rector Onyeneje, also, hold a Doctoral degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka?

These posers have continued to punctuate the administration of Onyeneje since he got appointed Rector of the Institute by the government of Barrister Sullivan Chime last year, November. (Picture left shows Onyeneje)

Onyeneje has, particularly, since his assumption of office, taken up the designation of ‘Professor’. He claims to have secured his Professorship from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). His claimed core area of study is Social Psychology. Onyeneje, equally, claimed to have earned his Doctoral degree from the famous University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). In fact, he said he was the best Ph.D student of the university in the 2001/2002 academic year.
But Onyeneje’s traducers tag him a fake professor, saying he just assumed the designation, and began to prefix it to his name without duly earning it from any institution.

Onyeneje’s accusers, also, insist that he never taught in Enugu State University of Science and Technology, arguing that it is, therefore, incongruous for an academic to earn the title of a Professor in an institution he never taught.

Another point of controversy is Onyeneje’s suitability for the rectory of IMT. His critics keep on remonstrating that he is ill-qualified to have been appointed Rector of IMT. Apart from his being a mere administrative staff of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies, Emene near Enugu, the Rector is said not to be an academic lecturer in the first instance. What this means is that Onyeneje was not, in the main, a lecturer even in the Ecumenical Studies Institute from where he was appointed Rector.

Part of Onyeneje’s accusers’ contention regarding his lack of qualification for the position is that his academic discipline, Psychology, is not offered as a separate course of study in IMT. That is, there is no ‘Department of Psychology’ in the school. This situation, it is argued, runs foul of the rules guiding appointment of rectors and heads of similar institutions. Not a few of Onyeneje’s critics maintain that this situation disqualified him from holding the rectory position.

But the embattled Rector insists on his qualification for the rectory of IMT.

“You can go to Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). You can go to Institute of Ecumenical Education, Thinkers Corner, Emene, and make your inquiries. Meet the authority; they can give you their assessment report. That’s how those things are done. It is a document. They can give you their assessment report. In the university, you have to give your papers to external people. That’s just it.”

Interestingly, Onyeneje admitted that he really never lectured at ESUT, as to qualify him for a professorial appointment by the citadel-of-learning. He explained that he, as a matter of fact, was planning to transfer his service from UNN where, he hitherto lectured, to ESUT. He, therefore, sent his papers to the institution for assessment. It was at the end of the assessment that, according to him, ESUT made him a professor.

But Onyeneje quips that he is still qualified to head IMT whether he is a professor or not, contending that not all the past Rectors of the institution were Professors.

Onyeneje, also, battled to carpet the argument that his appointment is faulty because there is no Department for his course of study, Psychology, in the school, maintaining that some elements of Psychology is involved in every activity in the school, including management.

Onyeneje, equally, debunked the notion that he was a mere administrative worker in his former place of work, saying that, all his life, he had been teaching.

Retorted the Rector: “All my life, it has been teaching. From auxiliary in the secondary school, I went through the university, came out, taught at Institute of Ecumenical Studies, taught at Federal Polytechnic, Okoh, Anambra state when they were having their study center here in Enugu.” He added that he did not only teach at UNN, but headed its Psychology Department.

However, findings by THEWEEK showed that Onyeneje, prior to his appointment as Rector, did submit his papers to ESUT for assessment, but the university’s senate, then under the headship of .., threw out the papers on the grounds of non-qualification. The senate unanimously resolved that he would not be a candidate for assessment in the first place since he was never a lecturer in the institution.

While the controversy trailing Onyeneje’s professorship rages, the onus is on appropriate authorities launch an inquiry into the issue, with a view to deciphering the veracity of his academic claims or otherwise.

Culled from: THEWEEK

Third Term for Chukwumerije

The Senator representing Abia North District, Comrade Uche Chukwumerije, receives a third term endorsement from his constituents.

The Isuochi, Umunneochi council area country home of Comrade Uche Chukwumerije, Senator representing Abia North District, has lately been a beehive. Chukwumerije’s constituents want him back to the senate as their representative in the next general election.

Abia North senatorial zone comprises Arochukwu, Bende, Isuikwuato, Ohafia and Umunneochi Local Government Areas respectively. Although the cerebral law maker is currently serving his second term, his Umunneochi kinsmen and, indeed, the generality of his constituents across the senatorial district have continued to mount pressures on him not to back out of the senate in 2011.

Recently, stake-holders of Umunneochi council area paid a solidarity visit to the senator in his Abuja residence, urging him to continue with the superlative representation he has been giving the people of Abia North zone at the floor of the Nigerian senate.

Apart from the membership of the Progressive People Alliance (PPA), the stake-holders, led by Comrade Oliver Egeonu, the council’s chairman, included chieftains of other political parties from the senatorial district such as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress (AC) and All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) among others.

Interestingly, Chukwumerije’s constituents had to deploy subtle threats to get him to accept their proposal.

“Senator, it is the resolution of the people of Umunneochi Local Government Area that you should return to the senate. We are not begging you. If you refuse to return, we shall be left with no other option than to ostracize you from our zone”, the people warned the outspoken and fearless senator.

Although this rather weird threat was greeted by a prolonged laughter and thunderous ovation from the delegation, the import of the occasion was not, in the least, lost on the ‘Comrade’ Senator who, according to his people, has made countless contributions towards the development of Abia North in particular, and the Nigerian nation in general.

Prince Uchenna Ezekwesiri, Leader of Umunneochi legislative council, and one of the leaders of the delegation, explained that the stake-holders had to insist on Chukwumerije’s continued representation because, according to him, Abia North, at the moment, does not have his replacement.

Stated Hon. Ezekwesiri: “Chukwumerije is a political Iroko tree, not only in Nigeria but in the African continent, and we are simply lucky to have him as our son. Comrade has no rival in the entire senate in terms of qualitatively representing his people. That is why we want him back”.

The achievements of Senator Chukwumerije include the provision of social amenities to his constituents. In the course of his senatorial assignments, he has embarked on water and electricity schemes across the senatorial district. Particular mention is made of the Amuda water scheme and the Umunneochi electricity scheme.

Under the intervention of Senator Chukwumerije, the Mmam Dam (located in Mballa-Isuochi) and linking Isuochi people with their Enugu state neighbors, is in progress. Apart from distributing electric transformers across the wards of the senatorial district, and, particularly, ensuring the award of contract for the reconstruction of the long neglected Mballa road, the senator has, also, embarked on poverty alleviation (through skill acquisition) and scholarship schemes across the senatorial zone.

It is on record that Chukwumerije was the only Nigerian senator to have successfully embarked on a comprehensive tour of the local governments in his constituency, tutoring the constituents on the need to support the on on-going review of the Nigerian constitution. And he is, similarly, in the reckoning of his constituents for organizing the first ever Umunneochi Cultural Day, a forum for showcasing the cultural lives and values of the people.

Commenting on the giant strides of Chukwumerije, Chief Obi Aham, Chairman, Abia state chapter of the Action Congress, said: “My party supports Senator Chukwumerije because, unlike some other politicians, he is a humane person. And he is always willing and eager to come to the rescue of the less-privileged and oppressed”.

Amidst these accolades on a worthy ambassador of his people, Chukwumerije’s return to the senate is, for now, a question which answers lies in the womb of time. Will he hearken to his people’s pleas? Or will he back out?

