David-West seeks Ijaw leader Clark’s arrest

Former Minister of Petroleum Prof. Tam David-West has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to arrest and prosecute Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, for alleged illegal possession of Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines.

The machines were allegedly found in Clark’s home in Warri, Delta State.

David-West made the call during an interview in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday.

Clark has explained that the commission is aware that the machines are in his home.

He said they were meant for Ayakoromor community in Burutu Local Government.

Clark said the community chose his house as its centre for the registration because many residents were displaced during the face-off between the Joint Military Task Force and militant leader John Togo last December.

David-West insisted that the Ijaw elder must be made to face the law.

He said: "Clark must be arrested and prosecuted because INEC has said that it does not keep machines in the homes of individuals.

"The commission needs to establish its credibility. Clark is one of the loudest supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan. Discovery of DDC machines in his home compromises the integrity of Mr President and his vow for free and fair election. He should be prosecuted."

On the exercise, David-West said the difficulties experienced were unimaginable.

He said they shook the hope of having free and fair elections in April.

The ex-minister said it took him three hours to register.

He wondered how professionals and students could spare such enormous time to register.

He said: "I am not a prophet of doom but I am very circumspect when it comes to socio-political analysis.

"It is said that a job well begun is half done. On the contrary, a job badly started is ominous for the entire project.

"I am not blaming Prof. Attahiru Jega at all; I’m blaming politicians, who have refused to change their style of politics."

via: the nation

Role of the President's aides in Abuja Independent Bomb Blast Saga via SaharaReporters

An account of the role played by aides to Goodluck Jonathan in trying to convince Heny Okah to dump the blame for the Independence Day bomb blast in Abuja on “Northern elements” are emerging, just as Mr. Okah's lawyers received the news of a January 4, 2011 date to appeal his denial of bail application which has enabled his continued detention in South Africa. Last month, he was denied bail by a South African magistrate after the judge said "The accused was untruthful and he lied to the court" .

Saharareporters has obtained a confidential report which might a major role in the trial that details calls made to Okah by several key Jonathan aides the night after the bomb blasts, at a time MEND was claiming responsibility for them. Those named in the secret report include Jonathan's former ADC, Moses Jituboh, a police officer whose current designation is “Personal Security Officer to the president;" the Minister for the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe; and Tony Uranta, the same Jonathan operative who was recently named in the $50,000 bribery of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG).

The secret document shows that four calls were traced to Mr. Orubebe, and several calls as well as a key text message were traced to Mr. Uranta, who used telephone numbers: +2348075407801, +2347084961205 and +2348069280206 to communicate as he acted as an intermediary between Mr. Okah and President Jonathan up to the night after the Abuja bombing in October.

The document shows that after the bombs went off, Uranta sent a text message to Okah, saying, "Please get JG to withdraw claim," ["JG" being the shortened form of "Jomo Gbomo", the mysterious but widely-known email name used in MEND releases] but Okah responded by text, saying , "Don't even think about that".

Mr. Uranta responded with another text message to Mr. Okah, saying the critical words, "Govt will blame bombing on Northern elements."
That was the last text message before Mr. Uranta joined a delegation of Niger Delta delegates which “commiserated” with Jonathan over the bombings. Meanwhile, as Jonathan possibly thought the deal to blame the blast on "Northern elements" had sailed through with Mr. Okah, he announced publicly that MEND was not responsible for the bombing even as the MEND had already claimed responsibility.

As was exclusively reported by SaharaReporters, Mr. Okah's house was ransacked by the South African police the day before the Abuja bombings, and his phones and laptops—as well as those of his children—confiscated. The search had been initiated by the Nigerian government, having been tipped off by Western security agents about the impending blast. MEND had also issued press releases announcing its intentions prior to the blast.

The confidential document revealed that Jonathan called his South African counterpart, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa to have Okah arrested to "prevent" the deadly blast. In turn, Zuma directly asked South African prosecutor, Shaun Abrahams, to get a Magistrate to issue a search warrant and an arrest warrant for Okah's arrest.

