₦airaland Forum

d light: Odumakin is only repeating the obvious. It is only a deluded mind that does not know Tinubu is such a greedy, self-centred politician. I still wonder why people in ACN-governed states find it difficult to realize this hard truth. A man whose party practices a dictatorship politics where only candidates endorsed by him can emerge as the party's flagbearer and never ceases to find fault with opposition parties, the CPC itself knows this but will have to protect their own interest. Tinubu is just a wolf parading himself as an angel

“I took Akala before EFCC in 2010 for awarding roads at N50m per km in all the LGs in Oyo state. Today your Asiwaju is collecting N1b per km across South West.

Date Published: 07/18/11

Akpabio signs N28 Billion Naira Road Contract





Akwa Ibom State Government on Monday signed a contract of N28 Billion naira for the construction of the Third Ring Road that will traverse the state Capital .

The road contract was signed between the state Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio and Engineer Woltgang Goetsh the Managing Director of Julius Berger Company.

The first phase of the 12kms road of four lanes begins from the Olusegun Obasanjo way, Uyo and terminates at Oron road with a fly over for the first Phase.constructing

domcarez: @Gbawe, I am very sure ur master Tinubu paid u handsomely to do such a research on d cost of roads and u come here to post inflated figures, well i wonder how much time u spent doing that, oh let me guess...its what Tinubu pays u to do...am nt surprised u had the guts to call the factual contributions of pple on this thread a gossip. Ur Tinubu has made a name for himself in the art of corruption,take it or leave it and mind u there enough glaring evidence to take him down, am only appalled at the lack of political will of both present and past administration to tackle corruption...so gbawe u may want to shut ur crap or u can go ahead to post rubbish, only ill-informed nigerians will digest the jargons and inflated figures u posted above....i was made to understand that Tinubu pays u to polish and shine his image on NL, well go ahead dumb a§§ ....

ckkris: Gbawe defends his pay master shamelessly. Tinubu is one of the most CORRUPT PERSONS IN NIGERIA.

The day one of the fans of GEJ/PDP can present themselves to defend, with facts , the glib saying "ACN is same as/worse than the PDP" will be the day I accept that Nairaland has GEJ/PDP fans as some of the politically sophisticated members of the forum able to defend their arguments with facts. As it is, the reality is that most GEJ/PDP fans are just like market gossips who deal in conjecture however ridiculous such sound.

“I took Akala before EFCC in 2010 for awarding roads at N50m per km in all the LGs in Oyo state. Today your Asiwaju is collecting N1b per km across South West.

In Kosovo there are built (completed) only 38 km of motorways, and under construction 22 more kilometers, that will be completed soon. Price is almost 8 million Euros for 1 km. Terrain is fifty-fifty plain-mountainous with few bridges, no tunnels. In this price are not calculated expropriations needed.


It is very interesting to know why the prices in Bulgaria are much cheaper than in other countries (some 2 million Euro for 1 km). Is the quality of motorways built in Bulgaria not that good, or Bulgarian authorities are honest and there is no corruption, or…

Norway:

Between 120 and 150 millions Norweigan kroner, or around 16 to 20 million Euros.

Source: http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/ir...e#.T9ZGpZKr0gQ

A mile of freeway through an urban area costs approximately $39 million, while a mile of freeway through a rural area costs approximately $8 million.

in Croatia average is some 8-9 mil. €/km.

according to DARS, the average cost from 1994-2008 was 10,4mln € per km.

Spain: from 3,10 to 13,35 million €/km.

P.D.: The price doesn't include commission's for politicians. I should be no more than 5 ~ 10 % of the cost per km.

PDP, CPC, ANPP, others violate financial regulations, ignore rules- INEC
Festus Owete
Published:March 26,2013


The Nigerian political parties were indicted in a report.
The external auditors appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to audit the political parties in the country have indicted 54 of them for not adhering to the accounting procedures in their operations in 2011.
According to the report, which is the latest by the auditors, while some of the parties ignored the conventional books of accounts, others did not have membership register at their headquarters during the year that the last general elections were conducted.
Other lapses noticed in the operation of some of the parties include absence of self audit report (internal and external), non-existence of fixed asset and liability, and lack of fiscal control measures.
Altogether, the accounts of 56 political parties, including those later de-registered, were audited by the external auditors.
The exercise was concluded in February 2013.
The indicted
Among the major parties indicted by the Commission’s auditors are the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP; Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA; and the Labour Party, LP.

Only the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; and the Citizens Popular Party, CPP; escaped INEC’s hammer as they were found to have complied with the Political Party Financial Reporting Manual 2011 and Political Party Finance Handbook 2011.
ACN, in particular, was found to have maintained internal audit report and account as well as conventional books of accounts during the year under review. The auditors also said that budget and budgetary control of the opposition party were in place and that the party has a well defined fixed asset register while its membership register was in place.

On PDP, the audit report said, “The party does not have a prepared internal audited financial statement for the year.” It also noted that “Conventional books of accounts were not properly kept as required by Section 93 (2) of the Electoral Act” and “the Party did not maintain fixed assets register both at the Headquarters and Zonal offices.”

