Ogun State will soon witness divident of democracy &Good governance, says Governor Amosun

l-r,Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos State,President Goodluck
and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State

The people of Ogun State will soon be witnessing the dividents of democracy and good governance, Governor Ibikunle Amosun assured yesterday. 

He said that his leadership would deliver the dividends of democracy to people in the border communities, who have for a long time suffered neglect by the previous administrations.

The governor made the promise while fielding questions from journalists after seeing off President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Lounge of the Lagos Airport, Ikeja,Lagos.The President was in Ota,Ogun State to commission a pharmaceutical company.

The governor urged the people to be ready to contribute their quota by paying taxes for the development of the gateway state.

Amuson assured the journalists : " I   will  invite you all to see what we have done so far in office.Things will take a different dimension, as those of  you live in Ogun state and you pay your taxes in Lagos, all of that has to change.For such people living in the corridors  of the Lagos / Ibadan expressway I think the only reason why such things transpired is that there is gross infrastructure deficit and that is because when  government is not alive to its responsibility.That is what happens, look at the Mowe-Ibafo axis but, like I said wait till Wednesday don’t let me spill the bean, we will soon unveil our agenda for people along that corridor. We will soon begin work, and the people will see."

The Ogun Governor further said : " You have to wait for two more days, because we are doing that on Wednesday.And today is Monday but so far so good, we are learning on the job and you will have discovered that we are not just sitting down we go round to ensure that we can give to our people the much needed dividends of democracy. If you go roundyou will see what we are doing. "

SALVAGE PROGRAMME KEEPS AGEING AIRPORTS IN OPERATION

Posted by Lateef Lawal


Airports across the country have recorded significant improvement through the introduction of 'salvage programme' aimed at keeping the ageing structures functioning.
 The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun made this remark while receiving the newly elected executive of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in his office in Lagos.
He explained that without the 'salvage programme' carried out in the last two and half years, some of the airports would have ceased operations by now.
According to him, the country once had airports that airlines refused to fly into because there were no fire cover  but expressed joy that there was no airport in the country today that has no brand new fire truck and personnel to man them.
Mr. Aisuebeogun remarked that long period of neglect of airports across the country resulted in the wear and tear of the facilities which eventually led to system collapse in some cases adding that the organization was fast overcoming all these problems.
The FAAN Boss said it would take time to get these problems solved because the facilities across all airports were decaying. “It can not take us two years to replace them, renew them and sustain them, it will take us a longer time to do it and that is what we are doing now”
According to Mr. Aisuebeogun, the airports would get better with the current level of attention being given to them by ensuring that with the limited resources available, what to be done would be carried out to ensure passengers comfort.
He assured that the car parks at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja would be put in order in few months time while reconstruction work was on going at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri and would be one of the best terminals when completed.

FASEHUN 'REBRANDS' OPC

*Says No Room For Anarchists

*Orders New Security Coded I.D Cards/

  New Membership Forms

Dr Frederick Fasehun,OPC President

Story By Lateef Lawal

The Oodua People’s Congress(OPC) has embarked on what its leadership termed ‘Rebranding OPC’ in a bid to shore up its image and wider acceptability, especially within the Yoruba tribal group and their descendants in the Diaspora.

In this regard and going by its plan of action, it has embarked on massive withdrawal of all identification cards(I.D Cards) earlier issued to its members and commenced the issuance of new ones with coded security marks.

This development was unveiled by the Founder and President of the organization, Dr Frederick Fasehun  during a press briefing at his Century Hotel, Okota, Lagos.

He explained that though the mainstream OPC was not made up of angels, deviants lurks within it too, adding that many of the few deviants acted out of youthful exuberance, but the over-zealousness of these few misguided youths was not in anyway the true representation of the ideals of the Congress.

Dr Fasehun noted that the presence of such deviants was not in OPC  alone, they abound in many other ethnic nationalities.

He went on:’These youths, untutored in the far reaching ideals of OPC to the Yoruba Nation, should be seen for what they truly are-Anarchists. Their savagery represent nothing that OPC proclaims. OPC stands for social justice for ALL. Many of these anarchists compromise every prerequisites of respectability.’

Explaining further why the mainstream OPC was rebranding by charting a new identity first with the issuance of security coded identity cards and filling of fresh membership forms, Dr Fasehun said,:’ The lowly gave up humility and assumed equality with long standing national figures and discipline became an uncommon feature.’

He said that these group of people were easy tools in the hands of politicians who recruits such anarchists as security guards, bouncers and mercenaries for their many ‘fancies’.

