N.I.M.C Boss paid last respect to Mama Labor

Open air church service at Elibujor East street, Umuonaje Quarters, Asaba, for the repose soul of Late Mrs. Felicia Ngozi Nwandu (nee Onyemenam), fondly called Mama Labor, the elder sister of Barr. Chris E Onyemenam, Director General, Nigerian Identity Management Commission.

Church members, friends, family members and relatives at the church service.

Umuada also came to pay their last respect.

Mama Labour's first son and daughter near the casket paying their last respect.

The prestigious egwu aguba came too to pay last respect to one of their own, mama labour was a well respected member of the group.

The Ikpoho ogbe, ndi-Ogbeogo,i.e women married to Ogbeogo men, performing too, Mama labor was one of them. They too came to pay respect to one of their own because they know her worth and sound sense of judgement at issues, especially her fearless disposition.

 Okwulagwe Ezeafadia performing the Ikwulu-Ozu rites, the last rite of honor for their sweet sister, the youth group performs this rite for their own, these youth are the last to see the departed one.

 Barr. Chris Onyemenam, his wife-Akudika Ogene, flanked by friends led the walk to the Onyemenam country home at Ezeafadia Kings Street, for the internment of Mama Labor

 Mama Labor on her way back to her father's house at Ezeafadia Kings Street, Ajaji Quarters, Asaba.

 Thanks Friends For Your visit at this time of grieving, Barr. Chris Onyemenam shares with his friends.

 Mama Labor steps into the Obiaso ancestral home.

 Finally, Mama Labor arrives at his father's compound

 Grave Side Prayers and blessing of the grave, the presiding ministers are flanked both sides by family members.

 Ikechukwu, Mama labor's first son performing the dust to dust ritual for his sweet mother.

 Barr. Chris Onyemenam with words on marble performed his dust to dust rites too.

 After the internment, Barr. Chris led other family members to meet Diokpa Ezeafadia, akpakpalani ogbe, Ogbueshi George Onyemenam to brief the Diokpa how the event was conducted.

 Barr. Chris receiving some vital words of advice, wise counsels and patriarchal blessings form the Diokpa Ogbe, akpakpalani Ezeafadi, Ogbueshi George Onyemenam. 

Barr. Chris Onyemenam pose for Asaba Post News-Wire with his ever charming and beautiful Akudika Ogene, dalunu so, unu akwa ka nwanne anyi bu Sister Ngozi, Ani Ahaba ga edu unu shi ne.

Thanks for giving us at Asaba Post this opportunity to mourn with you and rights to publish same.

Colombia to join OECD anti-bribery convention

Luke Balleny

Colombia has become the latest country to be invited to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Working Group on Bribery, a precursor to joining the Paris-based organisation’s Anti-Bribery Convention.

OECD Deputy Secretary-General Richard Boucher was in Bogota on Tuesday where he signed an exchange of letters with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

“As it steps up its investment abroad, it’s important that Colombia has clearly made anti-corruption a top priority,” the OECD reported Boucher as saying at the signing ceremony.

“We are confident that Colombia’s accession to the Anti-Bribery Convention will not only strengthen its ability to fight corruption but it will also strengthen OECD efforts to stamp out bribery and create a level-playing field,” Boucher added.

Shortly after taking office in August 2010, President Santos vowed to make fighting corruption a top priority. The government has said it will pursue corrupt officials in the private and public sectors with the same zeal it uses to fight the country’s rebel groups.

The OECD Anti-Bribery Convention has been described as “the gold standard” of anti-bribery conventions by watchdog Transparency International and includes a rigorous peer-led monitoring and evaluation process to ensure that each country is fulfilling its obligations under the convention.

In addition to the OECD’s 34 member countries, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria and South Africa have also joined the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. Russia was invited in May to join the Working Group on Bribery and is expected to formally join the convention imminently.

Murder of Mexican activist sparks corruption claims

An activist who publicly accused police of kidnapping his teenage son was shot dead as he drove through his hometown in northern Mexico, a killing that instantly fuelled a bitter nationwide debate over crime and corruption.

Corrupt officials were being blamed yesterday by activists who worked with Nepomuceno Moreno in a national anti-crime movement that has been calling for an end to organised crime, police abuse and a military-led government assault on drug cartels.

The prosecutor's office in Sonora said Moreno had a criminal past and it was that which appeared to have led to his death.

Officials said Moreno was shot at least five times when he stopped his van at an intersection on Tuesday in Hermosillo, the capital city of Sonora, which borders Arizona.

Many Mexicans focus the blame for tens of thousands of crime-related deaths on the incompetence and corruption of federal, state and local authorities. President Felipe Calderon has outraged crime victims and their families by saying 90 per cent of those killed in a five-year-old government war on drug cartels were involved in crime.

Moreno, a 56-year-old seafood vendor, became one of the most visible faces of Mexico's anti-crime movement after his 18-year-old son Jorge Mario disappeared in July last year.

Saying masked police had snatched his son and two other young men, Moreno pleaded his case directly to Calderon last month in a meeting between the conservative leader and members of poet Javier Sicilia's Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity.

Moreno also said he had been repeatedly threatened by the men who grabbed his son, whom he described as police working with organised crime.

Sicilia began his movement after his son Juan Francisco was killed on March 28 in Cuernavaca along with six other people in what officials called a case of mistaken identity by drug-cartel members warring with other criminals. The movement has organised a series of high-profile marches and protests throughout the country.

Sicilia said yesterday Moreno's relatives now feared for their lives, and he focused the blame for the killing on unidentified people in authority.

"The family is terrified," Sicilia told Milenio television. "This is collusion with crime. Otherwise it's not possible for a man to be killed like this ... I don't know where the state ends and organised crime begins."

A spokesman for the Sonora state attorney general's office, Jose Larrinaga Talamantes, said the principal line of investigation in Moreno's death was drug trafficking, saying the victim had been involved with organised crime at least since his 1979 arrest in Arizona for heroin smuggling and possession.

In 1997, Moreno was jailed again on drug-related charges, Larrinaga said.

Violence attributed to organised crime has killed more than 35,000 people between December 2006 and the end of 2010.

Brazil ethics body says labor minister should quit

Stuart Grudgings

 The ethics commission of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recommended on Wednesday that her labor minister step down over corruption allegations, raising pressure on him to become the seventh cabinet member to quit this year.

The explanations that Carlos Lupi had given to Congress and the commission over his alleged improper ties with non-governmental groups had been "inadequate" for a minister, commission president Sepulveda Pertence told reporters.

Lupi has denied media reports that accused his former aides of running a scheme in which the ministry demanded bribes from NGOs in exchange for public contracts. Another report said Lupi had a series of trips on a private plane paid for by a contractor at the ministry.

The commission's recommendation will make it more difficult for Rousseff to maintain her support for Lupi, who would be the sixth minister to quit over corruption allegations in her first year in office. Another minister quit after making disparaging remarks about his colleagues.

The resignations have been a distraction for Rousseff's government but have yet to harm the former leftist militant. She has even benefited in opinion polls from a perception she is being tough on corruption.

