₦airaland Forum

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35350:nnpc-lifts-n133-billion-oil-illegally&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8
Written by Idris Ahmed Monday, 03 October 2011 05:04

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation lifted crude oil beyond the levels allocated to it for domestic consumption, thereby short changing the Federation Account by about N133 billion in six months, documents from the Federation Account Allocation Committee have shown.

NNPC lifted an extra 7,239,039 barrels of crude oil on top of the 80,545,000 barrels it was supposed to lift for refining and sale to the domestic market between January and June, the documents obtained by Daily Trust in Abuja indicate.


The excess oil taken amounted to about $885.7 million (equivalent N133 billion) based on the average prices of crude oil during each of the six months.

The corporation is entitled to lift 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day only, meant to be refined and sold at home. Because the local refineries are not working to capacity, NNPC sells part of this allocation abroad and then imports refined products to meet the domestic consumption needs.

But a report prepared by the FAAC ‘post-mortem’ sub-committee ahead of a fund-sharing meeting two weeks ago showed that during the first six months of the year, except in January, NNPC lifted more than what it should and never remitted the balance to the Federation Account as required by law.

The report was signed by Mr. Useni Gangum, chairman of the FAAC Post Mortem Sub-Committee, and was presented to the main funds allocation committee on Friday, September 16, 2011.

In January NNPC lifted 11,541,26 barrels, being 2.25 million barrels short of its allocation. But in the other five months till June, the corporation overshot its limit, the documents show.

In February, the corporation lifted 13,042,899 barrels instead of 12,460,000 barrels, thereby short changing the Federation Account by 582, 899 barrels, amounting to $47,401,346.68, based on the average $81.32 per barrel oil price for February.

In March, it lifted 16,303,115 barrels instead of 13,795,000 barrels, translating into 2,508,115 barrels extra and amounting to $237,568,652.8. Average crude oil price for the month was $94.72 per barrel.

In April the additional crude lifted was 2,231,828 barrels, translating into $227,981,230, based on the average price of $102.15 per barrel.

In May, instead of 13,350,000 barrels, NNPC lifted 15,035,592 barrels and when the extra 1,240,592 barrels is converted, it shows that the corporation short changed Federation Account by $115,275,808.64. Average oil price for May was $92.92 per barrel.

In June, the NNPC lifted 16,278,879 barrels instead of 13,350,000, amounting to $257,507,041.68, at average price of $87.92 per barrel.

When contacted, spokesman for NNPC Levi Ajuonuma said he would not be able to make any comments until he sees the documents.

At the last FAAC meeting in Abuja, members said they were worried over the short changing of the Federation Account by the NNPC.

The post-mortem sub-committee said it “deliberated on the matter and resolved that NNPC should limit its Allocation of Domestic Crude from Federation Equity Crude to 445, 000 barrels per day as over-lifting short changes Federation Crude export revenues.”

During the FAAC meeting on September 16, state governments initially rejected their allocations because of alleged discrepancies in oil subsidy figures and an unsettled N450 billion debt against NNPC. At a subsequent meeting four days later, the states accepted their allocations on the understanding that the NNPC would also repay the N450 billion debt in instalments.

Documents showed that the NNPC and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) short changed the Federation Account by about N746.95 billion in seven months from January to July, through deductions supposedly meant for fuel subsidies.

The two agencies paid themselves well above the monthly subsidy rates approved for them by the Appropriation Act. Based on the law, NNPC is entitled to N9.08 billion per month for subsidies, while the PPPRA is entitled to N11.417 billion per month. But each of the two agencies took more than the budgeted amount every month since January.

ekt_bear:
Well, color me surprised.

I didn't think OYES was a good idea at all. Perhaps I was too harsh in judging it.

Btw, regarding this:Is it a grant? That is a lot of money if so. Or is this bad Nigeria journalism? (Koruji, I'm not trying to hate on Aregbe, just want to understand this better.)

