Post-election Violence: 121 Dead

Wednesday, 20 April 2011 01:40 Samuel Aruwan and Abdulrahman Tonga, Kaduna, Yau Waziri, Gombe, Sani Muh’d Sani, Bauchi, and Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Kano

• Kaduna 50, Kano 30, Bauchi 16, Katsina 8, Gombe 17

• 15,000 displaced
The post-election crisis that swept  northern parts of the country has left no fewer than 121 people dead and hundreds more injured.According to reliable sources, about 15,000 people have been displaced, many of them seeking shelter in police stations and army barracks. The largest number of casualties are from Kaduna where some 50 people are feared dead and Kano where the figure has been put at 30.   The casualty list so far puts the number of the dead in Gombe at 17, with  neighbouring Bauchi State recording 16 and Katsina State 8. The commissioner of police  in Bauchi State, John Abakasanga, disclosed that four members of the National Youth Service Corps had been killed, as well as one  divisional crime officer (DCO) and one female corporal.

The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Father Lawi Potki, also confirmed that he saw 10 dead people.  The secretary of the Red Cross in Bauchi, Adamu Abubakar, placed the number of the wounded in the state at 17 and those displaced at 3,500. The Red Cross also confirmed the death of eight people in Katsina in the aftermath of the violence. According to Abubakar, 500 displaced people were at the DIC Camp, Gudun village, while many more were sighted at Sha Da Wanka Barracks and the Bauchi State Police headquarters.

Unconfirmed reports from different neighbourhoods in Kano indicate that 13 people were killed by the police in a friendly fire in the course of trying to  quell the violence.

The state police commissioner, Dan’Azumi Doma, told LEADERSHIP that, officially, he had received no information of any deaths.  He however said 120 people had been arrested and 94 of them remanded in custody. The state police commissioner in Gombe State, Suleiman Lawan, was also unable to confirm the number of casualties but LEADERSHIP gathered from the chief medical director at the Gombe Specialist Hospital, Dr. James Madi, that five people were confirmed dead at the hospital and 30 others treated for injuries. Twelve people were also confirmed dead from the Gombe Federal Medical Centre with 71 receiving treatment from injuries, even as some people had been discharged.  The deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Police in charge of operations in Abuja, Audu Abubakar, who was also in Gombe yesterday to inspect the extent of damage, said that the police would be able to confirm the casualties today. From Kaduna,  hospitals are reported to be overflowing with the injured.

Travellers caught unawares on the Abuja-Kaduna highway spoke of at least eight deaths.  Along the Kaduna- Zaria highway seven persons were reported dead while in Zaria city, the number of those killed was put at 10.  The remaining deaths came from Kaduna City as well as the spillover in Kafanchan and Hunkuyi.

DIG  Abubakar who was also in Kaduna said that more security personnel were being drafted to the state.

leadershipeditors.com/ns/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29378:post-election-violence-121-dead&catid=51:cover-stories&Itemid=142

 

Prefab high-rise living: coming soon to a city near you?

How can cities get more sustainable, affordable housing that’s also quick to build? More prefab high-rises, perhaps?
That’s exactly what Seattle’s Sustainable Living Innovations is working on. Fast Company explains how the buildings — which will be unveiled later this week — would save time and money on construction:

Arlan Collins, principal at CollinsWoerman (the architecture firm behind the group) explains that in Seattle, a wood-frame apartment building with parking is $130,000 a unit. It also takes an interminable 36 to 40 months for design and construction. SLI’s building costs the same–but it can be designed in less than 20 months. So for the same price as a building featuring a wood frame, vinyl windows, a popcorn ceiling, and an ugly beige carpet, SLI can build a steel-framed building with concrete floor slabs and ample natural lighting, right out of an IKEA catalog.

“From the time we’re ready to lift the building, it will only take us 90 days to finish. If you’re an observer, this building will go from not being there at all to being done and having someone living in it in four months,” says Collins. That’s because the SLI design consists of ready-made parts that are put together like an Erector Set on site (see the video below). For people who have seen construction projects languish for years with little progress, this could be something of a miracle.

And because they’re prefab, they can build sustainability into each structure. Each unit meets LEED Silver certification. Plus, the firms says their buildings use less building materials than the standard building process. That’s due in part because there are no hallways or walls in the apartments — except around bathrooms and bedrooms.
But sustainability isn’t the only consideration. When the recession hit, and construction projects plummeted, the architectural firm was looking for ways to re-invent itself. The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce reports:

“After Lehman (Brothers Holdings) went bankrupt we said ‘we could be out of work,” said Arlan Collins, a principal with the Seattle architecture firm. “It was the fear of ‘what do we do?’

