BRITISH High Commissioner Bob Dewar Wednesday appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure credible elections next year.

The elections, Dewar said, mean a lot to Nigeria, Africa and the international community.

Dewar, in a statement, urged INEC and security forces “to use the additional time to press on as rapidly as possible with all logistical and practical arrangements to ensure credible, peaceful elections’’.

He also challenged political leaders, parties and candidates ‘‘to commit to democratic values and behaviours, including mutual respect and policy-based dialogue, avoiding corruption, rigging and hate speech’’.

Given the importance of the elections to the international community, Dewar encouraged Nigerian leaders to do everything to build confidence and ensure that every vote counts ‘and the will of the people to be known through credible polls’’.

He reiterated the commitment of Britain to supporting Nigeria for credible elections.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20577.html

IT was a day of anger and grandstanding Wednesday at the Senate.

Senators engaged Finance Minister Olusegun Aganga and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in a fierce verbal exchange over the duo’s public statements on the National Assembly’s spending profile.

Aganga denied ever making any public comments on the matter.

Sanusi owned up to his statement, saying he relied on a document he got from the Director-General of the Budget Office to draw his conclusion.

At a point, he told the Senators that he could quit the job, “if you want me to.”

“I’m not tired of my job, but if you want me to resign, I will resign. The Central Bank is not my life.”

Senator Gyang Dantong was asking him whether he was tired of his job.

Sanusi maintained that the National Assembly alone gets N136.25 billion of the Federal Government’s overhead of N536.26 billion, representing 25.4 per cent.

But, the senators tendered the 2010 Budget, which revealed that the estimate for the National Assembly was N158 billion of the N3.9 trillion national budget, representing 3.77 per cent of the total appropriation.

To discredit the CBN Governor’s claims, the senators called on the Finance Minister to do the percentage calculation of N158 billion of N3.9 trillion.

Aganga also arrived at 3.77 per cent.

But Sanusi was not deterred by Aganga’s concurrence with the senators’ calculation; he said he did not know where the Minister got his figures.

He resisted further pressure from the lawmakers to make a recant and apologise.

Sanusi said: “I confirm that I did say in my speech at the Igbinedion University that 25 percent of the overhead of the Federal Government goes to National Assembly. I have figures from the Budget Office for the year 2010.

“The total government overhead is N536, 268, 49, 280. Total overhead of the National Assembly is N136, 259, 768, 112 which is exactly 25.4 percent of Federal Government overhead.

"The overhead of the National Assembly as a percentage of the Federal Government budget in 2009 was 19. 87 and 14.19 in 2008”

Apparently to douse the tension in the meeting room, Aganga explained that the CBN Governor could be right, depending on the context in which he made the computation and the purpose for which it was made.

According to Aganga, the document, which Sanusi relied on did not consider what he described as service wide votes in the course of computation. Besides, his submission could not be totally written off as misleading, although it might not be as accurate as it should be, the minister said.

The senators rejected Aganga’s explanation, saying that it was apparent that Sanusi made his computation primarily to serve mischievous ends aimed at inciting the public against members of the National Assembly.

Chairman of the Appropriation Committee Senator Iyiola Omisore accused Sanusi of misleading the public by his statement and demanded that the CBN Governor should correct the misinformation.

But Sanusi fired back: “I have not misled anybody. I am on oath. I got my document from the Budget Office. You can ask the Director of Budget.

“I think it was important for us to say in what context that statement was made. I was giving a lecture on the growth prospect of the Nigerian economy. I talked about financial plans, economic policies, banking system and government finances.

“As the Finance Minister has mentioned, if you look at the structure of government financing especially in 2008 and 2009, we have had a rapid increase in recurrent expenditure and decline in capital expenditure.

Apparently miffed by what they perceived as Sanusi’s grandstanding, the senators demanded to know the annual 2010 budget of the CBN. Sanusi replied: “N 303 billion”. The response attracted hash comments from the agitated lawmakers.

“The entire National Assembly budget is N158 billion; that of the CBN is N303 billion. In that case, if the National Assembly gets 25 per cent of the federal funds, going by your response, it means that the CBN spends over 57 per cent of the federal funds”, one of the senators told Sanusi.

He did not reply.

Incidentally, Sanusi’s line of defence was inadvertently punctured by the Finance Minister when he said that the CBN Governor got the document he relied on only Wednesday morning.

Sanusi made the statement about a week ago.

This was all the senators needed to impugn mischief into Sanusi’s action. One after the other, the lawmakers jeered at the CBN governor.

The panel then urged the minister to take the sector in order and ensure that key operators in finance comport themselves with decorum.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20579.html

Samson Siasia has sensationally revealed that becoming Super Eagles’ handler has been his long-time dream, adding that he's excited that it has finally come to fruition. Siasia said after he was unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja on Wednesday that he was aware of the task of building a formidable team and called on the country's FA and other stakeholders to give him their backing as he needs time to achieve that aim.

“I am happy with this appointment because this is a day that the Lord has made. I promise that I will give my best and I promise that the next time you see the Eagles, they will be a different team. Also, it will take the support of everyone to build the dream and we also need time. I promise to do everything humanly possible to make the Eagles fly again,” he said.

“We will together work very hard to ensure we have in place a formidable Super Eagles that will be the pride of all and that would make everybody happy,” said the 43-year-old Siasia, who had his proud parents in attendance at his public presentation.

Former international striker, Siasia, was considered ahead of Togo’s ex-coach, Stephen Keshi, for the country’s top coaching post. The popular coach guided Nigeria to the final of the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. His immediate task is to ensure Nigeria qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The Eagles are three points behind group leader, Guinea, after two matches with only the eventual group winner guaranteed automatic qualification to the tournament.

Madagascar and Ethiopia are the other teams in their qualifying section.
NFF President, Aminu Maigari, said Siasia was a good choice to lead the country to many successes.
“We are happy to find a very able candidate, who can pilot the Super Eagles to successes. We will give him and his team the conducive environment to perform and succeed,” promised Maigari.

“The NFF is excited to have been able to conclude the engagement of a coach for the Super Eagles.
“Siasia is a good choice, Nigerians’ choice, the peoples’ choice.” He added: “The contract is for four years which is renewable and good performances would attract various incentives along the line.
“Siasia needs to hit the ground running because the task ahead is enormous and Nigerians are anxious.”

Central Bank Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi yesterday refused to apologise before the Joint Committee of the Senate over the statement credited to him saying that 25 per cent of the Federal Government overhead expenditure is consumed by the National Assembly.

This was even as the Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga who is the custodian of the nation’s budget, said that the figures bandied by the CBN governor were wrong saying that recurrent expenditure included overhead, personnel and service wide charges which were not captured by Mallam Sanusi in his calculation of percentage attributed to the National Assembly.
Mallam Sanusi said the figure he made reference to were given to him by the Director of Budget in addition to the internal figures of the Central Bank of Nigeria adding that if the figures were wrong, he could not say even as he added that he did not know where the finance minister got his own figures from.

The CBN governor who could not give the budget of the apex bank until prodded further, later announced a budget of N303 billion in comparison to that of the National Assembly which stood at N158 billion. He said the context of his controversial statement should be considered more than the text of the statement. According to Sanusi, “the context is what should be a major concern. I am not responsible for the overhead cost neither am I responsible for the newspapers headlines but I can confirm that I said that 25 per cent of the Federal Government overhead goes to the National Assembly.”

The CBN governor said that if democracy is to survive, it must be made in such a way to correct itself even as he said that while he enjoyed his job as the boss of the apex bank, he would not put up a fight if told to quit. “I enjoy serving the people, I am not thinking of quitting but if I m told to quit, I can assure you that I would not put up a fight. It is part of the independence of the CBN to be able to express itself on the economy,” Sanusi said.

However, the Minister of Finance Mr. Olusegun Aganga said if the entire recurrent expenditure was taken into account, the percentage of the budget that went to the National Assembly stood at 3.77 per cent and not 25 percent as alleged by the CBN governor. Mr. Aganga explained that there was no way recurrent expenditure could be tabulated without adding service wide vote even as he explained that overhead could be read separately outside the main recurrent expenditure.

The finance Minister who denied ever corroborating the statement credited to the CBN governor to the effect that he was alleged to have said he was planning to work towards the reduction of the budget of the National Assembly, said that the newspapers stories were far from the truth. According Mr. Aganga; “I did not make any statement to anyone or the press in relation to the National Assembly or the budget not to talk of saying that I was in the process of cutting the budget.

“We just started discussion on the 2011 budget which is all embracing between the executive arm of government and the National Assembly. I did not, have not made such a statement, could not and would not make such a statement at any point in time.” In his own comment, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation Senator Iyiola Omisore who chaired the Public Hearing said that from every indication, the CBN governor deliberately quoted a particular sub-head of the budget just to suit a particular purpose, stressing that based on the figure contained in the approved 2010 Appropriation Act assented to by the President, which was a law, Mallam Sanusi received wrong information.

