₦airaland Forum

DJTee:
Very unnerving . . .Nigeria would literarily have gone to the dogs if the coup had succeeded and Dimka emerged "Head of State".

Do you say that because he was caught in the company of a woman of easy virtue?

How do you know that his "opponents" are/were any better?

India ministers quit after caught watching porn in parliament
By Nita Bhalla

NEW DELHI | Wed Feb 8, 2012 7:26am EST

(Reuters) - Three Indian politicians from a morally conservative party, including a women's affairs minister, resigned on Wednesday after being caught watching pornography on a mobile phone during a session of state parliament.

News channels broadcast footage showing Karnataka state Minister for Cooperation Laxman Savadi sharing a porn clip with his colleague C.C. Patil, the minister for women and child development, while sitting in the state assembly.

The owner of the phone, state Minister for Ports, Science and Technology Krishna Palemar, also quit.

"We are requesting the honorable Speaker of the House to conduct an inquiry and we'll come out with a clean chit," Patil said, denying that they were deliberately looking at porn.

The three men said they did not want to cause any embarrassment for their party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules the state and is in opposition at a national level.

There has been outrage over the incident not just from rights activists and right-wing Hindu groups in conservative India, but also from the riling Congress party which called for the assembly to be dissolved.

"We live in a country where there already is this social mindset that women are disposable commodities and are seen as transferable properties," Renuka Chowdhary, a former federal minister for women's development and a member of the Congress Party.

"It really is troubling that the people who are in positions of power and have the responsibility to change things actually have the same mindset and are busy watching porn," she told the CNN-IBN news channel.

Girls and women in largely patriarchal India face a barrage of threats including rape, dowry-related murder, forced marriage, domestic violence, honor killings and human trafficking.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/08/us-india-porn-idUSTRE8170VD20120208

India Porn Scandal: 3 State Ministers Resign After Accusations Of Watching Porn During Assembly Session

NEW DELHI -- Three government ministers in the southern Indian state of Karnataka resigned Wednesday after they were accused of watching a pornographic video during an assembly session.

The right wing Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules Karnataka, ordered the three ministers to resign after local television channels aired footage Tuesday of the men watching the allegedly pornographic video clip while the state assembly proceedings were going on.

The ministers denied they were watching pornography, but said they were resigning to save their party from embarrassment.

The governor of Karnataka accepted the resignations.

Television footage showed Laxman Savadi, minister for cooperation, watching the video clip on his mobile phone and then passing the phone to C. C. Patil, minister for women and child development.

The mobile phone belonged to the minister for ports, Krishna Palemar, who also resigned.

Soon after television stations aired the footage, outraged residents of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, held protests outside the homes of the three ministers, demanding their resignation.

The three men said they were not watching pornography. Savadi said he was watching a video clip of a rave party to prepare for a discussion in the assembly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/india-porn-scandal_n_1262050.html



[flash=600,600]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PswNlmQTp0[/flash]

Street carnivals turn into theatre of violence
January 14, 2012 by Adeola Balogun and Comfort Oseghale
victim3

Just before the end of 2011, Lagos was agog with street carnivals. As was the custom in most parts of the city, the annual ritual was accompanied with much eating, drinking and dancing. And while Lagosians looked forward to the New Year, it was expected that old animosities would have been discarded and forgotten.

Unfortunately, instead of the usual peace and calm that usually characterised these end-of-year activities in the past, last December’s carnivals were marred by violence in some parts of Lagos. For example, tragedy struck at Humani Street, Somolu, two days to the New Year. CRIME DIGEST learnt that a member of the Oodua Peoples Congress named Kehinde Ogundare, who lived in the street, was hit by a stray bullet.

Eyewitnesses said that at about 3.40 am, a group of youths armed with dangerous weapons had arrived at the venue of the carnival with the sole aim of disrupting the event.

The youths, who wore blue and black berets and were known to most residents of the area as the ‘EFCC Boys’, had arrived at Humani via Ikija Street and immediately launched an attack on the gathering.

The organiser of the carnival, Mr. Lekan Lawal, said the event had gone on for about four hours before the youths struck. He said, “It was about 3.40 am when we heard a shout. We were still dancing and celebrating when we noticed some people running. What we heard next were gunshots. Before we could do anything, these EFCC Boys had overwhelmed us.

“They smashed and damaged the windscreen of some cars parked on the road and shot into the crowd. The carnival broke up immediately and we all fled for our lives.

“Our investigation showed that while the attack lasted, there was no intervention from the police. As a result, the hoodlums were able to escape after concluding their operation.”

Still recovering from the wounds sustained during the attack, Ogundare told CRIME DIGEST, “I had just come out of my house when gunshots rang out. I tried to run back into my house and the next thing I knew, I was shot in the buttocks.”

Following the shooting, some sympathisers carried Ogundare to Alade Police Station, where they made a formal complaint before taking him to the Somolu General Hospital for treatment.

CRIME DIGEST

gathered that the EFCC Boys had held the neighbourhood in a vice grip for a long time, often robbing and terrorising Somolu residents.

“This group of boys are a nuisance to our community and we have written countless petitions to the police to that effect, but the EFCC Boys are being shielded by powerful politicians,” a resident told our correspondent.

The youths had allegedly ambushed and robbed unsuspecting residents of Oguntolu Street at gunpoint before invading the venue of the carnival.

Earlier, they were said to have attempted to disrupt another carnival on Okesuna Street.

A source said, “They have been responsible for a series of public disturbances, looting and armed robbery in Somolu. In 2009, their leader was arrested for murder and remanded at Kirikiri Prisons and released after six months.

“Last June, he led some others to cause mayhem at Ilaje in which one Mrs. Bunmi Afolabi and others were wounded. In December 2010, Balogun was once again arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for various offences, ranging from murder and armed robbery to other offences, but was released after four months. Since his release, that fellow has led other miscreants to disturb the peace of Somolu community.

“The boys have families within our community; they are well known fugitives and renegades in the community that have used Ikorodu, Fadeyi and Ilaje as their hideouts. Some of them still live in our midst, yet the police have been unable to arrest them.”

In another development, a youth was stabbed to death during an argument on Modupe Street, Okeira-Ogba, Lagos. The deceased and his assailant, yet to be identified, were attending a carnival on the same street when they had a misunderstanding over a girl.

Unable to resolve their differences amicably, they resorted to a brawl. “I don’t really know those involved because all manner of youths attend street carnivals. But I learnt that a fight broke out and broken bottles were freely used and one person was stabbed to death. It is not still clear if any arrests have been made because the attacker fled, but the wounded youth was rushed to a hospital nearby by his friends,” a resident said.

Also, what began as a merry street carnival in Ejigbo suddenly turned sour and resulted in a clash between two groups that eventually led to the death of a young man. Eyewitnesses told CRIME DIGEST that the youth had been fatally wounded during the fight.

On the eve of Christmas, the virus spread to Yakoyo, in Ojodu Local Government Area. Youths from Association Avenue stormed a carnival on Abudu Obayomi Sreet, along Ojodu-Akute Road and unleashed mayhem.

Although the clash did not result in any death, it created bad blood among residents of both streets.

The youths from Abudu Abayomi Street had chased the invading ‘Association Boys’ to their own territory. But for the intervention of the guards on duty at the entrance to Assocation Avenue, there would have been disturbance of the peace and possible bloodshed.

The angry youths were calmed down by the security personnel. But on their way back to their homes, they were overheard vowing to wait till the following week to deal with their opponents.

But word reached the elders, who in turn wisely called for the cancellation of a street carnival scheduled to take place on Association Avenue on New Year’s Eve.

The cancellation was said to have dealt the youths a big blow and they secretly vowed to deal with the guard who they suspected might have persuaded the elders to stop the carnival.

On New Year’s Eve, some of the youths, who were returning from another party very early in the morning, almost lynched the guard, named Ganiu Wasiu, after accusing him of ruining their fun. CRIME DIGEST learnt that the guard was lucky no to have been stabbed to death with broken bottles by the irate youths.

Wasiu told our correspondent that the boys held him responsible for the cancellation of their street carnival.

He says, “I wouldn’t know why they accused me of stopping their party; the decision was taken by the landlords association and I am not a member. I am only employed to guard the street. On Christmas Eve, I intervened when boys from Abudu Abayomi pursued some of the boys to the gate here.

“I stopped the Abayomi boys from going further and pleaded with them to bury the hatchet after explaining to me how their party was disrupted by the Association Avenue boys. After much persuasion, they agreed, but while they were going back, I overheard them as they vowed to pay them back in their own coin during our street carnival.

“As the security man here, I informed the chairman of the landlords association of what happened and what I heard the other street boys say they would do on the following week. I later learnt that the carnival was cancelled, but on the New Year’s Eve, after opening the gate for a group of the boys who were coming back from another party, they attacked me.”

He said the youths threw sand at him, nearly blinding him in the process. When he protested, they pounced on him and told him they were punishing him for stopping their party.

http://www.punchng.com/feature/crime-digest/street-carnivals-turn-into-theatre-of-violence/

Work begins on Lot 2 of Lagos-Badagry Road expansion
Monday, 13 February 2012 00:00 Joshua Bassey & Ifeoma Ikeji

Uncertainty hangs around the fate of hundreds of small scale businesses along the Lagos-Badagry Express Road, particularly between Maza-Maza and Okokomaiko, as work on ‘Lot Two’ of the road expansion project has begun.

Already, demolition of shops, structures and shanties standing on the Right of Way (RoW) of the project has commenced. Affected in the demolition exercise is part of Agboju Market, which has been reduced to rubble, with hundreds of traders, sent packing. Also to be affected as the work progresses are filling stations along the corridor.

Several traders at Agboju Market were seen weekend in groups (hands across their breasts), discussing their fate, as bulldozers deployed by the contractors revved through shops and shanties at the popular market.

The traders said they were taken aback by the sudden arrival of bulldozers at the market last Thursday.

“We had heard that work would soon start on the second phase of the road, but we didn’t expect that it will come suddenly. I have actually been thinking of relocating my business, but I have been slowed down by inadequacy of funds to rent a new shop elsewhere,” Tochukwu Ezeibe, an affected trader, told CityFile.

However, a source at the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure when contacted, argued against the traders’ position, insisting they (traders) were informed well ahead of time to vacate the RoW of the project.

“They have been instructed several times to leave the road, but you know people always wait for the last minute,” the source said, reaffirming the determination of the government to see the project through.

Many of the traders were however, seen packing iron zinc and woods used in the construction of their now destroyed shops, as they lamented that the development has thrown them out of business and took away their means of survival.

Another trader, Uche Anayo, who deals in travelling bags whose shop has been demolished, said she was yet to secure a new place to relocate her business. “As I speak now, there is nowhere to go, but I am hopeful I will find a place,” she said as she loaded her wares into a waiting van.

The lot 2 of the project runs from Mile Two in Amuwo-Odofin to Okokomaiko in Ojo area of the state. Work on lot one (starting from the Eric Moore end of the road to Mile Two) had been ongoing for more than two years now; handled by Julius Berger plc.

The project, probably the most ambitious of the Babatunde Fashola-led administration, entails the expansion of the four-lane over three decades expressway to 10 lanes with rail line in the middle. The rail line is a separate contract also being handled by Construction and Civil Engineering Corporation of China (CCECC).

Femi Hamzat, Lagos State commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, had recently confirmed the award of contract for the second phase of the road project to Construction and Civil Engineering Corporation of China (CCECC). Five companies bided for the contract after it was advertised by the state government last year.

Hamzat, at a stakeholder meeting, said CCECC in addition to the new deal, also had the responsibility for the rail component in lot one.

He explained that the meeting was convened to bring on board the views of those who will be affected by the construction. He noted that the plan to expand the road was to harness the economic value to the state. The development, he said, would not only open up the West African market to Nigeria but will also impact positively on properties along the corridor.

“On completion, the road will impact on economic, commercial and social activities on the corridor,” Hamzat said, adding that diligence will be followed in arriving at compensation for those affected.

