HERALD

Harare — Government has raked in US$12 million in tollgate fees as of March 30 this year and the bulk of the money has been spent on trunk roads rehabilitation and pothole patching.

However, most of the major roads where tollgates were set up are still in a dire state seven months after the introduction of toll fees in August last year.

The 22 tollgates established on the country's major roads are cashing in an average US$1,3 million every month.

However, the tolling stations are still to be expanded and staff spent the rainy season working in the open.

Secretary for Transport, Communications and Infrastru-ctural Development Mr Partson Mbiriri last Friday said the collected money was not enough to cater for all road requirements.

"The total fees collected by Zimra (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) from 18th August 2009 to the end of March 2010 is US$12 204 159, 15. The total amount disbursed to Zinara (Zimbabwe National Road Authority) is US$9 053 534,43. We appreciate that the money is a useful amount but it is not adequate to cater for all requirements on our trunk roads.

"US$3 million has been to date disbursed to eight provinces for the maintenance of regional, primary and to a limited extent to secondary road network for pothole patching, grass cutting and bush clearing," he said.

Mr Mbiriri said US$280 000 was spent on the resurfacing of Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road for a distance of 12km while US$620 000 was allocated to five tollgate sites for widening purposes.

Among the sites widened were Esbank along the Harare-Bindura Road, Ruwa along the Harare-Mutare Road and Seke along the Seke-Wedza Road.

Another US$120 000, Mr Mbiriri said, was allocated to traffic counting at 16 tollgate sites to verify the toll fees collected by Zimra at these points while US$873 330,77 was expended on the rehabilitation of the old section of the Harare-Norton Road for a distance of about 11km.

Work on this road is still underway and it is being carried out in conjunction with the City of Harare's department of engineering.

Mr Mbiriri said US$2 744 000 was committed to the erection of tollgate shelter, construction of two weighbridges in Manicaland Province and other traffic safety equipment.

"US$2 400 000 was designated for erection of tollgate shelter and tenders were awarded to Tega Steel and Morewear Industries, which are already excavating foundations.

"US$144 000 was disbursed for the construction of two weighbridges on either side of Birchenough Bridge in order to protect the bridge from being destroyed by overloaded vehicles while US$200 000 was budgeted for the purchase of traffic safety equipment to be used on the regional trunk road and primary road network," he said.

Mr Mbiriri said the remaining US$1 407 468 was earmarked for the continued maintenance of the regional trunk road and primary road network.

A lot of noise has been made on how tollgate fees were being used since most of the roads had remained in a deplorable state.

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Lagos — Addressing newsmen in Gombe recently, Tsiga said the decision was necessitated by the inability of the government to find a lasting solution to the recurring crises in Jos and the general insecurity in other parts of Plateau State.

Apart from Plateau State, he announced that, similarly, Corps members posted to the strife torn Ezillo, in Ebonyi State have been withdrawn and redeployed to other cities.

The move by the NYSC authorities is timely and commendable. Plateau and Ezillo in Ebonyi State have become flashpoints which have claimed hundreds of innocent lives in the last couple of months. Unfortunately, there are signs that the security concerns in these areas have not yet been effectively taken care of hence there are no assurances that the security of the Corps members can be guaranteed in those locations.

Youth Corps members go to their places of posting, not out of choice but in accordance with the provisions of the law setting up the scheme, which mandates them to serve in places away from their homes, sometimes places they had never visited. The objective is to help foster national unity.

The least the nation owes them, therefore, is their security. So far, however, some incidents have happened that gave the impression that the security of Corps members is not being taken as seriously as it should by both the Federal Government and the hosts of the Corps members. For instance, in Plateau, Bauchi, Kano and Borno States, there had been horrifying tales of Corps members that were either killed, raped or maimed while serving their fatherland.

Although it is possible to explain away some of the incidents as part of the general state of insecurity that has been plaguing the country, the case of Plateau State and Ezillo in Ebonyi State, where the recurring disturbances have claimed several lives, has clearly, reached a stage where until some drastic steps are taken, it would be unsafe to take Corps members who do not understand the terrain of these places to serve anywhere near them.

We have had occasion in the past to insist that the leadership of the NYSC must evolve a security strategy that would keep the Corps members far from harm's way. Indeed, we had insisted that if the DG of the Corps could not evolve such a strategy, he should resign his appointment.

We, therefore, support that the Corps should not only bark but bite, when there is a threat to the well being of their members. Corps members are special ambassadors of the country to their host communities and we agree with Tsiga that the NYSC should no longer post Corps members to states or communities that are embroiled in crises or where Corps members are attacked, killed, raped, maimed or in any other way harmed.

