₦airaland Forum

The governor of Ekiti state, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose, was yesterday, 9 July, 2015 sighted sipping some palm wine with his people yesterday. While I am by no means a fan of the man politically and character wise, however, I think the man simply understands the concept of politics as essentially a 'local' activity and he does this more than excellently.

President Muhammadu Buhari has turned down a proposal to purchase five new bulletproof Mercedes S-600 (V222) cars for his use at a cost of about N400 million. Buhari was said to have rejected the proposal by the permanent secretary of the State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi when he briefed him ( the president) on Wednesday. Ordering that the proposal to procure the cars be dropped, Buhari noted that there was no need for the new vehicles when the ones he inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan are still in good shape for him to use.

A top presidency source who disclosed this to State House correspondents last night said the president, however, welcomed other initiatives presented by Emodi to reduce the operating cost of the State House and strengthen its finance and accounts internal control mechanisms. The source at the briefing, who spoke on condition of anonymity, quoted Buhari as telling the permanent secretary: “I don’t need any new cars. The ones I’m using now are just fine.“Greater effort be made henceforth to capture all State House expenses within the approved national budget, to avoid the frequent recourse by past administrations to presidential intervention funds.”

It was gathered that the proposal to procure the new cars was first made to Jonathan before he left office.“The former president directed, however, that it be represented to President Buhari for approval on his assumption of office since the cars could only be delivered some months after the May 29, 2015 handover date,” another source told our correspondent.

Confirming the development, senior special assistant to the president on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the president’s decision was in keeping with his commitment to prudence in the management of national resources.He added that Buhari wanted to continue using the cars he inherited from Jonathan, which explains why he withheld approval for their replacement.

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/445952/pmb-rejects-purchase-of-n400m-bulletproof-cars

A federal court has ordered a former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, accused of fraud, to be remanded in prison custody in Kano till September 28. The former governor was arraigned on Thursday alongside his children for receiving N1.35 billion kickback from a government contractor. The money was paid into accounts controlled by the governor and his sons. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, accused the trio of money laundering, amongst other charges. They were due for arraignment Wednesday, but the court appearance was rescheduled to Thursday.

Security was stepped up around the court vicinity in Kano ahead of the hearing Thursday. Delivering a ruling, Justice Evelyn Anyadike ordered that the four accused persons be remanded in a Kano Prison Custody because the EFCC said they lacked enough facilities to accommodate them. She rejected the pleas of defence counsel, Effiong Effiong, SAN, that the accused be kept at EFCC custody, saying the commission had complained of inadequate facilities.

Twenty eight-count charge bordering on a number of alleged breach of trust by Sule Lamido, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido and one Aminu Wada Abubakar, was read in court. The case involved N1.351 billion. The judge ruled that the accused persons be remanded pending the hearing of their bail applications. Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr. Effiong had argued that remanding the accused persons in prison will amount to trampling on their fundamental human rights. He pleaded they be sent to EFCC facilities.

However, the counsel to EFCC, Chile Okoroma, objected to the plea saying their EFCC facilities were full to capacity both in Kano and Abuja.
The case was adjourned to 28 September for ruling on bail application. There was pandemonium in court between those supporting Mr. Lamido and those against, leading police to fire into the air to disperse the crowd. Mr. Lamido, his sons and Mr. Abubakar are accused of using their positions to siphon Jigawa State funds.

PREMIUM TIMES had in 2014 reported how a construction firm, Dantata and Sawoe, paid N1.3 billion as 10 percent kickback for contracts it won, into accounts owned by the governor and his sons. It also showed how, between 2007, when Mr. Lamido assumed office, and 2014, Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company was awarded contracts amounting to N13.5 billion.
The state government made payments for the contracts to the construction firm through five banks – Zenith, Access, Diamond, Sterling and UBA. Within the same period, according to a probe of the transactions by the EFCC, Dantata and Sawoe paid out over N1.3 billion into the accounts of companies in which the governor and his sons had interest.

Credit: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/186367-alleged-n1-35bn-fraud-court-sends-ex-gov-sule-lamido-sons-to-prison.html

A coroner inquest, instituted by the Lagos State government to investigate the collapse of a guest house owned by Synagogue Church, has indicted the church for negligence, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The guest house collapsed in September 2014, killing 114 people, many of them South Africans, who traveled to Nigeria for the church’s service in Lagos.

The inquiry sat for months and set July 8 for its ruling. Few images of the collapse below In his decision Wednesday, the judge ordered the prosecution of the contractors who constructed the collapsed building, NAN reported.

Credit: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/186306-breaking-synagogue-collapse-coroner-indicts-church-orders-prosecution-of-building-contractors.html

Many are currently feared dead in a bomb explosion which occurred at workers’ biometric screening centre in Sabon Gari local government area of Kaduna State this morning.

Details later. . .

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/445255/many-feared-dead-as-bomb-explodes-at-workers-biometric-screening-centre-in-zaria

A bomb explosion suspected to be from a male suicide bomber has killed six persons including the bomber. The blast occurred at a local branch of Redeemed Christian Church of God along Bauchi road in Potiskum Town, Yobe State. A resident of the town who is also one of the officials working with the aid agencies informed PREMIUM TIMES that the bomb went off at a time worshipers were observing the Sunday service.

“Six persons died and there are no reports of injuries yet” he said. Efforts to speak with the police were unsuccessful as their phones were switched off. Also, the spokesperson of the Joint Task Force in Yobe, Lazarus Eli, said he had travelled out of the state for an official assignment and is yet to be briefed on the matter. Details later…


Credit: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/186098-breaking-bomb-explosion-at-redeemed-church-kills-6.html

Sources near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, have told SaharaReporters that members of the Nigerian armed forces have been involved in firefights with Boko Haram terrorists today. Multiple sources have told our SaharaReporters correspondent that Boko Haram has lost numerous fighters during the latest battles, though no reliable figure of the death toll have been provided.

SaharaReporters has also learned that some Nigerian soldiers have lost their lives during the fight, but the number of soldier deaths is also unknown and could not be verified by any official military source. Terrorist attacks from Boko Haram have intensified this week in Borno State. It was learned that no less than 140 people were massacred yesterday in a remote village about 150 kilometers away from Maiduguri.

Credit: http://saharareporters.com/2015/07/03/boko-haram-and-nigerian-military-fighting-near-maiduguri-both-sides-casualties

Reports coming in indicate that the duo of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Adebisi Akande are both absent at the ongoing National Executive Committee meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja. More details to follow shortly.

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/444533/tinubu-akande-shun-apc-nec-meeting

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has, since his election as the chairman of the National Assembly on June 9, been attending to official matters at his private residence in the Maitama area of the Federal Capital Territory because the N27.1bn official homes being built for National Assembly’s principal officers are still under construction.

The former multi-million naira official residence of the Senate President and those of other principal officers had been sold in 2010 at give-away prices by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo administration under the monetisation programme. Former Senate President, David Mark; his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; and his deputy, Usman Nafada, had in 2010, bought their official homes. Other lawmakers also did likewise. The new homes being constructed by the government for the federal lawmakers at a cost of N27.1bn are still under construction. Our correspondent, who visited Saraki’s residence on Lake Chad Avenue on Friday, observed politicians trooping in and out of the building.