He disclosed that the Right of Way (RoW) for the project is 120 metres, adding that the state is committed to carrying the people along as it implements its development agenda.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/city-file/city-file/33011-work-begins-on-lot-2-of-lagos-badagry-road-expansion

This thread continues here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-869785.0.html#msg10185202

This thread continues from here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-527166.64.html

Gangland wars rise in Lagos
February 4, 2012 by Comfort Oseghale


Just like it happens in movies, a gang war took place in Yaba, Lagos, at about 5 pm on Jan 17, 2012. Two youths on a motorcycle were engaged in a conversation with one of the four occupants of a Toyota car when they were suddenly attacked by hoodlums.

The attackers were many, about 30 of them. They arrived on 10 motorcycles, armed with guns, knives and other weapons. Immediately, they descended on the youths.

By the time they finished, the attackers had left several people wounded. One of the victims of the attack was actually mistaken for dead.

Ramon Lawal, a fresh Ordinary National Diploma graduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic, and Abayomi Kabiru, a former National Road Transport Workers Union unit chairman in Jibowu, [/b]were the two men on the motorcycle. While Kabiru was able to escape unhurt, Lawal wasn’t so lucky. He was left for dead after being stabbed in the head and shot.

Last week Thursday, a similar fiasco was enacted at the [b]Mushin end of the Onipanu area. A gang of armed hoodlums went on a looting spree, while supposedly awaiting the arrival of some rivals who were said to be at Abule-Egba, also in Lagos.

The hoodlums robbed to their hearts content, despite the presence of a team of policemen from the Onipanu Police Division nearby. CRIME DIGEST learnt that the policemen did nothing to check the situation.

The armed group were said to have come from Fadeyi and their rivals were alleged to be supporters of a former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos State, Olorunwa Rafiu aka Olohunwa.

On Monday, another incident occurred at the Adeniji-Adele area in Lagos Island. Groups loyal to Olohunwa and an NURTW leader in Oshodi, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, engaged in a bloody struggle for supremacy. Two persons allegedly lost their lives in the incident and several more were injured.

Residents of the area blamed the recurring clashes between the Mushin/Fadeyi groups on a disagreement over the collection of fees or ‘permit’ from commercial bus drivers, transport companies and other entrepreneurs.

The fees, they say, are a huge source of revenue from which the NURTW unit and branch executives help themselves.

One of the sources says, “These people who call themselves members of the NURTW just go about extorting money from drivers. In reality, there are thugs who are often recruited by politicians for their dirty work. If you fail to comply, you will not be allowed to work.

“They don’t hold meetings with the drivers and nobody gives an account of how the money is spent. Instead of the NURTW being a body to protect the interest of members, it is now a money spinner for those interested in making easy money.”

Some commercial bus drivers told our correspondent they had no idea what the fees they were forced to pay were used for. One of them said, “By virtue of our occupation, we ought to be members of the NURTW, but we don’t attend the meetings because we are not invited. Those who are supposed to be our leaders, many are not commercial drivers and have never been. They are political acolytes who somehow got involved in the NURTW and who extort money from us daily.

“If a driver must operate from any garage, he pays a fee. Whenever we stop at any bus stop to pick or discharge passengers, we must buy tickets. None of the garages were built by the unions, yet they are always demanding one fee or the other. We don’t have a say in the election of our officers because most of them are not transport workers in the real sense of the word.”

A park attendant at the Somolu branch of the NURTW explained the toll collection. “There are two types of tickets, which we sell to drivers; one is from the local government and the other from the state. Money accruing from the sale of the LG tickets go back to the coffers of the LG in question. The revenue from the sale of the state ticket is disbursed by the chairman of the unit or branch as they deem fit. My chairman sometimes would tell me that he just wants N28,000 or so from the sale of the tickets. Anything I make above that is mine.

“We don’t pay only ourselves from these collections; we also settle various security outfits like the police, taskforce, OP Messa and so on.”

The attendant, who was not a driver himself, however, could give no reason for the collection of tolls or how they have been used to benefit the commercial drivers.

Some warring factions of the NURTW and residents in the affected areas have pointed accusing fingers at the police for complicity in escalating the violence. A businessman who owns a shop on Ikorodu Road said, “Sometime in November last year, a friend of mine named Ejiro decided to start a transport company at Jibowu. That is where a former PDP governorship aspirant had his office.

“Ejiro bought a property and prepared to renovate it. Before this could happen, some street urchins requested him to pay them the sum of N1.5m. This was to enable him operate in the area. Since Ejiro was acting on behalf of another friend, he asked for time so he could communicate with the actual owner of the property.

“The boys immediately became angry that he asked for time. Armed with guns and knives, they descended on the workers on the property. They threatened to shoot Ejiro and seized the tools of the workers. I was called to the scene because I operate businesses within that district and I know how these boys operate.

“I recognised two of the boys. One was Sobodu and the other fellow was called Ninety. They worked for a certain man who supervised the collection of tolls in the area. After my intervention, they left with the workers’ tools. Then I accompanied my friend to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, where we wrote a petition, which was acknowledged. After the arrest of the guys had been authorised by the Commissioner of Police, we went back to Jibowu.

“Although Sobodu never showed up again to collect his fee, some of his boys did and were immediately arrested by the SARS men. On his way back to the command office, the Investigating Police Officer received a call.

“He said the call was from his boss. When we got back, the IPO went to see his boss while we waited. After a while, we were told that his boss wanted to see us and we went upstairs to his office.

“To our shock when we got there, two sponsors of the urchins were already seated there. These men were supposedly wanted by the police. The DCP asked us what permit we acquired before operating a transport company at Jibowu.

“When I responded that it was only in the purview of the ministry of transportation to determine such, he told us that the tools which were seized from the workers would be returned and that there would be no more trouble. We were permitted to go back and run our business. The two boys who were earlier arrested by SARS were released that very day.”

Still recuperating from his gunshot, Lawal told CRIME DIGEST, “I’m not a member of the NURTW, but I’m a close friend of Kabiru, who was once a unit chairman at Jibowu. I was attacked simply because I’m from Mushin and a friend to Kabiru. During the peace talks, which the DCP convened last year, I openly accused one of the sponsors of being used by politicians to perpetuate violence in Mushin. I told the DCP what these boys did all the time. Also, I told him that I knew that I would pay for my comments and that is what is happening today.

“After I was attacked two weeks ago, my people called the DCP and informed him of what happened. I learnt he later confirmed my condition from the DPO of the Sabo Police Division, who testified that I was rescued by his team and taken to the hospital. Despite that, no police patrol team bothered to go to Fadeyi to look for my assailants.

“It wasn’t until my people went to Panti and wrote a petition that something was done. A team from Panti went to Fadeyi and two of the boys were arrested. They are still at Panti. As far as I am concerned, the DCP is only worsening the situation by taking sides.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, however refuted the claims of police involvement in the recurrent clashes. He said, “There is no police officer who would condone the issue of criminality. Police work is all about evidence and it is possible the persons being fingered in the affected communities are innocent.

“What people don’t understand is that it is difficult to get judgement in court if a person was not arrested. It is worse when there are no witnesses to back up the claims. If there are witnesses, the police will act. The Lagos State Police Command is not resting on its oars and with the assistance of the state government and members of the public, this crisis will be a thing of the past.”

http://www.punchng.com/feature/crime-digest/gangland-wars-rise-in-lagos/

Gangland wars rise in Lagos
February 4, 2012 by Comfort Oseghale
lawal

Just like it happens in movies, a gang war took place in Yaba, Lagos, at about 5 pm on Jan 17, 2012. Two youths on a motorcycle were engaged in a conversation with one of the four occupants of a Toyota car when they were suddenly attacked by hoodlums.

The attackers were many, about 30 of them. They arrived on 10 motorcycles, armed with guns, knives and other weapons. Immediately, they descended on the youths.

By the time they finished, the attackers had left several people wounded. One of the victims of the attack was actually mistaken for dead.

Ramon Lawal, a fresh Ordinary National Diploma graduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic, and Abayomi Kabiru, a former National Road Transport Workers Union unit chairman in Jibowu, were the two men on the motorcycle. While Kabiru was able to escape unhurt, Lawal wasn’t so lucky. He was left for dead after being stabbed in the head and shot.

Last week Thursday, a similar fiasco was enacted at the Mushin end of the Onipanu area. A gang of armed hoodlums went on a looting spree, while supposedly awaiting the arrival of some rivals who were said to be at Abule-Egba, also in Lagos.

The hoodlums robbed to their hearts content, despite the presence of a team of policemen from the Onipanu Police Division nearby. CRIME DIGEST learnt that the policemen did nothing to check the situation.

The armed group were said to have come from Fadeyi and their rivals were alleged to be supporters of a former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos State, Olorunwa Rafiu aka Olohunwa.

On Monday, another incident occurred at the Adeniji-Adele area in Lagos Island. Groups loyal to Olohunwa and an NURTW leader in Oshodi, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, engaged in a bloody struggle for supremacy. Two persons allegedly lost their lives in the incident and several more were injured.

Residents of the area blamed the recurring clashes between the Mushin/Fadeyi groups on a disagreement over the collection of fees or ‘permit’ from commercial bus drivers, transport companies and other entrepreneurs.

The fees, they say, are a huge source of revenue from which the NURTW unit and branch executives help themselves.

One of the sources says, “These people who call themselves members of the NURTW just go about extorting money from drivers. In reality, there are thugs who are often recruited by politicians for their dirty work. If you fail to comply, you will not be allowed to work.

“They don’t hold meetings with the drivers and nobody gives an account of how the money is spent. Instead of the NURTW being a body to protect the interest of members, it is now a money spinner for those interested in making easy money.”

Some commercial bus drivers told our correspondent they had no idea what the fees they were forced to pay were used for. One of them said, “By virtue of our occupation, we ought to be members of the NURTW, but we don’t attend the meetings because we are not invited. Those who are supposed to be our leaders, many are not commercial drivers and have never been. They are political acolytes who somehow got involved in the NURTW and who extort money from us daily.

“If a driver must operate from any garage, he pays a fee. Whenever we stop at any bus stop to pick or discharge passengers, we must buy tickets. None of the garages were built by the unions, yet they are always demanding one fee or the other. We don’t have a say in the election of our officers because most of them are not transport workers in the real sense of the word.”

A park attendant at the Somolu branch of the NURTW explained the toll collection. “There are two types of tickets, which we sell to drivers; one is from the local government and the other from the state. Money accruing from the sale of the LG tickets go back to the coffers of the LG in question. The revenue from the sale of the state ticket is disbursed by the chairman of the unit or branch as they deem fit. My chairman sometimes would tell me that he just wants N28,000 or so from the sale of the tickets. Anything I make above that is mine.

“We don’t pay only ourselves from these collections; we also settle various security outfits like the police, taskforce, OP Messa and so on.”

The attendant, who was not a driver himself, however, could give no reason for the collection of tolls or how they have been used to benefit the commercial drivers.

Some warring factions of the NURTW and residents in the affected areas have pointed accusing fingers at the police for complicity in escalating the violence. A businessman who owns a shop on Ikorodu Road said, “Sometime in November last year, a friend of mine named Ejiro decided to start a transport company at Jibowu. That is where a former PDP governorship aspirant had his office.

“Ejiro bought a property and prepared to renovate it. Before this could happen, some street urchins requested him to pay them the sum of N1.5m. This was to enable him operate in the area. Since Ejiro was acting on behalf of another friend, he asked for time so he could communicate with the actual owner of the property.

“The boys immediately became angry that he asked for time. Armed with guns and knives, they descended on the workers on the property. They threatened to shoot Ejiro and seized the tools of the workers. I was called to the scene because I operate businesses within that district and I know how these boys operate.

“I recognised two of the boys. One was Sobodu and the other fellow was called Ninety. They worked for a certain man who supervised the collection of tolls in the area. After my intervention, they left with the workers’ tools. Then I accompanied my friend to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, where we wrote a petition, which was acknowledged. After the arrest of the guys had been authorised by the Commissioner of Police, we went back to Jibowu.

“Although Sobodu never showed up again to collect his fee, some of his boys did and were immediately arrested by the SARS men. On his way back to the command office, the Investigating Police Officer received a call.

