₦airaland Forum

Nasarawa killings: Nigeria has no government – Aturu

Nnenna Ibeh Published: May 14,2013

Mr. Aturu advised Nigerians to be pro-active about their welfare.

The pervasive insecurity across Nigeria points not to the failure of the state, but the absence of a state, radical Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, said in a statement.

‪”Let no one politicise the madness that is going on in Nigeria: it is not a case of failure of leadership or of the State (as some fancy), but their absence.

“The state is not failing in Nigeria; nor has it failed- it has vanished. Welcome to warlordism of the most virulent kind,” Mr. Aturu said‬.

‪Mr. Aturu who referred to the past week’s killing of scores of police officers by a cult in Nasarawa as scary and paralysing also stated that the killing of police officers carrying out their duty is unacceptable.‬

‪Referring to killing of security operatives in Bama and the release of prisoners from a prison facility, the lawyer concluded that Nigeria has become a banana republic regardless of what those at the helm of affairs think.‬

‪Mr. Aturu who also said that the security agencies are operating in the dark. He admonished Nigerians to brace up and find an alternative to the absence of the state.

“We need to do everything necessary to rescue our stateless-country. If we don’t, we are all in for it.

‪”The truth is that the political elite have lost it completely. The security agencies are merely groping in the dark, while anarchy reigns supreme,” he said.

‪He further called on the Nigerian government to do everything necessary to rescue the kidnapped Rhodes- Vivours family (wife and daughter of a Nigerian Supreme Court judge); threatening to hold them responsible if they are hurt.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134135-nasarawa-killings-nigeria-has-no-government-aturu.html

Kuku, Asari-Dokubo and the limits of blackmail .

Monday, 13 May 2013 00:00 Editor Opinion - Editorial


IT would have been enough to dismiss the utterances as the rantings of overzealous and misguided courtiers. But against the background of the fragility of Nigeria’s security today and the embarrassing spectacle of scums stumping around the national stage as potentates, it is risky to weigh the recent statements of Kingsley Kuku and Asari-Dokubo lightly.

Kuku, Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, reportedly warned while on a visit to the United States that the current peace in the Niger Delta area cannot be guaranteed unless President Goodluck Jonathan gets a second term come 2015. And leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Asari-Dukubo, went even further to declare that “there will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta, but everywhere if Goodluck Jonathan is not president again by 2015 … (because) Jonathan has an uninterrupted eight years of two terms to be president according to the Nigerian Constitution”.

In the first instance, Asari-Dokubo’s ignorance must be quickly pointed out: Section 135(2) of the constitution allows a presidential term of only four years and does not guarantee an incumbent an automatic second term. He is indeed free to run for a second term, which he has to win in a free and fair election. The syndrome of two terms has come to envelope the mind-set of not only the Asari-Dokubos and the Kukus of Nigeria, but even those persons voted into office for four years, that many tend to assume the second term should be taken for granted instead of being conditioned on performance in the first. It is a betrayal of public trust and a shame that men and women given power, authority and huge public resources with a mandate to serve the best interest of the people are so self-seeking as to devote the better part of that tenure scheming for the future while ignoring the job at hand.

Utterances such as Kuku’s and Asari-Dokubo’s are not new, having been made by otherwise respectable politicians and persons north and south of the country. Reprehensible, divisive and disruptive, Nigerians must see them clearly for what they are: cheap blackmail intended to coerce other parts of the federation to acquiesce to a predetermined desired end. But this is a democracy and this is a country of federating units. Therefore, in principle and in practice, political power must be won only by the voting consent of the people and in accordance with the laws of the land. It must be stated directly that the Kukus, the Asari-Dokubos and such other persons who share their views are doing too much harm to the very cause they seek to advance. Jonathan’s case for a second term can only be made with concrete evidence of good governance and service delivery to Nigerians, not fire-spitting, intimidation or threats of brimstone on the citizenry. Besides, Asari-Dokubo and Kuku have revealed themselves to be non-believers in the democratic tradition but mere anarchists pursuing sectional and self-seeking agenda.

Nigeria is bigger than any of its parts and any individual, regardless of ranking. This being so, let no one or group say, or even think, that this country shall fall apart unless a particular course of action suitable only to it or him is adopted.

Whereas Kuku has gone to the press to deny “the wrong notion that I threatened that if Jonathan doesn’t win or get re-elected in 2015, there would be violence in the Niger Delta”, this is an afterthought of a man who spoke before thinking. And as an adviser to the President, it boggles the mind what manner of advice such a man gives to President Jonathan.

The silence, in contrast to the regular combative riposte to criticisms, in the Presidency to both Kuku’s and Asari-Dokubo’s irresponsible threats is also deplorable. The public is indeed being made to assume that these two speak the mind of the president, even if this may not be so. For if the president is in any way uncomfortable with, and finds their utterances unacceptable, it is taking too long to make this known. It is said that the essence of an objection is its timing and whatever objection emanates now from Aso Rock can only be regarded an afterthought. Indeed, in a better-administered polity, Kuku would have been relieved of his duties for bringing his public office, funded by the Nigerian people, to so much odium.

The Nigerian constitution is explicit in Section 130(1) that “there shall be for the Federation a president” who can only be so designated and hold the office on the basis of a broad mandate spelt out in Section 134. Thus, the presidency is a position created by the constitution and imbued with federal responsibilities and obligations. Besides, the oath of office of the president demands of him, in thought, words and deeds, a pan-Nigerian view. It is not for nothing that a president is regarded as ‘father of the nation’. This is because, of all elected public office holders, only the president holds a nationwide mandate. It is regrettable that Dr. Jonathan continues to allow himself, wittingly or unwittingly, to be advertised by a section of this nation for itself and its narrow interest. This is not acceptable. It is not what Nigerians voted for.

No part of this federal republic has a special claim or right more than any other to the presidency and its occupant. It is the duty of the incumbent to assert this principle, assert his independence, and protect the federation from cant and chicanery in pursuance of sectional interests. This is the challenge of leadership. A president must at all times aspire to statesmanship. Jonathan has a duty to rein in his supporters and stop them from holding him out as anything other than the President of Nigeria.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=121566:kuku-asari-dokubo-and-the-limits-of-blackmail&catid=37:editorial&Itemid=612

Yewande Akinola named among best under 30 female engineers in UK •To reign as IET, UK young woman engineer ambassador for 2013

Written by Seyi Gesinde Saturday, 30 March 2013 00:00

Nigeria’s rising star in the United Kingdom, Yewande Akinola, who recently won the Young Woman Engineer of the Year award from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in London, United Kingdom, consequently placing her among best under 30 female engineers in the UK, will be the new IET’s young woman engineer ambassador for 2013.

Akinola is a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree holder in Engineering Design and Appropriate Technology from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom and a Masters degree holder in Innovation and Design from Cranfield University, also in UK. She works with ARUP, a global firm of consulting engineers with its headquarters in the UK.

Reacting to the award which also fetched her cash prize of £2,500, Akinola said: “Winning this has encouraged me to work even harder to put all the effort I can into spreading the message about how successful women in engineering are and can be.

“I’m hoping this will help me tell an effective story that will inspire young girls to consider a career in engineering and will demonstrate the diverse and fantastic opportunities this industry has to offer.”

Justifying Akionla’s choice as the winner of the award, the awarding institution, IET, described her in its publication as “a woman who loves the challenge of taking engineering ideas from concept through to manufacture, she has been recognised for her commitment to sustainability and innovation, especially around water supply technology.”

Akinola had originally planned to train as an architect, but her mother thought she would really excel if she entered the engineering world.
“My mum thought that as an engineer I would have a lot more opportunity to express my desire to create inspiring spaces for people to live and work in, so I gave it some thought.

“When I started to really think about it, I thought yes, I’m interested in water engineering, I’m interested in transport, energy, and having spent time growing up in developing country energy was a big problem. I thought that instead of designing just comfortable houses, I could design roads and energy systems that would complement the whole idea of comfortable living. That was it for me: I then applied to Warwick.

“The beauty of engineering is that its basic principles span across many different areas and aspects: communications, structures etc. That variety has helped me stay interested.

“I would like to call this social engineering. It was an amazing opportunity to work onsite and communicate my design ideas to the people there.

Being able to express engineering concepts and ideas to the people on site is an important part of an engineer’s work,” Akinola said.

Looking back over her career so far, there are two projects which Akinola is particularly proud of, the first being her contribution to the large Brownfield redevelopment and sustainable regeneration of Central Saint Giles, London, described as one of the first city centre projects with a site-wide biomass heating system, extensive green roofs, and recycling of rainwater and grey water.

Secondly, she is also proud of designing a product for a school in Devon.

“It is about being able to translate an idea to a finished product, getting it registered and patented, then having it installed in a building and used everyday. Seeing it all come together is really good,” Akinola said of her the completed projects.

Besides, as an engineer, she is also interested in water and sanitation for underdeveloped and developing countries, and this has made her travel to Ghana to look into developing mechanised systems, while she recently went over to Mozambique to work with Water Aid.

“That was really good because engineering is about being able to find the right solutions with the right resources. The problem there in Mozambique was with sanitation. These guys use pit latrines and when full they fill them up and dig new ones. Slowly but surely they’re surrounded by them.

“I came to work with the people there to understand how this problem could be solved. The project was about supporting the sanitation association to go into all these homes and empty the latrines. There is something called a Vacutug that can be used, and these are then emptied at a local waste water treatment centre,” Akinola said, while sharing her experiences during her trips.

Besides engineering works, Akinola also enjoys sharing the thrills of life in the industry and for this; she combines her career with media roles where she can promote engineering to the general public

This passion has created a role for her on UK TV, Channel 4, where she had appeared on shows, likewise on Discovery channel.

“All my media work has been about promoting engineering from start to finish. I’ve always been a great believer in enjoying what you do and communicating that fact. No two engineers are the same, but letting people see what you do and that you’re enjoying it means there’s the potential for others to find and love their own niche. Working with the media is my way of expressing that.”

Her first work, according to IET appeared on Channel 4’s Titanic: The Mission, which saw a team of engineers reproduce a 30 feet section of the ship’s steel bow to scale, and erect it at the Belfast dock where Titanic was launched.

“I heard about it through a colleague at work. I thought I didn’t know a lot about ships but it seemed a good challenge, so I called them. I went along to the audition and met the other guys. I had to complete a couple of tasks around carpentry and building things and later got a call asking if I would like to join the team. It was the beginning of a new exploration for me,” Akinola said of her TV role.

So, she said winning awards, especially the Young Woman Engineer of the Year award, means a lot to her.

She said: “These awards are very prestigious. In a way, people in industry see these as the perfect expression of excellence.

“It’s inspiring and encouraging to be a finalist, let alone a winner,” she continues. “This award will push me forward; help me carry on my engineering quest as such. It will allow me to reach out to more people and get involved in high-level decisions that may encourage women into engineering and also stick with engineering.”

This is a problem she said she believes a lot of women come in and leave after a few years.

Hence, to Akinola, “winning this has encouraged me to work even harder to put all the effort I can into spreading the message about how successful women in engineering are and can be.

