Boko Haram: intermediary pulls out of talks with govt

A respected cleric mediating in peace talks between the Nigerian government and the Boko Haram Islamist sect announced Saturday he was quitting the talks, accusing the government of insincerity.

Ibrahim Datti Ahmad who heads the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria {SCSN] has been a go-between in the indirect talks between Boko Haram and the government aimed at ending a two-year insurgency that has left over 1,000 people dead.

Ahmad said in a statement that he and his colleague decided to quit over an alleged leaking of details of the talks to the media.

"This development has embarrassed us very much and has created strong doubt in our mind about the sincerity of the government as the discussion is supposed to be very confidential," he said.

"In view of this unfortunate and unhelpful development we have no option but to withdraw from these early discussions," Ahmad added. "We sincerely regret that an opportunity to negotiate and terminate this cycle of violence is being missed."

A security official said Boko Haram had proposed a three-month truce if all of its detained members are released and if the government halts any further arrests. He said the government was looking at the proposal.

Ahmad's statement said he contacted the sect through a journalist "who maintained a valuable professional contact with the leadership of the sect".

Ahmad formed the SCSN as a muslim pressure group that agitated for the reintroduction of sharia law in 12 predominantly muslim states in the north when the country returned to democratic rule in 1999.

The group drew membership largely from radical muslim clerics, including Mohammed Yusuf, the slain leader of Boko Haram.

The sect had initially claimed to be fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, but its aims and structure have since become less clear, while its attacks have grown increasingly deadly and sophisticated.

Read More...

Italy rejects Britain’s explanation of failed rescue bid

Italy on Friday condemned Britain’s failure to warn it ahead of a failed bid to rescue a pair of British and Italian hostages in Nigeria, as Boko Haram militants denied having abducted the pair.

“The behaviour of the British government, which did not inform or consult with Italy on the operation that it was planning, really is inexplicable,” President Giorgio Napolitano told reporters a day after the assault.

There needs to be a political and diplomatic clarification,” he said.

And at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Copenhagen later Friday, Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata said he made Italy’s feelings clear during talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

“I asked for detailed information because we have a right to maximum clarity on this episode,” said Italy’s foreign minister.

“I also communicated the immense suffering that this news caused an Italian family,” he told reporters.

“And I insisted that the information we have requested be sent to us as soon as possible, in the coming hours.”

Their comments reflected growing anger in Italy over the failed rescue bid, as witnesses in Sokoto in northwestern Nigeria described a British-Nigerian operation involving 100 troops, military trucks and a helicopter.

They said the intense gun battle that lasted for several hours, during which at least two hostage-takers were killed.

Britain said Italian engineer Francesco Molinara, 48, and his British colleague Chris McManus, 28, were shot by their captors during the assault.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had said that the kidnappers were from Islamist group Boko Haram, which has waged a violent campaign mainly in the country’s northeast.

But a spokesman for Boko Haram denied any involvement in the kidnapping.

The group’s spokesman Abul Qaqa said in a conference call with reporters Friday: “We are not behind the hostage taking … which led to the military operation yesterday in Sokoto in which the hostages were killed.

“We have never been involved in hostage-taking and it’s not part of our style, and we never ask for ransom,” he said.

“We know how to settle our scores with anybody. Therefore the allegation that the kidnappers were members of our group is ridiculous.”

Nigeria’s government “had better get its facts straight and find the true identity of the kidnappers,” Qaqa added.

“They should not use us to mask their incompetence.”

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has in recent years claimed kidnappings of foreign workers in countries including Niger, which borders Nigeria to the north, but never in Nigeria. Sokoto state borders Niger.

An editorial in Italy’s top-selling Corriere della Sera daily said of the row: “It is an unacceptable slap in the face and saying sorry is not enough.”

The left-leaning Repubblica daily said the incident was “a blow for Italy’s new-found international credibility” and the Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper cited government sources saying there was “a real chill in relations between Rome and London”.

The Italian government said Prime Minister Mario Monti Monti had only been informed by Cameron once the operation was under way, as he flew back to Rome from a visit to Belgrade.

Cameron’s spokesman in London confirmed this on Friday.

And in Copenhagen, Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague said there had been “limited time” and too many “constraints” to consult Italy.

Italian officials had said on Thursday it had been working with Britain and Nigeria from the moment the men were kidnapped, but that the bid to rescue them had been unexpectedly sped up.

The Italian government said the operation “tragically ended with the murder of the hostages by the kidnappers, according to the British version of what happened”.

Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, said some of the hostage-takers had been arrested.

While officials have given few details about the operation or those involved, newspapers reports in London said it included members of Britain’s elite forces Special Boat Service (SBS) who had been in Nigeria for two weeks.

Cameron said the two hostages had been held by “terrorists” who had made “very clear threats to take their lives”, and the captives had been in “imminent and growing danger”.

AFP received a video showing McManus and Lamolinara in August. In the footage, both men said their kidnappers were from Al-Qaeda.

In a second video received by a Mauritanian news agency and seen by AFP in December, gunmen threatened to execute McManus if their demands were not met.

The two hostages were kidnapped by heavily armed men who stormed their apartment in Kebbi state in May 2011. They had been helping build a central bank building in the city and worked for construction firm Stabilini Visinoni.

Read More...

