₦airaland Forum

FROM TRADING TO MANUFACTURING — THE DANGOTE AND GON (Government Of Nigeria)
SHARED DREAM

Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne
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¶7. (C) Dangote’s shift toward manufacturing accords with the GON’s nationalistic economic policies, which place a premium on domestic manufacturing and production. What we don’t know is whether Dangote and others like him helped drive the policy or whether their actions were driven by the government policy. Reality is probably a mixture of both.

¶8. (C) In part, because of this shared dream, the Government has been very supportive of Dangote. We know the company at one time or another held exclusive import rights in sugar, cement, and rice using such advantages to do volume business and undercut competitors. In a December 1996 interview, Aliko Dangote admitted that a government mandate once forced him to import so much rice that the local market crashed by almost 80 percent. [2] The direction of GON trade barriers also suggests preferential treatment. High tariffs or outright bans on imported items favor the Group in nearly all areas in which they do business including wheat flour, cement, certain textiles, sugar and pasta.

¶9. (C) Further, the GON is normally slow in privatizing state-owned production facilities. Yet the Dangote Group swiftly won bids on GON-owned manufacturing installations such as the Benue Cement Company and the Savannah Sugar Company, and constructed its own berth at GON-owned Apapa port in Lagos where ships with production inputs offload directly at the Dangote Group factory.

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Early and Easy Access to Political Favoritism
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¶10. (U) Dangote is revered for his assumed rise from rags to riches but his family connections reveal a privileged beginning. Dangote is from the prominent Dantata family of Kano State. The Dantata family made its name and wealth in commodity trading. When in his early twenties Dangote showed promise as a young businessperson, his uncle Sanusi Dantata loaned him naira 500,000 (at the time worth USD 500,000) to start out on his own.

¶11. (C) Because of their influence in the Hausa and Muslim communities, Dangote and Dantata have always been useful to both the civilian and military leaders who ruled Nigeria. Dangote enjoyed GON favoritism in the form of importing rights throughout the military regimes and coups of the 1980s and 90s. Though he has connections with political figures throughout the country, his link to Obasanjo (OBJ) paid off when OBJ was elected president in 1999. Since then, Dangote’s market advantages and growth have multiplied.

¶12. (C) Dangote purportedly contributed 200 million naira (about $1.5 million at the time) to Obasanjo’s first election campaign, and in 2003 at least another one billion naira (about USD 7.5 million) for the second term. Dangote is a known contributor to the PDP party. He is a close friend with the governors of Kwara, Kogi, and Ogun states. He also enjoys support from the Sokoto Caliphate, the spiritual and political seat of power of Muslims and members of the Hausa tribe.

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Nigeria’s Dangote Paradigm Stands in the Way of Economic
Liberalization and Democracy
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¶13. (C) The special relationship Dangote holds with the GON defines the Dangote paradigm. The paradigm demonstrates how easily one powerful person can disrupt Nigeria’s floundering democratic and economic liberalization processes. Along with outright money laundering and corruption, the Dangote paradigm is arguably one of the key factors making Nigeria a politically and economically volatile country and a risky place to do business.

¶14. (C) Dangote openly asserts the GON should do more to manage the economy through protectionist measures to assist what he calls the “Nigerian Industrial Renaissance.” He has no qualms about “alerting the government” or “giving direction” in industrial policymaking. Dangote and some members of the GON justify this protectionism with examples such as US corporate and railroad barons and the gilded era of the late 1800s. This, they say, is the way to lay the foundation for economic growth, particularly in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. However, these alleged historic parallels do not mask the fact that the chummy relationship between Dangote and the GON, while superficially promoting manufacturing in some sectors, is causing destructive and derailing economic activity and democracy in other areas.

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Comment
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Consul Brian Browne

Consul Brian Browne

I came across this long write up and could not really conclude if this is a real collection of facts or an all-out attach of an anti-Dangote person(s).

See full article below (every text below fully belongs to NewsRescue):

In a December 1996 interview, Aliko Dangote admitted that a government mandate once forced him to import so much rice that the local market crashed by almost 80 percent. [2] -USA Cables
The Dangote paradigm demonstrates how easily one powerful person can disrupt Nigeria’s floundering democratic and economic liberalization processes. -USA Cables
Along with outright money laundering and corruption, the Dangote paradigm is arguably one of the key factors making Nigeria a politically and economically volatile country and a risky place to do business. -USA Cables
Aliyu Mohammed (Gusau) said that Dangote and the other “Transcorp boys” seek a Yar’Adua presidency to facilitate their gaining control over most of Nigeria’s oil and gas production. -USA Cables c/o Wikileaks

Oct. 5, 2013

*Note- Article being revised with new information we are reviewing

beggar-thy-countrymen-dangoteNewsRescue- Our recent articles, Dangote Refinery: Nigerians Will Pay Double For Petroleum and Paying Double The World Price: Dangote Cements Nigerians In Poverty have sensitized many Nigerians and stirred up much discourse and reaction including a defense from a “Dangote company Treasurer.”

In these articles, we described the “Dangote Business model” and informed Nigerians on how Dangote, and a hand-full of Nigerian cabal, set-up and control the Nigerian administration and together, cement the masses in permanent poverty. Dangote, the world’s 40th richest man has been described by the US according to wikileaks reports as operating a “Beggar-thy-countrymen” ie- get rich by turning Nigerians into beggars, business model.

