COURT HEARS SYLVA’S JOINDER APPLICATION TODAY

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Court hears Sylva’s joinder application today
From GODWIN TSA, Abuja
Friday January 27, 2012

The legal tussle over the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Bayelsa State resumes today before a Federal High Court, Abuja Division, where Justice Gladys Olotu will hear the application filed by Governor Timipre Sylva seeking to be joined in the suit filed by the beneficiary of the controversial governorship primary, Seriake Dickson.
In the said suit, Dickson wants the court to declare him the lawful candidate of the PDP for the forthcoming Bayelsa State governorship poll.

The court had only last week granted an exparte order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put Dickson’s name on the list of governorship candidate for Bayelsa State on the platform of PDP, an order Sylva described as “immoral, ungodly and pathetic”, saying it was “obtained by fraud in the dead of the night.”

When the case came up yesterday, counsel to Dickson, Joe -Kyari Gadzama (SAN) applied that the matter be adjourned on ground that he had just been briefed and therefore needed time to study the file to represent the interest of his client “properly and professionally.”
Gadzama insisted that under the rules of court he was entitled to seven clear days within which to respond to Sylva’s joinder application, submitting that his time was still running.

But responding, counsel to Sylva, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) argued that the application for adjournment was deliberately submitted to delay hearing of his application because they had already gained an advantage by “the extraordinary order of mandamus issued by the court.”

Fagbemi said he was convinced that if all the facts of the subject matter had been brought before Justice Olotu, including the pendency of the subject matter at the Supreme Court, she would not have made the order. “It is clear that the use to which the plaintiff sought to put this order was far beyond your contemplation when you granted it,” he submitted.

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N97 FUEL PRICE: PETROLEUM DEALERS THREATEN TO SHUT DOWN IN ENUGU, IMO, ANAMBRA

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N97 fuel price: Petroleum dealers threaten to shut down in Enugu, Imo, Anambra
From PETRUS OBI, Enugu
Friday January 27, 2012

Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states have threatened to shut their fuel stations if the affected state governments fail to disband all the task forces currently intimidating and harassing their members.

The association after its emergency meeting in Enugu, yesterday, also said it had given the three state government 24-hour to unconditionally release all its members detained by the task forces at different police stations and stop extortions and intimidation of its members in the guise of enforcing the new pump price.

Chairman, IPMAN Enugu Depot, Mr. Linus Mgbakaogu, lamented that the task forces, especially in Anambra State collected huge sums of money from their members which makes it difficult for the markets to break even in the sales of the fuel which he said was bought at exorbitant prices during the period of subsidy removal but are now being forced to revert to the new pump price.

He therefore, called on the state governments to quickly disband the task forces because of their impunity, stressing that their members had complied with the new pump price of N97 per liter but that if the state governments failed to release all their detained members and disband the task forces, it would within 24-hour commence strike in the states.  Linus Mgbakogu who addressed newsmen shortly after the emergency meeting at their Enugu secretariat said: “The resolution of the meeting is that we have accepted the N97 pump price and we are going to inform our members in the seven states even though our depot in Enugu is not working.

“What we want the governments to do is that they should withdraw all these people that go to filling stations and beat up people because we don’t know who is who, we only know the DPR.“Government is supposed to come there to collect their statuary levy and not to chase us around. So we are asking the state governments to stop the intimidation especially in Anambra State where they go about collecting N100, 000 and above, beating people up and putting them in cells.

“We are also asking all the state governors and commissioners of police to unconditionally release our members in their cells and if they don’t do that within 48-hour we will close shops.”

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HOW TO TACKLE BOKO HARAM –ORITSEJAFOR, CAN PRESIDENT

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How to tackle Boko Haram –Oritsejafor, CAN President
By SEYE OJO
Friday January 27, 2012

•Oritsejafor

Worried by the rising spate of insurgence of Boko Haram Sect, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to reinvent and rethink Nigerian security agencies.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Sun shortly after this year’s annual thanksgiving service and awards ceremony of The Sun Publishing Limited in Lagos, he lamented that investigation had shown that some top officials of various security agencies in the country are supporting activities of the sect.

Oritsejafor warned that if the security agents who have compromised were not relieved of their duties, every effort to nip the menace in the bud might not yield positive result. The compromised officials, he said, might be the one leaking government’s information to the people behind Boko Haram.

“There is a serious problem in the sense that a lot of them are polarised along religious lines. There are some in the security agencies that are loyal and committed to their religion than to Nigeria and they need to identify such people, especially those in the higher cadre of the security agencies.

