CELEBRATING A LABOUR ICON

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Celebrating a Labour icon
On February 1, 2012

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not

Attained by sudden flight, but they, while their

Companions slept, were toiling upwards

In the night”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [1907 – 1882]

THIS quote is very apt and best described the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Ngozicheneke Wogu, CON who has distinguished himself as a member of the Federal Executive Council of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for two consecutive terms.

His appointment as Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity must have been a divine ordination to coincide with deepening global financial and economic crisis. He is indeed a gift to all Nigerian workers.

Chief Wogu was born on the 29th day of January 1965 in Umuahia Abia State South East of Nigeria. He enrolled and completed both Primary and Secondary Schools. Chief Wogu proceeded to the then Imo State University for his legal study, and finished in 1986 and proceeded to  the Nigeria Law School in 1987.

In preparation for the onerous task he is now saddled with, Chief Emeka Wogu was appointed a two-term Commissioner, at the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission [RMAFC]. Where he served as one of the longest serving Commissioners, on the Board of the Commission. His assignments and responsibilities at the Commission honed his dispute resolution skills and sharpened his capacity to constructively engage on various national socio_economic issues.

The Administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR must have seen these sterling qualities, experience and credentials before reappointing the Aba-born arbitrator to be in charge of the teaming workforce of the federation. No wonder he is at home with reconciling the various conflicting labour management interest, conciliating, mediating and resolving disputes at the workplace to guarantee the nation industrial peace and harmony for economic growth and prosperity.

As a fellow of the chartered Nigeria Institute of Management, Chief Wogu has mastered the fine principles of conflict management and succeeded in institutionalising the concept and practice of social dialogue and consultation among the three social partners. As an impartial arbiter and strong advocate of ‘decent work and social protection’, the Honourable Minister was a member of the committee that negotiated and processed for enactment a new National Minimum Wage Act after 10 years.

The debate, rugged negotiation and understanding that culminated in the new wage regime are glowing testimonies to Chief Wogu’s commitment to uplifting the general welfare of Nigerian workers.

In the task of nation building through appropriate policy formulation and implementation, Chief Emeka Wogu has made his mark as evidenced in his role in the recently initiated removal of subsidy in the Premium Motor Spirit [PMS] policy of the federal government. He reasoned, dialogued and engaged the organised labour on the expected benefits of the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. While sharing due understanding on the anticipated short-term pains of the policy implementation, the Minister repeatedly appealed to members of his immediate constituent to trust government and give the policy chance to yield the envisaged massive derivatives.

It is on record that during his tenure as the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity that pay relativity in salaries of the Federal Civil Servants have been restored.

This has put to rest the age-long struggles in the Service. Also to his credit is the enactment of the Employee’s Compensation Act 2010 which is an additional social protection floor for all workers who may sustain injury at the workplace. Under his leadership, a National Productivity Policy is at its final stage of approval and implementation.

National Policy on Productivity Measurement, legislative in the Oil and Gas industry with respect to casual and contract staffing, local content policy on employment among others.

At the international fora, Chief Emeka Wogu led Nigeria’s delegations to International Labour Organization Conferences [ILC] and other African Regional Labour Summits. His dream to create jobs and source for technical support in the area of job creation resulted in the visit of ILO Director of Employment Mr. Manuel Salazar to the country late last year.   Chief Wogu did not forget the adage that “charity begins at home”.

Under his able leadership, the Headquarter of the Ministry is wearing a new look. He has provided basic working facilities, extra office accommodation for staff and a great deal of other incentives increase such as capacity building to improve staff productivity.

He was able to accomplish all these through the support and cooperation of the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Anthony Ozodinobi, Directors, Heads of Parastals and the entire staff members of the Ministry who stood by him during the trying days of national strikes and lockouts.

The entire staff of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity as well as the workforce of Nigeria celebrate with our own high-flier on the occasion marking the celebration of your 47th Birthday

Mr. SAMUEL OLOWOOKERE, asst. dir.(Press) wrote from Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity

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MAIN ONE BUILDS OWN NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

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Main One builds own network infrastructure
On February 1, 2012 · In Technology

By Prince Osuagwu

Submarine cable company, MainOne has announced expansion of its infrastructure to enable people in other parts of the country access its services.  Before this expansion, MainOne had huge presence in Lagos where scores of businesses depend on its services for cheap and reliable broadband services.

The company said the expansion was necessary due to its determination to adequately service the huge market potential in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Making the disclosure, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Ms Funke Opeke, explained that the investment became imperative in view of the increasing demand her company was recording on a daily basis.

According to her, many people have discovered the need for better access to the internet at a very fast and cheap rate and they also want to be able to use new kinds of applications, as well as access different types of content.

She however regretted the lack of a national backbone infrastructure on an open-access basis, which in her opinion, militates against transportation of capacity within Nigeria. She lamented that connecting people from the company’s landing point in Nigeria to London costs less than connecting people across Lagos.

She however, stated that she was not surprised with the huge market potentials Main One now has, because “I had hoped for the high demand when I first started sketching out my business plans far back in 2007,” she said.

Besides servicing the internet needs of the country, Opeke said that there were also plans to extend the cable down the coast to South Africa and connect it with Seacom, the underwater East African fibre-optic cable that became fully operational in 2009.

For her, the fibre-optic cable facility she launched in 2010 has an unmatched capacity of 1.92 terabits a second and provides open-access, broadband services in Nigeria and Ghana with further plans to commence operations in other West Africa countries.

The Main One Cable, connects West Africa with Europe, providing ultra-fast broadband in the region, even as it runs from Lagos through Accra in Ghana to Seixal in Portugal and branches out in Ivory Coast, Senegal, Canary Islands and Morocco.

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Ridge Hospital expedite action to discharge children

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Accra, Feb.1, GNA – The Paediatrics Unit of Ridge Regional Hospital in Accra, is expediting action to discharge children on admission to make way for more cases due to the closure of the Children’s Department of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra about the measures put in place after the closure of the Children’s Department, Dr Nana Sereboe, Physician Paediatric in-charge said there many children had been discharged but their parents could not afford their bills and were being detained at the hospital.

She explained that the Unit was liaising with the Social Worker assigned to the hospital to find solution to the problem.

“The Social Worker is mobilising funds to pay for the bills for those who cannot afford to decongest the four-room Unit, which could admit 31 patients.”

Management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Friday, January 27 announced closure of the Children’s Emergency Ward indefinitely as a result of the outbreak of bacterial infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.
The closure was to enable the management clean and disinfect the ward to rid it of the bacteria.

Re-opening of the ward would be announced as soon as the problem was solved.
Dr Sereboe said the unit was prepared should they have any of such cases.

She called for the establishment of isolation wards in every hospital to cater for such eventualities and help ease pressure on the regular facilities.

Dr Obeng Apuri, Medical Director of Ridge Hospital reiterated the need for the establishment of an ultra modern regional hospital that would have the state of the art facilities.

I Paid Woyome GHC51m under ‘Pressure’ – Duffuor

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Duffuor Reveals Paying Woyome GHC51m Under ‘Pressure’

