CISSE MOVE TO QPR AS TRANSFERS WINDOW CLOSES

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Cisse move to QPR as transfers window closes
On February 1, 2012 · In Sports

LONDON (AFP) – Last-minute transfers were brokered across English football on Tuesday as analysts reported a sharp fall in overall spending as a low key January window drew to a close.

Struggling Queens Park Rangers provided two of the most eye-catching deals of the day after confirming the signing of French striker Djibril Cisse from Serie A side Lazio before swooping for Fulham forward Bobby Zamora.

Cisse signed a two-and-a-half year deal with QPR for an undisclosed fee while the club wrapped up what was believed to be a £5 million ($7.9 million) deal for Zamora shortly before the window closed at 11pm local time (2300 GMT).

Overall spending by Premier League clubs during the window was estimated at between £50 and £40 million, well down on last year’s record spend of £225 million in January.

Alan Switzer, director of the sports business group at accountancy giants Deloitte said the 2012 fall could partially be attributed to the onset of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations, which dictate that clubs wishing to take part in European competitions will only be allowed to spend what they earn.

“Financial fair play has definitely had an impact. The 2011/12 season does now count towards the UEFA rules and that will be part of the consideration which clubs will be giving to any transfer,” he said.

“The likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have already been on record as saying they will take it into account in terms of their spending on transfers and wages.”

In other transfer deals on Tuesday, Everton confirmed the signing of Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic from Scottish giants Rangers, with Toffees striker Louis Saha heading to Tottenham in a surprise move to White Hart Lane.

“Striker Louis Saha has left Everton to join Tottenham Hotspur,” said a statement on evertonfc.com.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp later confirmed the club was trying to capture Blackburn’s New Zealand international defender Ryan Nelsen.

Meanwhile Manchester United parted company with Ravel Morrison, the highly rated 18-year-old youth player who failed to establish himself at Old Trafford and has now signed for Championship side West Ham.

Morrison is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters ever to pass through the Manchester United ranks but the club reportedly lost patience amid ongoing problems in his private life.

“I’m really pleased to have signed. The move has happened very quickly and I’m looking forward to hopefully moving up to the Premier League with West Ham soon,” Morrison said on West Ham’s website.

Manchester City meanwhile sealed the loan signing of Roma’s Chile international midfielder David Pizarro until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old played under Roberto Mancini when he managed Inter Milan.

“Pizarro is a good player. I think he can help us in the next three months because he is a good player. He has good quality,” he said.

Chelsea signed Belgium international Kevin de Bruyne from Genk although the midfielder will spend the rest of the season on loan with the Belgian club, the London club confirmed.

The 20-year-old’s transfer deadline day capture means he becomes the latest Belgian player on Chelsea’s books, joining compatriots Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois, currently on loan at Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill meanwhile said he hoped the capture of Wayne Bridge would solve the club’s long-running vacancy at left-back.

The 31-year-old has played only 58 times for City since joining from Chelsea in 2009, and has appeared for the club just once this season.

“I’m hoping that with Wayne’s undoubted experience and ability he can be a big help to the team until the end of the season,” O’Neill told the club’s official website.

Sunderland also signed former Liverpool player Sotirios Kyrgiakos on loan from Wolfsburg later Tuesday.

Elsewhere West Brom signed defender Liam Ridgewell from Midlands rivals Birmingham, now in the second-tier Championship, for an undisclosed fee.

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I’VE NO ISSUES WITH OSOBA – AMOSUN

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I’ve no issues with Osoba – Amosun
On February 1, 2012 · In Politics

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

RECENTLY Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun spoke with some newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital  on sundry issues  and  what he has  done within the last six months he assumed office as the Executive governor of   Gateway State. He talked about his plans to combat armed robbery and other criminal acts in the state just as he denied  knowledge of factions in the state House of Assembly.  Excerpts:

One of your main  campaign promises was the reduction of school fees in higher institutions. What is delaying your fulfilment of the promise?

