Buhari’s slow action creates room for sacked agencies to return to ports

Following the inability of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to appoint members of his cabinet whom are expected to take the responsibility of championing the course of the various sectors of the economy, some of the multiple government agencies sacked from the ports by the immediate past government are beginning to find their way back to the seaports, BusinessDay has learnt.

Consequently, the development has made cargo clearance at the ports to become very cumbersome for Nigerian importers and their agents, owing to delays emanating from the involvement of these agencies in cargo clearance.

The dwell time of cargo, which was formerly brought down to 14 days, has risen to a minimum of 21 days, meaning that it takes an importer an average of 21 days to take delivery of cargo.

Alarmingly, it has also resulted to high cost of doing business at the ports as importers are expected to pay corresponding storage and demurrage charges to terminal operators and shipping companies for not taken delivery of their cargoes as of when due, and this by estimate runs into millions of naira.

“The Buhari-led administration is yet to take decision on whom to be in charge of the various sectors of the economy by way of appointing ministers, and this is why many of the sacked government agencies at the port are trooping back to the port,” Tony Anakebe, a maritime analyst, told BusinessDay.

Citing instance, Anakebe said among the sacked government agencies from the port, Plant and Animal Quarantine, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), while Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) were said to be hanging around the port intercepting cleared containers at the port gates.

Recall that in 2011, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance, trimmed down government agencies operating at the ports to seven, asking agencies like SON, NAFDAC, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and six others to leave the port only to be called upon by Customs when their services were needed.

To the Federal Government, the action is in line with the ongoing port reforms aimed at reducing cargo dwell time to at least 14 days, stop extortion and corruption, achieve faster turnaround time and reduce the cost of doing business at the ports.

Confirming this, Vicky Haastrup, chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), who in a statement sent to BusinessDay recently, calling for the reduction of the number of government agencies operating at the ports, also said the reduction would help in streamlining the clearing processes so as to reduce cargo dwell time.

Leke Oyewole, former senior special adviser to president on maritime matters, said recently that the presence of multiple government agencies at port had created undue delays in cargo clearance, which resulted to high storage and demurrage charges paid to shipping companies and terminal operators, saying “most times, the turnaround time of ships becomes high and this is not good enough for Nigerian economy because the costs would be transferred on the end users of the products by way of high prices of goods at the market. Therefore, government agencies need to collaborate with each other for Nigerian ports to be efficiency.”

Source: http://businessdayonline.com/2015/07/buharis-slow-action-creates-room-for-sacked-agencies-to-return-to-ports/#.VZu1Pvmqqko

OohLalah:


No, Am not angry but scared for Africa. When will we settle down and start developing our continent and lead the rest of the world. Are we cursed to be a nuisance to the world that they always have to feed us?

Please am not saying your struggle is wrong just don't drag the whole Africa into it. Geez!

I understand your concerns, but how can Africa lead the world when the current political boundaries in Africa were created to stimulate suspicion, progom, vindictive leadership, ethno-religious strife among other things. Look at the Hutu-Tutsi clash in Rwanda, the civil war in Nigeria, the case of Gbagbo of Ivory Coast, the recent Malian conflict etc, they were all fueled by forced co-existence where there should be none.

What is wrong with letting people to choose how they wish to exist? Did God create us to be Nigerians? No! It was a white man, Lord Lugard, that made us Nigerians. The amalgamation was a theoretical experiment. It has failed. It is not sustainable with regards to national development. It needs to be changed.

Orunto:
The only way to end the agitation for secession and self-determination is to allow the people to choose. O Yes! But in this very case of Nigeria, untill it has been deliberated upon and recommended appropriately by those who know Nigeria:- GOWON, OBJ, SHAGARI, IBB, ABDULSALAMI, GEJ, AND TRADITIONAL RULERS OF ALL OUR CAPITAL CITIES. These are the Custodians of Nigeria, its Culture, Traditions, Landmarks, Histories etc. LET THESE COME TOGETHER TO AGREE ON THE UNITY AND/OR PROPER SEPARATION OF OUR NIGERIA NATION. Let responsible people handle very serious ISSUE.