Mass Deaths on Nigerian Roads

Ever since I wrote my article on: Alcohol and Road Accidents in Nigeria, published on my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com) and other national and international media outlets, many road accidents have occurred.

Thisday newspaper of 10th October 2009 online version, reported that about 70 people were killed in a multiple road accident that occurred at Umunya junction in Oyi local government area of Anambra State. The bigger picture came when Thisday newspaper of 24th October 2009 online version, reported the total number of road accidents in Nigeria as obtained from the Federal Road Safety Commission (F.R.S.C.).

Quoting Thisday newspaper (online version) of 24th October 2009, “The number of reported cases of road accidents on the country's highways has reached 8,553 between January and first week of October. According to a road traffic situation update obtained by THISDAY from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abuja, about 4,120 persons lost their lives while 20,975 other were seriously injured in the fatal accidents that involved 11,031 vehicles across the nations”.

By any standard or measurements, these figures are too high. I am not sure that our country can sustain this number of deaths occasioned by road accidents. Therefore, this is a drastic situation that needs drastic action. Nigerians, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigeria Police, private and commercial transport companies, and all road users have a role to play to minimize road accidents. But the Federal Road Safety Commission has more roles to play.

As a suggestion and armed with figures above on death caused by road accidents, the Federal Road Safety Commission should push for legislation that will set up approved speed limits in urban roads, rural road, and high ways/express ways. The same legislation should outline stiff penalties on offenders and authorize the Federal Road Safety Commission to use speed cameras and other means to catch offenders.

Then the next stage should be enforcement. As a starting point, the Federal Road Safety Commission should introduce the use of mobile speed cameras.

There are many types of mobile speed cameras that could be fixed on the road safety vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Commission should combine this process with massive awareness campaign on the introduction of these devices. They can mount these cameras on both unmarked vehicles and marked vehicles. This is a highly effective method to control speeding by motorists. Speed camera was originally invented by Maurice Gatsonides in the 1950,s as a technology for automatic speed measurement of vehicles. This was hijacked for speed control purposes by the authorities in Netherlands.

The mobile speed cameras are portable, such that it could be moved from one point to another. It can be hidden behind a parked vehicle or inside a vehicle. Other types of mobile speed cameras can also be carried by hand. All that the road safety officers need to do is to mount this camera and station their officers few meters away to stop any one caught over speeding. This is not rocket science. It is a very simple technology used by all developed and developing countries. Nigerians should ask for these devices to enforce speed limits. Accidents can kill and devastate people. I understand that speeding alone is not the only cause of road accidents in Nigeria . But if we can enforce speed limits and apply the recommendations on my article on; Alcohol And Road Accidents In Nigeria then we might see some reductions on road mishaps.

It is very much in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians that speeding is controlled on all roads. The whole idea will be to reduce to the lowest minimum, the rates of road accidents. Private and commercial transporters should enforce speed limits. I remember traveling on ABC Transport and on stopping at Benin , we were giving questionnaires to answer if the driver was speeding and how he drove. This practice should be sustained. Let other transporters device a means of enforcing speed limits on their drivers. Firstly, let passengers know that there is a speed limit applicable. This might help reduce pressure from passengers asking drivers to go faster.

Next advice to the Federal Road Safety Commission should be to ask all driving instructors in Nigeria to register with them. Refresher courses and leaflets should be handed to them. Fitness test should be carried out on them. The Federal Road Safety Commission should produce an updated driving code which every driving instructor should buy. All vehicles for driving schools should be examined and certified by road safety officials. All driving schools should be registered and recognized by the road safety commission. All new drivers should undergo health checks, theory test, and practical test before being allowed to drive. As a way to avoid manipulation, I suggest that the theory test should be online so that the road safety officials will not have a control over it. The practical test should be examined by road safety officials to be randomly selected through balloting. A candidate should be expected to pass all three tests (health checks, theory and practical tests). All parts of the driving test should carry equal marks.

I know that the Federal Road Safety Commission has enough personnel to undertake the above tasks. Otherwise they can call for volunteers whom they should be able to give references as having acquired a working experience from them. Alternatively, the road safety commission can contract out some of these responsibilities to reputable Nigerian companies. I suggest a change of our driving license to a bio-metric system, whereby people should give their finger prints and complete details. The same methods that, the immigration is using to issue the new international passport. The Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other law enforcement agencies can share date base together.

The idea of bio-metric driving license is to avoid obtaining driving licenses by proxy. It will make it easier to track road traffic offenders. It will also help to fight other types of crime. This takes me to another article that I wrote; Reforming Police and Policing Reforms, in that article, I argued for the police to start taking finger prints of suspects. I wish to quote a part of the article here; “DNA fingerprinting will be a valuable tool in the fight against crimes in Nigeria . It will help in investigating cases. Similar technology has been deployed before by the Nigerian government during the registration of ID card scheme. The current e-passport system in Nigeria takes our finger prints. So what the government needs to do is to transfer the national database to the police or the police can share this data base with all relevant government departments. So as soon as a suspect is caught, the DNA fingerprinting should be taken and stored or checked with the ones already in the system”.

Let’s remember that DNA samples are very useful to identify the culprits and the guilty. It also helps to exonerate the innocent. The road safety commission should not forget to come up with vehicle carbon emission level in Nigeria . They (FRSC) should turn the above information with others into decisions. With will, determination, and vision, the road safety commission can accomplish this project. We should remember that no society or country will develop without making efforts. If we don’t do anything, we have to accept what happens. But if we act, we have a chance to improve things.

Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria .

Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/

Zinox Docked for Duping Enugu Govt

The Enugu State government has commenced court action against Zinox Technologies Ltd, owned by the businessman, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, over the failed city wi-fi wireless internet service for the capital city, for which the company was paid over N200 million.

Briefing Government House correspondents on the development, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Martin Ilo, accused the company of a shoddy job, saying it did not deliver what it promised.

The SSG said that instead of the cloud internet coverage of four kilometers radius of the city centre involving the installation of many base stations as specified in the contract agreement, what the company implemented was merely hot spots which work only around the few available base stations.

"There are two major issues. First, the range of the base stations is too short and very susceptible to obstacles, such that even where the mast exists, it works only within a limited range, best outside", he explained.

The government scribe also said that the internet service is not uniformly available, a situation that has security implications as many youths now cluster around the few functioning masts with their laptops, causing anxiety in some peaceful neighbourhoods.

"The venture has clearly failed, and that being the situation, we must have the money paid back into the state treasury. We can't tell our people, the people of Enugu State that we expended such an amount of their money on a failed project, and are keeping quiet about it. We are not known for that", he said.

The Mayor of Corruption

Comrade Uche Oliver Egeonu, Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, faces charges of large-scale fraud and non-performance in the running of the council.

Less than three months to the expiration of his tenure, the Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia state, Comrade Uche Oliver Egeonu, is in the eye of the storm.

Egeonu stands accused of refusal to pay the council’s legislators their allowances, a situation that has been generating ripples across the local government area and beyond.

The allowances owed to the councilors, numbering 19, include furniture (N1.1 million), transport (N1.3 million) and accommodation N1.1 million.