THE OPC President said, ‘ This is why we have undertaken  self assessment to re-order the organization for vast improvement and redefinition that make the true members readily identifiable by the generality of the people through their character, comportment, discipline and the redesigned unique Identity Card that each true member must readily display on demand or when necessary’.

ECOWAS Plans Regional Air, Maritime Projects.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission says efforts are being made to improve air and marine transportation in the region through the development of ECOAIR air transport project and the further development of the ECOMARINE initiative with the cooperation of the private sector and financial institutions.

President of ECOWAS Commission, Amb. James Victor Gbeho who made this known at a Media Briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 36th Anniversary of the Community, said the other programmes relating to the facilitation of road transport and regional transit through the corridor approach are being implemented with financial support of the World Bank, European Union and the African Development Bank.

According to Gbeho, the Eco Air transport project is to be achieved through an amalgam of the existing West African airlines to compete internationally, noting that the companies were small and limited in terms of resources, pointing out that direct travel schedules within the region were erratic. He said, already, Aviation chiefs were asked to work together with ECOWAS and within 4 weeks, air companies will be invited to discuss how to drive the initiative.

While fielding questions from newsmen at the briefing, the Commission revealed that its operational budget was now been sourced wholly from member states which it said was an indication of great political will of the community. It said on 25 percent funding of its programmes come from external bodies and 3 percent from its partners debunking claims that the organization is being run by donor funds.

On its fight against human trafficking, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Gender and Human Development, Dr. Adrienne Diop said a joint action-plan with the Central African Economic Community is being implemented to reduce the scourge. She however stressed the need for families to be enlightened to discourage parents and guardians from promoting trafficking while calling for sanctions and strong laws to check the activities of human traffickers.

The ECOWAS President, Gbeho further blamed human trafficking on 3 factors namely, poverty, ignorance and greed. He said the media has the responsibility of enlightening the people especially those at the grass roots to check the problem. He said the commission would therefore meet with the media to workout strategies to help it perform its role more effectively.

Speaking on the implementation of the single currency plan for the sub-region- the ECO and multilateral surveillance, the Commissioner for Micro-Economic Policy, Prof. Bamba N’Galadjo, the commission will ensure monitoring of member states on how they coordinate their monetary policies towards the implementation of the common currency.

He said each member states must manage public funds within the common regional rules as this principle, he explained, will build confidence of the member countries in the ECO ahead of its introduction in 2020.



Other achievements of ECOWAS listed by Amb. Gbeho include implementation of its flagship Protocol on Free Movement of People and Goods, and the Right of Residence within the region, which is the first and only visa-free travel regime on the continent of Africa, commencement of its transport and transit facilitation program, the major part of which involves the construction of five joint border-posts along the major corridors in the region and the finalization in 2010 of a logical framework and a regional agriculture investment plan amounting to US$900 million for the implementation of ECOWAP for the 2011-2015 period; and commitment by the ECOWAS Commission to contribute US$150 million over a five-year period towards the implementation of the regional agricultural investment plan.

The Commission has also launched the INTELCOM II program with the identification of 32 inter-State telecommunications liaisons to constitute a joint infrastructural broad-band network which will be connected to the international global network via submarine cables. As at December 2009, 55 percent of the liaisons had been completed and 45 percent had become operational.

14 national studies have been validated as at November 2010 as part of the Commission’s continued formulation of Community Development Program (CDP) and making the Commission’s programmes impact the grassroots within Member States. In this regard, financial assistance would be provided to the National Committees of the CDP following the submission of their work programs to the Commission.

In Education, the Commission has continued with measures for the implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Certification Equivalence.

On Democracy and Good Governance, through the adoption and effective application of the ECOWAS Mechanism (1999) and the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001), ECOWAS has been able to progressively and incrementally pacify the region and promote democratic governance. By applying the policy of ‘Zero Tolerance’ to power obtained or maintained by unconstitutional means, ECOWAS, with the cooperation of the African Union and the United Nations, has succeeded over the past two years to restore constitutional order and legality in the Member-States Guinea, Niger and Cote d’Ivoire.

Despite the remarkable progress achieved, the ECOWAS Commission however realized "that the security situation in the region continues to be characterized by fragility and unpredictability. Governance institutions remain weak and greater efforts need to be applied, in collaboration with civil society and other partners, to strengthen institutions, reform the security system to make it more responsive to democratic control and human rights; and ensure greater separation of powers, adherence to the rule of law and anti-corruption principles".

Also present at the Media Briefing were the ECOWAS commission Vice President, Jean de Dieu Somda and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, Qusseini Salifou.