In the wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding ‘the Woyome judgment debt payment saga’, The New Crusading GUIDE newspaper has intercepted a document which indicates that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning was virtually ‘pressurized’ by the Attorney General (AG) in a letter dated April 29, 2010, to pay Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome “what was due him. ”
In an official letter addressed to the President through the Chief of Staff at the Osu Castle, the Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, mentioned that his ministry, by a letter dated April 12, 2010, asked the AG to clarify the petitioner’s (Woyome’s) claim of right to the amount.
Dr. Duffuor, in his letter titled: “report on payment of judgment debt to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome”, informed the Office of the President that “the Attorney General specifically advised that the claim for 2% of the total value of the project that Mr. Woyome and Austro-Investment engineered, which they have agreed should be paid to Mr. Woyome, was in order and thus recommended that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning should pay the amount due. ”
It will be recalled that President Mills, in an interview with an Accra-based radio station, Radio Gold on the Woyome saga, announced that he had ordered the two ministries involved – the Attorney General’s Department and the Finance Ministry – to give him a report, which would be published “so that the world would know what happened. ”
The Finance Minister’s letter (published on page 2) in response to the President’s directive, went on to explain to him (President) that “as a result of this ministry’s refusal to comply with the above, the Attorney General followed up with letter dated 28th may, 2010 stating that as a result of the position taken by the ministry of finance and economic planning, Mr. Woyome had gone to court and obtained judgment on 24th may in the sum of GHS 25,000. 00, giving a total of GHS 51, 283,480. 59. ”
According to the correspondence which is dated January 6, 2012, the Minister, among other things, recalled that his Ministry went ahead to negotiate with solicitors of Mr. Woyome to pay the money in three equal installments.
“Even as the Ministry was in the process of paying the first installment as agreed during the first week in July, 2010, the Attorney General surprisingly went to court for a stay of execution which was refused on 9th July, 2010,” the Minister submitted in his letter – which was also copied to the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama.
Meanwhile, a copy of the said AG’s letter which directed the Finance Ministry to make the payment partly reads, “it will be recalled that the claim is for project financial engineering fees by Mr. Woyome and Austro-Invest. The financial arrangements were made in respect of the concurrent approval given by the central review board for the award of contract to Vamed Engineering, who transferred its rights in the project to waterville holdings (copies of letter of transfer and acceptance attached) and (copy of letter of central tender review board dated 5th august 2005 attached). It was in these circumstances that the then government terminated the entire process. ”
The AG, in his letter which is also available to this paper said, “it is my opinion that this letter dated 5th August 2005 formed the basis of a binding agreement between Vamed and the government of Ghana and the process having been terminated wrongfully by the government, the claimants were entitled to compensation for services rendered. ”

 

KNUST TEWU To Receive Salary On Friday

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The Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), George Smith Graham has disclosed that members of the Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology are expected to receive their salary arrears this week.
He added that: “Information available to me is that it is only KNUST that has submitted its audited account to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and last week the minister signed the letter for KNUST and I understand that it is with the Controller [and Accountant Generals Department] and Controller is going to pay that money any moment between today [Tuesday] and maybe tomorrow [Wednesday], that’s if it has not already been paid.”
“If there are delays in the audit process, in the institutions, I would expect that the unions will also get themselves involved so far as these issues are concerned because they are the very people who are working in those departments and they need to come together and help the institution to fast track whatever auditing that is going on and when that is done, they would be paid, ” Mr Graham told Citi FM, a local radio station in Accra.
His comments come on the back of several agitations by the KNUST TEWU who are reported to have locked lecture halls and even attacking some students who raised issues with their sit-down strike.
He called on TEWU to actively take part in the auditing process of their salaries to fast track payments.

Kufuor Insists On Five-Year Term For President

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Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has reiterated his call for Ghana to increase her presidential tenure of office from the present four years to five years, with two terms.
Mr. Kufuor in his last sectional address before exiting office in 2009 advocated a five-year tenure of office for a President. Speaking on GBC URA Radio in Bolgatanga on Friday, the former President explained that Ghana is a developing country and one may get elected into office as President without any background in public administration and not knowing how the civil service works.
According to Mr. Kufuor, the first year is often used to get the team members in place and also to learn the rudiments of governance, while the second year is used to launch policies; meaning the political leadership would have to be in control of the civil service, where the policies are worked and formulated, to be captured in the bills that are submitted to Parliament to make laws and policies.
After their implementation to translate these policies into projects such as building roads, hospitals and schools, the second year would have gone. He said in the third year when these projects would have matured and people are beginning to appreciate what the government is capable of doing, it would have been entering into its fourth year – the election year. “The election year gets to be like a mad year. All the politicians want to retain power so you can’t focus on the work of government.
For that reason, I thought for a five-year turn for a developing country that needs to have good laws and policies to be implemented to serve the needs of people. “If we have a five-year term, the third year would see to the maturing of policies and laws, the fourth year will see the good policies that would serve the nation. By the fifth year when people are canvassing for power, the good works can be judged by all”, he stressed.
He said when he was invited by the Constitutional Review Commission, he stated this position to the committee and hoped it would be considered.
On the Woyome saga, Mr. Kufuor said “we have been misconstrued”. He said the NPP are demanding a transparent public commission so that anybody whose name has been mentioned would be put before the public commission to be openly quizzed. “My government didn’t give any contract to Woyome. If they say we gave a contract to Woyome, then put Kufour before this commission and quiz Kufour for the truth to come out, and I will do the same with the present government. But I can assure you that my government never gave any contract to Woyome”, the ex-President stated.
Responding to a question about his feeling on the upcoming general elections, he said he was hopeful the elections would be free and fair, if the EC is up to the task.
The Chronicle

PDP VS ANSIEC: COURT FIXES FEB 22 FOR HEARING

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PDP vs ANSIEC: Court fixes Feb 22 for hearing
On February 1, 2012 · In News

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

AWKA—THE Federal High Court sitting in Awka has fixed February 22, 2012, for hearing on suit filed by Anambra State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, against the federal and state governments, as well as the state Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, for not conducting local government elections in the state.

When the case came up yesterday, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Olayiwola, wondered why ANSIEC was not represented, adding that the absence of ANSIEC in court made him uncomfortable.

The state government was represented by C.C Agali of the state Ministry of Justice, while the PDP was represented by Mr. Izuchukwu Nsofor.

Counsel to PDP, Nsofor, had urged the court to commence hearing, alleging that the defendants were deliberately delaying the hearing of the case to buy time.

He said all the parties to the case had been duly served, adding that the time allowed for the defendants to reply had also elapsed.

But counsel to the state government, Agali, asked for more time to enable the state attorney general get  proper briefing on the matter since he would be the one to handle the case.

State chairman of PDP, Chief Kenneth Emeakayi, who was in court with hundreds of members of the party, said PDP decided to bring the matter in defense of the fundamental human rights of its members when it was obvious that the state government was not prepared to conduct the exercise.

According to him, the people at the grass root are being denied dividends of democracy because of lack of democratic government as stipulated by the constitution at that level.

He explained that essentially, PDP was praying the court to order the state government to conduct election that would enthrone democratically elected officials at the local government level.

He said the party was also praying the court to restrain the federal government from disbursing money meant for the 21 local government areas of the state to people not elected until the local government was conducted.

He added  that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, should henceforth put Anambra State local government allocation into an escrow account pending the conduct of the election.

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CLERIC CAUTIONS AGAINST PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS

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Cleric cautions against provocative statements
On February 1, 2012 · In News

By FESTUS AHON
UGHELLI—A member of the National Advisory Council of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop Simeon Okah, has advised religious leaders in Delta State against making provocative statements which could threaten the existing peace between Muslims and Christians in the state.

Okah, who is the Bishop of Flock of Christ Mission, Warri, gave the charge while reacting to a report credited to Mr Sadiq Musa, a Muslim leader in the state.

He said: “The comments of the Muslim leader tend to cast aspersions on the national president of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, a respected leader of all Christians in the country, who is held in very high esteem in Delta State.

“The call by Pastor Ayo on Christians in the North to defend themselves against Boko Haram was a precautionary measure to avoid being killed and not an incitement to fight as erroneously portrayed by Musa.”

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How can I get affordable flights to New York to Palm Beach in Florida?

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Question by Kelvin C : How to get affordable flights to New York to Palm Beach in Florida
I travel with my family in NYC Lagauardia Airport in Palm Beach, Florida. I leave the 13th in NYC July 17th and will be back. We are a family of 5 and all flights ot Palm Beach, Florida is more than $ 230th Is it possible that I can get the cheapest flight? Best Answer:
Response

MomSezNo
at this late date, it is not likely to find bargains. If it is $ 230 round trip, it’s a good chance Kayak.com.Bonne prix.Essayez Orbitz.com or sites.

Add your response to comments!

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The Benefits of Rome Private Tours

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Let’s ensure effective monitoring of school feeding programme – KMA Boss

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The Implementation Committees of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) had been urged to closely monitor the management of the programme at all levels to ensure high level of efficiency.

Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, said they should do everything to ensure that meals for the school children are prepared under hygienic conditions and well-balanced to improve their health.

He said the food should also be ready on time to prevent any disruption of teaching and learning in the schools.

