₦airaland Forum

VP Sambo, Service Chiefs In Panic Meeting As Jonathan Jets Out To Brazil
Posted: June 19, 2012 - 20:00
Posted by saharatvadmin

caption: President Goodluck Jonathan received by Brazilian protocols

caption: President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
By SaharaReporters, New York
Nigeria’s Vice President Namadi Sambo and the country’ssecurity chiefs had an emergency meeting in Abuja on Tuesday to review the security situation in the country.

Those at the meeting included the Chief of Defense Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, Chief of Army Staff, GeneralAzubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral OlaSaheed Ibrahim, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Umar, and the Director General of the State Security Service, Ita Ekpenyong. The National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye Azazi, also attended the meeting.

Mr. Sambo stood in for President Goodluck Jonathan, who is on his way to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations’ Earth Summit tagged Rio+20.

After the meeting, Mr. Azazi told State House correspondentsthat the bombing of churches last Sunday in Kaduna and Zaria was a criminal act.

All the service chiefs refused to speak with journalists after the meeting, but Mr. Azazi volunteered that the meeting was to review the security situation in the country.

Asked if there was any escalation of violence in Kaduna, Mr.Azazi said, "Not right now. It escalated but the security forces have moved in, so the place is stabilized.” He added that the governor and religious leaders were also talking.

Stated Mr. Azazi: “What we are talking about is how [to] extend this discussion beyond just the state so that it can go down. Thechurch leaders can talk to the leaders in the mosques to see how they can tell the adherents to please be mindful that we need to address the security situation in the country peacefully."

Asked if President Jonathan was considering the declaration of a state of emergency in Kaduna, the national security adviser said, “Who is supposed to declare? I don't know about that.”

Mr. Azazi also defended President Jonathan’s trip to Brazil in spite of the serious security challenge facing both Kaduna and Yobe States. He said, “When the President is not in town, the VP is in charge and when there is [a security] situation, the VP calls the security chiefs to have a meeting. So, we just had a meeting to assess the security situation in the country.”

Even so, several sources in Abuja told SaharaReporters that there was widespread disappointment in Mr. Jonathan’s decision to head out to Brazil at a time when Kaduna, one of Nigeria’s most important and cosmopolitan cities, was in the grip of religious violence. “The president should have stayed home to monitor the security threat and sent his Vice President to lead the Nigerian delegation,” said a member of the National Assembly.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/vp-sambo-service%C2%A0chiefs%C2%A0in%C2%A0panic%C2%A0meeting-jonathan-jets-out-brazil

Crashed Dana aircraft not properly insured – Investigation
June 19, 2012 by Nike Popoola 52 Comments
| credits:
Indications have emerged that the Dana Air plane that crashed in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos on June 3 and caused the death of all 153 passengers and crew members on board and 10 people on the ground, may not have been properly insured.

One of the underwriters of the crashed aircraft, who disclosed this to our correspondent in confidence on Monday, said the lead insurer, Prestige Assurance Plc, did not pay the premium due to the local underwriters before the aircraft crashed, but only settled the foreign reinsurer.

It was also learnt that many of the aircraft in the country were not properly insured, thus leaving the passengers who board them and third party individuals and organisations that might be exposed to them unprotected.

Prestige Assurance, a firm largely owned by Indians, led six other local insurance companies to insure 30 per cent of the aircraft’s risk locally, while the remaining 70 per cent was reinsured with AON Reinsurer of London.

The source, who would not want to be named because of his involvement in the controversial insurance cover, said that the National Insurance Commission was not taking the issue lightly with the companies involved.

It was gathered that two days after the crash, NAICOM summoned the seven local insurance companies to an emergency meeting to discuss their plans on how and when to pay claims to the families of the victims.

At the meeting, the co-insurers reportedly told the commission that they would back out of the business because six months after the commencement of the contract, the lead underwriter had not paid them any premium.

According to them, the insurance law states that if there is no payment for that kind of policy after 90 days of commencement of the business, the principle of ‘no premium, no cover’ will hold.

Our correspondent gathered that NAICOM, however, demanded to know from the companies if they wrote officially to the client to cancel their contract because the law also required that the client should be alerted officially after 90 days.

However, the insurance companies were said not to have complied with that aspect of the law.

Based on this, it was further gathered that NAICOM accused the underwriters of unethical and unprofessional practices with regards to the policy because they did not anticipate the possibility of a loss occurring.

The commission, after reminding the underwriters that it would not tolerate claims default, ordered them to pay the claims promptly or face stiff penalties.

During a second meeting with the commission in Abuja on Thursday, the underwriters had expressed their readiness to pay the claims from their reserves, and that Dana Air and Prestige Assurance were already making efforts to make funds available for the initial N4.6m settlement for the family of each victim of the crash.

More than two weeks after the crash, Prestige Assurance and the foreign reinsurer have not made any official statement on their involvement in the policy.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel, said reinsurance treaty was put in place for the aircraft and NAICOM would ensure that claims would be settled promptly.

However, a senior official confirmed that the companies acted unprofessionally by not insisting that the policy should be properly executed.

The source said NAICOM would ensure that the insurance companies involved would be made to pay the accruable claims or risk serious sanctions, including possible suspension of their operating licences.

http://www.punchng.com/news/crashed-dana-aircraft-not-properly-insured-investigation/

We Will Not Watch Boko Haram Finish Us, Says Gurara Forum
Posted: June 18, 2012 - 21:57
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Bombing of ECWA church in Wusasa
By SaharaReporters, New York
The Gurara Forum, a Northern Nigerian Christian forum from Kaduna State, warned today that it will apply all means to protect its members from the menace of Boko Haram, and not watch Boko Haram annihilate them.

It called on people it called “uninformed, mischief makers and hardliners” to desist from pointing fingers at other people when they know the truth and the bombers, and said it will continue to hold the government and merchandisers of death responsible for their illicit actions against Christians.

In a press statement signed by Vincent Bodam, Chancellor and Jerry Adams, Secretary General, Gurara Forum underlined the ongoing annihilation of Christians in Northern Nigeria, and the orchestrated hysteria being peddled by selfish Northerners aimed at jeopardising the reality of Boko Haram’s insurgency and plot against Christians.

“Putting the baseless propaganda aside, the whole world and those following trends in Nigeria know better what Boko Haram stands for, the ideals and principles which they represent and of which they are working assiduously to achieve come what may,” the statement said.

“As our Churches were hit again yesterday in Zaria and Kaduna town, it became glaring that the sect meant what they represent, more so, they have cleared the air and claimed responsibility of the attacks which defied falsehood being advanced by selfish Northerners. Regrettably was the concern of the Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal which was largely on reprisal and not the suicide bombing that killed Christians. We will not succumb to photo shops manipulation and outright deviation of facts and reality of all these deliberate attacks against Christians.”

Referring to the recent pattern of bombings of churches on Sunday by suicide bombers, Gurara drew attention to Biblical teachings in which Christians are told to be magnanimous in their dealings with their fellow human beings and to respect the rights of other people, and be slow to anger and revenge, as vengeance is that of God only. Despite all that, it said, the perpetrators of the Satanic slaughtering of Christians have refused to desist or slow down.

“This means there is no remorse or regret from the actions of this evil machination,” Gurara Forum regretted. “The body language of the so-called leaders of the North shows an unfortunate and maniacal mischief going by their lingering efforts of saying the attacks are perpetuated by non-Muslims in contrast to the stand by Boko Haram that has always claimed responsibility. Their actions simply mean tacit support of Boko Haram.”

Noting that the although the government and security operatives claim to be doing their best have failed to end the impudence to an end, it stressed that security is the responsibility of all.

“We therefore observe with total regret that these people who live amongst us cannot be pointed by those who know them,” the statement said. “They thus continue to execute their evil plan of annihilation by bombing and killing in the course of charting their religious cause.”

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/we-will-not-watch-boko-haram-finish-us-says-gurara-forum

Kidnappers Grab Son Of Delta SSG

The son of Ovuozorie Macaulay, the Secretary to the Delta state government has been kidnspped in Ozoro, the headquarters of the Isoko North Local Government Area in the area.

Sources said the SSG's son, Markson Macaulay, 28, was attacked and abducted by unknown persons shortly after he arrived from a foreign country to visit his grandmother in Owhelogbo.

The latest kidnapping came on the heels of the kidnapping of Governor Uduaghan's cousin Pa Samuel Uduaghan last week. Pa Uduaghan was released after ransom was paid to his kidnappers


http://saharareporters.com/news-page/kidnappers-grab-son-delta-ssg

2 beheaded, many wounded as ex-militants invade Igbinedion University

At least two students of the Igbinedion University in Okada, Edo state were on Sunday beheaded while several others were injured when suspected ex militants who are also students of the institution clashed with other students suspected to be cult members.

The clash which reportedly started at about 7am continued until about 4pm with properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the process.

Eye witnesses said the attackers invaded the institutions and started shooting sporadically, destroying cars and blocking the main gate of the school.

The attackers also blocked the major road between Usen and Okada junction at Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.

The course of the clash could not be immediately. However, the police have moved into the campus, in an attempt to restore order.

There are about 200 ex-militants on admission at the Igbinedion University, Okada under the Federal Government amnesty programme.

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/06/17/2-beheaded-many-wounded-as-ex-militants-invade-igbinedion-university/

IG writes Tambuwal to release Lawan’s $620,000 bribe
June 17, 2012 by Toyosi Ogunseye, john Ameh and Adelani Adepegba 31 Comments
acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar
| credits:
The embattled former chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy, Mr. Farouk Lawan, has told the police that quizzed and detained him for two days, that the $500,000 he collected from an oil baron, Mr. Femi Otedola, was with a top member of the House.

His accomplice and secretary of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, reportedly collected $120,000.

Consequently, the police have written to the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, to prevail on the concerned lawmaker to release the money on Tuesday, when the House resumes sitting.

It was gathered that the letter, which had been written would be delivered on Tuesday when the House would resume sitting.

A highly placed police source, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, also disclosed that the police recovered only $10,000, during a search at Lawan’s Abuja residence.

It was also gathered that $8,000 was recovered from the house of Mr. Boniface Emenalo, who served as secretary of the Ad hoc probe panel.

However, Farouk was released on bail on Saturday around 4pm, after signing an undertaking to cooperate with the police on the release of the money.

According to the police source, the decision to write the Speaker followed Lawan’s claim that the money was not with him, but was in the custody of somebody in the house.

He said, “After undergoing intense interrogation, Lawan told investigators that the money is not with him. He claimed to have kept it with a lawmaker in the House.

“So, the acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, directed that a letter should be written to Speaker Tambuwal to demand the money.”

The Special Task Force handling the investigation was said to have put more pressure on the lawmaker before he admitted keeping the money with a member of the House.

Lawmakers, who spoke during the House emergency session on the bribery scandal on Friday, had warned security agencies against impugning the integrity of the house.

The House therefore, said Lawan was on his own, just as it stripped him of the chairmanships of the Ad hoc committee and the standing commmittee on Education.

But reacting to Lawan’s alleged claim, the spokesman of the House, Mr. Zakari Muhammed on Saturday evening tersely said, “There is no money with us in the House. I can confirm that.”

Also, the source decried the operational error of security agents involved in monitoring Lawan when he collected the money.

He said that the security agents should have recovered the money immediately he collected it.

Otedola had in an interview with a daily newspaper, said he involved the State Security Service in what he described as “sting operation.”

The source said, “The problem we are facing now is the recovery of the exhibit money. I think there was an operational error by the security agency that handled the operation.

“The money should have been recovered from Lawan and his accomplice, Emenalo immediately.

“Now that Lawan said the money is with the House, we will get across to the leadership by Tuesday when it might have reconvened.”

When our correspondent contacted the Police Public Relations, Mr. Frank Mba, on Lawan’s stance on the matter, he only confirmed his temporary freedom.

Mba said, “Yes, we have released him on bail. He will return next week and investigations will continue until this matter is thoroughly resolved.

But it was learnt late Saturday that Otedola would sue the House for including Zenon Oil in the list of those who collected foreign exchange to import fuel but failed to do so.

One of his aides, who craved anonymity, told one of our correspondents that the business mogul was consulting his lawyers on a legal response to the matter.

One of the consultations took place on Saturday in Lagos.

The aide said, “He is considering suing the House. They are trying to get back at him; so, he is talking to his lawyers on the possibility of seeking legal redress.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/ig-writes-tambuwal-to-release-lawans-620000-bribe/

Anambra: The Limits Of Propaganda By Chudi Offodile
Posted: June 15, 2012 - 11:48
Posted by siteadmin
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caption: Peter Obi
By Chudi Offodile
Where did Mallam Nasir El-Rufai go wrong in his presentation on Anambra’s budget of misplaced priorities? Is it the facts he presented that Anambra State with adult literacy at 74.0% is behind Imo (80.8%) and Abia State (78.2%) or that the two major contributors to IGR will be N6.76 billion from taxes and about N4 billion from fines and fees? If this IGR is measured against the state projected personnel costs of N16.3 billion, Anambra cannot pay its staff salaries without reliance on federal allocation; this means it is one of those ‘dependent’ states and is not economically viable for independent existence. Can anyone fault this simple analysis from information provided by the government itself?



I need not restate all that El-Rufai laid out in that piece but I was surprised that he was accused by Governor Obi of insulting the Igbos and that only Anambra State indigenes can assess his administration not outsiders who have never visited the state like El-Rufai. Anyway, I am an Igbo from Anambra State and I state as follows: I do not feel insulted in anyway by the article in question and being from Anambra State, I wish to exercise the right which the Governor graciously granted only the indigenes of Anambra state, which is the right to assess his administration.



Peter Obi brought civility into governance in Anambra State at a time politics in the state had degenerated to dangerous and unacceptable levels. That I must concede. But he has also taken, as they say, liberty for license, engaged in needless propaganda, pursuit of federal lucre and in the process, squandered a golden opportunity to positively transform a fruitful virgin state.



