• Approves advisers for Jonathan   ||  The Senate yesterday stopped payment of pensions for ex-military heads of state.  Those affected include Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and others who illegally took over the reins of government in Nigeria through military coup.

The decision was sequel to the  adoption and passage of the report of the Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on the on the remuneration for former presidents, heads of states, heads of federal legislative houses and chief justices of the federation and ancillary Matters Bill 2010.

The bill which amends Decree 32 of 1999 automatically excludes all former military heads of state who usurped power through the barrel of the gun.

The beneficiaries are now presidents, vice presidents, senate presidents, Speakers of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Federation, Deputy Senate Presidents, and Deputy Speakers who emerged through constitutional means.

The thrust of the bill is to ensure that only democratically elected former presidents and others are entitled to benefit from the pension package for former leaders.

"This is to discourage other unconstitutional means of getting into power. The only way recognized by the constitution is through ballot and not the barrel of a gun," said Senate President David Mark.

Also excluded from pension was Chief Ernest Shonekan, who headed an interim government that was later declared illegal by the Supreme Court.

What is obtainable currently is that the constitution provides pension for only the president and the vice president, which according to the 1999 constitution, would be equivalent to the salary of the incumbent president.

The new entrants into the arrangement are the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Senate president and his deputy, the Speaker and his deputy.

However, leaders who were forced out of office by impeachment or those who were forced out of office for breach of any provision of the 1999 constitution are not eligible for the remunerations as contained in the bill.

The legislation introduces more money to the pension, adding an upkeep allowance to the pension entitlement of the president and deputy as stipulated in Section 84(5) of the 1999 constitution. The entitlement is expected to be reviewed (upwards) from time to time but subject to the approval of the National Assembly

The bill also provides entitlements for the family of a deceased ex-president and vice president to an annual payment for upkeep of his spouse(s) and education of his children up to university level. However, this spousal upkeep allowance will cease the moment the last spouse of the deceased passes on.

The law however restricts anybody who has held two offices that are eligible for the perk to only one.

“Any person who has held two or more public offices shall be entitled to only the benefits accruing under this act to the highest of those offices which s/he has held in order of national precedence,” the act enacted.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday approved the request of Acting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for appointment of five special advisers, but expressed concerns that it was not furnished with details concerning the remunerations of the aides, if appointed.

The leader of the Senate, Teslim Folarin, presented before the Senate the report and recommendations, based on the letter to the Senate President David Mark by the acting president for the approval.

Senate Chief  Whip, Kanti Bello, who raised an observation concerning the request for the approval of the five special advisers argued that  section 151 (2) demands that  the senate obtain details of the numeration of the appointees and urged that subsequent nominations should be in line with the provisions of the constitution.

Also contributing, Senator James Manager argued that the there was indeed a need for the approval and appointments of the Advisers considering the volume of work that needs to be done by the acting president.

Senator Bode Olajumoke also threw his weight behind the request of the acting president for more advisers.

Senator Dahiru Umar however differed when he argued on whether it was right to approve the acting presidents request, citing section 151 (3) which says the life of every appointee terminates with the life of the administration of the person that appointed him or her, “This is because the acting president is only acting, and any moment the substantive president can return,” he argued.

He also said the ailing President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had requested 15 special advisers, “so we should also find out whether the 15 were all appointed.”

Responding, the Senate president, David Mark said

Dangote still on list, Otedola out  ||  Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helu has been named  the world's richest person, jumping past America's Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the first person from a developing nation to top the list, according to Forbes magazine.

The rise of Slim, the son of an immigrant shopkeeper who amassed a $53.5 billion fortune and bought a major stake in the New York Times, is part of an increased presence on the list of billionaires from emerging countries, said Forbes' reporter Keren Blankfeld.

The Nigerian-born Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has made the prestigious list of the world’s billionaires. His net worth was put at $2.5 billion by Forbes.

Dangote's arch-rival, Mr Femi Otedola, was however knocked off the list by the stock market crash of last year.