Two South African Magistrates, Nonhle Jadezweni and PJ du Plessis, were contacted to issue the search warrant and warrant of arrest. Both initially refused to comply, for lack of sufficient information or disclosure of course of action, but Mr. Du Plessis was told by the prosecutor that it would be in the interest of the Nigeria-South African bilateral relationship.

As Du Plessis was contemplating the next course of action, Mr. Abrahams put a man whom he said was President Zuma on the phone to tell the judge how important it was to issue an arrest warrant for Okah. The prosecutor then went ahead to produce an Interpol "Red Notice" which was issued in 2007 on Okah.

On the part of Magistrate Jadezweni, a search warrant was issued to the effect that Okah was a violent criminal with stockpiles of arms in his Johannesburg mansion. A search into Okah house did not yield any arms.

Dumisa Ntsebeza SC has now joined Okah's defense team and will be with him at the South Gauteng High Court in Johanessburg in two weeks to try and secure his bail. Okah's legal team is requesting the magistrate records as a way of proving that his arrest and detention was orchestrated politically because of his refusal to be used by Jonathan to endorse his candidature as president in the upcoming 2011 general elections.

If Okah's trial proceeds as planned, revelations from his team will ultimately reveal the extent of the Nigerian government’s involvement with Okah at the highest levels. The involvement of President Zuma and the Johannesburg Magistrate, Heine Louw, were attributed to pressures on South African business interests in Nigeria. Mr. Louw is due for promotion to the South Africa High Court system.

Meanwhile, MEND sources said they are planning series of attacks that would cripple Nigerian oil production between now and January 2011. Chevron has already suspended production due to recent pipeline sabotage. A MEND source told SaharaReporters that their sabotage campaign would affect as much as 500,000 barrels per day.

MEND's threats follow the disappearance of four militants from Port Harcourt prison a few days ago. Our source said they fear that Tamuno Tonye Kuna, known as "Commander Obese", who recently surrendered to the Joint Military Task Force, may have been killed by JTF operatives along with the four missing militants.

“Commander Obese” was reportedly lured out of the creeks by Farrah Dagogo with his fighters and made to turn over some hostages.

Said a MEND source to SaharaReporters, "President Jonathan promised Obese N500 million and a second Amnesty, but they arrested him as soon as he surrendered his forces."

Former First lady Rendered Homeless in Potomac, MD.

This saga echoes a scene from a Nigerian home video, except that it is real. Imagine going from first lady, with all the largesse, to homeless, where you now have to depend on government assistance to survive in a foreign land. It is sad tale, but is the fate of Mrs. Aisha Abubakar Audu, former first lady of Kogi state.

Thursday, lawyers to Prince Abubakar Audu, who has been on a warpath with his wife, Aisha, showed up at their holiday home in Potomac, Maryland and evicted Mrs. Aisha Audu and her three young children from their home.

In the words of the former first lady, "Prince Abubakar Audu owns houses in this town but could not provide a place for us to stay. Instead, he has evicted us from a home we have known for 10 years".

“We were thrown outside at a temperature of less than 30 degrees, while he waited around town to be handed the keys to his company home. He has claimed victory over his wife and children to vacate his home".

“He acted shamelessly and like we are NOBODY!”

“We are now homeless but have been provided temporary accommodation by the USA Human and Health Services, under the abused persons programs, where I and the kids have been attending therapy since this ordeal started".

"They have also provided school for the kids. The neighbors provided immediate help to cushions our plight before we were taken to a shelter as we were not allowed to take anything from the house”.

“Audu has a second house used as a guest house when he is in USA, It is located at 3928 Highwood Ct, there is another apartment which is not currently on rent (managed by his son, Bashir Audu, a student) at Unit N6F 1155 23rd street and unit N6M 1155 23rd street and Unit-PH3 1111 23rd street, all in NW Washington DC under the sham names of Goldwindow, Mercury Belside & Sunshine llc which he solely owns and operate”.