That fear prompted the firm to invent a new approach to design and construction that would appeal to cost-conscious developers and consumers, and give it a competitive edge.

The result? Buildings that cost 25 percent less than using conventional methods. If you live in Seattle you can see a scaled-down model. If not, just check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j_JE-uB0eD0

President Goodluck Jonathan casts his vote

                                              President Goodluck Jonathan casts his vote.

The electoral commission said he won the poll with 22.5 million votes - nearly twice as many as his closest challenger

Don’t spare Those Behind Riots – Mark

 

Tuesday, 19 April 2011 02:

by: Uchenna Awom, Abuja



     President of the Senate, David Mark



An angry Mark  lamented the eruption of violence in some parts of the country over the much heralded presidential election and charged all security formations to mobilize for action and halt it immediately.

Senator Mark, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Paul Mumeh, noted that Nigerians “were genuinely making their decisions on who should lead them at all levels of Government through the ballot box and must not be stampeded to do otherwise”.

He condemned in very strong terms the violence in some parts of the country  and implored the security operatives not to treat the sponsors and perpetrators with kid gloves.

“The process of the on-going elections has been adjudged locally and internationally as free and fair. Even the losers have admitted and accepted the results as the true reflection of the votes cast. I do not understand the reason for this outburst and violence. We must put an end to this”, he said.

Senator Mark reminded Nigerians that the interest of the country was supreme and indeed supersedes any individual or group interest, and added, “it is our conscious and deliberate decision to adopt democracy as the best form of government. People should not in any guise do anything to undermine the process”.

He therefore called on political and religious leaders to keep their followers in check as security operatives would not spare anyone breaking the law. He said, “there should be no sacred cow because nobody is above the law”.

Mark stressed that no matter the level of anger in a man’s mind, resorting to violence or killing people would only worsen the situation.

This was even as he said that no matter the situation persuasion and dialogue remained the best option.

leadershipeditors.com/ns/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29311:dont-spare-those-behind-riots--mark-&catid=16:headline-news&Itemid=143

Ribadu Wins In Osun, Polls 299,711 Votes

Monday, 18 April 2011 01:20 Sefiu Ayanimpe, Osogbo

Total results of the political parties that particip ated in the Presidential poll in Osun as announced by the State Collation Officer, Prof Saburi Adesanya, yesterday showed that the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, led other presidential candidates by scoring the highest vote. The ACN candidate scored 299,711 votes to lead President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 188,409 to emerge second.

Total number of registered voters were 1,342,289,while total number of valid votes cast were 512,714.But in all, the number of rejected votes were 21,542,while total votes cast were 534,256.A break down of the entire results is: ACN - 299,711, ADC - 5,172, ANPP - 3,617, APS - 513, ARP – 300, BNPP- 267,  CPC - 6,997, Fresh Party- 219, HDP- 217, LDPN-116, MPPP- 287, NCP- 378, NMDP – 323, NTP- 321, PDC- 1,268, PDP- 188,409, PMP- 965, PPP- 1,285, SDMP- 614, UNDP- 1,755.

Ogun state, Valid votes-543015, ACN-199555, ANPP-2969, CPC-17654, PDP-309137.

FCT, Abuja, Valid votes-396294, ACN-2327, ANPP-3170, CPC-131576, PDP-253444.

Enugu, Valid votes-814009, ACN-1755, ANPP-1111, CPC-3753, PDP-802144

 leadershipeditors.com/ns/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29186:ribadu-wins-in-osun-polls-299711-votes&catid=51:cover-stories&Itemid=142

IBB, Gusau, Atiku Midwived Alliance Talk – ACN

Monday, 18 April 2011 01:35 Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

\

The failed alliance talks between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was midwived by the trio of the former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, former National Security Adviser, General Muhammadu Gusau and the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The National Secretary of the ACN, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday.

He also denied ever tongue-lashing the CPC flagbearer, General Muhammadu Buhari.

He said, “General Babangida, General Gusau and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar were involved in the alliance talk, they moderated the talk, and they were telling us why we should come together instead of scattering our votes. But it is disheartening that the CPC failed us despite our readiness to sacrifice our own presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,” he disclosed.

Babangida, Gusau and Atiku were presidential aspirants on the PDP platform before they parted ways as a protest to the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as the flagbearer of the party even with Abubakar as the northern consensus candidate.

According to him, the last straw that broke the camel’s back was when the ACN asked Buhari’s running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare, to step down but he refused.

“Their vice-presidential candidate refused to resign for us to nominate our man. They were not ready for’ give and take’ and that was why the whole thing collapsed.”

