*Now $3 mcf for manufacturers

LAGOS—FEDERAL Government, Thursday, announced a new gas pricing regimefor the industrial sector, with a view to revamping and boostingindigenous manufacturing capacity.

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, disclosed this yesterday, in a keynote address at the August Conferenceon Gas to Power-_ Prospects and Challenges, organized by energycorrespondents.

She said the gas reprieve for the manufacturers would be segmented into two separate pricing structures _ producer to wholesaler/localdistribution company, LDC, and the wholesale/LDC to end user ormanufacturers.

Mrs. Madueke said the new gas pricing, capped at $3 per million cubic feet, mcf, was targeted at effectively freeing gas price tomanufacturers from low pour fuel oil, LPFO, or black oil indexation,especially for the wholesaler and manufacturers. She said:

“The price will be negotiated on a ‘willing buyer, willing seller’ basis, not only to ensure transparency but also reflect the true costof distributing and marketing of gas.”

The minister added, however, that pricing for the producer and wholesaler/LDC will continue to be based on LPFO indexation, stressing:“unlike in the past which was uncontrolled, the new price is capped at$3/mcf. This provides a major protection for downstream pricingarrangement between the wholesalers/LDC and their end usermanufacturing customers.”

New pricing structurers

The implementation of the new pricing structures is expected to run between now and 2013, to address the challenge of unpredictability inpricing. But the implementation of the pricing between the producer andwholesaler/LDC will be done in phases _ now to end 2012, $2/mcf; end2012 to end 2013, $2.50/mcf; and end 2013 and beyond inflationcorrected, $3/mcf.

Mrs Madueke noted that the new manufacturing gas pricing complemented the recently approved increase in gas to power price, toensure that producers get an aggregate price that was at or close toexport parity.

Until now manufacturers had continued to groan under the high cost of gas, which impacts on production cost and eventually passed on tothe final consumers, thus making made_in_Nigeria products uncompetitiveat the international market.

The minister who explained that the pricing structure, “will create transparency and efficient management of the dynamics of pricing withineach relationship,” added that the move was approved by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan in acknowledgment of that fact that the “growth ofthe manufacturing sector is crucial to the delivery of the economicagenda.”

Noting that one of the issues the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, was meant to address was the imperfection in the value chain structure, shesaid: “The PIB recognizes three distinct stakeholder groups in the gassupply chain to the manufacturing sector, namely, the producers,transporters and wholesaler/LDC.

This ensures transparency in the value chain, with the resulting impact of a more attractive end user price.”

With regard to the PIB, which she said would soon be passed into law, Mrs. Madueke said that in view of the planning and strategies putin place for its smooth transition, investment inflow afterwards areexpected to generate about 30,000 jobs locally, despite the poorfunding of gas infrastructures in the country.

She said: “Addressing these challenges has been our focus lately, and significant progress is being made. In the last few months we havefocused aggressively on implementing the most aggressive reform of thecommercial framework for gas supply to power in Nigeria.”

Mrs. Alison_Madueke also stated that the country’s four refineries were currently working at an optimal capacity utilisation of 60 percent.

She said that in line with its objective to own 50 percent of retail outlets in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC, had also acquired about 437 service stations nationwide inaddition to its 37 mega_stations across the country and 12 floatingmega_stations.

Sixty-eight firms comprising foreign and local investors with interest in diverse sectors of the economy, as at last week, were said to have so far shown strong intention to do business at the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ). They cover textile, oil and gas, tourism, real estate, cottage industries, construction, car assembling among others.

Although some listed above will come on stream later as the project develops and expands, however, how soon others will roll into action will depend on the magic that the Lagos State government and its development partners — a consortium of Chinese investors can perform between now and November 2010 when the first phase, according to the management will be opened for business operations.

The first phase of the multi-billion dollars project sits on over 3000 hectares with a huge infrastructural challenge. It is being developed by a group of Chinese firms in partnership with Lagos State. And so far, work on the development of critical infrastructure such as power plant, sewage systems, water treatment plants though ongoing is still a challenge.

Although the Chinese are the first partners in the development of the trade zone, the state government is still keeping its doors open for more investors especially in view of the huge financial outlay. It is estimated that the overall project will cost over five billion US dollars.

“The Chinese are the first set of developers we have in the zone to jump-start things. And we are currently developing the launch area (phase 1),” Olusola Oworu, special adviser to Lagos State government on commerce and industry, whose office supervises the developments told BusinessDay.