“He could give instructions to allow any member of his family use especially as he had locked us out in Abuja too leaving us with nowhere to go even if we were to return to Nigeria”.

“He also has refused even through his divorce attorney to accept temporary relief for the kids, claiming he is not agreeing to divorce me and has not been properly served”.

“Meanwhile all my personal belongings including that of the children has been confisticated by him in our home in the villa in Abuja, Jos, Kaduna, Lokoja, Alloma, Ogbonicha and London. We cannot get into any of these houses without his instruction to caretakers, police and guards and that was the only reason we came to the USA home believing that he will come to his senses eventually if I just hanged on a bit, but now it is obviously clear that my life has been in danger all along and it has all been a setup”.

“Before moving to our home in the USA which we had always used as a family for over 10 years without any approval from his sham company, eminent personalities like the Ohinohi of Ibira land, HRH Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, former Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Adimiral Ibrahim Ogohi, former Minister of Defence, Alhaji Kwankwaso, former Governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Atahiru Banfarawa including family members, all got involved to talk to him to act responsibly and follow the Islamic rites instead of the ritual oath on his father's grave, based on allegation by his 35 year old daughter, Meimuna of my plot to poison her father (Audu)”.

“They solicited that he should make amends to the developing situation and where a divorce is the ultimate; he should do it properly instead of locking us out of the house without adequate provision”. “But he was adamant and will not listen or even agree to pay the children’s school fees towards the next school session so that that the kids could continue with their school at the America International School, Abuja”.

NBC Plc to Delist, Sends Notice to NSE

Nigerian Bottling Company Plc: Proposed Scheme of Agreement

Nigerian Bottling Company Plc (“NBC” or “the Company”), wishes to formally inform the Nigerian Stock Exchange (“NSE”) of a proposed Scheme of Arrangement (“Scheme”) between the Company and its members, involving a cancellation of part of its share capital, such that the Company would become a wholly owned subsidiary of its majority shareholder, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S.A. (“Hellenic”).

The proposed Scheme would be effected under the provision of S539 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (“CAMA”), which allows for an arrangement to be proposed between a company and its members.

The proposed structure envisages a cash consideration to be paid as compensation to shareholders for the cancellation of the shares of the Company which Hellenic (through its subsidiaries) does not already own. The terms and conditions thereof will be incorporated in a Scheme document to be circulated within the stipulated statutory period to all the Company’s shareholders for their consideration.

The proposed Scheme includes a cash payment ofN43 per NBC share as consideration to the minority shareholders. The proposed price would provide all minority shareholders with a premium of 37.4% to the 30-day average closing price and 43.2% to the closing price of NBC shares on the NSE on December 13 2010 which was N30.03 per NBC share.

The proposed Scheme will also be subject to the approval of the shareholders at a meeting of the Company, convened on the order of the Federal High Court (“FHC”), and will only become binding and effective upon obtaining the approval of not less than three-quarters in value of shares held by those present and voting, in person or by proxy, at the said meeting and the subsequent sanction of the FHC.

An application will consequently be made for the delisting of the Company’s shares from the Daily Official List of the NSE. The Company will also be re-registered as a private company in accordance with the relevant provisions of CAMA.

REFERENCE: Proshare’s Daily Market Report oF August 23, 2010 where the planned delisting was placed before the market.

“The consequences of the ongoing imbroglio on the exchange have taken a new dimension as it was reported in the dailies today that three foreign blue chip companies (from Breweries, Conglomerate and Food & beverages subsectors) might be threatening to pull out of the bourse. According to the information gathered, loss of confidence, crisis in the Exchange and market meltdown was among the reasons why these companies are threatening to pull out from the stock exchange.

This further strengthens our stand as expressed in our previous reports that there are urgent needs to resolve the ongoing crisis; the more the crisis lingers, the worst it may continue to get for the market as this will make the market unattractive for reasonable investors. Foreign investors will be scared away further”.