Commenting on Buhari’s allegation that the ACN and the PDP have a pact, Shuaibu said, “Our National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, made it very clear at a news conference in Abuja that because of the ideological differences between the ACN and the PDP; we cannot have any electoral collaboration with the PDP, let alone talk of participating in a government of national unity with them. So, there is no pact between us and that is why we were interested in the alliance between our party and the CPC because we have a lot in common.

“In the event of a run-off between Jonathan (PDP presidential candidate) and Buhari; Buhari may need the support of the ACN. In the same vein, should there be a run-off between Jonathan and (Nuhu) Ribadu (ACN presidential candidate), we may need Buhari to back him (Ribadu). We consider Buhari’s interview as something we never expected because the allegation is baseless. We challenge Buhari to prove his allegation. Let him prove it. There was never any deal like that between the ACN and the PDP. We would like Buhari to prove his allegation.”

He added,  “General Buhari is a highly respected Nigerian leader, politics or no politics, he is a great Nigerian and I would never abuse him or use any unprintable word against him. It is regrettable that a reporter attributed what I never said to me. I have told the reporter to correct the error, otherwise I know what to do.”

 leadershipeditors.com/ns/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29205:ibb-gusau-atiku-midwived-alliance-talk-acn&catid=51:cover-stories&Itemid=142

Riots break out in north as Jonathan landslide looms

Riots erupted across the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria on Monday as President Goodluck Jonathan looked set for a landslide win in a weekend poll, which observers have described as the fairest in decades.

By Douglas HERBERT in Abuja (video)
News Wires (text)

REUTERS - Violent protests erupted across Nigeria's largely Muslim north on Monday as youths angered at President Goodluck Jonathan's election victory torched churches and homes and set up burning barricades.

The vote count showed Jonathan, from the southern oil-producing Niger Delta, had beaten Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler from the north, in the first round.

Observers have called the poll the fairest in decades in Africa's most populous nation but Buhari's supporters accuse the ruling party of rigging. Results show how politically polarised the country is, with Buhari sweeping states in the Muslim north and Jonathan winning the largely Christian south.

Authorities in the northern state of Kaduna imposed a 24-hour curfew after protesters set fire to the residence of Vice President Namadi Sambo in the town of Zaria and forced their way into the central prison, releasing inmates.

The body of a small boy shot in the chest by a stray bullet was brought to a police station, a witness said.

"They have destroyed our cars and our houses. I had to run for my life and I am now in my neighbour's house," said Dora Ogbebor, a resident of Zaria whose origins are in the south.

Plumes of smoke rose into the air in parts of the state capital as protesters set fire to barricades of tyres. Security forces fired in the air and used teargas to disperse groups of youths shouting "We want Buhari, we want Buhari".

A spokesman for Buhari said he had not yet made any statement on the disturbances.

Soldiers used whips to disperse people in the streets of Kano, the most populous city in the north. Protesters hurled stones in the backstreets. Several churches were burned and authorities imposed a curfew.

An armoured personnel carrier, armed police and soldiers formed a barricade around the electoral commission office.

"We will have the situation under control soon," said Agbo Omaji, a police inspector securing the electoral office.

Soldiers fired in the air and helicopters flew overhead in the central city of Jos, where thousands have been killed in sectarian violence over the past decade.

Clear win

Nigeria has a history of rigged and violent elections but Saturday's vote was deemed by many Nigerians, and foreign observers, to have been a vast improvement on the past, with the voting process orderly and little unrest on the day itself.

"Election day showed a generally peaceful and orderly process," said chief European Union election observer Alojz Peterle. EU observers said 2007 elections were not credible.

Peterle called for restraint in northern Nigeria and said all Nigerians should respect the election process.

A Reuters tally of results put Jonathan on nearly 23 million votes to just over 12 million for Buhari. The Independent National Electoral Commission was expected to announce all the results on Monday and to formally declare Jonathan the winner.

The outright win for Jonathan could ease worries over potential disruptions to crude exports from Africa's biggest oil and gas industry -- far away from the disturbances in the north.

It could also lift local financial markets which had been unnerved by the prospect of a potential run-off and the All-Share Index was up nearly 3 percent in early trade to its highest in nearly a month.

But Buhari's camp -- which had urged its supporters throughout the campaign to make sure their votes counted -- said some results looked suspicious, especially where turnout had been exceptionally high in some of Jonathan's strongholds.

Buhari, who also lost elections in 2003 and 2007, has repeatedly said Nigerians would not accept another rigged vote. He told Reuters on Saturday he would not go to court to challenge the outcome but that his party may chose to do so.

 france24.com/en/20110418-north-riots-over-goodluck-jonathan-election-victory-nigeria