You may need to cross-check your facts. Before we came in, the previous government increased school fees by 100 per cent but when they heard our promise of 60 per cent reduction, they quickly announced a reduction of 50 per cent which they did not start to implement because some students had paid.

This government came in and effected that 50 per cent reduction plus an additional 10 per cent reduction. That makes it 60 per cent in all. Once the finances of the state improve, we would further adjust the fees downward. Don’t forget that unlike before, all the institutions are now receiving their subventions.

But then your pledge of free medical treatment for children,  pregnant women and aged people is yet to take full effect.
We discovered a lot of things when we came in. For instance, it is all over the papers that some workers were owed allowances up to 11 months. Workers were not receiving full salaries, funds deducted from employees’ salaries were not remitted,  leave bonuses and gratuities were not paid.

Shortly after we came, the new minimum wage took effect. We had to spend a lot on rehabilitation of hospitals because the level of decay was beyond what we had imagined. This has led to reappraisal, not of the policy but implementation strategy. The Ministry of Health is on top of the situation and will unveil soon our comprehensive implementation strategy.

Gov Amosun

What is the cost of the ongoing beautification programme in the state?

The exercise is still ongoing as you rightly observed. We still have a lot to accomplish in this area. As to the breakdown of the cost, the Ministry of Environment may be able to give details because, as I said, it’s still an ongoing exercise. We are committed to living in a clean environment. This is good also for our health, for as the saying goes, ‘health is wealth’.

There are speculations that the tax rate has been increased by 300 per cent causing bad blood with workers. If true, why was this done?

This administration has not increased tax by one per cent. What happened was that the former administration was not paying workers full salaries and as a result of that was applying tax indiscriminately such that even workers on the same grade level in the same cadre were paying different taxes. This fact is in the public domain, so we are not saying anything new. But payment of tax is governed by law. Any government that believes in the rule of law must conform to law in all things.

The Personal Income Tax Act, 2004 is a federal law and it guides the administration of tax in Nigeria. Every state government must comply with that law. This is what my administration has done – to comply with the law on income tax. We have challenged any worker whose tax is above the prescription of the PITA to come forward and we will refund them even with interest! The fact is, with the current administration and in spite of compliance with the tax law, the salaries of workers are far above what they used to be. This ordinarily is a plus for our government.

I am not unaware of the politics behind the agitation of leaders of the workers. I have reports of their clandestine meetings to make things difficult for us through industrial crisis. Some have even written in the papers that I am not in control of the government otherwise how can union leaders continue to threaten strike when my government is not owing workers a dime?

I even asked the tax bureau to give the maximum benefits allowed by law to all workers, meaning that all workers in Ogun, for instance, are believed to have four children before computation of their taxes. So what more can I do? Imagine the percentage I am paying as 13th month, 30 per cent of basic salary! Yet this is a state that is heavily indebted with virtually all its assets sold by the last administration. But when we get to the bridge we will determine how to cross it.

There is this rumour  that the state legislative arm has been divided into two – Amosun and Osoba factions, how true is this?

I am not aware of any division or the factions you are talking about. Our party has always been united. The House from what I have seen so far is committed to the good of this state. But of course, we are in a political environment and people can say different things to catch attention. Chief Osoba is and remains a worthy leader of our great party, ACN.

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BLACK STARS VOW TO BEAT GUINEA SYLLI

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Black Stars vow to beat Guinea Sylli
On February 1, 2012 · In Sports

Ghana will tackle their final Africa Cup of Nations group match against Guinea by the scruff of the neck, assistant coach Kwesi Appiah has declared.

The Black Stars lead with six points but could still be eliminated if they lose heavily against the Sylli Nationale and Mali also thump Botswana.

Last Saturday, Guinea equalled a 42-year-old record for the biggest winning margin at a Nations Cup finals with the 6-1 drubbing of Botswana.

Pundits say Ghana’s title winning credentials will face a stern test against their West African neighbours but the technical team is confident of extending their unbeaten run.

“The next game we are playing against Guinea and it’s very important for us,” assistant coach Kwesi Appiah said.
“Fortunately we had some tapes on them before the tournament and after our game against Botswana.

