Mining reform’ll grow Nigerian economy,Jonathan

The Federal Government has explained that the ongoing reform in the mining sector is part of efforts to diversify Nigeria ’s oil-mono-product economy.

*Al-Shaheen Qatar, Block 5

The Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan made the remark while declaring open and delivering a keynote address at the 49th Annual Conference of The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in Abuja .

He pointed out that the theme of the Conference: “Promotion and Development of Solid Minerals Exploration and Exploitation – A Veritable Strategy Towards Economic Diversification” does not only underscore the Association’s high support to the non-oil export through trade and investment opportunities but it is also in line with the economic policy of this administration to diversify the economy from oil as encapsulated in various government policies and programmes including the 7 – Point Agenda, Vision 20:2020 and Millennium Development Goals.

He said that the theme of the conference was also timely and defines patriotic enthusiasm for productive partnership with the Federal Government in its efforts at consolidating and creating the foundation for the economic re-engineering of our country.

Jonathan , who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji A.K. Mohammed, noted that the development of mineral resources and mining in Nigeria have strong relevance for agriculture, infrastructural development, industry, commerce, science and technology, health, environment and many other things.

Speaking during the event, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said that the lead lecture was not only auspicious but very timely because of the strategic drive towards the Mining sector over a definite period into becoming the second largest contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product aside oil.

The Minister disclosed that in view of Nigeria ’s vast solid mineral endowment, the Ministry has placed a special focus on the exploration and exploitation of seven (7) strategic minerals: Bitumen, Coal, Iron-ore, Limestone, Barytes, Gold, and Lead/Zinc.

The Minister pointed out the implications of a mono-product economy as: Mono- product or highly concentrated economies are subject to greater economic volatility from external shocks; Volatility in concentrated economies not only spawns structural unemployment issues but also engenders systemic risks; Poor economic diversity is linked to low productivity and competitiveness; Diversification is a critical component of any sustainable economy.

Alison-Madueke observed that as the Mining sector is being revived towards the diversification of the nation’s economy, the country should stand to gain the following: employment generation, community development, tax contribution to the nation’s economy, infrastructural development, and foreign currency generation.

The Minister reiterated that due to the critical role of responsible mining towards the socio-economic development of Nigeria , the necessary legislative frameworks and enabling environment are being created to achieve that goal.

Alison-Madueke who was represented at the event by Engr. Sheikh Goni, the Director, Mining Cadastre Department, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development,disclosed that to date, the ministry has identified approximately forty five (45) solid mineral types across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory .

As part of the reform measures in the sector, the Minister disclosed that Nigeria ’s Minerals and Mining Act of 2007 was based on successful mining jurisdiction around the world.

She said that a review of Nigeria ’s Mining Regulations had been concluded by the Ministry of Justice and ready for implementation in the sector.

Alison-Madueke disclosed that the Ministry is partnering with the World Bank in implementing intensive on-going capacity building for staffers of the Ministry, Artisanal and Small Scale Miners across the country to ensure efficient and expedition’s service delivery.

The Minister disclosed at the forum that the Ministry had completed 95% of the airborne magnetic survey of the country, adding that some of the interpreted results will be presented to members of the public next week.

In his remarks, the National President of the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr, Simon Okolo said it is universally acknowledged that the ability of a nation to generate foreign exchange determines the strength of the nation’s currency and of the economy, especially where the sources of the foreign exchange are from diverse sources, and not from a single product as is the case in Nigeria.

The National President of the Association said it is our sincere believe that this occasion will provide the much desired medium for both the government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and other Multilateral Agencies to critically discuss and explore effective ways of growing our National economy in a systematic and holistic manner, given the goals and objectives which the current democratic Administration has put before the nation.

Dr. Okolo said that to realize the great potentials in the solid minerals sub-sector in Nigeria , however, there should be easy access to Solid Minerals Venture Risk Funds and possibly a specialized Mineral Development Bank, adequately supported by government guarantees and grants.