Global corruption index reflects Arab Spring unrest

   
Maria Sheahan

Awareness of corruption has risen in some Arab countries in the wake of their uprisings earlier this year, a global league table released by Transparency International showed on Thursday.

North Korea was included in the Berlin-based watchdog TI's annual corruption perceptions index (CPI) for the first time and was judged the most corrupt country, along with Somalia, putting them at the bottom of the table.

Tunisia fell to 73rd place from 59th last year, with its CPI score dropping to 3.8 from 4.3 in the 183-nation index, which is based on independent surveys on corruption.

Tunisia became the birthplace of the "Arab Spring" uprisings in January when a wave of protests forced former President Zine al-Abidine to flee to Saudi Arabia.

The revolution set the template for uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen which have re-shaped the political landscape of the Middle East.

"We have seen a new movement in Arab nations," TI Managing Director Cobus de Swardt told Reuters.

"You now have not only a push for basic human rights but also for public accountability. The lack of public accountability has been recognized as a major problem."

Egypt fell to 112th from 98th, with a CPI of 2.9, and Syria slipped to 129th from 127th. Yemen and Libya shared 146th place last year and dropped to 164th and 168th this year respectively.

De Swardt said change now appeared much more driven by the demands of grassroots movements - which this year also included heavy anti-corruption protests in India - than by governments being proactive in improving transparency.

"The last 20 years have seen pockets of that (grassroots action), but it is arguably now in the Arab Spring and the Indian Summer where it is the most widespread and very much driven by good governance demands," he said.

Heading the index -- in which a score of 10 indicates a country with the highest standards, and 0 as highly corrupt -- was New Zealand with 9.5, followed by Denmark and Finland, sharing second place with 9.4. New Zealand has topped the table every year since 2006.

Somalia and North Korea both scored 1.0, with North Korea being included for the first time in the index's 16-year history. De Swardt said there had previously not been enough data to include the Asian country.

"There are no checks and balances in North Korea, no public accountability and total political control of the judiciary. And on top of that, civil society as we know it does not exist there," he said.

Most worrying, he said, was that high levels of corruption fundamentally undermine food distribution, painting a grim picture for North Korea, where the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned of a coming "nutrition crisis."

About two thirds of countries ranked in the index this year scored 5.0 or less.

However, TI identified Russia, Iran, France, the United Arab Emirates, Poland and Cuba as states where improvement had been made over the past year.

By contrast, it highlighted Haiti, Zimbabwe, India, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Qatar and Costa Rica as nations where perceptions had deteriorated.

WORLD AIDS DAY:FOUNDATION IDENTIFIES WITH YOUTH LEADERS & YOUNG HIV/AIDS ACTIVISTS

The Tobechukwu Okonkwo Foundation joined the rest of the world this year to mark the 2011 World AIDS Day observance.

The foundation choose this year to work with the youth population because the future belongs to them, especially the future of reducing the scourge to its zero level.

Tobechukwu Okonkwo Foundation partnered with Global Youth Coalition On HIV/AIDS(GYCA), Delta State Chapter, Asaba Post News-Wire, Young Basket-ball Stars-Team Delta, Delta State Action Committee on HIV/AIDS(DELSACA).

This years event had lots of activities, which gave participants great reason to join the rest of the world to marked the global event.

 The banner announcing the event and the foundation's view-point

 A cross section photograph of operators of commercial motor-bikes(okada riders) who left all to partner with foundation and other stakeholders at this year's World AIDS Day.

 The Foundation's Youth activists and Youth development leaders at the rally, both sensitizing with IEC materials, showcasing their banners and sharing male and female condoms with some basic information on usage.

 More youth activists and development workers at the rally.

 One of the Foundation's Youth Rights Activist educating his peers on the importance of the condom, what a fun-filled and entertaining way of peer education on a day like this.

 The tent of one of the partnering non government organization, Society For Family Health (SFH) used for the counseling and testing exercise.

 Mr. Chris Meka of the Society For Family Health(SFH) answering questions from the media on the importance of this year's theme and its relevance to the African Child and Mother.

 Mrs. Sifo from the Delta State Action Committee On HIV/AIDS(DELSACA) doing the same with the media.

 Group photograph of some community development workers, rights activists, youth leaders and youth HIV/AIDS rights activists who planned and implemented this year's program with the foundation.

For this year's World AIDS Day, we have proved to ourselves that we can do something, yes we know there are more grounds to conquer, still, we are ready to do more with Tobechukwu Okonkwo Foundation, thanks you all, it was a great day, thanks friends of TOF for believing in us as to support us. we thank you all, we love you, together we will kick HIV/AIDS of our land.

FOUNDATION REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HIV/AID REDUCTION INITIATIVES

Tobechukwu Okonkwo foundation (TOF) a grassroot human development non-government Organization has reiterated the foundation's commitment to actively champion grassroot vanguard of the global response targeted at zero reduction of harmful impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the 2011 World AIDS Day rally held at Asaba, the foundation Chairman, Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo stated that the foundation is now repositioned to effectively promote and defend the rights of persons and groups affected by the HIV/AIDS scourge.

Tobechukwu Okonkwo foundation observed that never  before, since, mankind noticed the HIV/AIDs pandemic, have the need reached a moment where we can stand up collectively and say with conviction that we want to see the complete end of HIV/AIDS scourge.

The foundations Chairman, Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo, speaking on the task ahead, observed that “The foundation is optimistic that there will be a collective result –oriented action, which will be matched with great resilience and rear courage dotted with appropriate political will at all levels of both public and private governance structures.

Despite economic, financial and resources constraint, which most times stretch the expected HIV/AIDS response to its limits, Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo remarked that the foundation has empirical database-oriented facts that both the Nigerian public and private sectors have through their engagement  saved some lives, as statifical  records at the foundation's disposal indicates.

The foundation's Chairman recalled that governments at all levels of governance had between 2000 through 2004 committed to, as well as made realistic, tangible and bold promises on the reduction of HIV/AIDS problems, he charged that “our government must seek creative approach towards keeping these promises, stressing that keeping such promise is strategically touching lives progressively.





Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo recalled that the foundation’s involvement in the HIV/AIDs initiative is to demonstrate the foundation’s firm resolve towards making possible  an AIDS– free generation, as well as supporting initiatives that will guarantee that no child should be born with HIV and ultimately prevent maternal death caused by AIDS.

He highlighted some recently recorded milestone in the HIV/AIDS global response to include, the fact that “the gap between treatment and prevention has ended, stating that treatment is now prevention”, in the same light.

On his views between Health and AIDS, he further commented that efforts are being put into place towards seeking greater response within the integrated and holistic health care service schemes, which he said is paving way for a people-centered health care delivery system, one with human rights issue at the centre as well as restores respect and dignity of every Deltans and Nigerian, Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo remarked.
On National HIV/AIDS response funding, Mr. Okonkwo believes that both the public and private sectors must seek mutual working relationships with a shared responsibility focus targeted at reducing to point zero the negative impact of the dreaded epidemic.

