₦airaland Forum

President Mohammadu Buhari has shifted the responsibility of naming the looters of national assets and the details of the loot to the Ministry of Information.

Recall that the president had at various times in the recent times assured Nigerians that he would make public the details of the money recovered from looters during his Democracy Day national address.

But while making the broadcast on Sunday, the president who however acknowledged that some significant amount of assets have already been recovered said that the Ministry would soon give full details.

He said: "We are also engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: significant amount of assets have been recovered.

"A considerable portion of these are at different stages of recovery. Full details of the status and categories of the assets will now be published by the Ministry of Information and updated periodically."

The president said that the funds would be plough back into the national treasuries when forfeiture formalities were completed.

"When forfeiture formalities are completed these monies will be credited to the treasury and be openly and transparently used in funding developmental projects and the public will be informed", he said.

Speaking on the attacks on major oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region, the president also said the government would engage with the leaders of the zone to stop further attacks.

He however said that government would wield the big stick should the militants continue to dare it.

"On the Niger Delta, we are committed to implementing the United Nations Environment Programme report and are advancing clean-up operations. I believe the way forward is to take a sustainable approach to address the issues that affect the delta communities. Re-engineering the amnesty programmes is an example of this.

"The recent spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and power installations will not distract us from engaging leaders in the region in addressing Niger Delta problems. If the militants and vandals are testing our resolve, they are much mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators and their sponsors and bring them to justice", he said.

Details later

Former president of the Senate, David Mark, has
told Nigerians not to despair in the face of the
daunting economic and socio-political challenges
but to remain steadfast for democracy to endure.
In a goodwill message to Nigerians marking this
year’s democracy day, Mr. Mark noted that it was
by deliberate choice and design that the nation
chose presidential democracy as the best form of
government because it is representative and
participatory .
The 2016 democracy day, Mr. Mark said, was
unique “because it is the first time in the last 17
years of uninterrupted civilian administration that
an opposition political party is in charge”.
In spite of some criticisms, he said the foundation
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
administration put in place for 16 years
guaranteed the atmosphere that enabled an
opposition party to win elections.
Mr. Mark stated: “The PDP provided the enabling
environment for democracy to thrive. It never
hindered or prevented opposition parties from
operating. Everyone had access and the political
space was free for all.
“For 16 uninterrupted years , the PDP discharged
firmly and competently the popular mandate of
governance of Nigeria through four
unprecedented political transitions which
included the first ever transition of power from a
ruling political party to opposition party in our
county.
“By this, the PDP ensured that after a largely
fruitless search since independence, democracy
as a form of government has come to stay as the
norm.
“Today, whether the same scenario is available in
our country is up to the citizenry to judge.
Whether life is better now or then is however
debatable.
“All the same, this is our country. Which ever side
of the divide one finds him or herself, we must
strive to play such roles honestly and patriotically
in order to make our country a better place,” he
said.
He urged governments at all levels to initiate
policies and programmes that are in consonance
with the wishes and aspirations of the people,
saying that any programme or policy that tends
to bring misery on the citizenry cannot be
adjudged a good package.

Eleven officials of the Independent National
Electoral Commission who supervised the 2015
general elections in Gombe State have admitted
to receiving N120m out of the N23bn ($115m)
allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke,
according to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission.
The revelation comes about a month after the
EFCC arrested a former Resident Electoral
Commissioner in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan,
and other top INEC officials in the South-South for
allegedly receiving N675.1m from Diezani.
Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent on
Friday that the 11 officials had been interrogated
and had made confessional statements.
A detective at the anti-graft agency told our
correspondent that the electoral officers, who
were in charge of the 11 local government areas
of Gombe State, reported at the Gombe State
zonal office of the commission on Thursday.
The detective said, “They have made useful
statements and most of them have confessed to
receiving millions of naira for their respective local
government. They explained that two out of the
11 officials negotiated and collected the bribe on
their behalf.
“The electoral officer for Akko Local Government
Area, Ahmed Biu; and the one in charge of
Gombe Local Government Area, Ahmed Ali Biu,
and Mohammed Zannah, admitted to have
collected the bribe from one Yunusa Biri, also a
retired electoral officer who acted as Gombe State
coordinator of bribes for electoral officers in the
state.
“Biri was known and addressed as the coordinator
of NGO, a code name used to cover the activities
of the two parties.”
The detective told our correspondent that at the
meeting where the money was disbursed, Biu and
Zannah lodged at Corner Alheri Hotel, opposite
NNPC mega station in Gombe, and the parties
agreed to share the bribe per polling unit in each
local government and part of the bribe should go
to ad hoc employees deployed to each polling
station across the state.
The source, however, said there were some issues
with the investigation as some electoral officers
claimed to have been cheated of their own share
of the booty.
He said, “Investigations are ongoing but the
challenge is that we will have to unravel the
discrepancy in the amount collected and the
actual money disbursed to the electoral officers.
“Some claimed that the coordinator (Biri) short-
changed them because he gave only N8m to the
eleven local governments in the state.”
The detective gave the names of some other
detained officers as: Godwin Maiyaki, Gambo
Balanga, Bukar Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril
Muhammed, Billiri, Dunguma Dogona, Funakaye,
Mohammed Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf,
Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Babagana Malami,
Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel.