This posture, once properly communicated to all states and communities would make everybody in these places to eagerly contribute towards securing the Corps members, contrary to the fact that many governors, council chairmen and community leaders currently treat these young men and women off-handedly.

The constitution is clear that governors are the chief security officers of their states. Agreed that this is in practice, not exactly so, especially as the governors are not in direct control of the police and other security agencies; they are answerable to federal authorities. However, governors should take more seriously the issue of setting up security committees with local government chairmen to oversee the affairs of the Corps members as the law provides. The governors need to go beyond only attending the opening and closing ceremonies of the orientation programmes of the Corps members and devise creative measures to constantly monitor the welfare of those of them in their states.

If redeploying Corps members to safer communities and cities is one of the ways that Tsiga has chosen to address the security challenge, so be it.

It is totally unacceptable that parents should watch children they laboured to train being hacked down at the place of their national service by misguided elements.

ALLAFRICA

Lagos — It will be recalled that only last week, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri had stated that the commission will get to the end of the matter and those indicted would be brought to face the full weight of the law.

However, Daily Champion gathered that those likely to face trial are, Bodunde Adeyanju, Mallam Lawal Batagarawa, Chief Dan Etete, Mr. Gaius Obaseki, Alhaji Abdukadir Abacha; Air Vice Marshal A. D. Bello, Ibrahim Aliyu and Gidado Bakare of Intercellular.

Several Nigerians including former ministers of petroleum, former GMD's of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), a former Inspector General of Police, and the boss of defunct National Security Organization (NSO) among others were invited and quizzed when their names were mentioned in connection with the sharing of the bribe money.

Names of those to be prosecuted were arrived at following alleged confessions in some cases and incontrovertible evidence including signatures showing that certain amounts in millions of dollars were collected as their own share from Mr. Tessler.

Sources close to the panel further disclosed that investigations which narrowed down the persons above have been concluded for long but that action could not be taken against them because the office of the former Attorney General and Justice Minister, Michael Aondoakaa did everything to frustrate the work of the panel.

Regarding the involvement of former heads of state in the sharing of the bribe money, sources said it was discovered that some of the persons mentioned above including Ibrahim Aliyu and Gidado Bakare, were used as fronts to collect the share of a former military head of state.

It will be recalled also that the United States (US) disclosed that there was no need for the activities of panel to be disrupted as it had supplied all needed documents and evidence needed to prosecute those found culpable of sharing the bribe money.

ALLAFRICA

ZAMBIA has recorded 996 new cases of cholera with 87 deaths countrywide since last year when the rainy season started contrary to the report attributed to the Medecins Sans Frontieres or Doctors without Borders (MSF) which said the number of cholera cases in the country had risen to 4,000 with 120 deaths.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Reuben Kamoto Mbewe said in an interview last Friday that the latest cholera cases were 996 from March month end to April 7 this year.

He said 982 cases were recorded in Lusaka province while the Copperbelt had recorded six cases.

Dr Mbewe said Southern Province had recorded two cases while Luapula had recorded three.

Central Province had also recorded three cases of Cholera.

Dr Mbewe said the number of deaths so far from the time cholera started this season was 87.

Acting Ministry of Health spokesperson Elizabeth Chizema said yesterday that this year's outbreak of cholera was not the worst and that some cases were not even confirmed but were being treated as cholera cases.

"The high numbers of cases could be that even suspected cholera cases were treated as cholera cases until they were verified as otherwise," Dr Chizema said.

Head of the MSF mission to Zambia Luke Arend was quoted on the Zambia watchdog.com site yesterday saying MSF was responding to the worst cholera outbreaks in the country for many years.

Mr Arend said cholera cases had risen to more than 4, 500 while more than 120 people had lost their lives.

According to Mr Arend, MSF teams were working around the clock to treat people affected with cholera and had set up cholera treatment centres in Matero, Chawama and Kanyama.

But Dr Chizema maintained the cholera cases were not the worst as they had not been confirmed as such.

ALLAFRICA

In Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is responding to the worst cholera outbreaks in the country for many years.

Over the last five weeks the number of cholera cases has risen dramatically to more than 4,500, while more than 120 people have lost their lives. Despite hopes that the outbreak has reached its peak the previous week and that the number of cholera cases will start decreasing, heavy rains that continue to cause severe floods in the city could potentially worsen the situation in the coming weeks.