Via government enforced advantages and monopolies and the destruction of all competition by his government stooges, the greatest benefactor of Nigeria’s corrupt governments over the years, Aliku Dangote, the embodiment of corruption itself, establishes himself in unimaginable wealth, and then buys press to placate the masses by making them believe that a few ‘slave-labor’ employments and charities define him as different, patriotic and benevolent. Contrary to popular narration, Dangote did not invest in Nigeria, Dangote uses Nigeria. Nigeria’s governments deposited the nations resource in Dangote.

In order to appreciate the nations predicament, we are fortunate to have the Wikileaks US cables, courtesy of Julian Assange, to digest the US account of his history, which includes his “admission” of crashing local market of rice due to excessive importation mandated by Nigerian government’s exclusive rights:
The “Miracle” Of Dangote’s Rags To Riches History According to The US Cables
Wikileaks: Jullian Assange

Wikileaks: Jullian Assange

Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with the people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives. - Oprah Winfrey

To Ogbeni, leadership is here being demonstrated as an opportunity to serve and not a clarion call to self-importance. Ogbeni has displayed that every citizen of Osun is very important to him. This is a thinking governor who realised that while a government may not be able to prepare the future for her children, every responsible government must endeavour to prepare the children for the future.

The students here are seen hugging their Governor joyfully without fear or harassment unlike yesterday’s men in Osun. We at Bioreports commend Ogbeni Aregbesola for this courageous move.

Today, Osun began the bold giant leap from OLD SCHOOL TO NEW SCHOOL …..WELCOME TO O’SCHOOL

seedord247: Person wey go get money go get money forget all this Incantation above.

Yes! I am with you 100%. It is good to have a set goal and plans to achieve it, but that doesn't guarantee financial success

Their first meeting as team-mates. The two most expensive players in football history shake hands outside Real Madrid’s training ground. A lot has been made of the potential rivalry between Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, but it has to be 1-0 to Ronaldo already. While the tanned Portuguese winger shows off a designer washbag, sunglasses, belt and watch, the pasty Welshman clutches onto what looks like a plastic bag from duty-free. One thing we are sure of is that it would be a very firm handshake and some strong eye-contact!

Diezani escapes this again!

Jonathan sacks ministers of Environment, Lands, Education, National Planning, Science & Technology, Foreign Affairs, & ministers of state for Agric, Power, Defence.

Details later.

http://www.punchng.com/news/cabinet-reshuffle-jonathan-sacks-9-ministers/

It is not on every drug! it is only common with malaria drugs

The Peoples Democratic Party held what it called a ‘special’ convention on Saturday, August 31, 2013 in Abuja. The party, according to the faction that met at the Eagle Square, wants to be seen as having succeeded in bringing Nigeria to a great place in the comity of nations. I believe the PDP is great if we choose to see greatness from its other side . I will use selected realities to make this point: First, education.

It is very easy to score the party extremely low here because university students and lecturers are currently at home as is often the case. This would be the reason to score them low but it would not be the only reason. Just look at the state of education in Nigeria apart from the ASUU strikes and what you get would be nothing short of a disaster. No Nigerian with the means and valued sense of education would send his/her child to Nigeria’s glorified secondary schools called universities. A computer engineering student studying at one of the nation’s top public universities confessed he had never done a thing on a computer despite being in his third year at a university the President cared enough to change its name but not its fortunes. The West African Examinations Council’s results are these days noted more for the failure rates than their functionality as a tool for separating students and identifying their various academic abilities. Most students fail anyway. Nigerian students now find themselves in places like Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania not to mention Ghana, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore and the likes. The PDP has succeeded in killing education in Nigeria. It was a smart move for them. It is always dangerous to have too many educated people in a population to make demands about their human rights and just ask too many questions. So then, we have a kind of democracy quite all right but our “great party” has ensured a majority of the people are more concerned about what they eat rather than what schools their children go to. Over 10 million Nigerian children are out of school. This is a world record and the PDP being a great party is already on course to add to this number next year.

Then Infrastructure.

The much-maligned military governments built majority of the airports if not all the airports we have in Nigeria. When these airports were built, they were good enough to be called airports; today, considering what we have around the world, we can safely call ours airstrips. They are nothing better than garages in other climes. Most train stations in saner climes are better equipped than most of our airports. Ask any Nigerian who travels out of this country, any of them with a conscience that cares about our country and they’d tell you their first point of sadness are the airports they see upon arrival in other places, even places like Ethiopia not to talk of the United Arab Emirates that make ours look like their public toilets at best. So then, in 14 years of running this country with tens of trillions of naira to boot, the PDP – what some call a great party – has yet to deliver one, just one major airport to this country. Instead, they are gleefully renovating what the military built.

We should not even talk about roads. To show how much and how bad things have since become, they threw a party to celebrate the award of the contract for the renovation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. As we speak, months after that public display of national mediocrity that had the President himself dancing, nothing has been done. The road remains in a shambles that it has always been.

Power is on the right track. The privatisation process is on course. If done the right way to the last letter, this is one area the current government could write its name in gold.

