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Sultan Frowns At Leaders Setting Bad Examples

The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar has frowned at the attitude by some leaders in the country who set bad moral examples, especially for the youths.

Speaking at the 27th National Convention of the Muslim Corpers' Association of Nigeria (MCAN) weekend in Abuja, the Sultan said he was worried that the youths are aspiring to acquire illegal wealth as done by some people in positions of authority.

Represented by Alhaji Hassan Ahmed II, the Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State, the royal father said “The young man is likely to reason that when I grow up, I want to have six cars, six wives and travel to London every week. It is not the best.”

He said there is nothing good in following the footsteps of such leaders. “There is no use for you to amass billions and you can't sleep; you lock your doors and windows and suspect everybody that comes your way and even travel but fear to come back. You end up becoming a very unhappy man.”

The guest speaker at the occasion, former Special Adviser to the Bauchi State Governor on Education and Societal Reorientation, Dr Salisu Shehu, who discussed the topic, 'Muslim Youths amid challenges of modern Society,' said the youthful age is the most productive part of a man's life. He urged the youths to utilise it to seek for knowledge.

He called on Muslims to pay their annual obligatory property alms (zakkat) as it will go along in reducing the economic imbalance in the society.

Cleric Seeks End To Niger Delta Clashes

The Founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, Prayer Centre in Adofure, Akure, the Ondo State capital, Prophet Samuel Ogunmodede has urged the Federal Government and the Joint Task Force (JTF) to begin a cease fire in the Niger Delta region in the interest of nation.

Addressing a press conference in Akure over the weekend on activities to mark the Seventh Anniversary of the Church, Ogunmodede also pleaded with members of Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue with the government in the interest of peace.

He stressed that it was sinful and unreasonable for Nigerians to kill one another over God- given wealth saying that instead of exchanging fire for fire, all stakeholders in the Niger Delta should employ peace and dialogue in addressing the crises in the area.

"I believe peace and negotiations offer the best solution to the crises in Niger Delta.

Fighting will not help; kidnapping will not help" said he.

While acknowledging the efforts of the Federal Government in tackling the problems of the Niger Delta, he said the government could still do more to alleviate the sufferings of the people in terms of provision of electricity, potable water, health care and good roads.

Oshiomhole Blames Crime Rate On Poverty

The spate of violence in the country has been attributed to the inability of government to provide for the citizens.

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole said this Monday while declaring open the 2009 annual Law Week of the Nigeria Bar Association.” In fact, the increasing wave of violence, armed robbery, kidnapping, ethnic and religious extremism are manifestations of grinding poverty,'' he said.

The governor maintained that the task of building a stable, peaceful, just and prosperous Nigeria demanded that the state guaranteed a minimum standard of social and economic welfare for all.

He said the reverse was the case, noting that majority of the people had to contend with hunger, unemployment, poor medical attention and lack of portable water.

Oshiomhole added that the gap between the rich and poor was widening, as those living in abject poverty had increased from 35 per cent in 1983 to more than 70 per cent.

He said meanwhile, reports indicated that the number of Nigerians who had private jets had quadrupled.

He urged the NBA to reflect on ways to attain a social order and make access to justice possible for the majority. not just a few privileged few.

Edo Chief Judge, Justice Michael Udokpayi said the law had contributed to the stability of the contemporary Nigerian State .

He said there were instances when situations of anarchy that posed grave threat to the country were averted bylaw.

Federal Government Praises Mineral Dev In Zamfara

By Hussaini Baba

The Federal Government has commended Zamfara State Government in the development of the Social Minerals and Sector of the Nation's economy.

President Umaru Musa Yar ádua who spoke through the Minister, Special Duties, Ambassador Ibrahim Musa Kauzuare , during the foundation laying ceremony of Zamfara State Solid Minerals Processing Factory, at the State Capital.

Mr President said “if properly harassed the sector has the great potential for massive employment generation, poverty reduction and enhancement of the Nigeria's general revenue profile”.

According to Mr President, it is expected that, on completion, the steel billets would serve as primary feeders to the Jos, Aladja and the Katsina rolling mills.