Apart from the influx of vehicles in the hitherto serene highbrow area, hawkers have also besieged the area with their wares displayed on the road side. An Abuja based legal practitioner, Simon Ayede, in an interview with our correspondent on Monday, described the sale of the official quarters by the Federal Government as unconstitutional because “there is a subsisting Federal Government gazette that certain official residences should not be sold.”

Ayede argued that the gazette listed some of the official residences that should not be sold to include, the Presidential Villa, the Senate President House, that of his deputy, House of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and that of his deputy. He therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the sales of the official quarters of the principal officers so that they could be renovated for the use of the current occupants of the positions. However, another resident of Abuja, Mrs. Stella Omowale, argued that allowing the principal officers to live within the Apo Legislative Quarters would expose them to security risk. “Building new quarters for them within the Three Arms Zone will guarantee their security since the place is highly secured and the other arms of the government are also cited there,” she said.


Credit:http://www.punchng.com/news/saraki-runs-nassembly-from-private-residence/

What do you think Obj and Tinubu are discussing here?

As General Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in as the nation’s president today, behind the facade of his tough mien are Nigerians (not politicians) he respects and could influence him in the direction of good governance. KUNLE SOMORIN and MUYIWA OYINLOLA take a look at some of those eminent personalities and why the President will listen to them:

Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (rtd)

General Danjuma will certainly be one of the most influential people around President Muhammadu Buhari. He was also one of the most influential people during Buhari’s stewardship as head of state between 1984 and 1985. Buhari served under Gen Danjuma in the Army and they have known each other during war and peace times. Beside the fact that both of them served in the Army and retired as generals, both also abhor indiscipline and corruption. Danjuma only recently urged the new administration to probe the outgoing administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan. “What we are hearing is that the treasury of the country is empty at the federal level. I’m calling on the new administration to investigate what happened to our monies as soon as Buhari takes over power on May 29. With that, some of the stolen funds would be recovered,” the former minister of defence said. Buhari, during his campaign, also underlined his readiness to tackle corruption head-on once he gets to power.

Mamman Daura

Buhari is Mamman Daura’s uncle, even though Daura is two-and-a-half years older than the new president. They are extremely close and have been since childhood. A very serious personality, Mamman is intensely engaging, extremely intelligent and brilliant. He is a successful industrialist and was editor and later managing director of New Nigeria when the newspaper used to determine the direction of events and state policies in the country. After the 1983 coup, he was one of the few personalities who played key advisory roles. In the late 1980s, he succeeded Ibrahim Dasuki as head of the African International Bank and also served as chairman of the board of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). He has always had Buhari’s ears.

Emir of Borgu

His Royal Highness, Dr Halliru Dantoro, the Emir of Borgu, is another man that Buhari will defer to during his stay in power. They were neighbours in the 1980s and have been very close since then. The Emir has not hidden his interest in what happens to his friend. He once described Buhari’s second coming “as divine, to redeem and reunite the nation.” He has pledged the total support of his people to the incoming administration. The Emir was detained during Buhari’s military administration, but both have gone ahead to establish very strong and cherished personal relationship.

General Paul Tarfa (rtd)

Major General Paul Chabri Tarfa’s closeness to the new president dates back to their early days in the military. Both went for courses and trainings in the United Kingdom at the same period and have maintained friendship since the 1960s. At the height of the hate campaign against Buhari, Tarfa, an elder statesman and former commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), could not hide his indignation at those who accused his friend of not having certificates.

He explained that apart from their school certificates, as military cadets in the 1960s, they were made to sit for other examinations.

General Tarfa blurted out: “Buhari and I went to the United Kingdom for training. We joined the military at 18, 19 years of age. When someone went through all the trainings abroad and passed through all the military examinations in all cadres and so on, and just one cranky idiot will say you don’t have school certificate; that is absurd.” He explained that he and Buhari shared a school principal but at different schools. “Buhari’s principal was my principal. From their school, their principal, Mr West, was sent to our school,” he said.

Prof. Tam David- West

Prof. Tam David-West, a professor of virology served as Petroleum and Energy minister under Muhammadu Buhari between 1984 and 1985. David-West has become a soul mate of the new president since fortuitous circumstances brought them to government. Their relationship remains cordial and the unifying factor is their ‘zero tolerance for corruption’. David-West, was a major campaigner for the Buhari’s presidency. He took on everybody that attempted to throw mud at Buhari and challenged them to produce evidence about their hate campaign.

For instance, he recently rubbished the counsel by the outgoing Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on how Buhari could increase the nation’s revenue base. David-West said Buhari is a highly experienced manager of the economy and thus, doesn’t need the advice of the former World Bank managing director. He said: “I read Okonjo-Iweala’s advice to Gen. Buhari on how to raise revenue with interest and amusement. I don’t think that Buhari needs any advice from her on the subject. He is not new on the terrain. He is a very knowledgeable person on how to move the economy forward. I don’t believe he needs advice from Okonjo-Iweala.” With relationship based on mutual respect and shared vision, Professor David-West is certainly a man that could open doors in the new government.

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun

The governor of Ogun State is another man that will have a lot of influence in Buhari’s government. Since Amosun contested on the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2007, both have struck a chemistry that bonds them like siblings. They have transformed from being political associates to family friends and each take the family of the other as his.

Bisi Akande

The former interim chairman of APC is a party elder Buhari honours and who has earned the President’s respect. Buhari sees the former governor of Osun State as straightforward, incorruptible and speaks the truth at all times. To Buhari, Akande is a politician who cannot be compromised on matters on which his mind has been made up. Akande is one man in the South West that is so well-respected and can call all politicians in that zone to order

8. General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd)

Since the July 29, 1966 counter-coup when the then Major-General Murtala Muhammed marched the then Lt. Muhammadu Buhari before the then Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon, who had just been announced as the head of state, and advised Gowon to make him (Buhari) his ADC, Gowon and Buhari had been very close. Buhari didn’t eventually serve as Gowon’s ADC as Gowon told him he was reserved for “a better assignment”. Once, Gowon reminded Buhari of that episode in 1966, and told him that only God knew then that the three of them – himself, Murtala and Buhari – would become heads of state of Nigeria. Buhari respects Gowon immensely, not only because he was his superior officer in the Army but because he lives a Spartan life and does not stain himself by courting every government in power for personal gain.
[b]
President Shehu Shagar[/b]i

Shehu Shagari is a man after the new president’s mind. Though Buhari and his men ousted him from power, Buhari has infinite trust in Shagari. His counsel will be sought because of the former president’s vast experience and knowledge of the country, its people and the connections he has established with other countries of Africa and the world.

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/436848/those-that-will-influence-buharis-government

The Benue State incoming Governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has described his experience as a motor park tout and his election as governor as a divine arrangement and the handiwork of God. Ortom, who bared his mind to The PUNCH in an exclusive chat in Makurdi, said his elevation from grass to grace was due to hard work and his firm believe in God.