Today, on the World AIDS Day, I call upon all National, State and Local Government Leaders, community based leaders, parents, young people, HIV/AIDS caregivers, people living with HIV, HIV/AIDS rights activists and volunteers to look forward and work strategically toghether towards a world with zero new HIV infections; zero AIDS–related death and Zero Discrimination, it is possible, yes we can, lets do it today, were Mr. okonkwo's appeal to all.

The foundation partnered with Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)-Delta State Chapter, the Delta State Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (DELSACA); Asaba Post News-Wire, online media publications and the young basket and players training at the Asaba Township Stadium.

TOBECHUKWU OKONKWO FOUNDATION EMPOWERS YOUTH THROUGH SPORTS DEVELOPMENT.

 The donated trophies for the tournament, behind the trophies are dignitaries at the event;

from the left is seated Ogbueshi Chike Onukwu, the father of the day; Chief Mrs .T.N. Allanah, the event's chairperson is seated in the middle, while, the sponsor of the tournament, Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo on white T-Shirt watches with admiration. 

 The first match of the tournament between the shooting stars of cable point and Umuagu United, the match ended goalless draw.

 The Chairperson of the event fielding questions from news men, appreciated the sponsor of the tournament, promised to work with all relevant public and private bodies at scaling up this event for more youth development purposes through skill acquisition programs.

 The sponsor of the tournament, Mr. Tobechukwu Okonkwo with gladness appreciate the support Asaba youth gave this tournament and promised to do more, announced that the foundation will engage more youth leaders and activists during the up-coming World AIDS Day.

One of the banners announcing the tournament town-wide.

Who is a Journalist?.........Uduaghan asks NUJ

Delta state governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has tasked the National body of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to do intensive house cleansing and determine who is qualified to be a journalist.

Dr. Uduaghan who threw the challenge while declaring open Delta State NUJ press week in Asaba enjoined the national body to seriously sensitize the profession and make it more responsible.

He regretted that quacks dot everywhere and embarrass the system explaining that it was about time the national body took severe action to remedy the situation.
Recalling situations where journalists behaved like touts, the governor lamented the ugly trend and urged the NUJ to save the situation so that the society would take the profession seriously.

His words “who is a journalist? NUJ should provide the answer because so many people parade themselves as journalist and this calls for house cleansing. Sanitise the profession to enable us know who a journalist is”.

Dr. Uduaghan who also charged journalists to continue to be the watch dog of the society also reminded them of the popular philosophical saying that the pen was mightier than the sword.

He cautioned them to be socially responsible and avoid sensationalism especially as it not only portends grave danger but could affect the credibility of the profession.
The governor recalled the Warri crisis and how two news papers heated polity and negatively increased blood shed and aggravated hostilities.

Emphasizing the importance of development journalism. Dr. Uduaghan said “Be objective in your report. Balance your reports and promote peace and unity instead of creating insecurity and strife”.

He described the theme of the press week  “The media and security challenges in a Democracy “ as apt and called for constant communication between security operatives and the media.

The governor who said constant communication would check speculative reporting also stressed the need for understanding, rapport and goodwill to reign between security  operatives and the press.

Emphasizing further Dr. Uduaghan said “Communication is very important between the press and security. It erases suspicion, sensational and speculative reporting. It also guarantees mutual trust and checks rumour.”

The Chairman of the occasion and the Asagba of Asaba Obi Prof. Chike Edozien called on the press to continue to educate, inform and entertain the society responsibly.
Prof. Edozien who called for a minute silence over the death of the Ikenmba of Nnewi Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu described the late war lord as a stake holder in the media industry while alive.

The royal father who also eluogised the late Alex Ibru disclosed that the Ikemba of Nnewi was partly a Deltan as his mother was from Aboh in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner for Information Barrister Chike Ogeah commended the governor for the supportive role he had continued to play for NUJ in the state.
Barrister Ogeah described the governor as a key player in the media industry and one who has accelerated infrastructural development and elevated social services in the state.

The Chairman of NUJ Delta State Council Mr. Norbert Chaizor appealed to the governor to help the Union to build a befitting permanent Secretariat in Asaba.

Mr. Chiazor also appealed to the governor to provide a car and a bus to the union to enable it have means of movement.

He promised that the body and state government would continue to enjoy robust relationship through constructive engagement.

DELTA GOVERNMENT RENEWS RESTORATION OF URBAN LANDSCAPE

With the end of this year’s unusual rainy season that reached record levels, the Delta State Government has resumed the restoration of the landscape in Asaba, the state capital, as well as in Warri, Ughelli, Agbor and Sapele.

The Taskforce on Flood Control and Removal set up earlier in the year has mobilised its personnel to enforce environmental laws in nine towns in the state. The activities of the taskforce include the clearing of all drainage channels and natural waterways; demolition and removal of all illegal structures; clearing of refuse heaps and regulation of street trading.

The exercise is a direct reaction to the record rainfall this year that led to extensive flooding in all the major towns in Delta State. The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had predicted high rainfall in Delta State in 2011.

Asaba was projected to have 1,784mm, Warri 2,590mm and Sapele 1,993mm, figures that were even outstripped by the unusual rains. The heavy downpour had led to high surface runoffs, water surpluses in rivers which led to higher incidences of flood, erosion and sediment deposition.

At the peak of the rainy season when the greater part of Delta State recorded over 16 hours continuous downpour, many of the towns were almost submerged.

The taskforce has collated Drains Master Plans for Asaba, Warri Ughelli, Agbor and other major towns where notices have been served by town planning officers for the removal of illegal and makeshift structures.

With the challenges posed by the yet unfolding impact of climate change, the Delta State Government has decided to enforce all relevant extant laws on urban planning by clearing all drainage channels, improving waste management and removal of all illegal structures.

Research had shown that the flooding witnessed during the peak of the rainy season was due mainly to illegal structures built on drainage channels and conversion of property for purposes other than that for which approval was initially given.

As a result, illegal structures in the major towns in Delta State, including Asaba, the state capital, will be demolished in the coming weeks as a crucial aspect of the restoration of the urban landscape. In addition, more environmental sanitation marshals will be recruited to improve the monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.

It must be stated that the ongoing push to enforce environment and urban planning laws is devoid of any political considerations. The near disaster that attended the record rains of this year are clear warning signs that except precautionary measures are taken, a major environmental crisis is inevitable in the coming years.

In undertaking the exercise, however, due process will be observed as only properties that defy environmental laws will be affected while adequate notice will be given to defaulting property owners.

Members of the 17-man Taskforce on Flood Control and Removal of Illegal Structures in Delta State include the commissioners of environment, lands and survey, special duties and information. Representatives of five local government areas and general manager of Urban and Regional Planning are also on the taskforce.

CHIKE C. OGEAH Esq

Honourable Commissioner for Information

Delta State

Kuwait government resigns

Eman Goma

Kuwait's prime minister and his government resigned on Monday in response to escalating demands by protesters and opposition deputies that he step down over corruption allegations.

The oil-producing state has tolerated criticism of its government to a degree rare among its Gulf neighbours, helping to insulate it from the protest-driven political tumult that has helped topple four Arab leaders this year.

