₦airaland Forum

Diezani ordered subsidy removal –Investigation

JANUARY 14, 2012 BY NIYI ODEBODE, OLUSOLA FABIYI, EVEREST AMAEFULE AND FIDELIS SORIWEI, ABUJA 1 COMMENT

Some members of the Federal Executive Council are irked by the role played by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government on Jan 1, 2012.

The cabinet members are said to be grumbling secretly about the removal of the subsidy amidst the serious security tension in the country earlier than the anticipated date.

SATURDAY PUNCH investigations showed that Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s first female petroleum minister, played a central role in the removal of the petrol subsidy on Jan 1, 2012 to the consternation of many of the ministers who were not expecting the announcement.

It was learnt that the announcement of the removal of the subsidy on New Year’s Day came as a shock to many FEC members, who were anticipating the removal in April 2012 as announced by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation last December.

Mr. Augustine Oniwon had said that he was not anticipating the total removal of the subsidy this month as the lifespan of the 2011 budget was expected to terminate in March 2012.

“I think what people should really look out for is that in the 2012 budgetary proposal, there is no provision for subsidy. And if there is no provision for subsidy, it will be illegal for the government to implement subsidy,” Oniwon had said.

“We believe that when the implementation of the (2012) budget takes off, deregulation would then take off with it.”

The implementation of the 2012 budget will commence in April.

A source close to the Presidency said that even the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who had been consistently criticised by the public as the person behind the hurried removal of the subsidy, didn’t know that the subsidy was going to be removed in January.

It was learnt that the minister was occupied with making elaborate preparations for consultation and awareness creation among the relevant stakeholders on the issue of the subsidy ahead of the April date when the subsidy removal was announced by the FG.

The source said, “It was the Minister of Petroleum Resources that instructed the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency to announce the total removal of the subsidy on Jan 1, 2012.”

It was learnt that Okonjo-Iweala was in the United States when the PPPRA, a subsidiary of the NNPC being supervised by Alison-Madueke, announced the removal of the subsidy.

The source said that it was curious that Okonjo-Iweala, the coordinator of the Jonathan’s Economic Management Team, was not in the picture of the January date for the removal.

Also, an aide of a minister believed to be close to the President said that most ministers were of the view that while the government’s policy was widely accepted, the date of implementation was flawed.

“Oga (the President), told me that Alison-Madueke’s colleagues believe that the timing of the subsidy removal was wrong,” the aide said.

The source argued that the announcement of the removal of the subsidy in January was in violation of an agreement in government circles that issues relating to the subsidy were left for Okonjo-Iweala to handle.

The source said that it was when the subsidy crisis escalated that all the ministers and advisers were called out to speak in favour of the policy with a view to convincing Nigerians on the issue.

Many of the members of the cabinet are said to be of the opinion that while the President means well with the subsidy removal policy, its implementation was devoid of the necessary strategy to make it succeed.

The source said that the ministers and even some of the security chiefs of the Jonathan Administration were not comfortable with the decision, which came six days after the bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Suleja, Niger State, in which 43 worshippers died.

The source said, “The Minister of Finance was just unfortunate; she wasn’t the one behind the hurried removal of the subsidy.

“The woman was in the United States when the PPPRA announced the removal of the subsidy. The woman was busy preparing to reach relevant Nigerians, to network on this sensitive issue from January so that it could be removed in April.

“You can see from the outcome of the Town Hall Meeting organised by the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria in Lagos that most people were expecting further consultations on the issue,” the source said.

It was learnt that many council members were taken aback by the removal of fuel subsidy on New Year’s Day 1.

SATURDAY PUNCH learnt on Friday that they had thought that the President’s consultation with the various segments of the country would continue in the New Year before the subsidy removal in April.

A top cabinet member, who is also part of the National Economic Team, said there was a consensus on the need to do away with the subsidy.

He, however, added that there was no agreement on the date when the policy would commence.

Jonathan had in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework submitted to the National Assembly last October said that fuel subsidy would be removed in January.

Investigations, however, showed that following criticisms that greeted the policy, the council thought that the January date was not feasible.

The senior member of FEC said the criticisms informed the decision of the government to embark on wide consultation and enlightenment.

“This informed the statement made by the Minister of Finance at a news conference on Dec 14, 2011,” the FEC member added.

Okonjo-Iweala, had at the news conference said, “Mr. President is consulting widely on the subsidy issue. He has been consulting with various stakeholders in the country, including private sector operators, students, religious leaders and others. At the end of the wide consultation, we will give him room to take a decision.”

Besides, investigations showed that some FEC members were of the opinion that the consultation promised by the President had not been concluded.

The FEC member, who spoke about disagreement in the council over the subsidy issue, cited the meeting the organised labour had with the President on Dec 21, 2011.

The meeting, which was held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, ended in a deadlock with organised labour saying that it did not expect the Presidency to remove the fuel subsidy until it had concluded the consultations with all stakeholders.

The organised labour added that given the high level of insecurity in the country, the hardship Nigerians were facing and deepening poverty, the removal of fuel subsidy would be injurious to the citizens and the country.

During the meeting, Jonathan was said to have agreed to meet with organised labour again before announcing the fuel subsidy removal date.

According to the FEC member, it was not only the organised labour that was surprised when they heard about the fuel subsidy removal, many ministers were also taken aback.

The top FEC member explained, “Many ministers and security chiefs were surprised that fuel subsidy was removed on Jan 1. They thought that with the insecurity in the land and the Christmas Day bombings (in Madalla), the fuel subsidy removal would be delayed.

“The first FEC meeting was supposed to hold on Jan 11 (2012) after the New Year holiday, but an emergency meeting was convened on Jan 4 so that members could be briefed. Many ministers had to join the campaign to justify the government action because of their loyalty to the President. We’re part of this government, we cannot do otherwise.”

Another minister told one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity that although all the cabinet members were in support of the removal, a majority of them felt that the timing was wrong.

He stated that when the matter was raised at the council meeting, some ministers said that Jonathan be allowed to deal with the menace of the Boko Haram sect first before removing the subsidy.

The minister said, “We said that since the governors were in support of the subsidy removal, it will be easy to sell the idea to Nigerians, but we should wait till April.

“That was why the NNPC man said that while briefing journalists the other time. Of course, Nigerians held on to that and we were all happy to get to know that when the date was mentioned, Nigerians and labour did not oppose it.”

He added that in spite of the fact that many ministers were not carried along, they were forced to support the government’s action.

The minister stated, “As appointees of the President, we have to be seen to know what is going on in government. We should not present the matter before the public as if we have a divided house.

“But actually, a majority of us felt that the timing was wrong for the full implementation of the deregulation policy.”

In her defence, Alison-Madueke reportedly told the council that she took the decision because the FG didn’t make any provisions in the NNPC budget for fuel subsidy payment from Jan 1, 2012.

Investigations showed that public statements by the FEC members after the Jan 4 meeting was part of efforts to rally round the President, who is disturbed by the protests that greeted his action.

Okonjo-Iweala, who on Dec 14, said that the President was still consulting, on a Radio Nigeria current affairs programme on Jan 8, said, “It was never to my knowledge that the President gave such a date (April 2012). There is no particular time one could say was best suited for the withdrawal. It’s the prerogative of the President. The important thing is that we cannot carry on the way we did in the past. It would be plunging our future into crisis.”

When contacted, the Group Public Affairs Manager of the NPPC, Mr. Levi Ajuonuma, said that he did not have time “for that nonsense (alleged role of the petroleum minister). The subsidy has been removed and it has been removed.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/diezani-ordered-subsidy-removal-investigation/

Civil servants threaten to sit at home for one month

JANUARY 14, 2012 BY FRIDAY OLOKOR, ABUJA 1 COMMENT

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has described the ‘no work, no pay’ rule as an empty threat by the government to discourage Nigerians from fighting for their rights.

The association stated that if the government proceeded to implement the policy, it would order its members to sit at home for one month.

The Secretary-General of ASCSN and founding Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Onaghinon, said this in a telephone interview with SATURDAY PUNCH.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), had threatened to invoke the policy in line with public service rules.

He had said, “It is pertinent to remind all Nigerians that the enjoyment of these rights and freedom must be consistent with the letters and spirit of the constitution.

“The current strike by the organised labour, which has prevented the legitimate pursuit of economic activities across the country in defiance of a valid subsisting order of a superior court of record, transgresses the parameters set by the constitution and extant laws.

“In the event that public servants continue to disregard the terms of their employment in the absence of any trade dispute and especially in the face of blatant disregard of a subsisting court order, the government will not hesitate to enforce the ‘no work, no pay’ policy.”

But reacting to the threat, Onaghinon said the ASCSN would adopt new strategies.

He said, “The ‘no work, no pay’ rule is not a new directive whenever we are in crisis of this nature; at the end of the day, we shall resolve it. There is a meeting going on right now and all those issues will be part of the meeting.

“The removal of subsidy affects the entire nation and we will give any sacrifice to ensure that Nigeria is not destroyed. So, whatever sacrifice that is needed to preserve this country, we have to do it and after that we will begin to think of individual situations, including the ‘no work, no pay’ rule.

“If the government insists on it, we will adopt a strategy that we won’t work for one month, all of us. Can the government bear it? Whose law will be stronger – the civil servants or the government? They are just bringing that policy to discourage Nigerians from doing what is right.”

The ASCSN scribe, however, advised Nigerians to be focused, saying, “This price hike is unprecedented and not necessary.”

Onaghinon said, “Nigerians all over the country are angry. Forget the people who have collected N20:00 to support the removal of fuel subsidy. The entire subsidy that they have removed for the past 30 years, what have we benefited?

“The diesel that has been deregulated for over five years ago, has the price ever come down? All the stories are the same; they have been telling us the same stories for the past 30 years and they will tell the same story to our great grandchildren unless the matter is properly resolved now.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/civil-servants-threaten-to-sit-at-home-for-one-month/

Subsidy: PDP leaders, Anenih, Dangote mount pressure on Tambuwal

JANUARY 14, 2012 BY OLUSOLA FABIYI, ABUJA LEAVE A COMMENT

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and some prominent Nigerians visited the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, in Abuja on Friday.

They were led by the acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and other members of the National Working Committee of the party. A former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih was also in the entourage.

After they had departed, businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Governor Adams Oshiomohole of Edo State were also at the Speaker’s residence at Apo Legislative quarters, Abuja.

A member of the NWC told our correspondent after the visit that the party was outraged with last Sunday’s resolution of the House, in which the lawmakers asked President Goodluck Jonathan to revert to the old price of petrol at N65.

It was learnt that the leadership of the party felt that the House resolution emboldened the organised labour to go on strike, saying that if the House had not passed the resolution, labour and the civil society organisations might not have the audacity to embark on the street protests.

They, therefore, appealed to the Speaker to know that the issue of the removal of the oil subsidy was the decision of the Federal Government and the party. It was learnt that they appealed to Tambuwal to support the idea and work on his colleagues in the House to join the train.

The source said, “Yes, we went there to appeal to him. We were there after the juma’t service and the idea behind our visit was to appeal to him to talk to his colleagues to rescind their resolution in which they asked the President and the FG to revert the price of petrol to N65.

“We were not there to intimidate him as you are suggesting, but went there as the leadership of the party to have a meeting with a fellow member of the party.”

Asked what the response of Tambuwal was, the source said the Speaker said the decision taken by the House was beyond partisan politics, and that it was not taken to spite any political party.

Tambuwal, he added, told them that he would not take any decision to spite his political party.

The Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to the Speaker, Imam Imam, confirmed the visits.

He said, “The Speaker is a stakeholder in the Nigerian project. It’s therefore not surprising if prominent Nigerians from all walks of life visit him to confer with him on any issues affecting the country.”

