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BARACK OBAMA ; HISTORIC ASCENSION TO THE WHITE HOUSE

2009-10-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

OBAMA ; BRIEF REVIEW OF FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT

PLATFORM
As I sat down watching down watching the movie "Twenty Four" which starred Keifer Sutherland and others, which dealt on the rise to power against all odds of the first Black President "Senator Palmer".,I couldnt help but to smile down to myself due to some funny reasons though.

*The movie Twenty Four was filmed and produced before the emergance of President Obama even before his ascension as a Senator.

* The movie Twenty Four showed courage on the part of Senator Palmer during his campaign period in the Face of fierce and Stiff opposition.

* A great deal of support also was given Him.

* He had the daunting task of ruling a multi-colored Nation and the world's most powerful nation at that.

* He BELIEVED HE CAN., and with that he Layed his Courage.
There are so many more which I couldnt list here while editing this editorial.

President Barack Obama like President Palmer is one of the dream products of the Late Luther King. They both share same courage,zeal ,strenght and unweavering motivation.
The motivation we all can share. YES WE CAN!!
BY BROKE
FOR PLATFORM

Your comments are welcomed

The Nigerian Economy and Her New Polymer Naira Notes

2009-10-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

State of the Nigerian Nation:

 Economic State:

   The Nigerian Economy and Her New Polymer Naira Notes

PLATFORMNIGERIA

The Central Bank of Nigeria last week rolled out a new form an all embracing lower denomination Naira Note which is in the form of POLYMER [Polymer banknotes were developed by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)] same as the polymer Twenty Naira note brought earlier during the Prof. Chukwuma Soludo reign as Governor of the Nigerian Apex Bank.

The new Naira notes it’s said would increase the flow of cash as well as increase the durability of the note in terms of its getting old easily.

Durability yes is one very important aspect of any country’s currency after all if our currency is not durable of what long term use is it to its end user.

Beautiful they look!! One must confess to that fact; the beauty of a Currency. It shows Nigeria is going to go places. True the new Central Bank Governor is aiming high for the Nigerian Banking and Currency industries! With a lot of shake ups going on in these industries, I think it’s a good omen for our Great Country Nigeria.

But come to think of it! Is it new polymer notes Nigerians need? Looking at the economic melt down the world is passing through right now.

Do the new polymer notes have any improved value when compared with currency of other nations? Take Ghana, U S A, GREAT BRITAIN and others to numerous to mention. Take Ghanaian cedi as an example. In yester years Ghanaians use to come over to Nigeria in search of jobs and good paying jobs at that. They were ready to do any job just to get a Naira note in their pocket just to send home for family welfare. But what’s the situation now; a Ghanaian cedi goes for ₦101 Nigerian Naira. And we are still bringing out New NOTES… WELL they may be having reasons and good ones at that for bringing out new Polymer Notes when the value of our Naira is going down!!

Well your guess is as good as that of many Nigerians.

Your comments are welcomed.

Also advices on how to improve our editorials are invited.

PLATFORMNIGERIA

NIGERIA : Anambra State and its upcoming Poll

2009-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

THE STATE OF THE NATION POLITICAL ARENA

Anambra Poll:

* Court Halts Okorie-led APGA,

*PDP knows fate today as Bankole, delegates arrive Awka

PLATFORMNIGERIA
The Chekwas Okorie-led faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) yesterday had its plans to conduct its state congress with a view to producing the party’s candidate for the February 6, 2010 governorship election thwarted by an Anambra State High Court.
The court restrained the faction from organising a primary election pending the determination of a substantive motion before it.
The faction had been controversially recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the poll ahead of the Chief Victor Umeh group which the incumbent governor, Mr. Peter Obi, belongs to.
Yesterday’s order was given by Justice O. M. Anyachebelu pursuant to an application by Onyechi Ikpeagu (SAN), counsel to APGA, Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shikanfi, all plaintiffs against Okorie and seven other defendants.
In granting the order pursuant to section 6 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Justice Anyachebelu restrained the defendants from holding or purporting to hold a state congress of APGA or any purported meeting of APGA on the 7th of October, 2009 (today) or any other date, for the purpose of holding primary election to elect or select a candidate for the office of governor of Anambra State pending the determination of the substantive motion or until the court otherwise orders or the order otherwise lapses.
The court ruled: “The 1st defendant by himself, agents, privies, servants, assigns or delegates or howsoever, is hereby restrained from forwarding or purporting to forward the name of any person as the candidate of APGA to any relevant authority for the office of Governor of Anambra State in the 2010 governorship election pending the determination of the motion on notice or until the court otherwise orders or the order otherwise lapses.”
The court directed that its orders be served on the defendants by publishing same in a national newspaper and by conspicuously pasting same at the office address of the defendants.
The motion on notice was adjourned to the 12th of October for hearing and further proceedings.
Meanwhile, the issue of whom the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will pick as its candidate for the February 6, 2009 governorship election may become clearer today as an Awka High Court is expected to make a definite pronouncement on the troubled congress of the party.
The High Court will listen to the motion filed by the party to vacate its earlier order not to hold a state congress – which has led to a state of uncertainly as the Friday, October 9, 2009 deadline for the nomination of candidates closes in.
The candidate would have been elected at the congress which was stopped by Justice B. A. Nnakenyi, who asked the PDP not to hold it as scheduled on October 2 because of a petition brought before him by one of the aggrieved delegate aspirants, Probity Adibe.
The National Legal Adviser of PDP, Chief Olusola Okeh, told THISDAY that the party would file a motion before a High Court Judge in Awka today for him to vacate the injunction after the party.
He also said that the case had been transferred to Awka from Aguata, although THISDAY could not confirm it.
According to Okeh, “if the injunction becomes successful, then the party would conduct its state congress in Awka to elect its governorship candidate.”
The National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, told newsmen in Abuja Monday that the party would beat the deadline set by INEC.
However, if the party is unable to get the court to vacate the injunction today, THISDAY learnt that it may unilaterally pick one candidate from among the 47 aspirants to be the party’s flag bearer.
It was also gathered that the National Working Committee (NWC) had been making series of consultations on how to ensure a smooth consensus that would not ruffle feathers within the party.
According to a court order obtained by a delegate aspirant, Adibe, against the party and the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Oladimeji Bankole, Justice Nnakaenyi of the Aguata Judicial Division on September 30 restrained PDP from conducting the October 2 state congress as planned. The case has since been adjourned to Monday, October 12, 2009.
In calling off the state congress, the National Legal Adviser of PDP said: “As a party that believes and operates within the rule of law, we have decided to call off the state congress temporarily. We have also decided to take legal steps towards discharging the court order to allow the exercise to resume.
“The legal process of vacating the court order has commenced.”
According to him, “We believe that the court order ought not to have been given by the court in the first place. The court order is very unfortunate and we also believe that it is unfortunate that a court will grant an ex-parte order to a project that is of national importance like this.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Bankole arrived Awka yesterday in anticipation of the congress which he is expected to conduct.
Already, delegates from the various local government areas of the state have arrived the state capital, awaiting directives from the party on how the congress will be conducted.
Also, the National Vice-Chairman of PDP for the South-east, Chief Olisa Metu, yesterday said Hon. Uche Ekwunife of the House of Representatives was not among the governorship aspirants that collected the governorship form.
Metu said Chief Susan Ekwunife is different from Hon. Ekwunife, explaining also that both of them are from Njikoka/Dunukofia/Anaocha Federal Constituency, while Susan Ekwunife is from the South Senatorial District

Curled from the THISDAY NEWSPAPER.....

YOUR COMMENTS AND REACTION ARE WELCOMED

PLATFORMNIGERIA

Proposed Security Agency for Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

2009-10-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

Proposed Security Agency for Niger Delta

As the Government of the Nigerian People prepares herself for the post-amnesty period [of which she granted the Militants of the Niger Delta Amnesty], The Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Aduaand the Governors of her 36 states has asked the National Assembly to approve the creation of a security agency whose job will be the protection of her ships, oil facilities and ports, as well as those [properties of other nations in the NIGER DELTA REGION OF THE COUNTRY. This MARITIME Security agency whose name would be known later on has a wieghty responsibility.
Already an extra budgetary provision by the National Assembly [Nigerian Legislative ARM] to fund the next phase of the amnesty programme which is rehabilitation and re-integration is already in motion.

It is expected that this agency would empower the Nigerian Coastguard officials to cover and carry on them a range of responsibilities. Some of these responsibility includes inspection of ships, arresting of suspects and most noteably carrying of firearms in the region[Niger Delta].
A report from a well know institute from the Nigerian Region stated that they [the security ops] are expected to carry and transfer "security information on oil and gas pipelines, rigs, platforms and all other established ... installations,"
Funding for the agency will be through a 1 per cent levy on annual profits from companies using Nigeria's waterways.
It is expected that the agency which is not a military organisation [ an example can be drawn from the Nigerian Anti-graft agencies like the EFCC, ICPC and other such agencies] would help restore trust in the Nigerian Government that has been lost in the region as well as allow the military to begin withdrawal.
In the mean time, the Governors of Her 36 State have applauded the amnesty initiative that led to the laying off of ARMS by Region's militants most of whom included the popular: Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, Ateke Tom, Farah Dagogo and General Boyloaf but stressed the importance of the next phase [ the Rehabilitation and Reintergration stage].
This was made known in a communique issued Monday [06/OCT/2009] night in Abuja, under the uspisis of the Governors' Forum.
The following quote is credit to a well known News Agency from Nigeria on what the Governors Forum said “The Forum agreed that it would give support to efforts by the National Assembly to pass extra budgetary provision to help ex-militants in their efforts to be rehabilitated and re-integrated,” the communique read.
According to the governors, the resolve to commend as well as back the Federal Government follows the prolific presentation made by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Godwin Abbe.
Comments made by South-south governors also convinced the Forum of the necessity to throw its weight behind the government to ensure the success of the remaining part of the programme.
“While noting this historic movement towards peace and reconciliation by the Federal Government which has resulted in the disarmament and demobilization, members called for support for the next phase of this process: rehabilitation and the reintegration. As a mark of solidarity to the Niger Delta, members unanimously resolved to host its next meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State," the Forum said.
The group said Laws that would impose severe sanctions against kidnappers which are necessary to serve as a deterrent would be imposed or passed. It said the amount of kidnapping witnessed across the country deserves the same level of seriousness accorded the amnesty initiative.

Do you think this is a nacessary step right now ?
your reactions are welcomed

writing by BLORIEN
for PLATFORMNIGERIA