In spite of his impressive showing, however, the 52-year-old Dangote is now the world's 463rd richest man.

Dangote made his fortune largely from trading in sugar and flour, as well as cement manufacturing. He is also into salt processing, textiles, real estate, and oil and gas.

Forbes noted that though initial offerings of his sugar and flour companies were oversubscribed in 2007, stocks in both have fallen nearly 70% since last February.

"Using his role as committee member on government economic advisory board to encourage Federal Government to rescue the nation's capital markets. "His conglomerate, the Dangote Group, has expanded its cement operations with new plants across Nigeria and as well as South Africa and Ethiopia.

"Sparring with new Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola over oil and gas concessions; Otedola parried by buying up stock in Dangote's companies."

The world’s richest person Carlos Slim's worth surged in the past year as his cell phone holdings rebounded in value. He is the first non-American to top the list since 1994.

Army commander rebuffs criticism  ||  Thousands of placard-carrying women under the aegis of Plateau State Women Development Association yesterday stormed the National Assembly complex in Abuja, calling on the lawmakers to intervene in the recurrent spate of ethno-religious killings in Plateau State.

They also vowed to seek the intervention of the United Nations (UN) in the incessant massacre of innocent citizens of the state if the Federal Government fails to address the matter to find a lasting solution.

The protesters, who wore black dresses, were protesting Sunday's massacre of about 500 people in the Dogon Nahauwa village near Jos, Plateau State, allegedly by Fulani pastoralists who invaded the area.

In a solemn march characterised by mourning songs, the women  urged Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that severe punishment was meted to all those arrested by the security agencies in connection with the dastardly act.

The group also demanded that the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 3 Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, located in Jos be replaced with immediate effect.

Presenting their position in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, the spokesman and Secretary General of the group, Dr Zipporah Kpamor, called for a total overhaul of the security network in Plateau State, stating, "We want a change of the security chiefs in Plateau State. They have not guaranteed any security on us. We have lost confidence in them.”

Accusing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Abdurrahman Danbazau,  the GOC, 3 Armoured Division, Maj. Gen Saleh Maina, as well as the Bauchi State government of complicity in the mayhem, Kpamor warned, “If the FG cannot stop the premeditated genocide and ensure peace in the state, then we will be compelled to go to the United Nations (UN) for intervention on the matter".

Addressing the protesters, Bankole, while appealing for calm, lamented the incessant crises in the country, stating, “This has continued for too long".

Bankole assured that the House of Representatives would partner with other relevant authorities with a view to proffering a lasting solution to the recurrent ethno-religious crises in the country.

The Senate yesterday denied receiving the unedited report of the Electoral Reforms Committee led by Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan as claimed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

The upper chamber said it received the report from President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua before he left for Saudi Arabia for medical attention.

Addressing a rally organised in Abuja by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) on Wednesday, Ahmed was quoted as saying, “We are aware of your concern regarding credible elections in this country. Only two weeks ago, the Acting President handed over again, Uwais committee report unedited to the National Assembly.

"I will like to assure you that the National Assembly would do the necessary legislation in terms of reviewing the electoral act and the constitution in order to have a better electoral process."

But the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Anthony Manzo, while briefing reporters yesterday, debunked the claim, saying it was not entirely correct.

"The truth of the matter is that we had the unedited report of the Uwais committee more than two months ago, not two weeks ago," he said.

He added that the report was not transmitted by Jonathan as reported in the media but had been with the Senate since the first debate on the bill to amend the Act establishing the National Independent Electoral Commission.

Manzo said it was Yar'Adua who sent the document with which the Senate had been working on the electoral laws ahead of the 2011 elections.

He stated that the Senate made the clarification in order to set the record straight and not to witch-hunt anybody.

"If we had received the report two weeks ago, then it means we would just be starting the process of looking at the document and we would not be able to finish the process of amendment before the 2011 elections", Manzo said.