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Kano seeks husbands for 1,000 widows, divorcees
By Kolade Adeyemi, Kano 2 hours 9 minutes ago
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• Divorcee Altine Abdullahi is among 1,000 women who have turned to the Kano state government to find them a spouse. Photo: Los Angeles Times

Kano State, where the number of divorcees is cause for concern, the government is acting as matchmaker to help ex-wives and widows find Mr. Right.

He should be tall. Kind, of course. And generous, especially when it comes to buying all those little trinkets that a woman desires.

“A little handsome,” but not too much, says Altine Abdullahi. “It’s a danger.”

In northern Nigeria, it is a truth almost universally acknowledged that a woman of a certain age, and in a certain situation in life, must be in want of a husband.

But if the woman in that certain situation is a divorcee or a widow, finding a husband isn’t easy, even without the shopping list of desirable qualities ticked off by Abdullahi (a divorcee).

That’s why 1,000 women have thrown their fates into the hands of the Kano state government, which will act as their matchmaker. The religious authority in the Muslim-dominated state, the Hisbah Board, has embarked on a massive husband hunt for divorcees and widows. The first 100 women, including Abdullahi, are to be wed in coming weeks.

“I’m getting married,” she says. “God willing!”

She has no idea who her husband will be. But, like the practical character in a Jane Austen novel, she’s no romantic.

“I know love is something, but ...” she pauses wistfully. “Love doesn’t really last.”

Abdullahi, 44, preens like a fine, glossy bird, creaming her plump lips, powdering her face, fluttering her eyelashes girlishly. Her smiling face, with perfect white teeth, peers out from dozens of photographs stacked on her desk and decking the wall of her office, where she heads the organization Voice of Widows, Divorcees and Orphans Assn. of Nigeria. Her skin is clear, her eyes bright, her silver bangles jangle happily, yet she complains that she looks “tired.”

“Beautiful? You should have seen me when I was young. Then I was beautiful.”

The state-as-matchmaker plan came after Abdullahi made an emotional plea on Kano radio for husbands for desperate widows and divorcees.

In Nigeria, women of marriageable age who remain single are seen as suspect, their respectability questioned. Throughout many parts of the Muslim world, divorced and widowed women are forced to go home to their fathers or brothers and are viewed as a burden and failure. Or they live on the edges of society, shunned and forced into begging or prostitution to support their children.

Sometimes the brother of a dead man will marry the widow and support her and her children. But many divorced women find it difficult to remarry.

In Kano, the state capital, there’s a sense of crisis about the number of divorcees, although statistics aren’t available to back up widespread perceptions of an increase in failed marriages. The problem sharpened here after Kano state and 11 other predominantly Muslim states adopted sharia, or Islamic law, between 1999 and 2001, allowing men to divorce unilaterally simply by thrice stating “I divorce you,” an act that cannot be undone with a simple change of mind.

“With growing cases of divorce among couples, the state has reached an unenviable record in the country. In any social gathering and various fora, the most common discussion in the metropolis is the growing rate at which divorce is taking place,” said a February article in the Nigerian newspaper Leadership.

An everyday quarrel can easily escalate into divorce, says Abdullahi, whose divorce happened as quickly as a car crash, in a moment of heat, instantly regretted by both sides.

The row came after her husband took a third wife who was demanding more nights with him. When he conveyed the demand to Abdullahi (as second wife), she told him it was women’s business. He should send the third wife to her.

He refused. She insisted. He said, “Be careful.”

She insisted. He told her to leave. A few more sharp words and before anyone could stop it, the couple were divorced.

“I started crying. Even he started crying too. We cried together. He said, ‘Just go back to your room and forget about the divorce.’” But she couldn’t. Under sharia law, she says, she cannot go back to him unless she remarries and her husband either dies or her new marriage ends in divorce.

She left their four children with him, as is often the case. (“He treats them very well. So why should I worry myself about them?”) She has seen them once since, in 2005. She left, certain he’d miss her and her cooking, especially his favorite dish, spaghetti bolognese, made from a recipe she’d found in a magazine.

That was 12 years ago.

“I know he misses me.” Still, she says, 40 days can now pass without him entering her mind.

After the divorce, Abdullahi decided to put herself through law school, but being smart didn’t compensate for her lack of a secular education.

“I didn’t understand a word the lecturer said.”

In 2008, the state government’s religious Social Reorientation Program, A Daidaita Sahu, meaning “straighten your lines” in the local Hausa language, urged men to be tolerant of trivial marital problems. One reason for the state’s high divorce rate, the government found, was “the misapplication of power by men to divorce women.”

Many Kano men, who see obedience as an important wifely trait, don’t want to marry divorcees, Abdullahi contends.

“Nobody comes to us. They say we are not disciplined,” Abdullahi says. “We challenge that. They’re our men and if they don’t marry us, who will?”

The Hisbah Board is subjecting all marriage applicants, male and female, to medical and HIV tests, and requires each to fill out a form, providing details of their social “status,” education, likes and dislikes and an outline of what he or she expects in a spouse.

Husbands will pay a modest bride price, but no less than one gram of gold (which Abdullahi wants to go to the bride but usually goes to her family). The state will also pay all wedding expenses.

About 2,000 men have applied to be screened as potential husbands. For men, it looks like an affordable way to get hitched, with the bride price low, the trouble of haggling with the bride’s parents averted and the wedding paid for.

Even members of the Hisbah Board have recently taken extra wives “to set a good example,” board official Nabahani Usman said. (The board sees it as an act of charity and kindness to take in an extra wife.)

For many of the divorcees and widows, the attraction is the protection offered by the board, which will make sure any future divorce isn’t trivial.

Some critics of the marriage plan, such as writer Ayisha Osori, argue that its great flaw is in giving false hope of success in marriage to women when society’s views of wives remain problematic.

“Absolutely nothing has changed. The men have not changed, the state has not changed, and the realities of the women — right where society wants them to be — have also not changed,” Osori wrote in Leadership. “And so the cycle continues, with women in and out of the homes and beds of men who can discard them as quickly as it takes to say talaq,” she added, referring to the Islamic term for divorce.

Abdullahi met recently with Aminu Daurawa, head of the Hisbah Board, who promised to personally select the best available man for her.

He’d better find someone who appreciates a bold, charismatic woman.

Abdullahi’s outspoken ways have been controversial. In 2009 she planned a “million divorcee march” in the streets of Kano to protest the dire situation of many divorcees and widows. Tongues wagged over such a scandalous idea. Men — and women — condemned it.

She was summoned by the Hisbah Board, forced to cancel the protest and had to promise never to talk about it again. She was chastened but didn’t give up fighting.

“I’m a strong woman. I got my strength from my father.”

These days, Abdullahi looks anything but downtrodden. She adores fashion (which can be quite an expensive habit, even in Kano) and goes a little starry-eyed when listing the hoped-for qualities of her soon-to-be-found husband. She may not be romantic but can’t help dreaming big.

“I want a husband who will get me anything I want in my life. It’s not important to be rich. But I don’t want poor.”

And if he’s cruel, miserly, bad-tempered, violent or simply doesn’t suit, she will reject him.

“If he can take good care of me, fine, I’ll stick with him. But if not, I’ll find my own way.”

But can she? The Hisbah Board’s determination to save all but the most dire marriages may cut both ways. If she (or any of the women) doesn’t like the board’s version of Mr. Right, she may be stuck.


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/45416-kano-seeks-husbands-for-1-000-widows-divorcees.html



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Kwankwaso approves N15m for mass wedding
By Kolade Adeyemi, Kano 2 hours 21 minutes ago
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Kwankwaso


Kano State government yesterday approved the implementation of the first phase of a pilot scheme involving 100 of the 1,000 widows and divorcees seeking husbands.

The scheme tagged “Zawarawa marriage scheme”.

The government has earmarked N15 million to the Hisbah Board to facilitate the project.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Yusuf Bello Dambatta, briefed reporters at the end of the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, presided over by Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso at the Government House.

He stated that the council also agreed to release N217.46 million for the relocation and construction of the new Kano state Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency complex at Kwanar Kwankwaso, Madobi local government are while N33.5 million was approved for the first phase of civil works for converting Bee-Zee-Bee Hotel into the state Primary Healthcare Development Board headquarters.

Yusuf said N97.6 million was approved for the provision of street lights at Kofar Ruwa–Kofar Mazugal–Triumph and Waje Friday mosque roundabout. N16.8 million was set aside for settlement of compensation to owners of structures to be affected by the construction of the second state-owned university, North West University.

The commissioner added that the council agreed to release N29.6 million for the provision of uniform and kits, training, allowances and logistics for 250 Traffic Attendants employed by the government, pointing out that N20 million was approved for the procurement of working tools and cleaning/ rehabilitation of drainages in Kano city.

He added that SEC approved a proposal for a private sector powered Bus Mass Transit intervention on selected roads in the state capital as well as another offer for the establishment of a world-class Hospitality and Tourism Institute in the state capital.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/45414-kwankwaso-approves-n15m-for-mass-wedding.html

SGF, Ayim, Eze Named In a N300 Billion NDDC Contract Scandal
Font size: 03/05/2012 09:53:00
Chief Ayim Pius Ayim, SGF & EmekaEze, BPP DG The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ayim Pius Ayim and the Director General of the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, Mr. EmekaEze have both allegedly benefitted from a N300 Billion contract scandal currently rocking the Niger Delta Development Corporation, NDDC.

A petition before President Goodluck Jonathan made available to Pointblanknews.com accused Ayim and Eze of benefitting from two and three mega projects at the NDDC worth Billions of Naira to give cover to “the monumental fraud in the intervention agency.”

The petition jointly signed by EvwierhurhomaAgbagoro and UnyimeEnang both of the Niger Delta Contractors Coalition said as part of the deal, the BPP DG with the knowledge and approval of the SGF, gave a waiver to the current board of the NDDC to award 22 mega projects worth over N90 Billion and emergency projects worth over N240 Billion.

“There are no detailed or final engineering design drawings or estimates for all the projects in question. Tenders had been issued out before consultants were precipitously called to prepare quasi-Bills of Quantities and BEMEs without engineering drawings and because the agencies of the Presidency that is supposed regulate and check these excesses have been compromised, they unduly approved of it. This is outrageous, wasteful, and fraudulent and must be stopped immediately,” the petition said.

They also accused the duo of increasing the approval limit of the board of NDDC from N250 Million to N1Billion.

The petition also accused the NDDC board of using cronies to defraud the agencies of Billions through phony contract awards especially by awarding contracts for the clearing of Water Hyacinth in the over 500 creeks of the Niger Delta. The 500 creeks are all salt water and hyacinth does not grow on slat water.

Efforts to reach the Managing Director Dr. Chris Oboh proved abortive. His Media Aide, one HonourSirawoo, instead of responding to enquiries asked, “are you in PH, thought you are in Port Harcourt.” The office of the SGF and the BPP did not return calls.

The petition noted with dismay that while the current board has not been different from the ousted corrupt ones “From inception in 2001 to April 2009, the NDDC awarded about 5,100 projects. Of these, less than 1,550 have been completed. Over 2,982 projects have been abandoned for lack of budgetary provision and about 300 already awarded projects completely removed from the budget.

It also stated that “between 2009 and October 2011, the commission awarded about 950 projects, most of them still on-going.”

The petition disclosed that while N158 Billion NDDC funds are with various banks, “As at today, the total budgeted cost for all the commission’s projects stand at N 1,802,432,439,4482.63. The NDDC has so far made commitments of N 237,642,639,591 and the total amount approved for the 2011 budget is N 243,637,703,714.00. Under this board personnel expenditure increased by over 40% from N 5,882,705,878.00 to N9,485,694, 844.”

According to the Petition, “It is unexplainable that in just four months, the new board has awarded 600 small ticket projects of values between 50m-250m worth over N90billion and 80 mega projects worth about N240 billion. This brings the total project amount awarded to N330 billion.”

The petition noted, “All these awards grossly fell short of the requirements of the Public Procurement Act of 2007.”

The petitioners listed their prayers to include:

1. That all emergency projects awarded between January 2012 and April 2012 be stayed and investigated by the Orosanye Panel, not the BPP or SGF’s office – as these offices have been badly compromised on NDDC matters. The following should be scrutinized: i.) method of award of the contracts ii> conditions under which they were awarded and compliance to the aforementioned sections of the procurement act and capacity/profiles of the chosen contractors.
2. That the commission’s transactions and projects awards be thoroughly audited by a responsible auditing firm.
3. That the dubious method of issuing all three tenders for a contract to a single favoured or chosen contractor by the board, instead of encouraging competitive bidding be investigated and penalized.
4. Every responsible project manager in the Niger Delta knows that the best time to pay contractors is just before the rainy season. Over 400 contractors and 900 APG payments have deliberately been stalled. Mr. President is urgently requested to reverse this trend or risk the imminent collapse of the commission.

5. That the board should be directed to award projects based on strategic need as prescribed through the recommendations of the Niger Delta Master Plan, and not by mere political patronage.

http://pointblanknews.com/new/exclusive/4239-sgf-ayim-eze-named-in-a-n300-billion-nddc-contract-scandal.html

Reps want Sanusi’s cash donations probed
On May 3, 2012 · In News 1:30 amEmail0

By EMMAN 0VUAKPORIE
ABUJA — THE House of Representatives, yesterday, called for investigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s recent controversial cash donations to Kano State bomb victims and the University of Benin.


Malam Lamido Sanusi, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria

his came as the House moved to reduce the powers of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, specifically, in the areas of appropriation and constitution of the bank’s board.

The legislators also want Governor of the apex bank removed from the board of the bank.

This development came barely a week after a similar move by the Senate resolving to reduce the powers of the CBN, its governor, and other principals of the regulatory body.

The CBN Act, which lawmakers seek to review, vests the responsibility of considering and approving of annual budget on the Board of the bank. The CBN, by virtue of the Act establishing it, is insulated from the powers of appropriation and control of public funds domiciled in the Legislature, leaving room for arbitrary expenditure, lawmakers insist.

At yesterday’s plenary, a Bill for an Act to Amend the CBN Act, 2007 to appoint a person other than the governor as the chairman of the board of the bank passed second reading. Also, the Bill, if finally passed, will exclude deputy governors and directors as members of the board.

In a debate, all in support, lawmakers described as an anomaly a case were the National Assembly is prevented from scrutinizing the budget of the CBN as is the case with all agencies of government which are required to submit their budgetary estimates to the National Assembly for consideration.

Reps want Sanusi’s cash donations probed

The donations received widespread disapproval as The Green Chamber passed a resolution condemning the donations, and called for investigations.

“I see clearly the usurpation of the powers of appropriation of parliament,” Deputy Majority Leader, Leo Ogor, said.

According to Ogor, the review of the CBN Act was necessary to ensure that the apex bank is answerable to the people.

The chairman of the House Committee on Power, Patrick Ikhariale, described as ‘obnoxious’ powers of the CBN to fix emolument of its staff without recourse to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, adding: “The CBN as it is today has by all means become an octopus.

“It is on record that the salaries of the president, vice president, Senate president and House speaker is fixed by the relevant government agency.”

The Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, PAC, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola said the CBN did not have an audited budget spanning 2009-2011 and described the development as a clear violation of constitutional provisions

Also yesterday, the Speaker, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, warned government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from illegal spending of their Internally Generated Revenue without parliamentary approval.

Tambuwal mandated its relevant committees overseeing MDAs to propose amendments that would check unpermitted spending by government agencies.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/reps-want-sanusis-cash-donations-probed/

13 killed, 30 houses burnt in fresh attack in Plateau
By Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos 18 hours 10 minutes ago
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No fewer than 13 persons were confirmed killed when armed Fulani invaded six Berom villages in Riyom Local Government of Plateau State.

Riyom is one of the four local governments under the state of emergency in Plateau and has been under frequent attacks by armed Fulani within the past two weeks.

Those killed between Monday night and yesterday morning, were from Tahoss, Bangai, Sopp, Angwa Werem, Danjol and Gwom.

Residents of the villages have fled their homes to take refuge at police stations and primary schools in Riyom, headquarters of the council area.

A resident of Gwarim village, Dauda Gyang, who lost his younger brother in the night raid, said: “Fulanis came in large number. Their mode of attack is that they will start shooting from distance to scare the villagers and as soon as the villager run out of fear, they will come and set our houses ablaze. From my village alone they burnt more than ten houses last night”

Gyang said, “I swear to God, these Fulanis who are attacking us are doing this in collaboration with men of the Special Task Force (STF). In the day time, the soldiers will come and raid our village and seize dane guns from villagers and at night the armed Fulanis will come in for attack; this is what has been happening for about two weeks now.

“Last weekend, a mobile police shot one youth three times and the guy died. The mobile officer called it accidental discharge. How can you shoot three times and call it accidental discharge?“

When The Nation visited one of the primary schools in Tahoss, no fewer than 200 displaced persons mostly women and children were there.

A former member of the Plateau State House of Assembly from the area, Emmanuel Jugul, said: “Governments at the federal and state level are not doing enough to protect its citizens. It is bloodletting everyday in Riyom and we have government shoulder with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties.

“Apart from government, the security agencies in charge of the area are not sincere. It is either they are not doing their job, or they are conspiring with the attackers, because they securities did nothing to stop the killings and the council is under state of emergency.”

STF Spokesman Capt. Mdhayelyah Markus, who confirmed the incident, said he was not aware anyone was killed. He said houses were burnt.

Markus said: “As a result of the incident, the STF commander has mobilised troops from other places as reinforcement to Sector 9 so as to be able to handle the situation. The commander himself has visited the area and addressed the refugees. He asked them to return to their houses with promise of adequate security. So, we are in control in the area.”

However, the lawmaker representing Riyom Constituency in the House of Assembly, Daniel Dem, told The Nation on phone: “The crisis is affecting my constituency directly. The truth is that five people were killed in the night raid, several others who sustained injuries from gunshots are receiving treatment in various hospitals. There are thousands of displaced persons whose houses were set ablaze.

“I cried to the security agencies on ground and they were telling me there is nothing they can do to stop the attackers because they are short of man power while the attackers are coming in hundreds.”

Dem appealed to the Federal Government to send in more troops to salvage the situation. He said: “This is beyond the state government because Riyom is currently under the state of emergency; the Federal Government should show more commitment in saving lives”

Sunday Madaki, one of the displaced persons, said the state lawmaker only counted the corpses in one village. He said: “From the list of casualties I have from all the six villages, there are 13 people killed already and over 20 others who were injured are in the Vom Christian Hospital and over thirty residential houses have been burnt. All these displaced persons have no home to return to.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/45148-13-killed-30-houses-burnt-in-fresh-attack-in-plateau.html

“Dieziani Allison-Madueke Called Me Over 20 Times In Quest to Become Minister For Petroleum,” Claims Henry Okah in Affidavit
Posted: May 2, 2012 - 05:36
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Diezani Allison-Madueke
By SaharaReporters, New York
In an affidavit to be filed in a South African court, detained Mr. Henry Okah claims that in just the first few days of April 2010, after Mr. Goodluck Jonathan became Acting President of Nigeria, one Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke called him over 20 times for help to become Petroleum Minister.



In her calls, Ms. Madueke explained that she “was competing for the post of the Minister of Petroleum with the now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr, Odein Ajumogobia,” and asked for assistance “to tip the scale in her favor.”



In the 42-page affidavit, Mr. Okah claims Mrs. Madueke specifically asked him to speak to President Jonathan and “put a good word for her,” furnishing him with up to date information on the president’s availability via calls and text messages. Mr. Okah then spoke to President Jonathan in the early hours of April 5, 2010, he says in the affidavit, following which Mrs. Madueke later called to thank him for his contribution in influencing her appointment as Minister for Petroleum.



Okah says in the affidavit that he reluctantly accepted to speak to Ms. Madueke at the prompting of now presidential adviser, Mr. Oronto Douglas, who, he said, called him on April 4, 2010, saying that Ms. Diezani Allison-Madueke was desperate to speak to him. Mr. Douglas underlined Mrs. Madueke’s need of Okah’s assistance in persuading President Jonathan to appoint her Minister for Petroleum.



In March of 2010, Mr. Jonathan had sent Douglas to meet Okah in South Africa, according to the affidavit. During their meeting, which took place between March 31 and April 1, Mr. Douglas informed Okah that the Northern region of Nigeria was doing everything to prevent Jonathan from being the president.



Mr. Okah has been in a South African Prison since October 2, 2010. He is charged under the Terrorist Act’s Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Act, Act 33 of 2004. He has been denied bail by various courts in South Africa.