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta, Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd) hasappealed to former militants to exercise patience with the Federal Government over the delay in the payment of their outstanding allowances.Speaking yesterday, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Coordinator blamed the delayonnon-receipt of budgetary allocation by the amnesty office.Boroh, however, assured that his office was working round the clock to ensure the release of all outstanding allocations, stressing that theFederal Government is aware of the pains the former agitators are going through.“I want to assure the ex-militants under the programme that arrangements are being made to fast-track the payment of their stipends as soon as the amnesty office receives its allocation,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that
Nigeria made a costly mistake by depending
solely on oil as only source of income.
The President admitted that Nigeria was in for the
worst times for failing to save or diversify its
economy, which he said, had been greatly
affected by the crash of oil prices.
Buhari made this remark while bidding the
outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr.
Saeed Koozechi, farewell in Abuja.
According to him, his administration was
vigorously pursuing the diversification project.
“We made a terrible mistake by becoming a
mono-product economy hinged on oil and we are
now in a volatile situation, due to the crash in oil
prices.
“We have seen the benefits of diversification
which helped Iran to survive many years of
sanctions and still came out strong”, he said.
“We are now fully committed to economic
diversification. Most of the things on our import
bills can be produced here. And we are
determined to achieve that self-dependency,” he
said.

The Federal Government has appointed the Chief Executives of six information-related parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture.The appointments were announced in Abuja on Wednesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in a statement by Segun Adeyemi, Special Adviser to the MinisterThe new Chief Executives are: Mr. Ishaq Modibo Kawu – Director-General, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and Mr. Mansur Liman – Director-General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mr. Yakubu Mohammed – Director-General, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Dr. Garba Abari, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mr. Bayo Onanuga – Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Mr. Osita Okechukwu – Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON)The new appointees replace the Chief Executives of the parastatals who were disengaged on Feb. 15th 2016. The appointments take immediate effect.

Eni, parent company of Nigerian Agip Oil
Company (NAOC), has now joined Shell Petroleum
and ExxonMobil in declaring force majeure on oil
exports from the Brass Oil Export Terminal off
Bayelsa shoreline.
Force majeure removes from companies from
liabilities of contractual obligations due to factors
outside its control.

Earlier, Shell and ExxonMobil temporarily halted
production, following leaks and vandalism of oil
pipelines in the Niger Delta region.
It would be recalled that Shell declared force
majeure after continued attacks on its Nembe
creek trunkline in the Niger Delta that led to a
leak.
ExxonMobil also announced a temporary action
this year due to obstructions along a bridge
leading to its Forcados terminal.
Eni said its production was cut by 4,200 barrels
per day after Sunday’s attack on its pipeline in
Bayelsa.
An earlier attack in the area on May 18 had
resulted to a shutdown of some 1,000 barrels
bringing a cumulative production loss to 5,200
barrels of the oil firm’s share of oil output.
“I can confirm the attack to the Ogbaimbiri –
Tebidaba pipeline, with 4,200 bp/d (Eni’s equity)
of production affected,” . a spokesman for the
company told the News Agency of Nigeria. “I can
confirm that Force Majeure has been placed on
Brass Oil Exports from May 22, 2016.”
These repeated attacks by militants are costing
the company about 800,000 barrels of crude oil.
Every day

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, Tuesday, strongly kicked against child marriage.
Addressing a conference of Northern Muslims Religious Leaders Forum on Primary Health care in Kano, the former Central Bank Governor explained that the reproductive health challenges associated with such practice was enough to discouraged the age long tradition.

Sanusi said that Nigeria Muslims were ardent followers of Maliki school of thought like Morocco, Malaysia and Egypt, stressing that those brotherly countries had since pegged marriage age.

In his words “I believe the time is ripe to take a stand on this age long practice of early marriage, and coincidentally we subscribed to Malikiyya school of thought like Morocco, Malaysia and Egypt who had since pegged marriage age to 17, 19 and 18 respectively”.

He further condemned some cultural practices that encouraged polygamy, adding that, “some of those who engage in this practice do not have the necessary economic power to support themselves”.

The emir who took his audience through historical lane explained that “in the past, cities like Kano, Katsina, Aghadez, and Timbuktu hold economic power of the Sahel region, and this economic prospect had since shifted to coastal cities around the globe”.

Commenting on wife battery, the emir said that Islam abhors assault on women.

He enjoined those involved in the act to desist from such practice.

He disclosed that “I don’t expect my in-law to lay his hand on my daughter, but I have since urged her to retaliate any form of assault from her husband”.