Propaganda works and it has worked well for Peter Obi, but it has its limits. One of the areas where a lot of propaganda has gone into in Anambra state is road construction. A lot of quality roads were constructed by the Ngige administration. But the present government claimed to have ‘Asphalted’ over 500 km of roads and claims that Anambra State has the best network of roads in the Country. How much did it cost the state, assuming the number is accurate and of what quality?



A government that prides itself as the most prudent in Nigeria should present the whole picture to its citizens. For instance, in May, 2011, the government of Cross River State under Senator Liyel Imoke, signed contract agreements Publicly with eight contractors for the construction of 474 km of roads valued at N20.325 billion to cover 28 communities across the State under the Cross River Rural Access and Mobility Project. The Projects are being jointly funded by the African Development Bank contributing N7.016 billion and Cross River State contributing N13.308 billion.



How much exactly did the 500km of roads built in Anambra State by Governor Obi cost? Informed citizens have put the figure at between N48 billion and N60 billion, more than double of what Cross River State is spending for corresponding kilometers of roads. As regards the quality of the roads, most indigenes would admit that you can determine which road was done under Ngige and the ones under Peter Obi by the standard. The roads built under Ngige are of a much higher quality. Most of the roads done by Peter Obi will have to be re-awarded, a case of penny wise, pound foolish.



Another major propaganda point is that the government of Peter Obi has not borrowed while other profligate states have been borrowing recklessly. How can a state with massive infrastructure deficits keep its funds in the bank while the Governor’s major developmental efforts will be in commissioning of bore holes, immunization programmes and giving grants to schools seeking accreditation? How much of the state government money is actually in the bank and can the government come out categorically and deny the rumor that over N150 million is paid out by the ‘banks’ as commission every month? Is there a correlation between these monthly commission payments from the banks and the fact that the average cycle of contracts and payment in the state is two to three years sometimes more in order to maintain a certain minimum bank balance?



While rebuking El-Rufai for daring to point out the facts about the state, the Governor claimed that he has attracted industries to the state and mentioned two: Innoson Motors and SAB Miller Breweries in Onitsha. Innocent Chukwuma is from Nnewi in Anambra state. His company, Innoson has always been in Nnewi, long before Obi became Governor. It started as a motorcycle assembly plant before moving to buses, and other vehicles. So Peter Obi did not attract Innoson to Anambra State. He considers as a major achievement the fact that he built the road leading to the Innoson factory and brought the President to commission it. Congratulations!



On Sab Miller, the Governor will need to address the rumor making rounds in the state concerning the ownership of 22% of Sab Miller shares. Anambra State Government owns 10% while the remaining 12% is said to be owned by other businessmen from Anambra State. Who are those other businessmen? Since they are not ghosts, it is important that their names be made public to avoid ugly rumors.



Talking about investment in the state, the Governor is known to be a successful trader before he became Governor. If the state is so attractive for business, what informed the decision of his own company NEXT International to invest over N12 billion building the two largest shopping malls in Abuja, one in Mabushi and the other in Central Area, opposite federal ministry of transport? The Governor announced proudly that this year, he will pay N32 million as tax in Anambra State. Why invest and create employment outside the state and then pay tax in Anambra State? It is a very strange way of doing things. Anambra State needs the investment and jobs that the Governor outsourced to Abuja and other places. I call on the Governor to publish his tax returns to know exactly where the N32 million income tax is coming from. Is it from dividends or other sources? Since he mentioned it, we need to know more.



Anambra State is a rural state and nobody can deny that. It has no airport, no stadium and no good public secondary school. If you fall sick in the state and you are unable to navigate yourself to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Federal University Teaching Hospital, you are finished. The State University Teaching Hospital, Awka, which was ‘commissioned’ by President Jonathan in 2010, is still an ongoing project in 2012. Yet, the money is in the bank! None of the three ‘cities’ within the state; Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi is really habitable. There is no public water supply system in those areas. The Government of Obi competes with individuals in the provision of boreholes all over the state with his so called development partners. No place like that can attract talents who will contribute to the development of the state.



Little wonder then, that two out of every three property/land transactions in Asaba and Enugu involve indigenes of Anambra State. Most members, past and present of Anambra State House of Assembly and Commissioners including most of the bank managers in Anambra State, all have their houses in Asaba and Enugu from where they commute to Anambra State. Why not? Their children have to attend good schools which do not exist in Anambra State. What Obi has managed to achieve in six years, is sustaining the rural status of the state.



The only habitable estate in Awka Capital Territory is the Udoka Housing Estate built by the Chukuemeka Ezeife administration in 1991/92. Across the other side of the Enugu – Onitsha expressway is the Ngozika Estate built by Obi’s government of a quality much lower than the Jakande houses of the eighties. He claims to have secured accreditation for School of Health Technology, Obosi, School of Midwifery, Nkpor, School of Nursing, Iyienu. Fine! But these are institutions built by his predecessors and he is listing securing accreditation as his achievement.



He announced that he invested N4 billion of state funds in Orient Petroleum but it was conceptualized and set up by Dr. Mbadinuju. The Anambra State University was set up by the same Mbadinuju and when Peter Obi builds a faculty building or hostel in the school, he will advertise it as a monumental achievement. Yet he claims that there was nothing on ground when he became Governor of the state. Even the Women Development Centre, Awka which is Anambra’s equivalent of the International Conference Centre, Abuja [Don’t laugh] was built by Mbadinuju. And I ask, apart from the State Secretariat, what project of note has Peter Obi initiated and completed in the past six years?







Thisday newspaper in awarding Governor Obi (4) four stars in its rating of Governors stated among other things that he built 77 bridges and 103 Schools. These are unsubstantiated claims. Some bridges, yes but not a single school was built under Peter Obi. What he did was that he awarded contracts to the 177 town unions in Anambra State to build 4000 classroom blocks in the schools within their communities. Unprecedented absurdity! He has no coherent educational policy. He would donate computers to some schools, give some principals’ money directly to build toilets in their schools and then supply some with generators as the spirit moves him. When the cacophonous interventions failed, he then out of frustration, rather than a carefully thought out policy, handed over the schools to the missions to continue from where they stopped 40 years ago. Lord have mercy!!



Thisday again listed a new Onitsha hotel and convention centre under construction as one of his achievements. This brings me to the issue of transparency and due process. Contracts under Obi are generally not advertised and are usually arbitrarily awarded. This ongoing convention centre was one of the few advertised and tenders received from companies all over Nigeria. After the pre-qualification and opening of the financial and technical bids, Costain won the bid and was invited by the Anambra State Ministry of Commerce to collect the award letter. Before that could be done, Obi unilaterally awarded the contract to another company. Serious companies avoid Anambra State resulting in the poor quality of work seen in the projects undertaken by Obi’s government.



Governor Obi has announced two years to the end of his tenure that he will build a new Governor’s Lodge and Governor’s Office before he hands over in March 2014. Informed citizens are asking him not to bother. Since he has lived in a temporary governor’s lodge and operated from a temporary governor’s office for six years there’s no hurry.



Lest I forget, three years ago when people complained about the lack of development in the State, Governor Obi announced to Anambra people that he was developing a base map for Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi with a United Nations group, Habitat in order to have orderly development. Great idea! Three years after, can someone please ask the Governor the status of the ‘base map’?



Hon. Chudi Offodile is a Lawyer and former member of the House of Representatives who served between 1999-2006 representing Awka North/Awka South Federal Constituency, Anambra State. He was also Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives.

http://saharareporters.com/article/anambra-limits-propaganda-chudi-offodile

APGA is dead, says Chime
On June 13, 2012 · In News 9:42 pmEmail0

BY TONY EDIKE

ENUGU – GOVERNOR Sullivan Chime of Enugu State reflecting on the current crisis in the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, the party that controls two states in the South East zone, declared Wednesday that the party was dead.

The governor made the declaration while receiving members of the South-East Zonal Working Committee, ZWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Col Augustine Akobundu (rtd), who paid him a visit at the Government House, Enugu.

According to him, APGA had no chance whatsoever at the forthcoming 2014 Anambra State governorship election and future elections in the country because the party no longer had a system and a succession plan, saying whatever was left of the party would finally crumble as soon as Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State relinquished power by March 17, 2014.

Chime, who expressed confidence that the PDP would be in control of the South East after the next elections, however, tasked the ZWC committee members of his party to take advantage of APGA’s extinction to win the governorship election in Anambra State in 2014 and in Imo State in 2015.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/apga-is-dead-says-chime/

N96m bribe: Reps abandon Lawan to his fate
June 13, 2012 by John Ameh, Abuja 46 Comments
Angry members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday insisted that one of their high-ranking members, Mr. Farouk Lawan, currently enmeshed in a $3m bribery allegation must carry his own cross.

A key member of the House confided in The PUNCH in Abuja that most members had reportedly analysed Lawan and Femi Otedola’s accounts of what transpired and were of the view that “our colleague did not act smart at all.”

The lawmaker, who is very close to the leadership of the House, disclosed that members were pained by the fact that it was Lawan who went to Otedola’s house to collect the money.

He noted, “Lawan must carry his cross; we have been discussing his conduct and most of us hold this view.

“The fact that he visited Otedola is enough to invalidate whatever he has to tell us. Let us assume that he did not collect the money; the fact that he went to the man (Otedola) diminished all he said. It is a total disgrace.”

The lawmaker, however, said that members were hoping that investigation would give Lawan a “watertight case, which for now is not what we are seeing.”

“We insist that whatever investigation is being done must be properly handled; all the facts must be laid bare”, he added.

The Chairman of an influential committee, which controls over 30 parastatals, also expressed sadness over the development, saying it was reasonable for members to keep Lawan at arm’s length in the interim.

According to the member, who pleaded anonymity, when a committee of the House is conducting an investigation, “the committee calls the shots, not the other way round.”

The lawmaker said, “Lawan is a fourth-timer who has been in the House since 1999. He should know more than anyone else that as an investigator, you hold the knife and the yam.

“Why did he go to the man’s house? If you wanted to expose him, what stopped you from asking him to come and meet you at your own location?”

Findings indicated that some members were seeking answers on why Lawan applied to remove Zenon Oil’s name from the list.

“Would it have been a coincidence? Otedola accused him of demanding the bribe to remove the name of his firm from the list of indicted firms. It turned out that while the report was being considered by the House, the same Lawan applied to remove Zenon from the list. We are disturbed over this development”, another embittered member told The PUNCH on Tuesday.

Investigations showed that Lawan’s explanation that he wrote the Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba, and attached the bribe money reportedly did not convince some lawmakers.

“Why did he choose Jagaba and not the police or other security agencies?

“Our thinking is, perhaps, he has spent the marked money Otedola gave him; that is why he is refusing to release it”, one member observed.

Chairman of the House Committee on Civil Societies and Donor Agencies, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, however argued that the bribery scandal was an individual issue and not a House matter.

Eyiboh suggested that the criminal justice system should be used to tackle the allegation.

He said, “We distinguish between the conduct of individuals and the institution (House).

“What is happening and which is now the subject of discussion in the public domain is within the purview of criminal justice and there are processes and procedures to resolving it.

“In this matter, neither the accuser nor the accused has so far said that any money was given to the House or its leadership. Nobody has also said that the transaction has undermined the credibility of the subsidy report.

“Moreover, it is still an allegation, which is outside the statutory responsibilities of the House. But, you rest assured that the leadership and members of the House of Representatives are alive to their constitutional responsibilities.”

Jagaba, whom Lawan said he handed over the bribery money for onward transmission to the leadership of the House, declined to comment on the issue on Tuesday.

The anti-graft committee chairman in the House had on Monday given The PUNCH an appointment for Tuesday, having rejected a telephone interview earlier on Monday night.

When he was approached on Tuesday, the lawmaker became hostile, dismissing our correspondent angrily.

“No comment, no comment; I have said no comment. For the first time, let me say no comment; or don’t I have the right to say no comment? I am not a member of the ad hoc committee”, Jagaba said angrily.

Unconfirmed accounts however indicated that Jagaba had confided in some of his colleagues that he did not receive any letter or bribery evidence from Lawan.

He was said to have vehemently disowned Lawan.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, still maintained his stance that there was nothing the House could do about Lawan’s case before Tuesday next week.

“No decision can be taken before Tuesday; keep all enquiries till we resume on Tuesday next week”, he added

http://www.punchng.com/news/n96m-bribe-reps-abandon-lawan-to-his-fate/

Aviation Panel: Why Include Adc Airline Boss Whose Company's 2006 Crash Report Remains Unpublished?
Posted: June 12, 2012 - 15:18
Posted by siteadmin
The inclusion and participation of Captain Mfon Udom, MD/CEO and Co-owner of ADC Airlines (whose aircraft killed many passengers onboard the 29th October, 2006 crash) in the Federal Government's Technical and Administrative Review Panel on Domestic Airlines (a committee investigating DANA and other domestic airlines) is an unfortunate scenario.

It is sad that President Goodluck Jonathan and his government would include a man in the review panel whose own failure and negligence contributed to the death of precious Nigerians; who also has Indian connection (his insurers are Indians and DANA is an Indian-owned company) and who brought a team of lawyers to negotiate downwards some of the compensation paid to the victim's families to “only’ what ADC could afford.”

Aviation Development Company Airlines' (ADC) Flight 53 was a scheduled passenger flight operated by ADC Airlines that crashed on 29th October 2006 shortly after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at around noon local time.

Immediately after take-off from Abuja, the Boeing 737 contacted the ground, broke up and caught fire in a corn field. The flight is reported to have had 104 people on board.

Muhammadu Maccido, the Sultan of Sokoto, the sultan's son, Senator Badamasi Maccido, Dr. Nnenna Mgbor, the first ever female West African E.N.T. Surgeon and Abdulrahman Shehu Shagari (no relation with the writer), son of former president Shehu Shagari among others were on the passenger list.

