₦airaland Forum

Many passengers do not know when it happens. You land at the airport, the seat belt signs are left on and an announcement over the public address system instructs you to remain on your seat till the aircraft has come to a complete halt.

Well, the thing they fail to tell you is that the aircraft is being towed.

The practice of towing the aircraft to the aerobridge, which is the point to disembark passengers after landing, has raised concerns, though the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is an added precautionary measure.

In other countries, airlines taxi their aircraft into the aerobridge but in Nigerian airports, airlines pay to have their aircraft hauled to the bridge.

BusinessDay findings show that airlines pay N985 million annually to tow their aircraft into the aerobridge. Experts say this money can be saved annually if the FAAN can simply link the aerobridge to the aircraft once the pilot lands.

According to the 2017 figures from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Organisation (NCAA) on passenger movement, international airlines operate 30 flights on the average every day from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). This implies that in 365 days, the airport will process nothing less than 10,950 flights annually.

Ground handling companies charge airlines $250 per towing. This implies that airlines pay nothing less than $2,737,500 million every year to tow their aircraft into the finger. This amounts to N985,500,000, using an exchange of N360 to a dollar.   

BusinessDay gathers that the practice has continued because of the opportunity for commercial gain.

One investor had claimed it had volunteered to assist the concerned agencies fix the problem but they have refused because of the amount they realise from towing aircraft into the bridge on a daily basis.

But Henrietta Yakubu, general manager, public affairs, FAAN, said some airlines prefer to park in the open bay, and space constraints often resulted in towing. She assured that the issue would be addressed after the construction of the new terminals.

In other airports outside Lagos, aerobridge does not even exist, thereby forcing passengers to walk all the way to the airport terminals.

John Ojikutu, member of aviation industry think tank group, Aviation Round Table (ART), and chief executive of Centurion Securities, said the problem was more nuanced as the fingers in many Nigerian airports were built in 1975, and no improvement had been done on them to include an aerobridge.

Ojikutu said apart from the fingers in Abuja airport, the ones in other airports are out-dated and may not accommodate certain aircraft types if they are taxied. Thus, the airlines have no choice but to tow them into the finger

The expert said that certain types of aircraft do not lend well to taxing due to Nigeria’s peculiar airport infrastructure. For instance, in 2007, Airbus 340 had long wing fan and Emirates was flying Boeing 777. The two of them chose fingers that were closer to each other to park. The pilot alone cannot safely park that aircraft side by side with the other one. So, they park outside and the towing vehicle will come and tow them into the finger.

In the course of towing, the risk of vehicles used for the operation hitting the aircraft is heightened, Airlines like Airpeace has had complaints of this in the past.

The cost of fixing the engine of a 777 damaged in the process could well be over $20 million yet the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority does not have insurance cover for this operation.

Obi1kenobi:
The judge is not a robot. They are human with biases. Even the American democracy that are centuries ahead of us, there is such a thing as liberal judges or conservative judges. Or textualists or originalists or intentionalists or pragmatists who can have access to the same facts and come to different judgements.

Sureties/guarantors are punished when the subjects they stand for jump bail to avoid the law. That is the only reasonable way in which they can be punished. It doesn't make any sense for a defendant to be forced to flee a lethal assault on his home, and his guarantors are still held responsible for his abscondment. In your own view, does that make any sense?

Obi1kenobi:
I absolutely despise Nnamdi Kanu, but the notion that his sureties should be accountable for him despite the obvious mitigating circumstances that led to his fleeing is only possible in a lawless country. It's an absurd argument. Nnamdi Kanu's most fundamental human right is his right to life. The moment the Nigerian army attacked his home, he had the right to fight or flee from the murderous assailants.

CilicMarin:
This your position is not tenable in Law.. Court of Law doesn't entertain emotional tantrums.

“Section 352 subsection 4 of ACJA provides that when a defendant who is on bail, in this case Nnamdi Kanu, fails to make himself available for trial, the court can continue his trial in his absence and even proceed to convict him if the evidence led by the prosecutor establish the case against the defendant,” Mr Monday said.

Even if you apply from today till tomorrow, you have only three options: produce Nnamdi Kanu, forfeit the bond (N100 million), or request for time to bring him back to court to face his trial.

Judge Binta Nyako

As the trial of Nnamdi Kanu resumes tomorrow, legal analysts and observers are bracing up for a slew of dramatic scenes that would play out.

These involve varied reactions over the separatist leader’s escape from Nigeria — and the fate of a serving senator and two others who stood sureties for him in April 2017.

Mr Kanu who is facing trial on alleged treasonable offences, appeared recently in a widely circulated video intended to prove among other things, that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) survived a military raid at his country-home in Abia State in September, 2017.

But much more than proving this, Mr Kanu’s reappearance will redirect previous debates while introducing new arguments.

Trial Before Kanu’s Disappearance

Before his disappearance, Mr Kanu’s trial sessions witnessed a heavy presence of pro-Biafra agitators, with many of them clashing with military officials in court, for various reasons.

Although, the trial continued after Mr Kanu’s disappearance, the presence of the IPOB members obviously reduced, while military officials mellowed down on the extent of checks on lawyers, journalists and others seeking to attend the trial sessions.

Also ahead of his reappearance, the prosecution and the defence team where enmeshed in a series of allegations and counter-allegations, with the defence team alleging a possible murder of Mr Kanu, while the prosecution demanded the revocation of Mr Kanu’s bail accusing the defendant of violating his bail conditions.

On her part, the trial judge, Binta Nyako ordered Mr Kanu’s sureties to either produce the defendant or risk losing N100 million and going to jail.

“Even if you apply from today till tomorrow, you have only three options: produce Nnamdi Kanu, forfeit the bond (N100 million), or request for time to bring him back to court to face his trial.

“Once you sign to be somebody’s surety, that person automatically becomes your responsibility,” Mrs Nyako said, while talking to a lawyer representing one of Mr Kanu’s sureties, Eyinnaya Aberibe, a Nigerian senator in court.

According to a lawyer, Folarin Aluko, Mr Kanu’s trial can only continue in his presence, based on the provisions of the law.

“Trial in absentia is a procedure unknown to Nigeria’s procedural law. It is obviously a negation of fair trial. The criminal trial therefore cannot proceed until Mr Kanu submits himself to custody willingly or by administrative means.”

Possible Options

But what are the options available for ensuring the return of Mr Kanu, to proceed with his trial?

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Simon Ameh, said Nigerian courts cannot give a direct order for Mr Kanu’s return for the purpose of continuing his trial

“Such a thing can only be done through diplomatic agreements, by the two countries. The courts in Nigeria cannot order his return,” Mr Simon said.

The lawyer added that countries are however at liberty to refuse returning a citizen, if they believe that the fugitive is wanted for reasons related to political intimidation.

In a similar opinion, Mr Aluko gave details of constitutional provisions guiding possible extradition measures that might be taken in court.

