President Yar'Adua and NigComSat Mobile Licence

Yar'Adua's Insistence on NigComSat Mobile Licence Throws Spanner on Free Enterprise

PRESIDENT Umar Yar'Adua, last week deepened the mobile licence row between the Nigeria Communication Satellite (NigComSat) Limited and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) by ordering the regulatory agency to "immediately" grant a mobile operating licence to the satellite company.

The Nigerian Satellite firm has been embroiled in tug-of-war public altercation over the issue of mobile operating frequency and licence following the launching of its NigComSat-1 communication satellite with Chinese technical partnership last May. It claimed former President Olusegun Obasanjo, granted it an express mobile operating licence on the eve of his departure last May.

The NigComSat management argued that with its technical expertise and available facilities, the company was in a better position to offer better mobile services than the public is presently getting from the existing four major operators.

Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of NCC, rebuffed the Satellite firm's claims insisting it has no mandate to offer 'last mile' mobile services.

A committee set up by the Ministries of Information and Communication, and Science and Technology recommended that NigComSat did the right thing by going private before applying for a licence.

"It is pertinent to note that with the approval of the Federal Executive Council, the adoption and publication of the National Telecoms Policy (NTP), the Nigerian Government firmly resolved to liberalise the telecommunications market and promote competition.

One of the policy objectives of the NTP was the restructuring and privatization of NITEL and M-TEL by the divestment of majority shares owned by the government to the private sector. This has been achieved by the sale of a substantial portion of government interest in NITEL and M-TEL to Transcorp".

The NCC quoting relevant Sections 5.0 and 5.2 of the policy setting up its existence state thus:

5.0 Existing Public Enterprises

Consistent with the philosophy that the private sector will lead the future development of the Nigerian telecommunications sector to the greatest extent possible, controlling ownership interest in NITEL and M-TEL shall be transferred from Government to private investors. The privatized companies are expected to be restructured by the new owners to implement modern operational and management practices.

Both companies will be issued new licenses by NCC, designating their role and responsibilities in the liberalized market. The restructuring and privatization of the sector shall be of the highest priority, and shall not delay or preclude other steps to open the telecommunications market to attract private investment and intensify competition, as outlined in this policy.

5.2 Privatisation

It is the intention of the Government that controlling interest in both NITEL and M-TEL shall be transferred to the private sector. The Government may retain minority, non-controlling ownership interest in the short run, although the Government's shares shall be under the control of an agency that is independent of both the Ministry of Communications and the Nigerian Communications Commission.

"The role of government is to provide overall direction to telecommunications development and ensure policy consistency. This role does not include participating in the provision of telecom services which is consistent with policy objectives as contained in Chapter 2 Section 2.1 of NTP as follows:

* To ensure that government divest interest in state owned entities;

* To promote competition to meet growing demand through full liberalisation of the telecom market.

"The purpose of these prescriptions in the policy is to ensure a level playing field and drive competition among licensed telecommunications operators by making sure that government restricts itself to policy and regulation. Full Story
License or no license these gsm service providers should just give us a better services

Nigeria: New Hope for Old 'Master Plan' On Niger Delta

The government of President Umaru Yar'Adua says it is serious about tackling the root causes of violence and poverty in Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta with a 'master plan' to develop the region and provide basic services.

Yar'Adua's new budget proposal for 2008 commits 69 billion naira (US $566 million) to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for 2008, more than twice last year's federal budget allotment for the commission.

"[The Niger Delta will become] Africa's most prosperous, most peaceful and most pleasant region by 2020," according to Davies Okarevu of the NDDC, which is charged with implementing the master plan. The commission met in southeastern town of Calabar in mid-November.

In the next 15 years some US $50 billion will be spent by federal, state, and local governments, as well as oil companies and private foundations to improve the region's infrastructure, environment and economy. The plan is based on three five-year phases which include specific projects to build roads, sanitation systems and support businesses.

This would be a transformation for a region where currently seven out of 10 people lack basic amenities.

Since oil was discovered in the Niger Delta in 1956 the region has been the seat of the nation's massive wealth, yet the more than 1,500 communities that have become host to oil facilities are some of the poorest in the country. Many are crippled by oil spills and other environmental problems.

Two decades of frustration have spawned an array of militant groups who claim to be fighting for the welfare of the region's 31.2 million inhabitants. Attacks on oil facilities and the kidnapping of oil workers have slowed oil production, costing multi-national companies and the Nigerian government billions of dollars in revenue.

In recent weeks one of the leading militant groups, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has stepped up attacks on installations in the industry with the aim of deterring investors. "Our strategy is to nibble continuously on the oil industry until they are crippled," MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo, explained by e-mail.

"Our wealth should be used to develop and not oppress us," he said.