Mr Sarpong made the call at the opening of a two-day orientation workshop for caterers of the programme in the Ashanti Region at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi.

The goal was to expose them to best management and health practices.

Mr Sarpong said all should accept to play their expected roles well to help realize the twin objective of boosting school enrolment and make the economic situation of the local farmers better.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of some stakeholders whose actions and inactions, he said, were making it difficult to achieve the set objectives.

He urged the participants to take the workshop seriously for the success and sustenance of the programme.

Madam Anima Wilson, Deputy Regional Minister, spoke of the government’s determination to strengthen the management of the feeding programme.

Source: GNA

Farmers want money from liquidated rural bank

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Some farmers at Kenyasi in Asutifi District of Brong Ahafo Region have petitioned the President to help them to retrieve their monies from the liquidated Kenyasi branch of Tano Rural Bank.

Their monies totalling GH¢110,579.00 were deposited at the bank on behalf of the farmers by Newmont Ghana Gold limited as compensation for their lands acquired.

Abena Pomaah, spokesperson of the farmers presented the petition to Mr Eric Opoku, Deputy Regional Minister.

A copy of the petition made available to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, said they had tried several avenues including the court for the past six years to retrieve their monies but had not yielded any fruitful results.

“We are therefore making this passionate appeal to your office to help us retrieve our monies,” she said.

The farmers said the “sudden disappearance of the bank” had worsened their plight, making it difficult for them to further their wards’ education and to satisfy other important personal needs.

“As a result, our children have dropped out of school and have joined “galamsey” (illegal mining) and chain saw operators in the area”, Mr Awal Iddrisu, one of the farmers said.

Mr. Opoku expressed dismay about the issue and assured them that the necessary investigations would be conducted into the matter as soon as possible.

Source: GNA

Amber Rose Gets A Face Tattoo!

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Check out Amber Rose stepping out with a supposed new face tattoo. Inspired by Mike Tyson’s questionable infamous face tattoo, Amber was spotted out and about partying in Miami with BF Wiz Khalifa. I’m guessing it’s likely to be a fake but the 28-year-old wannabe singer was bold enough to sport a tribal inspired tattoo over her left eye. Time will tell if it’s a fake or if she has marked up her pretty face with a ridiculous tattoo!

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U.N. Council urged to act fast on Syria, Assad forces push back

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UNITED NATIONS/AMMAN (Reuters) – Arab and Western states urged the U.N. Security Council to act swiftly on a resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside as his forces reasserted control of Damascus suburbs on Tuesday after beating back rebels at the gates of the capital.

Syrian soldiers on an armoured military vehicle are seen in Deir Balaba, near Homs, January 31, 2012. REUTERS/Handout

The comments appeared designed to confront Russia over its reluctance to support the resolution and condemn Assad’s government for its violent suppression of the protests. Moscow’s U.N. envoy, however, said consensus was necessary and possible.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby asked the council for “rapid and decisive action” on a resolution to endorse the league’s demand that Assad delegate powers to his deputy and defuse the 10-month uprising against his family’s dynastic rule.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim warned the 15-nation body that Syria’s “killing machine is still at work.”

Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari hit back, telling the council Arab League leaders had put a negative spin on a report by the League’s monitors in Syria.

He sparred verbally with Sheikh Hamad, whose country has harshly criticized Syria and last year backed Western action in Libya that helped rebels take power. “Is Qatar a member of NATO or the Arab League?” Ja’afari asked with heavy sarcasm.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly backed the Arab League call for rapid Security Council action and warned that the violence was pushing Syria to the brink of civil war.

“We all have a choice: stand with the people of Syria and the region or become complicit in the continuing violence there,” she told the council, adding that the violence was “increasingly likely to spiral out of control.”

At the same time, Arab and Western nations attempted to allay Russian fears by making clear they were trying to avoid a Libyan-style foreign role in the Syrian crisis.

“We are not calling for a military intervention,” Sheikh Hamad said. “We are advocating the exertion of concrete economic pressure so that the Syrian regime might realize that it is imperative to meet the demands of its people.”

British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the council the resolution “does not call for military action and could not be used to authorize it.” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe described the idea of such intervention as a myth.

The fate of the resolution depends on whether Russia, one of Assad’s few remaining allies, can be persuaded not to veto the European-Arab draft resolution as Moscow and Beijing did to a European text in October that would have condemned Damascus and threatened it with sanctions.

Russian U.N. envoy Vitaly Churkin criticized the Arab League plan but said the inclusion of some of Russia’s ideas in the draft resolution was a positive sign.

“We found some of the elements of our text in it, and this gives rise for hope,” Churkin said, referring to an earlier Russian draft resolution on Syria that had been rejected by Western powers and the Arab League as too weak.

“We hope that the council will come to consensus on the Syrian issue, as is not only possible but also necessary.”

Diplomats have been haggling for days to find a text Moscow will not block, with a main sticking point being the degree to which it expresses support for the Arab plan for Assad to give up powers, U.N. diplomats said.

BATTLEFRONT

On the battlefront, activists in eastern districts of Damascus said troops fired in the air as they advanced beyond areas from which the defector Free Syrian Army withdrew, capping three days of fighting activists said had killed at least 100 people. Tanks also swarmed into the area.

“The suburbs are under an unannounced curfew. A small grocery shop opened this morning and soldiers came and beat the owner and forced him to shut down,” said an activist in the Ain Tarma neighborhood.

Others said residents of some eastern districts were allowed by advancing troops to flee their neighborhoods, but security forces in the district of Irbin had rounded up young men at gunpoint and detained them.

Events on the ground are difficult to confirm as the Syrian government restricts most access by journalists.

Activist groups said 25 people were killed on Monday in Damascus suburbs and dozens more died in other parts of the country, mostly in raids in and around the central city of Homs, which has seen some of the heaviest attacks by Assad’s forces.

The uprising against Assad – one of the most violent revolts of the “Arab Spring” – has entered a new phase in recent weeks, with an insurgency whose leadership is based in Turkey daring to show its face at the outskirts of the capital.

A last-ditch bid by Moscow to broker talks between Assad’s government and rebels foundered when the opposition refused to attend, citing the continued killing, torture and imprisonment of the president’s opponents.

Washington says countries need to accept that Assad’s rule is doomed and stop shielding him in the Security Council.

“I do not see how he can sustain his rule of Syria,” U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Tuesday.

One of Russia’s leading defense and security think-tanks, CAST, said Moscow could lose billions of dollars in military contracts with Assad if he is pushed aside.

A draft of the U.N. Security Council resolution obtained by Reuters emphasizes “the need to resolve the current crisis in Syria peacefully.” It does not authorize the use of force against Assad, though it includes a vague warning of possible “further measures” in the event of Syrian non-compliance.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for consensus among the council to stop the bloodshed, saying: “Every day tens of people are killed … It is crucially important for the Security Council to act on this.”

Assad’s forces appear to have decisively beaten back an attempt by the opposition to assert themselves near Damascus.

An activist said armed defectors mounted scattered attacks on government troops who advanced through the district of Saqba, held by rebels days earlier.

Rebel forays near the capital follow a negotiated victory in Zabadani – a town of 40,000 in mountains near the border with Lebanon – where government forces pulled back under a ceasefire.

Some rebel commanders have spoken of creating “liberated” territories to force diplomatic action.

Amor-backed troops entered al-Adawiya district in Homs, driving out Free Syrian Army rebels. Residents said tank bombardments and gunfire could be heard across the city in one of the heaviest barrages in weeks. Activists reported dozens of casualties and field hospitals full of wounded.

By Louis Charbonneau and Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Reuters

With Florida victory, Romney is the man to beat

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TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) – Mitt Romney’s victory in Florida’s Republican presidential primary has made him the man to beat in the race for the party’s nomination to challenge President Barack Obama, and February may prove fruitful for him as the race shifts on Wednesday to Nevada.

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney acknowledges supporters next to his wife Ann as his Florida primary night rally in Tampa, Florida January 31, 2012. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

After pounding his nearest rival Newt Gingrich with negative advertisements, Romney rolled to an impressive triumph on Tuesday night in Florida, winning 46 percent of the vote to Gingrich’s 32 percent in a key battleground state.

