Pension Thieves to Bag 10 Years Imprisonment as Senate Passes Reform Bill

Culprits to pay triple value of stolen funds After almost one year of legislation, the Senate Wednesday passed the much awaited Pension Reform Act Amendment 2013 with the provision of 10 years imprisonment as penalty for any pension administrator who misappropriates or diverts pension funds. The bill also provides that anyone found guilty of embezzling pension funds would pay thrice the value of what he has stolen. It also provides for five years imprisonment or N10million fine for any pension administrator who fails to remit profits earned from an investment made with the fund of a contributor. It also provides for a fine of N500,000 daily for any agency administering pension affairs which fails to…

Nigeria’s Economy Growing with People starving

Reports that Nigeria’s economy has outstripped that of South Africa and become the largest on the continent are good news only to President Goodluck Jonathan, his ministers, top politicians, members of the House, and other wealthy people who are living large in a poverty – stricken country. But to the ‘millions’ of jobless, hapless and helpless Nigerians, struggling to make a living on less  than N200 a day – people whose hopes of enjoying their country are dashed daily in the face of missing money and stolen billions – that information means absolutely nothing. In fact, it is like pouring Iodine on a fresh, bleeding wound. Notwithstanding, it is heartening to know that the level…

Addressing the Kidnapping Problem In Nigeria (1)

KIDNAPPING NOW A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS IN NIGERIA? Nigerians who must visit their fatherland for obvious reasons, like burial of loved ones or spend Christmas vacation in the village are always gripped with fear as mere thought of landing in the village for a few days to spend time with families and neighbors scares them.  They don’t even believe that better security can be assured in the big cities of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan, Benin, or Owerri. One could be kidnapped by hoodlums or young terrorists. Those who find themselves in the Northern states of the nation must be ready to face Boko Haram terrorist gangs. In public places, schools, parks and…

Is APC promising Nigerians a born again style of governance?

Pertinent questions from discerning Nigerians should subject this Phenomenon of political “Change” to serious acid test.  A change for all intents and purposes must provide a better and acceptable alternative which Nigeria as a country in a state of entropy is in dear need of. “The leopard never changes her spots”, Nnamdi Azikiwe.  Does it ever worry us that history which neither personal wealth or power can pre-empt will pass terrible judgement on us, pronounce anathema on our names when we have accomplished our betrayal and passed on? We have lost the twentieth century; are we bent on seeing that our children also lose the twenty first?  God forbid”, Chinua Achebe. It is my contention…

Confab divides Christian, Muslim leaders

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the umbrella body of Islamic organizations in Nigeria, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) have drawn a battle line over the composition of the delegates at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja. CAN is infuriated by the claim of JNL, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III that the process of selecting delegates to the conference was not done with fair representation, saying it would affect the credibility of its outcome. The Christian body has, therefore, threatened to boycott the 2016 population census and subsequent exercises if there is no provision for religion. General Secretary of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake who issued the threat in a statement…

Jonathan, Obama Visit Pope

It was a busy time for His Holiness Pope Francis following the visits of two heads of state recently. First to storm the Vatican was Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan who was accompanied by his wife Patience and other top government officials. That was on Saturday, March 22. On Thursday, March 27, President Barak Obama of the United States of America took his turn. Both heads of State were visiting Pope Francis for the first time. Reports say President Jonathan and‎ Pope Francis held extensive discussion on Nigeria’s position on same-sex marriage which was recently outlawed in the country. The  Executive Secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Kennedy Opara, disclosed this to journalists at the Holy…

Pope Francis‎ discuss extensively on same-sex marriage with President Jonathan As Nigeria, Vatican partner in education, health