As at the time of filling this report, labour leaders were said to be on their way to the home of the Speaker for another round of meeting.

http://www.punchng.com/news/subsidy-pdp-leaders-anenih-dangote-mount-pressure-on-tambuwal/

David-West urges Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala to resign
By Bisi Oladele, Ibadan 13 hours 47 minutes ago
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Jonathan
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Prof. Tam David-West has called on President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to resign their positions.
David-West spoke at a rally at the University of Ibadan (UI) yesterday. Labour leaders and activists have been leading the protest in the city since Monday.
The former minister said the President and the minister lied to Nigerians by pledging withdrawal of subsidy in April. He insisted that the President and Dr. Okonjo-Iweala took Nigerians for a ride by their decision.
According to him, Nigerians have been subsidising the rich who own mansions in Nigeria and abroad and continue to get national merit awards from the Federal Government.
He maintained that the government should revamp the refineries, adding that infrastructure must also be developed, in addition to job creation initiatives.
David-West explained that the majority of those protesting are youths who are unemployed and unsure of their future because of corruption and inefficiency in government.
Also at the rally were former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and State Coordinator, the Joint Action Front (JAF), Dr Demola Aremu and several labour leaders.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/33128-david-west-urges-jonathan-okonjo-iweala-to-resign.html

‘How Fed Govt can get money to fund subsidy’
By Tajudeen Adebanjo 13 hours 41 minutes ago


The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan can get money to fund subsidy, if he cuts down the  waste in the 2012 Budget.
The group, in a statement by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “A key argument by the government on why it must remove fuel subsidy has been that it needs money to improve the infrastructural development of the country. Well, if this government is genuinely serious about improving the quality of lives of ordinary Nigerians, it should go back to the basics and cut down the questionable priorities and waste so visible in the 2012 budget.”
The statement reads: “Spending billions of dollars on travel, refreshments, generators and furniture while ordinary Nigerian women, men and children go without basic social services is incompatible with the purpose of government, and cannot be justified on any ground, especially at a time when over 70 per cent of the citizens live in extreme poverty, without reliable access to drinking water, electricity, and quality schools.
“President Jonathan should show strong political will and act in the best interest of the country by cutting down the following allocations contained in the 2012 Budget: N13 billion for local and international travel; N4.5 billion for stationery, magazines, newspapers; N17 billion for maintenance of vehicles, furniture; N5 billion for training; N4 billion for generators; N9 billion for refreshments and meals; N2.5 billion for computer software; and N27 billion for research and development.
“President Jonathan should also cut down the waste identified in the allocations for the Aso Rock Villa budget by reducing N285 million for welfare; N265 million for computers; N150 million for scanners; N161 million for buses; N295 million for new furniture; and N1.8 billion for the maintenance of existing furniture, office and residential quarters.
“As millions of Nigerians continue to demonstrate to demand justice and fairness, it will serve this government well to show magnanimity and leadership by urgently adjusting and reprioritising the proposed spending in the 2012 Budget highlighted above to fund fuel subsidy, and in a way that addresses social needs and improves the wellbeing of all citizens.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/33130-%E2%80%98how-fed-govt-can-get-money-to-fund-subsidy%E2%80%99.html

I’m ashamed to have campaigned for Jonathan – Daddy Showkey

JANUARY 13, 2012 BY GBENGA ADENIJI 71 COMMENTS

Ghetto Soldier, John Asiemo otherwise called Daddy Showkey, said on Thursday at the rally against fuel subsidy removal in Ojota, Lagos that he was ashamed to have participated in campaigning for President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said he decided to stay away from the protest since Monday because of the shame the policy had caused him, having convinced his fans and other Nigerians through his songs to vote for Jonathan.

Showkey stated, “I am ashamed that I canvassed votes for him with my songs. That is why for about three days I was at home watching the protest and what people are saying. It is four days of protest today (Thursday) and the President is not listening. Open your eyes, Jonathan – before it is too late. The people are angry. Why do you have to do this to the people because of some idiots you call your advisers when you are supposed to sack them all.”

Also, actress Clarion Chukwurah stated that the rally was not only about fuel subsidy removal but the dishonesty exhibited by politicians whenever they were seeking votes.

“The President used $200m Intervention fund as a bait to make Nigerian entertainers campaign for him. That is why Nigerians followed us to vote for him. $200m is a lie. The President lied. We must not continue with this kind of dishonesty,” Chukwurah said.

A new song said to have been composed on Wednesday by gospel artiste, evangelist Timi Osukoya, stirred meditation when it was played on Thursday at the rally.

The singer expressed optimism that the people would eventually win the battle against the unpopular decision.

He appealed to God not to abandon the country, which, he noted, was, experiencing unemployment, hunger, poverty, insecurity, economic downturn and attacks from the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

Osukoya, who came to limelight after the release of Telemi, said the Goodluck Jonathan administration was insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

He said, “God look down on us. Nobody knows what will happen next. Suddenly, the government removed subsidy on fuel on the first day of a new year.”

The artiste urged the President to remember that he got into office through the votes, sweat and blood of the masses.

“You are an ingrate, Mr. President. And this is dangerous,” he stated.

An up-and-coming hip-hop artiste simply identified as Q-dot also condemned the decision in a song titled “Subsidy”, which was composed on Wednesday.

He noted that the country has cassava, yet, it imports Eba, a staple food, from the next door.

He sang, ” Fashola is working, Jonathan is looking, Boko Haram is bombing.”

Other musicians and dramatists at the rally included celebrated cimetographer, Tunde Kelani, Idowu Philips (Iya Rainbow); Ireti Osayemi, Kunle Afolayan, Foluke Daramola; hip-hop act Tony Tetuila, reggae artiste, Prince Wadada, Wasiu Ayinde, Lord of Ajasa, Femi and Seun Kuti.

http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/arts-life/im-ashamed-to-have-campaigned-for-jonathan-daddy-showkey/

FCT MINISTER COVERS UP SON’S MANSLAUGHTER,
Font size: 12/01/2012 06:30:00

Sometime in April 2011, The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), minister’s son, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, crushed 22-year-old Mark Musa to death along Shehu Musa Yar’adua Expressway, opposite National Health Insurance Scheme headquarters.

Instead of face prosecution, the FCT minister, Bala Mohammed used his influence to make the case disappear while his 28 year old son walks free.
The grand cover up started when the minister directed that the wrecked posh car which was dumped at the Utako police station be made to varnish. The minister became very uncomfortable when a newspaper published the photo of the car last April.

Pointblanknews.com learnt that few days after, the car varnished from Utako. The police turned a blind eye to a clear case of vehicular man slaughter. Arrow head of the cover up was the Divisional Police officer (DPO) for Utako, Usman Umar who had before the tragedy benefited immensely from the generosity of the FCT minister.

Pointblanknews.com learnt that the minister’s son lost control of the car( brand new Mercedes E Class), he was driving at top speed and crushed the deceased as he was trekking to his house. The Mercedes slammed the deceased against the banister rail severing his body in half.

It was not clear if Shamsudeen had been drinking, but he was driving at a very high speed that on impact with the victim, the cream colored car flipped several times.

Miraculously, the minister’s son only sustained minor injuries , but his friend, Anwal, who is son of a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), chieftain in Bauchi, sustained severe head injuries and died one hour later at Zankli Hospital.

It was learnt that shortly after the crash, the damaged vehicle was towed by police and men of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), to Utako police station, where the driver made a few statements, and allowed to go home for good.

Pointblanknews.com gathered that the minister’s flank accused the family of the deceased of trying to extort him and his family.
The family was intimidated and asked to accept whatever is offered or risk going to court .

The minister was convinced his son would not be found guilty.
It was not clear what the minister offered but, a source close to the Mohammed family told pointblanknews.com “ they wanted millions of naira when they realized shamsudeen is son of a minister. But they forgot that the guy who was killed was crossing a highway illegally on foot. There was no way they would have won in court”

When the intimidation became unbearable, the family of the deceased laborer gave up, and said they had left everything to God, as they could not institute a case against a serving minister’s son.

A source told pointblanknews.com “ it was very sad. The family had no choice but to accept what paltry sum was given to them. The accident claimed two lives, that of his friend and the pedestrian. In civilized nations where there is justice and rule of law Shamsudeen would be charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter. But because he is the son of the untouchable, he got away with it. The car has varnished. “

All efforts to get the reaction of the minister and his aides failed. On January 6 our correspondent called the minister at home. He picked up, but said he was about sleep and asked we called him next day. Several calls next day were ignored.

We then sent a text which says ‘ We will appreciate answers to questions bordering on the involvement of your son, Shamsudeen in a vehicular manslaughter, the alleged tax evasion, why all directors under you are from the north, and why you are insisting Federal inland Revenue should stop collecting revenues from FCTA, that you want to put in place yours” The text was ignored.

His Senior Special Assistant (Media) Jamilah Tangazah, bluntly refused to speak, was very evasive. When we called, her assistant, Aisha, picked and said Tangaza was at a meeting and that we should send questions via email. We did, no response. Later she sent an email that says “ In a meeting .Been told. Nosike SA to hon Minister on media has been briefed on ur call. He will get in touch”

Later in a brief chat with Pointblanknews.com spokesman, Nosike Ogbuenyin said there was no cover up. That the case was settled amicably. But he did not give details of what he meant by “settled amicably”

A director at the FCT who refused to be named, said he is not competent to speak on the matter, but that he only had that there was an accident. He however added “ why can’t Jamilah speak to you people. That is incompetence, why would she ask you to talk to a subordinate. All these kind of stories in an international media could damage her boss, and she is running away from the media.”

Over 20 calls placed to the FCT police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, to explain the role the police played in the cover up, were not answered.

Later the police spokesman called back but said he was trying to get in touch with the Utako police station to get details of the case.

http://pointblanknews.com/new/exclusive/3444-POLICE%2C-FCT-MINISTER-COVER-UP-MINISTER%E2%80%99S-SON%E2%80%99S-MANSLAUGHTER-IN-ABUJA.html

Abia workers defy order to return to work
on JANUARY 12, 2012 · in NEWS
| 4:50 pm

Civil servants of two local councils in Aba, Abia, and other government establishments in the city, have refused to obey the resolution of Abia State House Assembly to return to work.

The House had on January 10 at its plenary session resolved that the workers should go back to work.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gates of Aba North, Aba South Local Government Areas, Abia State Teaching Hospital and State Fire Service in Aba were under lock and key.

However, security operatives were seen at the gates of these offices to forestall any attack.

The federal establishments in the city, including the National Agency for Food, Drug and Administration and Control (NAFDAC), High Courts and Magistrate’s Court were deserted by the workers.

Meanwhile, lawyers in Aba on Wednesday had a peaceful demonstration in spite of attempts by the police to stop them.

Some of the placards of the lawyers read: “We love President Goodluck Jonathan, but we hate his fuel subsidy removal; NBA Aba says no to fuel subsidy removal; and Aba lawyers are against fuel subsidy removal’’. NAN

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/abia-workers-defy-order-to-return-to-work/

Rivers civil societies demand Jonathan’s resignation
By Clarice Azuatalam 3 hours 17 minutes ago
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President Jonathan
Civil society groups in Rivers State are demanding the immediate resignation of President Goodluck Jonathan and members of his cabinet if they fail to meet their demand of reversing the pump price of petrol to N65 per litre.
The groups which stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday also demanded the immediate sack of Ministers of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke and Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as well as that of the Governor of Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi “for deceiving Nigerians with wrong-headed economic fallacies.”
The statement which was signed by representatives of Civil Liberties Organisation, Rivers State; United Action for Democracy, Rivers State; Occupy Port Harcourt Movement; Occupy Niger Delta Movement; Child Protection Network, Rivers State; Social Action, Port Harcourt and Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) also asked for “the immediate sack and prosecution of all Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation staff involved in monumental corruption associated with the fuel subsidy regime.” Another demand the groups made was “the immediate arrest and prosecution of the blood sucking cabal that had been tormenting Nigeria.”
In addition, they asked the Federal Government to “immediately embark on a three-year strategic plan to overhaul the energy sector and ensure adequate domestic refining capacity during this period.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/33018-rivers-civil-societies-demand-jonathan%E2%80%99s-resignation.html

Ten Places President Jonathan Can Get His N479 Billion By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo
Posted: January 12, 2012 - 03:33

Columnist: Correct Me If I Am Right By Rudolf Okonkwo
After the third day of a nationwide protests, with over a dozen people dead and many more likely to die in the days to come, maybe there is a way to help President Jonathan avoid splashing more blood of innocent Nigerians on his hands. This is more important now that we know that the president is overwhelmed by fights at several fronts, including fighting Boko Haram members that have penetrated the innermost circle of his government.


Based on Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s calculations, there is N1.3 trillion naira in oil subsidy. Ignoring her fuzzy math, she stated that of the amount, N478.49 billion will come to the Federal government. The rest will go to the states and the local government where they will disappear.

As a loyal citizen, I want to help President Jonathan and his advisers to find N479 billion naira so that he will leave the poor people of Nigeria alone for at least a year. Within that year, he should put in place policies that will cushion the impact of the subsidy removal and then gradually take the true subsidy out in a responsible way. That’s after getting the government math right.

So here are the top ten places President Jonathan can get his N479 billion.

1.) Go to the last 36 governors that served with Olusegun Obasanjo. Offer them immunity from prosecution if they all return N10 billion naira each. After all, most of them were facing charges totaling over N100 billion before their files disappeared from the EFCC. That will give President Jonathan N360 billion naira overnight.
2.) Get all former Director-Generals of the NNPC in the last 20 years. Offer them immunity from prosecution if they all return N1billion for every year they were director. Having been part of an agency of the government that does not know how much oil the multinational corporations are sucking up each day and cannot account for the crude oil dedicated for domestic consumption, they should each give the government N1 billion and we let bygone be bygone. This will give Jonathan at least N20 billion.
3.) President Jonathan should cancel all import waivers given to religious leaders in Nigeria for 2012. Nigeria lost billions of naira just on the waivers given to Pastor Adeboye and his likes under the Obasanjo administration - waivers they used to import expensive cars and luxury goods. Who knows what the big Imams get in waivers? Right there, another N10-50 billion will be readily available.
4.) A 50% cut in the salaries and allowances of members of the Nigerian House of Representative. At $1.4 million each for 360 members, Jonathan can easily get $252 million dollars, which is over N40 billion.
5.) In the senate, with 109 senators each making $1.7 million, a 50% cut in their pay package will give President Jonathan over N14.8 billion naira.
6.) President Jonathan should audit the record books of the government with oil importers. A good auditing firm will easily unearth stolen wealth of the nation. Since these so-called cabals are friends of the president, some of them members of his economic team, the president should just ask them to refund N200 billion and we will let bygones be bygone.
7.) The president should, as a matter of urgency, investigate and evaluate all workers associated with the importation of fuel into Nigeria. Those found wanting should be prosecuted and fired. A good investigation of their assets and accounts will recover at least N1billion.
8.) The same thing should be done with staff of the NNPC, both those serving and the retired staff. A good investigation will net over N10 billion.
9.) The security votes of all state governors should be cut by 50%. At an average of N300 million a month, it runs up to N3.6 billion for a year each. For the 36 state governors, that amount is N129.6 billion naira. A 50% cut will give President Jonathan N64.8 billion a year.
10.) The president should close half of Nigerian missions abroad in a major scale back and find other countries to manage Nigeria’s affairs. That will save at least N10 billion.