The next contest in the state-by-state battle for the Republican nomination to face Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 U.S. election is in Nevada, which holds caucuses on Saturday. That is followed next Tuesday by caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota and a primary in Missouri.

Gingrich and Romney will be in Nevada on Wednesday.

The well-organized and well-financed Romney has now won two of the first four contests, also capturing New Hampshire while coming in second in Iowa and South Carolina.

Romney’s win in Florida got his campaign back on track after the staggering loss to Gingrich in South Carolina 10 days earlier. But with Gingrich vowing to fight on for months, the race remains far from over.

This means there is the potential for a lengthy, divisive battle that could damage the party’s chances of denying Obama re-election in November.

Romney may face questions about the negative tactics he has used to dispatch Gingrich. Florida media were awash with millions of dollars in ads that focused on Gingrich’s ethical troubles while speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1990s and questioning his conservative bonafides.

Gingrich’s ads were equally negative against Romney. He just got outspent.

Romney hopes the seven state contests in February will cement his status as the runaway front-runner and make Gingrich a non-factor.

In his victory speech in Tampa on Tuesday, Romney held his fire against his Republican rivals. Instead, he took aim at Obama. Romney stressed his belief that he can turn around the U.S. economy based on his experience as a private equity executive and former governor of Massachusetts.

“President Obama wants to grow government and continue to amass trillion dollar deficits. I will not just slow the growth of government, I will cut it. I will not just freeze government’s share of the total economy, I will reduce it. And without raising taxes, I will finally balance the budget,” he said.

A bruised and battered Gingrich aims to ride out February and hang on until March when the Southern states he wants to win come into play. He needs to raise money and build a better organization. If the Florida outcome is any indication, he faces a hard fight ahead.

“It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate,” Gingrich said on Tuesday night.

Former U.S. senator Rick Santorum, who won in Iowa, came in third in Florida, followed by U.S. congressman Ron Paul.

By Steve Holland, Reuters

Kenya shilling firms ahead of rate setting meeting

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NAIROBI, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Tight liquidity and lack of dollar demand in Kenya’s currency market on Wednesday helped the shilling firm 0.7 percent ahead of a rate decision by the central bank later in the day.

A Reuters poll showed the central bank is likely to leave its key rate unchanged at 18 percent, sticking to a tight policy stance to maintain support for the currency and ensure inflation keeps heading down.

The shilling, which firmed 1.2 percent to its highest level this year on Tuesday, was posted at 83.30/50 per dollar at 0716 GMT, stronger than Tuesday’s close of 83.90/84.10.

“Lack of dollar demand is what is helping the shilling. As long as there is no access to credit because of the high interest rates the shilling will continue strengthening,” said Kennedy Butiko, deputy head of Treasury at Bank of Africa.

“Inflation is still in double digits, which is still high and we expect the MPC to hold the central bank rate,” he said.

Inflation in the east Africa’s biggest economy fell for a second straight month to 18.31 percent in January from 18.93 percent in December.

Since a dramatic collapse of the shilling in the middle of last year, the central bank has moved to support the currency with high interest rates and money market operations to keep a tight rein on supply of the domestic currency.

“The next target is 83.00, but if we breach that then 82.00 will come into play,” said Ignatius Chicha, head of markets at Citibank.

“With the tight liquidity and lack of dollar orders, guys stuck with dollars are selling to fund shilling positions.”

Reporting by Kevin Mwanza, Reuters

A year after the Independence Referendum – Dashed dreams and lost hope?

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A man holds up South Sudan’s new flag as South Sudanese children rehearse their dance routine, to be performed at half time during South Sudan’s national soccer team’s match with Kenya as part of the independence day celebrations, in Juba July 7, 2011. Southern Sudanese in the country-in-waiting’s capital are sprucing up streets, confiscating black market guns and trying to impose order on frenetic traffic to make sure independence day goes smoothly on Saturday. REUTERS/Paul Banks/UNMIS/Handout (SUDAN – Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Just over a year ago did the results of the independence referendum come in, with near 100 percent approval by those eligible to cast their vote, setting the stage for the mid July 2011 Independence from the former slave masters in Khartoum. 12 months on, and 6 months into Independence, the mood however has now changed across the Southern Sudan. External aggression by regime troops, who engaged in large scale ethnic cleansing and a policy of burned earth in three states still awaiting their own say about their future, Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, aerial bombings of UN refugee camps located in the South and the renewed use of proxy militias to ferment trouble inside the Southern Sudan, have of late combined with an economic challenge to the new government of unprecedented proportions.

Following constant allegations of the Khartoum regime stealing oil and diverting Southern oil, blocking of ships to leave with Southern oil on board from Port Sudan, has the Juba based government decreed in January that all oil production be halted, while signing an MoU with Kenya for the construction of an oil pipeline to the Kenyan coast to have an alternative outlet to the sea for exporting their oil.

That said, the lack of constant oil sales also affects the cash flow for the new country and instantly translated to sharply reduced trade with the region, affecting the manufacture and sale of goods from mainly Uganda and Kenya, Southern Sudans two most important trading partners. The resulting lack of goods on the local markets in Juba and across the country is driving inflation and slowing down projects depending on sourcing building materials, adding to the challenges the Southern Sudan is already faced with caused by a hostile neighbour in the North.

A parallel black market has now started to emerge for US Dollars and other hard currencies fueled by the demand for the greenback and in recent days opening a differential to the official exchange rates of as much as 50 percent. Tourism, as explained previously, has also not stepped up enough to bring in more than just a small trickle of adventure tourists, failing to attract greater attention and numbers due to the perceived lack of security but also due to a lack of a regulatory regime, which has not taken off so as to reassure hospitality and tour operators of legal certainties in regard of their present or planned operations.

Said a regular source from Juba earlier in the week:

This is all the doing of the regime in Khartoum, waging a covert war against us through militias, driving hundreds of thousands of Africans off their land in Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Abyei and burdening us with refugees. Their economic blockades and theft of our oil has made it even worse as they are now fighting us economically too, but they themselves are suffering just as much. That regime is also on its last leg now as internal dissent is growing over economic hardships and they are now left with few choices. Bashir lost the South according to his own hardliners and now has to bring something back, so we are guarding our oil fields. Production has been reduced and in part stopped and these installations are now guarded day and night because there are people in Khartoum who want to steal our oilfields back. We are looking at our East African partners and the international community to prevail upon the Bashir regime to stop what they are doing before it is too late.

Watch this space as this latest scenario unfolds in Southern Sudan and how it will economically and politically impact on the East African region.

IMF’s Thomsen says Greece must step up reform

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ATHENS (Reuters) – Debt-laden and recession-hit Greecemust accelerate structural reforms and slow down on deficit reduction, the head of the IMF’s inspection team for Greece was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) chief of mission Poul Thomsen addresses the audience during an economic conference in Athens December 14, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Yiorgos Karahalis

Austerity policies imposed on Greece in 2010 in exchange for a 110-billion euro EU/IMF bailout have prompted social unrest, plunging Greece into a deeper-than-expected recession.

A second bailout, currently under discussion, must focus on fast reforms to make the economy more competitive, the IMF’s Poul Thomsen told Greek newspaper Kathimerini.

“We will have to slow down a little as far as fiscal adjustment is concerned and move faster – much faster – with implementing reforms,” he said in remarks published in Greek.

Greece and its international lenders, the EU and the IMF, are only days away from completing talks on the second bailout, which Athens needs urgently to avert a chaotic default next month, Thomsen said.

“Talks about the program will be completed very soon, it is a matter of days,” he said. As part of the reforms, Greece may have to lower its minimum wage and cut holiday bonuses in the private sector, he added.

Thomsen said, however, that before the new deal can be agreed, the IMF needs assurances that Greece’s major parties would stick to its basic outline after elections scheduled for this year.

“We need assurances that whoever is in power after the election and reasonably wishes to make some changes in economic policy will be in line with the targets and the basic framework of the agreement,” he was quoted as saying by the paper.

Thomsen reiterated the IMF’s position that Greece’s public sector creditors may need to participate in a restructuring of its debt, alongside its private sector creditors. He said Greek banks should not be nationalized as part of efforts to recapitalize them. “We don’t want the state to run banks,” he said.