The drama
surrounding
the 2016
budget may
not have seen
its last days,
as two
versions of
the budget
have been
released as
the amended
copy.
Following
agitations from
civil society
organisation
and concerned
Nigerians, the
budget office
uploaded the
full version of
the “final
amended” 2016
budget.
It also uploaded
the same on a
ministry-by-
ministry basis,
showing a few
discrepancies in
the budget of
the ministry of
solid minerals.
Prime among
the
discrepancies
was the
inclusion of
N795,234,275
for a website
update for the
ministry.
In the full
budget, N795.2
million was
included for the
website
update,
alongside
another
N49,764,000 for
“upgrading and
maintenance of
SIGTIM title
management
software and
mco’s official
website;
development of
in-house
support
software for
database
cleaning and
synchronization;
internet/web
access services
(bandwidth and
domain
subscription)”.
However, in the
ministry’s
budget N795.2
million was
missing, while
the N49.7 was
retained.
Our source had
initially raised
the inclusion of
the N795.2
million in the
altered budget,
after the initial
presentation by
President
Muhammadu
Buhari in
December 2015.
Some other
items raised
were retained
in the signed
budget,
including the
N3,914,197,062
for “annual
routine
maintenance of
villa facilities by
JBN”.
According to
the budget, the
presidency will
still be spending
N340 million in
purchasing BMW
saloon cars,
while N500
billion set aside
for vulnerable
Nigerians.
The budget has
been fraught
with
controversy. It
went missing,
was padded,
and eventually
scrutinised to
rid it of all sorts
of errors, but
these
discrepancies
seem unending,
as the final
copy has now
shown.
On the bright
side, the N60
billion “rail
construction of
the coastal
railway project
from Lagos to
Shagamu to
Ijebu Ode to
Ore to Benin
city to Sapele
to Warri to
Yenegoa (with
siding to
Otuoke) to Port
Harcourt to Aba
to Uyo to
Calabar (with
branch line from
Benin city to
Abudu to Agbor
to Uko to
Ogwashiuku to
Asaba to
Onitsha
including the
Onitsha railway
bridge) rail line
project” was
included in the
signed budget.

As three Discos
get $9m annual
grant from US
govt
Chineme Okafor in
Abuja
The Minister of
Power, Works and
Housing, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola on
Monday said
repeated sabotage
of petroleum
pipelines in the south
was regrettable. He
also said the impact
was far-reaching.
Fashola said in his
remarks during the
signing of
agreements
between the United
States Agency for
International
Development
(USAID) and three
electricity distribution
companies (Discos)
for the provision of
$9 million grant
annually to upgrade
their performances.
The grant will see
the Discos – Abuja,
Ibadan and Eko –
have embedded
advisors work with
them to improve
their operational
performances.
The three Discos
signed the
agreement in Abuja
with the United
States Ambassador
to Nigeria, Mr.James
Entwistle.
Further details later

Pastor Tunde Bakare, leader of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), which spearheaded the 2012 protests against the removal of fuel subsidy by the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan, has explained why he and members of the group have not opposed the fuel price hike of the President Muhammad Buhari administration. In a state of the nation broadcast today at his church, Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, Bakare made the explanation.


Titled “Voice of My Conscience,” the address was a response to accusations of partisanship brought against Bakare and other leaders of the 2012 protests by supporters of Dr. Jonathan, who have stridently argued that the former president was unjustly treated while his successor has been given a free ride.

In his address, Bakare argued that that those levelling accusations of partisanship against him are dishonest. According to him, the conditions in 2012 and this year are different. Bakare pointed out that the price of crude in 2012 was over $100 per barrel. He added that the current global economic climate has been made inclement by the dip in crude oil prices from about $65 when the current government came into power to about $48 presently.Bakare also drew attention to the depletion of external reserves through mismanagement and corruption which, in tandem with the slump in crude oil prices, has severely weakened the naira. “The naira was 218 to a dollar at the parallel market as at the time the new government came into power; it is now about 340 to a dollar.

“In comparison, it was about N164 to a dollar in 2012 when we protested.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjwmWN-wfc

“In the midst of such a chaotic economic environment, the new government met an alarming subsidy debt.

“We can recall that, by December last year, at the height of excruciating suffering experienced by Nigerians due to fuel scarcity, approval was given for the payment of N407.07 billion of the outstanding N642.922 billion, which implied that N235.852 billion remained outstanding - a sum that would likely increase due to exchange rate differentials and interest charges,” he said. On account of the country’s significantly diminished capacity to earn foreign exchange on account of the dip in global oil prices, Bakare said, it should be obvious that the system of subsidised consumption that eats up 18% of government revenue is unsustainable.

“It is through this lens that fuel subsidy removal must be examined.

“Nigeria is not alone in this abysmal economic situation occasioned by the falling price of oil.

“Other oil producing countries, including members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-members of OPEC, are faced with the same situation and are taking drastic steps to manage the situation,” he explained.

The fiery preacher said the situation in Nigeria is made worse by the fact that humongous sums are spent on subsidising importation because of absence of local refining capacity.

Bakare called on those accusing him and others of partisanship to understand that the current situation differs significantly from the corruption-ridden 2012 subsidy crisis of 2012. He emphasised that those opposed to the policy in 2012 were not against the economic arguments in support of fuel subsidy removal, but wanted the government to investigate the subsidy regime, punish those responsible for the mismanagement of the process and recover stolen funds before starting conversations around subsidy removal.

We have not changed our earlier conviction in spite of a He maintained that his conviction has not changed in spite of the regime change in the country

“We have only acknowledged that the new government has persistently demonstrated its anti-corruption stance while seeking policy solutions to the economic crisis, though there have been gaps in policy management.

Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party
loyal to the Jerry Gana-led faction have dismissed
the caretaker committee set up Saturday by the
party in Port Harcourt as “unconstitutional”,
saying only the party’s Board of Trustees is legally
mandated to take over the party whenever there
is a vacuum.
The leaders spoke at a press briefing at the
residence of a former deputy senate president,
Ibrahim Mantu, in Abuja.
At the briefing, which was addressed by Mr.
Mantu and Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister of
Special Duties, the leaders said they had been
vindicated by what happened in Port Harcourt on
Saturday.
They warned that the decision to set up a
caretaker committee instead of allowing the BoT
to pilot the affairs of the party could further
deepen the division within the party’s ranks.
“At this point in time, the only legal organ body
conditionally empowered to actually takeover the
affairs of the party is the BoT,” Mr. Mantu said.
“After watching events at Port Harcourt
convention, it’s necessary for us to react to some
of the things we saw there. First and foremost, we
want to thank our members throughout the
nation for giving us support that has actually led
us to achieve some of the goals we have set for
ourselves.
“We were opposed to the zoning and indeed the
zoning has been cancelled or set aside.
“We also opposed to the convention taking place
and the convention did not take place courtesy of
the court.
“Again, we were opposed to the way the
Congresses have been conducted, that, they fell
short of our expectations. Now these congresses
and conventions have been set aside.
“This group can confidently say that we have
achieved all the targets we set to achieve,” Mr.
Mantu said.
Mr. Turaki also said the party had been clearly
vindicated.
“We here have sat down and reviewed the
happening in Port Harcourt very carefully and the
decisions that came out have clearly vindicated
our position which is based on principles. We had
taken a position that things were done wrongly
and unconstitutionally. Things have been done
without due regards to processes and
procedures.
“It is now for the BOT to step in and take charge.
It is there in our Constitution that in a situation
like this, which is unprecedented, that the BoT,
the conscience of the party, as the fathers of the
party should step in immediately,” Mr. Turaki
said. “There shouldn’t be any vacuum and we are
concerned that what is coming out of the party
from Port Harcourt may likely deepen our
disagreement.”

A former
federal
commissioner
of
information,
Edwin Clark,
has advised
Niger Delta
militants to
desist from
bombing
pipelines and
oil
installations
in the oil-rich
region.
But Mr. Clark
warned that
the “casual”
approach of
the current
government
to the
Amnesty
Programme
introducedby
the Umaru
Yar’Adua
administration poses
“grave danger” for
the country.
“On every platform
that I stand, and have
done all my life, I have
long become firmly
convinced that
dialogue beats
violence, any time,”
Mr. Clark told
journalists on
Tuesday.
“It was on this
platform that I took
very high personal
risks in entering the
jungle dens, creeks
and the high seas in
the very tense days
of the Presidents
Olusegun Obasanjo
and the late Alhaji
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
administrations to get
them to lay down
their arms.
“It paid off, and the
country benefited
from the outcome,
the Amnesty
Programme, now
being casually treated
with grave potential
consequences,” he
said.
President
Muhammadu Buhari
has cut funding for
the amnesty
programme, citing
corruption.
A new group, called
Niger Delta Avengers,
which says it is
fighting for a
sovereign Niger Delta,
has taken
responsibility for a
series of attacks on
oil facilities in the
Niger Delta.
Mr. Clark, a leader of
the Ijaw nation, said
that the new wave of
attacks and the
attendant impact on
national economy
were of concern to
him.

President
Muhammadu
Buhari phoned
President
Abdel Fattah
Al-Sisi of
Egypt Friday
evening to
commiserate
with him and
the people of
Egypt on
yesterday’s
EgyptAir
crash which
claimed many
lives.
Condoling the
Egyptian
leader on the
loss of 66
lives in the
crash,
President
Buhari
assured
President Al-
Sisi and the
people of
Egypt of the
sympathy of
all Nigerians
as they
mourn the
passengers
and crew of
EgyptAir
MS804.
President
Buhari told
President Al-
Sisi that the
thoughts and
prayers of
Nigerians are
with the
families and
friends of
bereaved
Egyptians and
other
nationals who
are in sorrow
as a result of
the tragic air
crash.
The president
prayed that
God Almighty will
comfort all those who
lost relatives and
friends in the crash
and grant eternal rest
to the souls of those
who died.
President Al-Sisi
thanked President
Buhari for his
condolence and
sympathy

BySeun Opejobion May 20, 2016The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai yesterday declared that state governments in the country were broke.This was as he disclosed that governors of the 36 states are putting machinery in place to access a $3.25bn loan from the World Bank in a bid to survive the current economic downturn in the country which has made it difficult for some of them to pay workers’ salaries.Briefing State House Correspondents about the decision to approach the World Bank at the end of a meeting of Nigeria Governors’ Forum at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, El-Rufai explained that the loan being sought after is capable of turning around the fortunes of the states.“The World Bank portfolio for the states for this year is $4.25bn and out of that, $3.25bn is lying there undisbursed, which means the states are not meeting their conditions or not moving fast enough to draw this $3.25bn.“You know $3.25bn can do a lot to improve the lives and livelihood of our citizens in the states, and the World Bank has expressed its flexibility to look into the challenges we are facing as well as the procedure to ease accessing this money. The World Bank wants us to withdraw the money as quickly as possible so that our citizens will get the benefits from health to education, agriculture and the revival of livestock and water supply.“These are the areas for which most of these funds are dedicated and we all need the money, because we are all broke. So, we are going to work very hard to try to get the money in trust,” he explained.