Senator Omisore, therefore, said that given the figure presented by Mallam Sanusi, it remained quite disappointing that Nigeria particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria had a long way to go, stressing that it was most unfortunate that Nigerians had been sold the wrong signal particularly at this time of the nation’s democracy. Speaking in the same vein Senator Chris Anyanwu said that it was appalling that the governor of the Central Bank would condescend to the level of selective use of statistics, adding that one of the major problems of Mallam Sanusi was the fact that he engaged in over speak.

Also speaking, Senator Mohammed Makarfi said it was difficult to understand the motive of the CBN governor in deliberately dishing out misinformation to the Nigerian public without crosschecking his fact even when the copies of the budget were public document. Before being asked to take a leave, the Minister of Finance said that the definition of overhead included the service wide vote and not otherwise.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/02/national-02-12-2010-001.htm

Presidential aspirants and their associates in the 2011 elections have been entertaining Nigerians with campaigns laced with abuses, innuendoes and blackmail—leaving slim chances for them to address the issues troubling the country, writes Assistant Editor OLUKOREDE YISHAU


Until last week, former military President Ibrahim Babangida, Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki and former National Security Adviser Gen. Aliyu Gusau were presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The trio have, however, dropped out of the race following the decision of the Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders’ Forum (NPLF) to adopt former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the North’s consensus candidate.

Babangida, Saraki and Gusau last Tuesday accepted the choice of Atiku and pledged to work for his emergence as the PDP presidential torch-bearer. He is to slug it out with President Goodluck Jonathan for the party’s ticket.

Before Babangida and others dropped out of the race, they mounted media campaigns to sell their candidature. Their associates and unknown organisations also launched media campaigns for them. The bulk of the campaigns, said a political scientist and lawyer, Obiora Akabogu, were long on abuses and short on addressing issues of poverty, epileptic power supply and hunger which afflict average Nigerians.

The campaigns, said retired Supreme Court Justice Kayode Eso, lacks depth. He lamented that aspirants were not running issue-based campaigns.

Babangida, who ruled the country from 1986 to 1993, seems to be the worst hit. In three of those media campaigns, Nigerians were reminded that Babangida was harsh on the media while he was military president, among other foibles of the retired general.

Supposedly sponsored by African Democratic Development Initiatives (ADDI), it reads: This man ordered the closure of Concord, The Guardian, The News, Newswatch and other media houses for their crucial news report. Let us forgive him; but must we forget?”

In another advertorial by ADDI, the group placed the pictures of Babangida and Dele Giwa together and wrote these words: “This man refused to prove the innocence of his regime over the assassination of Dele Giwa and other alleged human rights abuses at the Justice Oputa Panel. Let us forgive him; but must we forget?”

And there is yet another from the same group, with Babangida and the late MKO Abiola’s pictures and with the inscription: “This man stood against the will of the entire Nigerian nation when he annulled the victory of Chief Moshood Abiola at the June 12, 1993 presidential elections. Let us forgive him; but must we forget?”

Perhaps to counter all these, another group placed another advertorial with the picture of the Third Mainland Bridge and Babangida, with the inscription: “Imagine Lagos without the Third Mainland Bridge? He foresaw the Lagos traffic logjam and gave it a 3rd Mainland Bridge thought. Great leaders see opportunities in the future and they exploit it for the greater good. Today, Lagosians say Thank you IBB.”

But there are some interesting ones, which target more than one aspirant in one single campaign. One of such is sponsored by a group which goes by the name New Nigeria Initiative, Abuja. Entitled “2011: We Shall Reject”, the group asked Nigerians to reject aspirants they describe as dictators, serial betrayer, failed bank operators, 53 suite cases connection, those who annulled elections and friends of fugitives.

The advertorial did not mention names, but through the descriptions, an avid watcher of the political terrain can tell the three aspirants targeted for attacks in the campaign.

There is another of such non-direct attack sponsored by a group which goes by the name New Nigeria Agenda, Port Harcourt. It reads: “They have asked the question: Who would you vote for? A serial betrayer of his bosses? … A man who ungodly worked to supplant his boss even when the boss was on death bed? An Obasanjo stooge whose tenure will be Obasanjo’s third term? A man who inherited billions of Naira as state governor but squandered everything and ran the state into Nbillions in debt?, A man whose wife is under investigation for $17 million money laundering?, ”

This advertorial was a response to another one entitled who would you vote for, in which Nigerians were asked not to vote for someone who annulled election, who was unfair to the media and whose democratic credentials are suspect.

Cartoons have also been employed in these mud-slinging campaigns. An example of the one entitled “Baba and the son” in which a bespectacled father, who looks every inch like former President Olusegun Obasanjo had a grown man, who unmistakeably is Jonathan strapped to his back, with a baby feeder in the father’s hand. It was signed by one Luqman Adesina, the Organising Secretary of an organisation that was not named.

Akabogu told The Nation that the campaigns should be based more on issues. He said: “Even though some of the issues raised about the characters and past of some of the aspirants are also important, Nigerians deserve to know more about how they will solve the problems of the country. We need less of personality attack.”

A governorship aspirant in Abia State Chief Ikechi Emenike also said smear campaigns add no value to its sponsors. He told this reporter that the best form of campaigns are the ones that address issues rather than individual flaws of fellow contestants.

Eso said: “For the truth is, many in the present generation know elections as a battle to be waged with money, cudgels and thuggery. They have never known what electioneering campaign is. Electioneering is now by posters. Poster business becomes flourishing during elections. Funny captions are the only manifestos. And so, the citizen votes for the faces, which stare at him from poster boards and not for what the candidate would do if he gets elected.

“Some in the younger generation never know what it is to write manifestos. What obtains is the boast made by contestants of the amount of their property they have to sell to be able to get into the elections. When a candidate has to sell properties, just to be able to be elected, the question is - upon what is he supposed to spend the money? Will that process be to serve the country or one of an investment, upon which he would not only have to recover the principal but also profits? What further evidence does one need if such candidate after election fills his pockets with ill-gotten gains? Is the seed of corruption not already sown? My answer is - res ipsa loquitur.”

A Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Public Affairs, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said no aspirant has rolled out any promising blue-print. He said United States President Barrack Obama’s clout was traceable to the blue prints he rolled out on how to solve the challenges in that country at that time.

“I have observed it that at a time like this, when Nigeria is at a cross road in terms of poverty in the land, lack of power supply, qualitative education and the like, presidential aspirants have not been able to come out with blue prints. This is because of PDP’s dominance in the country. It is believed that whoever gets the PDP’s presidential ticket is the next president. Obama gave a clear cut idea of what he would do on the meltdown in the United States. Even though he might not have achieved it all, he came up with a clear cut blue print.”

A group known as Forum for Purposeful Governance and Democratic Ethos has also expressed concern about the trend of the campaigns. The group’s leader, Mr. Femi Akomolede said nothing gives any hope of positive change in the next tenure.

Akomolede said: “People are not expecting anything different from the aspirants because they believe that whether they vote or not, some people will just announce themselves as president. So, we are organizing this event for them to know that people of this country are relevant. People are saying we have had enough.”

But in the midst of these mud-slinging campaigns, Nigerians have also been treated to some meaningful ones, which attempted to address germane issues. Atiku has done some through his campaign organisation addressing issues such as health, agriculture and so on.

Atiku, for instance, has said he will use primary and community-based initiatives to address the scourges of HIV/AIDS, malaria and infant mortality, among other measures to make the healthcare sector the best available.

Saraki, before dropping out of the race, also did some issues-based campaigns. But in all, Nigerians have been treated to more of the abuses, muck-racking and outright character assassination—leaving the real issues for the back bench.

Will the language of campaigns change soon? It does not seem so, especially now that the time table for the polls is out.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/politics/20467.html

LAWMAKERS lost their temper yesterday.

The House of Representatives plenary turned rowdy over alleged smuggling of N6.1 billion into the 2010 supplementary budget of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for sim card registration.

The proposal had been rejected seven times by members, but it was allegedly surreptitiously approved last Thursday.

Majority of the members of the House who vehemently opposed the alleged clandestine passage of the budget claimed that they were ambushed by the leadership of the House to pave the way for the passage.

In the heat of the argument over the action, Speaker Dimeji Bankole stepped down from his seat. That led to another round of rowdiness that lasted for about 20 minutes. Members on both sides of the argument lashed out at one another.

Everything was brought to a standstill, as members contemplated a walk-out, thinking that the Speaker was going to walk out on them.

In the end, Bankole took Deputy Speaker Usman Nafada’s seat and allowed him to preside. While Nafada was presiding, Bankole slipped out of the chambers, ostensibly to attend a public function.

Trouble started when the Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Hon. Nasir Rabe, speaking under an Order of Privilege, objected to the passage of the NCC budget.

Rabe said he was part of an ad hoc committee which looked into the legality or otherwise of passing the NCC budget with the sim card component, but that he was neither invited nor consulted.

