Cross River plans palm oil refinery, to employ 7,000 workers

Gov.  Liyel Imoke of Cross River has announced  plans by his administration to establish a palm oil refinery that will employ some 7,000 workers.

He made the announcement on Saturday in Calabar while featuring in a radio programme tagged “Two Hours with the Governor” produced by Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC).

Imoke said a foreign investor had indicated interest to set up the processing plant that would refine palm oil into vegetable oil and other edibles.

He said the establishment of the refinery was in line with the commitment of his administration to to ensure food security in the state.

He said the plant would occupy 50 hectares

`The governor explained: `I saw the company in Singapore that will come and put this refinery in place.

“In one location alone, the company employed 16,000 people, meaning that if it is here in the state, it will engage as many as 7,000 Cross Riverians, thereby reducing drastically our unemployment rate.

“The state is blessed with agricultural produce; all we need to do at this point in time is to ensure that they are converted into industrial purposes rather than just leaving them for household and immediate use; we need to think of tomorrow.’’

The governor also announced that he had laid the foundation stone of Portside Industrial Park at Esuk Utang in Calabar, where industrial activities were  currently taking place.

He lauded the commitment of the private sector in complementing the industrial efforts of the government, adding that partnership with the private sector would ginger confidence in the system.

Imoke said the private sector had already invested N800 million in the portside project at a period when the government had yet to invest in it.

He solicited  the cooperation of the people of the state in regulating the activities of tank farm operators at the state industrial areas, adding that orderliness must be introduced to the system to promote investment. (NAN)

Aspirant seeks nullification of Lagos council poll

By ABDULWAHAB ABDULLAH & OAMEN  AREGUAMEN

An aspirant in today’s local government election in Lagos State and Vice Chairman of Kosofe local government of Lagos state, Mr. Oluwasegun Aka-Bashorun yesterdat prayed an Ikeja High Court to nullify the nomination of one Afolabi Shofola as the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the poll.

This was coming as the Lagos Chief Judge; Justice Inumidun Akande sworn in the Local Government Election Tribunals and Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal, with a call that members of the tribunal should abide by their oath of office and justify the confidence reposed in them.

Akande while urging them to live up to expectation, said they should be honest, steadfast, fair, upright and transparent in adjudicating on matters that would be brought before them without fear or favour.

In his court action filed in the court Registry yesterday, Aka-Bashorun said the nomination of Shofola was contrary to the provisions of Article 21.5 of the constitution of the ACN which mandated the party to conduct primary election for the contest in the local government election coming up today across the state.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Action Congress OF Nigeria, CAN, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, and Afolabi Shofola.

In his brief, he argued that the failure of the party to conduct primary election for selection of its candidates for the local government in Lagos State “constitutes a breach of Article 21.1 of the Constitution of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

He therefore prayed for an order nullifying the purported nomination of the 3rd defendant (Shofola) as the Chairmanship candidate of the party in the Saturday poll.

He also asked for an order “compelling the party to conduct primary election for all candidates that submitted nomination forms for the forthcoming local government election scheduled for Saturday 22nd October, 2011 in Lagos State.

Aka-Bashorun stated in his affidavit in support of motion that he collected forms for the poll and paid necessary fees but the party rather than conduct primary to pick right candidate to contest the poll selected Shofola and that no primary election conducted as stipulated by the party’s constitution.

Meanwhile, the state Chief Judge called on the tribunal members to see their appointment as the confident reposed in them to deliver justice without fear or favour.

The Judge who urged them to put the interest of the state first while discharging their duties, said their appointment into the tribunal was based on their antecedents and individual merit both as retired judicial officers, serving judicial officers, serving magistrates and legal practitioners.

“I have no doubt whatsoever, that you are aware of the enormity of the responsibility entrusted in you by this state assignment and the expectation of members of the general public as you settle down to work.

The two local government election tribunal was headed by retired Justice F.A Owobiyi while the Appeal Tribunal would be chaired by Justice O.O Oke with Justices S.B.A Candide-Johnson, M.A Dada, H.A.O Abiru as member and O.A Oshodi as a member.

Source:Vanguard.

Group drags CCB to court over Jonathan’s asset declaration form

By IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja
A group under the aegis of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, AFRICMIL, yesterday, sued the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging that the Bureau blatantly denied it access to the most recent asset declaration form that was filled and returned by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The plaintiff is praying the high court to invoke its original jurisdiction and issue an order of mandamus that will compel the CCB to comply with its request of making available to the public, the said asset declaration of President Jonathan.