Digits90:
If GEJ is 2 repositn hs presidncy, he'll need::
*D FIRMNESS of OBJ without d latters BUCOLIC RAGE, SANCTIMONIOUSNSS&obscurantism.
* GOWON's FAIRNESS&humanism peppd up by a fiery crusade against natnl&intellctual SLOTHFLNSS.
* MURTALA'S IMPATIENT ACTIVISM circumscrbd by a deeply intellctual&reflctv understndn of bth narrow&natnl issues,

doctokwus:
How many corps members does Osun state get in a year(dfinitely not up to 5000) dat it wi employ dem and tink of employing more.U u come across such blatant lies,u know u ar dealing wt image laundering for a disgraceful governor

Beaf:
Lol!
AregbeRASCAL borrows money from the World Bank and some folk are worshipping like he has brought Jesus back.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/21563-bombs-explode-in-maiduguri.html
By Joseph Abiodun, Maiduguri and Chris Oji, Enugu 1 hour ago

Independence day tragedies • Man sets wife, two sons ablaze

Amid the country’s celebrations of its 51st Independence anniversary yesterday, two separate bomb explosions occurred in Dalashuwari and Nganaram wards of Borno State.

In Enugu State, a man identified as Alex Ndubuisi Egeonu yesterday set his pregnant wife and two sons ablaze.

Although the number of casualties could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, it sent panic across the state.

When contacted, The Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesperson, confirmed the incident, adding that he was yet to get any report about the casualties of the blast.

Also in Maiduguri, a butcher at the Baga station market was yesterday shot dead by unknown gunmen who also made away with some money.

Similarly, his son who raised an alarm that his father had been shot was also killed by the gunmen.

The incident caused pandemonium among traders in the market as they scamper for safety.

The gun men were said to have fired gunshots in the air to scare away people as they escaped through a bush path near the market.

Egeonu’s youngest son fell into coma following injuries sustained in the inferno. He was later revived at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu after two hours, while the wife and the first son are now on danger list at the hospital.

The fleeing father of two who hails from Umunoha town in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, according to eyewitnesses, had on arrival at his container shop located at No. 61 Mount Street, Awkunanaw, Enugu, where he sells musical records and Compact Discs, asked his wife to escort him to the filling station to buy fuel.

The wife willingly complied but shortly after returning to the shop Egeonu at about 11am went to a neighbour’s shop and began to drag the owner (a woman) to his own shop claiming that she was indebted to him.

The woman shouted to attracted neighbours and passersby who promptly rescued her from the man.

"Immediately the man returned to his shop, he tied the hands of his wife and poured the fuel on the floor. He thereafter locked the wife and his two sons inside the container and threw lighted matches through the window to ignite the fire," the eyewitness said.

The pregnant woman and her two sons were severely burnt before neighbours forced the container open and brought them out.

They were rushed to the Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre where the last son reportedly died. The pregnant woman and her first son, said to be in critical condition were later transferred to the National Orthopaedic Hospital.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect took to his heels after setting his family members ablaze and has not been found.


He said that investigations had commenced to ascertain the motive of the arsonist adding that the police would do everything possible to apprehend the suspect.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/10/world-bank-endorses-osun-youth-empowerment-model/
On October 2, 2011
By FOLUSHO AJIBUTU

Osun State government efforts on youths empowerment have received a boost, as the state is to benefit from the N50 billion World Bank/ Federal Government youth empowerment fund.

This was disclosed by the Sector Leader of the World Bank on Human Development and Task Leader on Youths Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), Professor Foluso Okunmadewa, after assessing the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) corps in Olorunda, Osogbo and Ayedaade local government council areas of the state.

Okumadewa disclosed that the state government has achieved a milestone in the area of engaging youths into community development and the World Bank is looking into areas to help the government expand the scope of OYES.

According to him, this is the third time his team would visit Osun to assess the scheme and discovered that the government is showing other states in the country how to get their youths gainfully engaged.

“From our past interaction with the officials of the scheme, we discovered that the scheme is getting beneficiaries involved in community responsibility and this time we are seeking the response of the corps members to understand it more and help the state build upon the success it has achieved”, the World Bank Sector Leader added.

He pointed out that the World Bank would partner with the state government on the youth empowerment model and called on other states to emulate the scheme to make their teeming unemployed youths useful.

The six-man team interacted with the corps members on their areas of specialisation and where the scheme needs improvement.

In his assessment, Yasser El-Gammal observed that the scheme has the potential to be the best in Africa.

“The World Bank is here to assess what the state government is doing and complement its efforts by helping to expand the project. We are impressed with what we see and believe it is a laudable programme on the part of government”, he added.

The leader of the state government team, Commissioner for Youth, Sport and Special Needs, Mr Stephen Kolabalogun, stated that the state administration has not relented in its effort to give the youths the best welfare programme, saying government is aware of the tremendous challenges ahead and would tackle them appropriately.