Same plan, different approach

The current master plan is the fifth attempt since Nigeria's independence in 1960 to tackle poverty in the Niger Delta region. The former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, created the NDDC in 2001 after a three-year survey and research the federal government adopted a 'master plan' in 2004.

The current plan is not fundamentally different, but since his inauguration in May President Yar'Adua has pursued a policy of transparency and accountability and he has impressed some activists in the region.

"The new administration appears to be very committed -- more than Obasanjo - and, if they make an effort, I believe they will deliver," said Paul Ihediwanma, executive director of the International Center for Youth Development in Umuahia, Abia State.

Others remain cautious. "We're all just watching," said Sofiri Joab-Peterside, a research fellow at the Centre for Advanced Social Science in Port Harcourt. "It's about the level of sincerity in implementation."

Previous plans fell victim to politics, said Willie Okowa a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt. "One of the key problems is that most of the implementation is left for the authorities other than the NDDC," he told IRIN. Some 83 percent of spending and operations comes from local, state and federal governments who have failed to live up to their promises in the past. "Forcing implementation is very difficult. The NDDC cannot compel the state government [to comply]," Okowa said.

In October, NDDC managing director Timi Alaibe alleged that since 2001 the government and oil companies have failed to release 224 billion naira (about $1.8 billion) in funding.

But for Ledum Mitee, president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, the NDDC is part of the problem, often awarding contracts to cronies. Stories of 'white elephant' in the Niger Delta abound, including schools without desks, hospitals without medicine and road projects left half-completed.

"You have an organisation that is supposed to be interventionist that is now loaded by all these structures which are calculated to take from one hand and give to the other hand," Mitee said in an address to the Niger Delta Stakeholders.

On 4 November, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated a committee to ensure that projects and funding are not duplicated and money is not wasted. The vice president is also leading a host of negotiations with community and militant leaders ahead of a Niger Delta summit intended for later this year.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200711191052.html
Most contracts award in the Niger Delta by the past administration have not even been completed
Lets just wait and see how FG will spend this proposed Niger-Delta Budget.

Mr. President, What are you doing about graduate unemployement?

President Yar'Adua was quoted saying 'The level of graduate unemployment in the country is alarming and unacceptable" at the convocation ceremony of University of Ibadan. Please tell me you have hard that a thousand times in the last 8 years.
One thing that Nigerians are good at is just talking about our problems. Why can't we just talk more about solutions to our problems.
Each time I read a report somewhere about something, all I see is analysis of our problems, e.g. how long we've had the problem, who is responsible for the problem and so on.

Journalist should please ask this public office holders solution base questions, they should do more research in finding solutions to this problems. This way Nigerians will know what to expect from the government.

If any body has come up with a solution as regards the present level unemployment in the Country, he/she should please share it with Nigerians.

Read the Yar'adua's Speech at the convocation ceremony of University of Ibadan By DailyTrust

Yar'Adua Decries Graduate Unemployment
The level of graduate unemployment in the country is alarming and unacceptable, President Umaru Yar'adua has said. The President said this on Saturday in Ibadan, in an address at the 2007 convocation and 59th Foundation Day ceremony of the University of Ibadan.

Yar'adua, who was represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu, called for an effective interaction between the private sector and tertiary institutions, to remedy the situation. According to him, the ability of Nigeria to emerge as an economic giant, as envisaged by his administration, will depend on the nation's human capital development and transformation.

"The challenge for you here is on how to integrate theory and practical, and thereby stimulate the entrepreneurial behaviour in our students. "Thus there is need for more interaction between the institutions and the industries, with a view to improving the qualities of graduates produced in these institutions.

"The benefit of an effective integration of entrepreneurship in the curricular of tertiary education will no doubt improve the quality of life and living standards, reduce graduate unemployment and under-employment.

"It will also promote the overall socio-economic transformation of the labour force as well as guarantee the efficient and effective growth of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product", the president said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, had called for partnership with government and industries, for the nation to survive the rapid change towards the new global social and economic order. According to him, the compelling forces of global competition and the pace of technological advancement, required successful economic strategies, premised on a high technological content, skilled and flexible work force. "We can not afford to remain on the sidelines in the rapid process of change towards the new global social and economic order.

"We need to re-energise in order to provide the kind of human resources the country needs to spearhead sustainable development," Bamiro said. Mr Gamaliel Onosode, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the council, commended the federal government for adopting dialogue in resolving conflicts in institutions of higher learning.

He also said the council had approved the implementation of the University Radio Project, in line with the institution's new mission statement. According to him, the project, when completed, would enable the university to compete favourably in the field of Sound Broadcasting Communication.