MSF teams are working around the clock to treat people affected by cholera and try to contain the spread of the outbreak. MSF has set up three cholera treatment centres (CTC) in Matero, Chawama and Kanyama, with a capacity of 567 beds, and is also supporting 17 cholera treatment units (CTU). Since March 4, MSF teams in collaboration with the Ministry of Health have treated 4,020 patients in the three CTC's. "Last week we suffered the peak of the outbreak with a total of 1054 cases admitted. This number of cholera cases is by far the highest recorded in the last decade", said Luke Arend, Head of Mission of MSF in Zambia. "Due to the severity of this outbreak, we are stepping up our intervention, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Zambia."

Besides providing direct treatment to cholera patients, MSF is also working intensively for the prevention of the spread of the outbreak in the worst hit areas of the city. MSF water and sanitation staff is providing over 500,000 litres of chlorinated water per day in the affected neighbourhoods of Lusaka, while a team of nearly 50 contact tracers is working on a daily basis for disinfecting the homes of cholera patients, providing people chlorine for treating their water and teaching them of safe practices to avoid transmission. MSF is also supporting another team of drainage diggers to remove flood waters in the worst affected areas. More than 100 volunteers, with the help of a drama group as well, are conducting outreach activities in the communities with the aim to inform people on how to prevent the spread of the disease. MSF has also produced a television announcement about the prevention of cholera that is aired on the national television channel.

Cholera is endemic in Zambia. Over the previous years, Lusaka has seen repeated outbreaks during the rainy season. The lack of provision of drainage, access to clean water and poor hygiene and sanitation conditions are the route causes of the recurrence and severity of outbreaks. "The vast majority of the population in Lusaka is living in such conditions that make them extremely vulnerable to cholera due to the lack of access to safe water, drainage and good sanitation facilities. What is clear is that much more has to be done by the authorities in the short-term to improve cholera response preparedness and to avert the needless loss of so many lives each year. There is also a need for political commitment to long-term infrastructural investment in drainage, sanitation and water provision in these unplanned peri-urban areas of Lusaka to rid the city of this deadly cholera. For far too long there has been neglect in provision of these basic services," said Luke Arend.

MSF has been working in Zambia since 1999. In this cholera emergency intervention, 17 international staff are working alongside more than 500 Zambian colleagues in Lusaka.

For more information go to http://msf.org.za/

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07.04.2010

Cape Town the unhealthiest city in South Africa

15.03.2010

Rift Valley Fever - 22 cases confirmed

14.03.2010

SA has a weighty problem

26.12.2009

Preventing heart attacks

19.12.2009

Drug use may lead to Schizophrenia

18.12.2009

Difficulties of living with Schizophrenia

12.12.2009

HIV impact on childhood development

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Promedmail

WHO Malaria Information page

Malaria Foundation International

ALLAFRICA

MORE than 250 Patriotic Front (PF) members in Mandevu Constituency yesterday defected to the ruling MMD.

The defectors said they did not see any progressive ideas in the PF.

MMD Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda welcomed the defectors and said his

programme to destroy the PF and United Party for National Development (UPND) in the province was working well.

Mr Banda said people of Mandevu Constituency had wasted a lot of time by voting for the PF Member of Parliament (MP) Jean Kapata because she had not done anything.

He said that Ms Kapata had failed to deliver any development because the people of Mandevu still wanted clean water, good housing and a good road network.

"I challenge Ms Kapata to say what she has done for this constituency because all what I see here is what we did in the UNIP era when I was youth secretary," he said.

He would like Ms Kapata to share a platform with him where she could explain what she had done in Mandevu, in the council and in Parliament.

The PF/UPND pact was panicking and that Mandevu Constituency would from next year have a good MP from the MMD.

He said PF leader Michael Sata and his UPND partner Hakainde Hichilema were fake presidents while president Banda was working for the people of Zambia.

He said the two would never rule the country and that he would continue going where they thought he could not go.

Mr Banda would not stop talking and Ms Kapata should not say that he should be arrested because as far as he was concerned he had not committed any offence.

He said PF spokesperson Given Lubinda was not a clean man and challenged him to state what he had done at a house near the Lusaka International Airport and explain about the money he received on behalf of a football team in Chilenje Township.

Mr Banda said even the PF leader, Mr Sata should explain how much he paid for his house in Rhodespark instead of defending his secretary general Wynter Kabimba.

He warned that he was capable of reacting if the PF/UPND pact transported cadres to Milanzi and Mufumbwe by-elections.

He further clarified that there were no MMD members involved in the selling of illegal plots in Lusaka.

He would ensure that all those involved were sent to prison

ALLAFRICA

MORE than 250 Patriotic Front (PF) members in Mandevu Constituency yesterday defected to the ruling MMD.