Nope, there are better ways of doing it than handing the destiny of Biafrans into the hands of a few nepotistic Nigerians. A referendum is the way to go. It was done in South Sudan, and the British corroborated the practice as a means of ensuring peaceful secession through initiating the SCOTTISH VOTE. In these cases, citizens determined their destinies through votes, not through war or hegemonic postulations.

The masses, just like the youths below, should have a say.

OohLalah:



Oh Please! You guys just don't try and heat up the whole continent with your secession project. Africa is suffering already because of wars, poverty and diseases. Don't heat up the already heated up African polity, it might be your worse card to play. The "powers that be" might further resist your call as they will see it as setting precedent for other African countries to do the same.

And by the way, why always trying to drag everyone else instead of fighting and standing for your cause? Nigeria better let you people go soon and just give you the Taiwan treatment by China then watch unfold.

You are becoming poisonous to Africa.

The Biafran secessionist movement is different from the freedom movements in other African countries. For example, hating Biafrans will not serve as a deterrence to the struggle of the Barotseland Freedom Movement (BFM) in Zambia see pics below. You are struggling to hide the truth. Your anger means nothing. The truth will prevail.

asadike:
Yes, i want biafra but just d five eastern states and some parts of delta and rivers that wants to go with us.
nigeria can keep south south and their oil, in that way, we will be allowed to leave without qualms.

Don't mind them. They think that the secession and self-determination movement is all about Oil. They forget about the typical character and survival instincts of a Biafran. The very instinct that scares them into colluding to see the demise of Biafra.

londongal03:
keep wasting ur precious time on biafra ......The more you look the less you see!

On the contrary, the more I look, the more I see.

londongal03:
Truth be told! your leader Uwazurike is
now more Nigerian than any one else. deceiving
igbo people and living in affluence with the
sweat and blood of discerning igbos. I rather scream one 9ja than to contribute my hard earned money to those fraudsters in the name of Biafra. enough of the deceit.

You know what they say, THE TRUTH IS LIKE THE SUN. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY TO HIDE IT, IT WILL STILL SHINE.

Keep living in denial.

londongal03:
One 9ja!

How have you fared in your one Nigeria since the Amalgamation was successfully conducted? There has been constant emergence of threat and compromise to stem ethno-religious crisis. Right from the 1960s, with the emergence of quota system and federal character, it has been leak and patch.

It is easy for you to scream One Nigeria but difficult for you to understand why the country cannot escape from being a Hellhole.

From Casamance (Senegal) through Biafra Republic (Nigeria), North West and South West Regions (Cameroun) to Zanzibar (Tanzania), and from Cyrenaica (Libya) through Cabinda (Angola), Katanga (Zambia) to Barotseland Kingdom (Zambia), the agitation for secession from the architectural conception and design of the colonialists is evident. Therein, possibly, lies the secret to political stability and development in the continent.

The antagonism against self-determination is an impediment to the potential sprouting of first world countries in Africa. The British has demonstrated the need for the freedom of self-determination with the historic "Scottish Vote". What are the so called "Democratic" African nations waiting for? Is the adoption of the Democratic Philosophy meant to be done selectively?

The only way to end the agitation for secession and self-determination is to allow the people to choose.

A drug baron cannot be a leader in the leading party. Tinubu must go!

https://www.nairaland.com/2412861/drug-baron-cannot-leader-party

Pangea:
If he is guilty, let efcc and ndlea prosecute him,
If USA want him, let him be extradited to face his crime.
But if not,
Kindly shut up!

APC needs to do the needful first. They need to sack Tinubu the drug baron and desist from calling him a leader in the leading party. That is an insult to Nigerians.

Facts have emerged that the erstwhile Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may have been involved in a white heroin trafficking network which operated in Chicago and some parts of Indiana and led by one Adegboyega Mueez Akande between 1988 and 1993. The source of the white heroine was identified as one Mr. Lee Andrew Edwards who was incarcerated for attempting to murder a federal agent while the agent was executing a search warrant on him.