“He said the call was from his boss. When we got back, the IPO went to see his boss while we waited. After a while, we were told that his boss wanted to see us and we went upstairs to his office.

“To our shock when we got there, two sponsors of the urchins were already seated there. These men were supposedly wanted by the police. The DCP asked us what permit we acquired before operating a transport company at Jibowu.

“When I responded that it was only in the purview of the ministry of transportation to determine such, he told us that the tools which were seized from the workers would be returned and that there would be no more trouble. We were permitted to go back and run our business. The two boys who were earlier arrested by SARS were released that very day.”

Still recuperating from his gunshot, Lawal told CRIME DIGEST, “I’m not a member of the NURTW, but I’m a close friend of Kabiru, who was once a unit chairman at Jibowu. I was attacked simply because I’m from Mushin and a friend to Kabiru. During the peace talks, which the DCP convened last year, I openly accused one of the sponsors of being used by politicians to perpetuate violence in Mushin. I told the DCP what these boys did all the time. Also, I told him that I knew that I would pay for my comments and that is what is happening today.

“After I was attacked two weeks ago, my people called the DCP and informed him of what happened. I learnt he later confirmed my condition from the DPO of the Sabo Police Division, who testified that I was rescued by his team and taken to the hospital. Despite that, no police patrol team bothered to go to Fadeyi to look for my assailants.

“It wasn’t until my people went to Panti and wrote a petition that something was done. A team from Panti went to Fadeyi and two of the boys were arrested. They are still at Panti. As far as I am concerned, the DCP is only worsening the situation by taking sides.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, however refuted the claims of police involvement in the recurrent clashes. He said, “There is no police officer who would condone the issue of criminality. Police work is all about evidence and it is possible the persons being fingered in the affected communities are innocent.

“What people don’t understand is that it is difficult to get judgement in court if a person was not arrested. It is worse when there are no witnesses to back up the claims. If there are witnesses, the police will act. The Lagos State Police Command is not resting on its oars and with the assistance of the state government and members of the public, this crisis will be a thing of the past.”

http://www.punchng.com/feature/crime-digest/gangland-wars-rise-in-lagos/

Street carnivals turn into theatre of violence
January 14, 2012 by Adeola Balogun and Comfort Oseghale
victim3

Just before the end of 2011, Lagos was agog with street carnivals. As was the custom in most parts of the city, the annual ritual was accompanied with much eating, drinking and dancing. And while Lagosians looked forward to the New Year, it was expected that old animosities would have been discarded and forgotten.

Unfortunately, instead of the usual peace and calm that usually characterised these end-of-year activities in the past, last December’s carnivals were marred by violence in some parts of Lagos. For example, tragedy struck at Humani Street, Somolu, two days to the New Year. CRIME DIGEST learnt that a member of the Oodua Peoples Congress named Kehinde Ogundare, who lived in the street, was hit by a stray bullet.

Eyewitnesses said that at about 3.40 am, a group of youths armed with dangerous weapons had arrived at the venue of the carnival with the sole aim of disrupting the event.

The youths, who wore blue and black berets and were known to most residents of the area as the ‘EFCC Boys’, had arrived at Humani via Ikija Street and immediately launched an attack on the gathering.

The organiser of the carnival, Mr. Lekan Lawal, said the event had gone on for about four hours before the youths struck. He said, “It was about 3.40 am when we heard a shout. We were still dancing and celebrating when we noticed some people running. What we heard next were gunshots. Before we could do anything, these EFCC Boys had overwhelmed us.

“They smashed and damaged the windscreen of some cars parked on the road and shot into the crowd. The carnival broke up immediately and we all fled for our lives.

“Our investigation showed that while the attack lasted, there was no intervention from the police. As a result, the hoodlums were able to escape after concluding their operation.”

Still recovering from the wounds sustained during the attack, Ogundare told CRIME DIGEST, “I had just come out of my house when gunshots rang out. I tried to run back into my house and the next thing I knew, I was shot in the buttocks.”

Following the shooting, some sympathisers carried Ogundare to Alade Police Station, where they made a formal complaint before taking him to the Somolu General Hospital for treatment.

CRIME DIGEST

gathered that the EFCC Boys had held the neighbourhood in a vice grip for a long time, often robbing and terrorising Somolu residents.

“This group of boys are a nuisance to our community and we have written countless petitions to the police to that effect, but the EFCC Boys are being shielded by powerful politicians,” a resident told our correspondent.

The youths had allegedly ambushed and robbed unsuspecting residents of Oguntolu Street at gunpoint before invading the venue of the carnival.

Earlier, they were said to have attempted to disrupt another carnival on Okesuna Street.

A source said, “They have been responsible for a series of public disturbances, looting and armed robbery in Somolu. In 2009, their leader was arrested for murder and remanded at Kirikiri Prisons and released after six months.

“Last June, he led some others to cause mayhem at Ilaje in which one Mrs. Bunmi Afolabi and others were wounded. In December 2010, Balogun was once again arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for various offences, ranging from murder and armed robbery to other offences, but was released after four months. Since his release, that fellow has led other miscreants to disturb the peace of Somolu community.

“The boys have families within our community; they are well known fugitives and renegades in the community that have used Ikorodu, Fadeyi and Ilaje as their hideouts. Some of them still live in our midst, yet the police have been unable to arrest them.”

In another development, a youth was stabbed to death during an argument on Modupe Street, Okeira-Ogba, Lagos. The deceased and his assailant, yet to be identified, were attending a carnival on the same street when they had a misunderstanding over a girl.

Unable to resolve their differences amicably, they resorted to a brawl. “I don’t really know those involved because all manner of youths attend street carnivals. But I learnt that a fight broke out and broken bottles were freely used and one person was stabbed to death. It is not still clear if any arrests have been made because the attacker fled, but the wounded youth was rushed to a hospital nearby by his friends,” a resident said.

Also, what began as a merry street carnival in Ejigbo suddenly turned sour and resulted in a clash between two groups that eventually led to the death of a young man. Eyewitnesses told CRIME DIGEST that the youth had been fatally wounded during the fight.

On the eve of Christmas, the virus spread to Yakoyo, in Ojodu Local Government Area. Youths from Association Avenue stormed a carnival on Abudu Obayomi Sreet, along Ojodu-Akute Road and unleashed mayhem.

Although the clash did not result in any death, it created bad blood among residents of both streets.

The youths from Abudu Abayomi Street had chased the invading ‘Association Boys’ to their own territory. But for the intervention of the guards on duty at the entrance to Assocation Avenue, there would have been disturbance of the peace and possible bloodshed.

The angry youths were calmed down by the security personnel. But on their way back to their homes, they were overheard vowing to wait till the following week to deal with their opponents.

But word reached the elders, who in turn wisely called for the cancellation of a street carnival scheduled to take place on Association Avenue on New Year’s Eve.

The cancellation was said to have dealt the youths a big blow and they secretly vowed to deal with the guard who they suspected might have persuaded the elders to stop the carnival.

On New Year’s Eve, some of the youths, who were returning from another party very early in the morning, almost lynched the guard, named Ganiu Wasiu, after accusing him of ruining their fun. CRIME DIGEST learnt that the guard was lucky no to have been stabbed to death with broken bottles by the irate youths.

Wasiu told our correspondent that the boys held him responsible for the cancellation of their street carnival.

He says, “I wouldn’t know why they accused me of stopping their party; the decision was taken by the landlords association and I am not a member. I am only employed to guard the street. On Christmas Eve, I intervened when boys from Abudu Abayomi pursued some of the boys to the gate here.

“I stopped the Abayomi boys from going further and pleaded with them to bury the hatchet after explaining to me how their party was disrupted by the Association Avenue boys. After much persuasion, they agreed, but while they were going back, I overheard them as they vowed to pay them back in their own coin during our street carnival.

“As the security man here, I informed the chairman of the landlords association of what happened and what I heard the other street boys say they would do on the following week. I later learnt that the carnival was cancelled, but on the New Year’s Eve, after opening the gate for a group of the boys who were coming back from another party, they attacked me.”

He said the youths threw sand at him, nearly blinding him in the process. When he protested, they pounced on him and told him they were punishing him for stopping their party.

http://www.punchng.com/feature/crime-digest/street-carnivals-turn-into-theatre-of-violence/

What is the state government doing about this?

Boko Haram is a national scourge, yet to be contained.

These gangland wars in Lagos are within the jurisdiction of the state government.

What are they doing about it?

Read this:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-639186.128.html#msg9204788

How To Become A One-Term President
Source: Daily Guide

This syllabus is written strictly for presidential candidates who would like to serve only one term and leave office without any legacy. If candidates adhere to the syllabus and thereafter read their books with zeal, their dream of becoming a one-term president of Ghana will come to pass. It is not going to be any strenuous exercise because one candidate who followed the syllabus three years ago is going to go down in history as the first person to serve one term as the president of Ghana.

The watchwords are lies and promises .
To start with, pack your campaign bag with enticing promises and lies. As you go about campaigning, drop the promises one after the other in all the nooks and crannies of Ghana. Always open your mouth widely and bravely tell naked and gargantuan lies anytime you address a rally. Tell the electorate that you can bring the sea from Takoradi, through Kumasi to Bolgatanga and open a seaport in all the places that the sea will reach. Tell the people of Tamale when you happen to go there that you will build a bridge at the Jubilee Park because there is a river there which has not been identified by anyone except you. At Yendi, tell the Andanis that after all, the Ya Na is not dead and that you will produce the great king alive when they vote you into power.

Just tell them that the reason why people are finding it difficult to prosecute the suspected killers of the Ya Na was because they had to come to the realization that the man was alive and kicking. To get support from the Abudus, tell them that those who were arrested, tried and acquitted for the murder of the Ya Na will receive compensation for wrongful arrest and detention.

When you zoom to the Central region, tell the Fantes there that when they vote you into power, you will dilute the sea in order to make it less salty so that fingerlings of tilapia can be planted in the sea to increase the fish stock. Do not forget to tell the fisher folks that the use of light for fishing is the latest craze and that you will not only ban pair trawling, but anyone caught pair trawling will be sentenced to death by hanging. When you go to Elmina, tell the electorate that because gold has been detected at the beaches, you will establish a gold mine so that the teaming unemployed youth can get employment. Do not hesitate to tell the people there that when voted to power, 20 fishmongers from Elmina will be given ministerial appointments. Promise the chief fisherman that he will be appointed the Minister for Fisheries and that his linguist will be rewarded with the position of Municipal Chief Executive of Cape Coast.

In the Western region, tell them that because oil has been found there, you will give the people 50 percent of the oil revenue because the sea belongs to them. Try to convince them that the last time when the then running mate of the NDC, Mr. John Dramani Mahama promised to give them only 10 percent of the oil revenue, it was an insult because the percentage was negligible. At Sefwi Akontombra, tell the cocoa farmers that the introduction of mass spraying of their cocoa farms by the Kufour administration was not an ideal one. Do not hesitate to tell them that if by the grace of God you become the president of Ghana, you will import helicopters to do the spraying. At Adabokrom, tell the cocoa farmers that the use of mats to dry cocoa beans is not the best and that when you hold the reins of power, you will introduce the use of electricity to dry cocoa beans.

As for the people of the Volta region, you will have no problem convincing them. Just tell them that when they vote for you to become the president of mother Ghana, you will establish a cat meat factory at Hohoe, where the meat would be canned for export. Tell them the unemployed youth will be organized to form cat-hunting groups to feed the factory and that Dr. Kwabena Adjei would be made the head of the hunting gang.

At Keta, where the sea always eats the land, tell them the Roman Catholic Church which was submerged under water some years ago will be brought ashore for worshippers to benefit.

If you go to Ho and tell them that you will build a university for them, they will not believe in you because President Mills has already built one there and students have started attending that university (sic!!). Because you would be going to that region through the northern corridor, tell them because that road has already been constructed by the Mills administration, you will channel resources to level the scalp from Koforidua through Okere to Ho, so that farmers there could use the land to produce more cassava to feed a proposed starch factory at Sogakope.