INEC Recovers 16 stolen DDC Machines

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has recovered 16 out of the 20 Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines stolen at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu said 20 machines were stolen out of 6000 imported by Zinox Technologies Limited. "Sixteen of these have been recovered by Thursday afternoon, and security agents are working assiduously to recover the four outstanding and apprehend the culprits."

Idowu said the integrity of the DDC machines cannot be compromised by those behind the theft, saying "there are adequate safety features to forestall any nefarious use of the stolen items; as such, the integrity of the electoral processes would not be compromised."

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday resolved to institute an investigation into the reports that the Direct Data Capture machines imported by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been stolen at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

Adopting a motion on the matter sponsored by Rep. Halims Agoda (PDP,Delta), the House directed its committees on Electoral Matters, Aviation and Internal Security to investigate the issue and report back to the House in one week.

Aviation Minister, Mrs Fidelia Akuabata Njeze sy blamed the theft of DDC machines on lack of CCTV cameras and the porous nature of some of the airports in the country. The minister disclosed this while answering questions at the presentation of her ministry's score card in Abuja.

No going back on controversial clause – N’Assembly

The National Assembly has concluded plans to go ahead with the process of amending the 2010 Electoral Act (First alteration) in spite of the public outrage against it.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, who made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, said the public hearing on the bill seeking to amend the Act might begin on Thursday.

Section 84 of a bill which seeks to make federal lawmakers members of the National Executive Committees of their political parties, had attracted criticisms from opposition political parties, civil rights groups and prominent Nigerians.

But, Eze said at the press conference that the outcome of the public hearing on the bill would determine the direction to be followed by the lawmakers.

He said, “We need the public hearing because the process of making laws here is very clear and we cannot bypass any of the procedure because people are speaking for or against.

“When people speak for it, we will still go ahead and conduct public hearing, when they speak against, we will still conduct public hearing. Preparations are in top gear. All things being equal, we might be having the public hearing on Thursday.”

The Senate spokesman added that in order to save time, the committees handling the bill in both chambers of the National Assembly might merge to conduct a single public hearing.

According to him, the two committees, would after the public hearing submit a harmonised version of the bill to the chambers.

“If possible, they may eliminate the time that would have been wasted on setting up a conference committee. Everything is being done to ensure that that matter is treated speedily,” he said

The senator assured that the leadership of the Senate would be open to criticisms, and urged critics to appear at the public hearing to make their contributions.

He said, “The Senate President say, we are a listening National Assembly, we represent the people, at the end of the day, what will happen is what the Nigerian people desire and what will be in the overall interest of our democracy.

“That is what will guide our actions. We want to assure you that we will tale on board, all the views that have been expressed to the public hearing.”

There was, however, tension in the House of Representatives on Tuesday when the two lead sponsors of the bill in the House complained that one their colleagues — Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon — used abusive and unparliamentary language in his opposition to the controversial clause in the bill.

The sponsors of the bill — Mr. Igo Aguma and Mr. Cyril Maduabum — therefore urged that Obahiagbon be penalised for his action.

Obahiagbon, the first lawmaker to openly condemn the clause, had said that it would amount to ”legislative rascality and parliamentary gambadoism” if the House went ahead to pass the bill.

Raising a point of order on privilege and quoting from the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act at Tuesday’s plenary, Aguma noted that the Action Congress of Nigeria lawmaker went beyond the norms acceptable to the House to castigate his colleagues in the public.

Aguma urged the House to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate it and make appropriate recommendations to the House.

Aguma‘s prayer was a veiled call for the suspension of Obahiagbon, as the committee would have applied the relevant rules and recommend his suspension.

On his part, Maduabum informed the House that Obahiagbon appeared on a television programme where he allegedly asked Nigerians to ”take up arms against all members of the National Assembly.”

He said, “This is an incitement to violence; it simply means that by his action, we are no longer safe as legislators.

“The lives of members of our families are also at risk because he is inciting the public to come and attack us in the course of doing our job as legislators.”