Among the law makers are Prince Eze (Mbato), Ekemezie Nwoke (Amuda), Benson Achugbu (Umuaku 2), Ken Ifoh (Umuobasi), Linus Udeh (Mballa/Achara Ward), Valentine Nwankwo (Ubahu/Akawa), Emeka Nwankwo (Lekwesi), Anozie Christian (Umuaku 1), Emmanuel Maduka (Lokpaukwu), Ndidi Eke mere (Obinolu/ Lomara).

Others include Emeka Okafor ((Leru), Tobias Egeonu (Umudim/Ughuolugho), Augustine Ogujiofor ((Eziama Agbo), Cosmas Ezuo (Obinolu Uhude), Chidi Dike (Amuba/Umuogbuele), Osita Eze (Eziama Ugwu) and Daniel Okereke (Aro Ikpa).

Worse-still, the councilors lament that they go home virtually empty-handed every month following massive interest deductions from their salaries by the First Bank Plc, Nkwoagu-Isuochi Branch with which Egeonu had struck a deal to procure them Toyota Camry 98/99 model as part of their entitlements.

The interest deductions bring the total sum the vehicle was sold to the councilors to N2.3million. But it was learnt that that model of Toyota Camry is sold for N1.5 million in the market. Part of the accusations of the law makers is that the duo of First Bank and Egeonu lured them into buying the vehicles on the agreement that the council would, ultimately, foot the bill, as transportation is part of the statutory allowances accrued to them.

Perhaps, more disturbing to the legislators is that, if at the end of their tenure next January, the transport allowance is not paid to them, they stand the risk of losing both the vehicle and the allowance as a result of default in paying up the bank loans.

In addition, Egeonu, the Chairman, is accused of running the council to the exclusion of its legislative arm, a development which has culminated in a cold-war between him and the restive law makers.

The worst hit in Egeonu’s alleged misrule is the office of Leader of the council. THEWEEK learnt that Hon. Uchenna Ezekwesiri, Umunneochi Council Leader, is the only council Leader in Abia state who has no official car attached to his office. Statutorily, a local government council Leader’s office is entitled to, at least, an official vehicle and a legislative bus. But in contrast, Ezekwesiri is regularly spotted atop commercial motorcycles while going about his official duties.

Aside the foregoing, Comrade Egeonu is currently in the dot over alleged non-performance and misappropriation of the funds belonging to the council.

Findings show that Egeonu has, in the past 19 months of his administration of the council, received over N1 billion from the Federation Accounts Committee (FAC). The receipts include an average of N40 million monthly allocation, and N300 million excess crude windfall.

It is observed that, apart from the Amuda-Achara-Lekwesi Road direct labor project which he has, since, inexplicably, abandoned, Egeonu has no other major project in the council to his credit. Except that, as a matter of necessity, he had to erect an office complex inside the council secretariat to replace the former which was burnt down by hoodlums during an electoral violence in the area two years back. Also, the embattled Mayor could not complete the Umuchieze rural electrification project which he commenced sometime in his regime. In fact, the list of Egeonu’s uncompleted projects seems endless!

What is intriguing to Egeonu’s critics, however, is that, in the face of all these glaring instances woeful performance, he appears to be warming up for a second term. Although the council boss himself has not summoned sufficient courage to kick-start a campaign in this direction, his body language indicates that he desires a second term in office. For instance, his supporters have been busy circulating fliers and leaflets, soliciting support for his second term bid in the council.

But whether Egeonu’s second term project will succeed or fail depends on the collective will of the people of Umunneochi Local Government to decide, using his performance chart as a yard-stick

Still, another curious aspect of the foregoing is why the council’s legislators chose to keep mum as Egeonu runs the council like his personal estate. It was gathered that the council’s law makers parted ways, sometime last year, when they, on the alleged prompting of Egeonu, unsuccessfully plotted to impeach their Leader, Hon. Ezekwesiri. Since then, the centre could no longer hold among the once united councilors.

No doubt, the legislative arm has not been as effective as it should be, as a result of which there have been no checks and balances in Egeonu’s running of the council. Nonetheless, some of the councilors accuse their Leader, Ezekwesiri, of conniving with Egeonu to misappropriate the funds of the council.

While Leader Ezekwesiri debunks the insinuation that he colludes with Egeonu to loot the resources of the people of Umunneochi, several efforts to get Egeonu (the chairman) to respond to the charges against him were fruitless.

Apart from intentionally not picking calls made to his mobile telephone handset by our correspondent, Egeonu, also, snubbed a text message sent to his phone, seeking an interview appointment over the allegations.

Rape of Justice in Abia

The Judiciary, like it is always held is the hope of the common man, but not in every situation. The recent ruling on the prolonged legal tussle between Chief Okezie Erondu, Chairman Aba South Local Government Area and Dr.Christian Okoli, the Action Congress Candidate in the January 19, 2008 Local Government polls in Abia State by the Abia Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal sitting in Umuahia under the chairmanship of Hon. Justice Agwu Ukpai Kalu is a typical case.

On January 19, 2008 the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) conducted elections in 16 out of the 17 local government areas in the State. Chief Okezie Erondu, the Progressive Peoples Alliance candidate was announced winner of the election in Aba South by ABSIEC.Dr.Christian Okoli; the AC candidate was dissatisfied with the result and went on appeal.

On November 6, 2008 the Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal led by Chief Magistrate John Ukpabi gave judgment in favour of Dr Christian Okoli, the AC candidate. The ruling further directed ABSIEC to swear in Dr Okoli immediately in consonance with the stipulations of section 215(1) of Abia State Local Government Law No.3 of 2006, which reads thus: “any candidate declared winner by the electoral tribunal as elected shall from the time of the decision of the election tribunal be deemed to be duly elected until any determination of the competent High Court to the contrary on the appeal.”

To strengthen the above position, the Chairman of the tribunal went further to interpret the portion of the law thus: “the intention of the lawmaker in respect of subsection (1) to my humble view is that the loser at the election tribunal vacates office the office immediately the election tribunal makes the pronouncement that the petitioner won the election. The loser has the right of appeal but must appeal after vacating office. In other words, the person declared winner by the election tribunal immediately takes over the running of the office.”

But ABSIEC in flagrant disrespect to the provisions of the above law refused to issue Dr Okoli certificate of return that would have necessitated his swearing in as ordered by the tribunal. The body instead against the enabling law and decision of the tribunal went on appeal on November 17; 2008.Investigations by this publication alleges that the sympathy on Chief Erondu by ABSIEC is based on the reason that Chief Erondu was a Commissioner in ABSIEC before he resigned to contest the election; and also that these judges who constituted the appeal panel has sympathy for the government.

In the course of the appeal, Dr.Okoli was allegedly framed up in the kidnap of Professor Stephen Emejuaiwe, the ABSIEC Chairman. He was subsequently incarcerated. Delivering judgment recently on the appeal, Justice Agwu Ukpai Kalu noted that Dr Okoli was not qualified to contest the election. The basis of his contention was that Dr Okoli could not produce ABSIEC form 7 which qualified him as a candidate.

Justice Kalu’s position is seriously opposed by Peter Ofor a public affairs analyst in the State who contended thus “The election itself was shoddily conducted and ABSIEC did not find it expedient to issue even results to winners because they assumed it was an all PPA affairs, more so when PDP withdrew from the race. Based on this fact, the Commission failed to do what the law required it to do at the appropriate time. They never envisaged any viable opposition and therefore went to sleep.”