As a way of attracting investors, the government is offering a number of incentives including tax exemption. Also, companies to operate within the zone could be 100 percent foreign owned and would be allowed the option of repatriating their capital and profits overseas if they so chose. In terms of meeting up the requirements for setting up a business in the zone, the state government plans to put in place a one-stop-shop where all necessary procedures and processes leading to business registration as well as issues bordering on immigration, customs, safety and security of investments and personnel will be addressed in one fell swoop so as to facilitate smooth operations.

In the view of Oworu, the LFTZ has been conceptualized not just a trade zone but a model city. So apart from its industrial component, the trade zone is designed to embrace urban developments, which include residential accommodation, business centre, a financial hub and tourism activities. The zone therefore is incorporating light industries such as textiles, electronics, household equipment as well as foods and beverages.

Upon full development, the zone will have three modern ports which will accommodate heavy industries like petro-chemicals and oil refineries. It is also going to have five kilometers of coastline a deep seaport that will be able to accommodate huge vessels expected from around the world.

The idea is to make the ports the shipping hub of West Africa. Also being planned to further boost LFTZ’s operations is an international airport that will be sited not too far. The airport will not ferry people but also service the logistical needs of corporate bodies in and around the Lekki corridor.

The Lekki trade zone’s key advantages are its accessibility, location and the market. Lagos State remains the commercial hub of Nigeria and plays host to about 65 percent of the country’s commercial activities. The state has the largest population in the country estimated at about 18 million people which is a good market for products and services.

Oworu says the effort at ongoing infrastructural development at the trade zone is show of government’s determination to create the enable environment and prepare investors to start off with ease. 68 prospective investors have so far shown interest. But the biggest of the challenge I think are logistics problems. But we have investors who have shown strong interests in oil and gas, manufacturing, hotels and entertainment, car assembling plant, construction materials and real estate development.

“Currently our emphasis is on development of infrastructure to encourage investors to come in. And when I say infrastructure, I am talking about road network and power. To start with, we have installed 1000 KVA generating set to power the area in the interim. A permanent power installation will come later and we are working towards this.

“In terms of road, we have constructed about several kilometres of roads and a standard factory so that investors can start making use of it without having to necessarily build theirs before starting operations,” says the special adviser.

Adeyomo Thompson, deputy managing director of the LFTZ is optimistic that business operations will commence by October or before the end of this year. His optimism is hinged on the completion of some road networks creating access to various parts of the zone, provision of 1000 KVA standby electric generating set as well as the completion of a standard factory from where some manufacturing activities can begin. According to the deputy managing director, the long delay in take-off has been due to problems of logistics. Specifically, he says the absence of infrastructure at the site, a major challenge, is being addressed with over 70 companies now waiting to commence operations.

The companies are those with interest in agro-processing, clothing and textiles, food and beverages, forestry, mining, pharmaceuticals, housing and tourism. He said that the establishment of the free trade zone was in line with the desire of the Lagos State Government to harness investment and business potentials in the state. “Although the project is currently not ready for use as a result of inadequate infrastructure, there are indications that some industries from China may begin operation here soon,’’ he said.

Thompson said that the first phase of the project would cost about 1.5 billion dollars while the entire project would gulp over five billion dollars. He said that the zone would have its own independent power plant, adding that the first phase, made up of 350 hectares, would be powered by 10,000 KVA generators. But it is not only foreign companies that are in the forefront at the zone, as Oando Nig. Plc, according to Thompson, is planning to build a refinery with capacity to refine 360,000 barrels of crude per day. The company has since 2009 carried out feasibility studies on the project.

“We believe that a refinery that targets approximately half of the deficit for 2017 will be viable against local production and against substitute input. Such a refinery will benefit from the closest sources of crude oil. We are going to put in place a complex refinery which will take advantage of the light crude we see in the area and maximise PMS production,” Thompson said, adding that the company upon commencement of operations would be targeting about 360,000 barrels per day as the first phase will do 340,000 barrels which will give an approximate of 15,000 tons per day of PMS.

However, Femi Deru, President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has applauded the adoption of Public- Private Partnership to attract investments, describing as a popular and viable option. He believes the zone will attract investments when infrastructure such as good network of roads, power, sewage and water treatment plants are completed and put to use.

Although government has paid compensation to some of the communities whose lands were taken over for the project, indigenes of the area are still of e view that all those entitled to compensation must be adequately compensated so to avoid a crisis situation and frosty relationship between the operators and their host communities.