“Nigeria can apply for Mr Kanu’s extradition to Nigeria, following the procedures laid down in the Extradition Law of the foreign country, and the provisions of Nigeria’s Extradition Act. These processes are subject to constitutional and regional safeguards that secure the fundamental human rights of people from state abuse of the mechanism of extradition.

“Looking at Nigerian law, for example, Section 1 of the Extradition Act provides for the judicial determination of an Extradition Application. The Federal High Court is vested with the jurisdiction by virtue of Section 251 (i) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), while the Extradition is within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, by virtue of Item 27 of the Exclusive Legislative list contained in Part 1, Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“Moreover, extradition laws all over the world, including in Nigeria, frown on the use of extradition applications for offences that are prosecuted in bad faith, and this includes prosecuting someone for his/her race, religion, nationality or political beliefs.

“Another option open to the federal government is to enter into negotiations with Mr Kanu, given the special nature of his grievances. For example, the prosecution can enter into a plea bargain with Mr Kanu. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act allows a defendant to propose and enter into a plea bargain with the prosecution.

“A plea bargain under the ACJA would however imply an admission of guilt on the part of the defendant,” Mr Aluko said.

The lawyer however warned that Nigeria must comply with the rule of law, regardless of the decision intended to be taken.

In a similar opinion, another lawyer, Ejeh Monday, said the sureties who stood for Mr Kanu, ahead of his bail would bear the brunt of the defendant’s absence if they cannot provide him.

“What Tochukwu Uchendu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Ben El Shalom; who guaranteed the continuous availability of Nnamdi Kanu for his trial need to do is to provide him on the next adjourned date or ordinarily stand the risk of coughing out the sum in the bail bond to the federal government or stand the risk of, at most, six months imprisonment for failure to so do.”

Mr Monday also spoke on the possibility of a trial in absentia.

“The Administration of Criminal Justice, 2015, already anticipates situations such as this and has some provisions to cushion the effect.

“Section 352 subsection 4 of ACJA provides that when a defendant who is on bail, in this case Nnamdi Kanu, fails to make himself available for trial, the court can continue his trial in his absence and even proceed to convict him if the evidence led by the prosecutor establish the case against the defendant,” Mr Monday said.

He added therefore that the prosecution could demand the continuation of Mr Kanu’s trial in his absence.

DankemzI:
This is the same people sabotaging our development as a State. Good projects to generate revenue and employ the locals are abandoned for frivolous projects.

poiZon:
i listenex to the program.

its true he openly made the entire state realise how foolish n ignorant he is.

fashrola:
He was live on radio on Saturday

“As Executive Director of Airworthiness at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, I am waiting to see if my good friend Nsima Ekere will become Governor, so we can support him on the MRO.”

Caseless:
This report get as e be. Did you dig up an old story? The Awak guy sounded like he's attacking the pdp guys - akpabio inclusive. But akpabio is now in apc.

…BLASTS AKPABIO FOR WASTEFUL, NEPOTIC 8 YEARS

The Executive Director of the Airworthiness of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engr. Ita Awak, has vowed never to do anything to support the development of the Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul facilities at the Akwa Ibom International Airport.

The former Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State broken his silence on the mismanagement of state funds by former Governor Godswill Akpabio, alleging that pathological hatred and monumental betrayals characterized that administration.

Engr. Awak on a Saturday breakfast show on Planet Radio, Community Views, said he was an APC chieftain, and would rather wait till an APC candidate emerges as Governor, before he partners on the airport.

On the committee headed by the progenitor of the airport and former Governor of the State, Obong Victor Attah, who recently submitted its report to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Engr. Awak raged with fury that he was not interested and was not aware.

“Well I don’t know about whatever Governor Udom Emmanuel and Obong Victor Attah are doing concerning the MRO at Akwa Ibom International Airport, I am not in PDP.

“As Executive Director of Airworthiness at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, I am waiting to see if my good friend Nsima Ekere will become Governor, so we can support him on the MRO.”

Engr Awak, who recently published on his social media account, on the corruption and fraud engulfing the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment project, said that he attacked Akpabio on the Tropicana because of his commitment to accountability by government officials.

According to him, “it is a lesson for every public officer, to know that no matter how long it takes, the stupid decisions you took in power will come back to you.”

He revealed that Sen. Akpabio was running a government of cabal and nepotism, and pledged commitment to support someone who will humanize governance.

“We had an opportunity during Akpabio’s era, but squandered that opportunity. Our commitment is to humanity and not to any person. Akpabio didn’t perform as governor, he wasted all our resources.”

Engr. Awak who also confessed that his party took autocratic decisions during the just concluded primaries in the State, however advised the affected aspirants to accept the party unilateral decisions in good faith.

He disclosed that he and most faithful in Eket senatorial district all supported Otu Ita Toyo for Senate seat, but the party, he said, decided to give the ticket of the party to Senator Nelson Effiong who is the incumbent senator.

He said this is why Mr. Victor Antai who actually bought form for the Senate seat, was in turn given the House of Representatives ticket by the APC in Oron federal constituency.

“I am advising the aspirant who was denied ticket in Oron by the APC, Robinson Edumoh that party has the right to give anybody its ticket. Since party in its wisdom has taken the decision to give the ticket to Victor Antai, he has no choice but to accept it. Party is supreme.”

Recently, Ita Awak on his facebook account had alleged that, “It was the Annang chap called Godswill Obot Akpabio that began and ensured this evil exclusion some ten years ago in 2007; and he did this even after an Oro man, in the person of Chief Otu Ita Toyo, had bent over backwards to help him, against all odds, to emerge governor in 2007.

“Long before the disaster called Godswill Obot Akpabio happened to Akwa Ibom State and people, the core political leadership of the State used to be made up of Ibibio, Annang and Oro people.

“However, when this chap became governor, this changed. For the eight years Akpabio reigned, Annang was governor; Ibibio was deputy governor, SSG, Speaker AKHA, and Chairman of the Ruling Party.

“The cruel hand that Godswill Akpabio dealt the Oro people, the pathological hatred that misguided him to enact a historic and monumental betrayal of the Oro ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State leaves an indelible, evergreen and painful scar in the heart and consciousness of Oro natives that will mar the political relationship between the Annang and Oro for decades to come.

“Lessons from human history and my glimpse into the operation of these divine laws assures me that the evil that Godswill Obot Akpabio ill-advisedly used the privileges and powers of the exalted office of the Governor to do against the Oro people shall not last for too long. It cannot be fair to visit on the Annang the hatred that Akpabio visited on the Oro ethnic group.”

By Umoh-Obong Kingsley

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has reacted to a report by a House of Representatives committee indicting him for allegedly approving funds illegally.

PREMIUM TIMES published the report which accused the vice president of acting illegally in approving N5.9 billion for emergency operations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) whose head was being investigated by the lawmakers.