Okah was linked with the 2010 Independence Day bombing of the Eagle Square in Abuja. Okah is facing charges that Chima Orlu, who allegedly supervised the operation, acted under his instructions. Prosecutors allege that he was in communication via phone and SMS with Mr. Orlu and another co-perpetrator, Ben Jessy Ebere.



In Mr. Okah’s new affidavit, he affirms that on the day of the bombing, he received a call from Mr. Moses Jituboh, the Head of Personal Security to President Jonathan, who asked him to continue to cooperate with the President. As Mr. Okah asserted in 2010, following the bombing, Mr. Jituboh also asked him to shift the blame of the bombing to radical elements in the North.



Following the emergence of new facts, Mr. Okah is reapplying for bail. In his response to new information in his police docket that contains evidential material that will be used in his trial. Okah is facing trial at South Gauteng High Court that is estimated to last over 18 months.



He is pleading with the court to grant him bail because the case against him is weak and the state cannot provide evidential material to support their case.



The case will begin on October 1, 2012 by which time he would have spent 2 years in jail. The State has lined up over 50 witnesses from Nigeria to appear in court in South Africa. Okah also plans to call over 100 witnesses in his defense.


http://saharareporters.com/news-page/%E2%80%9Cdieziani-allison-madueke-called-me-over-20-times-quest-become-minister-petroleum%E2%80%9D-claims-

Prepare For Mass Protest Over Subsidy Scam, Soyinka Tells Nigerians-NAN
Posted: April 30, 2012 - 19:15
Posted by siteadmin




By NAN photos provided by the SNG
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, says the Farouk-Lawan report shows that Nigerians have been dehumanized.

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Monday urged Nigerians to get ready for another determined protest over the fuel subsidy scam.

Mr. Soyinka said in a press conference organized by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) in Lagos that revelations from the subsidy probe dehumanizes Nigerians.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that controversies continue to trail the report of the fuel subsidy probe which was submitted to the House of Representatives by the Farouk Lawan-led Committee last week.

“I have studied the figures revealed by the probe and I pinch myself to be sure that I am really living in the real world.

“Nigerians are being bludgeoned into sensitivity by sheer excessive corruption by public officials.

“We are being treated, not even as second class citizens, but excessively dehumanized,” Mr. Soyinka said.

He said that Nigerians must be ready to come out and demand an end to the insolence of corruption to which they have been subjected for long.

The Nobel Laureate said that further inquiries on the subsidy scam must be made public and televised live.

“An open examination of what is going on is what is needed now. Let us see those involved attempt to exonerate themselves from this guilt,” he said.

Mr. Soyinka urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), to immediately launch the prosecution of all those involved to prevent Nigeria from being a laughing stock in the world.

“So far, we have not heard any of the figures disputed by relevant government parastatals in the oil industry.

“The facts on ground are enough for the EFCC and ICPC to establish a prima facie case against those indicted,” he said.

Earlier in a written text of their stand on the issue, SNG Convener, Tunde Bakare, queried how Nigeria spent N3 trillion in 2011 above the N245 billion budgeted for subsidy the same year, as revealed by the probe.

Mr. Bakare commended the House of Representatives for its consideration and adoption of the subsidy probe report in a record time of two days.

“This shall go down in history as one act of redemption by a chamber of the National Assembly that has not done much since 1999, to endear itself to the people it represents,” he said.

He said that the time had come to save Nigeria from the grip of corruption, warning that the SNG would call the people out for massive protests if those indicted were not seen to be prosecuted speedily.

Also speaking, Okei Odumakin, the President of Women Arise, a non-governmental organization, said that all those indicted by the probe must be prosecuted.

Mr. Odumakin said that institutionalized stealing must not be allowed to continue and the people must come out against corruption.

“The resources belong to all Nigerians. Nigerians, therefore, must be strong hearted and determined to take back what belongs to them,” she said.

NAN reports that representatives of several civil society groups were also at the briefing.

Text of Press Conference today in Lagos:

KLEPTOCRACY UNLIMITED.
(Being text of a press conference addressed by Save Nigeria Group (SNG) on the Report of the House of Representatives Probe of the Subsidy Reforms in Nigeria, on Monday April 30, 2012.)

Gentlemen of the Press,

You are welcome to this press briefing by the Save Nigeria group (SNG) on what a news magazine has rightly called “A DIARY OF EXECUTIVE THEFT”.

The report of the House of Representatives ad.hoc Committee on the management of Petroleum Subsidy revealed an organised banditry which, in the words of the Lawan Farouk Committee, “can hardly be rivalled in the history of a warped budget management of any nation anywhere in the world”, has reinforced our position in January that the crisis in the oil industry in Nigeria is not about subsidy but corruption. The Committee said the following, and we fully agree: “We found out that the subsidy regime as operated between the period under review (2009 and 2011) were fraught with endemic corruption and entrenched inefficiency. Much of the amount claimed to have been paid as subsidy was actually not for consumed PMS. Government officials made nonsense of the PSF Guidelines due mainly to sleaze and, in some other cases, incompetence. It is therefore apparent that the insistence by top Government officials that the Subsidy figures were for products consumed was a clear attempt to mislead the Nigerian people”.

MIND-BOGGLING REVELATIONS
Every line in the Committee’s report is a poignant statement on the culture of official corruption in Nigeria. However, for the purpose of this briefing, we are highlighting the most tellingly embarrassing aspects of the book of larceny.

HOW DID WE SPEND THREE (3) TRILLION NAIRA IN ONE YEAR?
The report showed that the budget expenditure on subsidy for both PMS and HHK in 2006 was N261. 1b, N278.8b in 2007 and N346.7b in 2008 and N245 b for 2011.
The tables below show subsidy payments in the five years preceding 2011:

PPPRA Report To NASS-October 2011.
2006-261.1billion Naira
2007-278.9 billion Naira
2008-630.6 billion Naira
2009-421.6 billion Naira
2010-673.0 billion Naira

KPMG's Final Audit Report- May 2011.
2007-272 billion Naira
2008-688 billion Naira
2009-384 billion Naira

Though it is curious from the above figures how the subsidy payments dropped in 2009 by about N200b only to rise by the same quantum in 2010, this is inconsequential compared with the humongous bill of 2011.

The Petrol Armada of 2011 was not only about the number of companies involved, but more on the amount of money stolen in the name of subsidy. Quoting the report: “...contrary to the earlier figure of subsidy payment of N1.3 trillion, the Accountant-General of the federation put forward a figure ofN1.6 trillion, while the Committee established subsidy payment of N2.587.687 trillion as at 31st December 2011, amounting to more than 900% over the appropriated sum of N245 billion.....There were outstanding claims by NNPC and the marketers in excess of N270 billion as subsidy payments for 2011”.

We now know that between January and February 2012, another N340 billion has been withdrawn as arrears of 2011 subsidy. When these figures are put together, it can be seen that what was stolen in the name of subsidy in 2011 alone is about three-quarters of the entire Federal Appropriation of 2012. The report did well by putting a lie to the claim by the Budget Office and Minister of Petroleum Resources that the gap was due to “assurances that deregulation would take effect on the first quarter of 2011”. This is a fraudulent claim according to the committee which says it “was not only contradictory but also an after-thought. The time limitation was not expressed or implied in the Appropriation Act of 2011. Furthermore, the Appropriation Act of 2011 was amended in May of the same year and there was no request from the Executive for an increase in the subsidy figures”. Could it be that there was a sudden prosperity in Nigeria in 2011 which led to sudden increase in the purchase of cars demanding massive importation of fuel? The answer is NO as the year actually witnessed depletion in the purchasing power of Nigerians as official statistics put the figure of the dirt poor at 71.1% of the population.

That what we are dealing with is organised banditry is underscored by the fact that virtually every organ of government that has anything to do with fuel importation was indicted - including external auditors. It would have been impossible to carry out this horrendous haemorrhage on our treasury if it was not sanctioned from the highest levels. Note the following:
.
1) The theft of N310 billion by NNPC on kerosene subsidy in spite of an official policy against paying subsidy on the product.
2) Another theft by NNPC of N285b above PPPRA recommendation.
3) An NNPC self-discount of N108b.
4) The sum of N8b through marketers in total violation of the PSF Scheme.
5) Payment of N999m in 128 times within 24 hours to some companies totalling N127.872b by the office the Accountant-General of the Federation.
6) Companies who collected forex to the tune of $402.6 million whose utilization is unclear.
7) 72 companies that are indicted in the forensics with over N230b against their names.
The over-recoveries of N2.766b and N5.276b which were not accounted for by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
9) The cases of double deductions by the NNPC for subsidy payments in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
10) About 20 companies getting allocations to import fuel before they were registered with PPPRA.
11) A 24 million litre gap between the volume of import and actual consumption.
12) The virtual discount of the 53% capacity of the refineries in a bid to promote 100% import level for our fuel consumption.
13) The 210,000 barrels per day the NNPC allocates to swap/off shore price out of its 445,000 barrels of crude allocated daily is not reflected in its differential claims to subsidy.

These among other acts of economic sabotage identified by the committee all add up to show that corruption has become official in the transaction of government business.

NOW THAT THE HOUSE HAS ADOPTED THE REPORT
We commend the House of Representatives for its painstaking consideration and adoption of the report in two days with some amendments. This shall go down in history as one act of redemption by a chamber of the National Assembly that has not done much since 1999 to endear itself to the people it represents.
We are glad that the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Aminu Tambuwal spoke our minds to the anti-graft agencies which had earlier said they would be waiting for a harmonised version of the report before taking action: “Let me quickly say here that this is at best an excuse that cannot stand, after all the same agencies accept and investigate petitions from individuals, how much more resolutions of the House” he said.
That settles the question of what is to be done.

FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES SNG WANTS THE NATION TO TAKE NOTE OF
Having gone through the report and followed keenly the debate in the House of Representatives, there are fundamental issues we at SNG are putting on the table the resolution of which will get to the root of this grand collusion to milk the nation dry:
1. The management of NNPC has denied that it did not receive the payment of N1.329 Trillion the report said was paid to it by the Central Bank of Nigeria. This has compelled the executive councils of NNPC NUPENG and PENGASSAN in an advertorial in This Day of April 26, 2012 at Page 44b to demand that a critical inquiry be launched by the relevant agencies " including the NLC, TUC, security agencies to take this issue seriously and demand full disclosure of whether the said amount was ever paid ,to whom and for what purpose".
This is very germane as there is nobody that answers the name NNPC.There must be names of persons who authorised these payments and those who received them. We must fish them out and they must tell us where the money ended and for what purpose. It may just be that cheques were written by higher authorities in the name of this agency and some officials used to cash such and funnelled into slush funds in the order of "PTDF" of Obasanjo and Atiku days.
2. The clearance of Gombe Governor,Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwanbo who was the Accountant General of the Federation in 2009 and who was alleged to have issued cheques of N999m in 128 places in 24 hours totalling N127b raises another serious matter. Passing the buck to PPPRA does not answer the issue. The impression this gives is that the Governor may have been exonerated in a deal to ensure that he does not spill the beans if push comes to shove. These dubious payments must be traced and the nation must know where the money ended.
3. A great number of the indicted subsidy scammers are members of the ruling party and or businessmen who have over the time been billion donors at PDP fundraisers. There must be a thorough investigation of the possible connections between their dubious subsidy payments and the donations they make to the ruling party.
4. President Goodluck Jonathan has played the ostrich by saying that no one indicted would be spared. That is fine for as long as that includes his oil Minister (Mrs Diezani Allison-Maduekwe) and all the three ministers of Finance in the period covered by the report (Alhaji Mansur Muhktar, Mr Olusegun Aganga and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala).We have no doubt in our minds that all the lesser officials in the NNPC, PPPRA etc; whom they want us to focus on were mere chattels in a web of a big conspiracy at the highest level of governance to steal our country broke. Those officials must be punished for their roles as well but they cannot be scapegoats for the big masquerades!

But is the commander-in- chief saying no one would be spared except himself? At the core of this horrendous heist is the violation of budget management for which the President carries the responsibility. Any President who says he is not aware of the theft of N3trillion Naira for an item for which only N245 Billion was budgeted is not fit to hold office. That the President presented a supplementary budget in May, 2011 without asking for more money on subsidy is clear evidence that he cannot say he was not in the know of over 1100% fiscal roguery on the budgeted sum and this is a clear breach of his oath of office. In this regard, we agree with the House recommendation of the need for the criminalisation of budget overspend but we demand that it should not be in the future but to start now with this subsidy scam. The constitution is clear on this breach.

By the provisions of section 80 and 81 of the 1999 constitution which relates to the powers and controls over public funds by the President, it is clear that these sections have been breached by the actions or inaction of the president. This amounts to gross misconduct as construed in Section 143 (2) (b) and Section 143 (11) which places a responsibility on the National Assembly to determine whether the actions or inactions of the President are not sanctionable under these provisions.

Constitutional Provisions on Powers and Control over Public Funds

Section 80. (1) All revenues or other moneys raised or received by the Federation (not being revenues or other moneys payable under this Constitution or any Act of the National Assembly into any other public fund of the Federation established for a specific purpose) shall be paid into and form one Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
(2) No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the fund by this Constitution or where the issue of those moneys has been authorised by an Appropriation Act, Supplementary Appropriation Act or an Act passed in pursuance of section 81 of this Constitution.
(3) No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly.
(4) No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.
Section 81. (1) The President shall cause to be prepared and laid before each House of the National Assembly at any time in each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Federation for the next following financial year.

5. The recent external auditors reports on the accounts of political parties for year 2010 released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revealed that the PDP could not give its account. Given the undue use of money in the 2011 elections by the ruling party to the extent that local and foreign currencies were alleged to have been doled out to delegates at its presidential primaries at Eagles square, we must compel the ruling party to open its books for investigation as subsidy funds may have gone to unsavoury places.

6. The House of Representatives found in respect of the 445,000 barrels a day, that the NNPC produced the following based on its 53% local refining capacity and 47% SWAP/Offshore arrangement;
(a) 40 million litres per day of PMS
(b) 10 million litres per day of Kerosine
(c) 8.97 million litres per day of Diesel
(d) 0.62 million per day of LPG and
(e) 2.31 million per day of FO

The implication of this is that if the NNPC has been meticulous with the management of the 445,000 barrels of oil per day, there would not have been any need to import oil. This is because the corporation would have produced 5 million litres of oil in excess of the 35 million litres of PMS consumed daily.
Given these findings, the Federal Government has to explain the justification for the N888Billion budgeted in the 2012 budget when we may actually have enough products for our local needs.

THEY STOLE US BROKE
A serious fall- out of this mindless looting is that the country has been stolen broke. The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recently told the nation that the excess crude account is down from $20Billion to $3.6billion.As we address you at the end of April the states are yet to receive their allocations for the month of March because the treasury is empty.
This is a serious warning crisis of an imminent collapse of the economy with no evidence that the government is doing anything to salvage the situation.
Rather what we are seeing is that those whose fingers are being proverbially chopped for corruption are still acquiring diamond rings. An open letter to President Jonathan by Fitch, Fitch, Fitch and Associates at The Hague, Netherlands on behalf of Transparency International says it all:
"The problem, Your Excellency, has to do with the rate and scale of scams and corruption probes coming out of Nigeria in 2012.The scope and speed of corruption in your country this year is beyond anything our client has ever dealt with.
When the pension scam broke out, the three specialists working on Nigeria complained about overwork and threatened a law suit against Transparency International because they had to work 23 hours a day from Monday to Sunday just to cope with the figures coming out of that scam. Our client had to pull country specialists away from zero or low
corruption countries such as New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Singapore, Norway, Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, and Canada. The specialists working on all these countries were transferred to the Nigerian Desk"
Quite heartbreaking!

PANICKY MEASURES WON’T POSTPONE DAY OF RECKONING!
Like the way a transgressor runs when no one pursues him, the Jonathan administration recently rolled tanks to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park at Ojota where Nigerians gathered in millions in January to assert their dignity as a people. This is at best a panicky response by those who have cornered our collective patrimony and are scared of the questions we shall be asking. The regime portrays itself in a comical light to think that Ojota is the only space in Nigeria where the people of Nigeria can express their anger peacefully against the brigade of thieves running our country through open theft of our money. More importantly, the knee jerk pre-emptive action response is the thermometer with which its democratic temperature is to be gauged by the whole world.

ACTION NOW!
Now is the time to act to save our country from the grip of corruption. To this end, we are giving two weeks to see concrete steps in the direction of prosecuting the indicted officials failing which we shall be calling our people out on protest
Given the low confidence the people have in the anti- corruption agencies in dealing with political corruption in Nigeria, we are demanding the appointment of a private prosecutor to deal with these prosecutions.

The counsel to be so appointed must be a man or woman of proven integrity with a team of Lawyers recommended by the Nigerian Bar Association working with such private prosecutor. Civil society organisations should also be allowed to appoint their own counsel as observers.

DO NOT FLINCH!
Our message to our country men and women is that they must be strong hearted and determined to take back our country. If our people realize what N3 trillion can do in the life of a nation, it would not be difficult to understand why we must kill corruption lest it kill us all as it is systematically doing already. We have nothing to lose but our chains as we embark on this patriotic and just resistance against the destroyers of our nation. All we must be ready to do is to assert our collective dignity and let our “leaders” know that we are better than their animals.

For in the words of Dr Patrick Wilmot “Many Nigerian politicians, especially those with a military background possess modern farms where they raise livestock. They provide nutritious food, clean water, sanitary housing, the latest medicine and the best sanitary services. They have interest in the welfare of their animal because they want to make profits. If they have the same interest in their citizens, Nigeria would be a far better place and 70% of the population would not be classified as dirt poor"

This is a decisive moment in our history to assert our humanity and restore our dignity as a people. Enough is enough!

Thank you all

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/prepare-mass-protest-over-subsidy-scam-soyinka-tells-nigerians-nan

Tinubu: let’s halt the drift
By Chris Oji, Enugu 2 hours 49 minutes ago
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Tinubu

Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said the success of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda depends on curbing corruption and insecurity.

Tinubu spoke when he received the outgoing United States Consul-General in Lagos, Joseph Stafford, who paid him a farewell visit.

He said: “The twin problems of corruption and insecurity undermine any attempt at transformation as touted by the government. A lot of things are going wrong. Our ship is drifting and the people in power are not paying enough attention.

“What is the genesis of Boko Haram? We are now confronted with two Boko Harams – the original Boko Haram and the political Boko Haram. We must ask if a section of the country is now being stigmatised so that the government can get some sympathy or if we are confronted with a serious security problem that the government has no answer to?”

Tinubu condemned the attempt to use the civil service reforms as an excuse to scrap the anti-corruption agencies.

Tinubu said Nigerians voted for Jonathan with the hope that he would stabilise the polity, grow the economy and be a true leader.

“It is unfortunate that the president does not seem to realise that the image of this country and stability are crucial for any economic growth and attracting investments. We have a country that is drifting. We hope that drift will be halted; and Nigeria can see a better day.”

Tinubu said the second coming of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Minister of Finance has not yielded any positive result.

He said:“We had hoped that her return would inject some stability and prudence into the financial structure of Nigeria and create opportunities but this, unfortunately, has not been the case. Other than paying lip service to reforms, there are no concrete actions to re-invent governance. The present government is not seeking the low hanging fruits.”

Stafford said his country would continue to closely monitor events in Nigeria and would continue to support key areas.

He said:“The US will continue with its robust engagement with Nigeria and pursue cordial foreign relations with the country.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/44890-tinubu%3A-let%E2%80%99s-halt-the-drift.html

Another banking crisis coming up – 1
On April 30, 2012 · In Sobowale On Business 12:40 amEmail0

By Dele Sobowale

“History does repeat itself; man does”. Barbara Tuchman, the world’s leading historian on 13th Century Europe.

This would be the third alert I would issue in the last fifteen years about a banking crisis about to occur. Almost invariably, the banking crisis causes collateral damage in the capital market – which heads down as a result. The recent appointment of market makers by the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, might represent taking on fresh fuel before a ship capsizes. It will not help; it might even add to the problems that would result from the carnage.

Before you dismiss this as another fantasy, let me remind you that in 1997, in an article published here in VANGUARD titled “FUNNY MONEY”, I predicted that the banks announcing heart-thumping financial results were publishing falsified results based on shady deals and “creative accounting” – meaning they were forging the figures.