He said, “My journey from being a motor park tout to an elected governor is purely a divine arrangement. I cast my mind back to when I dropped out of school in Form 2 but I remained hardworking and I did not engage in crime to survive. “One thing I know is that hard work pays and you must keep faith with God; power belongs to God and He alone gives it to whoever He will.” The former Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment said he had dropped out of school in Form 2 due to lack of funds but this did not force him to engage in criminal activities to survive.

Ortom, however, noted that the selection process of the PDP delegates in the last party’s primary in the state was manipulated by the party leadership intentionally to thwart his ambition of becoming the next governor. He said the party also frustrated the support of the Benue populace who supported him. He said, “The process of selection of delegates in the last PDP governorship election was manipulated by the leadership of the party to thwart my ambition and frustrate the people who all supported me. But God vindicated me and blessed me, and now I am an elected governor.”

Credit: http://www.punchng.com/news/i-was-a-motor-park-tout-benue-gov-elect/

The Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose has met behind closed door with the aggrieved 19 Ekiti All Progressives Congress (APC)lawmakers in Akure, the state capital yesterday. The meeting which was attended by five lawmakers of the (APC) led by the embattled former speaker Dr. Adewale Omirin was to chart a new course for the development of the state.

The meeting lasted for about five hours and was attended by the chief of staff to the governor, Dapo Anisulowo, Pastor Oluwawole Kola, lawmaker-elect, attorney general of the state, Owoseni Ajayi, Tunji Oriselade, Bunmi Orilawo, Churchill Adedipe, Gbenga Odebunmi, Owoseni Ajayi and commissioner of Police Ekiti State Command, John James.

The meeting held at Sunview Hotel, Alagbaka, Akure was without any notice or presence of prominent indigenes of Ekiti State. According to Fayose , they had been able to chart a new course for the state He said “We are not going to entertain any questions. Because I don’t want answer questions, I don’t know if the Speaker want to answer questions.

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/436107/ekiti-crisis-fayose-finally-meets-aggrieved-apc-lawmakers-in-akure

The Board of Trustees of Nigeria’s ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has appointed a former acting national Chairman of the party, and ex-defence minister, Haliru Mohammed, as its acting Chairman. Mr. Mohammed’s nomination was endorsed Monday night by the PDP’s BoT at a meeting at the Aso Rock presidential villa, Abuja. Mr. Mohammed emerged against widespread belief that President Goodluck Jonathan would be assuming the position as he leaves office Friday.

Outgone Chairman of the BOT, Tony Anenih, had, while resigning last week, said he was vacating the office to allow Mr. Jonathan to assume the post. A former Customs officer, Mr. Mohammed served as a Commissioner, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission in 1999, and later as Minister of Communication in 2001 under the Olusegun Obasanjo government.

He later became the National Vice Chairman of the PDP, North West Zone. In March 2008, he became the Deputy National Chairman of the Party and Acting National Chairman in 2010. Mr. Mohammed was appointed defence minister by President Goodluck Jonathan between 2011 and 2012. Lately, he was appointed by Mr. Jonathan to oversee his declaration for re-election. Mr. Mohammed was named in 2007 by German investigators as one of several Nigerian officials who received bribes from that country’s telecoms company, Siemens.

In its October 4, 2007 ruling against Siemen AG, the Munich State Court named Mr. Mohammed as one of the recipients of 77 hefty bribes paid by Siemen officials in three countries- Nigeria, Russia and Libya. The court said as minister, Mr. Mohammed received 550,000 euros in kickback in July 2002 and another 150,000 euros in August 2003.

Credit: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/183675-breaking-pdp-board-of-trustees-appoints-ex-minister-haliru-mohammed-acting-chairman.html

The Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, on Sunday said his disagreement with President Goodluck Jonathan, was due in part to Mrs. Jonathan’s meddlesomeness. He said this after the premiere of a documentary on the Amaechi years, at the Silver Bird Galleria, Abuja. According to him, the President and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, would have taken him to the cleaners, if they had found anything incriminating against him. Amaechi said, “We had a disagreement in principle between me and the President. Have you seen a country where the Commissioner of Police is reporting to the wife of the President? It’s in Rivers State. “Have you seen a country where the Brigade Commander or the Navy Commander or Air force Commander is reporting to the Wife of the President? It’s in Rivers State.”

He explained that he was convinced that such conduct would not help in the development of any nation and he took a stand against it. Amaechi stressed that Nigeria must never again go back to such dark days, stressing that public officers should learn to lead by the rule so as to avoid abuse of office by their spouses. He pointed out that it was the husband who was elected. The governor revealed that in his own case, he ensured that his wife knew her limits and he always told her she had no right to call any of his commissioners for anything, because the people voted him into office as governor not her.

Amaechi challenged anyone who had doubts about his performance in office to go to Rivers State and see for himself. He also said all he did in the state were not for self-glorification but were done to bequeath a legacy for successive administrations in the state to sustain but added that 90 per cent of the people who worked with him betrayed him. He further showcased his achievements spanning all sectors of the state economy, wondering why the Federal Government was desperate about casting his administration in bad light even when he spent N105bn on federal roads. He also pointed out that he kept a proper account of his stewardship and the books were open for all to see.

This, he said, gave him the courage to sustain the struggle, expressing joy that history will vindicate him in the end.In the documentary which featured some of his projects in the areas of security, agriculture, education, transportation, health and social development, Amaechi’s said the documentary left out some projects he would love to see documented. Senator Magnus Abbe, who also featured in the documentary, explained how Amaechi pioneered the amnesty programme through which insecurity in the state was drastically reduced.

Credit:http://www.punchng.com/news/rivers-cps-military-commanders-reporting-to-patience-jonathan-amaechi/

Nigeria’s Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee has stripped a lawyer, Kunle Kalejaiye, of his rank as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The stripping is one of several disciplinary measures against Mr. Kalejaiye.

Mr. Kaleijaye was the Nigerian lawyer caught exchanging text messages with an election tribunal judge, Thomas Naron, during the election litigation between former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State and the state's current governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

Mr. Kalejaye had faced an inquiry into his unethical conduct since 2008 when a series of text messages between him and the judge were made public.

Credit:http://saharareporters.com/2015/05/21/kunle-kalejaiye-stripped-san-rank

A Federal High Court sitting in Yola has dismissed a suit filed by former governor Murtala Nyako challenging his impeachment by Adamawa State House of Assembly last year. While delivering judgement, presiding judge, Justice Bilikus Bello Aliyu said the case brought before her by Nyako was an abuse of court process as three suits are pending before a competent courts of law on the same issue and as such she can not entertain the suit. “This suit is an abuse of this court and courts should protect themselves from abuse,” she said.

The judge has in the course of delivering the ruling upheld the objection of the counsel to first respondent Mr.Leonard Zadon that the same case is pending before three high courts stressing it is an abuse of court process. The Judge, had earlier upheld the appellant argument that his right was grossly infringed upon by the respondent citing section 36 of the 1999 constitution of federal republic of Nigeria as amended. “I can not contuine with this case as the court runs concurrently,we will not encourage litigants abusing court processes,” she added.