Reporting by Harry Papachristou, Reuters

Heavy fighting in Pakistan tribal areas kills dozens

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PARACHINAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistani fighter jets bombed militant hideouts in tribal areas near the Afghan border on Wednesday, officials said, capping two days of the fiercest fighting in weeks triggered by attacks by the Pakistani Taliban.

The attacks likely make exploratory peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) more unlikely than ever, with 78 Taliban and 10 Pakistani soldiers killed and scores more injured in the fighting.

The TTP, al Qaeda, and the Afghan Taliban movement fighting Western forces in Afghanistan are entrenched in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal areas.

A series of military offensives have failed to break the group.

Wednesday’s air strike was in response to an earlier Taliban attack on a security post that killed 10 Pakistani soldiers and wounded 32 others, security officials said.

Pakistani jets bombed two militant positions in the Jogi area of the Kurram tribal region, killing 12 TTP militants and six Uzbeks.

The jets then hit more militant positions in the nearby Mamozai area in the Orakzai tribal region, killing 20 militants and two senior commanders, officials added.

“Local TTP commanders Mullah Toofan and Maulvi Moinuddin’s hideouts were targeted and destroyed,” a local military official told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak to the media. “We have reports of 20 militants killed, including Moinuddin.”

The death toll provided by the Pakistani military could not be independently verified and militants often dispute official accounts. A local TTP spokesman said the two commanders were alive.

Some government officials and local tribesmen insisted the militants were killed by missiles fired from remotely piloted U.S. drones, but the Pakistani military denied this.

“Our own fighter jets pounded four of their main training centers in Mamozai,” a senior Pakistan army official in Orakzai said.

Pakistan’s army and air force have been conducting operations against militants in Kurram since the beginning of the year. Fighting has been particularly intense in Jogi.

Exploratory peace talks between Pakistan and the TTP have made little progress so far, and previous peace deals have failed to improve security.

At least four soldiers and 30 militants were killed during clashes last week.

By Ali Afzaal and Jibran Ahmad, Reuters

Gaddafi daughter applies to ICC over jailed brother

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ALGIERS (Reuters) – The daughter of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi asked on Tuesday to make representations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to help her brother Saif al-Islam, who is in a Libyan jail awaiting trial on rape and murder charges.

Aisha Gaddafi, daughter of Libya”s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, gestures during a pro-government rally at the heavily fortified Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli April 14, 2011. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi

Aisha Gaddafi wants to hand information to the court about the welfare of Saif al-Islam, who has also been indicted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity dating from Libya’s civil war last year.

Supporters of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was captured disguised as a Bedouin in the Sahara desert in November, say they doubt he will be given a fair trial in Libya. They say he should be tried instead by the ICC in The Hague.

If he is found guilty by a Libyan court, Saif al-Islam faces the death penalty while if the court in the Hague convicts him the most he can be given is a prison term.

A document submitted to the ICC for Aisha Gaddafi suggested that the Libyan authorities were unwilling to let any foreign lawyer act for Saif al-Islam.

“Aisha Gaddafi wishes to protect the interests of her brother,” said the document, which was seen by Reuters.

Saif al-Islam, the most high-profile of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, is the subject of wrangling between the new Libyan authorities and the ICC on where he should be tried.

Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council says he should be tried at home and that he will be given a fair hearing. But the ICC has reserved the right to insist that he be sent to the Hague.

The ICC has jurisdiction over the case because it issued a warrant last year for the arrest of Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam, and the Libyan leader’s intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi.

All three were indicted on charges of crimes against humanity. The charges related to failed attempts by Libyan security forces to put down a revolt last year which eventually ended Gaddafi’s 42-year rule.

Aisha Gaddafi asked the court to be able to give information to the ICC about attempts she has made to contact Saif al-Islam, and two telephone interviews with Libya’s deputy prosecutor, showed the document, which was signed by her lawyer Nicholas Kaufman.

“From these telephone conversations, it may be inferred that the Libyan authorities who purport to be investigating and prosecuting Saif al-Islam Gaddafi refuse to deal with international legal counsel,” Kaufman said in the document.

The information, which was not disclosed in the document, would be filed confidentially, Kaufman said.

Muammar Gaddafi was killed after rebel fighters captured him near his hometown of Sirte in October. His intelligence chief is reported to have been captured but his location is unknown.

Saif al-Islam is being held in the town of Zintan, southwest of the Libyan capital, which is the base of the militia which captured him.

Aisha Gaddafi, along with her mother Safiya, her brother Hannibal, her half-brother Mohammed and other family members, fled Libya around the time that rebel forces took control of the capital in August.

They are in an unknown location in the neighbouring country of Algeria after the government there took them in on what it said were humanitarian grounds.

By Christian Lowe, Reuters

The Informer’s Mediocrity Exposed

Akua Bonsu
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Akua Bonsu

One of the very first things a newspaper must get right is its ability to construct sentences free of grammatical errors. It may employ editors who are not so bright; it can decide to side with political parties who are clearly on the wrong side of posterity; and it can even sell only a few dozen copies and sustain itself with money criminally looted from the national coffers. But when a newspaper cannot publish articles that are free of grammatical errors, it has crossed the line, and it must bow in shame.

One of the “NDC rented press” facilities known as The Informer, after committing a laughable blunder of characterizing the likes of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Hanna Bissiw, and Fiifi Kwetey as “intellectuals,” apparently salivated at the prospect of picking up a fight with NPP-USA and elected to publish an article appearing on Ghanaweb on Monday January 30, 2012 to further that cause. But there was a problem – The Informer’s writers cannot write.

For example the following, which is actually the opening sentence is fragmented: “Coming events they say cast their shadow, that is why The Informer is of the view that the nightmares of the Minority leader, Hon “Lawrence Addae” Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who doubles as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Suame Constituency in the Ashanti region, are far from over, following the outcome of the NDC’s parliamentary primaries.”

Other frangments include: “In that very publication, this paper indicated that with Nii Lantey and Fiifi Kwetey joining Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Hannah Bissiw and Richard Quashigah in parliament, the Minority leader can no longer find his voice as he used to, since he will be floored in his own ignorance.”

Here are other examples of bad grammar: (1)”…….Mr. “Lawrence Addae” Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who has gain notoriety for his unparliamentary conduct.” (2)”According to them , unlike the Cletus Avoka–led Majority that has virtually surrender to the Minority leader………” (3)”For our prize, the NPP-US through its Public Relations Committee, decided to rained insults on us…” (4)”Fine, now that Nii Lantey Vanderpuije will also be making it into parliament to represent the Odododiodio constituency and Fiifi Kwetey certainly to join his colleagues….” And it went on and on.

In light of these shameful basic grammatical errors, The Informer should close down its operations as it represents a source of embarrassment to our nation. Again the first responsibility of a publication is to be able to piece together sentences that are free of simple grammatical errors. And the multiple instances of this grammatical shortcoming indicate that The Informer does not meet the basic requirements of a newspaper.

