₦airaland Forum

heavy currency

lolz

Video of Otedola overtaking Dame Patience in grammatical blunder


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxGkYBUCzx0&feature=player_detailpage

What about one for our christian northern brothers?

Saturday, June 30, 2012
North to build on top security positions

by Niyi Odebode and Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja


The current insecurity challenges in Nigeria might be playing into the hands of desperate Northern politicians who are eager to exploit the situation to win back the Presidency from Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.


President Goodluck Jonathan



advertisement







SATURDAY PUNCH investigations on Friday showed that top politicians of Northern origin are scheming to build on the appointment of Sokoto State-born Sambo Dasuki as the new National Security Adviser to perfect their plan to get one of their own back as the President in 2015.


Dasuki had replaced Gen. Owoye Azazi, who was relieved of the NSA job by the President penultimate Friday.


It was gathered that the unending Boko Haram crisis was one of the factors that made Jonathan to pick a northerner as NSA.


Jonathan had, during a Presidential Media Chat on the Nigerian Television Authority last Sunday, linked the removal of the NSA and the Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, to the Boko Haram crisis, which is currently affecting the North.


He had stated, "But if you look at the evolution of Boko Haram, they have changed their tactics. The interest of terrorists is to destabilise the government. If they use one thing, it doesn't work; they want to use another thing.


"So, you too will begin to change your personnel, change your style (and) change your strategy."


It was learnt that the North had begun moves to clinch more security positions, which would place it in a better position to return to the Presidency in 2015.


A prominent northern leader told our correspondents that the feeling in some circles in the North was that the Boko Haram problem would subside if the Presidency returned to the region.


He said, "The unabating attacks by Boko Haram made the President to bow to pressure and sack Azazi, who is from the South-South and appoint Dasuki.


"The thinking of the President is that a Northerner may be able to solve the problem since it is restricted to the region.


"Those who are also using the crisis as a bargaining tool feel that a Northern President would be able to solve the problem."


It was gathered that with the likelihood of President dropping some service chiefs, the far North was making discreet moves to get some of the positions.


Besides the new NSA, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Ibrahim; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Mohammed Umar, and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, are from the North.


The Northern leader, said that prominent politicians from the far North felt that whoever controlled the security agencies was more likely to get the Presidency.


Investigations showed that two retired generals from the North had a hand in the choice of Dasuki as the NSA.


A South-South leader said that the concern of the people from the region was the closeness of the new NSA to some retired generals.


He stated, "One of them is his in-law, while he worked with the other as aide de camp. These generals can be influencing the Presidency by proxy.


"All this will tell in the security advice that will be given to the President in the build-up to the 2015 polls. They may come out to say that it is not advisable for Jonathan to contest the Presidency."


He stated that some retired generals were behind the efforts of the far North to win back the Presidency.


The South-South leader said the claim that the appointment of the NSA and security chiefs from the North would put an end to Boko Haram would soon be proved wrong.


He said, "We are waiting to see whether the new NSA will end Boko Haram. If that happens, everybody will be happy. But I doubt if this will happen.


"The use of Boko Haram as a bargaining tool for the Presidency is also wrong. We feel uncomfortable that the President appointed a person who is close to people eyeing the Presidency as NSA. We pray that these people will not work against him."


Investigations showed that the South and the Middle Belt are aware of discreet moves by leaders from the North to capitalise on the security situation in the country to achieve their presidential ambition in 2015.


But it was learnt that the two regions were banking on an alliance to counter the efforts of the Northern power brokers.


The South-South leader, who confided in our correspondents, said that based on current political calculations, the North could not win the Presidency single-handedly.


He stated, "Politicians from the far North eyeing the Presidency must make an inroads into the South and the Middle Belt.


"You will recall that the Congress for Progressive Change's presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), lost the 2011 presidential poll despite winning many states in the far North.


"This is to tell you that no zone can do without the other. The earlier the far North realises this, the better."


The top politician noted that the bombings by Boko Haram had wrongly or rightly created the impression that the activities of the group were sponsored by some politicians in the North against the Jonathan Presidency.


He stated, "This has distanced the far North from other parts of the country, who see the situation as the common problem of the country.


"This has provided a fertile ground for an alliance between the South and the Middle Belt to counter the moves of the far North."


http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jun/30/833.html

New Defence Minister: Jonathan Focuses On Ogomudia, Dike
Written by Chris Agbambu, Abuja
Saturday, June 30, 2012


THE names of two former military chiefs: General Alexander Ogomudia and Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, have surfaced as Nigerians await the Federal Government on its choice as the next Minister of Defence.







advertisement







Dr. Bello Mohammed Haliru was relived of the post penultimate Friday by President Goodluck Jonathan, alongside the National Security Adviser, Major General Patrick Aziza.


