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The National Assembly yesterday brought an end to the controversy over whether past military heads of the federal government should be entitled to pension by approving what amounts to an enhanced pension package for the men through the joint passage of the ‘Remuneration for former presidents, Heads of State, Heads of federal legislative Houses and Chief Justice of the Federation Bill 2010 (SB 153)'..

Currently, the Constitution provides pension for only the president and the vice president, which, according to the 1999 Constitution, will be equivalent to the salary of the incumbent president. However, the new law introduces the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Senate president and his deputy, and the Speaker and his deputy, into the league of past leaders to benefit from the pension.

Past leaders to benefit from the act include Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdusalami Abubakar.

The law, however, restricts anybody who has held two offices that are eligible for the perk to only one - the highest of those offices which s/he has held in order of national precedence. Thus, Olusegun Obasanjo will have to choose whether he would want his pension to be paid as former military ruler or as a democratically elected president...

Initially excluded

Military heads of government were initially excluded when the Senate passed its own version of the bill, with the senators saying the enhanced pension scheme was meant to honour only democratic leaders. The thrust of the bill had been to ensure that only democratically elected former presidents are entitled to benefit from the pension package for former presidents.

"This is to discourage other unconstitutional means of getting into power. The only way recognised by the Constitution is through ballot, and not the barrel of a gun," David Mark, the Senate president, had said at the passage of the Senate version of the bill in March this year.

Members of the House of Representatives, however, were of the opinion that this group of past leaders should be included. The past leaders were grouped under the name of ‘Heads of the government of the Federation' in section 4 of the Act that was passed by the Reps.

The clean copy of the Harmonised Bill, approved yesterday and soon to be forwarded to the president for signing into law, supports the House version by listing the retired soldiers as qualified for the new package.

The Senate president, who was himself a retired soldier, and would benefit from the law as Senate president, expressed his gratitude to his current colleagues for passing the law.

Happy days for past leaders

Only past leaders who were impeached are excluded by the law from earning pensions.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the benefits stated in this bill shall not apply to persons removed from any of the offices referred to in this bill by the process of impeachment," the bill stated.

It further states that these past leaders shall be paid an amount recommended from time to time by the Revenue and Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission and approved by the National Assembly as upkeep allowance, in addition to the pension entitlement contained in the 1999 Constitution. This upkeep entitlement is expected to be reviewed (upwards) from time to time, but subject to the approval of the National Assembly.

There is also a provision in the bill which entitles the family of deceased ex-presidents and vice presidents to an annual payment for upkeep of his spouse(s) and education of his children up to university level. However, this spousal upkeep allowance will cease the moment the last spouse of the deceased passes on.

Re-presented

This legislation - excluding the past military leaders - had been passed by the last session of the National Assembly and presented to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo for assent. He, however, did not sign the act into law. The bill was, therefore, re-presented to the current session of the National Assembly for passage and representation to the president.

NEXT had, on January 4, reported the plan by the Senate to review the pay of all former leaders. In the initial plan, the former leaders' package would have been increased from N250 million proposed in the 2010 budget to about N2 billion.

Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriation, Ayo Adeseun, said the money was meant to take care of the former leaders' pension, medicare, yearly vacation abroad, offices, and general maintenance. Allocations for former leaders' welfare began in 2005, when a total of N140 million was set aside for them in that year's budget. Subsequently, the following allocations were made - N105 million (2006), N24 million (2008), and N250 million (2009).

However, no allocation was made in the 2007 budget, although it might have been integrated into another item under the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Until 2008, when the allocation was brought under the office of the SGF, it was treated under the Presidency or State House.

GET STOCKED FOR STUCK !

It's hard to have fun when you're feeling stuck.

Stuck shows up differently for each of us.

For some it's having a dream but not knowing how to get it.

For others, it's not having a dream and feeling empty.

It can be waiting for your superhero to show (and they're taking their time)

Or it can be feeling responsible for everyone - and feeling exhausted.

