Keshi invites 24 home-based players for Venezuela friendly

Stephen Keshi, coach of the Super Eagles, has released a list of 24 home-based players for the friendly match against Venezuela on November 14. The game against the South Americans, which will be played in Miami, USA, is one of the matches lined up, as he prepares his team for the Africa Cup of Nations next January.
The invited players, have been told by the team secretary, Dayo Enebi Achor, to report to their Bolton White Apartment camp by Sunday, with their travelling documents.
Full list of invited players:
Goalkeepers: Agbim Chigozie (Warri Wolves) Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland).
Defenders: Oboabona Godfrey (Sunshine Stars) Kwambe Solomon (Sunshine Stars) Azubuike Egwueke( Warri Wolves) Zango Umar (Kano Pillars) Papa Idris( Kano Pillars) Benjamin Francis (Heartland) Udoh Kingsley( Heartland) Solomon Yaya ( Kwara United) Ugwu Uwadiegwu(Enyimba)
Midfielders and Strikers : Ejike Uzoenyi(Rangers) Emeka Eze(Rangers)Mba Sunday (Warri Wolves) Henry Uche (Enyimba) Onduku Gomo ( Sharks) Ubale Mannir(Kano Pillars)Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars) Gambo Mohammed (Kamo Pillars) Sani Sanusi (Gombe United) Anthony Okputu (Lobi Stars) Emmanuel Ajia (Lobi Stars)Azubuike Okey (Niger Tornadoes) Nwachukwu Obinna ( Heartland)
DailyPost

Hurricane Sandy aftermath may Hit Lagos

The Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Development and Infrastructure, Mr. Adesegun Oniru has called on Lagosians to be vigilant as the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy could affect Lagos.
Hurricane Sandy, the coastal storm which affected the United States eastern board earlier this week, damaging billions of dollars in property, also caused power outages in some suburbs on the Eastern seaboard. The entire New York subway system was badly damaged, and flooded. The New York Stock Exchange was closed for the longest period in American history.
Now, the Lagos State government is projecting a ripple effect anywhere from 7 to 14 days.
Oniru said, “This warning is not to cause panic in Lagos, but to place us all on alert that if we notice anything unusual in our coast lines, we should not go near the waters but rather call government attention.
“This storm has hit the Caribbean and is now in USA. We always get a ripple effect of such happening in Lagos.
“This wind started in Africa, went west gathering more wind and later turning to hurricane. We expect a splash back effect. It could be on our coast lines and shore lines, it could be more than that. And it may not happen at all. Everybody must be vigilant. Let us be careful around our oceans and lagoons.”
BusinessNews

Taraba crash: How Governor Suntai ignored hired pilot’s warning

It emerged on Tuesday that the recent crash of Cessna 208, a private jet piloted by Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State could have been prevented if he had heeded the professional advice of his hired pilot not to fly to Yola airport at sunset.
According to reports, the hired pilot had earlier warned the governor against flying to the airport when it was obvious that they could not meet with the visual flight mandatory for that type of aircraft which is not in the instrument flight category.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that this advice was allegedly jettisoned by Governor Suntai who was said to have immediately taken over the cockpit and embarked on the ill-fated journey with the said pilot refusing to join the flight because of the obvious risk.
Yola airport is not in the category of airports where flights can be operated for 24 hours because it is not well-equipped which makes it a no go area after 6.00 p.m.
Only Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt are on 24-hour flight operations.
According to the country’s aviation policy, small jets like the Cessna plane Governor Suntai piloted on the day in question was only allowed to fly based on visuals from morning to 6.00 p.m. daily.
And once the sun sets, it is always difficult to fly smaller aircraft like the governor’s plane.
The governor, who has since been flown to Germany for adequate treatment in view of the injury he sustained in the crash, obtained a private pilot licence from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, which allows him to fly himself.
The ill-fated plane which departed Jalingo, Taraba State, for Yola, Adamawa State, was reported to have lost contact with the Yola Control Tower (1720Z) and field in sight at 38 miles, estimating landing at 1730Z before crashing
 DailyPost