According to the Verified Complaint for forfeiture in case No. 93 C 4483 Obtained by SaharaReporters, which was filed on July 26, 1993 before the Hon. Judge Nordberg of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Government urged the Court to order the forfeiture of funds in accounts Nos. 263226700 held by First Heritage Bank in the name of Bola Tinubu, funds in accounts 39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400220, 39936404 and 39936383 held by Citibank N.A in the name of Bola Tinubu and funds in accounts 52050-89451952,52050-89451952, 52050-89451953 held by Citibank in the name of Bola Tinubu because there was probable cause to believe that the funds in Tinubu’s bank accounts represented proceeds of narcotics trafficking or were monies involved in financial transactions in violations of 18 U.S.C, sections 1956 and 1957 and therefore, was forfeitable to the U.S Government.

However, in a tacit defense of the ownership of the funds, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu averred in Court that the funds belonged to himself, his wife, K.O Tinubu and his surrogate mother, Alhaja Mogaji and warranted that they had exclusive right, title and interest to the funds.

In an affidavit sworn to by Kevin Moss, a Special Agent with the United States Internal Revenue Service, criminal investigation division in support of the verified complaint for forfeiture of Bola Tinubu’s moneys held in various Bank accounts, the agent gave a vivid account of how he came to the conclusion that the funds were proceeds of narcotics transaction in violation of the U.S law.

Mr. Moss averred that prior to and during 1988; the government became involved in the investigation of a white heroin trafficking network operating in Chicago, Illinois and Hammond, Indiana. The investigation disclosed that an individual known as Lee Andrew Edwards was a source of white heroin. The government sources provided information about Lee Andrew Edwards including the identity of a telephone number which activated in electronic pager. This pager according to him was to be called to place an order for white heroin. According to Mr. Moss, this pager was subscribed to by one Adegboyega Mueez Akande who at that time was a resident of Chicago.

Mr. Moss further averred that during February 1988, an individual named Abiodun Agbele arrived in the U.S from Nigeria and during investigation by the government, Agbele disclosed that Akande was his uncle who provided him an apartment in Hammond, Indiana.

According to Agbele, Mr. Akande returned to Nigeria in1990; however, before he left, he instructed Agbale to serve as a source of white heroin for Mr. Lee Andrew Edwards as a result of which Agbele sold white heroin for Lee Andrew Edwards on numerous occasions. Following a tip off, Agbele sold one ounce of white heroin to a law enforcement agent undercover on November 28, 1990 for $7,000 and was subsequently arrested. After his arrest, Agbele agreed to cooperate with the law enforcement agents regarding the white heroin distribution and network of Akande.

According to Agbele, Akande controlled the operation of white heroin from Nigeria in conjunction with other individuals in Nigeria and the U.S. One other individual who worked with Akande according to the affidavit was identified as Bola Tinubu who later became the governor of Lagos state from 1999 to 2007.

The investigation also revealed that in December 1989, Akande took Bola Tinubu to First Heritage bank where Bola Tinubu opened an individual money market. In the account opening application, Tinubu, gave his address as 7504 South Stewart, Chicago, the same address used previously by Akande and his company, Globe-Link. This is the same address used as the drop-off point for packages from Nigeria that contained the white heroin. According to bank records, Bola Tinubu also opened a joint checking account in his name and the name of his wife, Oluremi Tinubu. Mrs. Tinubu had previously opened a joint Bank account also in the same bank with Abdrey Akande, the wife of the heroin kingpin, Adegboyega Mueez Akande.

Upon opening the account, Tinubu deposited the sum of $1,000 in traveler’s check. However, five days after opening the account, specifically, on January 4, 1990, Tinubu deposited the sum of $80,000 into the account.

According to the federal agent, in a credit application dated January 6, 1990, Bola Tinubu disclosed that he resided at 7504 South Stewart and that Mueez A. Akande was his cousin. Tinubu further stated that he was an employee of Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited, Fairfax, Virginia and his take home pay was $2,400 per month. Additionally, Tinubu stated on the application that he had no other sources of income and listed his wife, Oluremi Tinubu as co-applicant for the application for automobile loan. The loan was secured with the certificate of deposit in the amount of $10,000 which Tinubu had purchased with a withdrawal from the $80,000 deposit in his checking account.