Commission’s auditors, therefore, asked the ruling party to establish and maintain necessary records and accounts of its financial transaction in the states and zonal chapters so as to have a global view of the affairs of the party.
The ANPP was indicted for the same offences as PDP. Additionally, the Nigerian opposition party was discovered not to have maintained membership register even as it had no prepared budget for the year under review.
The report urged the party to “improve on the filing system by computerising its account functions for future transaction.”
It also admonished the party to maintain an effective internal control system and comprehensive fixed assets register and that membership register should be introduced.
The CPC, according to the report, did not have budget and budgetary control throughout 2011, amongst other improper accounting procedures. Accordingly, the Commission’s auditors asked the party to “endeavour to write up all the relevant books of accounts from where its financial statements could be extracted for analysis and proper evaluation and monitoring.”
It also asked CPC leadership to open a membership register and endeavour to install a more effective internal control measure in compliance with the political parties finance manual handbook.
The auditors rebuked APGA, for not maintaining a membership register at its headquarters. The party was also scolded for not having internally prepared and approved audited financial statement for the year under review.
The party was then asked to install “an effective internal control system for checks and balancing and endeavour to maintain a comprehensive membership register and remittances of all deductions to the necessary agencies.”
Their finances
Expectedly, the ruling party at the federal level, PDP, lived up to its billing as the biggest party in the country as, according to the report, it expended a whopping N4.35 billion in 2011 for its activities even though it generated N647.41 million.
The PDP controls the government at the centre and 23 state governments, has about 75 senators and over 200 members in the House of Representatives.
ANPP came a distant second to PDP with an expenditure of N893.40 million and an income of N786.59 million.
ACN and CPC, according to the report, followed with the expenditure of N464.69 million and N363.58 million respectively though they generated N670.24 million and N304.87 million, respectively.
APGA raked in N23.75 million but spent a total of N280.10 million in the year under review while the Labour Party, LP, generated an income of N129.25 million and expended N132.87 million.
Interestingly, the report says two parties, Accord and United Democratic Party, UDP, did not generate any income in 2011.
Although, it claimed not to have derived any income, the UDP said it spent N4.4 million for its activities.
The Acton Party of Nigeria, APN; and Better Nigeria Progressive Party, BNPP; did not submit their accounts to INEC for auditing.
Altogether, the parties audited raised a total income of N4.75 billion but expended N8.95 billion in the election year, 2011.
Meanwhile, some of the parties are already kicking against their indictment. A dependable source told PREMIUM TIMES that the ANPP leadership has protested to the Commission over what it called “inaccurate report.”
The party, it was learnt, said its account books are clean since its own auditors gave it a clean bill of health before its submitted its account to INEC.
Two other parties, ACN and CPP have also protested against a remark by INEC Director of Political Party Monitoring and Liaison, Regina Omo-Agege at a forum, in which she claimed that the parties did not comply with accounting procedures in 2001.
A Development Consultant, Jide Ojo told PREMIUM TIMES that the remarks of the auditors raised by INEC to audit the parties are not new. He, however, attributed the poor accounting records of the parties to “mischief and incompetence.“
Mr. Ojo explained that most of the parties are unwilling to comply with the financial regulations because they feel that since the grants from the Federal Government through INEC to them is not forthcoming, the Commission has no business monitoring their finances and funding, which now come from their members.
“To me, this is mischief,” he said. “They forgot they are public institutions and as such the law expects to comply with all finance regulations.”
Mr. Ojo noted that the action of the parties borders on incompetence as “many of the parties do not have the capacity to fund audit of account.”
He noted that the way out of this is for parties to share manpower.
“For instance, if a party cannot hire a chartered accountant, it can ask another party that has to help out while it also helps out in other areas.”
Despite indicting the parties, INEC seems to have exhausted the means to make them comply with the standard financial guidelines as contained in the Political Party’s Manual and Handbook.
Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, told PREMIUM TIMES that there is nothing the commission can do to ensure that the parties adhere to the accounting procedure and forestall indictment.
“There is nothing we can do; ours is just to monitor party accounts and that is what the law says,” Mr. Idowu said.
The Electoral Act, 2010, empowers INEC to examine the detailed account of all registered political parties in the country.
According to Section 89 (1), “Every political party shall submit to the Commission a detailed annual Statement of Assets and Liabilities and analysis of its sourcing of funds and other Assets together with statement of its expenditure in such a form as the Commission may from time to time required.”
Subsection 2 says, “The Statement of Assets and Liabilities referred to in subsection (1) of this Section shall be in respect of the period 1st January to 31st December in each year, and that in the year which this Act comes into operation, it shall be for the period beginning with the registration of such party and ending of the following 31st December.”
Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution (amended) gives INEC powers to monitor the financial records of all political parties.
Until the amendment to these documents, there were two major sources of funding for political parties, namely private and public.
However, with the amendments, funding is now limited to private. The main sources of private funding are membership dues, subscription from members, private contributors, especially from elected officers and fund raising dinners.

Lordlexy: Desperation has obviously set in for pdp, just about anything to grab power by all means. Odumakin ceased from being d General's spokes man 2yrs ago and as such, his statement does not represent that of d General. The inordinate desire of pdp for power is setting a dangerious precedence for our politics. If this continued unabated, this no doubt is a welcome invitation for d military to take over. The set up is premature, childish and abysmal.

Yinka Odumakin does not speak for Buhari, CPC says
Premium Times
Published:July 17,2013


The CPC reacted to a story published by the Nigerian Pilot.
The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, has said Yinka Odumakin does not speak for its leader and former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari.
The party was reacting to a statement published by a national daily, Nigerian Pilot, credited to Mr. Odumakin alleging that governors elected under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, are corrupt.
CPC faulted the attribution of Mr. Odumakin’s statement to the retired General by the paper saying, “As a matter of fact, Mr. Yinka Odumakin has not functioned as the spokesman for General Muhammadu Buhari since 2011, shortly after the disposal of the CPC’s Presidential petition at the Supreme Court”.

The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Rotimi Fashakin, Wednesday in Abuja, said the leadership of the CPC is “not unaware of the mischief embedded in the reporting that was meant to achieve very politically capricious purposes”.
The statement added that the party does “not know whose interests the reporters and the Newspaper are serving. But let it be stated that, much as the said story was embarrassing to our amiable National leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, we wish to disabuse the minds of our friends, teeming supporters and merger partners that this hogwash was a cynical display of unprofessional journalism.

“For the umpteenth time, we hereby state that the views expressed in the story were Mr. Yinka Odumakin’s and not representing that of General Muhammadu Buhari,” it said.
It also said Mr. Buhari, “respected for nobility and enviable character traits, is far removed from the grotesque characterization of frivolity by the newspaper.
“We advise the Management of the Nigerian Pilot Newspaper to be guided by enviable journalistic practice in future endeavours,” it said.

Sincere 9gerian: I see a wicked attempt to deny the FG credit in this project.

FOR THE RECORDS: The federal ministry of housing and urban development delivers housing projects through 3 vehicles:
1) direct budgetary funding ( completely publicly funded)
2) through PPP (Public-Private-Partnership)
3) mortages through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBI)

In the past two years, the ministry of housing and urban development has delivered the following housing units (COMPLETED):
1) 560 housing units completely funded from the budget
2) 1,754 housing units through PPP
3) 4,934 housing units through the FMBN

The Goodluck Housing Estate is one of the housing units completed under PPP. PPP implies collaboration between the govt and private sector. Collaboration means the FG brought something to the table and possibly facilitated the project while the private sector provided part or whole of the funding, depending on the arrangement.

