Jonathan sits on NNPC audit report but approves sharing of recovered $1.48 billion

Despite dilly-dallying on whether or not to make public the full report of the forensic audit on the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the disbursement of the $1.48 billion (about N249 billion) recovered from the national oil company.

The return of the money by the NNPC is one of the major recommendations of the audit conducted by global firm, PriceWaterHouseCoopers. The full audit report is yet to be made public despite protests by Nigerians including civil society groups and opposition parties.

However, on Tuesday, officials stated that Mr. Jonathan had asked that the money, once returned by the state oil firm, be shared among the tiers of government.

The confirmation of the President’s approval came from both the Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, and the Chairman of the Commissioners’ of Finance Forum, Timothy Odaah, who spoke at the end of the February meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee in Abuja.

According to the Minister, based on the President’s approval, he has since opened discussions with the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Joseph Dawha, on the modalities for sharing the money among the three tiers of government.

“We are working on the modalities and time-frame within which the money should be paid back to the Federation Account,” the minister said. “The President has addressed the issue. What we are waiting for now is to get the money from NNPC and distribute according to the three tiers of government.”

On the publication of the full report, the minister stated that “The report would be made public to Nigerians very soon. The Minister of Petroleum Resources has said that, and I am telling you also as the Minister of State for Finance that the report would be made public very soon.”

The Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke had told the Financial Times of London, that government would not publish the report ahead of election, to avoid a “rabid opposition” finding “all sorts of minute detail (in the full report) to create concern”.

Based on Mr. Yuguda’s “very soon” and Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s seeming fear of a “rabid opposition,” the government appears to have concluded to release the report only after the general elections on March 28 and April 11.

The audit was conducted after the immediate past Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi, alleged that as much as $20 billion may have been missing in the national oil company’s accounts.

According to Mr. Odaah, who is also Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance, the President approved the payment of the money into the Federation Account for immediate distribution during the next FAAC meeting to be held in March.

He said the state finance commissioners were worried when the issue was not captured in the report presented by the Accountant General of the Federation for Tuesday’s February meeting, particularly the clarification by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the exchange rate to be adopted in disbursing the money.

On other issues discussed during the meeting, Mr. Odaah said the attention of the president was drawn to the poor performances of the electricity distribution companies across the country.

He said the state commissioners were concerned that despite government’s effort to improve the level of electricity supply in the country, the performance of the power distribution companies were nothing to write home about.

“The Federal Government is making great effort to ensure that the electricity distribution is better, but, what we are seeing as commissioners of finance in our respective states, is different. We have to speak up against anything that would negatively impact the effort to energise our economies.

“Power supply is very important and therefore the president’s attention should be called to note that the EDCs have to be directed to do more to help the states,” he said.

Why investigation into Ekiti-rigging tape is stalemated – Jonathan

The inability of Sagir Koli, the army Captain who leaked the Ekiti-rigging audiotape, to come forward and authenticate the tape, is the reason investigation into the matter cannot proceed, President Goodluck Jonathan has said.

Mr. Jonathan told Thisday newspaper that he inquired from the head of the Department of State Security, DSS, if the agency was investigating the matter, but was told that investigation could not proceed because Mr. Koli, who went underground after he was tipped off about the order from the army hierarchy to arrest him, has not come forward to validate the audio recording.

After Mr. Koli escaped, his 15-year-old brother, Ahmadu Koli, a pupil of Army Children School, who was staying with him, was arrested, tortured at a military facility in Ibadan Oyo, and detained for about five months.

“In fact, when this story came up, I asked the DG Department of State Security Service if they had investigated the matter, and he told me that they had some investigations, and then called for the person who claimed he recorded it and that he disappeared and nobody can reach him,” Mr. Jonathan said.

“There was no formal petition before them, but because of the general interest, they wanted to have him interviewed to know where this was coming from. If someone comes up with a spurious allegation that has no substance and the person disappears, of course, what do you want me to do? Definitely, anytime we get him, he’ll have to substantiate his allegations. There is a lot of false stories being circulated and it is very sad,” he added.

The President did not explain why Mr. Koli needed to validate the recording before investigations could be launched into the scandal.

He also did not say whether security agencies must always wait for petitions before investigating weighty issues such as the Ekiti rigging scandal.