As regards the economy, make no mistakes, the Nigerian economy has largely grown since 1999 and this growth has only been dwarfed by another kind of growth; poverty! The growth of the Nigerian economy has benefited a few to the detriment of the majority. As of the last count, this growing economy still cannot guarantee four out of five graduates jobs, it cannot keep seven out of 10 Nigerians out of poverty and it has ensured a majority of Nigerians depend on families and friends to keep body and soul together. In perspective, there are just as many poor Nigerians today as they were Nigerians in 1998. What is the point of a growing economy that also grows poverty? Do we deny the reality of poverty because international organisations and aunty Ngozi tell us our economy is growing? The PDP has done extraordinarily well here; growing an economy during periods of increasing world oil prices while simultaneously breeding a society of more poor people than there are people in West Africa outside of itself.

And considering indices like maternal mortality, child mortality and life expectancy, every passing day, more women die trying to give birth in Nigeria than at most other places in the world. Almost 53,000 Nigerian women and girls die of pregnancy- related issues every year! According to UNICEF, some 20 per cent of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa occur in Nigeria. According to the World Health Organisation, almost 400 out of 1000 Nigerians die before they are 60 years of age. That is apart from the number that die before the age of 15. Should we talk about the fact that had any of the major delegates fallen from the podium at the convention venue, they would have been flown to India to have their heads checked faster than it takes for these hypocrites to see that today, we are worse off than we were in 1999. When you realise how much has gone down the drains to have us where we are today; — a people without direction and hope for a better tomorrow — you will weep for our beloved country. Some Nigerians would wish these brigands were wiped off the face of the earth.

One cannot begin to outline the failures of Nigeria since 1999. One way to know how bad it is would be to pay attention to what Nigerian governments celebrate these days. Gone are the days when projects were inaugurated after completion; these days things are so bad that projects are celebrated for being awarded to contractors. This says it all about where we are today compared to where we used to be. All hope is not lost but you cannot solve a problem you insist does not exist. As long as the ruling party continues to celebrate itself as having helped Nigeria succeed over the past 14 years, then we are safe to agree that we are in a really bad place. No country moves forward being led by a group of largely deluded rulers who are perpetually obsessed with perpetuating their gluttonous selves in power rather than making the country work.

Nigeria has a long way to go, not essentially because things are so bad we can’t fix them but because those expected to fix them believe we have never had it so good. Isn’t that what they mean when they say each mediocre step of the current government is “in line with the transformation agenda”?

•Omojuwa teaches about Africa and its democratic struggles at the Free University, Berlin. He tweets @omojuwa

http://www.nigeriaintel.com/2013/09/04/pdps-14-years-of-greatness-japheth-j-omojuwa/

Reports reaching us from Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, say the Senator Hope Uzodinma committee empanelled by the Peoples Democratic Party to mediate in the state political imbroglio has asked the state’s deputy governor to continue in office as acting governor but should take instructions directly from ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai.
The decisions, spokesperson to the Acting Governor, Kefas Sule told PREMIUM TIMES, were reached Tuesday afternoon after the committee met with Governor Suntai and Deputy Governor Garba Umar.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Mr. Uzodinma said Mr. Umar should continue to rule Taraba based on instructions he receives directly from Mr. Suntai.
More details later ….
See below our earlier report on the committee’s visit to Taraba
The presidency and the headquarters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will send a high-powered delegation to visit Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, on Tuesday to try to resolve the political crisis in the state, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
The spokesperson of Acting Governor Garba Umar, Kefas Sule, said the state government had concluded arrangements to receive the delegation.
“We are aware of the visit, and we have been told they are coming to mediate on the political crisis in the state,” Mr. Sule told PREMIUM TIMES.
He also said the delegation is expected to arrive Jalingo by 11 a.m., adding, however, that no venue had been announced for the meeting. He also did not confirm if the team would be meeting both the Acting Governor and Mr. Suntai separately or together.
Efforts to reach two of the president’s aides, Doyin Okupe and Ahmed Gulak, were unsuccessful as they did not answer calls made to their mobile telephones.
Sources however said the two delegations might be led by the National Chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur.
However, one of Mr. Suntai’s confidant, Emmanuel Bwacha, who is also a serving Senator had informed the BBC Hausa service on Monday that the governor’s camp did not have confidence in Mr. Tukur wading into the crisis as a neutral person.
Mr. Bwacha said it was wrong of Mr. Tukur to declare that the leadership of the party could not allow ‘governing by proxy’ in the state, without first conducting a proper investigation.
Also, Mr. Tukur had earlier raised a Taraba fact-finding committee under the leadership of another Senator, Hope Uzodinma, to investigate the true state of Mr. Suntai’s health while he was still in the hospital in the U.S.
But as soon as the committee was set to start its assignment, two members of the PDP in the state, Jude Garba from Sardauna Local Government Area and Sale Audu from Takum Local Government Area, approached a state High Court under Justice Nuhu Adi, asking for an interim order restraining the PDP and the Uzodinma committee from acting pending the determination of the substantive suit.
In spite of the court order, the Uzodinma committee paid a ‘solidarity visit’ to the ailing governor on his hospital bed in the U.S.
While in the U.S., Mr. Uzodinma told the media, “We are impressed with what we have seen and we thank God for that. We will take back home what we have seen and we will inform the leadership of the party”.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/144077-breaking-taraba-crisis-pdp-asks-acting-governor-continue-office-take-instructions-gov-suntai.html

Yungwizzzy: sweet Nigeria

i smell someone else now running the state for the incapacitated gov smh

Just like the days of Yaradua. But let's be frank here, if Suntai was your father or uncle, would you drum support for his removal?