While Colonel Sambo Dasuki [retd], was announced as Aziza's replacement as NSA, the Presidency was kept the public guessing on the likely successor of Bello.


Saturday Tribune that though the president was reportedly not in haste to make the final choice, some interest groups were said to be lobbying that a particular political zone produced the next defence minister.


The source claimed that because of the sensitive nature of the defence sector, the president reportedly, favoured a military technocrat heading the ministry, instead of a politician again.


Towards this end, the names of the two retired senior military officers from the South-South were being touted by some high level quarters and influential groups in the polity.


Ogomudia is a former Chief of Defence Staff, a similar post once occupied by Dike, who was also the first Air Force officer to attain the rank of an Air Chief Marshal.

It was learnt that the chances of the position of defence minister going to the Northern part of the country were remote because of what the source described as the need for balancing in the distribution of power at the centre.


According to the source, the appointment of Dasuki, the former Aide De Camp [ADC] to former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida may have disqualified it [the North] from retaining the ministerial portfolio.


The source claimed that, at the initial stage, the name of a former NSA, Gen. Aliyu Gusau featured prominently following Aziza's sudden removal, but that it became clear that it would be politically unwise to favour a section of the country with key appointments into the top echelon of the nation's security network.


The Acting Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar is also from the North.


Meanwhile, the military was equally said to prefer one of its retired senior officers to man the ministry.



http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jun/30/610.html

Rain wreaks havoc in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo *Hundreds of houses affected

Written by Olalekan Olabulo, Muda Oyeniran, Sylvester Okoruwa, Soji Ajibola, Olayinka Olukoya, Adebayo Waheed and Kate Ani
Friday, June 29, 2012

HUNDREDS of houses were flooded in parts of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states as a result of a persistent downpour which began around 4.00 p.m. on Wednesday and lasted all through the night.



advertisement

Many residents of some communities in Lagos and Ogun, including Oshodi, Ijaye, Agege, Ikeja, Obalende, Sango-Ota, Ijoko, Owode, Ifo and Singer were thrown into confusion and panic as the heavy rain ravaged many homes and business premises.

Millions of naira worth of properties were destroyed in the flood, while parents stopped their children from going to school as a result of the heavy flood.

The Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway also got broken into two, forcing motorists, who were coming to Lagos to drive against the traffic, resulting in serious traffic.

Workers, who had defied the flood and wanted to resume at their places of work on Thursday morning were forced to trek long distances, as a result of non-availability of vehicles.

Transport fares also hit the roof top as drivers of the few available buses took advantage of the situation to increase their fares.

Residents of Ijaiye, Kola Caso and Alakuko areas of Agbado woke up on Thursday to discover that their areas had been completely taken over by water.

Movement of vehicles and people at Caso and Adura Bus Stop on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway was at a standstill for more than two hours on both sides of the road.

Many houses in Agege, Ladipo, Sogunle, Meiran, Ijaoye and Ahmadiya were submerged in the flood with properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

In Sango-Ota, communities like Alli Isiba, Joju, Okede Akinbo, Oju Ore, Ilogo Road, NASFAT and Ewupe were completely flooded, forcing residents to scoop water from their homes.

Home electronics and other appliances were lost in the flood as many homes were submerged in the flooded communities with residents climbing on their windows and soaked furniture.

As early as 3.00 a.m., Mama Favour, a resident at Reverend Sodiya Way, raised the alarm, calling on residents to help her rescue the aged people in her flooded residence.

The woman lost thousands of naira worth of goods as her two shops were completely filled with water while her electrical and electronic appliances were floating on the water.

The situation was similar at the popular Alli Isiba Street, where the only major canal in the whole of Sango-Ota passes through.

The drainage system was by Thursday afternoon still overfilled and running heavily, thereby spilling water on the busy road and preventing motorists and residents from using the road.

Areas affected included Jimoh Yussuf, Emmanuel Aina, Ishola, Alabede, Akinola and Fatai streets in the remote of Aboru.

Residents of the affected areas watched helplessly as flood rolled away their property, while civil servants reported late for works.

Lamenting over the losses, Pa Salimonu Tiamiyu, a resident of Fatai Street, disclosed that about 20 house was submerged by the flood.

In a related development, residents of Glory Community Association, Isheri Olofin in Egbe Idimu Local Council Development Authority, have called on the government to come to their aid, disclosing that flooding, as being experienced in the area, started seven years ago.

Blaming it on the construction of LASU-Iba road, the residents called for the construction of drainage in the affected areas.

Residents of Arowojobe Estate in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos State, were trapped, due to the downpour which resulted in a massive flood in the area.