He reiterated that there should be robust advocacy and awareness campaigns on the vast potentials of Nigeria ’s Minerals to be carried out by all the three tiers of government and other relevant stakeholders on continuous basis throughout Nigeria .
Vanguard news

Face power, amnesty, Labour tells Jonathan

THE two labour unions in the country, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its counterpart, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, weekend set agenda for Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to focus on electoral reform, power generation, healthcare, infrastructure and revival of industries, among others.

Similarly, the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has charged the Acting President to expedite action on the post amnesty programme, the petroleum industry bill and electoral reforms.

The umbrella bodies for both junior and senior workers in the country also demanded that Dr. Jonathan put a stop to mass sack of bank employees, consent to a new national minimum wage, be decisive in removing non-performing ministers who had become very heady and inject fresh hands into the cabinet for effective governance.

While the NLC made its feelings known at the end of the meeting of its leaders under the aegis of the Central Working Committee, CWC; the TUC on its part, presented its position in a statement issued, weekend, in Lagos.

NLC’s position

Addressing newsmen at the end of the CWC meeting, President of NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar said: “It is barely one year to another general election and CWC is disturbed that no fundamental step has been taken to implement the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Panel report. CWC demands a presidential intervention to ensure implementation of the key recommendations that will guarantee credible election.”

NLC was represented in the Justice Uwais panel which submitted a report on electoral reform.

In his comments on the review of the national minimum wage, Omar said, the Acting President should ensue that the tripartite agreement of labour, government and private employers are upheld. He said negotiation was almost concluded.

On the banking reform which has claimed over 3,000 jobs in the last two months, NLC said, “CWC believes that the mass sack in the banking sector is completely against the logic of using tax payers’ money to bail out ailing banks. CWC demands that the Acting President impresses it upon banks to recall all those affected by the mass retrenchment”.

The Niger-Delta amnesty programme initiated by President Umar Yar’ Adua also featured in the NLC’s agenda for the acting president. NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar said, “the acting president should immediately put the machinery in motion given that the deadline for the implementation of the terms of the amnesty has been exceeded”.

Emphasizing the importance of power, the NLC noted that “the federal government failed to meet its set target of generating 6000 mega watts of electricity by the end of last year and calls on the Acting President to intervene within the shortest possible time to improve on the current power supply”.
It urged the Acting President to sustain the social dialogue with labour, stressing: “it is important that this engagement should be sustained”.
The NLC was, however, critical of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, stating, “in this crisis the role of the PDP has been less than satisfactory as it did not act timely and decisively to get the Vice President, a party member to step in as Acting President”.

TUC tasks Jonathan on healthcare, others

On its part, TUC in a statement by its President-General and Secretary-General, Comrade Peter Esele, and Chief John Kolawole, commended members of the National Assembly over last week’s proclamation confirming the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as the nation’s Acting President, stressing that the joint declaration by the Senate and the House of Representatives had saved the country from further ridicule among the comity of nations.
The statement read in part: “We expect the Acting President to wake up to the realities on ground and initiate actions on such burning national issues such as poor power supply, irregularities in fuel distribution, poor infrastructure and the provision of world class health facility capable of handling various cases such as the ones that have brought us to this point.
“TUC demands that the Acting President be decisive in determining those to work with either as ministers, special advisers and other machineries necessary for effective governance. No minister should be higher than the office he/she occupies. What we are saying in essence is that fresh hands should be brought in while those that have become heady and unpopular should be dropped immediately.
“The last minor shake-up is not all that we expect. The present ministers have failed the nation. We also demand a probe into activities of the various ministries and agencies during the period this whole episode was being played out to determine how money and other budgetary provisions were spent.”

