The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has dissociated itself from the comments made by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Osita Okechukwu, on the bid conducted by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) over the acquisition of NITEL, saying he was not authorised to do so but merely playing to the gallery to please his paymasters.

Mr. Okechukwu had last Wednesday addressed a world press conference purportedly on the platform of the CNPP, where he warned the acting president not to tamper with the outcome of the bid exercise but should go ahead and  handover the ailing national carrier to New Generation Telecommunication Limited.

He said it would be too early in the day for the acting president to allow predators and scavengers to deceive him by cancelling the bid.

However, national chairman of the CNPP, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said the opposition parties were embarrassed and shocked at the remarks credited to its publicity secretary without any discussion with the CNPP leadership or clearance for such comments because "at no time did the CNPP meet or agree to take any position on the controversial Nitel/Mtel bid," describing the comments as image tarnishing.

Insinuating that its publicity secretary must have been compromised, Alhaji Musa said the leadership would investigate the circumstances surrounding the world press conference and would sanction Mr. Okechukwu accordingly.

"The CNPP never met and approved such conference to be addressed and this is not the first time this is happening. It has been reoccurring. CNPP has a secretariat with all the executives in place, but this man will not discuss with any one before  going ahead to be making comments in the press. We have Buba Galadima, Yisa Tanko, Willy Ezugwu, Oyetakin Ebenezer, Edozie Ezugwua and the rest as the leaders in the secretariat, but he will not consult them.

"We are tired of this nonsense, it is part of the corruption that has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation. This same young man made unsavoury comments the other day against the lawmakers over the PTDF issue and on finding out, we discovered his comments were false and I had to go to the National Assembly to apologise.

"We are calling a meeting in Abuja this month to settle this once and for all and we will sanction him. One of the problems we are facing is that he no longer represents any party in the CNPP, the ANPP which he claims he represents has disowned him.

"We never even made him the publicity secretary, it was Kenny Martins who was our national publicity secretary but he became too busy. Osita who was a member of a publicty committee of CNPP started performing the function. You can see our dilemma and people keep calling me over CNPP positions published by him without our knowledge," Alhaji Balarabe Musa fumed.

The national chairman of the National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP), Dr. Lawrence Atuana, has said the system of zoning the presidency among geographical regions in the country adopted by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a disservice to the country.

He said it is not in the spirit of the Nigerian constitution and denies people of their right to be elected. He said every Nigerian should have a right to vote and be voted for.

Atuana who spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY said the major problem with Nigerian politics is money. He said most political parties lack bearing, stressing that what they say differs from what they do.

He said, "What is really wrong in our politics is money. Some people staging protest here and there don't even believe in what they are doing. Some are there because of the money they are being paid. Monetary value has debased our politics in Nigeria. Though money cannot be ruled out, but it should not be the moving factor. Our conscience should dictate to us what we should do.”

He also said Nigeria lacks the attitude of implementation of laid down rules and regulations. He said there is so much corruption and favoritism in the system, saying that Nigerians need to pray purposefully to God.

The problem of Nigeria is that the laws are made for some people but not for everybody. My party is trying to change that. We are in politics not for the money but  to bring in some change. Nigeria really needs a change from the old ways of doing things",he said

The chairman also faulted the education system in the country, saying that it has been engulfed with so much corruption.  According to him, there is so much admission racketeering going on in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

He said this is bad for the future of the country because it affects the quality of graduates. Lamenting his ordeal, he said, "My daughter got 203 in her JAMB and 73 per cent at the post JAMB. She was seeking admission into university of Abuja but it didn't work even though she got beyond the required cut-off mark. They said I should write but I said I won’t. There is so much favoritism in the system. The system is rotten."

In proffering solution to the Nigerian problem, Atuana said, "the fear of God should be in the heart of every Nigerian. Our problem started since the removal or religious teaching from our schools by the Shagari regime. Most families don't even pray.

"Religious aspect of our lives must be encouraged. It is the solution to our problem. Most of our political class are into cultism.  We must return to God to solve our problems."

Speaking on his party, the NMPP chairman said despite being a new party, the NMPP has achieved some giant strides, stressing that as the 2011 elections draws closer, Nigerians should expect more from the party.

According to him, "In the last Anambra elections our party came twelfth which is atleast commendable owing to the fact that we are a new party which was registered in 2009. We even did better than some of the parties that have been on ground before we came on board."