Why was a project conceived in 2008 not commenced until 2011? Why was a project that could not commence in 3yrs (2008 to 2011) suddenly completed in 2yrs (2011 to 2013)? What was the MAGIC that took place?

This post is not intended to celebrate the project BUT it is evil to try to discredit the input of the govt, however little, in the project. In any case, historically, little things are the most difficult things to do in Nigeria because of VESTED INTEREST. Even the report by Vanguard attest to the FACT that the Goodluck Housing Estate was delivered by PPP.

The public (first P) component of the project, whatever it is, was done by this govt and this made the project a reality.

Below is the picture of the Goodluck Housing Estate and it was one the projects shown by the minister of housing and urban development, Ama Pepple, during the recent Ministerial Platform.

Calebsky: I sincerely wish that we have more of this collabos across the country.....and that it also transcends to members of the public not in civil service.

National Housing Fund Scheme (NHF)

National Housing fund (NHF) is a Federal Government introduced scheme, to which all public servants and employees in the organised private sector within the country are expected to contribute 2.5% of their monthly salary to Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, managers of the fund. Employees of various corporations who are active contributors to the scheme, can access the fund through Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc. Maximum of # 5 million at the rate of 6% interest repayable over a period of 30 years is obtainable under this scheme


Requirements For National Housing Fund (NHF) Loan Scheme
Account relationship with Union Homes
Be a contributor to the fund for at least six months
Have satisfactory evidence of regular flow of income to guarantee the loan
Apply on a prescribed mortgage loan application form
Submit photocopies of valid title documents (Cof O)
Approved survey/site plans
Approved building plans
Letter of consent to mortgage to Union Homes Saving and Loans Limited
Priced bill of Quantities where applicable
Valuation report prepared by a firm of registered surveyors and valuers where applicablee
Offer letter / Acceptance and Allocation letter (In case of Governments projects)
In case of registered self employed, he/she must submit a copy of Articles and Memorandum of Association, and a copy of Articles and Memorandum of Association, and a copy of Certificate of Incorporation evidencing his/her employment status.

musiwa33: that is a private develop what does that concern goodluck in that. go to school. stop telling lies.

Freeanijoo: I think GEJ got me on this one. Carry go gentle dude.

The estate which was initiated in 2008 but actual construction work commenced in 2011,

The sprawling estate sited on 11.5 hectares of land, is a partnership deal between the Nigeria Police Force who are the owners of the land and Remax Realtors Nig. Limited, the developer.

In a chat with Vanguard Homes & Property, the chief executive officer of Remax Realtors Nig. Limited, the developers and promoters of the estate, Mrs. Funke Adesoji said the estate which has a leasehold of 99 years, is a Public Private Partnership, PPP project, pointing out that 60 per cent of the 504 housing units the estate is expected to provide would be sold to men and officers in the police force because the police are the owners of the land, and that was the agreement reached between her company and police.

Remax Realtors’ boss who noted that she funded the project through borrowed funds from both local and international financial institutions, disclosed that the remaining 40 per cent would be sold to members of the public.

REHOZIBAH: In all honesty,d avalanche of comments by Pro- profligate corrupt system being further entrenched by GEJ is to say d least veri nauseating,odius n intellectually bereft of logic in evri facet

I can't fathom people defending a large pool of 10 PAFs in d face of our chequered history wt wastefulness. despite d clinical knockout delivered by Find-Out/Gbawe to d contrary of dos who said GEJ ddnt buy any of d aircrafts

D most vomit-inducing comment came frm d guy who av bn serially called Insincere9gerian who lied volte-facedly that Tinubu owns d Punch Newspaper!!!! I came away wt d conclusion that dis individual is lie-personified in evri facet imaginable

Any critique of yr master GEJ must always be spurn around to bring in Tinubu or Buhari as if those individuals are d one 'Nigerians' voted for

Let me help u out of yr misery insincere9gerian...The Punch Newspaper group is own by the ABODERIN FAMILY frm wia Late Jaiye(Stella Damasus former Hubby came from) and Wunmi Obe(Tunde Obe wife)

solomon111: Most of those jets were not bought in jonathan's administration.
If you're looking for who to hold responsible,OBJ is still alive.

Budget 2011: Presidency to spend N18bn on fleet

Following plans by the Presidency to spend N18 billion from this year’s budget on the maintenance of presidential planes in its fleet, financial and real estate experts have disclosed that the amount is only N1 billion higher than what could provide decent accommodation for the 17 million UN-Habitat estimated un-housed Nigerians.

Figures obtained by BusinessDay has shown that the allocation for the presidential fleet comes under the allocation to ‘Intelligence Community’ which got a total budget allocation of N105 billion, ranking it as one of the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget.

The amount of money the Presidency plans to spend on its presidential fleet of planes which carries it in comfort around the world is about N1 billion higher than the N16 billion with which government plans to confront the housing deficit of over 17 million Nigerians.

The N18 billion on the presidential fleet is also N7 billion higher than the N11 billion the government intends to spend equipping the country’s police force in 2011, and just about N2 billion less than it intends to spend on the nation’s aviation sector.

Financial analysts have also calculated that the N18 billion, if deployed to the epileptic power supply the country is currently grappling with, could provide 120 megawatts of electricity which is enough to light up Asaba, Delta State capital.

It will be recalled that in August 2010, the minister of Information at the time, Dora Akunyili had, at the end of a Federal Executive Council meeting, announced the acquisition of three additional presidential jets for the Nigerian presidential fleet at the cost of N23.1 billion.

The addition was to complement the eight existing aircraft that were already in the fleet.

Nigeria’s presidential fleet, which is one of the largest in the world, is made up of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) bought in 2006 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Gulfstream V, a Gulfstream IVSP, and two Falcon 900s.

It is not clear, though, if the N18 billion allocation to the Presidential fleet in 2011 is purely for maintenance, buying an additional airplane or for both; but a source in the Presidency last night told BusinessDay that there was no plan to buy new planes for the Presidency this year.

