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 Politics › Fani-kayode Backs Oritsejafor’s Call Declaring Boko Haram A Terrorist Group by LocalChamp(op): 2:15am On Jul 23, 2012 |
Fani-Kayode: CAN President’s call in order By Joseph Jibueze 49 minutes ago Former Aviation Minister Mr Femi Fani-Kayode has backed President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s call on the United States (US) to declare the Boko Haram sect a terrorist organisation. Oritsejafor drew the flak from Arewa Consultative Forum’s National Vice-Chairman, Senator Joseph Waku, who accused him of trying to divide the country by appearing at an American congressional hearing and urging the US to blacklist the group. Fani-Kayode said those who accused Oritsejafor of trying to ‘’divide Nigeria’’ “are simply misguided and insincere.” He said the CAN president represents every Christian in this country just as the Sultan of Sokoto represents every Muslim. “I believe that we must all show him far more respect than we are doing and that we should appreciate his efforts rather than condemn him at every turn,” he said. He added: “We must also condemn in the strongest terms those that wish to compel us to silently and stoically accept their terror and not express our outrage and pain about it. They cannot silence us with their insults, their aggression and their threats.” Fani-Kayode said Boko Haram members have killed as many real Moslems as they have Christians and have divided the country along religious, ethnic and regional lines more than at any time since the civil war. Therefore, for anyone to complain about the fact that Oritsejafor is doing his job and seeking to protect the lives and property of the Christian community in Nigeria by creating international awareness about such beasts is simply absurd, Fani-Kayode said. “This is a very serious matter that we must not play politics with and that we must not sweep under the carpet because people are being killed every day. We must all join our hands together to fight Boko Haram and we must do all we can to keep Nigeria one,” he said. Fani-Kayode added: “If Boko Haram is not a terrorist organisation, then they should tell us what it is. This is an organisation that kills women, children and defenceless people in the privacy of their own homes, churches and offices. “This is an organisation that has killed many of our security personnel and attacked many of our cities and public institutions including media houses and the U.N. Headquarters in Nigeria. This is an organisation that has killed more Nigerians than any other since the civil war. “This is an organisation that is committed to wiping out Christianity in northern Nigeria, establishing a Muslim fundamentalist state on our soil, to kill as many muslims that don’t share their own interpretation and understanding of Islam as possible, to divide and balkanise our nation and to wash her from head to toe in blood. “This is the sort of organisation that some people are defending and protecting? This is the sort of organisation that they will claim is not or should not be labelled as a terrorist organisation? And if they are not terrorists, what would they call them? Angels or boy scouts? “The truth is that not only are Boko Haram terrorists in every sense of the word, they are also messengers of the devil that have come to Nigeria to do nothing but to kill, steal and destroy. They are doing Satan’s work and the sooner they are dispatched to hell by our Armed Forces to meet their master Satan the better. “They and those that provide sanctuary and safe haven for them deserve nothing less than the Odi treatment. The fact of the matter is that those that really wish to divide Nigeria are not people like Oritsejafor but rather those that secretly support, fund, encourage and seek to justify the activities and existence of Boko Haram. “The President of CAN has done the right and proper thing by telling our story to the United States Congress and to the world and this is all the more important given the fact that our government has completely failed to stop the terror or curb the activities of these evil, relentless and barbarous terrorists. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/54860-fani-kayode%3A-can-president%E2%80%99s-call-in-order.html |
| Politics › More Trouble For GEJ As Impeachment Plot Thickens by LocalChamp(op): 1:49am On Jul 23, 2012 |
More trouble for Jonathanhttp://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/54863-more-trouble-for-jonathan.html |
| Politics › The Vanity Of King Jona And Wife - The Last Stone By Pius Adesanmi by LocalChamp(op): 12:49pm On Jul 21, 2012*. Modified: 1:17pm On Jul 21, 2012 |
The Last Stone Saturday, 21 July 2012 08:09 Written by Pius Adesanmi Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. But the people came upon the preacher and saith: if what thou sayest is true and all is indeed vanity, what sayest thou of King Jona, our taskmaster, and his wife? And the Preacher saith unto the people: who is King Jona? Whereupon the people spake about their tormentor and his wife and the abomination of desolation they hath wrought upon the land. And they saith: O preacher, thou knowest not King Jona and his wife? And they saith: our ground and inheritance brought forth plentiful. But whilst we perish of hunger, King Jona and his wife apportioned our possessions unto themselves, unto their children, and unto their children’s children. And when they hath filled their house with our portion, King Jona saith unto himself: What shall I do, because I have no more room where to bestow my fruits? And he saith, this will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. After King Jona hath said these things, his wife’s heart was greatly gladdened. And she summoned Orontolum, Renokrim, Abatimus, and all the other palace servants and saith: now that the inheritance of the people hath yielded plentiful for my husband’s barns, it is meet that we call a great feast for all the lords of the land so we can rejoice and make merry. Go ye now and bring forth musicians who play the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music. Bring forth the best robes and put it on my guests; and put rings on their hands and shoes on their feet; and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it; bring forth the best wine from the bridegroom’s store in the land of Cana; and let us eat and drink and be merry. And as they made merry, one of the lords of the land rose and did obeisance to King Jona and his wife and saith: O great King, because it is appointed unto thee to rule over this land forever and to fill thine barns with the fruits and goods of the people, it is meet that we name this district after thee and in thine honour. Whereupon King Jona saith: o worthy servant, so let it be written, so let it be done. And the choice district of the city bore King Jona’s name henceforth. And another servant rose and saith: O king, it is meet that we also name a road after thine wife, our mother. Whereupon King Jona saith: o worthy servant, so let it be written, so let it be done. And a choice road in the city bore the Queen’s name henceforth. And one of the lords, who came from the home district of King Jona, rose and did obeisance and saith: O great King Jona, although thou now liveth in the city by the rock with the Queen our mother, it is meet that I appoint her one of the supreme courtiers in our home district. And there was great rejoicing in the hearts of King Jona and his Queen at this announcement. And while they tasted wine, King Jona commanded his servants to bring the golden and silver vessels so that his lords and their wives and their concubines might drink therefrom. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. And the people saith unto the preacher, behold King Jona has built bigger barns to store the fruit of the people which he hath apportioned unto himself; behold a district is named after him; behold a street is named after his wife; behold his wife is appointed a supreme courtier in their home district. Before our own eyes, King Jona and his wife store up great treasures on earth and no moth or rust is come upon them and thou sayest that all is vanity? Pray, preacher, where is the vanity? And the Preacher went out and departed from the temple. And the people came to him and taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the worldly treasures of King Jona and his Queen and the glory of them. And they saith to the preacher: behold, with our eyes and out of our poverty and deprivation we behold the glory and splendor of King Jona’s barn. Pray, preacher, where is the vanity? And the Preacher saith unto them: see ye not all these things? See ye not King’s Jona’s treasures which he took from the people and apportioned unto his own inheritance? See ye not his mighty castles and his barns full of the fruits of the people? See ye not the district named after him and the street named after his wife? Verily verily I say unto you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down when the appointed time comes. For all the fullness of King Jona’s barns shall come to nought and the souls of the foolish who build bigger barns for their earthly fruits shall be required of them. And that which was named after them today shall be erased and named after their successors. For vanity of vanities, all is vanity. And great fear is come upon the people for they look into the Preacher’s eyes and saw the truth. http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/pius-adesanmi/the-last-stone.html
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| Politics › The Massive MDG Fraud: How The Health Ministry Steals From The Sick And Dying by LocalChamp(op): 10:49pm On Jul 20, 2012 |
The Massive MDG Fraud: How The Health Ministry Steals From The Sick And Dying-PREMIUM TIMES Posted: July 20, 2012 - 20:29 Posted by siteadmin By Idris Akinbajo Officials continue to steal funds needed for fixing dilapidated hospitals and providing drugs In this first part of our series on the utilisation of the yearly $1billion for Millennium Development Goals' projects, we investigate the monumental corruption in the health ministry. We found that rather than help, the ministry is actually killing the country's hope of achieving the MDGs. Massive corruption in various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are the main reasons Nigeria will not achieve her Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation has revealed. Between 2006 and 2008, MDAs such as the health ministry, water resources ministry and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) mismanaged hundreds of billions of naira meant to specifically help Nigeria achieve the MDG targets. While public officials mismanaged the MDG funds described by a senior civil servant as “free money,” President Goodluck Jonathan sits on a report indicting these officials and their collaborating contractors. The most culpable of these MDAs is the health ministry, which according to official government investigators “is the main impediment to achieving the MDGs related to health.” Obatunde Oladapo of the “Treatment Action Movement,” an NGO dedicated to helping people living with HIV/AIDS, is so enraged by the blatant stealing of funds meant to treat sick people and save more Nigerians from dying from treatable diseases that he only stopped short of cursing the thieves. He said they were feasting on “blood money” that will haunt them forever. Stealing from the sick When Aisosa Asemota was diagnosed with HIV in 2009, he believed his days on earth were numbered. He was told at the University of Benin Teaching hospital in Edo State where he was diagnosed that his immune system was weakened and that he was therefore more susceptible to other diseases. So when his skin itched continuously in January 2012, he went to the same hospital. However, the doctors there told him that he was only entitled to free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). To treat his scabies, doctors prescribed other drugs, particularly 100ml benzyl benzoate for treatment. “I bought the benzyl benzoate for 180 naira. I used it with the other drugs I bought; and after a few days, I became okay,” the 34-year-old bus driver stated. While Mr. Asemota bought his benzyl benzoate in a neighbourhood pharmacy for N180, the officials in the health ministry, which bought in bulk, quoted and bought the same drug for government hospitals at “scandalously ridiculous” amounts. The Benzyl Benzoate fraud As part of efforts to help in the treatment of HIV aids victims, the Federal Ministry of Health in 2008 bought benzyl benzoate to be distributed to hospitals across the country. While the 100ml benzyl benzoate costs a maximum 200 naira in the retail market, officials in the health ministry claim they purchased each unit of the drug for N119,000, which is 59,400 per cent higher than the amount for which Mr. Asemota bought the same drug. The drug, used in treating scabies and other skin ailments, is one of the items bought by the ministry in 2008 at a total cost of N5.4 billion. Since a carton of the drug contains 24 bottles of 100ml benzyl benzoate, 544 cartons, which the ministry bought, could only have cost a maximum N2.6 million. The ministry however paid N64.7 million for it, with N62 million perhaps going into private pockets of officials and their collaborators. “That is ridiculous, how can anybody buy it (benzyl benzoate) for that amount?” said Emmanuel Osigwe, a pharmacist who runs a pharmacy in Garki, Abuja. This purchase troubled independent monitors who ordered that “the purchase of 100ml benzyl benzoate suspension at N119,000 when it costs less than N200 in the market should be flagged.” The money used for this purchase is part of the funds meant to help Nigeria achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Achieving the MDGs Although world leaders adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration in September 2000 in New York, it was not until 2005 that the Nigerian government effectively signed on to the initiative, making a well-publicised commitment to achieving the MDGs by 2015. In a deal negotiated by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former World Bank Managing Director and Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Nigeria secured debt relief from the Paris club of creditors in 2005. Nigeria paid $12bn of the $30bn owed the Paris Club while the remaining $18bn was cancelled. The country then pledged to devote $1bn annually to achieving the MDGs. The amount was what was then being used to service the Paris club debt annually. In other to ensure efficiency and proper management, the President established the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on MDGs (OSSAP-MDGs) whose mandate was to oversee the spending of the amount on projects that would aid the realization of the MDGs targets. This office was held by Amina Az-Zubair To ensure probity and accountability, Mrs. Az-Zubair set up a Monitoring and Evaluation team to monitor the MDG projects executed with the funds. What the monitoring team found is shocking and heart-rending. . Between 2007 and 2010, the team found that different ministries, departments and agencies, mismanaged