Mr Osinbajo’s response is contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande.

“These presidential approvals were well within the clear constitutional authority of the Acting President, who needed to take emergency steps to forestall acute food shortages in the affected States and there was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about them,” Mr Akande wrote.

Read the vice president’s full reaction to the report below.

Our attention has been drawn to a report of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness issued on Thursday, November 8, 2018, particularly in respect of funds released for “emergency intervention of food security to the North-East” in June 2017, when the Vice President was Acting President.

In its report, the Committee alleged that a sum of N5,865,671,939.26 was approved and released in June 2017 vide a Memo raised from the Office of the Acting President, directing the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to so act. The House Committee also concluded that the payment made was in contravention of approval of the National Assembly. This conclusion is both false and misleading.

To start with, it is important to understand the context of the transaction. This was at a time when internally displaced persons and their host communities faced very severe food shortages throughout the North East, as a result of successive poor harvests and abandoned farmlands, minimal cross-border cash crop trade and lost economic opportunities.

On 15th April 2017, the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP), a major aid organisation and food supplier to the region, had issued a warning that it would be reducing its vital support to about 1.8 million IDPs by as much as 85%, due to corresponding reduction in funding by the donor countries. Around the same time, the United Nations Commission for Refugees in Geneva also warned of the growing risk of mass deaths from starvation among people living in the conflict areas.

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) moved urgently to prevent the looming disaster by establishing a strategic food intervention plan for the affected States. A Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Delivery to the North East was convened and the Committee met on the 13th of May, 2017 to kick off the process, with the then Acting President as Chairman. Other members of the Committee included:

(i) Minister of Finance;

(ii) Minister of Budget and National Planning;

(iii) Minister of State for Budget and National Planning;

(iv) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;

(v) Governor of Central Bank;

(vi) Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; and

(vii) Senior Special Assistant in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

Resulting from the deliberations of this and subsequent meetings, the approval referred to in the House Committee’s Report was, in fact, based on a request raised by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as facilitator of the National Food Security Programme, vide a letter dated May 25, 2017.

As explained in the said letter, there was an immediate need to distribute grains, including rice, maize, soya beans and sorghum, to Internally Displaced Persons through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The only way to obtain the quantity of grains required was to resort to the National Food Security Progamme (NFSP) earlier established by the Federal Government as a means of shoring up its strategic grain reserves.

It was in consequence of the Federal Government decision to urgently purchase the stored grains for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons that the CBN made the proposal for approval of 30,905.08 Metric Tonnes at N5,229,685,333.26. Of that amount, the then Acting President eventually approved N5,036,644,933.26, after excluding bagging costs. This was pursuant to the recommendation that bagging, transportation and other logistics were best handled by NEMA.

NEMA also originated a request to the Acting President, dated May 25, 2017, requesting the sum of N829,026,456.00 for general logistics, branding & packaging, tracking, security, personnel, media & publicity and contingency costs of taking the grains from their respective locations in Kano, Kaduna, Funtua, Ibadan and Gombe to Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Jigawa States.

These presidential approvals were well within the clear constitutional authority of the Acting President, who needed to take emergency steps to forestall acute food shortages in the affected States and there was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about them. The approvals were duly communicated by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of Central Bank, Director General of NEMA and the Minister of Finance for implementation.

On account of the emergency nature of the procurement, the House Committee’s assumption that the ordinary rules of procurement would apply was wrong. Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act makes provision for emergency procurement, in which case the procuring entity is allowed to engage in direct contracting for goods and file a report thereafter with the Bureau of Public Procurement.

It is also wrong to assume that taxes and interests accruable to government from these transactions in food items were deliberately ignored or waived by neglect. Of course, we expect that any loans advanced to any of the companies would be recovered with the agreed interests, and that any profits made by such companies would be liable to tax in the usual manner.

The suggestion that the grains were never delivered to the target States is also blatant falsehood. In actual fact, in order to ensure effective distribution of the grains, an Emergency Food Intervention Project Team was established, consisting of the Director General of NEMA and representatives of the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Department of State Security, Nigeria Police and the Presidency. The Committee also worked with respective State Emergency Management Agencies, as well as humanitarian agencies such as World FoodProgramme, International Committee of the Red Cross, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Deliveries were publicly made directly to the intended beneficiaries. In fact, the then Acting President personally inspected the electronic truck-tracking unit established in Maiduguri for the purpose of monitoring the transportation, and flagged off the food distribution on the 8th of June, 2017. Besides, there was the integration of a robust monitoring and evaluation system into the operation in order to facilitate a transparent and accountable process.

Therefore, all insinuations on this matter regarding purported indictments and perceived violations of due process or the constitution are baseless and totally false. Such interpretations are flawed and should be utterly ignored.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President

Office of the Vice President

9th November, 2018

6. RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. On the issue of donation of 6,779 metric tons of rice by Chinese Government for IDP’s in the North East, the Committee recommends as follows:

(i.) that the House condemns in strong terms the negligence and inefficiency of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for the long delay in collection of the donated rice from the Port Terminal.

(ii) that NEMA and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Budget and National Planning should account for the 6,779 Metric tons of Rice donated to Nigeria Government for the benefit of IDP’s in the 6 States of the North East by the Chinese Government but was never received by the beneficiaries. The ICPC, EFCC and Nigeria Police Force (Police) should conduct further investigation and prosecute where necessary.

(iii) that the ICPC, EFCC and Police should ensure recovery of the payment of about N800m demurrage from the concerned officers of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and NEMA. They should further investigate the conflicting testimonies of the above agencies and determine whether there was multiple payment transaction for the demurrage.

(iv) that the suspension of six staff of NEMA by its management is an abuse of power, against the extant public service rules and a gross violation of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. It is also a privileged communication under the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, any person that obstructs a witness before a legislative House is also guilty of contempt of parliament.

(v) It is therefore hereby recommended that the affected staff below be immediately re-instated by NEMA and the appropriate authorities and all their arrears of entitlements paid. They are:

1. Mr. Akinbola Hakeem – Director, Finance and Accounts

2. Alhassan Nuhu – Director Disaster & Risk Reduction

3. Mr. Emenike Umesi – Ag. Director, Special Duties

4. Mohammed Kanar – Deputy Director Welfare

5. Mr. Mamman Ibrahim – DD Captain of the Air Ambulance

6. Yunusa Deji Ganiyu – Asst. Chief Administrative Officer

2. On the issue of receipt and utilization of N1.6 billion for flood victims in 16 states, the Committee recommends;

(i.) that the House condemns in its entirety the display of insensitivity to the plight of flood victims showed by NEMA management in the handling of the relief materials.

(ii) that the ICPC and EFCC should further investigate the matter and recover the sum of N700m from the Director-General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who is the Accounting Officer of the Agency.