A resident of the area, Rueben Ateteh advised the state to pay all outstanding compensations to families that were displaced. “If this issue of compensation is conclusively resolved, the state government and the investors may be shooting themselves on the foot because frequent agitations could lead to disruption of operations. “We all have seen what happened in the Niger Delta area. This should be avoided in Lagos.

But the infrastructural challenges and logistics problems notwithstanding, Oworu and Thompson are optimistic that business operations will commence at the free trade zone this year and Lagos economy will witness some boom on full operations.

Photo:Maku

Goodluck Jonathan is not a rubber stamp that will just sign the electoral act which the National Assembly forwarded to him for assent recently, the Minister of state for information and communications, Labaran Maku,Photo Above has said.

Fielding questions from the press in Abuja, Mr Maku said President Jonathan understood the anxiety of Nigerians about the need to hasten up the process on free and fair elections in 2011, but that he would not act on such anxieties and cause more problems for the system.

“The normal process of presidential assent to any law passed by the National Assembly is that the president would forward such acts to relevant departments of government, including the ministry of justice, which would study it and offer advice appropriately. If a law is passed to a sitting president, it is not just for rubber stamp.

“The president is not a rubber stamp. His duty is to go through this law and ensure that there is nothing in it that will cause problem during elections or that will be difficult to enforce. His duty is to ensure that the law that is forwarded to him is in accordance with the constitution and that it is something that is easily operable.”

Don’t insinuate

He insisted that Mr Jonathan is doing so much for the attainment of free and fair elections next year and appealed to Nigerians “not to insinuate on matters that have not arisen”.

He recalled that the president has appointed the most credible person to head the Independent National Electoral Commission, just as he fast-tracked the financial requirement of the commission through the National Assembly.

Attahiru Jega, the chairman of INEC, had stated that further delays in the signing of the constitutional amendment was going to hamper our nation’s dream of free and fair elections. He had also said the commission’s activities depended on the finalisation of the amendments, regretting that the president was yet to assent to the new Electoral Act.

The House of Representatives leadership, last Tuesday had also threatened to override the president if he fails to sign the document and approve the N87.7 billion INEC budget passed by the Assembly, after 30 days.

“All these have constrained INEC’s preparations for both the voters’ registration exercise and the elections,” Mr Jega had said.

‘Halt toll plan or face mass action’

Tension is building once again between residents of the Lekki community and Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the firm handling the reconstruction of the expressway, over the plan to begin the collection of toll on the road.

As a way of sensitising the residents and motorists to the plan, some representatives of the company on Wednesday began the distribution of leaflets at one of the three toll gates. Titled Toll Road Leaflet Guide, the flyer contains details about the project; the key benefits, convenience services, price incentives, vehicle classification, user types, payment methods, customer account management, and the designated banks for payment, among other information. However, it has no indication of the toll rate.

Howver, at a press conference held Thursday, by some members of the Eti-Osa community to convey their grievances on the company’s latest move, it was resolved that if the plan is not halted, the company would be forced to do so. According to them, at a meeting with Babatunde Fashola on July 20, in which more than 20 obas and chiefs from the community, state officials and the commissioner of police, were in attendance, it was resolved that a committees would be inaugurated to settle the issue of tolling at the three toll points. It was, therefore, a surprise to see leaflets on the toll issue being distributed.

“This is reckless, arrogant and provocative, and we wonder who else LCC will respect or listen to if it can afford to ignore the governor and the House. LCC is part of the committee just as it has been invited by the house committee in order to assist its finding. so why the test run?” said Adewale Sanni, the convener of the Eti-Osa forum and spokesperson at the conference.

Among other demands they also sought to know “whose interest is the project, infrastructure development or economic gains?” adding that the current exercise under the guise of a test-run is a desperate attempt to commence tolling at all cost in order to foreclose or render useless the outcome of the committee set up to look into the disagreement on the issue.

Bone of contention

Part of the information on the leaflet shows that the coastal road which is supposed to serve as an alternative for those who cannot afford to pay the toll fees will now be tolled, and this is the major grouse of the residents. “They have decided to keep all of us in secret; why are they not telling the price? They are just enjoying all of this,” said James Esosa, a resident. “Now, they are sharing leaflets, for what? This whole thing is rubbish. They feel everybody in Lekki is rich; they should have gone to set this toll nonsense in other places. Now, let’s see how they would react.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, equally expressed dismay at the development. “They haven’t said anything that will let us know about the price; that is what I came here to ask,” she said. “Maybe they are afraid of public reaction. It is going to inconvenience people, because to pay from here to there is not fair. The access road that is supposed to be an alternative, you will also have to pay toll, so what are the options? The one you have now is at Oniru side and around Jakande to come in and out of Lekki. But the roads are very bad, and I wouldn’t want to spoil my car. For those who cannot afford to mess up their car will have to be forced to pay the toll and I would prefer to travel on a straight road. I just think it’s not fair.”