Reports coming in from Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state say Governor Danbaba Suntai has dissolved his Executive council.
Reports from Jalingo, the Taraba State capital indicate that Governor Danbaba Suntai has dissolved the state’s Executive council and sacked all advisers.
A source at the Government House also informed PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Suntai has also appointed the immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Timothy Katap, as the new Secretary to State Government, SSG.
He also appointed Aminu Jika as his new Chief of Staff. The source added that both appointees will be sworn in by 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Government House.
This is the second time that Mr. Jika is being appointed as the Chief of Staff to Mr. Suntai. He was first appointed when Mr. Suntai took office in 2007.
Controversy has trailed Mr. Suntai’s return with observers questioning his mental state of health as the governor continues to stay or be kept away from public glare.
Although the governor sent a letter to the Speaker of the Assembly on Tuesday asking to return to office, the speaker has reportedly rejected the letter asking Mr. Suntai to appear before the lawmakers to confirm his ability to lead the state.
More details later…

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/143642-suntai-sacks-cabinet-appoints-new-ssg-chief-of-staff.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=suntai-sacks-cabinet-appoints-new-ssg-chief-of-staff

Guseh: poor boy, na USA im suppose dey by now ooo. Next tym try mak u target Dana or Medview...Dubai tins.

Lol, I'm afraid he won't get a second chance

aspabay: Thumbs up Aregbe. This is a good development.

Yeah, a very good development!

De Raufs, a volunteer group extolling the virtues of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor, state of Osun, has volunteered to sponsor 15year old stowaway teenager, Daniel Ohikhena who sensationally hid in the tyre compartment of Arik air flight from Benin to Lagos.
In a statement signed by the Director General of the group, Comrade Amitolu Shittu, the group stated that it is ready to give scholarship to Daniel up to university level and help him realise his dream of travelling by air legitimately.
Shittu said, genius and ambitious citizens of our country must not be suffocated on the alter of political and bureaucratic enforcement, the little boy’s ambition should be nurtured through qualitative education, and the group is ready to give the boy all the necessary support to make his dream a reality.
"We are sincerely willing to offer him the scholarship in other to encourage thousands of teenagers who are genius and ambitious, the leaders in Nigeria fail on their part to see the potential of the little boy ,therefore De Raufs take up the responsibility to safe the future of this great boy and not turning him to criminal.
"The parents of the boy should contact the secretariat of our group for further briefing," the group stated
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/45325.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_411192499001194_28216460_411210765666034

http://news.naij.com/45325.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_411192499001194_28216460_411210765666034#f24c7ff8a8

PANDEMONIUM reigned on Tuesday at the Marble Arch Hotels, Awka, venue of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) run-off congress to elect delegates for the governorship primary coming up in August 24, 2013.

Three party stalwarts were injured in the shooting spree as thugs of different governorship aspirants tried to out-do each other in hijacking congress materials and officials that were on their way to Anaocha Local Council.

Ugochukwu Adileje, the Campaign Co-ordinator of Chief Ugochukwu Okeke (a gubernatorial aspirant), who spoke with journalists at the venue, noted that he was in the convoy on their way to Anaocha when another convoy of vehicles intercepted them.

They resisted and in the process, a fight broke out. He admitted they were actually rescued by a passing armed police back-up attached to another aspirant (Dr. Tony Nwoye) who must have been alerted by their agent.

The PDP Vice National Chairman, Col. Akobundu (rtd), could not be reached for his reaction as he was said to be in a meeting.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, National Ward Congress Panel of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) primaries, Jolly B. Ngbor, has said the exercise was peaceful in Anambra State, as they applied the party’s guidelines throughout the conduct of the election.

The election of the ad-hoc delegates was held on Monday, August 19, 2013, in all the 326 wards for the state delegates’ congress slated for August 26, 2013.

The five-member panel led by Ngbor told newsmen at a press briefing in Awka, yesterday, that the primary was conducted under a peaceful environment, adding that it was free and fair, while the results were being collated, adding that he constituted a sub-committee to cover each of the three senatorial districts where the Oyo State party chairman, Samson Olaleye, took charge of Anambra North; the South was manned by Prince Ukaegbu, while Habib Gajio was in charge of the Central zone.

A disqualified aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, Osoeloka Obaze, yesterday rallied support of his north senatorial zone for the emergence of a qualified candidate of the party from the zone as governor of the state.

Obaze, who was disqualified by the party’s screening panel for non-possession of voter’s card alongside others, in a statement to his supporters and made available to The Guardian in Enugu, restated his commitment to the party, stressing that he would work to ensure its success at the polls, adding that though he could seek legal redress to resolve the issue of his disqualification, he would not want to do so in view of the burden it would put on the party at this crucial moment.

Also, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, described the idea that the North Senatorial zone of the state should produce the next governor as most auspicious.

Obiogbolu, in a press briefing in Awka yesterday, told journalists that he was of the school of thought that strongly believe in the north agenda as canvassed by the incumbent governor, Peter Obi, that it was ideal in the interest of equity for the zone to have a shot at the coveted seat this time.

He also thanked the community and traditional leaders from all “the seven councils that comprise the zone for throwing their weights behind my aspiration”.

According to him, “the royal fathers and the town union executives have, after a painstaking screening process, chose me as the standard-bearer. For that, I thank them immensely.