We won’t apologise to Nigeria, says S-Africa

AN end to the raging diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa kick-started by the latter’s deportation of 125 Nigerians, including a serving senator over alleged possession of fake yellow fever vaccine certificates is not in sight.

Reason: South Africa is not ready to apologise for the dehumanising treatment and Nigeria is ready to reciprocate the ‘gesture’ with equal measure.

Feelers from both countries show that there will be more deportations on both sides as the South African government has refused to admit wrong doing and apologise as demanded by Nigeria government. A Foreign Affairs source said, “we are demanding unreserved apology from South Africa for this ill-treatment of Nigerian travelers or else, we will take more drastic actions.”

A highly placed Nigerian foreign affairs official confirmed yesterday that South Africa had persistently complained to the Nigerian government that most Nigerians coming to South Africa enter the country with fake documents but that Nigeria had not addressed the issue.

The deportation last Friday of 125 Nigerians from the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johanesburg after denying them entry into the country for allegedly possessing fake yellow fever certificates was a good opportunity, according to South Africa, to let Nigeria know that they were serious about their complaint especially as a serving senator was involved.

Indeed, Vanguard learnt yesterday that Nigeria was not unaware that 125 Nigerians were to be deported. The source said Nigeria wanted South African Government to quarantine the deported Nigerians accused of possessing fake yellow vaccine certificates, give them the right vaccine and charge them the cost in dollars and then allow them enter South Africa. This was to save Nigeria diplomatic embarrassment as a serving senator was involved

It would be recalled that Nigeria retaliated on Tuesday by deporting 28 South Africans, who were denied entry into Lagos. The 28 passengers flew into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard a South African Airways flight at about 9.30 pm. A source said: “The Federal Government decided to deny these 28 South Africans entry because of invalid documents and relevant health certificate clearance. We are also deporting them back to South Africa. The Presidency has been notified of this action. We will no longer overlook certain procedures which we have condoned in the spirit of African brotherhood.”

Nigeria, Tuesday, deported 58 South Africans.Also, yesterday, another 37 South Africans were deported. They were said to have arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja at 8.30 pm aboard a South African Airways.

According to Airport sources, immediately the aircraft arrived and all the passengers disembarked and were going through immigration formalities, the South Africans among them were fished out and made to stay together before being deported to their country.

Earlier yesterday, Nigeria had threatened to retaliate South Africa’s maltreatment of Nigerians. Interior Affairs Minister, Abba Moro who spoke to reporters at the Presidential Villa in Abuja said: “I want to assure you on one thing. The Federal Government has the capacity to reciprocate appropriately if it is found that the deportation of Nigerians was not done in good faith. At the moment, Nigeria maintains a very cordial diplomatic relations with South Africa and I can assure you that we will react appropriately if it is found that South Africa has taken unfriendly action against Nigeria.”

S/A envoy summoned

Also, on Tuesday, the Federal Government summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Mambolo. When he got to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was asked to see the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi, instead of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain why South Africa maltreated Nigerian travelers, last Friday. According to sources, “when the South African High Commissioner got to the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary was directed to ask him to explain why 125 Nigerians were deported without diplomatic courtesy. He spent about an hour interacting with the Permanent Secretary, but Nigeria was not convinced about the explanation given by South Africa.

The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tuesday, asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, to appear before it to clarify Nigeria’s relationship with other African countries. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has asked the Federal Government to apply the principle of reciprocity in dealing with South Africa.

.

Read More...

Angry Nigeria deports 56 more South Africans in retaliation

The diplomatic face-off between the Federal Government of Nigeria and South Africa following the deportation from South Africa of 125 Nigerians, including a Senator has now taken another turn. The face-off has caused issues for South African owned companies in Nigeria, and Nigerians with business and personal ties with South Africa. Last Friday, 125 Nigerians who travelled to South Africa aboard Arik Air and South African Airlines flights were deported on arrival in Johannesburg allegedly because they were carrying fake yellow fever vaccine cards.

This action which was described as a “harsh and unfriendly treatment” by most Nigerians has sparked off some retaliatory actions by Nigerian government. In apparent retaliation to the treatment, 28 South Africans who arrived Nigeria on Monday night were deported back to South Africa and the Federal Government has threatened to go tough on South African companies operating in Nigeria.

The ongoing Arise Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos has also been distrupted as SA designers scheduled to show are caught up in the diplomatic row.

Yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, who is also the former High Commissioner to South Africa said the South Africans were deported from Lagos because of irregular travel documents, adding that this was only the beginnng of retaliatory moves. He said this while addressig the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, noting that the Federal Government would soon sanction South African firms for bringing half-baked graduates to occupy positions that could be occupied by Nigerians.

He added that Nigeria has asked the South African government to apologise and pay compensation to the affected travellers and Arik Air.

Also in response to the deportation, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday that none of the deported Nigerians is in possession of fake yellow fever cards as alleged by the South African authorities. Classification by the World Health Organisation indicates that Nigeria is one of the 44 countries with a risk of exposure to the yellow fever virus.

However, the Health Minister added that the last confirmed case of yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1995 and that Nigeria is not at risk of a yellow fever outbreak. According to him, the Port Health Services of the Ministry issue Yellow Fever cards and vaccines at all local and international airports, land borders and sea ports in the country. The vaccine is given free but fee of N500 is charged for the card.