But tensions rose sharply this month when opposition lawmakers and protesters stormed parliament to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah.

"We decided to submit our resignation to comply with the national interest and due to the danger the situation had reached," the state television channel cited Sheikh Nasser as saying.

The storming of parliament followed a request filed by a group of MPs to question Sheikh Nasser, which was blocked by the cabinet in a move decried as unconstitutional by the opposition.

Opposition MPs warned that if Sheikh Nasser did not step up to the questioning stand on Nov. 29, they would escalate their campaign against him.

Kuwait has been locked in a long-running political battle between the government dominated by the ruling Al Sabah family and the 50-member elected parliament.

"BLACK DAY"

The emir, who appoints the prime minister, who in turn forms a cabinet, accepted the government's resignation, state news agency KUNA reported, in a sudden turnaround from last week when he said he would not allow his PM to resign.

At least 45 people were arrested over the incident, described by the emir as a "black day". Earlier on Monday, parliamentary sources said if the resignation were accepted, it could take up to three months to form a new government. During that time parliament sessions would be suspended.

At least 45 people were arrested over the incident. Earlier on Monday, parliamentary sources said if the resignation were accepted, it could take up to three months to form a new government. During that time parliament sessions would be suspended.

The parliament speaker told reporters after a meeting with the emir and members of the cabinet that he had not been informed of any decision to dissolve the assembly.

The opposition was due to go ahead with a protest outside the parliament building later on Monday despite the resignation.

"We hope that the next step is dissolving the parliament, because a quarter of the members were referred to the prosecutor over corruption allegations," Islamist opposition lawmaker Dhaifallah Buramia told reporters.

Since Sheikh Nasser became prime minister in 2006, seven cabinets have been re-jigged and three times the emir has been pushed to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

The previous cabinet resigned in March to avoid parliamentary questioning of three ministers, the main weapon the elected body has against the government.

A small population and a generous social welfare system have shielded Kuwait, which sits on one-tenth of global crude reserves, from mass protests that have buffeted the Arab world this year, helping oust the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt

Chief Minister Sacked for Bribery

*Burma's new government tackles its first case of official corruption outside the military.


A high-ranking Burmese regional official was dismissed Friday for what local merchants say was bribery connected to the lucrative rice trade, in the first high-profile corruption case involving a nonmilitary official since the country's new government took office earlier this year.

The chief minister of southern Burma's Tenasserim region, former Lt. Gen. Khin Zaw, was removed from his post, an anonymous government source said Friday.

Merchants who operate in Tenasserim told RFA Friday that Khin Zaw had been fired for exerting undue influence over the region's highly profitable rice industry and neglecting his duties as an official.

"Khin Zaw, who had previously served as Mandalay division commander, gave special favors to the Mandalay-based Aung Myinthu company as the sole distributor of rice," said one merchant, who asked to remain anonymous.

"He caused hardship for rice traders as well as the local populace in the Mergui, Tavoy, and Kawthoung areas."

A businessman in Kawthoung told RFA that local authorities had recently spoken to officials in the capital Naypyidaw about Khin Zaw's conduct.

"Khin Zaw's dismissal followed a complaint by members of parliament from the Tenasserim region who had discovered his involvement in corruption and failure to act on badly-needed development work—especially in the local transport and the education sectors," he said.

Khin Zaw served in various positions in Burma's former military junta from 1988 to 2010 and was one of 14 chief ministers appointed to oversee the country's regions and states following the country's historic elections in November last year.

Enacting reform

Khin Zaw's dismissal for corruption is the first of a nonmilitary official under Burmese President Thein Sein's new nominally civilian government, which took power from the military regime in March.

Thein Sein’s government has sacked several military officials for corruption, including Brigadier-General Tun Than, the former commander of the Rangoon Regional Military Command, who was forced to resign in July, allegedly for corruption.

Since coming to power, Thein Sein has enacted a series of reforms which have been mostly welcomed by the international community, including easing media controls, legalizing labor unions, and suspending a controversial dam project backed by China.

But the United States and other Western nations that have long-running sanctions on Burma are awaiting signals from pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed from 15 years of house arrest last November following landmark elections, on when to lift the restrictions.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who is sending his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a visit to Burma next month, has also sought Aung San Suu Kyi's "ideas and thoughts about the best approach" to inducing reforms in Burma.

Clinton will be the first U.S. secretary of state to visit the country in 50 years.

Burma, which at the time was ruled by General Than Shwe's military junta, was ranked next to worst in corruption in a report released in October last year by Transparency International, a Berlin-based monitoring group.

The report, “Corruption Perceptions Index 2010,” ranked Burma in a tie with Afghanistan as 176th out of 178 countries, saying at the time that the military regime "controls the whole country ... so if you want to get things done, there is no alternative but to pay bribes to whoever is in charge.”

ZCC DEMANDS FOR MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA

Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC) like most Nigerians learnt of the sack of Mrs. Farida Waziri  and the immediate replacement  of her by Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde with immediate effect after about 39 mounths in office .
While the EFCC Act gives the President the powers to remove the Chair and indeed any member of the Commission, such removal according to section 3(2) of the EFCC Act 2004 should be premised upon inability to perform the functions of his /her office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause), or for misconduct or in the interest of the Commission or the public interest.

In view of this express provisions of the EFCC Act 2004, we call on the Office of the President to provide the Nigerian public further explanation over the decision   to sack the EFCC’s boss..

While we note that Ms. Farida Waziri handling of her office appeared to have led to a situation where many Nigerians started to lose  confidence in the EFCC  especially  the way she suddenly promoted the plea bargaining which encouraged public officers to loot public funds, – This in addition to the  many cases of arrests without prosecution owing to the bogus charges without clear evidence casted a lot of question mark on the performance of the EFCC under her leadership.  

. The ZCC is however worried about the way and manner the government appoints and sacks public officials, specifically the head of EFCC, without due respect to the provisions of  the EFCC Act. Nigerians need to know the reason behind the removal of Mrs. Farida Waziri so as to serve as a lesson for future leaders of the Commission. If Mrs. Farida Waziria has run fowl of any law of the land or guilty of any misconduct for that matter, we call that she should be prosecuted and if found guilty to be punished according to the provisions of the law, otherwise it becomes tantamount to abuse of office to remove a tenured officer without due process.


In the same vein, the ZCC also calls for more holistic approach to  the fight against corruption  in the country. ZCC believes that issues around anti graft crusade require more holistic, sincere political commitment and passionate approach. This is against the backdrop of the manner of appointment of head of anti-graft institutions which has become mired in political considerations  , which in turn gives room for government’s influence over such appointees.

The mode of appointment into the leadership of  anti-graft agencies is very crucial because of the  corruption that has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation and the chances of desperate politicians hijacking such a process for the selfish reasons of ensuring that they are not brought to book for acts of corruption.

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The sack of Mrs Farida Waziri  we do hope will serve as a lesson to other public  officials who hold public offices in trust for the people  to be more serious and committed in carrying out  their responsibilities; and it is hoped that the next EFCC boss will not allow the Executive control and interference with the workings of the commission in fighting corruption.