The chairman of the Kosofe Local Government Area of the state, Mr Afolabi Sofola, appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the community, as the fund to construct the canal was enormous for his council to bear alone.

Train passengers escape death

Meanwhile, no fewer than 300 passengers of a Lagos-bound train escaped death on Thursday morning, as the train skidded of its track and rammed into a truck at Odo-Eran Sabo area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The near tragedy was as a result of the downpour, which submerged the rail line on Wednesday evening.

Passengers of the 12-coach train could not alight as the train could not taxi at the Lafenwa station, as the flood had swept away the sand underneath the track.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the scene, passengers were seen loitering the station area, waiting to recover their goods and luggage.

An official of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) at the Lafenwa station told the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity that the principal traffic officer of the corporation at the station had advised the management against allowing the train to cross the bridge, in order to avert a major accident.

Rain wreaks havoc in Oyo

No fewer than 500 people were, on Thursday, rendered homeless in Oyo town, following an early hour rain.

Also, three bridges located in different parts of the town were washed away by the flood, while goods worth millions of naira destroyed.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that rain started around 5.30 a.m and lasted for five hours, during which it had caused havoc to the Oyo town.

A mosque and a bridge in Sanda area of the town was said to have collapsed during the rain, while a motorcyclist who missed his way and ran into the flood sustained injuries.

Nigerian Tribune went round the town, especially the affected areas and it was discovered that no fewer than 100 houses were flooded in the town.

The affected residents were said to have taken refuge at upper area of the town, but only returned on Thursday morning to see that their properties had been affected by the flood.

It was also learnt that the flood destroyed fish ponds in the town, as the owners were seen in search of the fishes.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, had paid visit to the affected areas.

Fear as flood ravages Odo-Ona Apata road

The bridge on the Odo-Ona Apata road area of Ibadan was overflooded with water.

According to an eyewitness, "by 7.00 a.m on Thursday, nobody could come out of their houses, as the whole area was overflooded.

The incident prompted the caretaker chairman of Oluyole Local Government Council, Mr Ayodeji Abass Aleshinloye and the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Dauda Wasiu, to rush to the area to examine the magnitude of the disaster.

Aleshinloye, however, advised the residents, especially those with houses near the river and whose houses had been marked for demolition, to adhere to the warnings and see reasons why they had to relocate from the river banks and channels.

Residents of Joju also had their share of the harrowing experience as the busy road was also flooded and many houses submerged in the flood.

The Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway was also completely flooded as salon car owners were forced to abandon their vehicles, following the flood on the road.

Residents of Owode and Ijako also had a terrible experience of the Wednesday/Thursday rain session as the major road in the areas was broken into two as a result of the flood.

Residents of Aboru community in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Government were also affected, as flood reportedly submerged no fewer than 50 buildings in the area, resulting in the loss of property worth millions of naira.

http://www.army.mil/article/82651/

Electronics engineer recognized by Army research, development center

June 27, 2012

By Amanda Rominiecki, CERDEC Public Affairs
Obinna Anyanwu CERDEC I2WD
Related Links

CERDEC homepage
CERDEC on Facebook
CERDEC on Twitter

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- An electronics engineer was named employee of the year by the U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, here, June 19.

Obinna Anyanwu was recognized in the technical category for his work as an electronics engineer in the Radar Systems Branch of CERDEC's Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate, or I2WD, focusing on gunshot detection. Radars traditionally have addressed counter-fire missions surrounding rocket, artillery and mortar threats--gunshot detection is a relatively new field. I2WD's work in this field includes developing models and algorithms to accurately track in-flight projectiles back to the shooter.

With less than two years experience working for the federal government and no prior knowledge of radar before being hired, Anyanwu served as the lead radar performance evaluator in a major radar acquisition program that selected and evaluated sources for a radar production contract. He also serves as a member of a radar engineer support team in which he performs system analyses to make adjustments to the system prior to fielding.

"Mr. Anyanwu has established himself in the radar community and with our customers as a radar subject matter expert at a young age," according to his nomination package. "These accomplishments reflect positively upon himself, the I2WD, CERDEC and the Army."

~Bluetooth:
Sule igbira. . . .what did you want him to do with the flood water ? Channel it to your father's house ?

Always an hediot

Where are Eko Ile and Dem Dem, the two most unrepentant Fasola arse lickers Have they been riding on the canoes too?

Written by Alaba Johnson (Culled From Leadership) on 26 June 2012.
5 Comments and 3 Reactions
Mark, Tambuwal Speak Toughly To Northern Leaders: It’s Time To Stop Killings
alt

President of the Senate David Mark has urged northern leaders to check the rising violent activities of Boko Haram as its activities may break up the country. He said the code of silence is ominous and that northern leaders who keep mute in the face of the continuous insurgencies should speed up action on the matter.