But as tension rose, the Speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, called for caution and sought to hear Obahiagbon‘s side of the story.

This attracted noisy reaction as the majority of lawmakers opposed the idea of allowing Obahiagbon to speak. They wanted the matter to be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges immediately.

The speaker, in a bid to ensure fairness, insisted that Obahiagbon must speak amid loud protests by lawmakers.

When he rose to speak, Obahiagbon admitted to have addressed a news conference where he used the language complained of.

He, however, explained that he used ”legislative rascality” contextually to mean that he hoped his colleagues would not ignore the opposition to the bill by going ahead to pass it.

His explanation elicited further uproar as the lawmakers shouted him down. At this point, Bankole intervened again, saying that it was clear that Obahiagbon offended his colleagues by describing them as ‘legislative rascals.’

The speaker then advised Obahiagbon to withdraw the language and apologise to the House.

He also observed that by admitting that he considered the decision of the House to pass the bill as unethical, Obahiagbon ought to know that it was a matter for the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to handle instead of going to the public.

Obahiagbon bowed to pressure and tendered an apology, saying that “the House of Representatives will live forever.”

He also said that he offered an ”unreserved apologia.”

Many lawmakers still felt that Obahiagbon did not apologise properly, but Bankole intervened again to restrain them from fuelling the tension.

The speaker appealed for calm and urged his colleagues to focus more on other serious assignments before the House such as the amendment to the 1999 Constitution (2nd Alteration). [PUNCH]

2011: Northern leaders alarmed by Jonathan’s ambition – Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday said President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration to pick the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket for the 2011 presidential election came to Northern elders as a ‘rude shock.’

Addressing a news conference in Abuja on his selection as the compromise aspirant of the Northern Leaders Political Forum, the former vice-president said this was because Jonathan was aware of an existing agreement within the party to rotate power between the North and South. He said zoning had become part of Nigeria’s political culture, adding that this was why the PDP zoned the office of President to the South in 1999.

In 2002, Abubakar said an expanded caucus of the PDP reaffirmed the zoning of the Presidency to the South for another four years, after which it would be the turn of the North for eight years.

“Our current President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was present at that expanded caucus meeting and voted in support of zoning. It, therefore, came as a rude shock to most Nigerians, including Northern leaders in the PDP, when indications emerged that Dr. Jonathan would, in utter disregard of the PDP constitution and extant agreements, offer himself for election to the office of President in 2011.

“We were alarmed that the progress that we had made as a nation to address our diversity in relation to power-sharing would be jeopardised, with consequences that might be catastrophic. It was that concern that led to the formation of the Northern Leaders Political Forum, which immediately began wide-ranging consultations across the country to alert Nigerians to the dangers inherent in one man, just because he feels he could, casually abandoning agreements painstakingly reached by broad sections of the country on the critical issue of power sharing.”

He said those opposed to zoning were not concerned about the stability of the country. He also told the audience that anti-zoning elements, in their desperation, resorted to a dangerous strategy of ethnic and religious politics to advance their selfish agenda. Zoning, he said, was not new to the country as it was also adopted during the First Republic.

“That was why in the First Republic, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe from the South was ceremonial President, Tafawa Balewa from the North was the Prime Minister and other key positions went to people from various ethnic and religious groups. We maintained that tradition under military rule and through all civilian administrations.

“Zoning and rotation have never been perfect, but we have always recognised their importance for peace, unity, fairness and justice in this country. It is the mechanism which, at this stage of our development, ensures that every segment of the country, especially minority groups, have a chance of producing the occupants of the most important offices in our country.”

He said it was ironic that the country’s foreign reserves were being depleted while funds in the Excess Crude Account were reducing.

He said, “Why are our budgets not being implemented? Why has the money in our Excess Crude Account disappeared at a time when oil prices have been way above the benchmark used for our budget estimates?