A total of 2,603 graduates were awarded various higher degrees including 162, Doctorate; 11, Master of Philosophy and 185, Post Graduate Diploma in different fields. (NAN)

Pr. Yar'Adua, yo have to be diplomatic in your approach with the...

How on earth can the American government conceive the idea that they want t set up a military base in Africa. This is ridiculous, look at what is happening in Iraq and other few countries the American military have been involved with.
Nigerians should remember that the American government said one time that Nigeria may not survive the next 15 years as a country. I guess for this to happen they need to first, establish a military base in West Africa, Declare Nigeria a terrorist country, then move in on us.
Its is clear that the Americans have selfish intentions but our President should be careful in dealing with them cos whether we like it or not we need them and they know this.

Check similar Report from http://ridwanlaher.blogspot.com

"Nigeria Rejects US Military"

I am heartened to see Nigeria stand by the African Union decision to keep the US military from establishing a military base for AFRICOM on the continent. No more American wars on the bodies of Africans is indeed an ideal to strive toward!

Below is a re post of a News24 report by Bashir Adigun (19/11/2007 21:05 SA).

***Abuja - Nigeria formally announced on Monday that it won't host the US military's new Africa-wide military command, taking Africa's most-populous nation and a top source of American oil imports out of contention.

Nigerian leaders have been vocal critics of the new US military command for Africa, which is seeking a home on the world's poorest continent.

The government made its position official on Monday as President Umaru Yar'Adua met with state governors and federal lawmakers.

Nigeria is also against the US command basing its headquarters elsewhere in West Africa, where the country of 140 million is a major military and diplomatic heavyweight, said Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, who announced the government's position after the meeting.

US military officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

The US has said it aims to better protect America's strategic interest in Africa and assist African countries with military training and conflict prevention.

But a number of African countries - including Libya and South Africa - have expressed reservations about a move that could signal an expansion of US influence on the continent and may focus primarily on protecting oil interests.

Africom currently operates out of existing US bases on the continent with a headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

War-wrecked Liberia, settled by freed American slaves in the 1800s, is the only African nation that has publicly offered to host a headquarters.

Nigeria, an OPEC member and one of the top suppliers of oil to America, has seen militant unrest in its southern petroleum region cut production by about one quarter in recent years.***

Siemens Scandal

President Yar'Adua has vowed to sanction ex-ministers if they are found guilty. I wonder what can of sanction this is going to be.
Can't the ministry involved or the FG take the Ministers to court and throw them in jail if found guilty? I am sure the president will probably ask them to return the money if they are found guilty. These people always get preferential treatment no matter what.
Lets see how "Mr Rule of Law" will handle this"

Check out this report from Vanguard
Nigeria: Siemens - Yar'Adua Vows to Sanction Ex-Ministers If...

PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua vowed, yesterday, to punish anyone found to have collected bribes from the German telecommunications company, Siemens AG, and declared that there would be no sacred cow.

A Munich court had named four former Nigerian Ministers of Communications Cornelius Adebayo, the late Haruna Elewi, Tajudeen Olanrewaju and Bello Muhammad- as well as other officials and chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Professor Jubril Aminu, as having received bribes of about 10 million euros from the company..

Professor Aminu, Dr. Mohammed, and General Olanrewaju have denied their involvement in the scandal.

The opposition Action Congress (AC) reacting to the development called it a national disgrace "coming so soon after full disclosures from the Wilbros bribery scandal also involving Nigeria officials have yet to be made.

The party said time was ripe for the Yar'Adua administration to "summon courage to probe the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo which has been spewing out these scandals like lava from a volcanic eruption.

President Yar'Adua in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communicators, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, said relevant security agencies had been directed to "thoroughly investigate the allegations and take appropriate actions.

In the statement issued in Saudi Arabia where the president, is attending this year's OPEC meeting, Mr Adeniyi said:

"The attention of President Umaru Musa Yar'dua has been drawn to media reports of the alleged bribery by an international Telecoms company (Siemens) of some past Nigerian public officials and wishes to assure the nation that anybody found culpable in the scandal would face the full wrath of the law.

"The President has, therefore, directed all the relevant security agencies to thoroughly investigate the allegations and take appropriate legal actions against anybody implicated in corrupt practices.

"The President also wishes to assure all Nigerians that in the new nation that we seek to build under his watch, any public official found to have abused his or her oath of office will not go unpunished.

"The President further assures that in this Siemens scandal, as in all cases that border on good governance and transparency, there will neither be sacred cows nor a cover up for anybody found culpable of breaching the law."

Mohammed denies alleged bribe

However, Dr Bello Mohammed, a former Communications Minister, yesterday denied knowledge of the alleged bribe of public officers by Siemens AG.

Mr Emeka Kanu, Media Adviser to Mohammed, in a statement said his boss was innocent of the allegation.