“We stayed over to also look at them and we got some tapes on their game against Botswana so we will be assessing all these tapes today or tomorrow before our game on Wednesday.

“But we will treat it as we did with the first two games,” he added.

Meanwhile, coach Goran Stevanovic has been presented with a selection headache with his two first-choice defenders available for selection when they play Guinea.

The Black Stars were without the suspended duo of John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah when they swept away Mali 2-0 in their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group D match on Saturday.

Captain John Mensah was also struggling with a thigh injury but he looks to have recovered as he returned to training on Sunday, the first time since he was shown the red card in their opening game against Botswana on Tuesday.

In their absence youngsters John Boye and Jonathan Mensah have been excellent in defence, holding off the threat from the Malians with impressive displays.

Boye was even named the man-of-the-match in their game against Botswana on Tuesday following an acrobatic goal-line clearance, which prevented the Zebras from drawing level.

The Serbian trainer must now decide whether to drop the excellent partnership between Boye and Jonathan Mensah in favour of his first-choice centre backs.

Ghana need just a draw against Guinea to finish top of the group and face the second placed team in Group C.

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IPSWICH HAMMER LEADERS WEST HAM 5 -1

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Ipswich hammer leaders West Ham 5 -1
On February 1, 2012 · In Sports

LONDON, (AFP) – Championship leaders West Ham suffered an embarrassing 5-1 thrashing at lowly Ipswich, while second placed Southampton were held to a 1-1 draw by promotion rivals Cardiff on Tuesday.

Sam Allardyce’s side arrived at Portman Road with the division’s tightest defence but they were torn to pieces as Ipswich moved away from the relegation zone with their first win in eight matches in all competitions.

Ipswich led inside three minutes through Michael Chopra before Carlton Cole hit a post for the visitors moments later.

A crazy end to the first half saw three goals in quick succession, with Daryl Murphy doubling Ipswich’s advantage with a header but Jack Collison halving the deficit within seconds.

Ipswich were then awarded a penalty which Lee Martin converted, and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas added a brace after the break as the Hammers saw their three-game winning run in the league come to an end.

Allardyce said: “I was bitterly disappointed. I didn’t expect us to put on such a poor performance defensively.

“That’s been our ultimate strength this season, especially away from home, but as a defensive unit we just disintegrated.

“Ipswich came out of the blocks quicker than us and exposed the gaping holes we left in our back four. We were very, very poor in that department.”

Despite the Hammers’ worst result of the season, the east London club stay top of the table after Southampton failed to beat third placed Cardiff at St Mary’s.

Nigel Adkins’ Saints are two points behind West Ham and one point ahead of Cardiff after Rickie Lambert’s second half penalty earned a share of the spoils.

Craig Conway put League Cup finalists Cardiff ahead in the 36th minute when he made the most of a poor punch from goalkeeper Kelvin Davis to fire home.

But striker Lambert scored from the spot in the 57th minute after Kevin McNaughton was harshly deemed to have handled an Adam Lallana cross.

Nikola Zigic destroyed Leeds as the Birmingham striker scored all four goals in a 4-1 win at Elland Road that moved his side into fourth place.

Giant Serb Zigic cancelled out Leeds striker Ross McCormack’s 19th-minute opener with a first-half header and struck three times in seven minutes in the second period as Chris Hughton’s rampant Blues ran riot.

Leeds fans responded by turning on chairman Ken Bates and also manager Simon Grayson, chanting: ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ to the under-fire boss.

Blackpool climbed into the play-off places after scoring twice in the closing stages to beat Coventry 2-1 at Bloomfield Road.

Coventry took the lead through Conor Thomas but veteran striker Kevin Phillips equalised in the 87th minute before Gary Taylor-Fletcher netted the winner in stoppage time.

The win moves Blackpool up to sixth, ahead of Reading on goal difference, while Coventry remain bottom – seven points from safety and still without an away win all season.

Hull are fifth after a disappointing 0-0 home draw against struggling Doncaster.

Burnley remain in the hunt for a play-off place after beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the City Ground, while Brighton earned a 1-1 draw at rivals Crystal Palace.