NUPENG seeks action on post amnesty, PIB

On its part, the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has charged the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to expedite action on the post- amnesty programme, the petroleum industry bill and electoral reforms.
Rising from its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting, weekend, in Abuja, NUPENG pledged its full support for the leadership of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
In a communiqué signed by President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese, and General Secretary, Mr. Elijah Okougbo, the Union not only commended the maturity and political sagacity in which the looming political logjam was resolved, but also passed what it termed a vote of implicit confidence in the leadership of Jonathan. Equally, the Union pledged ‘the unalloyed support of oil and gas workers’ in Nigeria to the Acting President.
On the state of the refineries, the NUPENG CWC reiterated the Union ‘s position which frowned at the prostrate state of the refineries, a situation that has led to continuous importation of petroleum products. It called on the government to put in place necessary regulatory machinery for improved domestic production, storage and distribution of petroleum products including repair of vital pipelines which convey crude to the refineries.
The union, however, gave high marks to the new initiative by the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, under the watch of Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, to end the fuel supply and distribution challenges in the country.
The communique said: “The CWC in-session commends the new approach adopted by the NNPC Management (war room) to end the harrowing scarcity of petroleum products with the introduction of a fool proof distribution network for petroleum products in the nation. CWC, therefore, insists that more efforts should be put in place to sustain this new positive initiative.”
Vanguardnews

Jonathan obviously afraid – Tunde Bakare

Outspoken pastor and leader of the Latter-Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said that it is not yet uhuru in the country despite National Assembly’s pronouncement of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as acting president.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday Sun, he said that with the current arrangement the country is still in danger, as, according to him, if anything happens to Jonathan, when there is no vice president, the nation will have problems.

Pastor Bakare asked the National Assembly to set up a medical team to examine the state of health of President Umar Yar’Adua, adding that if it is discovered that he is incapacitated, Jonathan should be sworn in as president, while a vice president is appointed.
He said that the Jonathan he saw on television on Tuesday was afraid, adding: “He is not comfortable on that seat and I don’t see how he can perform well on that seat when he has no proper authority to function.”
Bakare spoke on these and other issues.

Nigerians were surprised when you joined others to protest in the street at Abuja and Lagos. What informed your decision?
Well, first and foremost, it was a sense of duty and secondly a patriotic responsibility because we all cannot shut our eyes and watch what will spell doom and disintegration for our nation. The Bible called the church the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We must be involved in what is going on around us. We cannot live in a secure Island of prosperity in what I call the quick sound of poverty. As the salt of the earth we must step into every situation that would not contradict our faith. And we must maintain contact without contamination.

There is the criticism that as a man of God, you should have considered the fact that Yar’Adua is a humanbeing and he could fall ill at any time.
The truth of the matter is not that it is not the fault of Mr. President to be ill. It could happen to any humanbeing. If you go by proper records, how many people welcomed him, dancing and rejoicing that for the first time we had a graduate elected in the seat of power who will be able to read properly between lines and do what is right? And nobody is faulting him on the ground of sickness and I want you to remember that the Abuja rally took place 50 days after he had abandon the ship. And he was made to abandonee the ship because nobody can say categorically his state of health and the state of his mind at the time he was flown abroad.

If the leadership of the nation had taken care of our health care delivery system and invested in the health sector very well, some of the doctors from Nigeria attending to them in Saudi Arabia will stay in their country and attend to them here. It is a pathetic situation that the country is sick and unfortunately is now headed by a sick president. The difference between Nigeria and Mr. President is that the president is receiving expensive treatment abroad and Nigeria is receiving none.

Therefore, 50 days after the hallowed chambers rediscovered being filled with shallow minds and nothing constructive was being done, we felt it is part of the prophetic responsibility not only to take to the street but to tell the government that enough was enough, so that our people can be properly enlightened and they can rise in what I call civilian revolt to take power away from those who have hijacked it. The common thing they were saying was power vacuum.

There was no power vacuum in Nigeria but there was power hijack. Those who were not elected took over the responsibilities of Mr. President and were executing his agenda without his consent and without being in proper mind frame and without transmitting anything to anyone. If that does not concern Nigerians, it will then mean that we are a bunch of irresponsible citizens.

Goodluck Jonathan has been pronounced acting president. Are you satisfied?
Who pronounced him acting president?

The National Assembly
The National Assembly simply passed a resolution and I saw him last night like a weather beaten, battered and totally afraid man reading from a telly- printer from the wall, a statement that has been written for him without any conviction or persuasion from his body language. Yes, to a certain extent, they have followed the doctrine of necessity. I just want to remind the nation that necessity may be the mother of invention; it is not necessarily the mother of virtues. I can’t see any legal backing for what they have done. Constitutionally speaking, I think we should go a step further.