However you get stuck -- and we all get stuck from time to time, it's part of being human -- it has this as its essence:

You only have one way to see the situation ... and you don't like what you see.

So where are you feeling stuck right now?

Not sure? Here are some clues...

==> Where do you feel in a rut?

==> Where do you feel lots of "shoulds" and "musts"?

==> Where do you feel there's no choice?

==> What makes you grit your teeth in frustration?

==> What are you tolerating?

So what can you do about it?

Funny enough, just articulating and acknowledging the situation where you're feeling stuck is often enough to get things moving.

When you finally get what's hanging you up it often doesn't feel quite so big, quite so overwhelming, quite as daunting.

So look at the situation head on.

No more sideways glances or head in the sand.

Get specific and detailed - go on, wade right into it.

Write it down...

Turn it from a "stuck-ness"... and into a challenge you're willing to take on and to change.

So... Where are you stuck?

(And in a couple of days we'll look at what you can do about it)

9ija here's to your life of fun, inspiration & action.

Barely two weeks after the country received and outlook downgrade by Fitch Ratings, Standard and Poor’s, another international rating agency has given the country a pass mark with a ‘B+/B’ Ratings affirmed on resilient economy. It also gave the country a stable outlook, despite what it called ‘high political risk’.

In the report published yesterday, S&P stated, “We consider that the ratings on Nigeria are constrained by high political risk, but supported by a strong balance sheet. We are affirming the ‘B+/B’ global scale ratings and the ‘ngA+/ngA-1’ Nigeria national scale ratings.” The report says Nigeria’s outlook is stable, “reflecting our expectation that Nigeria will maintain its strong external and fiscal balance sheet, and that budgetary performance will gradually improve over the next few years.”

Elections accentuate risk..

The report added that political risk in Nigeria may be exacerbated by the forthcoming presidential elections.

“The affirmation reflects our view that Nigeria’s economic performance and external liquidity has been better than we previously expected, although its fiscal performance has been weaker and political risk could heighten in the run-up to the 2011 presidential elections,” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Christian Esters.

It noted that Nigeria remains a low-income country, with GDP per capita estimated at $1.32 billion in 2010. Nevertheless, Nigeria has a strong fiscal debt position, despite the sharp deterioration in budgetary performance since 2009. “We estimate that Nigeria’s general government debt will increase to above 16 per cent of GDP by year-end 2010, which is still a comparatively low level.”

Comfortable external liquidity

The report said Nigeria also benefits from comfortable external liquidity, with continuous current account surpluses. “For 2010, we expect a surplus of approximately 14 per cent of GDP, and gross external financing needs at a low 54 per cent of current account receipts and usable reserves.”

The ratings firm said the stable outlook reflects expectation that Nigeria will maintain its strong external and fiscal balance sheet, and that budgetary performance will gradually improve over the next few years. “We also expect that tensions surrounding the forthcoming April 2011 presidential elections could increase political uncertainty and destabilise the country for some time after the elections,” said Mr Esters.

Finance minister, Olusegun Aganga had rejected the Fitch ratings report on the ground that it did not reflect the effort by government to address the concerns raised. Fitch cited the depletion of the Excess Crude Account (ECA), the decline in foreign exchange reserves and their own concern that the reform agenda of the current administration which they found to be very positive may not be implemented before the elections; the following as the major reasons for the revision of the outlook.

Mr Aganga said, “We do consider the decision to adjust the outlook downwards unduly punitive and disagree with it given the numerous positive features of the country’s economy and ongoing reforms.” He said government has taken a number of measures which include the proposed establishment of a Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund and urgent steps which are being taken to address the infrastructure deficit particularly in the power sector as outlined in the Power Roadmap that was unveiled by the President in August.

A female advocate for members of the disability community will soon be chosen in the first ever ‘Miss Wheelchair Nigeria Pageant’.