About nine (9) people survived. Among the survivors were the three (3) daughters of Ibrahim Idris, former Governor of Kogi State. A woman earlier counted among the dead also survived with no serious injuries from the plane which was heading to Sokoto State.

Like the current DANA crash, the ADC crash sparked intense national protest to improve the nation's aviation sector thereby leading to the suspension of ADC's operating license and replacement of the minister of aviation (Prof. Babalola Aborisade with Femi Fani-Kayode) and a complete overhaul of the Nigerian aviation sector.

After about six years without ADC's investigation result made known to the Nigerian public, one feels it is an insult on both the memory of ADC and DANA’s victims, their families and the entire nation for Mr. President to approve the inclusion of Captain Mfon Udom in the aviation review panel.

Where is due diligence? How can Capt. Udom still be asked to perform a public service in the aviation sector whose failure he has partly contributed to.

After being named as a member of the panel, one thought that the ADC boss would honour those who died in his company's plane crash or DANA crash victims by rejecting the appointment either on the grounds of sympathy for the victims or the airline involved nor the feeling that the public may misconstrue his job on the panel. But trust some Nigerian elites; Capt. Udom appeared at the inauguration of the panel on Monday in Abuja, unfazed.

Agreed that Captain Udom is an expert in his field but the moral (and what many see as an unhealthy) burden he carries should have made the Minister of Aviation or Mr. President to have a rethink on his inclusion.

Is it that our public officials have a short memory or it is simply a pure case of selective amnesia?

How can Aviation Minister Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi include a man who still owes the dead compensation and forgiveness in a panel that ironically is supposed to look into how to avert future crashes or ensure prompt payment of compensation to crash victims?

While other members of the review panel led by the Chairman, Retired Group Captain John Obakpolor and Captain Ibrahim Mshelia are seasoned professionals who have had a distinguished career in the aviation sector, nevertheless one feels the inclusion of Capt. Udom will leave many discerning Nigerians and foreign aviation experts wondering if there is no sinister motive for including him...maybe to help water down the panel's recommendation or never to allow the panel’s report to be made public like that of the 2006 ADC crash.

Although President Jonathan has promised to fully implement the review panel's recommendations, nevertheless the inclusion of people like Captain Mfon Udom is one that has left many Nigerians asking if it is not a precursor to the report being dumped under the smelly Aso Rock rug of dead reports, like previous efforts.

Editor’s Note: Sumner Shagari Sambo is a journalist and Editor of NEWSMAN, an online news blog on Facebook.

http://saharareporters.com/article/aviation-panel-why-include-adc-airline-boss-whose-companys-2006-crash-report-remains-unpubli

FG seeks ICAO’s help to probe airlines, aircraft
June 12, 2012 by Everest Amaefule, Abuja 16 Comments
Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah
| credits: File copy
The Federal Government is seeking the assistance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation to determine the air worthiness of aircraft in use in Nigeria.

Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, made this known at the inauguration of the Technical and Administrative Review Panel on Domestic Airlines established by the Federal Government in Abuja on Monday.

Oduah also said the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, would head a committee to review customs duty on importation of aircraft and aircraft maintenance parts.

She said, “The ministry is inviting ICAO to provide Nigeria with special assistance and support to urgently undertake a thorough technical and safety oversight of the aircraft and airlines operating in Nigeria.

“Furthermore, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority will be strengthened and supported by an internationally accredited financial auditor, Messrs PricewaterHouse, who will be invited to undertake the financial audit of all domestic airlines in line with Nigerian Civil Aviation Act of 2006 and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation.

“The strategic restructuring and internal reorganisation including the review of NCAA Act will be undertaken; also with the support of ICAO.”

She said the task of the panel headed by Group Capt. John Obakpolor (retd.), was geared towards the intensification of the ongoing institutional reform of the entire aviation industry and was distinct from the statutory accident investigation process of the Accident Investigation Bureau.

Oduah said the committee to be headed by Okojo-Iweala was aimed at reducing the financial burden of duties on the domestic airlines operating in the country.

The minister described the recent Dana aircraft crash as one of the worst air disasters the nation ever witnessed.

She regretted that the crash occurred less than 24 hours after a Nigeria-registered Boeing 727 cargo aircraft belonging to Allied Air Limited overran the runway while landing at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana.

Obakpolor said there might be need to expand the committee in order to incorporate other skills required for the work, adding that the six weeks assigned to the committee might not be enough to conclude its assignment.

He said, “This panel will not work from answer to question. We will work from questions to answers. There is no hiding place for the goldfish. We will say it the way it is, not the way anybody wants it. Many things will come out.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-seeks-icaos-help-to-probe-airlines-aircraft/

Militants demand N1bn reparation, give Jonathan June 21 deadline
On June 10, 2012 · In News 1:00 pmEmail0

By SAMUEL OYADONGHA & FESTUS AHON

The leadership of Niger Liberation Force (NDLF), a militant group in the Niger Delta, has demanded N1bn from the Federal Government as compensation for what it described as “the extra judicial murder of its leader, General John Togo, aerial bombing and killing of innocent citizens of Ayakoromor community by soldiers of the Joint Task Force.

The NDLF demand is coming on the heels of the alleged Federal Government payment of N100m compensation to the family of the slain leader of the Islamist group, Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf who was reportedly killed by the police in custody.


...Militants

Spokesman for the NDLF, Capt Mark Anthony, in a statement made available to Sunday Vanguard, said unlike Boko Haram that went bombing and killing innocent citizens, agitation was for local control of oil revenue arising from decades of years of criminal injustice and balkanization by the Nigerian government and did not go about the streets of Niger Delta to murder innocent citizens and security operatives.

The group, which flayed the Federal Government decision to compensate the family of the Boko Haram leader who died in police custody, threatened to return to the creeks if government refused to make compensation through its legal representatives on or before June 21, 2012.

The statement read in part, “The leadership of the NDLF has consulted and authorized our legal team to demand from the Federal Government, on behalf of our organization, to pay NDLF and the family compensation of N1bn, for the extra-judicial murder of our commander and leader of NDLF, General John Togo, his soldiers and bombing and killing of innocent citizens in Ayakoromor by soldiers of Joint Task Force (JTF) through both aerial bombing and mini warship attacks in 2010/2011.

”Our organization rose from its slumber suddenly when the government of Nigerian paid similar compensation of N100m to the Islamist Boko Haram leader’s family for extra-judicial murder of Mohammed Yusuf by the police”.

”NDLF’s objective was clear as our agitation was for local control of oil revenue arising from decades of years of criminal injustice and balkanization by the Nigerian government.

”NDLF, as part of our scope of operations, did not go about the streets of Niger Delta to murder innocent citizens and security operatives unlike our counterparts, Boko Haram, who went bombing and killing innocent citizens, including church worshippers, security formations, UN building and other major strategic targets that had caused pains to hundreds of families. Yet, the Federal Government of Nigeria decided to beg them by paying N100m to the slain Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf and others by the police.

”We, therefore, consider this as a slap on our face and urge the Federal Government to make immediate compensation through our legal team before or not later than 21 June, 2012, or else, NDLF will be forced to go back to the creeks for action. The leadership has directed all NDLF soldiers and intending recruits to get ready for action, if the government ignores our demand.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/militants-demand-n1bn-reparation-give-jonathan-june-21-deadline/

Lagos plane crash: Chinese men who cheated us on queue made fun of me —Daughter
June 10, 2012 by Agency Reporter 8 Comments
Ihezuo, narrated that she initially went to the Arik airlines stand, but their plane was fully booked, so she headed for Dana Air where she joined a queue for the ticket.

“We were on the queue and it was my turn to buy the ticket. I was rummaging my bag to bring out money to pay for the ticket when two Chinese men who were behind me gave money to the cashier and paid for the remaining seats. I was very angry and their action generated a verbal exchange between my husband and the cashier.

“The Chinese men were not even sorry for their action, instead they and their girlfriends made jest of us, waving the tickets in the air and making fun of us; we were so annoyed and we decided to postpone the trip.”

She added that she had yet to reach the house when she got reports that the Dana plane had crashed.

The mother of four said that family members that were waiting for them at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos cried when they heard about the incident. They thought that both mother and daughter had perished in the crash.

She stated that her church members in Abuja also thought she had died until they were notified that she did not board the aircraft.

Ihezuo said, “Since the incident, I have just been thanking God because He was the one that kept us. I have been rolling on my knees in thanksgiving since last Sunday and my knees are sore,” she said as she lifted up her skirt to show her bruised knees.

She stated that since she started flying about a year ago, the Dana flight was the first she would see that was fully booked, “I am familiar with most of the crew members because I have been patronising the airline for some time; I feel so bad for the crew and passengers.”

Ihezuo added she had purchased a luxury bus ticket for her mother who was going to stay with her eldest daughter at Festac, Lagos following her refusal to board a flight.

http://www.punchng.com/news/lagos-plane-crash-chinese-men-who-cheated-us-on-queue-made-fun-of-me-daughter/

“Jonathan’s Government is Irrelevant, Confused and Incompetent,” Says Femi Falana
Posted: June 9, 2012 - 14:11
Posted by saharatvadmin
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Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana has described one year of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government as irrelevant, confused and incompetent. He made the damning assessment last weekend on the SaharaTV news program, the Roundtable.
This special edition of the Roundtable looked at 13 years of democracy in Nigeria which was commemorated as Democracy Day on May 29th.
Appearing on the same program, Prof. Wale Adebanwi of the African American Studies at the University of California at Davis described President Jonathan’s first year in office as a “scandal” calling his understanding of governance very “elementary.”
"There is not much to be said about his first year because it is a national scandal," Prof. Adebanwi said to SaharaTV’s Rudolf Okonkwo. "The President [Goodluck Jonathan] has shown absolute incompetence, absolute lack of vision."
Mr. Falana described what had changed in the last 13 years as a move from military rule to civil rule. He regretted that the forces of change failed to compromise during the transition process in 1999. Falana said that if progressives had followed the advice of former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa that Nigeria could have formulated a descent government of the South African mold, a government which transitioned from an apartheid era government to its current democratic one.
Responding to SaharaTV’s question on whether the struggle and sacrifices for democracy were all in vain Mr. Falana said, ”We now have an opportunity, periodically to choose every four years our own oppressor…it’s no longer a military dictator calling the shots…that’s development.” Falana stressed that under military junta Nigerians could not go to court to challenge or file violations of human rights. “Today we can demand the rights of our people,” Falana said. “We have no regrets for shoving off the military.”
On the way forward, Prof. Adebanwi maintained that there is still the need for Nigerians to come together and discuss. "[The government needs to] create the environment for Nigerians to begin to talk about how we are going to have the ultimate discussion because we have to have that discussion at some point." Prof. Adebanwi said.
Discussing the $6.8 billion dollars fuel subsidy, the N155 billion naira Malabu oil block, and the N36.8 billion naira police pension scam, Femi Falana lamented that corruption has taken over every facet of Nigerian life.
"[In the newspaper] all you read about is the disappearance of billions of naira. In the last 5 months or 6, all the National Assembly has been doing, it's not lawmaking; it's one scandal after another," Falana said.
On the priorities facing the president, Falana suggested the security situation be addressed, reduce level of criminality involving spats of kidnappings and robberies, improve welfare of public and also focus on the many unemployed youths.
"The mass unemployment in our country which has driven our youth to criminality...should be tackled by the government," Falana said.
Prof. Adebanwi on his part expressed pessimism on the president’s ability to turn things around. He charged President Jonathan to show some ‘measure of capacity to even govern the state.” He suggested that the president should begin with ‘cosmetic examples’ by tackling the road situation, unemployment, electricity problem as a way to show his commitment to national development.
"We can't see signs of hope but certainly there is an opportunity to change things." Prof. Adebanwi said.
This weekend’s Roundtable on SaharaTV program will feature novelist Chika Unigwe and commentator, Chido Onumah.

http://saharareporters.com/video/%E2%80%9Cjonathan%E2%80%99s-government-irrelevant-confused-and-incompetent%E2%80%9D-says-femi-falana

Renaming University of Lagos: Former VC Ade-Ajayi Appeals to President Jonathan to Reconsider
Posted: June 8, 2012 - 15:28
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Student protesters at the University of Lagos gates
By SaharaReporters, New York
J. F Ade Ajayi, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and Emeritus Professor of History, has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to reconsider whether the decision to change the name of the institution represents the best or most appropriate way to honour Chief MKO Abiola’s contribution to the cause of democracy in Nigeria.

“History has shown that a true statesman is prepared to step back and will ultimately stand for what is right when on reflection and due consideration the correct course of action is clear,” he advised in a letter.

Professor Ade Ajayi expressed appreciation for President Jonathan’s decision to recognize Chief Abiola place in Nigeria’s history, public recognition he described as being long overdue, and saluted the courage to take the decision to rectify the omission.

He said, “As a historian I have sought to increase the respect for a sense of history in our national life as I see this awareness of our past as being crucial to national development. As a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, I have a heightened sense of the real and potential role of this particular institution in preparing and inspiring our leaders of tomorrow.

“I also have a sense of the value that past and present faculty and students as well as local and international collaborators and well wishers place on their association with one of the more enduring institutions in our nation.”

He prayed that God will Jonathan the grace to stand on the right side of history in this and throughout his tenure of office.

[Full text of the letter]:

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

State House,

Aso Rock, Abuja



Your Excellency

I would like once again to take this opportunity to thank you for the honour you did me in 2010 on Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary – by including me in the fifty individuals whose contributions to Nigeria, you acknowledged at the time.

I also wish to take this opportunity to appreciate your recent decision to recognize the contributions of Chief MKO Abiola to the advancement of Democracy in Nigeria. This public recognition is, almost universally, accepted as being long overdue. I salute your courage in taking the decision to rectify this.

I had a high regard for MKO Abiola as well as a personal relationship with him that dated back to a time when he sought me out and invited me to Chair the OAU Group of Eminent Persons on Reparations. The group included such distinguished Africans as Graca Machel and the East African historian Ali Mazrui. Chief Abiola committed considerable resources and his infectious energy to the cause of Reparations during his lifetime.