Barnsley defeated Derby 3-2 and Watford beat fellow strugglers Millwall 2-0 at The Den.

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DRAFT ICT POLICY: INSUFFICIENT IN OUTLOOK, DEFICIENT IN PRESCRIPTIONS

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Draft ICT Policy: Insufficient in outlook, deficient in prescriptions
On February 1, 2012 · In Technology,
By Maxwell Onoja

A MERE glance at the draft ICT policy recently published by the Ministry of Communications Technology would reveal several gaps and inconsistencies. These flaws cast serious doubts about its potency and efficacy to sustain the gains already recorded in the sector, let alone providing the launch pad for the future progress of the industry.

The major drawback in the document is the constitution of the committee and the scope of its assignment. Harmonized or draft new policy? There is some disconnect between the role of the committee set up by the Honourable Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, which produced the published draft policy document.

The terms of reference issued to the Committee headed by Professor Raymond Akwule, and made up of members drawn from government institutions, was to harmonize all the policies in the different sectors of the ICT industry. The Committee’s draft appeared to have gone beyond the terms of reference as it contained far reaching recommendations which undoubtedly, were very limited in scope, content and direction.

IT Minister, MOBALAJI-JOHNSON

Broad based committee

A draft policy for the ICT sector is expected to be produced by a broad-based committee comprising representatives of the various sectors of the industry, including the private sector which is currently driving the sector.

At best, the Professor Akwule Committee’s is expected to produce a draft document for a sector-wide industry workshop, leading to setting up of a broad-based ICT Policy Review Committee to articulate and fine tune the positions reached by the industry, after exhaustive discussions. This will ultimately produce a draft policy for final inputs and adoption. This has been the industry practice.

The ICT industry is too huge and sensitive to be guided by a policy drafted exclusively by civil servants who may pander to the wishes of their superiors while stakeholders like the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria , ATCON, Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, Nigerian Internet Group, NIG, Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria , ISPAN, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria , ALTON among other institutions and professionals, are left out.

Mono-objective policy direction: The introductory part of the draft policy document dwelt so much on convergence of ICT regulations. This undue focus misled the drafters of the policy into assuming that the emergence of a converged regulatory ICT sector is the only solution to national ICT development. Hence, they dissipated energy addressing a single issue- converged ICT Sector.

The implications of this misguided focus as reflected in all the recommendations, was that the policy document ignored the role to be played by the private sector under the new framework. It also ignored key issues like attraction of investments in the sector, advancement of human capital development, local content or localization of ICT products and services, leveraging the employment opportunities in the sector.

Broadband penetration

It also left to chance, some other crucial issues that affect the industry such as right of way in the ICT sector, Internet and broadband penetration, ICT curriculum in educational institutions, interference with existing ICT regulations from other government agencies outside ICT sector, Cybercrime among others.

While some of these topical issues were mentioned in the objectives of the policy, there were no clear roadmaps for achieving them in the document. A policy of this nature must have clear directions with short, medium and long term objectives stating timelines, timeframes, signposts and roadmaps.

This draft has none. There is also no linkage between the prescriptions in this document and the relevant policies that predate the draft policy document upon which it derived its recommendations. These policies like the National Telecommunications Policy 2000, National Mass Communications Policy, and National Information Technology Policy 2000, received mentions only as it affects convergence of regulations.

Notwithstanding how trite or outdated these policies are, there must be a nexus between these extant policies and the draft policy to suggest items that are being updated or being discarded. Policies are derived from existing ones except where none exists. The ICT industry has ample policy antecedents to serve as basis for further prescriptions.

Flawed recommendations: Perhaps, the flaws in some of the recommendations on the draft document may be explained from the membership of the committee. This is why the content reveals a misplaced assumption by the Committee that existing legislations like the National Broadcasting Commission Act 1992, Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1990, Nigerian Communications Act,2003, NITDA Act 2007, are mere documents that could be glossed over with policy review.