In the 2010 proposal, the Presidency had actually proposed the acquisition of four new aircraft for the presidential fleet and had made a budget provision of N23.4 billion in that budget for them.

Akunyili had said then that “the committee set up for the acquisition of the aircraft was able to get a reduction of the sum of $2.9 million from the proposed price of two Falcon 7X aircraft and a reduction of the sum of $5.4 million from the offer of the Gulfstream G550 aircraft.”

She had also explained that “the first Falcon aircraft being purchased will be delivered by the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 while the second Falcon and Gulfstream G550 will be delivered by the end of the second quarter 2011.”

BusinessDay investigations show that Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world with a dedicated presidential fleet. Most countries prefer to convert aircraft used by their national carriers for use by their Presidency crew whenever the President is going on international trips. At other times, such world leaders could use an aircraft managed by the country’s Air Force for local trips.

For example, international trips of the Chinese President are managed by the government-owned national carrier - Air China, while domestic travels are operated by the 34th division of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

For the British monarch and other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other ministers of the British Government, air transport is provided by either No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), chartered civilian aircraft or scheduled commercial flights - normally British Airways - for senior members of the royal family, and other commercial carriers for the Prime Minister and aides.

Aside Nigeria, the United States of America is another country that maintains a dedicated fleet of aircraft for its presidency.

With Nigeria’s Presidential fleet parading 11 different planes, BusinessDay analysis shows that the cumulative spend of N41 billion on the presidential fleet in two years would be enough to buy five Boeing 737-600 planes; large enough to start a national carrier for the nation. The average cost of a Boeing 737-600 is N8.5 billion (based on figures obtained from Boeing website). An analyst familiar with workings at airports told BusinessDay that “a national or flag carrier like Air Nigeria can be safely and profitably operated with five aircraft.”

The Federal Government sold Nigeria Airways - the nation’s national carrier - because it could not run it profitably.

The offices under ‘Intelligence Community’ which allocation of N105 billion ranks among the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget include: Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Directorate of State Security Service (SSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Presidential Air Fleet.

A breakdown of the allocations to the various units shows that the Office of the NSA plans to spend N37 billion in 2011; the SSS will spend N24 billion, while the NIA is planning to spend N26 billion.




It will be recalled that in August 2010, the minister of Information at the time, Dora Akunyili had, at the end of a Federal Executive Council meeting, announced the acquisition of three additional presidential jets for the Nigerian presidential fleet at the cost of N23.1 billion.

The addition was to complement the eight existing aircraft that were already in the fleet.

Nigeria’s presidential fleet, which is one of the largest in the world, is made up of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) bought in 2006 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Gulfstream V, a Gulfstream IVSP, and two Falcon 900s.

It is not clear, though, if the N18 billion allocation to the Presidential fleet in 2011 is purely for maintenance, buying an additional airplane or for both; but a source in the Presidency last night told BusinessDay that there was no plan to buy new planes for the Presidency this year.

In the 2010 proposal, the Presidency had actually proposed the acquisition of four new aircraft for the presidential fleet and had made a budget provision of N23.4 billion in that budget for them.

Akunyili had said then that “the committee set up for the acquisition of the aircraft was able to get a reduction of the sum of $2.9 million from the proposed price of two Falcon 7X aircraft and a reduction of the sum of $5.4 million from the offer of the Gulfstream G550 aircraft.”

She had also explained that “the first Falcon aircraft being purchased will be delivered by the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 while the second Falcon and Gulfstream G550 will be delivered by the end of the second quarter 2011.”

BusinessDay investigations show that Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world with a dedicated presidential fleet. Most countries prefer to convert aircraft used by their national carriers for use by their Presidency crew whenever the President is going on international trips. At other times, such world leaders could use an aircraft managed by the country’s Air Force for local trips.

For example, international trips of the Chinese President are managed by the government-owned national carrier - Air China, while domestic travels are operated by the 34th division of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

For the British monarch and other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other ministers of the British Government, air transport is provided by either No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), chartered civilian aircraft or scheduled commercial flights - normally British Airways - for senior members of the royal family, and other commercial carriers for the Prime Minister and aides.

Aside Nigeria, the United States of America is another country that maintains a dedicated fleet of aircraft for its presidency.

With Nigeria’s Presidential fleet parading 11 different planes, BusinessDay analysis shows that the cumulative spend of N41 billion on the presidential fleet in two years would be enough to buy five Boeing 737-600 planes; large enough to start a national carrier for the nation. The average cost of a Boeing 737-600 is N8.5 billion (based on figures obtained from Boeing website). An analyst familiar with workings at airports told BusinessDay that “a national or flag carrier like Air Nigeria can be safely and profitably operated with five aircraft.”

The Federal Government sold Nigeria Airways - the nation’s national carrier - because it could not run it profitably.

The offices under ‘Intelligence Community’ which allocation of N105 billion ranks among the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget include: Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Directorate of State Security Service (SSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Presidential Air Fleet.

A breakdown of the allocations to the various units shows that the Office of the NSA plans to spend N37 billion in 2011; the SSS will spend N24 billion, while the NIA is planning to spend N26 billion.

6 federating units will solve Nigeria’s crisis - Anyaoku
Written by Monday, 15 July 2013 01:54 font size decrease font size increase font size Print Email

Chief Emeka AnyaokuCHIEF Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, said that the only way to put an end to the problems and crisis in Nigeria was to return to true federalism.
Anyaoku said this at a public lecture entitled: “God in my Life,” organised by Torchbearers Society of Arch Bishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos.
He stressed the need for the country to become a federation of six units, with each unit developing at its own space.
According to him, a federation of six geo-political zones will trigger competitive development, thereby solving the crisis in our country.
“Our country is facing serious crisis and our leaders and our elites are living in denial of this serious crisis.
“When we were a country of four regions, we were developing faster with all the sectors in each region doing so well.
“Think of the achievements of this country then, the Universal Primary Education in western region, the agricultural development in Northern Nigeria and the Industrial revolution in the Eastern region.
“I believe we should go back to a federation of six units, where the six geo-political zones will develop at its own pace; that will solve two of our major problems,’’ he said.
Anyaoku said that the first problem was that the current structure of 36 states, with 36 state assemblies, 36 civil services, 36 judiciaries and all other components was expensive to run.
“With this kind of structure, it means that we continue to spend about 70 per cent or more of our resources on just administration. We cannot develop on that pace.
“And worst still, I believe that the present structure of an all powerful centre, which exists on the basis of anta to the states, creates a destablising competition for the control of that centre.
“And its competition that fuels the primordial sentiments of tribes and religion because each tribe and each religion wants to control the all powerful centre,’’ he added.
Anyaoku, however, called for the transformation of the Nigeria polity, which he said, was been driven by quest for power and money.
“We should transform the nature of our politics because our politics today breeds the culture of corruption which is the biggest evil that is facing our country.
“We must return to politics that rediscovers the values of hard work and that money is not everything,” he said.