According to sources, when Dr Okoli’s counsel, Max Njoku came up with a petition against the election, ABSIEC was jolted from sleep and the body now allegedly made the following discoveries (i) that Chief Erondu did not pay the mandatory ABSIEC nomination fee of N212, 000 as required by the law. Consequently he was not issued with nomination form by ABSIEC.It is further revealed that he did not tender these documents during trial (ii) That Erondu had no unit result of the election to tender to prove that he won the election.

The law makes it mandatory that the non-payment of the screening fee disqualifies a candidate. But a source alleges that Chief Erondu had these things going because of his personal relationship with Professor Emejuaiwe.

Also in the ABSIEC’s form the following anomalies were discovered: While the form was dated 31/12/07,the party’s letter conveying Dr Okoli’s nomination was dated 2/1/08.This raises the question of how can claimed to be disqualified before his name was submitted. The name on the controversial form 9 was Nwachukwu Okoli Chukwuma while the actual name of the AC candidate is Dr Okoli Christian Nwachukwu.

Sources further noted that other names contained in the said form 9 which are claimed to be disqualified in the election are serving councilors in Aba South LG under PPA.Rather Justice noted in his ruling that he would not comment on the names since they were not a matter before the tribunal.

Opponents of the ruling are of the opinion that the ruling smacks of favouritism.They are anchoring their claims on the fact that the Chief Judge of the State is bound to retire next year and that Justice Agwu Ukpai Kalu is allegedly playing the government’s card to be found worthy of replacing the Chief Judge.

Pundits also contend that Justice Kalu committed a blunder when he stated that the AC candidate’s name, Okoli Christian Nwachukwu must have been previously submitted to ABSIEC by his party which was why it appeared on the said form 9.On this note they argue that the crucial evidence was neither before him nor the trial tribunal since ABSIEC could not produce any other list of candidates by AC other than the one of 2/1/08.The argument further stressed that even the said form 9 was seriously impugned by counsel to Dr Okoli; and that the law required ABSIEC to come and give evidence but ABSIEC failed to comply, even despite repeated summons, ABSIEC refused to appear before the trial tribunal to support the document.

Enugu's Threatened Council Poll

Unless last minute efforts are made to resolve a suit filed by the People’s Progressives Alliance (PPA), as well as the on-going rift in the state chapter of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Enugu state council elections, slated for December 5 this year, may run into a hitch.

Enugu state council elections, slated for December 5 this year, may, after-all, not hold. This is as a result of obstacles which have continued to militate against the smooth conduct of the poll by the State‘s Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), headed by Chief Abel Nwobodo. (Picture left shows Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu state)

At the moment, the state chapter of People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) and six of its candidates are, among other things, seeking a court’s order halting the conduct of the elections pending their unconditional inclusion in the exercise.

The candidates, listed as Onah Ejike Christopher, Livinus Ugwuowo, Onyekachi Pius Okoh, Prince Arthur Okwy Nweke, Comrade Prince Ugo Nwoke and Ukeanya Ike, claim that they were excluded from the election because of their inability to pay monetary deposits which the state electoral commission unilaterally imposed on candidates.
While the trio of Christopher, Okoh and Nwoke are seeking to contest the election into the chairmanship seats of Nsukka, Nkanu West and Oji River Local Government Areas, Ugwuowo, Nweke and Ike are councillorship hopefuls of Nsukka ward, Obe ward (Nkanu West) and Ugwu Achi ward (Oji River) respectively. And while the commission imposed the deposit of N200, 000.00 on chairmanship candidates, those aspiring to be councilors are to cough up the sum of N50, 000.00 each.

The contention of the suit, numbered FHC/EN/CS/219/09, and pending before the Federal High Court, Enugu, is that Chief Nwobodo-led commission lacks the vires (powers) to disqualify the plaintiffs (PPA and her six candidates) from contesting the election simply because they were incapable of making the deposits. The suit, which is in the form of originating summons, has the duo of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and ENSIEC as defendants.

Contending that both the Nigerian constitution and the electoral law have no corresponding deposits for candidates seeking elections as state and federal legislators, the suit enjoins the court to declare the said deposits (of N200, 000.00 and N50, 000.00 for chairmanship and councillorship seats) null and void (protanto).

The plaintiffs, equally, through their counsel, Ebere Nwokoro of 28 Edenwu Street, New Haven, pray the court to declare that the provisions of Sections 13 (1) (f) of the state’s electoral commission’s guidelines for council elections imposing such payments on candidates, are ‘violative’ of Sections 7 (4), 106 and 107 of the constitution, and, therefore, unconstitutional.

Part of their prayers is the court’s declaration that the imposition ‘is tantamount to discrimination, exclusion, limitation or preferences based on economic condition or fortune’, thereby impairing equality of treatment guaranteed them under Articles 2 and 3 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, as well as their right to freedom from discrimination as enshrined in Section 42 (1) of the 1999 constitution.

The plaintiffs, therefore, beg the court to direct the Nwobodo-led ENSIEC to expunge the talked-about Section 13 (1) (f) of the commission’s local government election guidelines, and to, subsequently, allow them (the plaintiffs) to participate in the election uninhibited by such obnoxious provisions.

They, also, urged the court to restrain INEC (1st defendant) from releasing the register of voters and voters cards for the conduct of the election until ENSIEC expunges the controversial provisions inhibiting all the candidates from participation in the forth-coming election.

It is worthy to note that this suit is just one out of other landmines on the path of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) in conducting a successful council polls for the people of the state come December 5 this year.

Obviously, the commission has to grapple with the crisis rocking the state chapter of PDP, which had led to the emergence two factions of the party. One of the factions is chaired by Barrister Raymond Nnaji, former National Auditor of the party, while Vitalis Abbah, an Engineer, heads the opposing faction.

Understandably, the two factions held parallel congresses, and submitted two opposing lists of chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the council election to the Nwobodo-led commission. Possibly at a loss which list to take as the authentic one, the commission, in writing, rejected the two conflicting lists, and directed the leadership of the factions to submit them (the lists) through the national secretariat of the party.

Of course, this directive did not go down well with the Nnaji executive which has been insisting that it is the duly inaugurated chapter of PDP in Enugu state.

Nnaji protested to Nwobodo commission that Prince Vincent Ogbulafor-led PDP would not, naturally, endorse his executive because both Ogbulafor and his leadership of PDP are a party to a suit pending before the court challenging the recognition of Abbah’s as the authentic faction of the party. Nnaji, therefore, contends that referring the lists to Ogbulafor, is tantamount to he (Ogbulafor) being a judge in his own case. Succinctly, Nnaji thinks that his executive would not get justice from Ogbulafor’s leadership since both he (Ogbulafor) and the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party are respondents/defendants in the suit in which he (Nnaji) and his exco are plaintiffs.

Nnaji, similarly, holds that the issue of the authentic leadership of PDP in Enugu state, being in the domain of the court, ought to have, ordinarily, served as a stay to every other matter pertaining to the suit, the conduct of local government elections by ENSIEC inclusive.

But aside appealing against the decision of the court affirming jurisdiction on the matter, both Abbah faction and the government of Sullivan Chime seem not to be bothered concerning the pendency of the suit vis-à-vis the conduct of the forthcoming polls.