The reason I am saying that is a resolution based on a letter transmitted by the president to the Senate or to the National Assembly would necessarily warrant their resolution, which could help resolve the constitutional logjam by stepping up the role of the vice president to that of acting president. That is within the framework and the mindset of the law. I am also a student of the Bible. Most of the time, Jesus Himself thought that it is the spirit that gives life, the word that I speak on to you, they are spirit and they are live. Whether the content of what he said, if he was the one who spoke over BBC Hausa, is another thing.

We have not even established if he was the one who spoke. But let us assume he did and let us assume he was publicized and it was on every website, we take it that the man was not in a state of mind to write a letter when he was going and he had found a way of communicating , saying, ‘I am perennially sick, I don’t know when I will recover and I don’t know when I am returning,’ then what the Senate and the House of Representatives reluctantly did will not be out of place.

But there is danger. The danger now is that we are back to the time of the military when a governor is replaced with a sole administrator, especially during transition period. The reason I am saying that is, we now have an acting president and there is a vacancy in the office of the vice president. If anything goes haywire or if Mr. Goodluck is kidnapped or anything happens to him then you make Mark the necessary administrator to fill the gap again. In no time, you are back in square one. Remember, yes it was a near unanimous decision but not everybody supported it. So, expect litigation in the days to come by those who are pro-Yar’Adua and we don’t know the mindset of Turai, who had essentially been head of state since November last year. She pulled the lever wherever she is.

The woman was never voted into power.
So, there is still a gap with the sole administrator, who is called the acting president. If we may ask, before he became acting president, what authority did he have to order the military to go to Jos? Maybe you now backdate authority and sign it or whatever it is. I don’t think it is Huhuru yet. The proper thing must still be done. If these people are thinking reasonably he ought to write before leaving. He left 70 or 80 days ago; you are now translating and interpreting what you heard on BBC radio – a voice you have not even confirmed that it is the person who spoke.

I think what we need to do is to bury our heads in shame and do things properly. Dora Akuyili has presented a memo and we have also read in the paper that it was not listed last Wednesday. Let us hope that it would be listed and let us hope that they would do the proper thing. They should constitute a proper medical panel to determine his state of health. I am of the considered opinion that our president is incapacitated. I am of the considered opinion that he could not be seen without the nation being frightened by what has remained of the president. If he is totally incapacitated, we do not need a president that is plugged to a life-support machine in Abuja.

That is not the purpose of Aso Rock and of the office of the President. He should be taken to Katsina when he is discharged so that he can recover. Let him write his memo as somebody who served the nation to the best of his ability before the health situation cropped in. Let the Senate set up a proper medical team to determine the state of his health, establish his incapacity, swear in Goodluck as president and fill the office of the vice president and we can begin to look at issues more accurately. Until then, there is still instability everywhere.

Do you think Jonathan can now effectively discharge the functions of president?
You look at the circumstances that brought the president to a position of authority. Let me take it from there. The state governors are afraid of being exposed. They pleaded with the Senate. If money passed hands and looting continues, a destructive means cannot bring about a constructive end. We would soon see whether he is going to perform or not. Let’s leave time to decide that.

The full commander-in-chief supposedly voted for, has not been able to do anything because of all kinds of compromises the government had been bedeviled with. We have a nation that is becoming a forest of demons. We are now hearing voices. With discordant voices and the house is divided against itself and the chicken has begun to eat its own intestine, Akuiyili is suing Aondoakaa and Aondoakaa is being called a liar in public; the whole set up is already ruined. Except if Mr. Goodluck would do his magic wand that made him the deputy governor, an acting governor and a governor. He was vice president, now acting president and hopefully president. If he has the magic wand, we shall see. But I do not expect anything good to come out of evil.

Could you expatiate on the idea of the acting president being a sole administrator?
It is as simple as ABC. Because the rigorous process of doing things legally and properly has been short-circuited. Nigerians are today sighing in relieve that at least we are OK. But now, we are just jumping from frying pan to fire. If you watch his broadcast last Tuesday, you will know the man was sitting on one side of his buttocks. His eyes glued on what he was reading.