We call on government to be more supportive of the commission and provide financial autonomy that will enable   the commission to draw  money direct from  National Assembly appropriation

ZCC further calls for an amendment of the Act that established the commission to reduce government interference and executive manipulation and to institute a case management system to curb selective investigation and prosecution. The Act should also make provision for citizens to seek court order to compel the commission to investigate identified cases of corruption.

Signed  by
Auwal I.Musa (Rafsanjani)
Chairman, Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC)

 Babatunde Oluajosho
General Secretary Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC)

Tanzania ruling party plans anti-corruption purge

Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala

Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party said on Saturday it would implement anti-corruption measures nationwide and publicly acknowledged for the first time that a succession dispute had split the long-dominant party.

President Jakaya Kikwete, who must step down in 2015 at the end of his second and final term in office, has pledged to root out endemic graft in the east African nation and within his CCM, which has been in power since Tanzania's independence in 1961.

"The question of corruption has become a serious burden to CCM despite major efforts ... to tackle that problem in the country," CCM's secretary-general, Wilson Mukama, said in a newspaper advertisement on Saturday.

"The National Executive Committee has decided that CCM leaders facing corruption accusations must weigh these allegations and take necessary actions in the interests of the party. Failure to do so, the party shall make them accountable without delay."

Mukama did not say what action the party planned to take.

East Africa's second-biggest economy has seen its ranking in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, a measure of perceived public sector corruption, plunge 32 places over the past two years. It now ranks at 116 out of 178 countries in the organisation's 2010 survey.

Businesses have long complained graft is one of the main reasons for the high cost of doing business in Tanzania.

A CCM presidential candidate had typically been guaranteed automatic victory before the emergence of the opposition Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party for Democracy and Development) in the 2010 polls as CCM's main threat.

Mukama's statement, which comes after the ruling party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting this week, said the antigraft move targeted all CCM leaders from national to grassroot levels.

Senior CCM lawmaker, Rostam Aziz, who was once in President Jakaya Kikwete's inner circle, is the only politician so far to have heeded the party's call for leaders accused of graft to resign, following his decision to quit in July.

SHEDDING SKIN

Local media reported on Saturday former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and former cabinet minister Andrew Chenge were among high-profile CCM leaders targeted in the purge.

Both Lowassa and Chenge resigned from the government in 2008 over separate corruption accusations, but they still retain senior positions in the fractious party.

CCM admitted for the first time some political heavyweights, including cabinet ministers, both past and present, were seeking the country's top job and had split the party into rival camps.

"CCM condemns all its members, who have put aside the party's programmes and activities, for the sake of the 2015 presidential race. This is cancerous, only time and space will determine the candidate," the state-run Daily News newspaper quoted Mukama as saying on Friday.

Benson Bana, head of the University of Dar es Salaam's political research think-tank, REDET, said CCM had become more disunited since the start of the clean-up.

"The metaphor of skin shedding, which basically calls for all CCM leaders with corruption allegations to voluntarily relinquish their leadership positions, is unrealistic and not implementable. It leaves loopholes since no one will step forward and offer to resign," he said.

"This whole exercise has done more damage to the party than before ... it has deeply divided the party."

MUOBOGHARE DEMOTES SCHOOL PRINCIPALS FOR ILLEGAL FEE COLLECTION

The principals of Our Lady’s Model Girls High School and Urhobo Model College, both in Effurun have been removed and posted to secondary schools in Asaba as classroom teachers for illegal collections and disobedience to constituted authorities.

     

This was disclosed in Effurun by the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Patrick Muoboghare when he met with the Uvwie Traditional Council in the Palace of the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom.

     

Professor Muoboghare said that he took the decision to bring sanity into the schools as well as serve as deterrent to others who believe that they could flout the directives of the ministry with impunity.

     

He stated that that era of treating erring school heads and recalcitrant teachers with kid gloves was over and therefore called on those involved in such nefarious acts to desist forthwith in their own interest.

     

The commissioner appealed to the Ovie-in- Council to take a second look at the situation of things in both primary and secondary schools in Effurun and its environs concerning indiscipline amongst the pupils and students, stressing that if nothing was done to curb their excesses, it would be difficult to have teachers to remain and teach in schools in the area.

     

Professor Muoboghare equally called on parents and guardians to show interest in the well being of their children and wards, saying they had a very big role to play in moulding their characters instead of leaving everything in the hands of the teachers.

     

Responding, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRH Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, appealed to the state government to take full possession of the large expanse of land donated to Ekpan Basic School by chasing away the miscreants who had turned part of the school premises to their abode thereby constituting security risks to the school and its environs.

     

While assuring the commissioner of their support to the policies of the state government, the Ovie appealed to the ministry to award contracts to reputable contractors that would put up structures that could stand the test of time.

     

In his brief remark, the President General of Uvwie Development Union, Chief Saturday Onoge accused some principals of public schools in Uvwie of collecting illegal levies before admitting children to their schools and therefore appealed to the Commissioner to take decisive action against such characters.

DELTANS ENJOINED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 2011 FREE RURAL HEALTH PROGRAMME

     

Deltans have been called upon to key into the state government’s 2011 Free Rural Health Programme in the state.

     

Dr. Ojodume Okugini, the field coordinator of the scheme, made the call in Olomoro, one of the centres in Isoko South Local Government Area.

     

Assessing the programme since its flag-off, Dr Okugini confirmed that the response had been tremendous owing to the awareness campaign on the programme.

Dr Okugini while emphasizing the absolutely free nature of the scheme since its inception encouraged the sick and needy who before now could not access health services to come out in their numbers and benefit.

     

At Olomoro and Idheze centres both in Isoko South, over 300 patients were registered with some diagnosed with surgical cases and referred to the Oleh Central Hospital for surgeries, while milder cases were treated all the centres by the medical teams.

     

Children below one year of age were also immunized against the 8 deadly diseases at the immunization units at both the Olomoro and Idheze centres.

At the Oleh Central Hospital, consultant of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the zonal medical director, Isoko zone, Dr Omoghene Agadas revealed that the Central Hospital would handle surgical cases.

     

He listed Hernia, Fibroid, Hydrocele, Ophtalmic and Dental as some of the surgical cases the hospital would handle.

     

Meanwhile, siblings Joyce and Nicholas Ekrika from Bomadi town and an eighty year old mama Ekuefebe Akporu from Oviore, Ethiope East had their cataract surgery done at the Central Hospital, Oleh.

     

The beneficiaries expressed their appreciation to the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan for the free health stride.

     

Meanwhile, great celebrations were exhibited as one Mrs. Okpoto with total blindness and several others regained their sight as the free rural health programme progresses.

     

A team of Ophthalmologists who made this a reality at the Central Hospital, Warri confirmed the case of Mrs. Okpoto and others as Cataract.

     

Mrs. Mary Okpoto from Otor- Iyede in Isoko North revealed that she was completely blind for well over two years.

     

In a mood of ecstasy, she expressed great thanks to the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for the free health care, pointing out that it is one of his many ways of achieving the human capital development goal.