Drawing up a list of 19 banks which I predicted would go down, with Commerce Bank at the top, the Editor of VANGUARD published the article without the names of the banks. He was particularly skeptical about the prediction that Commerce Bank, whose top two officials (names withheld) were both former Presidents of the Nigerian Institute of Bankers, could not be running a bank heading for the graveyard. Well, all the 19 banks fell; Commerce Bank fell hardest. As Mohammed Ali, the Greatest boxer ever, once told us, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

That crisis resulted in the Failed Banks Decree promulgated by General Sani Abacha – designed to teach Nigerian bankers a permanent lesson. Abacha was wrong on that score; as he was on most things. The Nigerian banking sector is not a standing army – which can be taught enduring lessons.

It is more like a moving parade in which each new troop, like zombies, fall into the same traps like the previous ones. Every new generation of bankers simply refuses to learn from the old. Otherwise, they learn the same tricks, add new twists, and head for their own abattoirs – with their depositors in tow – to be slaughtered.

When Professor Chukwumah Soludo introduced “con-soludo-tion” as a panacea to all our banking woes; he was first advised to slow down. But, like every man with a vision, he refused to listen to caution. He probably never read that observation by British Prime Minister John Major. “People with vision…(VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p ).


CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

So again, like lemmings, Nigerians were marched to the edge of the financial precipice and made to jump. Another banking crisis was upon us. As usual, I was busy warning “My Fellow Nigerians”, in 2007 and early 2008, that the banks, into which Soludo said we could put our money and “go to sleep with two eyes closed”, were about to close our two eyes permanently.

Again, as usual, few listened to the warnings –until Intercontinental, Oceanic, UBA, First Bank etc shares that were selling above N30 per share in March 2008 went begging for under N3 per share. We are still not out of the woods. In fact, we might be heading back to the jungle.

Unfortunately, the man who blew the whistle on the banks – the current Governor of the Central Bank – had himself gone to sleep while the banks resorted to the same old tricks which got us into trouble the last time around. Like Soludo before him, Sanusi had just been awarded the Banker of the Year prize.

Again, like Soludo, the CBN chief might be receiving the award just before another banking crisis engulfs the nation. For, make no mistake about it; another banking crisis is looming; and it might be more devastating than anyone before it.

So in effect, this article is not meant for the CBN and bankers; it is addressed to Nigerians who still have any money left in those banks on their way to the cemetery. Out of sense of social responsibility, no banks would be named here – in order to prevent a run on those banks which could only make things worse – for the banks, for the depositors and for Nigeria.

A good deal of the blame goes to the CBN Governor. He might have set an all-time world record for a nation’s chief banker in the number of non-banking controversies in which he got himself embroiled. Back in my days at the Nigerian Institute of Management, Victoria Island, I taught a course titled “TIME AND SELF MANAGEMENT” designed to train executives, in the private and public sectors, to spend their time more productively.

I still have some clients who request for the lecture every two or three years. To me, the first lesson to learn, for any manager, is the fact that THERE ARE ONLY TWENTY-FOUR HOURS IN A DAY. The President and the pauper have the same allotment of hours in a day. The most effective managers start by allocating as much, if not all, their time to their core functions.

Perhaps, sometime, after Sanusi had left CBN, he would reflect on whether some of the time he spent on distractions would not have been better utilized examining the books of the banks he was appointed to supervise – now that another crisis looms on the horizon.

He should also be worrying about the CBN’s involvement in the fuel subsidy scandals; while he cannot ignore the role of banks and CBN bank examiners in the unfolding drama of mild-boggling pension funds frauds. Anyone who thinks only N2 billion cash is locked in wardrobes must live in another country – not Nigeria. On account of fraud and increasing lack of confidence in banks, more money are in holes and under beds than ever before.

To be sure, the CBN had declared that it is ready to sanction any bank found to have violated banking rules and regulations with regard to the diversion of pension funds to multiple private accounts. But, the sheer number of illegal accounts opened, and the flagrant violation of the “Know Your Customer” principle point to hundreds of billions of naira in possible fines for banks just crawling their ways out of financial holes.

Zillions of questions will eventually be asked; and billions, if not trillions, will be involved, some of it unlikely to be recovered, and another round of bank cleansing will take place against the background of the alleged N9 billion questionable write-off by a Chief Executive brought in to revive the bank in the first place.

If the deal is found to be fraudulent, the CBN Governor must share the greatest portion of the blame because it would be recalled that the appointment of the particular Managing Director was greeted with a storm of protest – which Sanusi ignored. The debtor’s refusal to honour investigators’ invitation is not helping matters either. Only a total exoneration of the former CEO can save the CBN Governor from embarrassment.

While the looming crisis is predictable, it is not clear which options are available to the nation. Each generation of bankers seems adamant to repeat the sharp practices of their predecessors; each time leaving their banks in more desperate straits than before and virtually compelling incumbent managers to cut corners in a bid to obtain good results in a short time. We might be involved in a Catch-22 scenario.

Finally, readers and policy makers will ignore this warning at our corrective perils. The future of easy crude oil money is increasingly in doubt; without a vibrant banking sector, we run the risk of never reaching the top twenty – whether in 2020 or any other time.

This is one time when being right offers no consolation.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/another-banking-crisis-coming-up-1/

Jonathan consults with Tinubu, Fashola, Akiolu
On April 30, 2012 · In News 1:01 amEmail0

BY DAPO AKINREFON
LAGOS — President Goodluck Jonathan, weekend, met with national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu behind closed doors.

The meeting in State House, Marina, Lagos took place as President Jonathan returned from Ivory Coast where he joined other regional leaders for an emergency summit of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.


Jonathan consults with Tinubu

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has, however, dismissed any political benefit for Jonathan from associating with Tinubu, describing the former Lagos State Governor as more of a liability than an asset for the President’s political calculations.

A reliable source told Vanguard that besides Tinubu, others at the meeting were Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole.

The meeting followed increasing talks on the President’s future which has seen a number of his associates advocating a second term for Jonathan who first stepped into office in 2010 to complete the four-year tenure of his former boss, late President Umaru Yar‘Adua.

Weekend’s meeting aroused interest in political circles following speculations that Asiwaju Tinubu, just like Jonathan, could also be contesting the next presidential election in 2015.

Lagos PDP reacts

Reacting to the meeting, the Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, said even while he was not in a position to confirm the motive behind the meeting, he nevertheless affirmed that the party in the state would not be deterred in its resolve to claim the state come 2015.

Gani said: “PDP is not a party of vendetta as far as we are concerned. I am not in a position to confirm the motive behind the meeting, but I know that there are other national pressing issues. For instance, the issue of Boko Haram warrants everybody to join hands to fight. I remember recently that the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said something on that and so the President must have come to meet him to see whether he has any position on that.”

While appealing to the president to tread with caution, he said: “It is a risky position if the president has come to see Tinubu regarding 2015. The President may have met a liability rather than an asset in the forthcoming election. The truth is that the Lagos PDP is better positioned that we do not need anybody outside the party to win elections.

“However, the Lagos PDP expects that whatever lobbying any member of the party is involved in will not override the interest of the party. In Lagos PDP, it is our interest to claim Lagos State from ACN and so, we will not compromise and jeopardize that interest.”

It would be recalled that the president had, recently, told an Abuja High Court that the provisions of the 1999 constitution pertaining to his chances to contest the 2015 election were clear.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/jonathan-consults-with-tinubu-fashola-akiolu/

Tsav calls for Azazi’s resignation
On April 30, 2012 · In News 12:01 amEmail0

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, TONY EDIKE, BEN AGANDE & PETER DURU
LAGOS — NATIONAL Security Adviser, NSA, General Andrew Azazi (rtd), yesterday received more knocks and praises in equal measure for attributing the strong wind of insecurity blowing across the land to the zoning and power sharing arrangement of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and members of the House of Representatives on the banner of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) hailed Azazi, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, asked the NSA to resign and save the present Federal Government more embarrassment.

Indeed, the ACN concurred that the issue was embarrassing and lampooned the PDP-led Federal Government for handling a serous national issue with naivety.

Tsav asks Azazi to resign

To Tsav, Aziza should quit his position and save the present Federal Government more embarrassment.

In a text massage to Vanguard yesterday, Tsav faulted Azazi’s resort to making such a public utterance on the matter.


General Andrew Azazi (rtd)

His words: “The remark credited to the NSA, Gen. Aziza, that the PDP was responsible for the insurgence of Boko Haram through their zoning arrangement could be true based on intelligence available to him, but the public utterance by the NSA is irresponsibly faulty. The only honourable option left for him is to throw in the towel and resign. He has no business in government. He even appears not interested or dedicated to his job.

“Rather than open his mouth too wide, we expected the NSA to advise the President and the Federal Government on this rather than go public, an act which is capable of not only over heating the polity but also encouraging Boko Haram and their sponsors to continue in their nefarious acts.”

ACN Reps hail Azazi

Speaking on the issue, members of the ACN in the House of Representatives hailed Azazi for his frank assessment of the PDP-led government, saying he should be commended for his courage and not condemned.

In interviews with Vanguard, the lawmakers said what the NSA said was a well known fact by other political parties and Nigerians, which has been validated by an inner member of government.

According to the Minority Whip of the House, Samson Osagie, “he merely spoke the truth and he should be applauded. Besides, there is inextricable link between government policies exemplified by a party that has held the country by its jugular and the reaction of the people who are bearing the brunt of inequitable and excruciating policies of the ruling party. Azazi spoke frankly.”

Also, the Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said: “Azazi has not said anything we didn’t know or haven’t said.

For Pally Iriase, with the revelation by the NSA, “the truth is coming out at last. We have always believed that until Nigerians free themselves democratically from the vice grip of this monster called PDP, we will not experience peace and progress.”

NSA, PDP have brought shame to Nigeria — ACN

Reacting, the ACN in a statement, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the shame brought on Nigeria by this public spat was not so much in the contents of their statements but in the fact that a ruling party and a top political appointee of the central government it controls could be so naive and uncouth over a serious national security issue.

‘’We have said it several times that the PDP and the government it controls at the centre are clueless, confused and totally incapable of piloting the affairs of this nation. Is there any better evidence of this cluelessness than what Nigerians are witnessing now?

“It does not matter how much the President tries to engage in damage control over the statement credited to his NSA, or the ever-so knee-jerk and poorly-thought-out reaction of the sinking behemoth called the PDP, the reality is that the NSA’s shocking comments reflect the thinking in the highest echelon of the Jonathan administration, that the crooked politics of the PDP is behind the Boko Haram crisis, and that it has escalated because a son of the South-South is sitting in Aso Rock.”

CNPP hails Azazi’s ‘uncommon courage’

The CNPP hailed what it described as the “uncommon courage” of General Azazi for hitting the nail on the head, telling the PDP the bitter truth that the party by conduct was “undemocratic, despotic and unabashedly exclusive.”

The group said Jonathan and his party should honourably accept the responsibility that the fierce struggle for power — do-or-die – “is the root cause of the fault lines dislocating our democracy.”

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, the CNPP said: “We have no doubt that General Azazi, as a core trained, intelligent officer must have closely observed how since inception PDP had manipulated its primary elections and indeed general elections, alienated its members and a critical segment of the polity, contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

These undemocratic and unconstitutional acts, without doubt, breed acrimony and simulate insecurity. This is the General’s message.

“In this context, we caution the PDP to neither dump the message nor the messenger; rather PDP should carefully dissect, analyze and reflect on the message placed on marble by Gen. Azazi. How can PDP innocently claim to be the strongest catalyst for unity and progress of Nigeria when the security and welfare of the people have nose-dived, the society is polarized down the line and Nigeria is dangerously sliding into a failed state? The PDP should please peruse the National Bureau of Statistics 2009 Report to determine whether Nigerians in spite of unprecedented oil revenue is better today than in 1999.”

It noted that the unfortunate outcome of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged stranglehold on the party “is that since his election as president in 1999, neither PDP nor the nation has had free, fair and transparent election.”

For President Jonathan to transform the country, the CNPP said he must first transform his party, make it truly democratic and refresh his mind with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s comment before and after the 2011 presidential primaries.

“It is our candid view that the zoning arrangement of the PDP might be well intentioned, but as Gen. Azazi posited, was ill managed from the onset. For in the first instance, Chief Obasanjo was a mismatch to compensate the South West for the annulment of Chief MKO Abiola’s victory. The South-West demonstrated this in private with the then Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubaker (rtd) and publicly by their voting pattern in 1999. Let the best rule the country.

“In sum, President Jonathan should look at the mirror, do soul searching and reflect in order to stamp out the Boko Haram and other anti-democratic elements in his cabinet, the legislature and the judiciary as he once told the world. This is Gen. Azazi’s message.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/tsav-calls-for-azazis-resignation/

An Oil Well In Every Privileged Pocket By Sonala Olumhense
Posted: April 29, 2012 - 10:03
Posted by siteadmin
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Columnist: Sonala Olumhense
Just over one year ago, I endorsed General Muhammadu Buhari for President of Nigeria. I argued that in view of the monumental corruption mountain before Nigeria, he was the best candidate on the2011 presidential slate.

The following month, Nigerians stepped into the examination hall. One Attahiru Jega, given the job of heading the electoral commission, designed the hall in the form of a ballot box.

Now, some of us cannot prove we have ever visited a classroom, let alone that we have ever taken an academic examination of any kind. Many people presumptuously consider an honorary academic title to be no different from a chieftaincy title, so we take it when they give it to us—or buy one when they do not—and place it in front of our names. It is an ego crisis.

An examination hall tests, first, your nerves. Then it tests what you really know. What it tests most of all is the relevance of what you know to what is asked of you. The best student is not necessarily the most informed one, but he or she who can best synchronize what is known with what is asked.

One year ago, in that examination hall, the actual question before Nigeria was: Who among the men on the electoral slate for the presidency is “Moses”?

Moses was the Biblical prophet who, having first laughed when the Lord told him he would lead the Israelites out of Egypt, led them into being trapped on the banks of the Red Sea, the Egyptian army advancing menacingly upon them. With nowhere to go, and the lamentation and crying of the people ringing in his ears, Moses turned to the Lord, who was surprised Moses did not know the power of the staff in his hand.

Moses then performed one of the most historic of feats: he lifted his right hand, the staff in it, over the Red Sea. That action parted the waters, creating a wall of water to the right and to the left until every Israelite had walked through the river bed and crossed the sea. The sea was conquered; the Israelis were on solid ground again and could continue their journey to the Promised Land.

The Egyptians, no longer particularly surprised at that time by the feats the Mighty God of the Israelis could perform, went in after the unarmed targets on the other bank.

Moses lowered his right hand, and as the Israelis watched from one bank and Pharoah from the other, the wall of water to the right and to the left through the Red Sea cascaded down and buried the powerful Egyptian army. That night, the Israelis found new voices and new songs in praise of God. Horse and rider he threw into the sea, they chorused.

By 2011, Nigeria had endured over a decade of the most decadent “governance” known to a modern state. The opportunity to escape was there, on the bank of the Red Sea, the Egyptian army advancing in the form of an uncertain future on the platform of business as usual.

But where was Moses? Who was Moses on the presidential slate that was capable of feats of incredible strength? I argued it was General Buhari. Moses was no angel, but he had the staff in his right hand. Buhari had the credential and strength of incorruptibility; he could lift his hand against our true foe.
But there may have been no fuel to power the generators in that examination hall, because on the examination sheet, many people do not appear to have seen the question about Moses at all.

Instead, they returned, saying, “I voted for Goodluck Jonathan, not the People’s Democratic Party.”

In other words, they thought it was possible to separate Pharoah from his army; that the consequence was prettier than the cause. They did not understand the question; better still, they pretended they did not understand the question.

One year later, ours is a country in free-fall. We all know about the violence that is engulfing the country. Jonathan lacks the foggiest clue as to how to solve the problem, lurching from one errant policy pronouncement to another; and from one contradictory speech to another.

This lack of capacity is deeply-rooted in his failure to grasp both the concept of leadership and the issues of the moment. Jonathan’s understanding of leadership is power; he does not see the responsibility component.

Power, not responsibility, saw him budget for three additional jets as soon as he came into office. Power, not responsibility is why he has been quick to load up the jets at every opportunity.
Power, not responsibility, is what makes a preachy president refuse to declare his assets as demanded by both law and political climate.

Mr. Jonathan has plenty to say, but he does not take action; he speaks about taking action. He does not implement reports; he files reports. He does not act as if he has a term of office in his hands; he is thinking about a second term. He talks about “transformation,” but how can you transform when you have not demonstrated you are superior to what you want to transform?

In January, Mr. Jonathan said “Happy New Year” to his compatriots by announcing the withdrawal of oil “subsidies.” It has become clear now that on that subject, few government officials were being honest or even knew what they were talking about. What has transpired since then, especially through the report of the Farouk Lawan-led Ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives, is confirmation that corruption has become a vast and entrenched power within the government. Corruption may be to Nigeria what cocaine is to Colombia or Peru.

In Mr. Jonathan’s hands, in just one year, we have stopped metering corruption in the millions. More and more quotations and declarations are in the billions and the trillions. The cats are growing into lions, and catfish into sharks.

And yet we must keep in mind that the mandate of the committee was only “To Verify and Determine the Actual Subsidy Requirements and Monitor The Implementation of the Subsidy Regime in Nigeria,” over two years (2009-2011) and in one area of the industry. That is, the committee looked only at a puddle, not the river beyond, which includes the eight years that Obasanjo ran Petroleum Resources because he was the only Nigerian good enough to manage the Ministry. Beyond that little river is the ocean, which includes and explains why our country is the equivalent of a giant that has been amputated at the knees.

Is Jonathan the answer? His record argued differently. He has now squandered another year demonstrating that those of us who said he was wrong were right. He is so out of his depth that when he says he wants to transform the country, he reminds us transformation is not always positive.

When you think about it, we may well find that Jonathan was the best presidential candidate in 2011 after all…for the task of running Nigeria aground, if the hope is that something noble will rise from the ruins. In that regard, I can write no better than Dr. Reuben Abati did, in “Hurry Up, Jonathan,” on May 14, 2010:
“…[Jonathan] has fallen so early into the error of doing business as usual,” Abati, now Jonathan’s spokesman, lamented. “He is the ultimate pacifier. He seems determined to run a government of the Godfathers. Every man who imagines himself to be a custodian of the Nigerian legacy, even only a portion of it, seems to have a share of his government…But can President Jonathan just please, hurry up and focus on the important issues of national interest, the same issues that he himself has identified to start with?”
• sonala.olumhense@gmail.com

http://saharareporters.com/column/oil-well-every-privileged-pocket-sonala-olumhense

Declared Wanted by Police, Senator Saraki Capitulates, Says He Will Appear Before Nigerian Special Fraud Police On Monday
Posted: April 28, 2012 - 22:12
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Bukola Saraki
By SaharaReporters, New York
Bukola Saraki, the former Nigerian governor and current senator accused of defrauding a defunct Nigerian bank of $133.5 million today said he will appear before the Police on Monday at 9:00 am. But the Police replied that he has already been declared wanted and cannot dictate when he will show up before them. They have therefore asked the public for information on his whereabouts to enable them arrest him.

Senator Bukola Saraki was declared wanted by the Special Fraud Unit of the force earlier in the day. In a press statement subsequently sent to Saharareporters, Mr. Saraki promised to appear before the unit to respond to the initial summons by the police. He had spurned previous invitations by the police by approaching a high court judge in Abuja, requesting an interim order of the court to prevent the police from arresting or interrogating him.

The judge did not grant the motion, instead he/she alerted the police. But Mr. Saraki claimed the judge had given a temporary order barring the police from arresting or interrogating him. Saharareporters’ investigations revealed that there was no such court order restraining the police.

Last Thursday the federal judge handling the case, Justice Gladys Olotu, cleared the way for Mr. Saraki’s arrest by clarifying that there was no order of the court in place restraining the Nigerian police from carrying out its statutory duties. As a last minute attempt to avoid arrest, Mr. Saraki's lawyers, led by Mr R.A Lawal Rabana, SAN, gave a press conference claiming that an ongoing court case was sufficient to deter the police from pursuing the senator case.

The police authorities responded today by issuing an arrest warrant and public notice declaring the Senator wanted.

Mr. Saraki's capitulation today is seen as the outcome of the tremendous pressure by the police to force him out of hiding.

Sources at the SFU told SaharaReporters that they want the public to notify the police of Mr. Saraki's whereabouts so that he can be promptly arrested. "He just can't dictate to the police when he hopes to be arrested when he is already declared wanted", an SFU source stated.