Bankole then invited the Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee, Hon. Ita Enang, to explain what happened on the floor last week.

Enang said the controversial amount was passed in plenary after the report of the ad hoc committee, headed by newly-pardoned Hon. Ehogie West-Idahosa, was submitted to the House.

But majority of the legislators shouted: “When? When?” signifying that though they were in plenary on the said date, they were not part of the approval.

Bankole invited West- Idahosa to explain how the committee reached its conclusion.

West-Idahosa said the committee examined all extant laws and discovered that passing the N6.1 billion sim card registration component with the bill was not illegal and that the report was submitted at plenary and passed by the members.

He said when the ad hoc committee was considering the issue, efforts to reach Hon. Rabe Nasir, a member, failed.

Bankole told members that it was too late for them to protest the passage of the budget as the votes and proceedings of the said date (Thursday 25 November (2010) had earlier been approved at the opening of yesterday’s sitting.

Minority leader Mohammed Ali Ndume described the passage of the NCC budget with the N6.1 billion sim card as “an ambush”. The passage of the budget was, however, left to stay.

Minority Whip Femi Gbajabiamila told reporters that the procedure leading to the budget’s passage was faulty, adding that he might contest it in the law court.

“I think it is a matter the House needs to look into and do justice again. We will try and do whatever we need to do to make sure that the matter is revisited. I am a member of the House; I have the locus standi to go to court and say that a law that we passed was illegal and outside our purview. There is nothing in the House Rules that stops me from going to court, if I don’t agree with something, if I think in the best interest of Nigeria,” Gbajabiamila, (A CN, Lagos) said.

He added: “I swore to an oath to protect the constitution and the extant laws of this country. There is a law which I am part of, the Advance Fee Fraud Act, which specifically gives the power for the registration of sim cards to the EFCC. If there is a law that contravenes that, I have the right to go and seek redress in court. It is a constitutional right.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20470.html

THE ban on the importation of vehicles older than 10 years has been lifted.

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the extension of the age limit of used vehicles that can be imported from 10 years to 15 years.

Also removed from the import prohibition list are toothpicks, furniture, textile fabrics, lace, embroidered fabrics and made up garments.

The directive is contained in November a memo signed by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga .

Aganga said any vehicle that is manufactured 15 years ago is now free to enter the nation’s sea port for Customs clearance.

The memo reads: “This is to confirm the Mr President has granted approval for the underlisted products to be removed from the import prohibition list

The products are cassava, toothpicks, furniture, textile fabrics and articles thereof (African prints- (printed fabricks), lace and embroidered fabrics and made up garments.

"Furthermore, Mr President has approved an import duty rate of 10 per cent plus 10 per cent levy on Health and Energy drinks, such as Power Horse, Red Ginseng, which had been excluded from import prohibition and the extension of the age of used motor vehicles to be imported into the country from 10 to 15 years from the year of manufacture."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20369.html

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Halliburton and Shell Petroleum over the alleged involvement of their firms in the distribution of $180 million and $240 million bribe funds respectively.

Daily Sun learnt that formal letters of invitation for the two CEOs to appear at the EFCC’s head office in Abuja today, November 30, were sent to the Nigerian head offices of the two companies in Lagos on Monday.

Operatives of the anti-graft agency had last week raided the two companies where about 21 of their expatriate and Nigerian top officials were arrested. They were granted administrative bail over the weekend while their travel documents were seized.

Apart from the invited CEOs billed to appear today, the MDs of Technip and Saipem, both of who are linked to the Halliburton bribe scam are also to report in the Abuja office of the EFCC besides four other expatriate officials of Panalpina and two from Halliburton.

Beside this, eight Nigerian officials of Halliburton as well as seven of their counterparts in Panalpina will also face EFCC interrogators at the commission’s office in Lagos today.

While the Halliburton, Technip and Saipem officials are being probed over a $180 million bribe scam, Shell and Panalpina officials are being grilled over the alleged complicity of their companies in the sharing of $240 million bribe to some officials in Nigeria, Angola, Libya and other countries between 2001 and 2006.
When contacted on the invitations to the companies’ officials, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, said the summons were part of on-going investigations of the bribery scams

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/30/national-30-11-2010-001.htm

UNITED Bank for Africa Plc is planning to get a large chunk of the over $10 billion remittances from the Diaspora.

The bank, which at the weekend, launched its Western Union service in Lagos, sees a good opportunity to capture the businesses in the sector.

"We are delighted to be launching the Western Union service following a comprehensive rollout in our network.

‘’UBA will deploy technology, skilled personnel and customer service to the Western Union Money Transfer service to desired business level not only in Nigeria but across Africa," the Managing Director of United Bank for Africa Plc Philips Oduoza, said.

He said UBA was once rated as the fasted growing Western Union agent in the country and expressed optimism that the feat will be repeated following the new partnership.

Oduoza said Africans are good agent for remittances, and disclosed that over $21 billion yearly remittances occur in the continent despite global economic crisis and declining foreign direct investments.

He said Nigeria remains a dominant force in funds transfer business in the continent, a business which Western Union is a also a major player.

He said the bank has put anti-money laundering processes in place with a compliance system that meets world’s standard.

Speaking on behalf of Western Union, Regional Vice-President for Economic Community of West Africa States(ECOWAS), Aida Diarra, said the money transfer firm is continually expanding its network in Nigeria to include new agents.

"As one of the largest financial institutions in Nigeria and Africa with significant branch network, UBA is an excellent addition to our agent network complementing our already extensive reach across the nation," she said.

Diarra said consumers demands are changing and Western Union is working assiduously to address every concern affecting its operations in the continent.

She said her company is pleased to be working with UBA and disclosed that Western Union will continue its expansion in Nigeria and across other African countries. UBA says the Western Union will be available at all its branches in the country.

Currently, the bank has 750 branches in Nigeria, serving over six million customers.

The announcement is directly aligned to Western Union’s commitment to expanding the company’s network by working with reputable organizations to provide quality service to its customers.

Remittances to Nigeria and Africa play an important role in the development process and are estimated to exceed the level of overseas development.

Western Union says it is committed to continuing its expansion in Nigeria and across Africa as it seeks to expand its role in connecting consumers in the Diaspora with home and enabling the flow of vital funds that contribute to development around the globe.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/business/20179.html

WITH three awards at the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA) presentation at the weekend, The Nation has again confirmed its rating.

Editorial Board Chairman Sam Omatseye won the Alade Odunewu Prize for Columnist of the Year, with his entry: “Angels of Mercy”.

Just last week, Omatseye won the Informed Commentary Award at the 19th Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME).

Olatunji Ololade, an Assistant Editor, won the Ernest Sisei Ikoli Prize for Newspaper Reporter of the Year, with “Harrowing tales from rape victims”. Adewale Adeoye was also nominated for the award.

Cartoonist Azeez Oniya Ozi-Sanni won the Nnamdi Azikiwe Prize for Cartoonist of the Year, with his entry “PHCN”.

Ozi-Sanni's same entry won the best Editorial Cartooning at the DAME last week.

The Nation was nominated for the Babatunde Jose Prize for Newspaper of the Year, along with Vanguard and The Punch won.

Editor of The Nation Gbenga Omotoso was nominated for the Dele Giwa Prize for the Editor of the Year.

The Guardian Editor Debo Adesina won.

TELL beat Newswatch and The News to win the WAMCO Prize for Newsmagazine of the Year.

Channels is the winner of the NBC’s Prize for Television Station of the Year.

Rhythm FM is the Radio Station of the Year.

Tell’s Fola Adekeye won the Cecil King Prize for Print Journalist of the Year, with the entry: “A covenant with darkness”.

Chukwuma Charles of Inspiration FM won the Radio Presenter of the Year, with the entry: “Sharing life issues with Chaz ‘B’”.

Tubosun Ogundare of Daily Champion is the Newspaper Features Writer of the Year; Chukwuma Muanya of The Guardian won the Agriculture Reporter of the Year; Segun Oluwagbile of Punch won the Ibrahim Shekarau Prize for Education Reporter of the Year.

Other winners are Tell’s Adekunle Yusuf (Political Reporter of the Year); The Guardian’s Debo Oladimeji (Environment); Tell’s Anayochukwu Agbo (Banking and Finance); Punch’s Adenike Poopola (Insurance) (The Nation’s Chuks Udo Okonta was a nominee); Broad Street Journal’s Muyiwa Lucas (Aviation); Tell’s Helen Eni (Business); and BSJ’s Raymond Mordi (Energy).

The ceremony was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos amid pomp and ceremony. Comedian Tee A amused the guests. There were electrifying performances by musician Keffee and the Afrocentric Dance Crew. Jumy Fola-Alade gave a classical poetry presentation.

Among the guests were Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau; former Minister of Information and Chairman of NMMA Award Nominating Panel, Prince Tony Momoh and former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who with former Lagos Attorney-General Mrs Eniola Fadayomi presented some of the awards.