3. On the issue of funds released for emergency intervention of food security in the north-east, the Committee recommends;

(i.) that all the government officials involved in the approval, processing, release and diversion of the sum of N5.8billion for the emergency intervention of food security in the North East, which contravened the provisions of S.80(2) and 80(4) of the Constitution, infraction of due process for procurement and loss of government revenue, flouting of the terms of the Eurobond loan are hereby indicted and the relevant Security Agencies should take steps to recover the money from them.

(ii.) that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) being a banker to the Federal Government should not be involved in giving loans to private companies. Consequently, the N2billion said to be given to four named companies is a fundamental infraction and should be further investigated.

4. On the issue of release of N3,153,000,000.00 to NEMA for food intervention to the North-East, the Committee recommends,

(i.) that ICPC and EFCC should recover N1,150,000,000.00 being subsidised cost of 5000 metric tons of rice from the present Director General of NEMA, Eng. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who claimed to have donated same to World Food Programme (WFP) when they were ready to pay for it or import same.

(ii.) that in view of the fact that there is evidence that the balance of 5,000 metric tons claimed to have been supplied by Olam Nig. Ltd and 3 Brothers Nig. Ltd at the cost of about N1.5billion to NEMA was not received by the States of the North-East, the money should therefore be recovered from the Director-General, NEMA.

5. On the matter concerning evacuation of Nigerians from Libya, the Committee recommends as follows:

(i.) that Federal Government should make available adequate funds to the relevant agencies of government for the rehabilitation of those Nigerians evacuated from abroad, in order to prevent them from going back.

(ii.) that the process, procedure, method and cost of evacuation of Nigerians stranded abroad is opaque and should be made more transparent in order to ensure better accountability.

6. On the question of unaccounted N17,889,050,401 released from Ecological Fund to NEMA, the Committee recommends

(i.) that NEMA should submit through the appropriate authority all the Ecological funds accruing to it yearly to the National Assembly for Appropriation in order to meet the Constitutional requirements.

(ii.) that a comprehensive investigation into the receipt and utilization of 20% Ecological Fund to NEMA over the years be carried out by the House.

7. From the investigation conducted by this Committee it has been established that the Federal Government of Nigeria lost a total sum of over N33 Billion Naira as a result of mismanagement or outright embezzlement of funds occasioned by the actions or inactions of the Managing Director of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja . It is hereby consequently recommended that the Director General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, be relieved of his duties by Mr President, Commander in Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution.

7. CONCLUSION

The Committee expresses its appreciation to the Leadership and Members of the House for the opportunity given to us to serve, as we pledge our unflinching support to the House leadership.

Hon. Ali Isa J.C Sulyman Mohammed Sarkin-Noma

Deputy Chairman Committee Clerk

On Thursday, the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness indicted Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in its report, accusing him of illegally approving N5.8 billion North East Intervention Fund which the lawmakers said was mismanaged by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The committee said the authorisation for the release of the fund for emergency food intervention in the North East contravened Section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The committee said the funds were credited directly to the individual banks of the companies and NEMA’s bank account, in violation of the approval limit allowed by law.

The House, adopting the recommendations of the report, called for the dismissal and prosecution of the director-general of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, for fraud, corruption and embezzlement of N33 billion Emergency Intervention Fund, as well as all the government officials involved in the approval, processing, release and diversion of the fund.

Here is the full report as adopted by the House below:

REPORT OF INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE VIOLATION OF PUBLIC TRUST IN THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA) SUBMITTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. HR 52/2018

1.0 PREAMBLE

The House of Representatives in Plenary on Thursday, 15th February, 2018, mandated the Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate the alleged “Violation of Public Trust in National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)” and report back to it for further legislative consideration.

In furtherance to the above Resolution contained in the Votes and Proceedings of the House, dated 15th February, 2018, the Committee adopted the following terms of reference to determine the propriety or otherwise of the transactions undertaken and expenditures incurred in the following areas of concern by management of NEMA.

(i) The release of N5,865,671,389.26 and N3,153,000,000.00 as emergency intervention of Food Security to support the population affected by insurgency in the North-East in June 2017 and other releases for the North-East intervention;

(ii) The 6,779 metric tons of rice donated by Chinese government to the internally displaced persons in the North-East;

(iii) Payment of about N800 Million Demurrage on the donated Rice by the Chinese government;

(iiii) Over 10 Billion Naira being statutory 20% Ecological Funds released between January 2017 to February 2018 to NEMA;

(v) The Federal Government of Nigeria Flood Intervention in the sum of N1,600,000,000.00 to 16 States in July 2017;

(vi) The over N1.6 Billion released to NEMA for Evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Libya in 2017; and

(vii) Other ancillary issues.

2.0 MODUS OPERANDI

The Committee took the following legislative measures in the course of discharging this assignment:-

(i) The Committee held number of meetings to determine its modus operandi;

(ii) Letters were written to critical stakeholders to elicit their views on the issue under investigation;

(iii) Committee placed adverts in both Print and Electronic Media soliciting for memorandum and sensitizing the Public and stakeholders to the Public Hearing to ensure overall success of the investigation;

(iiii) All submissions/documents received at the hearing were objectively scrutinized and analysed for informed findings and recommendations to the House for adoption.

3.0 INVESTIGATIVE PUBLIC HEARING

The Committee conducted investigative hearing on the matter. The well-attended hearing was officially declared open on Wednesday, 21st March, 2018, by His Excellency, the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara who was represented by the House Leader, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. The Committee conducted the investigation over a period of three months in 11 Public Sitting with various stakeholders.

Invited stakeholders who made presentations at the hearing were from:

(i) The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

(ii) Office of the Accountant General of the Federation

(iii) Federal Ministry of Finance

(iiii) Central Bank of Nigeria

(v) Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning

(vi) Federal Ministry of Agriculture

(vii) Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

(viii) Governing Council of NEMA

(ix) Contractors: –

https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/11/Mustapha-Maihaja.jpg?zoom=3&w=600&h=393&ssl=1

– Dangote Rice Ltd

– BUA

– WACOT

– Golden Agric Input Ltd.

– Olam Nig. Ltd.

– 3 Brothers Nig. Ltd.

(x) Office of Head of Service of the Federation

(xi) The Nigeria Customs Service

(xii) Nigeria Port Authority

(xiii) MAESK Line Clearing and Forwarding Agents & Transporters

(xiiii) APMT & Maresk Line Clearing Agents & Transporter

(xv) SEMA (16 states affected by the flood and 5 out of the 6 states of the North East).

(xvi) CAC

(xvii) PENCOM

(xviii) FIRS

(xix) ITF

(xx) NSITF

4.0 ANALYSIS OF THE SUBMISSIONS

5.0 OBSERVATIONS/FINDINGS

A. DONATION OF 6,779 METRIC TONS OF RICE BY CHINESE GOVERNMENT FOR IDP’S IN THE NORTH EAST.

Committee appraised the submissions made by stakeholders involved in the matter and observed as follows:

– That the Chinese government donated and shipped a total of 6,779 metric tons of rice, that is 271 trucks and approximately 162,696 bags of rice into the country’s seaport in June 2017 meant for distribution to IDPs in the North-East as food assistance.