Nnaji had, in earlier memos to both the Nwobodo commission and Ogbonna Onovo, the Inspector-General of Police, insisted that his executive remains the legitimate chapter of PDP in the state, warning that the recognition of Abbah faction is akin to inviting anarchy to the state.

“We are strongly opposed to the recognition of any other executive other than ours in the forthcoming local government elections. For now, we are still holding meetings to strategize on the next move. And we have told the police and other law enforcement agencies that we cannot take it, even if it means going into battle to safeguard our rights. Acceptance of the Abbah faction’s list by ENSIEC is null and void, and of no effect. It is our list that must be used for the council election.” Nnaji warns in an interview.

Abbah’s faction of the party could, as has been the case, not be reached for its response on the council poll brouhaha in the state.

It would be recalled that the two factions revolve round the patronages of two political gladiators in Enugu state. While Nnaji’s executive has the sympathy of former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, that of Abbah is supported by the incumbent Governor Sullivan Chime. Governor Chime parted ways with Nnamani, now a senator, after he rode on Nnamani’s back to emerge the Coal-City State Governor in 2007.
Despite protestations from the camp of Nnaji, the Nwobodo-led commission, it was learnt, following pressures from the top, flung Nnaji’s list aside for that of Abbah for the election after expiration of deadline for its submission on October 6.
Were it not for this late admittance of Abbah faction’s list, the magazine learned that PPA, though in court, was the only political party in the state to have hitch-freely submitted its list for the poll quite before expiration of deadline.

For now, PDP and PPA are the only visible political parties in Enugu state. And it is instructive that the Labor Party and parts of Action Congress, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord parties have seemingly fused into the PPA, thereby creating a rainbow coalition and brightening its chances in present and future elections in the state.

Above all, will the forthcoming council polls in Enugu state still hold in the face of the foregoing developments? The answer lies in the womb of time!


Culled from THEWEEK, a Nigerian Weekly Newsmagazine

Save Our Planet Now!

Climate change is real. There is no doubt that the earth is becoming warmer than it was. This is not a conspiracy theory. Most people you meet will tell you that there have been noticeable changes in the climatic conditions. (Picture shows Planet Earth)

Experts are warning that the consequences of global warming will be catastrophic. Coastal cities and towns are at greater risk because of rising sea levels. The entire globe, including Nigeria, is under serious threat of the dangers which accompany global warming. The time for action is now.

There are little things we can start doing that can help to save the planet. As a starting point, the Nigerian government, the Niger Delta states and various stake-holders in the oil industry should dialogue with the oil companies in Nigeria to stop gas flaring and adopt green technology.

As the world is preparing for the December 2009, Copenhagen Conference on Climate change and Global Warming, the Nigerian delegates should take the issue of gas flaring to the conference and table it before the international community. The idea will be for the entire world to see how the western owned oil companies are both damaging the environment in Nigeria where they drill the oil, and also how their gas flaring is contributing to global warming.

At present, experts are of the opinion that about 60% of all carbon emissions emanate from the developed countries, while 40% comes from the developing countries.

My argument has always been that, most multi-national companies have production plants in the developing countries. These multi national companies are owned by the western countries. Therefore, who takes the blame for their gas emissions? The host country or the country of ownership where the profit goes to?

Coca cola, for example, has plants in almost all the countries of the world. The greenhouse gases which coca cola plants emit from their plants in the developing countries should be the share of America ’s greenhouse gas emission. This is because coca cola is owned by America.

Going by my calculation, I believe that the percentage share of the greenhouse gases from developing nations will be lower than 40% as estimated by experts.

At present, the campaign to save the planet is gathering momentum in the western world.

Just recently (October 11th 2009), about 40 Greenpeace environmental campaigners climbed on the roof of British Houses of Parliament in protest to call for action on climate change. Most companies in the west are seriously considering green technology.

There have been serious campaigns, and sensitization of the people through various adverts on the need to go green. ExxonMobil (a major oil company) has an advert, part of which read thus, “ExxonMobil is working to help meet the world’s energy challenges, investing more than the US$100 billion in additional supplies over the next four years, developing efficiency technology options like lithium-ion battery film to speed the adoption of hybrid vehicles, and testing new carbon capture technologies that could reduce emissions significantly”.

Germany’s Volkswagen is converting part of a car engine plant to produce green electrical generators. The government of Maldives held its first under water cabinet meeting, underneath the Indian Ocean to highlight the dangers of global warming. In Nottinghamshire United Kingdom, over a thousand activists protested against a coal energy plant, because coal is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emission.

I want to believe that this ExxonMobil pledge above will be applicable to their operations in the developing countries. At present, I think different rules apply to their operations in the developing countries and the developed nations. Foreign companies tend to be more accountable and responsible in their home countries. I am sure that gas flaring which the oil companies are still doing in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria will be highly resisted or not allowed in the European Union, for example.

Prominent global personalities have given their support to saving the earth. Al gore (former American Vice President) has won a Noble Peace Prize for his efforts towards saving the planet.

I did advise Atiku Abubakar (former Nigerian Vice President) in one of my articles titled: (Atiku Abubakar and His Nigerian Leadership Project) to follow the footsteps of Al gore.
I was glad when I saw former President Shehu Shagari on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) news of Monday October 5th 2009 preaching about tree planting to caution desert encroachment. Ojo Maduekwe (current external affairs minister) had, in the past, asked Nigerians to ride bicycles. Both pieces of advice from ex president Shagari and Ojo Maduekwe are in line with saving the planet.

However, I will need to point out here that Nigerian urban roads are not bicycle friendly and, also, not bicycle compliant.

Nigeria suffers from deforestation. People cut trees for different reasons. According to Marcio Santilli, (a Brazilian environmental rights activist) “tropical deforestation accounts for about a fifth of annual greenhouse gas emissions and it’s the largest source of emission in the developing countries”.

Greenhouse gases are emitted when forests are burnt or logged. Mostly, we cut trees and burn the forest for traditional farming purposes. We, also, use the trees for furniture making and cooking. This method might be too difficult to stop. What I will add is that we should start planting trees. For every one tree we cut down, let’s plant, at least, three trees for replacement.

Most trees we are cutting today were planted by our great grand fathers, grand fathers and our fathers. It will be cruelty on our part if we fail to plant trees for our children, having used the ones planted by our grand fathers and great grand fathers. If for any reasons (for example, people are too busy at their offices or Nigerians in Diaspora) we cannot plant a tree, let’s sponsor someone to plant on our behalf.

We owe ourselves this responsibility. We do not need the government or the international community to do this for us. Tree planting should be so easy for us to do. Tree planting/saving the planet contradicts what the late musician (Oliver de Coque) sang in one of his songs that, tenants should not plant flower when they are renting a house.

I suggest a daily tree planting routine. Besides, we owe our lives to nature and our environment. Ironically, the color of our national flag is green white and green which should encourage us to be a greener nation.

As a recommendation for going green, please let companies, banks, the government and other establishments in Nigeria send less paper work and do more emailing or telephoning/sms.

This has a small way of saving the planet. Nigerians should start using energy saving bulbs. Also, we should form the habit of switching off all electrical appliances and bulbs when not in use, for example, leaving the electric bulbs/lights on during day time should be stopped.