The development came just as President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday called on the National Assembly to urgently review the country’s laws on terrorism in order to attack frontally the security challenges posed by the Boko Haram sect.

Jonathan and Mark spoke while declaring open the 2011 Senate Retreat taking place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking at the retreat with the theme, “The National Assembly and National Security: Securing the Future for Development”, Mark debunked insinuations that poverty is the root cause of the crisis. “It is all about religious fundamentalism and ideology, he said”.

“Poverty is not the cause, otherwise if every poor person decides to carry arms, then, Nigeria will cease to exist. So if people talk about poverty and hunger as the cause of the Boko Haram menace, I say no.

“If the elders in the North cannot speak out and stop this menace, let them tell us. Let them come out and say so boldly, because the belief out there is that some elders know about these people and decide to keep quiet. If care is not taken, the way things are going, if the Boko Haram menace is not halted, it can lead to break-up of Nigeria. Because there is an extent to which the people can take it.

“Bombing of churches every Sunday, killing innocent Christian worshippers has stretched the patience of the people to the limit. There is limit to human endurance.”

Nonetheless, Mark cautioned Christians on the danger of retaliation, saying that doing so means that they have succeeded in achieving their target. “Leave vengeance to God,” he appealed.

“If you are poor, does poverty encourage you to go and be killing your fellow human beings and bombing their places of worship?

“I think it is time we educate the suicide bombers in the North that it is a wrong belief that killing innocent people would automatically take them to heaven,” Mark stated.

Mark called on government to seek international collaboration with its neighbours as well as western countries on ways to tackle and uproot the Boko Haram sect.

Jonathan noted with sadness that unguarded remarks and statements by do-or-die politicians had led to destruction of several lives and properties in the northern parts of the country.

Jonathan warned such politicians to stop fanning the embers of ethnic and religious politics, adding that national security should not be sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics.

He called for joint collaboration of the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government on the need to review and strengthen existing laws on terrorism to reduce the activities of the sect.

Welcoming the participants at the Senate retreat, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State described the retreat as divinely arranged and apt, coming at a time Nigeria is experiencing security challenges.

Akpabio said that a strong union of the executive, legislature and judiciary was capable of solving the Boko Haram problem.

According to the governor, “the bombs and the killings would not deter the government of President Goodluck Jonathan from delivering on its mandate of transforming the country”.

Also on the occasion, speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said it was regrettable that “Our country today is facing security challenges of monumental proportions never witnessed in our history other than the civil war. The spate of outbreak of violence has become so widespread and frequent that the security apparatus of both the national and state governments appear overwhelmed as the reactionary curfews have proved to be near stop-gap measures.

“The damage to the Nigerian economy – especially to the dwindling fortunes of the north where most of these terrorism occur – is incalculable. This is even more worrisome against the backdrop of the vaulting poverty in the region, its industrial and infrastructural deficit. At a period when the region should be playing catch-up, its future is further being circumscribed by a ruthless orgy of violence that has continued despite all efforts. Ironically, the majority of the perpetrators of this unwarranted violence are northern elements and their immigrant collaborators.”

The speaker challenged the lawmakers to rise up to their responsibilities in the face of the daunting security situation and come up with ways to address the violence that has continued to spread despite concerted efforts to contain it.

He said: “As representatives of the people, the National Assembly cannot afford to watch while the nation plunges further into the abyss. This retreat is therefore a critical forum to examine all the avenues available for parliamentarians to end this wanton, gratuitous violence.

“We need to re- examine our laws again, to see if there are loopholes we can plug, and, if there are more creative ways, we can liaise with the other arms of government to bring synergy into the efforts to stop the unending state of violence. Again, as noted earlier, as legislators, our perspective on tackling the looming insecurity will essentially be in the areas of legislation and oversight. There appears to be a general consensus that, among many other causes, poverty and unemployment are some of the principal reasons for youth vulnerability to violence.

“In this regard, it means, we must examine whether budget crafting over the years has been efficient and also whether budget implementation has been effective. If we notice and admit failings in this regard, then, we must take a proactive and decisive action.”

http://www.naijapundit.com/news/mark-tambuwal-speak-toughly-to-northern-leaders-it-s-time-to-stop-killings

NORTH Vs JONATHAN: Ex-Generals, others plot against president • Meet in Abuja on how to unseat him in 2015

By: ADE ALADE, Abuja

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The scope of the plot to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government headed by President Goodluck Jonathan in the next presidential election was on Monday night broadened in Abuja, where top northern leaders held a meeting with former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.