He called on South Africa to stop politicizing health issues, saying that so far, no country, individual or group has made any report to the Ministry on the possession of fake yellow fever card by any Nigerian. He noted that the entry visas were given to the travellers after the presentation of their valid yellow fever cards, therefore it was wrong for South Africa to say they were in posession of fake yellow fever cards after they had been issued valid visas. The action by the South African immigration towards Nigerian travellers he said, was an embarrasment and was against the IHR 2005 Article 32.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also condemned the deportation which she termed as “illegal”, saying it was done in an “inhuman manner”. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday Dabiri-Erewa described the act as “continuous unwarranted hostilities against Nigerians by the South Africa government’’.

She lamented that the 125 Nigerians, including women and children, were delayed for 24 hours without water and food in an inhuman condition and then bundled back to Nigeria. She added that Nigerians do not ask South Africans to fill Yellow Fever Cards when coming in to Nigeria even though passengers must have passed through this process while applying for the visa in the Embassy. Mrs Dabiri-Erewa also said that Nigerians, including women and children joined in the fight against apartheid in South Africa and it was an unfair and unAfrican way to pay Nigerians back for their kind gesture.

The Senate Committee in response to Mr Ashiru’s presentation, told him to go and close the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa and close the South African Embassy in Nigeria adding that any of their companies handling projects in Nigeria should be stopped.

Nigeria and South Africa are Africa’s economic giants and as this face-off deepens, there are worries over the survival and operations of South African companies in Nigeria.

The biggest mobile telecommunication company in Nigeria is MTN, a South African company. Stanbic-IBTC Bank, supermarket chain Shoprite, Multichoice DSTV are some major South African companies in Nigeria whose stakes in Nigeria could be threatened if a quick resolve is not brought to the face-off. Also, there are a good number of Nigerians studying, working or living in South Africa and vice-versa, whose activities could be hampered if a resolve doesn’t happen soon.

Read More...

Nigeria, S’Africa diplomatic row: Senators want S’African companies sacked

MOVED by the deportation of Nigerians by the South African government, senators Tuesday asked the Federal Government to shut down all South African companies and immediately close the nation’s embassy in that country.

This came on a day the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gbenga Ashiru, to invoke the tenets of reciprocity against the South African government, just as Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, dislcosed in Abuja yesterday that the last case of yellow fever in the country was recorded in 1995.

Also, Lagos State House of Assembly condemned in strong terms the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African government, and expressed dismay over the shabby manner they were treated, even as Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, summoned South African Airways, Arik Air, security agencies and other stakeholders in the aviation sector over the incident.

According to the senators, the South Africa government has murdered sleep, and can, therefore, not see sleep.

The Senate’s move came up yesterday during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ashiru Olugbenga.

The senators described as unfortunate the attitude of the South African authorities towards Nigerians, despite the brotherly role Nigeria played during her struggle for independence 18 years ago.

Senator Mudashiru Hussain in his contribution, specifically called for the sacking of all South African-owned companies in Nigeria, insisting that the country had, indeed, declared war against Nigerian and ”we as a nation must reciprocate.”

Speaking before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, told the senators that the deportation of the South African nationals was one out of the many diplomatic measures already listed by the federal government.

He said the federal government had listed some conditions for South Africa to meet to ensure amicable resolution of the diplomatic row occasioned by the recent deportation of 125 Nigerians last week, adding that government was ready to reciprocate this inhuman treatment to South African nationals.

He said: ‘’We are going to look at all these and we are discussing with the ministry of interior to enforce strict compliance of all immigration laws and practices to all nationals. The south African companies are here in Nigeria , making so much money , bringing in half baked graduates as expatriates to manage these companies.”

Amb. Olugbenga told the committee that government would take what he called ‘matured but calculative measures to pay back the country.

Also appearing before the House of Representatives Committee, Amb Ashiru said: “The Nigerian Embassy was not informed before such an act was perpetuated on Nigerians so it was illegal and should be seen from that purview.”

In his response, Ashiru said that “I share the same view with you on the issue but the bi-national Commission headed by the vice presidents of both countries had already started discussions on the issue.

“South Africa does not have a monopoly of deportation as they should not take our friendly business environment for granted.

“We are going to make sure that we convene the next session of the international commission. I want to make one thing clear, African countries, including South Africa, should not take Nigeria’s maturity and the friendliness of our people to foreigners for granted.

“Also they should not take the friendly business environment we have in Nigeria, whereby companies are making more profits from Nigeria than in South Africa for granted. I believe as we go on these are the issues we’ll bring to the table and sort out.

“I believe that the present administration is determined to ensure the dignity of Nigerians anywhere. When you deport two Nigerians from a country, there will be appropriate reaction. It may not be retaliation but we will know that we are responding one way or the other.

“The National Transitional Commission, NTC, was not the cause. The issue of NTC is not the problem that gave rise to the deportation that we were faced with. The underlying problem has to do with the attitude of the ordinary South African to Nigerians.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Nwagwu, had earlier described the recent deportation of Nigerians as the height of inhuman treatment, and promised that the Senate would support the ministry of foreign affairs in what ever action it deemed fit to take to pay back the people of South Africa.

In a similar vein, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mrs. nnena Elendu-Ukeje, asked the minister to invoke the principle of reciprocity against the South African government, describing the South African government’s action as an affront on Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who addressed the press on the issue at the Health Ministry in Abuja , noted that Nigeria was not at risk of Yellow fever, he said the last confirmed case of Yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1995.