Anytime you happen to be at the Brong Ahafo region, try as much as possible to start your campaign tour from Yeji and all the towns and villages along the Volta Lake. Tell them the Volta Lake transport is archaic and cannot withstand the test of time. As a result of that, say you will introduce submarines and luxurious cruise ships like the submerged Costa Concordia. Do not forget to tell the fishermen along the lake that the fish fingerlings Dr. Kwame Nkrumah planted in the lake were not the best and that when you come to power, you will bring whales and seals from the Atlantic Ocean. You need to organize a triumphant entry to Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo regional capital. The people there will vote for you if you tell them that when you hold the reins of power, you will introduce the planting of super highbred Odum, Wawa, Mahogany and other tree species which will take only one year to mature to feed the Oti Yeboah Sawmills.

Electorates from the Upper West and East regions will surely welcome you warmly if you promise to revamp the Tiger Pito at Bolgatanga so that the products could be exported to neighbouring countries to earn foreign exchange. Tell the people of Bolgatanga that instead of using cows as raw materials for the Bolgatanga Meat Factory, you will import camels from the Sahelian countries and elephants from Kenya to feed the factory. Promise the Frafra people one man will be entitled to 20 dogs and you will scoop almost all the votes there.

If you are able to hoodwink the electorate this way, you will become the president of Ghana. But when you fail to honour all those juicy promises, they will surely vote you out to become a one-term president of Ghana. You then become an accomplished loser.

On a more serious note, my dear and cherished reader, it is not good to make empty promises and lie through the teeth. One thing which helped the NDC to come to power was the promise to introduce a one-time premium for the National Health Insurance Scheme. Mills and his cohorts knew very well that what they were telling Ghanaians was not feasible but they went ahead to give that promise. Less than one year to end his first term, Mills and the NDC have rather introduced what they call Capitation on pilot basis. Dentists and doctors have kicked against the introduction of this particular model and promised to bring back the killer Cash and Carry system which led to the death of several Ghanaians before the introduction of the NHIS. In the run-up to the 2008 general elections, Accra in particular was engulfed with filth and the then mayor was finding it very difficult to surmount the situation.

The NDC capitalized on the filth to tell the good people of this country that when voted into power, they would take only one hundred days to rid the city of filth. They even went ahead to include the promise in their manifesto. Go to Maamobi, Agbogbogloshie and Kaneshie and see!!! Less than one year to end his term of office, Mills' regime is about to leave the filthiest environment in the history of Ghana. As for the promise to deal with corruption, only Woyome, Betty Mould, Asimenu and Duffour can tell. Armed robbery? Forget it. They are even robbing soldiers and raping victims. They are sprouting like poisonous mushrooms in cow dung and the end to the menace is unforeseeable.

Where I come from, our elders say a promise is like a debt and so anyone who promises should remember that a time will come when you will be called upon to deliver your promises or be damned. The time is this year. In December, when we go to the polls, we will be demanding for the payment of that debt which the Mills/Mahama administration owes Ghanaians. And if that debt is not paid, Professor Mills will be the first president to receive the marching orders after his first term in office as the president of the sovereign state of Ghana. If this comes to pass, politicians in Ghana will dare not play on our intelligence again. It is payback time and we are readying our cheques.

The storm is gathering and the sailors are shivering.

From: Eric Bawah

http://www.modernghana.com/news/376925/1/how-to-become-a-one-term-president.html

Ribadu Under Pressure Over New Appointment, ACN Says He’s On His Own
Published on February 8, 2012 by

Former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Malam Nuhu Ribadu is under enormous pressure to either accept or reject his appointment as head of petroleum revenue task force.

It was announced Tuesday that Ribadu had been appointed to head the 17-member petroleum revenue special task force constituted by the Federal Government.

Those who want him to reject the job said it was demeaning for a presidential candidate to accept an appointment offered him by a minister, adding it would have been more honourable if it came from the president himself.

Ribadu, who could not be reached for comments at press time, is said to be away in Afghanistan on an assignment by the United Nations.

However, his party, ACN, has issued a statement regarding the appointment, saying he takes the job in his personal capacity.

According to the party, in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, “the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has reiterated its long-standing position barring members of the party from accepting appointments from the PDP-led Federal Government.

‘’As a political party, we wish to reiterate our position barring any member of our party from taking any appointment whatsoever from the PDP-led Federal Government. Any member of our party who takes such an appointment does so in his personal capacity,’’ it said.

ACN said, however, that as a leading opposition party, it will continue to play its role in ensuring good governance and contributing to nation building through its regular constructive criticisms which, hitherto and unfortunately so, have fallen on deaf ears.

The party said despite its efforts, as well as those of other parties, individuals and organisations, in offering well-meaning suggestions to the inept Jonathan administration, the administration has not demonstrated good faith in this respect.

‘’For instance, on the vexed issue of removal of petroleum subsidy, it is on record that our party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, responded with patriotic and constructive suggestions during a meeting between the President in Abuja. At the end of that meeting, President Jonathan promised to further consult with us before taking any further step in respect of the matter.

‘’To our amazement, and true to the deceptive nature of this Administration, we all woke up on January 1st, 2012, to learn that the government has unilaterally removed subsidy from petrol. How then can we, in good conscience, work with such an Administration?

How can we be sure that these slew of appointments are not being used by the Administration to shore up its sagging – or totally sagged – credibility?

‘’We believe that when a party as clueless and inept as the PDP finds itself incapable of solving the myriad of problems facing it, as it is currently the situation, the party should be humble and honest enough to accept its failure and cluelessness and openly seek help from the opposition parties.

‘’However, rushing to poach credible personalities from the opposition without first accepting that it is overwhelmed by the problems facing it smacks of underhand tactics aimed at decimating the opposition and also tarnishing the well-earned credibility of such personalities. After all, one can never be sure – going by the deceptive nature of the PDP – that the kind of appointment now being offered to Malam Ribadu is being made in good faith or just to get credible people to launder the government’s badly damaged image and credibility.

‘’There is also the possibility that booby-traps will be deliberately set for such credible personalities to guarantee their failure in their stated assignment, after which they will be ridiculed and dumped like an ordinary chump!’’ ACN said.

However, family members say Ribadu is still considering whether to accept the appointment or not, reports Premium Times, an on-line publication.

Premium Times also said it could not ascertain Tuesday if Ribadu was consulted before the appointment was announced, as he is currently outside the country on a special international anti-corruption assignment in Afghanistan.

The publication said sources close to Mr. Ribadu said “the ex-police officer had been under intense international and local pressure to give the nation a helping hand in its accountability quotient especially in the corruption-ridden oil sector, but he had repeatedly excused himself giving his ongoing United Nations assignment in Afghanistan as evidence that he was busy beyond bounds.

“He had also reportedly said he was not opposed to serving the nation in any capacity to advance its good governance, but could not overload his availability because of the United Nations assignment.

“When a new wave of pressure reportedly mounted again last month in the wake of the national outrage over the removal of oil subsidy, Mr. Ribadu was unreachable because, family sources say, he was at a Manchester Hospital in the UK helping to save the life of his only sister.”

Premium Times further reports that “With the Afghan assignment at an advanced stage, Mr. Ribadu started getting calls again. Family sources expect that he will ‘most certainly accept’ the assignment.

The task force, which has the immediate past Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, as deputy chairman, also includes other prominent Nigerians as members.

They are a one-time President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and constitutional lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba; Abba Kyari, Benedicta Molokwu, Supo Sasore, Tony Idigbe, Anthony George-Ikoli, Omolara, Ituah Ighodalo, Bon Otti, Olusegun Okunnu, Samaila Zubairu, Ignatius Adegunle, Gerald Ilukwe and two ex-officio officers representing the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Federal Ministry of Finance.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/02/08/ribadu-under-pressure-over-new-appointment-acn-says-hes-on-his-own/

Face-off on illegal structure: Will FCT Minister bend the rule for Ahmadu Ali's wife?
By YUSUF ALLI 13/08/2011 02:41:00


In the last few weeks, residents of the Federal Capital Territory have been in suspense on how the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Muhammed will address the alleged violation of Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act in the FCT by Mrs. Mariam Ali, the wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The alleged violation was trailed with assault of some staff of the Development Control Department of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, who are demanding justice. The Minister is at a crossroads on whether to allow the law to take its course or settle the matter behind the curtains. In this analysis, YUSUF ALLI, MANAGING EDITOR, NORTHERN OPERATION examines the issues involved.

Barely two months into his return to office, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed, has in his hands a task that will, to a great extent, determine how far he can go in realising his vision of making the FCT a model where the rule of law will apply to the rich and the poor. Despite the fact that he did not bargain for the current challenge, it is a burden the minister cannot run away from.

The litmus test for the minister has to do with the alleged violation of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act by the wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mrs. Mariam Ahmadu Ali.

Although the row over Ali's wife's controversial Plot 1613 Cadastral Zone A01 in Asokoro District predated the appointment of Muhammed as a minister, the recent clash between the powerful woman and Development Control Department of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council has put the minister on the spot.

In trying to enforce the Abuja Master Plan, Mrs. Ali is locked in a make or mar battle with the Development Control Department. The initial cold war snowballed into a major crisis when the Director and staff of the unit were allegedly assaulted by Mrs. Ali. But the buck has since stopped on the Minister's table to ensure justice for the assaulted staff or bend the rules.

The crux of the matter According to findings, Mrs. Ali's battle with the law started during the tenure of a former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. A top source, who has been on top of the matter, said: “Everything began when el-Rufai was in charge. Mrs. Ali has two structures on her Plot 1613, Idris Koko Street, Off Maitama Sule in Asokoro. One of her buildings was alleged to be sitting on the main water line serving the Presidential Villa.

“Typical of his tenure, el-Rufai wasted no time in ordering the demolition of the structure on water line. But the property was duly evaluated and compensation paid.
“But to the surprise of the Development Control Department, Mrs. Ali this year went back to re-erect the structure that was pulled down because she claimed that the administration of ex-FCT Modibbo, which succeeded that of el-Rufai, discovered that the house was not on water line and even went on air to apologise to her.
“Mrs. Ali, who had aspired to be a senator, did not only rebuild the structure, she decided to change the use of the two buildings from residential to commercial purpose without approval from Development Control for a new purpose.”
The issues against Mrs Ali
Investigation showed that the Development Control took issues with Mrs. Ali on three grounds: rebuilding a demolished property which has been compensated for by the FCT Administration and without a fresh approval; unilateral change of use of the two buildings in her compound without approval from Development Control; violation of the Nigerian and alleged assault on the Director of Development Control. Dr. Yahaya Yusuf and some of his staff.
In a chat with newsmen after the incident, the Director of Development Control, Dr. Yahaya Yusuf, summarised the conflict between his office and Mrs. Ali as follows: “Unlike the notion that the department removed a section of Mrs. Ahmadu Ali's house for being on water line, the actual reason was the redevelopment of the once removed property into a wrong set of uses: for commercial purposes such as shopping, boutique, offices and particularly a hotel, against the master plan's designation of the place for residential use. The area has a respected member of the diplomatic community as resident.”
The issues against Mrs. Ali contravene Sections 60, 61 and 62 Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Act CAP. N138, LFN 2004 and the development control arm of AMMC is empowered to take action accordingly.
Some of the sections empowering the Development Control read in part: “Where a developer contravenes the provision of a planning law or any regulation made pursuant to a law, the Control Department shall have the power to require the developer to- (a) prepare and submit his building plan for approval; or (b) to carry out such alterations to a building as may be necessary to ensure compliance; or(c) to pull down the building; or(d) to reinstate a piece of land to the state in which it was prior to the commencement of building.

“The Control Department shall have the power to serve on a developer a demolition notice if a structure erected by the developer is found to be defective as to pose danger or Barely two months into his return to office, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed, has in his hands a task that will, to a great extent, determine how far he can go in realising his vision of making the FCT a model where the rule of law will apply to the rich and the poor. Despite the fact that he did not bargain for the current challenge, it is a burden the minister cannot run away from.

The litmus test for the minister has to do with the alleged violation of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act by the wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mrs. Mariam Ahmadu Ali.
Although the row over Ali's wife's controversial Plot 1613 Cadastral Zone A01 in Asokoro District predated the appointment of Muhammed as a minister, the recent clash between the powerful woman and Development Control Department of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council has put the minister on the spot.

