Professor Alphonsus Bosah Chukwurah (ABC) Nwosu was Political Adviser and Minister of Health in the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003. Before then he was the Chairman, Organizing Committee of MKPOKO IGBO of 1994 and the Head of the Igbo Secretariat at the 1995 Constitutional Conference. Recently he was appointed Director of Research, Planning and Strategy for President Ibrahim Babangida’s Campaign Organization. In this interview, he speaks of what should constitute the Agenda for 2011 Presidential Election, the contentious issue of zoning and advises his kinsmen, Ndigbo not to abandon the accepted concept of zoning which they fashioned and pushed through for redressing marginalization at the 1995 Constitutional Conference

The 2011 presidential race is approaching the second bend with the front runners continuing their quest for the votes of the various geo-political zones. The South East geo-political zone, is the major hunting ground for now. Securing Igbo votes has become crucial, especially for President Goodluck Jonathan; former military President Ibrahim Babangida; and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Yet, there is this seemingly nagging suspicion that the National Security Adviser, NSA, General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (rtd), is doing something under the table

He was quick to tell the nation why they crisis came to the police as a surprise: “You see it is not that we do not want to be proactive. The trends in policing keep changing depending on the realities and dynamics of society. The society is changing. We are employing intelligence-led policing and that is, the use of intelligence to pre-empt criminal activities.

What policing means is that you have the equipment, you have trained and trainable manpower and you support them with vehicles and all the rest of them and communication.
But these were lacking; so when robbery, for instance is committed, they block roads and they are now entangled.

Some of them that spoke secretly to Vanguard said it was the prayers they said to God over the way the outgoing police boss treated their promotion that resulted in his inglorious removal from office. One of them at the 1st floor unequivocally told this reporter that he has been drinking with his colleagues after hearing the news.

On very few but special occasions, this column has been devoted to paying tribute to some of the very astute legal minds that have had very profound impact on legal and constitutional development in this country

Right to Know, R2K, Initiative has commended the Rivers State government for initiating the first ever Open Government Summit in Nigeria, which took place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State early in the month. R2Kdescribed the launch as a commitment of the Rivers State Government to adopting and issuing an Open Government Policy Document before the end of 2010.

As the 2011 general elections draws closer, there are concerns that the Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala Local Government Areas of Imo State, may be spoiling for war, over the House of Representatives seat presently occupied by Emeka Ihedioha, as the councils accuse each other of undermining the other.

The report again vested the power on the NJC which shall recommend to the Senate with the requirement of two third voting including at least ten votes from the minority. d. Funding of INEC for election, also, capital and recurrent (salaries and allowances for chairman/Board members) expenditure to be from a consolidated revenue fund of the federation. e. Dates of Elections, The report sought the amendment of sections 132(2) and 178()2) of the Constitution to fix a single date for the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections with at least six months before the expiration of the current holders

When the Sokoto division of Court of Appeal was set up, the matter was transferred Kaduna to Sokoto. The five man panel led by Justice Musa Mohammed Dattijoheard the appeal and had long written the judgement since January this year, but the court seems to have been perpetually stopped from delivering its judgment, no thanks to the unabashed undue interference from the least expected quarters. Twice the appellate court fixed date for judgment, twice it was stopped.

We shall return to this question subsequently. It suffices however to state that even section 39 which is in Chapter 4 of the Constitution is not an absolute right as section 45 of the Constitution permits its derogation by laws reasonably justifiable in a democracy in defence of….The point is that even if section 22 had been placed under Chapter 4, that would not be the end of the matter. But the derogation from section 39 compels an examination of judicial attitude to Press freedom.

Chief Robert Clarke, SAN, in this interview spoke on the rate at which corruption is gaining ground in the country. On the conduct of governorship election in those state where their Governors were returned after rerun polls held in such states, he argued that INEC is not expected to conduct governorship election in the affected states arguing that such move is unconstitutional. He added that some of the lawyers who were in support of the INEC’s position have vested interest in the matter

Tertiary education may collapse at anytime from now in Lagos State as the academic and non-academic unions in all the institutions of higher learning have declared trade dispute over non-implementation of negotiated agreements reached with government.

RECENTLY, activists and other Nigerians gathered at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, for a public lecture and book presentation to mark the golden birthday celebration of General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade John Ehoja Odah. The event afforded activists to x-ray the state of the nation where they resolved to intensify the struggles to build a society that is founded on principles of social justice among others.

Minister of Labour and Productivity Chief Emeka Wogu, has assured Nigeria teachers of the commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan to various reforms aimed at improving the welfare of Nigeria workers.