a larger chunk of the N320billion allocated to achieving the MDGs between 2006 and 2008. The Ministry of Health fraud As part of an ongoing investigation into the (mis)management of the MDG funds, PREMIUM TIMES found that the health ministry mismanaged most of the N54billion it received between 2006 and 2008 under the MDG scheme. Goals 4 ( Reducing child mortality), 5 (Improving maternal health), and 6 (Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases) are directly related to health. For this reason, the Ministry of Health was allocated N21.3bn in 2006, N16.17 billion in 2007, and 16.9billion in 2008. But rather than applying the funds for the purposes they were earmarked, officials of the Ministry and its agencies stole a large portion and then mismanaged what was left, investigations reveal. Several projects including construction of clinics, purchase of drugs and hospital equipment, and capacity building of health staff across the country, suffered as a result. Other examples of fraud Apart from inflation of prices which characterized the Ministry of Health's purchases, several examples of how the ministry managed its funds abound. Following complaints, by several (public) hospitals in Nigeria, of lack of injections, the health ministry decided to buy injections in bulk for distribution nationwide. Over N900million was released, through the National Programme on Immunization, but most of the materials purportedly bought were never supplied. Their whereabouts remain unknown. This was confirmed in March 2008 when the M&E team submitted its report for 2006. “Of the N1bn approved for buying syringes, N901.6mn was spent. A large quantity of syringes paid for had not been delivered. These included 2,854,000 BCG syringes; 24,000,000 1ml disposable syringes; 1,000,000 5ml reconstitution syringes; 52,092,835 0.5ml auto-disposable syringes and 49,261 safety boxes,” the report stated. Another example of money spent without materials delivered was in the purchase of solar freezers meant to store drugs and other materials. While the ministry released N200million for 250 solar freezers in 2006, only 65 were delivered. A senior official of the ministry told PREMIUM TIMES it was normal for contractors to under-deliver goods when they had adequately “settled” top officials. “See, to get contract in this ministry or any other one, you must settle very well. So, if a contractor knows he has settled very well, he can choose to under-deliver since he is sure nobody will complain as everyone has been settled,” the source, who does not want to be named, for fear of being victimized, said. A culture of misinformation In other to hide the corruption in the expenditure of the MDG funds, the Federal Ministry of Health decided to manipulate information and forge documents of purchases given to the independent monitors. An example of this was in the expenditure of N1.089bn meant for the Family Health Division (FHD) of the ministry. The money was to be used to purchase medical supplies including mama kits for distribution across the country When the monitors asked for details of the purchases, the ministry told them that they had procured and supplied 45,105 mama kits. Further scrutiny of the purchase and distribution records however revealed that only 31,171 were procured and distributed. When the M&E team sought reasons for this misinformation, the ministry was not forthcoming with any. Frustrating investigation and monitoring In other to ensure that the misappropriation and illegalities in the ministry are not exposed, officials decided to frustrate the activities of the M&E team, by withholding information from monitors. This withholding of information was characteristic of the ministry in all the years its activities were monitored. In its report for 2006, which was submitted in 2008, the M&E team stated that “the FMOH and its MDAs need to be more serious in implementing budgets they defended and more responsive to requests for information by the M&E team.” The ministry however continued to withhold information from the monitors up till 2010 when the report for the 2008 expenditure was submitted. This made the M&E team to state in its report for 2008 that “the major challenge in the 2008 M&E exercise as in 2006 and 2007 was accessing timely information to verify implementation and assess outcomes.” “The M&E team inevitably concluded that MDAs (Health Ministry and departments under it) refused to give information either because they were hiding something, or because they had got away with withholding information in previous years (of M&E).” Health ministry an impediment In a public document whose forward was written by President Goodluck Jonathan and titled “Nigeria Millennium Development Goals Report 2010,” the Federal Government admitted that “None of the MDGs are certain to be achieved.” The report also showed that the MDGs related to health had an average or weak potential of being achieved by 2010. Although the Federal Government failed to elaborate on who is to blame for the potential non-achievement of the health-related MDGs, the scale of mismanagement and inefficiency at the Federal Ministry of Health caused independent monitors to conclude that the ministry is the greatest impediment to achieving the MDGs. “The most important lesson learnt was that the projects and programmes implemented by the FMoH procurement division performed poorly. This has been a consistent finding of the M&E since 2006.” The M&E team stated as part of its conclusion in the 2008 report. “The FMoH is the main impediment to achieving the MDGs related to health,” it concluded while recommending that funds should be halted to the ministry while health-related projects should be funded through a different scheme and agency. Blame the President Despite the mismanagement of MDG funds in the health ministry, no official of the ministry or project contractor has been questioned or prosecuted. Jibrin Ibrahim, the national coordinator of the Centre for Democracy and Development believes the president is to blame for the continuous mismanagement and non-performance of projects associated with the MDGs, as official reports of the mismanagement have been sent to the President. “What we expect the government to do is to follow up on this non-performance. Our own position is that this report goes to the President. The president is the person who has final authority to follow up on these issues, and what should happen is that those that are not performing should be investigated,” he said. “I don't see why the anti-corruption agencies shouldn't investigate these people,” said Mr. Ibrahim, whose organisation was part of the M&E team. Apart from the official M&E report, the Bureau for Public Procurement, which monitors purchases by MDAs also carried out its own investigations and found some ministries culpable of misappropriation. “The Bureau did a Procurement Audit in 2008 and forwarded the report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for investigation,” said Segun Imohiosen, the Bureau’s spokesman. The Senior Special Adviser to the President on MDG, Precious Gbeneol wouldn’t respond to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry, even though it was her office that disbursed the stolen funds, and should render account. After several calls and text messages to Mrs. Gbeneol, her spokesperson, Kene Offie requested a formal letter of enquiry. Several weeks after the letter was sent and despite repeated visits, phone calls and text messages, we got no written response. Mr. Offie, later explained that the office had stopped giving funds to indicted MDAS. “When MDAs have been found to have performed abysmally in implementation of budgets, OSSAP MDGs has stopped such MDAs of any further budgetary provision until the issues leading to poor performance are resolved,” she said. Ministry keeps mum Despite repeated request for information and clarification from the Ministry of Health, its officials refused to comment. Yusuf Isiaka, the Deputy Director Media in the ministry is yet to respond to our enquiry several months after they were submitted to him in the format he requested. Mr. Isiaka requested a formal letter of our questions after listening to them. Although the letter was sent to the Ministry through him in November last year, several visits to the ministry and repeated phone calls yielded no results as Mr. Isiaka kept saying “you know we are very busy.” While the billions of naira spent on purchase of drugs and other medical supplies by the health ministry remain unaccounted for, and its officials refuse to comment, Nigerians like Mr. Asemota still find it difficult to get basic medical supplies such as injections and drugs from public hospitals. “Since I was diagnosed of HIV, I always go to them (University of Benin Teaching hospital) for any sickness. Most times however, I still buy my injections and drugs from chemist outside the hospital,” Mr. Asemota said. ***Funding for this story was provided by the FUND FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM (FIJ). http://saharareporters.com/news-page/massive-mdg-fraud-how-health-ministry-steals-sick-and-dying-premium-times |
| Politics › Not My Business By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo by LocalChamp(op): 1:54pm On Jul 20, 2012 |
Not My Business By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo Posted: July 18, 2012 - 00:10 Columnist: Correct Me If I Am Right By Rudolf Okonkwo I bet, you saw the pictures of those 95 men and women and children who perished while scooping fuel from a petrol tanker that crashed and later caught fire. But did you see the pictures of those poor souls before the fire? After the fire, their bodies were stiff like roasted Christmas goats. You saw their charred torso, outstretched arms and legs. You saw their shrunk flesh, skin split at weird angles; contracted muscles, flexed joints, fractured bones, skulls cracked along suture lines. Did you imagine how they smelled? Some of them died in a defensive posture. They were not fighting the fire with their bare hands. Their airways were blocked. Hot toxic gasses strangulated them. Others died of asphyxiation. What were left to the sun were bellies busted at the side, with intestines resting on gray powders all over the hallowed ground. Are you disgusted yet? You really need to see their pictures before the fire. One man with a plastic red bowl scooping fuel and pouring it into a big black can had an anxious grin on his face. He had one eye on the fallen tanker and another on the makeshift funnel that channeled the petrol into the can. Like the rest of the men, he folded the legs of his pants so that it would not be soaked in petrol. His eyes sank inside. He wore a shirt that was bigger than his body. Maybe he borrowed it from his older brother. Or maybe he had recently lost weight. His hand was skinny. His body-mass index must be at the fat to muscle malnourished level. His okada, the one with a tuber of yam in the carriage, was idling away beside him. Holding the funnel for him was a little boy, maybe six or seven. Maybe a kid who should be in school but wasn't. He didn't look any better - the kid, I mean. His chin was shrunk. His face was dry with lines of his cheek bone visible from 1000 yards away. By the way, that boy, the one who wore the yellow shirt that was torn near the armpit, could have been our own Steve Jobs. Somehow, he could have emerged from abject poverty to join one of these young people who write programs that run the internet. But he would not do that anymore, would he? We wouldn't even know who next he was to hand down his rumpled yellow shirt to. Anyway, there is no yellow shirt to hand down to anyone, or is there? Are you disgusted yet? Once the fire started everyone had to wait for it to burn out. Villagers who came around placed their hands on their heads and wailed and screamed and prayed. The fire was more than what their buckets of well water could quench. The nearest fire truck was 40 miles away in Port Harcourt, where very important people live – like past and current governors, the permanent secretaries and the oil company executives. Minutes after the fire started, the emergency agency workers came. They came with the only tools they have- masks for their mouths and noses, gloves for their hands, and body bags. They are glorified undertakers, anyway. It wasn’t only the limps that were stripped of bones, the tuber of yam was now a lump of soot. Looking at the bodies, nobody knew if they were men or women. Too late. The emergency workers just packed the bodies into the truck, skins peeling off along the way. No waiting for the toxicology report. No siren. No police escort. No Boys Brigade band leading the way to the grave. A tractor dug up a field beside a school yard- the one near the evil forest. Nobody checked if the hole was six feet deep or less. Dark clouds brew in the sky. Vultures hovered around. Repulsive stench filled the air. Someone said a prayer, a short one at it. Not the Catholic prayer. Not the Anglican prayer. Not the Redeem prayer. And definitely, not the Winners’ prayer. They just said a prayer -and a quick Amen. Those who gathered hissed that heaven must pay. The remains were all heaped in there and covered up, leaving the flies hovering around the red soil. Are you disgusted yet? We have forgotten those in the hospital. It will take weeks before we see their faces, anyway. They are wrapped up like mummies. Their moans are irritating to the doctors who have no medicine to treat their burns. The nurses chase away flies with antiseptics fluids mixed with water. When they pause from doing so, they join the family members on the bedside to pray. Are you disgusted yet? No, you are not. It is not your business. You don't know these people. You could have lived all your life without crossing path with them. If you were around the area, like travelling through their village, your only business would have been to wave off the smoke coming off their bodies to take pictures with your phone’s camera. That is all you owe them -and Facebook. Thanks for restoring their dignity. You could relate more with those who died in the Dana airplane crash. Those were your kind of people. They would not stoop so low to scoop petrol from the ground while smoking a cigarette. But those Dana plane victims were burnt too, you remember? They too could have made it out of the plane if help had arrived on time. Do you want to think further? I bet, you don't. If the road was maintained to begin with, that tanker truck would not have veered off the road into a ditch. You know the contract was awarded in 2006. But someone got the money and pocketed it. A chief, I suppose -one of those successful men who own the land. Those we worship instead of hold accountable. Because it was an important road, another contract was awarded again. And once more, the money was embezzled. Are you disgusted yet? Don't bother your head too much with thinking like this. After all, it is not your business. So these men, women and children were given a mass burial because their bodies were burnt beyond identification. No fingerprint. No birthmarks. No tattoos. The emergency personnel thought about dental -X-ray, as was written in their manual. But when they could not get a yellow tape to secure the perimeter of the scene, where would they get X-ray machines. Anyway, with such high energy fire it was hard to separate the bodies of children from those of animals, like dogs. I know you didn't see their pictures before the fire. But there was a dog somewhere beside another idling okada machine. Yes, there was a dog in one of those black body bags. Are you disgusted yet? That is what human life has been reduced to in our country. Those people were one of us even though we may not know it. It was them the other day. It would be you and I in coming days. Please, spare me of your tufiakwa. Maybe not while scooping petrol. Maybe while flying in a plane to go scoop an inflated contract. Maybe while driving on the road to pick an NYSC call up letter that would otherwise been posted if only the Post Office was functional. Maybe while receiving substandard treatment for a non-life threatening illness in a hyped hospital. Maybe while singing praises in a church at striking distance of those who have lost all reasons and all taste for roasted yam in their mouths. But what am I saying? Poet Niyi Osundare was right. "What business of mine is it So long they don't take the yam From my savouring mouth?" -Niyi Osundare, Not My Business. http://saharareporters.com/column/not-my-business-rudolf-ogoo-okonkwo |