As a historian I have sought to increase the respect for a sense of history in our national life as I see this awareness of our past as being crucial to national development. As a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, I have a heightened sense of the real and potential role of this particular institution in preparing and inspiring our leaders of tomorrow.

I also have a sense of the value that past and present faculty and students as well as local and international collaborators and well wishers place on their association with one of the more enduring institutions in our nation.

I therefore appeal to you to reconsider whether the decision to change the name of the University of Lagos represents the best or most appropriate way to honour MKO’s contribution to the cause of democracy in Nigeria.

Nigeria is passing through a turbulent period. At times like this a sense of history, institutional memory and continuity are important to help restore stability. The University of Lagos is an important part of our institutional history and I urge you to restore its founding name and consider a more meaningful and befitting way in which to pay tribute to Chief MKO Abiola.

Finally, Your Excellency, history has shown that a true statesman is prepared to step back and will ultimately stand for what is right when on reflection and due consideration the correct course of action is clear.

I pray that God will give you the grace to stand on the right side of history in this and throughout your tenure of office.

Yours Sincerely,

J. F Ade Ajayi

Emeritus Professor of History

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/renaming-university-lagos-former-vc-ade-ajayi-appeals-president-jonathan-reconsider

I almost died when Jonathan renamed UNILAG – Ibidapo-Obe
June 8, 2012 by Olabisi Deji-Folutile 15 Comments
A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and now Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Ndufe-Alike, Ebonyi State, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, in this interview with Olabisi Deji-Folutile says universities are usually named after cities because they play historical roles

As a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, what is your opinion of the UNILAG brand?

The name, University of Lagos, is a global brand and it took many years of hard work to build this brand. It took us 50 years to develop the UNILAG brand. We have all worked very hard to get the university to its present status. I remember when I took over as the VC in 2000, I worked very hard to change the level of the university as Eko for Show to another level. I coined the slogan- the university of first choice and now the university is the university of first choice in Nigeria. The proof of that is that the university is the most subscribed university in Nigeria and 1/3 of candidates applying for the top courses choose UNILAG. UNILAG is the nation’s pride, we should develop and nurture it. Clearly you can put it side by side with any university in Africa.

How did you feel when you learnt about the change of name?

I almost died when I heard the announcement. The university community would have buried two people. It was really painful and for me it was double pain because I was mourning my friend, the late VC. My consolation is that it will help me to retain the memory of my friend, at least each time this issue comes to mind, I would remember it was the time my friend died. And that is what we are saying. Again the timing was very bad. Here is a community mourning the VC and just this devastating news again, it is bad.

Some people have argued that there is really no big deal about changing the name of the university and that the international community will easily adapt to the new name, what’s your take on this?

You ask me, what’s in a name and I tell you that everything is in a name. Name is everything. Your name is your identity. You change name to make products do well, if the university has not been doing well, if it has not been producing the kind of graduates we want, we can change the name to give us what we want but that is not the case here. Those who say there is nothing in a name are jokers. It will take another 50 years to adjust to this new name.

Let me share my personal experience, when I graduated from UNILAG in 1971, I went to the University of Waterloo in 1972. Each time I told them I was from UNILAG, they would say Oh; University of Lagos in Ibadan The only university they recognised then was the University of Ibadan and they refused to accept UNILAG as a separate university. It took long years of persistence to get the university recognised in the international community.

Why do you think the President’s decision is out of place?

The President is the one that talks about due process and the rule of law and in this case he has faulted himself. He didn’t go through due process. He didn’t consult with anybody, he didn’t consult with the university council, he didn’t consult with the university authorities, I am a stakeholder in this university, my reputation is based solely on this university, but I didn’t know anything about this. The late VC was my very close friend, if the President had consulted him, he would have told me. Nobody knew anything about this, even the military did not behave like this when they wanted to change the name of the University of Ife.

When the former military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida wanted to change the name of UNIFE, he consulted widely, he had a think tank and the people were consulted, the university authorities were aware, there was wide consultation, but there is nothing like that in this case. To me, this is a reflection of the level of disdain that our leaders have for us. I have never seen a father that renames his child on his 50th birthday. It is only in Nigeria that university names are changed. Where else does this happen? It does not happen in Canada, it does not happen in Europe,

But Harvard started as New College and renamed after British clergyman, John Harvard…

When was that? In 1639? Harvard was established in 1636. What about Cambridge, what about Oxford, these are universities established in the 12th century and they still retain their names. Oxford started in 872, Cambridge in 1209, we know the history of universities because we are in the business of running universities. This is what we do, universities are named after cities not after individuals, even when they are private institutions, they still name them after cities. UNILAG has historical background. I advise the President to just retrace his steps and concentrate on pressing issues in Nigeria.

What happens if the Federal Government refuses to revert to UNILAG?

The Federal Government can’t refuse. We are starting a legal process, this university has produced 120,000 graduates, we have friends in other universities who are against the government’s decision. This government belongs to all of us so it can’t impose an unpopular decision on us, we have friends outside Nigeria, we have friends in the academic community, we will also go through the National Assembly because we know that government cannot unilaterally change the name of the university because it was established by an Act of Parliament. If the National Assembly disappoints us, we will go through a referendum and I learnt we would need about 50,000 signatures. Our friends in and outside the country will support us. We know we would have the required signatures to upturn any unpleasant decision. That is the beauty of democracy. Democracy is good, it gives you the opportunity to challenge government’s decision.

What plans do you have to force government to accede to your demand?

Every legal step possible but all protests and violent demonstrations are not part of it. We won’t lose a life over this, that is why we are appealing to the students to be calm, they should stop their protests, we will fight for them, the alumni association is capable of fighting this battle, they should just face their studies. Personally, I want the students to go back to the class, I want the university to re-open, let the university keep to the academic calendar, we worked hard to enjoy the present academic stability we have.

Some people have also suggested that probably one of the newly created universities should have been named after Abiola, as a VC of one of these universities, what’s your take on this?

I have nothing against that, government can even name all the nine universities after Abiola to honour him, I have no problem with that because they are new and don’t have any identity yet, they can grow with the name and become a brand.

But the University of Ife was changed to Obafemi Awolowo University, what makes UNILAG special?

Like Prof. Wole Soyinka said, the fact that it was changed does not make it right but even at that the case of Ife is different from this. First, the university was established by the Western Region, by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Second, the university was changed during a military regime and you know in military there is no separation of power, the executive and legislature are embedded in one person. They rule by decree but in this case, we have a democratic government and decisions should be taken after due process. Nobody is saying Abiola should not be honoured but you can’t take an established brand to do that, it doesn’t make sense.

As a serving VC, don’t you think your comments on this matter could embarrass government?

That is the problem in Nigeria and that is why people don’t offer constructive suggestions, And that is why government treats us with disdain. That somebody is paying your salary does not mean that you cannot say what you feel about government’s action. It does not mean that I should keep quiet. All the international connection I have, my academic exploits are traceable to UNILAG, I was a VC here for seven years, I am a big stakeholder in this business.


http://www.punchng.com/education/universities-are-named-after-cities-not-individuals-ibidapo-obe/

Our encounter with ill-fated plane – Ministers
On June 7, 2012 · In News 1:00 amEmail2

By Ben Agande
ABUJA—Three ministers, Chief Edem Duke of Culture and Tourism Development, Senator Umar Idris of Transport as well as Minister of State for Defence, Olushola Obada, yesterday gave graphic details of their encounter with the ill-fated Dana Airline plane that crashed in Lagos last Sunday.

Narrating their experiences at a special session of the Federal Executive Council Meeting, the ministers said but for divine intervention, they would have been victims.

In his comment, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke said he was made to board another airline against his preferred choice of Dana when he got to the Abuja airport.


A cross section of Ministers observe a minute silence in memory of victims of the Dana Flight 0992 and Alied Cargo air crash in Ghana as part of events to mark the end of the 3-Day national mourning by the Federal Executive Council at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

According to him: “A critical lesson to the living is that the future is not in our hands. Those who have the opportunity to serve this country must ensure love bond and know that every minute counts. I was lucky to be navigated around them and ushered into another flight which was not my preferred flight”.

Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke said: “I watched the take-off of the aircraft at the airport before I left Abuja. We saw the fire when we were landing and we asked ourselves what was causing the fire and we were very sad on landing to hear that the plane had crashed. We lost five of our trusted hands. It is a turbulent time for Nigeria. Our prayers must be deeper because deep must call to the deep. We need to say that 20 years old plane can fly, they do all over the world. But we must ensure that engines are replaced when due. Punitive measure when we found out the cause must be fully implemented”.

Transport Minister, Senator Umar Idris who said he flew the same plane from Lagos to Abuja the same day, said the plane crash is a wake up call. According to him: “There is destiny in everything. There is hand of God in everything. Every man will taste death. Any time any one dies, his time has come. I used that same aircraft same day from Lagos and came to Abuja by 2pm. In the conduct of investigation, certain issues will be addressed to avoid recurrence.”

Special session for victims

Yesterday’s Special session marked the end of the three-day mourning declared by the federal government in the wake of the plane crash on Sunday. And to underscore the uniqueness of the session, the FEC was open to members of the media who sat through the session which ended at 3 p.m.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, read out the focus of the meeting, after which a roll call of victims was read out.

A minute silence was observed in honour of those who lost their lives in the crash.

The Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah who spoke on the incidence said there was dual engine failure of the aircraft at 3.42 p.m. on Sunday while fiire trucks mobilised within 20 minutes.

She said those involved in the crash included 136 adults, five children, six infants, six crew members, adding that the Pilot was an American, while the co-pilot was an Indian.

Oduah also reported that Allied Air cargo plane overran runway in Kotoka Airport in Ghana, on Saturday June 2nd.

She said the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) was being supported by the aircraft and engine manufacturers according to international laws. According to her, 148 bodies (including those on ground) have been recovered as at Tuesday.

It was weekend of sorrow Health Minister

In his remarks, Minister of Health, Dr. Onyeakachi Chukwu said: “It was a weekend of sorrow for Nigerians. Actions taken so far by FG, Ministry, Lagos etc are all in good direction. Nigerians should remain calm and put their trust in God. Government will ensure victims don’t die in vain. Aviation sector is like medicine, safety cannot be taken for granted. Government will take proper action if and any lapse is found during investigation. May God intervention heal our nation”.

The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro described the incident as unfortunate but commended rescue workers and assured that the panel’s recommendations will address many issues.

Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, said this was clearly not the best of times for Nigeria. “While we pray for the repose of the victims, it calls for retrospection. We ‘ve experienced several crashes. The circumstances recur years after. It appears that the only motive for operators is economic at the detriment of lives of Nigerians. It is time to float a national airline. It may not be wholly owned by government, some people can subscribe to it. The lives of Nigerians are too precious to be left at the whims and caprices of businessmen whose main objective is to make profit”.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “To the bereaved, we cannot replace their loved ones. But we can enhance safety so that our airspace will not become a place of carnage and loss of lives. We should also look at the financial and economic strength of the airlines to work towards consolidation”.

Head of Service of the Federation, Isa Bello Sali, described the incident as tragic as many professionals perished in the crash. “We join all Nigerians in mourning”.

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Jgbolahan 2 comments collapsed Collapse Expand
Honourable Minister of Transport, I totally disagree with you. Did you call that destiny? Did you just say destiny? No wonder our roads are bad and people are dying everyday on Nigeria road because people like you do not do their jobs and you you hear report of innocent Nigerians on our road due to accidents caused by bad road, you call it destiny. Would you call all these destiny as well: Let me bring you the history of plane crashed in Nigeria since independence and let's see the destiny you are talking about in action!

• November 20, 1969: Nigeria Airways BAC VC10 crashed on landing, killing 87 people on board.• January 22, 1973: Royal Jordanian Airlines flight 707 carrying 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and five crewmen crashed in Kano, killing all on board.