Below is the full text of Senator Saraki's press release:

Abuja Nigeria- Today Senator Saraki received the report that despite the court proceeding that was adjourned by Honorable Justice Gladys Olotu on Thursday 26th of April 2012 officers of Special Fraud Unit have declared him wanted.

Senator Saraki had earlier established dialogue with the SFU of the Nigeria Police Force in response to their request to assist them in their ongoing investigations into a transaction between Intercontinental Bank and a company, Joy Petroleum. While he has no connection with the aforementioned company, Senator Saraki has consistently assured of his willingness to avail the investigative agency of any information they feel will assist their task, provided the agency furnishes him with the basis on which they want to keep inviting him as he had already gone through these procedures on numerous occasions previously.

Senator Saraki will like to remind the public he has not done anything wrong and was only exercising his constitutional rights by asking the court to intervene in defining whether the force was following the regular police procedure in line with the manner with which they are handling the investigation.

Senator Saraki assures Nigerians that he maintains that he has not contravened the laws of Nigeria, and while awaiting the decision of the Abuja High Court on May 22nd 2012, he will nonetheless be making himself available to assist the SFU at the appropriate office 9am Monday morning on 30th April 2012.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/declared-wanted-police-senator-saraki-capitulates-says-he-will-appear-nigerian-special-fra

Bukola Saraki: The Face Of A Liar!
By NewsAdmin on April 27, 2012

. How He Tried To Hoodwink Nigerians With Non Existent Court Order

. Angry Nigerians Blast Him On Twitter!




Until Thursday, many Nigerians didn’t know that Senator Bukola Saraki had orchestrated a grand plot to evade being questioned by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force. The former Kwara State Governor started sensing trouble when officers of the the Anti-Fraud unit arrested Mohammed Lai Alabi, the former MD of Intercontinental Bank.

On the surface, many would have wondered if there was any connection between the former MD, his job and Dr. Saraki. The events that preceded the takeover of the now defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc has however shown that Saraki has vested interest in the bank and might be one of the owners by proxy. Street Journal had broken the news then that Dr. Saraki, who was on the list of the bank’s debtors was surprisingly granted a waiver for debts that ran into billions of Naira.

A more surprising fact that also emerged was that the Bank was taken over by Access Bank, whose two Managing Directors, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe also had their names conspicuously inscribed on the debtor’s list.

Street Journal’s investigations revealed that Saraki’s interest in the bank dated back to Erastus Akingbola’s time as MD, hence his replacement with Mahmoud Lai Alabi who had been on Saraki’s payroll for years. Alabi was the Chairman of the Kwara State owned Songa Farms, a scheme under which Saraki brought in white farmers from Zimbabwe.

After Alabi’s arrest, an invitation was extended to Saraki to report at the SFU for questioning. On the Friday that he was expected, the police received a letter in which he (Saraki) stated that he would not be able to honour the invitation that day as he had to attend the burial of a close relation. Since then, Saraki has not shown up at the SFU office.



The Senator however approached a court with an ex-parte motion seeking to bar the police from infringing on his human rights. With his prayer still before the court, his aides made it look as if Senator Saraki had obtained an order restraining the police from arresting him. Even the police first believed until the bubble burst.



The Federal High Court in Abuja, from where the former Governor purportedly obtained the order made it known on Thursday that it never granted an interim injunction restraining the Inspector General of Police, his officers or agents from arresting the former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, over his alleged involvement in an N11 billion loan scam for which he has been invited for questioning.

Justice Gladys Olotu who presided over the court fixed May 22 to hear a counter-affidavit the Police filed against Saraki.

After her refusal to grant Saraki’s request, the judge ordered Saraki’s counsel to serve the Police with a copy of the motion on notice attached to the court processes.

The judge said the rationale behind the order was to afford Police the oppurtunity to defend itself over its alleged plans to abridge the fundamental rights of the applicant.

Mr Femi Falana, who is representing the Police disclosed that he has filed a counter affidavit to challenge the legal propriety of Saraki’s application in which the Police stated Dr. Saraki used his former office as the Executive Governor of Kwara State to influence the purchase of Joy Petroleum Ltd, Dicetrade Ltd and Likam Nig. Ltd. stocks by the Kwara State Ministry of Finance.



Meanwhile, Senator Saraki has come under fire on twitter, a social network on which he is very active. He stirred the hornets’ nest on Wednesday when he tweeted “I have respect for rule of law and all its organs within our democratic setting. However, we must decry the use of same organs to oppress and malign our constitutional rights”. That particular tweet has continued to generate responses both from those who follow him on the network and others. Some of the messages tweeted at Dr. Saraki appear below:



Adeolumide. Bukola Saraki can run but he cannot hide. Running to court won’t help you sir. Gospel According to Ibori.@bukolasaraki





OlusolaFunmi: @bukolasaraki God will ̸̨Ơ̴̴̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴͡ Ɣ☺ΰ’ through sir, I know this is politically motivated try ​Ãήϑ visit the NPF ​Ãήϑ explain urself



Oduwayeolusoji why don’t you go and answer the call if truly you are not involve in the scam but note that God is watching all of you Leaders



Akinakerele go show ur sef to d police. We know what yu did! Corrupt dealer



Kcudemezue Go to UK and talk na. Becuz u de 9ja abii. God dey shaa



Dfolarin I have never wanted to comment on the issue,if u had honour the invitation of the NPF,it would hv been better



Hillbrow2000 say go and defend your self ,are you above the Law



2thpick4jeez if u respect the rule of law,you should have honoured the @NPF‘s invitation with regards to the bank fraud





Manye007 if u av respect for the rule of law… Oga answer d Police.



Tarime14 Governor, pls G̶̲̥̅Ơ͡ & answer your questions & stop setting bad examples ​  youths σ̲̅f̲̮̲̅͡ Nigeria



Uccaleb Pls,endeavour to keep cool wen invited for interrogation@bukolasaraki


HeeBoi Let’s plead wit @bukolasaraki text him on 08037751916 to visit @Policeng 2 xplain his role in IBPlc Loan scam. Thanks.



Iyapampam Your “eggcellency” have you refused the invitation of the Nigerian Police Force because you are guilty of fraud?



Erealbrainz Ur status update here is a shameless talk, when we see u go to the police to answer the question you av abt the fraud. So go!



Seunfakze Mt Saraki would not answer you….let him live with his conscience for now



Deleneye can he just have a tweeterrogation? Since@bukolasaraki and @policeng are virtually available?



Rosanwo So Senator @bukolasaraki asked the court to determine if he can be questioned or not …



Ogundamisi Fatogun, your media assistant sought to mislead us by LYING that U got an injunction. Justice Gladys Olotu did not grant same



Nigerians are not stupid. If U are being victimised, we shall see it in open court, but avoiding investigation is deplorable.

Baamiajeigbe Senator,Kindly honor the invitation to appear b4 d Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police force ,Ikoyi. It’s just a chat



@bukolasaraki met D Inspector General of Police, MD Abubakar at his Maitama residence to plead with D police chief to stop FRAUD charges



Ogundamisi: @bukolasaraki & his cronies blame ‘subsidy cabals’ for his fraud case, pls same subsidy cabal should come after me if I have a fraud case.



Nwah70: was your debt written off in controversial circumstances or not? So Erastus Akin. Wz right… very right, ask SLS his mission.



Yusufbabale @bukoolasaraki sir I heard that the police are seriously looking 4 u & u’v been jumping4rm 1 house 2 another, y not come out & defend urself.?



Nnjidda \@bukolasaraki is a very close friend of jailed Nigerian criminal, James Ibor. Saraki as Gov assisted Ibori in running away from justice.



Emperordee I am massively disappointed with Sen @bukolasaraki. Why play hide&seek, your intergrity is at stake. Go clear it up



Ileowo4ever May be armed and dangerous! Contact your local police if u got info, do not attempt to apprehend WANTED @bukolasaraki



Ogundamisi is @bukolasaraki scared of the new police uniform

in Yoruba we say ‘Oro o dun lenu ole’ so long as U mock Nigerian law. U are on same level as #BokoHaram Economic terrorism



bukolasaraki should come out from hiding.Presumption of innocence favours him”



ekekee : My dearest senator @bukolasaraki, good evening Sir. Please come out and prove your innocence. Remember you told me you were transparent.



Drwalls28; @ekekee: Lol,he was just joking now! Its like a dog telling you it doesn’t bark or a goat that doesn’t bleat! They are all the same!



PrinceofSydney: “Alleged N20bn fraud: No order against police on Saraki – Judge.” *Kindly appear it is just a chat.

Rosanwo : Dear All, pls tweet at @bukolasaraki to let him know he is not above the law. He must assist with the N21 billion police investigation

Senator @bukolasaraki remains innocent of any crime until a court of competent jurisdiction says otherwise but avoiding investigation is bad

http://thestreetjournal.org/2012/04/bukola-sarakis-many-lies/

House in stormy session over Diezani, Dankwambo
By Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja 22 hours 46 minutes ago
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Diezani Alison-Madueke


It was a bit stormy yesterday at the House of Representatives.

The recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime “that the payment of N999 million 128 times within 24 hours (12 and 13 January, 2009) by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation be further investigated by the relevant anti-corruption agencies” was amended to exonerate the former Accountant-General, Ibrahim Dankwambo. Dankwambo is governor of Gombe State.

The removal of Dankwambo’s name from the committee’s 42nd recommendation almost resulted in a shouting match between Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, who presided over the committee of the Whole, and the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Dankwambo’s name was substituted with the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) which was said to have issued the cheques.

Gbajabiamila had insisted that rather than removing the former AGF’s name completely, both Dankwambo and PPPRA should be made to account for such an “incredible payment”.

Gbajabiamila said: “We should say office of the AGF and PPPRA since it was under his watch that all these happened”.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa said: “The punishment is too mild. If one person stays in his office and writes cheques of N999m 128 times, that person should be indicted.”

Uche Ekwunfe said: “You’re all being unnecessarily sensational. The CBN said at the time that they couldn’t pay more than N1billion and what they did was to split the payment.

Gbajabiamila then proceeded to move a motion to include the AGF in the recommendation.

But Ihedioha stopped him, saying Lawan had an explanation.

Lawan said the CBN had written to say the PPPRA was in charge of the payments and that CBN said N999 million was paid 111 times on January 12 and 13 times on January 13.

Ihedioha then asked Lawan to move the motion that AGF should substituted PPPRA.

But Gbajabiamila protested and said: “I moved my motion before him. I have a motion on ground”.

Ihedioha said Farouk Lawan has just explained and he wants to move a motion to reflect it. Let him move his motion.

Visibly angry, the Minority Leader continued with his protest. But Ihedioha ignored him and asked Lawan to move the motion to exclude the former AGF.

Members voted in favour of Lawan’s motion and the AGF was changed to PPPRA in the recommendation.

But the Deputy Speaker did not allow Gbajabiamila to move the motion. He instead, gave the floor to the chair of the ad hoc panel.

According to him, the CBN letter shows that issuing of the cheques and the payment authority was from the PPPRA and that a regime was in place at the time that stopped payment above N1 billion.

Also, an attempt to pass a motion asking for the resignation of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, caused a stir. The chamber burst into shouts.

Barely had the session begun that a legislator, Robinson Uwak, (PDP Akwa Ibom), raised an order under privilege.

He said: “Since yesterday, I have been receiving calls from my constituents, accusing me that we, as members of the House, are shielding the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. This allegation is rubbing negatively on the credibility of my person.

“We should recommend that the Minister of Petroleum Resources should resign her office with immediate effect.”

A loud ovation from the members greeted these remarks.

But the Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor sprang to his feet, saying: “This is the people’s parliament. We have a report before the House that we have not even started considering. I think we should give respect for due process.”

His words were greeted with shouts of “no, no, no!”

Ogor said: “I don’t think it’s the wish of anyone of us to act in a way that suggests that we have an issue against anybody. Be mindful that in all that we do, we must be fair to everyone. I, therefore, rule Honourable Uwak out of order.”

The lawmakers were, however, united on other recommendations, including that the services of accounting firms Akintola Williams, Delloite and Olusola Adekanola &Partners should be discontinued immediately for professional negligence.

The House considered 35 clauses in the report in its Tuesday session, but it concluded its consideration of the main report of the ad-hoc committee yesterday. It gave 17 marketers, who claimed they were not invited to the public hearing, another chance to present their cases.

Besides, the House stayed action on the recommendation concerning 71 companies who were on the schedule of those disallowed claims to discharges and subsidy between 2010-2011 totalling N230.2bn.

This followed observations by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Sam Tsokwa that some of the 71 companies form part of the 17 oil marketers who were given a second chance to appear before the committee.

Members passed a motion “that the resolution of the House on the fuel subsidy regime be sent to the President, the Senate and all anti-corruption agencies for information and action.

The House also sought action against “all those in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Director-General Budget and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation involved in the extra budgetary expenditure under the PSF Scheme (2009-2011)”.

“They should be sanctioned in accordance with the Civil Service Rules and the Code of Conduct Bureau. “

Speaking with reporters after the session, House spokesman Mohammed Zakari defended the action of the House on the former AGF and the Petroleum Resources Minister, saying they were not trying to shield anybody.

On the Ministry of Finance, he said: “All those will include anybody that has anything to do with the Federal Ministry of Finance between 2009 and 2011 and that includes the minister who is the superintending officer at that time,

“It’s clear; we avoided the situation where names will be named on the floor of the House because it’s a report we are giving and we say that if you look at part of our recommendation, the NNPC management board and, off course that of the PPRA the chairman of the NNPC management board is the Minister of Petroleum.

“Having to single out and begin to mention her name over and over again will mean that we are biased. So, we have made it clear and one of the papers today specifically brought it out, though some others didn’t The fact we got from even the Ministry Information that came was not exhaustive enough. it was not self-explanatory and those issues were there.

“The committee did its job and avoided naming names. Even when they were talking about PPPRA, they said the chairman as at that time. It was now left to you to bring out who the chairman was.

“There was a chairman within the time under review. There is a chairman of NNPC as we talk and within the time under review.”

On Allison-Madueke, he said: “The minister’s case is a case that has been settled since yesterday (Tuesday). It’s one of the recommendations that they should be reprimanded.

“Remember, it took us about 41 minutes on the issue, that those of PPRA and NNPC should be reprimanded and the members stood up and said “no”. They said not reprimand alone; they should be persecuted.

“We are not particular about persons but we are particular about the acts of individuals that brought us where we are today.

It’s a very sad decimal that if we allow this business-as-usual thing to continue. If this kind of billions and trillions are flying over the place and ending up in private pockets individuals will be richer than even the state. “

He said the case of the former AGF had been settled by Lawan’s explanation.

In his closing speech, Lawan said the committee had done its best and that members should be ready for attacks from powerful individuals and interests affected by the report.

The House recommendations are:

·The services of the accounting firm of Akintola Williams, Deloitte and Olusola Adekanola & Partners should be discontinued with immediate effect for professional negligence on this particular assignment.

· In view of the above, the two firms should be blacklisted from being engaged by any Federal Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA) for a period of three years.

·That the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream} shall in its monitoring stage conduct extensive and thorough investigation into the operations of the PEF(MB) to ascertain the management of the bridging funds under the subsidy regime.

·The penalties should also be indicated for non-compliance and promptly imposed to ensure the smooth operation of the scheme.

·The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) should be encouraged within a time frame to improve on the draught level of the Nigerian waters to encourage the berthing of ALL types of vessels so as to eliminate the present ship-to-ship (STS) transfers by importers of petroleum products.

·All those in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Director-General Budget, and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation involved in the extra budgetary expenditure under the PSF Scheme (2009-2011) should be investigated.

·The payment of N999, 000,000 in 128 times within 24hrs (12th& 13th January, 2009) by the PPPRA should be further investigated by relevant Anti-Corruption Agencies.

·The National Assembly should enact an Act to criminalise extra budgetary expenditure.

·CBN and the Federal Ministry of Finance should critically examine and review the policy guiding payment for importation of petroleum products to avoid the current fraudulent system that allows importers to bring in products from off-shore “Lome” or “Cotonou” to qualify for forex payments.

·The Committee recommends that several alarms were raised by the CBN on the escalation of subsidy figures but these early warning signals were ignored by relevant agencies. The Committee wishes to encourage whistle -blowing by regulatory agencies on threats to the economy, with the hope that proactive measures could be taken.

·The Committee recommends that the PPMC Management be overhauled. In furtherance to above recommendations of the committee, institutional mechanisms be urgently developed to ensure the monitoring of actual delivery of kerosene to the Nigerian masses.

·The PPMC should deploy modern state-of-the-art devices to protect its facilities and pipelines to eliminate wastages arising from vandalism. In the short-term, however, PPMC should establish a surveillance system which should incorporate Community-protection and using part of the bridging funds on the PSF Template to finance this.

·All the extant circulars preventing the Nigeria Customs Service from carrying out its statutory functions be immediately withdrawn by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance.

·The Committee recommends that NNPC takes immediate action to pay the N46billion owed the Nigeria Customs Service and the N6billion owed to the Nigeria Ports Authority

·The failure of NPA to provide this Committee the vital vessel data particularly the IMO numbers is an indication that either NPA has a very poor record keeping system or that it was a deliberate ploy to cover up the collusion between its officials and importers. We recommend an investigation into the operations and activities of this Authority by House Committee on Marine transport.

·The port operations of the Nigerian Ports Authority be investigated with a view to determining the extent to which its officials are complicit in the classification of maritime areas for reception of Nigerian bound petroleum products as “offshore Cotonou” and “offshore Lome” in the face of evidence that these Vessels never did lighter at those Ports.

·In the course of this investigation, a lot of efforts were made to establish cases of round tripping and diversion of products, including the use of the data from Llyods List Intelligence, resulting in the cases so far reported. However given the scale of connivance and collusion by government officials involved in the certification process, the Committee believes that further investigation will reveal more cases. It is therefore recommended that all the data obtained in the course of this investigation, especially from the Llyods List Intelligence be forwarded to the relevant anti-corruption agencies for a more detailed investigation.

·Deleted.

·PEF(M)B should establish a tracking system on all trucks from point of loading to point of discharge (retail outlets) and direct that all trucks involved with transportation of products should install approved tracking devices on them.

·That it is hereby recommended that the regulatory capacity of the DPR be strengthened. The National Assembly should commence the process of amending the Act to make the Agency autonomous.

·That the DPR should take immediate steps to bring all facilities and depot owners into compliance with international best practices by ensuring the installation of modern metering gadgets and sealable and non-return valves, to eliminate the rampant cases of round-tripping.

·That the DPR should brace up to its role of regulation and compel the NNPC/PPMC to comply with all the regulations issued to ensure transparency and accountability.

·That in order to reduce and gradually eliminate lightering, associated inefficiency and cost, Government should invest in the provision of Single Point Mooring (SPM’s). This provision should be followed up by instituting Regulations to compel owners of jetties, depots and storage facility owners to develop pipeline throughput availability to facilitate direct delivery of imported products by heavy vessels, in-shore Nigeria.

·That there should be a deliberate policy by government to encourage the utilisation of gas in automobile, domestic (cooking) and industrial facilities.

·That as a matter of urgency and in furtherance of our national security requirements, a national strategic reserve should be immediately enhanced so to accommodate 90days stop gap strategic reserve.

·We strongly recommend that relevant Standing Committees of the National Assembly should be more proactive in their oversight responsibilities to forestall future occurrences.

·That the House gives the 71 companies further one week to appear before the ad-hoc committee.

·That the resolution of the House on the fuel subsidy regime be served on the President, Senate and all anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria for information and necessary action.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/44463-house-in-stormy-session-over-diezani-dankwambo.html

Saraki Goes Into Hiding As Court Rejects His Plea For Restraining Order
Posted: April 26, 2012 - 17:06
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Bukola Saraki
By SaharaReporters, New York
Former Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State today went into hiding after he was handed a judicial setback in his effort to bar the police from interrogating him on his role in a major bank loan fraud.

Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court in Abuja this morning rejected Mr. Saraki’s request for a restraining order against the special anti-fraud unit of the Nigeria police. The unit seeks to question Mr. Saraki, who is now a Nigerian senator, over his involvement in a $133.5 million loan fraud at the InterContinental Bank.

A police source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Saraki went underground as soon as the judge cleared the way for his arrest. “We are going to declare him a wanted man unless he comes out on his own and reports to us for questioning,” the police source said.

The senator had earlier issued a press release claiming that the court had granted him a restraining order, but SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the claim was deceptive as no such order was granted.