When he didn’t read it well, he turns his eyes. So, you know that he is not comfortable. Maybe they will assure him, maybe the heads of the armed forces and others will come and salute him. After all, for the first time in his life, there was the national flag and National Anthem. Maybe that will encourage him. Maybe the Sultan of Sokoto and all the Obas and Obis who feel Nigeria is a kingdom and not a republic will encourage him. Now you see things that are going on.

The Bible says all the goodness of life shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I think his wife is Patience. So what is going on is that Goodluck and Patience shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in this nation forever, Amen. He is not comfortable on that seat and I don’t see how he can perform well when he has no proper authority to function.

People are now worried about possible military intervention. What do you think?
Well, let the military look at their track record. Let them check if at any time they intervened they left Nigeria better. Any attempt by the military to come and disrupt democracy that is going on and we are still trying to figure out, any attempt to come out from their barracks to take over government, they should be ready to kill one million people. Some of us would resist them with everything we have. Citizen revolt is bloodier than the bloodiest coup. They will not even dare.

The nation has moved beyond that. We are not afraid of the military at all. They remain servants of the Nigerian nation to ward off external aggression and to quell internal rebellion. That is their constitutional duty and any attempt to go beyond that will backfire on them; retroactively we will bring others who have done it to book someday.

• Continued next Saturday


Sunnews

Nelson Mandela's 1990 release marked in South Africa

Celebrations are being held to mark 20 years since the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, a key step towards ending apartheid in South Africa.

In Cape Town, prominent figures took part in a commemorative walk at the prison where he spent the final months of his 27-year imprisonment.

Mr Mandela, 91, was cheered when he came to parliament to hear a speech by current President Jacob Zuma.

Mr Zuma said South Africa continued to follow its first black leader's vision.

Mr Mandela spent most of his sentence in Robben Island prison, off the coast of Cape Town, and later in Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland.

Before his release, he lived in a cottage in the grounds of Victor Verster prison in a rural area some 50km (31 miles) from Cape Town, with his own cook.

'Gratitude'

Thursday's re-enactment walk went through the gates of Victor Verster prison, now known as Drakenstein prison, where a statue of Mr Mandela stands with its hand upraised.

AT THE SCENE
Pumza Fihlani
Pumza Fihlani, BBC News, Cape Town

Hundreds of people, some wearing yellow T-shirts bearing Nelson Mandela's image, retraced his final walk to freedom after 27 years in captivity, chanting "Viva Madiba [his clan name]". Thousands more gathered to watch.

Led by several ANC leaders who spent time in Robben Island prison with Mr Mandela, they marched from the cottage in Victor Verster prison, now known as Drakenstein Prison, where he spent his final months.

In a picture that would have made Mr Mandela proud, black, white and Asian South Africans marched side-by-side through the prison gates, which then closed slowly behind them.

As they passed the statue which has been erected of the prison's most famous former inmate, many raised their fists - recreating the image which has come to symbolise the end of white minority rule in South Africa after years of bitter struggle, led by Mr Mandela.

Cyril Ramaphosa, who was among the veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle taking part in the walk, recalled Mr Mandela's crucial role.

"We are celebrating a life that has been lived in service of our people," he said.

"He knew he needed to continue living for the people that were outside. Without the struggle of our people, Madiba would have never been released," he added, using Mr Mandela's clan name.

Mr Mandela's former wife, Winnie Mandela, had been due to lead the walk, but a spokesman said on Thursday morning that she would not be appearing because it would have been "too painful".

Poppy Shabalala, a 65-year-old local resident, said she had turned out to celebrate Mr Mandela's legacy.

"He did the unthinkable," she said. "Mandela united black and white people and ended apartheid. I am here today to show my gratitude for what he did."

'Good solution'

Mr Mandela, who did not join in the re-enactment, arrived at parliament in Cape Town ahead of Mr Zuma's special address to the nation.

If we really want to make a difference we must recapture the spirit of that day
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Audio slideshow: Freedom walk
The moment that changed S Africa
Readers' memories
In pictures: 20 years to the day

His grandson, Mandla Mandela, said the family had tried to ensure he got "a lot of rest during the day so he could be fresh and energetic in the evening to attend parliament".

Mr Zuma told MPs and other dignitaries that it was a "day to celebrate a watershed moment" which had changed South Africa.