It’s a very common practice for you to see electric bulbs switched on during the day time. During my last visit to Nigeria (January 2009), my folks were laughing at me when I was busy switching off all lights during the day.

The Federal Road Safety Commission owe Nigerians a duty to come up with vehicle carbon emission level permissible on Nigerian roads. May God Bless Nigeria .

Chinedu Vincent Akuta An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK akutachinedu@yahoo.com http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/

Atiku Abubakar, A Pre-Eminent Bank-Debtor?

It is not surprising that Alhaji Abubakar Atiku was among the leeches of Nigeria, who are seating on billions of Naira, unpaid Nigerian banks assets. According to a Central Bank of Nigeria's released report, the former vice-president and now, turned political charlatan, Atiku Abubakar is among those Nigerians who took out various bank loans which they did not intend or planned to pay back? Bank-debtor, Atiku Abubakar owes the sum of 111 million Naira ($730,000 or £450,000) to the banks; and until he pays back this outstanding debt with its accrued interest in full, to the creditor banks, Atiku remains a debtor extra-ordinaire! For trying to hold up a Nigerian bank and refusing to pay back his loan obligation, Icheoku hereby declares Atiku Abubakar a 'debit-daddy emeritus' of Nigerian banks!

It is not surprising at all that Atiku made the bank-debtor list; what is indeed surprising is the name missing on the final published list of politicians and businessmen, behaving badly and using Nigeria's money to feed their gluttonous greed. They have the access and the connection and the power, and they corruptly took advantage of it; enriched themselves by pressuring bank executives into making-out loans they did not intend or plan to pay back; and without properly securing it with adequate collateral. The ways and means of Nigerian men of power; which, were it a civilized, functioning society would have found them wanting, rounded up and put on trial for corruption and abuse of office?

Top on the list of missing person on the bank-debtor list is former Atiku's boss, Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo! He had previously admitted obtaining various bank loans with which he turned around his hitherto moribund 'Obasanjo's Farms'; from a near-bankrupt company with net worth of just about 20,000 Naira in 1999 into the multi billion Naira conglomerate it is today? Icheoku will like to know whether Olusegun Obasanjo has amortised the various debts he owes to some banks; and if yes, how he sourced the money within such a short period of leaving office? Except of course they were proceeds of corruption, which his government, reputedly took to a dizzying heights, becoming 'corruption-incarnate' in the process. So, the news would have been that Olusegun Obasanjo owes banks 100 billion Naira and not that Atiku Abubakar is owing a "misery" 111 million Naira?

Atiku Abubakar was a very corrupt vice president serving alongside an also, very corrupt then president Olusegun Obasanjo. When Gbenga Obasanjo tried to warn Nigerians that Atiku was pawning off Nigerian assets to himself for a pittance, nobody believed he was telling the truth due to the problem existing between his father, the then president Olusegun Obasanjo and his then vice president Abubakar Atiku. Icheoku is not particularly shocked at the amount being owed and outstanding, and by the same man who wanted to rule Nigeria at any and all cost possible? Thanks to the dogged stubbornness and determination of Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo who insisted that 'the Atiku he know cannot, must not and should not be allowed to rule Nigeria because he is very corrupt and might appropriate the entire nation to himself, given the opportunity?' Icheoku usually do not agree with Olusegun Obasanjo, but in this case, says, may be the medicine man of Otta was right in stopping Atiku at the door to Aso Rock!

Therefore Icheoku demands that CBN and EFCC come clean on this man, Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo; and let Nigerians know what kind of person he really is that would visit such magnitude of mayhem on the people of Nigeria? Whether he is also a bank debtor or so corruptly enriched himself that he had no need of any bank loans would have made a better headlines? Icheoku says, if according to reports, this marks the end of the forensic audit of Nigeria's 24 banks and financial institutions; then that would imply that Olusegun Obasanjo is debt-free? It must then be a magic or the end has not been conclusively and thoroughly reached; except President Umaru Yar'Adua is protecting his benefactor! The good news however and which will keep hope alive that possibly Olusegun basanjo will be held accoutable is that the debts to WemaBank, have not been revealed. May be then and only then will Icheoku comment again on this ugly episode of the mess called 'Nigeria financial scandal of the century.'

It is our position that if ever Olusegun Obasanjo comes out of this Nigerian banks scandalous saga, clean like a wind-driven snow, then something must definitely be wrong somewhere; and we shall stand bemused and so will even his most lenient critic. Given that behind every stupendous wealth, there is always a crime; Icheoku says, these billionaires feeding fat on bank money should not be allowed to continue to enjoy the proceeds of their "bank-fraud!" They should pony it up or be locked up; and their assets confiscated and auctioned off, to pay for whatever balance they may still owe with accrued interest, where they fail to pay up as demanded. As a last resort, they should be made to face arrest and trial for their activities? This is the proper thing to do and now is the time to do it; with the fearless prince of Kano still at the helm at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Icheoku appreciates your bravery, taking on these greedy vultures of Nigeria who have been feasting and leeching-off a drowsy sleepy Nigeria and for too long! Kudos to SLS!


FYI:- President Umaru Yar'Adua should consider firing his Culture Minister, Adetokunbo Kayode, for bringing odium to his government; being one of these defaulting debtors implicated; and who refused to meet up and pay back their outstanding loan obligations to these banks.

Culled from: www.icheoku.com

Imo Judge in Trouble over Bias

For what the leadership of the Progressive Peoples Alliance in Imo State considers ‘ignoble efforts’ to thwart the course of justice in a suit between the party leadership and Governor Ikedi Ohakim, it has dragged the Honorable Justice of the State High Court, Mrs.T.E Chukwuemeka Chikeka, to the National Judicial Council (NJC). (Picture shows Governor Ohakim)
 
According to the leadership of the party in the state, following the legal action instituted by the PPA to reclaim its mandate from Governor Ikedi Ohakim who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Governor, in an alleged bid to frustrate the said suit, instituted a subject suit which PPA claims it is his primary target.
          
The party further alleged that Governor Ohakim had enlisted the assistance of Justice Chikeka with his influence as the Chief Executive Officer of the State. What further gives credence to this allegation is the alleged desperate abuse of court process.
          
According to investigations by this reporter, the said suit HOW/411/2009 was filed on the 17th of August 2009. By the provision of the court rule, as expressed on the originating summons itself, the PPA had 42 days after service to enter appearance in the case.
        
But contrary to the provisions of the court rule, without serving the originating process on the PPA and without the PPA entering appearance, Justice Chikeka, upon hearing an exparte motion application on behalf of Governor Ohakim and his deputy, Dr. Ada Okwonu, on the 24th of August, 2009, a week into the 42 days count, granted the application and summarily concluded the substantive hearing on the same day and adjourned to September 7, 2009 for judgment.
           
Justice Chikeka’s conduct has forced PPA to further accuse her of serving
 Governor Ohakim’s interest. The party is anchoring its claim on the summary hearing conducted by the Justice which it blames on the level of influence and authority the Governor wields on the Justice.
          
The party in its statement expresses doubt in the integrity of Justice Chikeka as one worthy of the very exalted and respectful position of a Judge. The party, therefore, calls on the Judicial Commission to exert the appropriate sanctions on her to serve as deterrent to other judges who may contemplate compromising their judicial authority under undue influence.
             