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/politics/435014/court-dismisses-nyakos-bid-to-return-as-governor

The Vice President-elect, Prof. Yomi Osinbajo, has said the Muhammadu Buhari-led government will inherit the worst economy ever in the history of the nation. Also, a former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has advised Buhari to take advantage of the country’s current level of public support for him to take hard decisions. Osinbajo and Blair spoke during the opening of a two-day Policy Dialogue on the Implementation of the Agenda for Change, which began in Abuja on Wednesday.

Osinbajo put the nation’s local and international debt profile at US$60bn with a 2015 debt-serving bill of N953.6bn, representing 21 per cent of this year’s budget. He noted that an estimated 110 million out of the nation’s over 170 million population, were living in extreme poverty while the largest chunk of the benefits of the nation’s wealth was going into the pockets of a small percentage of the population. According to him, the nation’s dwindling oil revenues has made it difficult for 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states to pay salaries. He said, “We are concerned that our economy is currently in perhaps its worst moment in history. Local and international debts stand at US$ 60bn. “Our debt servicing bill for 2015 is N953.6bn, 21 per cent of our budget. On account of severely dwindled resources, over two-thirds of the states in Nigeria owe salaries.

“Federal institutions are not in much better shape. Today, the nation borrows to fund recurrent expenditure.”Osinbajo said the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress “offers a vision of shared prosperity and socio-economic inclusion for all Nigerians that leaves no one behind in the pursuit of a prosperous and fulfilling life.” According to him, the goal of the policy dialogue is to interrogate the positions and propositions before a wider audience and to launch a robust public conversation on policy directions and priorities that would help inform the incoming administration’s approach in the next four years. He added that the “forum exemplifies the sort of consultative and consensual approach to policy-making that the APC and the new administration intend to model in office.” The Vice President-elect also declared that the dialogue intended to explore a wide range of policy priorities including the diversification of the economy in the wake of dwindling oil revenues.

To achieve this, he said, the administration would engender job-led growth through the revitalisation of the agricultural sector in pursuit of job creation and food security, improving the regulatory frameworks in the most strategic sphere of economic activity. Blair, who was represented by a former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. Peter Mandelson, explained that with the current state of affairs, the task ahead of the incoming administration was indeed a daunting one. Drawing from the experiences of the Labour Party in Britain, Blair said the first rule of governance “is be true to your word; be true to your mandate.” He urged the Buhari-led administration not to be afraid to take hard decisions but said it must remain mindful of the timing of such decisions. Blair also advised the administration not to attempt to do everything at once but to ensure that things were done with proper planning along with a commitment to deliver.

He said, “You will have more goodwill and moral authority to do the difficult things at the beginning of your term than at the end. President (Joko) Widodo of Indonesia was elected in July last year, with huge public support. “One of the first things he did when he was inaugurated in October was to smash Indonesia’s hugely expensive and inefficient, yet popular fuel subsidy.“A policy decision which had toppled a previous administration and consistently brought people out on the streets, he decided to do it straight away when he had the authority that was the time.” This, Blair explained, cushioned the effect of the recent fall in oil prices in the world market on the Indonesian economy. He also stressed the importance of communication which, he said, was vital in democracy because “it is both the means of convincing people and getting them to keep following you once you are elected.“Strategy without communication is like a car without headlights,” he added.

The British politician also stressed the need for the government to focus on priorities and ensure service delivery. Blair also advised the administration to create a mechanism that would focus on its priorities even in the midst of other challenges. Earlier in his welcome address, the Director, Policy Research and Strategy Directorate of the APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had said, “The phase of policy conception is over and we are entering the phase of execution, governance and of providing tangible developmental deliverables. “The challenge of translating ideas into policy and praxis now looms large. “Given the degree of work that has been put in by the directorate and our well-documented national problems of policy implementation, the focus should now be on evolving an institutional framework to deliver the agenda for change.”

Credit: http://www.punchng.com/news/well-inherit-worst-economy-in-nigerias-history-osinbajo/

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In the over five years that President Goodluck Jonathan has been presiding over the affairs of the country, the Federal Government has borrowed N5.04tn from the domestic debt market. Jonathan became Nigeria’s acting President on February 10, 2010 and substantive President on May 6,2010 following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua on May 5,2010. On May 29, 2011, he was sworn in as an elected president. Records at the Debt Management Office showed that the domestic debt of the Federal Government stood at N3,466,360,000,000 (N3.47tn) as of March 31, 2010. The latest debt statistics from the DMO as of March 31, 2015 showed that the domestic debt had risen to N8,507,545,474,000 (N8.51tn). This means that in the last five years, the Federal Government had borrowed N5.04tn from domestic lenders. It also means that within the period, the domestic debt of the Federal Government grew by 157.48 per cent.

A breakdown of the domestic debt profile of the Federal Government by instruments showed that FG Bonds accounted for N5.37tn or 63.13 per cent of the total domestic debt. The Nigerian Treasury Bills, on the other hand, accounted for N2.87tn or 33.68 per cent of the Federal Government total domestic debt profile. Similarly, the Nigerian Treasury Bonds accounts for N271.22m or 3.19 per cent of the Federal Government’s total domestic debt profile. The DMO statistics also showed that the domestic debts of the states grew by 116.83 per cent within the same period. As of March 31, 2015, the domestic debts of the states stood at N1.69tn or $10.87bn. However, as of March 31, 2010, the domestic debts of the states which were only given in dollars stood at $5.01bn. This means that in dollar terms, the domestic debts of the states rose by $5.85bn or 116.83 per cent in the last five years. Within the same period, the external debts of both the federal and state governments rose from $4,306,180,000 ($4.31bn) to $9,464,110,000 ($9.46bn).

This means that within the five-year period, the external debts of both tiers of government rose by $5,157,930,000 ($5.16bn). In percentage terms, the external debts of both tiers of government rose by 119.78 per cent. The latest debt figures released by the DMO did not segregate the external debts of the country into the proportions owed by the Federal Government and the various states of the federation. As of December 31, 2014 when the debt figures were last segregated, the states’ component of the nation’s external debt profile stood at 33.63 per cent while the Federal Government’s component stood at 66.37 per cent. With $1,169,712,848.66, Lagos State occupied the top position on the list of the most externally indebted states. It was followed by Kaduna, $234,416,052.15; Cross River State, $131,469,661.94; Edo State, $123,128,295.53; and Ogun State, $109,154,553.08.

The least exposed states in terms of external debts were Taraba, $22,780,063.89; Borno, $23,067,549.16; Delta, $24,233,639.67; Plateau, $30,947,579.75; and Yobe, $31,237,619.25. The increasing profile of the nation’s domestic debt has been reflecting on the cost of debt servicing. According to budgetary provisions, the cost of debt servicing went up from N591.76bn in 2013 to N712bn in 2014. This was made up of N663.61bn for servicing domestic debt and N48.39bn for the foreign debt component. A statement by the DMO last week said the debts of the country, especially that owed by the Federal Government had not grown unusually in the last four years. It also explained that the debts had been rising because of budget deficit financing.

