News Line

Bush, Blair should be facing ICC-Bashir
· National Unity Government in the offing
By Emmanuel Ogbeche, Khartoum, Sudan
President Omar Al Bashir, Thursday, took a swipe at his indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague, as an imperialist organ for political persecution of leaders opposed to Western ideology, insisting that former President George Bush and Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Britain should be facing the court rather than him.
The president also gave an indication that he was ready to have a National Unity Government especially with parties that share similar programmes and policies in order to promote national consolidation and coherence.
Bashir who spoke through his assistant, Dr. Nafle Ali Nafle expressed the regret that those who have destroyed Iraq and shed millions of blood, encourages Israel to shoot at civilians at the occupied West Bank, were the ones dictating world’s morality.
The president while commending the African Union (AU) for opposing his indictment however said his expected victory at the poll would confirm that the indictment means nothing to the people of Sudan.
Speaking on the elections, Ali Nafle praised the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the successes they were able to record during the five-day of voting, stressing that though the election was not the fairest in the world, it was up to internationally prescribed standard.
Nafle used the occasion while speaking a group of select foreign journalists that the accusation of the opposition of a pre-determined outcome was not unexpected since they did not campaign as hard as the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) which started wooing voters about five years ago.
“The NCP worked hard to win this election. Remember this elections was initially slated for 2009 going by the 2005 agreement but with the latest CPA signing in DOHA, the elections was agreed by all the parties for 2010. We started five years ago to work towards this election and had structures all over the country. So any talk against the NEC is illogical, insensible and unfounded.
“The members of NEC are credible persons that all the parties agreed. So all those claims by the opposition is not reasonable,” Nafle stated.
He also said it was not possible for the government to be dissolved before elections given the time frame for the Darfur referendum which is slated for January next year in line with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to determine whether the south of the country want to continue as one country.
He expressed the desire of the NCP for the Sudan to remain as one country; therefore the party would be campaigning in the south as to why the people of the Christian and animists dominated south should vote for a united country.
He however gave the assurance that whatever the outcome of the referendum, the central government in Sudan would honour it.
According to him, Europe and the West were moving towards integration; therefore the Sudan and all other African countries should not be an exception.
In what appeared to be a warning to the opposition’s threat to encourage street protests and public dissent after the results are announced, the president’s assistant said no such thing would be permitted by the government and warned that the government would take firm action against those encouraging public discontent, but guaranteeing peoples liberties to free speech which do not threaten the country’s stability.
Days before the first ballot was cast and subsequently, opposition political parties have been accusing the NEC of being biased in favour of the ruling party and called for a Unity National Government to conduct the poll which if not the result would be rejected.

FG to establish Diaspora Commission
By Emmanuel Ogbeche
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that the Federal Government is soon to establish a Diaspora Commission that would harmonise the contributions of Nigerians living overseas and document their inputs in national development.
Jonathan made this known when addressing the Nigerian Community in the US, Washington DC, to round off his four-day visit to the United States, said the establishment of the commission would afford the government proper records of the Diaspora contribution.
According to him: “We want to upgrade the Diaspora department in foreign affairs to the level of a commission to coordinate experts in the Diaspora. We are looking at establishing the commission before the end of this administration, in the next 12 months.”
Applauding the contributions of Nigerians in the Diaspora, the Acting president observed that most of them have become some of the best in their chosen professions across the globe, promising that the government would continue to acknowledge the contributions of these noteworthy ambassadors, while thanking them for promoting the country’s image positively internationally.
He urged the Diaspora not to relent in making positive contributions towards nation-building, noting that the task of given the country a positive image is a collective responsibility.
Taking question on the power sector, Jonathan said government is in the process of diversifying the sources of power generation, and is putting in place relevant legislations and enabling conditions to promote public – private partnership to boost the sector.
“The compelling need to introduce a concept to ensure efficiency in the sector informed my decision to personally oversee the Ministry of Power,” he said.
On the 2011 polls, Jonathan reassured: “We are confident that the 2011 elections will be better than previous ones held in Nigeria.”
He said the Federal Government is taking bold steps to revamp the poor state of infrastructure in the country by embarking on major construction and expansion of national infrastructure particularly in transportation, healthcare and education.
On corruption, Jonathan urged the Diaspora, “You must not only shun corruption but join in efforts to combat it. You have roles in this crusade, including acting as whistle blowers and providing relevant information to track and prosecute corrupt Nigerians.”