“I’m hoping this will help me tell an effective story that will inspire young girls to consider a career in engineering and will demonstrate the diverse and fantastic opportunities this industry has to offer,” Akinola said.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/8481-yewande-akinola-named-among-best-under-30-female-engineers-in-uk-to-reign-as-iet-uk-young-woman-engineer-ambassador-for-2013

Ombatse Traditionalists: Police Killed Our Nine Members Before We Killed 95 Of Them
Posted: May 9, 2013 - 19:43

Posted by siteadmin

By SaharaReporters, New York

A man who admits to be an Ombatse traditional religionist in Nassarawa State has told SaharaReporters their group killed 95 policemen today, nearly four times the 23 the police have admitted.

Earlier, Abayomi Akeremale, the State Police Commissioner, said, "The Ombatse gunmen opened fire on our men, killing 23 and burning them," Nassarawa state police chief said, adding that 17 officers remain missing.

Akeremale said the security forces decided to arrest some Ombatse leaders after they receive reports they were embarking on forced conversions in the village of Elakyo, near Lafia, the Nassarawa capital.

Speaking through an interpreter on the phone, the traditional religionist denied shooting at the policemen, saying his groupresponded only with machetes and knives, not bullets, and only after the police had killed nine of their members.

Denying that they have been committing force conversions in mosques and churches, he said the policemen arrived in 12 patrol trucks and opened fire on his group.

“We were in our place performing our rites, when our members alerted us that police may come for our father and leader,” he said. “Suddenly that day, the armed police came with guns and we say what happened? They did not answer us but started spraying teargas on us and killed nine of our members. In return for self defence we killed 95 of them, we have no guns it was machetes that we used in defending ourselves and eventually killed them. There is nothing like gun attacks.”

On attacking mosques and churches, the sect member, first pointing out he has not been instructed to speak, denied the reports.

“We don’t do that,” he told our reporter. “Our group is serious about morality, we are against liquor and don’t harbour it, no sleeping with men and no stealing. We are on our own seeking protection for our own people, and the police just entered us.”

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/ombatse-traditionalists-police-killed-our-nine-members-we-killed-95-them

House of Reps orders police probe on Dokubo, Kuku, over 2015 warnings
Premium Times Published: May 7,2013

The president’s associates have warned of crisis if Mr. Jonathan is not reelected.

The House of Representatives has mandated an immediate police investigation of two close allies of President Goodluck Jonathan, who warned of serious consequences if the president is denied a fresh term in 2015.

Lawmakers condemned the comments in the “strongest terms” by presidential adviser on Niger-Delta Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku; and ex-militant leader, Asari Dokubo; and unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday, urging the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to commence investigations.

“While Nigerians are fervently praying for peace in Nigeria, some Nigerians are already out sowing the seed of discord amongst the people,” said Ali Madaki (PDP, Kano), who raised the motion.

Mr. Kuku, who spoke at a meeting with United States officials in Washington, said the president remains the sole custodian of peace in the Niger Delta, and made it clear that the restive region, and by implication, the entire nation, will face crisis if Mr. Jonathan failed to clinch a second term.

“It is true that the presidential amnesty programme has engendered peace, safety and security in the sensitive and strategic Niger Delta,” Mr. Kuku said. “Permit me to add that the peace that currently prevails in the zone is largely because Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is from that same place, is the President of Nigeria. That is the truth. It is only a Jonathan presidency that can guarantee continued peace and energy security in the Niger Delta.”

He said while the challenges that stoked the Niger Delta crisis have yet to be fully addressed, the agitators-the militants- were prepared to patiently await progress as long as one of their own, Mr. Jonathan, remains the president.

The bellicose remarks, well condemned in the media, drew no rebuke from the presidency. Officials who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES informally, instead, praised Mr. Kuku’s forthrightness.

On Friday, Mr. Dokubo, who recently criticized the president, accusing him of dismal performance in the Niger Delta, told reporters separately that Mr. Jonathan must be returned to office in 2015.

He affirmed Mr. Kuku’s remarks and bluntly warned of a restart of conflict if the president is denied reelection. Mr. Jonathan has not confirmed that he will be seeking a reelection.

Of Mr. Kuku’s remarks, Mr. Dokubo said: “I want to go on to say that, there will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta but everywhere if Goodluck Jonathan is not president by 2015, except God takes his life, which we don’t pray for.

“Jonathan has uninterrupted eight years of two terms to be president, according to the Nigeria constitution. We must have our uninterrupted eight years of two tenure. I am not in support of any amendment of the constitution that will reduce the eight years of two tenure that Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be president of Nigeria.

“For very long time, our resources from the Niger Delta has been used to feed and fund Nigeria, and some people are still feeling that Nigeria is their personal property, and they can manage it the way they like, but those days are gone forever, it can never come back again.”

The House committee on Public Safety and National Security is to liaise with the police and keep the House informed of developments on the investigation.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/133144-house-of-reps-orders-police-probe-on-dokubo-kuku-over-2015-warnings.html

Nigeria’s corruption exaggerated, says Jonathan

Posted by: Our Reporter on May 7, 2013

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said the corruption in the country is exaggerated.

The president spoke in Cape Town, South Africa, while addressing the Nigerian community in the town.

He is on official visit to South Africa.

Jonathan said: “Those who talk about corruption are the most corrupt, we must build strong institutions. Putting heads together along with the heads of the corruption agencies like the EFCC and the ICPC, that what we should do because the perception is so bad and sometimes we also amplify it.

“Sometimes when you look at the figures, somebody comes out with a figure and if you don’t confront it, the recent statistics about funds being moved out of the country is so big and we started asking why is it so and we also realised that there if this policy of regulating the movement of money, and business people like Peter Obi will tell you that the Anambra man will not want to wait; he wants to move his money and go and buy. He did not steal the money. If you ask him to be transferring $10,000 to China, how long will it take him to do that? And so they will find a way of taking the money out and because it is not the conventional way of transferring the money, it all ends up as if all is for corruption. There is element of corruption; I am not saying there is none. In Nigeria now, anybody who wakes up and does not talk about corruption you have not said anything. If somebody is preaching, you must talk about corruption; if you are in wedding, you have to talk about corruption.

“So the perception index is quite high but we all collectively must work to reduce it. I am not saying there is no corruption; there is still some corruption in the country, but we must all work very hard and strengthen the institution to bring the corruption down. And also the issue of security and crime, one of us mentioned the issue of Boko Haram in some parts of the North. We have kidnapping in the Southsouth and the Southeast. This must stop. We will do everything to bring it to an end.

“But for our brothers and sisters in South Africa, we thank you for this beautiful evening and I must thank you for the wonderful work you are doing. We are doing very well and I want to encourage you to continue to do very well.

“For those who won scholarships, I just want to inform you that we have different products, not just from the Federal Government, Nigeria is a Federal system, the states are semi-autonomous sub national governments and a number of states are also having some scholarship programmes. Sometimes, the states have bursaries, sometimes scholarships. At the federal level, the population of this country is very high, it will be extremely difficult or impossible for you to now declare scholarship for every Nigerian that is schooling; yes we will get to that point, but for now we have selected products and for some of you who are quite good with what is happening in the world, all that we can advise is that always try to get the information and when it comes up, you apply.

“We give scholarships but it is not generalised that by this time of the year we are giving scholarships across the whole group. But wherever you are, like the minister was talking about Diaspora students, students’ schools are all over the world and students are always Diaspora population. But I assure you that we will continue to work with you, we have our country at heart, we have the commitment and the political will to improve the fortunes of our country. “

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/nigerias-corruption-exaggerated-says-jonathan/

Pini Jason, A Nigerian Pundit, Is Dead
Posted: May 4, 2013 - 16:35


By SaharaReporters, New York
SaharaReporters has learned of the death earlier today of Pini Jason, one of Nigeria’s most well known columnists. He was 65.

A professional colleague of his disclosed that Mr. Jason died early in the afternoon in a Lagos hospital after undergoing a surgical procedure a few days ago. SaharaReporters could not ascertain how long he had been ill.

Mr. Jason, whose real name was Jason Onyegbadue, was until his death a columnist for Lagos-based Vanguard newspaper. He wrote his regular column until three weeks ago.

A longtime columnist for the newspaper, Mr. Jason took a leave of absence in 2007 to work as a senior aide to former Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State. He was designated a special assistant on special duties. He returned to writing his column at the Vanguard following Mr. Ohakim’s failure in 2011 to obtain a second term as governor.

Saharareporters could not confirm the exact cause of death. However, a source revealed that Mr. Jason underwent a prostate cancer surgery two years ago.

Mr. Jason had earlier worked as a senior editor at the now defunct African Guardian newspaper. A colleague of his at African Guardian remembered him as “a witty, exuberant person whose robust sense of humor enlivened the newsroom.”

Mr. Jason is survived by a wife and several children.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/pini-jason-nigerian-pundit-dead

Fashola receives Lord Mayor of London, outlines investment opportunities

Written by Friday, 03 May 2013 00:05

LAGOS State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday received the Lord Mayor of London, the Rt. Hon. Alderman Roger Gifford who led a high level business delegation from the United Kingdom on a courtesy with the Governor, laying out the immense partnership opportunities in the global city that Lagos has become.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Lagos House, Alausa, while playing host to the Lord Mayor, said the City State of Lagos takes both the benefits and the challenges that come with population growth including transportation and other infrastructure to support the population which in turn translate to investment opportunities.

The Governor told the Lord Mayor, who was accompanied by the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr Peter Carter, among other top British officials and business executives, “Some of the challenges that we face here include population growth and how to make transportation system much more effective and efficient.”

According to Governor Fashola, “Today Lagos, as a City State, is dealing, as it were, with the challenges and of course taking the benefits of becoming the global citizen in the sense that on the heels of growth opportunities, radical opportunities, Lagos becomes an even more attractive destination now not only for the sub regional, inland and financial capital but also for international financial capital”.

The Governor continued, “And in that sense, I think the City of London provides a compass for how best to manage the pressures of this new status, its burden and its benefits”, adding that in this respect, the very useful partnerships the State Government has formed with its British counterpart has come in very handy.

“I like to also acknowledge the partnership which we have forged with the British Government particularly the very useful relationships we have with the Deputy High Commissioner and all the others here across the spectrum, Education, Commerce, Healthcare and so many others and I can say looking at them today that we have made progress and both sides are proud to learn from each other”, the Governor said.

Expressing joy that the Stock Exchange in Lagos has bounced back after a period of setback, Governor Fashola declared, “The stock exchange here is probably the stock exchange that mirrors now what happens on the Continent. It had suffered losses but I am very proud and happy to say that it is now back, stronger, much more stable, the index stronger and firmer and the confidence in the market clearly restored.”

Governor Fashola thanked the Lord Mayor for the courtesy of the visit expressing pleasure that there was a sizeable number of Nigerians among the Mayor’s delegation. “I believe you will be pleased to know that on this side too there are quite a number of products of British institutions”, he told his visitor.

In his opening remarks earlier, the Lord Mayor said his visit was in line with the intentions of the City of London to develop strong relationships with other international cities across the globe pointing out that London has always presented huge opportunities for citizens of other countries including Nigeria.

According to the Lord Mayor, Nigerians, particularly British Nigerians, have done very well in the city of London availing themselves of the vast opportunities provided by the city especially in the financial sector.

Noting that the United Kingdom banks, about 250 of them, in the City of London are assisting businesses including Nigerian institutions, the Lord Mayor expressed joy that the Nigerian institutions in the City are doing very well.