The defectors said they did not see any progressive ideas in the PF.

MMD Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda welcomed the defectors and said his

programme to destroy the PF and United Party for National Development (UPND) in the province was working well.

Mr Banda said people of Mandevu Constituency had wasted a lot of time by voting for the PF Member of Parliament (MP) Jean Kapata because she had not done anything.

He said that Ms Kapata had failed to deliver any development because the people of Mandevu still wanted clean water, good housing and a good road network.

"I challenge Ms Kapata to say what she has done for this constituency because all what I see here is what we did in the UNIP era when I was youth secretary," he said.

He would like Ms Kapata to share a platform with him where she could explain what she had done in Mandevu, in the council and in Parliament.

The PF/UPND pact was panicking and that Mandevu Constituency would from next year have a good MP from the MMD.

He said PF leader Michael Sata and his UPND partner Hakainde Hichilema were fake presidents while president Banda was working for the people of Zambia.

He said the two would never rule the country and that he would continue going where they thought he could not go.

Mr Banda would not stop talking and Ms Kapata should not say that he should be arrested because as far as he was concerned he had not committed any offence.

He said PF spokesperson Given Lubinda was not a clean man and challenged him to state what he had done at a house near the Lusaka International Airport and explain about the money he received on behalf of a football team in Chilenje Township.

Mr Banda said even the PF leader, Mr Sata should explain how much he paid for his house in Rhodespark instead of defending his secretary general Wynter Kabimba.

He warned that he was capable of reacting if the PF/UPND pact transported cadres to Milanzi and Mufumbwe by-elections.

He further clarified that there were no MMD members involved in the selling of illegal plots in Lusaka.

He would ensure that all those involved were sent to prison

ALLAFRICA

In Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is responding to the worst cholera outbreaks in the country for many years.

Over the last five weeks the number of cholera cases has risen dramatically to more than 4,500, while more than 120 people have lost their lives. Despite hopes that the outbreak has reached its peak the previous week and that the number of cholera cases will start decreasing, heavy rains that continue to cause severe floods in the city could potentially worsen the situation in the coming weeks.

MSF teams are working around the clock to treat people affected by cholera and try to contain the spread of the outbreak. MSF has set up three cholera treatment centres (CTC) in Matero, Chawama and Kanyama, with a capacity of 567 beds, and is also supporting 17 cholera treatment units (CTU). Since March 4, MSF teams in collaboration with the Ministry of Health have treated 4,020 patients in the three CTC's. "Last week we suffered the peak of the outbreak with a total of 1054 cases admitted. This number of cholera cases is by far the highest recorded in the last decade", said Luke Arend, Head of Mission of MSF in Zambia. "Due to the severity of this outbreak, we are stepping up our intervention, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Zambia."

Besides providing direct treatment to cholera patients, MSF is also working intensively for the prevention of the spread of the outbreak in the worst hit areas of the city. MSF water and sanitation staff is providing over 500,000 litres of chlorinated water per day in the affected neighbourhoods of Lusaka, while a team of nearly 50 contact tracers is working on a daily basis for disinfecting the homes of cholera patients, providing people chlorine for treating their water and teaching them of safe practices to avoid transmission. MSF is also supporting another team of drainage diggers to remove flood waters in the worst affected areas. More than 100 volunteers, with the help of a drama group as well, are conducting outreach activities in the communities with the aim to inform people on how to prevent the spread of the disease. MSF has also produced a television announcement about the prevention of cholera that is aired on the national television channel.

Cholera is endemic in Zambia. Over the previous years, Lusaka has seen repeated outbreaks during the rainy season. The lack of provision of drainage, access to clean water and poor hygiene and sanitation conditions are the route causes of the recurrence and severity of outbreaks. "The vast majority of the population in Lusaka is living in such conditions that make them extremely vulnerable to cholera due to the lack of access to safe water, drainage and good sanitation facilities. What is clear is that much more has to be done by the authorities in the short-term to improve cholera response preparedness and to avert the needless loss of so many lives each year. There is also a need for political commitment to long-term infrastructural investment in drainage, sanitation and water provision in these unplanned peri-urban areas of Lusaka to rid the city of this deadly cholera. For far too long there has been neglect in provision of these basic services," said Luke Arend.

MSF has been working in Zambia since 1999. In this cholera emergency intervention, 17 international staff are working alongside more than 500 Zambian colleagues in Lusaka.