Putting the savings together, we have N745.6 billion for the President. That is before he touches his food money and his security vote. That is before he touches Olusegun Obasanjo, Abubakar Atiku, Turai Yar’Adua and the heads of all the failed banks.

So next time they tell you that there is no alternative to the immediate removal of the subsidy, tell them it is a lie. There is an alternative to killing unarmed protesters over mere N479 billion naira that Aliko Dangote can close his eyes and donate to his friend, President Jonathan. After all, the Nigerian state has been good to him over the years.

http://saharareporters.com/column/ten-places-president-jonathan-can-get-his-n479-billion-rudolf-ogoo-okonkwo

Senate summons service chiefs, vows to ignore death threats
THURSDAY, 12 JANUARY 2012 00:00 JOHN-ABBA OGBODO (ABUJA), SEYE OLUMIDE (LAGOS) AND EMMANUEL TARFA (YOLA) NEWS - NATIONAL 
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Okays emergency rule, compensation for blast victims

Obasanjo weeps, curses at scene of Boko Haram killings

CAN accuses southern governors of insensitivity



ANGER reigned in the Senate yesterday over the raging terror attacks in the country as former President Olusegun Obasanjo wept at the scene of Boko Haram killings in Adamawa State.

Emotions rose at the session as each senator contributed to the debate on the danger terrorism was wreaking on national integration. The consensus of the lawmakers who featured in the marathon session titled: “State of the Nation,” was: “We must do all that is required to save the soul of Nigeria from bleeding.” They said history must not be allowed to repeat itself as the prevailing situation is akin to the pre-1966 episode, which led to a civil war.

The senators said they were ready to sacrifice their lives to ensure law and order in the country.

After the adoption of a motion by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the Senate President David Mark, spoke on the dangers the lawmakers had been exposed to in their efforts to curb terrorism and the security challenges in Nigeria.

Mark said: “I want to thank all of you, those who have contributed and those who have not contributed because of the fearless manners in which you made your comments. I know that when it comes to the issue of Boko Haram, people have been very scared sticking out their necks or even making comments. But today (yesterday), we have broken that jinx and because we have been able to speak out, I hope well meaning Nigerians will be able to join us in condemning in totality, the existence and operations of Boko Haram in this country.

“We have terrorism and insurgency on our hands and if we do not handle them properly, they will get out of control. We must do everything humanly possible starting with communities, local councils, states and to the federal level to make sure that we nip them in the bud before they get out of control.

“We must not allow history to repeat itself. What is happening now is beginning to give an impression of 1966. It must not happen again, no nation may survive two civil wars and we must never allow ourselves to degenerate to that level.

“We all receive threat messages, the northern senators receive more. People send text messages to warn us that, ‘if you say this we will kill you, we are going to finish your family.’ The moment you accept a public office, your security is no more in your hands, it is in the hands of God. And if they want to kill all of us, 109 senators here, for Nigeria to survive, we for sure we will offer our lives on a platter of gold for them to do so. I urged those, who received text messages to disregard them completely because they cannot do you anything.”

To a sizeable number of senators, the current service chiefs should be booted out of office but others preferred another round of consultation with them. The latter carried the day and the Senate immediately summoned the security chiefs to appear before it today.

The Upper House also endorsed the state of emergency imposed on some local councils in the terror-hit states in the North by President Goodluck Jonathan.

They also demanded the payment of compensation to families who lost their relations in the Christmas Day bomb blast in Madalla in Niger State.

On Tuesday when the Chief Obasanjo arrived at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) on Church Street, Jimeta, Yola in Adamawa State, where Boko Haram members killed 11 Christians, he wept and cursed the perpetrators.

As he looked at the blood-soaked wall and floor, where the victims including the pastor of the church, his wife, and son were murdered in cold blood, Obasanjo’s crest fell, his eyes turned red. He held back himself but this was short-lived and before the entourage, including Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, tears began to roll down freely on his cheeks. He reached for his pocket for an handkerchief and mopped the tears.

When he regained himself, Obasanjo rained curses on the murderers. He said both in life and death, the killers would not know peace.

And in Lagos yesterday, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) condemned the continued sectarian killings in the North and warned that it could lead to another civil war in the country.

National President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, believed that the National Assembly had not done enough to bring the Boko Haram menace under control.  Oritsejafor accused the National Assembly and southern governors of insensitivity to the growing terrorism and killing of Christians in the North.

He said the legislators were playing politics with the lives of innocent Nigerians, declaring that if they had mustered the same patriotism they had shown by cutting short their holidays to address the fuel subsidy removal, the Boko Haram menace would stop.

But yesterday, the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the terror group would continue its attacks on Christians to revenge the killings of Muslims.

In a video message posted on YouTube, Shekau cited attacks on Muslims in recent years in some parts of the South as reason for the current offensive against Christians.

Shekau, who wore a red and white turban, a bullet-proof vest and sat in front of two Kalashnikov rifles, said he was responding to recent statements by President Jonathan and Oritsejafor on Boko Haram activities. He asserted Nigeria’s security forces would not be able to defeat the group.

The decisions of the Upper Chamber followed a motion moved by the Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu, to the effect that the chamber debated the SinParty of violence occasioned by Boko Haram.

Citing the Madalla bombing in the motion, which was consolidated with another one by the Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba on ratification of the state of emergency declared by Jonathan in Niger, Plateau, Yobe and Borno states, Ekweremadu said: “The Senate notes with deep sense of grief the dastardly bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State on Christmas Day.”

He also named the bombing of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church, Jos, Plateau State and several churches and the State Security Service (SSS) office in Damaturu, Yobe State on the same day.

Ekweremadu said similar episodes of bombing and indiscriminate shootings of worshippers also occurred in other parts of the country notably in Gombe, Mubi and Jimeta between Thursday, January 5, and Friday, January 6, 2012 leading to several deaths.

He said the, “violent attacks and bombing of any form are callous and condemnable, the new waves of attacks on innocent and unsuspecting worshippers and places of worship, be it a church or a mosque, are bizarre affronts on our collective cultural and religious values, the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of worship, and an outright offensive against the Almighty God Himself.”

He consequently called on the chamber to resolve as follows:

• condemn the attacks in their entirety;

• commend Jonathan for declaring state of emergency in some of the affected parts of the country;

• call on the Federal Government to pay adequate compensation to victims of the Madalla blast and the bereaved as well as those who suffered the same fate in other places; and

• invite heads of security agencies to update the Senate on their efforts at mitigating the worsening security challenges in the nation.

Senators Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North),

Heineken Lokpobri (Bayelsa East), Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) Akin Odunsi (Ogun), Chris Anyanwu, Sola Adeyeye (Osun Central), and Uche Chukwumerije (Abia North) contributed to the debate where all the prayers of Ekweremadu were adopted.

Ndoma-Egba commended the Senate President Mark for visiting the scene of the Madalla blast and condoling the victims.

Mark had put the question and it was agreed that the emergency rule be endorsed while the Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs and Defence should meet with the security chiefs today.

Obasanjo had heard that a nine-man terror gang invaded the church during a service and killed the victims last Friday night.

According to him, “God will not allow this agents of Satan to go free, these deadly gang will not see peace in their lives, the blood of these innocent souls will torment their killers even in their grave when these wicked people died.”

The former President tasked security agents to work hard to ensure that those behind the massacre of innocent citizens do not go unpunished.

He said masterminds of the Adamawa killings are bent on causing bad blood among Christians and Muslims, whom he said had lived together peacefully for ages.

Obasanjo who appealed to Christians in the state not to take the law into their hands, said that they should follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and that vengeance belongs to God and not man.

Oritsejafor, who commented on reports that the Borno State government recently paid N100 million compensation to the family of Malam Kudu, father-in-law of the founder of Boko Haram, Yussuff, berated southern governors of not making efforts to engage their northern counterparts on ways to end the killings.

“I am really ashamed at southern governors whose citizens are daily being mauled down by a group of Islamic fundamentalists who are hell bent on annihilating Christians from the nation without any attempt to engage their northern counterparts on ways to end the madness.

“I am really ashamed. It’s amazing the kind of publicity the Borno State governor gave to the payment of N100 million compensation to the family of the late Yussuff’s father-in-law.”

While sympathising with Nigerians who are currently going through harsh economic conditions as a result of fuel subsidy removal, the CAN president said if the House of Representatives truly love the nation, they should have demonstrated it by holding a special session to end terrorism in the country.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73625:senate-summons-service-chiefs-vows-to-ignore-death-threats-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

My stand on petrol subsidy removal, by Tinubu
By Our Reporter 18 hours 28 minutes ago
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Tinubu

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) national leader and former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has accused the Jonathan presidency of shirking its social contract with the people by suddenly removing petrol subsidy.
He, however, provided a window out of the crisis: if subsidy must be removed at all, it must never be at one fell swoop. He said it must be on calibrated phrases, on which the promised gains are measured and confirmed before moving to the next phase of removal.
“Government must modify the sudden and complete removal of the subsidy. Either we restore the subsidy or use the funds for other social purposes,” Tinubu counselled in a special statement he captioned, ‘Removal of oil subsidy – President Jonathan breaks social contract with the people’ and which he personally signed.
“If we are to use the funds for other programmes, these programmes shall be placed on parallel track with the subsidy. As more of these programmes are ready to go on line, then, the subsidy can be lifted in phases. In this way, the public is assured government will not lower its total expenditure on their behalf, thus maintaining the spirit central to the social contract,” he said.
The former governor cautioned the federal government against economic policies that tend to balance the books at the detriment of the people’s welfare.
He said: “As there are progressive politics, there are progressive economics. As there are elitist politics, there are elitist economics.” It all depends on what and who in society government would rather favour. The Jonathan tax represents a new standard in elitism.”
The ACN national leader cautioned the president against being captive to economic orthodoxy and its local purveyors, who always look at the Nigerian economy as nothing until when tied to the apron strings of the conservative orthodoxy.
“Because he is slave to wrong-headed economics”; the people will become enslaved to greater misery. This crisis will bear his name and will be his legacy. The people now pay a steep tax for voting him into office. The removal of the subsidy is the ‘Jonathan tax’,” he insisted.
He said subsidy removal is ill-timed and there must be some conditions precedent before such a step could be taken.
“First, government needs to clean up and throw away the salad of corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Then, proceed to lay the foundation for a mass transit system in the railways and road network with long term bonds and fully develop the energy sector towards revitalising Nigeria’s economy and easing the burden any subsidy removal may have on the people,” he said.
The former governor counselled protesters to go about the protests in a peaceful manner and to eschew all forms of violence.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/32868-my-stand-on-petrol-subsidy-removal-by-tinubu.html

Subsidy beneficiaries financed Jonathan’s election, says el-Rufai
By Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor) 17 hours 4 minutes ago
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Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), el-Rufai

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has said “untouchables who financed Goodluck Jonathan’s election are the beneficiaries of fule subsidy”. 
The former minister spoke on a televised programme, Matters Arising.
He said governors were in support “of the withdrawal of subsidy so that they will have money and less deductions from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC)”.
He said: “They (governors) are the driving force behind Goodluck Jonathan and half of the blame should go to governors.”
Petroleum subsidy, he noted, “is a charge on the Federation Account; so, it is deducted first before money is shared”.
Last year, el-Rufai said “the average deduction from the Federation Account was about N22 billion per month; after the elections, it rose to over N100 billion a month”.
He argued that because of the deductions, the Federal Government is broke, adding: “If you remove this N1.3 trillion subsidy fund that the government is expecting from the budget, there is no fund because capital expenditure for 2012 is N1.3 trillion.” 
Evidence that the government is broke, he said, could be seen from the fact that the economy is growing but it is illiquid.
el-Rufai said: “We are broke, but not bankrupt. We have assets, but we don’t have cash. We sold crude at $100 per barrel, yet we do not have cash.”
The former minister said the Jonathan administration “has been borrowing $1 billion a month since he became President almost two years ago. What are they doing with the money borrowed? They are borrowing to fuel consumption instead of borrowing to do real projects”.
By withdrawing subsidy, el-Rufai said the Jonathan administration is taxing every Nigerian - man, woman and child - N8,000 while N1.4 trillion has gone into some people’s pockets.
The former minister said the cost of producing one litre of petroleum in Nigeria is N40; so, the N25 difference in the pump price of N65 is an undeclared tax.
He said: “The government has not done enough to cut down its own wastes. The Federal Government has to cut its budget drastically: 25 per cent of Jonathan’s salary is N800,000 in 2012. What he should cut should be his allowances.” 
El-Rufai noted that the Federal Government has increased in size with its expenses because the number of ministries and ministers has increased. He said they have no limits or boundaries, adding that all of them are on the government’s payroll.
The former minister lamented that the monetisation programme of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration has been abandoned as ministers now stay in government houses and have cars fuelled by the government.
Highlighting government’s wasteful expenses el-Rufai said he learnt that the Minister of Agriculture recently “bought 150 Toyota Hilux vans for monitoring projects.
He asked: “What are they for? A few years ago, the Minister of Agriculture bought the same type of cars for monitoring. They should stop all these useless spending it will not add value. The federal government has no land, agriculture is basically a state government and private sector affairs these are expenses that don’t make sense.”
To deregulate the petroleum sector, El-Rufai maintains that there should be a review of the existing policy, new legislation, independent regulators and competitive industry all of which are needed before the deregulation of petroleum industry. He described the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) as “not a regulator but a price facilitator.”
The former FCT minister criticised the government of Goodluck Jonathan of not making efforts to repair refineries and having failed to bring those who ripped the country off to book.
With regards to the proposed Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE) El-Rufai maintained that there was “no money anywhere to execute SURE programme because all accruals to the Federal Government has already been captured in 2012 budget which assumes there is no subsidy.”
He described the Kolade committee which would monitor the execution of the SURE programme as an indictment on government’s ability to monitor projects insisting that there is no fiscal surplus anywhere. 
The Yar Ardua /Jonathan administration he revealed has earned more than N200 billion so far and he wondered where the money has all gone to. 
He noted that the SURE projects being peddled by the government was approved during the Obasanjo administration.