Obiogbolu, who confirmed he was on his third attempt at the race, assured he would remain steadfast in the PDP even if he was not nominated.

He denied accusations that he was actually fronting for another unnamed aspirant, stressing he had been so accused in the past.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/130678-three-injured-as-violence-mars-pdp-congress-in-anambra

THE latest ranking of tertiary institutions in the World by Webometrics has ranked the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi as the best in Africa and by implication the best in the country.

The latest ranking also showed that Auchi Polytechnic retained its position as the second best tertiary educational institution in Nigeria.

Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Philipa Idogho, who told journalists yesterday that the feat was achieved with support from staff and students of the school that had ensured a peaceful academic environment in the last five years since she became the rector of the school, expressed satisfaction with the latest ranking of the polytechnic, which has been a consistent performance since 2010.

“That the polytechnic has consistently been rated with the universities demonstrates the high standard of academic activities in the institution,” she said, adding that the rating was a further challenge to the polytechnic’s management to work harder as being at the top is not as difficult as remaining at the top.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/130099-auchi-poly-ranks-best-in-africa-

Reports of Fulani herdsmen attacking members of their host communities with AK 47 rifles and other dangerous weapons have often been treated as a fairy tale by those saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizenry.

Recently, Crime Alert published a story of 23-year-old Ogbonna Eze, a commercial motorcyclist from Opi Community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state, whose life was almost snuffed out by two Fulani herdsmen whom he had conveyed from Opi Junction along Enugu -Makurdi Expressway , to their camp at Idodo Agu Ekwegbe, Igbo Etiti local government area on a special drop.

But midway into the journey, Eze got the shock of his life following an order from the men for him to stop, on reaching a market close to the camp. But before he could fathom the reason for the order, he was attacked from behind with matchet cuts all over his head and was abandoned in a bush part apparently to die, while his motorbike was taken away by his assailants.

It would also be recalled that the Obi of Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State, Agbogidi, Victor Chukwumalieze, had three months ago, raised alarm over atrocities of Fulani herdsmen whom he alleged ravaged farm lands, raped women and attacked farmers who dared to challenge them.

The Fulani herdsmen said to have fled their home town following activities of Boko Haram sect in some Northern parts of the country have reportedly diversified into armed robbery in their host communities with security agencies accused of looking the other way.

At Ogume, in Ndokwa local government area of Delta state, about 27 persons were reportedly killed in April after the herdsmen were confronted by Ogume youths. There has also been reported clashes in between the herdsmen and youths in Ibusa. Although vigilante groups have been formed in the various communities around Delta state and other areas bedeviled by these attacks, unfortunately, they seemed not to be able to match the fire power of these herdsmen.

Worried by this development in Delta state, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan established a constitution responsible for the protection of lives of Deltans from these criminal group that disguise as herdsmen. Even with this on ground, there seemed to be no end to the attack of Fulani herdsmen.

A recent attack occurred July 21, 2013 when five armed Fulani herdsmen wielding fully loaded AK 47 rifles, ambushed a 14 seater Hiace bus, travelling from Onicha-Ugbo to Asaba, Delta state, dispossessing the occupants of their belongings.

One of the occupants of the bus was Vanguard’s Foreign Affairs Editor, Mr Hugo Odiogor, who escaped death by the whiskers, following the merciless beatings they received from the herdsmen.

Narrating his ordeal, he said: “ It started like a dream as staccato of gun shots shattered the early morning peace and silence penultimate Sunday. I had attended the funeral of late Steve Osemeke, former Director of Public Affairs of Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC who died on June 24, 2013 in Abuja.The funeral rites began on July 18th and ended on 20th, after he was committed to mother earth. Thereafter, the visiting parties began to depart. I had planned to return to Abuja enroute Asaba International Airport.

From Onicha-Ugbo junction, I boarded a Delta coloured Hiace bus heading towards Asaba/Onitsha at about 7.05am.The journey had lasted only twenty minutes when five Fulani herdsmen carrying AK 47 rifles jumped out from the bush at the Ubulu Okiti-Otulu end of the Asaba-Benin Expressway. They shattered the peace of this dewy Sunday morning with staccato of gun shots into the air to warn the driver and the occupants of the bus of their intention to kill anybody that tries to offer resistance.

The gun shots elicited a general shout of “blood of Jesus” from the terrified occupants of the bus.

Each round of shootings was accompanied by a corresponding response of “blood of Jesus”.

With their patched up English language they ordered everybody to “bring out ya Money or i kill you”. They had their faces covered with charcoal, while their dresses and language obviously tells you that they are cattle rearers. They carried with them their sticks and machetes


Without a whimper, we all handed over whatever money we had on us. I gave them N45,000 which was to cover my flight ticket and other expenses. We were ordered to spread ourselves on the express road, faced down to be searched. They warned us pronto “if I search you and see any money, I kill you”. This was a command that nobody in his right mind would disobey. Promptly, we undressed; men and women, with only boxers and panties on. As we did so, we were lashed with the rod they used to shepherd their cattle. Each lash of the whip was greeted with the shouts of “blood of Jesus”.

As if the pains from the long stick was not scotching enough, a slap with the blade side of the machete landed on my back, wham! One of the co- travellers warned me: “Oga if you no shout them go shoot you O!’. That warning was well taken as another blow from the machete landed on my back wham!, I screamed as much as I could, to convince them that I was really feeling the pain.