FG spends N9bn annually on 10-aircraft presidential fleet

DECEMBER 5, 2012 BY OYETUNJI ABIOYE


INFORMATION obtained from government aviation agencies and airline operators has revealed that President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration spends an estimated N9.08bn annually on the Presidential Air Fleet.

PAF has the third largest fleet of aircraft in the country. According to findings, the PAF contains a total of 10 aircraft, coming closely behind Aerocontractors Airlines, which has a total of 14 aircraft.

Arik Air, the largest commercial airline in the country, has a fleet of 23 aircraft.

Figures obtained from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority revealed that N9.08bn is spent to maintain the 10 presidential jets every year.

The PAF include two Falcon 7X jets, two Falcon 900 jets, Gulfstream 550, one Boeing 737 BBJ (Nigerian Air Force 001 or Eagle One), and Gulfstream IVSP.

Others are one Gulfstream V, Cessna Citation 2 aircraft and Hawker Siddley 125-800 jet.

Cost of running fleet

According to a former Minister of Information, Professor, Dora Akunyili, each of the two Falcon 7X jets purchased in 2010 cost $51.1m, while the Gulfstream 550 costs $53.3m.

The factory price of other aircraft in the fleet could not be easily obtained online. However, airline CEOs put the average price of Falcon 900 at $35m, Gulfstream IVSP as $40m, Gulfstream V at $45m, Boeing 737 BBJ at $58m, Cessna Citation is $7m and Hawker Siddley 125-800 at $15m.

This brings a combined estimated value of Nigeria’s PAF to $390.5m (N60.53bn).

According to airline chief executives and industry experts, airlines spend between 15 and 20 per cent of the cost of an aircraft on its operation yearly. They say that averagely, a little less than one-fifth of the cost of the plane is spent every year on insurance, flight and cabin crew, maintenance, fuelling, catering and training.

Going by the fact that at least 15 per cent of this amount is spent annually on operating the PAF, it means about $58.57m (N9.08bn ) is spent annually on running the planes .

Nigeria happens to be one of few countries of the world with a large PAF.


Other countries’ fleets

Most major countries in Europe and Asia maintain mostly two aircraft in their Presidential Air Fleet, according to Wikipedia.

[b]According to the website, Japan maintains only two Boeing 747-400 planes in its Presidential Air Fleet.

The two aircraft, mostly for the Prime Minister, the Emperor, Empress and other members of the Imperial Family, is operated by the Japan Air Self-Defence Force.

The aircraft were constructed at the Boeing factory at the same time as the United States’ Air Force One. Both Japanese aircraft were delivered in 1990.

Wikipedia also confirms that the Netherlands government operates only two aircraft, one Fokker 70 and one Gulfstream IV, as a means of transport for the Dutch Royal family and government officials, such as the prime minister and other ministers.

They are also used also to attend international conferences, and also for private trips by the Queen and the Prince of Orange.

For long haul trips the Royal Dutch Airline is used. Often the upper deck of a Boeing 747 is used.

The Queen of England and Prime Minister David Cameron often go on British Airways chartered flights for long trips. UK’s Cameron was recently criticised by the UK media for chartering a foreign plane instead of a British’s.

According to Wikipedia, The Royal Squadron of the Royal Air Force maintains a fleet of Agusta A109 helicopters, BAE-125 mid-sized business jet and BAE-146 regional airliner to support short travel by the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and senior members of the British Government.

Countries like Ghana, Algeria and a host of others in Europe maintain only one aircraft in their PAF.[/b]


Domestic airlines

The latest revelation on Nigeria’s PAF size is coming amid dearth of aircraft among domestic airlines, which lack adequate finance to buy more planes to meet up with the soaring domestic passenger capacity.

Apart from Arik Air and Aero, each of the remaining domestic airlines does not possess even half of the number of aircraft in the PAF, according to findings by our correspondent.

IRS Airlines has only four operational aircraft in its fleet; Dana Air has four aircraft; Firstnation, three aircraft; and Medview Airlines, two aircraft; figures obtained from the industry revealed.

In recent months, domestic travellers have been scrambling to get air tickets due to lack of capacity on the part of the other local airlines, after the suspension of operations by Dana Air, Air Nigeria and FirstNation Airlines respectively.

Apart from Arik and Aero, most of the domestic airlines fell behind the PAF in terms of the number of aircraft in their fleet.

These include Air Nigeria, Dana Air, IRS Airlines, FirstNation Airlines, Medview Airlines, Overland Airways and Associated Airlines.

Airline CEOs opinions

Some airline CEOs, who pleaded anonymity, raised concerns over the economic sense behind the large mix of brands of aircraft in the President Air Fleet.

They said although the fleet size was large, the cost of operation would have been cheaper if they had maintained only two brands, instead of more.

According to them, the various brands of aircraft in the fleet will cost the Presidency more in terms of money being spent on aircraft maintenance, insurance, engineers, flight and cabin crew among others.

“If you look at the Presidential Fleet, you have at least five different brands of aircraft manufacturers. In that single Presidential Fleet, you have Boeing, Falcons, Gulfstream, Hawker and Cessna: that is not less than four different brands from various countries. I don’t know the economic sense in this. The fleet needs to be streamlined from five to just two brands. The aircraft can’t see each other. It means each of those planes will have its own flight crew, cabin crew, engineers, dispatchers etc. It is a mismatch. The Presidency will be spending more to keep all of them in the skies. Going by airline economics, you spend less when you focus on a single brand or at most two. You will get support from the manufacturers and then you spend less,” the CEO of a domestic airline, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told our correspondent.