| Politics › ‘why I Installed Uwazururike As Igbo Leader’ - Igwe Obidiegwu Onyesoh by LocalChamp(op): 7:44pm On Jul 15, 2012 |
‘Why I installed Uwazururike as Igbo leader’ By Okodili Ndidi, Onitsha 19 hours 40 minutes ago THE traditional ruler of ancient Nri kingdom in Anaocha Council Area of Anambra State, Igwe Obidiegwu Onyesoh, has cleared the air on why he conferred the highest title in Igboland on the leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike. The conferment, he insisted, was divinely guided. Onyesoh, who spoke yesterday in his kingdom, chided politicians and other self- acclaimed leaders for their uncomplimentary remarks about his decision to decorate Uwazuruike with the title. He said: “Those calling for my neck for installing Uwazuruike ‘Ijele Igbo’ are mischievous and I cannot be intimidated into reversing my actions as they wished”. The deputy Igbo leader, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, assured that the present Igbo leadership will not smear its reputation in the murky waters of Nigerian politics. The current leadership, he stated, would only play advisory roles where and when necessary to ensure that politicians are accountable to the people. He said the group will never deviate from the divine mandate of restoring the values and dignity of Ndigbo. He cautioned politicians mounting pressures on Eze Obidiegwu Onyesoh to withdraw the chieftaincy title conferred on Uwazuruike to retrace their steps. Ezeonwuka, who spoke yesterday while conducting newsmen round the Ogirishi Igbo Conflict Resolution Center at Oba, Anambra State, said there was no going back on the chieftaincy tussle since the spirit guiding the ‘Ofo’ symbol has been given to Uwazuruike by the Nri monarch. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/53902-%E2%80%98why-i-installed-uwazururike-as-igbo-leader%E2%80%99.html |
| Politics › Minister Under Fire Over Corps Members’ Posting by LocalChamp(op): 1:14am On Jul 14, 2012 |
Minister under fire over corps members’ posting July 14, 2012 by Niyi Odebode, Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja and David Attah, Kaduna 12 Comments Prominent Nigerians and groups, including the Trade Union Congress, on Thursday criticised the Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, for insisting that National Youth Service Corps members must be posted to states under attack by Boko Haram. The President-General of the TUC, Mr. Peter Esele, described the minister’s statement as shocking and irresponsible. He stated, “The reason why we have NYSC is for national integration. What we have now is different from that. The challenges that the corps members are facing threaten their lives.” Esele faulted the minister’s comparison of military personnel with the NYSC members. He said, “As military personnel, it is their calling to be posted for security duties because they signed for it and they are prepared. “That is not the situation with the corps members. What the corps members are doing is not what they want to do. If you ask them, none of them would agree to be posted to those places. “I am shocked that the minister made such a statement. It is so sad and shocking. Instead of looking at the failure of the state to protect lives and property, he (the minister) is saying corps members should agree to serve anywhere they are posted to.” Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, described the minister’s statement as highly insensitive. He said the minister’s statement was disingenuous and uncharitable. Fashakin stated, “The CPC is averse to the efforts of the Federal Government in stemming the tide of insecurity in the land. “The usual rhetoric of ‘we are on top of the situation’ is no longer acceptable when Nigerians now sleep with palpable shambolic fear for their lives and property. “It is insensitive to compare service men to corps members. What had been done by this government as compensation for families of the corps members that were harmed in the past? “Can the minister give a list of his children and close relatives that would be deployed in these theatres of insurrection as corps members before asking the same of other Nigerians? If he is not capable of doing this, he should consider his statement as very disingenuous and uncharitable.” The spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ankio Briggs, said that the people in charge of affairs of the country had no clue to what was happening. She stated, “Clearly, it shows that this minister has no clue at all. If he has, he will not be saying such a thing. As a parent, I believe that the NYSC has no value for the Nigerian youth and the country. Tell me, what is the value? “On a personal note, my children would not go and serve in the North. They are sending other people’s children to go and die, these corps members they are sending to the North, are they soldiers? Did they sign to go and die? “The minister has no business being a minister. In fact, I am calling for the scrapping of the NYSC. If the NYSC is not scrapped, then people should go and serve in their own zones where we know that they will be safe. “We are talking about corps members who were trained by their parents and guardians and not by the Federal Government.” A former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, warned the Federal Government against any move to endanger young graduates in the country by sending them to trouble spots. He stated that the presence of soldiers of peacekeeping mission in Jos and other parts of the North had not prevented the recurrent killings in the North. The former commissioner stated that even armed policemen took to their heels during the violence in Jos. He said, “Soldiers have been on peacekeeping operations in the North, but still they kill people. These young people just left school and they want to cut short their lives. They should try and beef up security before posting them there. “In Jos, there were policemen and they ran away, why didn’t soldiers go there to protect them? So, that minister does not know what he is talking about.” Also, a former member of the House of Representatives and former governorship candidate of the ACN, Mr. Uche Onyeagucha, challenged the minister to lead by example by sending his children to the troubled areas and even relocating his office to either Yobe or Borno. He challenged the minister to sign an undertaking that he would be held responsible for the death of any corps member on posting to crisis-ridden spots in the country. He said that it was inconceivable for any corps member to be posted to the troubled states, even when security operatives and policemen on posting to the areas were lobbying to get out of there because they were scared. According to him, some of them would have bought themselves out of the North if not for a standing instruction by the IG that all transfers out of the troubled areas must be brought to his attention. He said the minister’s statement was regrettable and unfortunate as the President himself had admitted openly in a recent media chat that he could not fly to Maiduguri because of the security situation. He urged corps members to refuse postings to such trouble spots. “It is simple; it is not as if this thing is mandatory, if you are posted to a state you don’t like, the thing is for you to reject it, and you repeat the service, and you will be posted to another state. The most reasonable thing is to reject it if you are posted to such areas. “As I am talking to you, there are several military officers, who are posted to Borno, Yobe, Kano and Kaduna, who are lobbying to get out of those states. “There is hardly any police officer, who is not working hard to get out. This means that the riot policemen who are armed are scared, why then should anybody post any corps member to those areas?” Onyeagucha asked. However, the Arewa Consultative Forum would not embark on an outright dismissal of the minister’s comment, saying he was right in some way. The Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, said that assignments such as the NYSC were national sacrifices expected from Nigerians. He said, “In a way, the minister is right because such assignments are sacrifices Nigerians are expected to make for the country. “However, we must not lose sight of the Hausa adage which says, ‘Idan Yaro na kiwuya, baba na rowa,’ meaning if the child refuses to go on an errand, it means the father refuses to be generous to the child.” http://www.punchng.com/news/minister-under-fire-over-corps-members-posting/
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| Politics › Bayelsa Civil Liberties Organisation Faults Jonathan's Wife's Appointment by LocalChamp(op): 7:26pm On Jul 12, 2012 |
Bayelsa CLO faults Jonathan's wife's appointmenthttp://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/53621-bayelsa-clo-faults-jonathan-s-wife-s-appointment.html |
| Politics › Bribery Scandal: Jagaba Threatens To Sue Lawan by LocalChamp(op): 5:36pm On Jul 12, 2012 |
Bribery scandal: Jagaba threatens to sue Lawan By Dele Anofi 30 minutes ago Font size: Jagaba Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Adams Jagaba, has threatened to take to court, the embattled former chairman of the ad- hoc committee on fuel subsidy management, Farouk Lawan , for dragging him into the cash-for-clearance scandal rocking the House. He said if Lawan insist that the controversial bribe money was in his possession, he would be left with no option than to take legal action against Lawan, to get compensation. Saying that his integrity is at stake, Jagaba recalled his own antecedence, as the former chairman of the House committee on anti-corruption in 2001when he tabled N4.5m bribe money on the floor of the chamber. Jabaga, however, maintained that he will never be involved in any act that runs contrary to national interest. While stating that he first saw the letter purportedly written by Lawan on the pages of a newspaper and later at the Police headquarters, the lawmaker analysed the letter and pointed out the errors contained in it. Jagaba said it was an attempt to destroy his reputation. He said: "Farouk Lawan alleged that he wrote a letter to me attaching $500,000. That is callously untrue and in fact, calculated to smear my hard-earned reputation, a reputation I painstakingly built since 1999. “I never received any letter, or money, or any other exhibit from Farouk Lawan. "I saw for the first time the purported letter on a page of the Leadership Newspaper, page 6 of June 14, 2012; and the closest copy which I saw and touched, was the copy he presented to the Police Special Task Force investigating the bribery scandal, when I went there on July 10. "I was invited by the Police STF while in South Africa attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) Summit. “When I returned to Nigeria, I went to the Police Force Headquarters on July 10 at about 11:00 am to give my own side of the story on the bribery scandal investigation and I spent precisely two hours with them." http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/53610-bribery-scandal-jagaba-threatens-to-sue-lawan.html |
| Politics › Unknown Gunmen Kill 4 Persons In Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State by LocalChamp(op): 9:02pm On Jul 11, 2012 |
Unknown Gunmen Kill 4 Persons in Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State Posted: July 11, 2012 - 19:23 Posted by siteadmin By SaharaReporters, New York A source in the troubled Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi State has just told SaharaReporters that unknown gunmen stormed a village in the area and killed four persons. An injured survivor was taken to a hospital. The incident occurred in Donga town of the Tafawa Balewa local government. Many people who were frightened by the gun shots scampered to safety. The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Mohammed Ladan, confirmed the killings to SaharaReporters. He said, “We got a distress call that some armed men stormed the area and opened fire on innocent people. When our men got there, four persons were confirmed dead and one person was injured, who is now receiving medical attention.” He added that security operatives are still carrying out investigations and trailing the suspected heavily armed men. As at the time of filing this report, nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier today, the State Government dispelled reports of a bomb attack upon the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Wailo, describing the rumours as the work of enemies of peace. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/unknown-gunmen-kill-4-persons-tafawa-balewa-bauchi-state |
| Politics › Tinubu: Plateau Tragedy A Challenge To Nigeria by LocalChamp(op): 2:10pm On Jul 11, 2012 |
