MATTERS ARISING: The Crushing Machine At It Again

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The Crushing Machine At It Again

Amidst several natural challenges besieging the country, man-made wind of impeachment also navigated its way into some state Assemblies. First was the impeachment of the Taraba State Deputy governor for alleged gross misconduct, while the Kogi State House of Assembly also ended its protracted saga with the impeachment of the Speaker Abdullai Bello, as he could not survive the fifth impeachment plot.
The deputy governor felt the wrath alone but the Kogi speaker had company; with his deputy and other principal officers also taking a hit from the Assembly hammer.
Though the affected lawmakers and executive have been accused of incompetence and misappropriation, impeachment in state Assemblies is still been touted as revenge machine with which governors get back at members or deputies who go against their bidding. If the latter is the case, then who will plug the wheel of this bullish machine?


festus odimegwu

Ensure Demographic Biometric Census By 2016!

In an attempt to reduce crime insurgence in the country, the Presidency has directed the National Population Commission to embark on comprehensive biometric capturing of all Nigerians in 2015. NPC boss, Festus Odimegwu, while disclosing this said it is one of the measures to address the security challenges in the country.
According to him, the President charged NPC to be innovative in its population policy and this has made the body to come up with Population Quality Improvement Based Population policy. He stressed that National Population Commission intends to provide a consolidated centralised national demographic data bank with which it will meet the President’s charge by 2016.
He however noted that the process to ensure biometric record of Nigerians will require the support of all stake holders if the objective is to be realized. “We are going to do for the first time in Nigeria a comprehensive biometric census. To record all Nigerians, their biometrics, and then give them one number that will follow them from birth to death. This biometric census will be a huge exercise that would need the support of all the partners and well wishers of Nigeria to be conducted.”

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ike ekweremadu

Transformational Leadership the Key
At the 2012 Zik Lecture Series organised by the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, lamented the low quality of leaders which according to him has resulted in low or lack of development of the country.
He cited the example of some National Assembly members who somehow found their way into the House despite their educational incompetence, stating that “some could barely write their names.” The senator added that knowledgeable and patriotic leadership epitomised by Zik is what can drive the transformation agenda of the nation, not the sole clamour for federal structure and an error-free constitution.
“Even the best constitution or federal structure in the world cannot yield the best of democracy dividends or drive the lofty dreams of a nation unless there is a general commitment by the leadership and citizens alike to live by the principles and letters of that constitution and the norms that promote development.”


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Cankerworm in NPL purse
Having organised the longest football league in history the previous year, the NPL concluded the 2011/2012 season with a board room winner who ended whit no prize money. With the date for the commencement of a new league season still unknown, the cankerworm that made teams cry of cash crunch in the just concluded season has come to the fore; as auditors who worked on the financial books of the Nigeria Football League Limited for the year ended June 2012, have raised the alarm over some missing N38m.
The money believed to be part of the broadcast rights, was conspicuously missing on the bank statement of the NFL. According to the auditors’ report, the sum of N115,358,000 was traced to the bank statement as payment made by Total Promotion Limited in respect of the season under review as league’s television broadcast right, while the outstanding balance of N38,141,270 was paid through physical cash, which made it untraceable.
Now we know one of the reasons why Ocean Boys FC could not complete their league schedule which viciously led to the emergence of a league champion from the boardroom rather than the field!

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Get Backhaul, Spare Congestion…
Executive Vice-President of the National Communications Commission (NCC), Eugene Juwah, has called on telecoms operators in Nigeria and Africa to always consider developing infrastructure backhaul that would stand as backup to support the network in periods of crisis, adding that incessant network congestion in the country, is due to lack of telecoms infrastructure backhaul.
Juwah who made the call at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) World Conference 2012, said services from mobile network operators should be backhauled in order to serve more people on the network, without the slightest experience of network congestion.
Also speaking at the conference, Secretary General of ITU, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, echoed the great developmental impact of broadband on African telecoms. He stated that “there are more telephone users in Africa than in the UK, which was not the case in several years past,” and therefore encourage Africans to maximise the benefits of the medium by deploying it in every sector of their economic and social activities.


boko haram leader
They Started Off Here!
Niger State Governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu, recently made it known that the leader of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, started his ‘ministry’ at Mokwa in the state a few years ago. He stressed that Niger State would have been the headquarters of the sect where it not for the concerted effort of the security agencies and the state government to dislodge them.
When the sect swung into full action in other states of the north, it was categorised as a federal government issue; while a strict attention from the various state governments would have helped. They have been accused of not speaking; maybe the northern governors are beginning to talk after all.

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mimiko
The Iroko Stands
After weeks of change, continuity and rescue mission campaigns by the major contending party candidates, the people of Ondo State opted for continuity with the ballot box, as the Iroko was spared to govern for the next four years.
In the result declared by INEC, the incumbent governor, Olusegun Mimiko, fondly called “Iroko” won in 14 out of 18 local governments with accumulation of 260, 199 votes and thereby becoming the first governor to retain his seat in Ondo State. PDP candidate, Olusola Oke polled155, 961 votes to come second, while ACN candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu polled a total of 143, 512 votes to come a distant third.
With the success story of the Edo State election the circumstances heralding the one that retained the Iroko, there have been suggestions of staggered elections to ensure credibility in subsequent elections in Nigeria. But for now and the people of the Sunshine State, the Iroko stands tall; it cannot be swept by the broom neither can it be covered by the umbrella.