AGF advocates 75years as retiring age for Judges
By Ipole Amajama
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), Thursday, canvassed for an upward review of the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court Justices from the present 70 years to 75 years.
He however noted that the justices would be given the liberty to enjoy a regime where the 70 years should be an optional retirement age.
Adoke who made the call at the valedictory session at the Supreme Court, Abuja, in honour of Justice James Ogenyi Ogebe who retired, stressed, “I am certain that if we can adopt such a regime, we will get the most out of our judges at appellate level due to the fearlessness, candor and courage which comes with old age and which are the attributes that out judiciary needs to constantly exhibit.”
According to him, since the National Assembly is going through the amendment of 1999 Constitution, it would be apt “for us to use the opportunity of the valedictory session to raise the issue of the appropriate retirement age for our judges.
“It has become obvious in the light of our contemporary experience and the tireless post-retirement activities of several of our otherwise retired justices of the appellate courts, that the time has come for is as a nation to take a second look at the present constitutional provisions relating to the retirement age of our judges who serve on the appellate courts.”
Speaking at his valedictory, Justice, Ogebe cautioned that corrupt lawyers should not be appointed to the Bench saying that such a judge “is a curse to the system.”
He also condemned the appointment of judges on the basis of federal character, a practice he said, “Breeds mediocrity and distorts the well cherished value of merit and seniority at the bar, with resultant inefficiency in the system.”
Ogebe who delivered the judgment upholding President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s election advised for the pruning down of the nation’s political parties “to at most three with for independent candidates if we are to reduce the flood of election petitions that have been bogging down the judiciary every election year and thereafter,” arguing that reducing the number of the political parties would usher in political progress and that by so doing, entrench internal democracy within their ranks would be assured.


NUJ @ 55: IBB charges journalists on professionalism
By Emmanuel Ogbeche
Journalists in Nigeria have been charged to embrace professionalism and dedication to fatherland as was the case that won the country her independence.
This call was made by former Military ruler, President Ibrahim Babangida at the 55th anniversary celebrations of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The former General who was represented by Alhaji Saleh Jambo remarked that journalism as practiced in the country at present was no longer that which was known in the past as media practitioners have derailed from their sacred responsibility of bringing the country together to dividing it.
“Journalists should dispassionately try to bring this country together; we are indeed at a cross roads in our political history and it then your duty to make sure that what the president said in terms of bringing in the right people to be our leaders have got what it takes,” he observed.
IBB said though Nigeria was diverse with many tribes and cultures, it was important for it to remain as one entity urging practitioners to always carry out their roles in ensuring the country does not break up, lamenting that it was common now for the journalist to pour venom on particular individuals which was against the grain of the profession.
“In our case it seems that ours has never been a history, rather it has been a recurring decimal we keep shifting and heaping and picking out various individuals especially our leaders, serving heads of states, ministers. I think there is a limit to which we can, everybody knows that to err is human and to forgive is divine. We all make our mistakes” he said.
He added that at 55, the union should rally internally to create the desired change because true change can only come from within.
In his address Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed who was represented by Alhaji Suleiman Kazzim while noting that the challenges of journalism were centered on ethics of the profession, competence, fairness and accuracy.
He called on journalists to play their roles in nation building by imbibing and making patriotism, sincerity, transparency and honesty their companions at all times and to also be intellectually equipped as without these characteristics’ and competencies, it would be difficult for them to set the agenda for national discourse or contribute meaningfully to it.

Redeploy Allison-Madueke to another Ministry, group appeals to Acting president
By Goddy Ezeike
An appeal has gone out to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to redeploy Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke to another ministry in the interest of the oil and gas industry and for Nigerians at large.
A Non-Governmental Organization, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), which made the appeal recently in Asaba, Delta state, argued that the Allison-Madueke as petroleum minister would predictably undermine the strategic oil and gas sector because of her “unbroken strong connection with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Mr. Nnnimo Bassey answering questions from newsmen in Asab Wednesday, said that the body’s opposition to the minister was based on the strong ties with the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, which would likely make her compromise on protecting the interest of Nigeria.
Bassey stressed that since an official of Shell was reported to have publicly said that the company “will reject any oil policy by Nigeria unacceptable to Shell,” the appointment of the new petroleum minister who has earlier been a management staff of Shell would “lead to the doctoring of Nigeria’s oil policy, and primarily the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that is so critical to the oil sector reforms in the country.
According to him, “The person appointed as the new Petroleum Minister is first and foremost a Shell Person, even though she hails from the Niger-Delta,” adding, “We are vehemently opposed to a Shell person as Petroleum Minister. We sincerely believe this is a very blind action by Dr Jonathan.”
He stressed that the environmental rights group was not kicking against the woman “not because of her educational qualifications or even her competence – even though Nigerians found her tenure as transport minister uninspiring – but because she will actually be implementing the policies of Shell as Petroleum Minister.”
Bassey, therefore, advised the Acting President to immediately re-deploy Madueke to another ministry now that she is yet to settle down fully in the petroleum ministry, insisting that her deployment to the Petroleum Ministry “is a very dangerous trend that could be likened to the appointment of a British-American Tobacco Company to head the Nigerian Commerce department.”He recalled how “Mrs. Allison-Madueke, on being appointed Transport Minister, had adorned herself in Shell overalls and went to the deplorable Benin-Ore road, where she shed tears over the poor condition of Nigeria highways.”