Residents like Betrus Ibrahim, a commercial motorcyclist, are considering relocating if the situation is not changed. “They never put the price, na the thing wey dey confuse us,” he said. “If they start it, how person go do? If the price high, I go live this place go find somewhere wey I go do my Okada.” Another motorist, a danfo (bus) driver who lives in Aja said, “Nigeria no get the money wey they go help Lagos do this thing free? If say they be better people, they for done do this thing well. They are greedy, all of them wey dey government; dey chop money anyhow.”

What will happen when the LCC finally decides to effect its plan remains to be seen.

Officers of the NNS Victory of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar, Cross River State capital, have held nine suspected illegal loggers.

The suspects, all from Akwa Ibom State, were said to have been arrested at about 7.30 a.m., on Friday, at Parrot Island in the state, while heading to Oron in Akwa Ibom State from Macauley Village in Cameroon.

Parading the suspects before newsmen at the NNS Victory jetty, Commanding Officer NNS Victory, Commodore Jeremiah Jatau, represented by Navy Captain Adekunle Okeniyi, said items recovered from the suspects included 400 logs (12 feet, 4 by 9), a 30 foot wooden boat with 240 horsepower outboard engine and one portable pumping machine.

He added: “When six of my men accosted them on the sea, they tried to run away, but after our men fired a warning shot into the air, they stopped and were arrested.”

He said the arrest would strengthen the Cross River State Government’s efforts to fight deforestation and preserve the environment.

“The navy would continue to ensure that the water is safe. We would continue to be present at sea and make sure we apprehend those who intend to sabotage the economy of the state. This would discourage people felling trees illegally in the state,” said Okeniyi.

He explained that after preliminary investigation, the suspects would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

Some of the suspects, who spoke with the Nigerian Compass, said they were not into illegal logging and were only directed to the timber from Cameroon by one Joseph Bob from Oron in Akwa Ibom State.

One of them identified as Emmanuel Peter, 21, said: “The man, Joseph Bob, called us to bring the boat filled with wood from Cameroon and we would be paid for it. We are not criminals. We were only doing it because we needed to get some money.”

Twenty-year-old Ita Okon Effiong said: “Somebody told me about this business and I was to go to Cameroon to get wood. We are not thieves! We don’t have anything to do with illegal felling of trees. We even settled the village, Macauley Village, where the trees were cut.”

By Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

ASP to die by hanging
... Over murder of varsity student

Onovo Photo: Sun News Publishing

A dismissed Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Benard Alifi has been sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court sitting in Abakaliki for murder and other criminal count charge levelled against him.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Obande Ogbuinya of court five said the prosecution, having proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, he pronounced the accused guilty of the murder of one Chinwendu Micha.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. I. P. Chima, had called for five witnesses, three of whom were eyewitnesses and two police officers who were alleged to be on patrol with the accused ASP the day the boy was shot.

Other witness presented by the prosecuting counsel was Mr. Bernard Mbam whom the deceased, an undergraduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, allegedly visited on the night he was murdered.

Daily Sun gathered that Alifi had been standing trial for the murder charge since 2004 when he was accused of unprovoked murder of the deceased, Chinwendu Micha, a 23-year-old, who was until his death, second year student in the university. The deceased was killed by the police ASP, when he visited his friend, Mr. Bernard Mbam who was a councillorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2004 local government elections in the state.

It was also gathered that on the day of the local government election in 2004, the deceased and his friend Bernard were at the polling booth located opposite the bushy area of Odunukwe Street, Coca Cola depot, along Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway, when suddenly a team of police officers, led by Alifi came and shot Micha.

The defence counsel, C. O. Z. Obiekwe, put a spirited fight to defend his client and absolve him of the murder of Micha whom he had told the court was murdered by a bullet from another police officer whose identity he did not disclose.

According to the submission of the defence counsel, since there were many policemen on patrol that day, it could be possible that the deceased could have been killed by any police officer and not Alifi, the accused.
Under cross examination, the accused police ASP admitted that he had killed both innocent and suspected criminals in the cause of his duty when he was operating as one of the policemen attached to the government house.

