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2 DAYS AFTER
Aides Say, ‘We Have Not Seen President’
Forty-eight hours after President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was said to have returned to the country, having spent 17 days in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, most of his senior aides said yesterday that they have not sighted him in the Presidential Villa."Most of us got to know through the media reports that the president is back from Saudi Arabia but we have not seen him uptil now," a minister from the South-South told LEADERSHIP yesterday."Most of us were in the Villa on Saturday and today (Sunday) but we couldn’t see him."Unlike the practice where top government officials issue press statements, no such official said anything and none was ready to speak.There is a high public anxiety about media reports on the President's health...more
Customs Targets N248bn Revenue Generation
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it is targeting the sum of N248 billion as revenue generation this year.This amount translates roughly to a monthly target of N23.7 billion in revenue generation.Comptroller-General of the NCS, Hamman Bello Ahmed, made this known at a press briefing marking the anniversary of his 100 days in office at the Customs headquarters in Abuja at the weekend.Confirming the N248 billion target, he said that by June 2008 the Service had collected into the federation account a total of N162.4 billion.According to him, in May, June and July, the Customs Service realised a total of N23.6 billion, N24.7 billion and N25.6 billion respectively, thus attesting to a steady rise beyond the monthly target since May...more
AC Urges Appeal Court To Expedite Action On Pending Cases
The Action Congress (AC) has renewed its appeal to Justice Umaru Abdullahi, President of the Court of Appeal, to urgently set up panels to hear pending appeals resulting from rulings from the various election tribunals across the country.In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said any further delay by Justice Abdullahi in performing his constitutional responsibility would amount to a denial of justice and a damper on the country's democracy."For the umpteenth time, we will like to say that we have nothing but the utmost respect and reverence for the judiciary, which has been a shining light in efforts to right the wrongs resulting from the massively-manipulated general elections in 2007, even though we have not always agreed with the rulings from the various election tribunals...more
FRONT PAGE COMMENT
Armed Robbers And Pick Pockets
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has graphically captured the state of governance in Nigeria with a statement credited to him recently in the media: He advised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop harassing "pick pockets" and chase "armed robbers". The speaker has denied referring to his fellow lawmakers as "pick pockets", but that Freudian slip agrees with the opinions that have been expressed by this newspaper. (See OUR VIEW of June 14, 2007, and August 21, 2008). Not all of our leaders are crooks, but among them today, as the Speaker’s statement infers, are "big looters", "armed robbers" and "pick pockets."The search for pick pockets begins with an analysis of recent reports about the remuneration package of "distinguished" senators and "honourable" members of the House of Representatives...more
NASS Set To Pass Budget, Resumes Tomorrow
As the House of Representatives returns from its long recess tomorrow, the controversy trailing the 2008 Appropriation (Amendment) Bill will be put to rest this week as both chambers of the National Assembly have resolved to pass the budget on Wednesday for onward transmission to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for assent. This is just as President Yar'Adua is expected to submit the 2009 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in October this year.Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Ita Enang, who disclosed this at the weekend while briefing National Assembly correspondents, said the report of the conference committee on the budget will be received Tuesday on resumption and it will be passed the next day...more
Uba Still Suffering From Political Trauma – Sen Okonkwo
Over a year now after he was ousted out of office as Governor of Anambra State by a Supreme Court pronouncement, Dr. Andy Uba is still suffering from a protracted disengagement trauma, a federal lawmaker, Senator Annie Okonkwo, who represents Anambra central district, has said.Okonkwo's diagnosis of Uba's purported political ailment, according to him, came at the instance of insinuations by the former aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his close allies that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor is using him (Senator Okonkwo) to fuel crisis in Anambra.While describing Uba as suffering persistent nostalgia of the state Government House, Okonkwo said like Alice...more
Amnesty International Wants SSS To Release U.S. Filmmaker’s Aide
Amnesty International has asked the Federal Government to charge a Nigerian national, Samuel George, with a recognizable criminal offence or else grant him immediate and unconditional release from detention.George, a translator and guide for an American filmmaker, Andrew Berends, is said to be presently detained by the States Security Services (SSS) incommunicado without charge. Amnesty International is expressing fear over his well-being, saying he may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment.He was said to be arrested alongside Berends and his friend Joe Bussio on August 31, 2008 while filming in the Nembe Waterside area of Port Harcourt by Nigerian military personnel. According to the human rights organisation...more
I Am Vindicated By Discovery Of Aircraft Wreckage – Ibori
Following the discovery of the wreckage of Wings Aviation’s aircraft, which disappeared in March this year, former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, yesterday said he has been vindicated, saying there are salient issues the nation must face. "First, we must admit that a large section of the media showed crass insensitivity on this air crash disaster, viewing it not as a national tragedy; instead a comical approach prevailed as it was inexplicably politicised by some interest groups to score cheap political points," he said in a press statement signed by his media assistant, Mr. Tony Eeluemunor."We embraced gutter-level politics, personal and group malfeasance, instead of uniting in a consolidated effort to rescue the crew members...more |