The Lord Mayor who commended the Nigerian Stock Exchange which he said he visited before coming to the Government House, said he had useful discussions with the London Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange expressing pride that he rang the opening bell and banged the column.


http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/10966-fashola-receives-lord-mayor-of-london-outlines-investment-opportunities

Reps bicker over N59tr oil deal
Posted by: Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi on May 3, 2013 in Business 3 Comments

Bickering over which Committee will investigate the alleged N59 trillion oil deal involving the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and others, nearly truncated the House of Representatives’decision to continue with the probe.

The intervention of the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, who stamped his authority saved the day after Robinson Uwak (PDP, Akwa Ibom) had raised objection over the resolution of the motion that the investigation be undertaken by the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).

Victor Ogene (APGA, Anambra), who moved the motion, had urged the House to constitute an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the alleged shady deal involving the farm-out or allocation of Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 4, 26, 30, 34, 38, 41 and 42; and to report to the House in four weeks.

But before the conclusion of his argument, Uwak raised a point of order, citing a section of the House rule that empowers House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to investigate such matters.

The presiding officer noted Uwak’s point, but when he was about to rule in the motion, Uwak protested for the second time that his observation has not been ruled on.

Another member immediately raised a point of order citing another House rule that forbids members making comments more than once on the same subject.

When it became obvious that the proceeding might be jeopardised, the Deputy Speaker exercised his authority and ruled Uwak out of order after, which the majority of the lawmakers voted in support of the motion.

In his argument, Ogene observed that representatives of oil producing ethnic nationalities in Delta State protested the alleged fraudulent allocations of some marginal oil fields at the premises of the National Assembly on Thursday, April 25, 2013.

He said: “The protesters complained of the secret and arbitrary farm-out of the Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 4, 26, 30, 34, 38, 41 and 42 to both Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited and Septa Energy Limited, without regard to the law and due process.

“We are, however, aware that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited, compromised officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Petroleum Development (NPDC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which were allegedly accused of impropriety, abuse of due process and fraud in the transactions leading to the farm out of the said oil blocks.

“In addition, it was also alleged that a colossal sum of $380 billion or about N59 trillion and $15.72 trillion worth of gas asset were at stake in the shady deal.

“It was alleged that there was a deliberate exclusion of indigenous operators from exercising their rights of first consideration or refusal in the deal in violation of sections 3(1), (2) and 5 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Act (No 2), 2010, which action obviated the need for an open and competitive bidding in favour of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, which neither tendered nor bidded for the blocks allocated to it.


http://thenationonlineng.net/new/business/reps-bicker-over-n59tr-oil-deal/

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PHOTONEWS: The Real Laborers Vs Labor Leaders On May Day

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http://saharareporters.com/gallery/photonews-real-laborers-vs-labor-leaders-may-day

James Ibori’s Jail Term Appeal For Hearing Tomorrow

Posted: May 1, 2013 - 14:52
Posted by siteadmin

caption: James Onanefe Ibori is serving 13 years in UK prison for money laundering

By SaharaReporters, New York
An appeal filed by the imprisoned former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori to have his prison term slashed, has been listed for hearing tomorrow at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London.

The case will be heard by Lord Justice Treacy and Mr. Justice Edwards-Stuart, Recorder Of Leeds sitting as a judge of the Court Of Appeal criminal division.

Last year, Mr. Ibori was sentenced to 14 years in jail by a Southwark Crown Court judge after he pleaded guilty to stealing about $250 million which he laundered through banks in the United Kingdom. The monies, which were stolen from the coffers of Delta State while he was governor there, were lavished on a Bombardier jet, luxury cars, expensive homes in London, and jewelry.

The assets he purchased with the laundered funds are currently the subject of a court-ordered forfeiture around the globe including the US, South Africa and Dubai.

After he fled Nigeria, Mr. Ibori was arrested in May 2010 in Dubai on an international warrant of arrest, and later extradited to the United Kingdom to face trial the money laundering charges.

Before his conviction and imprisonment, Mr. Ibori’s sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori; his wife, Theresa Ibori; and his mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo-Onuigbo, were also convicted. They were each jailed for five years for acting as accomplices in the extensive money laundering operations of the former governor.
Also jailed was Ibori’s lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil. Other jailed accomplices include Daniel McCann, and Lambertus De Boer.

In a prior trial in Nigeria that was manipulated by the government of Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, Ibori was acquitted of all of the 170 charges he faced that were basically the same as the one the former governor faced in England.

“As things stand, Ibori was only to spend seven years in jail in England,” an analyst pointed out in New York today. “If through some well-paid and clever lawyering that sentence happens to be reduced by a couple of years, Ibori would in the end only have missed a few PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) lunches.

As Dipreye Alamieyeseigha has proved, Mr. Jonathan will grant him state pardon and give him the GCFR. He will run for the Senate and just like old times, rejoin his criminal old band!”

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/james-ibori%E2%80%99s-jail-term-appeal-hearing-tomorrow

EFCC Arrests Ifeanyi Ubah Over Fuel Subsidy Scam
Posted: April 30, 2013 - 12:59

By SaharaReporters, New York
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the managing director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah.

Sources at the agency told Saharareporters that Mr. Ubah was arrested by a team of operatives at his Maitama home in Abuja.

A detective at the agency revealed that Mr. Ubah had ignored earlier invitations to the EFCC to voluntarily submit to interrogations regarding his role in the multi-billion dollar oil subsidy scam. Ubah is currently undergoing interrogation at the Abuja offices of the EFCC.

So far the EFCC has arraigned some 40 persons in connection with the scam.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/efcc-arrests-ifeanyi-ubah-over-fuel-subsidy-scam

Rivers PDP Chair suspends Speaker, 26 lawmakers

Posted by: Group on April 29, 2013 in News Update, Uncategorized Leave a comment

The new Rivers Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Felix Obuah, has suspended 27 of the 32 members of the state assembly from the party, including the speaker, for insubordination.

Obuah announced the suspension to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, saying the members did not comply with the party’s directive on dissolution of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on April 22, the assembly suspended the Obio/Akpor Council chairman, his deputy and the 17 councillors for alleged reckless spending of public funds.

The assembly said that the allegations were made by the Obio/Akpor stakeholders from the 17 wards of the local government area.

It explained that the petition was weighty and required a thorough investigation which would require the suspension of the accused for proper investigation to take place.

The assembly said that the suspension was pending the outcome of the investigation.

The party chairman said that the party issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the assembly to rescind the order on dissolution of the Obio/Akpor council but “it was flagrantly disobeyed.’’

Obuah said: “the party hereby suspended all the 27 members of the House of Assembly that carried out such action while their matter is referred to Disciplinary Committee for further action.’’

On the grounding of the Rivers Government aircraft, the chairman said that the party “views with grave concern the unfolding facts surrounding the ownership of the purported aircraft“.

Obuah said that the party would not fold its arms and allow “monumental“ fraud to be perpetrated in the state.

He alleged that from the records available and statements credited to the Acting Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the aircraft was not bought by the government.

Obuah said the records showed that the Aircraft Bombardier B.D 700, Global Express aircraft with registration No. 5N5N65 RS, was owned by Utah Limited States of America.

He said that the aircraft registration showed that it was owned by Bank of Utah Trustee of Salt Lake City, Utah Limited States of America.

The chairman said that the aircraft was operated illegally as its clearance approval expired on April 2 and had since been operating in violation of the rules of civil aviation authorities.

“It is unacceptable and embarrassing to our great party that public funds are hopelessly mismanaged; as a result these questions must be answered by the Rivers State Government.

“Where is the aircraft, purportedly bought with the Rivers State funds and tax payers’ money?

“Where have the billions of naira taken from the coffers of the Rivers State Government gone to and for what purpose was it appropriated and where is it diverted?“ Obuah asked.

He said the state government should give a copious explanation concerning the funds spent on the aircraft or face disciplinary action from the party.

Obuah said that the PDP government led by President Goodluck Jonathan had zero tolerance for corruption and that the state PDP would also not condone such .

He, however, directed all party members in the state to be totally loyal to the new state executive council and warned that the party would not hesitate to deal with deviants.

Obuah warned members of the party to refrain from making unsavory and unguarded utterances that were inimical to peace and development in the party. (NAN)

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/uncategorized/rivers-pdp-suspends-speaker-26-lawmakers/

My experience in the hands of kidnappers – victim

On April 26, 2013 · In Special Report 8:15 pm

By Ayo Onikoyi

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 started like any other day for Alero Collins, a single career woman of 28 years old. She woke up in the morning around 6am and headed to her place of work in Victoria Island from her humble abode in Oworonshoki.

At work, nothing was out of place, it was just another working day, one she begins around 8am in the morning to usually 8pm in the evening. As a housekeeper in a posh hotel, everyday life isn’t about much excitement, more often than not, the day is usually dreary room calls of cleaning.



Perhaps, if she had known what laid ahead in store for her that fateful Wednesday she would have elected to skip the day and have it off even if it means losing the day’s pay which amounts to paltry one thousand naira only.

Her monthly salary is just thirty thousand naira and going by the fact that she works thirty days a month, apart from one day off she gets on weekly basis, her daily wage comes to a thousand naira per day. In fact, Alero decided to take that job to support herself because she has nobody to support her. Her parents have long been dead. Her older siblings could hardly support themselves and family, let alone adding another mouth to feed. How she could turn out to be a target for kidnappers is a question Alero has been asking herself.

After the close of work on that fateful Wednesday at around 8pm in the night she made for Ahmadu Bello Way to get a bus to Obalende where she would then join another bus to take her to Oworonshoki but on getting to the nearest bus stop on Ahmadu Bello Way close to Tiamiyu Savage Street she met a long line of commuters waiting at the bus stop. This, according to her made her called her Boyfriend, John, who also works close to her office to come and pick her with his car. John responded pronto, to pick her in his Camry car, and as lovers usually do, he did not drive off directly out of the island they made for Musa Yar’’Adua street where they parked to have a gist.

“In less than thirty minutes two guys came out of nowhere and surrounded us. One came to my side and the other went to John’s side. They asked us to come down and go to the back of the car and when I tried to challenge them they both produced one gun each and bundled me and John to the floor of the back seat. The moment we entered the back seat another one joined them and took the wheel of the car. One stayed in the front with the driver and one sat at the back with his gun over our heads. Then I heard them shouting to somebody to move. I later learned it was their own car and it was following us.

As they started driving they immediately asked for our phones. I gave them my Blackberry phone and they asked for my password and I gave it to them. We kept driving for sometime and I think they stopped somewhere at a Filling Station to buy fuel and went on again. The one at the back with us kept threatening us that he would blow off our heads if we tried to raise our heads or hands as John was trying to. At a point he banged the gun on his head, warning him he would shoot him and throw him out of the car

Suddenly, they stopped again and the car skidded like they were trying to overtake somebody. One in the front got out and I heard gunshots. Moment later, another victim was brought in to join us. He was a middle-aged man who later told me he was coming from his office in Ikeja with his driver when they rounded them up. He said the driver got away while they picked him. He was picked around Maryland. While me and John remained on the floor of the car’s back seat the man was allowed to seat at the back but then another man joined us at the back, making it two men who now flanked the man, and they asked the man to close his eyes or they would kill him” she narrated.

Alero said they drove on for a very long time. Even though she could not make out where they were at any point in time she felt they passed many checkpoints and she was sure they stopped again to buy fuel on two or three more occasions. According to her, the car eventually stopped at a spot too dark to recognise or described and it was at that point they decided to blindfold them.