Mr Mandela, he said, had united the country behind the goal of a non-sexist, non-racist, prosperous society.

Recognising his country's current economic problems, he said that the government had met, nearly in its entirety, its promise last year to create jobs through public works.

"Economic indicators suggest that we are now turning the corner," he said. "Economic activity is rising in South Africa, and we expect growth going forward."

He said the size of the police force would be increased by 10% in the next three years to help fight crime, and added that everything was in place to host a successful 2010 football World Cup.

"We have spent many years planning for this World Cup," he said. "We have only three months to go and we are determined to make a success of it."

Mr Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 for plotting to overthrow the government by violence.

During his years in prison he became an international symbol of resistance to apartheid.

In 1990, the South African government responded to internal and international pressure and freed him, at the same time lifting the ban against the anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC).

Christo Brand, the former prison warden assigned to guard Mr Mandela, said of events 20 years ago: "I hoped there would be no bloodshed. There was no bloodshed. Everything worked out perfectly.

"And I know the way Mandela does negotiations, he was really thinking of the other side, too.

"He not only thinks of the black people of the country, but thinking also of the whites and studying and feeling the fears of the whites in this country.

"And I think through that fear, he came up and thought of a good solution for South Africa."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, another key player in the fight against apartheid, said the day of Mr Mandela's release was "a day that promised the beginning of the end of indignity".

FROM THE ARCHIVE

BBC News Special: Mandela release - 11 February 1990

But he added that while much had been achieved, more remained to be done.

"If we really want to make a difference we must recapture the spirit of that day of Nelson Mandela's release," he said.

In 1991 Mr Mandela became the ANC's leader. He was president of South Africa from 1994 until 1999, when he stood down - one of the few African leaders at the time to voluntarily give up power.

BBC News

Anambra, Not The Test

THOSE who think a successful holding of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State would indicate the state of the country’s democratic atmosphere or the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to effect changes in its operations that would make the results of the 2011 elections more acceptable to the generality of Nigerians are wrong on both assumptions.

Anambra is too small to be used in rating how millions of Nigerians who hunger and thirst for the opportunity to lay their hands on the country’s resources would behave during a power contest. Anambra is a poor laboratory for a controlled experiment on Nigeria’s out-of-control electoral processes. A broader spectrum would be required to test the health of our electoral provisions.

INEC’s performance on Saturday would be deceptive. The concentration of its resources on an election in only 21 local government areas out of the country’s 774 cannot be a test of its abilities.

The election is a single day’s event, different from the five-pronged affair of the State Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and Governorship and Presidential that is held within weeks. The enormity of the logistics is different and so are the challenges of traversing various terrains and pluralities that dot the country.

A lot is expected of INEC, the political parties, politicians, the security agencies and the hidden hands that move the processes in the election. How would all these parties react to the results? How would the courts treat cases that would surely ensue, no matter who wins?

This election would confirm what we already know – electoral reforms are inevitable if Nigeria would have credible elections. Unfortunately, when flawed electoral laws result in chaos, the blames would be heaped on the people of Anambra State, as if they are incapable of detaching themselves from lawlessness, not minding the circumstances.

Cries for free and fair election that would restore respect for Anambra people are dubious reflection of the fact that as a country we have grown a preference for duplicity. If the electoral law is unable to produce free and fair elections elsewhere, especially because of its heinous provisions that do not punish rigging and thuggery, why should it work differently in Anambra State?

Those who expect credible election in Anambra State should know that under the Electoral Act elections stand once they attain substantial compliance with the Electoral Act. Nobody knows what substantial compliance means. There is no shortage of courts waiting to interpret this provision.

In Anambra State, we would all have to contend with substantial compliance again. Anambra would have been different had there been a new electoral law to be tested.

Contestants must abide by the rules, not because the rules make for fair contest, but because by joining the race, contestants have willingly subscribed to the Electoral Act with all its flaws.

Vanguardngr

Arsenal-Bolton clash called off due to weather

Arsenal have announced that Wednesday night's Premier League fixture with Bolton has been postponed due to the adverse weather conditions.