“They must identify them, take them out and remove them so that neutral people will take those positions, sensitive positions of information and all kinds of things because a lot of their plans always get to Boko Haram through such persons,” he stated.
Oritsejafor maintained that any security information that comes to such compromised officials would not be treated in order to shield because they love their religion more than their country.

His words: “When they get such information, they sit on it instead of sharing it and using it. To them, they are protecting their religion. These things I am saying are very hard things. I believe the Muslim elites, especially those who are clerics, must look for people who know these people. I have been saying it for a while.

“I was shocked when I read in newspaper few days ago that the leader of Boko Haram was saying the reason they have not bombed Kano all these while is because some clerics have been pleading with them.“So, who are these clerics who have been pleading with them? That is what I am talking about. They need to know them. I am not talking of government; I am talking about Muslim religious leaders. They need to identify these clerics; get to them, talk to them and get them to work with these boys because it is a problem of ideology.

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NIGHTMARE OF BENIN-ORE ROAD

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Nightmare of Benin-Ore road
By P. N. Obidike
Friday January 27, 2012

A section of the Benin–Ore– Shagamu Expressway is dreaded by most Nigerians every rainy season since the road was constructed. The problem occurs every year like Igwe’s Ofalla. As a young civil engineer in the Federal Ministry of Works in 1964, I led a survey team that carried out a survey through Onigbongbo bush and swamp that started at the present Maryland Junction in front of the Catholic Church in Lagos.

The route passed through very thick swamp where, in most cases, we could not find firm ground to stand the Theodolite. We were always in rain boots and other bush navigation equipment. We were to provide cross section levels at 100 ft. intervals and 100ft. wide cross-sections, 50ft. on each side of the centre line. The assignment was to connect two known points through an unknown route.

We completed the assignment and submitted the plotted centre-line and cross-sections to the boss- I do not now remember whether in the Design or Planning Department of the Ministry. Our work turned out to be one of the preliminary works that produced the Lagos Ibadan Express Way several years later. Similary, Ijora Cause Way in Lagos, from Railway Terminus at Ebutte Metta to 7-up factor in Ijora was under constant leveling, carried out about four time a year. The levels were plotted on a chart.

The objective of the work was to determine when the settlement of the soil would stop and the construction of a permanent road would be done. Meanwhile the road surface was on temporary interlocking blocks. It became obvious that the settlement would not stop in the foreseeable future. The road was eventually constructed as “deck-on pile” which means that the entire length of the road of about two kilometre was built on piles.

However, the road level lies on the ground level so that later visitors think it is a normal road at the ground level. Similarly, as you leave Lagos going towards Ibadan you see a section of the road as a very long bridge on dry land where no river exists. That is another deck on pile with the road surface well above the ground level. In this case, like the Ijora Causeway, the soil was found to be unsuitable to carry a road. The normal practice of cutting away top soil and replacing with good quality laterite imported from somewhere else could not be done.

That was because the depth of the unsuitable material for the entire distance involved was very high and it would be very uneconomical to replace it. Piling and heavy pile caps on them with the follow up piers to carry the Deck Road were seen as the best alternative. I think at that time, the government listened more to the professionals than is the case today. The suggestion of the Director Federal Highways, Federal Ministry of Works, was taken and we have no problem driving on that section of the road today.

Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. The 3rd Mainland Bridge in Lagos is today the longest bridge in Nigeria. It is about 6 or 7 kilometers long and wholly in water except for the three ends where it hits the ground at Lagos Island, Ebute Metta and Oworonshoki. It was built as a necessary road out of congested Lagos Island where there was terrible bottleneck in trying to get out and heavy loss of man -hours. The Benin-Ore-Shagamu Road is similar to it. However, a 4th landing is necessary now beside the University of Lagos to decongest traffic between Ebutte Metta and the road to Lagos University. Lagos State Government should consider this.

Let the experience gained from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ijora Causeway and Third Mainland Bridge be applied on Benin-Ore Road.

Obidike

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KWSG SIGNS N70BN MOU WITH SPAIN CONSORTIUM FOR RICE PRODCUTION

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KWSG signs N70bn mou with Spain consortium for rice prodcution
From LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
Friday January 27, 2012

In its bid to boost rice production and employment opportunities, the Kwara State Government yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on rice cultivation, processing and packaging with a Spain-based Vasolar Consortium.
In the arrangement, the consortium would contribute N70 billion over a period of four years while the state government would make 20,000 hectares of land available for the project as its own contribution to the project.