– That the government Agencies namely – Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance and NEMA were charged with different responsibilities of receiving, clearing, storage, transportation and distribution of the consignments to the IDP’s in the North East.

– That more than one year after the goods were donated, there is no evidence that the 6 States of the North East, who are the beneficiaries have received the items.

– Evaluation of the correspondences by the Chinese government on the free donation of the items and responses by the Federal government Agencies confirmed that there was adequate information on the donation, as an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was entered into by all the parties indicating the role to be played by each Agency. But the rice could not be evacuated over long period of time at the seaport despite written letters by Chinese Government to Ministry of Budget and National Planning after an import waiver had been obtained from Ministry of Finance, informing the Nigerian authorities of the consequences of the delay in clearing the items.

– The Federal Government paid about N800 Million as demurrage to APM terminal and Maersk Line for the consignment due to delay arising from inability and negligence on part of NEMA, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Budget and National Planning to secure the items as at when due.

– APM Terminal provided invoices on the demurrage showing payment by Ministry of Agriculture but NEMA testified it made the payment. NEMA could not however, provide before the Committee evidence of payment to APM terminal but the payment reflected in their account book.

– Ministry of Budget and National Planning was to provide the funding for the clearing, transportation of the rice, handling and logistic charges as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government Agencies.

– Ministry of Agriculture was responsible for providing silos for the storage of the rice.

– The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed to the Committee that no single bag of the consignments was delivered and received from NEMA as at the time of this report.

– Global View Logistics Ltd and Baltic Air and Maritime Services Ltd engaged to clear the rice were not registered contractors with NEMA, the Companies were equally not registered with ITF, NSITF, and PENCOM, as required by existing law, practice and Regulations.

– National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was saddled with the responsibility of delivering the consignments to different designated silos and to distribute all the 6779 metric tons of the Chinese rice to the IDPs within the 6 States in the North-East in the following proportion:

S/No States Percentage and Tons Equivalence in Trucks

1 Borno 35% = 2,372.7 M/Tons 79.09 Trucks

2 Yobe 20% = 1355.8 M/Tons 45.1 Trucks

3 Adamawa 15% = 1016.85 M/Tons 33.89 Trucks

4 Gombe 10% = 677.9 M/Tons 22.5 Trucks

5 Bauchi 5% = 339 M/Tons 11.3 Trucks

6 Taraba 5% = 399 M/Tons 11.3 Trucks

7 Kwali FCT 10% = 677.9 M/Tons 22.5 Trucks

TOTAL 225.5 Trucks

Ministry of Finance provided Certificate for Import tax waiver with tax deduction on the consignments donated to Nigeria by Chinese government

The 5 State governments in the North-East except Borno State who did not appear before Committee, denied receiving any single bag of rice from the consignment purported to have been delivered and distributed to the IDPs by NEMA.

– Due to the testimony of the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) and some staff of NEMA on payment of demurrage which the management was not comfortable with, NEMA management hurriedly convened a Governing Council meeting of NEMA for the first time in 3 years where it took a decision to suspend the Director of Finance and 5 other staff of the Agency without due process and in flagrant violation of the principle of fair hearing as guaranteed under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

– The suspension took place on 2nd April, 2018 which was the date of the inauguration of the Council Members by the Vice President. This was done within the period of investigation by the Committee, and intended to jeopardise and obstruct the work of the Committee.

B. RECEIPT AND UTILIZATION OF N1.6 BILLION FOR FLOOD VICTIMS IN 16 STATES

FINDINGS:

– NEMA confirmed receiving the sum of N1.6 Billion released to it by the Federal Government as Intervention Fund to purchase food items and other relief materials for distribution to all the 16 States which was affected by the flood disaster in June 2017. The States are: Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Kwara, Ebonyi, Niger, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Sokoto, Bayelsa, Enugu, Ondo, Abia State and FCT

– The ratio of distribution of the fund for each State is N100,000,000.00.

– The Committee further confirmed that 11 of the States received relief items worth less than N50,000,000.00 each while 5 States received items worth N70,000,000.00 each from NEMA and only received the items in March 2018 when the investigative hearing commenced.

– The relief materials released was an afterthought and not intended to salvage the situation as the disbursement happened 9 months after the flood disaster. Thereby defeating the emergency purpose for which it was meant.

– NEMA could only account for the disbursement of N900 Million to the Sixteen States. The balance of N700 Million could not be accounted for.

C. FUNDS RELEASED FOR EMERGENCY INTERVENTION OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE NORTH-EAST

FINDINGS:

– On the emergency intervention of food security to the North-East to support the population ravaged by insurgency, a sum of N5,865,671,939.26 was approved and released in June 2017 vide a memo raised from the Office of the Acting President, directing the Hon. Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to so act. The details further specified a directive to the Governor of CBN from the Ministry of Finance to pay the sum from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account which the AGF is to raise a mandate for. This is in contravention of approval of NASS on the issuance of Euro Bond from which the Hon. Minister authorized the payment. The Euro Bond is for specified infrastructural projects and not for discretionary intervention. Furthermore, there is no specific appropriation by the National Assembly.

This contravenes Section 80 (4) of the 1999 constitution as amended: which states:

“No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly”.

The money was paid to the following companies for supply of food items to the North East:-

1. Dangote Rice Ltd. = N936,196,800.00

2. Golden Agric Input Ltd. = N1,384,554,236.26

3. BUA Rice Ltd. = N1,322,273,520.00

4. WACOT Ltd. = N453,674,296.00

5. WACOT Ltd = N939,946,089.00

6. NEMA = N829,026,456.00

= N5,865,671,389.26

– Committee noted the flaws and infractions on the authorization granted and removal of such huge sum of money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account of the Federation in violation of section 80(2) of the Constitution, Section 16(2) of the Procurement Act and provisions of the Appropriation Act as approval of the Legislature was not sought nor obtained for such expenditure.

– Due process was not followed as taxes and interest accruable to government were not deducted and remitted to the FIRS on the sums released and paid into the accounts of the different corporate entities shown above, this created colossal loss of revenue to the Federal Government.

No meeting of the Federal Executive Council was held approving the contracts to the named companies and the release and crediting of the funds directly into the individual companies and NEMA bank account in blatant violation of approval limit allowed by law.

– It was revealed in the Public Hearing testimonies that Dangote Rice Ltd, WACOT Ltd, BUA Rice Ltd and Golden Agric Input Ltd had earlier received N2billion each from CBN as loan to mop up grains across the country.

– All the 6 States of the North East denied ever receiving this emergency intervention for food security in the North East for which about N5.8b was expended by the Federal Government.