President Goodluck Jonathan and‎ Pope Francis ‎yesterday held extensive discussion on Nigeria’s position on same-sex marriage law recently passed in the country. The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Kennedy Opara, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday at the Holy Sea after President Jonathan’s audience with the Pope as well as his tour of the Vatican City. Opara said the President used the opportunity to state Nigeria’s position on same sex-marriage while the Pope commended Jonathan’s effort in tackling the various challenges facing the country. The Pilgrims from Anambra, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, were part of President  Jonathan’s delegation to Vatican City in Rome, Italy but remained at the courtyard while the audience…

National Conference: Delay is Dangerous

National conference as a political concept in Nigeria has attracted several and varied comments from numerous concerned individuals, scholars, opinion molders, statesmen, organizations and leaders of though at one time or the other ever since the Federal Government made known the intention to convene the Conference. The proposal has generated heated debates on pages of newspapers and magazines, television screens, legislative houses, social and political gatherings and even at village or town assembly meetings in various parts of the country. Some people in their thinking felt that this period is too critical to convene a National Conference considering the volatile nature of our political arrangement and the “not too strong” security arrangement on ground. Others…

Nigeria as a Failed State

Few people are ignorant of who Prof. Ben Nwabueze  is but quite a large number are nonplussed by what he represents to the Nigerian State especially in his latest remark which described Nigeria as sliding into a failed State. Prof. Nwabueze is an Icon of constitutional Law and one of the most respected fluid writers of his generation whose writings are as valuable as the stained glass paintings of the ancient Churches, and like Zeus watching the frailties of human proceedings with illuminating eyes, timeless patience and attention to details summed up in letters guiding our statutes, legislatures, the executive and the people on constitutionalism. He is a light house that guides the legal voyagers…

What is an Education Policy?

The Education Policy of a country may be defined as the attitude of the government of that country towards the means of the people’s livelihood and standard of living, and the best ways of achieving them. Fundamentally, an education policy should be utilitarian. It should reflect the needs and aspirations of the nation. For an education to be sensible, it must fulfil the aims of and principles of true education in relation to the society for which it is formulated. Without suggesting rigid lines of complete and generous education: – PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES – which comprise care of body and skills, SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES which consist of Intellectual, Moral Aesthetic and Religious enrichments, no worthy educational effort…

An overview of the Nigerian Public Procurement Act

There is the need for the establishment of a legal framework for public Procurement” says the World Bank to the Officials of the Federal Government who are always in need of more Loans to facilitate one white Elephant Project after another. These loans always seem to find their way to private Pockets because of lack of Due Process or Policy defaults. The Enactment of The Procurement Act 2007 is a weighty development based on the recommendation of the World Bank which advised for better transparency in the proceedings of public procurement. As a general rule, it is the requirement of law and the strictures of procurement Standards and policies to ensure compliance with the procurement…

Governor Ike Nwachukwu, the Siren and Humanism

In 1984, I served as Imo State Chief of Protocol.  Something very remarkable happened on one special day that year that the people of Imo State deserve to know. That day that I will always remember, the then Military Governor of Imo State, Brigadier now Retired Major-General Ike Nwachukwu,  visited Arochukwu. As we left Umuahia, on our way to Arochukwu, between Umuahia and Bende, we approached a bend . To our left was a ravine . As our convoy was taking that bend, the driver of an on-coming vehicle from Bende, perhaps frightened by our siren, drove into the bush towards the ravine.  What saved the driver from falling into the ravine was that it…

APC Lawmakers Ordered to Block Executive Bills

In a show of its new found power, following the defection of legislators to its fold, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has instructed its members in the National Assembly to prevent the passage of legislative proposals including the 2014 Appropriation Bill, in response to alleged series of constitutional breaches committed by the presidency. This coincided with the allegation made by the party’s caucus in the Senate as well as some senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing the Senate President David Mark of frustrating their efforts to defect to the APC. Rising from a lengthy meeting of its interim National Executive Committee (NEC) held at its national secretariat in Abuja Thursday,…

