TWENTY-FOUR hours to the inauguration of new political leadership at both the federal and state levels, Nigeria today is on tenterhooks.
Police presence was beefed up across the cities yesterday ahead of the two-day sit-at-home protests declared by the civil society and Labour leaders to begin today.
The proponents of the protests said that there was no going back on their plan, declaring that it would be morally indefensible to allow the "flawed polls of April in Nigeria to hold."
The arrow-heads of the planned protests insisted on the convocation of an Interim National Government (ING) to conduct election, and decried the Electoral Act which does not stipulate the conclusion of election disputes before oath taking by politicians as was the case in the 1979 Constitution.
Members of the opposition under the aegis of Nigeria United for Democracy (NUD) and the coalition of Civil Society Organisation (CSO) restated their opposition to tomorrow's inauguration of new administrations across the country, insisting that it must not hold because they did not derive from the wishes of the Nigerian people.
NUD National Chairman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite and CSO's spokesperson, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, at different fora in Lagos, yesterday handed down the position of the two groups.
Dr. Braithwaite faulted attempt to inaugurate people whose election, according to him, had been globally adjudged to be flawed and below the least standard in the world.
The NUD chairman particularly decried the hurry to inaugurate those whose elections were disputed without waiting for the resolution of the disputes at the tribunals.
He wondered why the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo decided to depart from the tradition of resolving disputes before the swearing in as was the case in the suit between the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic.
His words: "Before we substantiate our assertion, let me quickly refer you to a time that this basic feature (no inauguration before electoral restitution) was accepted and practised here in Nigeria. Please, recall the infamous two-thirds of 19 states judgment in Awolowo vs Shagari case of 1979."
Continuing, Braithwaite said: "The relevance of that case to our position is that Nigerians are perfectly entitled to demand justice, before any candidate whose mandate is disputed is forced on them. The Awo vs Shagari case was decided and resolved, prior to the inauguration of Shagari and so were all other election disputes of that time."
He noted that the practice of resolving electoral disputes before swearing-in was the trend all over the world and that Nigeria of today should not be an exception.
Reiterating NUD's call for an interim government, Braithwaite expressed belief that although it is not provided for in the constitution, the ING more logical and acceptable than installing "unelected persons."
Braithwaite, who is also the national chairman of the Nigerian Advance Party (NAP), warned that more serious political disaster awaited the country should the result of the elections stand.
He based his warning and fear on the unprecedented majority seats of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) at the National Assembly and some of the states assemblies, believing that the ruling party could use this to achieve its goal of changing the constitutional four-tenure to seven or more years.
"The first thing the PDP legislators would do in those circumstance, would be amendment of the constitution to substitute the four-year tenure of office to seven - 10 years and remove the two-term limit as well," he stated.
Braithwaite said that the two-day protest would hold, stressing that the action would mark the beginning of change in the country.
Letting out how the opposition would engage the incoming government, Braithwaite said: "The protest against this unprecedented and monumental rape of democratic principles has already started; it will surely escalate but in a peaceful manner until an interim administration takes over the governance of this country."
The CSO spokesperson, Odumakin and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) national chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu urged Nigerians to participate fully in the protest.
Nwosu told The Guardian that the presidential candidates of the various parties would lead the protest in Abuja tomorrow while the governorship candidates would lead the protest at the level of the states.
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) also called on its members nationwide and all true democrats to join Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) in their determination to salvage Nigeria.
In a statement yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the coalition, Mr. Osita Okechukwu said: "Our considered view rates the salvation of our nascent democracy as a national duty and urges all compatriots to join us on the second phase of the struggle billed to take off post inauguration."
The group continued: "We have for the umpteenth time stated that the sham elections must be cancelled as any government coming out of the charade will remain illegitimate no matter any grandstanding. The illegality cannot stand, otherwise it becomes eternal slavery."