“Why are our foreign reserves being depleted to dangerous levels leading to rating agencies downgrading our status? Why is this government quickly dragging us back to indebtedness after we worked so hard and sacrificed so much in the past to pull ourselves out of debt slavery? Clearly we need a new leadership in this country. That is why I am in this race.”

He pledged to work tirelessly to achieve victory for the PDP and lead the effort to build a Nigeria of his vision. This vision, according to him, is of a country which “creates conducive conditions and incentives for productive investment in the industrial sector, agriculture and social services; investments that will create massive numbers of jobs which will keep our youths gainfully employed and help to tackle the high level of insecurity in the country.”

Among those who were at the briefing were the Directors-General of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation, Gen. Aliyu Gusau Campaign Organisation and Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation, Dr. Udenta Udenta, Senator Ben Obi and Dr. Raymond Dokpesi respectively.

Others at the briefing included former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo; erstwhile Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani; Mr. Chris Mammah and Chief Musa Elayo.

The Director, Media and Publicity of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Mr. Sully Abu, told our correspondent on the telephone that “there was nothing in what Atiku said on both economy and zoning.

“On zoning, the PDP has said the President is qualified to contest and every loyal member of the party has to abide by the party’s position. Atiku may not know anything about loyalty since he has been in and out of the party.

“Concerning the economy, he is not sure of his facts. There are rating agencies that have rated the Federal Government high and we do not know why he is using his pre-determined position to react. He is, however, free to pick any of the agencies he likes for the purpose of campaign.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director-General of the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation, Senator Kanti Bello, has described the selection of Abubakar as ‘irrational.’ Speaking on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation monitored in Kaduna on Tuesday, Bello argued that the committee’s choice did not go down well with him.

But media spokesman to the former vice-president, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the senator had the right to his opinion since he had to please his boss (Babangida). [PUNCH]

Navy, Customs impound seven military trucks, arms in Lagos

The Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, on Tuesday said eight military trucks had been seized by the Nigerian Navy on Monday at Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, Ogbor said the trucks were covered with a camouflage tarpaulin and were neatly tucked into a container. He said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the issue, adding that they would be released to the appropriate authority after investigations.

According to him, “Items found in the trucks included A Chevrolet double cabin vehicle covered with a camouflage tarpaulin spread neatly tucked into a container. Inside the vehicle were some pistols, hundreds of live ammunition, bulletproof jackets, military boots and sundry prohibited related items.

“Heavy duty military trucks used for the movement of troops and logistics were also impounded by the command. The trucks are seven and are painted in military colour.”

Ogbor said the Navy and other security agencies were prepared to combat criminals in the country.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday displayed two pistols and 1,431 rounds of ammunition it discovered in a vehicle brought into the country from the United States in a container.

The Area Controller, Tin Can Island, NCS, Mr. Austen Warikoru, told newsmen in Lagos during the inspection of the arms and ammunition in Lagos that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the seizure.

He said, “The concealment of contraband items arm and ammunitions was in a 40ft container UESU 456777/3. The suspects, Mr. Ifeanyi Edom, who is the clearing agent and the purported brother inlaw to the importer, Mr. Ume Uzoezie, are in Customs custody.

“The container was re-examined on November 20, 2010 in the presence of the suspects.”

According to him, the container contained two used pistols, one AR-7 Explorer with S/No A124431-CAL.22 and AMPSOR 206 CAL. 38 Special with serial no A946122. He gave the details of the ammunitions as 1100 rounds of Remington brand of 22 calibre bullets, 100 Remington special of 32 calibre; 100 Monarch brand of 38 calibre and 31 Acquita (Super-maxim) of 22 calibre.

Other items discovered in the container were used clothes, various gifts items, personal belongings and four cars. (PUNCH)

Lagos Security Trust Fund now N6.2 billion

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Tuesday said the Lagos State Security Trust Fund had raised over N6.2bn in materials and money in the past three years.

Fashola, who spoke at the fourth town hall meeting on security organised by the LSSTF in Lagos, said the contributions of the people of the state to the fund had boosted his administration’s fight against crime. He, however, lamented the impact of the economic recession on the contributions of major donors to the fund.

