Etteh: 212 Reps Sign For Impeachment
• As PDP summons Reps again
Even as the House of Representatives is yet to resolve whether Speaker Patricia Olubunmi Etteh would step aside tomorrow or not, 212 members of the house have signed the impeachment register preparatory to force her out of office.But leader of the Integrity Group, Hon. Farouk Lawan, yesterday insisted that the court paper served by pro-Etteh members to stop the house from disallowing Etteh from presiding over the Idoko panel report would not deter the group from following the due process that the speaker cannot be a judge in her own case.This is coming on the heels of the call by Osun Leadership Forum on the speaker to vacate the seat in the interest of her image and democracy...more
NERC Grants Licenses To New Power Producers
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), at the weekend, issued licenses to two new independent power producers (IPPs) to generate electricity in order to boost power supply needs of consumers in the country.The companies are Agbara Shorline, which applied for a license to generate 100 megawatts of electricity and is based in Ogun State, and CET Power, which applied for license to generate 20 megawatts of electricity to serve Tinapa holiday and business resort in Calabar, Cross River State.Presenting the licenses, NERC’s chairman and chief executive officer, Dr. Ransome Owan, stated that the exercise brings the total number of licenses so far issued by the commission to 22 across the country for a total capacity of 8,138 megawatts...more
I Am Ready For Fresh Election – Atiku
• Reconstitute INEC now – AC to Yar’Adua
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has reiterated his preparedness for the conduct of fresh presidential elections, as he anticipates from the ruling of the election petition tribunal.Atiku, who returns from a medical trip of his knee injury on Saturday, said he felt justified in his consistent and unbending trust in the country’s judiciary following the Supreme Court ruling that removed Sir Celestine Omehia as Rivers State governor.Atiku’s position is coming as his party, the Action Congress, yesterday called on President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to immediately reconstitute the Independent National Electoral Commission, preparatory for the conduct of fresh polls.Speaking through his media consultant, Malam Garba Shehu...more
NCAA Begins Probe Of Chanchangi Airline Today
Following series of near- mishaps involving the fleet of Chanchagi Airline in the last few weeks, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority is commencing the audit of the Boeing 717 aircrafts.A source within the organisation told LEADERSHIP last night that the government is increasingly disturbed over the problems within the fleet.A few weeks ago, fire was reported to have emanated in the cockpit, days later, it was discovered that the crew had forgotten to shut the cabin before take off.Spokesman of NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogbeoye, was quoted saying that the recertification of the Chanchangi fleet has become necessary due to accident of the fleet in recent times.Our correspondent reports that Chanchangi is the only airline operating the Boeing 727 aircraft in Nigeria...more
Botmang Still In EFCC Custody
• Requires two senators to get bail
Former governor of Plateau State, Michael Botmang, is still being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission until he is able to produce two serving senators to serve as his surety for his bail.Botmang, who was picked up by the operatives of the special task force of the EFCC last week, is still languishing at the commission’s detention camp in Kano, pending when he will meet the conditions of his release as specified by the special task force.A top official at the commission’s office in Asokoro told LEADERSHIP that, after series of interrogations and presentations, the Plateau State expenditure during the six-month administration of the ex-governor, the EFCC had asked him to at least present two senators to stand for him before he could be given his freedom...more
PDP Chairmanship: Northern Notables Back Anyim
Some key northern chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have thrown their wrights behind former Senate president, Anyim Pius Anyim, for the party’s chairmanship position.Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, former Kano State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, and radical Senator Joseph Waku, joined the Anyim train at the weekend, while receiving the chairmanship aspirant who was on tour of some northern states.Na’Abba and Rimi, who just returned from the opposition Action Congress, following their earlier exit, declared support for Anyim as the most credible South-eastern contender for the top party position.Meanwhile, Senator Anyim has revealed that he got interested in the PDP top job because of President Ya’Adua’s love for rule of law...more
Poor Public Perception Worries 36 State Governors
The governor‘s forum today in Abuja agreed that the image perception of its members by the people need to be boosted.This, they say was in view of the negative views being expressed by the governed and the seeming loss of interest in government by the electorate.Rising from a three-day retreat, the chairman of the forum, Gov. Bukola Saraki of Kwara, said "we know what is expected of us by the people. We are assuring that while things were not done right in the past, we will make it right"." We are assuring our people that a new page is being turned. We have also agreed to our collective responsibilities and we will review our own performance in another six months to know where we need to improve on," he said...more
Jigawa Petitions NJC Over Judicial Misconduct
The Jigawa State government has written a strong petition to the National Judicial Commission (NJC) and the chief justice of the federation on the conduct of the Kano high court judge over the injunction granted preventing the state government from probing various contracts in the state.According to the commissioner of information, youths, sports and culture, Alhaji .Muktari Muhammad Birniwa, the state government is not comfortable with the court proceedings on the case instituted by the contractors.Alhaji Muktari Muhammad Birniwa noted that "As a law abiding government, the state has patiently been pursuing the said court process in order to get the injunction quashed so that the substantive case could be heard but all to no avail...more
National Chairmanship: Ahmadu Ali Cancels Zoning
The purported zoning of the office of national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Ebonyi and Imo States by the South-East caucus has been over-ruled by the party's national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali.National chairmanship aspirants from the other three states of the South-East zone had protested the zoning insisting that it was predetermined and aimed at enthroning the former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu as the national chairman of the party.The petitioners also accused the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu of acting a script that was written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.It was gathered that the deputy Senate president, who presided over the controversial zonal meeting last Monday..more
Unity Bank Partners Govt On Education
In a bid to complement the efforts of various governments and bodies to rescue the nation’s educational sector, Unity Bank has rolled out a three year-marshal plan for the sector.This was disclosed recently by the managing director of the bank, Alhaji Falalu Bello, while answering questions from newsmen at Birnin kudu Jigawa State shortly after the state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, had inspected some projects carried out by the bank at various schools in the state.He explained that the management of the banks carried out the projects in line with its corporate social responsibility so as to contribute to human capacity building in the country.Under the marshal plan the bank will embark on the renovation and reconstruction of class rooms, toilets and bath rooms...more
Minister Wants States, LGs To Deliver Cheap Health Care
Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, has urged the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 Local Government Councils in the country to play active roles in the provision of affordable health care delivery to Nigerians.The appeal was given by Grange during the Annual General Meeting of the Health Reforms Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) which took place at the Gateway Hotels, Abeokuta , Ogun State capital. Speaking further at the well attended AGM,the Minister also assured Nigerians that the President Umar Musa Yar'Adua -led administration would sustain and improve the health reforms started by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.Hear her: "We shall be counting on you, our partners to also continue to work with us in providing affordable health delivery to Nigerians...more