According to him, the Port Health Services under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health vaccinate and issue the Yellow Fever cards to travelers at the airports, sea ports and land borders in Nigeria, while health officials do the same in the states and LGAs.

He faulted South Africa’s reason for the deportation, as possession of valid yellow fever card was a condition for issuing visa to Nigerians in the first instance.

Calling on South Africa to stop politicizing health issues, the minister said the country had acted against International Health Regulations (IHR) on the matter.

Read More...

DERIVATION FORMULA: Northerner are looking for trouble – S-South

Prominent South-South leaders, a former governor and ex-militants in the region, yesterday, took up the northern governors in their agitation for a review of revenue allocation formula saying they were either uninformed, fishing for trouble or have deliberately set out to provoke the South-South.

This is just as the umbrella body for employers in the country, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, said only the principle of derivation otherwise known as “Resource Control” will return Nigeria to the path of growth and development.

Citing the axiom, “Seeing is believing”, the South-South leaders dared the northern leaders to undertake a tour of the riverside oil communities of the Niger-Delta by boat to see the difficult terrain, degradation and pollution to fully realize the implication of their demand.

They said it was well known that the South-South had remained consistent in their quest, over the years, for a review of the revenue allocation formula on grounds that the 13 per cent derivation to oil states was insufficient, and so, for anybody to say that 13 per cent should be further slashed was insulting.

The leaders, among them, the first civilian governor of Edo state, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi; veteran politician, Senator Francis Okpozo; ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and others said the minimum acceptable standard by the South-South in any review of the revenue formula was a return to fiscal federalism.

They said that after breathing the gas flares and seeing the poverty of the people, there is no doubt that the northern governors and other persons thinking like them, would come to an inescapable conclusion that they had no locus to ask for equal sharing of oil revenue with those that live daily with the torture of oil exploration and exploitation.

The South-South leaders said under fiscal federalism in a federal state, which the country pretends to be practising, the federating states or units control their resources and pay tax to the federal government.

According to them, “this was the practice in this country when cocoa, groundnut, palm oil and cocoa were the mainstay of the economy. The East, North and West collected 50 per cent as derivation for these agricultural products respectively and the South-South was almost starved to death because oil had not been found then”.

But national coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group, IMG, Comrade Joseph Evah, told Vanguard: “It is our politicians that gave the northern governors the license to insult us. If they are not dancing to their tune, they will not have the mouth to tell us that we should share our oil wealth equally with them”.

Also, a former governorship aspirant in Delta State, Mr. Sunny Onuesoke said he was not against review of the revenue allocation, but it should be at least 50 per cent derivation for the producing states, as it was in the country before oil was discovered in the South-South.

Northern govs not informed – Oyegun

Chief Odigie-Oyegun, on his part said: “We have to sit down and talk on how we want this country to be. Let us come to the table and talk, we should all meet.

“The matter is not northern governors throwing stones that they want revenue formula to be reviewed without sitting down to look at the issues very critically. Did anybody tell them that we in the South-South don’t want the revenue formula to be reviewed? We want it and it must be in excess of what it is now, not downwards for oil states.

“The truth is that unless the fundamental issues are addressed, we will keep finding ourselves in the kind of situation where people just get up and say things just like the northern governors had just done without hitting the nail on the head”, he said.

They’re fomenting trouble - Gbagi

For Olorogun Gbagi, “the call was a continuation of the deliberate design of northern governors to foment trouble in the country. What the South-South wants is for us to control our resources and pay tax to the Federal Government as it was done in the time of cocoa and groundnut.

“Their call of sharing oil revenue is borne out of laziness, they cannot say that oil resources in the south-south do not belong to the owners of the communities”, he added.

Gbagi said the northern governors should stop looking for trouble and respect the sovereignty of the country for the nation to move forward.

They should be contented with what they have – Okpozo

Senator Okpozo spoke furiously to Vanguard on phone over the matter, saying: “Even during the colonial administration up to the time of independence, until oil was discovered, the revenue formula that existed was 50 per cent derivation for the entire nation and 50 per cent for the producing regions”.

He said though the formula did not last for a very long time, the north, west and east utilized their 50 per cent derivation to develop their areas to the utter disadvantage of the south-south, which had no resources then.

“When you look at western region, you see the Cocoa House, Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation and other joint edifices put up from the proceeds of derivation; you all see the Ahmadu Bello University and other projects in the north, all from their derivation money, so also the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe tried to do in the east with the little money that came from palm oil and cocoa”, he said.

Senator Okpozo said: “I have no doubt that the northern governors are not well informed about the plight of the people in the Niger-Delta; they should be taken on a tour of the terrible terrain to see the sufferings of the people, let them see the gas flaring, let them see the erosion that is eating away the communities, the water the people are drinking, the houses they are living in, the grandeur of the oil companies exploring their oil and let me know if they will not ask for increased revenue to oil states”.

S-South should not be deprived of its rights - Tompolo

Ex-militant leader and one of the founders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, Government Ekpemupolo told Vanguard , yesterday, “since the country is practicing a federal system of government, what it needs is true fiscal federalism, where the component units will own the resources in their territory and pay tax to the central government”.

He said: “Nobody is depriving the north of its resources, they have solid minerals, they should own their resources and pay tax to the federal government just like other federating units, but a situation where the south-south is to be deprived of its derivation is not acceptable. This is the kind of injustice we fought against and the Nigerian state should avoid it. We want fairness and equity for everybody as a nation”.

