by Arusi Nwanenwe, Abuja

Nigerians from all walks of life have faulted calls by the former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, for the postponement of the 2011 general elections and the May 29 handover date.

An opinion poll of Nigerians especially political party leaders conducted by the Newsday showed that a sizeable portion of citizens are vehemently opposed to the shift of the handover and general election dates saying it would violate the nation's constitution and amount to a replay of events during the military era when terminal dates for administrations were flagrantly postponed at the detriment of the people.

While speaking on 'Credible Voters Register' at a conference organised by Change Nigeria Project and the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, recently, Mallam El-Rufai had stated that the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhaji Attahiru Jega, should be given all the necessary resources, including time, to achieve his aim of reforming the electoral system and preparing a credible voters register.

His words: “We may have to ask the people in the National Assembly to amend the constitution, to give him (Mr. Jega) the time he needs to reform INEC,” even as he warned Nigerians not to put the hope of a free and fair election on the INEC chairman and the new INEC board alone because the time was short and the resources at their disposal for the discharge of the responsibilities limited.
“Let us not expect too much from one man. We are expecting too much from one man and a few people, and I think it is not possible,” he said.

Alhaji Balarabe Musa, National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party [PRP] and Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties [CNPP] however described the suggestion as “an invitation to chaos,” adding that “there is no reason for the postponement of the elections since every necessary preparation and arrangement for the election has been completed including recruitment and training of staff.”

Musa, a former governor of Kaduna State said that it is the president who would be held responsible if the election or handover dates are tampered with advising that “the election must hold. If the president wants to stand clean as a leader thrust on the country by destiny, he should insist that the election must hold as planned.”
The National Chairman of the African Renaissance Party [ARP] Alhaji Yahaya EGK Ndu also disagreed with Mallam Nasir stressing that on no account should the terminal date for the handover exceed May 29, 2011 because any change in date would amount to a violation of the constitution.

Alhaji Yahaya Ndu reminded Mallam El-Rufai and those supporting his line of argument that Nigerians and the entire world would not accept a shift in handover date if for any reason the present administration was forced to postpone the election except the action is backed by the inauguration of an interim administration to organize the polls.

Barrister Maxi Okwu, National Chairman of the Citizens Popular Party was angry with the former minister for suggesting that the elections should be postponed. “It's an irresponsible statement. El'rufai should shut up his mouth. Has he suddenly regained his voice just because former President Umar Musa Yar'adua has passed on? Where was he [El'rufai] when the former president was alive?, the politician asked in response to a request for his party's position on the former minister's remarks.

Chief Osita Okechukwu of the All Nigeria Political Party [ANPP] said: “We do not need to postpone any election now in this country. We need to abide by the constitution. The constitution is very clear on the matter. There's nothing on the ground that we cannot complete for the election to hold as scheduled. The review of the voters register can be done as soon as possible and completed. Those in authority really do not have any genuine reason to postpone the election.”

At the same forum, former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, who spoke on 'conducting free and fair elections in 2011,' towed Mallam El'rufai's line and also said that Alhaji Attahiru Jega could not really influence the conduct of the 2011 elections adding that based on his experience as governor, it was the presiding officers at the 120,000 polling booths in Nigeria that manipulate elections most.

Apart from calling for a more technologically driven electioneering process and voter registration, Duke said “Jega has been handed a mission impossible. The chairman of INEC has little or no bearing on the success of an election. We cannot have credible elections in January. We can have elections, but they may not be credible.”

Other Nigerians who commented on the matter through the internet made scathing remarks such as “What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. The salient point is to elect credible, visionary and upright leaders. if we need extra time to achieve this, so be it. Those that are advocating for extra time [Rufai and Duke] are the participants in the previous elections. Experience they say is the best teacher.”

One Nigerian, Henry Okoh remarked that “El'rufai owes Jonathan a favour. If one day the law is chasing you up and down, and another day it invites you to dinner. Will you not show appreciation to the law officer? El Rufai and his likes are just planning to sabotage INEC and Nigeria. Let elections be held normally. Even if you extend it to another four years, are you sure the resources will be adequate? They just want more time to strategise their rigging.

Chief Femi Babatunde said: “El'rufai should know better. He is trying to fly a kite on behalf of his political handlers and it's only natural that Nigerians shoot down the idea based on past experiences. El Rufai lacks integrity. He is a typical Nigerian politician. He should thank his stars that former President Yar'adua died but I am sure that he will some day return to the courts to answer his charges.”

Jonathan Says Improper Pricing Responsible For
Private Refineries

by Iniabasi Umo, Uyo

TPresident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has blamed the inability of private refineries to commence operations in the country on the problem of improper pricing.
Speaking recently at a town hall meeting in the Akwa Ibom State Government House, Jonathan said private refineries earlier granted licenses could not commence operations due to the problem of improper pricing by the relevant authorities.

He noted that regulatory agencies like the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) had to first deal with the problem of improper pricing before the private refineries could begin operations.
Dr. Jonathan however gave the assurance that the private refineries would begin work as soon as the problem was resolved by the relevant stakeholders in the sector.

Noting that it was not the place of the Federal government to operate refineries, he stated that they would rather engage in private partnership with the private sector than solely run one.
He maintained that this would guarantee steady supply and availability of petroleum products in the country.

“Honestly speaking, the focus of government is not directly to get involved in building of refineries again but to encourage the private sector to build refineries. So if government is involved it would be through private-public partnership but not directly the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) building refineries.”

It could be recalled that the administration of erstwhile President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo gave operational licenses to Amakpe refinery in Akwa Ibom state and 17 others which are yet to commence operations.
On the subsisting problem of instability in power supply, Jonathan mentioned that even if the country was able to realize the 40,000 megawatts target for next year, the country would still not achieve steady power supply.

His words: “The power sector which you wanted me to say categorically that by this time next year or thereabout Nigeria will have steady power, It is not proper to give that kind of promise again because I am not a native doctor.

“One thing about power, from the little I know in Bayelsa state, immediately you get to some level say about 10,000 megawatts you might expect that there would be steady supply but by the time the power improves more people would continue to bring appliances. So the demand of this country is quite high.

“Until we get up to 40,000 I don't think it would be stable. So you can not really say next year, even if we have our target, it would not really give us what we want yet. But what I can promise you is that we are taking it very seriously”.