He maintained that Governor Rauf Aregbesola is passionate about youths, adding that youths would be the beneficiaries of the transformational policies of the government.

“Now, through OYES, the state economy is reaping about N200 million monthly and the moment about 5,000 of the corps members are absorbed into the state teaching service, 5,000 others would be enrolled into the scheme, meaning more hands would be engaged soon”, added the commissioner.

The chairman of OYES Implementation Group, Femi Ifaturoti, revealed that the scheme is not only about engaging youths but also a platform for human capacity building for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=19956
As official refuses to count accredited voter, admits over-voting

More damning evidences of discrepancies in the April 26 Kwara State governorship ballot surfaced last Wednesday, as INEC witnesses were confronted with certified copies of the commission’s documents, which showed that the number of votes credited to ACN at some ward levels, were higher than what was reflected at the local government levels.

The same documents also showed that votes credited to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the ward levels were lower to what was reflected at local government levels, again confirming allegations of inflation of results in favour of the PDP and under representation of ACN votes.

INEC is the fourth respondent in the petition the ACN filed against the commission’s declaration of PDP’s Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed as the winner of the governorship ballot in Kwara State.

Counsel to ACN, Osaro Eghobamien (SAN), showed the tribunal Form EC8B (result sheet for the ward level) for Afon Ward (Asa Local Government) in which it was recorded that ACN scored 836 against PDP’s 808. He then showed the court Form EC8C (result sheet for the same Asa Local Government Council Area) in which the column for the result from Afon Ward showed that ACN got 245, while the PDP was given 920.

Eghobamien produced the exhibits (the forms) during the cross-examination of Iyemesa Eseoghene, the INEC collation officer for Ila-Oja Ward of Asa Local Government Council Area, where Mrs. Eseoghene claimed the collation was done perfectly well and was devoid of errors.

Also in poling unit 001 of Ila-Oja Ward, which Eseoghene supervised, the Form EC8A showed that the number of valid votes (123) clearly exceeded the number of voters (16) recorded, as having queued to vote in the election.

The two witnesses the commission called on Monday, when it opened its defence, variously admitted that the number of voters exceeded the number of voters accredited for the election and that results declared in Forms EC8B and Form EC8A sometime conflicted with the actual figures of votes scored by individual political parties.

Pastor Sunday Giwa, who was the INEC Supervisory Presiding Officer for Share Ward 5, was asked during cross-examination by ACN counsel, Ebun Sofunde (SAN), to sum the total figures of valid votes recorded for all the political parties at a polling unit of Ila-Oja Ward of Asa Local Government Council Area and he arrived at 414.

The figure 414 (total valid votes) was discovered to have exceeded the figure 25, which is the number of voters on the queue as at the time voting commenced in the polling unit under consideration, establishing a clear case of over-voting.

Sofunde also asked Giwa to count from the voter’s register for another polling unit, Open Space unit 001 of Share Ward 5 in Ifelodun Local Government Council Area, the number of (accreditation) ticks for the governorship/House of Assembly election.

Giwa counted 77 ticks in respect of the gubernatorial polls, whereas Form EC8A for the same polling unit showed figure 291 as the number of accredited voters, again exposing clear case of inflation of the number of accredited voters.

Giwa, an SPO, alarmed the tribunal when he claimed ignorance of what the abbreviations for the three categories of the April 26 general elections on the voters register meant, including NASS, standing for the National Assembly Election, PRE, representing presidential election, and GHA, meaning Governorship/House of Assembly.

Giwa feigned ignorance of what the abbreviations meant after Sofunde asked him what would constitute an appropriate accreditation for each of the elections, claiming instead that it would be “pardonable” for the INEC officials to tick the voters’ indiscriminately without such ticks corresponding to the category of elections being held.

Efiong Ubong, the second witness, who was the INEC Collation Officer for Pategi Ward 4 during the election, also summed up figures of valid votes recorded for all the parties in the polling unit 003 of the same and got a figure (314) different from what was recorded on the EC8A for the same unit which is 302.

Asked to count from the voters’ register the number of accredited voters for the same unit, Ubong flatly rejected to count it, in what was an attempt to cover-up what the ACN calls rampant cases of over-voting and non-accreditation of voters during the poll.

http://tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/news/5437-soldiers-foil-boko-harams-fresh-bid-to-bomb-abujaby-chris-agbambu.html
Written by Chris Agbambu, Abuja
Saturday, 01 October 2011


SECURITY operatives have foiled an attempt by about 920 suspected members of Boko Haram to infiltrate the federal capital, Abuja ostensibly to carry out the earlier threat by the group to bomb the city during today’s 51st Independence Anniversary celebration.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the operatives rounded them up, as they were trying to sneak into the city through different routes between the FCT and neighbouring Niger and Adamawa states.