“Look at IRS, it has only one brand, all its four planes are all from Fokker; look at First Nation, it has only Airbus. All its three planes are all Airbus A319. Look at Dana, all its four planes are all Boeing MD-83s. Look at Aero, It has only Boeing and Bombardier planes, just two brands. That is how to run a fleet of aircraft with economic sense. You don’t need more than two. Globally, it is the same thing. South West Airlines in USA has hundreds of planes and they are all from one single brand, Boeing. I think they need to streamline the fleet to just two brands to minimise the cost of running them. By that, there will be a reduction in the number of the crews they will be using to fly them” the CEO added.

Spokesman for the President, Mr. Reuben Abati, could not be reached for comments on the PAF. Telephone calls made to his telephone line was not picked, while a text message sent was not also replied.



PAF workforce

According to the NAF’s website, PAF’s current staff strength consists of 47 NAF officers, 173 airmen/airwomen and 96 civilian staff, both technical and administrative.

“The operational headquarters of the Fleet is located at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while the administrative personnel are at the Federal Secretariat. The fleet has a liaison office at the Presidential Villa. Flight operations, training, aircraft maintenance and general running of the fleet are funded by the Presidency,” according to the website.

Nigerian jet for Malawian President

JULY 16, 2013 BY EDITORIAL BOARD 60 COMMENTS


https://media.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/President-Joyce-Banda.jpg
Malawi’s President, Joyce Banda
| credits:


WHEN Nigeria dispatched a jet from its Presidential Air Fleet late last month to fetch Malawi’s President, Joyce Banda, to Abuja, it unwittingly drew attention to our government’s fiscal recklessness. It was lost on President Goodluck Jonathan that while Banda had sold her cash-strapped country’s only presidential jet to save costs, he has, in three years in office, expanded Nigeria’s executive fleet to 10 aircraft.

Neither the reality of over 60 per cent of the population living in poverty, nor the recent alarming revelation by the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that government’s revenue inflow had dwindled to a dangerous level, has persuaded Jonathan to pare down the size of the Presidential Air Fleet. Instead, it is projected to rise as provision has reportedly been made to purchase two additional helicopters to ensure the President, Vice-President, their families, and other top functionaries travel in luxury at public expense.

Banda was in Nigeria to deliver the keynote address at the Global Power Women Network Africa summit in Abuja at the invitation of Nigeria’s First Lady. To ease her trip to Nigeria’s capital, our generous government dispatched a jet to pick her from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, and return her home after the event. That is to be expected since Malawi lacks a presidential aircraft.

[b]Shortly after assuming the presidency in 2012, Banda had taken a critical look at her country’s economy. Almost 40 per cent of the national budget came from aid donors, while revenues from its major exports – tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar – were falling due to lower global demand and prices. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had withdrawn most aid in response to the purchase in 2009 of a presidential jet by Banda’s predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, and his abandonment of an IMF-dictated adjustment programme. Other donors followed the World Bank/IMF lead.

Besides selling the presidential plane for $15 million, Banda also sold off a fleet of 35 Mercedes Benz limousines reserved for the president and the cabinet. She cut her own salary by 30 per cent, among other austerity measures. Her actions won praise around the world and convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return with credit and handouts to back the government’s ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.

But Nigerian leaders will not sacrifice their own comfort for anything. Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took pay cuts in response to the global recession and the spending cuts that the government introduced. Here, our leaders are obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, mass unemployment and dwindling revenues. Okonjo-Iweala’s warning that the government may run out of money to pay salaries by October in the face of massive oil theft and vandalism of pipelines that have sharply reduced oil production and revenues has not jolted officials. Neither the wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are ready to give up their luxurious lifestyles.[/b]

But British leaders often take commercial flights and, occasionally, trains when travelling for state functions. Japan, with its Gross Domestic Product of $4.52 trillion and per capita income of $36,200, (at Purchasing Power Parity), has only two aircraft – Boeing 747 – 400 – for use of the prime minister and the emperor; the Netherlands, with GDP of $770.2 billion and PCI of $42,300, has two; the British Queen, Elizabeth II, and Cameron travel on chartered British Airways flights, despite their country’s $2.32 trillion GDP and PCI of $38,700; South Africa has just one presidential aircraft with its GDP of $678.6 billion and PCI of $11,300, though it expects another soon, while Malaysia has one, but has also ordered a second; but with its GDP of $492 billion and PCI of $16,900, like others cited, Malaysia is ahead of Nigeria with a GDP of $450.5 billion and PCI of $2,700.

[b]Given these scenarios, it is high time we ended this absurdity. Today, the aviation sector is in dire straits. How does one explain that only two domestic airlines – Arik, with 23 planes, and Aero Contractors with 14 – have larger fleets than this one kept for a few at public expense? Over N9 billion is believed to be spent on the maintenance of the presidential fleet each year, while the PAF required 47 Nigerian Air Force officers, 173 airmen/airwomen and 96 civilian employees on full time call in 2012.

Nigerians, however, desperately need a government that exists to serve the people, not a few. Successive governments have demonstrated incompetence and abused and misused public funds. There should be minimum ethical standards and decorum in public office. Other developing nations like Ghana where a former president, John Kufuor, once disposed of a spare presidential aircraft, retaining only one, should shame us into prudent conduct.

Jonathan has no excuse to continue keeping 10 aircraft and our under-performing legislators have no reason to keep approving new purchases or the billions of naira they appropriate for their maintenance each year.

But, ultimately, it is only when the electorate shakes off its lethargy and demands accountability and responsibility from public officials that things will change for the better.[/b]

Maxymilliano: Lawd have mercy!

Ema gbami ke, Ki lagbe, ki leju ?

I only asked where are the trees and here you are you are blathering incoherently over inanities without even addressing what I sought ...?

If I may ask bro, are you observing the current fasting or it's paranoia that is getting the better part of you ?

Is it a crime to ask where are the 4.6Million trees if the title of the thread is anything to go by or were the trees planted recently?

What gave you the impression that the question I re-echoed was borne out of mischief?


Are you for real? Was this not what you posted earlier to my poser" Response to what exactly? Idiocy and mischief? Go to the Lagos State website and see it is tree, not flowers, being talked about as OP rightly presented.". And I requested you copy and paste what is on the website for me to see and possibly take it from there.