For more information go to http://msf.org.za/

easy print version email article share

|

back

07.04.2010

Cape Town the unhealthiest city in South Africa

15.03.2010

Rift Valley Fever - 22 cases confirmed

14.03.2010

SA has a weighty problem

26.12.2009

Preventing heart attacks

19.12.2009

Drug use may lead to Schizophrenia

18.12.2009

Difficulties of living with Schizophrenia

12.12.2009

HIV impact on childhood development

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Promedmail

WHO Malaria Information page

Malaria Foundation International

ALLAFRICA

Abuja — Indications emerged weekend that the Nigerian Army authorities have concluded arrangements to Court Martial two officers -- Brigadier-General F. A. Mohammed, Managing Director of its Post Housing Limited, PHL, and Colonel G. E. Udegbe, Project Manager of its Post Service Homes for fraudulent practices estimated at N4. 5 billion.

The decision to Court Martial the two officers followed the conclusions of a Military Police investigation team and indictment by a board of inquiry, BoI, set by the Army High Command and subsequent conclusion of its investigations showing the two officers allegedly connived and siphoned huge sums of money contributed by serving military officers and the general public for the purchase of houses under PHL scheme.

The court martial which is expected to commence any moment from now, is coming on the heels a statement by the army authorities informing counsel to Gen. Mohammed and Col. Udegbe that the status of a military personnel or officer is governed by the doctrine of military law and the ordinary civil law of the land; Doctrine of Compact.

The statement which was signed by Col. Usman Abdul for the Directorate of Public Relations was titled, "Re: Lawyer faukts Army on detained officers," added that: "Let it be known that the Nigerian Army is committed to the observance and promotion of the rules of law, fundamental human rights, fair-hearing and accountability and, therefore, cannot succumb to blackmail and propaganda."

ALLAFRICA

Yenagoa — The Joint Task Force, code-named Operation Restore Hope, says it will hand over a Myanmar national arrested on board a vessel involved in oil bunkering off the Atlantic coast of Brass, Bayelsa State, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for prosecution.

The embattled foreigner, identified as Mr. Minzaw Tinmaungyaw, was nabbed aboard the seized vessel owned by a Greek firm, Blossom SA, allegedly loaded with 800 metric tonnes of crude oil stolen from a facility operated by Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC.

Though the arrested foreigner confirmed the illegal loading of the crude oil, he denied any involvement in the act, saying he was only a passenger on board the seized vessel.

Aside the Myanmaris who was apprehended by men of the Joint Task Force on board the vessel, known as M.T Glory, other members of the crew reportedly dived into the sea and escaped to evade arrest on sighting securitymen.

It was learnt that the seized vessel was a courier to a larger vessel with over 25 crew of Myanmar nationals on board, moored outside Nigeria's territorial waters, waiting to receive the stolen crude oil for onward delivery to the international market.

The vessel, according to a security source, was intercepted at about midnight 31 March 2010 by men of the Joint Task Force along the Lagosgbene community of Brass in Brass local government area of the state.

A Nigerian linked with the seized vessel and his cohorts were said to have offered N2 million for the release of the suspect and the vessel, which was rebuffed.

The authorities were said to be on the trail of those involved in the attempted bribe.

The coordinator of the Joint Media Centre of the JTF, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said the arrest has further shown the resolve of the Federal Government to put a stop to cases of illegal bunkering activities along its territorial waters.

Though he said the vessel had the capacity to load over 2,000 metric tones of crude oil, over 800 metric tones had been loaded before it was intercepted.

"All we have done is to conclude our report on the arrest and it will be forwarded to the appropriate authority for further action," he said.

Antigha noted that the JTF will also hand over the arrested vessel to the EFCC for investigation and prosecution of the suspects.

ALLAFRICA

Kaduna — A former Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), said weekend that there were no indications that Nigeria was either heading towards a failed state or has completely failed contrary to speculations by some countries and their Nigerian collaborators that the country has already failed or heading towards that direction.

He said there were no indices for him to believe that the country is in such serious crises.

Buhari, who was also the Presidential candidate of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, in the 2003 and the 2007 presidential elections before joining CPC, spoke at the Gamji Members' Association and Gamji Club International 50th anniversary lecture in Kaduna.

He spoke as a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mamman Nasir, said that the only solution to the nation's myriad of problems was for the leaders to reform the electoral process.

According to him, the country cannot move forward without credible and transparent elections.

Buhari said what the country needed is good governance, noting that good governance will solve all the nation's problems.

He stressed that the country is, however, in a precarious situation because of mismanagement of its resources in the last 12 years by those entrusted with its leadership, occasioned by corruption and insincerely.

According to him, Nigeria has all the ingredients of a great nation which includes abundant human resources, abundant oil and gas reserve, an array of large forest and unfathomable water resources, among others.