The operation was reportedly carried out by the operatives of Military Intelligence and Brigade of Guards, with the suspects comprising mostly Nigerians, Sudanese and Chadians.

It is recalled that the nation was thrown into mourning on October 1, 2010 following the bombing of the Eagle Square, the venue of Nigeria’s golden jubilee celebrations.

It was gathered that the foreigners were obviously on a mischief mission, as they could not explain to  security agencies what they were coming into Abuja to do.

The sources said that several arms and ammunition, including AK 47 rifles were recovered from the suspects who had been grilled towards providing some useful information that could assist security operatives  while the suspects have been interrogated and relevant information collected from them which led the security agencies into unmasking those behind recent bombings in Abuja and some other parts of the country.

According to the sources, the operatives are working round the clock to arrest more suspects in Suleija   in Niger State and in Nasarawa State, said to be the suspected hideouts of a few Boko Haram members in hiding.

Investigations revealed that most of the suspects arrested had been distributed into various cells of the security agencies where vital information are being collated as the government has not taken chances to ensure that the sect did not make good its threat on October 1.

The source said, most of the suspects would be repatriated to their home countries after interrogation for prosecution while those who are Nigerians will face justice in the country.

Towards this end, following the arrest of the aliens, the Federal Government has reportedly directed the Nigerian Immigration Service  to be fully on the alert as most of the suspects would be deported this weekend. Also, all the security agencies in the FCT have to carry out 24 hour security checks because of the separate threats by Boko Haram and MEND on key installations in Abuja.

Security from the boundary of Kogi State and FCT has been stationed, while the operatives searched vehicle booths and engines thoroughly.

ekt_bear:
We need to be careful of. . . dangerous patriotism, btw. The type of patriotism that causes you to bury your head in the sand and ignore the accomplishments of others.

That SA has done this doesn't diminish Nigeria, or mean that we need to tear them down.

We should take it as impetus to improve.

Beaf:
lol! See who is talking about mumu! Someone joining others to praise an ugly crate as the first ever African aircraft, when a fellow Nigerian has built several since 2007. Dude, be proud of your own.

I don't know where you got the zero feet idea from, its quite clear that his planes fly from all the literature provided. Stop being overzealous in promoting SA above Nigeria. Its a big fail bruv.

[size=14pt]. . .Bigging up our very own Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi. Nobody can fool us. 9ja number 1. [/size]

koruji:
Serious mumu dey worry you.

That I commend his efforts doesn't mean I am about to order one of his planes or get on it.

Next time you need air travel get on one his planes since you won't slate his efforts because of inability to fly higher than 10 feet.

I am sure he won't be flying in his own planes anywhere, any time soon - may be he is slating his own efforts too.

Beaf:
His plane didn't soar more than ten feet? So you wanna slate his effort for that? And to think you accused Ezeagu of self-hatred!
Chai! How high do you think the Wright brothers first flight was, and who do you know is credited with the invention of the air plane? Search yourself and learn to love and defend your own. Your SA promotion is complete rubbish.

Ogini di?

[size=14pt]All hail Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi, the 28-year-old Nigerian maker of the first ever airplane to be 100% designed in Africa![/size]

Beaf:
His plane didn't soar more than ten feet? So you wanna slate his effort for that? And to think you accused Ezeagu of self-hatred!
Chai! How high do you think the Wright brothers first flight was, and who do you know is credited with the invention of the air plane? Search yourself and learn to love and defend your own. Your SA promotion is complete rubbish.

Ogini di?

[size=14pt]All hail Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi, the 28-year-old Nigerian maker of the first ever airplane to be 100% designed in Africa![/size]

Beaf:
Do you understand English or are you making up this act? I said that blasted crate they are boasting about is no better than the air beetle that Nigeria has been making for donkey years. Or is it?
Dude, the page isn't that long na, and this is not the weekend when akpeteshi can be an acceptable excuse. Lol!

[size=14pt]All hail Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi, the 28-year-old Nigerian maker of the first ever airplane to be 100% designed in Africa![/size]

ezeagu:
What would Africa have done without white people?