Barbaric Bombers By Hannatu Musawa

Hannatu Musawa

Another day, another church bombing! The more frequent these mass murders become, the more sick one feels to the pit of their stomach. How anyone can justify the cold-blooded murder of innocent men, women and children that went to worship their God on their holy day is beyond me. Apart from the disgust and anger that Nigerians feel, the fear -- that foreboding we have of more violence -- is so thick in the air, you could almost slice it. Granted, it’s no secret that the country is at its most unsafe, but even with our present anemic security situation, nobody could have imagined that our society could descend to such a low where barbarians go as far as bombing people as they worship in their churches. These acts of violence has put the entire country into a heightened state of fear and suspicion and warrants peace-loving Muslims to come out and condemn the acts in the strongest terms.
Any Muslim that understands the spirit of peace in Islam knows that there is nothing and nowhere in the teachings of Islam that condones the kind of violence where one is given a carte blanche to murder innocent families who were celebrating their day of significance in a place that they considered to be their sanctuary. Any Muslim that knows the overwhelming message of hope, justice, faith, and peace among human beings of the Qur’an is completely devastated.
When one sees the phrase in the Quran which ‘unambiguously’ states that innocent people, regardless of their race and faith, must not be killed in any circumstance, one wonders which interpretation gives credence for some to commit such aggression. It is clearly mentioned in the Quran that, “if anyone kills an innocent human being “who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people. And anyone who spares a life it shall be as if he spared the lives of all the people”.
Even during war-time, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) told his followers not to harm non-combatants. That if they had to go to enemy territory for war, the soldiers were not to harm elderly people, women and children and also must not destroy farms and fruit trees as people may suffer because of the shortage of food. In His teachings, he emphasized the right to life of people, animals, birds, and even ants. And if it is prohibited to harm even an ant, what could make anyone think that it is all right to kill a fellow human being?
The expression in the Quran, “there is no compulsion in religion” is known to even those who continue to insist that Shari’a law must be applied in the whole of Nigeria. But Nigeria is not made up of only Muslims and, even if it was, one section of the community does not have the right to decide the fate of the rest. If the Holy Prophet (PBUH) provided assurances to non-Muslim minorities living in Muslim majority countries and ordered Muslim minorities living in non-Muslim majority countries to abide by all laws and the rules of the country, there is no reason for any Nigerian Muslim not to abide by the law of this land. The belief that God is a just God that welcomes those who believe in Him and lead a righteous life, by whatever name they call themselves, should be enough reason for us to co-exist peacefully. In the Quran, it is written: “Surely, those who believe those who are Jewish, the converts, and the Christians; any of them who believe in GOD and believe in the Last Day, and lead a righteous life, have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. [Quran 5:69]
When small minorities of the Muslim population interpret the teachings of the Holy Quran in a manner that is unknown to the majority of the other Muslims, it affects us all. And it makes life worse for Muslims who are striving to live by the peaceful teachings of Allah and peacefully co-exist with their Christian brothers, sisters and neighbours.
If the purpose of the violence and intimidation that we have seen is to achieve some sort of political gain, then, it really is fruitless because it affects innocent civilians who have little or no impact on political change. While government people continue to protect themselves in their bullion vans and bulletproof homes, the victims will continue to be those who are already suffering. Violence begets violence and the only possible outcome of such aggression will be the furtherance of more violence. And now that violence has been brought into the fray, it seems to have become second nature in our environment. Our humanity has been reduced to a level of barbarism that cannot be dealt with in any position of serious negotiation. Using the fear of death and destruction to motivate people to do what one wants furthers this epidemic and cycle of violence. Pointing an AK47 in a person’s face and forcing them to do something will probably motivate them to do it at that time, but it will quickly devolve into something much worse. The people who continue to exact this kind of violence must have families of their own that they love and protect. They need to put themselves in the position of the victims and imagine, just for a moment, the pain people feel when they lose their families in such a violent way.
We are all brethren — descendants of the same Adam and Eve, from the lineage of the same Prophet Abraham/Ibrahim. We have been created of distinct peoples, beliefs and tribes that we may recognize one another. There is no reason for us to hate, kill and main one another. Both of our sacred books speak of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
In the Quran it says: “Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered” [Quran 2:136].
The Bible says: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” [Corinthians 10:31-32].
Our lives must be held sacred. Our unity must be held strong. Life is granted by God alone, and no person has a right to take it without justifiable cause. We have no room for a religious war in Nigeria and one prays that all parties, especially our Christian neighbours and those targeted and hurt in these heinous attacks, can continue to exercise patience and restraint. As for those who continue to unleash violence, may they know that every last drop of blood that (God forbid) comes from any reprisal attacks is fully and squarely on their hands! May they remember that, sooner or latter, in this life and in the Hereafter, they will have to answer to the Almighty and pay for every last life that they have directly or indirectly claimed.
As I reminisce and mourn for the innocents and lives gone, my thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families and friends who suffered. “Dear God, Oh Allah! Please, Oh please, bring healing to this nation, and make it a peaceful land”.
Saharareporters