At today’s hearing, the attorney representing the police, Femi Falana , fiercely opposed Senator Saraki’s motion. Mr. Falana told the judge that there was no basis for the motion as the police have the statutory right to interrogate the senator. In addition, he stated that unless Saraki’s case was handled with probity, it could end up in the Ibori way, a reference to former Governor James Ibori of Delta who was allowed to waltz to freedom in a Nigerian court only to be sentenced to 13 years by a UK court.

After taking arguments from both sides, Justice Olotu dismissed Mr. Saraki’s motion for a restraining order. The ruling clears the way for the impending interrogation and likely arrest of the now fugitive Saraki. Justice Olotu also adjourned till May 22, 2012 to hear arguments by Mr. Saraki’s attorneys that his human rights were being infringed.

SaharaReporters first broke the story about the senator’s involvement in a fraud where Lai Mahmood Alabi, a former CEO of InterContinental Bank, wrote off more than N8 billion in debt owed by companies where Mr. Saraki and his family are major owners. Mr. Alabi had worked for Tsonga Farms, a firm owned by the Sarakis, before Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi of the Central Bank of Nigeria appointed him to run the then distressed InterContinental Bank. In addition, Mr. Alabi released several choice real estate properties that the Sarakis had used as collateral to secure the loans.

SaharaReporters has always reported that this is not the first time Senator Saraki would be in legal trouble over his dealings with banks. In 1990, years before he became governor, Mr. Saraki and his sister, then Gbemisola Saraki, were arrested by the same anti-fraud police and arraigned for theft and forgery related to a relating sum of N510, 000 (the equivalent of three thousand dollars) at the Societe Generale Bank where they both worked.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/saraki-goes-hiding-court-rejects-his-plea-restraining-order

Lagos Finds Dangote Culpable For Horrific Tanker Accident That Killed Over 50 People-PREMIUM TIMES
Posted: April 25, 2012 - 19:52
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Burnt trailer belonging to Dangote Sugar Co. most of Mr. Dangote's trailers are poorly maintained and not road worthy
By Ben Ezeamalu
The Lagos State Coroner on Wednesday found Dangote Sugar Refinery, a company owned by Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, culpable for the horrific accident which claimed over 50 lives along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in August 2010.

Delivering his verdict at the Ikeja Magistrate Court, Tajudeen Elias, the chief coroner, mandated Dangote Sugar Refinery to issue a public apology as well as a "minimal compensation" to the accident victims and their families within three months of the verdict.

Mr. Elias also told the company to produce the driver of the truck which ignited the multiple collision and inferno within three months of the verdict.

"The company ought to show serious concern in the course of its corporate responsibility to the public," said Mr. Elias.

He also faulted the management of Dangote Sugar Refinery for their "appalling attitude" throughout the incident.

A long road to a verdict

The inquest, initiated by Access to Justice, a non governmental organization, and Femi Falana, began on September 13, 2010; and lasted more than 18 months suffering several adjournments before the coroner's final verdict.

On Wednesday, it looked like the verdict would suffer another adjournment when proceedings did not begin more than one hour after the noon scheduled time.

At about 1.10 p.m, counsels for all the parties were called into the magistrate's chamber; they came out a few minutes later telling reporters that "the magistrate would not allow video recording during the session."

When Mr. Elias eventually emerged at 1.30 p.m; he repeated that "there should be no recording."

While delivering the more than one hour long verdict, the coroner also mandated the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to ensure efficient checking and monitoring of all vehicles; a road sign indicating speed limits to be placed at the scene and "all other roads"; and the dismantling of police checkpoints as well as regular police surveillance "to ensure sanity" on our roads.

Leonard Dibia, Cyril Ejiofor, Adeyemi Okuade, and Mr. Adewopo - counsels for Access to Justice; the Commissioner of Police; Falana and Falana Chambers; and Dangote Sugar respectively - told the coroner that they were "grateful" for the verdict.

Mr. Ejiofor said that the police had already begun implementing the coroner's recommendation as the new Police Inspector General had outlawed police checkpoints.

While Mr. Adewopo left immediately after the sitting and was not available to talk to reporters after the sitting; Mr. Dibia expressed his surprise at the coroner's use of the term "minimum compensation" for the victims.

"We are talking of human lives and life is the most treasured of all human rights," said Mr. Dibia.

"I think it wasn't well thought out. And it will not affect any further steps that needs to be taken. That is his opinion," he added.

"We will give Dangote time as responsible citizens to respond. If they do not, we will take legal steps.

"We'll sue on behalf of the victims, asking for compensation as the coroner had even directed that it should be done," Mr. Dibia further said.

One of the accident victims, Lukman Akinsoji, said he was "very happy" with the coroner's verdict.

"I'll follow the judgment to anywhere they said we should go," said Mr. Akinsoji, whose Mazda bus was burnt in the inferno.

"If they say the High Court, I'll follow the case."
On August 15, 2010, a truck belonging to Dangote Sugar Refinery Limited rammed into vehicles at the Ojodu bridge by Otedola Estate of the expressway resulting in an inferno that led to the loss of several lives.

There were conflicting reports over the exact number of deaths, with most of the bodies burnt beyond recognition.

The FRSC official report after the accident put the number of accident victims at 33 - 18 of them injured and 15 burnt beyond recognition.

However, eyewitness said more than 40 people lost their lives during the inferno.

Eleven witnesses testified during the protracted inquest which had more than 18 sittings while counsels tendered dozens of exhibits ranging from photographs of burnt victims to reports by the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO).

Witnesses confirmed that the accident and the resulting inferno was as a result of a police checkpoint as well as brake failure by the Dangote truck.

"I saw a little boy burnt beyond recognition," one of the witnesses said.

Another witness said that he reported the incident at the nearby Isheri Police Station but discovered days later that the portion of his report which stated that there was a police checkpoint had been deleted.

An 18 year old witness, who was on her way to Ilorin for her post-UME (University Matriculation Examination), said she lost her one year old nephew to the fire.

'Truck is unroad worthy'

The FRSC finding stated that the trailer was over speeding and that the "brake pads were bad."

"From our findings, the driver applied the brakes but it failed."

The finding also attributed the cause of the accident to the sloping nature of the bridge and the absence of road signs.

Police witnesses had argued that the truck, and not a checkpoint, was to blame.

Though they did not provide any evidence to back their claim, counsel for Dangote Sugar, Akin Adewopo, maintained that Salisu Lawal, the driver of the truck, was dead.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/lagos-finds-dangote-culpable-horrific-tanker-accident-killed-over-50-people-premium-times

The vampire called corruption
On April 25, 2012 · In Viewpoint 12:00 pm..Email0
CORRUPTION tipped the scale above other subjects on my preference list last week.

This is because it is becoming more and more evident that the cabals are winning the war on corruption. There is no doubt that any battle against corruption in this country must be bold, bitter and bloody if possible.

The choice of corruption as a subject became very vital as a result of the continuous rape of the nation’s scarce resources by government officials and their proxies.

Recently it was the nauseating drama at the House of Representatives probe of the Nigeria Security and Exchange Commission, NSEC, that caught national headlines. At the national telecast of the probe, it was alleged that the probe chairman, Herman Hembe, demanded for a N44 million gratification through an unnamed proxy to clear the ‘runway’ for an easy landing for all members of the NSE under probe. It was also alleged that Mr Hembe collected an undisclosed sum from the NSE with the intention of travelling to the Dominican Republic with a first class ticket but could not undertake the trip. It was also alleged that the committee chairman has not returned the money for the failed trip.

Allegations against NSEC’s Director General were as dire and morally challenging and inexplicable. That she was accommodated for eight months in a five-star hotel gulping N30 million of tax payer’s money. It was further alleged that she collected N42 million to purchase three Hillux pick-up vans with the approval of a NSEC boardroom meeting that never really took place.

The Commission’s Director-General accused the House Committee Chairman before over 167million Nigerians and I am happy to note that Mr. Herman Hembe has now been replaced as the Chairman of the Committee.

Another heart-rending corruption case was the one involving N18 billion illegally transferred from the accounts of the Police Pension Scheme.

Apart from this N18 billion scam, N2 billion was physically found in the home of a serving federal permanent secretary. A whooping two billion naira cash!

How did this permanent secretary withdraw N2 billion inspite of the Central Bank’s restriction on currency movement. Or is Sanusi’s cashless economy meant only for the poor?

Why do Nigerians always blame the policeman who extorts N20 from bus drivers, when money meant for the improvement of the social security of the policeman is being embezzled at source by the Directors-General and top ranking officials at the Police Service Commission.

Some years ago a former chairman of the Police Pension Scheme who had very strong links in Aso Rock made away with billions of naira from the Police Pension Scheme and even till date this man who stole billions of naira from government is walking tall with several chieftaincy titles.

And yet we all descend heavily on the hapless policeman who has neither tools to work with nor even uniforms to wear. Policemen buy their uniforms from tailors outside the Police Force. Why do we then shout ourselves hoarse over impersonation when any one can buy the police uniform. The Nigerian policeman deserves far better treatment from the Nigerian government.

It was also alleged that this serving permanent secretary and his cabal were withdrawing N300 million daily from their secret lodgments. What a pity, what a shame.

It is true that as of today’s Nigeria, the Permanent Secretary is no longer permanent. That means his job security level can no longer be guaranteed. The Federal Civil Service which Nigeria inherited from the British was very well tailored along the English system with very immaculate traditions of integrity, honour and honesty. It was a civil service that was replete with initiative, drive and the spirit to excel.

The rules and regulations guiding the then civil service were well documented and enshrined in the General Orders and Financial Instructions of the Service. All civil servants went through their various levels by thoroughly reading these sacrosanct books (the G.O. and F.I) and passing the promotion exams there from.

And above all, there was job security. You kept your job except if you stole from government purse which was very rare then, or you were involved in other criminal activities. The old civil servant did not have cause to steal to survive. His pay was just enough and after retirement his pension was regular and never tampered with.

But all that changed when the Gen. Murtala Mohammed / Obasanjo regime came on board in 1975/1979 and started dismissing top civil servants on television and radio without following laid down procedures according to the General Order regulations. Matters became even worse when General Olusegun Obasanjo came on board after the death of General Ramat Murtala Mohammed in 1976.

Obasanjo carried out a mass sack based mainly on private and personality related issues which finally disorganised and destroyed Nigeria ’s fine civil service. A typical case of Obasanjo’s vendetta was the Asboro/Thomas family feud which resulted in the retirement, with national ignominy, of Professor Oritsejolomi Thomas as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan in 1976.

Mr. BEN NANGHAN, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/the-vampire-called-corruption/

Home | News | Saraki seeks court injunction against IGP, others
Saraki seeks court injunction against IGP, others
By Eric Ikhilae 1 hour ago
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A Federal High Court in Abuja will tomorrow hear the suit filed by Senator Bukola Saraki seeking an injunction to restrain the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and others from arresting him in connection with his invitation by the Police.

The hearing is upon an application by Saraki’s lawyer, Rafiu Lawal Rabana (SAN).

Saraki’s Media Aide, Akintola Fatigun, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, said his boss is seeking the injunction pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Fatigun said: “To protect his dignity and prevent further harassment, Senator Saraki has obtained an interim injunction restraining the IGP, his officers and agents from threatening to arrest him or infringe on his rights pending the determination of the substantive suit on Thursday.

“The motion on notice, which was filed in Federal High Court 4, Abuja by his lawyer, Lawal Rabana, was served and duly received by the Commissioner of Police, Legal, today.

“As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Saraki has decided to seek legal redress to put a stop to what appears an orchestrated frenzy calculated at smearing his name, assaulting his dignity and intimidating his person through deliberately garbled accounts and serial leaks concerning loans granted to a company that he has no relationship with,” Fatigun said.

He admitted that his principal was in receipt of a letter from the Police Special anti-Fraud Unit, Lagos, inviting him to assist its investigations of a case of “conspiracy, forgery and stealing N21, 000, 000, 000 belonging to Joy Petroleum Ltd.”

Fatigun said Saraki has made it clear on many occasions that he has no relations with Joy Petroleum and wishes to restate so.

“While taking note of and displeased with the tendentious attempts to prosecute and persecute him on the pages of the media, Senator Saraki has asked the court to determine whether he could be invited by the police to assist in investigating a matter in which he is not linked and for which no specific allegation has been made against him.

“Senator Saraki wishes to assure all Nigerians that he has nothing to hide and he remains a law-abiding citizen but that he also has a responsibility to protect himself under the law against what increasingly appears a deliberate smear campaign designed to abridge his rights and muzzle his voice,” he said.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/44348-saraki-seeks-court-injunction-against-igp-others.html

N1.07t subsidy: Ahmadu Ali, others to face trial
By Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja 1 hour ago
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Ahmadu Ali, -NNPC told to refund N310b -House clears Synopsis, Zenon -New chance for 17 firms


FORMER Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) chairman and executive secretaries (2009-2011) were told yesterday to get set for trial over the N1.07 trillion subsidy scandal.

They will be investigated/prosecuted by anti-corruption agencies, the House of Representatives said.

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Ahmadu Ali was the agency’s chairman during the period. The former PPPRA executive secretaries are: Mr. A Ibikunle (August 2009 to February 2011) and Mr. Goddy Egbuji (February 2011 to August 2011).

The House also said the Auditor-General of the Federation should audit the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ascertain its solvency and report back to the House Committee on Public Accounts within three months.

Also approved is the refund of the 2011 subsidy funds collected by the NNPC. This was in spite of a letter by the corporation to the House leadership, stating that the funds were meant to offset backlogs of 2010.

In all, 35 of the 62 recommendations of the Farouk Lawan-headed House Committee on Fuel Subsidy regime were accepted.

Recommendation (xiii) as adopted states: “That the Executive secretaries of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) who were the accounting officers, and under whose watch those abuses were perpetrated that led to the government losing billions of naira should be held liable. Therefore, we strongly recommend that those who served as Executive secretaries of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) from January 2009 to October 2011 should be further investigated/prosecuted by relevant anti-corruption agencies. This should also include GM Field Services, ACDO/Supervisor-Ullage Team 1, and ACDO Supervisor-Ullage Team 2 within the same period, for their roles in the management of the Ullaging under the subsidy scheme.

The amended recommendation (xvi) reads: “That the chairman of the Board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) from 2009-2011 and the entire members of the board during the period should be investigated and prosecuted and their decision which opened a floodgate for the bazaar is condemned in the strongest form.”

Other recommendations adopted by the House are as follows: (xi); ”That the relevant anti-corruption agencies should carry out the due diligence investigation to determine the total demurrage payment and outstanding incurred by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the period 2009-2011.

(xii) “That under the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) scheme, importers, especially Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), should be mandated to patronise Nigerian flagged vessels, provided they produce the standard safety and sea-worthiness certificates in tune with international best practice.

(xiii) that all payments which the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) made to itself from the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) account in excess of the approved administrative charges which were due to it under the Template should be recovered and paid back into the fund. The officials involved in the infraction should be further investigated/prosecuted by the relevant anti-corruption agencies. These confirmed illegal payments were N156.455 billion in 2009 and N155.824 billion in 2010, a total sum of N312. 279 billion.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal warned that there are no sacred cows in the oil sector that is too big for the law to deal with.

Tambuwal, who spoke just before the House went into the committee of the Whole to consider the report, hoped the executive would implement the report as adopted by the House.

But, 17 oil marketers got a reprieve.

They were given two weeks to appear before the panel to state their positions on various allegations levelled against them.

The companies are: Mut-Has Petroleum Ltd, Nepal Oil and Gas Service, Oilbath Nigeria, Techno Oil Ltd, Somerset Energy Services, Stonebridge Oil Ltd, Mobil Oil Nigeria, AX Energy Limited, CAH Resources Association Limited, Crust Energy Limited, Fresh Synergy Limited and Ibafon Oil Limited.

Others are: Lottoj Oil and Gas Limited, Oakfield Synergy Network Limited, Petro Trade Energy Limited, Prudent Energy & Service Limited and Rocky Energy Limited.

Before the new lease of life granted the oil companies, they were asked to refund N41.9 billion to government coffers.

Two firms – Zenon Petroleum & Gas Limited and Synopsis Enterprises Limited were exonerated by Lawan, who told the House the companies were listed in error.

According to him, both firms should not have been on the list of those who partook in forex.

They did not participate in the PSF, Farouk told the House.

House spokesman Zakari Mohammed while speaking with reporters yesterday on the issue said:

“The truth of the matter is that we want to give them a fair hearing. We don’t want a situation where they‘ll take us to court. People shouldn’t take us to court for this kind of row; we should avoid it.

“If 17 companies say they were not invited or they did not get invited, or that we did not exhaust our legislative processes, the onus lies on us to give them fair hearing so that nobody rubbishes this report in the court of law.

“But in the court of people’s opinion, people know that these 17 companies are being economical with the truth. At the same time, we are giving them two weeks to come up and defend themselves.

“As far as we’re concerned, it does not change the decimal. It is still as constant as ever. The only thing is that we just want to avoid any avoidable pitfall. In two weeks, those two companies will be invited, and whatever the findings are like, it will come out as a supplementary report.”

The road to a new lease of life for the oil company began when half way into the deliberations, a member, Osai Osai, noted that it was imperative to give them an opportunity to present their cases to the House.

Tobi Ukechukwu (PDP Enugu) moved a motion that the 17 companies be allowed to present their case.

The House told the Executive that there should be no sacred cows that cannot be touched by the long arms of the law and that the Executive should fish out all those indicted by the committee.

It, however, added another resolution - that NNPC should refund the subsidy deduction made for fuel subsidy in 2011. The members based their decision on the fact that the committee had said in its report that the 445, 000 bpd that the NNPC receives is more than sufficient for the country and that there is no need for subsidy.

In insisting that the NNPC should refund the deductions, the House pointed out that the report shows that the NNPC has been deducting far beyond what the PPPRA recommended and thus should refund the deductions.

The House was filled to capacity yesterday as it deliberated on the report and adopted most of the recommendations , The Deputy Speaker said that the NNPC sent a letter to the House, stating its position, Farouk was asked to comment

According to Farouk, the letter states that the deductions made in 2011 for subsidy payments were for subsidy payments meant for 2010.

Tambuwal, in a speech which won him a standing ovation, praised the committee’s members “for their courage, dedication and professionalism. They were given a crucial assignment and they handled it with the integrity and patriotism it deserved.”

He declared that the oil sector as not “a secret society” nor “a sacred cow”.

The Speaker said the probe raised so much dust from certain segments of the polity “such that it became clear that the intention was to frustrate it”.

His words: “For those who regard the oil sector as a secret society or sacred cow, I wish to state without equivocation that it is not. All public agencies in the oil sector are the creation of Acts of the National Assembly and this Honourable House has no powers to legislate for the creation of secret societies.

“Similarly, all private sector corporate bodies operating in the sector are the creation of the Corporate Affairs Commission and that Commission also is not vested with any powers to incorporate secret societies. Let it, therefore, be known that in our drive to sanitise the polity, there are no sacred cows and we do not intend to discover any.”

The Speaker urged members to “to look at the report dispassionately”. He went on: “Nigerians are watching us very closely and history will judge what we do here today.

“Be fair in your comments and let aside all primordial sentiments so that we can do justice to this important document.

“Let me also remind you that we are fighting against entrenched interests whose infectious greed has decimated our people. Therefore, be mindful that they will fight back, and they do fight dirty.

“I have heard all kinds of insinuations, including the one about anti-graft agencies waiting for a ‘harmonised version’ of this report before taking any action. Let me quickly say here that this is at best an excuse that can not stand. After all, the same agencies accept and investigate petitions from individuals; how much more resolutions of this House,

“There will be no such document. So, they should just go ahead and do their job and where they find any person or body culpable, they should proceed in accordance with the law.

“Our only interest here is to mitigate the suffering of Nigerians by showing how the subsidy regime has been hijacked for the benefit of a few.

“At the end of our deliberations we hope that the executive arm will act upon the resolutions of this House and bring more transparency to bear on the system.”

Of the 62 recommendations in the report, members considered 35 yesterday. The consideration of the report continues today.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/44346-n1-07t-subsidy-ahmadu-ali-others-to-face-trial.html

ACN To President Jonathan: Apologise To Nigerians Over Fuel Subsidy Mess
Posted: April 24, 2012 - 17:40
Posted by siteadmin

caption: Protesters took over the streets of Lagos in January to protest against fuel subsidy scam
By SaharaReporters, New York
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to apologise to Nigerians for his government's ill-advised removal of the so-called fuel subsidy in January; revert the fuel price to the pre-January price of 65 kobo per litre; and implement the recommendations of the House of Representatives Committee that probed the management of the subsidies, especially the prosecution of all indicted persons and companies.