In trying to enforce the Abuja Master Plan, Mrs. Ali is locked in a make or mar battle with the Development Control Department. The initial cold war snowballed into a major crisis when the Director and staff of the unit were allegedly assaulted by Mrs. Ali. But the buck has since stopped on the Minister's table to ensure justice for the assaulted staff or bend the rules.

The crux of the matter According to findings, Mrs. Ali's battle with the law started during the tenure of a former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. A top source, who has been on top of the matter, said: “Everything began when el-Rufai was in charge. Mrs. Ali has two structures on her Plot 1613, Idris Koko Street, Off Maitama Sule in Asokoro. One of her buildings was alleged to be sitting on the main water line serving the Presidential Villa.

“Typical of his tenure, el-Rufai wasted no time in ordering the demolition of the structure on water line. But the property was duly evaluated and compensation paid.

“But to the surprise of the Development Control Department, Mrs. Ali this year went back to re-erect the structure that was pulled down because she claimed that the administration of ex-FCT Modibbo, which succeeded that of el-Rufai, discovered that the house was not on water line and even went on air to apologise to her.

“Mrs. Ali, who had aspired to be a senator, did not only rebuild the structure, she decided to change the use of the two buildings from residential to commercial purpose without approval from Development Control for a new purpose.”
The issues against Mrs Ali Investigation showed that the Development Control took issues with Mrs. Ali on three grounds: rebuilding a demolished property which has been compensated for by the FCT Administration and without a fresh approval; unilateral change of use of the two buildings in her compound without approval from Development Control; violation of the Nigerian and alleged assault on the Director of Development Control. Dr. Yahaya Yusuf and some of his staff.

In a chat with newsmen after the incident, the Director of Development Control, Dr. Yahaya Yusuf, summarised the conflict between his office and Mrs. Ali as follows: “Unlike the notion that the department removed a section of Mrs. Ahmadu Ali's house for being on water line, the actual reason was the redevelopment of the once removed property into a wrong set of uses: for commercial purposes such as shopping, boutique, offices and particularly a hotel, against the master plan's designation of the place for residential use. The area has a respected member of the diplomatic community as resident.”

The issues against Mrs. Ali contravene Sections 60, 61 and 62 Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Act CAP. N138, LFN 2004 and the development control arm of AMMC is empowered to take action accordingly.

Some of the sections empowering the Development Control read in part: “Where a developer contravenes the provision of a planning law or any regulation made pursuant to a law, the Control Department shall have the power to require the developer to- (a) prepare and submit his building plan for approval; or (b) to carry out such alterations to a building as may be necessary to ensure compliance; or(c) to pull down the building; or(d) to reinstate a piece of land to the state in which it was prior to the commencement of building.

“The Control Department shall have the power to serve on a developer a demolition notice if a structure erected by the developer is found to be defective as to pose danger or constitute nuisance to the occupier and the public.”
Another source also captured the mood better on a blow to blow

He said: “Having discovered these violations, especially change of use, the Development Control on June 9 went back to the House and asked Mrs. Ali to stop work and apply for fresh approval for the demolished structure being re-erected and change of use of the premises.
“Instead of listening to our officials, she rebuked us and asked whether we did not know that the administration of a former FCT Minister, Modibbo went on air to apologise over the demolition of the house carried out by el-Rufai.

“We insisted that she had to reapply before re-erecting any structure or converting the use. Then we decided to issue her a notice to stop work.
“But Mrs. Ali went ahead to rebuild the demolished structure and changed the use from residential to commercial.
“When we got information that she was already converting the second building to an hotel without approval, we visited the site and actually discovered that she was already partitioning the structure. We stopped her, marked it, we issued stop-work notice and we sealed off the premises.

“She has three gates, we sealed the gate where the conversion of the hotel was taking place, yet she didn't stop.
“It is important to note that the place is close to the residence of the Ambassador of Argentina to Nigeria and almost opposite. As a measure of enforcement, we went further to re-seal the place but they cut off our chains and notices. She also held those who went to enforce the order, dragged them into the compound and beat the hell out of them. After beating them, she kept them in detention for about one hour and forced them to wipe off the paint, remove the seal and apologise. One of the most brutalised victims was a Site Officer for Asokoro, Hammadu Umar.”

A report on the incident from the police quoted Umaru as saying: “Mrs. Ali held my neck where I almost ran into coma, slapped me several times, tore my cloth, smashed my phone (IPhone 4) against the fence and we were threatened by the policeman as he pointed his gun at us. However, we were forcibly dragged and detained for over an hour in her office, and then we were forcibly compelled to apologise before her.”

The source added: “On July 19, 2011, we reinforced and removed the gate house under the supervision of a task force. But before we left, her staff came in and blocked our truck to stop us from going out. They blocked the gate with a caterpillar. Her husband then decided to call the Minister.

“We were, however, able to manoeuvre and converged at the Old Parade Ground where Mrs. Ali mobilised to create a scene and even assaulted the Director of Development Control, Dr. Yahaya Yusuf, rough handled our security men and others.
“Mrs. Ali later relocated to our office with her team to create a scene. The siege paralysed our activities on July 19, 2011. This episode lasted for about five hours. The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nathaniel Olorunfemi, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Alhaji MusaYashi and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) later intervened.”

Investigation showed that the Director of Development Control has lodged a complaint with the Nigeria Police and has also written a report to the FCT Minister. While awaiting the decision of the minister, Mrs. Ali has gone back to site. The adamant posture of the former First Lady of the PDP and the larger than life boast have caused disquiet in Abuja, especially among the poor who have been at the receiving end of the FCTA bulldozers which usually demolish their hard-earned houses.

There was suspicion that the Minister is afraid of moving against Mrs. Ali. Instead, he has chosen to buy time to resolve the issue. But the Minister is faced with a barrage of criticisms. Apart from threats of legal action, rights groups have decided to take issues with Mrs. Ali at the House of Representatives to prove that what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander.

The President of Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), Allabeh G. Ndirmbula noted that the face-off between the FCTA and Mrs. Ali could be avoided if aggrieved parties took their cases to the Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal.
He said the tribunal had resolved many cases bordering on similar disputes.

Ndirmmbula said: “To assault people, break someone's arm and tear people's clothes, I think it is a serious act. It is a criminal act. It amounts to terrorism, because they (aggressors) came here to terrorize the workers.”
Insisting that the matter must not be swept under the carpet, the TOPREC President said the association would stand up to fight what he described as “a gross misconduct”.

He said: “The action of this nature must not be allowed to pass. We must obey the rule of law. We have to discuss at our various councils and take appropriate actions, which may include petitioning Mr. President. It will also include joining the department and the FCT Minister in the case. It could also mean going public on the matter, that is, the court of public opinion.”

On their part, two Abuja-based human rights lawyers have protested to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed over alleged assault on the Director and staff of the Development Control Department by Mrs. Ali. The lawyers, Ogboli Charles and Osuagwu Ugochukwu, also gave the Minister a seven-day ultimatum to bring Mrs. Ali to justice.

In a statement in Abuja, the lawyers queried why the FCT Minister has allegedly refused to attend to a report on the incident because the case involved the wife of a bigwig.

The statement said in part: “We view the recent assault by (Dr) Maryam Ahmadu Ali, wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, who in cohort with her aides allegedly assaulted some officials of the Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council as a shameful and disgraceful act which should not go unpunished.

“It is heart burning to note that the said woman did not only violate existing rules and regulations on planning but also went as far as beating up innocent workers of the Development Control, AMMC over her property situated and known as Plot 1613 Maitama Sule Street, Asokoro.
”We state at this point that it is untenable, baseless and lacking in merit the claim by Mrs. Maryam Alli that she got approval from the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) to build an attachment to her residence. This is because under Urban and Regional Planning Act, it is not the responsibility of AGIS to give approval for Attention of private/public buildings in the FCT.

“By Sections 60, 61 and 62 Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Act CAP. N138, LFN 2004 the development control of AMMC has power to demolish or pull down structures that contravene the provision of a planning law.

“Our findings showed the woman allegedly converted her residential apartment to a commercial building, boutique and hotel without the approval of the Development Control of the AMMC, FCT.

“And in spite of notices served on her by the Development Control to cease work on the land, she still went her ahead to convert the residential premises to commercial use without approval. Interestingly, the additional structure she constructed did encroach on the residence of the Argentinean Ambassador, causing the diplomat inconvenience.

“We use this medium to call upon the Honourable Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Muhammed to act on the report on this incident already forwarded to him, which amongst others recommended that legal action be taken against Mrs. Ali, her daughter, her son-in-law, Mr. Mohammed Auwal and the other police escorts who aided her.

“We are amazed that till date, the said woman is yet to tender an unreserved apology to the Director of Development Control and other staff assaulted. This is condemnable.

”What Mrs. Ali and her accomplices did instead of resorting to the Law Courts amounts to assault on public officers, criminal force and causing grievous act for which sections 264, 262,148 and 282 Penal code can be examined.

“Nobody should be seen to be above the law, be it an individual, minister, governor, President or law enforcement agent. We all must subject our actions to the rule of law. In the words of Aristotle, 'Man, where he reaches the perfection of virtues is the best of all animals. But if he goes his way without law and justice, he becomes the worst of all brutes.’

“We herewith give the FCT Minister seven days from today to commence appropriate legal action against those involved in the alleged assault on the men of the Development Control.”

But Mrs. Ali has maintained silence since the row broke out, apparently waiting for the verdict of the FCT Minister before narrating her side. What she has volunteered so far is the fact that she got approval from the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) to build an attachment to her residence. A source merely said: “What do you expect Mrs. Ali to do? It is psychologically traumatising to demolish someone's house based on hatred. The FCTA claimed that her house was pulled down because of being on water line, but a few months after, the same authority said that the demolished structure was no longer on water line.

“Yet, while she is trying to salvage the situation, the FCTA is also asking her to go through another process of approval for what she legitimately acquired.”

How will the FCT Minister resolve this challenge? Every resident of the FCT is eager for his verdict. But his Permanent Secretary, Olorunfemi, had set the agenda when, while addressing Development Control Department on July 19, said: “Mrs. Ali's account of the issue was incorrect and such attacks on FCTA staff will not be tolerated.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/15726-face-off-on-illegal-structure-will-fct-minister-bend-the-rule-for-ahmadu-ali-s-wife.html

Personality Profile
Dr. Mariam Nneamaka Ali



Chairperson of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC)

Dr. Mariam Nneamaka Ali, is the Chairperson of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
Born on 16th December 1954, in Lagos-Nigeria, she hails from Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Ali had her primary and secondary education in Lagos, before she began her journey in the medical profession. She obtained a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1986.

She has served on the board of several international health delivery projects. She is currently the Director General of South – South Healthcare Delivery Programme under the Presidency.

Ali is also a frontline politician, who has contributed immensely to the success of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria.
She is a Member of the PDP National Executive Committee and in the last general elections in Nigeria was the party’s flag bearer for Delta North Senatorial District.

Ali holds several chieftancy titles and numerous national and international awards.

In recognition of her contribution to national development, she was in 2006 appointed as Chairperson of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for a brief spell. She was later appointed as Chairperson, Governing Board of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. The first female ever to be appointed as Chairperson of the NSC.

Press Statement: Empty barrels make the most noise
Source: The Statesman

Our attention has been drawn to comments by Koku Anyidoho, who calls himself the Head of communications at office of the President, a presidency which has lost all sense of direction and is being remote controlled by unseen forces and unseen hands.

President Mills has shot up in integrity he says. We will agree with him but we wonder how because an honest man like President Mills who says he is a disciple of Kwame Nkrumah and was a student at the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological institute will gave 92 million Ghana cedis to one man to go and have a good time when National Youth Employment workers have not been paid ,when newly trained teachers, have not received allowances for 2 years and our road projects have become deserts ,with innocent Ghanaians inhaling dust. Will the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah who he worships day and night be happy with this?

We have a few questions to ask Mr Anyidoho whether Professor Mills is indeed an honest man and a man of integrity

1.Why would a man of integrity like President Mills refuse to pay Electricity bills of his own office and incur arrears to the tune of over 600,000 Ghana cedis as exposed by the journalist Anas Aremeyaw's investigations into the corrupt activities at Electricity corporation of Ghana?