“ For me, they didn’t blindfold me. One of them only used his hands to cover my face and asked me not to open them. For John and the other man, they tore off John’s shirt and used it to blindfold them. They took the belt of my high-waist skirt to tie them. Then, they took us into what looked like a room. The moment my body touched the wall of the room I knew we were in an uncompleted building because the wall wasn’t even plastered. Later that night one of them brought a cloth to tie around my eyes” she said

All along, while they were driving them to their hideout Alero’s mind was in a turmoil because she didn’t know whether they have been abducted by ritualists or kidnappers. She could not fathom why, all she knew and felt was a cold sickening feeling building up inside her. A cold feeling of fear that soon developed into fever and morbid fear. But she was not to wait too long before she got the verdict of their abductors and when she did she knew she was in a very serious trouble.

According to her, she said one of them came back to the room and announced point blank to them that they have been kidnapped and that they would collect 30 million naira ransom on their heads each. She said he told them to think of who to call to come and pay the money or they would all be killed.

“I knew I have nobody who could even raise one hundred thousand in my family and I told them I have nobody who could raise such money. The man who I later recognise as their leader told me it was a simple thing, that what they would do is to sell me in spare parts. He said they have specialists who would come and cut out my liver, my kidney, my heart and other parts and they would send it to Malaysia for sale.

Then another one came in again and told the leader he found the picture of a woman who married a White man on my phone. The leader asked me to give them her number whether she would bail me out. When they called her they said she didn’t respond positively and they started beating me with chains. They also asked the other two, John and the man to call somebody who could come and pay their ransoms. When John suggested he could raise two hundred thousand naira for them they beat him mercilessly, saying did he think they risked their lives for two hundred thousand naira” she said.

They were left alone that night to think up names that could come to their rescue. Alero said sleep could not come because they were bound and gagged. The room in which they were kept was in pitch darkness. All her thoughts that they were being held in some lonely spot in a faraway bush were soon discounted when she heard the dawn call-to-prayer from a mosque. As she was not aware of time that gave her the idea of the time. Later, she said she heard noises of school children, playing and shouting somewhere not too far off. At the same time she heard someone hawking palm oil. All along the noises of vehicles zooming by was always in the background to give an impression they were held in a booming community not too far away from an express road.

“ To confirm my suspicion that we were in a populated area, some guys called on them that morning, saying they were Omo Onile (landowners) that the guys who held us should settle them. They were speaking in Yoruba, saying ‘Omo Igbo ma gbe yen wa’. We were hearing what they were saying from where we were until they took them away from within our earshot

After they took the Yoruba boys who came to collect their entitlement away they came back to us and asked if we had made up our minds. Later, which would be around two because the mosque caller had called again, they asked us to make up our minds who would die first and they started beating us again. It was at this point the man with us asked them to call his wife. When they called his wife while beating the man in the background for the wife to hear the woman eventually agreed to raise N1.5 million naira and they agreed to have the money dropped at an AP Filling Station. They told her if she brings anybody or police they would kill her husband.

It was after the deal was struck with the man’s wife that one of them attempted to rape me by taking me into another room. He was just about undressing me when the ‘Capo’, the leader of the gang, as they called him came in and got really mad. He asked me if he had already raped me and I told him he was about to but he didn’t believe me. He said they have a covenant not to rape their victims that he felt something has spoilt in their charms that was why he came in. He then started abusing me that we, women are evil and bad, that his man raped me and I didn’t want to tell him. All along, the man stood by the side and the only thing I could hear him saying was ‘’Apia Capo’’

By the evening of that Thursday when some of them have gone to pick the money some of them stayed with us with the one accused of raping me. When it was very dark and they hadn’t returned one of them asked the man to give him his wife number and he called her to make sure the money has been dropped. Then he told the man not to tell others when they returned that he too had called the wife. The one who tried to rape then told me not worry that they would release all of us as soon as they have the N1.5 million naira.

They later returned and we could hear them from another location in the building how they were haggling and arguing over the money. The leader then came and asked us for the first time what we wanted to eat. He said we should name anything we wanted. They were already drinking and John asked for a bottle of Star beer and cigarette. Again, I noticed the beer they brought was very chilled.

They released us late Friday night and took us in another car. Though I could only identified them by their voices I realised the people that picked us were different from the people that took us away to be released. They drove us to a bush and left us there. It was from there that we found our way. They had already given us N500 naira each for transport. As we came out of the bush we notice a church with light not far away from us and we trekked to the church.

The name of the church was ‘Celestial Church of Christ, Solution Ground. We found some people there and we told them of our predicament. From them we learnt we were in Epe and they took us to the opposite side of the road where we took a bus to Ajah. Then it was early morning. From Ajah everybody went their separate ways.

Me and John incidented the case at Bar Beach Police Station. John was particularly worried because of his car even after the gang has assured him he would find his car. The police took up the case and asked us to come back next day. However, I could not make it because immediately I got home I fell very ill and since then I have not been to the Police Station and I have not heard from the Police either”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/my-experience-in-the-hands-of-kidnappers-victim/

60 Anambra royal fathers in trouble over visit to Ifeanyi Ubah

Posted by: Odogwu Emeka Odogwu on April 28, 2013 in Featured, News



•Be good ambassadors, Obi tells traditional rulers

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State yesterday charged traditional rulers to be good ambassadors of the state.

He charged them to avoid making speeches, taking actions and attending occasions that may put their character in question.

He was speaking while declaring open a seminar for traditional rulers in the state at their secretariat near the Government House, Awka.

Coming shortly after one of the governorship hopefuls in the state, Dr. Ifeanyi Uba, played host to some of the traditional rulers in Lagos, insiders said the governor was making reference to the alleged visit, which he allegedly disapproved.

Obi had told the royal fathers that by the virtue of their positions as the custodians of the culture of the people and the primus inter pares (first among equals) among their subjects, the people look up to them for inspiration, guidance and direction.

Obi, who, however, said he was not against traditional rulers attending social functions, said they should always try to inform the Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Matters or him whenever they are travelling out of the state. His words: “Today, I cannot travel out of Nigeria without informing the President. If anything happens to me, the President should know my whereabouts. Likewise, it is not good for you to travel out of the state without informing me.

“In spite of their stature and prominence, traditional rulers such as Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and the Igwe of Ikelionwu, Igwe Peter Ezenwa of Oba, Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, still inform me whenever they travel out of the state. If anything, which we pray against, happens, they will ask me as the governor about you,” Obi said, adding: “Before me, Anambra had cases of traditional rulers that did not agree with the government of the day being removed, but under me, nothing like that has happened and will not happen. All I ask of you is for us all to work together in the interest of peace and development of Anambra State,” Obi said.

As a mark of the good relationship with the traditional institution and to elevate their pride among their people, Obi added that the government would soon provide SUVs to all of them at no cost, at all.

Inside sources however, told The Nation that the visit of some of the royal fathers to Uba in Lagos is already the cause of quarrel between them and Obi.

The sources alleged that trouble started when some traditional rulers reported to Obi that the royal fathers who visited Ifeanyi Uba in Lagos came home with 3,000 Dollars each.

They were there to attend the marriage ceremony of Miss Vivian Uju, younger sister of Uba. The traditional rulers, about 60 in number, as well as President-Generals and other professional bodies, attended the wedding at Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Saturday, April 20.

But sources alleged that Obi was not happy with the manner the royal fathers left Anambra State for Lagos and allegedly directed the chairman of the Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, to find out from his colleagues who embarked on the trip the rationale behind such journeys. They also alleged that the royal fathers have been advised to return the money given to them by their host in Lagos.

Close aides to the governor, however, denied this claim, explaining that the governor never asked any royal father to refund any money. “He only advised them to inform him whenever they want to travel out of the state.”

Reacting to the allegation, however, the traditional ruler of Igbariam community in Anambra East, Igwe Kelly Nzekwe, currently in India for medical check-up, said the state government was getting involved in what he described as an “unhealthy politics,” which would not stand the test of time.

“The state government, through the Obi of Onitsha, who is our chairman, threatened to sanction us for attending wedding in Lagos. Anyway, I am not scared of their threat. But let me tell them that Obi of Onitsha equally went for a wedding in Lagos not long ago. Has he also returned the money he collected from there?

“We also visited Prof Dora Akunyili, why didn’t they threaten to sanction us. What the government is doing is very wrong. The media should help the traditional rulers; this is an unhealthy politics being played by the state government. We only went for a wedding and we were given money for cola-nut, which is customary. Peter did not give us money; it was Uba that gave us money, why must we return it to the council?

“This is a clear case of intimidation and we don’t like it, my colleagues have reported to me. We were accused of collecting stolen money. This is not how to play politics,” the traditional ruler said.

As at press time, Igwe Achebe could not be reached for his reaction as his phone was not picked.

Meanwhile, the trouble may have extended to the State House of Assembly as about 26 lawmakers, who were also allegedly hosted at the Golden Tulip Hotel Lagos by Uba, were alleged to have held a crucial meeting with him aimed at impeaching Obi to make way for Uba’s emergence.

Though the rumour all over the state is that they discussed impeachment of Gov. Peter Obi, an insider said that nothing of such was discussed, adding that Uba only told them that he would contest the next gubernatorial election in the state. He earlier took them round his facilities in Lagos and declared that he makes more money in a month than Anambra’s monthly allocation.

But Hon Idu Emeka, representing Onitsha North and House Committee Chairman on Works confirmed that 24 House members were in Lagos on the invitation of Chief Uba but said it was not about governorship of Anambra in 2014 or issues relating to it.

Speaking on the development, Chief Anthony Okeke, a well-known community leader, said there was nothing wrong with attending Uba’s younger sister’s wedding. He, however, condemned the aspect of secret meetings and any move to subvert the government of Peter Obi.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/60-anambra-royal-fathers-in-trouble-over-visit-to-ifeanyi-ubah/

Wike is an ingrate, say Amaechi’s associates

Posted by: Bisi Olaniyi on April 28, 2013 in News


•Amaechi’s supporters are frustrated, Obuah remains Rivers PDP chair – Wike


Two associates of the Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, have described the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, as an ingrate for dumping the governor.

Emma Chinda, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture and Victor Amadi, a member of the state House of Assembly, representing Etche I constituency say call for the governor’s resignation on account of the crisis plaguing the party in the state is unfortunate.

The duo insist that Chief Godspower Ake, who was sacked by an Abuja High Court on April 15, remains the duly-elected Chairman of the PDP in Rivers, having been so elected at the March 17, 2012 state congress, which took place at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt.

Chinda and Amadi spoke yesterday on Rhythm 93.7 FM, Port Harcourt’s phone-in programme, Viewpoint.

They faulted, in particular, the call by a chieftain of the PDP, Prince Emma Anyanwu, for Amaechi’s resignation, saying that Anyanwu’s son currently serves as a Special Assistant to the Governor.

They asked Anyanwu to advise his son to resign first.

Anyanwu, at a press conference, had said: “It is unfortunate that the Rivers State Governor has allowed the issues in the state to degenerate to the level of the dissolution of the leadership and councillors of Obio/Akpor LG council.

“After careful consideration and review of events in the past one week in Rivers State PDP, leading to the April 15 judgment and inauguration of Chief Felix Obuah as the chairman of PDP and his executive in Abuja the entry and reception of over 500,000 persons at the Port Harcourt International Airport and party’s state secretariat along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, indicate the acceptance of the change in leadership.