Jonathan

advertisement

The meeting, which had in attendance former heads of state from the North as well as retired military officers, like ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliyu Gusau and former ministers, is coming on the heels of a similar one between Tinubu and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate in the last general election, General Mohammadu Buhari, in Lagos and Kaduna.

One of the northern leaders, who attended the Abuja meeting, told Saturday Sun: "The meeting was an informal one held to woo the former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Tinubu and discuss possibilities of extending the frontiers of cooperation and collaboration between the people of the North and the South West people ahead of the next election.

"The meeting was also called to broaden whatever discussion is ongoing between Asiwaju Tinubu and the CPC leader, General Buhari because the North cannot afford to gamble with the 2015 election chance, in the face of what the region is going through under the Jonathan administration. Our people have been ruined and as leaders, we are pained over what the present government is doing to the North.

"The only opportunity we have is a democratic change of the situation and that can be achieved through seeking partnership with a formidable opposition party leader, like Asiwaju Tinubu and the South West people who have a record of embracing progressive change."

He said that the meeting was "held over dinner to underscore the convivial mood at the discussion."

It was further gathered that none of the leaders at the meeting spoke about any personal ambition, but rather, "they all emphasised the need for change, irrespective of which section of the country produces the next president."

A northern leader, who attended the meeting told Saturday Sun: "For most of us at the meeting, we have put behind us our past ambitions of ruling the country, but we are all united and committed to a change of the present arrangement. And to buttress selflessness and sincerity of purpose on this matter, we made it clear that our desire for change is not out of desperation to have the North reclaim the presidency because we are ready to even support a better candidate from any other zone, including the South West."

Though no names of likely candidates to support came up at the meeting, a former minister at the meeting disclosed that a repeat of the 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) arrangement is on the minds of most of those at the meeting.

"We didn't discuss this, but it is obvious that the North wouldn't mind to persuade the former Lagos governor to vie for the presidency, while we get someone, like the CBN governor to run as his deputy or vice versa. The Muslim-Muslim ticket wouldn't be an issue once the candidates are sellable to the two sides of the divide. Nigerians are only interested in good governance and not religion. We have had a similar arrangement in the past with the Abiola and Kingibe ticket that swept the polls across the country. So, the same thing is still possible," the former minister disclosed.

The consideration of the CBN governor is hinged on the view that "he will be a good candidate that will appeal to the Buhari crowd and also blend with other interest groups from the North."

It will be recalled that Buhari and Tinubu had, after a political meeting in Kaduna about two weeks ago, flown in the same plane from Kaduna to Kano and drove in the same car from the Aminu Kano International Airport to the emir's palace, where the CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was being installed the Dan Majen Kano.

Copyright of The Sun Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. Website by KHS Media

http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jun/23/503.html

$10 MILLION MISSING FROM A SINGLE EMBASSY ACCOUNT..!!!

The quiet diplomacy and behind-the-scene efforts to quell the investigation by the U.S. authorities into the Nigerian Embassy bank accounts seems to have suffered some setback. From the two Embassy accounts in Bank of America and Wells Fargo, the Americans have extended their investigation to the third and last account used

by the Embassy, which is with the M & T Bank. The extension of the probe to the M & T Bank account is a sign of a troubling escalation because investigation shows that was the account where the Embassy of Nigeria placed over 25 million dollars realized from the sale of the Nigerian Government real estate properties. Our investigation also shows this is not the operating account used by the Embassy, but they contained significant amount of funds, which have been apparently drawn down so fast between 2007 and 2012.
The current problem started with the other two bank accounts regularly used as operating accounts by the Embassy of Nigeria. These are the accounts with Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank.

These accounts attracted the attention of US authorities when it became apparent that over 3.6 million dollars were irregularly moved into and out of these accounts within a relatively short time. The U.S. Treasury Department through the State Department in a letter to the Embassy of Nigeria demanded an explanation for such unusual and irregular movements of funds. Despite reminders from State Department, Nigerian Embassy never provided any explanation. Instead, funds continue to move into and out of these accounts in manners that deepened the concerns of the US authorities, causing them to direct the banks to freeze those accounts.

According to the investigation, Ambassador Adefuye and his family had been withdrawing large sums of cash from these accounts, including the $50,000 cash drawn recently by the Ambassador. Many have wondered why the Ambassador would have need for such huge sum in cash.

An online report last week suggested Nigeria and the United States of America government might be heading for a diplomatic row over the decision of the latter to freeze some of the accounts of the country's embassy in Washington, DC.
Bank of America, M&T Bank and Wells Fargo was said to have received directive from the US government to close the accounts of the Nigerian embassy in Washington and its consulate in New York on suspicion of money laundering after traffic on the various accounts raised a red flag.