Still on Edo governor’s prerequisite election qualification

 by Hanson Aimofumeh 

I write as a citizen of the Federal Republic of  Nigeria, who  voted at the last governorship election in Edo State, held on July 14, 2012.
I also want to submit that like many other Nigerians, I have the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in English language, particularly the ability to read and understand the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
The courts or election tribunal on their part, have a statutory obligation to interpret the laws.  Some of these laws are highly technical; others are so plain and straightforward and therefore pose no difficulty to even a layman.  It is, therefore, on this ground that I feel competent to discuss the issue of qualification of a candidate to run for the office of a governor of a state.
The 1999 Constitution provides qualifications for the office of a governor.  These qualifications include, but are not limited to citizenship, age, education and membership of a political party.
Let me restrict myself to one of these qualifications, namely educational qualification which was one of the grounds of the Petition filed by General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd.) against Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.  The retired army General had alleged in his petition that Governor Oshiomhole did not possess the minimum educational qualification to run for the office of governor in the last governorship election in the state in which I voted, having been registered as an eligible voter.
My intention here is not to say how right or wrong the tribunal was in its ruling.  Rather, I want to use my constitutional right to express my opinion on a matter the tribunal has passed a ruling.
The Constitution of any country is not a storybook.  It provides the dos and don’ts of her citizenry and any infraction of its provisions attracts sanctions.  If the constitution of a country provides qualifications for certain offices, such provisions must be met.  In other words, they are not optional.  They are not only conditions precedent to an election, they are also conditions subsequent  to an election in the event of victory. If an elected candidate falls short of any of these qualifications, he must immediately vacate his office. That is to say, it is a continuing warranty for the office holder.
As I said earlier, I have read the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and did not find a portion of the constitution or Electoral Act that prohibits a candidate from challenging the qualification of his opponent after an election.
Section 31 (5) & (6) upon which the tribunal predicated its judgment did not expressly or impliedly prohibit a candidate from challenging the election of another candidate who has not  met the minimum educational qualification.  In fact, the sub-sections in question cast light on perjury.
Paragraph 24 of the petition filed by Charles Airhiavbere which the tribunal struck out reads “Your petitioners aver that the 1st Respondent is not qualified to contest the said Governorship Election in Edo State, having not met the minimum qualification to contest for the said office of Governor of Edo State as provided for in the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended)”.  Honestly, I do not see how this paragraph, which questioned the qualification of the Governor, as envisaged by section 138(1)(a),  offend section 31 (5) & (6) which mirrored perjury and not qualification.  
I repeat, section 31 (5) & (6) which the tribunal relied upon relate to where a person has reasonable grounds to believe that a candidate for an election has committed perjury.  Section 31 (5) & (6) read:
Section 31 (5) – Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by a candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate is false may file a suit at the Federal High Court, high court of a state or FCT against such person seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false.
Section 31 (6) – If the court determines that any of the information contained in the affidavit or any document submitted by the candidate is false, the court shall issue an order disqualifying the candidate from contesting the election.
What happens if no false information of document is submitted but a case when documents submitted did not meet the minimum requirement?
 Interestingly, no mention of qualification or non-qualification of a candidate was made in those subsections.  I therefore wonder why the tribunal equated perjury (giving false information on oath) with qualification or non-qualification of a candidate for an election.
It is unfortunate to note that rather than apply this momentous provision, section 138 (1) (a) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which deals expressly with qualification, the tribunal went on a wild goose chase when it turned to the section which deals with perjury.
Section 138 (1) (a) provides (1) An election may be questioned on any of the following grounds, that is to say: That a person whose election is questioned was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election.
The judiciary has a duty to nurture our democracy to maturity by invoking the appropriate sections of our laws in the event of litigations no matter who is involved.
The issue of qualification is a fundamental constitutional requirement.  If a candidate fails to fulfil it, his candidature can be challenged.  If he is already elected, whether by design or default, his election can also be challenged before the tribunal in the spirit of section 138 (1) (a) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). It is my considered opinion that section 31(5)&(6) of  the Electoral Act cannot circumvent a constitutional requirement. On  the  contrary, the section is intended to ensure strict compliance with the constitution.
No law can stop a constitutional requirement.  I repeat, no law can stop a constitutional requirement let alone when no law has so done in this case .  In this regard, I am guided by recent decisions of the Appeal Courts and the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the issue of qualification  which,  unambiguously, held that no law or rules of procedure can inhibit a candidate, who has within his knowledge, that a party to an election has not met the constitutional requirement.  In the same vein, no law can stop such a candidate from bringing such information to a tribunal.
In an Appeal Court judgment in Sokoto on September 23,2011 by Sidi Dauda (JCA), leading two other justices of the court, on the issue of qualification,  held “If a candidate is qualified constitutionally he is qualified, if he is not he is not, there is no roundabout about it”  The court went further to say “The qualification to contest an election from the robust constitutional provisions is a condition precedent for a candidate to contest or to participate in an election”.
Two recent judicial pronouncements on qualification  made on February 24, 2012 at the Supreme Court of Nigeria by Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen (JSC), leading four other Justices of the Supreme Court, have put the issue of qualification beyond argument.
Aimofumeh wrote in from Lagos.