Tinubu: Plateau tragedy a challenge to Nigeria By Our Reporter 13 hours 16 minutes ago Font size: Tinubu Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has described the bloodbath in Plateau State as a challenge to Nigeria. The former governor, in a statement, yesterday urged the Federal Government to contain the violence in the North. Excerpts: What happened this weekend in Riyom Local Government Area in Plateau State was an affront to God and humanity. This was more than a crime. It was an exhibition of a deadly hatred that seeks to establish a home in our beloved nation. However, such violence has no place among us. There is no reason imaginable that can legitimise the killing and destruction. To kill innocent people is always indefensible. To kill those who were merely seeking to bury their loved ones is the handcraft of wickedness. It is a lowly abomination. The perpetrators struck in wanton lethality in apparent hope that their deeds will spark a cycle of violence and retribution setting the nation against itself, as such. they seek to turn Nigeria into a factory of lawlessness. Their plan was inhuman; their actions vile; their objective will never succeed. They may have wounded Nigeria. Yet, after all the sacrifices and hardship Nigeria has experienced, this nation will never succumb to their terrible designs. There are no differences that anyone can have with government that justify this unpardonable act. This was more than senseless revenge against government; it was an attack against the people of Nigeria and our way of life. The unfolding tragedy and the inability of the current government to bring the situation under control confirms our fears: that Nigeria is on a free fall under an incompetent leadership. That Nigerians are no longer safe in the confines of their homes and communities is not the path to development and transformation but is the road to greater uncertain and fear. This massacre has cut into the heart of the nation. These evildoers apparently seek to make Nigeria a failed state. Those of us who love this nation and its people will not allow this to happen. Despite this violence, we will not let fear rule us but we must awaken our moral strength so that we can repel this assault against our human decency. We must not cower but must summon courage at this moment. Moral conscience eventually triumphs over murderous crime. All of us who cherish freedom and dignity and who love this nation must not allow the evil actors to divide and separate us along ethnic, religious or regional lines. We must stand firmly beside each other as Nigerians. Despite this tragedy, we must hold to each other and strengthen the bonds that unite us. Only in this way, do we honor the lives we have lost, do we foil the dark plans of those who hate justice and democracy, and do we turn Nigeria into the nation of our dreams. Our brotherly charity and sympathy must be extended to those who family members, loved ones and friends. To those who did this terrible act we extend nothing but a firm declaration that Nigeria Nigeria will never be brought down by their misdeeds. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/53442-tinubu-plateau-tragedy-a-challenge-to-nigeria.html |
| Politics › Fresh Attacks In Plateau, As More Than 130 Corpses Litter Deserted Villages by LocalChamp(op): 12:19pm On Jul 11, 2012 |
Fresh Attacks In Plateau, As More Than 130 Corpses Litter Deserted Villages Posted: July 11, 2012 - 01:18 Posted by siteadmin By SaharaReporters, New York SaharaReporters has learnt that more than 130 corpses have been found in two deserted villages in Barkin Ladi local government area in of Plateau following fresh attacks by out-of-control killers. The gruesome discovery came barely two days after two top politicians were killed by gunmen as they attended a burial ceremony for numerous victims of a mass slaughter. A security source told SaharaReporters that displaced persons seeking refuge at different locations have disclosed that more than 130 corpses currently litter several villages affected by the worsening crisis. Our source added that emergency workers had yet to reach the areas most affected by the carnage owing to a lack of security. An eyewitness source in Jos, the capital of Plateau, revealed that gunmen had sacked several villages. “These gunmen have stormed different areas, engaging in sporadic shooting and burning of houses,” he said. The source added, “We became aware because the news reached us before we could go to pick the death bodies of our relations in other villages.” http://saharareporters.com/news-page/fresh-attacks-plateau-more-130-corpses-litter-deserted-villages |
| Politics › Herdsmen Kill General On Lagos-ibadan Expressway by LocalChamp(op): 12:34am On Jul 10, 2012 |
Herdsmen kill General on Lagos-Ibadan Expresswayhttp://www.punchng.com/metro/herdsmen-kill-general-on-lagos-ibadan-expressway/ |
| Politics › We Will Expose Corrupt Senators – Mark by LocalChamp(op): 4:33pm On Jul 08, 2012 |
We will expose corrupt senators – Mark On July 8, 2012 · In News 12:50 amEmail1 By HENRY UMORU SENATE President David Mark has vowed to expose corrupt senators and those engaged in acts capable of tarnishing the image of the National Assembly. Mark stressed that no amount of blackmail will deter the institution from carrying out its oversight functions. He, however, cautioned members of the public against compromising lawmakers in the discharge of their duties, stressing that the National Assembly will continue to clear itself in its strong determination to meet the expectations of the electorate. Speaking at the National Assembly-Private Sector Forum organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos, the Senate president noted that allegation of corruption against the National Assembly was exaggerated. According to him, “There are those who say that the National Assembly takes the bunch of the budget. This is very ridiculous. I know that what goes to the National Assembly is not more than 2.5% of the total budget. The National Assembly members are always accused of corruption but Nigerians ,to a large extent ,are responsible for this alleged corruption. ”If a businessman gives a bribe to a lawmaker, is it only the lawmaker that is corrupt? If the business man didn’t offer the bribe, the lawmaker will not accept. But the question remains: Why did he accept it? If our National Assembly members are found wanting, we will discipline them. “We will clean our house to earn the respect of those that elected us into our respective offices. We will continue to clean our house and those who bring us to shame will get their punishment accordingly.” Stressing that the legislature as an arm of government is on a steady growth and improving by each legislative day, Mark recalled that the level of rancour that characterized the legislative houses between 1999 and 2003 has been reduced. “We would continue to improve on legislative business until we attain a level where the average Nigerian will be satisfied with our performance”, he said. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/we-will-expose-corrupt-senators-mark/ |
| Politics › Anambra: A Celebration Of Mediocrity By Chudi Offodile by LocalChamp(op): 9:51pm On Jul 06, 2012 |
Anambra: A Celebration Of Mediocrity Posted: July 6, 2012 - 13:50 By Chudi Offodile My attempt to contextualize the true state of affairs in my home state, in the article, Anambra: The limits of propaganda (http://saharareporters.com/article/anambra-limits-propaganda-chudi-offodile), triggered a deployment of the vast propaganda machine of Anambra State government, in a futile attempt to obscure the facts and scare me into submission. To those this may concern, please note, that while I am prepared to take insults, I am not prepared to abandon the pursuit of truth and justice. There is no need to drag the name of President Goodluck Jonathan into the fray by suggesting, rather arrogantly, that I am involved in a conspiracy to pit Governor Obi against the President. Someone who gave his name as Joseph Anarado but who I identify as Valentine Obienyem, Governor Obi’s media assistant called it the Offodile syndrome on the back page of Thisday Newspaper of July 2, 2012. Obienyem had earlier signed and circulated the same piece with minor changes online. What manner of conspiracy? Apparently, Governor Obi considers himself a high value target. Maybe because, true to type, he is negotiating to be Vice President in a party [PDP] he doesn’t even belong to. In the process, he has plunged his own party [APGA] into crisis. Anyway, the issues I address are purely local and as former United States, House of Representatives, Speaker, Tip O’ Neill, rightly observed; ‘all politics is local’. The same fellow made some other allegations against me, including a bizarre allegation that I was part of Peter Obi’s impeachment. He proceeded to list Governor Obi’s numerous awards. Let me just mention that I was nominated by Thisday newspaper in 2004 as one of the best legislators in Nigeria. Much as I appreciate that, I do not believe that public officers should consider awards a validation of their contribution to society. That is the role of posterity. Again, I do find it very difficult to establish a nexus between his impeachment and the issues at stake. Nevertheless, I make bold to say, that no matter the merits of Governor Peter Obi’s case, the eminent jurists who voided his impeachment very early into his first term, ended up foisting on Anambra State what has clearly become, a debilitating gubernatorial malady. On the whole, despite the knocks I received from the Governor’s media assistant, he confirmed my earlier position that Governor Obi did not build any new school in the state but built five classroom blocks in each town, a contract awarded to the 177 town unions in Anambra State. In the light of this admission, Thisday editors may wish to review the ranking of Governor Obi in the performance chart of Nigeria’s 36 Governors. He was silent on the cost of the Phantom 600 kilometers of asphalted roads, the ‘best network of roads’ that lead to nowhere. He was also silent on how much exactly of state funds are ‘quarantined’ in the banks, while the infrastructure deficits multiply. On the tax returns of the businessman-governor, mum is the word. A detailed rebuttal of my position was also released by the Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Afuba. On the issue of transparency and due process in the award of contracts, Afuba wrote; “As the former chairman of the state tenders board, I can, with due modesty vouch that due process has always been observed in the award of contracts in the state. Again in compliance with due process, all contracts which required executive council approval were religiously presented to the council for its consideration. Indeed, even after obtaining the councils approval, the Governor in some cases was able to prevail on some contractors to further reduce the cost of projects before the contract documents were signed”. This clearly unveils the Governor as the ultimate sovereign who can alter executive council decisions so that all the talk of due process and transparency is nothing but hogwash. He continues: “On the particular case of Onitsha hotel and convention centre, the contract was awarded to Costain (WA) PLC for the sum of N5,599,625,670.12. At the time the contract award was approved, the state executive council directed that the project be scaled down by removing one floor in the hotel and reducing the sitting capacity of the convention centre from 800 to 700 so as to further reduce the cost of the project. Costain insisted on its own bid price which the government rejected. At the end of a fresh tender process, the contract was now awarded to another company at the cost of N1,9809,000,000.00.” The name hotel and convention centre is misleading. Sitting capacity of 700? May I inform the Governor that the sitting capacity of Nibo civic centre is 2500. Even in my own village, Umuayom, the hall has a sitting capacity of 800. If we did not engage in this debate, most people would have believed the Governors propaganda that a major convention centre was being built in Onitsha. This has been the bane of the Peter Obi administration. No grand vision, nothing big. A super-market approach to governance that has failed woefully. The tragedy is the celebration of this mediocre performance with gusto. I accept the correction from the Attorney General that what the UN HABITAT helped the state to produce were structure plans not base maps as I mentioned in my article. It was concluded two years ago and its implementation has commenced. I apologise for the mix up. But let us consider what the Attorney General says has been done so far. “At Onitsha the structure plan makes provision for the slum upgrading of Onitsha. The state government has since engaged a consultant who has completed the generation of adequate current and reliable baseline survey of the socio – economic characteristics of Okpoko slum residents and submitted the report in two volumes. Proposals have also been received for the development of an implementable and sustainable action plan for the slum area. This is being processed”. I dey laugh oh. On Awka he said; “the structure plan for Awka prescribes the removal of Awka Industrial layout from Awka city as heavy Industries should not be located in the heart of the state capital. In compliance with the prescription, government dezoned the Industrial layout into a residential/commercial layout now named greenwood city, Awka. The new government house, legislative and judiciary headquarters are all provided for in the master plan for greenwood city.” I was in Awka a few days ago and I searched in vain to locate the city within a city until I realised that this too is still being processed. On SabMiller brewery Onitsha, the Attorney General wrote; “it is elementary that the share ownership of every company is public information domiciled with the corporate affairs commission, which can be obtained by any person, on request. I am aware that due process and utmost transparency was observed in setting up the ownership structure of the company. All the shareholders are known corporate entities and no shares are held in an assumed name.” Rather than provide full information about Sabmiller brewery, the government of Peter Obi has opted for subterfuge. I recall that when Dele Belgore (SAN) in an interview in July 2011, insinuated that former Governor of Kwara State, now Senator Bukola Saraki had interest in songha farms, the very successful agricultural initiative of Governor Saraki with some white Zimbabwean farmers, the Kwara State government and songha farms limited promptly released the details of the ownership structure and it added up. Governor Peter Obi is the owner of a trading outfit, Next International Limited. Next has been a distributor of Sabmiller brewery, a South African Company, long before Obi became Governor. As Governor, however, Obi invited Sabmiller to invest in Onitsha in partnership with Anambra state government and other ‘business men.’ The Attorney General says that all the share holders are known corporate entities and that utmost transparency was observed in setting up the ownership structure of the company. I have a few questions and I hope the appropriate authorities in the state would respond to them. Is Governor Peter Obi, his company, or any member of his family one of those ‘businessmen or corporate entities’ that is in partnership with Anambra State and Sabmiller? If the answer is in the affirmative, then, the Governor would have violated his oath of office. My next piece will focus on the legal and moral implications of the Onitsha Sabmiller enterprise. It is important, considering the Farouk Lawan experience, that those we think are men of integrity are subjected to closer scrutiny. Sometime ago, the sum of N250 million of state funds was found in Obi’s business premises in Lagos all the way from Awka. The police investigated the matter and cleared Obi in record time. Was a proper investigation carried out? Questions and more questions! Chudi Offodile Former Chairman Public Petitions Committee House of Representatives http://saharareporters.com/article/anambra-celebration-mediocrity |