The decision is sequel to intelligence report generated by a panel comprising representatives of the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Treasury, unknown to Nigerian embassy officials, to monitor wires and traffic in all the accounts operated by the embassy.

However, sources say what troubles the Nigerian Embassy, particularly Ambassador Adefuye, the most at the moment is the discovery last week that Emeka Ugwuonye might be assisting in the investigation of these accounts. Around 11:30pm on Friday, June 15, 2012, the lawyers representing the Nigerian Embassy filed papers in court seeking to block Emeka Ugwuonye from giving information against the Embassy of Nigeria in any such investigation, claiming that such information will be privileged. According to the paper filed in court, a copy of which Elombah.com has obtained from the court record through the pacer services, the Embassy lawyers stated:

“The Embassy represents that Defendant Ugwuonye has engaged in an extensive campaign to impugn the Embassy and the Federal Republic of Nigeria by providing media interviews and writing blogs on the Internet, and he has even gone so far as to post on the Internet at least one deposition transcript from a separate court action he brought against a reporter that addresses matters relating to the Embassy’s claims. Accordingly, the Embassy requests a protective order prohibiting all parties from publicly discussing this case prior to the issuance of a final judgment.”

By the above statement, the lawyers for the Embassy of Nigeria are seeking to conceal the proceedings in the case from the public. Curiously, the Embassy lawyers referred to the posting by Elombah.com’s the transcripts of Sowore’s deposition.

On his own part, Ugwuonye is outraged by any effort by the Embassy to conceal the proceedings from the public. He believes the case is now in the public interest. He believes that the Embassy, EFCC and their cronies have spent the past 3 years publishing all kinds of falsehood against him. And now that the ugly truth about the Nigerian Embassy is coming to light, they want protection from the court. “They want a seal of secrecy. But that is too late”, he said. They are the once who have skeletons in their cupboards and naturally, they want to hide from the public. But I don’t think the court will let them,” he continued. “Look at all the nonsense their friends have been putting out against me. I can’t believe that the Embassy and its lawyers which their friends in the media tried to smear me, would turn around and accuse me of being the one publishing the proceedings of this case. They got to be out of their minds”, he concluded.

As for cooperating in any investigation on the Embassy accounts, Ugwuonye said he would be happy to sing songs. He knows a lot about the M & T Bank account. He negotiated the bridge loan for the purchase of the Ambassador’s residence in Potomac and that was with M & T Bank. The loan was actually not a real loan because the Embassy had in its account with M & T Bank more funds than the loan amount. Yet it had to borrow because of stupidity from Abuja. Also, it was in the M & T Bank that the Embassy placed over 25 million dollars it realized from the sales of the properties. By end of 2007, there was about 25 million dollars in that account, all of which passed through Ugwuonye’s law offices to the Embassy. But by February of 2011, the balance of the account was drawn down to 15 million dollars without any explanation. Indeed, Ugwuonye realized the rapid drawdown when Ambassador Adefuye informed the EFCC that only 15 million was realized from the sale of the properties. Ugwuonye tried to alert the EFCC to the shortfall of 10 million dollars, which was not accounted for by the Ambassador. But Mrs. Farida Waziri and the Ambassador suppressed that information. The written statement in which Ugwuonye explained to the EFCC the entire amount in the account was destroyed on the instruction of Mrs. Farida Waziri and that document was not among the Ugwuonye’s statements which were filed in court as proof of evidence in the case against him in Abuja. All information about how the 25 million dollars suddenly became 10 million dollars was suppressed by Adefuye and Waziri.

Apparently, there has been a massive cover-up right from Washington, through the EFCC on what actually happened. How much money was realized from the sale of the properties in the United States, where were the funds kept, how the funds were spent, etc. And now, the Embassy is seeking the help of the court to continue the cover-up.

According to Ugwuonye, “I will respect whatever order the court may deem fit to make on the matter. But I doubt that any court will stop me from cooperating with the American investigators. On the question of attorney-client confidentiality, all bets are off when the same client lies against you and complain that you stole money. Also, this is a government. Some of the things I knew are not covered by confidentiality rules. This not about some nuclear science deals. There is a crime or fraud exception to confidentiality. A client who continues to commit a crime after he retained a lawyer cannot expect the lawyer to cover-up his continued criminality. I know quite a lot. I know that Nigerian government officials stole more money between 1999 and the present than was stolen throughout the period of military rule. You must know that over 80% of what was recovered by Nigeria as the Abacha’s loot was in turn stolen by Nigerian government officials under Obasanjo. I will tell the Americans all that I know. Every secret account I know to belong to Nigerian officials is open to disclosure”. This position by Ugwuonye is what is giving the Ambassador and the Attorney General of Nigeria sleepless nights.