In an affidavit attached to the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/877/2011, the group said it had on July 28, forwarded a Freedom of Information request to the CCB asking “to be allowed to inspect and obtain copies of the 2007 asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; the asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan after the end of his tenure on May 28, 2011; and the current asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan when he assumed office on May 29, 2011”.

On July 28, 2011, AFRICMIL sent a Freedom of Information request to the CCB asking “to be allowed to inspect and obtain copies of the 2007 asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; the asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan after the end of his tenure on May 28, 2011; and the current asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan when he assumed office on May 29, 2011”.

AFRICMIL said it was concerned that even with a memo from the presidency that government agencies, must subject themselves to the Freedom of Information Act, that the CCB refused to act on its request, contending that for a government that has proclaimed a transformation agenda and desire to fight corruption, it is important for President Jonathan to lead by example. It insisted that the only way he can do so is by making public his asset declaration.

Source:Vanguard.

Revolution, only answer to Nigeria’s problems – Lekan Balogun

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE (National Mirror)

Lekan Balogun, a Third Republic senator and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believes that revolution is the only solution to the various problems of Nigeria. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he said Nigeria would not grow until there is a major departure from the existing pattern of doing things. Excerpts:

Senator Lekan Balogun

How do you see the ongoing trial of some former governors and the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in bringing some former public office holders to book for alleged corrupt practices?
EFCC's indictment is not conviction and since the matter is still in court, it is unlawful to comment on it. There are many alle- gations against the former governors; they arebeingarraignedatdifferentcourtsand we should leave the EFCC to do their job. There is no point commenting on the matter until we are sure of our facts.

But at present many people seem to be worried that their cases might be swept under the carpet as it had been the case in the past. The act of arresting and arraigning is part of their job but for me as a lay man, I cannot judge them until l lay my hands on the fact. Nigerians are mutually suspicious of one another and nobody believes that EFCC means well.

At a stage nobody believes that some of the former governors would be arrested and now they have been arrested and are being arraigned at different courts. We should all wait for the decision of the court before judging anybody.

Corruption seem to have contributed immensely to bad governance in Nigeria because many of the resources meant to provide basic amenities for the masses are being diverted by some public office holders for personal use. Are you not worried about this trend?
I am very worried and I think the country is at the verge of a revolution. Definitely, we can't carry on like this. Corruption is not limited to EFCC arrest and arraignment of some people alone; it is endemic in Nigeria and everybody is involved. Corrup- tion has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian system and it will require major surgical operation to correct.

What do you mean by revolution?
It means a major departure from the existing pattern of doing things. By that, I mean when a country no longer wants to beledtheoldwayorgovernintheoldway. The obvious thing is to fight for change. We are ready for revolution and we are ready for change.

We just can't carry on like this. The president is talking about transformation agenda and we don't know what it is all about and he hasn't told us the content of the transformation agenda. He is talking about building refinery in Singapore, what happens to the job generation agenda? He is announcing one objectives and he is acting contrary to it. We have to prepare our mind for revolution.

Can we now say the state of insecuri- tyinthecountry,especiallythemenace of the Boko Haram is a preparatory ground for revolution?
Boko Haram to me is a political, ethnic, religious and international problem. It is not well defined and we don't have all the data. The Police are not forthcoming about what Boko Haram is all about. Initially, they said it was an ethnic affair and later they said it is a religious problem and later Nigeria went to recognise the new government in Libya and consequent upon that was the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja. Is Boko Haram an international problem or an extension of the Libya crisis?

Some Boko Haram leaders have in- dicated interest in negotiating with the government for peace to reign. Do you think the government should sit at the round table with the dreadful Islamic sect?
Why should we be negotiating with criminals? If I take to the street now and started shooting people, will you arrest me and start negotiating with me? Many things are wrong in the country and we cannot continue to carry on like this. I be- lieve something must give way very soon.

Despite the various problems in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan recently sent a bill to the National As- sembly seeking for a six year single ten- ure for president and governors. What is your take on this?
If I were him, six year single tenure will not be my priority. There is a high rate of unemployment, poverty, insecurity of life and property and many urgent problems in the country, which he needs to attend to. It is true that a lot of tension usually arise from two terms. I believe that must have been his concern but at the same time that should not be his priority. It is bad enough to have bad governance for four years; the worst is to have six years.