Beaf:
You can dance with the SA company and their flying bicycle, I totally stick with Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi as the first to build a 100% African aircraft.

Beaf:
I really don't appreciate what the SA company is boasting about. There is some guy in the North thats making similar stuff in his backyard, I would rather hail him. Here is Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi, a 28-year-old physics graduate in 2007 at age 24 posing with a viable aircraft he made:

https://www.nigerialinks.com/images/stories/home-made02.jpg

He now owns an aircraft business. Why would I leave Nigeria to go hail a company in SA that is making some shiity looking aircraft that don't even look better than what Abdullahi can knock up in his backyard?

Here is more on the worthy Nigerian:

ezeagu:
Go white people!

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van's_Aircraft_RV-6[/url]Nigerian Air Force RV-6A Air BeetleThe RV-6 has a rare distinction in the world of kit built aircraft - it is used as a military training aircraft. Searching for a suitable trainer that could be assembled in Nigeria using local labour, the government of that country settled on the RV-6A. Van's produced 60 kits to fulfill the order and these were assembled and test flown in Nigeria, entering service with the Nigerian Air Force in 1989 as elementary training aircraft under the name "Air Beetle". The air training school is based at Kaduna, Nigeria. The only other amateur aircraft to have this distinction is the Pazmany PL-1, which was built as a trainer for Taiwan's Air Force in the 1970s.

It looks a bit like a futuristic cross between a jet fighter and an attack helicopter, but the Ahrlac is South Africa's answer to the piracy and poaching scourges afflicting the world. In a move aimed at putting South Africa back on the map as a world leader in aircraft development, arms company Paramount Group and aeronautical engineering firm Aerosud yesterday unveiled the first new combat aircraft developed in the country in almost a quarter of a century. The Ahrlac, or Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft, is a light two-seater strike plane.

Beaf:
The so-called wonder first African plane is in the shots below.
What is the difference between this sad looking thing and the air beetle we have been making in Kaduna for donkey years?
It looks like a crop spraying aircraft.

https://ahrlac.com/images/phocagallery/ahrlac/prototype/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_rc_flight_rear.jpg

https://ahrlac.com/images/phocagallery/ahrlac/prototype/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_rc_flight_bottom.jpg

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62442:un-suspends-travels-to-nigeria-over-abuja-blast&catid=1:national&Itemid=559
Tuesday, 27 September 2011 00:00 From Oghogho Obayuwana, Abuja News - National

UN suspends travels to Nigeria over Abuja blast: Moves food summit to Senegal

Steps govt must take against terror gang, by diplomats

NIGERIA is painfully having to lick more of the economic and social wounds inflicted on it by the terror attack on the United Nations (UN) House in Abuja on August 26, 2011.

In the incident, 23 persons were confirmed dead, with 11 of them being UN personnel.

The latest loss Nigeria has suffered from the incident is the right to host the global food security meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) slated for this month in Abuja now moved to Senegal.

The UN agency, which wrote to the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the decision, said it was due to the UN suspension of all official travels to Nigeria “until further notice.”

FAO said at the weekend that the event would now hold in Dakar, Senegal on October 6 and 7, 2011.

Before the FAO’s disclosure, experts had said that the bombing of the UN House would cost Nigeria indirect loss of revenue through decline in the patronage of its hospitality industry and other services.

The cancellation of the FAO meeting in Abuja, as announced by its regional office, diplomats said is just the beginning of other things, and possibly international appointments Nigeria might lose for being listed in the lower ladder of terror states.

The meeting brings together experts and food administrators from across the world.

In an explanatory note to ECOWAS on why the meeting was moved to Senegal, which was made available to The Guardian, FAO cited security threats and the activities of terrorist groups such as the destructive Boko Haram Islamic sect as reasons.

It said: “Following the regrettable and tragic bomb blast of the UN building in Abuja, all UN official travels to Nigeria have been suspended until further notice. For your information, an Organising Team has been set up since to coordinate the meeting preparation,” the statement added.

On the many possible fallouts of the bomb blast of the UN House and the growing climate of fear in the country, diplomatic experts and watchers of international politics, said it has the potential to draw negative attention to Nigeria as unstable and insecure nation.

There are worries that in the event of the UN scaling up Nigeria on the security threat index, the Federal Government’s renewed drive to attract foreign investors would be a fruitless exercise.

Nigeria is currently classified in the low to medium security threat category.