''Against all informed pieces of advice, even from well-informed industry insiders and analysts, President Jonathan approved the removal of fuel subsidy and went ahead to defend it,” the party said in a statement issued in Lagos today by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, observing that the report of the House probe has shown that the removal was an egregious error of judgement that has left Nigerians feeling swindled by their government.

“Well, the President is human and therefore can also be wrong. But when he is, as it has now been proved, he should be humble enough to admit it and apologise,” the statement said.

ACN also called on the President to fire all those who advised - or misadvised - him on the fuel subsidy issue, especially the officials who wasted public funds in organising the charade called stakeholders' meetings which, as it turned out, was an orchestrated scam, as the decision to remove the subsidy had already been taken.

The party argued that in more-civilized climes, all those who bandied spurious figures to Nigerians and hinted that the economy would collapse if the subsidy was not removed - would by now have tendered their resignations – with apologies - over the discovery that what the government has been subsidizing over the years are corruption and inefficiency, not fuel.

''The sectional groups who threw their weight behind the fuel subsidy removal, for no other reason than that the President is their 'son', should also have repeated the adverts they placed in the newspapers, but this time repudiating their earlier adverts and apologising to Nigerians.

''Since honour is in short supply here, and these people are ready to carry on as if nothing has happened, the President should show rare courage by sacking all those he has the power to sack, and recommending the removal of those he cannot single-handedly remove. Any action short of the above will be a joke which Nigerians are not ready to accept,'' the party said.

It said that although many Nigerians have expressed shock and anger at the report of the House Committee, especially the huge payments made to unknown and unqualified fuel importers and the recommendation that the NNPC, PPPRA and some oil marketers should refund over 1 trillion naira, the party is not surprised that things have turned out this way.

ACN recalled that in many previous statements, it informed the President that there was no subsidy on fuel, and that what the government claims to be subsidising are corruption and inefficiency. “We quoted informed analysts, who proved - with facts and figures - that the average true price of a litre of fuel is N34.03,” it said. “We suggested ways in which the government can truly deregulate the sector without inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians. But in the end, as always, the government ignored all the interventions and went ahead with its pre-meditated action.

''Nigerians were made to pay for the corruption perpetrated by a few fat cats in the name of fuel subsidy, and a government with the primary responsibility of ensuring the well-being of its citizens inflicted untold pain on them in the new year, as the prices of goods and services shot up in the wake of the fuel price hike and many who had travelled for the holidays were stranded for days. Someone has to pay for this fraud perpetrated against Nigerians,'' ACN said.

The party commended the civil society groups and individuals who have vowed to ensure the implementation of the report, and promised to also ensure that the issue is kept in the front burner.

ACN vowed that no amount of intimidation, through the deployments of armed policemen to places of possible protests, can stop Nigerians from asking questions and demanding answers after the exposure of the knee-deep rot in this critical sector of the economy.

“Those who have been elected to lead must justify the peoples’ votes before asking for their support again. That is the essence of leadership,'' it said.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/acn-president-jonathan-apologise-nigerians-over-fuel-subsidy-mess?page=1

N9.97bn Intercontinental Bank waiver: SFU invites Saraki, arrests ex-MD

APRIL 21, 2012 BY COMFORT OSEGHALE 75 COMMENTS

The Special Fraud Unit, Nigeria Police Force, Ikoyi, Lagos, has begun investigation into the controversial N9.97bn waiver granted by the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc to companies believed to be promoted by former Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.

The SFU, therefore, invited Saraki for questioning over his alleged role in the loan waiver.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, and made available to SATURDAY PUNCH  on Friday, the body said, “A sum of N9.97bn waiver was allegedly granted four companies said to be promoted by Saraki while he was governor of Kwara State.

“This controversial waiver of N9.97bn represents about 82 per cent of the N11.97bn indebtedness granted some companies in February 2010 by the board of the now defunct Intercontinental Bank.

“The bank was then under the headship of Mahmood Alabi as the MD/CEO. SFU is investigating this waiver.”

The companies said to have jointly incurred this indebtedness are Joy Petroleum Ltd., Skyview Properties Ltd., Dicetrade and Limkers Nigeria Ltd.

The debts originated from several loans/facilities worth billions of naira granted the companies, which were allegedly promoted by Saraki between 2004 and 2009 while he was governor.

Ogunsakin said, “The loans were used to purchase shares of blue chip companies and choice landed properties in Lagos and Abuja.

“Some of the landed properties worth billions of naira used to secure the loans were curiously released after payment of only N2.3bn out of the N11.97bn jointly owed the bank by the companies.

 “A Central Bank report of November 2010 had indicted the management of the bank headed by Alabi for granting the waivers. It noted that the companies’ chief promoter had ‘what it takes to pay the indebtedness.”

The statement said that a post-CBN Credit and Investigation Committee set up by then Intercontinental Bank Plc to consider Saraki’s request for the waivers had also cautioned against it.

The report had warned that the waivers might be called for a review in future as they constituted a depletion of the bank’s shareholders’ funds.


http://www.punchng.com/news/n9-97bn-intercontinental-bank-waiver-sfu-invites-saraki-arrests-ex-md/

Abati: how to kill a columnist
By Olakunle Abimbola 10/04/2012 00:02:00
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Give it to Reuben Abati – the plucky way he defended his boss, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the latest scandal over a church building gift to Otuoke, the president’s village.

Jonathan may be Goodluck. But he suffers excessive ill luck in a loose tongue; that seems to move first before presidential thinking. The Otuoke “church affair” is the latest in a chain of verbal indiscretions that, were it to be tennis, would pass for “unforced error” – that all too common blunder that makes a player wilfully throw away vital points, even if he is under no apparent pressure.

Or how else would a president go to the dedication of a new church building in his village, only to start yakking that he indeed complained that the old church building was unbefitting of a presidential village?

And when he did, who came to the rescue? Not the rich of Otuoke, gifting their hearth a church that befits a presidential village. Not even the president himself, glowing with pride at the village of his nativity.

Instead, it was Gitto Contsruzioni Generalli Nigeria Ltd (GCG), an Italian contracting firm doing business in Nigeria! And the president, with Dr. Abati, his chief spokesperson, expects the opposition not to take him to the cleaners? Talk of one they would merrily roast dousing himself with petrol!

But what does the Gitto gift remind you of? An Olusegun Obasanjo, president of the Federal Republic, in full public glare, suborning the cream of Nigerian business to “donate” to his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, and thereafter invoking some blind trust in the blind hope that the glaring misconduct would be blinded from the sight of a furious citizenry?

Or if that is too far in history – Nigerians after all have exceedingly short public memory! – does that remind you of the allegation by Timipre Sylva, embattled former governor of Bayelsa State? As President Jonathan and his henchmen were smoking him out like an executive rat from the Bayelsa Government House, the rattled governor made it be known to all that a certain contractor was allegedly building the president structures, as alleged kickback. Now, is the “church” the alleged real deal? Or are there others to emerge?

To be sure, between Goodluck and Timipre, there was no love lost. When a helpless looking Jonathan was to be denied his right to act as president in the dying days of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Sylva, governor of Jonathan’s home state, was among the James Ibori-led southern “conspirators”, aside from Yar’adua’s self-chosen northern cabal, that attempted to block the then vice president and humble the Constitution. That was 2010.

But 2012 was payback time. Jonathan returned the compliments, pulling all stops to do so! It was political quid pro quo at its nastiest and most deadly! Ironically however, after Pa Edwin Kiagbodo Clark’s initial fireworks, it was Sylva, at Sam Omatseye’s book launch at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos, that started the campaign for “Niger Delta to be given its due”, a coded euphemism for Jonathan to run for president. But apparently, that gesture was too little, too late!

This brief background is necessary to underscore that the allegations and counter-allegations might just be partisan punches and counter-punches. Still, the Yoruba saying comes echoing: the witch cried yesterday, the child died today. Who does not know that it was the witch that killed the child!

Of course, the Church of Nigeria’s (Anglican Communion) reaction to the brewing scandal is symptomatic of a Nigerian church that has lost its social conscience. So, because the Anglican Church is the beneficiary, the gift cannot be morally wrong?

It is amazing how, when loaded with freebies, Nigeria’s Christendom easily forgets the tragic fate of Nadab and Abihu, two rascally sons of the Biblical Aaron, who burnt strange offerings to the no-nonsense Jehovah. Pronto, the fire of Jehovah consumed them!

As the Nigerian state has resigned itself to secular racketeering, so has the Church in Nigeria made its peace with spiritual racketeering. That would explain the Anglican Church’s spirited defence of a controversial gift, a scandal at best; mindless corruption at worst.

The Church assures itself it is in good company, with the level of stress and privation in the land; and with the Church playing happy catharsis to distressed citizens. But these blues won’t last forever. It is then the Church would find itself in the dock like Nadab and Abihu. Would it be consumed like the duo? Only time and Jehovah will tell!

But if the three estates of government are lost to sundry racketeering, with the Church in merry cohabitation, what of the much vaunted Fourth Estate of the Realm, the media? That brings the discourse right back to Dr. Abati, presidential chief spokesperson and his spirited defence of his principal.

In the heat of January’s fuel price hike and the consequent national meltdown, Abati’s professional colleagues dug up a previous article in which the then Guardian Editorial Board chair, editorial page editor and star columnist in whom many Nigerians were well pleased, thundering with all the moral indignation at his disposal.

“It must be a joke, right?” the opening sentence of the March 2009 anti-fuel price hike piece he titled, “Soon, we shall all be trekking”, peremptorily queried! But all that counted for nothing, as the same Abati defended his principal’s even stiffer pump price hike with patriotic fervour! A credibility suicide never appeared merrier!

Now, another quarter in an eventful leap year is just barely a third of its first month and Abati has yet again been pressed into service to defend the indefensible – and, as usual, he has done that just as brilliantly, without even being troubled by the president’s seeming foot-in-the-mouth disease that, in the first instance, triggered a latent scandal! But how would Abati have reacted to this new scandal were he still a popular columnist, with a fiery moral temper?

Ah, his claim that a contractor built Abuja’s Millennium Park was a sure no-brainer, a veritable example of logical impunity! So, if a contractor built the park, whoever was president then was a native of Abuja, as Goodluck Jonathan is a native of Otuoke? Another case of happy credibility suicide?

Well, Dr. Abati has made his peace with his job, credibility be hanged! But he appears only a symbol of a seeming structural conspiracy by government to suborn the distressed Fourth Estate: pluck the media’s brightest minds, to put a spin to endless government rackets.

Philosophers would call it the logic of economic determinism! Truth is: since the great Awo spoke of the media jetsam and flotsam of his day, the media has not moved any nearer paying to retain its best minds. Abati is only the latest prominent example of this brain drain, which is not about stopping.

Still, take a good look at Abati. He is the perfect living example of how to slay a columnist!


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/columnist/tuesday/olakunle-abimbola/42548-abati-how-to-kill-a-columnist.html

A Parable of the President’s Church By Okey Ndibe
Posted: April 10, 2012 - 03:01
Posted by siteadmin


caption: Okey Ndibe
Columnist: Okey Ndibe
Most big Nigerian politicians encounter no law – divine or secular – they feel tempted to observe. In fact, to be a prominent politician is to be above all laws, God’s and man’s alike.

Last week, a Nigerian daily, Thisday, wrote an editorial to scold President Goodluck Jonathan for reportedly accepting the gift of a church in his hometown from an Italian construction firm by the name of Gitto Construzioni. The editorial began: “At the recent dedication of a 2,500-seat church building in Otuoke, his village in Bayelsa State, President Goodluck Jonathan said the edifice was donated to him by the Abuja-based Italian construction company, Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG). According to the president, the managing director of Gitto made him a promise to build and donate the church to Otuoke community after he (the president) had complained of the aging structure of his church, which apparently no longer befits the status of the president’s village.”

The paper categorized the gift, rather aptly, as “very disturbing” and wondered how Mr. Jonathan “could openly justify this sort of gift from a private company, whose various activities in the country have been mired in controversies.” Surmising that the president had peddled the influence of his office to obtain the favor, the paper noted that such an act was “unacceptable for a president anywhere in the world and the code of conduct for public officials in Nigeria expressly forbids such.”

Thisday continued: “Gitto is one of the major contractors to the federal government yet the manner in which the president spoke at the church thanksgiving service conveyed the impression that he actually solicited for the edifice since he openly voiced his concern to the hearing of the company’s managing director who apparently got the message. Of course there is the argument that it is only a church building but Gitto is not known to be a missionary outfit; it is a construction firm that bids for and wins contracts in Nigeria. Against the backdrop that the record of the company with regards to performance has left much to be desired, it becomes more obvious that the president goofed in accepting the questionable gift and worse still, that he would seek to justify it.

“We note particularly that corruption thrives in Nigeria today because public officials do not know how and where to draw the line. It is therefore no surprise that some of these foreign construction companies do things they dare not try in their home countries. Gitto is surely no Santa Claus; it is a profit-seeking company accountable to its shareholders. When the company therefore spends millions of dollars on a ‘gift’, its management would expect returns so it is easy to understand why the costs of contracts in Nigeria are the highest in the world.”

It was a blistering rebuke, and surprising because of the quarters it came from. Thisday is by no means a rabble rousing opposition medium. In fact, some would suggest that the paper is as close to the political establishment as it is possible to get. So when such a paper chides the president on account of a serious ethical lapse, bystanders are bound to take notice. It is a sign that something really, really stinky has transpired.

In delivering its rare but altogether appropriate censure, the paper’s instincts were excellent. As the editorial noted, the contractor has been the subject of several complaints. Let’s once again quote Thisday: “We particularly recall that the N58.6 billion contract for the construction of the second Niger Bridge was awarded to Gitto Group in a manner which recently prompted the South East Legislative Caucus in the National Assembly to petition President Jonathan, asking him to review it. There are also protests against Gitto from Akwa Ibom stakeholders on the way it is handling the Eket/Oron section of the East-West Road project while the Bodo-Bonny Road in Bayelsa State awarded the company in 2003 is today abandoned.” Given the company’s image troubles, the paper concluded, “The Italian firm cannot whitewash its incompetence by building churches. And it is patently inappropriate for President Jonathan to have accepted the Greek Gift and proceeded to make a light show of it.”

Well, the paper quickly recanted. Hours after issuing its pointed criticism, it wrote a penitent correction. Invoking “fresh facts,” the paper was now certain that the Otuoke community, not Mr. Jonathan, had contacted Gitto “to renovate the worship center.” It added that “it has now emerged that during the burial of the president's father in 2008 – by which time he was still vice-president – the officiating ministers had asked the friends of Jonathan and the community to come to the aid of the church and assist in renovating its aging facilities.” The church elders had done the solicitation, wrote the now wizened paper, without consulting then Vice President Jonathan. Finally, it was important that readers know that the church was merely renovated, not new, and that its capacity was 400 persons, not 2500. Then the paper sought to educate its readership by drawing attention to precedents: “It would be recalled that during the building of the National Ecumenical Centre and the National Mosques, several commercial concerns donated money, materials and services at events some of which had in attendance the then President or Head of State.”

It was as if, having ventured to an unaccustomed terrain by castigating Mr. Jonathan, the paper felt compelled to remind us all that facts can be sliced in several different ways – and also that, this being Nigeria, there was nothing amiss in how Otuoke, the president’s hometown, got a new (or refurbished) church.

With the paper on retreat, the field was cleared for Reuben Abati, the president’s spokesman, to launch a fiery offensive of his own. In a statement issued April 4 and titled “Otuoke Church: President Jonathan Committed No Crime,” Mr. Abati told us the Presidency had “noted with surprise and some amusement, the patently laughable attempt by political opponents of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and their collaborators to brew up a storm in a cup over the alleged ‘gift’ of a church to the President.”

It was, as many statements from the Presidency tend to be, a formulaic and effete response. Pray, what did the president and his handlers find amusing in press reports that portrayed the president as trading the influence of his office to secure a church for his hometown? Did the spokesman fail to realize that “amused” is the last thing he or the president should be, and that to profess such a reaction is tantamount to expressing disdain for the people and laws of Nigeria?

Next, Mr. Abati’s fire-breathing response continued: “It should be clear to all knowledgeable and discerning Nigerians that these allegations are nothing other than another mischievous attempt to denigrate President Jonathan, cast unjustifiable aspersions on his personal integrity and distract him from the serious business of governance.” The foregoing contains no morsel of argument or rebuttal, being merely a desperate manipulation of sentiments. In it, Mr. Abati contrives to divide Nigerians into two implicit camps: the “knowledgeable and discerning” who must intuit “mischief” in reports of the president’s abuse of his office and the ignorant and blinded who dared to entertain the belief that, perhaps, the president acted improperly.

Then, throwing in a token third group – the “unwary who might be taken in by the antics of an unscrupulous opposition that has little or no regard for the truth in the pursuit of their self-serving agenda” – the spokesman stated “emphatically that President Jonathan never solicited or received a church as ‘bribe’ from any contractor.”

In the epistle according to Mr. Abati, what happened was that “a contractor who has worked and continues to work in Bayelsa state and other parts of Nigeria thought it fit, in fulfillment of its corporate social responsibility, to facilitate the renovation of the small church in the President’s home town of Otuoke.” Having offered this kernel, he added: “It takes a lot of desperation to translate this act of social responsibility for which there are innumerable precedents in our country into a crime for which the usual suspects are now calling for the ‘impeachment’ of President Jonathan.” Then the Presidency spelt out what lesson we must take – not about its commitment to ethical principles but about corporate behavior in Nigeria: “It is indeed ironic that the groups and individuals now castigating the President because a company freely chose to fulfill its corporate social responsibility by helping to renovate a communal place of worship, are also amongst those who constantly berate companies doing business in the Niger Delta for not doing enough to support the development of their host communities.”

The Presidency ought not to be allowed to get away with such wooly thinking and tattered conception of ethics. Does anybody seriously believe that a major construction firm would invest in renovating a church in the president’s hometown, without the president knowing? And even if it’s true that Mr. Jonathan played no role in soliciting the favor, he should have been alert to the appearance of wrongdoing? Is it so hard for the Presidency to grasp that it looks (to say the least) suspicious when the federal government awards major contracts to a firm that has handed a church to the president’s town?

Since when did the refurbishment of churches fall within the purview of “corporate social responsibility”? If the firm’s motives were altruistic, why did it choose to rehabilitate the one church where President Jonathan worships? As an international construction firm, can Gitto Construzioni disclose any other country where it has built or renovated a church for free? Has it ever donated or renovated a church in its home base of Italy?

Please follow me on twitter @ okeyndibe

(okeyndibe@gmail.com)


http://saharareporters.com/column/parable-president%E2%80%99s-church-okey-ndibe?page=2

Indicted Odili To Get 8 Police Security, 2 Houses, Exotic Cars As Retirement Benefit
Posted: April 10, 2012 - 20:22
Posted by saharatvadmin

caption: Former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili
By Idris Akinbajo
A law is underway in Rivers that will grant huge benefits to former governors and their deputies.

Despite being in hiding from the law by virtue of a controversial court injunction, Peter Odili, a former Governor of Rivers State, who the EFCC says “misappropriated billions of naira” while he was governor, is about to be made even richer through a state legislation.

The proposed legislation is courtesy of a bill tagged the “Rivers State Public Office Holders (Payment of Pension) Bill 2012”, which is currently before the Rivers State House of Assembly. It is meant for the benefit of former governors and their deputies who completed their term in office.

Should the bill be passed, Mr. Odili would be given two houses in any area of his choice in Abuja and Rivers State.
Also, presuming that Mr. Odili acts like the conventional Nigerian politician, he would choose a house in the rich exclusive areas of Maitama or Guzape in Abuja, where a house can cost as much as 400million naira. A similar house in the highbrow GRA area of Port-Harcourt, where Mr. Odili can also choose, costs just under the same amount.

If the controversial bill is passed, Mr. Odili’s two houses alone, could be enough to pay the salaries of 3300 Rivers State civil servants for a whole year at the current minimum wage of N19, 400.

Not just Houses

It is not just posh houses that the state legislators propose as gifts for Mr. Odili and co. The former governor would also receive three brand new cars that would be replaced every three years. Other material benefits include 100 per cent of the basic salary of the incumbent governor, 300 per cent of basic salary as furniture allowance, 20 per cent for utilities and 10 per cent for entertainment.