As they ransacked our luggage and searched our pockets, they held us to the ground faced down, with gun shots ringing out intermittently. We were half dead. The thought in my heart then was either that they would open fire on us or allow on-coming trailer to crush us all. Fortunately, their gun shots had warned other vehicles to stay off from the scene of danger.

It was a 30 minutes ordeal which ended with a command from one of them who said, “let’s go”.We waited for about three minutes to be sure our tormentors were gone before we got up from the ground and scampered to find our clothes from where they were flung.

Confused, scared and traumatized we picked ourselves together but our telephones and cash were gone. My suitcase containing my mini lap top, tape recorder, ATM cards, cheque books, shoes, clothes, documents and other valuables, were gone. I was cashless in the real sense of the word that going forward was as difficult as going back.

Drama of Police Report

The police arrived five minutes after the criminals had gone. Graciously, they assisted some of the wounded passengers to Agbor while those of us going to Asaba were asked to continue with the ill-fated vehicle.

Reporting the incident to the police became another tug of war. At first the reaction of the victims was to get out of the scene of torment, even when the police came, we were not interested in reporting our ordeal to them.

On reaching Asaba, my immediate reaction was to get across to my family but this became a difficult task getting to recall telephone numbers in a confused and traumatised state of mind. When I eventually got through to my family, my next task was how to get access to funds to keep things going. It was not until 6 pm that Chief Akaeze Ibonye took me to the police station to make an official report of the loss of my identity cards and other items which could be found on the crime scene, as this could make me a suspect instead of a victim.

But at the station, I was warned not to say that the robbers were of Fulani extraction, that there was a serious effort by security agencies to conceal the fact that the perpetrators of the crime were from Northern part of the country. But I objected to that. After much trouble, I was referred to Okpanam police station because the scene of the incident was not within Asaba jurisdiction.

On Monday, July 22, 2013, I went to a police station at Okpanam which also declined to enter my report. Instead, I was referred to Isele Uku. On stating my case, a police officer asked me to lead him to the scene of the crime. This sounded idiotic as it means that I could as well lead the police man to the camp of the criminals. The Ozah of Onicha Ugbo Chief Azubukwu Mosindi, told this reporter that several reports have been made concerning these Fulani boys but nobody seemed to care.

This was further collaborated by Chief Patrick Onwochei who said the activities of these herdsmen who terrorize the entire length and breath of Delta State with impunity. From Isele Uku, I was further referred to Ogwashi Uku, where for the second time, I was asked not to describe the robbers as Fulani herdsmen. Of course, I refused, but made my report all the same”, he said..

Residents of the area have therefore, called on the Federal and state government, as well as the Inspector-General of Police to wade into the matter with a view to checkmating activities of these Fulani herdsmen whom they described as emerging terrorists.

View Image Here
www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/n-a-r-r-o-w-e-s-c-a-p-e-encounter-with-fulani-herdsmen-in-delta/#sthash.xsaSHRbx.4pKNFuly.dpuf

Koolmexxi: Which is exactly why governance in Nigeria will remain d same. We jus keep recycling politicians who overtym hav contributed basically nothing to d development of dis nation. If APC kips recruiting the same PDP ppl dey accuse of non-performance and corruption, one can only wonder wat new ideology they'll b offering Nigerians.

Get it right, it is not about individual, it is about party. If Fashola was a PDP man, he would not be tha Fashola we know today because of party factors

vire: When will our people get it..... all we will have is recycled bad eggs in new painted easter eggs....they are all the same....Look at Egypt after the arab spring did anything change....there is a conspiracy in this world.....things will only get worse.....the super rich are the real rulers of all nations.....someone ones said give me the money supply of any nation and i dont care who makes the laws...............wise up APC....PDP....AD keep changing their names change will only be a personal thing not a national thing......Our Lord Jesus said in the last days things will get worse but cheer up for i have overcome the world.....the only change i believe in is the change the Lord Jesus talked about so i dont register to vote nor do i vote.....

That is not true! We have seen unprecedented developments in all ACN states and I believe that could be replicated nationally.

Even in these challenging times we must encourage the good news narrative to thrive so as to drown out the unacceptable negatives in the polity. Just a few developments: The first is that MTN Nigeria limited has appointed a Nigerian, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, as its first Nigerian CEO. This appointment follows others in critical sectors and confirms to me that efforts by the Federal Government to build the capacity of the Nigerian knowledge worker and make Nigeria a regional and continental hub for excellence in business and service delivery through policy and reforms like the the Local Content Act are beginning to yield fruit. I commend MTN Nigeria limited for this appointment.

The second occurrence is the celebration by the city of Awaka, in Anambra state of three weeks of uninterrupted public power supply and counting. I personally wish Nigeria had achieved this milestone decades ago, but nevertheless we are making steady progress. More cities will soon be able to have such celebrations because the Roadmap to Power Sector Reforms is having the desired effects with almost all of Nigeria's electricity Distribution companies (Discos) and Generating companies (Gencos) now in private hands as I promised on the 26th of August 2010 in Lagos when I launched the Power Roadmap. My friends on facebook, in a few years from now many will not remember the agony and anger caused by absence of electricity in our homes just as many do not now remember the long queues in front of NITEL awaiting to take or make a call.