Ambassador Joe Keshi, technocrat and former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Ayo Adeniran, Nigeria’s former envoy to Venezuela now with the National Defence College, Abuja said investors might adopt a “wait and see attitude.”

On investment scare, Keshi said: “I quickly note that because of the potential of Nigeria, investors might just wait to see what happens next. They will not totally abandon us but we have to win their confidence not through talks but through credible and bold initiatives that reassure them that Nigeria is ready for business and that we can do by focusing attention on a number of issues at home.”

According to him, Nigeria’s problem in this regard, is “further complicated by the perception of weakness of our police and security agencies as well as the judicial system. When the international community in your country begins to ask for increased police protection, you should be worried, especially of the kind of reports they are sending home, which is why we must commend the Foreign Affairs Minister for the prompt decision to reassure the diplomats resident in Abuja of their safety.

“But we must move beyond the assurances and be seen to be taking proactive measures to curb the growing impunity against the country as our inability to do so could compound the poor perception of the country as a zone of insecurity.”

Keshi continued: “Let me try and illustrate what I’m saying. Before the elections, the Inspector-General of Police and his commissioners in the states were competing with the politicians for the camera as they assured us that they were battle ready and prepared for any eventuality. They displayed their new vehicles and bullet-proof jackets and yet before our eyes, riots broke out in some parts of the country to the extent that the Army had to be called out.                   .

“In October 2010, Abuja, the federal capital, was bombed and almost a year later nobody has been brought to justice. It is the same story either in the Jos crisis or anywhere that bombs have been exploded or riots have occurred. In comparison, it took the British police about six months or so to find the students who were responsible for the attack on Prince Charles and his wife during the students’ riots against the hike in school fees by the conservative government. Only last month, another riot broke out in most parts of Britain and hundreds of rioters and looters were arrested and prosecuted instantly. The magistrates sat throughout the weekend and working with the police, they were booked, charged and justice dispensed. I was in Britain then and I saw the impact on the youngsters and their families. When you do what the British and others like the Americans do, you give the impression of a society that the system works and has the capacity to protect its citizen and is prepared to go to any extent to do so.”

To Adeniran, Nigeria only appears to be losing the war against terror because there seems not to be sufficient efforts geared at coming to terms with the real motives of the bombers and political scare-mongers.

He said: “First, one should ask: What was the perpetrators lait motif? On the immediate damage, he maintained that it would seem now that “the assistance which Nigeria has been seeking at the multilateral level has unfortunately been jeopardised. This country still has myriads of problems and challenges that she cannot solve alone without the international community coming to her assistance.” 

Adeniran appears to belong to the school of thought, which sees the Nigerian entity as encouraging impunity of some of its component units.

On what is fuelling the climate of fear in Nigeria and scaring away investors, he said:  “… Our adversaries are watching with keen interest and are praying that something untoward happens to Nigeria so that they can jubilate. Should we give them room for laughter? Only recently a foreign ambassador wrote a book on Nigeria’s imminent demise. The book is in circulation worldwide. Should we allow such characters to say de javu? This is food for thought.”

Onlytruth:
EXCELLENT so far.

werepeLeri:
Haters never disappoint -
When he reads from a script - they say, why cant he just talk without a script. Some people go die because of GEJ.
LOL

ekt_bear:
Too scared of BH to properly celebrate independence.
Lmao, pathetic

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/28732-i-dont-need-to-be-a-dictator-to-rule-nigeria-jonathan

Written by Leon Usigbe, Abuja
Monday, 26 September 2011
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has responded to critics who think that he lacks the necessary will power to decisively tackle the various challenges facing his administration, saying that he does not need to be a dictator to change the fortunes of the country.

Speaking on Sunday, in Abuja, at an interdenominational service ahead of the country’s 51st Independence Anniversary, he assured Nigerians of his commitment to move the nation forward without necessarily becoming a brutal dictator.

Jonathan, who observed that God chose him to lead Nigeria and turn the fortunes of the country around despite his weaknesses, noted that he might not be a military general, an autocratic king or a lion as some people might expect, but said that  he would lead the country to greater heights.

According to him, “it is because of your prayers that we are seeing what we are seeing today.  You have been praying for us; some others do not want the government to move an inch, I mean those of us who are politicians.

“If you listen to some of the things people say or write in papers, some people would want the president to be a lion; some people would want the president to be a troop commander who would crush everybody on sight.  Unfortunately, I am not a troop commander. I am not an Army General.