     

Similarly, Mr. Philip Oviro- Oke from Okpe and Mrs. Victoria Jesse both had their over two years Cataract cases successfully operated.

     

The daughter- in law of Mama Charity Jesse urged private Individuals and groups to emulate the scheme.

     

Also at the Ekete and Oghjor centres both in Udu Local Government Area, the Medical Teams were on ground performing their routine duties of referring surgical cases after laboratory tests and treating medical illnesses.

     

Mrs. Grace Igho, a seventy- five year old woman from Iyede in Isoko South and a seventeen year old Stella Omowho from Onwvia both had their severely aching teeth extracted at the Ekete centre.

     

A forty- four year old Mrs. Felicia Omadide from Orerokpe suffering from Kelloids which she said started as chicken pox was referred to Warri central hospital for surgical attention.

     

The free rural health scheme, an interventionist health programme by Delta State Government continues till January 21, 2012 as it is designed to cover one hundred communities in the 25 Local Government Areas of the states. 

Syrian forces have committed crimes against humanity – UN rights panel

Syria’s military and security forces have committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on protesters, a United Nations-appointed probe said today, urging the Government to immediately end “gross” human rights violations and bring perpetrators to justice.

In August the UN Human Rights Council established the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in the country since March, when the pro-democracy protests began.

Syria is “responsible for wrongful acts, including crimes against humanity, committed by members of its military and security forces as documented in the present report,” states the report, which was presented at a news conference in Geneva by the three-member commission.

The 39-page report documents patterns of summary execution, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, torture, including sexual violence, as well as violations of children’s rights.

“The substantial body of evidence gathered by the commission indicates that these gross violations of human rights have been committed by Syrian military and security forces since the beginning of the protests in March,” states the report.

According to international law, when certain crimes are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians and the perpetrators know that their conduct is part of this attack, such offences constitute crimes against humanity, the report points out.

“The commission is thus gravely concerned that crimes against humanity of murder, torture, rape or other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty, enforced disappearances of persons and other inhumane acts of a similar character have occurred in different locations in the country since March,” it adds.

The commission called on the Syrian Government to put an immediate end to the ongoing gross human rights violations, to initiate independent and impartial investigations of these violations and to bring perpetrators to justice.

It also reiterated its call for immediate and unhindered access to Syria, noting that the Government, despite many requests, failed to engage in dialogue and to grant the commission access to the country.

The report – authored by chairperson Paulo Pinheiro, Yakin Ertürk and Karen Koning AbuZayd – is based on interviews with 223 victims and witnesses of alleged human rights violations, including civilians and defectors from the military and the security forces.

From the end of September until mid-November, the commission held meetings with Member States from all regional groups, regional organizations, including the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights defenders, journalists and experts.

More than 3,500 Syrians have been killed since the start of the protests, which are part of a broader uprising across North Africa and the Middle East that has led to the toppling of long-standing regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

“Governments have an obligation to maintain public order. They bear the ultimate responsibility for protecting individuals under their jurisdiction, including those participating in public assemblies and exercising their right to freedom of expression,” states the report.

“In the Syrian Arab Republic, the high toll of dead and injured is the result of the excessive use of force by State forces in many regions,” it adds.

Among its recommendations, the commission suggested that the Human Rights Council establish the mandate of a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Syria, and that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) establish a field presence in the country with a protection and promotion mandate.

INFORMATION COMMISSIONER SAYS GOVT PROJECT WILL TRANSFORM DELTA

The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah Eaq, has said that the projects embarked upon by the Governor Uduaghan Administration were measures aimed at ensuring even development of all parts of the state as well as transform the commercial landscape of the state towards a better economy.

The commissioner stated this yesterday in Warri while meeting with journalists.

Accordingly to him, “ these are the legacy years” of Uduaghan administration, adding that the  administration had achieved a lot and still delivering on its three point agenda, even as he said that the governor played a major role in the success of the Amnesty Programme.

He particularly mentioned that the Asaba International Airport, the Petro-Chemical and Fertilizer Plants in Warri as well as the leisure park which is to be sited in Udu would surely have multiply effects when  fully in operation and enjoined Deltans to be patient with the administration as some of these generational projects would have long period of gestation.

Ogeah said the government had achieved a lot in the area of peace and security and further urged all to continue to pray for those in authority, adding that no meaniful development could take place in an atmosphere of rancor.

The commissioner was accompanied on the visit by the Acting Director of Information, Mr. Paul Osahor and other senior director in the ministry.

SINEBE TO ENSURE PROJECT COMPLETION IN GOVT AREAS

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government Project Monitoring, Sir Jude Sinebe, has said that his office was not created to witch-hunt any contractor or councils’ officials over projects executed or being executed in the local government areas of the states.

     

Sir Sinebe stated this in his office in Asaba while fielding questions from pressmen.

     

He said that the projects inspected so far during his inspection tour of projects in the council areas had met the contract specifications and standard, saying that the main function of his office was to collate all projects in the local government areas of the state and ensure their completion according to specification.

     

Sir Sinebe who lauded efforts of the local government authorities for the progress of projects being executed in their areas, maintained that he would keep them constantly on their toes through a functional project monitoring mechanism for efficient project delivery, just as he said that qualified engineers from his office would regularly visit project sites to ascertain compliance with contract terms.

     

The Governor’s Aide stressed the need to complete all on-going projects in the areas, adding that contractors would not be given the opportunity to deliver shoddy jobs, just as he disclosed that his office works in tandem with the Directorate of Local Government to ensure that set goals are actualised, even as he maintained that funding would not militate against the realization of the vision for which his office was created.

DTSG APPROVES MORE MONEY FOR ROADS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

Delta State Government has approved the sum of N 215,630,808.77 for the construction of the Oteri-Iyede Road in Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah (Esq.) disclosed this while briefing the press on the outcome of the state EXCO meeting held on October 27, 2011 in Asaba.

 He said that N53, 907,702.19, representing 25% (twenty five percent) of the contract sum of the project had been released to the contractor.

He stated further that the council approved the construction of Omenugwu-Oju/Iwerebor and Nwadim streets in Boji Boji Owa in Ika North East local government council, the construction of Uduaghan Way/ Layout in Koko, the headquarters of Warri North Local government with the sum of N200, 293,159.5 and N 491, 858,325.00 respectively for both projects.

The commissioner said that N 107,333,783.15 was approved for the procurement of medical equipment for Health Institutions in Ethiope East and Sapele Local Government Areas of the state, saying that the sum of N 119, 969, 473.60 was also approved for the procurement of medical equipments for some  health institutions for Uvwie, Udu, Ughelli South local government area.

Mr. Ogeah also disclosed that N 6, 000,000.000 was approved for the construction of Omadino Bridge by- pass to link Warri – Sapele Express Way, the re-reaward of Ogwashi-Uku Ubulu Unor Road projects in Aniocha south with the contract sum of N 100,990,367.75 and the completion of phase 1 the Warri/ Effurun water supply project.