Also present were former Chairman, Nigerian Press Council and Chairman, NMMA Board of Trustees, Hadj Alade Odunewu; first Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Vincent Maduka; Ambassador Segun Olusola; former President, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Dr May Nzeribe; and APCON Chairman Mr. Laolu Akinwunmi; Shekarau, who received a Special Recognition Award, said Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of human capital, but efficient leadership to harness the abundant human resources.

“We have the people. The problem is leadership. Nigeria needs credible leaders. May the Almighty God grant Nigeria the leader that will take us to the Promised Land,” Shekarau said.

Addressing reporters after the presentations, the governor praised the Court of Appeal for restoring Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s mandate.

He took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying many results declared in the 2007 elections were in the party’s favour, but were fraudulent.

The governor called for the prosecution of officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who declared the fraudulent results.

He said: “Where are those electoral officers who declared those fraudulent results? Those that are still working in INEC should be fished out and brought to book because they have made people to occupy positions that are not worthy of them by making wrong pronouncements.”

Hadj Odunewu said the media has a central role to play in ensuring credible elections next year, saying they, as well as the politicians, will be at the centre of public attention.

He warned against rigging “by fraudsters in high places”, adding that the mandate of those who truly won “must not be stolen or in any way tampered with by hungry politicians”.

The former Managing Editor of the Daily Times prayed for a tension-free 2011 where there will be stable electricity, serious approach to security of lives, especially considering the many unresolved high profile killings, and a “farewell to treasury looting”.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20260.html

An imminent scarcity of petroleum products looms in northern Nigeria, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has warned.

NUPENG said the Kaduna Refinery which refines and supplies the bulk of fuel to the northern part of the country was down and not producing and that the only source of fuel from the Lagos port was compromised with the court injunction on MRS Oil & Gas Limited restraining it from further supply of products to northern Nigeria.

“With the Kaduna Refinery down and MRS Oil & Gas injunction and shut down, the supply chain to Northern Nigeria is broken and the route jeopardized,” NUPENG said. “From all indications, the injunction will lead to products shortages in the North and all jetties and depot owners may decide to close shop in solidarity to what is happening to their colleagues.
“If it continues, apart from the hardship that Nigerian citizens in the north will suffer, it will lead to capital flight from the region,” the union said through its President, Igwe Achese.

Bank PHB recently issued a mareva injunction against MRS Oil & Gas, a member of the NUPENG thus preventing the company from withdrawing money to pay over staff salaries as well as the inability of the company to import and discharge petroleum products. MRS is the major marketer that supplies products to the north.

“We see it as an abuse of judicial process as the injunction is injurious and will scare investors from the down stream sector of the oil and gas industry,” Achese further said. “The way forward is for the Chief Justice of the Federation to call the judge to order to avoid this draconian dispensation of justice and the aftermath of throwing the nation into chaos and hardship,” he suggested.

The NUPENG boss said that the Central Bank Governor should look at the volume of business in the sector and have a change of heart to bail out the sector as refusal to do so and calling them names would impact negatively on the nation’s economy.

According to him, many private oil and gas depots are in dilemma and groaning from the weight of loans from Nigerian banks or are underutilized with signals of impending scarcity because of low and inadequate petroleum products allocations from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency(PPPRA).

He said that they need an olive branch from the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Executive of PPPRA. “We are therefore calling on all constituted authorities to intervene in the unilateral mareva court injunction against MRS Oil & Gas to be immediately vacated in order to apprehend the impending fuel crisis,” he said.

Achese said that the injunction has led to the freezing of the bank account of MRS Holdings Limited and all MRS oil and gas limited bank accounts. He said that the order has led to the non-payment of salaries and the union dues by Nigeria.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/nov/29/newsbreak-29-11-2010-001.htm

Presidential aspirant of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), General Mohammadu Buhari has said that the disagreement between President Goodluck Jonathan and former vice president Alhaji Abubakar Atiku over the state of the nation’s economy was a clear indication of the deficiency of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in managing Nigeria’s economy.

The former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had while responding to his selection as the North’s consensus presidential aspirant of the PDP decried perceived poor implementation of the budget and also alleged that the nation’s foreign reserve had been depleted.

In his defence, President Jonathan described the former vice president as ignorant of the workings of the economy and cautioned him against playing politics with the nation’s economy as a way of gaining cheap political sympathy in the coming 2011 general elections.

But the former head of state said both Atiku and President Jonathan were two sides of a coin in a party that had no wherewithal to revamp the nation’s economy, rather it would further push it into abyss.
He said it was the planned programme of action on how to redirect the economy to make it buoyant that stood the CPC out of the cluster of parties of which the PDP was one.

The presidential hopeful stated that the claims by Alhaji Atiku and the counter claims by the Presidency only deepened the conviction that PDP was a dilemma to the country and her people and could only have visited hardship on the people through economic mismanagement that had spanned about 12 years.
Speaking through his spokesman, Dennis Aghanya, Gen. Buhari in his reaction to the disagreement between the two personalities lamented that the greatest misfortune that could befall Nigeria was to allow PDP win any of the 36 states of the federation let alone the Presidency in 2011.

General Buhari said investigations by the CPC revealed that the nation’s external reserves “which stood at about $64billion, when Yaradua/Jonathan were sworn in now stands at about $30billion; our foreign debt which was reduced by the OBJ’s regime from $37.5billion to $3.5billion is now back to over $30billion; and our excess crude which stood at about $20billion is now less than $1billion. Also our domestic debt is over N3.5trillion with our local contractors’ at the receiving end.

The implication of the development, he argued, was that so much money had been wasted with virtually no physical development to show for it, except for the continued impoverishment of innocent Nigerians. “The present administration is busy packing all the money meant for development, which ordinarily would have brought positive transformation to the society; an opportunity the President would have capitalized on to request for votes in 2011 general elections, rather than cutting corners and using the nation’s wealth to rig the 2011 general elections.

“The argument for and against, going on between the former vice president, Atiku Abaubakar, and President Goodluck Jonathan, is all a PDP affair and in confirmation of the looting of our national treasury going on by the PDP led federal government.” It is an understatement to say that the PDP government has mismanaged our economy, but most appropriate to say that it stinks with corruption.

“Quite acceptable that the government’s economic reform programmes were on course, according to the Finance Minister, Segun Aganga, and that the recurrent expenditure of the budget has been implemented 100 per cent with over N750 billion capital expenditure so far released, hoping to hit N900 billion by the 2010 financial year. To what extent has this impacted in the physical transformation of the society?

“No job for our teeming job seekers. Our national highways are death traps while most industries are either closing down or relocating the neighbouring countries. The finance minister also posited that the three tiers of government jointly invested $5.5 billion different on NIPPs projects across the country, the money drawn from the excess crude account, without any meaningful improvement in the power sector. This sector has remained a conduit pipe for successive PDP governments to siphon our huge oil revenue since the country’s return to democracy in 1999.

“The agenda of our former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, to balkanize Nigeria after his reign, seem to still be on course. If not, why is this regime currently depending on the nation’s emergence oil reserve stored in the northern part of the country, an effort designed to artificially stabilize the problem of fuel scarcity in the country.

“This is to gain cheap popularity against the forthcoming 2011 general elections. What shall we fall back on incase of any serious natural disaster that may befall the nation; a disaster that may affect both the production of natural crude and the importation of finished petroleum products? Is building of more refineries, as a matter of priority, not a better solution?


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/29/national-29-11-2010-001.htm

Numerous Vacancies at ChanMedi-Pharm Ltd/Gte (7 positions)
CHAN Medi-Pharm Ltd/Gte, a Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN) company is today the oldest and largest drug distribution NGO in Nigeria. The company has expanded to acquire a large asset base with Headquarters at Jos and six zonal drug depots within Nigeria, with a vision to be “the preferred partner in health care” the company is seeking to recruit dynamic and performance driven individuals to fill the following vacancies:

1.) Medical Sales Representaives

Locations: Lagos, Onitsha, Port-Harcourt, Kano,and Others

Responsibilities
The ideal person shall ensure effective redistribution of the company’s range of Pharmaceuticals and health care products to trade, medical and allied professions in both general and private practice, including our member institutions (Mis), public and private hospitals, pharmacy shops and other outlets.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

* Must hold a minimum of B.Pharm/B.Sc. Biological Sciences or a medical related degree not below second class.
* Honesty and maturity in character very essential. Excellent interpersonal and communication experience.
* Must demonstrate good sales attitude with the ability to achieve brand penetration and visibility within assigned territory.
* Must be a team player with positive attitude.
* Must have effective time ad ‘activity management skills, self confident with the ability to work under pressure.
* Must demonstrate persistence, self motivation and be a good Listener
* Applicants to this position must be below 30 years of age with the willingness to work in any part of the country.


2.) Regional Sales Managers

Job Requirements

* All conditions for NO.1 above applies, but applicants for this position must have 3 - 5 years of hands-on field experience and must have capacity to lead a sales team to achieve agreed targets.


