National News Monday, October 28, 2013 1. NCAA: We’ve No Documents on Armoured Cars’ Purchase •APC cautions president against shielding Oduah •Bulletproof vehicles not on NSA’s security list The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said it is not in possession of documents relating to the controversial purchase of the two armoured BMW cars, worth N255 million, it was accused of buying for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah. The agency, in an October 23 letter addressed to Falana & Falana Chambers and signed by its Legal Adviser, E. D. Chukwuma, however, did not state who was in custody of the documents.The letter, a copy of which THISDAY obtained at the weekend, was a response to a request by Falana & Falana Chambers, contained in a letter dated October 21, in which it requested information on the purchase of the bulletproof cars under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. The law firm of Lagos-based human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), had given the NCAA a seven-day ultimatum to respond to the request or it would head to court to compel the agency to release the information. The raging controversy over the Oduah gate scandal also continued yesterday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged President Goodluck Jonathan not to become an accessory to corruption by shielding the minister from facing the consequences of the abuse of office that the purchase of the two cars, without due process, amounted to. A new twist has also emerged in the car scandal following a report that the two cars are not on the list of bulletproof cars in the country domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). Thisday, front pg, cont on pg8 2. Bad roads: FG to reintroduce toll gates Against the backdrop of deteriorating Federal roads nationwide, the Federal Government may have decided to reintroduce tolling on its highways, to raise money to fix the roads. A policy document on the reintroduction of tolling may be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council by Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, for approval and implementation. The policy document is known as Green Paper: Federal Roads and Bridges Tolling Policy for Nigeria.’ The Director, Public, Private Partnership, Federal Ministry of Works, Babatunde Ekusinmi, who disclosed this to newsmen noted that “Nigeria had operated some toll roads for several years, but they were abandoned in 2004, due mainly to legal disputes, revenue leakages and unmet maintenance of the tolled roads. With tolling once again being considered as a policy option, Nigeria has the advantage that it can assess successfully and execute tolling to develop, build, manage and maintain roads”. Vanguard, pg8 3. ARRESTED LAWYER, VESSEL WITH 20,000 TONNES OF CRUDE MISSING SILENCE pervaded the headquarters of the Bayelsa State Police Command Sunday following the alleged disappearance of an earlier arrested Port Harcourt-based lawyer identified as Angello, and an oil vessel allegedly carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of stolen crude oil. The lawyer was reportedly arrested last Wednesday at a bar in the Lekki area of Lagos alongside his client, Chief Ebi, and three other crew of the oil vessel, while the crude is suspected to have been stolen from the Agip Oil Company pipeline. Meanwhile, the family of the arrested lawyer, through its spokesperson, Chief Kelvin Abieripie, told reporters at the weekend in Yenagoa that their investigations alongside the police command showed that those that allegedly arrested the suspects are not policemen and might have abducted the lawyer and the stolen crude. According to the family, those involved in the purported arrest of their son and others were found to be impostors, “and family members now believe that the security operatives that invaded the bar and boarded the vessel claiming that the petroleum product was stolen had in fact abducted Angelo and Ebi as well as their associates and the vessel at the point where the product was to be delivered to the buyers.” The Guardian, pg4 4. FG persecuting rebel govs, others –New PDP Members of the New Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday alleged that they were being persecuted by agents of the Federal Government. They said the agents had been using “unconstitutional means” to achieve their selfish goals. In a statement made available hours before the seven rebel governors in the New PDP and other leaders of the group met in Abuja on Sunday evening, they gave examples of how the agents had in the past few weeks been using a well co-ordinated and systematic plot to traumatise, annihilate and cripple them economically and politically. The statement by their National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, added that the acts amounted to flagrant disregard for Chapter IV, Section 33 – 45 of the 1999 Constitution that guarantees “our fundamental human rights as Nigerians.” A part of the statement reads , “Contrary to the provisions of Chapter IV Sections 42, 43 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee our rights as Nigerians to acquire and own property in any part of the country, our national secretariat and most of our state secretariats have been sealed off by the Police on the orders of those in power. The Punch, pg8 5. FG yet to release N100b to varsities –ASUU •Flays Mark over comment on 2009 agreement •TUC vows to resist sale of unity schools Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, Clement Chup, has alleged that the Federal Government was yet to remit the N100 billion it promised universities in the country for development of infrastructure.This claim is contrary to the position of the Federal Government which, in September “disbursed” the N100 billion to the various universities’ governing councils in an elaborate event in Abuja presided over by Secretary to Government of the Federation Pius Anyim. The disbursement which came in a letter assigning various amounts to the universities for infrastructural development took place shortly after ASUU walked out on government. But Chup claimed in an interview in Abuja on Sunday that government was systematically evading the implementation of the 2009 pact, insisting the agreement remains binding on government. He vowed that the union would not be intimidated to call off its four-month-old strike because of what he described as cheap propaganda by government. Daily Independent, front pg, cont on pg2 6. NDDC politics scuttle N250bn yearly infrastructure investment How a development agency has been turned into a rent-seeking centre Politicisation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is denying Nigerians, especially those in the region after which it is named, an annual infrastructure investment of over N250 billion. Industry watchers say this situation has turned an otherwise development institution to a rent seeking centre for politicians and their acolytes. Stakeholders of the commission are protesting the percieved politicisation of the the intervention agency. They say the way it is run is questionable. They also question the selection process for the position of chief executive (managing director) and claim that the body hardly fulfils the function for which it was set up. They allege excessive interference from politicians, who prime themselves to take up contracts from the agency, which never execute. They say they political meddlers include very highly placed public office holders and their hangers-on who milk the NDDC dry. Businessday, front pg cont on pg6 Business News 7. FG may stop electricity subsidy in 2014 The Federal Government may discontinue the provision of subsidy on electricity for low income consumers from next year, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said. This, according to the commission, will affect low income electricity consumers in the Residential 1 and 2 and Commercial-1 cadres. The Punch, pg32 8. Naira Weakens to N166/$1 at Parallel Market There seems to be no end in sight to the volatility suffered by the naira as it depreciated significantly against the dollar at the parallel market to close at N166/$1 on Friday, from N163/$1 the preceding Friday. Thisday, 23 World/Regional News Boko Haram Attacks Border Community with Cameroon, Kills 4 Soldiers The members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect have launched another deadly attack at a military checkpoint close to the Nigerian border with Cameroun, killing four security operatives. It was gathered that the group attacked the Bama-Banki Junction road leading to the Republic of Cameroun. Thisday, pg7 9. Anambra poll: PDP, APGA battle for Presidency’s support •Okorocha, APC blackmailing judiciary, PDP alleges Two rival parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), are now locked in a fierce battle for the support of the Presidency in the build up to the November 16 Anambra State governorship election.Daily Independent gathered at the weekend that the latest development was prompted by last week’s judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt which restored Tony Nwoye as candidate of the PDP for the poll. Daily Independent
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 11:53:59 +0000
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