“Some would want the president to be like David or other warriors in the Bible. Unfortunately, I am not one of those.

“The only prayer I need from you is for God to use me to change this country.”

Jonathan added: “I don’t need to be like Nebuchadnezzar, David or other great men to change this country, but with your prayers, I can change this nation; we can make the difference. Someone had written in the papers: is Nigeria on auto pilot?  I tell them that Nigeria is not on auto pilot; God is in-charge and God will take us to the destination He has destined for us.”

Jonathan said he would not have spoken at the service but changed his mind because of the barrage of criticisms his administration suffers in the country against its praise by the international community.

According to him, “some Nigerians chose to vilify us” when world leaders like  President Barak Obama of the United States and Jacob Zuma of South Africa had hailed him for his efforts so far.

“Obama, when he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly and on several occasions, commended Nigeria.  But back home here, we are being abused.  When we had the Security Council, when they spoke, they commended Nigeria.  When others spoke, they commended Nigeria. What I can assure you is that God is at work and we shall get to our destination,” he declared.

The president was full of praises for Nigerians for their fervent prayers for his administration, saying that such prayers had kept his administration in the right direction.

However, he warned that the road ahead would be rough, saying, “it is not going to be easy, but with God using you and me, we will get to where we want to be.”

In his anniversary sermon, former Head of the Evangelical Church of West Africa, ECWA, Reverend  Turaki Yusuf, lamented that the problem of the country was caused by “destructive ideological religion, insincerity, ethnocentricism and primordialism.”

He added: “Religion has become ideology and they kill in the name of ideological religion; we worship ethnic group, regionalism and tribalism at the expense of our national development.”

Furthermore, he accused past leaders of not laying sound foundation for national growth but noted, however, that there was hope for Nigeria since good always overcame evil.

“With faith, love and hope, we will conquer. God is sovereign above all and since Christ overcomes, we will overcome all evil,” he said.

The president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who led  the prayers, pointed out that “there are several Goliaths. They would want to frustrate us, but surely, we shall triumph.”

He said: “All the Goliaths that are stumbling blocks to the progress of this nation, God will expose their foreheads for the stone of David.”

Prayers were offered by different Christian leaders on the occasion for the growth and progress of the country.

auwal87:
Further to indicate after all, Islam is not the problem, Drugs, Alcoholism, intimate obsession, unemployment, poverty, anger over injustice, misleading information, Islamophobia, are the real causes of terrorism.

I, as a Muslim, condemned all forms of terrorism, and killings of innocent people for whatever reason.

aloy/emeka:
Why can't OPC go to war outside their shores if they have guts?. Why limit their violence to Sagamnu, Ketu, Ebutte Metta and co?. Why not launch a massive comprehensive attack on Boko Haram in the heart of Fulaniland?. Did the Ijaws attack Yorubas in Ijawland?.

You are beginning to sound like the Hausa/Fulani who wake and attack non indigenes in their land but when OPC rattled them in Ketu, they went into hiding. Is that bravery?. All these Yoruba,Igbo and Hausa militants are bunch of wussies. It is only the Ijaws who had the guts to launch attack beyond their shores. The Fulanis do launch attacks outside their shores too and they are 2nd in bravery.

aloy/emeka:
What did OPC do when MEND struck Lagos?

arsenefc:
Went into hiding

http://blogs.cfr.org/campbell/2011/09/23/nigerias-2011-elections-a-last-word/ 
Posted on Friday, September 23, 2011
by John Campbell

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan waits to address the 66th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 21, 2011. (Jessica Rinaldi/Courtesy Reuters)
The highly respected International Crisis Group (ICG) has issued a Policy Briefing, “Lessons from Nigeria’s 2011 Elections.” It concludes that Nigeria may have started to reverse the downward spiral of its elections, but that it has a long way to go. And the details and nuance in the report suggest that there is, indeed, a lot of work to do.

The report notes some positive changes in the status quo—seventy-two of one hundred and nine senators lost their seats; two hundred and sixty members in the three hundred and sixty seat House of Representatives are new; and the ruling People’s Democratic Party lost its two-third majority in the Senate and now holds the governorship in twenty-three of the thirty-six states, down from twenty-seven. Nevertheless, the ICG’s policy suggestions imply little short of remaking Nigeria’s political culture, calling on the Abuja government to construct “a system of disincentives to deter political and electoral malfeasance” through political and economic reforms that make the state “relevant to most Nigerians,” and calling for industrial development and job creation, especially for youth and unemployed graduates.