“Governor Amaechi has definitely lost control of and the management of the state. He has lost the heart of the party, on which he was elected into office. This situation has also resulted in the illegal dissolution of Obio/Akpor LG council’s elected Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the seventeen councillors.

“Based on all these and other issues on the ground, I am calling on him (Amaechi) to immediately resign as the governor in order to allow peace to reign.

“I made efforts to resolve the differences between Amaechi and Wike to no avail. I blame the failure of the efforts on Amaechi, who should, as the leader of the party in the state, reach out to the people.”

However, Chinda said: “Wike was nominated by Governor Amaechi to become a Minister. He also made him the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and the Director-General of Amaechi Campaign Organisation in 2011. He is an ingrate.

“Wike also lied that he was not aware of the March 17, 2012 state congress of PDP, where Chief Ake was elected as the Chairman. The Minister of State for education again lied that he was not aware of the judgment of the Rivers High Court, Okehi in Etche LGA, which confirms Chief Ake as the duly-elected chairman of the party.

“I am an Ikwerre man. Governor Amaechi earlier stated that it would not be proper for another Ikwerre person to succeed him in 2015, when he would have been Governor for eight years, bearing in mind that he was the Speaker of Rivers House of Assembly for eight years (1999 to 2007).

“We should allow another ethnic group in Rivers State to produce the Governor in 2015. Wike, an Ikwerre man, should do away with personal interest of wanting to succeed Amaechi in 2015. We should all be concerned about the development of Rivers State and not personal ambition.

“No doubt about the fact that Chief Ake remains the duly-elected Chairman of the PDP in Rivers State. We will never recognise Obuah. Chief Ake has appealed the April 15 judgment. Judiciary will rise to the occasion again. We have confidence in the judiciary. We will accept the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

“We should not return to the era of lawlessness in Rivers State, where people walk on the streets of Port Harcourt with their hands raised. Rivers State has become a huge construction yard. Governor Amaechi is developing the state and ensuring good governance.”

While also speaking yesterday on the radio station’s current affairs programme, the lawmaker (Amadi), insisted that due process was followed in the April 22 suspension of the Chairman of Obio/Akpor LG, Timothy Nsirim, his vice and 17 councillors, loyal to Wike, as well as the inauguration the following day of a seven-member caretaker committee.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/wike-is-an-ingrate-say-amaechis-associates/

Outrage Over Call On Amaechi To Resign Published on April 25, 2013 by

•Amaechi: Speaks his mind with boldness

Angry reactions have trailed a call on Governor Chibuike Amaechi to resign to avert political crisis in the state. The call was made by Prince Emman Anyanwu, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, contractor who is building one of the Federal Ministry of Education interventionist projects at the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori and a supporter of Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of state for Education.

Since the sacking of the Rivers Executive of the People Democratic Party, PDP, supporterS have been queuing either behind Governor Amaechi’s faction led by Chief Godspower Ake.

First to react is Mr. Allwell Nyesom, a two-time Commissioner of Sports in Rivers State also from Etche Local Government Area like Anyanwu. He described the call as not only unfortunate but coming from a politician who wavers and refuses to stand for justice when justice is openly seen to be miscarried.

He wondered why Anyanwu has not asked his son, Mr. Charles Anyanwu, a former member of Rivers State House of Assembly now a Special Assistant to Governor Amaechi to resign his position.

In the same vein,the Chairman of Etche Local Government Council of Rivers, Mr Reginald Ukwuoma has commended Amaechi for the numerous projects cited in the area.

He said the recent call by Prince Anyanwu on Amaechi to resign was not the view of Etche people.

“On this note, Etche local government completely dissociates herself from what has been ascertained by many as true, the information from one of us, Prince Emma Anyanwu, stating that the governor of the state should resign.

“If that statement is true as said, Etche local government completely dissociates herself from such statement.

“Anybody calling for the resignation of the governor of the state is completely on his own. Etche local government and her people are irrevocably committed to the cause of the governor because we are better treated.

“There is no reasonable Etche man or woman who can look at the infrastructural development that dot the streets of Etche and call for his resignation.

“We never gave anybody the mandate to speak on our behalf. It is only in Governor Amaechi’s administration that Etche has witnessed massive infrastructural overhauling, starting from the council headquarters to the airport.

“We have not had it like this before, done by one man in one single tenure. The projects are done for our children and future generations, only for one man to call for the governor’s resignation. Nobody should bring bad luck to Etche people,’’ he said.

Ukwuoma also pledged the support of the people for the state government as it continues to provide democracy dividends.

Ukwuoma made these remarks at Okehi, headquarters of the council at the inauguration of 20 political appointees to serve the council.

The appointees are special advisers, senior special assistants and supervisors.

Ukwuoma urged the people to embrace peace and advised the elders to stop playing politics of anger, bitterness and pull him down at all costs, saying such would not be in the interest of the area.

He urged the appointees to cooperate with his administration to move the area forward.

“In his speech, Mr. Ogbonna Nwuke, a member of the National Assembly said that it was unthinkable that somebody should call on Governor Amaechi to resign despite the giant development strides he had achieved.

“All of us are witnesses to what has been going on in Rivers State since the Amaechi administration came into being.

“We have had greater development, we have enjoyed peace. In Etche, there has been development.

Today, we have more than 22 primary schools built by this administration, we have most of our roads here constructed by this administration, we have health centres also built by this administration,’’ he said.

Nwuke, who represents Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, said the comments made by Anyanwu were personal and did not represent the views of Etche people.

He said Etche people were satisfied with Governor Amaechi’s administration and that more than 100 indigenes of the area from poor homes were studying abroad, courtesy of scholarship given by Amaechi.

“Governor Amaechi is focused, offering credible leadership and have refused to be distracted in his quest to develop the state. We urge Rivers people to continue to support him and remain calm and law abiding,’’ he said.

—Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/04/25/outrage-over-call-on-amaechi-to-resign/

Former Bank Executive Arrested For Writing Off Massive Loan to Sarakis
Posted: April 18, 2012 - 20:22
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Senator Bukola Saraki
By SaharaReporters, New York
The special anti-fraud unit of the Nigerian police today in Lagos arrested the former managing director of InterContinental Bank, Mahmoud Lai Alabi, for fraud related to a questionable loan write-off.

Mr. Alabi’s arrest followed a petition submitted to the unit by the brother of a whistleblower who was allegedly assassinated by hired killers for revealing shady dealings involving Bukola Saraki, the once-powerful governor of Kwara state who is now a senator.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, current Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had appointed Mr. Alabi to run InterContinental Bank at the start of the CBN’s controversial banking reform. The reform began with the CBN’s sacking of several commercial bank chief executives deemed to be linked to corruption, and the appointment of new CEOs by Mr. Sanusi.

However, the appointment of Mr. Alabi raised serious concerns at the time. Mr. Alabi had served as the managing director of Songa Farms which is owned by the Saraki family. Mr. Saraki's businesses owed some 32 billion naira to InterContinental Bank.

In a 2010 petition, the former MD of the bank, Erastus Akingbola, wrote a 9-page petition to President Goodluck Jonathan stating that Mr. Alabi had improperly written off N8 billion in loans to companies with links to Saraki. He gave the companies’ names as Linkers, Dicetrade, Skyview Properties and Joy Petroleum.

Police sources told Saharareporters that Mr. Alabi did write off billions of naira in unserviced loans linked to Mr. Saraki. In addition, Mr. Alabi decided to release four houses in Lagos and another two in Abuja that the Sarakis had been used as collateral to secure the huge loans.

The Saraki family is notorious for its history of gutting banks. A source who is a banking expert disclosed that the family misappropriated funds from Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria and used part of it to sponsor runs for elective offices in 2003. The funds enabled two members of the Saraki clan, Ms. Gbemisola Saraki and Bukola Saraki, to become a senator and two-term governor of Kwara State respectively.

In a telephone conversation earlier today, Senator Saraki insisted that the whistleblower was not assassinated but had died of natural causes. He also contended that the arrest of Mr. Alabi arose out of a dispute between the former bank executive and the whistleblower’s brother, adding that the Saraki family should not be dragged into the matter.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/former-bank-executive-arrested-writing-massive-loan-sarakis

Illegal refinery operators, pipeline vandals demand amnesty

April 25, 2013 by Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa


Workers of National Emergency Management Agency during an operation to extinguish a fire caused by pipeline vandalism in Arepo, Ogun State. Inset: Some of the kegs recovered from vandals.
| credits: Odutayo Odusanya and NEMA
A group, the Community Oil Refinery Operators, has asked the Federal Government to grant its members amnesty.

The group said only amnesty , with accompanying financial gratifications and empowerment, would stop its members from breaking pipelines and setting up illegal refineries.

In an e-mail statement made available to journalists by its spokesman, White Tamana, on Wednesday, it also asked the government to replace the refineries, boats and houses of its members damaged by security operatives.

It said setting up illegal refineries was to help government create jobs for millions of people across the country.

Rather than destroying the refineries, the group advised that the government should either encourage its members or generate employment for the youth.

The group also asked the government to release its members in detention and convey a roundtable for dialogue.

It warned the government against unleashing security operatives on its members, saying nothing would stop it from breaking pipelines and stealing crude oil except amnesty.

The group said its members were better placed to receive amnesty than members of the terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

The statement read, “Local refinery operators are the main agitators in Niger Delta. The struggle is divided into two perspectives, the militants and the oil refinery operators.

“The government has only succeeded in identifying with militants, but not knowing that we are stronger than militants. The government mistake us for militants but we are different and that is why amnesty offer to militants does not stop bunkering and local refinery operations.

“Our operation gives us a sense of belonging. This is the only way we benefit from our national cake. We don’t steal oil. The oil in the region is our property. It is the Federal Government that is stealing from us with their animalistic laws of onshore and off-shore dichotomy.

“We have decided that we will ground Nigeria’s economy by stopping the government from exploiting us, if amnesty is not given to us.

“We are not happy that our people die of hunger and epidemic diseases due to oil exploration and exploitation, while others enjoy our oil money freely without looking back.

“We must take what belongs to us by force and any attempt to stop our operation by force will lead to another militancy in the region which will be worse than what we are seeing today.

Commenting on the development, the Ijaw People Development Initiative, appealed to the government to give legal backing to illegal refineries in the country.

The President of the group, Mr. Austin Ozobo, said such illegal refineries had empowered over 50,000 youths in the region.

He asked the government to critically examine such refineries with a view to making use of them to meet the country’s need for refined petroleum products.

http://www.punchng.com/news/illegal-refinery-operators-pipeline-vandals-demand-amnesty/

Imo’s N1b contract palaver: EFCC traces funds to Lebanon

Posted by: Yusuf Alli on April 19, 2013

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested and grilled Imo State Commissioner for Finance, Deacon Okafor Chike John and Accountant-General, Eche Ezenna George over alleged N1.15 billion contract scam.

The two officials were being detained as at press time for interrogation

But the anti-graft commission has recorded a breakthrough by tracing a huge chunk of the contract funds to some accounts in Lebanon.

The money laundering accounts are being linked to one or two government officials.

According to sources, the Commissioner and the Accountant-General were arrested and brought to Abuja for quizzing on Wednesday.

A brief on the investigation said: “The Commissioner and the AG were picked up yesterday and are currently being questioned at the commission’s office in Abuja.

“They were arrested following petitions in respect of the over N1billion construction contract awarded JPROS International Limited for which the former Deputy Governor, Jude Agbaso was recently impeached.