Mr. Jonathan admitted that he has not even listened to the tape. He however tried to save face by saying he originally dismissed it as a fabrication, despite admissions from key actors the meeting actually held, because the person who recorded it did so to achieve a particular purpose and could have manipulated the discussion.

“I have not watched the video (it is an audio recording, not video). I said that it was a fabrication because, you see, people now, especially with the social media; we could be here and discuss issues and somebody will hack some of our voices and create a story that never happened,” he said.

“Therefore I am not saying that a meeting in question was held or not held, but the issue of conspiring to rig, I said it was a fabrication,” he said.

Boko Haram: Nigeria’s Army chief visits Baga, says elections may hold in recovered territory

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minima, said on Wednesday that elections could be held in territories recovered from the Boko Haram insurgents.

Mr. Minima, a Lieutenant General, said successes recorded by the troops in dislodging the insurgents from some territories may enable the displaced persons to return back to their homes before the general elections which are scheduled to hold on March 28 and April 11.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, most of them within Nigeria, since the insurgency began in 2009. The electoral commission, INEC, had earlier said it could only hold elections in safe areas including legally recognised camps for displaced persons.

On Wednesday, the Army chief said he was impressed with the feat achieved by the soldiers and pledged that more Nigerian territory still being controlled by the insurgents will be retaken.

Mr. Minima arrived the Air Force base of the 79th Composite Group of the Nigerian Air Force, Maiduguri, at about noon via a military aircraft alongside other top officers. He was immediately conveyed in a military chopper to Kukawa Local Government.

Only a government television crew was embedded on the flight trip to Baga as the army could not provide transport helicopters for journalists to the recaptured border town.

At the border town, Mr. Minima reportedly addressed the troops on ground where he informed them that President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigerians were proud of them.

Promotion for victorious soldiers

Upon his return back to Maiduguri two hours later, the army chief told journalists that his visit was to boost soldiers’ morale.

“My visit there is on confidence building and to inform the troops that the entire Nigerians are singing their praises for their courage and urge them to keep up the tempo,” he said.

“They have made Nigerians proud. From today it is never again for insurgents to take hold of any of our territory. I told them that today it is going to be victory all the way because the war is almost ended.

“From here we move to retake Gwoza, Marte, and Madagali. With this, there is going to be no more Boko Haram; the slogan is ‘never again’ and even the President shares in this slogan.

“In the army’s usual a way of commending soldiers’ courage and patriotism, I have announced to them that every soldier that participated in the Baga operation, whether dead or alive, has been promoted to the next rank,” the army chief added.

The soldiers were said to be full praises and jubilation as officers conducted Mr. Minima and his team round parts of the town, recently recovered from the insurgents. He also inspected some of the weapons and vehicles recovered from the insurgents.

Mr. Minima said he is very confident that within the six weeks frame given to flush out Boko Haram, it is possible for all the displaced residents to return home and even cast their votes.

“It is achievable to end the Boko Haram activities very soon because we are still within the six weeks framework,” he said.

“But we should not see the six weeks as a must-accomplish time; this is war and we will try and do whatever possible to liberate more areas so that displaced citizens can go and resettle and possibly vote during the elections”.

INEC had postponed the elections, initially scheduled for February 14 and 28, based on the military’s stance that it could not guarantee security and would need six weeks for an onslaught on the insurgents.

The move was criticised by many Nigerians including some opposition parties who questioned why the onslaught was delayed until the time of the elections.

Abuja Independence Day Bombing: Convict to appeal life sentence

Edmund Ebiware, convicted for foreknowledge of the October 1, 2010 Abuja bomb blast that killed 12 people, has been given a nod to appeal his sentence.

He got the go ahead on Monday, his lawyers from Festus Keyamo Chambers, told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Ebiware was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 after an Abuja court found him guilty of a three-count charge including having foreknowledge of plans to carry out the bombing without alerting the authorities.

Former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Henry Okah, was convicted for the bombing in a South African court in March 2013. Mr. Okah got a 24 years jail term.

The court said it was convinced Mr. Ebiware was an accessory to Mr. Okah in carrying out the bombing.

“Anyone who is aware of an act of terrorism but fails to report same to the President, a Governor, Security agent or a Peace Officer in order to prevent the commission of the crime, is liable to a life imprisonment,” Justice Gabriel Kolawole said in his judgement.

The convict is currently serving his life sentence under solitary confinement in Kuje Prison. But his wife, Ify, who is raising their two kids said she’s confident she would upturn the judgement at the appeal court.