The Senator
representing
Kaduna
Central
Senatorial
zone has
reacted to
the threat by
the Kaduna
State chapter
of the All
Progressives
Congress to
expel him
from the
party.
The party
had on
Thursday
condemned
Mr. Sani and
accused him
of anti-party
conduct for
critising the
new pricing
and supply
framework
for petrol
introduced by
the federal
government
last week. It
also
threatened to
punish the
activist-
politician by
sending him
away from
the APC fold.
But in a
response
Friday
morning
though his
Special
Adviser on
Politics and
Ideology,
Suleiman
Ahmed, the
senator
described the
party’s
threatas the
hallucination
of a barely
educated
ogogoro (local
gin) drinker.
Mr. Sani said
although he
remained
“one hundred
percent a
supporter of
PMB but he is
neither a
sycophant
nor a hypocrite who
will not speak his
mind when there is
the need to do so.”
He accused the state
APC of being an
appendage of the
Kaduna government
which he said had
been fighting him.
“It will be interesting
for the general public
to know that even
the so-called state
headquarters of the
APC is a building
owned by a top PDP
chieftain in the
state,” he said.
Read Mr. Sani’s
statement in full
below.
“The press
conference and threat
of expulsion made by
one Tanko Wusono of
Kaduna APC against
comrade Senator
Shehu Sani for
objecting to the
increase in pump price
of petroleum products
stands unambiguously
condemned. Kaduna
APC as it exists today
is simply an extension
of El-Rufai’s
government

A Niger Delta group, the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI, on Thursday warned the Nigerian military to stay away from Gbaramatu Kingdom, Tompolo’s town, insisting that the continuous presence of security operatives has crumbled economic activities in the area.

National President of the group, Austin Ozobo, told THISDAY that the military had continued to harass innocent people of the kingdom by ‘’arresting and evading the privacy of whole communities in the night, making lives unbearable and unpleasant for the inhabitants’’.

Ozobo spoke just as it was learnt that the five persons arrested in connection with the destruction of oil platforms in the region were released late Wednesday.

It was gathered that Chevron management which contracted the surveillance job to the community youths was able to prove that the boys were actually contract members of staff.

However, they were asked to report to the security agencies next week to perfect the papers concerning their freedom.

Members of the community had on Wednesday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the military to ensure that the five persons namely: Samuel Emiko, Alfred Timedi, Isaac Edinde, Henry Arogboritse and Kelvin Mordi were released before the expiration of the ultimatum.

But notwithstanding the latest development, Ozobo maintained that the rights of people in Gbaramatu have been severely abused and that the people could longer go about their normal fishing activities for fear of unlawful arrest.

He argued that continuously harassing the people could draw their sympathy for the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the militant group which has claimed responsibility for blowing up oil and gas facilities in the region.

He described the military action as a declaration of war against innocent people and communities in the area, noting that the affected people do not see it as a war against pipeline vandals.

Demand release of Nnamdi Kanu, Dasuki, defreeze of Tompolo’s bank accounts

YENAGOA- A new militant group, Red Egbesu Water Lions, has surfaced in the Niger Delta region, just as suspected militants, Tuesday night, blew up the Sagbama-Tuomo gas line, belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, at Egbembiri, Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State .

A security source, who confirmed the explosion, said: “Egbembiri is a border town between Bayelsa and Delta states. They destroyed the Ayama section of the Ogboinbiri-Tuomo gas pipeline with dynamites at about 9.00 pm on Tuesday. That line was earlier repaired, last week and again vandalized.”

“We, however, suspect that dispute over the surveillance contract led to the attack. The Agip pipeline links major oil facilities in Delta and Bayelsa States,” he added.

The new militant group in a statement by its Creek Network Coordinator, “General” Torunanawei Latei, said it was teaming up with the Niger Delta Avengers and Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

“It issued the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to release Nnamdi Kanu, former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and direct EFCC to defreeze the bank accounts of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupol, alias Tompolo,

Threatening to shut down all oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta at the expiration of the ultimatum, the group also demanded “unconditional immediate payment to victims of the Bonga Oil Spill and Chevron gas explosion in Koluama, Bayelsa state.”

“It is extremely important to note that the engine room of the national interest is the executive obedience to court orders, protection and preservation of citizens’ constitutional liberties. Justification of executive disobedience to court orders as a protection of national interest is abominable.

“This is a deliberate ploy to bend the law and suspend the 1999 Constitution. We ask, does President Muhammadu Buhari have any legal capacity to declare anyone as a criminal? Disobedience to court orders is an act of executive rascality in the country,” the group added.