Further Mr President Yar adua assured, the government and the people of Zamfara State with Federal Government in ensuring actualization of the laudable project.

In his speech, Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi to Mr President that the project which he is about to lay the foundation has been conceived in “our adent desires to complement your efforts towards building a strong, prosperous Nigeria.

Governor Shinkafi disclosed that the project is first of its kind in the country in addition to a steel plant being built here in Zamfara

“Today event therefore is a response to your clarion call on the State Government and well meaning Nigerians to join hands together towards the realization of your 7 Point Agenda”, the Gov. said.

Meanwhile, Governor Shinkafi this project is a joint venture under the Public Private Partnership between Zamfara State Government and our foreign direct investors, the China Star Group Limited, by way of ownership and investment Zamfara State has 45% share and China Star Group Limited 55%.

The Governor further said, the total cost of this project is $100 million Dollars and it is divided into two phases. Phase 1is the construction of an Integrated Solid Minerals Processing Factory at the cost of $40 million Dollars, which will process Iron Ore, Copper, Tin, Tantalite, Gold, Wolfromite and all metallic minerals known to exist in Zamfara State.

According to him, in the Phase II of the project; a Steel Smelter and Rolling Mill would be constructed and the project when completed will have the capacity of producing 300,000 tonnes per annul.

Adding that, the construction would Inshal Allah commerce in October this year and be completed in April 2011. this Steel Mill is expected to commerce smelting operation in May of the same year.

Similarly, Governor appealed to Mr. President to kindly resuscitate the existing railway line and at the same extend it to Maru where the new Industrial Complex will be located in order to facilitate movement of raw materials and finish products to other parts of the country . And also requested, Mr. President Yar adua intervene for the release of our State Independent Hydro Power Plant at Gotwata village.

IBB Grooms Son For Governor

Culled from daily trust

Former military ruler General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida was the moving force behind the crisis that recently engulfed the Niger State House of Assembly because he had a grouse against the state governor Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Network Malam Isa Lanpene said in Abuja yesterday. He said the former ruler's political associates are preparing the way for Babangida's son, Mohamed, to try to snatch the governorship from Governor Aliyu in 2011. Alternatively, he said, they will push the candidature of former Commissioner for Health Alhaji Dattijo Aliyu, who is General Babangida's cousin. Dattijo was recently detained in prison for allegedly circulating inciting documents.

Lanpene said General Babangida is very angry with Governor Aliyu because his cousin was detained for a month. He is also angry, the special assistant said, because when Dr. Aliyu took over as governor in 2007, he stopped paying the salaries of some of the teachers of Mrs Mar Babangida's private Al-Amin International School in Minna, who were paid by the Niger State government when Abdulkadir Kure was the governor. He also said under Kure, the Niger State government sponsored all Babangida-for-president political projects. Aliyu stopped it, he said, “which is why you don't see IBB associations proliferating all over the country these days.”

Lanpene alleged that the Niger State Assembly members who were recently mobilised to impeach the Speaker Alhaji Mohamed Alkali were offered N5 million each. He said, “You know it was not the state government that did it. Who else in Niger State has N100 million to spend just to impeach the Speaker?” he said the speaker's impeachment was meant to be a first step towards denying Governor Aliyu the chance to contest again in 2011.

According to him, the crisis erupted because IBB's top lieutenants in Niger State, namely former governor Kure and former PDP National Vice Chairman Alhaji Abubakar Magaji were both indicted by the white paper of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that probed the last regime. They therefore launched a political counterattack to stop Governor Aliyu from securing the PDP nomination for 2011, he said.

The governor's assistant said the two court cases that Governor Aliyu, who is the Talban Minna, has had to grapple with, namely ANPP candidate David Umaru's case at the election tribunal and former PDP aspirant Jibrin Alhassan Gunna's case at the high court, were all instituted by IBB's boys. He said IBB could have stopped them effortlessly. “What role did IBB play to end these cases?” he asked.

Lanpene denied charges that his boss the governor is fighting everybody in Niger State. He said, “Talba is not fighting anybody. He is only trying to be sincere with people. Kure was misled for 8 years by the political elite in Niger State. He was doing their bidding so much so that his regime could not achieve anything in two terms. Talba is therefore saying we should not repeat the same mistake again, we should use our little resources to develop Niger State, and he is concentrating all his energy in the revitalisation and development of Niger State.”