Daily Sun also gathered that Alifi, who was attached to Ebonyi State Government House, had on that day of the local government election allegedly taken permission from the ADC to the former governor on the ground that he had information that there were groups of criminals coming to disrupt the election. However, the ADC to the former governor had earlier, through a written statement, denied any such statement and allegation that he permitted the accused to go on patrol on the day the deceased was murdered.

From EMMANUEL UZOR, Abakaliki

Barely a week after the accident caused by a police checkpoint in which 30 people reportedly lost their lives in Lagos State, SouthWest Nigeria, a police check point has caused another accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, near Berger bridge bus stop.

•Scene of the accident at the police checkpoint this morning. PHOTO: OLATUNJI OBASA.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the accident occurred this morning when a truck with registration number XK 6351 SP was stopped by policemen at a checkpoint.

But when the driver was about to stop, he lost control and crushed a Mercedes Benz car with registration number AM 204 KTU and a Police Gateway Response Squad vehicle with registration number FP 5385 OG.

According to report, the Benz car was towed from Ibafo last week to the police checkpoint for repairs.

Some of the residents of the area, who spoke to P.M.NEWS condemned the action of the policemen who they alleged harass both motorists and passengers on the expressway to extort money from them.

It was also gathered that two policemen narrowly escaped death last week at the same checkpoint when a truck lost control and ran into their shed.

As at press time, the truck, Mercedes Benz car and the police vehicle were still at the scene of the accident.

—Oolatunji Obasa

Tragedy struck, on Wednesday, at Agbowo, Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, when a 14-year-old Mutiu Ade-kunle committed suicide.

The Junior Secondary School (JSS) Three student decided to hang himself at the back of his grand-mother’s house, located at Kola Adedoyin Street, Agbowo, around 12 noon.

A source told the Nigerian Tribune that the deceased, who was seen in the morning, had told his elder sister, who was with him, that he was going to the toilet.

According to the source, after a while, the sister decided to check him but found his lifeless body suspended by a rope tied to the roof of a small room behind the building.

As a result of the incident, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the grandmother became unconscious and was rushed to nearby hospital where she was receiving treatment.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, the mother of the deceased, Bilikisu, who claimed that Mutiu was her first born, added that the deceased was the only child he had for his father, who was identified as Adekunle.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the scene of the incident, the lifeless body of the deceased was seen hanging, while policemen from Bodija-Oja police station were waiting for the arrival of the father.

At the time of filing this report, elders from the community were working on how the matter would be resolved so that the remains of the boy would be buried.

Most of the residents who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune said the deceased was seen in the morning and expressed shock over his death.

Written by Adebayo Waheed Thursday, 19 August 2010

IBB and his media executives at the night press conference.

The former Nigerian dictator did not spare anything while in power. He looted the national treasury, closed down universities for several months at a time, he murdered his opponents, jailed journalists and closed down several newspapers.

IBB was so confident that nothing would happen to him, so he admitted to a news magazine that his favorite alias was the "Evil Genius".

We will use this gallery to showcase his corruption, his victims, his failed policies, his collaborators and co-conspirators.

Wife of former dictator, Maryam with friends in Monaco

Maryam Babangida- The late former first lady and chair of "Better Life" for rural women should be remembered for attending a lot of lavish parties prior to her death.

Inside IBB's Loot jet

The interior of IBB's loot jet!

NIGERIA, TIME TO SIT & WATCH SOMEONE SIT ON YOUR RIGHT IS GONE...................

Dinning with the devil...

Chukwudubem Okafor and his wife Cheryl

Reports and calls from the US say Okafor, 64, cousin to the late poet, Christopher Okigbo apparently distraught his wife had left him afew days earlier, arranged to meet her at his sister’s Reading home,Pennsylvania, where he shot her several times and himself once in thehead at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, police said.

A small-caliber handgun was found near the bodies, police said. The Berks County coroner declared her death a homicide and his death asuicide.

Chukwudubem A. Okafor, 64, an associate professor of English at Kutztown University, was said to have shot his wife, Cheryl V., 37, whowas an artist, several times Sunday afternoon and turned the gun onhimself shortly after they arrived separately at the home of hissister, Patricia Ofilin, in the 300 block of Pear Street, investigatorssaid.

Vanguard learnt that Arik Air was invited to the Forum, which held August 2 to 3, 2010, for facilitating trade between the U.S. andAfrica, especially in view of the volume of investment it had put intoaircraft acquisition, mainly from Boeing Corporation.