3.) Brand Managers

Job Requirements

* All condition for No.1 above applies, but applicants for this position must have 3 – 5 years of hands-on field experience and have the capacity to develop and implement strategies to build assigned brands while achieving market share.


4.) Personal Assistant To The MD / CEO

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

* Degree or HND in Secretarial Administration from recognised institution.
* Minimum of 3 years post-NYSC experience.
* Must be diligent, trustworthy, have excellent interpersonal skills and good human relations.
* Must be computer literate and have good command of English language.
* Must be versatile in the use of office productivity tools, Microsoft office and presentation applications.
* Must be ready to work long hours in a challenging executive office environment.
* Must possess excellent presentation and report writing skil1s.
* Applicants for this position must be below 35 years of age.


5.) Information Systems Officer

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

* Degree or HND in Computer Science from recognised institution.
* Minimum of 3 years post-NYSC experience.
* Must be versatile in Internet/network administration and other web tools.
* Must be experienced in Web Design, Hosting, Graphic /Animation.
* Ability to train other computer users and trouble- shooting knowledge is essential.
* Must have experience in the administration of Accounting Software Packages.
* Applicants for this position must be below 40 years of age.


6.) Financial Accountant

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

* Degree or HND in Accounting from recognised institution with a professional qualification such as ACA or ACCA.
* Minimum of 5 years post-NYSC experience.
* Must be versatile in the use of office productivity tools, Microsoft office and presentation applications.
* Must have experience in the use of Accounting Software Packages.
* Ability to maintain adequate financial records of all company’s transactions.
* Ensure compliance with relevant statutory authorities.
* The ideal candidate should be able to handle Tax issues, prepare monthly cash flows and financial reports.
* Prepare annual budgets and final accounts.


7.) Internal Audit Officer

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

* Degree or HND in Accounting from recognised institution with.
* Minimum of 2 years post-NYSC experience.
* Must be versatile in the use of office productivity tools, Microsoft office and presentation applications.
* Must have experience in the use of Accounting Software Packages.
* The ideal candidate should be able to assist with provision of audit/assurance’ services.
* Ensure that company’s policies and procedures are complied with in all transactions.
* Applicants for this position must be below 33 years of age.


Application Deadlines
7th December, 2010

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should apply indicating desired Position on the Subject Field and a Cover Letter should be sent to both: careers@chanmedi-pharm.org and chanmedipharm@gmail.com

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

CHAN Medi-Pharm is an equal Opportunity employer; women are strongly advised to apply.
Website: www.chanmedi-pharm.org


CHECKOUT HOTTEST JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL SECTORS IN NIGERIA AND ABROAD BELOW THIS POST @ MY SIGNATURE SECTION TO GET YOUR DREAM JOB NOW.

Former chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Shuaibu Ahmed Gara, has declared that the country's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Finance Crime Commission (EFCC), has no reason whatsoever to investigate Dr Amos Adamu, who was recently suspended by the world football governing body, FIFA, over allegation of bribery in the ongoing bid for the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

It's true that Adamu was cleared of the corruption allegations by FIFA, but he was subsequently suspended for three years from participating in any football-related activities for breaking what FIFA said was its ethics.

Gombe gave reasons he felt the EFCC should not investigate Dr Adamu. He stated that Nigerians have been screaming that Adamu was corrupt, but EFCC did not do anything to that effect. Rather, the anti-graft agency has begun to talk of investigating Adamu only now that FIFA had found him wanting. He, instead, suggested that Interpol should be allowed to handle Adamu's case to a logical conclusion.

Gombe further said that Adamu was not a public servant, but a civil servant, and when it was alleged that he was the richest civil servant in the country, nobody did anything to check his source of wealth. He, therefore, queried why the EFCC should poke nose into Adamu's affairs now that his case is with the international community. He added that it would only be proper if his case were handled at that level.

His words: “As far as I'm concerned, EFCC should not probe Dr Amos Adamu over the FIFA bribe-for-vote scandal because that effort is grossly belated. Moreover, Adamu is not a public servant. He is a civil servant and his case is already with the international community and it should be better handled at that level.

“My position is that Interpol should handle Adamu's case. I believe that Interpol is in a better position to do that. Why should EFCC want to probe Adamu now? Where was EFCC all this while? When it was alleged that Adamu was the richest civil servant in the country, what did the EFCC do to find out the source of his wealth or is EFCC just waking from slumber? There are many questions begging for answers,” Gombe continued.

“Even without any petition, for the mere fact that many Nigerians kept pointing accusing fingers at Adamu, it was enough for the EFCC to initiate a probe against him. If not that he exported his corrupt tendencies outside the shores of Nigeria and was caught in his act, would the EFCC not maintain its blind eyes on Adamu?

“I speak with pains in my heart because I know the level of damage Adamu has done to Nigeria. For somebody in his position in both FIFA and CAF to have been involved in such a dirty dealing is quite unfortunate. What he did to the image of this country is worse than the damage Umar Farouk Abdul-Muttalib did to Nigeria when he tried to bomb a United States airliner. In the case of Abdul-Muttalib, his father roundly tried to prevent him, which was why US de-listed Nigeria from the list of terrorist countries. But what Adamu has done to the country's image is unquantifiable.

“My fight with Adamu is not personal, it has lasted for many year and has been based on principles. But now, I think the federal government should as a matter of urgency, strip him of the national award (MFR) it bestowed on him since he has brought shame to the nation. If I were to find myself in Adamu's shameful shoes, I would simply return the national honours to the federal government without waiting for anybody to remind me of that.

“For those who insinuate that Adamu was set up, I would say even at that, must he fall for it if he were not dubious? As far as I'm concerned, Adamu was not in any way set up. He is corrupt to the marrow and he was caught in his game. His case is like that of a child, who used to steal from his mother's pot of soup and his mother did not do anything to caution him, but when he went to his neighbour's house and did what he knew how to do best and was caught and punished, his mother raised an alarm that her child was hated by the neighbour.

“All the while Adamu was in charge of sports in Nigeria, has any government probed him? Adamu supervised four Nations Cup, three Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games, three World Athletics Championships and three All Africa Games while at the helm of Nigerian sports and he has never rendered account of his stewardship in all his activities. It's terrible!” Gombe continued.

“The people, who are saying that Adamu was set up, were the few that benefited from his ill-gotten wealth and I challenge them to come for public hearing and see if Nigerians will not lynch them.”
Alhaji Gombe went on: “Meanwhile, FIFA is not helping matters when it comes to corrupt allegations in football. For instance, during the Nigeria 2009 Under-17 World Cup, there were series of allegations of financial misappropriation by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the championship, but FIFA closed its ears to all that, instead, its officials castigated those who reported the sharp practises.

“In fact, the world football governing body is as corrupt as Adamu. Or how would you reconcile the fact that the FIFA Ethics Committee claimed that it cleared Adamu of corruption charges in this regard, but went ahead to suspend him for three years for breaching its ethics, is that not funny? It was a way of giving Adamu a soft landing because the Committee members knew what it would portend if they had convicted him.

“As for me, I don't have any iota of respect for Adamu because I know him very well. He has cheated this nation on several occasions. I was a witness when Adamu was giving some money to deliver to Issah Hayatou, the CAF president, for him to approve Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima's impeachment from the Nigeria Football Association, but he never delivered that message. He did not give Hayatou the said money and I believe that he has been doing such for a long time.

“So, how can I respect a man, who would collect money for a national project and would convert it to his personal money? I can never respect Adamu, not while I am alive. He does not deserve my respect,” Alhaji Gombe concluded.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/sportsonthehour/2010/nov/28/sportsbreak-28-11-2010-001.htm

The news is all over town that Genevieve and D’banj were the focus at P-Square’s birthday party in Omole. This goes to confirm the much touted romance between the duo. Despite her silence at the party, her body language and the lovey-dovey of the two lovebirds gave them away.

Immediately after the outing, news was rife that Genevieve is working on an album and that Don Jazzy, the president of MoHoits, is about to sign her on. It’s also in the news that she will be featuring in D’banj’s forthcoming album in December.

In a chat with Showbiz Now, Genevieve’s manager, Ajua Dickson said she is not working on any album, stating there was no plan to sign a deal with MoHits. “Genevieve is not a singer and I can tell you for sure that she is not working on any album. And as for featuring on D’banj’s forthcoming album, she is not a singer, but you can’t say never”.

On the rumored romance, Ajua said: “D’banj is a friend of the house. Genny will get back to you herself on that.” D’banj was not available for comments as he is said to be in America shooting a Glo commercial. Meanwhile all sms and repeated calls placed to Genevieve’s phones were not returned.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/showpiece/2010/nov/28/showpiece-28-11-2010-001.htm

Two directors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) – Mr Harrison Onwon, Director, Legal Services, and Mr Jimoh Gbejule, Acting Director, Finance and Supply - have been suspended indefinitely by the Board of the commission.

Their sack is a fall-out of the ongoing battle of wits that had plagued the interventionist agency in the last few months. The high-wired boardroom politics, that is threatening to cripple the commission, may also consume the Managing Director, Mr Chibuzor Ugwuoha, who the Board has also recommended for suspension by the Presidency.