Highway to hell

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•Commuters groan as gridlocks, robbers take over collapsed Benin-Ore Road
By COSMAS OMEGOH
There is no let up to the avalanche of problems still plaguing the Benin-Ore Expressway. Commuters, using that facility are once again back to the familiar turf of sorrow and pain. Death, distress and robbery remain the major worries commuters have been left to deal with. Following the resumption of the rains after its annual break in the third quarter of the year, the road has continued to ail. The renewed intensity of the rains has forced some portions of it to fail.
And now, the commuters are bearing the brunt of the debacle which, many insist, is a recurring decimal. As the potholes resurface on the facility which once was a national pride, the days of long hours on the queue are back. And going by the fillers reaching Daily Sun, the commuters are spending very long time at the same spot before they could be free.
And this may last as long as the rains and the bad portions on the road persist. Commuters who have been experiencing the problem first hand say a journey from Lagos to Benin City by bus now lasts for seven hours or more. Ordinarily, Lagos to Benin by road is a three-hour drive.
But motorists whose vehicles are incapable of manoeuvring through the numerous adjoining bush paths to avoid some of the failed portions are facing a tall mountain as they get rooted at the same spot for hours unend. A commuter, Mr. Obioma Nwogu told Daily Sun that the Benin-Ore Expressway in recent times has continued to deteriorate. He said traffic gridlocks on both sides of the road are now commonplace.
The intensity of the rains and the attendant flood have washed off some portions of the road and opened up gapping craters at every turn. This worsening condition of the road is being aggravated by the pressure and presence of heavy duty trucks competing for right of way. Millions of those trucks carry several tons of hard and soluble goods from the west to and fro the mid west and eastern parts of the country annually. Narrating his experience on the road while on a recent journey to the East, Obioma said: “Indeed, the Benin-Ore axis of the road once again is in bad shape.
Many motorists now using that road go through hell. People are spending lots of hours, particularly between Ore and Okada. This is a huge problem that ought to have been dealt with for long considering that, that road has been a problem for some time now. I travelled to the village recently and my experience on that road was nothing but pain and anguish. “We left Lagos at 7.00am, hoping to get to the village later in the afternoon, but that didn’t happen.
As we approached Ore town, I noticed a long queue of big trucks; I observed that the road was totally blocked. There was no form of movement. Heavy duty vehicles were all ahead of us. After a while in the traffic which was moving at a snail speed, our driver reversed the bus and began to drive back to Lagos. Then I became alarmed. I was more alarmed when the driver joined some other smaller passenger vehicles veering off into a particular track leading into the bush.
For minutes, we were meandering through village paths. We even got stuck at some point because there was also heavy traffic even inside those villages as most motorists preferred those alternative routes to escape the torture on the main highway.” Continuing, Nwogu said: “It was a huge relief when we hit the main road again after close to an hour in the bush.
Then our driver began to press for Benin City. But as we were getting close to Ofosu in Edo State, I sighted noticed a similar problem ahead. We remained at the same spot on the queue for quite a while before our vehicle once again made a detour into the bush to escape another bad portion on the road. So we had another round of the same problem to deal with and that lasted for close to one and half hours or so.
During that period, we were moving around in the villages. Some of the villagers who thought the motorists were taking advantage of their area, erected barricades to avoid vehicles completely destroying their land. At some places, they were even collecting tolls.
I find it difficult to believe that in Nigeria of this century, we are still grappling with the same Benin-Ore road after many years that it has been in the news.” Corroborating that account, Kalu Maduabuchi, who returned from a journey to the east some days ago, said the pains of commuters on some sections of the Benin-Ore road were hard to bear.