“Investigation has revealed that due process was not followed and the contract value was paid to the contractor even before the commencement of the work.”

But investigation revealed that a huge chunk of the contract sum had been traced by the EFCC to some accounts in Lebanon.

A reliable source said: “As a matter of fact, we have discovered some slush accounts in Lebanon where a part of the contract sum was lodged.

“This is a pure case of money laundering which we are already investigating. One of the accounts has been linked to a brother-in-law of a government functionary in the state.

“You can understand why the contractor is central to the ongoing probe of the N1billion. We will interact with more officials connected with the contract.

“Those who have no case to answer will be set free but others who abetted the alleged laundering of the contract sum will certainly face trial.”

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren confirmed the arrest of the two officials.

Uwujaren said: “We have the two government officials with us; they are still being questioned by operatives from the relevant desks.

“The contractor was earlier interrogated before the government officials were invited.”

Asked if the agency would interact with the recently-impeached Deputy Governor, Mr. Jude Agbaso, he added: “I won’t be specific but more personalities would be invited.”

Uwujaren was silent on whether the contractor was still in detention or had been released on administrative bail.

In the last two months, there had been feud in the state over the award of about N1.15billion contract to Messrs JPROS Nigeria Limited and Timik Construction Coy.

The contract was meant for the following projects: (a) Ware-house Orlu Road junction; (b) Odunze Aba Road; (c) Amaigbo Street to old Nekede Road; and (d) Dualization of Orlu Main Town.But the contract was greeted with alleged bribery scandal which led to the impeachment of Agbaso, who denied involvement in the scam.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/imos-n1b-contract-palaver-efcc-traces-funds-to-lebanon/

Akpabio seeks N80bn additional loan
April 18, 2013 by Etim Ekpimah 4 Comments



The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio , is seeking an additional loan of N80bn after the N50bn he collected in February when he paid a courtesy visit to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

A reliable source in the AKHA, who was not happy with the development, said the House was appalled by the letter seeking approval for an additional loan.

He stated that the state government collects over N30bn a month from the Federation Account, yet the ministries are starved of funds.

He said, “The former loan of N50bn the governor collected in February when he paid a courtesy visit to the House of Assembly had been wasted unjustifiably.

“We have over N30bn a month from the Federation Account; yet he collected N50bn and spent it lavishly outside the state.”

Against the assertion by the governor that the House had provided N10bn for wastage, the source retorted that the House has never provided any money to be wasted on frivolity.

“That was wrong information. The House has never appropriated any money for him to waste, not to talk about N10bn as he said.

“Every ministry is complaining of starvation; Akpabio is not giving them money to run the affairs of the ministries.

“The money he refused to release to the ministries is the one he is using to lavish on people outside the state,” he said.

He averred that it was too early for the governor to start seeking loans from the first quarter of the year. He noted that the development portrays the state as not doing well.

In January 14, 2013 the governor assented to an appropriation bill of N470.08bn as passed by the state House of Assembly for the year.

http://www.punchng.com/news/akpabio-seeks-n80bn-additional-loan/

Ẹni tó bá mọ nǹkan pamọ́, kí ó rántí ẹni tó mọ̀ọ́ wá

Posted 11 April 2013

By Dr Gary K. Busch

Ẹni tó bá mọ nǹkan pamọ́, kí ó rántí ẹni tó mọ̀ọ́ wá (Whoever hides things should know there are those who can find things)


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There is a very important current discussion in Nigeria about how to deal with the problems posed by the Boko Haram terrorists of the North and the unruly dissidents of the Niger Delta operating under the rubric of MEND. This discussion affects many more people worldwide than those living in Nigeria and there is increasing frustration internationally about Nigeria’s incompetence and unwillingness to deal with these problems effectively.
One of the prime reasons for the failure of Nigeria to deal with these problems is that it does everything it can to disguise the origins of these conflicts and who is backing these terrorists and dissidents. In the old American cartoon strip, “Pogo” the chief character, Pogo Possum reports to his friends “"We have met the enemy and he is us". Nigeria seems to be locked into a denial of what almost everyone knows is the truth about the origins of these conflicts.

There are two simple, self-evident, facts which must be addressed before any solution can be procured. Boko Haram was established, funded, armed and directed by the Northern elites, including governors, traditional rulers, former presidents, legislators and military chiefs. The Delta dissidents were established, funded, armed and directed by the South-South elites, including governors, traditional rulers, legislators and military chiefs. In many cases the actual leadership of these two groups, Boko Haram and MEND, were trained together in Libya at the same terrorist school in Benghazi.

The notional driving force behind Boko Haram is its ambition to create a Muslim state in Nigeria, governed by Sharia Law. The question of the legal co-existence of a Sharia law system in parallel with Nigerian civil law was raised in 1999 when the civil government of the former General Obasanjo was begun under a new constitution. Before independence the British allowed Islamic law to be practiced but with the first Nigerian Constitution and elections the new Nigerian Constitution did not recognise Islamic law as equal to civil law or binding on citizens unless they wanted to be so bound.

With the return of Nigeria to civilian rule there was renewed pressure for Sharia Law. Despite many misgivings, in 2000 several states were given the option to use Sharia law. Since 1999 Sharia has been instituted as a main body of civil and criminal law in the Muslim-majority and in some parts of three Muslim-plurality states for Muslim citizens. In 2002, in defiance of the authorities in Oyo State, the Supreme Council of Sharia carried out a ceremony in Ibadan's central mosque to inaugurate a panel to rule on civil matters in the region; to be empowered to decide on matters such as marriage, divorce and land disputes... The extension of Sharia law to a southern Christian state (actually the West) was a bold move by the Muslims. It was strongly rejected by the Christians.

This imposition of Sharia Law was predicated on the premise that it could be introduced to parts of Nigeria which had a Muslim majority. That was the rationale for Federal Government permission. The problem this caused was that there was, is and continues to be no true evaluation of what part of Nigeria actually has a Muslim majority. In no region is this problem better emphasized than in Plateau State. While the Plateau Muslims claim that they have the right to insist on the imposition of Sharia Law, the Muslim population is only slightly over 40% at best by every calculation and census figure In regional and local government area elections the Christians have constantly held a majority (especially in centres like Jos). Nonetheless the militant Muslims of Plateau have demanded the political control of the governorship and elected offices in the region; with limited success. That is why the creation of a terrorist organisation like Boko Haram was built and tolerated as it attacked Christian communities across Plateau. This has been echoed in other states where the Muslims claim a majority but in which their actual numbers are well below the majority.

What Boko Haram has found, much to the displeasure of the self-appointed Northern elites is that there are a very large number of Christians in the North. Other than in three states there is a large Christian presence; a presence which is being activated by the open support of the Northern elites; a Christian presence which is gathering its forces together to repel the excesses of Boko Haram and Sharia.

In the latter years of Obasanjo’s second term, the Northern elites felt a growing sense of diminishing power and they felt that the concomitant rise to power of the South-South (particularly the Ijaws) was threatening them, They had been fighting running battles in Plateau State and elsewhere with the largely Christian pastoralists and the felt their interests would only be maintained in Nigeria through the formula of “zoning” in which the powers of the state are divided among the various ethnicities; theoretically sustaining balance. The President, Obasanjo (a Christian Yoruba) was seeking an unprecedented Third Term; the Northern Atiku Abubakar was being forced out of his Vice-Presidency by Obasanjo; and the Efiks. Ibibio, Igbo and Ijaws of the Delta were getting very rich on the production of oil which had reached over USD$135 a barrel on world markets.

The Northern elites decided that they would have to insist that there be no Third Term for Obasanjo; that they would put a Northerner (Yar’Adua) in power as the President and head of the PDP party; and that they would send many Fulani and Kanuri children from the Northern madrassas to Libya and the Middle East for training. Under the pretext of sponsoring youngsters to study in the Middle East, they sent them to terrorist training camps. That was the birth of Boko Haram.

The newly-trained jihadists claim to have been trained in eight different countries namely Sudan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Egypt and the Niger Republic. They travelled as a group and received basic and advanced training. As proof of the success of their training they sport a mark (tattoo) showing their proficiency. The mark is in the form of a sword held in a hand. That is regarded by those who went through the training as the “license to kill for Allah”. These included Ali Baba Nur, Asari Dokubo, Jasper Akinbo, Mohammed Yusuf, Salisu Maigari, Danlami Abubakar, Cletus Okar, Ali Qaqa, Maigari Haliru and Asabe Dantala.

The militancy of Boko Haram was muted under the short Presidency of Yar’Adua, a scion of one of the most powerful Northern families. He kept Northern political hegemony in power and most of his close associates were from the Northern elites. They kept Boko Haram in check. However, Yar’dua was far more ill than anyone knew and died during his first term after a protracted stay in a Saudi hospital. His Vice-President, Jonathan Goodluck, became the accidental president; much as he had become the accidental Governor of Bayelsa when his mentor. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the Governor was forced from office in 2005. In 2007 he was Vice-President and in 2010, at the death of Yar’Adua, he became President. In the meteoric rise to the top he had very little chance to pick up the skills and abilities needed for the job, especially in dealing with political sophisticates like Babangida, Obasanjo, Aliyu Gusau and David Mark; all of whom had years of plotting, coup-making and intrigue. Those who could have helped him, like General T.Y. Danjuma, were ignored and isolated. Jonathan has bungled his way in the Presidency ever since. His cardinal sin, in the eyes of the North, was to run for President on his own instead of allowing a Northerner in to finish the ‘Northern turn’ cut short by the death of Yar’Adua.

With the accession of Goodluck Jonathan to the Presidency the violence of Boko Haram was escalated and murder and mayhem have become the rule in many Northern communities. This has sparked a reaction from the Christian communities there. They have now begun to retaliate against their Muslim neighbours and, in the words of General Danjuma, “Nigeria is in total anarchy today. In the case of North, the danger is very real…we are in the middle of a civil war in northern Nigeria. There is no defined front in this particular war, and worse still, the enemy is faceless and unknown. There is no immunity for anyone. Moreover, this war is highly contagious. Needless to say, the social and economic cost is incalculable.”

In the last few weeks the amnesty granted to MEND seems to have fallen apart as well. The earliest groups to form were MEND and the Delta militants. They were funded by the South-South governors of Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states and their political allies to make it difficult for the forces of law and order (the ‘Kill and Go’ police and the Task Force) to interfere with the stealing of oil in the region; known in Nigeria as ‘bunkering’. Every day the Nigerian economy loses between 150,000 and 320,000 barrels of oil. These are stolen by 'bunkerers', who have small tanker vessels which load the oil in the Delta and tranship this stolen oil to offshore tankers which deliver this stolen oil to other West African states. In addition to the theft of crude oil, other inland illegal tanker trucks load the imported refined products and drive these into neighbouring countries for black market sale. At $100 a barrel that amounts to around US$30 million a day for crude oil and around US$8 million per day for gasoline (PMS) and diesel. In short the bunkering of oil and refined products in the South-South brings in an illegal $42 million a day or over US$12 billion a year.

This illegal trade was pioneered under President Abacha when Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe and his naval colleagues Victor Ombu and Ibrahim Ogohi established the smuggling of petroleum products from Port Harcourt and Warri to neighbouring West African countries. This naval assistance was important as over fifty vessels were engaged in the bunkering. A few years ago an aerial surveillance of Lagos coastal waters revealed no fewer than fifty vessels and boats being used for oil theft. The Navy is still involved in bunkering although land-based attacks on pipelines are still common. In the last few weeks Shell has closed its Nembe main pipeline for repairs to all the holes made in the pipeline by bunkerers as did ENI of its pipeline in Bayelsa.