Gratitude for a man that now has my respect(Femi Fani Kayode)

News Ghana
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With a heartfelt gratitude I wish to with all humility extend my respect to Mr Femi Fani Kayode for the sheer selfless expression of the wrongful and vengeful persecution of Major Hamza Almustapha,it is obvious and crystal clear that you are really a man of high intellect,it takes more than a lot to be objective towards an adversary of which he once was to you and be passionate in calling for justice on the same man’s behalf,before I forget at a point in my life you were to me one of the most despicable persons in government and I made a promise to slap you any place,anywhere and anytime I saw you minister or not,my reason emanated from your pompous rude referrals to the then VP Atiku Abubakar, I personally was not a fan of his by any chance but I was so upset by your actions on account of the office he occupied,its my firm believe till this day that you erred in your utterances,meanwhile as God will have it I almost got hitched to a daughter of his and on a day he sent for me alas! There you are,I believe in the company of one Mr Akin Osuntokun,I came out the lobby so you guys could go in,believe me it took more than a handful to calm me down,Elder statesman Lawal Kaita,Fmr.Gov Boni Haruna and Mahmoud(cso) and a host of others you owe thanks to, although you probably didn’t even hear the commotion(laughing),in any case that was that until today when I saw your write up I couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of respect toward you because unlike Atiku,I am a big fan of Maj. Hamza Almustapha who is literally my dad,and has been in that role for more than 29years and counting,I’m not going to defend him purely on the basis of emotional attachment but to a great extent he is quite one of the nicest personalities you will ever be lucky to know and befriend,whatever evils he has committed in office I am not privy to but I am obligated to say on a personal level he is exceptional,his character in Nigeria as perceived is largely the imagination of Yoruba reporters whom as you may know share only bitter,vengeful,hateful,nausea ting,enmity,treacherous and diabolical feelings towards him,meanwhile his closest associates are mostly Yorubas or southern christians,look at people that come to court with him,Fanny Amu,Asari Dokubo,John Fashanu etc. I also know that despite making a few people governors by using his influence none did he come out openly to show interest in and support like that of James Ibori,so to classify him as tribal or religious is utterly wrong as mostly being portrayed,in conclusion I want tell you without mincing words or blinking that you have indeed evolved Mr Kayode,power and authority you can shoulder justly,for myopia is a strange word in your focus with no space to settle,the judiciary has indeed erred and politicized its place which has in turn stirred the wrath of people poised to transform Nigeria into the much desired egalitarian society it has long over due to attain,one such people is FFK my new friend.

By: Jamil Gaya([email protected])

The Finance Minister must Resign over the Woyomegate Scandal – Kumawu citizen advises.

Rockson Adofo
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Many a Ghanaian currently doubts the credibility, integrity and sincerity of the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, following from the “Woyomegate” scandal. I always argue in his defence whenever anyone casts doubt on his association with the NDC government. Oftentimes, some people accuse him of being a sheer opportunist with hidden agenda hence mingling with the NDC. My argument in his favour has always been, “he wants to be of service to his people and nation”. If he feels by being in government is the best way he can be of service to Ghana, then what is wrong about that, I have always argued.

 

However, the Woyomegate scandal has come as a huge blow to me. It has derailed my express train of wisdom placed on the rail tracks ready to deliver support and protection to my compatriot, the Finance Minister. As the Woyomegate scandal raises more questions than provide available cogent answers, I am compelled to question his continuous flirtation with the NDC.

I am very much aware that his presence in the NDC government has however abated the otherwise unprecedentedly exceedingly gargantuan corruption Ghana would have witnessed in her annals of socio-economic emancipation. The supposedly ongoing but diminished corruption goes to tell the immense rot and thievery the NDC with their intellectually and politically incapacitated President, are inflicting on Mother Ghana and Ghanaians.

 

An adage has it that, “For evil to triumph in society is for good people to sit doing nothing”. Dr. Kwabena Duffour then probably felt that by joining the NDC government would not only permit him to help Ghana but also, tame the wayward excesses by the notorious lawless NDC. Nevertheless, “one tree cannot make a forest” The Finance Minister regardless of how genuine and well-intended he is about rescuing Ghana from the evil-minded and corrupt NDC apparatchik, he can hardly succeed as a lone person crying in the wilderness. In this regard, why should he not resign since “bad companion corrupts good character?” In as much as he remains a staunch member of the NDC, dining and wining with them, all discerning Ghanaians will paint him with the same tarnished brush. No wonder his hard won reputation is hurtling down the filthy gutters or sewers of Accra, in the wake of the Woyomegate scandal. What a pity!

 

I will strongly advise the Finance Minister not to view the Woyomegate saga as a tiny political nuisance from rival quarters able to shrug off easily. It has come as stubborn dirt to stain his credibility if he fails to handle it professionally creditably. I hope he is able to extricate himself and then resign without ever thinking of associating himself with the NDC. Once bitten, twice shy and “he who lies with dogs catches fleas” As it is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks, so it is with the NDC. You can never wean them off their GARGANTUAN CORRUPTION.

 

A word to the wise is sufficient.

 

 

Rockson Adofo

ECONOMIC GROWTH DROPS TO 7.69% IN 2011 – CBN

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Economic growth drops to 7.69% in 2011 – CBN
On February 1, 2012 · In News

*Unemployment rises to 23%

*Retains MPR at 12%

By Emmah Ujah & Babajide   Komolafe

ABUJA – The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said the growth rate of the nation’s economy fell to 7.69 per cent while unemployment rose to 23.9 per cent in 2011.

The apex bank, however, maintained its benchmark interest rate, the Monetary Policy Rate at 12 per cent and assured that it would pursue stable exchange rate in 2012 as the partial removal of fuel subsidy would enhance increase in the nation’s external reserves,

Governor, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said this, yesterday, while reading a communique of the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting held in Abuja.

He said: “Provisional data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, indicated that real Gross Domestic Product, GDP, grew by 8.68 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 up from 6.64, 7.72, and 7.40 per cent in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters, respectively.

“The overall GDP growth rate in 2011 was estimated by the NBS at 7.69 per cent, marginally lower than the 7.87 per cent recorded in 2010. This projection is based on the estimated Quarter III and Quarter IV growth rate of 7.40 per cent and 8.68 per cent respectively.

“The 2012 budget proposal assumed a growth rate of 7.2 per cent. This is in line with the latest World Bank forecast of 7.1 per cent growth for Nigeria in 2012. The committee noted with satisfaction, the good performance of non-oil activities including agricultural and services sectors as well as the recovery in crude oil output in 2011, particularly in the fourth quarter.

“In the committee’s view, the opportunity to build on the robust non-oil growth with further investments in infrastructure and manufacturing and processing activities should be utilised in order to mitigate any negative impacts from the likely external shocks during the year.

Impact of subsidy removal

On the impact of the partial removal of fuel subsidy on the external reserves, Sanusi said the nation’s foreign reserve had been under tremendous pressure since 2010 owing to the import dependency of the nation’s economy.

His words: “Foreign exchange reserves amounted to US$ 32.64 billion as at end December 2011, more or less relative to the US$32.34 billion as at end December 2010, despite the higher oil price in 2011.

“Notwithstanding the high prices of Nigeria’s reference crude oil (Bonny Light) which averaged US$106.32 per barrel for the year, the limited accretion to external reserves was due to the high demand for foreign exchange in the market.

“With the partial removal of the fuel subsidy, we will focus on building up the nation’s foreign reserves since there will be less pressure in terms of demand for the foreign exchange.”

View the original article here

HOW COURT DISMISSES N40BN CASE AGAINST BANKOLE, NAFADA

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How Court dismisses N40bn case against Bankole, Nafada
On February 1, 2012 · In News

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Daud Olatunji
ABUJA – An Abuja High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, yesterday, dismissed the 17-count charge of criminal breach of trust in the procurement of a N40 billion loan for the House of Representatives preferred against the erstwhile Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

“Chasing shadows”

Upholding the no case submission of the accused persons, the court presided over by Justice Suleiman Belgore, affirmed that the EFCC was “chasing shadows” in the prosecution as it maintained that the Clerk of the House and other bureaucrats, being the accounting officers, should have been the ones docked by the EFCC.

Nafada and Bankole

The court, nevertheless, affirmed that it was morally wrong, morally indefensible and morally insensitive for the members to have increased their “running costs” from N27million per quarter, per member, to N42million. That, however, did not amount to a criminal offence but a moral wrong, Justice Belgore ruled yesterday.

Chief Alani Bankole, father of the erstwhile Speaker and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, welcomed the judgment yesterday saying that it was a vindication for Dimeji who, he alleged, was persecuted for his beliefs.

In his judgment that lasted over three hours, the judge maintained that the anti-graft agency failed to establish its allegation that the duo breached public trust in their leadership of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011.

EFCC’s allegation

EFCC had in a proof of evidence it tendered before the high court, alleged that the former Speaker and his deputy, being entrusted with House of Representatives’ Account No.00390070000018 with the United Bank of Africa Plc and the Overhead Account of the House of Representatives with First Bank of Nigeria Plc, property of the Federal Government of Nigeria, dishonestly used the said accounts to obtain loans of about N40 billion.

It equally alleged that after the said loan was secured, the former speaker and his deputy, acting in breach of public trust, used the sourced money to enhance allowances and ‘running costs’ of the House members, saying their action was in violation of the approved remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders as prescribed by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFAC, and the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009.