Aside the financial benefits that Mr. Odili would be getting, and despite that Nigeria is heavily under-policed with one police officer to 800 people, Mr. Odili would get eight police officers for personal and domestic security; another two officers of the Nigerian secret police, the State Security Service; and domestic staff including a steward, gardeners, cooks, and drivers to be paid from the state account.

Hiding from prosecution

With the fear that he would be arrested and prosecuted for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after his second and last tenure as governor, Mr. Odili, in February, 2007, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja for an injunction restraining the anti-graft commission from arresting him.

As governor, Mr. Odili, who is married to a Justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court, Mary Odili, was granted immunity from arrests or prosecution for any crime; courtesy of Section 308 of the Nigerian constitution.

On March 23, 2007, two months before losing his constitutional immunity, the Rivers State politician got another injunction, this time, a court-granted immunity. Ibrahim Buba granted Mr. Odili’s prayers, giving him a perpetual injunction from arrest or prosecution by the EFCC.

The commission had investigated Mr. Odili and found him culpable for large scale corruption. According to an interim report by the EFCC, “over 100 billion Naira of Rivers State funds have been diverted by the Governor, Dr. Odili”.
An EFCC source involved with the investigation told Premium Times that “Odili stole just as much as (James) Ibori [convicted former Governor of Delta State]; he just knows how to play his game by lying low.”

The Perpetual Injunction

Despite the injunction however, Mr. Odili still feared for his prosecution and so proceeded to the court again to demand an enforcement of the injunction.

On March 5, 2008, Mr. Buba, despite EFCC objection, again granted Mr. Odili’s wish. In a landmark ruling, which was described as bizarre by the Human Rights watch, the court ruled as follows: “The subsisting judgment of March 2007 by this court is binding on all parties. Therefore there is a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting, detaining and arraigning Odili on the basis of his tenure as governor based on the purported investigation.”

Status Unknown

Since that ruling, the EFCC has been unable to prosecute Mr. Odili. Though the commission said it would appeal the ruling after several complaints by Nigerians and the International Community, it is not clear if the commission has done so.

Wilson Uwujaren, the commission’s spokesman answered our reporter's call and said he would return the call. He did not do so nor respond to subsequent text messages as at the time of filing this report.

Speaker defends bill

Even if Mr. Odili is eventually convicted of stealing state funds, he would still enjoy the largesse proposed by the state parliament.

“The bill is for those Governors and deputy governors who served out their terms without being impeached,” said Udede Jim-Opiki, the press secretary to the speaker of the Rivers State House of assembly, Otelemaba Amachree.

When asked if it was fair for any former governor who is indicted or convicted of corruption to enjoy such benefits, Mr. Jim-Opiki said “it can be amended and somebody else can go to court.”

The assembly speaker’s spokesperson however emphasized repeatedly that “the essence of the bill is to stop acts of corruption.”

“It is to help them know that after they leave office, the state will still take care of their welfare,” he said.

The Nigerian constitution under Section 124, subsection 5 gives state houses of assembly the power to make provisions for pension and gratuity of former governors and their deputies.

It’s Amaechi’s bill

Though Peter Odili will be a major beneficiary of this largesse, he did not propose it. The proposal was done by the incumbent governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Premium Times learnt that, Mr. Amaechi, who served as the speaker of the Assembly during the tenure of Mr. Odili as governor, is hell bent on ensuring the passage of the bill.

“Governor Amaechi wants to safeguard his future, he wants to ensure that he still enjoys much of what he is enjoying now when he leaves office,” a close ally of the governor, who does not want his name mentioned for fear of losing political patronage, said.

Mr. Jim -Opiki, who confirmed that the bill was an executive bill, also stated that the bill would prevent corruption as “they (Governors and deputies) don’t need to bother about their hereafter after leaving office.”

Efforts to reach Mr. Amaechi were unsuccessful as Ibim Semenitari, the state information commissioner did not answer or return calls made to her telephone.
She also did not respond to text messages. Mrs. Semenitari's father, Gabriel Toby, a former deputy governor of the state, will also benefit from the law.

It is not clear if Rufus Ada George, who was governor odf the state between 1992 and 1993, would benefit because his tenure was truncated by the military.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/indicted-odili-get-8-police-security-2-houses-exotic-cars-retirement-benefit

“Awuf” No Be Bribe, I Swear! By Sonala Olumhense
Posted: April 8, 2012 - 04:12
Posted by siteadmin


Columnist: Sonala Olumhense
It is pretty easy for me to understand why President Goodluck Jonathan seems unable to comprehend the uproar over the church donation made to him by the Italian company known in Nigeria as Gitto.



Remember, it is only a church, a place of worship. In the view of Mr. Jonathan and many other Nigerians: how can that be a bribe?

The general argument sounds like this: If he did not take money, where is the bribe and where is the harm? To make the situation even clearer, such Nigerians would argue, Gitto never said it was a bribe, did they?

By mid-last week, Mr. Jonathan’s troubled spokesman, Reuben Abati, offered the “clarification” that Gitto gave the 2,500-seater church gift as a “corporate social responsibility.” Predictably, that turned out to be the fuel in the flame.

In my view, this matter is considerably simpler. Mr. Jonathan is a very simple man. He does not speak a lot of English. I conceive of him as a man who equipped himself of the language no more than he needed to travel to Lagos. That he earned a Ph.D degree is a mystery.

Perhaps it was in that simplicity of language, which comes across when he speaks, that he announced that Gitto donated the church to him. And he was right. After all, Otuoke is one of Nigeria’s smallest villages, and without presidential intervention, who would have remembered his people. So, Jonathan thought he was just expressing his gratitude for a favour. That may not mean he had read the law.

As a nice man himself, Mr. Jonathan must have done a few favours to others in his time. I remember one, in December 2010. That was the month that Pastor Tunde Bakare and his Save Nigeria Group (SNG) visited Aso Rock. On their way home, they were given a parting gift of $50,000 which the group, convinced it was a bribe, returned.

State house was aghast. “A bribe?” they asked, dizzy with disdain. Whoever said it was a bribe? Of course that was only “Transport Fare,” they told SNG.

As busy as he was, Mr. Jonathan must have taken the time to wonder how people as educated and eloquent as his SNG guests could have mistaken a mere $50,000 Transport Fare so much for a bribe they decided to return it. Did they not know of the N10 million “Transport Fare” that Ibrahim Bademasi Babangida gave to visiting journalists at his Minna hideout only weeks before?

The truth is that people in the corridors of power and privilege in Nigeria understand this culture very well, and they are horrified when someone starts to quote the law.

To them, how can it be wrong when the wife of a powerful man goes abroad and spends in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in one store, some of it given as lavish gifts by contractors seeking appointments with her husband? How can it be wrong when a man in power takes gifts given to him in appreciation of the wonderful work he is doing?

Well, in 2006, I recall that the man who is now President of Nigeria was indicted for false declaration of assets by a Joint Task Force (JTF) on corruption that was set up by the government. That powerful panel was headed by Nuhu Ribadu in his capacity as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Mr. Jonathan’s crimes, the JTF said, included possession of illegally-acquired property such as homes and exotic cars he could not explain within his legitimate income (he had testified he bought them from his “savings”). Some of the properties involved were listed as: a seven-bedroom duplex worth N18 million at Otuke Ogbia LGA acquired in2001; a four-bedroom duplex, valued at N15 million at Goodluck Jonathan Street, Yenegoa, acquired in 2003; and a five-bedroom duplex, at Citec Villas, Gwarimpa II – Abuja, valued at N25 million, also acquired in 2003. There were also two cars: a Lexus Jeep valued at N18 million; and a BMW 7351 Series worth N5.5 million.

I am sure that Mr. Jonathan must have been surprised at that time when he was told he was going to be facing the Code of Conduct Bureau because bribes violated the law. “Ehen?” he must have exclaimed, “I am telling you they were gifts, not bribes! I will never accept bribes!!”

To be fair, he was not the only big man whose name was dragged around in the mud by that panel. There were 14 other governors, including the current leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, who was indicted for operating at least six foreign accounts in his name, his wife’s, one Zainab Abisola Tinubu, and in the name of Compass Finance and Investment Ltd.

As is the case with Nigeria, however, we are discussing the Otuoke Church question today because all of those charges were practically dismissed on the way to the court. Paradoxically, Jonathan himself was rewarded by the same Obasanjo with a spot on Umaru Yar’Adua’s presidential ticket. I have to presume he gave back all those bribes…I mean, gifts, to Jonathan.

When you think about it, this kind of understanding must be behind Jonathan’s dismissal of the monumental corruption cases, reports, allegations and petitions that date from Halliburton down. And when you think about it, Mr. Jonathan would be perfectly right: how do you justify prosecuting others who received gifts just because Nigerians think they were bribes?

Let us also remember that in 2011, we experienced all those startling revelations from Wikileaks about the desperate depths to which the Nigerian state had sunk not only through corruption, but also outright treason by top officials who were giving away our country’s deepest secrets? Did Jonathan pursue the investigation or prosecution of anyone? How could he, since he was also reported to have sprawled out on the American ambassador’s confessional more than once. It was just “beer-parlour gossip,” he said dismissing the corruption charges.

That is all by way of background to Gitto. It has become perfectly normal for men in power in Nigeria to take as it is to receive. They budget for themselves and for those around them. They solicit, and they collect. There is no difference between the coffers of the state and theirs; just as there is no difference between what is possessed by contractors and what they desire. There is no illegality, only power and privilege.

Does anyone remember the Petroleum Development Trust Fund wars between Obasanjo and his VP, Atiku Abubakar, and the way Obasanjo splashed the funds around as he pleased? The import is that when our rulers violate the law, it is no violation; it is anywhere between “beer-parlour gossip” and corporate social responsibility. The track record of our so-called anti-corruption agencies provides easy proof that, in Nigeria, the law is a strong respecter of persons.

This monster is a yawning ethical and legal vacuum. It is not against the law if Oga Patapata takes another man’s wife, it is a blessing. It is not 419 if the crook is the governor, it is government at work. It is not a bribe if the President receives it, it is corporate social responsibility.

This is why, although Nuhu Ribadu confessed that Obasanjo was far more corrupt than the vilified Sani Abacha, he has never been invited by anyone to answer a question about anything. In Nigeria, the law is an irritating irrelevance contempt, as weak and insincere leadership nourishes the impunity that ravages our soul. Transformation, aaahhh!
• sonala.olumhense@gmail.com

http://saharareporters.com/column/%E2%80%9Cawuf%E2%80%9D-no-be-bribe-i-swear-sonala-olumhense

By Kassim Afegbua
Fresh happenings in Nigeria these days keep one wondering about our determination to help our country get past all the sordid stories of yester years. At the dawn of each blessed day, one is confounded by the ingenuity of those who are in authority at explaining away gory details about their conduct in public office.

The donation of a Church, whether renovated, expanded or completely rebuilt, questions very strongly the integrity of the President and his stance on anti-corruption crusade.

I am one of those who feels very strongly that this President is lacking capacity to generate new ideas to move the country forward and happenings in the country everyday point to that loss of faith and confidence in a system that is heavily corrupt and sliding down the slope.

The explanation given by the Presidential Spokesman about the propriety of the  donation, citing very crude example as the Abuja Millenium Park, further exposes the unpreparedness on the part of government to take this country beyond the rubrics of mere sermonizing, to a more forward looking one with visible signs of doing things the new way.

Where has the transformational mantra gone to in the eyes of this unpalatable scenario that further brings us ridicule in a country where one of our own is desperately canvassing for World Bank Presidency?

There are a few probing questions that stare us in the face on account of the explanation rendered by the Presidency and its Spokesman. The donation of a  Millennium Park to members of the public in the Federal Capital Territory is different from the donation of a Church in the President’s sleepy home town of Otuoke.

If they had donated the Church before President Jonathan assumed office or if they waited until he leaves office, the issue would have a different coloration. In promoting its corporate social responsibility, as the presidency is wont us to understand, I wish the company could rebuild our ailing refineries to further underscore its  commitment to helping the country.

What is the use of a corporate social responsibility that clearly exposes the inherent corruptive tendencies of a company that has been meaningfully engaged by government to do so many contracts on behalf of the federal government?

Why has  it become so difficult for the company to help reduce the incidences of environmental degradation in the Niger-Delta that has seemingly defied all possible interventions in the past and present? Yes, corporate social responsibility indeed, what has been the company’s attitude towards the several impassable roads in the country, how many have they been able to fix for us in appreciation of the several contracts and empowerment that the country had given them?

I think the Presidency should just have owned up and seek forgiveness from Nigerians be it plea bargain, or plea guilty, so that we can rightly place the issue as one of the several misgivings in a system that is run by learners on the job.

The fact that the Construction Company carried out such donation in the President’s home town at a time when the man in whose honour it was being donated talks about transformation agenda, removes from its corporate responsibility status. Why did the Company not deem it fit and proper to erect one in my little village of Okpella. There is a mosque that needs completion in my village, and I guess the Construction Company will be gratuitous enough to help complete the project.

The idea of trying to parry a crime when committed by citing another example does not make good logic. The fact that nobody raised an alarm when the millennium park was built, even if wrongly, does not make the act committed in the Otuoke case right by all estimations.

In anti-corruption, people tend to underscore the intention behind an act and not necessary the act itself. Why now does it become necessary or auspicious for the company to build a Church for the community of Otuoke whose dedication and presentation was proudly attended by the President himself.

At the event, perhaps the President never contemplated that it will generate this furore, he reportedly told the ecstatic audience how he had wanted the placed fixed for a long time and thanks to some of his friends who decided to finally bail him out by this donation.

I have pains trying to rationalise the action and reaction of the Presidency in its response to this impeachable offence which betrays the sanctity of that high office and the very essence of our anti-corruption crusade.

Once a President, who should set standard when there is none, is seen to be culpable by acts of omission and commission, the moral pedestal upon which the presidency is anchored becomes compromised. In such situations, the president has an option to either resign in order to regain that moral authority or at best impeached as a corrective measure to succeeding presidents.

This is how developed nations got themselves on the super highway of development, and not this idea of name-calling and veiled threat cloned with tribalism and ethnicism to address an issue as serious as the one under reference. Can this Construction giant attempt such a thing in Italy where they are originally domiciled? Why do they think that once we are given palliatives, that ends the story?

What impudence from a company that is feeding fat from our patronages? Who says our problem is building more places of worship or renovating same, where are the monies collected every week from tithes and donations and offerings? The more places of worship we build, the more morally bankrupt we become. These days, the question being asked is simply why the society is becoming increasingly morally backward when there seems to be upsurge in churches and mosques. With attitude such as this, that is using a Church as a bribe to a community where the president comes from, underscores the fact that we have fallen short in the eyes of the Lord.

To describe a serious issue such as this as a storm in a tea cup gives me an impression that the moral fibre of this administration led by President Goodluck Jonathan has simply gone haywire. How on earth will a presidential spokesman describe an issue with very grave implications as a storm in a tea cup?

We are in serious trouble. What morality does he think the system would possess to look into the eyes of alleged corrupt officials for the rightful corrective measures to be taken when the man who should be the tale bearer is as culpable as those that are being exposed daily for one wrongful act or the other?

Corruption in the house of the Lord is a more crushing offence than others that are committed beyond the precincts of the Church. Once the foundation of a Church is premised on a questionable stance, the propriety and sanctity of that Church becomes suspect and that alone could invoke the wrath of the Almighty God. From available statistics coming from Otuoke, I am well informed that building a Church or renovating or expanding an existing Church is the least of the problems of the members of the Otuoke community in Bayelsa State.

The abject poverty that is characteristic of the average person in Otuoke and Nigeria goes beyond what a Church building can address.

If the Construction firm is that magnanimous as they are wont to have us believe, why not take up the new university project that was earlier allocated for the Otuoke community and complete its construction in record time as a show of corporate social responsibility?

Somebody should save us this very crude way of seeing things on the one hand while asking for development and growth on the other hand. This issue as very “petty” and “a storm in a tea cup” as it could be, is capable of making Okonjo-Iweala lose her nomination and election as World Bank President. The attitude alone and the act of condoning corruption is enough to tell the
world who we are.

OBASANJO,s RESIGNATION AND OTHER MATTERS.

Why will anybody be surprised that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo chose to resign his position as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the “feedeefee”? The man has simply overstayed his welcome and feels more and more unimportant in the eyes of those he has politically cut to size.

Why will a man who has been so blessed with honour and pride by God, was president thrice, and reluctantly exited from the corridors of power, still feels that he has to be Chairman of the BOT of a Party he was never part of forming? The real owners of the PDP are gradually coming back to the arena and Chief Obasanjo cannot withstand their sight any more, hence he feels the urge to resign.

And he did resign for good. At least that will give the PDP the opportunity to reinvent itself if it is really serious about reforms. The reason given by OBJ as he is fondly called, is not tenable as far as I am concerned. It was better that he resigned than wait to be disgraced out of the Party.

He has stayed too long in the saddle and now he  realised that his plans are no longer working for him, he feels frustrated. In the new exco of the PDP, there are quite a few persons who can be their own in the face of executive pressure, and such men would not enjoy OBJ,s domineering posturing. Good luck to OBJ in his future endeavours.

He will be remembered as the man who out of greed and propensity for power, bequeathed to the nation a successor who was frail and ill, coupled with a VeePee that was also reluctant to provide leadership. Today, we all are beneficiaries of the phlegmatic leadership that is staring us in the face.

We are reaping the whirlwind that was sown by Chief Obasanjo through questionable means in order to remain relevant in the scheme of things. We are now in a country where donation of a Church to a President and his community is seen as a normative order. Bye from the BOT. At least, he too has learnt some good lessons from the
steps taken by my oga patapata to quit active and partisan politics. Good student you might say.

With respect to OBJ,s position on third term, please tell him that he reportedly mentioned his third term project to the following; IBB, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and General Aliyu Gusau at a meeting where they told him that he OBJ had made new friends and that he should rely on those new friends to make him.

He reportedly left the meeting room in anger and these four persons worked in tandem with other Nigerians to scuttle the project. There was third term but it was scuttled to the chagrin of OBJ. He was simply beaten to his game.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/give-me-a-church-and-i-will-give-you-a-contract/

Go, Ngo, Go: This Battle Is Not Yours By Sonala Olumhense
Posted: April 2, 2012 - 19:55

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala-AFP photo
Columnist:  Sonala Olumhense
First, let me say that I now fully believe that there are two Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealas. 

The first is the one who, when she is in Washington, DC, longs to come home, where home is Nigeria.  The other is the one who, when she is in Nigeria, longs desperately for home, home being Washington, DC. 

Each is a bold, confident woman, her head resplendent in a colourful Nigerian head-wrap.

Without being told, the current one is the latter.  Officially, she is interested in the job-opening atop the World Bank, and fully believes she should be the new boss.

If I were to be the world’s World Bank’s hiring manager, and they gave me the curriculum vitae of the three contenders, I would need no more than one sip of my coffee.  I would rip up the other two CVs and immediately recommend the Nigerian woman.  Her track record, for the job in question, see, is unimpeachable. 

But I do not handle Human Resources for the World Bank.  I am a Nigerian whose principal interest—as Mrs. Okonjo and I negotiate our 50s—is Nigeria. 

Now, many Nigerians, as well as some foreigners and organizations, support Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the economy, for the job. 

The lady is serious about her ambition, too.  In a key campaign statement last week, said that if she won the top job, she would adopt as her priority the creation of jobs for the world’s young people.

Personally, I think Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala is working too hard.  But she must understand: Nigerians are not singing themselves hoarse for her to go and create jobs for anyone; we are sending her to Washington to rebrand our image. 

We are not sending her there to achieve; we are sending her there as a country to massage our fragile and battered ego.  When she goes there and assumes the seat, she will demonstrate that we are unlike anything they are saying about us, like insincere or unserious. 

That is all, and because that is the job description, the entire thing about creating jobs in order to avert an imminent spring—Arab, Nigerian or otherwise—is an overkill.  All she has to do is sit her rear end down at the bank, adjust her fancy head-wrap, and before the television cameras start to roll, ensure that the legend in front of her says, “Ngozi, President.”

This is particularly important from the Nigerian point of view because once she takes her seat in Washington, we will be fulfilled as a people.  Imagine it, a Nigerian as head of the World Bank!  In addition to the prestige she will bring us and the accolades she will be mailing home and the songs she will inspire on YouTube; instant poetry on Facebook, and monumental chatter on Twitter, she will make that yeye Central Bank of Nigeria look like a Bureau de Change at Onitsha Market.  In no time at all, she will have us overflowing in all of the world’s major currencies, with a branch of the bank in Asokoro or Maitama.  Imagine how massively business will pick up within the People’s Democratic Party!  Better still, imagine how Africa’s biggest party will become a massive force in Washington, with Ngo leading Patience by the hand under an umblella to eat lunch with Mitchell and Barak!