The governor, therefore, called on individual and corporate donors to continue to support the LSSTF. He pointed out that a centralised police force, whose ability “to perform its duties is predicated on the level of support it receives in material and logistics provided by its principal, the Federal Government.”

Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, said operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad foiled at least 64 armed robbery attacks between October 2009 and September 2010.

Akpoyibo said the crime rate in the state had dropped by 79 per cent, adding that security agents responded to 25 fire outbreaks and 27 accidents in the state within the same period.

Akpoyibo praised the state government for setting up the LSSTF, saying it was responsible for the success recorded so far. He said the fund had bolstered security in the state through capacity-building.

The police commissioner, who commended the public-private partnership approach to security management in the state, declared ‘zero tolerance’ for crime. He said the state government’s mission was “already being realised as crime indices have now assumed a downward trend.”

According to him, it is normally expected that in mega cities, armed robbery, murder, fraud, car theft and trans-border crime will be at a high level. He, however, said the reverse was the case in the state.L

INEC Releases New Election Timetable...Full details !!!

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday ended months of speculations on the new guidelines for full blown political activities by releasing the revised election timetable for the 2011 general elections.

According to the new timetable, National Assembly elections will hold first on April, 2, 2011. They will be followed by the presidential election on April 9, 2011.

The process is expected to end on April 16 with the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

The INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, read out the timetable at a news conference in Abuja.

He said the release of the timetable/election guidelines was in line with the powers conferred on the commission by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the 2010 Electoral Act and all other powers enabling the commission to perform its functions.

Other details of the election schedule show that campaigns by political parties will begin on December 1, 2010.

The party primaries will start on January 1, 2011 while the last day for the submission of forms CF001 and CF 002 (affidavit and personal particulars of candidates for all elections) is January 31, 2011.

The date for the registration of voters, pursuant to Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act (2010), has been fixed for between January 15 and 29, 2011.

Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act , provides that the exercise be carried out 90 days before polling day.

The new timetable also states the last day for the withdrawal/substitution of candidates by political parties.

For National Assembly elections, parties have up till February 14, 2011 to substitute candidates. Parties also have up till February 21, 2011 to submit nomination forms for candidates contesting the National Assembly poll.

February 21, 2011 is the last day for parties to substitute candidates for the presidential poll and February 28 for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

Electioneering is expected to end on April 1, 2011 for the National Assembly elections and April 8, 2011 for the presidential contest.

Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections have April 15 as the last day for electioneering.

Jega, who was flanked at the news conference by national commissioners of INEC, also announced that the run-off for governorship and presidential elections (if any), would be held within seven days after the announcement of the result of the affected poll.

Sections 179 (4) and (5), and Section 134 (4-5) respectively of the 1999 Constitution provide for this.

The commission had, in a timetable released on September 7, 2010 , fixed the voter registration for between November 1 and November 14.

INEC also scheduled party primaries for between September 11 and October 30. It had planned to hold the 2011 general elections in January.

But at a meeting with leaders of the 63 registered political parties on September 21, Jega said the January date was not feasible.

He had said that the commission had missed many of its timelines that were crucial to the registration of voters as well as the recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff for the elections.

At the meeting, INEC and the parties agreed that the 2010 Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution should be amended to allow for the postponement of the poll.

President Goodluck Jonathan had in October sent a bill to the National Assembly proposing amendments to sections 5, 10, 11, and 17 of the constitution (first alteration) Act and Sections 76,116, 132, and 178 of the 1999 Constitution.

According to him, the amendments will extend the deadline for the conduct of the election to the end of April 2011.

The National Assembly had passed the bill, which mandated INEC to hold the general elections not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days to May 29 .

In the first amendment, the commission was supposed to hold elections not earlier than 150 days and not later than 60 days before May 29.

Earlier this month, the National Assembly had forwarded the bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, which on Monday, said that they had approved it. (PUNCH)