According to the prosecution, the offence the ex-lawmakers committed, ran contrary to section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990, and is punishable under section 315 of the same Penal Code Act.

However, following a “no-case-submission” that was made by counsel to the accused persons, Justice Belgore, yesterday, dismissed the matter for want of incriminating evidence, even as he accordingly discharged the accused persons.

Judge dismisses case

Before he dismissed the case, Justice Belgore maintained that having gone through the totality of proof of evidence before the court as well as the oral testimonies of all the witnesses that were called by the EFCC, he was convinced that the two accused persons did not commit any offence known to the Nigerian law.

He said what the accused persons did while in office was not salary or allowance increase but enhancement of the running cost of members in tune with the approved budgetary allocation for the lower chamber, adding that there was no nexus linking the accused with any case of conspiracy or theft as was alleged by the EFCC.

He said: “Under all the relevant statutes and the constitution, obtaining loan by any department is not a crime and there is no penal provision for it. It is therefore my considered view that the proof of evidence did not connect the accused persons with committal of any offence or such acts that should warrant their continued trial before this court.”

Besides, the court also noted that going by the allegations raised by the anti-graft commission, the Clerk of the House and other management staff of the National Assembly, being the accounting officers, ought to have been prosecuted by the EFCC over the alleged illicit loan saga, stressing that the commission rather resorted to “chasing shadows.”

Nevertheless, the court observed that, “though it is morally wrong, morally indefensible and morally insensitive for the members of the House of Representatives led by Bankole and Nafada to have increased their “running costs” from N27million per quarter, per member, to N42million, it did not amount to a criminal offence but a moral wrong.”

The court reasoned that the legislature, being a different arm of government, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) could not fix the “running costs” for members of the House of Representatives. They are at liberty to increase their “running costs” to whatever amount they so collectively wish, adding that RMAFC can only fix “wages” and “allowances” and not “running costs” and that “running costs” do not qualify as “allowances”.

Bankole and Nafada had in a no-case-submission they made through their respective counsels, Chief Olawale Akonni (SAN) and Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), argued that “there is no scintilla of evidence contained or shown in the proof of evidence placed before this Honourable court, capable of warranting the inference or of leading to the conclusion that the Accused/Applicants breached the provisions of Section 311 of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 in the manner alleged in Counts 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the Charge or at all.”

The former speaker while contending that he could not be tried for the acts, decisions and resolutions of the House of Representatives, taken at its Executive or Committee sessions because the principle of vicarious liability was unknown to criminal law in Nigeria, maintained that “the offences of criminal breach of trust and theft as alleged in Counts 2-17 if the Charge (as contemplated or defined in the Penal Code) cannot be committed by the applicant by ‘obtaining a loan to augment allowances and running costs of members of the House of Representatives in violation of the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009 or at all.”

According to him, “The offences of criminal breach of trust and theft as alleged in Counts 2-17 of the Charge (as contemplated of defined in the Penal Code) cannot be committed by the Applicant by ‘indiscriminately increasing the allowances of members of the House of Representatives in violation of the approved Remuneration Package for Political Public and Judicial Office Holders by the Revenue Mobilization, Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009’ in that the Revised Regulations stipulate a punishment for the breach of its provisions.

“An agreement to ‘approve the allowances and/or “running cost” of Members of the House of Representatives in violation of the approved Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and fiscal Commission and the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009’ as alleged in Count 1 of the Charge cannot be an offence within the purview of Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Act unless it be shown in addition that at the time of giving the alleged approval, the Applicant did not have the real or ostensible authority to give approval in his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives and/or that he gave the said approval for his own purpose.

“The Applicant cannot be charged with the offence of ‘dishonestly’ using account no. 00390070000018 to obtain a loan as alleged in courts 2-6 of the Charge and at the same time be charged with misappropriating the sums alleged in Counts 7-17 of the Charge by referring to the loan as ‘property of the Federal Government of Nigeria’ having regard to the fact that an alleged illegal loan facility from a commercial bank, cannot at the same time be the property of the Federal Government of Nigeria, capable of being misappropriated or stolen.

“The offence of agreement to commit a felony alleged in Count 12 of the Charge is unknown to any written law in that within the meaning and contemplation of Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Act, an agreement to ‘approve the allowances and/or “running cost” of Members of the House of Representatives by a resolution of the House of Representatives at its Executive Session without the consent and approval of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission’ cannot be an agreement to commit an infraction of any written law or at all.

“The Accused Person/Applicant was not by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, National Assembly Service Commission Act or any other legislation, a public officer or a management staff or a custodian or person in possession of the properties of the House of Representatives or the property of the Federal republic of Nigeria, as alleged and cannot be liable under any law to account for the properties of the House of Representatives or the Federal government of Nigeria.

The Applicant as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 has defined functions and duties which did not include possession or entrustment with the properties or with dominion over any property of the House of Representatives as alleged and can therefore not be charged with criminal breach of trust under Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.

“The Accused/Applicant in his capacity as Speaker of the House of Representatives and in exercise of his powers as Chairman of the Principal Officers of the House of Representatives at Plenary, Executive or Committee session of the House of Representatives acted in official capacity and not personally, he cannot be personally liable for any criminal prosecution.”

It will also be recalled that among those who testified as prosecution witnesses in the matter included the clerks of the National Assembly and House of Representatives, Abubakar Salisu Maikasuwa and Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, respectively, the Director of Finance of the National Assembly, Mr Bukoye Lasisi, bank officials, and top officials of the RMAFC.

On the role he played with regards to the said controversial loan, the Clerk told the court, “I endorsed memo for the said loans in compliance with the resolution of the House which is binding on all principal authorities.”

Meantime, the EFCC yesterday vowed to appeal the ruling, saying it is convinced that the former lawmakers still have a case to answer over alleged uncanny roles they played as it relates to the loan saga.

Reacting to the judgment shortly after the proceeding yesterday, counsel to the commission, Mr Festus Keyamo, insisted that the duo were not charged to court for, “over-spending, but for the misappropriation of funds.”

He said their complicity was established by the sole fact that there was a resolution to commit an illegal act, in a meeting he said was presided by the accused persons, maintaining that the proof of evidence before the court was enough to secure their conviction.

According to Keyamo, “this charge is only in relation to the allegations of obtaining illegal loans and the indiscriminate increase of the “allowances” and “running costs” from N27million to N42million per member, per quarter, under the leadership of the accused persons. The charge in relation to the contravention of the Public Procurement Act, to wit: inflation of prices of goods purchased for members of the House of Representatives is still pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja

“We do not know how the judge arrived at the conclusion that the loans have been fully paid back when the loan obtained from First Bank Plc remains unpaid as manifestly shown in the evidence of PW 9 above (as against that of UBA)”, he added.

Receiving some supporters of his son at his family house located at Oluwo, Onikolobo, in Abeokuta South Local Government, yesterday the erstwhile Speaker’s father, Chief Bankole said he was grateful to God for the court victory.

“I always had the belief that Dimeji is not guilty but was being persecuted for what he believed in. I thank God! We had always prayed to almighty Allah during the travails, we did not rely on any human, but on God alone and like the saying that, he that depends on God should not depend on ordinary mortal again. That was our pillar, and we believed that we were going to be vindicated at last.”

“With the judgment, the court has vindicated the stand of my son and the majority of Nigerians and I thank God that the Judiciary has lived up to the expectation of Nigerians,@ he said.

Also reacting to the judgment, former media aide to the erstwhile Speaker, Kayode Odunaro said that the Judiciary had demonstrated that it remains the last hope of ordinary people, saying that, the Nigeria judicial system has improved considerably.

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BOKO HARAM ATTACKS AIR FORCE BARRACKS

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Boko Haram attacks Air Force barracks
On February 1, 2012 ·

BY EMMA UJAH, ALBERT AKPOR, KINGSLEY OMONOBI & NDAHI MARAMA
ABUJA – IN Continuation of its plan to Islamize Northern Nigeria, the Boko Haram Islamic Sect on Monday night invaded the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, barracks as well as a police station in Maiduguri, Borno State, killing five persons including a soldier,  two policemen and two civilians.