The former military leader pointing out that what the country needed to break into the league of developed nations is power generation and improved infrastructure.

On unity, he said government needs to bring the people together as one indivisible unit in the quest to place the country on a higher pedestal in the comity of nations, as according to him, "whatever God has joined together let no man put asunder."

Buhari stressed, however that this can only be "achieved if and only when government is sincere and truthful to the people."

ALLAFRICA

Jos — Three houses including that of the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Mining Corporation, Markus Pwajok, have been set ablaze in a fresh attack on Kuru Karama by unidentified persons.

Father of the chairman of Jos South Local Government Area, Da Dalyop Zi, was shot during the attack. He was taken to a hospital in Jos where he is said to be in critical condition.

Men of the special task force maintaining security in the area said they exchanged fire with some marauders, forcing them to flee into the bush but that they could not pursue them as they feared the attackers would ambush them.

Col. Kayode Ogundele, the operation officer of the special task force who narrated the efforts made by his men, said his men however went on their trail later in the morning and that they were still combing the area to apprehend the attackers.

Col. Ogundele said it was the prompt response of his men that saved the lives of the people of the village as the attackers fled when they sighted the reinforcement of the task force.

The attackers also burnt about four cars. No life was lost. Inhabitants of the area said they heard several gun shots at about 2: 00am and shortly after, saw the three buildings in flames.

A resident of the area, Mr Markus Davou, told our correspondent that he was in his house when he heard the gun shots but that before he could come out to see what it was all about he saw the three houses on fire.

Our correspondents confirmed that the houses set ablaze belonged to Mr. Markus Pwajok, a former Commissioner, a former General Manager of the Mining Corporation, Mr Davou Pwajok and the father of the Jos South Local Government chairman, Dah Dalyop Zi.

The Programme Coordinator of Stefanus Foundation Engineer Mark Lipdo said they visited the scene of the incident and were compiling the details of what had happened to know the assistance victims might require.

Police Public Relations Officer ASP Mohammed Lerama confirmed the attack. He said between 1am and 2am, they received a distress call that some people had attacked Kuru Karama and we sent our men. They found three houses on fire when they got there and called the Fire Service which helped to put out the fire. "We are investigating the incident", he said.

Plateau State Commissioner of Information and Communication Mr Gregory Yenlong also confirmed the incident, saying, "Some people attacked residents of Kuru Karama when I heard about it, I called the Permanent Secretary Security. I didn't get him and I called the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and he confirmed to me that some people attacked some houses and set houses ablaze. They heard about it around 1am and sent security operatives there. He said no life was lost.

ALLAFRICA

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has sent heartfelt condolences to the Acting President of Poland, Bronislaw Koromowshi and the Polish people over the death of President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and other ranking officials of the Polish government in a plane crash on Saturday.

Jonathan described the incident as tragic noting that Poland has, in one fell swoop, lost the commanding heights of its political leadership.

A statement by Jonathan's spokesman on media and publicity Ima Niboro reads: "On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I condole with your good self and the people of Poland over the death of President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, high ranking officials of your Government and other nationals in the tragic plane crash of Saturday".

The acting president asked God to comfort the families of the departed as well as the entire people of Poland as they pass through this painful period of their history.

ALLAFRICA

The board of directors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has called for the removal from office and prosecution of suspended Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the fund for alleged diversion of funds running into billons of Naira.

A resolution of the board's emergency meeting number 39 obtained by Daily Trust said Chief Enukora Joe Okoli who was suspended last year following a petition alleging he illegally deducted N380 million from the proceeds of sale of pension assets (real estate's) transferable to Trustfund Pensions PLC.

He was also said to have opened bank accounts without the requisite Board resolution and approval, total disregard for regulatory authorities, i.e. non compliance with the directives of the National Pension Commission (PenCom)".

Spokesman for the NSITF Mr Edward Bayo said he had not seen the document and told our reporter that such resolutions were usually sent to the government. Meanwhile, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Alhaji Umar Munir Abubakar as Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive of NSITF.

ALLAFRICA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four of the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chairmanship and Councillorship elections conducted last Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday in Abuja.

Mr Okezie Nwankwo, Head of Public Affairs, INEC FCT, confirmed that PDP won the chairmanship seats of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Abaji and Kuje area councils; while the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) won the chairmanship seats of Gwagwalada and Kwali councils. The electoral officer (EO) of AMAC, Mr Musa Usman, announced that PDP candidate Mr Mika Jiba, won the AMAC seat with 14, 600 votes.