According to the federal agent, Bank records from First heritage Bank disclosed that in 1990 alone, Bola Tinubu deposited $661,000 into his individual money market account and in 1993; he deposited the sum of $1,216,500 into the same money market account. The agent further avers that in 1991, Tinubu began opening accounts at Citibank in the section known as the world-wide personal banking unit where he transferred the sum of $560,000 from his money market account at the First Heritage Bank.

This development prompted the Federal agents to interview representatives from Mobil Oil regarding Tinubu’s employment status and his take-home pay. The Mobil Oil representatives confirmed to the investigators that Tinubu was employed by the Mobil Oil as a treasurer. Mobil Oil further told the federal agents that this position did not involve the transfer of large amounts of money between banking institutions. Mobil oil representatives also stated that under no circumstance would Tinubu be permitted to retain money belonging to Mobil Oil in accounts bearing Tinubu’s name. Finally, Mobil Oil confirmed that the corporation never had any accounts in banks in the southern suburbs of Chicago.

On January 10, 1992, the federal agents obtained a court Order freezing Tinubu’s accounts at First Heritage Bank and Citibank respectively. Thereafter, Tinubu contacted the First Heritage Bank to transfer money from his accounts and was advised that the accounts had been seized by the U.S Treasury.

On January 13, 1992, Mr. Moss, the Federal agent contacted Bola Tinubu in Nigeria by phone using a number provided to the First Heritage Bank by Tinubu himself. Mr. Moss averred that during the course of the interview, Bola Tinubu confirmed that he knew Mueez Adegboyega Akande. Tinubu further admitted during the interview with the federal agent that he had wire transferred $100,000 to Akande’s bank account in Houston and that the $80,000.00 of the funds used to open the account at First Heritage Bank had come from Akande. Tinubu further admitted that he had other accounts in Fairfax, Virginia and London.

Concluding his affidavit evidence, Mr. Moss stated that with all these evidence, there was probable cause to believe that the funds in the accounts held by First Heritage Bank and Citibank, N.A in the name of Bola Tinubu represented property that was involved in narcotics transaction in violation of the U.S law. He therefore, urged the Court to issue an order of forfeiture of the funds.

After a protracted litigation in which Bola Tinubu claimed that the monies legitimately belonged to him, his wife, Oluremi Tinubu and his surrogate mother, one Alhaja Mogaji, Bola Tinubu finally opted for a stipulated settlement with the U.S government. According to the settlement Order dated September 15, 1993; Hon. Judge John A Nordberg ordered that the sum of $460,000 held by Bola Tinubu in The First Heritage Bank account be forfeited to the United States Government. The Court also ordered the release of the funds held in the Citibank account and any money held in excess of $460,000 at the First Heritage account to Bola Tinubu in line with the agreement and stipulation reached by Tinubu with the federal agents.

Ironically, this case came up at the peak of the struggle against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election by the Gen. Babagida-led military junta during which time Tinubu as a member and one of the leading financiers of the National democratic Coalition (NADECO) made several “pro-democracy” trips to the U.S ostensibly to press for U.S sanctions against the Nigerian junta. It is therefore doubtful whether most of those trips were actually connected with the June 12, struggle after all.

Source: http://saharareporters.com/2008/09/15/how-us-federal-agents-succesfully-linked-bola-tinubu-drug-trafficking-ring-chicago

Buhari has achieved a lot in the past month. He has shifted a military base to Maiduguri, compensated the North by appointing only mallams into vacant positions, chased DSS officials out of Aso Rock and best of all, he is about to build a HELIPAD in Daura (history in the making). He is also, actively, blaming PDP, Goodluck Jonathan and his OLD AGE for his expected incompetency.

The most notable of his achievements is that strapped teenage bombers now run away to secluded areas to blow themselves up in the north, though many adamant ones still blow themselves up in crowded areas. He has also sacked the MANAGEMENTof NNPC and serious lobbying is ongoing to fill the positions with allies and loyalists.