I blame our politicians for the insult - Evah

Comrade Evah blamed it all on south-south politicians who he accused of massaging the ego of their northern political leaders.

“We are ashamed of our political leaders; if not for the latitude they have given the north, will northern governors wake up to make such contemptuous comments about a people from whose bowel the wealth that sustain them is derived”?

He said “our politicians are our problem, if they do the right thing, nobody will get up to insult us; that is why I told somebody that my response is that I am thanking the northern governors for insulting us again.”

Scabrous assault – Obahiagbon

Former member of the House of Representatives and ACN chieftain in Edo State, Hon Patrick Obahiaghon, aka, Igodomigodo, in an email message to Vanguard, said: “It’s with maniacal bewilderment that I received the renewed onslaught by most Northern governors against the 13 per cent derivation revenue funds accruable to the south-south states, which in and by itself has constitutional imprimatur”.

“I must say, however, that the debate is quite salubrious coming at a time when some of us are saying that this country must peregrinate the trajectory of a national conference to resolve once and for all our unsettled issues in this country.”

“The unprovoked and scabrous assault should offer us the opportunity to examine the economic and jurisprudential anchorage of our fiscal federalism and other related matters”, he stated.

North had no locus on derivation – Ogbetuo

On his part, one of the prominent leaders in Delta state, Chief Ogbetuo said “I am 200 per cent in support of the suggestion that the northern governors should undertake a tour of riverside communities of the Niger-Delta after which they can now speak on which way increase in revenue allocation formula should go”.

South-South wants 50 per cent – Onuesoeke

Ex-governorship aspirant, Mr. Onuesoke, “I am not against revenue review but it should be in line with fiscal federalism based on the theory and formula of derivation”.

“Governor Aliyu and CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi should know that we in the South-South , South East and South West are not fools. Revenue allocation review without a fiscal federalism is a no-go area.

Read More...

FG to spend N3.1bn on Obasanjo, others in 2012

The Federal Government plans to spend N3.19bn on the pensions and allowances of former Presidents, Heads of State, their deputies, former leaders of the National Assembly and their families in the year 2012.

The proposed N3.19bn represents an increase of about N2bn from what was provided for the former rulers in the 2011 Budget.

The government also earmarked a total of N141.7bn for the pensions and gratuities, of retired civil servants, that are not captured in the contributory pension scheme.

The amount contained in the 2012 budget currently before the National Assembly is under Service Wide Votes. Our correspondents report that beneficiaries under this heading will receive a total of N414.4bn for the fiscal year.

The Remuneration for former Presidents, Heads of State Act passed by the National Assembly in November 2010 provides for the remunerations of all former Presidents, Heads of State and their deputies, including the families of former leaders who are late.

Currently, those who benefit from the Act are former Heads of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon; Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; former head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former President Shehu Shagari; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; their living deputies; and former heads of the National Assembly.

Other beneficiaries are the widow of a late former President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; the widows of a former Prime Minister, the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; and the widows and families of former Heads of State, General Murtala Muhammed; and Gen. Sani Abacha.

When the N1.2bn bill was presented to the Senate in 2011, the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs queried the amount, saying that it was too high a price to pay for the comfort of former leaders who presided over the “economic retardation” of the country.

But explanations from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation showed that there were seven living former Heads of State, five Vice Presidents, six families of deceased leaders and two families of deceased Vice Presidents.

Among other benefits, the former leaders are expected to get a five bedroom housing accommodation each in any location of their choice with telephone services; at least three vehicles; and salaries of personal staff.

Also, the law provides that government should cater for the needs of the former heads of state whenever they visit Abuja, as well as pay for their use of courier services.

Reacting to the provision, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Bassey Otu, said the Senate would take a look at the provision and ensure that the former leaders did not get beyond what they deserved.

He said the N3.19bn might be slashed in line with the new posture of government to reduce the cost of governance.

“Rest assured that anything that should be done to bring these budgets to their proper sizes, will be done,” he said.

But the President of Campaign for Democracy, Joe-Okei Odumakin, criticised the increase from N1.2bn to N3.19bn, saying it smacked of insensitivity.

She told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview on Sunday that voting more money for the care of former leaders suggested that the poor would remain poor while those who had misruled the country would continue to grow richer.

She said, “First and foremost, it is extremely outrageous. How can you explain an increase from N1.2bn to N3.19bn? It smacks of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians. It is sad that this is happening when our citizens are impoverished.

“It means that all the mouthing that the regime will reduce their pay is cosmetic and hypocritical.”

Also, the All Nigeria Peoples Party said the huge budget provision was President Goodluck Jonathan’s way of preparing the ground for when he would leave office.

According to the National Publicity Secretary of the ANPP, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the government has no idea of how to move the country forward.

He said, “We keep on saying it that this government has no human face and that it does not care what happens to the people.

“It was telling Nigerians that it was going to cut expenses, yet, it went ahead to increase the budgetary provision for these leaders.

“This same government told us that the economy would collapse without the removal of petroleum subsidy. It did not tell us that the economy of individual would collapse.

“This government is proving it day-by-day that it is a government that lacks vision and cannot be trusted. Nigerians cannot be deceived forever. One day is for the thief, the rest are for the owners.”

Read More...