• March 1, 1978: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed in Kano, killing 16 people.• November 28, 1983: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed near Enugu, killing 53 on board.• December 1988: Skypower Brandeironte aircraft overshot Ilorin Airport’s runway, killing all the passengers.• February 24,1991: British Helicopter crashed in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, killing all nine people on board.• May 21, 1991: A Cessna Citation 550 of Ashaka Cement, Hombe, crashed, killing all on board.• June 26, 1991: An Okada Air Bac-11 crashed in Sokoto, killing three persons.• September 26, 1992: Nigerian Air Force A C-130 plane crashed minutes after take-off from Lagos. All 200 on board killed.• June 24, 1995: Harka Air Services Tupolev 34 crashed on landing in Lagos, killing 16.• November 13, 1995: Nigeria Airways Boeing 737-2F9 crashed on landing in Kaduna, killing 9.• January 17, 1996: Ibrahim Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, was killed in a plane crash. The group “United Front for Nigeria’s Liberation” (UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash.• November 7, 1996: A Nigerian ADC (Aviation Development Corporation) Airline Boeing 727-231 flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos with 142 passengers and 9 crew members crashed on landing, plunging into the lagoon with all on board killed.• January 31, 1997: SkyPower Express Airways Embraer 110PIA crashed on landing in Yola, killing five.• September 12, 1997: NAF Dornier 228-212 in Nguru, Borno State ran into a ditch during take off, none of the 10 people died.• January 5, 2000: SkyPower Express Airways Bandeirante 110P1A crashes on landing in Abuja, killing 17.• October 26, 2000: Dornier aircraft plunged into a thick bush near the Niger Delta, 6 occupants injured.• May 4, 2002: EAS Airlines’ BAC 1-11-500 with 105 people on board crashed and burst into flames in a densely populated suburb of Kano, killing 76 on board and 72 on the ground bringing total casualties to148.• November 30, 2003: A Cargo aircraft of Hydro Cargo, Brussels, Belgium, crash-landed.• March 6, 2004: An Aenail spray aircraft with registration number 5NBEF belonging to Berfieex Nigeria Ltd, crashed at the Bauchi Airport.• July 26, 2004: Pan African Airlines’ helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in Eacraros, Delta State, killing four persons on board.• December 29, 2004: A Boeing 727 of Chanchangi Airlines belly-landed at the MMA.• December 29, 2004: A Kenya Airlines aircraft crashed- landed at the MMA due to gear fault.• January 28, 2005: A Nigeria Air Force fighter plane crashed into a farmland in Yar Kanya, Kano State.• February 25, 2005: ADC’s B73 aircraft had its tyre burnt while landing at Yola Airport.• March 27, 2005: A Boeing 737 of Bellview had one of its engines caught fire.• June 11/12, 2005: Lagos: a Boeing 727-200 aircraft belonging to the domestic Chachangi Airlines overshot the runway at Murtala Muhammed Airport, while yet another overshot the runway at the airport in Jos in central Nigeria a day earlier.• June 24, 2005: A Russian aircraft belonging to Harka Air crash- landed at the MMA, all the people on board died• July 6, 2005, Port Harcourt: An Air France A330 plane crashed into a herd of cattle at Port Harcourt airport, sustaining serious damage and killing many of the cows.• July 23, 2005, a Lufthansa aircraft crash-landed at Lagos airport and was badly damaged, but no life was lost.• October 22, 2005: A Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 with 117 people on board crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos. All on board killed.• December 10, 2005: A Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in Port Harcourt, killing all 103 on board.• September 17, 2006: A 18-seater Dornier 228 Air Force transport plane, carrying 15 senior army officers and three crew members crashed in Benue State, leaving only three survivors.• October 29, 2006: Aviation Development Corporation Airline Boeing 737 with 104 on board crashed minutes after take-off from Abuja’s airport. All but 6 perished in the disaster.• November 10, 2006: OAS Service Helicopter crashed in Warri, Delta state killing four on board.• August 2, 2007: Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil facility in Port Harcourt.• March 15, 2008: Beechcraft 1900D plane marked 5N-JAH, belonging to Wing Aviation crashed in Cross River State. The wreakage was not found until 6 months after. All four crew members died.• March 14, 2002: A helicopter belonging to the Joint Task Force (JTF) crashed in Kabong, Jos, killing all members onboard including four senior police officers.• May 4, 2002: Executive Airline Services (EAS) BAC-1-11-525Ft aircraft crashed at Aminu Kano International Airport Kano, killing 70 people.• December 10 2005: A Port Harcourt bound Sosoliso Airlines flight 1145 crash-landed in Port Harcourt Airport, killing 109 passengers including 60 students of Jesuit Loyola College Abuja.• October 22, 2005: A twin Engine Boeing 737, belonging to Belview Airline crashed in Lisa Village, Ogun State and killed all the 117 passengers on board.• October 29, 2006: An ADC aircraft crashed when it took off from Abuja, killing 105 people on board.• November 10, 2006: A six-seater helicopter belonging to Odengene Air Shuttle (OAS) crashed in Delta State and killed two people.• September 16 2006: Air Force plane crashed in Benue State killing Army generals.• March 15, 2008: A twin-turbo Prop 19-seater aircraft belonging to Wings Aviation Ltd crashed in Calabar while on a routine flight from MMA, Lagos.• March 8, 2011: HS-125 chartered aircraft crashed in Bauchi. No casualty.July 29, 2011: A Kwara State-bound helicopter crashed in Osun State killing all on board including the Managing Director of Josepdam Group of Companies, Mrs. Josephine Oluwadamilola Kuteyi and her personal assistant.Would you call all these ''destiny'' Honourable Minister? Honourable Minister, you can see Nigeria has a long history of plane crashes.Allegations have been made for years that after the ban on use of aircraft older than 20 years, many of the private airlines persist in purchasing second-hand aircraft that are considered unserviceable in the countries from which they were sourced. All these are avoidable disasters.The truth is people don't do their jobs in Nigeria. People love money more than they love life in Nigeria. It is pure corruption and negligence that is bringing this on Nigeria. So people like you need to do their job. No where in the world do we have this kind of long history of plane crashes. Thank you.R

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/our-encounter-with-ill-fated-plane-ministers/

Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For Killing Ex-Police DIG In Kano, 50 Soldiers In Maiduguri
Posted: June 7, 2012 - 12:42
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Boko Haram
By Saharareporters, New York
Northern Nigeria based Islamist militant sect Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the murder of former Deputy Inspector General of Police DIG Abubakar Saleh Ningi in Kano on Tuesday.

The past DIG who retired recently was gunned down along with his driver and a police orderly on his way from his farm on Tuesday.

The sect stated in a statement written in Hausa today in Maiduguri it was happy killing the top retired cop, and bragged that very soon all top government officials will be targeted the same way as they will have no hiding place.

The statement also claimed that contrary to the Joint Task Force (JTF) recent declaration that it has killed 16 of their members, only one was killed.
The sect claimed to have killed about 50 soldiers in a recent encounter in Maiduguri.

“And only one of our brothers was martyred. As a result, it was only this morning that they (JTF) came to pick up the dead bodies of their colleagues and as usual started torching the houses of innocent people out of vengeance. We urge the people of Maiduguri city and other towns to exercise patience because very soon, God willing, we will flush out these forces of unbelief and establish the Islamic Sharia system where justice will reign.”, the statement concluded.

Calls made to the JTF spokesperson Lt.Col. Sagir Musa to react to the statement were not returned.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/boko-haram-claims-responsibility-killing-ex-police-dig-kano-50-soldiers-maiduguri

Honouring Abiola: Good gesture bungled

“Let your good not be evil spoken of” is a charge you get in the Holy Bible. But an attempted good by President Goodluck Jonathan is now being evil spoken of. In fact, it is being derided, disparaged, disdained and contemned.

Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, there have been strident calls that Basorun M.K.O Abiola be properly and adequately honoured. Yes, it was on Abiola’s blood that we stepped back into democracy after he had confronted the military eyeball to eyeball, and lost his life in the process of retrieving his presidential mandate given freely by Nigerians on June 12, 1993, but voided by some power mongers.
Abiola’s blood watered the way to freedom, with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated as civilian president on May 29, 1999. That same day was pronounced the country’s Democracy Day.

On that fateful day in 1999, one had expected Obasanjo to pay worthy tribute to Abiola, whom he had even had the privilege of growing up and schooling with. But trust the Owu-born former military head of state. He just lumped Abiola together with others in a reluctant tribute to those who made sacrifices to engender democratic rule.

In the eight years of his rulership, Obasanjo spurned and cold-shouldered every call to honour Abiola as our authentic hero of democracy. A large number of people asked that June 12, the day Abiola won his pan-Nigerian mandate, be designated Democracy Day, and not May 29. Obasanjo played deaf.

The National Assembly came with a resolution that the National Stedium in Abuja be named after him, Obasanjo played dumb. To every call for Abiola’s honour, he played deaf and dumb, even blind, for eight years. But we never stopped clamouring.

By the way, that was typical of Obasanjo. He never likes any Yoruba person to hug the limelight other than himself. As military head of state, he had worked against an Obafemi Awolowo victory in the 1979 presidential election, simply because he did not want another Yoruba man to equal his record.

He went ahead to gloat about it in a book he later wrote. Obasanjo and Abiola had been rivals of some sort at Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, with the latter more brilliant and winning more academic laurels. Later in life, Obasanjo got political power by becoming military head of state in 1976, Abiola had secured financial power, becoming a billionaire.

The rivalry between them endured, and when Abiola was cheated of his presidential mandate in 1993, Obasanjo went to Harare in Zimbabwe, and gleefully declared that Abiola was not the messiah Nigeria awaited.

Last Tuesday, in his Democracy Day broadcast, President Jonathan attempted to right a long standing wrong. He proclaimed honour for Abiola by naming the University of Lagos (popularly known as Unilag) after him. Euphoria all the way?

Acclamation and adulation for Jonathan? Not at all. Rather, outrage, protests and condemnation greeted the development. Students of the university spat in the air, and collected the spittle with their faces. The alumni association screamed blue murder. Lecturers stamped their feet in indignation. Home and abroad, stakeholders in the university were filled with indignation and umbrage. Was it righteous anger? Yes, for many reasons.

M.K.O Abiola is our authentic hero of our democracy. We want him properly honoured, and, indeed, have agitated for years. But do we want Unilag? No. Could he have been recognized in other more acceptable ways? Yes.

I’m an old boy of the then University of Ife. I had left the school for some years when the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida changed the name to Obafemi Awolowo University in 1987, to honour “the best president we never had” after his demise. Did Awolowo deserve to be honoured? Very much so. Should our ‘Great Ife’ have been named after him? I didn’t like it then, still don’t like it now, more than 25 years after.

Like Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka said in a statement on the Unilag/ Abiola debacle, “when the University of Ife was named Obafemi Awolowo University, I deplored it at the time, deplore it till today, have never come to terms with it, and still hope that some day in the not too distant future, that crime against the culture of institutional autonomy will be rectified.” I agree fully with Soyinka. But Unife’s name was changed under military rule, which lays no claims to consultation or due process.

By fiat, the name was altered since the institution belonged to the Federal Government, and no dialogue was brooked. I remember we the alumni of Ife were very angry, and students wept and protested in the institution. Government had its way.

As with under the military, our government has said there’s no going back on the renaming of Unilag after Abiola. But that does not eliminate the posers that have arisen. Why must another institution or facility in the South-west be named after Abiola, since we already have Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and M.K.O Abiola Stadium, both in Abeokuta? Is it not an unwitting way of ensconcing Abiola in an ethnic pigeonhole?

He was a Yoruba chieftain, a local politician, and so, let his monuments be in his locality. Wrong. Abiola won a pan-Nigerian mandate, beating even his opponent, Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention in the latter’s Kano homestead. Why, for instance, not name a Federal university in another part of the country after him, if, indeed, it must be a university?

Again, University of Lagos was established by an Act of Parliament in 1962, and the name has subsisted since then. Can it then be legally changed without a repealing of the old law, and the enactment of a new one by the National Assembly? President Jonathan acted like a military warlord, and as Soyinka said, “this arbitrariness, this act of disrespect, was a barely tolerated aberration of military governance.

It is totally deplorable in what is supposed to be a civilian order.” Yet again, the name of Unilag was changed, without even the university Council or the Senate being taken into confidence. What an egregious blunder! Brazen show of impunity! How can? President Jonathan didn’t even deem it fit to consult the principal officers of the university? That’s Pharaoh at work.

That’s Nebuchadnezzar in action. Yet the president had told us he doesn’t want to be either of the two. Decency requires that at least the Council and Senate of University of Lagos be consulted. Now, principal officers of the university are among those kicking, to the shame and embarrassment of the government.

Another poser. The Vice Chancellor of Unilag, Prof Adetokunbo Shofoluwe, died about three weeks ago. His remains had not even been committed to mother earth, when the name change came. Is this not cavalier? Is it not treating the institution with flippancy and levity? Is it not disparaging the memory of the dead yet to be laid to eternal rest? Jonathan did not do well, and I wonder who his advisers were on this policy.

Another gaffe. The president said the name of the institution was being changed to honour Abiola, “the presumed winner” of the June 12, 1993 election. Who told him so? Abiola was the confirmed, and not presumed winner of the election.

Where was President Jonathan, when in June 2008, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, the man who superintended over the 1993 election, came out publicly to release the results of the election and declare Abiola winner? By calling the man “presumed winner,” the president demonstrated once again his penchant and predilection for goofs and gaffes.

It never rains, it pours. Soyinka says the slip makes the award “dubious, suspect and tainted,” adding: “you do not honour someone while detracting from his or her record of achievement.” Don’t you agree?

The Abiola family has praised the Federal Government for the recognition given to their patriarch. I did not expect anything less. But they should not think those of us kicking love their father less. In fact, we are kicking because of the passion we had (and still have) for him. He should not have been given a honour that would whip up controversy. The National Stadium at Abuja would have been quite fitting. Abiola was ‘Pillar of Sports in Africa’ in his lifetime.

What of Aso Rock Villa? Or the National Assembly complex? Or making August 24, the date of his birth, a national holiday? Or any other national monument? Yes, Abiola gave financial assistance to our universities, including Unilag, but this was an international brand that you didn’t need to tamper with.

As argued by The Guardian in its editorial yesterday, “Abiola and the Unilag are great iconic brands, and you do not reward one entity by trading the other. This diminishes both of them.”

Some people claim Jonathan is attempting to curry the favour of the South-west ahead of the 2015 presidential race, in which he’s allegedly interested. Maybe yes, maybe no. But if that was the motivation for this honour to Abiola, it has boomeranged.

You don’t make democratic gains through anti-democratic gestures as this one. And beyond monuments, the greatest honour the Jonathan administration (or any other regime for that matter) can do to the memory of Abiola, is by actualizing the vision he had for Nigeria.

‘Farewell to Poverty’ was the plank on which Abiola hung his campaign in 1993. Almost 20 years later, where are we? Deeper in the morass of poverty. Reduce poverty and lack to the barest minimum, and it will be the most enduring honour for Abiola’s memory.

On a lighter note, the acronym for Unilag will now be MAULAG (Moshood Abiola University, Lagos). Will you then blame the students when they go out mauling, molesting and manhandling people at the slightest provocation? Or if it is MAU (Moshood Abiola University), doesn’t it remind you of MauMau, the Kenyan resistance movement?

And how will the ‘Aristos’ (old men who go to universities to pick age-mates of their daughters for parties) describe such girls? Abiola Babes, of course. Therefore, that old football club owned by Abiola would have resurrected from the dead.