Has anyone noticed that Buhari, the Daura superhero, has shown the world that it is possible to run a government without ministers. He is single handedly running Nigeria. This man deserves a round of applause.

Lest I forget, he still has 3 years and 11 Months to go, and he has done SO MUCH! Dayuuum!! As most Sai Buharists would say, "PATIENCE IS NEEDED" even though she has returned to OTUOKE.

Buhari has approximately 3 years, 11 months and 9 days left for him to rule. Nigeria is still on auto-pilot (No ministers running the government) and the once capitulating Boko Haram militants are now surging forward with renewed vigor. Instead of tackling these issues headlong, he is instigating the resurgence of the Niger-Delta militants for reasons best known to him by threatening the sustenance of the Niger-Delta amnesty program. All these are happening while the APC political stooges are still basking the euphoria of their political conquest. They are busy sharing the political spoils of war while the masses grim with so much hope that the greed of their messiahs will subside soon.

It would have been 10, but this one got a 2 weeks extension:

Serge Atlaoui, France:

Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, who was due to face the firing squad, was given a last-minute, two-week reprieve.



https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/27378424/indonesias-mass-execution-the-story-behind-the-other-seven-inmates/

Martin Anderson, 50, Nigeria:

Anderson, also known as Belo, was sentenced to death in 2004 after being convicted of possessing 50 grams of heroin in Jakarta in November, 2003.

He had travelled to Indonesia on a fake Ghanaian passport.

Raheem Agbaje Salami, 50, Nigeria:


Salami was caught smuggling 5.3 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia in 1998.

Salami, who initially was wrongly said to have come from Spain, spent five years believing that he would one day be released.

He had been sentenced, in 1999, to a life term by the Surabaya District Court in East Java for bringing the stash of heroin through Surabaya airport.

In 2006, however, the Supreme Court upgraded his sentence to death.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Australia:

In a Bali hotel room almost a decade ago, two young Australian men strapped packages of heroin to the bodies of four nervous drug couriers – one package around each thigh and another to the back of their waists.

Andrew Chan, then 21, and Myuran Sukumaran, 24, both from Sydney, weren’t taking the risk of personally smuggling more than 8kg of heroin to Australia. They were the organisers of a Bali “holiday” for seven other young Australians. They gave the orders, booked flights and accommodation, picked up the heroin, even bought loose, gaudy tourist shirts to cover up the drugs.

The Bali Nine, as they are now known, had been followed by Indonesian police since the day they arrived in the tourist mecca – tipped off by Australian federal police. Chan was arrested at the airport with the four couriers on 17 April 2005 – Renae Lawrence, Martin Stephens, Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj – just before boarding a flight to Sydney. Sukumaran was arrested the same night in a Bali hotel room with three other would-be mules.

The couriers admitted their crimes and are serving life or 20-year prison sentences. But Chan and Sukumaran denied they had anything to do with the scheme and blamed the drug mules for scapegoating them. The extensive surveillance, phone records and the evidence of the couriers made their denials unbelieveable. In 2006 they were sentenced to death by firing squad.

Zainal Abidin, Indonesia:

Zainal Abidin, from Palembang in south Sumatra, was caught in 2001 possessing 58.7 kilograms of marijuana.

His original life sentence was upgraded that same year to death for his role in the massive operation on the well-travelled Aceh-to-Java dope smuggling route.

Indonesian authorities at the time of his arrest were cracking down on the marijuana trade, believing the proceeds from sales were being used to fund the Free Aceh Movement of north Sumatra.

He was sentenced to death in December 2001.

Okwudili Oyatanze, 41, Nigeria:

Oyatanze was arrested in 2001 for trying to smuggle 1.15 kilograms of heroin, in his stomach, through Jakarta's international airport from Pakistan.

He was convicted the following year and sentenced to death.

Known in Indonesia's penal system as the 'Death Row Gospel Singer', Oyatanze was the front man for a band comprising prison inmates.

He has written songs and released multiple albums from inside jail.