END
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/32864-subsidy-beneficiaries-financed-jonathan%E2%80%99s-election%2C-says-el-rufai.html

Goodluck Jonathan’s Legacy: Police Men Kill Three In Lagos, Two in Kano
Posted: January 9, 2012 - 16:13

Lagos police beating Ademola Aderinto before eventually shooting and killing him in Ogba Lagos
By Sahararareporters, New York
President Goodluck Jonathan’s order to the security services to crack down on the widespread civil disobedience has led to the extra-judicial killing of three peaceful protesters at the Pen Cinema area of Agege, Lagos, allegedly by one CSP Segun Fabunmi and Victor Okafor, the DPO of Pen Cinema police station driving a vehicle with registration number RS 101 LA. The police shot and killed Ademola Aderinlo after brutally torturing him on the street.

In Kano, the police also killed two other peaceful protesters today at the protest rallies there. Many injuries have also been reported.

Helicopters gunships were seen hovering over the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, where over 150,000 gathered at the venue of the Save Nigeria Rally. All the protest rallies organised by the NLC and TUC terminated at the Gani Fawehinmi Park.

Currently, more than five people have lost their lives today to the brutality and constitutional rights violation of Mr. Jonathan’s security forces.

Reports of the killings infuriated the protesters in Lagos who defiantly began to curse Mr. Jonathan and to demand his resignation as the President of Nigeria.

Mr. Jonathan came to office only seven months ago, claiming to have obtained over 70% of the votes in most of Nigeria.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/goodluck-jonathan%E2%80%99s-legacy-police-men-kill-three-lagos-two-kano

EFCC Petitioned To Investigate NNPC/PPPRA Manipulation of 2011 Budget: Only 62.9% of N1.4 Trillion Paid As Subsidy, Falana Alleges
Posted: January 6, 2012 - 17:57

Femi Falana at the Lagos protest
By SaharaReporters, New York
Ibrahim Lamorde, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday received the first test of his commitment to fighting corruption in the form of a petition to investigate massive violations of the 2011 Appropriation Act by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

In the petition, dated 5 January 2012, Mr. Femi Falana said that while N240 billion was voted for fuel subsidy in that budget, the PPPRA actually paid out N1.4 trillion, out of which the NNPC paid only 62.9% as subsidy on PMS.

Among the other claims in the complaint, Mr. Falana alleged that:

• Whereas the sums of N421 billion and N673 billion were paid as fuel subsidy for 2009 and 2010 respectively the NNPC was paid over N400 billion as arrears of subsidy claims for 2009 and 2010;

• Demurrage payments made by NNPC translated to an average of $6.6 million per month;

• Variations between NNPC claims and verifications by PPPRA led to over deductions of several billions of Naira;

• Professional fees of billions of Naira were paid to two private Auditors for covering up the perpetrators in the fuel importation scam;

• Exchange rates used by NNPC were lower than the average exchange rates approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria; and

• Contracts for fuel importation were awarded to companies/ suppliers that were not in the approved prequalification list.




Mr. Falana’s petition comes as Nigerians, tired of compromised governments and government officials, prepare for possibly debilitating strikes, called by the Labour Movement to start on Monday, over the government’s New Year Day’s abrupt withdrawal of subsidies on petroleum products.

Mr. Lamorde, who was appointed following the quiet dismissal of former chairperson Farida Waziri in November 2011, pledged to bring real combat to corruption, a chance to open Pandora’s Box he now gets with Mr. Falana’s petition.

[Full text of the petition:]


DEMAND FOR INVESTIGATION INTO THE GRAND FRAUD IN THE IMPORTATION OF PMS IN 2011 BY PPPRA.

In the Appropriation Act 2011 the sum of N240 billion was voted for fuel subsidy. But in utter violation of the Appropriation Act 2011 the sum of N1.4 trillion was paid by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency for fuel subsidy from January – December 2011.

I have however discovered that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which collected 50% of the fund and other importers of petroleum products engaged in unprecedented fraud which was committed in the following manner:

i. The fuel subsidy of N240 billion was illegally increased to N1.4 trillion without a supplementary appropriation bill passed by the National Assembly.

ii. Out of the said sum of N1.4 trillion only 62.9% was paid as subsidy on PMS in 2011.

iii. Whereas the sums of N421 billion and N673 billion were paid as fuel subsidy for 2009 and 2010 respectively the NNPC was paid over N400 billion as arrears of subsidy claims for 2009 and 2010.

iv. Demurrage payments made by NNPC translated to an average of $6.6 million per month.

v. Variations between NNPC claims and verifications by PPPRA led to over deductions of several billions of Naira.

vi. Professional fees of billions of Naira were paid to two private Auditors for covering up the perpetrators in the fuel importation scam.

vii. Exchange rates used by NNPC were lower than the average exchange rates approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria .

viii. Contracts for fuel importation were awarded to companies / suppliers that were not in the approved prequalification list.

ix. As a result of late settlement of invoices from suppliers NNPC paid interest rates running into millions of dollars.

x. Failure of PPPRA to regulate the supply and distribution of petroleum products.

xi. Failure of PPPRA to prevent collusion and restrictive trade practices harmful to the petroleum sector.

In the light of the foregoing, we demand for the investigation and prosecution of the officials of the PPPRA and NNPC as well as their collaborators who defrauded the nation to the tune of several billions of Naira.
Yours sincerely,



FEMI FALANA

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/efcc-petitioned-investigate-nnpcpppra-manipulation-2011-budget-only-629-n14-trillion-paid-

NLC Denies Dialogue With Government, Accuses Presidency Of Planting Stories In The Media
Posted: January 6, 2012 - 05:33

NLC leader omar
By SaharaReporters, New York
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday denied it is discussing the fuel price increase with officials of the federal government.



“This is an absolute falsehood,” it said in a statement issued by Owei Lakemfa, its Acting General Secretary.  “Labour leaders are busy mobilizing for the indefinite strike action and mass protests which commence from Monday 9th January 2012, and have no time for frivolous, unsustainable and unproductive ‘dialogue’ with the Presidency or any of its Dialogue Committees,” it said.

The NLC’s denial came hours of confirmation by Saharareporters tonight that the presidency has in the past few days paid several millions of Naira to newspaper editors to insert the fictitious allegation that some oil marketers are funding the current nationwide uprising against the Jonathan regime. Each of the editors was reportedly paid N1 million each for publishing the rumour.

Our source revealed that the State Security Services disbursed the funds through an Abuja-based reporter attached to The Nation, which belongs to the ACN’s Bola Tinubu’s newspaper.  The paper was carefully picked for the dubious strategy of accusing labour leaders of receiving bribes from the oil marketers to engage in next week’s planned strike.

In his denial, Mr. Lakemfa stressed that the Labor Movement has no intention to hold any discussion with the Federal Government or any of its officials until the price of petrol is reverted to N65 per litre, the Congress said the circulating rumours as mischievous and part of the government’s strategy to break the fuel hike protest.  This is in line with the NLC’s position that the stories are being planted in the media by the Presidency and are a desperate ploy to divert attention from the mass protests.

It called on workers and the Nigerian people to ignore all such stories and remain focused and committed to participate actively in the general strikes, mass rallies and street protests starting from Monday 9th January, 2012.

The NLC emphasized that no oil marketer or any individual can fund a protest of the working people.  “The negative impact of the increase in petrol prices is there to see; astronomical rise in the cost of transportation, school fees, medical bills, food and services.  The Nigerian people, unlike those in government are independent minded and cannot be bought by any group be they marketers, the IMF or World Bank.”

Commenting on the announcement by the Presidency that it is importing 1,600 buses to cushion the effects of its hike in the price of petrol, the NLC said it was false because the buses in question are actually being imported by Trade Union Congress (TUC).

“Secondly, the announcement is laughable because if divided by the 774 Local Governments in the country, it amounts to 2 buses per Local Government,” the NLC pointed out.




“Thirdly, one would have thought that the Presidency would put these “cushioning effects” in place before the unreasonable hike in petrol price.”

Also tonight, Saharareporters learnt that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation paid a whopping $1 million to the organizers of the “Townhall Meeting/Debate” hosted by the Publisher of Thisday Magazine, Nduka Obaigbena which was broadcast live on Channels TV in Lagos. The event attracted government ministers, labour leaders and civil society activists who enagegd in high-school-like debate on the subject of removal of gasoline subsidy.

When we contacted him, Mr. Obaigbena dismissed those reports.  He said the event was sponsored by corporations and powerful businessmen, none of which, he claimed, was the NNPC.

Following an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, the federal government announced that it would not go back on its removal of subsidies on petroleum products.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their pro-people allies announced the same day that if the federal government does not reverse the price of fuel to N65 a gallon immediately, it would next Monday declare nationwide and indefinite general strikes, mass rallies and street protests and would close down all offices, oil production centres, air and sea ports, fuel stations, markets and banks.  It urged Nigerians to stockpile basic needs, especially food and water.

Today, the Nigeria Bar Association announced that all lawyers would join that action.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/nlc-denies-dialogue-government-accuses-presidency-planting-stories-media

NBA urges National Assembly to impeach Jonathan
By Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja 32 minutes ago

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has advised the National Assembly to begin impeachment moves against President Goodluck Jonathan, if he fails to return petrol subsidy.
The umbrella body of lawyers also ordered its members to embark on nationwide strike from Monday.
This is in line with the mother of all strikes declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to protest the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.
In a statement yesterday in Kaduna by its President, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), NBA said the “much-touted palliative” measures reeled out by the government will “destroy what is left of the lives of Nigerians”.
The association regretted that “government took advantage of its people’s distress arising from the Christmas bombings and killings by the Boko Haram terrorists and insensitively caused the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (a creature of statute) to announce the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy”.
“If government should apply half the vigour with which it has pursued the issue of the removal of subsidy to the eradication of corruption in all the arms of government and in society in general, then trillions of naira would be freed up for developmental projects”, it said.
In the statement, entitled “Holding Government Accountable and Responsive to the People”, the NBA said the Justice Belgore Committee raised by government to negotiate with the labour and the civil society organisations is a waste of time “because there is in reality nothing to negotiate”.
“The minimum position is the immediate reversal of this provocative and uncalled for increment of petrol”, it stated.
The association recalled how it cautioned government against the subsidy removal and advised it to adopt a different strategy.
The statement reads: “The impression given by government was that the issue will be debated and the views of Nigerians properly considered. Government led its people to believe that the earliest time any possible action would be taken in the direction of subsidy removal was the April 1, 2012. Instead, government took advantage of its people’s distress arising from the Xmas bombings and killings by the Boko Haram terrorists and insensitively caused the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (a creature of statute) to announce the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy, thereby escalating the price of PMS from the already suffocating N65 to the unbearable range of N141-N250.
“Nigerians have in the past four days reacted angrily to government’s action described above. It is considered not only premature, but wicked and insensitive. Nigerians have now concluded that their leaders are truly detached from the reality of economic hardship endured by Nigerians. This is so because virtually all high government officials and their families feed and live off tax payers’ funds, yet they enjoy outrageous salaries and other emoluments. In some cases the amount budgeted for feeding and catering is as much as N1 billion. Government officials travel limitlessly round the world for the flimsiest of reasons collecting estacodes in billions even where the object of most of these journeys can be achieved by simply browsing the Internet. Consequently Nigerians have reacted spontaneously to this unwise and ill-motivated manoeuvre by demonstrations and other forms of protest nationwide.
“Government clearly does not understand the seriousness of the situation. It has failed to understand that all governments, be they dictatorial or otherwise, enjoy power because the people allow it to remain in power. No government can outlast the will of the people. It is clear that Nigerians do not and will not tolerate subsidy removal under the terms and conditions set out or laid down by government. Any removal of subsidy based on the importation of petroleum products is unacceptable to Nigerians. Government must create the infrastructure for the refining of 100 per cent of petroleum products in Nigeria and by Nigerians. It had been done in the past, it was sabotaged, and it can and will be done again.
“The response of government has been to say that there is no alternative to the removal of subsidy; with all due respect there are many alternatives.
•If government should apply half the vigour with which it has pursued the issue of the removal of subsidy to the eradication of corruption in all the arms of government and in society in general, then trillions of naira would be freed up for developmental projects.
•Government should identify areas of wastage in governance, such as the allocation of largesse and booties in the name of allowances and withdraw same forthwith.
•Government must embark on a re-orientation of its own values and ethics and those of Nigerians.
•Law and order must be enforced in accordance with the Rule of law.
•And many other urgent and indeed numerous measures.
•Where and if government persists on this suicidal course of action, the options open to the people are limited but clear.
They include: “ A call on the National Assembly to officially and formally declare its position on the removal of fuel subsidy.
“If as we believe the National Assembly sides with the people, then it must in the same transaction call on the President to rescind or reverse its actions on subsidy removal.
“ Should their call not be heeded by the President, then National Assembly should seriously consider impeachment proceedings; the President having lost the confidence of Nigerians to continue to rule or lead them.
“If the legislators fail to take the desired actions then Nigerians will commence the constitutional process to recall them.
“The Nigerian Bar Association believes in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Rule of Law. Where its elected officials believe that government and governance have become private property run at the master’s whims and caprices, then the time has come for these officials to be reminded that that the people are in charge.
“It must be mentioned that it appears to be more than a coincidence that government chose to remove subsidy at a time when the nation was reeling and mourning from the activities of anarchists and terrorists. Be it noted that Nigerians will not be cowered either from the activities of terrorists or those of an insensitive government. We shall deal with and resolve these issues with or without Government.“
Daudu said the NBA had since the purported removal of fuel subsidy been in active consultation with the NLC, TUC, NMA and other professional bodies and civil societies.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all members of the NBA shall participate in the nationwide strike commencing on January 9, 2012.
“The strike shall be comprehensive with all lawyers withdrawing their services from courts and elsewhere except as it is necessary to facilitate the continuation of pressure on government to rescind its actions.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/32353-nba-urges-national-assembly-to-impeach-jonathan.html

