Mark Advocates Full Scale War against Boko Haram

The Senate President, David Mark, has called on the Federal Government to declare full scale military operation against insurgents in the North East.

Senator Mark made the call in Abuja yesterday while welcoming senators back from Easter recess. He said he has changed his previous stand on calls for dialogue with Boko Haram, adding that it was time to confront the insurgents with a full scale war.

“There is no doubt that our nation is at war. The enemy has clearly and unequivocally served the nation notice of its vile intentions,” he said. “It is obvious that we are dealing with insurgents and well-funded nihilists who are determined to violently trample upon the secularity of the Nigerian state and destroy the country.”

“Therefore,” he added, “a clear, unambiguous and decisive military response from the government, beyond the imposition of a state of emergency, is urgently required in this circumstance.”

Police Disrupts ASUP, COEASU Protest in Abuja

The police yesterday used teargas and water to disrupt a peaceful protest by members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) who were calling on government to meet their demands in order to end their 10-month strike.

 

The unions had convened at car park of the Federal Secretariat at 9am and marched to the Ministry of Education, carrying placards with various inscriptions, some calling for the sack of the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike. Security operatives, especially the police, barricaded the entrance to the ministry to prevent the protesters from entering.

 

ASUP President, Mr Chibuzor Asomugha said the union would push the government to resolve the lingering crisis. “If the government is sensitive and it means its transformation (agenda), then it should start transforming the Education sector,” Mr Asomugha said.

 

The protesters also marched to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity where the minister, Mr Emeka Wogu, assured that President Goodlucl Jonathan had intervened in their case. However, shortly after the minister’s address, police began to teargas the protesters, leading to pandemonium.

Northern Delegates Make Stand Known at National Conference

Northern delegates to the on-going National Conference yesterday revealed what they termed the stand of the North in dialogue.

Their position was contained in a paper made available to members of the conference and the media tagged, “Key Issues before the Northern Delegates to the National Conference; Northern Nigeria the Back Bone and Strength of Nigeria”. The delegates said unless 1999 Constitution is amended to take away the ownership of mineral resources from the federal government, total resource control by any Nigerian state would amount to a breach of the covenants of the federation.

Accordingly, they recommended a reduction of the derivation formula which should be applied to oil produced solely onshore, from 13 per cent to five per cent, as well as the scrapping of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ministry of Niger Delta and the Amnesty Programme for ex-Niger Delta militants.

They also said that the northern delegates said the agitation for resource control by a section of the country was akin to attempts to pull out of the Nigerian federation, explaining that all regions in the country are equal stakeholders and owners of the country’s mineral resources, including its hydrocarbon resources.

Court Denies Stopping Alison-Madueke’s Investigation

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday summoned the House of Representatives to explain where it got information that it stopped the investigation of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, for allegedly spending about N10billion on hiring aircraft.

 

The House of Representatives reportedly claimed on Monday that the court, presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, had restrained it from proceeding with the planned investigation of Mrs Alison-Madueke and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

 

Justice Mohammed expressed displeasure about the claim credited to the House of Representatives. “I have seen the press release in the media said to be released by the House of Representatives that this court has ordered the stop of the investigation of the Minister for Petroleum Resources.” He said. “As far as I am concerned, and I am the judge handling this matter, no such order was made.”

 

The judge said he was worried by the confusing reports in the media, which were clear misrepresentation of the proceedings in court.

Jonathan Promises to Eradicate Polio by End of 2014

President Goodluck Jonathan has restated the commitment of his administration towards eradicating polio transmission in the country by the end of this year.

He made the assertion yesterday in Abuja at the Nigeria Polio Summit organized by Rotary International in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health. The president who was represented by the health minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that the federal government was increasing surveillance and routine immunization in border communities while collaborating with border countries to checkmate and prevent further spread and transmission of the virus from countries like Cameroon which just  suffered an outbreak.

“My administration through the Ministry of Health, the Polio Task Force, and the Emergency Operational Centre of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency shall continue to drive this programme nationwide,” he said. We will continue to do our best to ensure the required funding for the polio eradication programme is provided, and I am sure the coordinating minister for the economy is doing her utmost best, to ensure all our pledges are fulfilled.”

He therefore called on state governors to continue to provide personal leadership in their states for the pogramme by requesting and reviewing monthly reports from the LGA chairpersons, on the progress being made in their respective domain.

4,000 to Lose Jobs over Suspension of Park and Pay Scheme

Operators of the recently suspended Park and Pay scheme in Abuja have said over 4,000 staff of the scheme will soon lose their jobs.

The Chief Executive Officer, Platinum Parking management Services Ltd (PPMS) and President of Association of Parking Operators in Nigeria, Mr Olusegun Olarewaju, who made the disclosure in Abuja recently explained that staff to be affected by the court judgment include various categories of graduates under the pay-rolls of the operators, mechanics and even artisans.

“Over 4,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly, are to be lost in Abuja if the court judgement nullifying the activities of the Park and Pay scheme stands,” he said. “For instance, every one of the operators in the scheme has an average of over 800 staff working on his pay-roll. Not to talk of other ancillary workers who patronise the operators every day.”

He added that parking operator and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have concluded plans to appeal against the FCT High Court judgment which led to the suspension of the scheme.

Confab Committee Rejects Agitation for State Police

The National Conference Committee on the Devolution of Power yesterday insisted on the centralisation of Police, saying that Nigeria is not ripe for state police, hence, its continued retention in the federal exclusive list.

The former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, and said decentralising the Nigerian Police at the moment was dangerous because of fear of abuse by various state governments.

Similarly, Mr Bashir Dalhatu from Jigawa State argued that state police might result in interstate wars as criminals could take advantage of moving from state to states committing crimes and claiming membership of the political party in power in the respective states.

Meanwhile, Mr Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) argued that state police is in line with the principles of true federalism, calling on his colleagues to give it the necessary constitutional backing for effective crime control.

However, after series of arguments for and against state police, its advocates failed to convince others in the committee to transfer it to the Concurrent List that would enable States to share power and responsibilities on it with the Federal government.