First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan has called on the Nigerian women to seek elective posts in 2011 even as she urged the men to support those who have already made their intentions known.


She also called on the international community to enjoin the Nigerian men to change the old tradition of suppressing women and relegating them to the background and embrace modern trend as seen in South Africa, Senegal and Rwanda.

Mrs. Jonathan assured Nigerian men that women will remain loyal to them and continue to take care of the home front even while in politics.

She spoke at the unveiling of Nigeria @ 50 Logo, Nigerian Women: the Journey so far, to celebrate Nigerian women to kick-start part of the activities marking Nigeria’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary.

The event was organized by the First Lady’s Women for Change Initiative, her pet project, which seeks to promote the contributions of Nigerian women to national development.

“I urge women to offer themselves for elective positions and also appeal to our menfolk to support the women. I also want to appeal to state governments to give legal backing to the National Gender Policy on Affirmative Action while I warmly commend states (Imo, Anambra and Kaduna) that have already passed it into law”, she stated.

She paid glowing tribute to several Nigerian women, dead and alive who contributed to Nigeria’s attainment of Independence 50 years ago and to various national causes.

Earlier, Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih, said the launching of the logo was to give women the opportunity to reflect on our history and take pride in their role in nation-building.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, said this dispensation is the first time more ladies were made permanent secretaries, adding that it shows that women, with support, can help Nigeria fulfill its vision.

US Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Sanders commended the Nigerian women and their achievements and read an ode to the Nigerian women-can- do spirit despite challenges.

N324m realised at launching ...for Katsina PDP secretariat

OVER 324 million Naira was realized as donation towards the construction of Katsina State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat Complex at the weekend. The highest donation came from the chief launcher, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal who donated 50 million Naira. All political officeholders in the state jointly gave 120 million Naira.
Others were Mannir Abukur, 10 million Naira, Abdulaziz Maigoro, 10 million Naira, five million Naira each from senators, 30 million Naira from members of the National Assembly, Idah Blocks, 10 million Naira and two million Naira each from ministries indigene of the state.
Others include former Governor Lawal Kaita, 500,000 Naira, Chief Solomon Lar, 500,000 Naira, Lema Jibril, one million Naira, Murtala Safana, two million Naira, Kaduna State Government, five million Naira, Jigawa State three million Naira, Garba Yaro Malumfashi five million Naira, Amadi Kurfi 500,000 Naira and Sanusi Wada Rahusa five million Naira, Biliya Sanda five million Naira, among others.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has stressed the need for unity within the ranks of PDP to achieve credible elections next year.
Mr. Jonathan was speaking at the fund raising and foundation laying ceremony of the Katsina State headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Represented by his Special Adviser Political Matters, Dr. Akilu Sani Indabawa, the President said the PDP has institutionalized internal democracy as a way of achieving victory at the polls next year.
In his address at the occasion, Governor Ibrahim Shema said PDP remains a party of choice and services to people, pointing out that the PDP within the last 11 years has been delivering democratic dividends to the electorate.
Alhaji Ibrahim Shema called for prayers to late President Yar’Adua and the PDP.
Also speaking the National Chairman of PDP Dr. Ekweselize Nwodo described Governor Ibrahim Shema as a performer, saying that the governor has been tolerant and impacted well on the lives of state citizens in a number of ways.
Earlier, the state PDP chairman Alhaji Rabu’u Gambo Bakori said the party would continue to strategize ahead of next year’s general elections.
He called for maturity and discipline from party faithful to achieve the desired objective.
The chairman project committee and National Financial Secretary of the PDP Alhaji Tukur Mani said the building complex when completed will consist of 30 rooms for principal officers, a conference hall, a mosque and a restaurant among others.
In a closing remark the zonal vice Chairman of PDP Dr. Danladi Sankara thanked all those who donated towards the building project.
Among the dignitaries who witnessed the occasion are the Kaduna State Governor Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Jigawa State Deputy Governor Ahmed Muhammad, Minister of Mines Arc. Musa Sada and Minister State Defence Alhaji Murtala Yar’Adua.

Plateau police commissioner meets religious leaders

Inspector General Onovo

The Plateau State Police Commissioner has appealed to Christians and Muslims to sustain the prevailing peace in the state.Police Commissioner Ikechukwu Aduba made the appeal while on separate courtesy visits to the headquarters of Jamatul Nasril Islam, and the Christian Association of Nigeria in Jos yesterday. He said there was the need for followers of both religions to understand the secularity of the Nigerian state as enshrined in the constitution as well as the need for religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

“There is the need to appeal to leaders of both religious bodies and their adherents to sheath their swords and cultivate the spirit of forgiveness and live vengeance to God in a bid to ensure sustainable and enduring peace. This is peace time and we need to cement it and that is why we are making this appeal, we don’t like enforcing peace, we want people to embrace it especially now that peace has returned,” he said.

EFCC vets INEC contractors

Companies seeking multi-billion naira contracts from INEC for the supply of computer hardware and software that would be used in the voters’ registration exercise are being scrutinized by the EFCC, Daily Trust learnt in Abuja yesterday. The Independent National Electoral Commission has budgeted about N74 billion to buy 120,000 direct data capturing machines, train staff and pay honoraria for the compilation of the voters’ register, ahead of the general elections coming up in January.

INEC referred the eight contractors bidding to supply the machines to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for integrity check and other scrutiny, a senior official of the electoral commission told Daily Trust.

The companies being screened for the contracts are Resourcery, Image Technologies, Zinox, Google, Basmak, Joint Komputer Company, Dimension Data and Pacific Millennium.

An official said INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega asked the EFCC to vet the companies further, after an earlier screening by the State Security Service (SSS) last week.

Among the criteria to be used in screening the companies are technical know-how, integrity of the company and its directors, financial capacity and previous similar jobs done.

Jega had said last month that contractors supplied substandard machines for the 2006 voters’ registration, which was part of the reasons why the register was riddled with too many problems.

To avoid a repeat of this, an official said, the commission is now subjecting potential suppliers of the machines to intense scrutiny.

Spokesman for EFCC Femi Babafemi, when contacted yesterday, said he did not hear about the vetting of the INEC contractors by the time he closed from work.

Jega had also vowed to bring integrity into the electoral commission, and told officials to move along that line.

“People are not finding it easy now because the chairman is very strict with things, especially the resident electoral commissioners who used to have a field day during any election. They are seriously complaining about the man,” a source in INEC told Daily Trust.

When our reporter visited the INEC headquarters in Abuja yesterday, hordes of hopeful contractors were seen hanging around offices of top management officials.

The Federal Government last week approved the release of N87.7 billion to the commission for the conduct of the voters’ registration exercise and other election-related matters, and an official said the funds were credited to the commission’s accounts yesterday.