If we have a democracy that respect so the peoples rights, we can even talk of a 10-year single tenure but right now six-year single term is not the priority. It is terrible for us to endure four years of bad government and it will be worse for us if we have six years of bad governance.

As a former member of the Senate, what advice do you have for the present members of the National Assembly on various issues and matters pending on the floor of the House?
I read about a bill, which Bukola Saraki was planning to sponsor on the oil subsidy. It is a major bill like the one I sponsored when I was in the Senate, which I called Security Bill.

According to the bill I spon- sored, the government is supposed to pro- vide for the aged, the children, the people living with disabilities and the unemployed but it never saw the light of the day. I hope thisonewillseethelightofthedaybecause it is a major bill. It talks about fuel subsidy but much more about the management of the fuel subsidy; the transparency that is absent in the management of the oil subsidy and so on and so forth. The proposed withdrawal of fuel subsidy will create a lot of hardship. We faced a lot of problem with the subsidy and there would be double problem if the subsidy is removed.

So, my advice is that they should do their work very seriously and take their oversight function very seriously. They should challenge basic norms about the right of min- isters to do as they like. A lot of the atroci- ties that are committed are committed by ministers who are not accountable to the National Assembly. They should be made to be accountable to the National Assembly.

At present, PDP in many states, es- pecially in South-West, seems to have crumbled as reflected by the outcome of the last general elections. Are you not worried about the status of the PDP?
Our problem is as a result of bad leader- ship in South-West. We all know the foun- dation of the problem and if we correct it, everything will fall in place. Bad leadership isthebaneofthePDP.

Why did you blame bad leadership for PDP's woes?
Bad leadership led to the absence of transparency in the party; absence of democratic norms and values expected in the party with the way you run the party.

It is bad enough for one man to sit in his bedroom and start picking ministers and anybody he likes. And when that man is happy, we say South-West is happy but we are not happy. One-man's happiness is not the hap piness of millions of Yoruba people across the South-West.

Oyo PDP has been divided due to power tussle. Do you see the possibility of the PDP warring members coming together under one platform?
We are virtually together already. Matters have compelled us to come together andthatishappeningalready. I just pray that sanity would prevail and sanity would return to the party for us to put our heads together and promote a common cause.

Ahead of the PDP national convention, South-West is seriously battling to produce the party's National Secretary. What is your take on this?
We are not battling to get the National Secretary of the party. It is not an adequate compensation for the loss of the Speaker- ship of the House of Representatives. So, how can we be battling for it. I have a lot of friends who are battling for the position of the National Secretary and I wish them good luck.

South-West is not battling for the position; we were already marginalised and disadvantage. Out of the geo-political zones in Nigeria we are the only marginalised zone, and giving us the position of the National Secretary will give us nothing; it is not the answer to our problems.

What we are supposed to have is the na- tional chairman of the party and if that is not possible, we must do everything to secure our place in the national politics. But I don't see that happening immediately unless the South-West puts its house in order first. Then other Nigerians would begin to respect them. But the National Vice Chairman (South West) of the PDP at the last zonal meeting of the party in Abeokuta disclosed that the position of the National Secretary is yet to be zoned to South West?

The leader of the meeting in Abeokuta said we should learn to forgive one another and we should not involve in self incrimination.Hesaidweshouldstopabusingone another, but at the event he abused some people calling them different names. He made a law and he was the first person to fall foul of his own law. Is that a good lead- ership? So the meeting achieved nothing at the end of the day. But I think all that will be a thing of the past very soon.

It's either the leadership changed its ways and meth- ods or an alternative leader will emerge in South West. We need leaders that will respect the wishes of the people, party norms and beliefs and give ways for the party to be run democratically. That kind of lead- ership will emerge any moment from now and if it doesn't emerge then the leadership of old must change their ways.

Fifty-one years after Independence, are you satisfied with the present state of Nigeria?
We are very far from it. I used to be angry when I was younger but now I am angrier as an older person about NigeriaÕs situa- tion because nothing is moving and hap- pening. I see revolution as the only answer but it will take time.

We need a vanguard organisation that will lead the control of the process of the revolution. It is coming, it is in the pipeline and it has to happen. Education is not free and there is no access to medical and health care; income is in- adequate.

There is poverty in the land and there are many vices; prostitution; armed robbery and now insecurity of lives and property.People don't care living when dying is the better al ternative. We are gradu- ally approaching that stage when you are better off dying than living.