2. Why would a man of integrity like President Mills receive token houses, in Koku's Anyodoho's own words from Regimanuel Estates, a private company at a time he already owns a house there using state funds?

3. Why would a man of integrity cost the nation 160,000 dollars worth of landing charges travelling back and forth to the USA claiming he was going to meet investors?

4. Would a man of integrity sack an Attorney General that wanted to do the right thing and expose ministerial colleagues in government who in his words were committing financial gargantuan crimes against Ghana?

5. Would a man of integrity use 48,000 dollars to buy a watch for President Obama's wife when there is no water at Tema General hospital and Ridge Hospital?

6.Would a man of integrity seek to massage figures of his country's population census and instruct the head of the statistical service to be sacked so some figures in some regions could be quietly increased and others decrease to win elections?

7.Would a man of integrity promise Ghanaians he would reduce petrol DRASTICALLY only to increase it 7 times in 3 years ASTRONOMICALLY?

Koku Anyodoho and others whose better stomach agenda would not let them tell Ghanaians the truth will face the wrath of Ghanaians at the ballot box in 2012. We know his body weight before he came into office and his body weight now. Keep up the fruitless talk Mr Anyidoho, Ghanaians will soon have their day.

Source-NPP UK communications team.
London, Northhampton ,Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen

http://www.modernghana.com/news/376862/1/press-statement-empty-barrels-make-the-most-noise.html

AjanleKoko:
Interesting.
Ghana, the 'model' economy, is forced into a reversal?
Must be election year strategy.
Government is nothing but hypocrisy and lootocracy. Nothing for the people.

You got that right!

Read about the hypocrisy of Ghana's politicians in fixing fuel price here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-639186.160.html#msg10009079

Militia Violence Threatens The Revolution

February 6, 2012: Three months after the Kaddafi dictatorship was overthrown the new government has a serious cash-flow problem and a lot of other woes as well. Only $6 billion of the $150 billion of Kaddafi era assets have been returned to Libya. The rest is on the way but legal and diplomatic hurdles cause delays. Meanwhile[b] the government has a $22 billion a year payroll (the government is the largest employer) and spends $14 billion on providing electricity, fuel, and other goods to citizens. Kaddafi used oil revenue to run a welfare state, which made most Libyans fearful of opposing him[/b]. The government has to continue this welfare state spending for a while and expects to come up $10 billion short in the next year. The NTC is looking for loans. Libya is a good credit risk, as it has over $5 trillion worth of oil reserves. But too much money is not available right now. Oil production declined 98 percent during the fighting and is not quite back to half its pre-war level. The oil dependent economy shrank 60 percent in the last year and most Libyans are feeling the paid and are not happy about it. Many government employees have not been paid for months.

Then there are the problems at the top. The NTC (National Transitional Council), which is to be replaced by June elections, is secretive and not trusted. Many Libyans believe there is a lot of money coming in that is promptly disappearing. Rumors and conspiracy theories abound. Confidence and cash are in short supply. The NTC is even having a hard time organizing the June elections, or maintaining order within the NTC itself. There are already charges of corruption and too many secrets. Libyans are having a hard time ruling their country, or themselves.

What the country lacks right now is unity and discipline. Dozens of armed militias occupy parts of the country and demand to be paid for their services. The cash, goods, and privileges owed varies and many of the militias are fighting with other militias over territory and such. The government has not yet been able to form a large enough security forces to disarm the militias and there is not enough money or other assets to buy off the militias. As long as the militias exist, reconstruction and reviving the economy will be difficult. That's because the militias act as mini-governments in the areas they occupy. The militias take what they want and injure or kill those who oppose them.

The militia violence is causing the NTC much embarrassment. Militias control many jails and prisons, and it's gotten out that many captured Kaddafi aides and followers have been beaten and killed while in custody. Most of this violence was revenge, but some was intended to discover the location of hidden wealth. The NTC was embarrassed when it was revealed that this misbehavior was taking place in some NTC controlled prisons as well.

Neighboring Mali complains that a recent uprising by Tuareg tribesmen was made possible by weapons and ammo stolen from Libyan stocks during the rebellion last year. Moreover, many Tuareg served as highly paid mercenaries for Kaddafi. While a lot of these hired guns were killed most made it back home, with weapons and cash.

February 1, 2012: Outside Tripoli, rival militias fought for two hours over who would control a beach mansion belonging to a son of deposed dictator Moamar Kaddafi. The NTC eventually got enough troops to the area to halt the fighting. This was the first time in weeks that such a gun battle was seen in Tripoli, as the NTC is slowly gaining control of the city (the largest in the country).

January 28, 2012: Bowing to pressure from Islamic groups, the NTC changed the new electoral law to eliminate a guarantee that ten percent of the 200 seats in the new parliament would be reserved for women.

January 26, 2012: Turkey delivered 30 police cars and 6,000 police uniforms to the NTC. Turkey, and several Arab Gulf States, has been very active in helping the NTC restore law and order, as well as the economy.

January 25, 2012: [b]The NTC recognized another tribal faction as the ruling power in pro-Kaddafi stronghold Bani Walid (a town of 50,000, some 150 kilometers southeast of Tripoli), which technically returned the town to NTC control. The NTC claims that the recent unrest in Bani Walid was about tribal politics, not support for Kaddafi.[/b]

January 24, 2012: I[b]n Egypt, a bomb was found in a Libyan airliner that had just arrived from Libya. The bomb was disabled. It’s unclear who was responsible for this.[/b]

January 23, 2012: About a hundred Kaddafi supporters attacked Bani-Walid and drove out the pro-NTC tribal gunmen. The town had been captured by the NTC only four months ago and pro-Kaddafi tribesmen fled to nearby towns and plotted a return.

January 20, 2012: Thousands of demonstrators, in several towns and cities, urged the NTC to make sharia (Islamic law) the basis of the new legal system. Most Libyans oppose this and many Sharia supporters just want less corruption.


http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/libya/articles/20120206.aspx

OP, Brilliant analysis from the writer!

Exposes the hypocrisy of the so-called opposition.

I tell you don't be naive enough to look to them for your salvation. They are no better that the "evil" PDP.

Some of these "opposition" are those who have lost out in the PDP power game and are now "progressives"

Others are deft at making populist statements with their hearts no different from those of the people in government.

One thing I can assure you is that if we allow our current political experience to mature ( this may take time), the electorate will be wiser to discern the antics of these political jobbers who put themselves up as our messiahs.

It may take time, but surely, we will get there!

Three protesters shot dead by police in clashes in Cairo as unrest following football riot leaves new government on brink

Almost 400 other protesters injured after police fire tear gas and rubber bullets
Motorcycle drivers ferry wounded from outside Interior Ministry as ambulances unable to get through
100 people pass out from tear gas, according to Egyptian state TV
Violence at Port Said stadium on Wednesday after local team Al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly
13,000 home fans stormed pitch armed with knives and machetes
Many victims were stabbed to death, say witnesses
'Riot orchestrated by forces loyal to ousted president Hosni Mubarak'
Al-Ahly's ultra fans - key in Tahrir Square uprising - vow vengeance

By Nick Enoch

Last updated at 3:24 PM on 3rd February 2012


Police have shot dead three protesters in Egypt amid chaotic scenes that could bring down the country's new government just days after some of the worst football violence ever seen.

The victims were among a crowd of people blasted with rubber bullets and tear gas in demonstrations outside the Interior Ministry in Cairo.

One man died just feet away from the Interior Ministry, which has become a target for demonstrators furious that the police failed to prevent a soccer riot that killed 74 people in the Mediterranean city of Port Said on Wednesday. It was the world's worst soccer violence in 15 years.

A volunteer doctor said the man in Cairo died of wounds from birdshot fired at close range during clashes at dawn Friday. The doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisals by the authorities, said his field hospital close to Cairo's Tahrir Square was overwhelmed with injuries overnight.


Earlier today, two protesters died by police gunfire in clashes with security forces in Suez, said health official Mohammed Lasheen. Some 3,000 people had demonstrated in front of the city's police headquarters and police fired tear gas and live ammunition, witnesses said. A third protester in Suez was in critical condition because of a wound to the neck.

The deaths are likely to fuel anger in the troubled country and ignite more protests that could topple the military government that was put in place following the ousting of Hosni Mubarak last March.

Protesters angry over the deadly riot turned their rallies in Cairo and the city of Suez into a call for Egypt's ruling military council, led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, to surrender power because of what they say is the military's mismanagement of the country's transition to democracy.

In Suez, witnesses said about 3,000 people demonstrated in front of police headquarters early on Friday morning after news spread that one of the victims in the Port Said riot was from their city.

Health official Mohammed Lasheen said two men were killed by bullets. Fifteen other protesters were wounded, he said. Police responded with tear gas and then opened fire, witnesses said.

The deaths follow the security forces' failure to prevent a football riot that killed 74 people and left more than a thousand injured.

Anger has been building as the public and lawmakers blamed the country's military rulers for the bloodshed - the latest to signal rapidly deteriorating security in the country since Mubarak's fall nearly a year ago.

The protests started as a peaceful march from the headquarters of Al-Ahly - one of Egypt's most popular football clubs - to the area outside the ministry building near Tahrir Square, the epicentre of last year's popular uprising that ousted Mubarak.

Security forces guarding the area were separated from around 10,000 protesters by concrete blocks and barbed wire, but tensions rose as protesters advanced towards them, cursing and removing some of the barriers.

They also raised their shoes in the air and hurled stones.Police responded with heavy tear gas, sending demonstrators running, with some passing out and falling to the ground.

Adel Adawi, a Health Ministry official, told a state-run news agency that 388 protesters were injured outside the government building - most from tear gas inhalation as well as bruises and broken bones from thrown rocks.

Some tried to move the concrete blocks erected around the ministry since November, when clashes between the police and protesters then left more than 40 people dead.

At one point, the stadium lights went out, plunging it into darkness. At the time, the TV sportscaster announcing the match said authorities shut them off to 'calm the situation'.

'We were surprised the police let them in that easy. The numbers were huge,' said Ahmed Ghaffar, one of the visiting Al-Ahly fans at the stadium.
A wounded man is carried away by his comrades after the violence this morning. The unrest was fuelled after two men were killed and hundreds more injured


As many Al-Ahly fans crowded into the corridor leading out of the stadium, they were trapped, with the doors at the other end locked.

'Layers of people' were 'stuck over each other because there was no other exit,' Ghaffar tweeted. 'We were between two choices, either death coming from behind us, or the closed doors.'

He said Al-Masry fans beat Al-Ahly fans who fell on the floor. Mahmoud Ibrahim, 22, a survivor who visited a Cairo morgue where two of his dead friends were taken, said that after the lights went out, people were left 'to kill each other'.

He ran into the corridor. 'We went down trying to get out and everyone was pushing. Under me was more than three people and I am being pushed. Everyone is pushing trying to breathe.'

Al-Masry fan, Mohammed Mosleh, who posted his account on Facebook, said he saw 'thugs with weapons' on his side in the stadium where police presence was meagre.


'This was unbelievable,' he said. 'We were supposed to be celebrating, not killing people. We defeated Al-Ahly, something I saw twice only in my lifetime. All the people were happy. Nobody expected this.'

Health ministry official Hisham Sheha said the deaths were caused by stabs by sharp tools, brain haemorrhage and concussions.

TV footage showed Al-Ahly players rushing for their dressing room as fistfights broke out among the hundreds of fans swarming on to the field.

Some men had to rescue a manager from the losing team as he was being beaten. Riot police stood by, appearing overwhelmed.

A network of rabid soccer fans known as Ultras vowed vengeance, accusing the police of intentionally letting rivals attack them because they have been at the forefront of protests over the past year, first against Mubarak and now the military.

Many Ultra members were among the protesters who vowed to storm the ministry. 'Either they [police] will die or we will die,' said Islam. 'We are willing to die for the blood of martyrs.'

'RIOT DEADLIEST SINCE 1996'

The Egyptian football riot was the deadliest incident in the sport since October 1996.