The event, which originated in the United States of America in 1972, will debut for the first time in Africa with the aim of selecting an intelligent and worthy advocate for people living with disabilities in Nigeria. According to Cosmas Okoli, the President of Mobility Aid and Appliances Research and Development Centre (MAARDEC), organisers of the pageant, the criteria for selecting the winner would not be focused on beauty like most other pageants but would seek for a woman with good communication skills who can serve as a brand for people with disabilities...

‘No bikini contests’

“Miss Wheelchair Nigeria Pageant is not a beauty pageant in the sense that there is no emphasis on the physical appearance of the contestants,” he said. “There are no bikini contests and the contestants will be judged on their achievements since the onset of their disabilities, their projection and communication skills, and their abilities to successfully advocate for over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities. It is likely that the winner would be very beautiful but that is not one of our criteria.”

According to him, while the actual worth of prizes to be given to the winner is not yet known due to insufficient financial sponsors, the winner of the pageant would go home with a brand new car and other attractive prizes. “The Miss Wheelchair Nigeria Pageant 2010 title holder will receive a handsome prize and will be branded and equipped to carry out some specific assignments including to ensure at least 500 persons with disabilities are gainfully employed,” he said.

The criteria

The choice of using a physically challenged person for their advocacy, he added, was necessary to adequately project their cause. “In any advocacy it is best to use those that are mostly affected,” he said. “Who is best to talk about marginalisation other than those who are marginalised? Women on wheelchair suffer the most and so we decided it was best to start with Miss Wheelchair. As women with disabilities, they also suffer the stereotype associated with disabilities.”

According to the organisers, the contestants must be women aged between 18 and 50 by May 2010. They may also be married, single, divorced or separated. They may have children, grandchildren, great grandchildren or no children at all. There will be zonal competitions to select state representatives at the grand finale to be held on December 4 in Lagos.

The supporters

Azeez Olanrewaju, the Senior Special Assistant to chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, while speaking at the press conference yesterday, said the council was committed to the pageant and the disability centre. “Our local government is very proud and honoured to partner with the president of MAARDEC and to associate ourselves with this model event,” he said. “Pageantry is a medium to market and market is the window of brands. By this novel initiative, I must say that MAARDEC is on a course to history. We shall portray this event in the glory it requires. All necessary support shall be given to this event.”

Mr Okoli, who also announced his intentions to run for a senatorial position in the coming elections, said that it was unfair that there are no people with disabilities in political positions in the country. This he said has contributed to the marginalisation against members of the disability community and building of public facilities such as roads and banks in such a way that is inaccessible to people with disabilities. “If a non-profit organisation can make its structure accessible, why can’t the government? It is very painful that we are pursuing the Millennium Development Goals without people with disabilities,” he said. “A society is judged by its ability to take care of the weakest members of the society. If you build a society for the rich and powerful, you have not built a society because everybody would not be rich and powerful.”

The special assistant on public affairs to the 87 years old Anthony Enahoro, Olawale Okuniyi, has assured Nigerians that the elder statesman is alive and recuperating.

Mr. Enahoro's failing health created anxiety in the public domain on Monday.

"Chief Anthony Enahoro is still very much alive," Mr. Okuniyi said. He acknowledged that Mr. Enahoro, accompanied by his eldest son, Ken, was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital at about 1.30pm on Monday when his health deteriorated.

According to him, he is under close medical observations of his doctors at the UBTH.

"His health is currently stabilising in Benin, the Edo State capital, after an initial relapse occasioned by stress and old age," he said...

He explained that the statesman had been under close medical guidance for some time due to weakness associated with old age.

Mr. Okuniyi further expressed appreciation to well-wishers, associates, and the general public as well as the international community, on behalf of the Enahoro family, for their concern and prayers.

If it were not for that trademark Nose !

The pictures of these two men, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Igwe Okwudili Onyejekwe bear a striking resemblance. Igwe Onyejekwe is the former Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Okwudili Onyejekwe a police officer, who lived in Abeokuta
around 1930s. He died in 1970.