Rights group accuses FG of using ‘ghost writer’

Kaduna State-based Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, CRCN, has accused the Federal Government of re-enacting the Dr. Atkins era of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, by using non-existent persons to impugn the integrity of political opponents of government.

Dr. Atkins was a popular pseudo name used by a group to float and carry out programmes for the then military regime.

In recent times, one Adamu Maimagani had been attacking some Nigerians, especially those who had either attacked the recent increase in petrol price or had opposed some policies of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

Among those who have been attacked by the said Adamu Maimagani are President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, and General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).

However, President of the CRCN, Mr. Shehu Sani who reacted to the attacks on some Nigerians through advertisements in the media, doubted if the said Maimagani was a living person as there was nobody with such a name in the north as suggested.

A statement by Mr. Sani, made available to NEWSMEN, read in part: ‘’The name of one Adamu Maimagani used on paid adverts to attack some state governors over their position on petroleum subsidy and the deploy-ment of soldiers in Lagos is a fictional character.

’’He does not exist. It is a pen name of cowards and political jobbers of the Federal Government. Hatchet men of the Federal Government should have the courage to append their signatures and their name to justify their pay.

’’We are from the North and we live in the north and in all the 19 northern states there is no politician, youth leader, activist, businessman or elder statesman with such a name and resources to subversively target progressive public figures.”

’’It is most shameful and unfortunate that even supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan prefer to attack his perceived enemies in the dark.

’’Those who are fighting the President’s war should be bold enough to put genuine faces to their beliefs or business. The use of the pseudo name of Adamu Maimagani to defend the Federal Government reveals their fakery and their fraudulent antics to extort money from the government.”

Read More...

Govt agencies deny okaying payment of subsidy

Government agencies involved in management of petroleum subsidy yesterday denied before the House Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime Monitoring, knowing the body responsible for the authorization of subsidy payment.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke had told the Adhoc Committee Tuesday that she could not say anything about who authorized the payment of subsidy since she was under oath.

Also the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had spoken in the same vein, claiming that as at the time she resumed in August, she could not certainly point at the body that authorized payment of subsidy.

Appearing before the committee yesterday, Constitutional lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, attributed the deteriorating state of the economy to the failure of successive governments to implement various laws made to govern the system.

The Minister of Finance appearing again yesterday,, when asked by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Farouk Lawan, to explain the manner the NNPC made the subsidy deductions and who made the authorization, she gave same response given on Tuesday that she did not know .

The Chairman had also asked her why KPMG audit report was not being implemented, the Minister had told the committee that henceforth all leakages observed would be plugged by the Ministry of Finance.

Asked who registers importers that bring petrol into the country, Dr Okonjo-Iweala answered in the negative, saying her ministry was not in an way involved in the registration of importers or issued license to any company.

On Wednesday, the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Mr Reginald Stanley, also said he was not in the know of who authorized subsidy deductions.

Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Austen Oniwon, had spoken in the same vein when he faced the panel.

The Director General, Budget, Mr Bright Okogwu, also evaded the question of who makes authorization for subsidy deductions as he simply said all leakages would be plugged henceforth.

Agbakoba blames failure of economy on successive govts

Agbakoba in his presentation, also alleged that the lacuna created by non-enforcement of existing laws exposed Nigeria to invasion and exploitation by some advanced nations of the world, which came to do business in the country.

The legal practitioner, in reacting to fuel subsidy removal, expressed doubts about the existence of any subsidy as being claimed by the Federal Government, insisting that there had not been any convincing evidences that subsidy existed.

Agbakoba, who was former President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, made these assertions yesterday while presenting a paper at the Farouk Lawan-led House Ad-hoc Committee set up to investigate the subsidy regime in Nigeria.

He also argued that while deregulation was a welcome global economic phenomenon, implementing the policy in isolation without taking care of other basic salient but very relevant issues in the system would be an effort in futility.

He expressed disappointment that the Nigerian government formed the habit of not patronising indigenous businessmen and professionals, lamenting that while government patronised multinational companies, they used the country’s money to develop their economies.

Noting the negative impact of allowing foreigners to dominate the nation’s business, Agbakoba observed that thousands of foreign ships come to Nigerian ports to do oil business, while the indigenous ship owners remained without serious economic activities.

This trend, he warned, must be reversed in the current effort to transform the economy; else, no meaningful achievement would be made in this direction.

He explained that the economy could not grow by mere rolling out economic policies by government that would not be judiciously implemented, but by empowering the people economically.

He said: “If we want to change our country, let us implement our laws. The economy will not grow by budgeting so much money. It will grow by government empowering our people.

“Why does our government still bank in foreign banks? Is anything wrong with our banks? Government has to promote Nigerian businesses. We have to love ourselves first.

“Mobil Oil Ltd is still importing foreign lawyers to write simple agreements. They still bring in foreign engineers while our people are here without jobs. Can you go to the United States or Britain and do that. Of course they will not allow you to do that.”

Consequently, the legal luminary implored the lawmakers to pass a law that would protect Nigerians by giving them preferential treatment in business transactions with Nigerian government over their foreign competitors doing business in the country..

He also urged the Federal Government to implement the Cabotage Act, which was put to abeyance since its passage by the National Assembly and assented to by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Agbakoba pointed out that when implemented, the law would transform the maritime sector and make it contribute substantial revenue to the economy.

Read More...