| Politics › Ekiti Senior Workers Write Capacity Assessment Exam by LocalChamp(op): 2:51am On Jul 06, 2012 |
Ekiti senior workers write capacity assessment examhttp://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/52782-ekiti-senior-workers-write-capacity-assessment-exam.html |
| Politics › Jonathan Sets Up Fresh Panel On Subsidy Claims by LocalChamp(op): 2:18am On Jul 06, 2012 |
Jonathan Sets Up Fresh Panel On Subsidy Claims -PM News, Lagos Posted: July 5, 2012 - 23:59 Posted by siteadmin caption: Pres. Goodluck Jonathan, Baroness Linda Walker and controversial oil business magnate Femi Otedola By PM News, Lagos President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday set up another committee that will review the findings of the Aigboje Aig Imoukhuede led Technical Committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance to conduct a detailed review of all subsidy claims and payments made in 2011. The Technical Committee had in the report which it recently submitted to the Ministry of Finance accused some oil marketers of collecting over N400 billion in subsidy payment without importing petroleum products into the country. However, many of the oil marketers have rejected the claims in the report. Some of the companies indicted for receiving subsidy payments without importing products into the country also said the Committee failed to invite them or request for necessary documents that could facilitated its investigations before it reached its conclusions. The credibility of the document was also put in doubt with revelations that only Aig-Imokhuede, the Chairman of the Committee signed the report. There have also been speculation that some members of the 15-man committee are planning to write a minority report. In a statement signed on his behalf by Reuben Abati, his spokesperson today, President Goodluck Jonathan the new Committee is set up to verify and reconcile the findings of the Aig-Imokhuede Technical Committee. “President Jonathan has directed the 15-member committee headed by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to begin work immediately and conclude its assignment by 1700 hours on Friday, July 13, 2012 as a prelude to immediate action on all identified cases of fraud”,Abati said in the statement. “Other members of the new committee are: Dr. Abraham Nwankwo (DG DMO), Mr. Bernard Otti (GED Finance & Accounts, NNPC), Mrs. Oyinye Ahuchogu (CBN), Mrs. Sola David-Borha (MD Stanbic/IBTC, representing the Banking Community), Mr. Mike Osatuyi (National Secretary, IPMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, Mr. Jonah Otunla (Accountant-General of the Federation), Mr. Bright Okogwu (DG, Budget Office), Mr. Reginald Stanley (Executive Secretary, PPPRA), Mrs. Aisha Waziri-Umar and Mr. Jalal Arabi. “The Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the State Security Service will also be represented on the Committee which has the following terms of reference: 1. To further verify and reconcile all claims made in the report of the Technical Committee on Fuel Subsidy Payments; 2. To properly identify all cases of overpayment and/or irregular payment; 3. To accurately identify all likely fraudulent cases for criminal investigation and 4. To review any other pertinent issues that may arise from its work and make appropriate recommendations. “On receiving the Verification and Reconciliation Committee’s report, President Jonathan will order whatever action he deems necessary to ensure justice and the full recovery of all fuel subsidy funds that may have been illegally paid”, President Jonathan concluded in the statement. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/jonathan-sets-fresh-panel-subsidy-claims-pm-news-lagos |
| Politics › Okonjo-iweala Says Oteh Can Attend Economic Management Team Meetings by LocalChamp(op): 1:59am On Jul 05, 2012 |
Okonjo-Iweala says Oteh can attend EMT meetings On July 4, 2012 · In News 2:21 pmEmail0 Abuja – Mrs Aruma Oteh, the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who is currently on leave, on Tuesday in Abuja attended the meeting of the Economic Management Team (EMT). Dr Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance, told State House correspondents shortly after the meeting ended at about 8.30 p.m., that Oteh was free to attend the meeting. “There is an audit report going on; she has not been proven to be guilty of anything; we should allow the audit process to go forward. “She has been told to take leave from the job, until the audit is finished, it is not suspension. Hopefully, we will have it soon. Being on leave does not mean she cannot participate in one or two of the other activities. “There is nothing that stops her from participating until we get that report and see the direction in which it will go at that time. “Mr President will review it and take whatever action that is needed if any,’’ she said. The meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, was held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa. The 24-member EMT inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan on Aug. 18, 2011 is given the mandate to generate programmes and policies that will help the government achieve its transformation agenda and Vision 20:2020 The team is chaired by the President while the Minister of Finance served as the coordinator. Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief. HOPE2015 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand Pple will not just stop amusing me! Hear our co-ordinating minister of economy trying to rationalize illegality? In what capacity was she (Oteh) drafted into the EMT? was it not in her capacity as DG-SEC? If she is therefore on "leave" & not "suspension" she is free to attend the EMT mtg as what please? ordinary EMT member or member representing SEC? I doubt if there is anybdy to trust again in dis country. Since she is on "leave", she can as well continue to attend regular mgt mtgs @ SEC! A Liked Reply 10 hours ago 5 LikesF Adeniyi 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand It seems to me that what the majority of Nigerians are seeing,these people in government are not seeing them.It also appears to me that these people probaby have the third eye in which they see something differently from the way we see them.Apart from this,there is no justification for this "suspended" woman to attend the said meeting in the first place and for anybody to defend her is an irresponsible act.All i will tell Nigerians is to allow these people to continue to pretend as if things are normal untill they reach a dead end road.The person that is most difficult to awake is the person that pretends to be asleep.Let them continue to deceive themselves in the believe that they are deceiving Nigerians.Nigeria of today is like a big jungle where anything is possible.This act is normal because it suits them but it is something else when it goes against them.How do you explain this?Even the president was so much comfortable as to preside over a meeting where a "suspended" DG of SEC was in attendance.Wonders,people say shall never end. President Jonathan is fast becoming something else.A president of anything is possible.A president of i can do anything, no matter how odd the thing is.His legacy is being documented by history.This is one government that is not fit for purpose.I have nothing against this woman,but the rule of law must be allowed to take root in Nigeria.If someone is suspended,he or she remains suspended untill the issue at hand is reslolved.That is the practice anywhere in the world.This is surely a rule of one man.This is an executive rascality at it's best.This is lawlessness at the highest organ of government and it's very bad for the image of this country.Now, in the hallow chamber of Aso-Rock, anything is possible.This is my take. A Liked Reply 9 hours ago 4 LikesF Emmyoz 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand Okonji Iweala, your sense of reasoning is becoming something else to me, one, your decision on fuel subsidy, your notion that you lost the world bank job to higher powers and now this, Has it not occured to you that you lost that job because of your decision to increase the price of a product to over 100% over night,( very bad economic decision) do you think that the international commuity will allow any person of Nigerian origin and in the government of Nigeria to hold such a high and sensitive position? you know you can not deny being corupt 'cos a fish in the ocean can never deny water, you may not be corupt but.... your romance with corupt or indicted persons will never say good about you, I don't know how you can stand and defend that some one who is indicted for mismanagement of public fund and was suspended from office is still welcome to attend an official meeting. you people should at least have some shame on yourselves and think right for once. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/okonjo-iweala-says-oteh-can-attend-emt-meetings/ |
| Politics › NSA Sambo Dasuki Initiating Contacts With Boko Haram, Christian Militias by LocalChamp(op): 2:43pm On Jul 02, 2012*. Modified: 3:19pm On Jul 02, 2012 |
NSA Initiating Contacts With Boko Haram, Christian Militias Posted: July 1, 2012 - 18:04 Posted by siteadmin caption: NSA Sambo Dasuki By SaharaReporters, New York The new National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, has initiated moves to reach out to the leadership of Jam'atu Alissunnah Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, better known as Boko Haram, on how to achieve real and purposeful dialogue. A source told SaharaReporters this afternoon in Abuja that the efforts also involve some militia in the Middle Belt axis and Southern Kaduna area, where persistent violence continues to pose a threat to the stability of the country. The source said that Sambo’s trip to Maiduguri, Damaturu and Potiskum are in that bid. “He has set up strategies on how to reach the Boko Haram sect, using several strong contacts in the areas he visited. And in the Middle-Belt he is working with his old military allies and in Southern Kaduna to fully find a way for cease fire now.” The source added that apart from open meetings he had with government officials of Borno and Yobe States, they also met behind closed doors to work out concrete modalities on how to reach out to the sect. He also said that the NSA and the Governors of Yobe and Borno have reached an understanding on the issue as well as the others people to be involved. Below is the full address of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, before his closed-door meeting with Dasuki. It is a great pleasure for me to welcome, on behalf of the Government and good people of of Yobe State, our distinguish guest, the National Security Adviser, (NSA), Col. S. I. Dasuki Fss, Mss, Bss, PSC (+) and members of his entourage to the Government House Damaturu. 2. Let me seize this Opportunity to thank the National Security Adviser for deciding to make the trip to Yobe State and pay a courtesy call to the Damaturu Government House as one of his first official engagement on assumption of office, May I use this medium to congratulate Col S. I. Dasuki’s training distinguished Military career, national and international exposure in security policy strategies coupled with the personal qualities of dedication, determination, sincerity and balance sense of judgment, Mr. President has undoubtedly made the right choice at the right time when the country is in a very serious state of security challenges. I have no doubt in my mind that he will bring his wealth of experience and expertise to bear on the charge of his responsibilities. I wish him Allah’s guidance and protection in the task ahead. 3. your Excellency, our distinguished visitor, invited guest, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank, Mr. President and Commandant In- Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic Of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for sending his recently appointed National Security Adviser to sympathize with the Government and people of Yobe state over the series of unfortunate and sad incidents which culminated in loss of innocent lives and destruction of property worth millions of Naira. This is a clear change of strategy in the fight against insecurity as promised by Mr. President. There is an indication that our hopes, pride and identity as citizens of this great country would be restored. Only last week I had the privilege to receive the Deputy Inspector General of Police Force Headquarters, Alhaji Atiku Kafur on a courtesy visit as timely and commendable. It is a further demonstration of the commitment of the Federal Government to take all measures and explore all avenues that could restore peace in the State in particular and the nation in general. 4. Our august visitor may wish to note that last week’s incident was the fourth major attack on Damaturu in less than one year with the last one occurring just the day before yesterday. I must confess that the roles played by our security operatives in facing the security challenges in the State have been very impressive. The security forces have demonstrated a high level of inter- agency cooperation which they should keep up. It is in view of this that, I wish to particularly commend the leader of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Col. Dahiru Abdulsalam for his gallantry, demonstration of an exemplary conduct and professionalism, sense of purpose and diligence have reflected on the performance of the Joint Task Force. The Commander along with other members of his team are deserving of special commendation. Their dedication, commitments and selfless sacrifice have no doubt contributed remarkably in reducing loss of lives and destruction of property as well as in restoring the relative peace in the state. I therefore urge them not to relent in their efforts and continue to demonstrate the act of courage and patriotism in discharging their responsibilities. 5. at this juncture, there is a need for me to disabuse people’s mind of false impression being created as if the situation in Yobe State is that of an attack by the Muslim population against the Christians. This is totally unfounded as the attacks cut across all religious inclinations with Churches, as well as public building buildings like schools including Islamiyyah and Government vehicles destroyed. Furthermore, most of the people of Yobe State and other Nigerians to disregard such baseless rumours, continue to pray for restoration of peace in the State and the nation at large. 