And finally, I am most delighted to learn like the average Nigerian, that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has approved the registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC). In 2010, when I nominated outstanding men and women into INEC, I wanted citizens completely removed from me, with a consistent and verifiable history of independent activism to lead the electoral body so that it could be truly independent and free and be seen by the public to be truly free from government influence. I commend INEC for their efforts so far and urge that the commission continues to be guided by patriotic considerations in its decisions.

My dear friends on facebook, my commitment to building strong institutions so as to help sustain and strengthen our democracy remains unshakable. It is true that our press is acknowledged to be the freest in Africa and one of the freest in the world. It is true that Nigeria has been recognized as being the foremost recipient for Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, in Africa as well as poised to have Africa's largest Gross Domestic Product, GDP, in the next few years which are indications that our economy is growing. It is true that reforms in Agriculture, Petroleum, Aviation, Works, Finance, Transport, and other sectors have positive impact on our economy. Dear friends, I will not rest until all these reforms and good news have direct impact on the lives of our people at the grass roots level. GEJ

An instruction to the Rivers State commissioner of police from the Inspector General of Police has cleared the way for northern governors on a solidarity visit to Rivers to leave the airport.

The visitors were holed up in the VIP lounge of the airport due to a sponsored protest by forces loyal to Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan and his wife outside the airport.

Rivers state officials told SaharaReporters said they were already planning to use helicopters to bring the governor and his solidarity visitors to the government house but later changed the plan after they received assurances from the police IGP that more policemen had been deployed to protect lives and property.

Mr. Amaechi and the visiting governors traveled in the same car with their respective police details massed around the special car to drive safely out of the airport to the government house.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/northern-governors-solidarity-visit-amaechi-safely-driven-government-house

Excerpts from a frank and candid letter written by former governor of Abia state, Mr Orji Uzor Kalu to the governor of Rivers state, Mr Rotimi Amaechi on his current travails: To Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi: This is the time to wear your thinking cap and beat a retreat fast. There is no need squabbling with the President,

because it is a battle you cannot win. The office of the President of Nigeria carries enormous powers, and when these powers are evoked it crushes anybody in its trail.

You should not look at the President as a former deputy governor and Vice President. Level has changed. He is now the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has an unfathomable capacity to make life miserable for you. Forget all the noise your supporters are making: they will desert you the moment you cease to be governor.

From the support you have received from the state legislature, members of the National Assembly from your state and other groups, it is certain you are liked and very popular. But that is so long you remain the governor and control tangible financial resources. Bear in mind that the forces massed against you are formidable..

Your priority should be to leave lasting legacies for which generations unborn will remember you. That being the case, you should choose between your personal interest and that of the Rivers State people.

They accuse you of harbouring a vice- Presidential ambition. Though there is nothing wrong in that.

Nonetheless, you should dump that if it makes some people uncomfortable. Think about your future, safety of your family and the welfare of the people of Rivers State who would be collaterally affected should anything untoward happen to you. God forbid! God has been gracious to you – raising you from grass to grace. You had been a councillor in Port Harcourt [correction, mine], Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly during the tenure of Peter Odili as governor, and now a two-term governor. What else do you want? If it is the will of God you would be vice president or president, nobody can stop you.

They said you contested for a second term as Chairman of NGF against your party’s directive. If that is true, then, it was wrong. So long you remain a PDP governor you must subject yourself to your party’s directive.

If you want to do things your own way the proper thing to do is to found your own party or resign from PDP. Your suspension is a prelude to a stiffer action against you, which you may find unpalatable. As your name ‘Chibuike’ (God is my strength) goes, all will be well with you if you hearken to the voice of reason. God will desert you the moment you fail to listen to the small still voice.

duality: [b]
@ OP, I'm not from rivers state and not one of those who will take sides and keep going back and forth. However, I may agree with your post but I also saw a police office beating the Hon member in black suit "Hon. Ihunwo " That incident raises a lot of questions. Any one who is biased will not respond to that appropriately.

Now This is Rivers State we are talking about and Amaechi is the Governor. Honestly every body saw this coming. Do you think Amaechi has handled this things well or he has let things degenerate to this level so as to prove a point, gain sympathy or support from disgruntled politicians? I personally think that Amaechi would have managed things better but he deliberately wants to do it this way to see what will happen. "I mean amaechi himself can solve this problem but He just don't want to do it" Sentiments aside, Amaechi can call every body together today to a round table and this will be resolved. Honestly Amechi is not being wise irrespective of the support and sympathy he gets. There was a time in my state that the governor was hated and removed by the court(he had to go for a rerun) . People who hated him were all over; speaking as they like and heating up the polity. In fact, a popular elder in the state was openly against the governor and some folks were supporting the Elder. what did the governor do? he humbled himself never tried to show power with anyone. He met with the president with elders from all the senatorial district at Abuja and the issues were resolved. That is a wise leader.

Honestly, I will put the blame on Amaechi, because even at this point he can calm things down and resolve things But he will not do so because he has a point to prove. that makes him foolish. Amaechi is destroying his state; that will exist after him. This whole thing is political. He should stop his juvenile approach to issues and show his dexterity and sagacity as a leader. The resolution of all this issues depends on his show of humility and wisdom. WINSTON CHURCHILL said; It is better to jaw jaw than to war war.[/b]

You need to widen your thinking horizon! If you care to know, the all saga is beyond Amaechi's control. There is no amount of maturity Amaechi will display that will change those rogues that are being remote controlled from Abuja. The mandate is to unsit this guy as governor, and you expect him to fold his arm and watch them in the name of being matured. Even you, would have acted the same way as Amaechi.

gedtalks: when a leader starts walking in stupidity, his followers will join him na

Like you do!