Today, we
have finally
decided to
respond to the
incompetence
and incoherence
of this
administration
in what has
now turned out
to be a
repeated act
when it comes
to issues of
national
importance
affecting the
daily lives and
indeed the lives
of Nigerians
both home and
abroad.
To be crystal
clear, KOWA
PARTY is
opposed in
totality to the
new fuel price
regime as
announced by
the Buhari-Led
Federal
Government.
We condemn
the insensitivity
of this
administration
and the lack of
empathy on the
situation that
Nigerians
currently face,
not for a
disagreement in
the need to
remove totally
the
cankerworm
that manifests
itself in what
we call
‘subsidy’ or the
need to
deregulate
completely the
downstream
sector of the
petroleum
industry. Our
condemnation
arises out of
rational and
emotional
consideration
on the
experiences and
the situation
that Nigerians
are currently
facing.
It is
unbelievable
and almost
inhumane that
the Federal
Government
after subjecting
Nigerians to
almost a year
of suffering in
different
shades of
queues, sweat
and commodity
price hikes
decided to
subject
Nigerians to
more suffering
just a few days
after a form of
hope was
restored when
the
controversial
budget was
finally passed.
President Buhari
was quoted as
saying that he
feels the pains
of Nigerians and
that he hears
our cries. We
are forced to
ask if this
quote was
indeed Mr
President’s
original
thoughts or the
thoughts of the
speechwriter
whose job it
was to draft
the ceremonial
speech.
In the same
vein that we
understand
that the budget
for ‘subsidy’
was not
included in the
signed budget
for the year
2016, we also
understand
that plans for
an increase in
the minimum
wage was not
included in the
budget thereby
ensuring that
the suffering
that Nigerians
have endured
for the past
one year for
both lack of
policy direction
and incoherent
policies is about
to be doubled
owing to the
almost doubled
price of
Nigeria’s most
important
commodity in
demand
without any
inch of
corresponding
increase in the
average
Nigerian’s
salary/wage.
This is simply a
scenario of
Good Policy with
a Bad Timing
and KOWA
PARTY would
not have
overseen this
kind of policy
move.
As is evident
that there is
never a good
timing for a
hard choice/
decision, the
circumstances
surrounding this
policy move at
such a time as
this is due to
the previous
forex policy on
devaluation
(which is
reportedly now
to be pursued)
when this
administration
against all
rational
economic advice
refused to
review at a
time when its
effects would
have been
cushioned by
average
Nigerians by
now. Should the
occupants of
Aso Villa not
know, let them
be told that the
ripple effect of
this fuel price
hike coupled
with the
devaluation
that is (if
reports are to
go by) soon to
come is simply
too much for
Nigerians to
bear.
Nigerians must
now rally
together to
demand
accountability,
palliatives and
viable
alternatives
from this
government.
Nigerians must
begin to ask
that a detailed
plan of projects
in the ministry
of works,
power, housing
and
transportation
that have the
ability to
provide jobs
and create
easing
measures from
the effects of
these policies
be provided and
unlike the
Minister of
Information
who thinks he
owes no
Nigerian any
explanation,
Nigerians must
begin to
demand for
explanations,
project sites
openings,
results and the
implementation
of the budget
and accept
nothing less
and NO MORE
EXCUSES.
As a show of
faith, We also
demand that
the cost of
governance be
cut to the
barest
minimum as
much as
possible. The
notion that it is
the masses
that must
suffer the
incompetence
and the
inefficiency of
government
must stop. If
‘subsidy’ has to
be removed,
then the
exorbitant cost
of running the
government
has to be
reduced too.
While we
continue to
hope that the
Buhari Led
Government
has not begun
to take
Nigerians, the
patience we
have had in
suffering for
the last one
year and our
resilience for
granted, we
implore all
Nigerians to
keep the HOPE
of the
possibility of a
better Nigeria,
if not now, in
the years to
come.
May God Bless
the Federal
Republic of
Nigeria
Signed
Jude ‘Feranmi
(JFK)
National Youth
Leader,
KOWA PARTY

There were indications on Tuesday evening that
militants operating in the Niger Delta may have
again blown up a gas pipeline belonging to the
Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Ogbembiri
in Southern Ijaw local government area, Bayelsa
State, ThisDay reports.
It would be more than a dozen times that the oil
and gas facilities belonging to the Italian Oil giant
would be breached this year alone. The fresh
attack by gunmen, it was learnt, occurred on the
pipeline about 48 hours ago, which raised
questions within the community as to why
security agencies saddled with the responsibility
of protecting oil installations had been unable to
stop the frequent breaches.
During the latest attack, the gunmen reportedly
stormed the community at about 9:00pm, traced
the pipeline and ruptured it at a point it was
previously repaired after the last attack.The
pipeline said to be a major gas supply facility in
the country, reportedly crosses Tumor
community in Bomadi, Delta State; Ogbuasiri in
Ekeremor and Ogbembiri in Southern Ijaw,
Bayelsa State.

President Mohammadu Buhari is handicapped over the increase in the price of premium motor spirit, PMS, Vice President, Yemi Osinabjo has said. Seemingly rising in defence of the president amid the backlash of angry feelings among many Nigerians caused by the all-time drastic increase, Osinabjo said that though the president was opposed to the new price initially, he had no choice than to accept the change. According to him, the decision was necessary if the country must source for foreign exchange to import fuel. In any case, the Vice President said that even if the local refineries were resuscitated, the country would still need to import product as they would only run at 40 percent capacity. Osinbajo spoke Tuesday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled "Anatomy of Corruption in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges & Solutions, a collection of essays", edited by a renowned lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. Yusuf Ali. This is not the first time, the office of the Vice President would be exonerating the president from the hike.

The National president of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, on Tuesday mobilized members of the union for strike and mass action commencing from Wednesday to force the Federal Government to revert the pump price of petrol from N145 to N86 per litre. In a letter to ASUU members nationwide and titled: “Increase in pump price of Premium Motor Spirit to N145 per litre: Proposal for Joint Action with NLC,” the ASUU president said members are urged to fully respect Article 2 of ASUU Constitution which required them to work for the protection and advancement of the socio- economic interests of the nation. “Branch chairpersons are to conduct emergency congress meetings on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 to mobilise our members for the action commencing on Wednesday. All branches of ASUU nationwide are to comply,” the letter added. The chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, who read the letter to union members at the institution, said the chapter was ready for mass resistance to what he called “obnoxious and callous policy of fuel price increment.” Omole said the subsidy removal was the most criminal ambush by federal government to empower the rich and cripple the poor.