Also, two other civilians were reportedly injured, as the sect members bombed the Gambouru/Ngala police station, the Joint Task Force, JTF, check point. The incident was said to have occurred at about 6.30 pm. Gambouru/Ngala is a border town with Chad Republic and 150 kilometres North-East of Maiduguri, the state capital.

To cripple the sect, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, yesterday, canvassed decisive actions against it, warning that the earlier the government took the bull by the horn and acted decisively, the better for the future of the nation. He anchored the need for decisive steps on the fact that the menace had spread to other parts of West Africa.

Ihejirika’s warning came on a day the Department of State Security Service (SSS) quizzed immediate past Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau over his alleged involvement in the sponsorship of the sect.

Time to deal with sect – Ihejirika

Welcoming members of the House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security to Army Headquarters, Ihejirika said Boko Haram and other security issues could not be solved by a wave of the hand.

He thanked the National Assembly for its concern for the well-being of the country. He said that the Nigerian Army remained apolitical and committed to the job of supporting civil authorities to enhance security.

He reiterated his call on the citizenry to provide all the support required by those in arms to serve the nation better.

Noting that soldiers were the representatives of Nigerians when it comes to the force of arms, he said, “you need to recall the phrase that war is of such importance that it cannot be left in the hands of the security agencies alone, just as national security issues cannot be left in the hands of service personnel alone.”

The Army boss urged all well meaning Nigerians to aid the crusade, expose evil among the people so that the problem could be nipped quickly for the nation to move forward.

”I can tell you that this development; even the problem of Almajiri and so on cannot be solved just by a wave of the hand. So we are  delighted to have you in our midst and note your resolve at working with us to solve this problem at hand.”

Continuing he said, “we are also looking beyond the confines of this country; the whole of the West African region is looking up to this country to find a solution to the menace of Boko Haram because it is no longer news that the Boko Haram issue is not limited to the confines of our borders and the earlier they act decisively, the better for the future of this nation.”

Maiduguri killings

Confirming the Maiduguri attacks,  the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Samuel Tizhe said, the attacks were simultaneously carried out at both the Air Force Barracks and the Gambouru/Ngala  police station between 6pm and 6.30 pm, adding that the suspected gunmen attacked one of the apartments in the barracks and fired several gun shots at the soldier, who was returning to the house in mufti.

According to the police, the sect members also, killed two other civilians resident in the barracks after killing the soldier in mufti. The  Gambouru/Ngala police station was attacked with guns and other explosive devices, killing the two police officers on duty, and injuring two others, on their way to the office.

Gambouru/Ngala is one of the five local governments in Borno where President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on December 31, last year.

The police spokesman said the bodies of the soldier and two civilians have been deposited at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, for identification by their relations.

He however said that no arrests had been made over the attacks but  investigations were on going.

The Fields Operations Officer of JTF, Col. Victor Ebhaleme said that no soldier was killed at the Polo military checkpoint attacks, adding that the only soldier who was shot in the arm had been  treated and  discharge from the UMTH.

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2012 BUDGET: TAMBUWAL THREATENS REPS C’TTEES…ISSUES FEB 6 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF REPORTS

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2012 budget: Tambuwal threatens Reps c’ttees…issues Feb 6 deadline for submission of reports
On February 1, 2012 · In News

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

ABUJA – DISTURBED by the slow pace of the various committees in handling the 2012 budget, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, ordered the committees to submit their budget reports on Monday or lose their oversight function of the budget defence to the Appropriation Committee of the House.

On January 19, the House suspended plenary session to allow standing committees carry out budget defence with Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, MDAs, but as at yesterday no committee had submitted any report to the Appropriation Committee.

A peeved Tambuwal warned that any committee that failed to submit its report risked the right to defend the budget to the Appropriation Committee, declaring that  the  Appropriation Committee would take over from any committee that failed to submit its report on or before Monday, February 6, 2012.

To fast track their work, Tambuwal said plenary session would be suspended for Wednesday and Thursday to enable the committees conclude work on the budget.

In another development, the House has urged the Federal Government to stop further siting of its parastatals and agencies in state capitals, which already had such offices.

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KOGI GUBER: WADA, CHIEF JUDGE MEET

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Kogi guber: Wada, Chief Judge meet
On February 1, 2012 · In News

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Kogi—Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State was, Tuesday, consolidating his authority in office with meetings with major political and opinion stakeholders in the state.

Among those who parleyed with the Governor yesterday was the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Nasir Ajannah, who had failed to swear him in last week.

Details of the meeting between both men were not immediately available, though a source said it could not have been far from reconciliation of both men.

A source who confirmed the meeting, told Vanguard last night on condition of anonymity  said: “My understanding is that the Chief Judge explained his constraints over the issue and said that it was not based on any personal bias or any ulterior motive.”

The Governor, who has taken over full command at the Government House, Lokoja, it was learnt, is tomorrow poised for a decisive meeting with members of the State House of Assembly. As at last night it could not be confirmed if the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello, who was sworn in as Acting Governor by the Chief Judge last Friday would be attending the meeting.

Bello’s involvement at the meeting could inevitably bring the power struggle in the state to a definite conclusion following the earlier intervention by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, recognising Wada as governor.

Wada it was learnt, yesterday, is today also expected to inaugurate a think-tank for his administration. The body it was learnt would be expected to map out a direction for the new administration.

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ASPIRANT SUES INEC, AGF OVER KOGI GUBER CRISIS

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Aspirant sues INEC, AGF over Kogi guber crisis
On February 1, 2012 · In News

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has been asked to determine whether the directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that Captain Idris Wada be sworn in as the governor of Kogi State, based on the election of December 3, 2011, was not unconstitutional, void and ultra vires.

A governorship aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Mr Oyebode Makinde, raised the legal question before the court in a suit he filed through his counsel, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, yesterday.

The plaintiff is, among other demands, praying the court to determine whether the press statement that  INEC issued on Tuesday, directing that Wada be sworn in as the governor of Kogi when the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello, was already discharging the function of acting governor pursuant to section 191(2) of the constitution, was not unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

He also prayed the court to determine whether having regards to the provision of the section 178(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), INEC was bound to proceed to conduct fresh election for Kogi State gubernatorial seat.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, is also a defendant in the suit.

Besides, the plaintiff in the processes he entered in court, is seeking a “declaration that the 3rd defendant, Wada, cannot hold himself out/or parade himself as the governor of Kogi State and that INEC is bound to conduct a fresh election into the gubernatorial seat for Kogi State based on fresh primary election by all the political parties.”

He equally asked the court for an order of injunction restraining INEC and AGF, their agents or assigns from giving effect to the directive or order of  January 12, 2012, or doing anything in like manner as well as an order of injunction restraining  Wada from parading himself or holding himself out as the governor of Kogi State.

He further prayed the court for an order of mandatory injunction commanding the 4th Defendant to conduct a fresh election into Kogi State gubernatorial seat based on fresh primary to be conducted by INEC.

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CBN SELLS $1.9BN AS NAIRA LOSES 35K

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CBN sells $1.9bn as Naira loses 35k
On February 1, 2012 · In News

By Babajide Komolafe

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, sold $1.919 billion after eight foreign exchange auction known as Wholesale Dutch Auction System, WDAS, in January, while the naira depreciated by 35 kobo during the month.

This represents 60 per cent increase when compared to $1.2 billion sold in December. At the last WDAS session held yesterday, CBN sold $250 million, while the naira depreciated by 20 kobo.

Result of the auction conducted by CBN showed that the official exchange rate rose to N157.05 per dollar from N156.85 at the previous auction.

The depreciation was triggered by pressure as the amount of foreign exchange offered by the apex bank remained $250 million per auction.

Reflecting the demand pressure in the market, the interbank exchange rate raised N161.4 per dollar from N161 on Friday, indicating 40 kobo depreciation.

Despite the increased sales, the official exchange rate rose to N157.05 per cent from N156.7 per dollar at the beginning of the year.

This translated to 35 kobo depreciation of the naira in the first month of the year.
The naira also depreciated by 180 kobo at the interbank market as the interbank exchange rate rose from N159 per dollar at the beginning of the year to N161.4 as at the close of business, yesterday.

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