He said that the council approved the ratification of the payment for completion for the acquired land for the Koko FTZ, the construction of Ajudiagbo-Akpakpa Ego township roads in Warri South Local Government Area, adding that approval was also given for rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads in Asaba at the contract sum of N 25, 370, 040, 463.63 among other major projects across the state.

In Russia, the fight against corruption goes online

Guest Author

Alexander Elkin and Aleksey Shlyapuzhnikov of the Center for Anti-Corruption Research and Initiative Transparency International Russia (TI Russia) talk about engaging the public in anti-corruption work with the help of new technologies.

Several years ago, an intellectual movement called Lebed (which stands for “the swan” in Russian) was created with the aim to bring together intellectuals, journalists, scientists and public figures of the Vladimir region in Russia. The goal of the movement was to unite the efforts of modern thinking people of the region to develop tools for efficient civic activism. From the very beginning the movement was in contact with TI Russia, because the main field for civic activism in Russia in recent years is anti-corruption work.

By August 2008, TI Russia launched Askjournal.ru – an anti-corruption online helpdesk which was later developed into a regional Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) in Vladimir with the help of the Lebed movement. The ALAC helped people to overcome administrative barriers and build relationships with government bodies in a legal and transparent way. But the number of complaints that could not be solved without participation of the media and without public support kept growing.

Therefore, TI Russia and Lebed decided to develop an independent instrument that exposes all of those problems on the internet and created their own regional online resource called vibor 33 (vibor means “choice” in Russian). This was significant because in Russia, the publication of information on NGO activities in traditional print or electronic media, especially regional ones, is almost impossible.

As of September 2011, the website gets about six thousand unique visitors a day. Visitors consist mainly of journalists and citizens who are looking for unbiased information about the region as well as public officials who refer to the website’s content in their speeches. The website is not political; it is not for or against the government.

    Nevertheless, TI Russia and Lebed regularly deal with pressure from authorities for publishing undesirable materials or comments. But thanks to a well-designed legal status of the portal, all these attempts remain unsuccessful at the moment.

Since the start of the project two years ago, the website helped to solve some major problems of the Vladimir region. And more complaints about local problems that reach the ALAC can now be solved thanks to the website. Not all of these problems had to do with corruption, but they are always related to the city and regional economy or to the use of budgetary funds or the regional administration and development. To visualise these problems, Lebed and TI Russia introduced the “Map of the problems of the region” in 2010.

The map brings together a variety problems which are categorised and placed to different locations on the map in an interactive way.

In order to post these problems to the map any citizen can use the form on the site, a hotline, e-mail or regular mail. Once the issue is published, it is passed on for consideration by our lawyers or other civic groups and they make the necessary inquiries to the authorities. All communication on the particular issue is also published and thus becomes public. Once the problem is solved, it is transferred to the “under control” section of the map, where our volunteers and concerned citizens keep an eye on it.

From September 2010 to September 2011 citizens posted about 300 problems to the map and 150 of them were solved. In addition, some requests led to the solution of more complex problems. After our intervention, the city administration was forced to carry out repairs in 40% of public grounds in residential areas which had not been done for the previous 20 years. Thus, the “map of regional problems” became a bridge between active citizens and the administration.

The next step is to move the internet-based civic activism back to real life activism.

STAFF TRAINING CENTRE STUDENTS URGED TO BE DEDICATED TO STUDIES

The newly admitted students of Staff Training Centre, Asaba have been advised to show high sense of decorum and seriousness in their studies.

     

The Director of Studies, Directorate of Establishments and Pensions, Office of the State Head of Service, Ms. E. U Ogwezzy, gave the advice at a-one day orientation programme, organised for the new students of the institution.

     

Ogwezzy enjoined them to work hard in their continuous assessment tests, term papers, seminars, as well as their semester examinations in order to obtain good grades from the institution.

     

She charged the students to be punctual and regular to their classes, write assignments, as at when due, as well as work harmonious with one another and shun rivalry and bitterness.

     

The Director recalled that many great men and women in the world started from very humble beginning, saying that they gradually moved to the top of their career through hard work, self discipline and strong determination to succeed.

     

In an address, the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Establishments and Pensions, Dr. (Mrs) A.U Nwabueze called on the students to show greater commitment to their studies, adding that they would benefit immensely at the end of the day.

     

She commended Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for making human capital development part of his administration’s point agenda, saying that the initiative had affected the lives of Deltans positively.

     

Dr. Nwabueze said that the orientation programme was geared towards exposing the students to the rules and regulations of the institution, stressing that they should take the programme seriously.

     

In a remark, the Dean of Students’  Affairs, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Mr. Eli Okwuogbo identified sexual promiscuity and cultism as two major factors militating against the academic performance of students and advised them to show greater commitment to their studies.

     

The Staff Training Centre is in affiliation with the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku to run courses for the award of National Diploma Certificate.

Allen Welcomes Latest Stage of Afghanistan Transition

The International Security Assistance Force welcomes the release of the Afghan government’s list of areas intended for the second stage of security transition, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, ISAF commander, said in a statement released yesterday.

“Transition is a reality, and it is a path for the future success of this country and the Afghan people,” Allen said. "There is no doubt that Afghanistan is moving forward, and with the announcement by President [Hamid] Karzai of the second group of transition areas, the Afghan national security forces, who have made dramatic improvements in their development and effectiveness, will assume responsibility for security for 50 percent of the Afghan population.”

The list of areas intended for the second tranche of transition, officials said. Some comprise entire provinces, while others cover city or district areas.

Ambassador Simon Gass, NATO’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, said the transition announcement is an important step forward for Afghanistan.

“I welcome President Karzai's announcement of the second group of areas to enter the transition process,” Gass said. “Transition is on schedule, and NATO will continue its efforts to ensure that the Afghans take security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014, in line with President Karzai's goal. This will be enabled by the growing capability and numbers of the Afghan army and police.”

FUEL SUBSIDY: who subsidies who?

MATHEW NWANAZA   

It is a cock and bull story the to people of Nigerian having seen and had those exports Clamoring  for subsidy removal without thinking the consequence in the life of poor and average income earner.  The so call exports, said that Nigerian have huge amount of money tied in fuel subsidy and it is not property utilized, therefore, it become necessary to remove it and use for restructure other sectors of the economy so as to better development”. How true is this accretion?

If so why not call for proper utilization. According to Jibril  Aminu, Former Minister of Petroleum and Senator representing Adamawa Central Senatorial District in the sixth senate and Anyaaku said that “if fuel subsidy was used100%for the benefit of Nigerian that would have been okay but we all know what happens; that a lot of Nigerian neighbors rely on the Nigerian subsidy its smuggling.

This is what they call arbitrage which is where people get free money and develop their pocket. Therefore, fuel subsidy must go” then, I ask is that the solution?   In the past we were told that the money saved from increment in fuel prices (access crude) would be used to provide infrastructure, maintain our hospitals and educational institutions. What is the State of our roads hospitals to day? Who are they subsidized? Who is subsidizing who?