Suffering and smiling dumbheads!

Times without numbers!

The road is under construction! Why didn't you acknowledge that work is ongoing to fix the road? You must have passed through the completed portion of the road if you came in through Ago junction

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday came down heavily on ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s eight-year rule, describing the administration as the worst defaulter of the principles of the rule of law. He gave the indictment at the 30th Mallam Aminu Kano Memorial Lecture, which took place at the Sa’Adu Zungur Auditorium, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Mambayya House, Kano.

The lecture was chaired by Abubakar B Mahmood (SAN). It was attended by some serving lawmakers, politicians as well as academics including Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Alhaji Magaji Dambatta, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed and the Chairman of the Implementation Committee, North-West University, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar. In his paper titled: “The rule of law as fundamental condition for democracy and good governance,” the Speaker observed that the Obasanjo administration, “ contrived the political space and usurped the powers of both the legislature and the judiciary, posing a grave danger to the democratic content of democracy.”

Tambuwal said the overall score card of the administration in the first four years was, “spotted with executive arbitrariness,” although the administration set up some institutional and administrative agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it adopted the principle of due process and persistently proclaimed the independence of the judiciary. He said that “most of the claims of the government on the gains in the rule of law turned out to be mere political gimmicks as they were clearly unfounded and merely designed to create the impression that it was no longer business as usual in Nigeria after the prolonged military rule.”

He cited cases of the abuse of the rule of law to include the Zaki Biam and Odi massacres, the failure to respect the Supreme Court’s judgment asking the administration to remit N10.8 billion to the Lagos State Government, among others. He said that during “the Obasanjo administration, and to a lesser extent Yar’Adua/Jonathan’s, the constitutional provisions regarding the power of the purse and appropriation are overlooked in contravention of the principle of the separation of powers as well as checks and balances. “This was the case in the controversies over the implementation of the 2005, 2011 and 2012 Appropriation Acts,” he noted. According to Tambuwal, the disrespect for the rule of law has opened up another debate on the legitimacy of public officers at the national, state and local government levels.

He listed the challenges to the application of the rule of law to include five key areas. Among them is the executive over-bearance, which impacts negatively on the other arms and have further weakened non -state actors such as civil society organizations and the media; the lack of judicial independence; corruption; the scope of the doctrine of immunity as it relates to the principles of equality before the law; and the challenges of free and fair elections, which have since become a means of disenfranchising a large segment of the electorate.

The Speaker singled out the legislature and regretted that the legitimate performance of its constitutional duties tend to be perceived in the executive circles and even in some sections of the public, as legislative meddlesomeness in governance. According to him, “the legislature is the most misunderstood because of the obscurity thrust upon it by the several years of military regimes, “ pointing out that while the society will accept as justice the passing of a death sentence by a court of competent jurisdiction, the same society will react with hostility to a mere impeachment proposal by the legislative arm of government. Tambuwal was, however, confident that the country was passing through a learning process, noting that, “what is required is for public officers to develop the political mindset to change their obnoxious political culture, of absolutism in the struggles for the acquisition or retention of power.”

http://nigeriaindepth.com/tambuwal-blasts-obj/#sthash.EbJPMLx2.gbpl

Aminho, is a core PDP man! He has connections with top government officials.

alfaSSS: see

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You deserve a ban!

THE Action Congress of Nigeria on Monday announced the suspension of its National Treasurer, Chief Kenneth Kobani, and the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jerry Needam.

The party, in a statement by its Rivers State Chairman, Esuku Esuku, and its Secretary, Mr. Ngoji Warmate, said the suspension was based on the anti-party activities of the affected members.

Esuku specifically accused Needam of being present at the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah. Besides, he said Nedam had also issued statements in favour of the state PDP.

Explaining that their suspension was based on the violation of Articles 7.11, 9.1 and 9.2 of the state ACN constitution, the opposition party also named two members of its Executive; Mr. Ibieneye Lolo and Loli Green, among those who were affected by the suspension.

The statement read, “The following members of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Rivers State have been suspended with immediate effect for anti-party activities.

“They are Mr. Kenneth Kobani, Jerry Needam, Mr. Ibieneye Lolo, Loli Green and Mrs. Nancy Nwankwo. Their suspension was based on the violation of Article 7.11 and Article 9.1 and 9.2 of the ACN constitution.

“The suspended members were involved in a romance with the PDP in the state and participating in PDP activities as well as public blackmailing of the national leadership of the party (ACN), thereby disabusing the mind of party faithful and loyalists.”

It, however, indicated that Mr. Oyagiri Chiemalam had been directed to take over as the state acting Publicity Secretary of the ACN.

But Kobani described the statement suspending him as laughable, adding that the state chairman of the party, who is on an acting capacity, had no right to suspend an executive member of the party at the national level.

Kabani said, “Esuku is on the payroll of government. He (Esuku) tupifies some crop of politicians in the country today, who are just after their pockets. Some people have no moral decency.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/rivers-acn-in-crisis-as-party-fires-spokesman/