Elombah.com shall continue it investigation into the progress of this case and the investigations over the Nigerian Embassy accounts.

www.elombah.com



http://www.elombah.com/index.php/spe...ney-laundering

Ambassadors Adefuyes's stinking embassy: corruption in high places

Amb. Adefunye Involved In DC Visa Scam...// Breaking
http://elombah.com/index.php/special...the-full-story

Last week, an online news portal revealed that two American banks in an unprecedented investigation for money laundering and other financial crimes froze two bank accounts belonging to the Nigerian Embassy in the United States. The story carried by Sharpedgenews.com was titled, U.S Banks Freeze Nigerian Embassys Bank Accounts
In Money Laundering Case, and published on May 5, 2012.
Elombah.com has pursued an ongoing investigation into these allegations. The stunning discovery about the activities and history of similar irregularities and corruption within the Nigerian foreign mission took our reporters by surprise, including reports of human trafficking.
The current scandals relate to a practice that has been well entrenched over time. Elombah.com spoke to two former diplomats and a former finance attaché of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, none of whom agreed to be mentioned by name in view of the sensitive nature of the information.
From these former diplomats, Elombah.com learned that the Nigerian Embassies have used the various avenues of diplomatic protection and immunities to cover up money laundering.
The full story of the current scandal as published by Sharpedgenews.com goes thus:
Two American banks have reportedly placed an embargo on accounts belonging to Nigeria missions in New York and Washington D.C., according to a report yesterday by sharpedgenews.com, a web-site news publication.
According to sources familiar with on-going investigations initiated by two leading American banks, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, the Nigerian missions, the countrys Embassy In Washington D.C and the permanent mission to the United Nations had their accounts frozen following the failure of Nigerian diplomatic officials to satisfactorily explain suspicious use of a total of $3.6 million sums, wired through separate accounts with the two banks.
Sharpedgenew.com learnt from sources familiar with the critical investigations that the officials of the two banks suspected that accounts belonging to the two missions might have been used as conduits for laundering and other unscrupulous activities.¨
After being flagged by relevant financial monitoring agencies in the united State, auditors from the two banks decided to scrutinise the missions books.
Employees of the two diplomatic outlets have been having issues paying bills and meeting other financial obligation because they have not been paid their salaries and other entitlement after activities relating to the operation of the missions accounts were poorly explained and as such were barred from continued operations.
A source said that some Nigerian officials developed the habit of simply dumping funds with affected accounts without justifiable end use, thus turning the missions to conduit for siphoning cash from Nigeria.
Nigerias Auditor-General and his subordinate have since arrived the United States to assist in reconciling the reckless and improperly kept books, it was learnt. But how the efforts of the auditors would clear the air on suspicions of stealing, fraud and money laundering remains to be seen. ¨
A source claimed that such suspected funds usually originate from state governors and other Nigerian functionaries.
One retired diplomat told elombah.com this is one of the most profound scandals to rock Nigeriaâs foreign mission and diplomatic service since the countrys independence.
While most Nigerian foreign missions are run with several corrupt motive, everyone that volunteered information on the above report agree that this most notorious case, highlighting large scale corruption at the Nigerian Embassy to the United States, headed by Ambassador Ade Adefuye, is now a national crisis.
The money laundering scheme is too simple and easy for it not to have been exploited by corrupt Nigerian diplomats. It works like this: A Nigerian official who wants to escape the watchful eyes of the regulatory agencies of a host state, say America, would simply wire money into an account in the US which belongs to the Nigerian Embassy. This will be done with the knowledge of the Embassy officials, who would actually notify officials of their banks making it appear that Nigerian Government is sending its routine funding for the Embassy operations. The money arrives and is lodged into the account of the Embassy. The politician or official from Nigerian arrives in the US a few days after and proceeds to the Embassy. The Embassy goes to the bank and withdraws large amount of money in cash, usually the entire amount that just wired into the account. The money is then handed over to the Nigerian official in a suitcase usually in the house of the Ambassador with Ambassador and the Finance Attaché of the Embassy present. Usually, the Ambassador and his cooperating officials have taken their share, which was agreed to in advance, and the balance is handed over to the Nigerian public official.
According to the insiders, the Ambassadors cut is sometimes as high as 20 percent. Because it is the Embassy, with all the normal diplomatic protections, no questions are asked and the US authorities can do nothing. It is a perfect system for corruption and money laundering.
Many serving and serving diplomatic staff would not speak to elombah.com on record, but one person who is aware of this scheme but not afraid to speak to Elombah.com is Emeka Ugwuonye, the former counsel to the Embassy of Nigeria in the United States for about 8 years. According to Ugwuonye:The Embassy, given its immense and complex mechanisms of diplomatic protections, can do quite a number of things an individual or private organization cannot do. And Nigerian Embassies have certainly abused the system and committed several crimes.