According to the office, the increase in public debt between 2011 and 2014 was the lowest compared to the period 2004–2007 and 2008–2011. The DMO said, “In 2010, there was a general wage increase (53.7 per cent average increase) for all categories of public servants, including political appointees. The funding of this depended on increased domestic borrowing. “The global economic and financial crisis (2008-2010) occurred within the same period. All economies engaged in counter-cyclical public spending, using what was popularly referred to as stimulus package. “In Nigeria, the government was able to effectively play the role by borrowing from a domestic bond market, which to the country’s credit, had been developed as an alternative source of funding after the exit from the Paris and London Clubs debts in 2005 to 2006.

“While the Federal Government’s debt stock has grown, a comparison with the figures before the exit from the Paris Club should not be on absolute figures alone. The size of the GDP and the structure of the debt must be taken into consideration. “The increase in the domestic debt was due principally to the financing of the deficits as appropriate in the annual budgets. The budgets include both capital and recurrent expenditure; thus, the deficit cannot be attributed to a single item on the budget. “In the case of external borrowings, which are mostly from the multilateral financial institutions; the utilisation of the proceeds are tied to projects – in power, agriculture, health, education – and other infrastructure and human development projects.” The Debt Office added that public borrowings were done in accordance with the mandate of the National Assembly.

Finance experts, who spoke to our correspondents, on the issue, called on the DMO to ensure that it did not go beyond the acceptable limit of debt to Gross Domestic Product Ratio. An Associate Professor of Finance, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Uche Uwaleke, said that the increase in the debt could also be looked at from the standpoint that the economy was growing. He said, “One important point you should realise is if the debt is sustainable. If it is sustainable relative to the size of economy, then it should not call for concern. As long as we are operating within the acceptable threshold of debt to GDP ratio, then it shouldn’t be of much concern.

“But that doesn’t mean we should continue to borrow, the DMO should do all within its powers to manage the debt stock within a sustainable level. “Again, the worrying aspect of it is the fact that in the past for instance, we borrowed money to finance consumption. We borrowed money to meet the demand for increase in wages and salaries and we have not recovered from that up till now because if you check the 2015 budget, the provision that has been made for debt servicing is as a result of the impact of that borrowing area.” Also, Bismarck Rewane, who is the Chief Executive, Financial Derivatives Company, who described the debt as huge, said that Nigeria was spending about 25 per cent of its revenue on debt servicing. He said, “The debt servicing burden is quite high. The debt has to be restructured because what we are seeing now is that the debt-to-GDP is high. We are spending almost 25 per cent of our revenue to service debt and that is why I say it is quite high, and again we have another large percentage that is spent on subsidy. When you consider all these, you will find out that there will be nothing left to run the economy.”

A former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Samuel Nzekwe, said the country’s debt would slow down the development of capital projects across the country. The Chairman, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abuja District, Mr. Adewale Gbakinro, said it was wrong for the Federal Government to borrow as much as N5tn in the last five years when oil sold for more than $100 per barrel for most of the period under review. Gbakinro said, “Much of the borrowings were spent on recurrent expenses. It does not make sense to me to borrow to pay salaries. “The amount of money being spent in Nigeria to run government is not right. I know that democracy is costly but a lot could have been done through financial discipline.” Gbakinro listed the budget for feeding at the Presidential Villa and the maintenance of the presidential fleet as some areas that government could have cut down on the cost of governance.

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Following the deployment of a crack team of operatives to Edo State to end the reign of cultists in the state, the team yesterday arrested 11 highly placed persons from the state, as well as 54 other suspected cultists.

The force spokesman, acting CP, Emmanuel Ojukwu, made this known yesterday in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Friday in which he said the cultists were linked to recent cult related killings in the state.

“The intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, in the troublesome cultism-related violent crimes in Edo State, has started yielding positive results. The Special Crack Squad designated for the assignment, has on 12th May, 2015, through vigorous intelligence, arrested Eleven (11) highly placed persons from different locations of the state who are ring leaders of cult groups linked to recent cult related killings in the state.’’

“At the moment, a total of fifty-six (56) suspected vicious cultists, linked to the recent cult related violence in the state, have been rounded up by the Squad and are undergoing interrogation,” Ojukwu said. Ojukwu said that the Police High Command appreciated the collaborative efforts of the members of the public, particularly in Edo State, on the achievement made so far by the Special Crack Squad, and assured that adequate measures would continue to be put in place to ensure safety of lives and property, nationwide.

Credit:http://leadership.ng/news/433337/police-arrest-highly-placed-cult-leaders-56-members

Four suspected members of a robbery gang that unleashed terror on the Lekki area of Lagos on Thursday, March 12, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command. Our correspondent learnt that the suspected robbers ─ Duke Odogbo, 38, said to be the gang leader; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20; and 30-year-old Ekelemo Kuete ─ were arrested in Delta, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos states.

PUNCH Metro had reported on Friday, March 13, that three policemen and a fish seller were killed by the gang which stormed the First City Monument Bank Limited on Admiralty Way in the Lekki area. It was also reported that the robbers, numbering about 13, arrived at the bank, wielding AK-47 rifles and shooting sporadically for 30 minutes, during which the 14-year-old fish seller, Sarah Ibikunle, and three policemen were killed. Our correspondent gathered that after the attack, the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, met with all commanders of the command’s combat units and assigned the task of fishing out the gang members to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, led by SP Abba Kyari. It was learnt that six decoy teams of SARS were deployed to arrest the suspects from Lagos and the other three states. Speaking on Wednesday, Odogbo, from Warri, Delta State, said they killed the policemen because the gang was prepared to deal with every resistance.

He added that they came with seven AK-47 rifles and carted away over N15m in the operation. He said, “I am an Ijaw man living in Delta State. I was invited to Lagos to take part in the operation. I am not the gang leader, but only an expert. We were initially at a hideout around the Langbasa River till about 4pm. “When it was time to move, we entered into two speedboats. I wore a military uniform and we entered into Lekki from the riverside. When we got to the bank, I was the first person to enter. “We were 11 in number, and we had seven guns. In the banking hall, I asked for the bank manager, but they said they could not find him. We found some little cash ─ about N15m─ in a sack. “While the operation was going on, others were outside, shooting to secure the area. It was on our way back that I found two rifles with them. They told me they collected them from the policemen they killed.

“What happened was that the policemen were in a van, and were passing by. They thought they came for us and we could not take chances. “So, they shot them and took their guns. On our way out, we tried to open the Automated Teller Machines, but when they did not open on time, we took the machines with us. “I was arrested in Warri. I got N500,000 for my part in the operation.”Also, Ekelemo, who reportedly drove the speedboat, said they took off from the Majidun area. He, however, denied that he was one of those that shot the policemen. He said, “I was the driver of the gang. I drove the speedboat. I am also an Ijaw man. I stay around the Arepo area of Ogun State. It was my brothers who called me to participate in the robbery. We call one of the gang leaders, O.C. We had taken off on that Thursday from the Majidun area.”