The justification of this bunkering of oil in the Delta was that the local communities were not benefitting from the extraction and sale of ’their’ oil. The pollution and spillages were in their areas and creeks but the money generated by the sale of the oil went to all of Nigerian states, under the Derivation Formula (13% to each state) which rewarded those states which didn’t have oil and took money away from those states that did have oil. The oil wealth did not result in jobs for the local communities and the monies paid to the state and local governments never reached the people as cash, welfare or infrastructural investments. So, with the encouragement of the governors and state officials this quasi-official band of bunkerers went to work stealing the oil and used some of the income to fund the Delta militants. Unfortunately this led to clashes with the Federal Government and the international oil companies.

The conflict with these groups between the military and the ‘terrorists’ took over the news and the public attention. The issues of losing USD$12 billion a year to theft receded in the public (and international) consciousness as the battles with MEND and the others took their attention. The international oil companies in the Delta, other than for the periodic inconvenience of the occasional kidnapping and ransom of staffs, were not terribly concerned, largely because most of the terrorist activities were concentrated on-shore and in the creeks. The international oil companies have production-sharing agreements with the NNPC which delivers the major part of the oil revenues for onshore production to the NNPC. For oil garnered from deep water production the oil companies receive around 60% of the revenue. They are financially better off delivering crude from their deep water wells so were not terribly concerned by the shutdowns of onshore production by MEND or anyone else.

However, the international outrage this battle with MEND and the emulators produced mad it imperative that there be a solution. Goodluck and his colleagues Dipreye Alamieyeseigha and Timi Alaibe entered into discussions with the militants and a formula was worked out which paid substantial sums of money to the militants to stop their activities. In Nigerian terms, they were “settled”. This system worked until about a month ago when the militants began to reorganise and threaten to resume their activities if certain actions weren’t taken by the Federal Government. Ostensibly that included the release of Henry Okah, a MEND arms supplier working in Angola and South Africa who had been sentenced to 24 years in jail in South Africa. The real reason was that those who had been “settled” had stopped or reduced payment to their followers and kept the money for themselves. The deal had to be renegotiated so it was very important that the chief architect of the MEND agreement, ex-governor of Bayelsa, Alamieyeseigha be freed from his Nigerian incarceration to work with Timi Alaibe to restore the smooth working of the MEND settlement. There was a great deal of unpleasant reaction in the Nigerian press against the amnesty for Alamieyeseigha but it was necessary for the resumption of talks with MEND. This is underway.

At the same time Jonathan Goodluck, who had recognised the role of the Northern elites behind Boko Haram has begun a move to declare an amnesty for Boko Haram. His firm intention is to “settle” Boko Haram militants along the lines of the MEND arrangements. This will not work. While the MEND protests were about money (with a cosmetic overlay of environmentalism) it is very different for the Boko Haram situation. The Boko Haram situation arose from the realisation that the power of the North was diminishing. The Nigerian Army, which had always been the backbone for Northern political influence, had been changing to an army dominated by the Middle Belt officers (mainly Tiv) as the Northern Fulani military caste was ageing, retiring and withdrawing from military activities. The Army was becoming less Muslim and more Christian or Animist, particularly the junior officers. The traditional Northern (mainly Fulani-Hausa and Kanuri) elites were Muslims and represented mainly sedentary farmers, operating under a system of feudal Emirs or Sardaunas.

Their ethnic groups extend far beyond Nigeria’s borders. The Fulani (Peul) are the remnants of the old Fulani Empire which dominated much of West Africa, and can be found in Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Chad, Mauritania, Sudan, Egypt, Ghana, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire. They are a minority tribe in all but Guinea. The Kanuri (of Bornu State) ware the descendants of the Bornu Empire (1380-1893) which was a continuation of the great Kanem Empire founded centuries earlier by the Sayfawa Dynasty. In time it would become even larger than Kanem, incorporating areas that are today parts of Chad, Niger and Cameroon. These two Muslim ethnic groups make up the large majority of the members of Boko Haram.

Now these same ethnic groups are being challenged across West Africa, including Nigeria. The wars in Chad, Mali, Mauretania and the Central African Republic have generated Salafist Islamic terrorist groups linked to Al Qaida, including AQIM. These now share training, funds and leaders. Many of their fighters move around West Africa fighting alongside their counterparts. There have been many Boko Haram fighters in Mali and the CAR. Many of these Islamists from there have joined up to assist Boko Haram in Nigeria. There are now growing ties between Boko Haram and the international drug trade in the region. The Nigerian Northern elites cannot control Boko Haram anymore and that makes any sort of a settlement out of the question.

This has meant that the rest of the world, especially the U.S. and its allies are not just disappointed in the role of the Nigerian government in confronting terrorists; they are tempted to act on their own to help suppress Boko Haram. They have offered assistance to the Nigerian military authorities; they have supplied a mass of equipment; they have sent trainers and specialists; and they provide a regular feed of intelligence. The Army is willing to assist but the government is weak and vacillating. This is a recipe for conflict within Nigeria between the military and the civilian powers for control of the country and its future. The time is growing shorter before there will likely by a resolution of this dilemma.

http://nigeriavillagesquare.com/dr-gary-k-busch/ni-to-ba-m-n-kan-pam-ki-o-ranti-ni-to-m-wa2.html

2015: Politician jailed for rape, lawyer flees, takes asylum in Germany
On April 11, 2013 · In News 12:55 am 11

By SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

ABUJA — Barely two weeks after he challenged the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to stand election in 2015, the man, Mr. Cyriacus Njoku, has been arrested and sent to jail for alleged rape.

Similarly, his defence counsel, Mr. Ugochukwu Osuagwu, has fled the country with members of his family, alleging that he had been under constant threats of elimination by unknown persons.

Vanguard learnt that the man had been granted asylum by the German government so as to escape from his assailants, believed to be paid by political agents in high places.

He fled Nigeria on April 3, 2013, after taking refuge at German Embassy in Abuja for sometime, trying to escape from those he claimed were after his life for daring to defend Njoku, a freelance journalist and politician.

Njoku, a Peoples Democratic Party member, who had just appealed the judgement of Justice Oniyangi of the Federal High Court that Jonathan was qualified to run in the next election, was arrested by the police on Monday and taken to Suleja Prison, where he had been held under tight security.

The police claim he committed rape but did not give details of the offence, which was also hurriedly mentioned at the Suleja court, outside Abuja, where the offence was allegedly committed.

Sources told Vanguard that the man had been kept incommunicado since he was taken away by the security agents, raising fears he could be harmed.

As a result, many of his friends and acquaintances did not know of his predicament until he was able to smuggle a note out of the prison where he is held.

Findings show that neither his lawyers nor family members have been allowed to see Njoku, with the prison authorities claiming that they were under instructions not to allow anybody to see Mr. Njoku.

The detainee had maintained that even if President Jonathan won the election of 2015, he would have been constitutionally barred from taking another oath of office.

However, when the judge dismissed the case, he went on an appeal, which was yet to be heard before his arrest and detention by the security agents.

A constitutional lawyer said yesterday that Mr. Njoku’s appeal was considered dicey because the Supreme Court had in a previous decision (General Marwa vs. Murtala Nyako) concerning the tenure of some state governors, held that a governor could not take oath of office more than twice by virtue of Sections 135 and 137 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Reacting to the development, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, described it as a provocative action aimed at muzzling Nigerians.

CPC’s spokesman, Rotimi Fashakin, said Nigerians should rise against the renewed wave of onslaught by dictators against voices of dissent in the country.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/2015-politician-jailed-for-rape-lawyer-flees-takes-asylum-in-germany/

President Jonathan’s List of University Boards Officially Endorses Corruption

Posted: April 5, 2013 - 16:04

Posted by siteadmin

By SaharaReporters, New York
President Jonathan’s steady march towards firmly incorporating corruption as a common standard in all federal establishments has been given further boost by a curious list of appointed members of Governing Councils for federal universities. The list of the yet-to-be inaugurated boards of the 21 institutions is highlighted by names of unscrupulous characters a broad variety of scandals and fraud.

The governing boards, announced in a statement by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, contains such characters as the former Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro, fugitive former Bauchi Governor Adamu Mu’Azu, Salisu Buhari, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives who became notorious for his forged Toronto University certificate, and former Minister of Works Adeseye Ogunlewe.

Mr. Mike Okiro and his predecessor in office, Sunday Ehindero, were implicated in a Police Fund scandal involving John Obaniyi, a commissioner in charge of finance at police headquarters who was principally targeted in an investigation charade, but Mr. Okiro reportedly pocketed his share and walked away. The fangs of police corruption under Mike Okiro grew deadlier and more extensive with police roadblocks proliferating nationwide to extort commuters and assist politicians with their rigging agenda during elections. Even while still in office, Okiro was the owner of a range of businesses in Abuja.

Mu’Azu became a fugitive after he concluded his gubernatorial tenure in 2007, fleeing the country to avoid being investigated.
Ogunlewe was fired by President Olusegun Obasanjo as Minister of Works in 2006—accused, the Civil Liberties Organization said, of embezzling N300 million.
Critics say that President Jonathan’s pretentious stance against corruption ended formally with his recent but widely condemned state pardon of his benefactor and predecessor at Bayelsa State, ex-convict DSP Alamayeseigha.

In addition to refusing to declare his assets and running an administration that is riddled with criminal elements at very high levels he has refused to sack or even investigate, Mr. Jonathan seems to be moving quickly through the entire gamut of corruption characteristics. Having pardoned several corrupt people and criminals just two weeks ago, he has now added a new dimension of placing corrupt elements in a variety of offices, including university governing councils.

If Mr. Jonathan is counting his achievements, he can list the irony that Mr. Buhari, a university certificate forger, will now be on the governing council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The full list:

- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Chairman: Prof. Emeka Enejere
Members: Hon. Salisu Buhari (former Speaker of House of
Representative), Chador Labar, Barr. Harison Onwu and Chief Akin Taiwo

- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Chairman: Mohammed Dewu as Chairman
Members: Former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, the Managing
Director, Sun Publishing Ltd, Tony Onyima, Mrs. Moremi Soyinka-Onijala
and Suleiman Lawal Kauru.

- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
Chairman: Former Minister of Works, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe
Members: Chief Kayode Akindele, former Speaker of House of
Representatives, Hon. Ghali Na’abba, Prof. Femi Otubanjo and Abba
Dasuki

- Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi
Chairman: Chief Chike Cletus Udenze
Members: Pivlumon Aminde, Princess Ethel Eweka, Rear Admiral Peter
Ebeleme (rtd) and Abdul-Mujib Adetokunbo Mumuni.