Protester Killed By Police In Ilorin Now Identified
Posted: January 3, 2012 - 21:27

Muyideen Mustapha
By SaharaReporters, New York
The youth killed by the Nigerian police today in Ilorin, Kwara state during an anti-fuel hike protest has been identified as Muyideen  Mustafa.

Credible sources in Ilorin told us that Mustafa was an Abuja-based youth who decided to participate in the protest only to meet his end at the hands of the police. Mustapha is 23 years old and hails from the Ajikobi ward in Ilorin.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State police command is twisting the circumstances surrounding the killing of Mustafa, claiming that he was stabbed to death by the National Labor Congress (NLC), which had earlier accused the police of shooting the unarmed protester.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Kwara state, Dabo Ezekiel, told AP that motorcycle-taxi drivers who were angry because they believed he was against their cause stabbed Mustafa.

The police are widely-known in Nigeria for violence and human rights abuses against innocent people which they then clumsily try to deny.  In Delta State in November 2011, for instance, eyewitnesses recounted how policemen shot a former governorship candidate, Ogbe Onokpite, in cold blood.

But the state police commissioner, Ibrahim Tsafe, issued a press statement stating that the man was killed in crossfire.

And then last month, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, responding to pressure from the family which had reported the matter to the Executive Director of the National Human Rights Commission, asked the same police commissioner to “investigate the murder.”

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/protester-killed-police-ilorin-now-identified

Our raw deal in the hands of Malaysian Police, by Nigerian students
By Gbenga Aderanti 17 hours 13 minutes ago
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Some Malaysian policemen
They grumble almost on a daily basis after suffering one form of humiliation or the other. Yet the majority of them find it extremely difficult to leave the hostile environment in Malaysia and head back home. That is the sad story of many Nigerians who are resident in Malaysia , particularly the students who are undergoing studies in various fields.
The number of Nigerian youths in Malaysia is estimated at about 4,000. This, of course, is unofficial, as many of them had entered the country illegally. But each time the Malaysian Police strike, both the saints and the sinners suffer.
The recent clamp down on Nigerians in the far east country was not only painful but humiliating. Neither the host schools nor the Nigerian High Commission in Malaysia could do anything to help the situation. The operation, codenamed ‘OPS TIONG’, involved many security agencies in Malaysia. It lasted for more than five hours from dusk to dawn. It was a raid Nigerian students in the country would not forget in a hurry. No fewer than 12 of them spent 11 torturous days in the Malaysian cell.
For one of the detained students, Nkem Okpa Obaji, who arrived the country in 2007, and currently a research student at the Institute of Technology Management of the Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia, life could not be more cruel. He was arrested in his sitting room around 11.35 pm on November 21, while he was watching a football match. It was a baptism of fire.
According to Obaji, he had never imagined that he could be subjected to such an inhuman treatment in his entire life. By the time it dawned on him that he would be sleeping in the cell, his psyche was dealt a big blow. He said it was the first time he would be arrested by the Police.
Obaji, who is billed to complete his studies in Malaysia in 2014, said he informed the Nigerian High Commission in Malaysia that some Nigerians, including himself, had been arrested, but he was disappointed with the response he got.
He said: “The first day we were put in cell, I called the High Commission. I told them that there was a massive arrest of Nigerians, including myself, the previous night. But the respondent told me that the High Commission could not do anything unless the Police informed them.”
While Obaji would not confirm or deny that some Nigerians are engaged in shady deals in the Asian country, he believes that the Police in the country had not been fair to Africans, especially Nigerians. “When policemen came to our apartment, they told us that the locals complained that some Africans were disturbing their neighbourhood and that was why they came. I feel they are unfair to Africans in general and Nigerians in particular. Also, majority of the locals don’t like Nigerians,” he said.
The university was said to have pledged to take up the matter with the security agency that arrested the students. In the report he was asked to submit to the university on the incident, a copy of which was made available to The Nation, Obaji wrote: “A team of policemen invaded our apartment at Ampang shortly after we finished watching the Indonesia – Malaysia football match of the South East Asia (SEA) 2011 Games.
“They searched the three rooms of our flat and the sitting room but did not find anything incriminating. They told us that they came because they received reports from the locals that some Africans living within the Condominium were disturbing.
“We told them that we were all students, but they queried, ‘If you are students, why do you have refrigerators in every room and how come you have 27 inches flat screen television?’ They also asked why almost everybody had laptop computers.
“Meanwhile, when they came in, there were two laptop computers in use. One of my flat mates was using his own in the sitting room where he was googling a particular topic relating to his school examination, which he was supposed to take at 10 am the next day, which he definitely missed as a result of our incarceration.
“They demanded for our International passports in order to determine the validity of our visas. These we presented to them and they verified their authenticity through phone calls to the Immigration Headquarters. They eventually confirmed that our passports were valid.
“While the verification was still going on, local journalists bumped into the house and started covering the incident. When we understood some of the Malay words (e.g. tipu and menipu) used by the journalists during the coverage, we sharply resisted the coverage and drew the attention of the police team. Immediately, the journalists stopped the coverage and went outside the door.
“After this, the team wanted to check all our laptop computers in the house, but suddenly, another police officer, who claimed to be their boss, came in and told them that all of us would be going to the station where they would check our laptops, visas and urine, and that if no problem was found, we would immediately be released. So, they brought out handcuffs and chained all of us together. The whole event depicted the slave trade era.
“As we were about to leave the front door of our flat, cameramen started taking pictures and recording us, which we protested against. Unfortunately for us, we were already in chains and we couldn’t do much.
“When we got downstairs, we found that other Africans were already inside their vehicles. When they found that the vehicles would not be enough for all of us, they called for the Black Maria. When the Black Maria came, they transferred all of us into it and zoomed off in a convoy to a location we all thought to be Bukit Aman Police Headquarters. But in the morning, we were told that the place was Police Training School at Jalan Semarak opposite UTM City Campus, KL.
“When we got to the training school, they just dumped us on the cold floor of the hall with the handcuffs still on all of us and started doing our documentation, which lasted up till 10 am the next day. After that, they took us back to Ampang Jaya Police Station. In the course of the documentation, they called us one by one and hung a tag around our neck with Bukit Aman inscription and assigned a number which ended with “/2011”. They asked each of us in turn to hold the tag while they took our pictures both in Portrait and landscape formats.
“At the Training School, we saw other Africans arrested who were from other parts of KL which include among others, Cheras, Kepong, Pandah Indah, Sentul.
“When we arrived at the Ampang Jaya Police Station, they removed the handcuffs and registered our personal belongings like phones, wallets, belts and shoes. After that, they put us in the cell.
“It the cell, on the first and second days, the tap flowed. But after the second day, there was no more water. After every meal, they gave some inmates who were lucky to get a small quantity of water in a water proof plastic bag to flush the toilet and clean up.
“They served us little quantity of rice every day. In some cases, especially in the morning, one slice of bread and a sachet of local flavoured drinks, which contains a lot of sugar, which is against what most of us need in our system. All through our incarceration, they didn’t give us even a drop of drinking water.
“On Monday November 28, 2011, they brought us to the investigation office where we met for the first time the police officer in charge of the case. She called us one after the other to provide our basic information like name, nationality, passport number, name of school, family background, etc. After that, they took us back into the cell.
“On Wednesday November 30, 2011 , she called us again to the investigation room and checked our passports/visas and informed us that she would be going to Putrajaya for the verification of our visas and passports.
“On Thursday December 1, 2011, around 6 pm, they called us to meet the Investigation Officer in the investigation room. At this time, she told us that we had been released but that our registered belongings, including our mobile phones, wallets and house keys would be collected the next day as the office where our belongings were had closed for the day.
“On Friday December 2, 2011 , around 9.am, we went to the Ampang Jaya Police Station and collected our registered belongings. On the same Friday December 2, 2011, around 6.pm, we went to the Bukit Indah Police Station to pick our laptop computers.”
Obaji said he was still trying to get back to his normal mental state, which he said was “bruised as a result of the incarceration. In my wildest dream, I never expected myself to be in that kind of situation.”
Another student, Wole, (surname withheld), expressed fear over the hostile attitude to blacks and Nigerians in particular. According him, while the raid was going on, the security agencies involved invited journalists from the print and electronic media to record the proceedings.
“My colleagues were handcuffed and hurled into a Black Maria like common criminals. These are students with valid papers. Despite having valid visas, some were kept in police net for 10 days before they were released,” he said.
Wole, who is currently a Ph.D. student in one of the leading universities, was miffed over the way the whole matter was handled by the High Commission. He said things could have been better if the High Commission had acted promptly. “Our embassy refused to help these people despite the fact that those who were arrested registered with the embassy. Malaysian security agents are out to tarnish the image of Nigerians in Malaysia,” he added.
All efforts made by one of the universities to vouch for one of the students were said to have been rebuffed by the Police.
Wole said the authorities at the Universiti Teknologi , Malaysia , called the Police but they refused to entertain their plea. “Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia , is ranked No.1 in Malaysia. There, you see many Nigerians,” said Wole.
Wole is constantly living in fear because Malaysian security agents would come down on them if their names and photographs are published in the newspapers.
As if to confirm the alleged contempt the Malaysian authorities have for Nigerians, the security agents allegedly refused to apologise to the unjustly detained Nigerians, even when they did not find anything incriminating on them.
A new twist was added to the arrest saga when Orugo, a Ph.D. graduate who had been at the forefront of the battle for the release of the detained students was arrested a few day after the 12 detained Nigerians were released. Orugo, who got a very outstanding award for his performance in the Ph.D. class, was himself allegedly detained for five days. It took the intervention of his lawyer to get him off the hook of the Malaysian security agents. As a measure of appreciation of his brilliant performance, The Nation gathered that Orugo has been engaged to lecture at the Universiti Kebangsaan.
However, some sources said while the Malaysian security agents should be blamed for allegedly irrational arrests, the attitude of some Nigerians leaves much to be desired. Early this month, a 32-year-old Nigerian, whom the Malaysian Police accused of dealing in illegal drugs, was shot dead on his hospital bed. According to a report, the Malaysian Police said they did so in self-defence because the Nigerian allegedly ran amok and overpowered a policeman.
In October 2007, two Nigerian students were found dead in their rooms. The two were business information systems freshmen. Though described as brilliant by the authorities of the school, some argued that they were probably killed by an overdose of drugs.
Some Nigerians in Malaysia are believed to sometimes make life difficult for those with genuine intentions. A Nigerian was once reported to have connived with his Malaysian girlfriend to fake her (girlfriend’s) kidnap. According to the report, the Malaysian lady and her Nigerian boyfriend were arrested by security agents for an alleged attempt to get a ransom of US$500,000 (N76, 124,988) from her father.
The cry of persecution by some Nigerians also attracted condemnation from a student, Paul (not real name), who is currently undergoing a Ph.D. programme in Malaysia . He was a lecturer in one of the private universities in Nigeria before he left for Malaysia. Paul disagreed with the arrested students. According to him, “Malaysians are good to us. Some of these Nigerians constitute a nuisance here. It is so bad that it is difficult to greet your fellow Nigerians, even if they have their papers. They actually need to arrest those Nigerians,” he submitted.
When this reporter told him that the arrested people have valid papers, he said curtly: “If they have their papers, they (Police) will never do that to them. Ask them what they are doing in Malaysia.”
He said he would probably do worse than the Police if he were a part of the system. “I would have probably done worse. I just hate some of these Nigerians. They make life difficult for us, doing all manner of rubbish,” he said.
Meanwhile, in spite of the negative perception, some of the students are doing quite well. For example, in October, this year, 51 Nigerians bagged Ph.D, while 36 successfully completed their Master’s degree. One of them, Khadija Adedoyin Opatokun, who graduated with M.Ed in Education Administration, earned the best Master’s Student Award of the institute of education in one of the universities.
A message was sent to both the Nigerian High Commission in Malaysia and the Malaysian High Commission in Nigeria for their official comments on the allegedly indiscriminate arrest of the Nigerian students, but at the time of filing this report, there had not been any response from either of them.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/30059-our-raw-deal-in-the-hands-of-malaysian-police-by-nigerian-students.html

Patrice Lumumba: A True African Hero Of Pan-Africanism (2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961)
Posted: December 13, 2011 - 15:52


By Olajide Jatto

“If you have nothing to die for, you have nothing to live for”

Not sure where I heard it or if those are even the exact words, but the above line is one of the many sayings that live in my head.