6. the present administration of Yobe State strongly believes that issue of security is a collective responsibility and feels that it should not be left to the Federal security agencies alone. Taking this into consideration and in order to complement the effort of the Federal Government, our administration since inception in 2007, has donated over 180 Hilux 4WD vehicles to the Police and other security agencies making it possible for most of these vehicle have modern communication gadgets installed on them. In addition to this, the sum of over 40minllion is being expended monthly as Ration Cash Allowance (RCA) for officers and men of Police and their logistics. It is not out of place to inform the NSA that from the time Mr. President declared the state of emergency in some parts of the country including Yobe, an estimated sum of about N1.2 billion has been spent to date. 7. in view of the new security challenges, I wish to call on the Federal Government through this medium, to introduce more welfare packages to boost the morale of our security operatives through special welfare [packages in the event of death, injury or accident while on duty. This will no doubt go a long way in improving the performance of our security agencies. Training and retraining should also be stepped up as well as provision of modern sophisticated equipment particularly for detecting improvised explosive devices (IED’s). These will make them physically and mentally fit and combat ready at all times in facing any challenge. 8. your Excellency, our distinguished visitor, ladies and gentlemen let me take this opportunity to make a special request to the Federal Government. Considering the serious security challenges in the State, I wish to appeal for the deployment of more troops to the State to complement efforts of those on the ground and particularly deployed of full Joint Task Force comprising all security agencies so as to enable them tackle the security challenges more effectively. In addition, I will also urge the Army authorities to hasten the occupation of the Army barrack at Kuka-Reta which has recently been provided with amenities like water and electricity. I wish to assure the National Security Adviser that the State Government is always ready and willing to collaborate with the Federal Government in areas that could bring lasting peace in the State. 9. before concluding this address, let me share with the National Security Adviser an opinion I have expressed earlier on the current security challenges. In as much as Government has th power and the sacred duty to protect lives and property of the citizen whenever they come under threat, if one considers the colossal collateral damage these confrontations bring about due to the unconventional methods of the insurgents, the option of resolution though dialogue and negotiation should be pursued as a priority. We are therefore in support of any move towards negotiated settlement provided the insurgents are willing to accept the call for dialogue. 10. finally, I wish to assure our august visitor that the State Government shall continue to render every assistance and support to the security agencies to enable them perform their duties effectively and efficiently. I wish to, once again, welcome the National Security Adviser and members of his entourage to Yobe State and thank them for this historic visit and safe journey to their next destination. Thank you and May Almighty Allah bless us all. Ameen. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/nsa-initiating-contacts-boko-haram-christian-militias |
| Politics › N96m Bribe: I Collected Money Not Bribe – "Hon" Farouk Lawan by LocalChamp(op): 2:58am On Jun 29, 2012 |
N96m bribe: I collected money not bribe – Lawan June 29, 2012 by John Ameh, Abuja 47 Comments Details of the testimonies of the suspended Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Monitoring of Subsidy Regime, Mr. Farouk Lawan, showed that he admitted taking “money” and “not a bribe” from oil businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola. Lawan had appeared before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges on Thursday. The committee, which is investigating the $620,000 bribery allegation, is headed by Mr. Gambo Musa. Findings indicated that the panel grilled the former Chairman, House Committee on Education for over fours hours, starting from 1.07pm. Investigations showed that before the panel, Lawan tried to draw a distinction between money and a bribe. He was said to have argued that he took money with the aim of exposing Otedola, not a bribe. A source, who was privy to the details of the testimonies, said, “He told the committee that he took money to expose Otedola, as different from a bribe. “In the statement he issued, where he admitted taking the money, he drew the attention of the committee to the fact that he was careful with his choice of words. “Bribe was not mentioned in the statement, but money. Money he took to expose Otedola.” Lawan reportedly tendered text messages and call logs to the panel as evidence that he did not initiate the transaction between Otedola and himself. “From what he tendered, it seemed the transaction was not initiated by him. “So, what the committee has decided to do is to confront the other parties to the case with the information Lawan has divulged”, the source, who pleaded anonymity, added. Asked whether Lawan was in possession of the $620,000, the source said he replied that “a lot more information will be made available as the police and other agencies continu with their investigations. The truth is there.” The source explained that because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, the committee later reasoned that it was not wise to make the inquiry public. “Lawan has information and documents; he has text messages; he has call logs and other evidence. “The committee didn’t want other witnesses to take advantage of a public appearance and work on their own testimonies. “The committee wants to throw Lawan’s claims on other witnesses to see how they will respond. “In that way, some conflicting information may come to the fore. “The other witnesses too will be heard in camera and will be accorded the same protection as Lawan”, the source stated. Lawan was discharged after four hours of meeting with the panel. According to the source, the committee resolved to invite him again if the testimonies of other witnesses punctured his claims “or if there is the need to hear from him again. “Otherwise, the committee is done with him.” http://www.punchng.com/news/n96m-bribe-i-collected-money-not-bribe-lawan/ |
| Politics › Alamieyesigha To Forfeit $600K US Mansion & $400K Cash by LocalChamp(op): 2:47am On Jun 29, 2012 |
DOJ Executes Forfeiture on US Assets of Former Nigerian GovBy C.M. Matthews The Department of Justice executed a forfeiture order Thursday on $401,931 in a Massachusetts brokerage fund traceable to an allegedly corrupt former Nigerian governor. The forfeiture was the first victory for a fledgling Justice Department initiative dedicated to seeking out assets in the U.S. linked to high-level foreign corruption. Prosecutors filed court papers in April 2011 targeting a $600,000 Maryland home and a Massachusetts brokerage account belonging to Diepreye Peter Solomon Alamieyeseigha, governor of Nigeria’s oil-producing Bayelsa State from 1999 to 2005. According to prosecutors, Alamieyeseigha’s assets were the proceeds of corruption. Alamieyeseigha denied the allegations in court filings. Earlier this month, a federal district judge in Massachusetts granted a motion for default judgment and civil forfeiture on the brokerage account. Prosecutors executed the forfeiture order Thursday. “With a declared income of less than $250,000, Mr. Alamieyeseigha accumulated millions of dollars worth of property over a six-year period,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said in a news release. “Today’s announcement – the first forfeiture judgment obtained under our Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative – sends a powerful message about the United States’ commitment to rooting out corruption far and wide.” A Nigerian court sentenced Alamieyeseigha to two years in prison in 2007 for failing to declare assets in Nigeria, South Africa and the U.S. Prosecutors said he bought more than $8 million in properties with bribes he received from contractors while serving as governor. Alamieyeseigha also pleaded guilty to money laundering on behalf of two companies he controlled — Solomon & Peters Ltd. and Alamieyeseigha and Santolina Investment Corp. In 2006, the High Court of Justice in London found that three of Alamieyeseigha’s properties there, as well as accounts held by Santolina, represented bribe money or were traceable to bribes Alamieyeseigha took from contractors in Nigeria. After he was arrested at Heathrow Airport in 2005, police found about $1.6 million in cash in his house. A lawyer for Alamieyeseigha didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In civil forfeiture cases, the Justice Department can file complaints in federal court against property, rather than individuals, linked to foreign corruption. The forfeiture against Alamieyeseigha’s Maryland house is pending in federal court in Maryland. The Justice Department didn’t say where the forfeited funds would be directed. According to the news release, “where appropriate [the Justice Department will] return those proceeds to benefit those harmed.” A Justice Department spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry about whether or not the funds would be returned to Nigeria. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/us-department-justice-executes-forfeiture-us-assets-former-bayelsa-gov-dsp-alamieyesigha http://blogs.wsj.com/corruption-currents/2012/06/28/doj-executes-forfeiture-on-us-assets-of-former-nigerian-gov/
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| Politics › Central Bank Senior Management Travels To South Africa On “executive Retreat” by LocalChamp(op): 9:18pm On Jun 28, 2012 |
Central Bank Senior Management Travels to South Africa On “Executive Retreat” Posted: June 28, 2012 - 20:31 Posted by siteadmin caption: Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi By SaharaReporters, New York SaharaReporters has learnt that the senior management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is on an expensive week-long executive retreat in South Africa, in continuation of the Jonathan administration's declared public resolve to cut costs and keep expenditure to the barest minimum that is routinely laughed at in practice. Our source within the CBN said today that the retreat was scheduled to begin last Monday, June 25, and end on Friday, June 29, 2012. “Our group also believes that there are more than enough venues in Nigeria which can provide the necessary environment for business retreats in a serene environment,” said the source. “Nigeria, despite the current upheavals still possesses tourist spots which can accommodate such business retreats.” He expressed disappointment that an organization with the profile of the CBN, which is expected to lead the cause of fiscal responsibility and prudence in public expenditure, would choose this path. “We hasten to add that the CBN is not alone in this practice - other Ministries, Departments and Agencies send staff abroad for the most mundane of reasons.” Following the nationwide street demonstrations against the government’s hike of fuel prices in January, President Jonathan pledged to cut down on the size of his government, and review its lavish expenditures. But he has failed to do so, repeatedly traveling with extensive delegations to various destinations. Last week, he was in Brazil with 116 people. He is currently in Belgium at a non-descript Customs conference with another large group of officials and estacode-hunters. His wife, Patience Jonathan, Mrs. Jonathan will leave Brussels for the United States with a whopping 36 aides to attend another inconsequential jamboree for African First Ladies organized by an unknown group. Under the governorship of Mr. Lamido Sanusi, the CBN has lately become controversial. A few months ago, it abruptly donated N100 million to Kano, Sanusi’s hometown, following an attack upon the city by Muslim militants. Two weeks ago, the governor walked into the Bank for work in the morning in an impractical chieftaincy garb of the Dan Majen of Kano, following his installation a few days before. “The cost of the [CBN Senior Management] so-called retreat to the Nigerian taxpayer must be immense,” our source said. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/central-bank-senior-management-travels-south-africa-%E2%80%9Cexecutive-retreat%E2%80%9D-0 |
| Politics › Re: GEJ Off To Belgium On A One-day Official Visit by LocalChamp: 4:21pm On Jun 28, 2012 |
Jonathan Jets Out On Another Jamboree To Belgium, Abandons Crucial ECOWAS Parley Posted: June 28, 2012 - 03:52 Posted by siteadmin caption: President Goodluck Jonathan in Belgium today By SaharaReporters, New York President Goodluck Jonathan departed Abuja for Brussels today after the Federal Executive Council meeting, to deliver a speech at a Customs conference in Belgium. Mr. Jonathan's trip is basically a jamboree organized by the Director of Customs, who reportedly bribed Jonathan's wife and his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadome, to ensure the President’s appearance at the event. Last week, Mr. Jonathan was severely criticized by civil society activists and opposition groups, for leading a vast delegation of 116 officials and hangers-on to the Rio+20 conference in Brazil. During his third presidential media chat last Sunday, Mr. Jonathan tried to rebut the criticisms, claiming that the widespread attacks in two States in which militants killed over 70 people was not enough reason to prevent him from that trip. Sources told Saharareporters that this week’s Belgium jamboree will cost Nigeria its prime spot at the Economic Commission for West Africa (ECOWAS) table in Yamassoukro, Cote d’Ivoire. Mr. Jonathan was expected to be there to represent Nigeria to intervene in the political instability in Mali, where rebels have carved out a den for themselves in the north, and Guinea Bissau, where military bandits upstaged civilian power. Nigeria, which has lost a lot of political respect in Africa, is leading a 9-nation committee to resolve the conflicts in those two countries. Instead, Mr. Jonathan opted to go to Brussels with no clear agenda. His large delegation includes Senators, governors, and sundry officials. The Nigerian Customs Service is footing the bill of several attendees, including paying the first lady special estacodes for the nights she will be in Brussels. Mrs. Jonathan will leave Brussels for the United States with 36 aides to attend to another jamboree: the First Lady's “Youth Infusion” Summit in Annapolis, Maryland. The Summit is organized by a group in Maryland that is apparently outside the purview of UNESCO, although it is supported by a non-governmental organization called the UNESCO Center for Peace. The group’s website shows that only African first ladies from Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Nigeria, Benin, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone have been invited. Curiously, the organizers website -firstladysummit.org was registered and created only six months ago, in January 2012, and has largely pixelated photos of advisors that clearly have nothing to do with UNESCO. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/jonathan-jets-out-another-jamboree-belgium-abandons-crucial-ecowas-parley |
| Politics › Jonathan Under Attack Over Assets Declaration by LocalChamp(op): 2:10pm On Jun 26, 2012 |