A total of 78 fans died and 180 others injured in a stampede at a stadium in Guatemala City before a World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica.

The match with the most fatalities was in May 1964 when a game between Peru and Argentina in Lima descended into violence and 318 fans were killed.

Britain's worst football disaster is the Hillsborough tragedy (above) in Sheffield in April 1989, in which 96 supporters died.

Several MPs said the lapse was intentional, aimed at stoking the country's insecurity since the fall a year ago of Mubarak.

He declined to give his last name because of the volatility of the situation.

Many Egyptians are blaming police and the ruling military for failing to prevent the football riot.

Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, in an emergency parliamentary session, announced he has dissolved the Egyptian Soccer Federation's board and referred its members for questioning by prosecutors about the violence.

He also said the governor of Port Said province and the area's police chief have resigned.

In an emergency session, Parliament Speaker Saad el-Katatni, of the Muslim Brotherhood, accused security authorities of hesitating to act, putting 'the revolution in danger'.

'This is a complete crime,' said Abbas Mekhimar, head of parliament's defence committee. 'This is part of the scenario of fuelling chaos against Egypt.'

The Interior Ministry said 74 people died, including one police officer, and 248 were injured, 14 of them police.

A local health official initially said 1,000 people were injured and it was not clear how severely. Security forces arrested 47 people for involvement in the violence, the statement said.
Victim: A football fan (in white) crouches down over his friend who it is believed had been killed during the Egyptian football riot

Victim: A football fan (in white) crouches down, in the Al-Ahly changing room, over his friend who it is believed had been killed during the Egyptian football riot

Egypt football riot
riot
Attacked: The final whistle prompted more than 13,000 home fans, armed with knives, iron bars and machetes, to storm the pitch and attack rival players and their 1,200 supporters

Chaos: Al-Alhy's players tried in vain to save fans (left) who fled into their changing room after being attacked by thousands of supposed rival supporters

Missiles: Al-Ahly players ran for their lives as rival fans streamed onto the pitch and headed towards them

Missiles: Al-Ahly players ran for their lives as rival fans streamed onto the pitch and headed towards them, throwing bottles and fireworks
Relatives of victims killed in the stadium cry as they wait to receive the bodies at a morgue

Relatives of victims killed in the stadium cry as they wait to receive the bodies at a morgue

Mourners carry the body of one of the fans killed during Egypt's worst ever football riot

Mourners carry the body of one of the fans killed during Egypt's worst ever football riot

Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood MP, said the military and police were complicit in the violence, accusing them of trying to show that emergency regulations giving security forces wide-ranging powers must be maintained.

'This tragedy is a result of intentional reluctance by the military and the police,' he said.

A number of political parties called on the Egyptian parliament to pass no-confidence vote against the government of el-Ganzouri, a Mubarak-era politician appointed by the much-criticised ruling military council.

Osama Yassin, head of sports committee in parliament, said the parliament holds the interior minister, who is in charge of police, responsible for the violence. He demanded the removal of the prosecutor general Prosecutor-General Mahmoud Abdel-Meguid to guarantee 'transparent investigations'.

The Ultras, meanwhile, accused the military council and former members of Mubarak's regime of retaliating against them for their role in the uprising last year against Mubarak and in anti-military protests since.

'They want to punish us and execute us for our participation in the revolution against suppression,' the Ultras of Al-Ahly group said in a statement.

It vowed a 'new war in defence of our revolution'.

The Ultras have long been bitter enemies of the police. Their anti-police songs, peppered with curses, have quickly become viral and an expression of the hatred many Egyptians feel toward security forces that were accused of much of the abuse that was widespread under Mubarak's regime.

There were chaotic scenes at Cairo's main train station, Ramses, last night as hundreds of football fans returned from the Port Said stadium.

While anxious Egyptians gathered to see whether friends and family had made it back safely, anger quickly spread across the country.

Thousands of protesters turned up at the Ramses terminal to chant 'Down with military rule'.

As covered bodies were unloaded from trains to awaiting ambulances, they shouted: 'The people want the execution of the field marshal. We will secure their rights, or die like them.'

Egyptian soldiers were later airlifted in by helicopter to rescue stranded players who became trapped in the changing rooms.

As the trouble unfolded in Port Said, a stadium in Cairo was also set on fire by fans after a referee cancelled a match.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095579/Egypt-football-violence-Riot-spreads-thousands-protesters-clash-police-Cairo.html#ixzz1lKo52LdD

ACCRA : New Load Management Programme to Commence

The Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would commence a new load management cycle of four days, effective Wednesday March 28, 2007.

Under the four-day cycle, customer groups will go off once during the day for 12 hours and once during the night for 12 hours after which the cycle will be repeated.

A statement issued by the VRA and ECG on Saturday said the load management programme had been reviewed as part of the strenuous efforts to manage the current situation following the acceptance of the recommendations made by the VRA and ECG to the government.

It said the programme would be reviewed every two weeks to monitor the impact of the measures being taken and appropriate changes made where necessary.

"It would be recalled that on August 26, 2006, VRA and ECG announced a load management programme with the primary objective of arresting the depletion of the Volta Reservoir and facilitating its recovery," the statement said.

Regrettably, it said, the Volta lake level had continued to drop at a higher rate than expected and it was at an elevation of 237.78 feet as at today, Saturday, March 24, 2007.

It said the VRA and ECG had continued to address the current situation in order to secure normal supplies to all customers and as part of the process, government had actively collaborated and provided support to the two utilities with the procurement and installation of some emergency power plants located in Tema.

Out of this, the first 50 MW had been installed and was being tested prior to commencement of operations by the end of this month with the remaining 86MW would be brought into service by the end of April.

The statement said the immediate objective of the VRA and ECG for all these actions was to ensure the little water left was stretched through to the end of June when the major rainy season in the Volta reservoir catchment area would commence.

It said without this intervention, the Akosombo Hydro station would be shut down before the end of April and called on consumers to intensify their energy conservation activities

http://www.ghanadistricts.com/news/?read=3796

Ghana to plunge into deeper darkness
Last Updated: September 14, 2011, 3:33 pm


The load shedding schedule of five days power, twelve hours off currently ongoing nationwide is to be reviewed to further reduce strains on the Akosombo Dam.

Officials of the Volta River Authority and the Electricity Company of Ghana have been meeting to review the situation and are expected to announce a new load management programme soon.

Sources at the Volta River Authority tell Joy News, the blackout period of 12 hours per every five days of supply could extend to 24 hours while the number of days per supply could reduce to between 3-4 days.

The reason is due to the ever dwindling water levels in the Akosombo Dam.

Sources at the VRA and the ECG have told Joy News the Akosombo Dam has reached a critical level and risks total closure if the load management is not reviewed immediately.

The Director in Charge of Operations at the ECG, Andrew Tonto Baffuor said discussions among the stakeholders would have to be completed first and all necessary clearances secured before the announcement of the new tighter programme would be made but maintained that the situation is very critical.

Originally the review was to be made at the end of the month, however Mr. Baffuor says it cannot wait any longer.

He said presently the Lake has less than two feet of water for critical operations and the review will have to be immediate in order to forestall any serious problems at Akosombo.

“Hopefully within a very short time we should be able to come out…If by the end of the day we finish with the decision the public will be informed. If we have to come out tomorrow or Sunday or Monday, we will definitely come out but definitely not going to be too long.”

He said a lot of scenarios have been laid out on the new load management schedule and the meeting would decide which will be more appropriate.

http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/200703/2781.php

.

VRA: Drastic reduction in gas from Nigeria forces load management
Source: GNA - Ghana News Agency

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA – The Volta River Authority (VRA) announced on Thursday that a drastic reduction in gas supply from Nigeria through the West African Gas Pipeline to its thermal plants was forcing the power companies to embark on a load management exercise.

A statement issued by VRA in Accra said the situation meant there would be a reduction in power supply by 100 megawatts during the peak periods from 6.00 p.m. (1800 hours) to 10.00 p.m (2200 hours).

“VRA has therefore requested the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to undertake a load management exercise in various parts of the country, until the situation returns to normalcy,” the statement said.

VRA said discussions were, meanwhile, ongoing with the suppliers of the gas to increase supply from the current 40 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d), to the contractual volumes of 100 mscf/d, to enable the company to operate all its thermal facilities.

“We assure our valued customers and the general public that VRA is committed to ensuring the supply of adequate power to all its customers, and regret any inconvenience caused,” it added.

VRA generates power mainly through hydro and thermal sources.

http://www.businessghana.com/portal/news/index.php?op=getNews&news_cat_id=&id=159702

X-2-X, thanks for the update!

And yet some Nigerians keep referring to Rawlings as a hero.

Even going as far as suggesting that the first Nigerian coup would have "cleansed" Nigeria of corruption.

Chinese firm, CCECC wins Lagos-Badagry Expressway Phase II contract
Monday, 30 January 2012 00:00 By Tunde Alao

FRESH building blocks were again laid last week towards redevelopment of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, following the award of the second phase contract to the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC). The entire project will gulp N220 billion.

The firm emerged winner out of the four other companies shortlisted in the bidding process for the ongoing expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. They are Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Moreno- Marina – Lagoon Plc, Salini Nigeria Limited, and CGGC Global Projects Nigeria Limited.

Prior to the final selection exercise, the bids were opened at Alausa Secretariat seat of government in the presence of the representatives of the companies, in compliance with international best practices and evaluated by the Tenders Board, which made its recommendation known to the State Executive Council and the state governor for further deliberation and award.

The contract involves the Lot 2A covering Mazamaza to Okokomaiko. It was further rescheduled into tranches as Lot 2A and 2B covering Mazamza to Okokomaiko and from Okokomaiko to Agbara respectively.

In March 2009, the contract for the Lot 1 of the project was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nig Plc. The state government had commenced the expansion of the road as a strategic development that will open the West African market to Nigerian businesses and also ensure the take off of the axis designed as the state’s tourism corridor. It also reflects the change in the population density of the area.

The development was confirmed at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, last week by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who said that CCECC had responsibility for the rail content in the LOT 1 along with the new contract.

Hamzat revealed that the stakeholders’ meeting was initiated to bring on board the views of those who will be affected by the construction process along the axis. He emphasised the importance of the project, adding that the development would not only open up the West African market to Nigerian businesses, but will also affect positively the value of properties along the corridor.

The commissioner assured that the “Lot 1” segment of the project, the rail component, is in progress, noting that the firms handling the project would certainly meet the schedule.

Responding to comment by stakeholders, especially, from the landlords association on the issue of Right of Way and compensation, the commissioner assured property owners that due diligence will be followed.

He further assured that the government will abide by its citizens’ rights always.

He disclosed that the Right of Way for the project is 120 metres, adding that the state is committed to carrying the people along as it implements its development agenda.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa urged all the owners of abandoned vehicles on the axis to remove them so as to forestall their being towed by the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), as the agency will ensure effective traffic management when the project takes off.

He explained that the motor parks and mechanic village indiscriminately sited around the corridor will be eliminated and other options provided to ensure continuity of business.

Present at the forum were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, an engineer, chairmen of Oriade LCDA and Amuwo Odofin local council, community leaders, telecom operators, Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Federal Ministry of Works and oil and gas companies, among others.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75379:chinese-firm-ccecc-wins-lagos-badagry-expressway-phase-ii-contract&catid=25:property&Itemid=655

U.S. Senator Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, detained by TSA after refusing airport patdown

Reuters Jan 23, 2012 – 11:09 AM ET | Last Updated: Jan 23, 2012 5:30 PM ET

By Thomas Ferraro and John Crawley

WASHINGTON — Republican Senator Rand Paul was stopped at an airport on Monday for setting off an alarm and refusing a patdown, prompting his father, U.S. presidential candidate Ron Paul, to accuse security officials of being part of an “out of control” police state.

In a harshly worded attack on the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security screenings at U.S. airports, Ron Paul, known for his strident libertarian views, said the TSA “gropes and grabs our kids and our seniors and does nothing to keep us safe.”
Related

After Rand Paul refused the patdown, he was escorted out of the airport security area in Nashville, Tennessee, by local authorities, the TSA said. Paul missed his flight to Washington, but was later rebooked and rescreened without incident.

