THE Federal Government, yesterday, released the list of recipients for 2009 National Honours Awards.

They argue that the N10 billion will serve a worthy purpose if judiciously and conscientiously deployed to the provision of basic amenities and infrastructures which are starkly lacking in the country.

THE Federal Government yesterday warned consultants and contractors handling different power projects under the National Independent Power Project, NIPP, to quicken their pace of works as the government was in a hurry to power supply to Nigerians in a shortest possible time.

Inching towards its golden jubilee as an independent country, the real issues in Nigeria’s evolution as a country are again at the root of the emerging confrontation between the Northern political establishment and the expected presidential aspiration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

SOUTH-SOUTH leaders have cautioned the group of 150 Northern leaders, who are opposed to the idea of President Goodluck Jonathan contesting the 2011 Presidential election to mind their utterances, as the country belongs to all Nigerians, and no section or group possess the powers to stop the other from vying for the office of President.

In the wake of the attempt on the life of Senator Gbemi Saraki, we look at an emerging heated political environment ahead of next year’s election. Gbenga Olawepo, the former Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is lucky to still be alive. Just after the 2007 governorship elections in Kwara State, Olawepo went to the tribunal seeking to upturn the result of the governorship elections. He lost.

First came a general applause, a resounding one, to greet the nomination of Professor Attahiru Jega as INEC chairman. But by the time a full assessment of some other nominees for INEC appointments were made, it was clear, they came short of expectation. A torrent of condemnation soon follows but President Goodluck Jonathan would not allow that to linger. There was a mistake, he said. And go the affected persons must. This report raises the hullabaloo that greeted the INEC appointments.

A reports of how radical university teacher and activist, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, finally emerged as national chairman designate of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; and how Buhkari Bello, another feisty member of the human rights community lost out.

These generals caused all the problems we have in the country. Why should we fight for democracy, why should we fight for civilian rule and yet, the civilians are not the ones who are ruling us. None of these generals deserve the peoples’ mandate and nobody in his right sense should vote for them. After all that the people have suffered under the military regimes, we don’t need them again in any form.

The annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election remains one of the ghosts that will continue to haunt him. Don’t you think that Nigerians would want him to atone for the June 12 annulment and the Okigbo report on the Gulf-war oil windfall for which he has not offered any explanation?

Chief Olu Falae was Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance in the defunct transition programme of General Ibrahim Babangida. Ironically, he was also part of the struggle for the actualisation of the annulled June 12 1993 presidential election for which he went to jail.

Credible election is the most important thing. But you know that even the military when they wanted to hand over gave us the freest election after June 12. So, we must continue from there. The Presidency, the National Assembly and the Judiciary should be committed to making the dream of genuine democracy a reality. The judiciary should be up and doing because I am totally disappointed with the judiciary.

We are ready for yet another election. Abiola was a symbol of free and fair election. So, the fact remains that we are ready for election but whether we are ready for a free and fair election is another matter. I cannot speak on free and fair elections authoritatively.

There are so many things that are done by fiat and that fiat is what I’m talking about. We have a centre called federal government where the structure of the land included so many people from different parts of Nigeria but who are working under a unitarized situation. A unitary system of government is different from that of federal.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to express its delight at the choice of Professor Attahiru Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR.
“The PDP congratulates the President and the National Council of State for this nomination of an erudite scholar, an accomplished administrator and a deeply committed patriot with a track record of integrity and national service.