Many times when I see myself pushing enthusiastically for what I want and making big sacrifices that can have long-term effects, this line comes to my head.

And history has a long list of people who have laid down their lives for what they believe. Stephen around 34AD, Bhai Dhayala in 1675, Maximilian Kolbe in 1941 and on and on. People of ilk. Men of men. Human beings of class and repute. And recently I came across another. Patrice Lumumba.

Lumumba was the first prime minister of the DRC. Like many other African states, the rich nation of the Democratic republic of Congo had been under colonial rule of the Belgian nation. And like so many other colonial authorities, Belgium was not in a hurry to let this country so rich in natural resources out of its grasp.

DRC was under Belgian rule. The indigenes were oppressed. But somehow in 1960, there was an election where Lumumba’s party won control of the parliament. He was appointed prime minister at the age of 34. But did he step up to the plate or what?

Now let’s get something straight, the country had a vast reserve of natural resources. The colonial powers certainly wouldn’t let him have all the control where they had no say whatsoever in the expending of the reserves. How can a black man rule over his own country without their supervision? No way! How can this young country have control over its own affairs? Lumumba wouldn’t play ball and they wouldn’t let that happen. Or maybe they’ll just wait and see how ‘sensible’ this new kid on the block would be.

Well, any lingering doubts as to whether Patrice would be a puppet were erased at the very celebrations to mark the independence of the country. Some Belgian dude had gone on the podium to give a speech about how magnanimous Belgium had been to the DRC. He had spoken in glowing terms about how the independence was all a part of the grand plan of the Belgian nation. It was all lies of course. Everyone knew he was lying, but they all kept quiet in the name of diplomacy. No one wanted to spoil the celebration. No one except our young prime minister. He walked up to the microphone without being scheduled to and just spoke.  He spoke nothing but the truth. The truth about Belgian oppression. The persecution of the native African indigenes. He spoke of how the independence of the Congolese nation was not a magnanimous act but a struggle. Young Patrice spoke his mind. He spoke the truth and his fate was sealed.

No way would they have this smart, intelligent boy running the show without them. Patrice had to go.

But Lumumba was popular. The people loved him. He was intelligent. He gave rousing speeches and there was no way they could turn the Congolese people against him. So they had to use the Congolese politicians. They had to turn to the greedy ones. The ones who didn’t care what the average person thought.

They instigated a secession movement from the southern part of the country. The Katanga province led by one Moise Tshombe declared a republic. And the whole world watched as Lumumba desperately sought help to put his country back together. At least he was just some black kid who was prime minister over a country a couple of weeks old. Who cared what he thought. There was this particular occasion when he visited the United States and the president wouldn’t even receive him talk less of listening to what he has to say. The only country willing to lend a helping hand was the USSR. And again, Lumumba’s fate was sealed a second time. There was no way the US would let their cold war enemy have such a rich country on the African continent.
The CIA and the Belgians set out to ‘work’. The UN did nothing meaningful to help the poor Lumumba. UN resolutions were carefully grafted, in my opinion with the US pulling the background strings, to frustrate all his efforts.
One thing stands out in my mind. Through it all, the youthful prime minister remained graceful. The western media made him look evil. He was painted as ‘anti-western’ when all he wanted was to have one independent country. With every move made to frustrate his efforts, he never lost the affection of his people.

His government was toppled by his onetime chief of Army staff, Joseph Mobutu (later Sese Seko Mobutu). He was finally captured on the first of December 1960. He was humiliated in front of the world press. He was tied with ropes and made to sit on the floor of an open van. They had him. They had his body, but his soul was unbroken.

Lumumba was killed on the 17th of January that following year. He was shot. His body was exhumed by the Belgians and cut to pieces. Burnt. And dipped in acid. Let me say that again. The illegally deposed prime minister of a country was killed, cut to pieces, burnt and decimated with acid by a foreign power. If that’s not a crime against humanity then the holocaust was nothing more than a civil disturbance!

Lumumba lost his life and on the long run we all know what Mobutu did to the country of Zaire as he later called it.
In the death of Lumumba, Africa lost a hero. We lost someone who could stand up to the powers that be harmed with nothing but the truth and sheer will. We had lost someone who wasn’t going to sit in his revolving chair being fed grapes by pretty girls while his people died and suffered for lack of basic amenities. We had lost someone who saw true and good human values and was going to stick up for them even when it seemed fool hardy. Lumumba’s death marked the end of a life spent showing us we don’t have to lick the feet of those more powerful than ourselves even if they are more threaten us with fire and brimstone.

Patrice is no longer with us but what he stood for lives on!

Well done sir and like you said all those years back when in the dungeons of the evil ogres “Congo has a bright future!” I guess we can look forward to a bright future for our dear green continent. You’ve shown us it’s possible to get to where we want.

In the words of Malcolm X “Lumumba is the greatest black person to ever walk on the African continent!” Maybe some will disagree, but I’m sure no one will disagree Lumumba was some hero and a shining light even in this dark times.



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Great Lumumber

Submitted by Anatoly Ilyanovich Dobrynin (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 21:06.
Thank you for remind us of the great Lumumba and how the Western barbarians killed him. Note also that the same Western vultures are at it again with Africom and NATO prawling and scavenging for resources on the African continent. Greed knows no limit

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Patrice Lumumba lives

Submitted by Dapo Akinyemi (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 19:26.
The colonial masters have used divide and rule tactics to deal with us time and time again . It is indeed very unfortunate . However we must continue to move against their dictates . Kudos to Sen David Mark who said on air recently concerning same sex marriage that America can go to hell with their financial assistance . We need to come out with more of such positions in handling issues with these colonial bastards

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He will forever be great!

Submitted by Mikky (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 18:59.
He was great in life just as he is in death. He was a Pan-Africanist to the core. A lover of his people. Today we remember Patrice even after 50 years but who knows about Mobutu Sese Seko? The Bible is true "the memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot." While the memory of Patrice Lumumba lives on and is blessed, the name of Mobutu Sese Seko will rot. Aluta Continua! Victori Acerta!

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That Mobutu.

Submitted by Koboko-Dem! (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 18:51.
Oh! Patrice,  Oh! Great Patrice! Rest in peace, Patrice, you are forever with us. May your killers and their descendants know no peace, amen.

It is said that the first genocide of the 20th century occurred in The Congo - before the Armenian genocide - while under colonial rule by the Belgians,  It is now an established fact.

It is also said that it is not good to talk bad of the dead,  I'll make an exception in Mobutu's case: may he rot in hell! This Mobutu, along with a few other African military, power-drunk, coup d'etat-loving men(you know them), with empty heads, are squarely to blame for Africa's underdevelopment and the loss of millions of African lives. And all this coming after what King Leopold (google the "bombaclot," or better still visit: http://www.yale.edu/gsp/colonial/belgian_congo/index.html) did to the Congolese

Mobutu's soul will NEVER, EVER rest in peace, God willing! Gaskiya speaking.

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If only all African leaders could be like Lumumba

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 18:20.
Lumumba has written his name in history and set an example which African leaders in their uncontrollable greed have refused to follow. What these fools have failed to understand is that the white man would only do business with a black man when it suits him. When the black guy is no longer useful to him he would be given the boot, like they did to Mobutu Sese Seko. There is a wonderful film on Patrice Lumumba on this youtube link


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrbCOol_VVE

Please watch it and learn. Learn that the West will never do what is in our best interests. It is up to us to do that for our childrens sake.

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Lumumba Never Forgotten

Submitted by M.B.O (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 17:35.
I must state the ideals, Lumumba stood, fought and died for still surround us till this very day. The honest truth is we are not free and we are still our own greatest enemy. The neo-colonialist powers are still using the same tactics, its is impossible for them to succeed without infiltrating our ranks through the soul-less and GOD-less amongst us. The true struggle for freedom continues. Apart from Nigeria, the DRC is one of the most blessed countries on earth. As the saying goes if Nigeria fixes itself the rest of the continent will be liberated to a degree, the West know that so its in their best interest to make sure we have misplaced priorities. Covertly sponsor groups like MEND, MASSOB, Boko Haram. F5Divide and rule then conquer. We are just 150m but India is 1.2b with more religions and tribes so the problem isnt size our multi-culturalism. WE must UNITE rise above our differences and tackle the corrupt amongst us, else we will continue suffering and smiling.

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Re: Patrice Lumumba

Submitted by Niyi Aborisade (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 16:57.
The writer of the above piece has done a great Job.

Lumumba was great indeed and his spirit will never die. We should not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

It shows that African independence was only on paper and we are tied to the apron of our colonial masters. They dictate to us what they want, like they are telling Nigerians not to make their own laws otherwise they will withhold their aids.

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http://saharareporters.com/article/patrice-lumumba-true-african-hero-pan-africanism-2-july-1925-%E2%80%93-17-january-1961

Police Killing of Chief Onokpite in Delta State: Family Petitions Human Rights Commission
Posted: December 13, 2011 - 18:04

Ogbe Onokpite

Body of Ogbe Onokpite after he was murdered by the Nigerian police
By SaharaReporters, New York
The family of Chief Ogbe Onokpite, the candidate of the Citizens Peoples Party (CPP) in the Delta State 2007 and 2011 gubernatorial elections who died of police gunshot wounds on November 26, has appealed to the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission to commence a thorough investigation of the incident in order to bring to justice the policemen and officers responsible for it.



In a statement signed by the bereaved family by Festus Keyamo, the Onokpite family also called for an urgent Coroners’ Inquest towards obtaining “the autopsy report and a full Criminal Investigation Report of the murder of an innocent citizen.”

It would be recalled that a police report of the incident claimed that the late governorship candidate was in the process of purchasing arms in the hotel in which he was arrested and shot.
Ibrahim Tsafe, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, said in an interview that Chief Onokpite ‘and his accomplices were ambushed by the police detectives who were deployed in the hotel from the Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Warri.”

Chief Onokpite, he said, “was negotiating for arms in the hotel,” and that when he was coming down from the hotel, “we asked him to surrender but he declined to surrender, instead he confronted the police in company with his men”.

Mr. Tsafe said that a gunfight then erupted in which Chief Onokpite was fatally injured, and “he died before help could get to him in the hospital”.




On the contrary, the grieving Onokpite and Ighomrore families said in the statement that when the policemen arrived in Ogbe’s room, “he was immediately arrested and brought out (to the open still within the hotel premises) and shot in the leg.”

According to the statement, Chief Ogbe was then taken in a police to the Police Station in Warri “where he was again shot in other more delicate parts of his body and left thereafter to bleed to death.”

The families said they sent a formal complaint to the Inspector-General of Police which was acknowledged by the office of the Inspector-General of Police on the 28th of November, but that the complaint has been ignored by the Inspector-General of Police despite their repeated follow-up through a legal counsel.
“This goes to show that the Police is protecting the persons behind the cold-blooded murder of Chief Ogbe Onokpite,” the family claimed.

Channelstv Big Story on the murder of Ogbe Onokpite

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/police-killing-chief-onokpite-delta-state-family-petitions-human-rights-commission

Recklessness: Gov. Uduaghan’s Convoy Causes Ghastly Accident
Posted: December 13, 2011 - 21:51

A scene of accident caused by reckless police drivers and government escorts
By Citizen Reports
The convoy of the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was this evening at about 6:30pm involved in what eyewitnesses described as a ghastly accident, which left several persons with various degrees of injuries.

Eyewitnesses stated that the accident occurred at Ibusa, on the Asaba-Ughelli expressway when the governor and his entourage were said to be returning from an official engagement.