Sunday Sun learnt that the Board took the decision at its meeting on Thursday, during which it resolved that the trio be suspended for illegally orchestrating the transfer of US$20 million (about N3 billion) from its offshore account in Union Bank United Kingdom to an unauthorized account in First Bank, also in the UK.

The trio was also accused of forging a resolution of the Board to orchestrate the transfer of the amount.
A top official of the commission, who craved anonymity, confirmed the suspension of the duo, but said the Board could not take any action against the Managing Director as only the Presidency could do so through the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation. The source said the decision of the Board has already been communicated to the Presidency and that Ugwuoha would be summoned to explain all he knows about the transfer of the fund, which he was said to have sanctioned.

Sunday Sun however gathered that the Managing Director actually directed the two principal officers to carry out the transaction as a preemptive measure to safeguard the funds of the commission due to the uncertainty surrounding the banking industry in Nigeria. He was said to have taken the action in good faith but, according to a source in the commission, he did not carry the Board along, which was “the offence he committed.”

“So while he was acting to protect the money of the commission in the offshore account from the vicissitude of the banking industry in Nigeria, other members of the Board felt he had ulterior motives. “The fact is that the money is intact. The signatories are still the same and nothing has happened to the fund. The money was not lodged in any personal account. It is still the commission’s account, but it was moved from one bank to another to safeguard the fund in a more financially stable bank,” the source explained.

When contacted, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Managing Director, Mr Abraham Ogbodo, refused to comment on the suspension of the two directors and instead referred us to the Corporate Affairs Head, whom he said was the proper person to speak on the matter.

Ogbodo also said he was not aware of any move to suspend his boss by the Presidency even as he admitted that only Abuja could take such action against the agency’s MD in the event of any wrongdoing.
Efforts to speak to the Head, Corporate Affairs, Mr Toye Abosede, at press time on Saturday evening however failed, as several calls to his mobile telephone line could not connect.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/28/national-28-11-2010-003.htm

THE steady decline in the nation’s oil reserve coupled with the lull in exploration activities in recent times, industry stakeholders have argued, are serious cause for concern considering the adverse effects this could pose on the economy, report Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf and Ambrose Nnaji

IF the widespread concerns over the nation’s depleting oil reserves are anything to go by, then it may be correct to say that Nigeria’s economy, which depends solely on oil-generated revenue considering the contribution of the sector to 85 to 90 per cent of the GDP, may suffer some setbacks.

At the risk of being accused of making some fatuous pontification, at this juncture, a short anecdote would suffice.

Points to ponder
Nigeria has total refining capacity of 445,000 bdp, but has never reached full production because of sabotage and operational failures.

Port Harcourt refinery is supposed to generate at least, 210, 000 barrels per day, but manages only a fraction, just as the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), which has been producing about 110,000 barrels per day with Warri Refinery making up the balance.

However, according to informed sources, there has been a steady decline in the country’s oil reserves in the last couple of years, with many of the multinationals pulling out of the joint venture partnerships with the Federal Government, for reasons which border on the superficial to the complex, chief among which is the continued restiveness in the Niger Delta.

Besides, the policy matrix of government, with a penchant for bureaucracy, may have also made it a disincentive for prospective investors to come into the sector analysts have said.

For instance, the much touted Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which is expected to set new rules of engagement in the sector has been a source of constant antagonism between the government on the one hand, the oil majors, and the labour union, most of who have continued to canvass views for and against the bill.

Of course, the result is that there has been a general lull in activities in the sector, especially in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, with everybody literally adopting “a wait-and-see attitude”, according to Mr. Isaac Arowolo, the immediate past president of the  Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), arguably one of the vocal stakeholder group in the sector.

The inability of the Obasanjo administration to appoint a minister designate for the Ministry of Petroleum between 1999 and 2007 analysts further argued, may have also affected investor confidence largely, just as the volatility in the international oil market had a telling effect of crude oil sales, thus making the sector less competitive for new prospects.

The post-Obasanjo years, analysts maintained, leaves nothing to cheer about as the sector is still mired in what has been largely described in some quarters as “bosom traps.”

Reserves Position as at January 1, 2010
Nigeria’s reserves position from the years preceding 2008 to December 2009, not only shows the critical situation in the sector, but raises questions about the inability of the government to device means and ways of addressing this malaise.

According to the Department of Petroleum Resources, during the period under review, the nation’s probable and proven oil reserves was at 31.81 billion barrels of oil, while condensate reserves was 5.35 billion barrels. Total oil and con ensate reserve was 37.16 billion barrels

Compared to same period last year, the Oil reserves dropped by 1.6 billion barrels (4.79%); Condensate reserves increased by 0.152 billion barrels (2.92%), just as oil and condensate reserves decreased by 1.444 billion barrels

The decrease was due to companies relenting in exploration activities and full field studies but rather concentrating on development drilling and production.

As at June 2010, the oil reserves depletion rate was 2.81% based on estimated annual production volume of 894.79mmbbls and the remaining oil reserves indicate a life index of 35.55 years.

Modus operandi in the downstream sector
What processes, if any, does oil exploration activities entail?

Mr. Isaac Arowolo, a senior geologist with Chevron Nigeria Limited, and the immediate past president of NAPE, who should know, offers plausible explanations, even as he attempted a prognosis of the crisis bedevilling the sector.

According to the geologist, “Exploration is when you look for new oil then you have a lot of activities that will precede this and you have your data accreditation, data analysis, your project economies, and your decision to drill. When you do drill and you find, then you appraise by drilling additional wells to define how much volume of hydrocarbon you have discovered. It is only then you can be talking about reserves, which are simply addition from exploration. So, reserves are the volume that you have already defined that you have left, yet to produce.

“Since you produce on a daily basis, against your will, you will be depleting your reserves. You can only maintain your reserve base or increase it if you continue to add to it. And that’s where exploration comes into play. That’s why exploration is at the forefront of your increasing or maintaining your reserves because there are some of those discoveries that have been made that have not been appraised in the past. If you do appraisal of these discoveries and you define that you have reserves that can be produced then you can add those to your reserve base. That is another way you can increase your reserve base. But if you continue to produce and you do not add as much as you are producing or you are adding at all, then your reserves will be decreasing, it will be nose-diving. And when that happens, the only way you can reserve it is to find a way of adding to it more than you are removing from it. And it is long-term thing to do; you need to plan ahead for it.”

Expatiating, he said: “When you talk about production, you got to bring the oil and gas from the sub-surface, so you need your developed wells, you will need your studies, your production facilities, your float lines, and pipelines to really make sure that it goes from the sub-surface to the market. Again, it is not something that can be done overnight.

If you are talking about new field development, it is something that will take several years, depending on the size of the project you are talking about and the complexity and location because if you have some on land. i.e. swamp, shallow, it is not the same as something in deep water that will take several years to develop. And even when you have your production facilities if it is vandalized and you do not have access to it for a long time, it does take time to bring some of these wells back on, as some may not even come back until you have to do a major intervention. All these will affect production ultimately.”

Investigation by The Nation has further revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil refinery capacity may have suffered a fresh setback after a damaged major pipeline forced a shutdown of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), which has been producing about 110,000 barrels per day, a fortnight ago.

This is coming on the heels of a force majeure declared by Shell on exports from its Bonny Terminal, thereby shutting-in 220, 000 bpd of exports.

The country was scheduled to export up to 10 cargoes this month, equal to about 317, 000 bpd and about 15 per cent f Nigeria’s daily oil exports this month of 2.1 million bpd.

For the incurable optimist, who still believes things might get better in the sector, this year, the submission made by the Principal Secretary to the President, Mr. Hassan Tukur penultimate Thursday in an interview with Reuters, may have foreclosed any chances of interested investors getting licenses for their bid rounds this year.

The President’s aide, who spoke in clear terms said, everything would have to be put on hold until the Petroleum Industry Bill is passed into law.

“I don’t see the major licensing round before it is passed”, he reportedly said, when the subject of the bid rounds was raised.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ member holds periodic licensing rounds for new blocks and has said the next will be a chance for domestic companies and foreign firms new to Nigeria to gain a foothold.

The special adviser to the president on petroleum matters, Professor …ebodaghe, has however said these fears are unfounded.

Ebodaghe, who spoke at a public forum in Abuja recently, said the country was doing everything humanly possible to boost its oil reserve to an appreciable level.

While admitting that the current production output, which oscillates between 3.67 to 3.87billion bpd was inadequate, he was however quick to add that the Federal Government was determined to raise the stakes higher by meeting the 40billion bpd within the next two years.

But a former staff of the Department of Petroleum Resources, who would not be named, in an interview with The Nation recently said the nation faces a bleak future as far as petroleum resources are concerned, just as he described as “laughable”, the presumptions of the government in its planned reserves projection, saying “it is mere platitudes which is not likely to se the light of day.”