And by the way, when will the University of Ibadan be named after Lamidi Adedibu, the Garrison Commander who contributed so much to the fortunes of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State? We are waiting.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/daily-home-pages/column/honouring-abiola-good-gesture-bungled

Dana Flight 992 Tragedy: Pilot First Asked to Land On Longer Runway After First Engine Failed
Posted: June 6, 2012 - 17:35
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Crashed MD 83

caption: Captain Peter Waxtan was flying the plane
By SaharaReporters, New York
Air traffic controllers have told Saharareporters confidentially that the crashed airliner Dana aircraft most likely had one failed engine long before the pilot declared an emergency. Multiple sources confirmed that the pilot had requested to land on Murtala Muhammad Airport’s longer runway 18R before calling air controllers back a few minutes later to report a total emergency.



They believe that second call was most probably when the second engine failed. The aircraft crashed about seven nautical miles from the local airport.



One source further explained that the MD 83 plane was overloaded with passengers and luggage to the extent that when the first engine failed, the pilots urgently reduced speed to enable the flight land safely on the longer and better runway, an action that led the flight to an extra 20 minutes delay before crashing at 3:43p.m. It had been billed to land at 3:21p.m.



Our sources stated that the drastic reduction in thrust was the undoing of the pilot, given the heavy pay load. To underscore their point that the operators of the jet knew of its mechanical troubles, one of our sources said the jet conducted a short flight test between the Lagos and Ibadan airport on Saturday, apparently to prove to regulators that the jet was “airworthy”.



Several employees of the Dana airlines have publicly stated that the owners were aware as early as Sunday that the jet had mechanical troubles, as it had struggled on a flight to Calabar, but the operators forced the crew to fly it anyway, obviously with an eye on maximizing profit.



Residents that witnessed the crash at Iju Agege area of Lagos have also told Saharareporters that they watched as the pilot seemed to struggle to give the aircraft a final thrust of flight power before the crash, which killed everyone on board.



But speaking for the first time officially today, Dana Air's Director of Flight Operations, Captain Oscar Wason, suggested that a "bird strike" may have caused the crash.



Appearing on Silver Bird TV in Lagos, he said the management of the grounded airline found remnants of birds in one of the engines of the crashed plane.



According to him, “I don’t know what could have been responsible for the crash, but this morning we found remnants of birds in one of the engines.”



He noted that birds were a problem in Nigeria he has experienced several times. “We have bird strikes and it might have been that a mass of birds went through the engine and caused it to lose power.”



However, he said the investigations must be left to come out with an answer. “We have found the voice recorder and that has to be sent to either the UK or Washington. I am planning to travel out myself so that we can found out what is the real cause of the accident.”



It will take several months, if not years, to arrive at the real cause of the fatal crash of Dana Air 992, as Nigeria typically relies on American investigators to unravel the cause of airline accidents

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/dana-flight-992-tragedy-pilot-first-asked-land-longer-runway-after-first-engine-failed

Lagos Assembly urges Reps to conduct enquiry
By Oziegbe Okoeki 1 hour ago
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Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji •Lawmakers demand resignation of Aviation minister


The Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday urged the House of Representatives to probe the immediate and remote causes of the Dana Air crash on Sunday and make its findings public.

Saka Faunmi, who represents Ifako-Ijaye 1 Constituency – where the disaster occurred - raised a motion under Matter of Urgent Public Importance.

He said the decadence in aviation is due to the “consistent and persistent neglect of the relevant agencies of government in exercising necessary regulations”.

According to him, this has resulted in airlines ignoring checks on their aircraft and risking the lives of Nigerians as well as destroying people’s confidence in the industry.

Olatunji Edet (Oshodi/Isolo II) said Dana Air should be charged with “manslaughter” because of its alleged negligence that led to the crash.

He said: “Dana Air must be sued for its negligence and ineptitude that claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians because it was learnt that the aircraft was faulty and it could not fly in Uyo. But few minutes later, the Dana management was said to have ordered the aircraft to take off from Abuja without any consideration for the people’s lives. The airline operator must be mandated to face the music and those who are culpable must be brought to book.”

Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu I) blamed the crash on the relaxed government policy in aviation.

The lawmaker noted that if there were strict laws on passengers’ safety, no airline - local or international - would toy with the people’s lives.

He said: “In less than 10 days, we have been mourning; not because God hates us but because our government is not sensitive to the people’s lives and property. Many lives were lost in the last week twin accidents on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Thereafter, the mother of all tragedy struck last Sunday, when about 153 people died instantly.

“Government policy is one of our problems, because the government refuses to fix the roads and ensure that aviation policy is effective. We should beg Mr. President to find a lasting solution to this ugly incident because we cannot continue to fold our arms and watch people die like chickens.”

Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland II) said whenever a disaster claims people’s lives in Nigeria, some people refer to the Western world.

The lawmaker noted that though people are calling for the probe of the crash, they should ask the government for the outcome of previous probes of plane crashes.

He said: “It is sad that we usually make reference to the Western world whenever a sad event occurs in Nigeria. My question is: what have we learnt from what happened in the last few years? If the government institutes a probe panel, what will come out of it?

“Until somebody is held culpable and dealt with very seriously, such incidents will continue to recur. It is not enough to set up a probe panel. Are we really ready to sincerely do something to prevent future occurrence?”

Rasaq Balogun (Surulere I) said Aviation Minister Stella Oodua should resign immediately.

He said: “This is because you cannot pretend to be active when many lives are being lost due to the negligence and ineptitude of your ministry. It was indeed a sad day and it could have been anyone of us. The Federal Government needs to do something urgently to prevent future occurrence.”

Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji noted that lack of maintenance culture has been the major problem of local airlines.

He said aircraft are allowed to fly for as long as they like, notwithstanding the age of the engines.

Ikuforiji said: “The year of the aircraft is not the problem, as agitated by many people. But lack of maintenance culture has been the problem of local airlines in Nigeria. We need to talk to ourselves as Nigerians to know exactly what is wrong with us. This is because it is virtually everything that we do wrong. If we do something right, it appears it happened by mistake.

“Aircraft are made to fly for as long as many years as possible. But what do the operators do with them? It appears we don’t care much about people’s lives. In the past 33 years, we have had more than 40 air crashes that claimed many lives, despite the fact that air transportation is believed to be the safest. The avoidable ghastly accidents happened last Thursday and Friday and early last Sunday. Boko Haram also struck in Bauchi, after which the Dana aircraft saga occurred.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/49183-lagos-assembly-urges-reps-to-conduct-enquiry.html

Christian Militants In Southern Kaduna Threaten Fulani Herdsmen, Give Seven Days Evacuation Notice
Posted: June 5, 2012 - 03:28
Posted by siteadmin
By Saharareporters, New York
A militant Christian sect that first emerged last year in Christian-dominated Southern Kaduna again, today threatened to chase out Fulani herdsmen if they do not leave the area in the next seven days.

The group, known as AKHWAT AKWOP, said in an email to SaharaReporters through their spokesman, Bukarma Leguma, that it has “watched with disgust the unrelenting murders and killing of peaceful, innocent, and hardworking people by wandering bands of Fulani terrorist gunmen operating in southern Kaduna,” and urged the herdsmen to leave the area.

“AKHWAT AKWOP is also aware that the ultimate aim of the Fulani terrorist is to create a situation of insecurity in southern Kaduna whereby our people will not be able to utilize this farming season thereby leading to hunger, deprivation and famine in the land,” the statement said.
It warned that after the seven days of grace, which expires on June 10, AKHWAT AKWOP will declare “open season” on any Fulani found within their lands.

[Full text of the statement]:
Below is the full statement:

Greetings in the name of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

AKHWAT AKWOP has watched with disgust the unrelenting murders and killing of our peaceful, innocent, and hardworking people by wandering bands of Fulani terrorist gunmen operating in southern Kaduna.

Between January and June 2012, the Fulani terrorist have murdered over 100 innocent southern Kaduna people, the recent one at zonkwa claimed a father and son leaving others injured .

AKHWAT AKWOP is also aware that the ultimate aim of the Fulani terrorist is to create a situation of insecurity in southern Kaduna whereby our people will not be able to utilize this farming season thereby leading to hunger, deprivation and famine in the land

Rising from our national executive committee and field commander’s emergency meeting AKHWAT AKWOP resolves as follows

1. For so long we have restrained ourselves from reprisal attacks against these Fulani dogs from hell. We can and will no longer do so

2. Today 3/6/12 AKHWAT AKWOP gives all Fulani within southern Kaduna 7 days to leave. After these 7 days of grace which expires on 10/6/12 AKHWAT AKWOP declares open season on any Fulani found within our lands.

3. AKHWAT AKWOP assures all our peace loving and hardworking people of their safety in their homes, villages, highways and on their farms.

4. AKHWAT AKWOP reminds all that eternal vigilance in Christ Jesus is the price we pay for our freedom.

THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL!!!!!!!!!

REMAIN BLESSED

AKHWAT AKWOP

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/christian-militants-southern-kaduna-threaten-fulani-herdsmen-give-seven-days-evacuation-no

Jonathan visits crash site, pledges better air safety
On June 4, 2012 · In News 2:35 pmEmail0

President Goodluck Jonathan pledged action to improve air safety Monday as he visited the crash site of an airliner that ploughed into a Lagos suburb, killing all 153 people on board.

“We have been working very hard to improve the aviation in this country,” Jonathan said after viewing the destruction caused by Sunday’s crash. “This particular incident is a major setback for us… By the end of the day, I will make sure that this will not repeat itself in the country.”



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/jonathan-visits-crash-site-pledges-better-air-safety/

Jonathan’s Greek gift
June 3, 2012 by Tunde Fagbenle

viewpoint illustration
| credits: Neearo
We are in sad times, indeed.

It is so difficult to understand what may have been going through the mind of President Goodluck Jonathan, or his handlers, when he decided to change the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos, as his way of finally “honouring” the late martyr of democracy, MKO Abiola.

Apparently, it was nothing but a mischievous game. Jonathan did not mean well.

A Greek gift is defined as “a gift given with the intention of tricking and causing harm to the recipient.” The recipient of Jonathan’s “Greek gift” is not the Abiola family alone, it is pro-democracy activists and clamourers for official national recognition of Abiola’s electoral victory to be president of Nigeria 19 years ago, for which he paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending; it is us Nigerians as a whole.

Of all federal icons and monuments that could safely and appropriately be named after MKO, why a university and why the University of Lagos?

Citadels of learning are not places to be treated flippantly, and certainly not one that has been in existence for 50 years, building its name and reputation and engaging the global academic community with its brand. But flippantly and discourteously, Jonathan has treated the University of Lagos on this matter.

Only in Nigeria do these things happen, where naming and renaming universities by names of certain personalities is the vogue. None typified it more than one Audu when he was governor of Kogi State and went naming everything in sight, including the state university, after himself!

Only people to whom the sanctity of universities mean nothing would treat an institution like the University of Lagos with the flippancy Jonathan has exhibited. I quickly went to make a recheck on Jonathan’s background. Indeed, he is a product of a university, the University of Port Harcourt. Clearly, the name of that institution couldn’t have meant anything to President Jonathan. Yet, he did as much as got a PhD from there. For all he cares, it could be renamed James Ibori or Diepreye Alamieyeseigha University. What’s in a name!

Jonathan chose his moment. On the front burner of national discourse and concern is the grievous issue of monumental corruption in the oil sector, particularly the trillion naira phantom subsidy that has ended in private pockets; and the trillion naira pension scam, et- cetera. The Abiola-dummy (for dummy it is) has tricked us into forgetting all that for the moment. Jonathan has given us, and the university students, something to grapple with while the whole corruption issue dies down, just like the Halliburton scandal before it.

The trick is also for the dummy recognition to calm the clamour for something more significant and appropriate, and curry the favour of the section of the country that has been most vociferous in the campaign as a way of shoring up Jonathan’s badly eroded standing and re-electability.

The harm renaming University of Lagos at this juncture would do to the psyche of the institution’s public and government purse is completely lost on, or irrelevant to our Jonathan and his men. The game of 2015 has begun and they are ready to throw anything into it to win. But what a daft hand to play this is.

The President and his men couldn’t have bargained for the uproar and unanimous rejection of the “gift” that greeted the announcement. But maybe they did, they just could care less. That explains the disdain with which Labaran Maku, his Minister of Information, dismissed the call to rescind the supposed renaming. “Nothing anybody says would make us change our minds,” he was reported to have said — or words to that effect. It is a murderous statement: murder to democracy, murder to whatever is left of our collective values.

So many people have risen and spoken to condemn the Greek Gift, not the least Prof. Wole Soyinka. As he and all said, MKO Abiola deserves all the honour the country can bestow on him for surrendering his life for the cause of democracy. And were it not for the dubiety of Jonathan’s intent, we should be thanking him for at least belling the cat and doing more than his predecessor who was too consumed by his own obsession to stand above all that, for all of his eight years as president he could not, in Soyinka’s words, “even bear to utter the name of a man who made his own incumbency possible.”

The surfeit of possibilities make us know that Jonathan and his men were not in want of what (more appropriate) to name after MKO. But you never can tell; so we should here mention but a few crying ones:

There is the Eagle Square in Abuja, where our national day and democracy celebrations take place. There is the National Stadium Abuja, a monument to the unsurpassed contribution of MKO to sports in Africa. There is the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, the “bastion” of our “democratic values!” Ha ha.

And, why not, even the Presidential Villa is there waiting under some Aso Rock.

Jonathan and his men must not get away with this nonsense.

Again, to quote Wole Soyinka: “Legalists have claimed that there is a legal flaw to the entire process. The university, solidly backed by other tertiary institutions nationwide, should immediately proceed to the courts of law and demand a ‘stay of execution.’

Let us hope our judiciary would come to the rescue — for our sakes!

http://www.punchng.com/viewpoint/jonathans-greek-gift/

The Secret Papers of Pope Goodluck Jonathan XVI By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo
Posted: May 30, 2012 - 22:20
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Columnist: Correct Me If I Am Right By Rudolf Okonkwo
The first scandal that reached right inside Pope Benedict XVI’s household involved a Nigerian. Between April 14, 2008 and July 20, 2010, Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, a 39-year-old Vatican chorister was caught by police wiretap negotiating to bring male prostitutes for Angel Balducci, a Gentleman of His Holiness. The Vatican fired Mr. Ehiem. It was supposed to be the worst of Pope Benedict’s Vatican scandal until January of this year when what is now known as VatiLeaks broke.