It recalled that huge sums were spent by the government for the election with the controversial results. The group said: "Let us not forget that after spending over N60 billion on the elections, President Olusegun Obasanjo and his co-travellers in INEC deliberately subverted the peoples will, on the assumption that the opposition will embark on spontaneous mass action, which he could have capitalized on to declare a nation-wide state of emergency. We refused to fall into the booby trap. The time is now to return to the trenches."
The CNPP is, however, unwavering in its opposition to the new leaderships that have emerged. It said: "Whereas, CNPP commends all those who in one way or the other fought on the side of our dear country to defeat the evil Third Term, which today makes it imperative for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to retire in two days time (tomorrow) to his farm; however we wish to appeal for concerted effort to pull down the illegitimate government imposed on us."
It continued: "The world cannot be wrong, a receiver of stolen good in law is a thief and there is no posturing or propaganda that will erase the truism that Governor Umaru Yar'Adua and his cohorts in PDP were not elected by lawful votes. The non-compliance and corrupt practices that characterised the sham elections had substantially eroded the credibility of the process and atrophied our political culture. We must beware of negative political culture, once it takes root, it becomes very difficult to uproot."
The CNPP commended the Elie Wiesel Foundation (EWF), the European Union, the Trade Union Congress of United Kingdom, the Carter Foundation and other foreign governments which "appreciate the sordid scenario that we found ourselves which is the outcome of the inordinate ambition of one man to rule for life."
It appealed to all "to stand up and defend our hard-won democracy, for history has shown that freedom is never achieved on a platter of charity but must be earned."
The group added: "We are aware that it is not going to be a 100 meter dash, it is a marathon race as the election was deliberately, as we pointed out, bungled to precipitate crisis that could have created the material conditions for national state of emergency. We consciously avoided this booby trap."
Navy deploys six patrol ships in Niger Delta
The Nigerian Navy has deployed six patrol ships in the Niger Delta region to check the activities of militants operating in the area.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, disclosed this at the inauguration of the Nigerian Navy School of Health Sciences, Offa, Kwara State, on Saturday.
Adekeye, who said that the establishment of the NNSHS was part of the ongoing improvement in the navy, noted that in 2005, the navy could not boast of one sea-worthy ship.
”Right now we have six ships patrolling the Niger Delta constantly. That is why you have not heard anything from the militants of recent,” he said.
He said that the deployment of the ships became possible through the repair operation of the navy.
The CNS, who described the inauguration of the school as another milestone in the history of the Nigerian Navy, said that it was structured to meet the basic medical training requirements of navy‘s medical personnel.
He said that the school was relocated from Lagos to a more suitable site in Offa to facilitate its development, growth and eventual accreditation.
He said that before the relocation of the school, three states – Benue, Kogi and Kwara, were approached to provide land and other infrastructural support for the relocation.
Adekeye said that only Kwara State responded promptly by providing land.
”We expect that with the relocation and upgrading of the school, our medical personnel would now receive better and qualitative training, which will translate to better quality health care for naval personnel and enhance our operational efficiency,” he said.
To ensure quality instruction, he said that substantial investment had gone into providing up-to-date instructional materials and teaching aids in the school.
He also said that the school would soon be affiliated to professional bodies to enable it award appropriate diploma and certificates.
The school, he said, would also extend its services to the host communities of Offa and environs.
The Minister of Defence, Ambassador Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, who inaugurated the school, praised the foresight and commitment of the leadership of the navy.
He said that the importance of training could not be overemphasised in an organisation like the navy.
Aguiyi-Ironsi assured that the Federal Government would continue to support the navy, and indeed the armed forces to be one of the best in the world.
He also stressed the multiplier effect of the school especially for the Offa community.
Oil Prices Fall
Crude oil fell in New York on speculation U.S. fuel prices may ease as refiners increase output to meet summer demand and after oil workers in Nigeria ended a two-day strike.