Former presient Obasanjo has procurred a writer from Ghana to do a 50-page book on him and at the launching of the book bragged that he was "100%" from Owu-Egbaland in Ogun State. The question if not where Obasanjo think he comes
from but his real paternity..

Three Americans died in weekend violence in the area of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a U.S. official said.

"Two citizens were fatally shot early Sunday close to the Zaragoza international bridge," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Monday. "In a separate incident, another U.S. citizen was fatally wounded in Ciudad Juarez itself."

Violence is rife in the area, as the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes into the United States, where demand for illegal drugs is strong...

The circumstances of the Americans' deaths weren't immediately clear.

"First, we offer our condolences to the families of the victims," Crowley said. "We have been in touch with those families and are providing all possible assistance."

Crowley added, "We will support the Mexican government in the investigation that is already under way."

Four suspected ritualists were set ablaze by mob between Friday and Sunday in different parts of Ogun State...

PUNCH METRO gathered on Monday that the four victims were set ablaze in Ibara, Isabo, Olomore and Ago-Ika in Abeokuta North and South local government areas of the state.

At Isabo, a young man was allegedly set ablaze after he was accused of attempting to kidnap a school boy from a primary school in the area.

People living in the area, accosted him and demanded an explanation for his alleged suspicious movement.

An eyewitness, who declined to give his name, said the man was clubbed to death and later set ablaze by the mob when he could not give satisfactory answers to the questions.

It was gathered that two persons suspected to be planning to kidnap another boy in Olomore in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of the state were also killed in a similar way...

Also at Ibara near the Ogun State Government House, another young man was killed by a mob for allegedly kidnapping an eight-month-old boy from his mother.

However at Ago-Ika area, two suspects were lucky as policemen arrived on time to save them from being lynched.

An eyewitness, Mr. James Oguntade, said, “There is an increase in ritual killings in the society today and people are conscious of this development. The boy, who was returning from school, screamed as the two suspects were attempting to kidnap him.

“But as the suspects could not provide a satisfactory explanation during interrogation, the mob went into action and would have killed them but for the intervention of policemen from Adatan Police Station, who took the injured suspects to a private hospital in Mokola, Abeokuta.”

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incidents, warned residents to desist from jungle justice.

Cassano (right) with a WAG

Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano is known for his short temper and on-pitch hissy fits, yet in his autobiography, the 26-year-old reveals his near-legendaryinability to keep his pants on when attractive women are around. Cassano, whoonce called the irrefutably-gifted Rosaria .Cannavò his girlfriend, claims tohave put away somewhere in the region of 700 ladies. Our German friends at Bildreport:

“I was engaged four times in 11 years, and I experienced some adventures. I slept with between 600 and 700 girls, 20 of whom belong to the world of the showbusiness.”.

During his time at Real Madrid – where his constant unprofessional behaviour and displays of “disrespect” towards Fabio Capello saw him sidelined andsuspended – Cassano enjoyed some of his best steamrollering years. The Italiansays sex before games was frequent, and he could invite whomever he wanted tothe team hotel.

Homicide detectives at Panti, Yaba, have began investigation into the death of a teenager, Uju Onwuzuruigbe, who allegedly died from complications arising from an unsafe abortion.

Miss Onwuzuruigbe, 18, bled to death on October 22 at her parents’ house at Shuribu, in Ajangbadi, few days after an auxiliary nurse, identified as Joy Temi, performed an abortion for her. Her parents reported the matter to the police; and subsequently her lover, Peter Chukwunakwe, and the nurse were arrested.

The victim’s mother told her story. “Uju be my daughter and she is the fifth child wen I born, dem plenty wen I get,” she said. “But on the 22nd, she come home tell me her mama say her belly dey pain her. She come say make her I give her hot water to drink. As she drink and she still dey cry, dey roll for bed say her belly still dey pain her. I come ask her say wetin happen she say na stomach, but around 5.30 am she come dey shake say she wan die. I tell her say she no go die make she tell me wetin happen. Na so she come confess say, ‘mama, I don do you bad, na belly I remove.’ She tell me about the nurse, na so I come hear about wetin happen to my daughter. As she tell me these thing, na so she come die. We come go report the case to police.”