In doing this, the committee’s recommendations appear to have completely ignored the extant status of these laws upon which the industry has thrived. In other words, policies have life spans while laws exist and can only be amended or scrapped. Therefore, these laws supersede policies but could help in developing and advancing the course of policies based on practical experiences gathered in the course of implementation of the laws. Policies should be seen as directional guidelines with life spans.

Volume of mobile phone handsets

Policies should also focus on tangibles. For instance, it is desirable that given the volume of mobile phone handsets sold in Nigeria per annum, appropriate policy framework need to be put in place to achieve local manufacture or assembly of these handsets with the associated benefits.

Such developments will not only contribute to the fulfillment of the local content objectives in the industry but will also create employment opportunities. There are no such tangibles in the draft policy document. Suffice to say that only a broad-based policy articulation can bring about tangibles in the sector.

Nedless invitation of government controls: There are key areas of the recommendations of the draft policy that conveyed an outright invitation to government to come back to a sector whose success is credited and attributed to its liberalization and deregulation. The recommendations that Nigerian Communications Satellite, NIGCOMSAT, and Galaxy Backbone, be retained as government owned companies erode the very principles of liberalization and deregulation in the sector.

It also negates the earlier position of a more inclusive Presidential Committee headed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, which recommended the transfer of ownership of these companies from government to the private sector.

Under this arrangement, government is required to concentrate on providing a level playing field through its regulatory institutions rather than becoming a player and a referee at the same time. The experience with NITEL provides ample justification for this position.

The recommendations in this draft policy document appear retrogressive in this direction.
Deliberate erosion of regulatory independence: Another flawed recommendation is the prescription of the management structure for the proposed converged regulator, including positions to be allocated to each component of the regulatory institution. This recommendation ignores the avowed independence of the regulator and the current outcry against increasing the cost of governance.

In converged regulatory environments as practiced by the Office of Communications, OFCOM in the UK , Federal Communications Commission, FCC, in USA , among others, there are no policy prescriptions about the positions to be occupied within the regulatory institutions. The available staff are made to fit into structures already designed for regulatory efficiency.

It is a dangerous precedent for a policy to deviate from giving directions to prescribing the structures for the proposed converged regulator. It is also noteworthy that the roles of the converged regulator are already specified in the different acts of parliament establishing these regulators in Nigeria . It is therefore trite to begin to prescribe the same roles or new set of roles through a policy draft.

The erosion of the independence of the converged regulator is also conveyed in the recommendations  of an independent Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF. The current structure as contained in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, positions the fund under the purview of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, which also provides fund for its activities as provided by the act.

The policy draft did not substantiate or justify the argument in support of creating an independent USPF, ostensibly, under the ministry. Apart from negating the provisions of the relevant laws, and the objectives set out for the fund, this recommendation is an indirect invitation to ministerial control of an independent converged regulator.

How would this policy guarantee effective performance of the fund under the political headship of the ministry as against the controls of a converged independent regulator which also provides the funds and human resources necessary for effective performance of the USPF?

Several other recommendations of the committee are riddled with consequent invitation to government’s control into a sector that is already fully liberalized in line with global trends. In effect, the current recommendations seek to reverse the achievements recorded in the sector since 20 years ago when the government of General Ibrahim Babangida’s military regime began the process of liberalization of the industry with the promulgation of Decree 72 of 1992.

Surely, the present democratic government of President Goodluck Jonathan would not preside over the decimation of the achievements already made in the sector, especially in the last ten years through a retrogressive policy direction.

Conclusion: While these are some of the key areas that need to give concern to close watchers of the sector, there are still several grey areas in the recommendations that have put a lot of question marks on the new draft.

However, it needs to be restated that the major flaw of this exercise is that it lacks  industry participation and consultation. The draft has a long ‘wish list’ without commensurate ideas on how to achieve them. It is not late to invite the industry stakeholders to decide an effective policy direction.

Onoja is an ICT consultant and analyst

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DELTA PDP: END OF GRAVEYARD PEACE

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Delta PDP: End of graveyard peace
On February 1, 2012 · In Politics

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

GIVEN that peace is almost universally accepted as one of the landmark achievements of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, many are surprised at the time it took him to restore peace in the state chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.