According to our source, the under capacity utilization of the nation’s three refineries, coupled with the menace posed by the restive youths in the Niger Delta, is at the bottom of the crisis bedevilling the sector.

More worrisome, he said, is the fact that the Federal Government has consistently applied cosmetic measures rather than taking holistic steps to nip the crisis in the sector in the bud.

Citing the report credited to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Austen Oniwon, who spoke in Port Harcourt at a town hall meeting with members of staff in the NNPC’s Eastern zone last weekend, of plans by the Federal Government, to intensify the search for oil in the Chad Basin, the source declared matter-of-factly: “As far as I am concerned, I don’t think it is a step in the right direction. It is like putting the burning the bridges at both ends. As much as one is not totally opposed to new oil discoveries given the probable short lifespan of our current reserves which may not last for another four decades, what should pre-occupy the minds of the government for now is to boost the infrastructure in the sector.

“The country has a lot to learn from our neighbours, like Ghana for instance. They discovered oil in the former Gold Coast just few years ago, but that has not made them to discountenance other sectors, which are equally s vital as oil if not much more. Agriculture still accounts for over 35 per cent of the country’s GDP, just as it employs over 55 per cent of the workforce in the country. What that tells me is that, the government has foresight, in not letting the oil become an end in itself. S, Nigeria should take a cue from that”, he emphasised.

Way forward
Short of blaming the government for criminal negligence of the sector, Isaac Arowolo, who is very passionate about the sector, however offered useful suggestions, which he reckons, would help in no small measure to put the country back on track in its quest towards attaining self-sufficiency in the downstream sector.

“First of all, I will say that the ways we can increase reserves include exploration activities, you have to look for new reserves, you drill new prospects and find new oil and then you can add those oils to your reserve base or you appraise some of the findings that have not been appraised and define in economic sense in the scale of economic hurdle then it can be part of your reserves”, he said, even as he added a caveat: “But there are a lot of things required for this to happen.”

Continuing, he said: “If you have to scale the economic hurdle then, the investment climate will have to be conducive. You don’t wait to go and sink millions of dollars when the chance of you recouping your costs is very slim. In the past when the price of oil was going down, and Nigeria still wanted to maintain or increase the reserve base, that was the time government put in place the Memorandum of Understanding which guaranteed certain merging of profits. So companies were encouraged to go into explorations.”

Stressing further, he said: “However, in the current situation, especially with the new reserves, that you are looking that may be coming from deep water; you need the incentives for people to go into that kind of environment to take the risk to drill this prospect. But a number of reforms that are coming up is like people now have a wait-and-see attitude, as to how is this thing going to affect the investment that I am going to be putting into this because you don’t want to be caught in the web, especially after sinking too much money into the transaction, and nothing comes out of it at the end. So the reforms would have to be favourable to exploration activities and that is the only time you can begin to encourage the companies really to go into these areas and invest so that new reserves can be added.

“Otherwise, companies would be more comfortable producing what they have already found because if the terms are not right for finding new ones, you don’t want to go into this. Besides, their funds are competing for projects elsewhere and not just in Nigeria. Some of these companies have interest all over the world. So, it’s where they have the best terms they are going to be diverting funds to. That’s why on of the management sessions during the Deep Offshore West Africa Conference (DOWAC 2010), discussed the Nigeria Oil and Gas reforms and the implications for investment in the industry. So it will affect some oil explorations and may also affect other projects. The Nigeria content law, all of these are being weighed by would-be investors. Its only when they find it economically viable that they will go into this new project.”

While citing the example of three flow stations, including Bonga, Agbami, Apo, which recently came on line, these ones, he stressed, added to the production.

One way to sustain such developments, he further stressed, is that the environment has to be conducive.

“Where you have unrest, where you have act of vandalism, or where you have major attack on oil installations, it becomes a problem. Shell only last week called for force majeure because one of their pipelines was tampered with. A force majeure is something that protects against the contract because these companies have contracts with their  suppliers and if you say you are going to b giving me 10 barrels per day of oil for instance, and then you have breached the contract between us.

But if it is as a result of something you have no control over, then I want to let you know that something has happened and I will not be able to meet this contract, that’s what force majeure is all about”, he said, just as he reiterated that: “Safety and issues of unrest, kidnappings, all have negative effects on production. You can’t talk about the oil industry today without talking about the insecurity in the Niger Delta.”

On the possible impact such incidents could wrought on the economy, he said: “Since oil accounts for a very large percentage of the Nigeria’s economy, about 85-90 per cent, so whatever that will affect our production will directly be felt by the Nigerian economy. When the unrest was at the highest peak production really came low.”

Corroborating Arowolo, in an interview with The Nation, the former president of NAPE, and a major stakeholder in the oil and gas industry, Mr. Victor Agbe-Davies, observed that no meaningful oil activities would take place in a state of war and rancour.

According to him, the Niger Delta unrest which has led to the vandalization of pipelines, kidnapping of oil workers, among others, may have significantly disrupted exploration activities in the oil region.

While calling for peace in the Niger Delta region, Davies however urged the Federal Government to put up measures that would ensure friendly environment for the host communities.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/business/20099.html

ENGINEER Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Saturday took over as governor of Osun State with a directive freezing all the accounts of the State government.

The Chief Judge of the State, Justice Gabriel Olaniyi Ojo, performed the swearing-in ceremony and oath taking for Governor Aregbesola and his deputy, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, at the Play ground of the Technical College, Osogbo.

The ceremony, which commenced at 3.pm was witnessed by a large crowd of dignitaries and party supporters and members of the public, who had started trooping into the venue as early as 7 am. They patiently waited till Aregbesola arrived in company with Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Dr Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo),and Dr Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).

Aregbesola in his address promised to channel all the resources of the state towards its social, economic and infrastructural development.

“I thank God, the long night of vote robbery and resultant oppression of innocent citizens is over. Now is the time to repair our land and empower our people. Our programme for the redemption of our state is the same popular programmes that won your hearts during the campaigns, for which you gave us a resounding victory,” Aregbesola said.

The new governor paid glowing tributes to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of ACN, Chief Bisi Akande and other notable leaders of the party. He specifically requested that the anthem of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), led by the late Awolowo in the Second Republic, be played. The anthem was played in its original form with Awolowo’s voice over.

The governor also saluted the efforts of the past leaders in Osun including the late Chief Bola Ige and Chief Bisi Akande who was governor of the state between 1999 and 2003.

Aregebsola also saluted the courage and fairness of the judiciary for restoring the stolen mandate. He also thanked the people of the state for standing by him throughout the period of the struggle to recover the stolen mandate.

The mammoth crowd at the venue of the ceremony responded with thunderous applause to every pronouncement by the new governor. The entire venue wore a carnival look, with many singing and drumming groups trying to outdo one another.

A banner with portraits of Awolowo, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin, the late Senator Abraham Adesanya and Ige was strategically displayed at the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Akande, prayed that the people of the state would never again witness bad governance associated with the ousted administration of Prince Olagunsoye Olagunsoye Oyinlola sacked by the ruling of the Court of Appeal, sitting in Ibadan last Friday.

Tinubu described Aregbesola as a dogged fighter and called on the people of the state to continue to support the new administration in order for him to restore the lost glory of the state.

Governor Fashola of Lagos State also expressed joy over the victory at the Appeal Court which brought Aregbesola on board in Osun State, assuring that Oyo and Ogun would soon join the progressives as did Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun States.

Fashola said his peers at the Governors’ Forum have now increased in number having started as the only ACN governor in 2007. “I am particularly happy because I was the only one when we started three and a half years ago. All around me I saw usurpers, those who could not provide electricity, water and good education. But our leaders used to encourage me that the future would be better. Please support your governor – he needs the cooperation of all,” an elated Fashola said.

Governor Mimiko, hailed the new administration and congratulated the people of Osun on the new dawn.

Other dignitaries at the ceremony included former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Oyo State governor, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, and former Ekiti State governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.

Others include Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, Lagos State deputy governor, Mrs. Sarah Sosan, Ekiti State deputy governor, Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Mr. Femi Falana, Alhaji Yerima Shetima, Evangelist Bamidele Olomilua, Chief Michael Koleoso, Mr Dele Alake and Mr Opeyemi Bamidele.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20173.html

Barely a week after the announcement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the consensus candidate of the Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), there are indications of fresh hurdles to frustrate the presidential ambition of the Turaki Adamawa.

On one hand, the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organization is said to be jittery over Atiku’s emergence contrary to media reports that it came to the group as a relief and is already strategizing on how to scuttle his bid for the sole Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket for the 2011 election.

The development comes amid feelers that tension is gradually mounting in the North over Atiku’s emergence as the NPLF preferred choice. Sunday Sun gathered from an authoritative source close to the Presidency that power brokers in the Jonathan camp are already armed with a catalogue of Atiku’s negative activities in office as vice president.