- Federal University of Technology, Akure
Chairman: Alhaji Yarima Abdullahi
Members: Chief Joel Madaki, Lukman Erogbogbo, Hon. Jelani Mohammed
Yauri, and Benjamin Chijioke Nnaji
- Federal University of Technology, Minna:
Chairman: Former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali
Members: Dr. Godfrey Imoagene, Ahmed Tahir, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim
Umar, and former Minister of Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja

- Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Chairman: Dr. Emmanuel M. I. Enemuo.
Members: Pastor Godwin Akpovie, Bright Nebedun, Gen. T. Hananiya, and
Amb. C.C.Agubuzo.
- Federal University of Technology, Yola
Chairman: Sanusi Munguno
Members: Dr. Adewunmi Williams, Dr.Kaleel Ibrahim Ahamad, Senator
Abubakar Danso Sodangi, (former chairman committee on FCT in the
Senate) and Princess Taibat Adeyemi-Agaba

- Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Chairman: AVM Larry Koiyan (rtd)
Members: Former PDP Chairman, John Nwodo, Chief (Barr) J. M. Aseh,
Buhari Bala and Senator Fidelis Okoro

- University of Abuja, Abuja
Chairman: Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia
Members: Alhaji Mahe Dange, Prof O. Adegbulube, Aisha S. Mamuda, and
Professor Ediga Agbo

- University of Calabar, Calabar
Chairman: Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu
Members: Dr. Phillips Salawu, Sulieman Nakowa, Bassey Ebir Asuquo and
Otunba Mohammed Iluoeju

- University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State
Chairman: Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd)
Members: Amb. Lawrence Ekpebu, Sen. Jubril El-Mas’ud Doguwa, Barr.
Samuel Iheoma Nwatu, and Dr. Anthony Uche Mba

- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, University, Bauchi
Chairman: Yahaya Mahmood
Members: Hajia Hauwa Bukar, Alhaji Isa Tafida Mafindi, Chief Mark Odua
and Dr. (Mrs) Chinweokwu Anyamene-Okeke.

- University of Jos, Jos
Chairman: Chief Don Etiebet
Members: Hon. Tunde Akogun (former House leader), Anthony Sani, Alh.
Adamu Jamfala, and Mrs. Uju Uzoka
- University of Maiduguri:
Chairman: Kashim Imam, former governorship candidate Borno State.
Members are Engr. Paul Attah, Princess Gloria Frazer, Adamu A. Waziri
(former commerce minister) and Chief Innocent Okparadike

- University of Port Harcourt:
Chairman: Mr. Gesi Asamowei
Members: Mrs. Joyce Bozimo, Mohammed Iyimoga, Dr. Nelson Olaniyi and
Mr. Okey Ajunwa.

- Usman Dan Fodio University:
Chairman: Sokoto is HRH George Oshiaphaghor
Members: Hon. Patience Onah Ogodo, Alhaji Yusuf Yabo, Kashim Muktar
Mahmud and Alh. Bello Abdullahi Sokoto.

- Bayero University, Kano
Chairman: Former Governor of Bauchi State Adamu Muazu
Members: Hon. Fatima Rasaki, Prof (Mrs) Josephine Okpoko, Dr.Yakubu
Kwari and Alh. Ahmad Abubakar.

- University of Ilorin, Ilorin
Chairman: Prof. Chukwuma Okonjo
Members: Prince Felix Akande, Dr. Abdulrasheed Salam, Dr. S. Ogbere,
and Dr. Bayo Aluko-Olokun

- University of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State
Chairman: Prof. Kimse Okoko
Members: Gen (Dr) John W. Gbor, Alh. Aliyu Kaulaha, Isiah Adegbemiga
Abiola and Rev. (Mrs.) Grace Ekanem

- Federal University of Petroleum Resources
Chairman: Effurun is Sen. Barigha Amange
Members: Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Iheduru, Adamu Yusuf Dari, Sen. Victor
Kassim Isa-Oyofo, and Dr. Anthony U.Eze.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/president-jonathan%E2%80%99s-list-university-boards-officially-endorses-corruption

Another Pension Fund Thief, Uzoma Attang, Desperately Moves To Avert Justice
Posted: February 7, 2013 - 23:23

A serving Director of Finance and Accounts at Nigeria's Ministry of the Interior, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang, has landed her in court amongst her peers who allegedly looted over N39 billion from the Police Pension Office, Abuja.

The unprecedented development followed consistent pressure on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

But there seems to be no certainty justice will ever be done.

Mrs. Attang was an Assistant Director at the Police Pension Office between 2005 and 2008 but was removed from that office in late 2008 while Esai Dangabar and Atiku Abubakar Kigo were posted to that office.

In March 2012, the first 16-count charge was filed by the EFCC against officials of the Police Pension Office in which the commission alleged that the officials looted about N39 billion from the pension fund, but Mrs. Attang was conspicuously missing from the line-up of persons accused of the rime.

Before that March 2012 charge was filed, Mrs. Attang had been having a running battle with a whistleblower, Mr. Chukwuemeka Aniagor, with whom she was reported to have enjoyed a previous business relationship. He, however, blew the whistle on her numerous properties acquired while in Police Pensions. Both parties then resorted to the courts where they traded blames and claims.

Soon after the bubble burst at Police Pensions, Mr. Aniagor approached investigators with records of properties owned by Mrs. Attang in Abuja and Lekki, a high brow area in Lagos state.

Mr. Aniagor's efforts towards getting Mr.. Attang to give account of her service while in Police Pensions suffered a series of setbacks as he was subsequently arrested and dragged before an Abuja Area Court on the strength of a petition authored by Mrs.. Attang. In it, she claimed that Mr. Aniagor duped her of some money which she had given him to set up for her a company called Royal Diadem Business Logistics Limited.

The move was to keep the whistle blower out of circulation and stem the myriads of information he was divulging to investigators of the pension fraud.

That move however failed when Mr. Aniagor and his lawyer, Mr. Alex Oketa, took the case to an Abuja High Court which offered Mr. Aniagor a breather in his quest to bring Mrs. Attang to justice.

As the investigators of the pension fraud at the EFCC kept putting off the arrest of Mrs. Attang, the whistleblower filed a complaint the CCB. He led officials of the Code of Conduct Bureau to Lagos to identify the properties owned by Mrs. Attang in Lagos and Abuja, as well as some bank accounts being maintained by the director in some commercial banks.

On the strength of those discoveries, the CCB invited Mrs. Attang and slammed her with a five-count charge.

On July 3, 2012, the Bureau, through its Legal Adviser and Prosecutor, Mr. Simon Egede, filed an application to commence the trial of Mrs. Attang before the Code of Conduct Tribunal pursuant to section 24 of the Bureau's Act.

The top civil servant was accused of engaging and participating in the management and running of private companies engaged in business and trade, in contravention of section 6 (b) of the Code of Conduct and Bureau Act.

The charge, alongside the Application to Commence Trial filed by Mr. Simon Egede, alleged that Mrs. Attang, in 2007, registered and participated as Director in the running of a private business concern known as Royal Diadem Business Logistics Limited, while in full time employment as a public officer in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

Other companies linked to the Director of Accounts are Status Symbol Rentals Limited and Amazing Grace Property Development Company Limited. The companies operate and maintain accounts in many commercial banks with amounts running into hundreds of millions of Naira in their credits.

Count 5 of the charge specifically accused Mrs. Attang of owning some 48,500,000 shares worth over a 100 million Naira in these companies, which income is not fairly attributable to her salaries and allowances as a public officer in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, a crime, according to the charge, that is contrary to section 15 (3) of the Act.

At that time, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, upon the receipt of the Application to commence trial of Mrs. Attang, fixed her trial to commence on September 13, 2012.

Curiously, on that date, the trial failed to commence, and investigations revealed that the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr. Sam Saba, had personally withdrawn the case file from the Tribunal without any explanation to Justice Umar.

In response to an email inquiry, Mr. Egede stated that the charge he filed had not been withdrawn by him and that as far as he was concerned, the matter was still pending before the Tribunal.

Repeated inquiries at the Tribunal to ascertain the fresh trial date slated for the top civil servant's trial were futile as the Assistant Chief Registrar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr. Abdulmalik Shaibu, confirmed his earlier stance that the case file was no longer with the Tribunal, as they had been withdrawn by the Bureau.

Further investigations revealed that indeed, the Bureau's chairman, Mr. Sam Saba, had authored and signed a letter to the Tribunal for the withdrawal of Mrs. Attang's case file to thwart her scheduled trial at the Tribunal.

Mr. Aniagor thereafter dragged the CCB and the EFCC before Justice A. R Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja asking the court to compel the anti-corruption agencies to do their job by prosecuting Mrs. Attang alongside her colleagues who were standing trial for embezzling funds from Police Pensions.

With the court minded to grant the orders sought by Mr. Aniagor through his lawyer, Mr. Oketa, the EFCC finally succumbed and amended the pension looters charge to accommodate Mrs. Attang and her former assistant while at the pension office, Mr. Christian Madubuike, a Grade Level 5 officer who also bought properties in Maitama district of Abuja, a place where his entire salary as well gratuity cannot pay for even one property.

Despite her inclusion in the charge, the powerful and influential director did not show up for her arraignment alongside those colleagues, including Mr. John Yahaya Yusufu, who pleaded guilty and got last week’s slap on the wrist which enraged the entire nation. In that trial, Justice Talba Mohammed sentenced Mr. Yusufu, who was standing trial on charges of stealing N32.8billion in the Police Pension scam, to two years on each of three charges, and then gave him the option of paying $1,500 and going home.

In a manner supportive of ongoing insinuations that the serving director has powerful backers quartered within Nigeria's seat of power, the EFCC's lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, made an application for the name of the director to be temporary suspended from the charge to enable the others, Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs.. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Christian Madubuike and John Yahaya Yusufu, to make their pleas.

It becomes obvious that the inclusion of this director in the charge and not having her show up for her arraignment is a calculated attempt by the EFCC to subvert the case instituted by the whistle blower to compel the agency to arraign Mrs. Attang. No information was also given by the agency as to when Mrs. Attang will, if ever, be arraigned for her own plea.

In count one of the amended charge, Mrs.. Uzoma Cyril Attang is alleged to have, alongside others, committed a criminal breach of trust in respect of N20.155 billion belonging to the Police Pension Office.

In count 3 of the charge, she is also alleged to have conspired, with Esai Dangabar and Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, to embezzle another N14.197 billion, while count 6 accused her of conspiring with her aide, Mr. Christian Madubuike and Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, to embezzle N1.141 billion.

Count 16 also accused the party of conspiring and stealing another N1.140 billion from the pension office.

Another ominous point in the matter is that despite these counts which affect Mrs.. Attang directly, she has not been arrested by the EFCC and she still goes to work as if nothing is amiss.

Mrs. Attang, who is also the founder of Royal Harvest Assembly Ministry in Lagos, was initially arrested by the (EFCC), but was allowed her back at her duty post before her latest inclusion in the pension looters case.

Documents submitted to the CCB by Mr. Anagor include copies of Mrs. Attang's application for purchase of shops at the Area 11 Modern Shopping Mall dated 15th August, 2008, in which she listed her occupation as "Business"and giving her office as Royal Diadem Business Logistics Limited.

Receipts issued to her for the payment of shops number 16, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 42 (6 units) at the total sum of N45 million were also attached.

He pointed out that the Chairman of the Bureau, Mr. Sam Saba, detailed his Personal Assistant to go to Lagos with him during the investigation of Mrs. Attang where investigators saw the buildings purchased by Mrs. Attang in highbrow areas of the state.

The resounding question is why, in the face of glaring evidence, the anti-graft agencies are hesitant to bring Mrs. Attang to book in a country where people are routinely sent to jail for minor financial offences and where the current administration brags that it is combating corruption.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/another-pension-fund-thief-uzoma-attang-desperately-moves-avert-justice

Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang-Director of Finance and Accounts. Ministry of Interior

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