An eyewitness who was at the scene attributed the accident to the recklessness of drivers in the governor’s convoy who chose to occupy the entire road. The source said that following the reckless occupation of the centre of the road, a commercial vehicle which was attempting to negotiate a sharp curve in Ibusa lost control and somersaulted repeatedly into a nearby bush, and leaving the occupants of the ill-fated vehicle with wounds.

It was learnt that immediately the incident occurred, Governor Uduagha responded with concern, alighting from his vehicle and ordering that the victims be rescued with some of the vehicles in his convoy and taken to the hospital for treatment.  The accident and the response caused an unprecedented hold up.

When Saharareporters reached the commissioner of information, Chike Ogeah, regarding the accident, he denied the version of the story that the accident was caused by the governor's convoy. He claimed the governor was acting as a good samaritan by alighting from his official vehicle to assist accident victims in Oleh. 

However, an impeccable source in the convoy however confided in this reporter that that account is simply the official line, that everyone in the convoy was warned to say in the event of any questions. 

The state Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Jeff Otubu, said he could not confirm to this reporter if it was the governor’s convoy that was involved in the accident.  He confirmed that officials of the commission had been dispatched to the scene of the accident on a rescue mission and promised to get back to the reporter as soon he obtains details on the accident.  As of the time of this report, he was still being awaited.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/recklessness-gov-uduaghan%E2%80%99s-convoy-causes-ghastly-accident

Imo House probes alleged missing N10bn
on DECEMBER 12, 2011 · in NEWS

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI – Imo State House of Assembly yesterday set up an ad-hoc committee to probe an alleged missing N10 billion from the state government coffers.

The committee is headed by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Donatus Ozoemenam.

Other members includes Greg Okemili, Mr. Victor Ndunagu, Mr. Mike Ndubuaku, Mr. Ikechukwu Amuka, Mr. Robertson Ekwebelem and Mrs. Ngozi Pat-Ekeji.

Those to appear before the House ad-hoc committee are the state Commissioner for Finance, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, managers of some commercial banks, past and present Accountant-Generals of the state, Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Affairs and others.

Vanguard gathered that they are expected to explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged missing billions before the Assembly takes disciplinary action against anybody or group of persons found wanting.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/imo-house-probes-alleged-missing-n10bn/

Nigerian, Osita Mba, May Be Sacked By HM Revenue & Customs…For Telling The Truth (The Guardian, UK)
Posted: December 9, 2011 - 03:24

Osita Mba the solicitor at HM Revenue & Customs who turned whistleblower.
By Saharareporters, New York

Nigerians are often in the news abroad for Advance Fee Fraud and similar offences. According to the following story, published on December 8, 2011 by The Guardian (UK), Osita Mba was just the opposite: a principled lawyer who reported how officials of HM Revenue & Customs had compromised their positions in favour of Goldman Sachs. He may be fired, or prosecuted:

The Guardian (UK) Report:

A solicitor at HM Revenue & Customs who turned whistleblower to disclose that senior managers had quietly let off Goldman Sachs from paying millions of pounds in tax penalties is facing disciplinary procedures and possible prosecution for speaking out.

Osita Mba has worked within the Revenue for at least four years and claimed to have personal knowledge of the deal that allowed the bank to write off a £10m bill.
He told the National Audit Office and two parliamentary committees the bank's settlement had been agreed with a handshake by Dave Hartnett, the permanent secretary for tax at HMRC.

Mba believed the deal might be illegal and told them he was making the disclosure under whistleblowing legislation. His evidence led to Hartnett being accused of lying to parliament over his role in the Goldman Sachs deal, which he denied. But he admitted his organisation had made a mistake by approving the deal.

Now Revenue & Customs managers have launched an inquiry into Mba's conduct that could lead to his being sacked or face prosecution for disclosing sensitive information.

He has been told not to enter the Revenue's building in Westminster without a personal escort from his line manager and has been summoned to a meeting, according to documents sent to the Commons public accounts committee.

Mba's treatment has angered MPs who say that his disclosures have been of enormous service to Parliament and the public. Margaret Hodge, Labour chair of the committee – which uncovered the deal using Mba's evidence – said: "Whistleblowers play such an important role that the previous government brought in legislation to protect them.

"Mr Mba's evidence has been crucial in uncovering not just specific but systemic problems in HMRC's secretive relationship with big corporations.

"This is harassment and is completely unacceptable."

Stephen Barclay, a Conservative MP on the committee, said it would ask further questions about HMRC's approach to whistleblowers. "We have already seen how whistleblowers from the health world have been stopped from disclosing information by their managers. It appears that a similar obstructive approach may now be being followed by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

"The committee will be making further inquiries to establish the facts to ensure that the will of parliament is being followed," he said.

Hartnett reached an agreement with Goldman a year ago whereby it did not have to pay back about £10m interest on tax it had avoided.




The bank was found to have employed London-based workers in the British Virgin Islands where they did not have to pay tax on bonuses.

Mba, who trained as a barrister in Nigeria and completed his master's degree at Oxford, worked in the personal tax litigation team from February 2007 until November last year.

He wrote to Amyas Morse, the auditor general of the National Audit Office, in March, outlining his concerns over the deal. The subsequent NAO report did not name Goldman Sachs.
Hartnett discussed the NAO report with the Treasury select committee in September and said the Goldman settlement was properly reached.

Hartnett denied any personal involvement in the settlement.When asked by Jesse Norman, a Conservative member of the committee, whether he had ever received corporate hospitality from Goldman Sachs, Hartnett responded: "I have been to a supper with Goldman Sachs … I knew nothing of Goldman's tax affairs when I was at that supper. I do not deal with Goldman's tax affairs."

In October, Mba sent a detailed submission to Hodge and Andrew Tyrie, the chairman of the Treasury committee, claiming that Hartnett had misled the committee over his role in the Goldman Sachs deal.

The public accounts committee accused Hartnett and senior members of staff of misleading them, and hiding behind "client confidentiality" to avoid telling the truth about the Goldman tax deal.
Mba's identity was revealed on Thursday in evidence released by the committee.

A senior judge is to be brought in by the National Audit Office to investigate such highly controversial tax deals. The NAO is considering whether to examine the tax affairs of other big companies such as Vodafone to establish whether HMRC officials routinely signed off deals that underestimated the true liabilities of the companies.

An HMRC spokesman said it had begun an inquiry into Mba and confirmed that this could lead to his dismissal and prosecution.

Insiders say that section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2004 states that information held by the organisation must be held purely for the business of the organisation.
"It is essential that we establish the full facts in order to decide what action to take," the HMRC spokesman said.

"To this end we are carrying out a preliminary leak inquiry following the disclosure, including on the Guardian website, of internal departmental documents which may constitute a serious breach of confidential information.

"This is the first time we have had an opportunity to see the documents and we will give careful consideration to this material."

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?action=post;board=20.0

Delta govt washes hands off Onokpite’s killing
on DECEMBER 9, 2011 · in NEWS

By Austin Ogwuda
Asaba—DELTA State Government, has washed its hands of the murder of the gubernatorial candidate of the Citizens Popular Party, CPP, in the last general election, Chief Ogbe Onokpite, warning those making ‘’malicious and unfounded allegations,’’ to desist from maligning the government henceforth.

State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah, who reacted to media reports on the matter said: “This (accusation) is really coming as a great surprise to all of us because it really tells you the level of depravity in the kind of politics we play in Delta State.’’

Ogeah said: ‘’It is absurd to think that government directed the police to kill one of its citizens when it is the duty of such government to protect life and property of the people.

’’Sometimes, I get very sad. How could something about a situation between the Nigeria Police and a citizen of Nigeria which led to what I can call an unlawful killing, at this point in time until investigations are concluded, be attributed to the government.

’’The late Onokpite was a citizen of Delta State and the government has the constitutional right to protect the citizens.

“How could anybody in his/ her right mind now turn round and accuse the state government of killing him, just because we are in different political parties?

’’The police which he reportedly had problems with are not under the control of the state government.

‘’We thank God that we do not have state police because the minute we have state police in Nigeria that would just be an invitation for chaos.

’’Even with this kind of situation, we now know how people’s minds are working. We are at a loss. The government condemns any form of unlawful killing whether from opposition or people in government.”

Former labour leader and chieftain of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP in the State, Chief Frank Kokori, had told reporters in Warri that Onokpite’s killing was “politically-motivated because he was a gubernatorial candidate of CPP on two occasions.’’

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/delta-govt-washes-hands-off-onokpites-killing/

Monumental Oil Subsidy Fraud And Corruption At The NNPC-The Damning KPMG Report :Premium Times
Posted: December 9, 2011 - 15:29

Petroleum resources minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke-Reuters photo
By Musikilu Mojeed
On Thursday December 1, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, cringed when the senate joint committee investigating the management of funds set aside for petroleum subsidy handed her a seven-day ultimatum to produce a secret forensic report on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in her custody.

The audit, done for her ministry by renowned audit and advisory consultancy, KPMG, which exposed the massive financial malfeasance and monumental corruption in the NNPC, is one document the federal government, the petroleum ministry and the NNPC have worked hard to conceal for a little over a year now.

The report, which could trigger a fierce face-off between the federal and state governments, is one of the most closely guarded secrets in Nigeria today. It contains shocking details of how the NNPC, and by implication, the federal government has been swindling the states.

So when the committee requested Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to produce it, she became a bit uneasy, knowing that doing so might embarrass the administration and sparked some troubles for the NNPC, a source close to her told the Times. Initially the minister didn’t make any commitment, but when pressed by committee members, she reluctantly acceded to the request.

It is not known at press time whether she has sent the document to the committee. Contacted yesterday, her spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, said he had no information on the matter. Calls to the chairman of the senate joint committee, Magnus Abe (PDP, Rivers), were unanswered. But as at noon today, long after the ultimatum given to Mrs. Okonjo-iweala expired, a source close to the committee said the minister was yet to make the report available. He said there was high-powered lobby by the NNPC not to make the document public.

The damning report
But the Times has scooped the report for you in case the minister fails to
produce it or does so to the committee in camera. As far as the 41-page report is concerned, the NNPC is a cesspool of monumental corruption and fraud. The report detailed the corporation’s sharp business practices, violation of laid down rules and regulations, illegal deductions of funds belonging to the state, and failure to account for several billions of naira that should go to the federation account.

The agency, the report says, has also severely defrauded our country in subsidy claims. Auditors found that between 2007 and 2009 alone, the NNPC over-deducted funds in subsidy claims to the tune of N28.5 billion. It has not been able to account for the sum ever since.

The over-deduction from its remittance to the federation account for 2010 and 2011, believed to be in several billions of naira, is not captured in the report.

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Finance, hired KPMG and another Nigerian auditing firm, S.S. Afemikhe & Co., in July 2010, to look into the books of the corporation following allegations of “wrongful deductions at source by the NNPC to fund its operations” by the 36 state governors.

There were also concerns at the time that “the procedures for managing and
reporting the country’s crude oil and gas revenues are opaque and characterized by gaps, overlaps and inconsistencies in the role of key parties responsible for the assessment, collection and reporting on these revenue streams.”

Officials of the petroleum ministry and the NNPC, a source at the finance ministry disclosed, developed cold feet after the auditors were sent in, and indeed tried hard to frustrate the representatives of the two audit firms by failing to supply evaluation criteria for commercial bids submitted in respect of petroleum products importation.

Believing that would turn the auditors away, our source further explained, the corporation also failed to provide them with other relevant documents such as the criteria for allocation of products and product volumes to importers/suppliers and periodic pre-qualification list of approved products importers/suppliers.

But in spite of the difficulty they faced, the auditors were able to determine that the NNPC had been anything but transparent in the management of our country’s oil resources.

The report that emerged from the audit was just too damning that the leadership of the petroleum ministry, the NNPC and some few other elements in the Federal Government have worked hard to keep it away from the 36 state governors and federal lawmakers in particular and Nigerians in general.

Stealing the states blind
In what is likely to anger state governors, the audit established that the
corporation was in the habit of arbitrarily estimating subsidy claims and then over-deducting funds from proceeds of domestic crude sales.

“For example,” the report said, N25bn was deducted as subsidy estimate for
September 2009 from domestic crude sales proceeds while PPPRA approved a subsidy
of N23.8bn. N35bn was also deducted as subsidy estimate fro November 2009 but
PPPRA approved of N21.3bn.”




The auditors’ analysis indicates “over-deduction for these two months amounted to N14.9 billion. However, only N4.2.bn was swept into the Federation Account by the NNPC as adjustment for subsidy claimable in the two months.” That is beside the N11.8 billion subsidy claim the NNPC claimed it paid for imported products that didn’t reach consumers.

State governors have always complained that the NNPC was shortchanging them
through illegal deductions from revenues payable to the federation account.

Fraudulent underhand tactics
Over-deduction is however not the only way the corporation is defrauding the federal and state governments. According to laid down regulations, the NNPC is invoiced in dollars for domestic crude allocations but is expected to remit the equivalent naira value to the Federation Account. But auditors found to their chagrin that in doing that, the corporation used exchange rates far lower than those published by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Using this “fraudulent underhand tactics”, the NNPC succeeded in cheating
the three levels of government of a whooping N85.2bn in three years – N25.7 bn in 2007, N33.8 billion in 2008 and N26.7 billion in 2009.