Emirates Stadium

GettyImages

Arsenal staff had worked to clear the snow outside the stadium

There has been heavy snowfall throughout the country and, after snowfall increased during the day, the fixture at Emirates Stadium was called off.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Despite making every effort to stage tonight's match against Bolton Wanderers, the sudden and unpredicted adverse change in weather conditions in the Highbury area has left us no choice but to postpone the fixture.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and wish to state that this decision was not made lightly and supporters' safety and travel arrangements were major factors in our thinking.

"The club will announce the revised date for this match in due course and all tickets currently held will be valid for the rearranged fixture."

Meanwhile, following a number of enquiries from supporters, Wigan Athletic have confirmed that they expect their fixture with Aston Villa to go ahead on Saturday. The club are "confident" that the stadium will be ready by the weekend despite heavy snowfall across the country. ESPN Soccernet

Fuel scarcity worsens as tanker drivers begin indefinite strike

HOPE of early end to the current fuel scarcity across the country was yesterday dashed as members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), began an indefinite strike over alleged extortion, harassment, brutality, arrest and detention of eight of their members by men of the Nigerian Navy at the Naval base, Apapa, Lagos.

But the Naval authorities have dismissed the tanker drivers allegations, describing tankers drivers as a group of unruly, undisciplined and people who have constituted a menace to other road users especially around the base.

Chairman of Western Zone of Chairman, Comrade Tokunbo Korodo, told Saturday Vanguard that members would not return to work until Naval authorities not only guaranteed the safety of members but also stop their men from extorting tanker drivers.

“For over a month now, men of Nigerian Navy, at the Naval Base Apapa, have been extorting tankers drivers before allowing them to pass through to NIPCO Plc depot to load products. Since the fuel scarcity started, they have been demanding between N5,000 and N30,000 from tanker drivers before allowing them to pass. Because of this, yesterday (Thursday), we held a meeting with their leaders who told us that if it is true that the tankers drivers are being extorted, we should take the identities of those involved and that if possible, we should take their photograph and get back to them.

So, this morning (yesterday), when they started, our members challenged them and resisted. The Chairman of NIPCO unit of PTD, Alhaji Ambali, who led others to challenge them was beaten to a coma. Eight of our members were arrested and detained at the Naval Base, Apapa, while many others were seriously brutalised. Other members had to run away to prevent the Naval personnel from brutalising and arresting them.

The Naval personnel were threatening to deal with any tanker driver seen around the vicinity. Because of that, members have decided to withdraw their services until further notice. So, members have since morning stopped lifting products.”

But the Naval authorities dismissed the tanker drivers allegation, describing them as a group of unruly, undisciplined and people who have constituted themselves into a menace on the road.

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard on telephone, Director of Naval Information, Commodore David Nabaida, said neither was any tanker driver arrested nor brutalised, stressing that even the allegation of extortion was unfounded.

He noted that contrary to the tanker drivers’ claims, “a tanker driver used his tanker to block the road and caused a heavy traffic. When our men came down to find out what was happening, the tanker driver abandoned the truck and ran away.

Our men had to tow the tanker to Naval dump site. This incident happened in the morning. Nobody was arrested or brutalised.

You know how these people behave. They are a group of unruly and undisciplined people who like to constitute menace on the road. Immediately, they started saying they would go on strike. Because they transport an important community needed by everybody, does that give them the right to block the road and prevent other road users from using the road?”

He challenged the tanker drivers to provide evidence of any extortion by his personnel and see if such officer would not be disciplined.
Vanguardngr

Iran Test Fires Improved Long-Range Missile

Iran has test-fired what it claims is an improved version of its Sejil 2 medium-range missile, Wednesday, amid ongoing tension with the West over its nuclear program.

State television showed video of the Sejil 2 missile launch Wednesday, calling the test a success. The Sejil 2 has a range of about 2,000 kilometers, making it capable of hitting Israel and U.S. bases in southeastern Europe.

Defense Minister Ahmed Vahidi says the Sejil 2 is intended to defend the country against outside attack.