Maduabuchi, who said the commuter bus he travelled in spent hours on two separate failed portions, lamented that some of the travellers even had robbery incidents to deal with. “We left Lagos early in the morning in a commercial bus (owner’s name withheld) hoping to get to Aba before dusk. But we were halted for a long time at two separate places on the popular Benin-Ore road. First it was at Ore. There was a deep cut on the road which every motorist must pass through. I guess in the beginning, it was small but heavy duty vehicles plying that road helped to widen it.
So it got deeper and deeper every passing day, thus making it difficult for the rest of the vehicles to pass through. Now given the number of vehicles plying the road, you can understand while there is a long queue,” he said. He noted that following the emergency of bad spots on the road, banditry is now commonplace. Criminals now waylay and rob vehicles which have been condemned to ply the numerous bush paths in the villages as a way to escape the bad spots on the highway.
“When we got to the bad spot, we were surprised that out driver queued behind those trucks, which are mostly the vehicles still using the road. Everybody, including the children among us, was hot, but there was nothing anyone could do about that. When the passengers began to urge the driver to join his colleagues who were plying the village roads, he vehemently refused, informing us that the management of his company warned them never to use alternative roads no matter the weight of the temptation. He said three of their buses were earlier robbed by thieves while trying to go through short cuts. It was then that we realised that apart from the bad road we could be robbed if we were not careful. So we had to endure long hours on the queue.” Daily Sun gathered that apart from the two very notorious spots on that road which for long had endured as a national embarrassment, there were other spots too. A commercial bus driver plying the Lagos-Benin route, who identified himself simply as Igumbor said in smattering English: “Bros, when we get to those bad spots them, we dey always use one way. If you no fit stay on the long queue, you must use one way. Na so we dey do am so that we go fit reach on time.” When reminded about the risk involved in plying one way, he said: “Bros leave matter, anything wey go happen go happen.”
However, in the past, there had been records of head on fatal collision involving some vehicles and many lives were lost. In one of such accidents, a luxury bus belonging to a transport company which has office in Jibowu, Lagos, sometime ago smashed a Benin bound 18-seater passenger bus. Both of them had collided on a hill. No fewer than 15 passengers were killed in that fatal accident. Recently, a coaster bus conveying 21 passengers from Ogun State to a location in Edo State, allegedly plunged into the river while trying to avoid a bad spot on the road at Ogbere village near Ijebu Ode.
A good number of the passengers either died from the crash or got drowned in the river. While efforts were made to retrieve the wreckage of the bus, there were no details of any survivors. But that is not the end of the ordeal which many commuters are still grappling with on the same Benin-Ore road which for long has continued to dominate the media space for the wrong reason. Now, the same question many have been asking for long is, ‘when will rehabilitation work on that busy road which once was a symbol of national pride be completed?’ That indeed, is the multimillion dollar question the federal government and all who have a stake on that road are yet to answer.
TheSun

We are going after corrupt govs –Jonathan

 by Ifeanyi Onuba

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: nigerianbulletin.com

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday said no corrupt governor or subsidy thief would go scot-free. He assured that  the Federal Government would go after them and ensure their prosecution.

Jonathan said,  “We are going after governors who commit various economic crimes and corrupt practices with impunity. As you may be aware, government is taking every legal measure to ensure that those who defrauded the government in the petroleum subsidy scheme are made to pay back the stolen funds. They will also be  severely punished.”

Jonathan  spoke  through Vice- President Namadi Sambo at the formal presentation and launch of a book, “Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria,”in Abuja.  The book was  written by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Serving governors, under Section 308 of the Constitution, enjoy constitutional immunity from prosecution but some former governors had been tried and convicted for corruption.

Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori,escaped jail in Nigeria but the  long arm of the law caught up with him London where he  is currently serving a  jail term  for economic crimes.

Ex-governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbnedion, was similarly tried, convicted and fined N3.5m by an Enugu High court in December 2008. The judgment which  was described by the public as a slap-on-the-wrist followed a plea-bargain deal between him  and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Jonathan’s predecessor in Bayelsa State, ex-governor Diepreye Alamieseigha, was tried and sentenced to two years imprisonment in 2007 by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Many  oil marketers suspected of culpability in the N1.7bn petroleum subsidy scam are currently undergoing trials  in the country.

Jonathan said his reform agenda relies on a corrupt-free system  in order to build strong institutions that  would  guarantee sustainable development.

He said that the problem of creating jobs and fighting corruption needed urgent attention.

The President  said, “Reforms perform better in an atmosphere of democracy and freedom and we are continuing to work to ensure that sound democratic principles are held in the country.

“The challenges of creating jobs and fighting corruption need urgent attention and I am glad to reiterate that these concerns are already being tackled in the current transformation agenda of this administration.”

Jonathan described Okonjo-Iweala as a shining light in  the country, adding that the documentation of her experience would help to transform the economy.

He said, “Okonjo-Iweala is indeed one of our shining lights and I will like to congratulate her for finding the time, in spite of her busy schedule,  to document her experience in this book.

“The central message of this book is the hope that Nigeria can be reformed and grow to become one of the most dynamic economies of the world.

“In the past, there was a lot of perception about Nigeria as many people claimed that the political and economic future of this country can never be reformed and I commend this book for documenting some of the important reforms which have been carried in Nigeria since our recent democratic transition.”

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General and chairman at the event, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said there was need for a change in government structures to enable the country achieve its developmental goals.

He pointed out that the current strategy where recurrent expenditures are marginally reduced would not have any significant impact on development objectives.

Anyaoku said, “The country’s chances of realising its rightfully desired development objectives would be greatly enhanced if the country adopts a major restructuring of its present governance architecture.

“I do not believe for example that we can succeed in reducing significantly the level of expenditure on recurrent expenditure, which at the moment is averaging 74 per cent, which I gather that the budget for the next year hopes to reduce to something like 68 per cent.

“When you look around the world, and, particularly, around developing countries that started the same stage as we did, you will find that their expenditure on recurrent heads have been far less than what we have been spending.

“Because what we have been spending on recurrent budget has left us and continues to leave us with too little for capital development which we need.’’

He pointed out that the cost of maintaining the lifestyles of politicians under the existing structure would make it difficult to reduce the cost of governance.

He said, “I do not believe that the present structure we have will arrest the destructive competition for the control of power at the centre, while we sustain the largely non-viable states which have become the custom to the notion and practice of sharing the national cake from the centre.

“It is this destructive competition for control of power at the centre that exacerbates the primordial instinct in our people and also fans the flame of the religious and ethnic differences with the result that rather than being a source of strength, our pluralism has become the harbinger of division and disunity.”

Pointing out that   military intervention culminated in the unitary federalism which the country is currently practicing, Anyaoku advocated a return to true federalism.

Okonjo- Iweala said that the book was not a biography but that of hope for the Nigeria, especially the youth.

She said, “This is a book of hope and to tell the young people that they do not need to listen to all the bad things being said about Nigeria. There is hope that Nigeria can be reformed and there is no need to have  a sense of hopelessness in our country.’’

Reviewer of the book and  a Professor of Economics at the Oxford University,London, Paul Collier, said the book would help the country to learn from its past failures to achieve success.

He said Nigeria’s reliance on oil revenue had been chaotic, adding that unless it  diversified its economy, government’s revenue would continue to fluctuate.

Collier  “A combination of sound rules and critical understanding is what is needed to transform the economy and Nigeria needs to learn from its failures to rebuild its future.

“Oil revenue which Nigeria depends on is very volatile thus making government revenue to fluctuate. What Nigeria needs is to begin to smoothen its oil revenue in a consistent manner.”

He advised  the Federal Government to carry out what he called ethical, pragmatic and practical reforms in various sectors of the economy.

 Punch