Atiku was Nigeria’s number two citizen under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration between 1999 and 2007. It was gathered that his former boss, Obasanjo, is likely to anchor the ‘stop Atiku’ project as he is believed to have more information on the former VP, having worked with him. “Don’t mind media reports that the Jonathan camp was jubilating when Atiku emerged as the consensus candidate of the North. It is not true. You are going to see a lot of smear campaign in the weeks ahead. A can of worms may likely be opened when the battle starts.

“They know that Atiku is not an underdog in politics and they are having sleepless nights on how to stop him from launching himself back into the hearts of power brokers in the PDP, especially the governors. They also think he has a lot of political baggage that would sway Nigerians against the former vice president.
“Remember that Atiku has a history of surviving many political battles. Remember that Obasanjo did all he could to stop him from contesting in 2007 but failed. In 2003, Obasanjo was reported to have knelt down for him when his re-election became difficult. At that time, the governors were more loyal to Atiku than Obasanjo.

“If you know Obasanjo well, his fight with Atiku is not over yet because he knows the implication of the emergence of the former vice president,” the source said. Jonathan’s field men are also said to be aware of the fact that Atiku has a lot of money and knows how to deploy it during elections. Part of what shocked those in Jonathan’s camp, according to our source, was the acceptance of Atiku by the other aspirants that lost in the race for the consensus candidate immediately he was announced by the NPLF.

It was gathered that supporters of Jonathan had hoped that the other three candidates would reject the decision of the Ciroma committee. Our source also informed that part of the worry in Jonathan’s camp is that his supporters are not sure of the loyalty of some northern governors. For instance, since Atiku emerged, Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) have been meeting secretly to chart a new course for the North.

Known as the G3, the group has met in different places including Yola, Sokoto and Dutse. Whereas some insist the governors were working for Jonathan, others believe the G3 was established as a counterpoise to the Ciroma committee. Our source told Sunday Sun that part of the fear is that the Turaki Adamawa has a history with governors and northern elders, who are usually influential during elections.

Already, his image is said to be on the rise again in the North with a coalition of supporters of candidates who lost in the race for the NPLF consensus candidate working desperately to launch him back into the hearts of power brokers. Our source said that the manner Atiku beat other big guns in the keenly contested battle for the NPLF ticket came as a surprise to kingmakers in the North with many of them thinking that he may be the man to help the geo-political zone recapture power in 2011.

“Since Atiku was announced by the Ciroma committee as the ‘consensus candidate of the North,’ the mood among people of the area is changing. Even those who ordinarily could not have given Atiku a chance are beginning to have a rethink. “Many expected that the former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, was going to easily emerge as the consensus candidate.

So, for Atiku to have beaten a man who is considered as a movement in Nigeria, the calculation is that if the North rally round him in the PDP primaries, he would be a hard nut to crack by the Jonathan camp,” the source said. He added that having inherited the late General Musa Yar’Adua-led Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), arguably the most powerful political structure in Nigeria, it would not be impossible if Atiku comes with another surprise package in the PDP primaries.

According to him, the same odds that favoured Atiku against the other three aspirants in the consensus project might also come into play at the primaries of the ruling party.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/28/national-28-11-2010-001.htm

Atiku, on the day he emerged the PDP north consensus candidate with him is Dokpesi at the Ciroma-led meeting

ABOUT four Igbo candidates are being considered for the Vice-Presidential slot to the Northern Consensus Candidate, ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for the PDP presidential primaries.

Already Senator Ben Obi has been appointed as the Director-General of the broad-based campaign following a meeting between the Atiku and ex-President Ibrahim Babangida; ex-NSA General Aliyu Gusau; and Governor Bukola Saraki.

A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said the meeting was part of their written commitment to harmonize their campaign structure to assist Atiku to win the 2011 presidential ticket of the PDP.

Those penciled down are ex-President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani; a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Prof. Charles Soludo; ex-Minister of Information, Chief Emeka Chikelu, and Chief Nze Duru.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that although none of the candidates has shown interest in Vice-Presidency, some influential Igbo leaders are making strong case for them in what appears a North-South-East pact for 2011 presidential poll.

According to findings, as a political joker to break the hold of President Goodluck Jonathan in the South-East, the Harmonized Campaign Organization for Atiku is looking at the prospect of picking a Vice-Presidential candidate from the South-East.

A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) is likely to forge a strong alliance with the South-East for the 2011 in line with the PDP zoning formula.

“This alliance will be consolidated before the presidential primaries of the PDP to enhance the chances of Atiku.

“The position of the north is that presidency must shift to the South-East in 2015. This is the bargaining bait of the North with Igbo leaders.

“The search for Atiku’s deputy has started in order to be able to lay basis for the alliance. But Northern leaders will work with a South-East Committee, being chaired by ex-Vice-President Atiku, to pick the potential VP.

“Those being considered as ex-President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani; a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Prof. Charles Soludo; ex-Minister of Information, Chief Emeka Chikelu, and Chief Nze Duru.

A top source said: “Many of these leaders and their sponsors have been making contacts with the Alex Ekwueme Committee set up by political leaders in the zone to pick a vice presidential candidate.

“The Ekwueme committee is an offshoot of the Igbo Political Leaders Forum which had entered into alliance with Northern Political Leaders Forum. The two groups had agreed to support the north to produce a president in 2011 while the South- East will produce the president in 2015.”

Besides the four candidates, another source added some Igbo leaders are also making a case either for the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu or a serving South-East governor as VP candidate to Atiku.

He said: “Some are however saying that Ekweremadu is already embedded in Jonathan 2011 project and might reject the offer.

“If everything works as conceived, the serving governors in the zone may be asked to nominate one of them for the slot of running mate to Atiku.

After the session, ex-President Ibrahim Babangida spoke for about two minutes with reporters on why the leaders met.

He said: “We have come for consultations with the Consensus Candidate. Immediately after the announcement of the Consensus Candidate, we have not been able to formally meet as a body. That is why we were here.

We approved the appointment of His Excellency, Senator Ben Obi, as the Director-General of the campaign.

Asked if they discussed the issue of running mate to Atiku, Babangida said: “No, not yet.”

Responding to a question if they would accompany Atiku to campaign, he simply said: “Yes, sir.”

Pressed to comment on ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s ridiculing of the Consensus Candidate, he added: “I am a junior officer. By tradition, I am not supposed to comment on what a Senior Officer said.”

Reminded that since he is now a democrat, why will he not react to Obasanjo who has also become a democrat, Babangida said: “He (Obasanjo) is still a General.”

Asked whether he is also laughing like Obasanjo, he said: “I am joking.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/20172.html

Any moment from now, flamboyant miracle fixing pastor of Christ Embassy Church located in Oregun, Ikeja area of Lagos state, Chris Oyakhilome will be a guest of Nigeria’s anti-graft police, EFCC for using his church to launder funds which source could not be accounted for into foreign bank accounts. The illicit funds so far traced by security agents stand at over $35 million.

The latest scandal may once again bring the controversial miracle-worker pastor under public scrutiny after government suspended the broadcast of his suspicious healing programme tagged “atmosphere for miracles” on public television stations some years ago.

iReports-ng can authoritatively report that a document on the money laundering activities of the architect turned pastor was first passed to the Nigeria police force headquarters in Abuja, last year. After finding it difficult to unravel the fraud, the police forwarded the matter to the EFCC which has the expertise and powers to successfully prosecute the pastor.

According to a source at the force headquarters in Abuja, the case was sent to the EFCC and received there September 24th 2009. Another source in the EFCC also confirmed that attempts were made by some of the controversial pastor’s agents in the commission to “kill” the petition due to the electronic system of monitoring cases already put in place in the agency, called “gocase” by the United Nations Office On Drug and Crime, UNODC.

A reliable source in the agency told iReports-ng a few hours ago that ” after the initial hiccup, substantial progress has now been made on the case even though quietly and the coast now clear to invite the pastor to make some statements on his involvement in cash transfer of such huge amount of United States currency”

Apart from this discovery of money laundering activity by the pastor, a couple of his church officials and members have also of recent featured in some major fraud issues. Not quite long a time, one of his pastors in Ogba area of Lagos was said to have stolen some millions of naira from the sheraton hotels ikeja where he worked as a manager before he was sacked when the fraud was discovered. He claimed in his statement to the police then that he donated the stolen money to Oyakhilome’s Christ embassy church to buy power generating sets and other church needs.

Also of recent, a young member of the church in Benin city, Edo state was arrested and prosecuted by the EFCC for engaging in internet marriage scam through which he defrauded a white lady. In his statement before he was convicted, he was said to have also confessed that he donated the bulk of the scam money to Oyakhilome’s church where he belongs as a strong member.

Before the discovery of the pastor’s money laundering activity, Oyakhilome had been enmeshed in other major scandals such as immoral sexual engagements with church members, fighting other religious leaders, use of diabolic powers and faking miracles.

In 2008, south africa media were awash with stories of fake miracles stage managed by the pastor in a bid to woo worshipers to join his church.

http://www.naijapals.com/modules/naijapals/nigeria/topic,51863.0-.html