The allegation, according to him. was not only "strange and bewildering, but malicious, libellous and wicked evil designs by his political opponents."

He stated that the former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service and PDP chieftain, never met one Mr Reinhard Siekaczek mentioned in the court process.

"As for Mr Siedel, we can firmly say Dr Mohammed has had no personal relationship with him other than at the official level as Minister of Communications," he said.

Kanu said Mohammed, the PDP National Vice Chairman (North-West), had never received any amount in bribe from any of the persons mentioned in the case.

Mohammed, who paid glowing tributes to his admirers and supporters, said he had contacted his lawyers for necessary counselling.

Senator Aminu and Gen. Olanrewaju had earlier also denied their involvement and challenged those behind the allegations to show proof.

Sir, so you got a free land in Abuja

OBJ does not stop to surprise me, he must think Nigerians are dumb. After so much anti-corruption campaign I have come to realise that this guy is the most corrupt Nigerian. If President Yar'Adua does not probe OBJ then he should forget about the "Rule of Law"

Check out this report
Yar'Adua's land revocation in Abuja
Not long ago, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) ratified the revocation of 38 plots of land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja belonging to the president, Umar Musa Yar'Adua, some former governors and other prominent Nigerians.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had at the twilight of his administration taken some irrational decisions, including the allocation of lands to his friends and loyalists without any regard for due process.

According to the FCT minister of state, John Akpanudoehe, "the lands were not applied for, but were given to former governors and other prominent Nigerians by the last administration".

Given the brazen impunity that engendered this action, we cannot but ask: What special consideration qualified the benefiting governors and "other prominent Nigerians" for this allocation? Again, what socio-economic or political purpose was the allocation meant to serve?

To us, this kind of action only goes to emphasise further, the kind of leadership that this country has had, especially in the past nine years of civilian administration, an insensitive and irresponsible leadership.

Apart from the reason that the plots of land were within the vicinity of Pendam Dam reserved as 'green areas' behind the Aso Rock Villa, government also said the allocation did not follow due process.

For a government that mouthed due process and even had a ministry for it in the presidency, this singular action was a serious indictment and for us, it is the height of hypocrisy and impunity.

While we commend President Yar'Adua for his rare courage in revoking the plots of land in which he is a beneficiary, and also for his high regard for due process and rule of law, we also ask the president to revisit the land reforms which the Obasanjo administration initiated but lacked both the moral grounds and political will to carry out.

Furthermore, in view of the mindless manner the plots of land were given to people who "never solicited nor applied for same", we call for urgent review, if not outright abrogation, of the Land Use Act which gives ownership of, and power over land to the government, thus allowing the president and the state governors the power to allocate land and revoke same at will.

We feel concerned that in a country with a housing deficit of between 12-14 million units; where genuine real estate developers blame the housing deficit on inaccessibility of land, the same land is given out freely to people who don't need it.

We therefore, consider it a trite law or interpretation of same which allows a president or governor to so mindlessly give away public property without any consideration for their feelings, hence the need to do away with such a law.

Beyond due process and the land use act, we also advise that Nigeria should find a way of running small sized government. This, we believe, will check too much expectation of pecuniary gains and compensation by loyalists and aides at the end of their service to the nation.

We agree with the president of Campaign for Democracy, Joe Okei-Odumakin who sees the revocation as restitution because since the beneficiaries neither applied nor asked for the land, they should not have accepted it in the first place.

It is our belief that inordinate ambition and uncontrolled acquisitive instinct have always pushed our leaders to over-reach themselves at the expense of the large segment of the society.

We recommend that the president should henceforth maintain a trim cabinet so that he wouldn't have the temptation of using public property to settle or compensate a large crowed of aides at the end of the day.

More importantly, we maintain that public property, as precious as land, should not be given to people who will not use it for the good of the generality of the citizens and that due process should be the guiding principle where it becomes expedient to so do.
Source: http://businessdayonline.com

Yar’Adua confirms Okiro as IG

The acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, was on Monday confirmed as the substantive Inspector General effective June 1, 2007.

His confirmation was one of the decisions taken at the National Council of State meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the chairman of the Governors’ Forum and governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said the confirmation of Mr. Okiro was based on the recommendation of the president.

Monday’s meeting was the first since President Umaru Yar’Adua assumed office and was attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who handed over to President Yar’Adua on May 29, 2007.

The National Council of state is made up of the president, former heads of state/presidents, serving governors, serving chief justice of Nigeria and former chief justices as well as the leadership of the National Assembly.
Source: http://www.tribune.com.ng
Congratulations our New Inspector General of Police. So What plan do you have for Nigerians?
Let Tafa Balogun be a reminder of what can happen to you if you....................