A U.S. government report showed gasoline production rose to the highest since December, boosting supplies for a third week. U.S. crude oil stockpiles are 7.6 percent above their five-year average, the Energy Department said last week. Nigerian oil workers ended the strike after the government conceded to their demand for more pay and benefits, Reuters reported on May 26.
``Crude oil inventories are just too high in the U.S.,'' said Anthony Nunan, assistant general manager for risk management at Mitsubishi Corp. in Tokyo. ``Run rates are improving, we'll have to see whether demand for gasoline is strong enough to match the increase in runs.''
Crude oil for July delivery fell as much as 47 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $64.73 a barrel, in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $64.86 at 3 p.m. in Singapore.
Prices rose $1.02 to $65.20 on May 25, gaining 50 cents in the hour before settlement as investors prepared for the three- day Memorial Day holiday weekend. The exchange is closed for floor trading today. Futures have declined 10 percent in the past year.
Brent crude oil for July settlement was at $70.35 a barrel, down 34 cents, on the London-based ICE Futures exchange at 3:01 p.m. Singapore time. It rose to $71.80 a barrel on May 24, the highest intraday price since Aug. 28, as strikes and kidnappings curbed output in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer.
Holiday Demand
``Prices are still on the high side because the supply- demand situation isn't quite there yet,'' said Tobin Gorey, commodity strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd. in Sydney. ``It's the unofficial kick-off of the U.S. summer driving season'' and that will keep the focus on gasoline demand and fuel stockpiles, he said.
Gasoline stockpiles on May 18 were 7 percent below the five-year average, according to Energy Department data.
The market lacks direction and investors may be reluctant to trade until the next inventory report provides the gasoline production figures, Gorey said.
Gasoline demand in the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer, peaks from June to August as summer vacations, starting with today's Memorial Day holiday, put more cars on the road.
More than 38 million Americans will travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home during the three-day holiday break, 1.7 percent more than last year, the AAA forecast on May 17.
Gasoline Gains
Gasoline for June delivery was at $2.4125 a gallon today after rising 2 percent to $2.4037 a gallon on May 25, a one-week high. The contract expires May 31. The more widely held July contract was at $2.3165 today, after rising 1.9 percent May 25.
``The situation is fairly bullish both on the product side and on the crude side,'' said Antoine Halff, an analyst at Fimat USA in New York. ``We're starting driving season with stocks that are well below the range where they've been the last few years.''
Ample U.S. oil stockpiles have cushioned New York oil futures from supply concerns that pushed Brent crude oil prices to a nine-month high last week.
``Refinery troubles meant there are rising inventories of crude oil and this increased supply is dampening the market,'' said Kaname Gokon, deputy manager of the research section at Okato Shoji Co. in Tokyo.
Nigerian Output
In Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, export loadings were delayed during the strike by about 6,000 union workers at state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Co., union leaders said last week. The workers returned after the government agreed on severance terms for those affected by the sale of the Port Harcourt refinery, Reuters reported.
Sabotage and kidnappings in the oil-rich delta region of Nigeria have surged following last month's presidential elections. Three Americans and four Britons were among a group of oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria on May 25, according to U.S. and U.K. government spokesmen.
The workers were abducted from a pipe-laying vessel off the coast of the Niger Delta near the Brass crude oil export terminal, Reuters said.
Fuel now N75 per litre
The Federal government yesterday increased the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol from N65 to N75 per litre. The prices of other products such as the Automative Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel and household kerosene are however not affected as government maintained that the two products have been fully deregulated.
Most of the petrol stations visited within Lagos metropolis and Ibadan in Oyo State sold PMS at N75 a litre and their pump already adjusted accordingly.
There are strong indications that before the end of next month, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar Adua would announce a further decrease in the subsidy from the new level of N20 per litre. The Guardian sources that gave this hint said the action is to enable new investors in the refinery to recoup their money.
The sources added that the pronouncement by the incoming government would also enhance confidence in the international community to invest in the downstream refining sector.
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