Meanwhile, the party has applied to the Chief Judge of the State and secured the transfer of the case to another court. In its application, the party cited lack of confidence and the ability of Chikeka to be just and upright in the final determination of the suit as its reason for seeking the transfer.
               
It could be noted that the controversial suit was brought against the PPA by Governor Ikedi Ohakim and his deputy. The suit sought to, through an accelerated hearing, justify the defection of the Governor and his deputy to PDP, an action which is against the provisions of the law. To justify their defection, the Governor had claimed that he and his deputy were expelled from the party on the 10th of March, 2009.
            
But in opposition to Ohakim’s expulsion theory, a PPA chieftain in state who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity noted that the theory is a white lie which is intended to divert perspective. The chieftain noted that there was an alleged understanding between the PDP and Ohakim that he would return to the PDP fold after power must have been conceded to him.
           
This position was confirmed by a PDP chieftain who during an interview with this reporter last year noted that the PDP and Ohakim had an understanding to return to the party after he must have rode on the back of PPA to secure the number one political position in the state.
           
According to the provisions of the law, a serving political officer is not allowed to defect to another party unless there is crisis in his present party. In the case of Ohakim there was no crisis in PPA but he claimed that he and his deputy were initially expelled from the party which necessitated their defection.
             
It was on the strength of the legal provisions that PPA went to court seeking its mandate from Ohakim who is no longer a member of the party. Also Ohakim’s problems are mounting since he defected to PDP, it is widely-claimed that the recent re-alignment between two political forces in the State, Chief Achike Udenwa and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, formerly estranged political fellows is to wrestle power from Ohakim. The question would Ohakim escape all these?

Operation Resurrect NIGERCEM

Dissatisfied with the continued delay in the reactivation of Nigeria's premier cement factory, NIGERCEM, and its subsequent failure to contribute to economic development, the Ebonyi State government, host of the firm, has set up a Judicial Commission of enquiry to probe into its activities. (Picture shows Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi state)

This, according to a source, followed an apparent attempt to take over the company from its core investor, Eastern Bulkcem Limited.

The state government has for the past two years been enmeshed in a row with the Port Harcourt-based Eastern Bulkcem Limited, which bought majority shares from the cement company formerly owned by the five south east states in its bid to repossess the company.

Inaugurating the six-man committee headed by headed by Justice Adrian Orah, at the Executive Council Chambers, Governor Elechi, recalled how during a flight the pilot announced to passengers that a look at the right hand side reveals the Nigercem factory, adding that he was pricked when the pilot added that there was no smoke from the billows, meaning that the once glorious enterprise was not functioning.

"I will not say that I am delighted to be here to inaugurate this commission of enquiry, rather I do so with a heavy heart. The NigerCem had been a historical landmark in Nigeria, it was brought low by the ravages of the civil war but it roared back to life when the Eastern Nigeria government rehabilitated it. But no sooner had it gone to the five eastern states than it went down the drain. And now privatisation or not, for seven years, Ebonyi State has been denied a veritable source of revenue and youths have been robbed of employment opportunity," he said.

The Governor also recalled setting up an Economic Advisory Committee that looked into the fortunes of the company, and that based on the committee's report, he petitioned the federal government indicating the state's desire to take over the company. This, he said, is because, it had become obvious that the core investors were not prepared to reactivate the firm.

He reminded members of the panel of his inaugural address, where he "promised to get in touch with the core investor to see how we can get the factory on stream," but regretted that the federal government has not yet given him a conclusive reply to his petition two years now.

"And so we have decided to take our destiny in our hands. The commission is to tell us what is happening there ; I have confidence that members of the panel will justify their appointment. We provide all logistics needed for them to achieve results ; we are acting in haste to achieve an important result. It is a fact-finding commission and I emphasise speed and efficiency. The report would enable us take the next step without fault," he explained further.

The Judicial Commission has four weeks to turn in its reports and recommendations, he said, even as he expressed desire to have the report long before then, because, "we are in haste and people are worried ; we are running against fast moving current".

The governor told the gathering, which included the state chief Judge, Alloy Nwankwo ; Secretary to the State government, Fidelis Mbam ; and members of the state executive committee that "this is a fact finding commission and I emphasise speed and efficiency. The report will help us take next step without default."

Responding, Justice Orah assured the governor that the commission would be fair and firm, stressing its commitment to meet the time frame. He however asked for timely advertisement of the terms of reference and time to ensure that stakeholders prepare adequately for the task ahead.

Onoh Junior: A Serial Criminal?

Josef Umunnakwe Onoh, one time member of Enugu State House of Assembly and second son of late Chief C.C Onoh, former governor of old Anambra State, is embroiled in certificate and fraud scandals.

Josef Ken Umunnakwe Onoh, former honorable member of Enugu State House of Assembly and second son of late Chief C.C Onoh, one time governor of old Anambra State, is in trouble over his alleged criminal past deeds. The legislator is, at the moment, undergoing prosecution for multiple forgeries, fraud and stealing.

Josef’s troubles began in the second week of this month when he was arrested by Enugu state police command in connection with a plethora of petitions accusing him of criminal activities.

One of such petitions, dated September 10, 2009, and signed by one Raymond Agu, accused Josef of securing admission into Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) in 1996 with a fake/forged result from Lorita School, London. The petition insisted that academic results being paraded by the young Onoh are ‘forged and need to be investigated to know whether they exist or not’.

Entitled: PETITION AGAINST ONOH, KEN JOSEF IN A CASE OF FORGERY, IMPERSONATION OF DIRECT ENTRY QUALIFYING RESULT TO ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ESUT), ENUGU-LORITA SCHOOL, LONDON, the petitioner, equally, accused Josef of forging a birth certificate bearing 31 August, 1969. The petition contended that the legislator’s actual date of birth was 14 February, 1977, and not August 31, 1969.

“These forgeries”, Agu’s petition insisted, “helped him (Onoh, Ken Josef) to obtain an exemption certificate from NYSC, dated 9 July, 2000”.

Records available to this medium showed that Josef, with the alleged forged certificates, graduated from the Psychology Department of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) in the 2000/2001 academic session with a Third Class Honors Degree. And his Registration Number is listed as ESUT/96/12909.

Although the university’s management says it is still investigating the said Josef’s degree certificate, with a view to deciphering its veracity or otherwise, not a few of his traducers maintain that it was forged.

From the allegations, the young Onoh seems to have a knack for forgeries, as he stands similarly accused of having forged the certificate of Lorita School, London on the basis of which ESUT gave him a direct entry admission to study Psychology in the first instance. There are revelations that the Lorita School’s certificate belonged to his deceased elder brother.

Also, our checks at the Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital, Enugu proved Josef’s birth claims false, as records show that he was born on 14 February, 1977 as against 1969 he had claimed in his nomination form for the 2003 House of Assembly election.

The contention of Josef’s accusers is that he was under-aged as at 2003 when he contested and won the election to represent Enugu North Constituency in the state Assembly. Thus his real age then should have been 26 as opposed to his 30 year-old claim. What this means, therefore, is that Josef added four years to his real age just to qualify for that election. Of note is the fact that the Nigerian constitution and, of course, the electoral law, prescribes a minimum age of 30 for aspirants to the Houses of Assembly seats.