As favorites of the anti-Washington Tea Party movement, Paul and his father, who is a U.S. Represenative from Texas, have helped lead the charge against what critics call excessive federal intrusion, from health care to body searches.

At a Senate hearing last June, Rand Paul challenged TSA Administrator John Pistole over his agency’s random patdowns of travelers at airports, including the case of a 6-year-old girl from his home state of Kentucky.

“This isn’t to say that we don’t believe in safety procedures,” Paul said. “But I think I feel less safe because you’re doing these invasive exams on a six-year-old. It makes me think you’re clueless that you think she’s going to attack our country and that you’re not doing your research on the people who would attack our country.”

On the campaign trail, Ron Paul has called for the abolition of the TSA on the grounds that it wastes taxpayer money and violates personal liberties.

Rand Paul has recommended that authorities eliminate patdowns as part of everyday security, saying TSA should more heavily emphasize non-invasive methods for assessing risk.

The senator has even complained that close screening of members of Congress and other frequent fliers known to airlines and security officials is a poor use of security resources.

TSA DEFENDS PROCEDURES

The TSA was created following the Sept. 11, 2001, airplane attacks by al Qaeda on the United States.

Full body imaging and patdowns at U.S. airports began in 2010, and immediately triggered a public backlash and fire from both sides of the political aisle.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a leading member of the Obama administration, weighed in on the controversy at the time, saying she would avoid pat downs if possible.

More than 650 million passengers fly on U.S. airlines, most using one of the more than 400 airports where TSA operates checkpoints.

The agency defends its procedures, which they say are needed to ensure passenger safety.

Paul’s personal showdown with airport security unfolded as he headed to Washington to address an anti-abortion rally and to return to work after a long congressional holiday break.

The senator’s father, Ron Paul, tweeted that his son was detained for refusing a full-body pat-down “after anomaly in body scanner.”

The TSA did not say what triggered the alarm and denied Paul had been detained.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/23/u-s-senator-rand-paul-son-of-ron-paul-detained-by-tsa/

GHANA, THE BEGGING MILLIONAIRE – AFRICA, THE BEGGING TRILLIONAIRE
By Nana Kofi


Recently, I witnessed in dismay a tirade by a white man in the first class cabin of a mid-size airplane, admonishing another first class passenger, a Ghanaian male, for “begging” for his seat. What is wrong with you Africans? All you do is beg, beg, beg for everything!! You can beg all you want; I am not going to give you my seat. Tempers finally cooled down, and the aircraft took off. Unfortunately, I was sitting next to this white man who, a few minutes ago, had insulted my whole race. With nothing else to do, I turned and asked him “what was all that about”? Apparently, the Ghanaian man was travelling with his “wife”; they had been seated in 1st class on separate rows, and apart. The man had asked this white man to exchange his seat, so the couple could be close. The white man had refused, but the Ghanaian man had persisted with numerous “I beg you”; which eventually took the white man to his boiling point. “So what would it have cost you to exchange your seat?” I asked. His response, the essence of this article was this.

“I booked my flight the last minute, and got the last 1st class seat available, this one. This means it was also available to this man, if only he had asked to be seated close to his wife. He did not, but now comes “begging” for what WAS DUE HIM in the first place.” “That still shouldn't get your collar up”, I said. “You may be right; unfortunately, I have just finished a month long negotiations with your Ministers and Government officials over your god given mineral rights, and what my gold mining company should pay.

I come to your country, see all this poverty everywhere, with wealth right under your feet. Your own government gives only foreign companies the rights and privileges to violation and steal your country blind. For a few thousand dollars, your government officials allow these foreign companies to walk away with: (a) Perpetual tax holidays, (b) Duty free imports, (c) Bloated capital and operational investment costs,

(d) under-declared mineral output, (e) minimum wages for local employees doing all the work, but FAT salaries and expense accounts for foreigners who do almost nothing; (f) exaggerated cost of shoddy school blocks and boreholes instead of meaningful royalty to local land owners and communities;

(g) destruction of local farm lands with pitiful resettlement payments; (h) pollution of local drinking water; (i) destruction of local infrastructure, etc.

My bosses had counseled me at a briefing before my departure. I was asked to read your Osageyefo's “Neo-Colonialism”. Then I was told: “be prepared, and the first, to offer the negotiating team, (a) a few thousand dollars each; (b) a center, or a 6-room school block, or a few bore holes for the community; and there will be no mention of the usual above 10% royalties, or an actual government oversight of our operations, or adequate resettlement compensations, etc.”

I did not believe my bosses since I, a mere high school graduate, was coming to deal with officials with Masters and Doctorate degrees. Imagine my shock and disappointment when these officials, instead of demanding what is INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE COMPENSATIONS AND ROYALTIES for their country and communities, only accepted the 3% royalties, and with ALL KINDS OF GIVEAWAYS, and then came to me later BEGGING me to deposit “something” in their foreign accounts (numbers written on pieces of paper). I do not want to hear the phrase “I beg you” again.

The irony here is that these so called Educated people, after negotiating away the countries wealth, and depositing their “something”s into foreign banks, turn round to go and BORROW their own money from the IMF, World Bank, or “Donor” countries/ “Development Partners”. Do you remember the number of PhD beneficiaries, and the destinations of the Mabey & Johnson kickbacks? It amazes me that your intelligentsia, Ministers and Presidents, who have studied, or have travelled oversea, still don't get the idea that “THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH”. THERE ARE NO “DONOR COUNTRIES” OR “DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS”. THE FOREIGN MINING COMPANIES TAKE YOUR MINERALS FOR NEXT TO NOTHING, DEPOSIT THEIR HAUL INTO THEIR BANKS, AND THEN TURN ROUND TO LOAN THE SAME TO OUR GOVERNMENTS, AGAIN WITH REDICULOUS CONDITIONS.SUCH AS “NO SUBSIDIZED” BASIC EDUCATION.

Surely, companies like Anglogold and Newmont are contributing to our economy, I offered.

“At what price? Have you been to Obuasi recently to see the devastation and destruction of once a beautiful city? Newmont has over 740 sq. km concession in Ahafo; what did the Ahafo's get in return for Newmont's ANNUAL revenues of over $750,000,000? Almost NOTHING!!

This is exactly what your first President was talking about in “Neo-Colonialism“. Have you read that book? He asked me. I was ashamed to answer “No”. “I don't blame you; none of your “Educated” officials at the negotiating table had read it. That book ought to be a must-read textbook in your schools and colleges, so that you can understand how foreign companies and governments strive to rob you blind, just as before. Only this time, their methods are cloaked in one-sided “agreements” with the connivance of your “Educated” Managing Directors, Ministers, and Presidents. “How can you accuse our officials of complicity?” I asked defensively. Has your media asked why the MD's of the Ghana Chamber of mines keep defending the mining companies, or how a Ghanaian, working for a Ghanaian/British joint company in Ghana earned the “Order of the British Empire (Sir)”? Can you imagine these foreign companies, under the watchful eyes of your govt. officials, paying the indigene 5 pesewa (GhC 0.05) ground rent for their acre of concessional land after they have hauled away GhC 1,000,000 from the same acre?

THE BIG COMPANIES, NEWMONT AND ANGLOGOLD ARE NOT EVEN ASHAMED TO CONNIVE WITH YOUR GOVT OFFICIALS TO SIDESTEP PAYING THE INCREASED 5% ROYALTY. THEY ARE PAYING THE 5% BASED ON ANCIENT GOLD PRICE OF $300.00/OZ INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT WORLDWIDE PRICE OF $1500.00/OZ., SHORTCHANGING YOUR PEOPLE $75,000,000 in the process. Unfortunately, your negotiating officials are happy to giggle to the foreign banks with their thousands, accompanied in some cases by “Dr”s and “Sir”s.

Even the Chinese are getting in on the act, albeit ILLEGALLY. They are threatening communities with guns and firepower, AND YOUR MILITARY LOOKS ON UNCONCERNED. Your media is just as bad. With buffet lunches or dinners and a few Cedis in their pockets, your print media become the propaganda machines of these mining companies. They tout the few boreholes and the 6-room schools, but leave out the callous treatment of local employees and residents, and the destruction of the environment. The airwaves are SILENT on all this. WACAM IS THE LONE VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE. Why don't your media SUPPORT WACAM by broadcasting and educating the masses, especially the officials that (a) THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT APPROVE OF FOREIGN COMPANIES ROBBING THE INDEGENES FULL BENEFITS OF THEIR GOD GIVEN MINERAL AND OIL DEPOSITS. (b) Before Rawlings, foreign mining companies in Ghana could not hold more than 40% interest in their partnership with the government; now the Ghana govt. holds ZERO percent, while they hold 100%,; and therefore do not account to any authority.

A 50% annual return on investment (ROI) for the first 7 years, is generally considered EXCELLENT. Foreign mining/ oil companies in Ghana and the rest of Africa, are PERPETUALLY hauling away over 400% return on their investments, without any regard to the plight of the indigenes.

I feigned sleep, so he stopped talking. I was actually reflecting on all that he had said. I realized that YES, we had become too “give me, give me”; “I beg”, “I beg you”; “My Christmas box”; “Give us something for water”.

I am reminded by this my brother's analogy. His cat will “meow” for some food, usually crumbs, in his bowl outside. The bowl of food will attract the resident mice. One would think the cat would opt for the juicy mice, NOO. He would lay there and watch the mouse eat all his food, and then come back “Meowing” for more crumbs.

WE WATCH OUR OFFICIALS GIVE AWAY OUR GOLD, OIL, BAUXITE, DIAMOND, ETC FOR THEIR MEAGRE KICKBACKS, WHILE WE WALLOW IN POVERTY. IT IS TIME WE WAKE UP FROM OUR SLUMBER, AND TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. AT THAT TIME, WE CAN TELL OBAMA AND CAMERON TO TAKE BACK THEIR GAYS AND AID.

http://www.modernghana.com/news/375003/1/ghana-the-begging-millionaire-africa-the-b.html

Why Jonathan chose Abubakar
By Yusuf Alli, Abuja 10 hours 46 minutes ago


Acting Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar got the job based on merit and professional excellence, Presidency officials said yesterday.

President Goodluck Jonathan chose Abubakar because there was no report indicting him before the Police Service Commission.

A Presidency source, who gave an insight into the appointment, said the government did enough checks and discovered that Abubakar has a high moral pedigree to occupy the office.

The source, who pleaded not to be named because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, spoke against the backdrop of the controversy generated by the recommendation of the Justice Niki Tobi Panel on the Plateau crisis in 2001.

The panel recommended that Abubakar, who was then the Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, should be dismissed from service.

But the presidency said the new IGP has a clean record at the Police Service Commission.

The source said: “The truth of the matter is that Niki Tobi Panel was set up by the Plateau State Government under ex-Governor Joshua Dariye. You need to appreciate the delicate nature of Plateau politics because of the ethno-religious polarisation.

“Each time the state raises a panel on Plateau unrest, the report usually follows a pattern. And when the Federal Government sets up its panel, the report takes a different dimension.

“Most of the Commissioners of Police posted to Plateau State in the last 12 years have always been accused of one thing or the other.

“In the specific case of this new IGP, there is no record that the report was forwarded to the Inspector-General of Police or the Police Service Commission.

“The man was not at any time queried; he was not sanctioned in any way. The principle in law is that an indictment is not a conviction as pronounced by the court in the case of Atiku v. INEC.

“The report is over 12 years and what they are quoting in that report is only a recommendation.

“Since that recommendation, the same man being criticised had been Commissioner of Police in Kwara, Kano and Lagos. He has been an Assistant Inspector-General of Police in about four zones.”

The source said: “I am not aware of any report indicting him; no disciplinary action has been taken against him; and he has not been accused of any misdemeanour.

“He is a man of sterling records and with a track of professional achievements.

“This is a man that is recommended even by his own colleagues and the rank and file for his competence, professionalism and discipline.

“That is the kind of man that is needed at this time. He is disciplined and highly respected by his own colleagues.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/34750-why-jonathan-chose-abubakar.html