Ngozi Okoajo-Iweaala and her team of experts who I call myopic experts” should stop deceiving us. Should stop adding more traumas to the already traumatized Nigerian people. Less than one percent government official’s lives in free houses, ride free car fueled freely by our money, then, still clamoring for removing subsidy. Why government officials busy looting our money and walking free
 along the streets.

If one could ask; where all these money recovered by EFCC? How much have they budgeted for power from 1999 till date? How many roads awarded without execution? What about Rail way, Education, water and hospital? Are there not fuel subsidies while budgeted and awarded without execution? Where these people were those projects are awarded for? Who are the cabals?

Unless federal government answers these questions, it will be uncharitable and in human for it to contemplate the removal of the fuel subsidy.  It is shameful that government intends to remove subsidy because a cartel which they know and cannot confront is feeding fat from the subsidy. Instead it is considered better and safer for the hopeless and helpless masses to bear the brunt!  It is high time we being to look into special advisers, ministers, legislators, governors etc. because they could be laced with personal interest. It is obvious that some interest of the state actors is larger
 than that of a nation.

I cannot understand why the government should be thinking of removing fuel subsidy because of the act a perceived cable and for the masses to bear the brunt of government‘s inefficiency. Why not build new refineries and fix the existing ones first.  If the amount of money-tied in the fuel subsidy was not properly utilized as the Economic Team or the expert adjured is our problem, then let adequate machinery be set- up to checkmate and ensured even 95%utilization to the benefit of masses. Or fix our refinery functional.

Moreover, Is there any law that prevent Nigerian not to export both crude and fuel at a go? Considering the crude oil with no less than four (6) products attach to it, we sold in one as a crude and bought indifferent products. It is a total dismal for Nigerian alarming removal of fuel subsidy while most of other countries are subsidized different item to their citizen, only this fuel subsidy that Nigerian wants to tell the whole world that they are subsidies their citizens.

Who is foully who? It was reported that 64% of Nigerian population live below the poverty line, then my question is, how many living on poverty line? 

Kenneth Olise (JP) said, “In Nigerian over 80%live in squalor. They do not have access to decent accommodation there by living in structures of varying degrees of deterioration. He stressed further those that live in rented apartment spent about a third of the disposable income on rent, workers who are still praying to and hoping on the government for minimum wage collect salaries that can not take them home.

To some, when they collect the pay there is no home where they take the salary to, this applies mainly to civil servant not civil masters, he said. What about the unemployed youth, poor market men and women, disable ones that can’t buy fuel anything more sixty five naira (65)? Because it is a vicious circle or system theory, it will affect everybody but only the poor masses will bear the brunt, while people like Good luckand his colleagues will not feel.

I strongly believe that those advising the government are insensitive, unpatriotic or mischievous. Therefore, any attempt to remove subsidy is a tantamount to social tension, poverty and ultimately National insecurity.  For God sake, why pilgrimages!

Nigerian spent Billions of Naira annually in pilgrimages to neither Saudi Arabia nor Israel, why no less than 1.6 m of Nigerian died in hunger according to report. Religious is a personal affair or activity, I wonder why federal, state and local government be sponsoring pilgrimages every year.

What is the impact of pilgrimages in Nigerian? Have poor people participated in this pilgrimage? If yes, what were the pact when came back? Any body that wants to go to Saudi Arabia or Israel should do that on his /her own pocket not national affair. May God help us.                                  

OBUH CHARGES NURSES, MIDWIVES TO BE DEDICATED TO DUTY

     

Nurses and Midwives have been charged to be dedicated to their duties.

     The charge was given by Hon. Ben Obuh, Chairman, Delta North PDP, during the National Scientific Conference/meritorious award organized by the National Association of Young Nurses and Midwives, held at the Ika National Hall, Agbor.          

    According to Hon. Obuh, who was also the chairman of the occasion, ‘there is no group that can thrive in the atmosphere of indiscipline.          

He stressed that discipline enables one to contribute positively to the immediate system and the entire society.          

Hon. Obuh implored them to be studious, adding that frequent researches would boost their performances in the profession.          

He advised them to make achievable plans, saying that the attitude of building castle in the air would set them backwards.          

While stressing on the importance of medical profession to the society, he assured the medical group of his support when necessary.          

Earlier in a speech, the National President of Young Nurses and Midwives, Comr. Jackson Amayo, said that enormous improvements has been recorded since the inception of the union.          

He stressed that the leadership of the group would not relent in its resolve to re-unite the entire young nurses and student nurses across the country.          

Comr. Amayo appealed to well meaning Nigerians to support them both financially and morally.           

High point of the event was the presentation of awards to some eminent personalities, including, Hon. Ben Obuh, Elder Edwin Clark, Hon. Kingsley Emu, Hon. Friday Osanebi, and Comr. Emmanuel Momah.          

Responding on behalf of the awardees Elder Edwin Clark, who was represented by Hon. Cairo Ojougboh thanked the group for the honour done him, adding that the award would spur him to do more. 

MUOBOGHARE URGES TEACHERS TO BE AGENT OF CHANGE IN GROMING FUTURE LEADERS

Teachers have been told to be agent of change so as to be able produce well groomed future leaders.

     
This appeal was made at Umunede by the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Patrick Muoboghare who paid an unscheduled visit to Ede Grammar School, Umunede in Ika North East Local Government Area.

    
Professor Muoboghare said that the primary mandate of the teachers was to mould the child who, on his or her first day in the school was timid but with time was expected to acquire new knowledge and skills from the teachers.

     

He therefore advised teachers to carry out their duties conscientiously so that they would be able to produce children that would stand on their own in the future.

     

The commissioner appealed to some teachers in the school who were always late to work to have a change of heart in their own interest, saying that ministry would not hesitate to sanction them if they continued in the act.

     

Professor Muoboghare directed the two Principals, Mr. B.C. Iheme and Mrs. Georgina Akpovi to ensure that the sports field was cleared of weeds immediately.

     

He equally admonished the Youth Corpers serving in the school to dress properly to school and ensure that they teach their lessons without fail.

     

The Commissioner however expressed happiness with the Home Economics teacher for preparing students that could bake cake and prepare a variety of snacks. 

UDUAGHAN’S FREE MEDICARE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, CHILDREN GETS MORE COMMENDATIONS

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has been commended for ameliorating the plight of women and children through the free medical care programme for pregnant women and children under zero to five years of age in the state.

The President, Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter, Dr. Mrs. E. Umuerri, who is also a Consultant Physician at Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, gave the commendation while delivering a lecture on the theme: “Dangers associated with women during pregnancy’’.

Dr. Umuerri said that the free medical care programme of the state government had reduced the risk women go through during pregnancy, adding that government had demonstrated its desire to secure the lives of Deltans.

She stated that good feeding during pregnancy would reduce complications during delivery and child mortality as well as other sickness associated with pregnancy, saying that women should always eat food that contain nutritional components.

Dr. Umuerri commended the Seplat Development Company Limited for partnership in ensuring that the programme was successful.

She identified early anti-natal for all pregnant women as a major remedy to the dangers inherent in pregnancy, stressing that it would help discover complications during the early stage of pregnancy.