In January, Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi broadcast letters from Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano. In the letters, he begged the pope not to transfer him for exposing corruption within the Vatican that cost the Holy See millions of dollars in inflated contracts and kickbacks. Despite his plea, Monsignor Vigano was transferred out of Vatican City and made the Pope’s ambassador to the United States.

In months that followed, more documents leaked to Italian journalists. The documents showed power struggles within the Vatican over how the papacy would comply with international norms to fight money laundering. The desire to show greater financial transparency brought out the worst in top ranking church officials. It came to a head when the Vatican fired Ettore Gotti Tedeshi, the head of the Vatican Bank.

Since then, embarrassing memos, cables and letters have been published. One of them said that Pope Benedict XVI would die this year. Others showed the pope as weak and incapable of controlling the people around him. Conniving Cardinals were shown to be undermining each other as they angled for power and money. Checks from influential personalities seeking favors from the pope were also exposed.

Last week, Gianluigi Nuzzi published, Your Holiness: The Secret papers of Benedict XVI, a book based on the documents he gathered from a group of informants he called Maria. The informants, Mr. Nuzzi said, were motivated by “courage, as well as the unbearable complicity with people that are committing the most serious crimes.” Some of the contents of the book included personal letters to the pope and some from the pope and his personal secretary.

The Pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested on May 23, after confidential documents and photocopying machine were found in his Vatican apartment. Many church observers believe that the butler was not acting alone. Meanwhile, he has pledged to cooperate with the investigation raising the chances that a high ranking church leader may be implicated in the leaks.

Corruption in the Catholic Church is not a new phenomenon. But nothing like this has happened in decades. Vatican officials say that the scandal is a source of distraught for the 85-year-old pontiff. The pope is especially concerned that a man who used to be the first to see him each morning and the last to say goodnight to him, is in jail for his involvement in the leaks. What is clear with the leaks is that someone within the Pope’s inner circle was trying to undermine the Pope Benedict’s second-in-command, Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

Vatican’s undersecretary of state, Archbishop Angelo Becciu recently tried to recast the scandal. “I consider the publication of stolen letters to be an unprecedentedly grave immoral act,” he told a Vatican newspaper. “It’s not just that the pope’s papers were stolen, but that people who turned to him as the vicar of Christ have had their consciences violated.”

Becciu said that what the leaker of the information did pain to pope. And that the pope considers such behavior “unjustifiable under any pretext.” He said, “When a Catholic speaks to the Roman pontiff, it’s a duty to open yourself up as if you were before God, also because you feel complete guarantees of confidentiality.”

This development has rattled the Vatican, known for its secrecy. As the investigation continues, the search for the yet to be identified cardinal behind the leaks is still underway.

Meanwhile, last week, the long running saga of the former Nigeria’s oil minister, Dan Etete, and his Malabu Oil block OPL 245 finally came to a head. Nigerians were once again bewildered by the revelation of an elaborate scam in which President Jonathan paid out $1.1 billion to a convicted money launderer, Dan Etete and his fraudulent Malabu oil. From this slush fund, hundreds of million of dollars went to the president’s business associate, his cronies, and ministers.

In April of 2011, under pressure from President Jonathan, the Nigerian subsidiaries of Agip Oil and Shell Oil paid the Federal Government $1.1 billion to settle the OPL 245 case. On August 16, 2011, while you were sleeping, President Jonathan ordered his junior minister Yerima Ngama and Attorney General Mohammed Adoke to transfer the $1.1 billion dollars to Mr. Etete. Out of this money, $523 million dollars went to Abubakar Aliyu, a businessman introduced to President Jonathan by the convicted former Governor of Bayelsa state, Diepreiye Alamiesegha.

Mr. Aliyu, alleged to be a front for President Jonathan, was the same man who bought NITEL property in Abuja for less than N1billion naira and sold it for over N20 billion to the Central Bank of Nigeria in a deal that saw the palms of several government officials greased.

Taken in isolation, scams like these are perplexing. But knowing that it is happening in a country that is consistently finding it hard to meet its responsibilities to her 150 million poor citizens is more disheartening. To complicate matters, we found out last week that Nigeria loses over $9 billion a year in oil theft perpetuated by business associates of top government officials. This is the same country that has again taken a hat in hand begging international banks for $7.9 billion dollars in developmental loans.

To a majority of Catholics, the pope is infallible. To a majority of independent-minded democrats, the president is not – especially this president – Goodluck Jonathan.

On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI, mired in a huge scandal called VatiLeaks, addressed a march to St. Peter’s Square. The marchers were demanding information on Emanuela Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of a Vatican messenger who disappeared in 1983.

On Tuesday, President Goodluck Jonathan, mired in a huge N155 billion naira scandal addressed Nigerians on Democracy Day. In his speech, he shied away from posthumously declaring M. K. O. Abiola, the winner of the 1993 election, a president-elect. Instead, he renamed the University of Lagos, Moshood Abiola University.

In days and weeks to come, the toughest question for the Vatican is what did Pope’s butler know and how did he know it? And for Aso Rock, the toughest question of all is what did President Jonathan know and how much did he get from the $1.1 billion dollars deal?

For an answer, we probably have to wait for President Goodluck Jonathan’s butler to connect with our own Gianluigi Nuzzi. Perhaps, that is when our own Nuzzi will write, Fresh Air: The Secret Papers of Pope Goodluck Jonathan XVI.

http://saharareporters.com/column/secret-papers-pope-goodluck-jonathan-xvi-rudolf-ogoo-okonkwo

Re-naming of UNILAG: Pat Utomi, others condemn FG’s decision
On June 1, 2012 · In Special Report 5:22 pmEmail0

BY EBUN SESSOU

We need to preserve our institution —Gbadamosi

For Sesan Gbadamosi, an alumni of UNILAG and proprietor, Bell Time School, renaming the institution is an improper step taken by the Federal Government. “UNILAG is an old institution of 50 years and it is not proper to put down the reputation of the institution.

“We need to preserve our old institutions that have made names. But all that has changed now that there is a change of name and that will in its own cause confusion.”

He added that if there was going to be any institution to be named after MKO, it should either be University of Abuja or the national stadium.

He further explained that, some institutions that have been renamed including University of Ile-Ife which is now Obafemi Awolowo University was done due to late Obafemi Awolowo’s involvement in the establishment of the institution. “Awolowo started the University in 1962, he was part of the people that laid the foundation for University of Ife and that is the justification for naming the school after him but it was wrong to relate UNILAG to what Abiola did.”

According to him, “Abiola is not only from South West and so it is wrong to politicalise what is expected to be regarded as a national honour. The federal government has only localised the impact of June 12 instead of being a national issue.

“This is not a military regime where someone can make a pronouncement without looking at the act of parliament. The fact that University of Lagos was the first University that was established through the act of parliament in 1962”, he added.

“We have the national stadium in Abuja, it can be renamed after MKO or the Eagle Square, this will show that the federal government recognises the meaning of democracy in Nigeria.”

Asked what remedy he thought is open to the academia in reversing the name, he said, the institution should seek redress by going to court. “Let the academic union take the federal government to court. I am not against it but let it be the role Abiola played. It is the choice of location that is wrong”.

People running the affairs of this country need additional tutorials -Ogunduro

An educationist and alumni of UNILAG, Peter Ogunduro, in his opinion said, the development is an indication that the people running the affairs of the country need to return to the classrooms for tutorials on how to run a country. “We are aware that the academic institutions of today are not well respected and the little positive name they seemed to have gained has been eroded by the kind of president we have.

UNILAG is among the few varsities in Nigeria with reputation in and outside the shores of Nigeria and when the name is taken away and given a new name, the kind that the president has just announced, we are telling the international communities that they should forget Nigeria.

Nobody is contesting the fact that someone has given a supreme sacrifice in the history of democracy in Nigeria but this is certainly not the best way in which we show gratitude to him.

There are better ways of doing that. The university has been robbed of its autonomy. That university has been debased and I think that the price the nation has to pay for such action will be great.”

Asked how he feels MKO should have been immortalised, he said, “We all know that he was a great entrepreneur and the world we live in today has become very obvious and so if we want his legacy to be remembered forever, then it is therefore important to align young people into investing in entrepreneurship.

It will do a lot if we use our resources in the crude oil to build a great institution where we provide opportunities for fresh graduates in the varsity to spend some quality time in the institution to learn entrepreneurship. And by the time we begin to compete globally and advancing in all that we are doing, by that his name will not be forgotten. Abiola was known to be providing inspiration to people of lowly background.

“UNILAG is a place known to have produced a good number of fantastic lawyers and we know that there was an act of parliament that established university of Lagos. I am not sure that the president consulted the people in the academic community before he went along this line, so, the lawyers in UNILAG should be able to go to court and that is the right step to approach this issue and if truly the president knows and abides by the rule of law and the judges are not biased in their ruling, I remember that the decision will not be in favour of changing the name

. Until proper procedure is followed by a way of consultation.

The Chairman of the University Of Lagos, UNILAG branch of ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities), Dr Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, while addressing a gathering of protesting UNILAG students, assured them that the Union will fight against Jonathan’s decision to change the name of the tertiary institution to Moshood Abiola University. “I want to tell you that ASUU is by you, the entire University of Lagos is by you. We woke up peacefully and saw the man announce a stupid decision”, he said.

He said, that President Jonathan wanted to score a cheap political point with the decision to change UNILAG’s name, he added.

His intention is wrong —Pat Utomi

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the renaming of the University of Lagos, UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, MAU, following President Goodluck Jonathan’s democracy speech that the school will no longer be called UNILAG.

Nigerians especially the school authorities, ASUU members, academic and non academic staff, students and alumnus members have condemned the renaming of school saying that it will no longer be business as usual.

Reasons for their condemnation also include that the renaming of the school is capable of reducing the reputation of the institution adding the school which has not only survived by creating a brand name for itself even in the global world but it has been able to compete with other international institutions.

One of the people who have condemned the development is Prof. Pat Utomi. In his reaction, he said, if president Jonathan will truly want to immortalise late chief Moshood Abiola, it should have been tailored towards his outstanding achievement which is more pronounced in politics and business world.

His word: “My reaction is simple. There is no problem in honouring Abiola which many of us have been craving for a longtime. But, I think it should have followed a due process. It is not very wise to rename an institution that has been built for a longtime and sacrifice it at the altar of political exigencies. The cost of reputation that will disappear should be considered.

“If the president wants to name a prestigious university after Abiola, I think, the federal university of agriculture, Abeokuta should be considered. I think it is not a wise decision. The result of his intention has been negative.”

He opined that the development will not only reduce the school’s reputation but is capable of making many people lose connection. The brand image of UNILAG which also is the reputation.

Asked if the renaming of the school is not capable of boosting the reputation of the school, he said, “I don’t think his larger than life image is associated with education. If it is the business department of the institution that he has renamed, that will speak volume, but I expect the president to change his mind and reverse the name which is the wise step to take.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/re-naming-of-unilag-pat-utomi-others-condemn-fgs-decision/

Wrong way to honour a hero .
Thursday, 31 May 2012 00:00 Editor Opinion - Editorial .User Rating: / 7


PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to rename the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, though apparently well-intentioned, is misguided and irredeemably wrong. Borne out of insufficient thought and lacking the rigour required for such initiative, the name change undermined the iconic nature of both the late Chief Abiola, as well as that of the university. In effect, the result is a disastrous substitution of one greatness for another. It is not surprising that the decision has provoked intense reaction that has led to a partial and temporary closure of the university. The president should not only rethink the action, but return to status quo and choose a more befitting way to honour the renowned politician.

In his Democracy Day broadcast two days ago, President Goodluck Jonathan said, among other things, that the University of Lagos (UNILAG) will be renamed Moshood Abiola University. The president said that the Federal Government was recognising Chief M.K.O. Abiola for “making the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of justice and truth.” According to the president, “Destiny and circumstances conspired to place upon his (Abiola’s) shoulders a historic burden, and he rose to the occasion with character and courage.”

The president’s pronouncement has produced a major controversy. While some say that the name change was proper, an overwhelming majority, including students and workers of the University of Lagos, parents and alumni have condemned the decision, saying it did no justice to the character and courage for which the late Abiola is being honoured. Placard-carrying students of the institution have taken to the streets for two consecutive days, disrupting traffic and shutting down parts of the city of Lagos. The school’s alumni have also come out in paid messages to denounce the action.

There is no question that Chief Moshood Abiola is an iconic figure in the country’s march to democracy. In his lifetime, he was a generous donor to several causes. He was particularly keen on sports and was renowned as the ‘Pillar of sports in Africa’. He won the fairest and freest election that the country has ever known. He was stopped by the military from becoming president. He died in custody insisting on his mandate. Nigerians still have fond memories of him but have been surprised and disappointed that President Jonathan, a product of the university system, could have been the sponsor of this name change, which essentially substitutes one iconic brand for another. It is shocking that this monumental change could have occurred apparently without due process or consultation with the stakeholders. In this case, it would seem an undemocratic act has been committed on a Federal Government-declared Democracy Day. Abiola and the UNILAG are great iconic brands and you do not reward one entity by trading the other. This diminishes both of them.

The University of Lagos was founded in 1962 by an Act of Parliament and is almost as old as independent Nigeria. It is the most cosmopolitan university in Nigeria. A member of the ‘big five’, it is the university of first choice for many parents. Given the turbulence in the university calendar, it has recorded the least number of academic disruptions. UNILAG has become a brand whose name cannot be changed without hurting the product. The international affiliations and recognition of the university will be put at risk with a change of name.

