Nigerian watch
Wednesday, 31 July 2013 12:18

PORT Harcourt was once more the scene of a heated political row yesterday as security officials stopped a pro-democracy rally from taking place in the city under the pretext that it could lead to a breakdown of law and order.

Human rights and democracy activists has converged on Port Harcourt yesterday to express their opposition to the recent government crackdown on Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi. However, security forces were out in full force with surveillance helicopters, armoured personnel carriers and patrol vehicles to stop it. Continue reading “Police prevent democracy activists from holding peaceful rally in Port Harcourt”

Punch

July 28, 2013 by LEKE BAIYEWU and ALLWELL OKPI

Human rights and civil society groups have said the partial removal of immunity clause by the House of Representatives in the ongoing constitution review will not check the spate of corruption in the country.

The groups said impunity was the bigger challenge facing the country and not corruption, adding that more emphasis should be placed on implementation and enforcement of existing criminal laws. Continue reading “‘Immunity clause removal won’t check corruption’”

Daily Independent

Posted on Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

By Chukwudi Nweje

Assistant Features Editor

Last Monday’s visit by Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto and Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger States to Minna, Niger state has continued to generate mixed reactions.  The governors met with former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar. They had earlier on Saturday, met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The governors behind the “save democracy” initiative are championing peace efforts to end the political crisis in Rivers State and the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), which has generated tension throughout the country. Continue reading “Governors on diplomatic shuttle”

PUNCH

July 14, 2013 by ALLWELL OKPI and LEKE BAIYEWU

The Nigerian Bar Association and some civil society groups have said the Tuesday violence at the Rivers State House of Assembly should be investigated and lawmakers and security agents found culpable should be prosecuted.

The groups told SUNDAY PUNCH that if the incident was not dealt with through the due process of the law, it would encourage impunity and destroy the country’s democracy. Continue reading “‘Violent lawmakers must face the law’”

THE NATION

Posted on Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

By  Chukwudi Nweje

Last week, the Federal Government finally accepted the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies. The committee was headed by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steven Oronsaye.

The committee inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 was set up due to recurring complaints that the cost of running government was too high, and that the duties of some of the agencies overlapped with other departments of government. In early 2012, the committee submitted an 800-page report in which among other things, it recommended that 220 out of the 541 federal agencies should be scrapped. Continue reading “Trimming the Federal Civil Service”

THE NATION

Posted on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013

By Chukwudi Nweje

Analysts have at various times blamed the country’s seeming ineffective governance and poor state of infrastructure on bureaucratic bottlenecks. The argument is hinged on government spending much of the annual budgets on overhead cost due to duplication of functions in various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).  The belief is that if the Federal Government were to trim down on the number of MDAs, it would save huge resources from the cost of running government and thus have funds that could be diverted to infrastructure development and other areas of need.

This, incidentally, seems what would happen as the Federal Government has finally adopted the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies led by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steven Oronsaye. Continue reading “Recommendations of Steven Oronsaye”

Vanguard

on July 09, 2013  By EVELYN USMAN

Lagos — PRESIDENT of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, yesterday, identified poor reports by police investigators as the reason many corruption cases were not successfully prosecuted.

Adeniran  spoke in an interview with journalists in Lagos. Continue reading “Why prosecutions against corruption fail – CACOL”

Boko Haram
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Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has urged the Federal Government to develop the northern part of the country as this can stop the killings of innocent citizens.

The group, in a statement on Monday, condemned the killing of pupils and teachers in Yobe State by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect. Continue reading “Development in North can stop killings – CACOL”