Nigeria To Buy 2 More Presidential Jets, To Make a Total of 10 Jets

From my investigations, I don't think the leadership in Nigeria is ready to tackle corruption, if the President and executive is actually serious about this, the presidency will not include the purchase of two aircrafts in addition to the eight which he already has in his fleet.

“One of the items of expenditure in the current budget is the purchase of two more aircraft to bring the presidential fleet to over 10. What does the President need a fleet of aircraft for?

“How can Nigerians make sacrifices if the leaders are unwilling to sacrifice their exhubitant lifestyle? In any case, how many aircraft has the Queen of England?

“The British Prime Minister does not have any jet, he uses the British Airways. President Barack Obama pays for his food (unless when hosting a state banquet) and even pays rent on his official residence.”

It was around may of last year that Nigeria’s N7Bn Presidential Jet was Banned From Flying Worldwide. That is almost 70 days after the new N7.65bn presidential jet, Falcon 7X, touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from the manufacturer’s factory in France, Dassault Aviation, France European authorities have banned the jet from flying in Europe and other parts of the world over safety issues.

Read More...

Soldiers occupy the streets of Lagos this morning

Soldiers have occupied the streets of Lagos...from Ojuelegba to Ikorodu Rd to Ojota, many parts of Ikeja and Lagos Island. They are everywhere. In a democracy? SMH!

Read More...

President Jonathan orders the arrest of OccupyNigeria activists?

In a bid to undermine the growing protest against his government's removal of fuel subsidy, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the SSS to arrest civil rights attorney, Femi Falana, Fiery Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare, ex-member of house of representatives, Dino Melaye and and Kaduna based activist, Shehu Sanni.

Two sources within the State Security Services told Saharareporters that the security agency had received presidential instructions to move against these four men as well as other perceived organizers of the resistance against the government's dramatic increase of the price of fuel.

"The presidency has decided that the way to break the protest is to go after those that the government believed to be the brains organizing the #Occupy Nigeria protests, " said one of the sources.

Read datails here Saharareporters.com

Read More...

FG woos diplomats, foreign govts

The Federal Government yesterday urged for understanding by foreign governments in their reading and assessment of issues around the removal of petroleum subsidy, as well as the fallout of the nationwide protests that trailed the policy.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri, at a meeting with the diplomatic corps in Abuja, urged objective reporting of the face-off between organized labour, civil society and government over the removal of oil subsidy.

The minister insisted that government has a responsibility to protect lives and properties, saying, “However, they (the police and other security personnel) cannot fail to be decisive in the defense of lives and properties of innocent citizens in cases of unwarranted violence.

“I will continue to urge you, as I had done before, to let the cordial relations between our countries be uppermost in your minds and to be objective in your assessment and reportage of events that are happening now. I would also urge the media, both foreign and

local, to observe restraint in their coverage of events in the country in the interest of peace and our unity”.

Onwuliri added: “Government values your contributions and support towards resolving the issues that confront us today. I would like to assure you that we are determined to build a strong, virile, progressive, dynamic and united Nigeria that will continue to be peaceful and peace loving.

She assured that government is tackling security concerns caused by Boko Haram.

“The terror menace will be defeated and erased from our midst. All these measures might not translate to success overnight but slowly and surely the battle against terrorism will be won and the peace and security of all Nigerians, no matter where they choose to live will be assured”, the minister assured.

Read More...

US: We’re Monitoring Nigerian Situation ‘Closely’

United States has added its voice to the nationwide protests by Nigerians over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, saying it was monitoring the situation in Nigeria "very closely."

In the same vein, it has also condemned statements credited to the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which ordered Christians to leave the North and also claimed responsibility for the strings of deadly attacks on churches.

Responding to questions on the situation in Nigeria during press briefings at the State Department in Washington, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Ms. Victoria Nuland, said, "Obviously, there are a lot of complicated issues that the government of Nigeria is dealing with, and some of these have become interlinked. So we’re obviously monitoring the situation very, very closely."

When asked whether US fears that the situation may worsen if oil workers join the strike on Sunday, Nuland said, "we’re not going to get into crystal balling this situation. If things remain peaceful, then you’re seeing a peaceful representation of popular opinion that the government needs to take into account. But at the same time, it’s incumbent on the government to encourage an environment that remains peaceful."

Commenting further on the protests trailing the removal of fuel subsidy, Nuland said, "In the context of the nationwide strikes on the fuel situation, our view on that is that the Nigerian people have the right to peaceful protest, we want to see them protest peacefully, and we’re also urging the Nigerian security services to respect the right of popular protest and conduct themselves professionally in dealing with the strikes."

Nuland said the view of US had neither changed in terms of the right of people to protest peacefully, nor on "the expectation that, as they protest peacefully, assuming they protest peacefully, that Nigerian security services will respect those rights and conduct themselves professionally."

Also at an earlier press briefing, the US official noted recent statements issued by the Nigerian militant Islamic sect adding that such statements by "purported" Boko Haram spokesman was "intended to inflame Muslim and Christian tensions."

She said, "From our perspective, Nigeria derives enormous strength from its ethnic and religious diversity. And this is something that the government needs to capitalize on, and clearly Boko Haram is trying to rip the country apart."

Condemning the violence credited to Boko Haram, Nuland urged Nigerian government "to hold accountable those who are responsible for these attacks, while protecting innocent civilians in the in – as they pursue their law enforcement activities."