With all these goodies in our near future, I reiterate that Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala should not stress herself too much on the campaign trail.  Justifying herself last week, she said, “I have an advantage of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the institution being somebody who has managed a complex economy in a developing country.”

And then, shooting from the penalty spot, she said, “The World Bank has the ability to combine the strength of the World Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation, (IFC), and MIGA, in terms of bringing to bear all its instruments to help countries solve this problem and by creating an environment in which the private sector can be a creator of jobs.”

As I said, we do not care, biko.  Here in Nigeria, our people may be looking for jobs but we are not trying to create jobs, and nobody knows that better than our Ngo.  Remember that in 2004, she was one of those who put together the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), which, we were assured, would cure employment in Nigeria before our very eyes. 

NEEDS, when the scheme was launched early in 2004, would create seven million jobs within three years, they told us, one million of them before the end of the year alone.

They also said NEEDS would lift Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product from 4.6 percent in 2003 to 7 percent in 2007 at the end of Obasanjo’s second term, and--during the same swashbuckling era—drag inflation from 11 per cent down to 9 percent, while uplifting electricity from 4000 megawatts to 10,000.

That was when it became clear NEEDS was a political document, not an economic one.  They were building a roof, but there was no foundation.  Actually, President Olusegun had first announced NEEDS at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2003, six months ahead of its launching.   Six months after that launching, there was nothing to indicate that the much-advertised “economic reform” scheme had commenced.  In this column, I asked: “And this “strategy,” this vacuum, this smoke-and-mirrors will yield one million jobs by the end of 2004, and two million more in each of the following three years?  Is NEEDS counting “jobs” in armed robbery and political thuggery, or is Professor Peller, the famous magician, now on the economic team of President Obasanjo?”

I expected no answer, and I received none.  It was the original 419.

Let me date-stamp all of this: Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala was a key member of the powerful “economic reform team” of that hour.  In just months, NEEDS slipped into folklore; nobody from that team has acknowledged its existence since then, let alone taken responsibility for any of its deception.

Certainly not our World Bank President-In-Waiting, who, when Obasanjo re-deployed her, immediately became homesick for Washington, DC.  She was there when President Jonathan begged her to come back less than one year ago.  Nefertiti returned with a flourish, a new-age heroine who had come to set her people free.

Weeks later, on August 25, 2011 at a media briefing to showcase the government’s economic priorities, she said that the major thrust of the administration's economic agenda was “jobs and pro-jobs growth.” 

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala did something else on that day.  She spoke of the much-awaited “Transforming Nigeria Document,” a mysterious guide that has remained unpublished until this day.  The import is that the Jonathan government is “transforming” the country without a guide, like a blind man crossing Ikorodu Road without breaking a stride.

On that occasion, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala also said that the Transforming Nigeria Document and the “Vision 20:2020 blueprint” would remain the bedrock of the economic agenda.

But Vision 20:2020 is a myth, like transformation, or NEEDS, or reform, or the war against corruption.  Only last month, the former Governor of the Central Bank, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and one of the brains behind NEEDS, disclosed the whimsical origins of Vision 20:2020: “The impetus was the Goldman Sachs report on the BRIC countries (Brazil; Russia; India; and China) and the next 11 countries (N-11), which included Nigeria,” he said.  It predicted that Nigeria could be among the 20 largest economies in 2025.

“We were reviewing the report with the President one morning and we noted that some of the parameters used by Goldman Sachs such as GDP rate were far less than the actual growth rates for Nigeria as at 2004 and 2005. Then, President Obasanjo said, in that case, Nigeria could reach the goal much earlier. At the televised national dialogue between the public and private sector on that day…Obasanjo enunciated the Vision 2020. If you count 2006, this would be the 7th year since the Vision was announced and eight years before 2020…we all know it is not achievable…it remains a wish list. The numbers simply do not add up. At best, it is a good slogan and an interesting joke.”

Remember that when Soludo says, “we,” he means that small group of economic “whiz kids” that included Okonjo-Iweala.  They knew V-2020 was unachievable at that time; they know it remains “an interesting joke” today.  Yet the same Okonjo-Iweala, just months ago, was still swearing by V-2020.

The moral of this story is that Ngozi—whoever the real Ngozi is—knows the truth, which is that Nigeria is “a tale told by an idiot,” and manipulable by any dunce.  She probably came back for the romance of it all last year, but has since then unveiled herself as being neither whiz-kid nor Queen Amina.  In Abuja, she blended with the incompetence, the malfeasance, and the insincerity.  The World Bank presidency is certainly no more than instant recognition, for her, that it is time to separate the goats from the (e)scapegoats.

And so, I say, go, Ngo, go.  Nigeria was never worth nursing to health, and in nobody can say you didn’t spend a few Naira’s worth of patriotism.  So, shake the sands off your feet, for you have better things to do.  Let Nigeria, and all those who believed Nigeria needed you here, watch you swagger into the distance.

Sooner or later, they will understand Washington needs you much more than Abuja or Yola or Sapele.  And oh, don’t bother to switch off the light; it was never on.  

•    sonala.olumhense@gmail.com
 
http://saharareporters.com/column/go-ngo-go-battle-not-yours-sonala-olumhense

A Most Questionable Gift: The Italian Construction Company Gitto's Church Gift To Jonathan-ThisDay Editorial
Posted: April 1, 2012 - 17:38

Inside the 2,500 seater church donated by Italian Construction company awarded 2nd Niger Bridge contract
By Thisday Newspaper Editors
At the recent dedication of a 2,500-seat church building in Otuoke, his village in Bayelsa State, President Goodluck Jonathan said the edifice was donated to him by the Abuja-based Italian construction company, Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG). According to the president, the managing director of Gitto made him a promise to build and donate the church to Otuoke community after he (the president) had complained of the aging structure of his church, which apparently no longer befits the status of the president’s village.

Whatever the motivation for this benevolence on the part of Gitto, we find it very disturbing indeed that the president could openly justify this sort of gift from a private company, whose various activities in the country have been mired in controversies. Using the authority of a public position to secure gifts is unacceptable for a president anywhere in the world and the code of conduct for public officials in Nigeria expressly forbids such.

Section 6 of the Code of Conduct for Public officers embodied in the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act (CAP C15) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, indeed frown at what the president did. The Act states: “A public officer shall not ask for or accept any property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties. For the purposes of subsection (1) of this subsection, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have CONTRACTS (emphasis ours) with the Government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention…unless the contrary is proved.”

Gitto is one of the major contractors to the federal government yet the manner in which the president spoke at the church thanksgiving service conveyed the impression that he actually solicited for the edifice since he openly voiced his concern to the hearing of the company’s managing director who apparently got the message. Of course there is the argument that it is only a church building but Gitto is not known to be a missionary outfit; it is a construction firm that bids for and wins contracts in Nigeria. Against the backdrop that the record of the company with regards to performance has left much to be desired, it becomes more obvious that the president goofed in accepting the questionable gift and worse still, that he would seek to justify it.

We note particularly that corruption thrives in Nigeria today because public officials do not know how and where to draw the line. It is therefore no surprise that some of these foreign construction companies do things they dare not try in their home countries. Gitto is surely no Santa Claus; it is a profit-seeking company accountable to its shareholders. When the company therefore spends millions of dollars on a “gift”, its management would expect returns so it is easy to understand why the costs of contracts in Nigeria are the highest in the world.




We particularly recall that the N58.6 billion contract for the construction of the second Niger Bridge was awarded to Gitto Group in a manner which recently prompted the South East Legislative Caucus in the National Assembly to petition President Jonathan, asking him to review it. There are also protests against Gitto from Akwa Ibom stakeholders on the way it is handling the Eket/Oron section of the East-West Road project while the Bodo-Bonny Road in Bayelsa State awarded the company in 2003 is today abandoned.

The foregoing controversies trailing the company that has just donated a church building to president’s village have been highlighted to buttress the fact that he is not in good company with Gitto. The Italian firm cannot whitewash its incompetence by building churches. And it is patently inappropriate for President Jonathan to have accepted the Greek Gift and proceeded to make a light show of it.

http://saharareporters.com/report/most-questionable-gift-italian-construction-company-gittos-church-gift-jonathan-thisday-edito

Tinubu celebrates with physically challenged
By Miriam Ndikanwu 13 hours 21 minutes ago
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•Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi, exchanging pleasantries with children of the Modupe Cole Memorial Home...yesterday
• Says Nigeria’s problem is lack of compassionate leadership
It was a joyous moment for children of Modupe Cole Memorial Home, Yaba and Betheseldar Home for the Blind yesterday, when former Lagos State Governor and National leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, visited them to celebrate his 60th birthday.
The visibly excited children went wild when the celebrator accompanied by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, arrived the homes. They danced freely to entertain guests.
The Conference of Local Government Chairmen of Lagos State, the organiser of the event, donated a 18 seater bus, electricity generating sets, cartons of cornflakes, milk, custard and so on to the physically challenged children.
Also joining Tinubu to celebrate, were ACN National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed and Lagos State Chairman of the party, Chief Henry Ajomale.
Tinubu commended the chairmen for donating the items to the physically challenged children in commemoration of his birthday, saying the nation’s problem is lack of compassionate leadership.
Tinubu said: “Let me thank the principal and staff of this home for their dedication in giving care to these children, some of whom were picked from the dustbin and have been given life by Modupe Cole Memorial Home. What is wrong with our country is lack of compassionate leadership, people who think and care on behalf of children of Mr. and Mrs. nobody.”
The celebrator, who said his entire salary throughout his stay in office as the governor of the state was donated to orphanages, urged the chairmen to be paying the temporary employees of the home . He said: “You can adopt them in group and contribute monthly to their salary.”
He also assured the home’s managers that he would assist further through the Bola Tinubu Foundation.
“I want to say thank you for this reception and also to say let compassion exist at the federal level. The Federal Government can do better to give succour by building physically challenged schools all over the country, but if you make cases for child abuse, against child trafficking and for sons and daughters of Mr. nobody and you are far away in Abuja, I want to say we should have a special session outside Ministry of Education, because these special children have the same right as that of the president of Nigeria.”
Chairman, Conference of Local Government Chairmen, Sulaiman Akeem said the chairmen were motivated to donate the items on behalf of Tinubu to the less privileged because the conference felt that the best way to celebrate an icon was not by wining and dining.
He said: “We feel that people who are the creation of God should not be left behind in the celebration. We should let them know that the society has not forgotten them.
“We are truly celebrating a man who has touched lives. He is a man who cares for Nigeria’s democracy. He could have chosen the side of comfort but he did not.”
Akeem said Tinubu showed that he was rugged when he confronted the Federal Government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he withheld the allocation to councils in the state .
“He is resilient in the enthronement of genuine democracy. Whatever beautiful things Lagos is enjoying now, he laid the foundation,” he stated.
Speaking, Ajomale hailed the council chairmen for donating to the poor to mark Tinubu’s birthday.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/41280-tinubu-celebrates-with-physically-challenged.html

To Battle Boko Haram, Put Down Your Guns
Wednesday, 14 September 2011 03:22 Written By Amb. John Campbell Hits: 222

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On August 26, a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden Honda into the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 23 people and injuring 81 more. Boko Haram, a shadowy radical Islamic movement that has been waging daily attacks in the north of the country, claimed responsibility. Some have argued that the sophisticated tactics are evidence of Boko Haram establishing links with international terrorist networks, most likely al Qaeda in the Maghreb or al Shabab in Somalia. Even before this attack, the United States, Britain, and Israel had publicly supported providing counterterrorism assistance to the Nigerian government. Now, momentum for such a solution is growing.

But such an approach could do more harm than good -- for Nigeria but also for Washington, which cannot afford to alienate Africa's largest Muslim population. Since his election to the Nigerian presidency in April 2011, Goodluck Jonathan has undertaken an exclusively security-driven strategy for dealing with Boko Haram, stationing large numbers of military and police in the north, especially in Maiduguri, a city on the edge of the Sahara near the border with Chad, and the states of Bauchi and Borno. Although the military and police are made up of various ethnic, religious, and regional groups, few are native to the areas in which they serve and can be hostile to the local populations. For example, following a bombing in Maiduguri, Amnesty International reported that the Nigerian military "responded by shooting and killing a number of people, apparently at random, before burning down the market." That significant numbers of people have fled the area adds credibility to such accusations, as does the fact that some local leaders are calling for a reduction of the military and police presence in their communities.

Instead of associating itself with Abuja's heavy-handed military response, the Obama administration should urge Jonathan to address what are essentially political problems: poverty and the corruption-driven alienation felt by the population of northern Nigeria, factors that contribute to Boko Haram's popular support.

Indeed, it is misleading to think of Boko Haram as an organized terrorist group or a conventional insurrection. Even its name -- commonly translated as "Western education is forbidden" -- implies more organization than appears to exist and is used only by outsiders, such as the police and media. In fact, Boko Haram more resembles a cloud of inchoate rage shaped by Islam. It has no central leadership, and its attacks appear to have been uncoordinated. This structure may change: Since mid-June, Boko Haram has maintained a blog that purports to represent the "organization." But the site has not been updated for more than a month.

The movement's rhetoric -- used by alleged spokesmen in contact with the English-speaking press, imams and malams preaching in Hausa on the street and in mosques, and anonymous pamphlets and posters -- draws on a long-standing local tradition of Islamic radical reform that emphasizes the pursuit of justice for the poor through the imposition of sharia. Adherents generally despise Nigeria's secular leadership and the country's traditional Muslim elites, whom they see as having been co-opted by the government. Thus, Boko Haram recently murdered the brother of the Shehu of Borno, the preeminent Islamic traditional ruler in Maiduguri, as well as a number of local government officials.

Boko Haram emerged from this tradition and an inward-looking community of extremists led by a young, charismatic preacher, Mohammed Yusuf, whose followers were centered in Maiduguri. In 2009, Yusuf led a bloody insurrection there that the secular authorities suppressed with difficulty. What triggered the violence remains obscure, although it has been connected to a dispute over wearing motorcycle helmets. In its immediate aftermath, Yusuf, his father-in-law, and a few other close associates were brazenly murdered by the police, providing the movement with its martyrs. Boko Haram subsequently went underground and regrouped. Since Yusuf's death, however, no leadership has publicly surfaced.

The goals of Boko Haram's adherents range from the release of their sympathizers from prison and the enforcement of sharia in areas where it is already formally in place to the establishment of God's kingdom on earth and the destruction of the secular state, to be replaced by an Islamic one. Until the attack on the UN building, Boko Haram had waged its battle locally, primarily targeting facilities and personnel deemed un-Islamic or complicit with the Nigerian federal government, such as army barracks, police checkpoints, beer halls, brothels, local and federal officials, and in a few cases, churches and Christian clergy.

Since Nigeria's national elections in April, Boko Haram attacks have escalated and grown more sophisticated, drawing on masses of unemployed youths. More than 70 violent incidents have been documented since late May. There is a widespread belief in the north that Jonathan rigged the election and stole his victory from the northern Muslim candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Following the announcement of the election results, mobs in the north killed an estimated 800 people in three days. The houses of traditional Islamic rulers believed to have supported Jonathan were burned down.

Instead of relieving pressure by offering northerners positions in his inner circle, Jonathan surrounded himself primarily with members of his own Ijaw ethnic group and others from his southern home state of Bayelsa and the Niger Delta. His recent attempt, now abandoned, to lengthen presidential term limits from four to six years and his support of the constitutionally ambiguous decision by the National Judicial Council to remove the president of the court of appeals, who was presiding over petitions challenging the results of the 2011 elections, have further alienated the north.

Jonathan needs to address this northern alienation, of which Boko Haram is only a symptom. Washington should also urge him to challenge the corruption that pervades much of Nigerian government and society, which would go a long way toward soothing the genuine political and economic grievances that motivate Boko Haram's violence and fuel its popular support.

There are concrete ways the United States can aid that process. If Jonathan demonstrated a genuine commitment to military and police reform, for example, the United States could provide much-needed training in improving relations with the civilian population. It could also support Nigerian strategies to make modern education more palatable to an Islamic population. There are already successful examples of state governors in the north financially supporting madrasahs (Islamic schools) in return for the introduction of modern science in the curriculum.

If Jonathan balks, the United States should strengthen its ties with the north by expanding soft diplomatic initiatives, beginning with the establishment of a consulate in Kano. The consulate could then facilitate exchanges between American and Nigerian academics, especially Islamic scholars, and accelerate an existing U.S.-supported program of cataloging and preserving ancient Islamic manuscripts, a proven tactic for affirming the international importance of northern Islamic culture. Such steps would counter the widely held view in the north that the United States is anti-Islamic.

Even if Boko Haram expand its operations and establish significant contacts with international terrorist organizations, the Obama administration should not let counterterrorism considerations trump these public diplomacy strategies. Too heavy a hand would risk alienating Nigeria's 75 million Muslims, who already have legitimate grievances in the north. This, in turn, could undermine the very unity of Nigeria -- something neither Washington nor Abuja can afford.



First published at Foreign Affairs:

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/68249/john-campbell/to-battle-nigerias-boko-haram-put-down-your-guns?page=show



Comments Page: 1

posted on 09-13-2011, 22:50:54 PM
Ochi dabari
Re: To Battle Boko Haram, Put Down Your Guns
Amb. Campbell,

I see you as quite knowledgeable on Nigerian issues, in view of your time there, and unlike many forumites here, I never regard you as anti-Nigerian. You say things as you see them and I am happy that you do not preach unity and progress (the crap on the Nigerian coat of arms) where there is none.

However, I view your suggestions here as quite numerous to implement by Obama or anyone. Why on earth do you want to send your fellow Americans to their death in Kano by suggesting that Obama opens up a consulate there? Well, if I were Obama, I would heed this suggestion and send John Campbell there as the first Consul. I bet you, the Hausas will have your head on a pole in less than 6 months!

I agree that Jonathan needs the support of the USA and EU to resolve the northern Nigerian problem, but I don't see the need to go about it in a convoluted way. Rather than everything that you have outlined, it would be simpler for the USA and EU to pressure Jonathan into granting full independence to Northern Nigeria so that they can be on their own and worship their gods. I call it full independence because they already seceded from Nigeria many years back when sharia became superior to the Nigerian constitution. I am sure that you have the ears of Obama and the EU leaders; please guide them to this direction. Nigerians who are clamouring for separation are not mad; we want freedom for our northerners and peace for ourselves.

ochi


posted on 09-14-2011, 04:51:20 AM
S. njokede
Re: To Battle Boko Haram, Put Down Your Guns
“Washington should also urge him to challenge the corruption that pervades much of Nigerian government and society, which would go a long way toward soothing the genuine political and economic grievances that motivate Boko Haram's violence and fuel its popular support.” Mr John Campbell wrote.

The contrast is that: Jonathan Goodluck seems not to believe that corruption in Nigeria spoils everything on its way. Jonathan isn’t bothered about fighting corruption because he’s very corrupt. And there’s no magic for any country to progress unless you fight corruption and bring it to a humanly bearable minimum. Even with one million Mrs Ngozi Iweala in Jonathan’s government – no forward march would be attained without first, tackling corruption and election rigging.

And finally, the Boko Harem palaver is religious and not political. Hanging their primitively dastardly conduct on what some politicians said prior to election is silly nonsense! To fight corruption and bring election riggers and profiteers as President Jonathan to jail would help to reduce the madness in Nigeria. Nigeria is burning asunder and Jonathan and PDP still don’t know what time is it!

rig2015electionyoudie@rocketmail.com


posted on 09-14-2011, 05:18:59 AM
Patcho
Re: To Battle Boko Haram, Put Down Your Guns
John Campbell has continued to make a case for Boko Haram and northern Hawks. Where he has failed is to think that USA and Abuja cannot afford the undermining of "the very unity of Nigeria." This in fact is affordable because USA would prefer a small rich oil community than the old British contraption.

His position that its disadvantageous for GEJ sorrounding himself with Ijaws shown him as not understanding Nigeria. Cambell should simply look at Late Gen. Ironsi and ask; "What happened to him?"

The wise learn from what happened to others and not wait till evil stand on its door post {inner circle}.


http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/guest-articles/to-battle-boko-haram-put-down-your-guns.html