Jonathan under attack over assets declaration By Emmanuel Oladesu, Joseph Jibueze, Kamardeen Ogundele, Eric Ikhilae and Gbenga Omokhunu 12 hours 28 minutes ago Font size: President Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan was under attack yesterday over his decision not to make public his assets. The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) and the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) rejected the President’s stand on the issue. To the CPC, Dr. Jonathan is not being “honourable” by his action. The President, during his “Media Chat” on Sunday night, said, when asked why he was yet to declare publicly his assets: “I don’t give a damn about that. The law is clear about it and so, making it public is no issue and I will not play into the hands of the people. I have nothing to hide. “I declared (assets publicly) under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua because he did it, but it is not proper. I could be investigated when I leave office. “You don’t need to publicly declare it and it is a matter of principle. It is not the President declaring assets that will change the country.” The CPC, in a statement, accused President Jonathan of not being honourable. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, in a statement, said: “The Presidency feathers the nest of unending corruption in Nigeria. “For the avoidance of any doubt, the Fifth schedule, Part1, 11(1) of the 2010 Constitution (as amended) states thus: “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public Officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter – (a) At the end of every four years; and (b) At the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of 18 years. “It is also with grave concern that we view the assertion by the President that as Vice President to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he was forced to declare his assets against his desire. Should this mean that this President is not principled otherwise he ought to have resigned his appointment if he was forced to act against his desire? “What is unmistakably clear is that the President’s demeanour on this issue of asset declaration leaves many unanswered questions: •Is the President of the nation now selecting which provision(s) of the Constitution he will comply with when, in fact, he swore to defend the law of the land? •Is the President’s unwillingness to declare his assets, more than four years after he did so in 2007, NOT frustrating efforts to rationally assess the net increase of his assets since commencement of his service at the nation’s presidency? •Should the President still be trusted in championing the fight against corruption and lack of probity in public office? •Is the President not willing to transparently deal with Nigerians who showed faith in him by giving him their mandate? •Is he publicly spurning the path of probity that his late boss charted for him? •Is the President above the law of the land? •Should this explain why more horrendous and monumental fraud incidents have occurred in this regime’s life so far more than any other dispensation in the Nation’s history? •Should it be accepted that corruption and opacity in governance are integral part of the modus operandi of this Presidency? •If indeed the President has become an Avatar that cannot be subjected to obeying the law of the land, should there be any expectation that he can be lawfully voted out of office?” “These and many more are the posers for discerning minds. The portent of the President’s persistent refusal to declare his assets are too grave for the salubrious well-being of the Nigerian polity. We call on well-meaning Nigerians to unreservedly condemn this latest insensitivity by the nation’s ruler,” the CPC said. ANPP National Publicity Secretary Emma Eneukwu said: “it is now clear that Jonathan is encouraging corruption.” “It is very wrong for President Jonathan to object to declaring his assets. This further shows that Jonathan is leading by bad example. This is the President who promised to lead with the Rule of Law and preaches transparency. We are disappointed. As an opposition party, we view this development as a failure on the part of government. “Nigerians, by this move, will no longer trust their President who should be willing to declare his assets even without any push by Nigerians as a good example to other political office holders. But it is unfortunate that the President is not willing to listen to Nigerians. “If a President who publicly says he is fighting corruption is not ready to declare his assets, then, it also means that he is deceiving Nigerians. We should pray that the situation will not go from bad to worse. A lot of things are going wrong in his government and yet he sees nothing wrong.” SNG and ARG doubted Jonathan’s commitment to accountability and good governance, stressing that he has declined to show good example by refusing to publicly declare his assets. SNG spokesman Yinka Odumakin described the President’s remark as “unfortunate at a time people are clamouring for openness and transparency in governance”. He said the President’s remarks underscored his apathy to the promotion of ethical values in administration. ARG’s Kunle Famoriyo described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government as “a disaster”, adding that the President, who is the symbol of the ruling party, aptly mirrors the party’s position on transparency. To Famoriyo, the President has failed to lead by example. He advised him to follow the footsteps of his predecessor, the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, saying that it is not too late for him to publicly declare his assets. Famoriyo said Nigerians would continue to have the feeling that Dr. Jonathan has something to hide because of his passion for secrecy. Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), Mr Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said the laws need to be amended to make public assets declaration binding. Osipitan said the laws do not made the President to declare his assets publicly, but if he wants to demonstrate greater transparency, he can choose to let the public know what he owns. “Under the Constitution and the Code of Conduct Act, it doesn’t have to be a public thing. He needs to declare it to the appropriate authority, namely the Code of Conduct Bureau. It’s not a public thing. “But then, some people have gone ahead to establish a pattern of also making it public after declaring to the Code of Conduct. One or two people have made their own public. But it is not compulsory that it should be made public. “But if he wants to demonstrate transparency, then he can decide to make it public, so that whoever has information about it can challenge it. For Ali, there is no alternative to amending the laws to compel public declaration of assets. He said: “Under our existing laws, it is not mandatory for any public official to declare their assets publicly, and that is why some of us have been calling for an amendment of the law to make it mandatory for public officials to declare their assets publicly. “It is now left to the individual. That is the problem. It is a matter of discretion and you can’t criticise them if they exercise their discretion one way or the other. He has the right to do it or not to do it. And it the way it is, it will be wrong for someone to say ‘Why did not do it? “So, there should be no discretion. The law should be amended accordingly so that it will be obligatory for people to declare their assets publicly.” Ozekhome said once assets have been declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau, they are as good as public. According to him, anyone can apply to the Bureau for information on the declaration by virtue of the Freedom of Information Act. Akin Olujimi (SAN) Former Attorney General f the Federation and Minister of Justice, Akin Olujinmi (SAN) said although the President is not under obligation to declare his assets publicly, doing so will help raise awareness among public servants. His words: “The reason people insist is to show his transparency. People expect you want to rule by example. If he is able to declare publicly his assets, everybody will know this is what Mr. President has when he assumed office. At the end of his term, he is also expected to declare his assets so if we have a significant change, then you will want to ask questions. To ask questions you must know exactly what he declared when he assumed office. That is the wisdom. “But constitutionally, there is no requirement for public declaration. In terms of transparency and the need to show example to others and to fight corruption, then public declaration of his assets is not wrong. If anything, it only encourages people to believe that he is not only ready to fight corruption but that is ready to show the whole world you can judge me by what I have when I assumed office and what I have at the end f the day. Niyi Akintola (SAN) “The President was right when he said the law did not require him to make public his asset declaration. “The problem is not that what is declared is not made public. The problem is that most public officers engage in what I call: Anticipatory declaration of asset. They declare what they don’t have and once in office, they strive to meet that declaration. “It is not whether or not it made public. If we have the political will to implement the laws, majority of our public officers will be in prison by now. All you need to do is to work with the relevant agencies, if for instance, his tax remittance does not tally with his declared asset, he can be jailed on that basis for tax evasion. “But morally, he should have made it public having served under a former president that made his asset declaration public.” http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/51700-jonathan-under-attack-over-assets-declaration.html?wwparam=1340715895 |
| Politics › Re: Boko Haram Bombs Jail, Frees Detained Members by LocalChamp: 4:26pm On Jun 24, 2012 |
UPDATED: Boko Haram Breaks Into Damaturu Jail, Freeing Detained Members Posted: June 24, 2012 - 13:26 Posted by siteadmin caption: Habib Bama By SaharaReporters, New York Police sources said suspected Boko Haram gunmen staged a daring attack on the Damaturu prison on Gashua Road, freeing several inmates around 6:00 AM. Residents told SaharaReporters that sounds of sporadic gunshots still permeate the area. The Joint Task Force (JTF) forces had engaged in a fierce gunfight with the sect during the week leading to capture and execution of a leading Boko Haram commander, an army private, Habib Bama. UPDATES: Police spokesperson Frank Mba has confirmed to Saharareporters that unknown gunmen staged a jailbreak today in Damaturu. He stated that they freed about 40 inmates, injured a prison warder and that one fleeing inmate was killed in a gunfight. Police and soldiers are reportedly on the trail of the attackers. He said that the police is reaching out to local residents to call police in case they find fleeing prisoners http://saharareporters.com/news-page/boko-haram-breaks-damaturu-jail-freeing-detained-members |
| Politics › T-e-r-r-o-r-! Family Of 6 Killed In Jos by LocalChamp(op): 12:46am On Jun 23, 2012 |
T-e-r-r-o-r-! Family of 6 killed in Jos On June 23, 2012 · In Headlines 12:08 amEmail0 By Taye Obateru, AbdulSalam Muhammad, Wole Mosadomi, Joseph Erunke & Boluwaji Obahopo A family of six including a six-month old child and a 70-year old grandmother were yesterday brutally murdered by gunmen at Kumpun village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. In Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, the police command has discovered a hideout in Koto – Karfe area of the state where guns were being locally manufactured. In Kano State, the Joint Military Taskforce, JTF, also yesterday discovered a high calibre Improvised Explosive Devise, IED, in the premises of Waje Friday Jumat Mosque in Fagge Local Government Area of the state. The JTF also arrested four persons while allegedly trying to plant the bomb in the mosque. This was even as there was pandemonium in the Zone 5 area of Abuja, yesterday evening, following a bomb scare, with some offices in the ever-busy environment quickly evacuating as business men and women also hurriedly closed shops and residents scampered for safety. Policemen from bomb disposal unit packing defused home made bombs made from cans of soft drinks. In Minna, Niger State capital and environs, business activities were also temporarily disrupted yesterday afternoon as rumour of attacks by members of an Islamic sect, Boko-Haram filtered into town. The rumour which started barely an hour to the Friday Juma’at Mosque climaxed as some shop owners closed shops for the day’s business while many traders at the Kure ultra modern market and other markets around the metropolis also hurriedly followed suit. However, six other people were injured in Plateau State when the assailants suspected to be Fulani herdsmen and said to have numbered over 30 stormed the village at about 3.30am wielding guns and machetes. An eyewitness said the attackers killed six members of the Dakibang family in their sleep and injured two other members of the family who were hit with machetes as they tried to escape before moving to other houses in the village where they injured four other people. They reportedly shot sporadically while some of them attacked those trying to escape with dangerous weapons and operated for about two hours before escaping through a bush path. Security men to whom distress calls were made allegedly arrived at the village an hour after the attackers had gone. Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. John Clark Dabwang who visited the affected village to commiserate with them described the attack as barbaric and wicked. He wondered why people would hack down fellow human beings in cold blood and appealed for calm among the people urging them not to carry out reprisals. Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent Emmanuel Abuh confirmed the attack and the six killed adding that investigations were on to track down the perpetrators.In Kano State, the Waje Friday Mosque lies within the expanse of land that separate the predominantly Christian quarters and the indigenous Hausa. Bomb found in Kano mosque A statement by JTF spokesman made available to Saturday Vanguard in Kano, Lt Ikediche Iweha stated: “The attention of the general public is hereby drawn to the latest desperate and despicable tactics employed by members of the terrorist sect aimed at causing public disorder and riots in the name of religion. This afternoon, June 22, 2012, at about 2pm, the attention of the JTF was called by a careful Nigerian to a suspicious package at a mosque in Fagge area just before the Friday prayers. Upon examination, the package turned out to be an IED planted by terrorists to cause death and grievous harm to worshippers at the Jum’mat prayers. “This latest attempt is particularly disturbing in view of the wider implication it would have had on the fragile peace in Kano and the disruption of economic activities it would have brought with it. It is also equally disturbing in view of the recent events in parts of Kaduna State to which Kano boarders.” Similarly, the Police Public Relation Officer in the state, DSP Rilwanu Tanimu confirmed the arrest of the four suspects stressing that they were apprehended after they abandoned the IED stocked in a polythene bag. Taminu further explained that a comprehensive investigation has begun on the matter, adding that the four suspects were in their custody. Bomb scare in Abuja As usual with such situations, there were several versions to the cause of the scare with some people saying that a bag dropped from a moving vehicle and those by the road side took to their heels. Another version had it that a bag was dropped near an eatery in the area where several government offices, and private businesses as well as, the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, had their headquarters. Some eyewitnesses said they saw a suspicious bag between Top View Hotel and the headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps office in the area and concluded that it could be an explosive. The headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, is located on the other side of the road leading to Alvan Ikoku Way. The incident which occurred between about 3pm and 5 pm caused traffic gridlock in the area as one lane had to be closed to traffic. However, when Anti-Bomb Policemen visited the place, it was confirmed that there no explosive in the said bag. Locally manufactured arms The Kogi State police Commissioner, Muhammed Katsina who briefed newsmen over the incident said three persons, (names withheld), were arrested at the factory where locally made guns were being manufactured. Katsina said, the trio who had already confessed to have manufactured guns of different categories for men of the underworld were arrested by detectives who swooped on them at their workshop following a tip off. According to Katsina, 10 locally made single- barreled guns, one locally made double barreled gun, two manufacturing machines and a gas cylinder were recovered at the ‘’arms workshop.’’ He further said the state command also arrested two persons, aged 25 and 26 in connection with the kidnapping of a teenage girl, Racheal Bulus from Jos. The girl who was a Face book friend of Haruna travelled to see him only for the two to detain her and call her father asking for N200,000 ransom. The duo according to the police boss were arrested while trying to withdraw the money from their bank account in Ogane Iyale, Dekina Local Government of the state Traders scamper in Minna over rumour of attack As a result of the rumour of attack, the Friday prayer Mosques which were usually filled to capacity with adherents of the Islamic faith was poorly attended as many moslems chose to stay indoors as part of the rumour indicated that the central mosque was the target of the sect. Proprietors of private schools, especially those owned by Christians, who were in session,out of fear called or sent text messages to parents/guardians to come for their wards as their fears were further heightened by the presence of soldiers and anti-riot policemen who were patrolling the town.The situation was chaotic as parents who had their wards in schools drove recklessly to pick their children, in the process, causing traffic gridlock along major roads in the city, especially at the Central Mosque-Sabon-Gari round- about linking the Obasanjo shopping complex. Taxis and commercial motorcycle drivers popularly called ‘Okada’ were not left out in the confusion that ensued. While many simply stopped business to watch the unfolding events, others made brisk business charging more than the normal cost for a drop. Meanwhile, the police in Niger state have advised residents against spreading rumour over possible attacks and asked them to go about their normal businesses. A statement signed by the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO,, Pius Edobor, solicited the support and cooperation of Nigerlites in tackling security challenges by providing the police with useful information to check criminals and people from cause breach of the peace. Edobor described the rumoured attack as one of the gimmicks by mischief makers and assured residents of the state of their safety at all times. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/t-e-r-r-o-r-family-of-6-killed-in-jos/ |
| Politics › SaharaReporters: Azazi Axed As National Security Adviser by LocalChamp(op): 8:14pm On Jun 22, 2012 |
Patrick Owoeye Azazi Axed As National Security Adviser Posted: June 22, 2012 - 20:06 Posted by siteadmin caption: Owoeye Azazi By SaharaReporters, New York SaharaReporters has just learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the removal of General Patrick Aziza as his National Security Adviser. Mr. Aziza, a retired military officer, has been criticized as an inept adviser on national security. His tenure has witnessed an escalation in deadly bomb attacks by the extremist Islamist sect, Boko Haram. A source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Jonathan’s decision to fire the NSA was a gesture to many Northern politicians who have accused Mr. Azaziof openly politicizing his office by making statements that disparage the Northern parts of Nigeria. “Many big-time Northerners, including members of the PDP, complained to President Jonathan when General Aziza blamed in-fighting within the party for the increasing violence in the country,” said the source. Another source close to President Jonathan refused to confirm the removal of General Aziza, but told SaharaReporters that he was aware that Mr. Jonathan “intends to explore various means of arresting the disturbing state of insecurity in the country.” One source in the security sector revealed that Sambo Dasuki was the top contender to replace Mr. Azazi. SaharaReporters rang Mr. Aziza’s telephone number, but was unable to obtain his reaction since his phone was busy. http://saharareporters.com/news-page/patrick-owoeye-aziza-axed-national-security-adviser |
| Politics › Ex-NSE Boss Ndi Okereke-onyuike Seeks To Stall N3.3bn Theft Charge by LocalChamp(op): 12:14pm On Jun 22, 2012 |
Ex-NSE boss seeks to stall N3.3bn theft charge June 22, 2012 by Ade Adesomoju 7 Comments Former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke | credits: A former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mrs. Ndi Okereke-Onyuike, has asked a Lagos High Court in Igbosere to stay proceedings in her trial for alleged theft of N3.3bn. The charge was instituted against Okereke-Onyuike by the Lagos State Government. However, Okereke-Onyuike wants the court, presided over by Justice Christopher Balogun, to stay proceedings pending her appeal against an earlier decision of the court to assume jurisdiction to entertain the charge. Her lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, told the court on Thursday that the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, the law guiding criminal proceedings in the state, which prohibit the suspension of criminal trials, were abnormal and contradicted the superior provisions of the constitution. Olanipekun, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, said, “Section 273 of the ACJL is unconstitutional. The constitutional right of appeal vested on the applicant has not been taken away by Section 273. “It conflicts with Section 66 of the Constitution which vests the powers of the court on the judge. The Lagos State High Court is a creation of the Constitution and not the legislature.” But counsel for the state, Mr. Lawal Pedro, urged the court to dismiss the application. He said, “Once the jurisdiction is challenged, the only jurisdiction the court has is to enquire and determine whether it can entertain this application for stay of proceedings, but will, in line with Section 273 of the ACJL, refuse the application.” Pedro said the constitution empower the state House of Assembly and the Chief Judge to make rules for regulating the High Court’s practice and procedure. The state had preferred two separate charges against Okereke-Onyuike, her deputy, Alhaji Lance Elakama and six others, accusing them of stealing N3,301,000,000. The others are Creative Financial Services Limited, Mining System Limited, OPDC Properties Limited, OAK Business and Finance Company Limited, Uzoma Henry Onyekuru (m) and Kingdom Securities and Finance Company Limited. Balogun fixed ruling on the application for stay of proceedings till July 19. http://www.punchng.com/news/ex-nse-boss-seeks-to-stall-n3-3bn-theft-charge/ |
| Politics › U.S. To Slap "Terrorist" Label On Boko Haram Militants by LocalChamp(op): 3:01am On Jun 21, 2012 |
Exclusive: U.S. To Slap "Terrorist" Label On Nigerian Militants -Reuters P caption: Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau By John Shiffman and Mark Hosenball (Reuters) - The U.S. government is expected to formally apply a "foreign terrorist" label on Thursday to three alleged leading figures of the violent Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, officials said. The action by the State and Treasury departments follows growing pressure on the Obama Administration to take stronger action against Boko Haram. The group, which says it wants to establish an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks on Christian places of worship this year. Thursday's anticipated action, officials said, involves applying the "terrorist" designation to three men presumed to be central figures in the group. The three individuals, an official said, are Abubakar Shekau, aged around 43, described as a Boko Haram leader who allegedly aligned himself with al Qaeda in a video message; Abubakar Adam Kambar, aged roughly 35; and Khalid al Barnawi, aged approximately 36. All three are native Nigerians. The expected action will freeze any assets they have in the United States, and bar U.S. persons from any transactions with them. It is among the first such action the U.S. government has taken against Boko Haram, but falls short of demands from some U.S. lawmakers and the Justice Department to designate the entire group as a "foreign terrorist organization." The State Department has been under pressure to act against Boko Haram for months. In January, Lisa Monaco, the Justice Department's top national security official, sent a letter to the State Department arguing that the Nigerian group met the criteria for a "foreign terrorist" listing because it either engages in terrorism that threatens the United States or has a capability or intent to do so. Boko Haram increasingly is seen as a potent threat to Nigeria, the continent's most populous state and major oil producer, and as part of growing arc of Islamist extremist groups stretching across northern Africa. More recently, a group of Republican senators led by Scott Brown of Massachusetts introduced legislation requiring the State Department to determine whether Boko Haram should be designated as a terrorist group. Republican Representative Patrick Meehan, who chairs a Homeland Security subcommittee in the House, also introduced an amendment that would force the administration to add Boko Haram to the terrorism list or explain why it was not doing so. However, U.S. diplomats are weighing these demands against counter arguments, including those made by a group of academic experts on Africa who sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month urging her not to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist group. The academics argued that the move could backfire by enhancing the group's reputation among potential recruits and other militant groups. A U.S. designation might also empower more radical elements of Boko Haram, which is divided into factions, the professors said. In her letter to the State Department, Monaco of the Justice Department reported that since 2009 Boko Haram has conducted violent attacks against Nigeria's "police, politicians, public institutions and civilian population." Monaco said that according to press reports, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for 510 victims in 2011, and also took credit for a January 20 attack on government buildings in Kano in which more than 160 were killed. She said that although Boko Haram attacks until now have occurred only within Nigeria, Washington should not underestimate the threat the group poses to U.S. interests. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/20/us-usa-militants-bokoharam-idUSBRE85J1NC20120620 |
| Politics › Dying Suicide Bomber Tells Police: “we Are Doing God’s Work” by LocalChamp(op): 12:16am On Jun 21, 2012 |
Dying Suicide Bomber Tells Police: “We Are Doing God’s Work” Posted: June 20, 2012 - 18:39 Posted by siteadmin By SaharaReporters, New York In a deathbed confession, a young suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber told an officer in Bauchi that the group was “doing God’s work” and would not stop. The youth, who appeared to be between 20-24, was critically injured when bombs detonated and the explosion tore into his body, sending pieces in every direction. The Bauchi State Police Command recalled his last words before his death. Spokesman Abdullahi Abubakar reported: “At around 5:05 pm yesterday in Bauchi town, our attention was drawn to a young man between the ages of 20 to 24 lying critically injured after an explosion. On reaching the youth, our anti-bomb team searched him and recovered a pistol and bomb. Before he died he told us that they are doing God’s work and will not stop,” – an apparent reference to Boko Haram. On why the police moved him out of the hospital, the spokesman explained: “In the hospital we got an intelligence report that some people would come and take him away, and so we moved him to our headquarters under a drip with a doctor and it was with us that he later died because his legs were blown apart as were other parts of his body.” http://saharareporters.com/news-page/dying-suicide-bomber-tells-police-%E2%80%9Cwe-are-doing-god%E2%80%99s-work%E2%80%9D |
| Politics › Why I Built A House For Ohakim, By Rochas Okorocha by LocalChamp(op): 11:10pm On Jun 19, 2012 |
Why I built a house for Ohakim, by Okorocha By Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri 23 hours 7 minutes ago Font size: Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha has said his decision to build a Guest House for his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, and other former governors was informed by the provision of the law, which stipulates such gesture for former governors. Okorocha explained this while interacting with leaders from Ohakim’s local government area, Isiala Mbano. He said he has forgotten about all that happened before and during the 2011 governorship election and is concentrating on developing the state. Okorocha said: “I do not have any problem with the people of Isiala Mbano, because you are my brothers and friends. In fact, as I speak, I have built a Guest House for Ohakim, whom I still regard as my brother, Chief Achike Udenwa, the late Chief Evan Enwerem and the late Sam Mbakwe, as stipulated by the law of the state.” He said his administration would treat all councils equally. The governor explained that the idea of Community Government Council is to decentralise power and exploit untapped resources in rural areas to speed up development at the grassroots. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/50737-why-i-built-a-house-for-ohakim-by-okorocha.html |
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