After more than one year of aloofness between the governor and the party chairman, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi, both men thawed the ice at a party outing last Wednesday.

“I am glad that party elders and leaders are present. I thank God we now have a united PDP in Delta State. Few months back”, the soft spoken governor said but without mentioning Nwaoboshi by name, “some of us here will not have been present at this meeting.”

The governor spoke at a party stakeholders’ meeting he hosted in the Government House to prepare the party for this weekend’s congresses. While it was assumed a year or so ago that the differences between the governor and his traducers in the rival faction of the party led by Chief Edwin Clark would be almost impossible to bridge, only few would have expected discord in the mainstream of the party led by Uduaghan.

Well, that is among the few not in tune with Nwaoboshi’s antecedents. Nwaoboshi who was pioneer secretary of the party in Delta and subsequently Political Adviser and Commissioner in the James Ibori administration, had shown himself to be something of a rebel when situations against his political interests are infringed.

It was in that attitude that against expectation he fought Ibori to a near standstill in his own aspiration for power shift in the dying days of the Ibori administration. As Ibori exited the stage, he carried over the fight to Uduaghan through his association with the Clark group.

Even though Nwaoboshi was nominated for the chairmanship position by the Clark group, Uduaghan, however, deftly snatched Nwaoboshi from the Clark group after enrobing him with the rights and privileges of chairman of the largest party in the state.

GOV. UDUAGHAN

Nwaoboshi’s departure was a near catastrophe for the Clark group. Even though the  group continued its tackles on  the governor, but without the viciousness that could have come from Nwaoboshi, Uduaghan managed and has continued to take the irritations from the group in his stride.

However, the calculations changed at the beginning of last year when Nwaoboshi to the clear annoyance of many in the PDP mainstream was suspected of supporting the  ambitions of Dr. Mariam Ali, the wife of the erstwhile national chairman of the party, Col. Ahmadu Ali to fly the PDP Senate ticket for Delta North.

While Mrs. Ali’s style and status (some wanted her to seek office in her husband’s state) were issues of controversy, Nwaoboshi’s act in allegedly supporting her senatorial bid was seen in some quarters as his scheme to help his own chances in the 2015 gubernatorial contest. By supporting Ali and stopping her main rival, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Nwaoboshi it was alleged would be stopping Okowa’s momentum for 2015 and as such brightening his own chances it was assumed.

While Nwaoboshi engaged Okowa in the bitter conflict for the Delta North Senate ticket last January, Uduaghan’s silence or perceived body movement annoyed the party chairman. Why would the governor not be on the same page with his party chairman, he supposedly asked?

Nwaoboshi’s open bid to drive Mrs. Ali to the Senate even though Mrs. Ali as supposed was already at peace with Uduaghan, became the first point of quarrel between the party chairman and the governor.

The discord was further soured after the presidential election when both men openly squabbled over the ministerial list from Delta State.Affirming his right as the party chairman, Nwaoboshi believed he should have been properly briefed by the governor before the transmission of the state’s ministerial nominations to Abuja. Uduaghan, however, differed stirring another rumpus between both men.

“I have received over 400 telephone calls since morning about the list. I was shocked because I don’t know anything about the published list,” Nwaoboshi said in his repudiation of the list of ministerial nominees dispatched to Abuja by Governor Uduaghan last May.

Governor Uduaghan was to reply him during a media parley shortly after, saying “I take responsibility for that list. It was the list I sent based on the letter from the national headquarters that we should send ten names; I consulted widely including the State party chairman. I have it on record”, he stated.

Following that squabble it seemed both men went their different ways at least politically as the party chairman was hardly seen in state functions.

Remarkably, in the midst of his own “quarrel” with the governor, the party chairman conceived the idea of a total reconciliation of the different tendencies in the state PDP.

Obviously the governor was not taken into confidence on this scheme and not surprisingly, the Dr. Cairo Ojugboh led peace panel which was inaugurated with much fanfare by Nwaoboshi last September was easily stymied in the view of some party stakeholders.