Not guilty..

Both the nurse, Ms Temi, and the alleged lover, Mr Chukwunakwe, denied procuring abortion for the deceased. “She came to me on October 7th that she has a venereal disease, that she was having discharges,” said Ms Temi. “I gave her Gentamicin Tablet and she went home. It was after some days that the police came and arrest me that I did abortion for Uju. I am a trained nurse and I got my certificate at the Falati Hospital. I did not do any abortion for her, I only treated her for a virginal infection and it is not an STD she had.”

Mr Chukwunakwe agreed that he dated the deceased, but denied knowledge of the pregnancy. “Uju is my girl friend and I have known her for more than one year,” he said. “She did not tell me that she was pregnant and I did not take her for any abortion, so I do not know anything about her death.”

Not interested in justice

Ambrose Onwozurigbe, the father of the victim, said he is not interested in prosecuting the case. “I want make police release my daughter dead body make I go bury her,” he said. “Her body dey for mortuary and doctors no dey to do autopsy for her. Wetin don happen don happen. E no good make she dey there dey smell, her spirit no agree rest and we want carry her go burry her make her spirit rest, so we want make police release her body to us.”

Investigations into homicide cases in the state are being stalled following the strike by Lagos doctors. A morgue attendant at the Isolo General Hospital, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that cases of corpses without autopsy reports have increased in the last two months as a result of the doctors’ strike. “One thing you should know is that detectives cannot do their work especially in homicide cases when there is no autopsy report to prove the causes of death,” he said. “Many people are just coming here to claim their corpses without due autopsy report because the doctors that will carry it out are on strike. So people must bury their dead, and I can tell you that because of this strike, the corpses at this general hospital have increased.”

Registration of voters is to begin in January next year. Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), confirmed this yesterday in Abuja.

The registration, which was earlier billed for November 1 to 14, was moved after the commission requested for the extension of elections next year, prompting the National Assembly to effect a fresh alteration of the Constitution to allow for the shift...

Waiting for legislative approval

With the amendment concluded last week, the commission said it is awaiting the mandatory approval of at least 24 states legislature, which will put the amendments to use, before announcing a new timetable that will include specific new dates for the registration.

After passage last week at the federal level, lawmakers dispatched the altered sections to the 36 states Houses of Assembly for the required concurrence. Routine public hearings are expected at the states early this week and a final passage by next week.

Mr. Jega said the commission will “not pre-empt” the near-certain favourable outcome of the states’ voting, and will only make public its new timetable, after the final passage has been secured.

However, the registration of voters, which is central to the polls, the INEC boss confirmed on Monday, will hold in January, to allow time for corrections that may be needed, and also a final display of the register before the elections scheduled for April.

No time to waste

“We are taking the registration very seriously. Once we have controversy with the register, we are done, and there cannot be credibility anymore on the entire process,” he said.

Thousands of temporary staff are to be recruited and trained to run the over 120,000 units of the Direct Data Capture machines required for the registration of an estimated 70 million voters.

Ahead of the procurement of the machines, the commission yesterday kicked off a four-day training for the bulk of its officials - called the Master Trainers - who in turn will train and supervise the casual officers.

Speaking through a representative, the national commissioner in charge of training, Lai Olurode, said that the yet-to-be awarded contract for the machines, which many Nigerians have raised concerns about, would not in any way hamper the process.

Fears have been expressed in several quarters over the delay in the award of contracts for the supply of the data capture machine, which is a crucial aspect of the success of the registration of voters.

He said the commission “has completed everything in relation” with the purchase of the machines, and that INEC was confident about their timely delivery.

Mr. Jega’s spokesperson, Kayode Idowu, had earlier assured NEXT the document would be signed this week.