Even Josef’s West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Senior School Certificate result, dated December 1994, is not spared of the forgery controversies. The certificate, numbered NGSP 0.159092, contains seven results: English Language 8; Literature in English 7; Christian Religious Knowledge 6; Government 8; Economics 6; Biology 7 and Commerce 5.

Josef’s accusers allege that he, also, forged the WAEC certificate, as, according to them, he did not complete his secondary school education. In fact, they claim that he dropped out at Class 2. Even at that, it is argued that such a result, which did not contain any score for Mathematics, ought not to have qualified Josef to be admitted into the social science course of Psychology.

Another area of discrepancy in Josef’s academic claims is, of course, his NYSC discharge certificate, which he procured in 2000. Curiously, he procured the NYSC Exemption Certificate before his purported graduation in 2000/2001 academic year.

Similar discrepancies occurred in the names contained in Josef’s alleged forged documents. While the WAEC certificate contains Onoh Ken, that of NYSC exemption is Onoh Kennelly J. Yet, another Doctor of Science (Ph.D) certificate which was awarded to him by a certain British Society of Commerce, dated 27 August, 2005, has his name written as Josef Umunnakwe Onoh.

As it were, the foregoing instances of forgery constitute just one aspect of Hon. Josef Onoh’s current travails. The embattled legislator allegedly refused to repay a loan he took from Harvard Trust (Mortgage Bankers) in 2004. The N2.5 million loan transaction was conducted in the bank’s Enugu regional office. Interestingly, the young Onoh took this loan, which has presently yielded N25 million interest, when he was a member of the state Assembly. In particular, he was Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

Sadly, the controversies that trailed the loan award to Josef led to the sacking of the bank’s General Manager, V.C Opara, as well as the sanctioning of other officials of the financial institution.

Josef, also, grapples with allegations of fraudulent land deals across Enugu metropolis. One of his alleged victims in this wise is Uchechukwu O. Ezuma, an indigene of Arochukwu in Abia state. Ezuma, in a petition to the state police command, accused Josef of reselling an expanse of land sold to him by his late father, Chief C.C Onoh.

It is noteworthy that C.C, in his life time, was a ruthless estate and property giant, with his estates sitting on more than half the capital territory of Enugu state. Onoh’s properties, also, dot the landscapes of Nigeria and beyond. Thus the Ngwo High Chief had developed and undeveloped properties in major Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, as well as in Germany and England.

Ezuma had purchased the said land from Onoh for N12 million, but Josef was, shortly after Onoh’s death, said to have sold it off for a whopping N20 million. Josef reportedly plotted out the land, and resold it to three buyers.

Indeed, KlinReports is in possession of a letter to ‘The Registrar, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Enugu’, dated 7 November, 2008, signed by Chief Dr. C.C Onoh which consented to the registration of the land in favour of Ezuma. The letter, entitled: ‘Re: Registration of Deed of Lease in Favour Mr. Uchechukwu O. Ezuma’, affirmed that Ezuma had liquidated all required financial involvements as regards the purchase of the land.

Ezuma, therefore, called on police authorities to intervene in the injustice and fraud meted out to him by the young Onoh.

In fact, Hon. Onoh’s ‘sins’ seem limitless! Part of the accusations against him is that he had stolen a Toyota Corolla car, with registration number ENSG 2355, which Governor Sullivan Chime, on assumption of office, donated to his late father to facilitate his movement.

Josef, according to his traducers, stole the car, and all attempts to retrieve it from him while Onoh was alive failed. As a result of this development, Chime’s government, in December of 2007, donated a Lexus Jeep to Onoh, as a replacement to the alleged stolen car. Police operatives, it was learnt, recovered the vehicle during Josef’s recent arrest, of course, to be used as an exhibit to prove the case of stealing against him.

Several efforts to get Onoh to react to the avalanche of allegations against him to no avail. Apart from not picking calls from our correspondent, Josef never responded to text messages suggesting an interview appointment with him.

The erstwhile legislator is, among other things, being tried for forgery, stealing and obtaining money under false pretences. And these are criminal offences which punishments attract several years of imprisonment.

Will the junior Onoh be submerged in his present travails? Or, will he come clean of the legion allegations of criminality against him? Only time will answer these posers.

Insecurity in Abia state is Political

Despite efforts by Abia state government to combat crime situation in the state, the menace rages in geometrical progression. Barrister Uche Awah, the newly elected Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Aba Branch, in this interview, links the situation with politics.

You assumed the chairmanship position of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Aba Branch when there are multiple socio-economic issues to be addressed such as armed robbery, kidnap and other forms of insecurity. How do you intend to contribute to the solution of these problems?

The thing is that we have always at the Bar taken a stand on almost all these issues. The issue of banditry and kidnap and other vices, the Bar had cause, I mean my predecessor, addressed the press on these issues on several occasions. We also had cause to bring down the President of the NBA to Abia state to chat with the powers that be. He, also, encouraged them to take the issue of insecurity serious. So we have really never slept on that. And it is my intention to continue in that manner.

The important thing is that security of lives and property is a cardinal issue of the government. A government that is incapable of safeguarding property and lives of her citizens is not competent to be a government. And that is why we have been urging Abia government to take up these issues very serious.

The government said that it has done its best by providing vehicles and all that to the Police, but the important thing is to take the issue very seriously. In other places the governments are succeeding. Why is the situation different here? That is the question.

What do you think the government should do that it has not done to address the issue?

As far as I am concerned, it is not peculiar to Abia alone. But we can take a cue from Lagos. In Lagos, we heard that the government provided bullet-proof vests to Policemen. It also gave insurance cover to Policemen. Even if a Policeman dies on duty, he knows that his children are provided for. These are the major issues to be addressed. At least, that one has worked in Lagos. I see no reason why it should not work here.

Recently, Abia House of Assembly called for the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police and Director of SSS in the State. A new Commissioner of Police is deployed to the State, how do feel the move would help in the efforts of the government to fight crime in the state?

It is a commendable move. Our prayer is that the new Police boss would do his best to improve upon what he met. Our belief is that he would do his best to improve the situation he met on the ground. We should encourage him to continue.

Let me refer you to a comment you made in the course of this discussion that crime in Nigeria is a general thing. Should we attribute it to individuals or government factors?

The thing has a lot to do with politics. Until we are able to solve these issues, we may not have solutions. The people that are now armed robbers, kidnappers and all that were former political thugs of these politicians. These are the people they engineered during the electioneering. And you think that when you engineered and sensitized them, and get them to that level of killing without minding, when do you think you can abandon them. It is impossible. You abandon them to the detriment of the society. We are all suffering from the galvanization of these human beings during political tussles.

We have to address that issue. You cannot raise political thugs and when you will you think you can run away from them. You can only run away and unleash them on the society.

It is happening all over. As far as I am concerned, like the militants most of them are products of political usages. When you use them to climb you think you can abandon them. When you are using them you keep on feeding them, giving them money, giving them guns. When eventually you win you distance yourself from them. It is only the society that will suffer. That is my personal view.

A school of thought is of the view that amnesty should be granted to the criminals in Abia. Do you subscribe to this?

When you talk of bandits and robbers they are criminals. You don’t give amnesty to criminals just that way. The government granted amnesty the militants because their cause borders on issue of principle. You don’t grant amnesty to criminals. You have to really fight criminals. No society allows crime to go unabated without fighting criminals.