She said, "extremist groups, like Boko Haram, were trying to play on some of the tensions inside Nigeria – some of the unsatisfied grievances in the north – and use those as excuses for this kind of violence."

Urging Nigerian government to do whatever it could to redress those grievances, she said, "but we, under no circumstances, consider that this is an excuse for violence."

On whether US considers Boko Haram and al-Qaida in the Maghreb as a threat to its interests in Africa, Nuland said, "we’ve made clear that anybody who is conducting terrorism of any kind is a threat both to the region and is a threat to our shared interest in peace and stability, of course."

The US official also noted some of the "strong statements" by President Goodluck Jonathan, adding, "He’s obviously working hard to address these issues and that needs to continue."

Responding to a question on the warning by nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, that Nigeria may be heading for a civil war, she said, "we have concerns about what Boko Haram is doing about efforts to create and exacerbate existing tensions between Christians and Muslims in the country - North/South.

"We are supporting the efforts of the Nigerian Government to try to get a handle on that. On top of that, as you’ve probably seen, we also have nationwide strikes now in Nigeria in response to lifting of fuel subsidies. So that is adding another layer to the difficulties in Nigeria."

Read More...

FG, Labour talks deadlocked

THE peace talks between the Federal Government, organised labour and civil society may be deadlocked as parties are accusing each of influencing violence that erupted in some parts of the country, particularly Niger state.

In a meeting of the Adhoc committee on Labour between the FG and organised labour yesterday, the Federal Government insisted that labour must call off the strike before negotiations could take place because the organized labour created platform for violence by embarking on strike.

The Federal Government represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former Chief Justice of the Federation, CJN, Justice Alfa Belgore and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu had made it clear to the labour leaders that because of the trouble in Niger State, labour should denounce violence before any negotiation.

Anyim who arrived the meeting at about 5.35pm mid way into the meeting read a text sent to him chronicling all the mayhem that took place in Niger State and declared that based on this text message, “the agenda of this meeting has changed because labour provided the platform for violence and must denounce those perpetrating violence and also call off the strike.”

‘We should respect the sanctity of life and the social political environment must be calm before any meaningful dialogue can take place.”

Minister of Labour who corroborated this said “it is clear that other people had taken over the protests to cause mayhem and labour is now helpless.”

Read More...

FG orders civil servants to resume work

The Federal Government has directed all federal civil servants to report to work as from Wednesday.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bello Sali, who gave the directive in Abuja, today, said security officers had been deployed to the various government offices to ensure their security.

He said government had discovered that many civil servants could not report for work due to lack of transport and, therefore, directed that the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide staff buses for the transportation of workers to and from work.

It was also learnt that some government agencies had opened fresh attendance registers with a view to punishing workers who failed to report for work.

Read More...

Israel to help FG tackle Boko Haram

Israeli government has offered to provide security services to the Federal Government to help it tackle the Boko Haram sect.

Israel Ambassador to Nigeria, Moshe Ram who made the disclosure yesterday during the presentation of medical supplies to victims of Madalla bomb blast said Israel was willing to offer its intelligence expertise to the Federal Government to halt the menace of Boko Haram.

He said, “We have present our offer to help Nigeria to fish out and expose the aliens popularly known as Boko Haram from the grass root where they operate.

“The technical knowledge of how to prevent suicide bombing is intelligence because without intelligence you can not prevent and pre-empt a suicide bomber.

“We therefore offer our service and intelligence to assist Nigerians on how to encounter these aliens because Nigeria is our neighbour which must not be left alone at this trying period.”

He called on the federal government to put in place strong policy to combat terrorism, adding, “The government and the people should exercise a very strong policy to prevent and pre-empt such occurrences with an iron face by not allowing terrorist determine its way of life.”

Earlier in his remark, Director General of National Emergency Maintenance Agency (NEMA) Alhaji Sani Sidi appealed to Israeli government to help Nigeria tackle problems of insecurity.

Alhaji Sidi who was represented by Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Edward Maigida assured Israeli government that the medical relief material will be distributed accordingly without bias.

Read More...

IBB tells Jonathan way out of violence

Former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has told President Goodluck Jonathan that political solution, entrenchment of value system, responsible leadership, meeting people’s expectations and good governance are ways out of the present national crisis.

In a press statement yesterday, the former leader said, ”In order to arrest this ugly trend and refocus our country on the path of peaceful co-existence in spite of our manifest tribal configurations, we must begin to revisit our value system and provoke platforms where this becomes the central theme of our collective discourse.”

Blaming the leaders for the failures in the society, Babangida said it is imperative to “engage in dialogue and wider consultations in our resolve to providing lasting solutions to the challenges facing us. All our religious leaders, political leaders, traditional rulers, opinion moulders, the media, must unite to arrest this ugly phase of our political life.”

He said, “ We must begin to consciously redirect our collective energies in entrenching a culture of strong and enduring moral super-structure as a platform for sustaining our once cherished value system, adding that the failure of governments and Leaders at various levels has further disconnected the people from their leaders; reason why there has been so much angst in the land.

“There is a potential breakdown of social contract between the leaders at all levels and the led. Leaders have failed in their responsibilities at meeting the expectations of the people.

These days, the gap between the rich and poor has further polarized the socio-economic and political discourse on the basis of winner-takes-all thus making public office unethically attractive. This is why there is so much desperation in the contest for public office,” he added.

Read More...