In Kuje, Mr Danladi Zhin of PDP was declared winner with 12, 349 votes, while Mr Samuel Lanto of ANPP came second with 5, 088 votes. Mr Peter Yohana of PDP won with 10,304 votes in Bwari Area Council, while ANPP's Yahaya Isa scored 4, 815 votes to emerge second. ANPP's Zakari Angulu Dobi garnered 10,990 out of the 71,055 votes cast in Gwagwalada Area Council to emerge the winner of the chairmanship poll; Nwankwo said that PDP won in Abaji, while ANPP won in Kwali.

A total of 2,566 INEC staff officiated while 2,400 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were mobilised for the exercise. Sixteen political parties with 513 candidates participated in the election that saw 51 chairmanship, 50 vice chairmen and 412 councillorship candidates contesting.

In the distribution of eligible voters across the six local councils, Abaji had 27, 346 voters, Bwari 109, 593, Gwagwalada 80, 264 voters, Kuje 52, 124 voters, Kwali 40, 366 and AMAC with the largest number of 459, 926.

ALLAFRICA

Gombe — Federal Government Snake Bite Treatment Center, Kaltungo Gombe State, has recorded three deaths and 189 reported cases of snake bites in one month, the medical officer in charge of the center, Dr. Saidu Ballah said over the weekend.

Dr Ballah said in Kaltungo while exchanging views with newsmen over the menace of snakes in Kaltungo and environs, that the deaths and the huge number of reported cases were only in March this year and the number of snake bites was expected to rise this month.

He added that during the hot period usually around March to April, the cases of snake bites escalated by the days because this was the period reptiles, particularly snakes, come out.

The doctor added that the Federal Government had already supplied the center with sufficient quantity of anti-snake venom last which they were still using till this year. He said the state government had also assisted the center with 60 viles of the anti-snake bite drugs.

According to the medical officer, his center had got in touch with the manufacturers of the anti-venom drugs for the supply of this year's consignment, and about 10,000 viles of the drugs was expected to be delivered to the center before the end of this year. He regretted that most of the drugs available in the market for the treatment of snake bite were identified to be fake, explaining that most of the patients that come to his center from Bauchi and Adamawa States were victims of the fake drugs which had saturated the market.

Ballah appealed to the health commissioners of neighbouring states to ensure that the anti-snake venom supplied to their respective states were that of United Kingdom but not those drugs made in India, which according to him were ineffective.

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Abuja — The number of individuals and organizations clamouring for the re-appointment of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Maurice Iwu grew over the weekend with the Conference of South East Speakers demanding that the electoral boss be given another chance at the expiration of his first tenure later this June.

In a statement signed by the Speakers of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Augustine Nwankwoagu, Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Agwu U. Agwu, the Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Anayo Anabe and Speaker of the Enugu House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo, the lawmakers who were on a solidarity visit to Prof. Iwu said they have utmost confidence in him to deliver.

The conference argued that it would be rather naïve and pedestrian to blame only one man for all the perceived electoral problems recorded in Nigeria saying: "If we must get to the Promised Land, all stakeholders must sincerely work hard to eliminate electoral malpractices at all levels.

"Rather than identifying our electoral woes as a collective failure of the Nigerian polity, the electorate and even the security agencies, Prof. Iwu was being singled out and 'slaughtered' on the alter of minority rascality".

Responding, Prof. Iwu said he was very happy that not minding that he is serving the whole of Nigeria, people from his own base are treasuring his modest efforts in nurturing and consolidating democracy in the country.

He revealed that INEC under his apprenticeship has introduced reforms such as the use of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in place of the ad-hoc staff for conducting elections.

"Also we have introduced the declaration of results of elections at the polling centres, adequate training of the staff, and the use of electronic voters' register which made difficult for unscrupulous Nigerians to perpetrate electoral fraud," he said.

The INEC boss also said he was amazed by the preponderant of Nigerians canvassing for the re-appointment of the chairman of the electoral body saying the debate in itself was a welcome development.

Sudanese nationals living in Kenya on Sunday started voting as officials allayed fears of a resurgence of conflict in the largest country in Africa.

Of 30,000 Sudanese living in the country, only 300 will participate in the elections being conducted at the embassy in Nairobi until tomrrow.

Majority of them, ambassador Majok Guandong said, didn’t meet the criteria of the National Electoral Commission to possess a travel passport and a Kenyan resident permit. They also had to be over 18 years.

“The elections are going to be free and fair despite reports of rigging,” Mr Guandong said, adding that those citing irregularities were merely “misinformed.”

“How can we talk of rigging even before the voting is conducted,” he said, referring to the claim by presidential candidate Yassir Said Amman.