In his opening remark at the ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Investment to the state governor, Mr. Yomi Ogunsola said the consortium would also be responsible for sponsoring farmers in the state for overseas training on rice production and processing.
According to him, the project would be in four modus with 5,000 hectares per year and is expected to produce 40,000 tons of rice per year which is expected to be run over four years.

Speaking after signing the MoU, the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed said the event marked another giant stride in his administration’s determination to use commercial agriculture as bastion of economic growth of the state.  Ahmed who pointed out that majority of the people of the state were peasant farmers noted that the new arrangement would make it easy for them to transform from peasant farming practice to commercial farming.
“We want to move agriculture from peasant level to commercial level in order to improve upon the state’s economy. Lessons have been learnt from the Shonga commercial farming initiative and we are using the experience gained from there to further enhance agricultural practice in the state,” he said.

The governor added that aside from employment generation, job opportunities for the rural dwellers, the new rice production project would assist the state in getting the youths positively engaged. He added: “The proceeds from this project would further enhance the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR). This is because the market is huge because of the fact that rice is consumed everywhere in the world.”

He expressed confidence in the ability of Vasolar group to deliver the good. Earlier, the leader of the Vasolar Consortium, Mr. Niguel Anyon Garkardo Macais had commended Governor Ahmed for his initiative while noting that the nation had not been able to exploit its agricultural potentials.

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BAYELSA GUBER: DICKSON BEGINS CAMPAIGN

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Bayelsa guber: Dickson begins campaign
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Friday January 27, 2012

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the February governorship elections in Bayelsa, House of Representatives member, Henry Seriake Dickson, in his bid to penetrate the grassroots for electoral victory has inaugurated 1,500 volunteers from 300 communities in the state in the Keme-to-Keme (Person-to-Person) campaign strategy.
Dickson who expressed happiness that the PDP was not alone in the agenda to restore Bayelsa to its lost glory noted that the efforts of the volunteers would go a long way to ensure that the reign of the present administration came to an end.

He said, “I want to thank all of you for believing in our vision to change Bayelsa State. With volunteers like you, the crusade has just started. We are happy that the PDP is not alone as you have bought into the new vision to transform Bayelsa State. Just spread the gospel and I assure you that the days of destruction are over; the days of under development are over and the days of wasteful venture are over in Bayelsa. We must build new roads, new infrastructure, revive our educational system, health sector and power.

“In Bayelsa State as we talk now, we are faced with what I call arrested development or arrested destiny faced with underdevelopment in the face of huge allocation. We don’t even know how they spend our money or use our resources, your resources. They seat in Abuja and apply state funds and share with their allies to pursue things that are not beneficial to me and you. With available funds, we can build roads to Oporoma, Nembe, Brass, Agge and so on. We can also create new employment. For us, we will run a government that will not abuse state powers.”

The initiator and coordinator of the Keme-to-Keme, Dr. Stella Dorgu, said the team of volunteers was committed to the cause of enthroning good governance in the state. She said the 1,500 team spread across the eight local government areas would go from door-to-door to spread the message of change brought by the Dickson/Jonah PDP gubernatorial ticket to develop the state.
Meanwhile, at the commencement of governorship campaigns in Yenagoa, Dickson accused Sylva of allegedly misappropriating public funds belonging to Bayelsa State.

While lamenting that Yenagoa did not befit the status of a state capital, Dickson declared that he would launch a new campaign modus operandi, “Operation Vote Them Out”, so that the new administration could implement the Yenagoa masterplan.
“The situation in our dear state is what I call arrested development or arrested destiny. No development is taking place in Bayelsa State for now.

“The people are very desperate and because they know they have not done well, they are afraid. Instead of using the state resources to build roads and other things, they are buying bombs and training our boys. But with your prayers and support, a new dawn has come in Bayelsa. Please, turn out en mass during the election and vote for change. We have to vote out those who are playing bazaar with our resources.”

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Burundians to officiate Simba, Kiyovu match

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TFF information officer Boniface Wambura

The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has picked Burundians to officiate a Confederation Cup preliminary round encounter pitting Tanzania’s Simba SC and Rwanda’s Kiyovu.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Information Officer, Boniface Wambura on Thursday named the referees as Thierry Nkurinziza (central referee) to be assisted by Jean-Claude Birumushahu and Jean-Marie Hakizimana. CAF has appointed Uganda’s Abbas Sendyowa, match commissioner.