When the auditors requested explanations for these exchange rate disparities, the NNPC claimed it obtained the exchange rates it used from the CBN via telephone.

The report also severely indicted the NNPC over the shoddy and non-transparent manner it renews crude sale contracts every year. The auditors noted that “evaluation criteria for renewal of contracts are not clearly stated in the contract document”, and that the selection exercises were based on individual discretion and wrong assumptions and criteria.”

The NNPC claims that renewal of contract was based on performance of off-takers (buyers). But the auditors observed that the basis and process for determining performance were not clearly defined.

The auditors wondered why in 2007 and 2008, some companies not on the approved list of buyers for that year were allocated crude, a practice the examiners believe had led to crude being sold to non-credible buyers, even with relevant guarantees and safeguards not implemented.

Specifically the auditors queried the allocation of crude to Ovlas Trading (2,852,316 barrels in 2007 and 906, 269 barrels in 2008) Petrojam (2,818,914 in 2007), Oil Fields (950,166 barrels in 2007) and Zenon (906,000 barrels in 2008) even when they were not on the list of authorized buyers for that year.

Contracts for the importation of products, the auditors wrote, were also
routinely awarded without regard for approved guidelines and procedures. “We observed that contracts for the importation of petroleum products were awarded to companies and suppliers not listed in the approved pre-qualification list used for the fourth quarter 2008 importation,” the report noted.

The auditors specifically queried the award of contracts in that manner to
Astana Oil Corporation Limited, Natural Energy and Oando, when they were not prequalified for patronage that year.

Among other forms of misdemeanour, ranging from poor accounting and shoddy
record keeping, the auditors also indicted the corporation for leaving its own storage facilities, unused, and then proceeding to incur additional cost from leasing of third party storage facilities.

The auditors reported that DPK tanks (with storage capacity of 18,000 cubic
metres) at the PPMC depots within the Mosimi Area had not been used for three years even though there were in good condition. Yet the corporation, the examiners added, had been leasing storage facilities from third parties.

The spokesperson of the NNPC, Levi Ajuonuma, declined to comment on the report, saying he had nothing to say until the government releases it officially.

See Raw KPMG Report below:

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/monumental-oil-subsidy-fraud-and-corruption-nnpc-damning-kpmg-report-premium-times

We were bombed, traders tell Kaduna Governor Yakowa
By Yusuf Alli, Abuja and Tony Akowe, Kaduna 16 hours 21 minutes ago
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Yakowa
Kaduna traders yesterday relived the explosion that rocked their market on Wednesday.
They told visiting Governor Patrick Yakowa that the explosion was a bomb – as against Police Commissioner Ballah Nasarawa’s claim that it was”an explosion from within and not sabotage from outside”.
Automobile Spare Parts Association Vice President Edwin Nwagu told the governor: “The incident happened precisely at about 9:20am, a very sad event. We are honoured to receive you. We lost some lives and many are in the hospital.
“We were told by some of our members who were around when the incident happened that some people came around on a motorcycle and called one of the spare parts dealers. They dropped what they were holding, which was later discovered to be a bomb. It exploded and killed some of our members.”
The association’s Kaduna Zone chairman, Mr. Sunday Mba, said: “What I was told by my secretary is that people came on a bike and dropped a bag. The substance exploded and killed the boy, as well as the one in the shop instantly. It was a bomb, not gas cylinder explosion, as claimed. We don’t deal in gas here.”
The injured have been transferred to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria for proper medical attention. The state government has promised to foot their medical bills.
The blast site has become a mecca of sorts, hosting crowds of visitors from across the state.
With Yakowa were Senator Mohammed Saleh and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governorship candidate in the April election, Haruna Saeed Kajuru.
Yakowa told the traders that he has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to make preliminary recommendations on how to assist the victims, pending the conclusion of investigations by security agents.
The governor said: “I just came to see you, those of you who live around here, and to personally see the scene of the explosion, go back and allow the law enforcement agents to continue to do their work. I know it is very painful, but please co-operate with them so that we can get to the root of this unfortunate incident.
“By so doing, you will be helping us to take all the steps that are necessary to prevent a possible recurrence of this kind of incident in any part of the state. We need peace, we need stability so that people can go about their lawful businesses without too much worries.
“Thank you for your understanding and bearing with us and for your cooperation with the security agencies. Continue to corporate with them; they are here to safeguard your lives and property.
“All of you are contributing in different ways through buying and selling. You even create a lot of jobs and you employ a lot of people. Even if it is one, two or three, you have a handful of people that are working in each of these shops.
“I want to assure you that I am touched as I listen to you.
“We want to also assure you we will do everything possible to provide everybody in this state security. I am saying this because I have all the support of all the security agencies in the state.”
It was not still clear yesterday the exact casualty figure in the explosion. The 12 mangled bodies that were recovered will be subjected to autopsy and forensic analyses to ascertain the nature of the explosion.
President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a probe of the incident by all security agencies.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/29193-we-were-bombed-traders-tell-kaduna-governor-yakowa.html

Eight months after, Nigerians trapped in Libyan deserts return
THURSDAY, 08 DECEMBER 2011 00:00 FROM NJADVARA MUSA, MAIDUGURI NEWS - NATIONAL
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FIFTY-FIVE Nigerians trapped in the Sahara Desert following the eight-month war and political unrest in Libya yesterday returned to the country through the Gambouru/Ngala border post in the North-East zone.

Among the returnees were a month-old twins accompanied by their28-year-old mother, Bridget, who claimed that her husband abandoned her during the political unrest.

Addressing the returnees in Maiduguri at the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), the North-East Zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Aliyu Sambo, disclosed that the returnees spent 31 days in the Sahara Desert, before arriving at the

Gambouru/Ngala border post, 240 kilometres North-East of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Narrating their experiences, a 32-year-old man, Nosa Usunobun, claimed that many of them were held up in the desert for a month, until they found their ways to the Chadian commercial city of Faya.

His words: “We had to flee Tripoli, the Libyan capital, during the unrest because it was unsafe for anybody to stay at that time. But our situation became worse as many of the Libyan Arabs became hostile to foreigners, perhaps because of the effect of the crisis on them.”

Usunobun said thousands of Nigerians were still trapped in the deserts of Libya and Chad and urged the Nigerian government to help evacuate them “before they die of hunger and thirst.”

Bridget said she could not flee crisis-ridden Benghazi, Libya because of her pregnancy, unlike her husband who “ran for his dear life.”

The North-East Information Officer of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said

the returnees were handed over to the agency by officials of the International Organisation for Migrants (IOM).

Farinloye added: “The returnees were mostly from Tripoli and were rescued at Faya, a Chadian province, by the IOM and handed over to us at the Nigerian border. The Nigerian government has taken over the returnees and they will be transported to their states.”

He disclosed that a total of 390 Nigerians have so far returned to the country since September from Libya.

An official of the IOM, a UN organisation, Mr. Roland Alladoumase, disclosed that the organisation rescued most of the returnees in the desert during the crisis.

He said the 55 returnees were the third batch of Nigerians to be rescued and returned to the country.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70135:eight-months-after-nigerians-trapped-in-libyan-deserts-return&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Richard Branson opposes the new anti-gay law in Nigeria

Here's what the British Billionaire, who has some investments in Nigeria, wrote on his BLOG today,

Nigeria’s cruel anti-gay law - Richard Branson
Too sad to comprehend that Nigeria are passing a law in this day and age to put gay people in prison just for being gay.

The Prohibition of Same-Sex Marriage Bill passed through Nigeria’s Senate unopposed last week. It means gay couples entering into either marriage or cohabitation will be jailed for up to 14 years. Even people "witnessing" or "abetting" gay relationships could be punished under this sad, repressive and cruel law.

Like everyone else in society, gay people have an enormous amount to offer and Nigeria should embrace them not prosecute them.

All of us with influence in Nigeria must do what we can to stop this cruel law. I would urge educated Nigerians all over the world to do what they can to help fight this discrimination.

http://lindaikeji..com/2011/12/richard-branson-opposes-new-anti-gay.html

REP MEMBER IN EXAM SCANDAL, Hires Aide To Write NABTEB Exams
Font size: 02/12/2011 10:46:00
HON. NKEIRUKA ONYEJEOCH
Second term member of the House of Representatives, Chief Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha who represents Umunneochi/ Isiukwuato Federal constituency of Abia state is the news again, this time over, the arrest of her Personal Assistant (PA), Chetachi Obi, who impersonated the lawmaker in the ongoing November/ December National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) examinations at Unique Comprehensive High School, Isuochi in Umunneochi local council of Abia state.

This is not the first time a high ranking Government official will be caught in an exam scandal. Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Tunde Ogunsakin and Director of Operation at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was caught in a similar circumstances at the University of Abuja

A memo exclusively obtained by Pointblanknews.com and endorsed by the Varsity's registrar, M.B Modibo with reference number UA/R/GEN/50 disclosed that "the above named student(Tunde Ogunsakin-matric no.05251064) was alleged to have been involved in some form of examination malpractice during the 2005/2006 academic session."

However, Pointblanknews.com gathered that since the examinations commenced on November 10, 2011, Obi has been writing the papers daily for her boss. Sources revealed that the lawmaker’s photograph was embossed on the examination card, showing that she entered for the examinations and made arrangements for her aide to impersonate her.

Enquiries at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) revealed that the policemen acting on a tip off entered the school premises before Obi drove in with a Golf car allegedly bought for her by Onyejeocha. She was promptly arrested.

An Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Micloth confirmed the arrest to news men but said he was yet to be briefed. Obi and her accomplice were also yet to make statements as at the time of writing this report.

Pointblanknews.com investigation revealed that Chetachi Obi has been a long standing aide of the lawmaker. A resident of the constituency said he is at a loss on the issue as Onyejeocha, who chairs the House committee on Aviation, possess a master degree and wondered how she will be taking another O’ Level examination.

Efforts to reach the lawmaker did not yield fruit as she failed to pick her calls or reply text messages sent to her phone as at press time.

http://pointblanknews.com/new/exclusive/3163-rep-member-in-exam-scandal-hires-aide-to-write-nabteb-exams.html

Gunmen abduct 9-day-old babies in Imo
on DECEMBER 1, 2011 · in NEWS
     
BY CHIDI NKWOPARA
OWERRI—Two nine-day-old babies have been kidnapped from their cots in a private hospital at Akuma, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.

Vanguard investigation revealed that mothers of the babies, Mrs. Ifeoma Mbidom and Mrs. Ifeyinwa Udoyibo, were delivered of their first babies through caesarean section and were recuperating before the gun totting hoodlums stormed the hospital and made away with the babies.

The mothers told newsmen that the armed bandits, numbering five, stormed the hospital last Wednesday night, seized their babies and disappeared into the night.

Vanguard also gathered that the hoodlums have neither made any contact with the grieving mothers nor returned the hapless babies to their parents.

When newsmen contacted the new Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Samuel Oodee, he pleaded for time to get in touch with the relevant police division at Omuma so as to get the facts of the matter.

Meanwhile, a very reliable source in the State Police Headquarters, Owerri, confirmed that a medical doctor and his two nurses (names withheld) have been invited for interrogation.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/gunmen-abduct-9-day-old-babies-in-imo/

Onokpite was armed, says police boss
on DECEMBER 1, 2011 · in NEWS

By Emma Amaize
WARRI—DELTA State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Tsafe, has differed with those who accused the police of murdering Chief Ogbe Onokpite, gubernatorial candidate of Citizens Popular Party, CPP. He said the deceased was armed.

The Commissioner told Vanguard that the deceased opened fire at policemen who went to arrest him in connection with an alleged case of gun-running and his men responded in self-defence. He said, unfortunately, the man died while he was being rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

However, National Chairman of Human Rights Defence Organisation of Nigeria, HURDON, Warri, Mr. Casely Omon-Irabor (Esq.) and National Coordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, Oghenejabor Ikimi, faulted the claim of the police chief.

Irabor told Vanguard: “The killing of Ogbe Onokpite cannot be swept away as just another accidental discharge. This is monumental disgrace and a pyramid of shame that the 21st Century Nigeria Police can still be this barbaric.”

Ikimi said: “We make bold to say that the police neither has the power under any statute to shoot an unarmed citizen avoiding arrest nor act as investigator, a judge and an executioner in one swoop as we are not in a jungle where might is right.”

The group, therefore, called for an inquest into the “premeditated murder of Chief Ogbe Onokpite by the police so as to avoid a re-occurrence.”

Former labour leader and chieftain of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, in the state, Chief Frank Kokori, said: “It is politically-motivated because Ogbe Onokpite was a gubernatorial candidate of the Citizens Popular Party on two occasions. Effort must be stepped up to apprehend the policemen that killed him and bring them to justice.”

Chief Okiemute Okwagbe and Urhobo leader, Olorogun Ogbarode Ogbon asserted that the manner in which Onokpite was killed was strange, as the police should have disarmed and arrested him, instead of killing him.

Okwagbe said he was baffled by the story that the deceased was escaping from the hotel, as there was nowhere he could flee to in a well-fenced hotel.

Speaking in the same vein, Olorogun Ogbon said: “It is a shame that in the 21st Century, Police could kill someone in an uncivilised manner.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/onokpite-was-armed-says-police-boss/