When contacted, a close associate of the former military ruler Alhaji Nma Kolo declined comments on the issues raised by the governor's aide. “I won't react to comments from Isa,” Alhaji Kolo told our reporter last night. Kolo had however spoken on the same issue last week, saying General Babangida did not even know that the Niger Speaker had been impeached until three days later, when Nma himself went and drew his attention to it. Even though Nma Kolo declined to speak, Daily trust learnt last night that he placed several calls to Governor Aliyu's aides and urged them to disown the allegations against Babangida.

His pressure somewhat paid off because shortly before press time, the governor's Senior Special Assistant on General Matters Alhaji Yahuza Abdullahi called Daily Trust and said Lampene's comments were his personal views and not those of the Niger State government.

“He spoke on behalf of himself and not the government of Niger State,” Abdullahi said. He added that IBB and Governor Aliyu “are in the best of relationship at the moment. If at all there was anything, certainly not now.” Governor Aliyu also has no problem with his predecessor Engr. Kure at the moment, Yahuza added.

He blamed what he called recent insinuations on the failing relationship between Governor Aliyu and IBB “on those hangers-on who are thought they could only benefit when there is crisis.”

It would be recalled that the Niger State Assembly speaker Alhaji Mohamed Alkali was impeached on June 1 and a new speaker, Idris, was elected, but the Niger State Police Command, apparently prompted by the state government, declared him wanted for fraud. Idris resigned a week later, paving the way for the election of yet another speaker, Alhaji, who is pro-Governor Aliyu.

Yar'adua Okays Death Penalty

Culled from daily trust

Death penalty is an integral part of the nation's penal laws and it will continue to be applied in accordance with the rule of law, President Umaru Musa Yar'adua said yesterday in Abuja.

President Yar'adua made the remark while responding to a question from a Spanish journalist on the entourage of visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, at a joint press briefing by the two leaders at the State House. The Spanish journalist had sought to know his views on death penalty.

President Yar'adua noted that death penalty is just one of the penalties being implemented in accordance with the nation's laws, arguing that since every society is governed by laws, whatever penalty specified by the law for any crime is final.

“All penalties are based on laws, not only death penalty. Where the laws specify any punishment then it must be obeyed, not only death penalty. That is a straight forward issue; societies should be governed by laws,” he said.

Also speaking, President Zapatero said the non- inclusion of any African country on the Permanent Seat of the United Nations Security Council is injustice that must be redressed. He argued that Nigeria deserves the seat.

The Spanish leader said: “We have talked about the international order, we have talked about peace, we have talked about security, we have talked about it from an African and worldwide perspective. Spain of course has peacekeeping operations in Africa and of course in other places, Nigeria for example participates as well in UN peacekeeping operations, it is a great contributor. This brings me to what the Nigerian President said and I think is very important thing. We have talked about security, the reform of the Security Council in the UN, President Yar'adua said 30 per cent of all the matters that the UN Security Council deals with in its steady works concerns Africa but nevertheless no African country is represented in the UN Security Council. That is a reality that has to change, it needs to change. Nigeria plays a role of leadership and Spain will be working for the change in Security Council to address this injustice that does not represent what Nigeria does and the way it is in the continent.”

Zapatero said his discussions with his Nigerian counterpart centred on issues like infrastructure, oil and gas, peace and security. Zapatero who is the first Spanish head of government to visit the country had earlier on Monday participated in a summit with the ECOWAS heads of government.

He said his country intends to stem illegal emigration into Spain by Africans who have to go through tedious and dangerous means to get into Spain, through cooperation and development.

He said his visit to Nigeria “means that we have interest to work in West Africa with West Africa in other to develop and to open up areas for us to work together and cooperate in the future

Senate President David Mark yesterday while receiving Zapatero at the National Assembly said Nigeria deserves a permanent seat in the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

Mark said the country's quest for a permanent UN Security Council seat is legitimate and deserves the support of the international community

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