A few established universities whose names were changed for whatever reason have had a turbulent experience. The University of Ife that was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University is still suffering from the effects of that action even though Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the spearhead and inspiration for the establishment of that institution. Not so long ago, politicians changed the name of Imo State University (IMSU) to Evan Enwerem University. Following public outcry, the name has reverted to Imo State University.

The lesson is that utmost care must be taken before changing names of institutions. The British tradition is to name universities after towns and chairs after individuals. The Americans also follow the same pattern but allow for institutions to be named after their individual founders. The University of Lagos has no such founder. Besides, renaming the University of Lagos will entail the expenditure of billions of naira of public fund, which the country can ill-afford; particularly when Abiola can be honoured more appropriately and less expensively.

It has been difficult to fathom what informed the decision to rename UNILAG after Abiola. Some have speculated that the gesture was meant to placate the South-West. If that is the case, the initiative is wrong-headed. Abiola was a nationalist and does not deserve to be compartmentalised into a tribal leader, which diminishes his stature.

With students now demonstrating against the precipitate action, it would seem that the Federal Government has carelessly brought trouble upon itself. In a volatile and brittle country, there is no knowing where and how these demonstrations will end, especially if they are joined by other university students in sympathy. Shutting down the institution is an easy remedy, which in no way reduces popular anger.

As a foremost sportsman, naming the stadium in Abuja or Lagos after him would have been more appropriate. But Abiola was more than a sportsman. He was a nationalist who fought for democracy and died for it. In this role, the Federal Government should immortalise him by declaring either June 12 or Abiola’s birthday the true democracy day. That day could be a public holiday throughout the country and should be called Abiola Day. This way, Nigeria will not only be honouring the memory of Chief Moshood Abiola but also the memory of many patriots who lost their lives across the nation in the struggle for democracy, following the annulment of the general elections of 1993. And the argument for awarding him the highest national honour or recognising him as a former president is not without merit.

The Federal Government should review its decision, rescind the renaming of UNILAG and seek a better way to immortalise a deserving hero.

President Jonathan should be encouraged that rather than being a show of weakness, it is an act of courage for a leader to, upon recognising the error of his action, reverse his decision. Such a reversal is in the public interest, and constitutes due respect for the democratic yearnings of the people. The government must begin to do things appropriately.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87795:wrong-way-to-honour-a-hero&catid=37:editorial&Itemid=612

Home | News | 2012 budget: Jonathan lied, says Senate
2012 budget: Jonathan lied, says Senate
By Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja 17 hours 41 minutes ago
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The war of words between President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly may be far from over.

The Senate yesterday said Jonathan lied over the role played by the National Assembly in the 2012 Budget.

On Monday, Jonathan and House of Representatives’ Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal openly disagreed at the Presidential Villa, Abuja over the failure of the President to assent to Bills passed by the National Assembly.

Jonathan fired back that the lawmakers are overreaching the separation of powers as enshrined in the constitution.

Deputy Senate President yesterday at a Public Hearing on “A Bill to create Erosion control and prevention Commission (Establishment etc) 2012” described as “distortion of facts” the claim of Jonathan that the National Assembly made inputs into the 2012 Budget that rendered it un-implementable.

Ekweremadu said the Presidency has no excuse not to fully implement the budget.

He wondered why President Jonathan would accuse the National Assembly of tearing the 2012 budget into piece “when we sent it back substantially the way they brought it to us.”

He said the National Assembly is constitutionally empowered to appropriate for the country.

He frowned at the refusal of President Jonathan to assent to numerous Bills passed by the National Assembly.

He said: “Now this reminds me of what the President said during the democracy day symposium.

“We expressed our displeasure over some of the Bills which we sent to the Presidency for assent since last year that have not received Presidential assent.

“And in response, the President said that is because we are creating agencies. We will continue to create agencies if it is important because that is why we are here. So we have to do our job. If agencies are to be created, they need to be created. Just to add to that, most of those Bills have nothing to do with agencies.

“I remember we have the State of the Nation Address Bill, it has nothing to do with agency and it has not been signed.

“We have the National Health Bill. It has nothing to do with an agency. It has not been signed. We have the Air Force Institute of Technology Bill and Tobacco Bill.

“A whole number of Bills that would have changed a lot of things for this country have not been signed.

“So, my advice to the Executive Arm of Government is to dialogue with the legislature in matter like this and find a common ground, instead of shifting blames because the making of laws is dynamic.

“If institutions are to be created they will definitely be created. Any person who thinks that the creation of institutions should stop is wasting his time. It would not stop because the society itself is dynamic.

“I also believe that the issue which he also raised regarding the Appropriation Bill was also a distortion of facts.

“The President said that we tore the Appropriation Bill into pieces which made it impossible for implementation. Certainly that is not so.

“I am aware that the 2012 Appropriation Bill was returned to the Executive substantially the same way they brought it.

“So we are challenging them to ensure that that Bill, the 2012 Appropriation Act is fully implemented.

“We did that, we gave them back the Appropriation Bill the way it came mostly because all the years they have been complaining that they could not implement the budget because of the inputs of the National Assembly.

“So this year we said we are not making any input; we are going to give you the Bill the way you brought it as a challenge to ensure that it is implemented.

“So we expect them to implement it 100 per cent because that is their own vision.

“Of course, he also made reference to a point where they wanted to go to court to challenge the role of the National Assembly in altering Appropriation Bills.

“Well, that will be a welcome development.

“So we want to suggest that the Executive should please take that step of going to the Supreme Court or any court they wish to look at the constitutionality of our role in terms of appropriation for this country.

“We will be happy to see the outcome and of course, we will obey whatever the court says.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/48416-2012-budget-jonathan-lied-says-senate.html

Who are Jonathan's advisers? Do they have his best interest in mind? Are they saboteurs surreptitiously working against him and trying to make him look foolish? What is the AGF Adoke there for? Some of these decisions GEJ is making are really baffling.

ACN Denies Instigating UNILAG Protests, Says Honour Done To MKO Abiola Appears Sectional
Posted: May 31, 2012 - 16:41
Posted by siteadmin

caption: UNILAG students protesting yesterday
By Alhaji Lai Mohammed- National Publicity Secretary Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has denied the PDP's accusation that the party was behind the protests by the students of the University of Lagos against the federal government's decision to change the institution's name to Moshood Abiola University.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said rather than blame the opposition for the protests, the PDP should be concerned with how the Jonathan Administration has once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by reaching the right destination through illegal routes.

ACN said while it is not opposed to any action to honour the most prominent martyr of Nigeria's democracy, Chief Moshood Abiola, it is opposed to the sectional nature of the honour and the diminished importance of naming a university after prominent personalities, especially someone like Chief Abiola.

''Chief Abiola clearly won a national election, and this has been
acknowledged by the government itself. Any honour to be conferred on him must reflect that. While it can be argued that UNILAG is a federal university, the truth remains that it is based in the South-west.

''Also, in an era in which the establishment of universities have been liberalised, everyone with access to funds can now set up a university and name it after himself or herself. That has definitely eroded the importance attached to naming such institutions after national heroes, including Chief Moshood Abiola, winner of the June 12th 1993 presidential election,'' it said.

ACN however said it disagrees with insinuations in certain quarters that the decision to honour Chief Abiola was aimed at garnering political benefits, saying Nigerians in general and the people of the South-west in particular are too sophisticated to be hoodwinked by such pandering.

The party said based on media reports, the protests by UNILAG students were spontaneous because the students, staff and alumni of the institution were shocked that the government did not consult them, as stakeholders, before taking the decision to change the name. Neither were the university's Senate and Council even informed of the impending decision.

It said the ACN had never shied away from fighting for its beliefs or giving vent to its opinion on any issue, hence does not need to instigate anyone, least of all the very discerning students of one of the country's top universities, to fight for it.

''What happened was that while President Goodluck Jonathan may have
meant well in honouring a man who gave his blood to wet the seed of democracy being enjoyed in the country today, an action that should have earned him general commendation instead fetched him widespread criticism because his advisers and his bumbling party (PDP), as usual, failed him. Perhaps he also did not think the action through before announcing it.

''President Jonathanhas access to the best legal advice possible. Had his advisers cared enough, they would have told him that since UNILAG was set up by an Act, it would require an amendment to that Act to change its name. They would also have told him that there are other options through which he could use his presidential fiat without creating the kind of unfortunate confusion that has greeted his decision on Chief Abiola.

''Such options include making June 12th or the birthday of the late Chief Abiola a national holiday; naming the Eagle Square or the National Stadium, both in Abuja, after him, and acknowledging - as the whole world knows - that he won the 1993 presidential election (instead of calling him a presumed winner) and posthumously inducting him into the league of former Presidents.

President Jonathan could still have honoured our country's most prominent democracy martyr as he did without running into a hail of criticisms and protests, which now threaten to taint a well deserved honour.

The party said since it is now obvious that President Goodluck Jonathan is not getting the high quality pieces of advice he requires to make right decisions on several issues, he may have to be more wary of the direction in which his advisers are leading him.

''We will cite two recent cases in which the President could have acted differently and on the side of the rule of law and the Constitution

of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. One, the Salami case: Reinstating the respected jurist as the President of the Court of Appeal as recommended by the NJC, and two, coming out clearly on the side of the people and the law by preventing the kind of equivocation from his administration on the need to robustly prosecute those fingered in the fuel subsidy probe by the House of Representatives.

''In the end, President Jonathan should know that the buck stops at his desk, and that he, and not his advisers, will take the blame or the glory for whatever decisions he makes as President,'' ACN said.

Lagos, 31 May 2012

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/acn-denies-instigating-unilag-protests-says-honour-done-mko-abiola-appears-sectional

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/mobile/news/48423-unilag-renaming-noble-but-illegal-says-afe-babalola.html

Home | News | UNILAG renaming noble but illegal, says Afe Babalola
UNILAG renaming noble but illegal, says Afe Babalola
31/05/2012 01:35:00Joseph Jibueze


Former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) yesterday said the renaming of the institution after the late Chief Moshood Abiola was “noble” but illegal.

He said before the decision to change the name was taken, no amendment was made to the provisions of the University of Lagos Act.

President Goodluck Jonathan usurped the powers of the National Assembly by not seeking its backing, he said.

According to him, even though the motive was noble, the Federal Government followed an unconstitutional procedure.

He said such a decision would have been better effected if proper attention had been given to the provisions of the Constitution and the University of Lagos Act.

Babalola, who was Abiola’s lawyer, added that President Jonathan’s powers as visitor to the university did not include changing its name without recourse to the National Assembly.

In a statement, the senior advocate said many notable Nigerians who championed the call for the immortalisation of Abiola’s contribution to the current democratic dispensation were appalled at the manner with which the government about its decision. 

“It is my view that things could have been better handled,” he said.

To him, while it is proper to give honour where it is due, such must be done in accordance with the law. 

“Afterall respect for the law is an integral part of democracy itself,” Babalola said, and called for a review of the decision. 

“It is my hope that the authorities concerned will review their position and take appropriate step to do things in a lawful manner. 

“That to my mind would be the greatest honour to the late Bashorun MKO Abiola.”

Describing the renaming process as faulty, Babalola said: “It is pertinent to state that I do not entirely agree with the manner in which the government has gone about its decision.  

“To my mind, a decision to honour the sacrifice of a man such as the Late Bashorun MKO Abiola required much more thoughtfulness and thoroughness than that which the current decision seems to display. 

“I take this view in the light of the obvious illegality and unconstitutionality of the decision to change the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.

 “The University is a creation of statute. 

“Everything relating to the University including its name, administration and control is provided and regulated by statute therefore necessitating that any action taken in respect of the University must comply with the provisions of the Law. 

“Therefore, the most important yardstick against which the decision must be measured is the provisions of the University of Lagos Act, Cap U9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“The Act provides for the establishment, incorporation and administration of the University among others. 

“Section 1 provides as follows: •’Incorporation and objectives of the University:

• There is hereby established a University to be known as the University of Lagos (in this Act referred to as “the University”) to provide courses of instruction and learning in the faculties of arts, law, medicine, science, education, commerce and business administration, engineering, and any other faculties which may, from time to time, be approved under this Act.

“•The University shall be a body corporate and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal.’

“The above reproduced section of the Law without equivocation states that the name of the University is ‘University of Lagos’. 

“This amply demonstrates that the name ‘University of Lagos’ is derived from an Act of the National Assembly.

“Any other name other than ‘University of Lagos’ would run contrary to the provisions of the Act.

“With the above in mind, it is not difficult to see that the name announced by President Jonathan is unknown to the University of Lagos Act. 

“This is so for the following reasons: Being an Act of the National Assembly, the provisions of the University of Lagos Act can only be amended by another Act of the National Assembly.

“Prior to the decision of the Federal Government to change the name of the University, no amendment was made to the provisions of the University of Lagos Act.  

“The decision of Mr. President ostensibly acting in concert with the Federal Executive Council, amounts to an usurpation of the powers of the National Assembly. 

“Section 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended confers Legislative Powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the National Assembly which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.”

Besides, Babalola said the powers vested in the President as visitor had their limits.

“They do not empower him to unilaterally direct or effect a change in the name of the University. 

“I state this for the following reasons: The powers of the visitor are as expressly contained in the University of Lagos Act. 

“It is settled that where power is vested in any individual or body, such body or individual cannot exceed the powers which had been so vested. To do so would be to act ultra vires.

“A careful perusal of the provisions of Section 16 of the Act will reveal that the exercise of the powers vested in the visitor of the University must be consistent with the provisions of the Act. 

“This is the direct purport of Section 16(3)(b) which requires bodies and persons comprised in the university to give effect to the instructions of the visitor which are consistent with the provisions of the Act.

“Clearly, a unilateral change in the name of the university from that stated in Section 1 of the Act cannot under any guise, be regarded as consistent with the provisions of the Act...

 “The powers vested in President Jonathan under Section 16 of the University of Lagos Act are not wide enough to support the decision of the Federal Government to change the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.”