Our correspondent gathered that the police recovered a Honda Accord, 2008 model, bought with the proceeds from the robbery. Two smart phones, stolen from the bank workers during the operation, were also recovered from the gang, as well as 130 rounds of ammunition. The police identified the three deceased officers as Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Sergeant Odehohwo George, and Corporal Imoisiu Ikechukwu.The CP said efforts were on to arrest the remaining members of the gang, adding that residents of the state should trust the police to guarantee safety of lives and property.He said, “The incident was a serious security breach in the Lekki area. It captured the attention of all because five lives, including three of our officers, were lost. I made a promise that we were going to get these hoodlums, and we have done that.“Lagos is not a place where criminals can hide; we are going to continue to ensure safety of lives and property.“Meanwhile, efforts are on to arrest other members of the gang.”

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North Korea's Defence Minister Hyon Yong-chol has been executed, South Korea's spy agency has told parliament, according to media reports. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that MPs were told Mr Hyon had been killed on 30 April by anti-aircraft fire in front of an audience. He is believed to have been accused of showing disloyalty to North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. Reports from North Korea are impossible to independently confirm.

There were few details of the reported execution, but Yonhap - quoting South Korea's National Intelligence Agency briefing - said Mr Hyon had fallen asleep during an event attended by Kim Jong-un. Analysis: Stephen Evans, BBC News, Seoul. Hyon Yong-Chol, as defence minister, was as close to Kim Jong-un as it is possible to get. Such a public and brutal method of execution as obliteration by anti-aircraft gun would emphasise the cost of disloyalty.

Intelligence reports always have to be treated with scepticism but, in this case, the claims of the South Korean agency will be easy to verify. If they are not true, the defence minister would appear again in public. Earlier, the South Korean agency said that senior officials were being executed at the rate of one a week. It all adds up to a picture of a leader in Pyongyang who feels very insecure and who is dangerous in his insecurity.

Mr Hyon is believed to have been a general since 2010, though little is known about him. He served on the committee for late leader Kim Jong-il's funeral in December 2011, an indication of his growing influence. He became defence minister in 2012 following a purge which saw several senior officials executed.

Credit:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32716749?OCID=fbasia&ocid=socialflow_facebook

The Oba of Lagos, Riliwanu Akiolu, says there is a need for non-indigenes in Lagos State to respect the tradition and culture of their host. The monarch said this during an exclusive interview with our correspondent. While responding to a question on the threat he issued out to Igbo residents in Lagos State if they did not vote for Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, Akiolu maintained that he had no ill feeling towards Igbo in the state as some of his closest friends were Igbo. He said, “Eze Odimegwu, who is a former CEO of Nigerian Breweries, is still my best friend as well as many others. The Obi of Onitsha came to visit me here a few days ago. When you go to a place, you have to respect the host leaders, particularly the traditional leaders there because you are coming to benefit from their success.

“The people of Lagos are the friendliest and most accommodating people in Nigeria.” He said the video which showed him issuing threats to Igbo leaders was a misrepresentation of what truly transpired. He said the issue was twisted by those who wanted to gain political advantage ahead of the governorship election but God put them to shame. “Those who orchestrated the entire incident know themselves and I tell you, those (Igbo leaders) who came here on that day understand me a lot and have even been coming since then,” he said.

Akiolu said many of the non-indigenes were deceived by politicians in their quest for power. He said, “The man that promised to hand them deputy governorship slot and four commissioner positions and would elevate the status of Eze Ndigbo to that of Oba of Lagos has since denied it. “It was all a political gimmick because I am sure they know that he was only deceiving them. As a matter of fact, prominent traditional rulers in the South-East have been writing us to say that they are not happy about the large number of ezes in Lagos.” He urged all Igbo who won elections in Lagos State not to disappoint the people.

The monarch said he was confident that Ambode would do well in office. He said Ambode would serve as governor for eight years not just because it was the will of God but because he would perform excellently well. He, however, said Agbaje was free to contest again in 2019 if he wanted. He said, “By the Grace of Almighty Allah and my ancestors in this house, the Governor-elect, Ambode, will rule for eight years with a good performance.”

He said he had nothing against the Peoples Democratic Party or its governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, but noted that all humans are equal in the eyes of God but are not equal in the love of God. He said Ambode proved his competence by saving the state from financial hardship when it was deprived of funds from the Federal Government. Akiolu said he was not a politician but was only interested in the prosperity of Lagos and would continue to support the best.

Credit:http://www.punchng.com/politics/non-indigenes-in-lagos-must-respect-their-hosts-akiolu/

The father of a 26-year-old pregnant woman, who was murdered in the Arepo area of Ogun State last week, has blamed President Goodluck Jonathan for the incident. Mr. Babafemi Ojo, whose daughter Damilola Fajana, was killed on April 28, said this in a statement on Monday. Ojo explained that his daughter was killed by a stray bullet during a gun battle between the members of the Odua Peoples Congress and pipeline vandals. He said it was unfortunate that Jonathan could hire the services of the OPC and award the group a huge contract just because he wanted to win an election.

The bereaved father wondered why men who were not trained professionals were allowed to secure government facilities in residential areas. He said, “The unconstitutional empowerment of ethnic militias has resulted in the deaths of many innocent Nigerians, particularly in Arepo area of Ogun State.“My daughter was killed in a crossfire while driving back home after a hard day’s job. Damilola was a 26 year old pregnant lawyer. She was a graduate of the University of Ado Ekiti.

“President Jonathan is linked to her death by the reason of his patronage of people who have no basic training in arms and weaponry —in the business of pipeline protection, a very dangerous security enterprise which is supposed to fall under the purview of trained Nigerian security agencies.”

Credit: http://www.punchng.com/politics/man-blames-jonathan-for-pregnant-daughters-murder/

Governors of the All Progressives Congress are meeting with the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja on Tuesday, The PUNCH has learnt.

The meeting, it was gathered, would be the first to be attended by the governors jointly since the conduct of the March 28 presidential election which Buhari won.

One of the governors, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, said that the meeting would also be attended by all the APC governors-elect.

He said, “The APC governors, serving and incoming, are to meet GMB (Buhari) on Tuesday morning in Abuja to pay a courtesy call on him, formally congratulate him on his electoral victory and make input into the policy direction of the administration ahead of the May 29 inauguration of the new government.

“Ahead of the Tuesday meeting, the governors would hold a meeting on Monday evening in Abuja where we would firm up our presentation to the President-elect.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who said he was not aware of the meeting, however, stated that it was possible.

He said he had been busy with the work of the transition committee set up by Buhari.

Mohammed said, “Yes, the meeting is possible but I have been busy with the committee’s work.”

It was learnt that the governors might demand that they be allowed to nominate those to be appointed ministers in their states.

Apart from this, the governors are also expected to make their position known on which zone to be supported for the office of the Senate President.

It was gathered that the governors would demand that they be allowed to nominate who should become the Senate President.

Despite the fact that two of the governors contested the presidential primaries against Buhari, majority of the governors supported his candidacy.

After Buhari’s emergence as the party’s standard bearer, the governors wanted one of them as his running mate, but when the lot fell on Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), they bowed to party supremacy and supported the GMB/PYO ticket.