Oyatanze, born in southeastern Nigeria, reportedly launched a garment business in 1999 and travelled to Indonesia to buy clothing to market in Nigeria.

When the business collapsed, he found himself steeped in debt.

Seizing a chance to earn some easy money, Oyatanze travelled to Pakistan to become a courier.

The drug smuggling plan reportedly involved swallowing capsules of heroin before boarding a flight to Jakarta.

Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise, 47, Nigeria:


Sentenced to death for smuggling 1.2 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia from Pakistan in 2004.

Obiekwe was reportedly running a drug ring while on death row, outraging authorities who ordered he face the firing squad as soon as possible.

His wife Fatimah claimed Obiekwe was unemployed in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, before being lured to Pakistan on the promise of a quick-paying job but was duped.

According to his wife, once in Pakistan Obiekwe was asked to swallow capsules he was told contained goat horn powder, and fly to Indonesia.

Ms Fatimah, who is Indonesian, described Obiekwe as just a 'poor courier'.

The pair met in prison in 2007 when she accompanied a friend who was visiting another inmate, according to reports.

They married that year and have since had two children, now five and three.

Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, 30, Phillipines

A Filipino migrant worker who was sentenced to death in October 2010 for smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Jogjakarata from Malaysia.

She is the only female and has spent the shortest amount of time on death row.

Born to a poor family in the Philippines, Veloso is a single mother of two boys who insists she went to Indonesia for a job as a maid and was duped by an international drug syndicate.

Veloso says she was first offered a job by a friend in Malaysia, but upon her arrival she was told the work was actually in Indonesia so immediately flew there.

She claims the heroin was secretly hidden in her suitcase in Malaysia.

Rodrigo Gularte, 49, Brazil:

Gularte was convicted of smuggling six kilograms of cocaine stashed in his surfing gear in 2004.

He was detained along with two other men, but took the blame for the covert drug operation, and was sentenced to death one year later.

The Gularte family have tried without success to obtain clemency for him by saying doctors have classed him as paranoid schizophrenic, which would normally see him transferred to a psychiatric facility.

His lawyer said he would continue his fight to stop the execution and was due to launch a last-ditch bid for mercy.

If the execution goes ahead as planned, Gularte will be the second Brazilian to be executed under Indonesia's tough crackdown on drug smuggling.

Relatives and friends said Gularte had spent most of his time alone at Nusakambangan prison, on the execution island, talking to the walls, imagining ghosts or hearing voices.

Gularte was born into a wealthy family in the southern Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaco.

He was a keen surfer and relatives remember him as a kind young boy who slipped into depression, and became involved in drugs after his parents divorced when he was 13.

jascon1:
my brother English is worth the pain. Can n could which carries more probability?
Can is English is used for things that are certain.

Could is used for things that are possible but not certain.

Therefore, correct yourself n come back to me

Stop confusing yourself bro.

I talked about five issues that Buhari "cannot" solve as the president, which implies more of prediction or forecast than appraisal (judgment) of performance. Yes, you can predict with certainty. All what I said are obvious for every Nigerian to see.

If I change it to five issues that Buhari "could not or couldn't" solve as the president, then I am appraising (judging) his performance as a president.

deniyor:


Both sides made impossible promises. PDP ran an incompetent campaign. GEJ's had little to show for his last six years. Its also unfortunate Nigerians didn't get to really question Buhari's manifesto. A debate would have been nice. But hey, no room for buyer's remorse. He is going to be president. So we have no choice but to accept it. And hope he makes something good out of it. Support him till you decide what you want in the next election.

Oh well, this is not about PDP vs APC's performance. It is about Buhari as the president. It shows that I have accepted him as the president (that is what he is anyway). The type of expectation that your call for patience reflects is exactly why I wrote this article. These expectations makes me nervous even though I don't like Buhari. The guy (Buhari) is striving so hard to reduce these expectations. It is important to preach the reality on ground so that more understanding of his inadequacies can be generated.

I'm sure of one thing though, he will be a roasted meat for PDP's consumption. I just hope he will be as sensible as GEJ when the time of reckoning comes.