How could I be requesting a web link on anonymous forum when I can find my way easily at Alausa and get the information I seek ?

Is it too much to ask for clarification from a 'stakeholder' like you if you are indeed one? ; D

Okonjo-Iweala Hails Gov Aregbesola Over Good Governance

By: Joshua Dada on June 24, 2013 - 3:21am
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The minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that the governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, had demonstrated that good governance was possible by virtue of his programmes.

This is just as the World Bank has confirmed that the federal government’s Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) was copied from the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) established by the Aregbesola’s administration.

Okonjo-Iweala, who was represented by the national coordinator of YESSO, Mr Peter Papka, at a two-day workshop organised by the World Bank in Iloko-Ijesa in Osun State at the weekend, said with the successful implementation of OYES, Aregbesola had demonstrated that youth development was possible.

The minister said, “You have demonstrated that good governance is possible with your programmes. You have demonstrated that youth development is possible.

“Your programmes so far have demonstrated that you are a good example of government and governance”.

Also, the World Bank team leader, Professor Funsho Okunmadewa, described Aregbesola as a safety net in poverty alleviation through OYES.

He commended the Osun School Meal Programme (O’MEAL) as well as the recently launched digital e-learning device (Opon Imo).

Okunmadewa disclosed that YESSO was a total replica of OYES, borrowed from and designed in Osun State and facilitated by the World Bank, adding that YESSO was built on the foundation laid by OYES.

Aregbesola, while addressing participants from seven states including Osun, the host state, said the nation deserves a lot of attention as the leadership that should drive people for development is missing.

He averred that the capacity for a people to live good life is only possible if the nation utilises its productive capacity, adding that unemployment is the direct cause of excruciating poverty, total insecurity and under-development in the country.

omanzo02: Gbawe,


The online batter wey BEAF give u long time Don turn u to something incurable , your obsessiveness don wipe your sense of logical reasoning, unless u are now under the payroll of Aregbe-rascal.

Maxymilliano: Gbawe, you can be a impossible sometimes, somebody asked where are the trees and I re-echoed the question, instead of you providing an appropriate response to a legitimate question, you rather deflect me to a website, why not copy and paste what is on the website for me to see or list it out yourself if you're sure and let me take it up from there

Anyway, for folks who knows the location, is it the Total filling station close to Valley Estate at Mangoro/Cement we're talking of here ?

plaindealer: Sometimes I think they compete with each other to find out who is the most dumbest and the most idiotic.

Maxymilliano: Pls, can somebody provide a response to this?

6 federating units will solve Nigeria’s crisis - Anyaoku

Written by
Monday, 15 July 2013 01:54

https://tribune.com.ng/news2013/images/0101anyaoku.jpg

[Chief Emeka Anyaoku] CHIEF Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, said that the only way to put an end to the problems and crisis in Nigeria was to return to true federalism.

Anyaoku said this at a public lecture entitled: “God in my Life,” organised by Torchbearers Society of Arch Bishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos.

He stressed the need for the country to become a federation of six units, with each unit developing at its own space.
According to him, a federation of six geo-political zones will trigger competitive development, thereby solving the crisis in our country.

“Our country is facing serious crisis and our leaders and our elites are living in denial of this serious crisis.

“When we were a country of four regions, we were developing faster with all the sectors in each region doing so well.
“Think of the achievements of this country then, the Universal Primary Education in western region, the agricultural development in Northern Nigeria and the Industrial revolution in the Eastern region.

“I believe we should go back to a federation of six units, where the six geo-political zones will develop at its own pace; that will solve two of our major problems,’’ he said.

Anyaoku said that the first problem was that the current structure of 36 states, with 36 state assemblies, 36 civil services, 36 judiciaries and all other components was expensive to run.

[b]“With this kind of structure, it means that we continue to spend about 70 per cent or more of our resources on just administration. We cannot develop on that pace.


“And worst still, I believe that the present structure of an all powerful centre, which exists on the basis of anta to the states, creates a destablising competition for the control of that centre.

“And its competition that fuels the primordial sentiments of tribes and religion because each tribe and each religion wants to control the all powerful centre,’’ he added.

Anyaoku, however, called for the transformation of the Nigeria polity, which he said, was been driven by quest for power and money.

“We should transform the nature of our politics because our politics today breeds the culture of corruption which is the biggest evil that is facing our country.

“We must return to politics that rediscovers the values of hard work and that money is not everything,” he said

ujchief: This is a serious offense and I don't know why the presidency is turning a deaf ear to it. Its like this is the background arrangement with GEJ.

When this development came to our notice we argued it out and a hundred and one reasons was given for the bogus contract.

www.nairaland.com/896300/why-awarded-waterways-contract-tompolo

The aim of this said contract has been defeated: and it seams the contract was actually a legal empowerment to steal the oil without batting an eyelid.

Standing5: Anyone who followed this Subsidy saga should remember the "Na our oyel" Punchline. No need decoding what has been decoded here many times. It is our turn, so they say, but let's watch how long it will last.

Oil thieves have hijacked political power - NNPC raises alarm •Says Nigeria loses 180,000 crude oil barrels to oil thieves daily

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Written by Idowu Samuel Friday, 25 May 2012
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CRIMINALS and crude oil thieves have taken over the oil fields in the Niger Delta and have used the proceeds of oil theft to hijack political power in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), raised the alarm on Thursday.

The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparent Initiative (NEITI), Mrs Zainab Ahmed, had earlier lamented the activities of the crude oil thieves in the creeks of Niger Delta, whose activities she said had denied Nigeria a whopping sum of $4.6 million in just two years.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Austin Oniwon, lamented the increasing wave of criminal activities in the Niger Delta, which he said was causing Nigeria to lose an estimated 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Ghana, he noted, required only 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily to survive, expressing dismay that the rate at which criminals were prospecting for crude oil illegally in the country had reached an alarming level.

Oniwon said the miscreants behind illegal oil bunkering in the zone had sponsored the election of local government chairmen and now have the capacity to sponsor and produce more state governors, adding that they even have the potential to fund the emergence of a Nigerian president in the future.

He dropped the hints when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), paid him a courtesy visit, as part of their oversight function, as he urged the lawmakers to enact legislation aimed at arresting the increasing wave of oil theft in Nigeria.