Investigation shows that complaints about the Embassy activities in Washington had increased four folds since Adefuye assumed office. Governors, Ministers, Nigerian businessmen now routinely evade American financial regulatory authorities just by colluding with Ambassador Adefuye, who is said to be selfish and greedy.
It has been learned that the current investigation against the Embassy originated from a whistle blower within the Embassy. This was an official who had worked with Adefuye in receiving a two million dollars wire from Nigeria for one of the State Governors. The official was promised 2% out of the 20% that the Ambassador got from that transaction. Rather than give the officer his share of the transaction, Adefuye refused and threatened the officer with a recall from Abuja. The officer, outraged and disappointed, contacted the US State Department, which contacted the US Justice Department over the matter.
The problem for the American authorities was that it could be alarming in the diplomatic community, especially for other African countries, if the US Justice Department were to directly investigate the Nigerian Embassy for money laundering, given diplomatic laws and immunities for foreign missions. But the Americans had a plan: Rather than pursue the matter directly as criminal investigation, the US alerted the banks used by the Embassy and demanded that they investigate the matter. The implication is quite profound in law. While diplomats enjoy immunities, there is an exception to such immunities, known as commercial transaction exception. It means that when diplomats engage in commercial transactions, they cannot invoke immunity on any dispute arising from such transaction. Opening a bank account and maintaining such account is viewed as a commercial transaction. That is why the US banks are moving aggressively against the Embassy. And Nigeria cannot do anything but wait to see what the Americans decide to do.
A lot of pointers raised problems for the Embassy and made it easy for the banks to suspect the Embassy. Information from people familiar with the Embassy problems revealed that the Embassy owes many of its service providers. Embassy owes on its phone bills, electricity bills, water bills, etc. Also, it owes salaries to its staff. Yet, the same Embassy is receiving millions of dollars in its accounts and withdrawing millions of dollars in cash regularly. The banks therefore believe that the monies moving into and out of the Embassy accounts could not have been for the legitimate business of the Embassy.
From our discovery, almost all Nigerian foreign missions are run with the same corrupt motives and practices as seen in other parts of Nigerian public institutions, with self-enrichment being the key motive behind the activities of Nigerias diplomats, but Ambassador Adefuye is widely known as the most enterprising Nigeria Ambassador.
The term is used cynically or derogatorily to refer to him as the most corrupt Nigerian Ambassador. He sees his office as a racket and had used his position as an opportunity to hustle for money and for corrupt enrichment. While corruption has been well entrenched in the Embassies all the while.
Adefuye has taken it to new levels and has invented new avenues for corruption.
Elombah.com also discovered that the Nigerian Embassy, under Ambassador Adefuye, has engaged in other criminal activities including human trafficking. This is how that works: Because Embassy officials, being diplomats, are allowed to bring Nigerians into the US as domestic staff. It is a universal practice. What Nigerian diplomats in the US do is that they collect money from wealthy Nigerians and they would bring in the relatives or girlfriends of those Nigerians, pretending that they are their domestic staff. But once the Nigerian gets into the US, he or she goes after the main reason for her coming to the US. Sometime the Nigerian that is brought is made to work in America and pay up the amount agreed to. And if such Nigerian changes her mind and stops paying, the Embassy official would write to the State Department and immigration to deport such non-cooperating Nigerian illegal immigrant. Sometimes, the Embassy officials use this method to bring into the United State girlfriends, including some underage girls. Ambassador Adefuye has been rumored to have brought in a 15-year old girl as his domestic staff, but kept her as a sex slave in a separate house, about 5 miles away from his home.
There have also been stories, currently under investigation, that Nigerian Embassy official sell confidential information of Americans applying for visas to Nigeria to criminal groups and fraudsters in Nigeria for quite hefty sums. Also, investigation is revealing how Nigerian diplomats abuse the US tax laws by helping the Nigerian friends and government officials to buy things tax free, pretending that they are the ones buying things. One manager of a furniture store in Maryland said to an Elombah.com reporter: There is something strange about the wife of the Nigerian Ambassador. In the past one year, that woman has bought furniture enough to fill twenty houses. She must have a lot of housesâ The trafficking allegations, trade in confidential information of visa applicants and sundry tax fraud by the Nigerian Embassy officials in Washington are under investigation and shall be coming up in Elombah.com report soon.
TO BE CONTINUED
www.elombah.com

Melaye celebrating the fall of Lawan

Hausa and Fulani are fighting in Yorubaland and part of a major Yoruba market and its police security have been burnt by these non-Yorubas and all Yorubas have scampered to safety from their own market