He said  every Nigerian must strife to make the country a better place.

• Says Nigeria will lose a former president this year  ||  As the debate over who becomes Nigeria's president in 2011 continues, a man of God, Prophet Paul Hamzat of the Christ Liberation Evangelical Ministry Int'l has declared that former head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda, will become Nigeria's president by 2011, even as he said Nigeria will lose a former president before the end of the year.

Hamzat who said he got the revelation from God, though refused to mention who the former president will be  advised  Nigerians to pray harder for its leaders. He said IBB is coming as a saviour and messiah that will liberate Nigerians because God has chosen and ordained him for the assignment.

He also said Nigerians should thank the military for holding the country as one. He said if the military were interested in taking over power, they would have done so.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY in an exclusive interview, the prophet said, "God has already chosen his own person that will take over power. All what they are doing now is mere preparation for the person, because Nigeria is about to witness a  change, but not in this dispensation. After 2011, the new government  will bring Nigeria’s  change

"IBB's name is in the top as  Nigeria’s president come 2011. Nobody on this earth can remove his name. Anybody who tries to remove his name will be blown away by the wind. There is a signal in heaven that Nigeria will witness  change when  IBB ascend  power

“IBB is coming back. He is going to celebrate his seventieth birthday in power. If he does not  that means Jesus is not coming back."

Prophet Hamzat who denounced insinuations that he was campaigning for the ex-general said, "Heaven is working on his behalf. It is not an issue of come lets, campaign for him. Heaven is mobilising for him. IBB himself will not campaign. Heaven will campaign for him.  In fact the man will not spend a penny. It is also not about party affiliation because every party will adopt him as their candidate.”

He continued, "If you look at IBB as a person, he is not greedy. That is why God told me that he is bringing a messiah, someone that nobody can intimidate and that cannot succumb to anybody. Nigerians should stay calm. They should be expecting a messiah that is coming. He will bring liberation to Nigerians. I can tell them that there is hope in 2011. The sign of the hope will begin to manifest by August this year. God has told me that Nigeria will rise  ten times better. That is why he is bringing IBB. People will like to contest with him, but at the end of the day, they will withdraw.

"God will mobilise people to work for him. It doesn't take God anything. God is a problem solver and He will solve the problem of Nigeria. God is bringing him to power to restore Nigeria.”

Prophet Hamzat who said he has had so many of such revelations from God, said he foresaw and prophesied about the death of the former first lady, Mariam Babangida and the illness of President Yar'Adua.

According to him, "I was in the aircraft on chrismas day going to Lagos . I was telling someone that IBB will come to power but his wife will not follow him. Few days later I received a call from the same person that Mariam Babangida is dead.  Before Yar'Adua fell ill, I told Nigerians that the president will fall ill and will be flown abroad for treatment, after two days my prophecy came through.”

He further said he has a revelation from God that former Lagos State governor, Ahmed Tinubu, will go to jail this year. He also said Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian church has to pray very hard because danger is looming around his corner.

Leading Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for the lone Federal Capital Territory Senatorial ticket come 2011, Engr. Ireti Kingibe, says her determination and dream of seeing residents of the FCT live a better and more convenient life is the force behind her ambition.

In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP SUNDAY over the weekend,  the wife of Amb, Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the government of the Federation, expressed dismay over the quality of life of the residents in Abuja, saying over the years, the FCT has not gotten the required representation and leadership it deserved.

Ireti Kingibe who is targeting the FCT Senatorial seat for the second time after having run as an aspirant under the PDP in 2006, advocated for the FCT to have a mayor, that would be truly accountable and answerable to the people of the region , stating that as presently constituted, ministers are only accountable to those who appointed them instead of the people of the FCT as they are not from his constituency, neither do satellite towns benefit much.'

' For the satellite towns, I feel that whoever becomes our mayor, if he represents the people and put their interests into consideration a little bit more, they could also make the minister know that the satellite towns are also important.

'I mean, even if you drive to Kuje or Bwari ( a drive of just 45 minutes), you will realize that this issue of housing can be solved if the satellite towns are developed' , Mrs Kingibe said.

She further frowned at the spate of unemployed in the FCT, advocating that resources and manpower should be channeled towards youth employment as no constituency project seems to be available in the FCT, much more geared towards solving the grave unemployment situation of the FCT.