Nigerian Economy at Risk as Excess Crude Account Declines – Okonjo-Iweala

The Minister of Finance and Supervising Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday, disclosed while speaking in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that Nigeria’s economy is under threat, sequel to the incessant decline in its Excess Crude Account. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala continued that depletion if the Excess Crude Account amounting $2.5 Billion (USD), has kept Nigeria at risk than it has being in the past years. The Minister disclosed this, “We have tried to set the country’s main parameters in a very modest way. We have made our budget at a very reasonable benchmark price for oil. “This is to shield us and to ensure we are not subjected…

Gay-Marriage Law: US threatens to sanction Nigeria

Leading western countries piled pressure on the Federal government recently, following President Goodluck Jonathan’s signing of the Same-Sex Prohibition Act 2014. The latest country is the United States of America, whose Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle threatened that the United States will scale down its support for HIV/AIDS and anti-malaria programmes in response to the Federal Government’s position on the gay rights issue. Member countries of the European Union and Canada have expressed their objection to the law but United States Ambassador to Nigeria said he was worried about “the implications of the anti-same sex marriage law which seems to restrict the fundamental rights of a section of the Nigerian population.” This came as a…

Presidency appoints Tukur Chairman, Nigerian Railway Corporation

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the immediate past Chairman of the ruling PDP, as the Chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation. This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Tukur, 79, resigned his position as the National chairman of the PDP on Jan. 15 and has since been replaced by former  Gov. Adamu Muazu of Bauchi State. According to the statement, the president also approved the appointment of Dr Ghaji Ismaila Bello as the Director-General, National Population Commission with effect from Jan. 8, 2014. (NAN)  

Gay-Marriage Law: Canada cancels Jonathan’s visit

The furore arising from President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent to the bill prohibiting homosexual marriage reverberated on the diplomatic circles, yesterday, as it emerged that Canada has cancelled a scheduled state visit to that country by President Jonathan. The cancellation was described as a reaction to President Jonathan’s decision to give assent to the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill 2013 which penalizes homosexual partnerships in the country. Online news portal, Saharareporters.com had first published the story on its site weekend. The cancellation nonetheless, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak upheld the president’s action, saying that there was no way homosexual marriages will accelerate the nation’s socio-economic progress. Despite the challenge from…

Super Eagles benched Bafana Bafana by 3 goals to 1

The South African Football Team Bafana Bafana were on Sunday 19th January, eliminated from the 2014 CHAN tournament when they were convincingly beaten 3-1 by a well-oiled Super Eagles side missing most of its superstars that won the Africa Cup of Nations last year. In a match in which Bafana needed only a draw at Cape Town Stadium to progress to the quarter-finals, the home side again contrived to disappoint its myriad of supporters with a below par performance. By the end of 90 minutes, Gordon Igesund’s charges were thoroughly outplayed and relieved to hear the referee’s final whistle which saved them from more agony. The match started at an electrifying pace with both sides…

I got N45m from airport robbery – Suspect

An armed robbery suspect has told how his gang leaders, identified as Arab, nearly killed him and other members when he saw the magnitude of money they got after the robbery last year from some Bureau de Change operators at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. Samuel aka Asiwaju, who was being interrogated by Operatives of the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command said he participated in the celebrated Murtala Mohammed International Airport robbery. His word: “After the robbery on March 2013, we packed a lot of money but I say the exact amount  should be over a billion Naira because our bags were filled with dollars and other…

2015: Let’s try non-Christian/ Muslim leaders – Bishop

The Bishop of Kaduna diocese, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon has said that since politicians of Christian and Muslim extractions have disappointed God and the people in tackling corruption in the country, they should give way to those who are neither Christians nor Muslims to lead the people in 2015 elections to salvage the country. Addressing a press conference at the weekend, as part of his annual hosting of media men, Bishop Idowu-Fearon said it was becoming a laughing stock to have men and women, who profess Christianity and Islam, playing politics with insincerity, stressing that non Christians and Muslims appeared more truthful and sincere in the affairs of things even though they were…