It was gathered that the governors felt that they should be allowed to present the next Senate President since they had not collectively got anything since the formation of the APC.

Buhari emerged from the old All Nigeria Peoples Party and the defunct Congress for Progressives Change block while Osinbajo emerged from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria block.

The governors believed that they played a prominent role in the merger that led to the formation of the APC.


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THE plan by President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to commit resources to a renewed search for crude oil in the Chad Basin is a terribly bad idea and should be dropped. At a time of dramatic changes in the global oil and gas sector, featuring oversupply, falling prices and the emergence of many more producers, it is retrogressive to consider resuming the 40-year-old waste of public funds in a venture of uncertain benefits. Instead, Buhari should prepare a reconstruction plan for the North-East zone that would harness its untapped agricultural and solid minerals potential.

Buhari is reaching back into a time long gone and thinking of solutions that have no place in today’s globalised era. Receiving a delegation of notables from Borno State in Kaduna, he promised that his administration would reactivate the fast-receding Lake Chad and deploy “enormous resources to resume a vigorous search” for oil in the Chad Basin. We fully back his plan to replenish the vanishing Lake Chad to boost farming, irrigation and fishing which, back in 2001, provided food and income for over 10 million people in the basin area reaching seven countries, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

But it is politics and not economics that has been driving the search for crude in the Chad Basin area. Begun in 1978 when Buhari was the Federal Commissioner (minister) for Petroleum, successive governments have committed funds, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, to prospecting for oil in the area with only little results. Buhari, especially, appears to have taken it up as a personal crusade as he resumed the search when he rode to power as head of state in 1984 on the back of a coup. It would be short-sighted and out of tune with today’s reality if he once more sees economic salvation in Chad Basin oil.

When he left office as military head of state in 1985, crude oil politics and revenues were of more paramount global importance. Today, the capacity of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to solely determine crude prices has been smashed with the emergence of many more producers, reduced dependence of the United States and the West on OPEC member countries following America’s resurgence as a major producer, fuelled by its robust shale oil output and increased use of alternative energy sources. The International Energy Agency’s authoritative Oil Market Report on April 15 said global supply rose to 95.2 million barrels per day in March while demand was 93.6mpd. In 1985, the US bought over 40 per cent of Nigerian crude, but this declined progressively until it reached zero last year. Not only had the US become the world’s third largest producer by this year with 9mpd, after Russia (10.59mpd) and Saudi Arabia (9.69mpd), new entrants like Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and a clutch of former Soviet republics in the Caucasus have since gained importance as producers and exporters with the IEA listing 115 countries as producers by March 2015.

The prospect of finding oil in the Chad Basin was brightened by oil finds in Niger Republic and Chad. In 2012, the then NNPC Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu, said an integrated team put together by a consortium of consultants set up by the Federal Government to study the possibility of exploring oil (in Lake Chad Basin) had identified an area of 3,350 square metres indicating the presence of oil. Before then, the NNPC had claimed that there was a possibility that oil could be found in commercial quantity in the Chad Basin because of the discoveries of commercial hydrocarbon deposits in neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Sudan, which have similar structural settings with the Chad Basin. Other areas of interest in the oil hunt include the Anambra, Bida, Gongola/Yola and the Sokoto basins alongside the Middle/Lower Benue Trough.

But how did Chad go about its oil search? A “Convention Agreement” signed in 1988 granted a consortium of petroleum companies a long term concession of 30 years to develop the oilfields in the Doba Basin, in southern Chad and to produce and transport oil to the market. Under the 1988 convention, the consortium was granted an initial exploration permit to 2004. By 1993, oil resources had been confirmed in the Doba Basin, within the original exploration territory designated in the 1988 convention agreement. The consortium, according to United Hydroncarbon, an international oil corporation, consists of ExxonMobil (the operator of the project), Petronas, Chevron and Esso Exploration and Production.

This is the way to go. Buhari should leave the private sector, which will be guided by profitability, to prospect for oil in the Chad Basin or anywhere else in Nigeria. We recommend that the state-owned oil prospecting firm be immediately privatised to avoid the kind of political influence that motivates the desperate quest by some elite faction to find oil, using common resources when proven oil finds in Anambra, Imo and Abia and others are kept in reserve.

Buhari should rather key in to the Borno Agricultural Transformation Plan under which Governor Ibrahim Shettima plans to plough in N30 billion “for economic rebirth and rehabilitation” of the insurgency-devastated state and create thousands of jobs. Oil resources have done more damage than good to Chadians. A report says the exploitation of oil has destroyed the local farmers’ production system, depriving them of their livelihood; it is polluting the water, soil and air; it is dividing the people and sowing despair. The stark reality is that since the first oil boom of 1973, our per capita income of $2,700, despite our enormous oil earnings, ranks far below Singapore’s $36,897.87 and Botswana’s $7,704, which have much less resources.

A well-thought-out programme on agriculture that provides 80 per cent employment, and exploitation of its proven mineral deposits – gypsum, feldspar, topaz, potash, iron ore, kaolin among others – to create processing industries, will cost far less, create mass employment and be less ecologically disruptive, is more desirable. Accompanied by an efficient programme of land reclamation from desertification and the reclamation of Lake Chad, should be the programme; not wasting taxpayers’ funds on a sectional venture of scanty prospect and dubious benefit to country.

Credit:http://www.punchng.com/editorials/buharis-chad-basin-wild-goose-chase/

Civil rights organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), yesterday claimed that the International Criminal Court had decided to probe the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African citizens in South Africa. This was disclosed in a statement released yesterday by SERAP’s executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni. According to SERAP, ICC made the decision following a petition letter it sent to the court calling on the prosecutor, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, to investigate allegations of hate speech made by the Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, which triggered the killings, violence and discrimination against Nigerians and other African citizens living in South Africa.

The organisation had, in a petition dated April 23, 2015 and sent to the court, requested Mrs Bensouda to use her “good offices and position to bring to justice anyone who is responsible for these international crimes prohibited under the Rome Statute of the ICC. SERAP said that, in response to its letter, the ICC, in a letter dated April 28, 2015, and signed by M.P. Dillon, head of Information and Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor, stated, “The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC acknowledges receipt of your documents.

“This communication has been duly entered in the Communications Register of the Office. We will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute of the ICC. As soon as a decision is reached, we will inform you, in writing, and provide you with reasons for this decision.” SERAP in its petition had said that it “considers the use of speech by the Zulu King to promote hatred and/or incite violence against non-nationals such as Nigerians, particularly in the media, as a clear violation of the provisions of the Rome Statute of ICC.”

Why Jonathan fired foreign affairs perm sec

President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, with immediate effect. According to a presidential aide, the president removed Sheni for causing him “huge embarrassment” in the way the xenophobia saga in South Africa has been handled. The aide who spoke on condition of anonymity said the main action that cost Sheni his job was his decision to recall Nigeria’s envoys from South Africa. He said that the president was visibly angry over the negative reaction that greeted the purported recall of the Nigerian envoys to South Africa, adding that the president’s assent was not sought over the action. The presidential aide noted that what saved the minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, from being sacked was the fact that Jonathan had just about a month to leave office.