– Out of about N5.8Billion. NEMA got N829,026,456 for logistics and it claimed it spent it as follows, without satisfactory evidence:

(i) General Logistic N369.5 million

(ii) Branding and packaging N189.00 million

(iii) Others (Marketing, Security, tracking and media) N248.6 million

(iiii) Contingency N21.9 million

D. RELEASE OF N3,153,000,000.00 TO NEMA FOR FOOD INTERVENTION TO THE NORTH-EAST

FINDING:

– The Committee noted that NEMA released 2.4 Billion Naira to Olam Nigeria Limited to supply 8,000 metric tons of rice, gave 3 Brother Rice Mill Limited the contract to supply 2,000 metric tons of rice at N600,000,000 and N153,160,000 for logistics and transportation of the items, all totaling N3,153,000,000.00.

– Committee observed that Olam Nigeria Limited and 3 Brother Rice Mill Limited were contacted verbally by Ministry of Agriculture to go to NEMA for the jobs without due process.

– The contract award letters issued to Olam Nigeria Limited and 3 Brothers Rice Ltd were all signed by the Ag. Director of Relief and Rehabilitation and not by Director of Procurement in contravention of Public Procurement Act.

– The same Ag. Director of Relief and Rehabilitation who was saddled with the responsibilities of receiving the items and distributing them, signed the award letters without the knowledge of the Procurement Department. This is tantamount to breach of the Procurement Act.

– Evidence before the Committee showed that the World Food Programme (WFP) sought to import and supply 5000 metric tons of rice to the North East, at the rate of N11,500 per bag which is cheaper than the N15,000 per bag offered by local Nigerian millers. However, the Committees findings indicate that the concerned Federal Government agencies namely Federal Ministry of Agriculture and NEMA offered to subsidise the purchase locally, at the same rate of N11,500 to World Food Programme to discourage importation and encourage local production.

– NEMA now claimed to have donated the 5000 metric tons of rice to WFP instead of allowing WFP to purchase same and distribute to the North East. There is no evidence that the WFP received the 5000 metric tons as donation from NEMA, as the approval of N3.1billion was for NEMA to purchase the rice and distribute same to the victims of insurgency in the North East, as WFP did not provide the Committee with such evidence after repeated requests.

– Both companies, Olam Nigeria Ltd and 3 Brothers Rice Mill Ltd, were illegally contracted to carry out the supplies as their profiles showed that they had no PENCOM, FIRS, ITF and NSITF Clearance Certificates in compliance to Section 16 of the Public Procurement Act.

– The data of 3 Brothers Rice Ltd sighted by the Committee did not tally with registration name “Three Brothers Rice Mill Ltd” approved by Corporate Affairs Commission which means NEMA gave contract to a non-existent entity.

Therefore the contract awarded to both Olam and 3 Brothers were in violation of the Procurement Act.

E. EVACUATION OF NIGERIANS FROM LIBYA

FINDINGS

– Committee confirmed that the sum of N1.6Billion was released to NEMA for the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Libya in year 2017.

– The Committee also discovered that contract awarded under this exercise were inflated.

– In the course of the investigations, the Director-General of NEMA, Eng. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, gives account of expenditure as the N1.6Billion to include evacuations, security personnel logistics and local transport.

F. UNACCOUNTED N17,889,050,401 RELEASED FROM ECOLOGICAL FUND TO NEMA

FINDINGS

– The Committee established that 20% of the Statutory Ecological funds are released to the National Emergency Management Agency on monthly basis. This is in compliance with Section 13(2B) of the NEMA Act.

– It was discovered that from January 2017 to May 2018 the total amount released and or received by NEMA is to the tune of N17Billion.

– Furthermore, NEMA incurs expenditure from the fund without going through statutory appropriation approval from the Legislative Arm of Government.

– The Committee noted that the failure of the Governing Council of NEMA to forward the details of the amount released to it to the National Assembly for Appropriation, consideration by the Legislature and passage is a gross violation of the provisions of the Constitution.

– Due process was also not followed by NEMA on the contract sums as the Director General exceeded his approval threshold for both capital and recurrent expenditure. Withholding and Value Added Taxes accruable to government for contracts executed were not remitted to FIRS; thus, resulting to loss of revenue by Government in violation of Section 16 (1&2) of National Emergency Management Act CAP N34 LFN 2004.

EzeIgboNwaChukwu:
which bakassi deep sea port has ayade built? bakassi sea port that was ceded to Cameroon leaving Cross river state landlocked.
the calabar sea Port we're talking here is a river with 18 nautical miles to the Atlantic Ocean.
concentration should be rather channeled to the Ibaka deep sea Port which isn't shallow but deep enough to accumulate large vessels

She said that one of the critical areas NPA is working on is the dredging of Warri port to seven metres

On the Calabar port, she noted that estimation for the dredging of the channel has been put at N50 million but has yet to be finalised.

EzeIgboNwaChukwu:
the calabar Port is a White elephant project, what's the essence of dredging it when there is Ibaka deep sea port which is even nearby?

By Dennis Agbo

ENUGU-GOVERNORS of South East region have disagree with statement by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, that the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu was safe for use.

The Governors rather insisted “that the airport is not safe as there are no runway lights, the tarmac is bumpy with potholes, while one of the buildings destroyed by storm for over two years has become an eyesore. The cargo section of Akanu Ibiam International Airport is not functional.”

The Governors had recently raised the alarm that the Enugu international Airport was no longer safe for landing, but FAAN in opposition to the Governors claim said the airport was safe.

However, addressing newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday, the Director General of South East Governors Forum, Prof Simon Ortuanya said “It is, indeed, a shame that a whole region as economically robust South East doest not have an airport that can land all categories of aircraft. The Federal government should please come to our aid by making the airport more functional.”

The Governors further observed that the Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has taken the challenge of helping to fix the airport “but we know also that the burden is too heavy for a state government.”

On the much politicised second Niger bridge, the governors noted that the project has indeed become a political chess board in the hands of politicians seeking Igbo votes, but appealed to the federal government to assist the region by ensuring that it is completed.

“We have become aware that it was only in July 2018, that the contract for the second Niger bridge project was signed. Inspite of the fact that the first foundation laying ceremony was undertaken in 2013. We pray that this will not be another lip service to realisation of the second Niger bridge,” the Governors stated.

By Ebuka Oko,  Abigail Ezenwafor, Kemi Abioye and Sharon Obiakor

The Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, has said that the ongoing dredging of the Warii port channel will be completed in two months.

Making this known in Lagos at a colloquium organized in the honour of Prince Olayiwola Shittu, the former National President of the Association of Licensed Customs Clearing Agents, ANLCA, to mark his 68th Birthday. Managing Director of NPA, Miss Hadiza Bala Usman, said the completion of the dredging work is of importance to the Authority.