Mr Amman, who was contesting on Sudanese People Liberation Movement withdrew out of the race claiming sitting president Omar al Bashir had already flawed the entire process.

“Those fears were not founded on evidence,” Mr Guandong said.

So far, there are nine other contestants a fact that the envoy said is a good sign of emergence of democracy in a country that is going to the polls in decades.

Mr Peter Kot, a law student at Mount Kenya University believes the election are important if his country is to finally fulfil its comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended a 25-year war. “This will determine the future of Sudan,” said Mr Kot at the embassy along Kabarnet Road.

Supporters as well as members of the Action Congress (AC) at Abaji yesterday morning protested over the result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission that declared the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate as the winner of the chairmanship council polls.

INEC's result which saw Alhaji Musa Yahaya Muhammed, the incumbent chairman of the council as winner was announced at 2.13 am.

The result INEC released showed PDP having 6,130 votes, AC 5,364 and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) got 2,239 votes.

Our reporter learnt that immediately after the results were released, protesters in large numbers blocked the Abuja-Lokoja highway as well as the Abaji-Agyana road with heavy logs of wood and burnt tyres to show their displeasure at the result.

An AC member lamented that even before the results were read, armed mobile policemen drafted to INEC's office in the council were already shooting tear gas into the air to scare people from the venue.

"There was stampede in residential quarters close to INEC's office as families, who slept outside because of heat, had to rush inside their rooms to avoid suffocation," the member said.

Commenting on the protest, AC Abaji Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Angulu Bello, accused the PDP of rigging at some polling units in rural areas of the council.

According to him, the PDP allegedly rigged at Agyana, Nanda, Mamagi, Gawu , Kutara and Gurdi villages after using suspected thugs to chase away party agents from other parties.

He said the thugs forcefully snatched some voter's cards and beat an AC party agent to stupor.

"They inflicted injuries on the agent, destroyed his motorcycle at Mamagi village, before chasing voters from the polling unit and AC is pained because it happened in the presence of security operatives and they did nothing," he lamented.

The chairman disclosed that another AC member, Idris Mohammed was badly brutalised at a polling unit in Nuku village by thugs suspected to be sympathetic to the PDP in the presence of policemen.

He said three vehicles that conveyed AC members from Pandagi Gbako to Nanda Polling unit had their windscreen smashed and the members' voter's cards seized by the thugs.

The AC chairman vowed that noting will stop the party from contesting the election result at the election petition tribunal as they are confident of winning their case with the genuine result at hand.

One of the injured AC members, Idris Mohammed, alleged he complained that the way the ballot box was placed is not safe, when Abaji Council's secretary, who is from the village ordered some youths to beat him in the presence of security men.

" I was only complaining for the ballot box to be placed in a safe way, when the council secretary ordered some boys to beat me in the presence of security men," he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Steven A. Ekpei, who headed security in the area proved abortive but Abaji Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Adepebga K. Adetoye, confirmed the incident and said the matter has been resolved.

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ALL AFRICA

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan arrived the United States of America yesterday morning for a four-day official working visit during which he would participate in the international Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted by President Barack Obama.

Jonathan, according to a statement by his spokesman, Ima Niboro, arrived the Andrews Airforce Base, Virginia, at 9.30am local time (3.30pm Nigerian time) and was received by US Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Renee Sanders, her Nigerian counterpart Ade Adefuye, and other ranking Nigerian and US officials.

The acting president was billed to meet Obama at 5-30pm (11.30pm Nigerian time) on Sunday. The meeting would have been held by now. Jonathan will also have lunch with US Vice President Joe Biden today.

After lunch with Biden, Jonathan will meet with the President of the World Bank, at the World Bank building in Washington DC, and later in the evening join other visiting Heads of Government and delegations for a working dinner with President Barack Obama.

"On Tuesday, Jonathan will join other world leaders for the first plenary session of the Nuclear Security Summit to be chaired by President Obama before proceeding for a working lunch with the US president. He will thereafter participate in the second plenary, which marks the end of the nuclear summit."

On Wednesday, Jonathan would have breakfast with the officials of the Centre for Global Development in Washington DC, and another meeting with Nigerian community in the US as well as a luncheon with Coordinator, Corporate Council on Africa.

Jonathan returns to Nigeria on Wednesday, the statement said.

The acting president was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Odein Ajumogobia and former Nigerian envoy to the US Alhaji Hassan Adamu. On arrival, Jonathan proceeded to Westin Grand Hotel, Washington DC, where he was received by Governors Ikedi Ohakim of Imo, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Aliyu Shinkafi of Zamfara, Joy Ogwu, the Nigeria Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and other top diplomats.