The match to be played on February 18 at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda and the return leg tie is planned for March 4 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.  Meanwhile, Tanzanian Leslie Liunda will be the match commissioner when AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plays Athletico Olympique of Burundi in preliminary round of CAF Champions League.

The match to be played on either February 17, 18 and 19 in Kinshasa will be officiated by Gabonese Mbourou Roponat, Wilfred Nziengu and David Obamba. Match commissioner will be Eugene Katamban from Uganda. Wambura said the return leg encounter has been listed on either March 2, 3 and 4 in Bujumbura, Burundi.

By NELLY MTEMA, Tanzania Daily News

Mt. Gorilla rally brought forward

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This year’s Rwanda Mt. Gorilla rally has been brought forward to September 13-15 by the World Motor Sports Council.

A World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting held in Singapore late last year confirmed that the three-day event, which also counts as a round on the FIA Africa Rally Championship, would be held in September.

The opening round (Zimbabwe Challenge Rally) is penciled for March 16-18 and will be followed by the Sasol Rally of South Africa in April (19-21), Zambia international rally in May (11-13) and the KCB Safari Rally in June (8-10).

The championship will then head to Uganda for the KCB Pearl of Africa rally in July (13-15) before crossing to Tanzania for the Kobil rally in August (24-26).

The final round (Madagascar international rally) will be held in November (16-18).

Jean Yves Ranarivelo of Madagascar beat Davite Giancarlo to win last year’s Mt. Gorilla Rally. Burundi’s Valery Bukera claimed the final podium slot.

2012 FIA African Rally Championship calendaToyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally

Sasol Rally -South Africa
Zambia International Rally
KCB Safari Rally
KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally
Kobil Rally of Tanzania
KCB Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally
Rally International Madagascarr

By Bonnie Mugabe, The New Times

United Nations: Who ordered the cocaine?

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Experts said the drugs had a street value of $2 million (AFP/Getty Images/File, Joe Raedle)

UNITED NATIONS — A 16 kilo (35.5 pounds) consignment of cocaine that Mexican drug traffickers recently lost has turned up in an unlikely place — the United Nations in New York.

Police and UN officials Thursday described how two fake UN bags containing the drugs — which experts said had a street value of about $2 million — set off a security alert when they were delivered, apparently by accident, to the the global body’s headquarters.

The bags, which had the UN symbol printed on them, were shipped from Mexico through the DHL delivery company’s center in Cincinnati, Ohio, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne of the New York Police Department told AFP.

But the bags had no address on them, nor any return to sender details.

“It is my understanding that because there was no addressee, the DHL just thought well that’s the UN symbol so we should ship it on to UN headquarters and let them figure out who it was supposed to go to,” Browne said.

But the two UN bags were “obvious fakes” and were quickly intercepted by security staff when they arrived on January 16. The bags contained about 14 hard cover books which had been hollowed to create space for the cocaine.

“The working theory now is that possibly it was never meant to have left Mexico at all,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that the bags were “a bad fake”.

“Somebody in Mexico is probably in trouble now having let a significant amount of cocaine out of their possession,” he added.

UN officials said the bags were like flour sacks but were the wrong color or material to be any kind of official bag. “It was not a diplomatic pouch. That I can say categorically,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.

Nshimiyimana happy with Kiyovu draw

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Isonga captain Emery Bayisenge scored for the youthful side on Wednesday. The New Times / T. Kisambira

Isonga coach Eric Nshimiyimana believes his side is making positive strides in their debut season in the Primus League.

Isonga bounced back from a 2-1 defeat in their last league match (against defending champions APR) to hold SC Kiyovu to a 1-all draw at Kigali Regional Stadium on Wednesday.

“I think we played well against Kiyovu. The coordination is finally starting to show and I know that we shall get even better once we play more games,” the former APR coach said.

Isonga skipper Emery Bayisenge put Isonga in front from the spot-kick at the stroke of half time but the green baggies secured a point thanks to a fine header from new recruit Simon Okwi.

The result kept Kiyovu fourth on the league table with 21 points while Isonga jumped out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

The youthful side is on level points (six) with Nyanza, Espoir and AS Kigali.

On Sunday, Isonga will travel to Etincelles.

Primus League
Kiyovu 1-1 Isonga

By Bonnie Mugabe, The New Times

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