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Showing posts from June, 2014

Regionalism: Yoruba say no retreat, no surrender

THE National Conference, at inception about two months ago, was welcomed by Nigerians with enthusiasm and boundless hope. Nigerians expectedly and rightly invested a lot of trust and hope in it to solve the myriads of problems facing the country including the age-long mistrust among the numerous ethnic nationalities in the country, which on several occasions has resulted in inter-ethnic bloodletting and stagnated the country’s growth. However ominous signs have begun to appear from the conference that the parley at the end of the day appears incapable to resolve these problems, especially the issue of power devolution which most of the ethnic nationalities hold very dear and are un-willing to trade off. The Yoruba in South-Western Nigeria who over the years have become the rallying point proponents and apostle of regionalism have in the light of the discordant tune from the conference again declared that there is no surrender and no retreat on their demand for autonomous reg

Kutigi is sympathetic to Northern script

KUTIGIA delegate to the National Conference from Osun State, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, has said the outcome of the ongoing conference will either make or mar Nigeria. Odumakin, who is also the National Publicity Secretary, Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afanifere declared that the delegates from the core North have been showing lackadaisical attitude to critical issues of restructuring, development and progress of the nation. Seye Olumide reports. FORMER governor of Old Oyo State, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo and the Chairman Presidential Committee of National Conference, Dr. Femi Okunrounmu who is also a delegate to the conference recently raised fear on what may become the outcome of the parley. Do you share similar concern? As a matter of fact, I have my reservation over the way the conference is going, but I never think it would bring nothing. What it would bring is what nobody knows yet. I have said before the conference started that it would either make or mar the country. Niger

The Explosive Words Of Justice Idris Kutigi

Femi Fani-Kayode — June 15, 2014 On June 11th 2014 in the Punch newspaper, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chairman of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ongoing constitutional conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, said the following: “Most of the southern delegates had said they looked forward to the conference recommending a restructuring of the country and establishing a true federalism that would be characterised by regional autonomy, resource control, state police, among other changes. But their northern counterparts wanted the status quo to remain in terms of the country’s governance structure. They also sought for an increase in revenue allocations from the Federal Government to the states in the North. Going by these positions and those specially presented by different blocs like the North, the South-West, and the South-South, the recommendation of the committees seem to favour the North more than the South. Resource control is not going to happen as long as we (nor

ICPC moves to combat corruption in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions

By CLEMENT IDOKO in the Nigerian Tribune The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has introduced System Review Mechanism, which is a subtle and ingenious way of dealing with “endemic corruption” in the nation’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. This, according to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ekpo Nta, is in line with the ICPC’s enabling Act 2000, which empowers it to deal with manifold corruption through investigation and prosecution of offenders thereof. It is in line with this, that ICPC in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Ethics and Values, recently organised a two-day National Conference for vice chancellors, rectors and provosts and other principal officials of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Abuja. Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, has in executing the mandate of the commission, always empha