He said, “The permanent secretary was suspended for causing the president embarrassment. In this age of diplomatic dispatches, you don’t need to recall or invite any envoy before you ask questions. The man (Sheni) has been queried and has been dismissed. “The minister himself would have been fired if not because we have just one month to go. “In less than two months, they had embarrassed the government. They did the same mess in the Morocco saga. They were issuing statements without the president’s approval.” The presidency yesterday refuted a report claiming that Nigeria had recalled its envoys from South Africa in protest to the xenophobic attacks against African migrants.

Presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, who described the said report as fallacious, explained that the envoys were only invited for routine briefing.

Wali, Obanikoro, envoys beg Nigerians

The minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and his minister of state, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as the Nigerian envoys in South Africa, Messrs Uche Ajulu-Okeke and Martin Cobham, yesterday pleaded with Nigerians to forgive the South Africans over their recent xenophobic attacks against foreigners living in their country. They made the plea when they appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, following their invitation by the Senate for briefing over the matter. The Senate had last week urged the federal government to drag the Zulu king to the ICC and also issued sweeping summons to the Nigerian ambassador to South Africa.The delegation pleaded with the Senate to reconsider its stand over its five-point resolution seeking severance of certain bilateral relationship with the South African country. However, officials of the Foreign Affairs ministry said taking drastic actions against South Africans because of the incident would adversely affect its economy, and attract negative publicity to Nigeria.

“At the moment, the situation has not warranted such drastic actions like recalling our envoys in the South African country. We are big brothers of Africa. We cannot retaliate by recalling our envoys because it will send wrong signals which could affect their economy. “Even countries whose citizens were killed and had their shops looted have not taken such action,” the foreign minister, Aminu Wali said. He added that the police in South Africa seemed to be overwhelmed hence authorities of the country drafted the military, especially to the ghettoes, to maintain law and order because security reports had indicted the police of being part of the problem. On the Zulu king, Wali revealed that the South African Human Rights Commission was already investigating his roles. He said: “We need to wait for the outcome of the investigation so that we don’t assume holier than thou status. What we need to do now is to make sure that there is support from our government to make sure that Nigerians affected are well taken care of.”

He also explained that a total of N84 million had been calculated as damage done to Nigerians, adding that the sum is being processed on behalf of the victims so that they can get compensation. On his part Obanikoro said the Zulu King had addressed a news conference in Durban where he invited envoys of the affected countries and refuted the allegation that he incited people against foreigners. According to him, “Since kings in Africa do not admit mistakes or offer apology publicly, for Zulu to have done this, it means it’s his own way of offering an apology.” On the issue of compensation, he said: “The issue of compensation is on the table. We have the list of affected Nigerians, the level of damage and how to adequately compensate the victims. We will ensure that compensation is paid to all the affected victims; their envoy in Nigeria has not given us any cause to doubt this.”

8 Nigerians ‘affected’ by xenophobic violence – Minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali yesterday reported that eight Nigerians were affected by the outbreak of xenophobic violence in South Africa. Wali made the disclosure in a presentation before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs at the National Assembly, Abuja. Quoting figures released by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, the foreign affairs minister, in a breakdown, reported that five Nigerian-owned shops were looted, two Nigerian families displaced, two Nigerians wounded, two women displaced and two children affected.

Wali told the House Committee that “Nigerians were not targets of the xenophobic violence but suffered collateral damage.”The minister traced South Africa’s history of xenophobic violence to the country’s former apartheid policy.“They (South Africa) only have political independence, not economic independence… Nigeria midwifed the birth of South Africa; it is not for not for us to retaliate but to sympathise with them,” Wali told the House Committee.Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. NnennaElendu-Ukeje, at the meeting said the general feeling among Nigerians on the xenophobic attacks was that the government seemed “placatory” in its response to the South African government and the attacks.

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The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has denied apologising to the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Chief Bode George. George had said during an interview with the Sunday PUNCH that Tinubu was responsible for his imprisonment but had apologised to him at the burial of the Deputy President General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola-Alao, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last year. However, Tinubu in a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Sunday Dare, said he never apologised to George since he had nothing to do with George’s incarceration.

He said although they both met at Arisekola-Alao’s burial, their conversation had nothing to do with an apology. He said, “Mr. George claims the alleged apology was made at the burial of Chief Alao-Arisekola. On that date, personalities such as Oba Otudeko and Governor Ajimobi approached me because I did not greet Mr. George initially. They pleaded that, in the memory of the man we were all gathered to honour, I should greet Mr. George. At their request, I turned back and came to greet him by saying’Good Afternoon Egbon (senior).’ That was all.” Tinubu, who is a former Governor of Lagos State, said he could not have been involved in the incarceration of George since it was the Federal Government that instituted the case against him. He said rather, it was people within George’s party that orchestrated his two-year jail term in Kirikiri prison.

He explained that George, who has since been exonerated by the Supreme Court, was convicted of ‘invoice splitting’ which had nothing to do with politics. He said, “Mr. George seeks to imbue me with more power than I could possibly have. I am flattered but in all humility I must protest the false assessment. If he can remember, the government of the day was that of the PDP.”“I have never had or sought much influence in those circles. He was charged by the government ruled by his own party for an offence concerning financial irregularities at the Nigeria Port Authority, an appointment he received from that same government. “It is an incredible tale indeed to state that somehow I could direct a party that tried to dismantle the progressive political structure of my party to bring down one of its key members. “The more plausible explanation for his legal tribulation was that a member of his own cabal blew the whistle on Mr. George’s antics for reasons that only he and that person truly know. The rest is now history.”

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President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday in Abuja urged the United Nations to focus more on helping Nigeria with the rehabilitation and reconstruction of persons and communities affected by terrorism in Northern Nigeria rather than deploying an international force to the country. Speaking at an audience with the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and Central Africa, Mohammed Ibn Chambas and Abdoulaye Bathily, President Jonathan expressed the view that UN intervention in Nigeria should not be based on Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which relates to military enforcement of peace, but on Chapter 8.

The President said the provisions of Chapter 8 of the UN Charter, which recognises the role of regional bodies such as the African Union in working with the United Nations for the promotion of peace and security, were robust enough to tackle insurgency in Nigeria and other African countries. President Jonathan also told the UN envoys that with the cooperation of neighbouring countries, the Nigerian military had already regained most of the territories seized by Boko Haram in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno states, and had now commenced a final push to take the last stronghold of the insurgents in Sambisa Forest.

In his remarks, Mr. Chambas commended President Jonathan for his statesmanship following the outcome of the March 28 Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Nigeria. He conveyed UN Secretary-General’s personal admiration for President Jonathan’s “exemplary leadership’’ with regard to the conduct of the general elections in Nigeria. “We are hoping that other African countries who are holding elections this year will learn from the good example of Nigeria,’’ the envoy said.

Mr. Chambas told the President that the UN team was visiting countries affected by the Boko Haram insurgency including Chad, Cameroon and Niger. He reaffirmed the UN’s readiness to support the on-going effort by Nigeria and other countries in West and Central Africa to end terrorist attacks against their citizens.

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