As has been common among analysts and observers, the ICG deemed the 2011 elections an improvement because they were better than the 2007 elections (a low bar). The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Attahiru Jega certainly performed better than its predecessor. However, the report documents every kind of electoral abuse, and thereby raises questions about how free and fair the elections were.

These elections were also the bloodiest in Nigeria’s recent history. The authors ascribe the post-electoral violence, which they are estimating took one thousand lives and affected a third of the states, to ethnic and religious divisions, exploited by politicians, and widespread socio-economic malaise and marginalization. While I think this is an accurate portrayal, I disagree with the statement that “few, however, predicted the violence that erupted in some Northern states.” Numerous analysts and Nigerians alike, including former president Olusegun Obasanjo (and myself), publicly commented on the potential for violence along sectarian lines with the end of zoning. The ICG even wrote in a February 2011 brief, “Flawed polls, especially if politicians stoke ethnic or religious divides, may ignite already straining fault lines, as losers protest results,” which is what ultimately happened.

Despite the use of the 2007 election as the bar to beat, implicit in the report – if nowhere clearly stated—is an indictment of a political culture that is fundamentally antithetical to democracy, and a call for fundamental reform of the relationship between the Nigerian government and its citizens. And that would require exceptional political skill and will on the part of President Jonathan and those who rule Nigeria.

alj_harem:
does this look like Yoruba name

u ideeiot

A flooded home in Uyo Photo By[b] Iniabasi Umo[/b]

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201109234342021

TWENTY-NINE countries, including Nigeria, have launched a new multilateral organisation to fight terrorism.

Speaking at the launch in New York on Thursday, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the new group would become “a counter-terrorism network that is as nimble and adaptive as our adversaries.

The GCTF, which has 30 founding members (29 countries plus the European Union) is planned to provide a platform for senior counterterrorism policymakers and experts from around the world to work together to identify urgent needs, devise solutions and mobilise resources in the fight against terrorism.

THE PUNCH learnt that the GCTF was created after the failure of earlier initiatives that did not include a broad array of countries.

Clinton said, “We understand terrorism is not a new phenomenon, but, unfortunately, given advances in technology and communication and travel and so many other of the ways we live together today, terrorism has become truly global and, unfortunately, an ongoing threat to us all.

“From London to Lahore, from Madrid to Mumbai, from Kabul to Kampala, it’s innocent civilians who have been targeted. And no country can afford to sit on the sidelines and no country can afford to go it alone.

“Now, in recent years, together we have made real progress against violent extremism. But I think we all recognise we can do more, which is why we are here. We can build an international counterterrorism network that is as nimble and adaptive as our adversaries, that can mobilise resources and expertise from across the globe, and that can not only meet today’s challenges but prepare for tomorrow’s.”

Clinton said that members would work together to deepen their understanding of the process of radicalisation and terrorist recruitment.

She said, “Over the last 10 years, we’ve learned a lot about how terrorist networks find their followers and maintain support and protection in particular communities. But there’s much we still don’t know about how best to disrupt their efforts and deny them support.

“This forum can serve as a clearinghouse for research and analysis into these challenges, bringing together experts to design effective strategies for countering violent extremism, and helping ensure that both governments and NGOs are trained to understand the phenomenon of radicalization and how to address it.”

The GCTF will initially have five working groups, one focusing on criminal justice and rule of law; one on countering violent extremism; and three aimed at building counter-terrorism capacity in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and Southeast Asia.

In addition to Nigeria and the US, other founding members of the group are Algeria, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Nigeria is currently in the throes of a terror campaign by the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has said that the 22 people arrested by the Rapid Response Squad on Wednesday were not members of Boko Haram sect.

Spokesman for the command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday that investigation so far revealed that the suspects were just local Islamic preachers.

Jinadu spoke against the backdrop of some reports that the arrested people were members of the group.

The Police spokesman said that the suspects, aged between 12 years and 45 years, were intercepted when they were trekking from Omu town in Ogun State towards Ketu in Lagos State.

He said, “When they were questioned they were unable to give any satisfactory explanation about their mission in Lagos. From investigations, they are local Islamic preachers from Yoruba land.

“No weapon was found on them, they are currently being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

“They told the police that God directed them to come and preach Islam to the people of Lagos for a period of 25 days.”

The PRO denied that they were connected to Boko Haram, urging Lagosians not to entertain fears as they went about their normal activities.