Government Ekpemupolo,
(aka Tompolo), ex-Niger
Delta militant leader, said on
Monday that he was not part
of the new group blowing up
oil facilities in the region.
Ekpemuopolo disclosed this
in a signed statement mailed
electronically to newsmen in
Warri, Delta.
The embattled Gbaramatu
chieftain dissociated himself
from the new militant group,
the Niger Delta Avengers
(NDA).
He described as unfortunate,
the continuous military siege
on Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri
South West Local
Government Area.
He said there was no need
for military siege on
Gbaramatu because he had
nothing to do with the NDA.
“It baffles me that the
Nigerian military has refused
to believe that I am not part
of the group and its
activities.
“I am obviously a victim of
circumstance in this matter
because of my case with the
Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC),’’
he said.
Ekpemuopolo said it was
irrational for him to resort to
destruction of oil facilities
because of the charges
against him by the EFCC.
He said some people gave
the government wrong
information to the effect that
he was behind the new
group, the Niger Delta
Avengers.
“May I once again point out
that those accusing me of the
destruction of oil facilities in
parts of Delta are simply
looking for relevance,
recognition and pipeline
surveillance contracts,’’ he
said.
He urged the Federal
Government to be mindful of
the information it gets, noting
that some persons were
doing that for selfish gain.
Ekpemuopolo urged the
Federal Government to
launch a thorough
investigation to ascertain
those behind the new group.

The umbrella body of all youths of Ijaw descent,
the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, on
Monday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, warned that
unless the ownership structure of oil blocs in the
region was rearranged to ensure fairness, attacks
on oil platforms would continue.
President of the IYC, Udengs Eradiri, who spoke as
part of activities to mark this year’s Isaac Boro
Day, told newsmen at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa,
that the unfair distribution of oil wells was a major
cause of the instability in the region.

The Ijaw youths had earlier ordered the shutting
down of shops in the Bayelsa State capital as a
mark of honour for the late Isaac Adaka Boro.
“One of the most salient issues that if not
addressed will lead to more crisis is the issue of
the oil blocs. President Buhari was one time
Petroleum Minister and Head of State in this
country.
‘’Let us go and do an assessment of that time.
The time when criminally they shared our oil blocs
was under his watch either as Petroleum Minister
or as Head of State. It is in one of those times.
“Oil blocs were shared to one group. Look at it,
either the person (owner of oil bloc) was a former
military president or relative of the military
president or an in-law to a military president”,
Eradiri said.
The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the new face of
militancy in the area, had last week Thursday
listed some oil blocs allegedly owned by former
Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Minister of
Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, ex-Minister
of Petroleum, Alhaji Riwalnu Lukman and others.
The new militant group in the region had among
others issued them a two-week ultimatum to shut
down operations at the oil blocs and evacuate the
workers from the locations or have them blown
up.
Eradiri said that much of the indiscriminate
sharing of oil blocs were allegedly carried out
when Buhari served as Petroleum Minister or Head
of State.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the arrest of suspected members of the resurgent militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) who were allegedly responsible for the attacks on oil pipelines.

The latest arrest, which is the first since the new group emerged, was disclosed on Sunday by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, who has in several instances vowed to apprehend the perpetrators.

“This is to confirm the arrest of some suspected members of Niger Delta Avengers. Investigation is currently on going,” Abubakar said .

He assured that the “military will continue to do its best to guard strategic facilities and provide security to lives and property”.

He noted that the military actions is in line with our rule of engagement, adding that the arrested suspects are behind the recent attacks at the Chevron oil facilities.

The Defence Spokesman also urged the “community and traditional rulers and patriotic citizens to cooperate with us in our efforts to get rid of criminals in our great country”.

Abubakar had in a previous statement vowed that the militants will be treated as criminals and that the security forces will leave no stone unturned to apprehend the perpetrators.

The Rivers State
Chapter of All
Progressives Congress
(APC) alleged on
Saturday that Governor
Nyesom Wike of the
State has mobilized a
group of PDP members
and sympathisers with
the sum of N25m to go
and protest at the
Independent Electoral
Commission (INEC)
Headquarters, Abuja.
The APC in a
statement signed by is
its Spokesman, Senibo
Chris Finebone said,
“This condemnable
action is part of the
wild goose chase by the
governor to stop
Senator Magnus Abe at
all cost from
consummating his
expected victory in the
suspended Rivers
South-East rerun
election whenever it is
concluded by INEC.”
Continuing, the party
noted that earlier in the
week, the Rivers State
chapter of the PDP,
through its State
Publicity Secretary,
Samuel Nwanosike,
addressed a national
press conference
where the party
unjustifiably lampooned
the INEC especially one
of its national
commissioners, Mrs.
Amina Waziri, for only
God-knows-what
offences.
The APC maintained
that it had every
reason to believe, and
justifiably so, “that all
these developments
stem from Gov.
Nyesom Wike’s
obsession to stop
Senator Magnus Ngei
Abe from actualising his
victory in the Rivers
South-East Senatorial
rerun elections.”
The party recalled that
“the orchestrated
campaigns sponsored
and funded by Gov Wike
against the nation’s
security agencies
especially the Nigerian
Army in Ogoniland is all
part of the agenda by
the governor to
blackmail and stampede
the Army out of the
area to create an
enabling environment
for the takeover of
Ogoniland by Wike’s
Army commanded by
Solomon Ndigbara in
order to prepare ground
for undermining the
electoral franchise of
the good people in the
area which obviously
favours one of their
brightest lights,
Senator Magnus Ngei
Abe.”
The APC stated that
“without fear of
contradiction that the
issue of March 19 rerun
election in Tai LG does
not deserve to become
the subject of
controversy as being
painted by the PDP and
Gov. Wike.
“It is to the knowledge
of all that during the
rerun elections, results
were successfully
collated in Tai and duly
announced by the
Returning Officers.