The NPA boss noted that the completion of the dredging of the port channel will open it up for business, even as she called on operators to consider the use of Flat Bottom Vessels, FBV for their shipping businesses in Warri and other eastern ports.

She said that one of the critical areas NPA is working on is the dredging of Warri port to seven metres which will reduce the congestion we are facing in Lagos port and also threw light on making provisions for cargos especially petroleum products coming through the Delta port location.

According to her, “We have also gotten the approval for the dredging of Warri port to seven meters and that is going to be completed within the next two month and this will go a long way in reducing the congestion we are having in Lagos port and also providing access for cargos particularly petroleum products coming into the country through the Delta port location.”

On the Calabar port, she noted that estimation for the dredging of the channel has been put at N50 million but has yet to be finalised.

In her words, “We have noted that the Calabar port is also currently ongoing, procurement process we have an estimated cost of N50 million for the dredging of Calabar port so we are looking to see the outcome of the revenue generation for the investment of Nigeria port to dredge Calabar port”.

Concerning vessels, she said NPA is striving towards the implementation of vessels that would be used for transportation purposes which will ease the movement of cargoes without traffic related issues. She further said that two of the vessels which were passed in Calabar port is now an history and implored the shipping companies and importers to make use of the FBVs and transport vessels as it will help Nigeria in having vessels coming with lesser investment in dredging.

“We are also exploring the utilization of transporting vessels these are vessels that can navigate and come into the water without traffic. We have successful passed two of these vessels in Calabar port which was historic, we are encouraging shipping companies to utilize these FBVs as that will assist the Nigeria port in having vessels coming that do not require a lot of investment in dredging so as we seek to know the numbers to justified the N50 million naira budget required to get Calabar port navigable we are also encouraging for importers to utilize the transport vessel to bring in cargo,“ she concluded.

The Akwa Ibom State Government has hinted that the ground-breaking for the commencement of the construction of Ibom Deep Seaport will hold by the end of November this year.

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mr. Akan Okon, who gave the hint during a dinner with journalists, said the seaport would be viable and an alternative to Lagos port, and that its draft was two times the size of Lagos seaport.

Okon, who assured that the Ibom Deep Seaport project, was on course and would soon be a reality for the good of the state and the country at large, stated that it was being jointly financed and promoted by Akwa Ibom State Government and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

He explained that the project was being engineered  by the Ministerial Project Development Steering Committee, MPDSC, set up by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, and consists of the ministry representatives, Nigerian Port Authority, ICRC, the programme manager, ICPC and EFCC, members of the technical committee and the state government.

According to him, “With the level that we have reached and the timetable that we have, by the end of November 2018, God willing, there should be a groundbreaking. So, Ibom Deep Seaport is a reality for the good of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.

“Let me also make this clear. Almost all the bidders that were shortlisted have visited the site of the project. They have done their studies and I can tell you that from their designs, they have a minimum of 16.5 metres draft at the original location of the project, which is Ibaka.

“This is the best for modern vessels as against Lagos port that has 8 metres draft. So, our draft is an attraction for many shipping lines because modern vessels can come directly to the port and discharge. Our seaport is very viable and it is the best alternative for the Lagos port.”

GeeCee:
There is an abandoned dry port at Erunmu. If we can't get one to work, why build another?

PLANS towards the actualisation of the new $134 million Ibadan Inland Dry Port were activated on Tuesday with the presentation of Outline Business Case Compliance (OBC) certificate to Governor Abiola Ajimobi by the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC).

The project to be sited at Olorisa-Oko, at the terminal end of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard guage railway line, is a Public Private Partnership with the Nigeria Shippers Council, CRCC Construction Company and the Oyo State government as major stakeholders.

While presenting the OBC certificate, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, expressed hope that the turning of sod, signifying the movement of the concessionaire to site and commencement of construction work will begin before the end of the year or early 2019.

He stressed that the OBC certificate was valid for 12 months urging all stakeholders to live up to their roles towards ensuring the project is implemented in accordance with the stated project timeline.

According to Bello, the Ibadan Inland Dry Port, estimated to be of 20,000 tons capacity, is meant to shed off the usual congestion at Apapa port averaging 7,500 trucks and tankers each day.

Consequent upon receiving the OBC certificate for the project, the NSC is billed to inspect the allocated land so as to facilitate the exchange of letters from the Oyo State Government to the Nigeria Shippers Council, on behalf of the federal government.
Bello specifically tasked the Oyo State Government to pay requisite compensation to the beneficial land owners to ensure that the allocated land for the project is free of threats of litigation or community related agitation for the duration of the project construction and completion.

He added that the state government was expected to also cause electricity, water, security and access roads to be provided to the project site.

Noting that he was not oblivious of the earlier plan to site the Ibadan Inland Dry Port in Erunmu, Bello urged the state government to integrate Erunmu into the new dry port project so that Erunmu does not feel totally abandoned.

Speaking, Ajimobi tasked the Nigeria Shippers Council and Chinese company contracted for the job, CRCC Construction Company, to carry out the project according to the stipulated timelines.

He noted the capacity of the Ibadan Inland Dry Port, upon completion, to be the most patronised in Nigeria,  Ajimobi specifically urged CRCC to be effective in carrying out its work so that the project does not go the way of the Erunmu dry port.

Representative of CRCC management, Mr Dada Ahmed allayed fears of non-competion of the new Ibadan dry port project, noting that it was bankable and met requirements of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC)

By Emmanuel Ojeifo

Recently, the Nigerian Army posted a message on its official Twitter handle notifying the public about the postponement of the “Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Nigerian Army University, Biu earlier scheduled for Tuesday 30 October 2018.” It was my first time to learn that the army even had a plan of establishing a university. When I tried to Google it up, I read from the webpage of NAN (News Agency of Nigeria) that the army secured approval for the establishment of its own university in March this year. The approval was given at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo following the recommendation of the Ministry of Education. In a briefing after the approval, Mallam Adamu Adamu the education minister stated that the newly approved university “will be the hub for developing a Nigerian Military Industrial Complex.”

In the NAN report, it was also stated that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, had approached the National Universities Commission in June 2017 to apply for the university’s approval. “Buratai…explained that the university was being designed as a unique and specialised institution that would serve as solutions centre, especially to specific challenges facing the military and North-East region.” Recall that the Nigerian Navy only recently established its own university – Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), which is set to welcome its first intakes this year. Also, the Air Force got approval for its own university, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) last year and is already running courses. Good idea, but it seems like a competition amongst the armed forces.

At the launch of ADUN earlier this year, the navy chief said that the university was “conceived to…meet the training needs of the Nigerian Navy along with those of their sister services with reduced travel abroad for training….” On its webpage, AFIT states that, “it is a tertiary institution with a blend of military and civilian staff and students… The Institute conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Aerospace Engineering and allied disciplines.”