Speaking at the Forum, which had in attendance U.S. Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State forAfrican Affairs, William Fitzgerald; President of United States’Export_Import (EXIM) Bank, Mr. Fred Hochberg, acknowledged Arik Air’scontributions to the growth of aviation in Africa and trade relationswith the U.S.

Hochberg noted that Arik Air had significant trade major with U.S. companies, stressing that the airline had the largest fleet of Boeingaircraft in Africa, and had invested over $4.57 billion in Boeingaircraft acquisition, including orders.

He said the airline had also done $220 million worth of transactions with US EXIM Bank; purchased about $1 million explosive and narcotictrace devices from General Electric, GE; and $3 million screeningmachines from Rapiscan, among others.

Hochberg particularly referred to the commitment of the airline to develop the air transport sector in West and Central Africa.

Arik Air Chairman, Sir Arumemi Ikhide who was invited to speak on facilitating trade through investment and infrastructure showcasedachievements of Arik Air as a model for all of Africa and its stridesat making Nigeria a hub for travel to the continent.

In his presentation at the Forum, which also had in attendance ministers of trade and commerce from several African countries, SirArumemi_Ikhide, also made allusions to the current and planned fleetacquisition (new orders from Boeing and Airbus), route structure,unique training programme, first class maintenance support fromLufthansa Technik, and plan to build a first class maintenance facilityin Africa, OCC.

He also listed the recent AOC re-certification by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, as part of efforts at attaining UnitedStates’ Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Category 1.

These hindrances, according to INEC boss, are the controversysurrounding amendment of the 1999 constitution as well as the failureof President Goodluck Jonathan to assent the Electoral Act

Jega who met with leaders of the registered political parties in Abuja, said the commission was not sure where it stood at the moment.

He said: “The commission has planned its activities on the understanding that these amendments have been consummated andfinalized. Instead, there have been controversies over whether thePresident has to assent to the constitutional amendments or not, amatter which is subjudice.

“At the same time, to the best of my knowledge, Mr. President is yet to assent to the new Electoral Act. All have constrained INEC’spreparations for both the voters’ registration exercise and theelections.

“Our position remains that we are bound by whatever existing legal architecture provided to us and we need not be drawn into controversiesover such issues. I, therefore, appeal for a speedy conclusion of theseissues to enable us firm up preparations for the voter registration andelections.”

Jega said the commission was ready and “would release a time table of events” as soon as all the uncertainties surrounding the legalframework for the conduct of the elections were clarified.

The IEC boss said political parties shared similar responsibilities with IEC of ensuring free, fair and credible elections in the country,stressing that should either party fail to play by the rules, free fairand credible elections would immediately be put in jeopardy.

He told leaders of the political parties:“Let me state what we consider to be the irreducible mission of our commission. It is toconduct free, fair and credible elections based on a dependable andpermanent Voters’ Register.

In doing this, we offer the Nigerian people a strong leadership built on openness, fairness and unimpeachable integrity. We wantNigerians to judge us on these grounds. We hope that we are correct inassuming that you share this mission and that we can consider youallies in its pursuit and attainment.”

While expressing concern about the absence of internal democracy in the political parties, Jega challenged the leaders to ensure that theyentrenched internal democracy in their parties.

Jonathan only got new Electoral bill Tuesday night—Abba Aji

Meantime, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, said the harmonized version of theElectoral Bill only got to the President on Tuesday.

He said the threat by some members of the National Assembly to override the President’s veto was misplaced.

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alli Ndume had said at a news conference, Tuesday, that the National Assembly wascontemplating overriding the President’s veto on the bill .

Delay by NASS

But in an interview in Abuja, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters said: “I can confirm to you that the newelectoral bill is with the President now. It got to the presidency onTuesday and it is now on the President’s table.

But he cannot look at it today (Wednesday) because of the FEC meeting. I can assure you that the President has no problems with thebill.”

He explained that though the bill was passed three weeks ago, it was not transmitted to the President immediately, adding: “Though thebill was passed three weeks ago, it took sometime before the LegalDepartment of the National Assembly could produce a clean copy of thebill.

The Legal Department of National Assembly has the responsibility to prepare clean copies of bills and I think they did a good job. ThePresident has no problems with the bill.”

The National Assembly had passed the new electoral law after the conclusion of the constitution amendment bill. Some aspects of the 1999constitution were removed and placed under the electoral law to makeroom for flexibility of future amendments.

When the new law comes into effect, elections will hold not later than 150 days to the handing over date.