Revenue of the Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) again nose- dived in its monthly collection from N17billion it collected in March 2016 to N14billion for April 2016. In a statement, Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Chris Osunkwo noted that there has been a steady drop in the command’s revenue as a result of unfriendly government policies which has made importers to desert the command. The breakdown of the commands’ revenue perfor­ mance for 2016, indicated that N24, 858,625,588.00 was collected in January, N16, 856, 458, 800. 00 was collected in February, in the month of March N17, 215, 979, 575.00 and in April N14, 342, 974, 003. 00. However, the cumulative figure according to the statement, is lower than the recorded N221.6 billion revenues of the command in the first quar­ ter of 2015. Analysts have expressed worry to whether NCS can meet its ambitious N1 trillion target for 2016 fiscal year. Despite the misgivings, Comptroller General of Customs, Hammed Ali, had in January identified blocking of leakages, adoption of workable strategies to improve the service activities at the country’s borders as well as transparency and compliance with the rule of law among men and officials of the Service as key to meeting the 2016 revenue targets.

In the midst of a militant resurgence in the Niger Delta and a two-week ultimatum for oil companies to shut down operations, Exxon Mobil has reportedly declared force majeure on Qua Iboe crude after an accident the company said was not related to militant attacks.

On Thursday, Exxon said a subsea pipeline linking to Qua Iboe was damaged by a drilling rig. Then, early on Friday, unnamed traders cited by both Bloomberg and Reuters claimed that Exxon had declared force majeure on Qua Iboe crude deliveries.

Qua Iboe is Nigeria's largest crude stream. May should have seen some 337,000 barrels per day of Qua Iboe exported this month, according to Reuters.

Exxon has not independently confirmed these reports.

This latest incident adds to the growing amount of crude already offline in Nigeria due to the revival of Niger Delta militancy targeting the oil sector.

So far, according to Bloomberg, attacks have cut output by 600,000-1.4 million barrels per day.

On Wednesday, Royal Dutch Shell declared force majeure on its exports of Bonny Light crude. Shell has been forced to evacuate staff from its Eja OML 79 production facility.

On Monday, Nigerian officials said that Chevron had begun to evacuate staff from its facilities in the Niger Delta follow attacks on its assets. Several Chevron facilities, such as a platform and oil flow station, were attacked by militants last week.

On Thursday, militants vowed to attack Chevron again as the company attempts to repair damage.

Also on Thursday, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the group behind the string of attacks, issued a threat to all oil companies in the region to shut down and leave or face stepped up attacks.

By James Burgess of Oilprice.com

Majority Leader of the House of Representatives,
Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has called for a review of
the minimum wage.
He made the call following the deregulation of the
petroleum downstream sector, which skyrocketed
the pump price of fuel to N145 per litre.
Gbajabiamila, who had fought relentlessly against
efforts by past governments to remove petroleum
subsidy, said though it was necessary to
deregulate the petroleum sector to shield the
country from economic problems, it was also
necessary to raise the minimum wage in order to
meet the rising cost of living in the country.
He said, “There has to be a serious review of the
minimum wage if you are going to increase the
pump price of petrol because we all know
everything rests on that.
“Prices are going to skyrocket, from school fees to
food, to transportation, to school uniforms and to
books. Everything is going to go up because of
mono economy. If we are going to do that, it is
incumbent upon the government to take
seriously the demands of labour.
“Minimum wage needs to be reviewed; we cannot
increase the cost of living and keep salaries where
it is, they go hand in hand.”
Gbajabiamila gave a vivid account of what
transpired at the stakeholders’ meeting at the
Villa on Wednesday.
He said: “I was at the stakeholders; meeting with
the Vice President Wednesday and other
stakeholders before the decision was made.
“The story that was painted, the details, the
breakdown and the facts were scary. From what I
read and what I saw, if we had continued that
way we may not even have a country in two
months time.
“Salaries would not have been paid by any state.
Faced with that, it puts me in a very difficult
situation and serious dilemma as to which way to
go. I have always on one hand fought against the
removal of fuel subsidy but now, I am confronted
with very scary details as to what will happen if
they don’t deregulate.
“The consequences will be very bad for me and
you, so it is like being caught between the devil
and the deep blue sea.”
Gbajabiamila, however, said the Federal
Government ought to have established refineries
before removing the subsidy.
“I believe that if God has given you natural
product, the least we should do is to allow the
people to benefit from that kind of product,” he
said, adding that subsidy had dented the image
of the country.
“If subsidy is being abused, all we need to do is to
block the holes of abuse and not to punish the
whole of Nigerians for the abuse of a few people.
“But having said that, I have always argued, why
don’t you build a refinery first if at all you have to
remove the subsidy. It is only in Nigeria that
subsidy is given a bad name.
“There is subsidy all over the world, in America
agriculture is subsidized and in UK transportation
is subsidized. It is only in Nigeria that they say
subsidy is bad. So, why is it not bad in other
countries? That’s what we need to look at.”