He said it was regrettable to note that criminals had taken over the most part of Niger Delta...” They have amassed so much wealth that they are beginning to look for political power. They have been sponsoring local government chairmen. The chairmen have also been sponsoring governors. And these people, if not checked in time, will one day produce the president of Nigeria.”


He said such a situation had occurred in countries like Colombia and Mexico where criminals dealing in drugs sponsored the presidents of the countries as a means of promoting their illegal trades.

Oniwon said Nigeria should waste no time in combating the nefarious activities of the oil thieves against the implication of its neighbours like Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, which are now producing oil in commercial quantities, a development which may cripple the economy of Nigeria, anchored mainly on oil.

The NNPC boss urged the National Assembly not to delay in passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which, he noted, was capable of curbing irregularities in the Nigerian oil sector, adding that the bill, if eventually passed into law had the capacity to promote the emergence of a strong national oil company.

The House Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Honourable Ajibola Muraina, who led members to the NNPC Towers, Abuja, equally lamented the growing capacity of crude oil thieves, as he urged the government of Nigeria to devise stringent means of preventing criminals from prospecting Nigeria’s crude oil illegally.

Muraina said the House of Representatives would work harmoniously with NNPC in sanitising the oil industry, even as he urged the corporation to, henceforth, begin to implement most of the recommendations by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the means of maintaining sanity in the Nigerian oil sector.

fiscalcliff: One can see the tribal calvary shorn of intellectual comprehension are invading
But their ethnic bayonets is only pouring out increasing torrents of truth from many a commentator
[b]This silly ethnic trolls who shout our oyel,[/b]our son have forgotten how their son was ONLY reading newspapers before fate intervened
Even at that it took those they now tag parasites to take to the streets in protest before the constitutional elevation due him was enacted
We now are the parasites ,hypocrites and criminals because of a demand for accountability, equity and probity
Regardless of the ethno induced delusions of WilyWily and adino,we WILL NOT stop speaking and demanding for what is right especially on the loud and embarrassing silence of the FG aka Ebele Jonathan on the brigandage of his 'brothers'.

omenka: Oshiomole is being too damn magnanimous with his choice of words. "Lose integrity" huh? Can some1 lose what they never had

With the level to which things have degenerated in this country, I have this gut feeling only the khaki boys cld salvage the situation if we are to pre-empt another '66!

Olaolufred: THANK YOU GBAWE.
THIS IS A COMMON REASONING WHICH SOME "HE IS OUR OWN" WON'T BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND.
BUT GOODLUCK IS INDIRECTLY ARMING TOMPOLO AND CO. SO THAT HE CAN USE THEM IN 2015.
JONAH IS GIVING THEM CASH, BUT THE CASH WILL BE ENOUGH TO TRANSFORM INTO WEAPONS OF CREEK'S DESTRUCTION.
REMEMBER, THERE IS AN ANTECEDENT IN NORTH EAST.

Garri the 1st: The 15 billion wasn't for security of waterways or pipelines but to stockpile "necessary materials" against 2015.

Oshiomhole: Massive Oil Theft Inexcusable

14 Jul 2013

https://serving.thisdaylive.com/0bef99d6-acf5-4e2c-9779-8fa02ba3fcd4/assets/140413F2.Adams-OSHIOMHOLE.jpg?maxwidth=400&maxheight=540
Governor Adams Oshiomhole


By Olusegun Adeniyi
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the Federal Government stands the risk of losing its integrity before the public if it fails to deal decisively with the massive theft of crude oil in the Niger Delta that now threatens the nation’s economy.

Oshiomhole decried a situation where the security agencies have seemed incapable of containing the ugly development. He said he told Vice President Namadi Sambo and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the last Federation Account Allocation Committee meeting in Abuja that the current situation was simply unacceptable.

Speaking in a chat with THISDAY, the governor said the Federal Government had stated last December that the nation had about $10 billion in the Excess Crude Account, only to be informed it had been drawn down to less than $5 billion at the last meeting of the National Economic Council.

Oshiomhole said: “When I sought for explanation, we were told the account was drawn down to augment the budget. Since the federal budget benchmark for crude is 79 dollar per barrel and oil has not sold below $100 this year, I could not understand that kind of arithmetic and then we were told it’s because we are losing about 400,000 barrels of crude per day to thieves. Now, these criminal elements, do they come with buckets or how come we are unable to apprehend them with all our security agencies?”

The governor said what he considered baffling was that at the height of militancy in the Niger Delta, before the declaration of the amnesty programme, which helped to bring down criminality, the nation never witnessed this kind of situation


“No nation should live with this kind of situation, that we would surrender our national assets to thieves? [/b]I hope those of us who call ourselves leaders in this nation will find solution to this problem before we lose integrity in the eyes of the public because I find the situation quite baffling that our Navy would simply be lamenting this sort of monumental criminality that is defying solution,” he said.

[b]The heightened attacks on pipelines coincided with the ongoing negotiation between the federal government team and some of the ex-militants for the renewal of the pipeline surveillance contracts amidst pressure from other militants to be accommodated in the deal.

The cost of the expired pipeline contract is put at N5.6 billion. It was awarded by the government to the ex-militants to check oil theft in the once volatile region.

A report by Wall Street Journal last year said Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo got $9 million yearly to pay his 4,000 former foot soldiers to protect the pipelines, while Ebikabowei “Boyloaf” Victor Ben and Ateke Tom got $3.8 million a year apiece to have their men guard the pipelines.

Another ex-militant leader-Government ‘Tompolo’ Ekpmupolo had a $22.9 million a year contract to do the same job.
According to sources, the NNPC evaluation of the performance of the ex-militant leaders showed a poor rating with Tompolo rated highest as “using the contract as directed to protect the pipelines in the Delta.”

Oil production at the peak of militants’ activities in the Niger Delta was at 1.3 million barrels per day while output increased progressively up to 2.7 million barrels per day after the amnesty programme and the award of pipelines surveillance contracts.

Since the beginning of this year, oil theft and pipeline vandalism have risen with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) recently shutting down the Imo River trunk line in its eastern operation and reducing production by 25,000 barrels daily.
Several crude theft points were found on the facility.