He says that the missile which tested Wednesday, is part of Iran's defensive forces, and that the test is intended to reinforce the deterrent capabilities of [Iran's] military. He says that the missile was built by Iranian scientists and is an upgraded version of the Sejil 2 [launched last May]. He adds that the newer version has a shorter launch time, better deterrent capability, and that it is a two-stage rocket using solid fuel that is highly maneuverable.

Both the test-firing and the sanctions vote come in the midst of an ongoing conflict between Iran and the West over its nuclear program. Tehran has not, as yet, agreed to the terms of a UN-draft deal to trade 70 percent of its low-grade uranium for highly enriched uranium from France and Russia.

The head of Iran's atomic energy agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, told the country's Press TV, Wednesday, that "Iran prefers to procure the fuel (for its research) reactor through the (International Atomic Energy) Agency, .but, we can't afford to wait for long."

Meir Javedanfar of the MEEPAS center in Tel Aviv says that the Sejil 2 missile is nothing for the West to worry about. He says it is more a sign that it's taking the military option seriously, now that negotiations with the West appear to be faltering:

"There's nothing new about this rocket that should worry the West," he noted. "Iran has already tested solid fuel missiles before and Israel is already within the range of Iran's missiles. I think it's the political implications of this missile test that are noteworthy-and that is that Iran views the (nuclear) talks as dead-it doesn't view the talks positively, and now it's bracing for sanctions and quite possibly for war, and this missile test is a sign that Iran takes the military option very seriously and is ready to reciprocate if it's attacked."

Such tests, he adds, may also be aimed at frightening other countries in the region, like the Gulf States, or southern European nations that have U.S. or other Western bases on their soil, and might be involved in the logistics of an eventual attack.

President Barack Obama has said that the United States will not "wait indefinitely" for a response from Iran over the U.N. draft nuclear deal.

Iran's test-firing, comes a day after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impose sanctions on companies providing refined gasoline to Iran. Tehran is a major oil-producing country, but has just one domestic refinery, forcing it to buy much of its gasoline from abroad.
VOA News

CBN won’t allow stocks to crash again – Sanusi

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has said it would not allow the stock exchange to crash again adding that economic growth is now the focus of its policy
CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi said this at the on going Nigeria Economic Summit holding in Abuja.

“The (equity) market will go back up but if it goes back to 2007 (levels), I will stop it. I will starve it of oxygen. I will shut down money supply,” he said.
“Now our primary concern is to ensure the economy does not go into recession and to stimulate growth. It is not time to put on the brakes,” he said.

Sanusi said credit to the private sector rose 20 percent between March and November and had risen successively each month in that period.

Consumer inflation rose to 12.4 percent year-on-year in November from 11.6 percent the previous month, the Bureau of National Statistics said earlier, as volatile fuel prices pushed up transport costs.
Vanguardngr

Tiger Woods to take 'indefinite leave' from golf

US golfer Tiger Woods is taking indefinite leave from professional golf to try to work on "healing" his family.

In a statement on his website, he said he was aware of the disappointment "my infidelity" had caused his family.

He said he wanted to "try to repair the damage done" and asked for privacy so his family "could heal".

In the UK, lawyers for the world number one golfer obtained an injunction preventing certain information purportedly about him being published.

On his website, Mr Woods said he was "profoundly sorry" and asked for forgiveness.

I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person
Tiger Woods

He said: "I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding.

"What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

"After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person."

He has been married to his wife Elin for five years and they have a two-year-old daughter and 10-month-old son.

In a statement the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour said it supported the golfer's decision, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the celebrity's "priorities are where they need to be".

"We look forward to Tiger's return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him," he said.

Intense speculation

The UK injunction was granted by a judge at the High Court in London, and concerns alleged information which cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.

Last week Woods apologised to his family for "transgressions".

Speculation about his private life has been intense since he was involved in a car crash outside his Florida home.

Newspaper allegations followed about extra-marital affairs.

Woods has not been seen in public since the accident, in which his car hit a tree and fire hydrant.

The golfer, who was found bleeding and semi-conscious, was later charged with careless driving, which carries a $164 (£98) fine and four points on his driving record.

Woods has become an international sporting icon since winning his first major in 1997 at the age of 21.

At 33, he is just four short of equalling Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major victories and is regarded as one of the world's all-time great golfers.

BBC News