Let us return to the proposed Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB). When I read the Twitter post about the postponement of its groundbreaking ceremony, my first question was: “Why Biu?” Why is the army proposing to build a university in Biu when virtually all our military and defence institutions are located in the North? Why not elsewhere? Just look at the roll call:

1. Nigeria Defence Academy Kaduna (North-West)
2. Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna (North-West)
3.Armed Forces School of Infantry Jaji, Kaduna (North-West)
4.Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Kaduna (North-West)
5.401 Air Force Flying Training School Kaduna (North-West)
6.Air Force Institute of Technology Kaduna (North-West)
7.National Defence College Abuja (North-Central)
8.Army War College Abuja (North-Central)
9.Nigeria Army University Biu, Borno (North-East)
10.Police Academy Wudil, Kano (North-West)

Is it fair that virtually all but one of our military training and educational institutions are concentrated in just one part of the country? When I tried to find out why Biu has to be the location of the proposed army university, I couldn’t get any plausible reason other than the fact that the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, comes from Biu LGA of Borno State.

In itself, it is not a crime for the CAS to want the army university in his hometown, but where is the sense of altruism considering the fact that there is no single military institution in the whole of the South-East and South-West regions? Could it not have made much sense if this new university was sited in either of these two regions?

At a time when virtually all of the heads of our security, military and para-military services are all from one section of the country and one religion, the siting of the army university in the North does not do well to promote national integration or accord with our Federal Character principle.

In their scholarly essay, ‘Federal Character and Management of the Federal Civil Service and the Military’ (1991) published in Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Ladipo Adamolekun, John Erero and Basil Oshionebo noted that “The makers of the 1979 Constitution who introduced the ‘federal character’ principle specifically linked it to the objective of achieving national unity. Some of them also believed that the principle would help to ‘secure and maintain stability in the country.’”

The Federal Character principle is not just about providing some degree of balancing, fair, and equitable representation of states and ethnic groups in the composition of civil service personnel, but also about the geographical spread of institutions of government. The aim, according to the Constitution, is “to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people of the Federation.”

On its webpage, the Federal Character Commission, the institution of government charged with the implementation of the federal character principle, states that its mandate is to ensure “fairness and equity in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic infrastructures among the various federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Take note of the socio-economic infrastructure mandate.

It is clear therefore that the concentration of all our nation’s military institutions in one section of the country and the appointment of all our nation’s security chiefs from one section of the country does not represent the spirit of federal character and does not serve to promote national cohesion. Imagine what difference it would have made if this new army university had been sited in a place like Asaba as a way of appeasing the Asaba people on the 50th anniversary of the Asaba massacre by the Nigerian army during the civil war (1967-70) or even to calm frayed nerves in the Biafra heartland.

Moreover, there is virtually nothing new that the army university is going to offer in terms of courses that other conventional universities are not already providing. At the approval of the university by the Federal Executive Council, the education minister said that the new institution “will be a hub for developing a Nigerian Military Industrial Complex.” If that is indeed what it is, how is it different from the mandate of DICON, even though DICON is not an academic institution? On DICON webpage, its director-general stated that the goal of the institution is the “establishment of a Military Industrial Complex to produce weapons and other equipment for the country’s Armed Forces and reduce reliance on reluctant foreign suppliers.”

My take is that many of these institutions are just endless proliferations with overlapping aims and mandates. Perhaps it would have made much sense and even cost-effective if any of the current armed forces training institutions had been expanded to meet the army’s infrastructure and technology needs.

If we must have an army university, it would make much sense to have a specialised university that will focus exclusively on training and developing skilled manpower to serve the army’s technology needs. But this doesn’t seem to be the case. The website of the proposed university (naub.edu.ng) states that the institution is designed “to serve as a solutions centre for the technological and other operational problems of the Nigerian Army, the military and the nation” as well as “create the critical mass required for research, innovation, testing and development of military equipment in a 21st century setting.”

Now, see the irony. Of its seven faculties (Science, Technology, Military Technology, Environmental Studies, Administration & Management, Social Sciences, Military Policy, Logistics & Strategy), only two deal with core military technological needs. The rest offer courses that any other conventional university is offering. So what is the difference? There is even a BSc course in Recreation and Leisure Studies in the army university. How does this help in developing a military technology in the 21st century? Only God knows where the lecturers for such a course will come from!

This, for me, is one of the fundamental problems with our nation’s tertiary education management system. For instance, we have three federal universities of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Makurdi and Umudike and three federal universities of Technology in Minna, Owerri and Akure, but these universities are offering the same courses other universities are offering. Imagine holding a BA in Philosophy from a University of Agriculture or a BA in English from a University of Technology. Odd!

If we had a sensible educational policy, these universities should have been fully specialist schools for developing manpower to drive Nigeria’s agricultural and technological revolution. But that is not what they are; they are only universities of agriculture and technology on paper. That is why in 2018, Nigeria, which claims to be Africa’s largest economy, is not able to produce school pencils.

On a final note, while it may be late to reverse the decision to site the army university in Biu, it should be noted that this is one more step backward on the path to national integration.

Emmanuel Ojeifo is a Young Catholic Priest and is the Personal Secretary to the Catholic Cardinal Bishop of Abuja

FriendNG:
Who will use slow local train for transportation from Kano to Lagos. You want to spend a day on the train? It should be left for transporting agricultural produce like tomatoes and others from Kano to Lagos.

We are waiting for Amaechi to start Kano kaduna standard guage rail and by extension Kano Lagos rail for commuters.

cosby02:
Okay...thanks

”We have completed the rehabilitation of the track and our train operation will commence on Friday if the strike does not continue,” Oche said.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, said that it would resume the Lagos-Kano Mass Transit Train Services, MTTS, on Friday.

Mahmoud Yakub, Deputy Director, NRC Public Relations, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos.

Mr Yakub said that the service was delayed because the rail track was washed away by rainfall.

“We are starting our service back on Friday, by God’s mercy,” he said.

Jerry Oche, Lagos Railway District Manager, RDM, also said that the service of the Lagos-Kano was suspended due to washout at Oyun River in Kwara State.

”The train which was supposed to come from Kano to Lagos on Sept. 1, was held back due to the washout.

”As I speak to you, the train is in Ibadan and it will go back to Kano on Friday.

”We have completed the rehabilitation of the track and our train operation will commence on Friday if the strike does not continue,” Oche said.

The RDM, however, apologised to the commuters for the suspension of the services, adding that NRC was working hard to make the train service a world class.

NAN reports that the washout of the train tract happened on August 31 in Kwara State.

NAN

the Fulani were neglected despite their huge contributions to the development of the state, especially during elections.

construct 21 nomadic schools and mosques as well as construct wells and boreholes to ensure that animals and human beings in the community have water to drink.

the three-storey twin building will accommodate 5000 shops with international features including elevators, escalators, and other facilities which are best in Africa.