However, sources close to the committee say that the committee is still in operation with one member saying “we have achieved very much only that we had to go underground based on some issues that cropped up.”

All insinuations of peace of the grave yard within the Uduaghan/Nwaoboshi PDP fold may, however, for now be over, given the inclinations of the governor and his party chairman last Wednesday.

“We know we are all politicians and are bound to have different views, we can also disagree but we should be able to resolve things amicably”, Nwaoboshi said last Thursday in what is believed to be his first public engagement with the governor in months.

However, one prominent stakeholder tongue in cheek was suspicious of the new peace.
“Let’s see how the peace can endure, you know if there is no exam or test you cannot say how brilliant a student is,” he disclosed noting that whoever does not get what he wants during the congress may still resort to the peace of the grave yard.

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POLITICAL METABOLISM: WHEN LEGISLATORS BEG

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POLITICAL METABOLISM: When legislators beg
On February 1, 2012 · In Politics

By EMMANUEL AZIKEN

NOW if anyone needs a reminder of the problems that have stymied the nation’s development he or she, only need seek an interaction with the House of Representatives Committee on Power.

It is the same Committee on Power which four years ago took the country on a jolly ride in an elusive investigation of the supposed malfeasances in the implementation of the independent power project. The committee then under the leadership of Rep. Ndudi Elumelu at the end of its gallivanting did not just waste our time and money, but also set the nation’s power plans backwards by many years.

Now under the leadership of another dynamic chairman in the person of Rep. Rep Patrick Ikhariale (PDP, Edo Central), the rectitude of the committee and its leadership came to the fore when  it engaged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the seeming rudeness of the commission in refusing employment to persons sent to the commission by the House members.

“Two to three years ago, we sent a list of our candidates for employment to the commission but as I speak today, some of them have died. You didn’t give them the job and that is one of the problem(s) we have in the power sector,” the Chairman of the committee, Rep Ikhariale was quoted by a national daily as saying during an oversight visit to the commission in Abuja.

It would seem puzzling to any one on how the problems of the power sector in the country could be related to the refusal or inability of the energy regulatory commission to employ the nominees of the House members into the commission.

But then it is not totally perplexing, given that the powers of appropriation are in the control of the House members who have the power to do and undo in the matter of funding. Could it be that the refusal to employ the nominees of the House members forced the House to cut short the budget for the NERC and thereby stifling the nation’s quest for sufficient power? Could it?

The House committee chairman was further quoted to have said: “I would say that you should take this into consideration as you prepare your zonal offices for takeoff. The zonal office would make you have better presence and felt nationwide.”

“NERC has not been fair to us. We deserve to know the full knowledge of your actions, inactions and even intentions so that we are well prepared to defend your positions when the need arises in the house. As the committee on power and as representatives of the people, we receive complaints often and we can only respond appropriately when we are well grounded in your activities,” Ikhariale said.

As almost generally acknowledged by everyone, helping constituents and supporters to secure appointments is like an obligation to many Nigerian lawmakers. However, that obligation should not be seen to be done at the expense of the collective good or be pursued in a brusque manner the way that the members of the House Committee on Power seems to have done.

If refusing employment to the favoured candidates of legislators is one of the problems militating against the performance of the power sector then the exact nexus of the capacity of the legislators’ nominees to the in the operation of the sector needs to be further clarified.

Such imprudent gestures do not do the standing of the legislature good. It debases the authority of the legislature and it is no wonder that oversight visits by National Assembly members are generally seen as a means of extortion.

Given the integrity the chairman of the NERC Dr. Sam Amadi came with to the job I only wonder how he would have responded to the lawmakers. One of the most respected members of the civil right society before his appointment as NERC boss, I could imagine the scorn with which Dr. Amadi of old would have responded.

Well, if Dr. Amadi has not changed I believe he would have diplomatically told Ikhariale and his entourage that he appreciates the seriousness with which they, (legislators) have been doing their job in crafting laws and policies for the commission and would have told them to continue in that very duty!

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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

News Ghana
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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

News Ghana
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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.

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