“My husband is totally innocent,” she said. “I know him more than anyone. Even the kids can attest that he is the best dad in the world.”

She argued that committing her husband to life in prison over accusations that he had prior knowledge of the bombing was unjust.

“He was sentenced without a single evidence. When the court asked for evidence, they said it was a national security matter that could not be tendered before the court,” she said.

Mrs. Ebiwere is confident she would prove at the appeal that her husband never met Mr. Okah. She admitted her husband had contacted Mr. Okah once, but at the instance of Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister and president of OPEC.

She said Mrs. Madueke had begged her husband to help establish communication links between Mr. Okah and herself in furtherance of the Niger Delta Amnesty program.

“Even Henry (Okah) regarded my husband as a spy,” she said, quoting a Henry Okah interview with Sahara Reporters. “My husband never spoke to Henry (Okah) until the Petroleum Minister contacted him to link her with Henry Okah.”

She said her husband is a political prisoner, arguing that his troubles began after he accepted to work for President Goodluck Jonathan’s opponent – Ibrahim Babangida – in the 2011 presidential primary elections of the People’s Democratic Party.

She said Raphael Damfebo, a witness who admitted he heard Henry was going to carry out a bomb blast and relayed the information to the convict, had admitted he was threatened with his freedom into making the testimony.

“If my husband is serving life jail term because he heard from the witness, how come the witness who heard from the source is a freeman today?” she asked. “The same witness admitted he told Boyloaf and Timipre Sylva, why are those ones not in jail too?”

Before his arrest on October 3, 2010, Mr. Ebiware led the Niger Delta Renaissance Network and published articles supporting the power zoning arrangement in PDP which could have stopped President Jonathan from succeeding late Umaru Yar’Adua.

Nigeria’s Police Affairs Minister Accused Of Killing Former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, Says He Regrets Not Beating A Former Governor To Death-The Nation

Minister for Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan

By The Nation Newspaper

Minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan has expressed regret for not flogging the first civilian governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, during the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) stakeholders meeting with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo.
Adeleke alleged that the Osun State PDP governorship candidate, Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, Adesiyan and a retired Customs officer, Mr. Sogo Agboola, beat him at a function a day before the state PDP governorship primaries, in which he planned to run.
Adesiyan, who spoke with reporters at the PDP state secretariat, Gbongan Road, Osogbo aat the weekend, denied beating Adeleke.
He however said he regretted that he did not flog Adeleke like a baby.
According to him, he refrained from beating Adeleke even when he provoked him because he was once his governor and more so because of his own position as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He vowed to fight Adeleke anytime they meet.
He said: “My regret was that I did not beat him as he claimed I did. If I had not been a minister, I would have flogged him like a baby. You know that he could not withstand one blow. You know Adeleke is sick; maybe he would have died that day.
“It was Sogo Agboola that gave Adeleke a dirty slap when he tried to caution him from being violent and he gave Sogo an elbow jerk, which Sogo quickly returned with a dirty resounding slap.
“I thought he was tough but he ran away immediately. He is lying if he says Omisore and I beat him. One upper or lower cut would have landed him in the hospital. You know me. Let me tell you, Adeleke is a liar. After running to his people in the APC, they perfected the story for him. You know they are very good at propaganda. Ta lo nje ode aperin ni waju ode apeyan (who is an elephant hunter in the presence of a hunter who kills human being)? I will one day leave office as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and anytime I leave office, I will fight  Adeleke.”
Adesiyan swore by the Quran that he never attacked  Adeleke.
He recalled the incident: “At about 1.00 a.m when I noticed that I was hungry because I had not eaten, I told Omisore and others at the meeting that I wanted to eat and we went to the pool side bar of the hotel to eat. As I was eating the fried plantain they served me, I noticed that some boys that looked like thugs were coming to our direction and all of a sudden, the light in the hotel went off.
“I was not afraid because nobody can terrorize me in my state though I felt there could be problem. The police did their jobs. They arrested the boys and collected their cell phones. Later, Adeleke, who was absent at the meeting on the ground that he was outside the state, came in and moved to me. He pointed to me and started shouting at me. He said he made me the Director-General. I thought he got carried away because he was able to free his boys after telling those who arrested them that he was a former governor and that they are his boys.
“If I had ordered the arrest of the boys, the police dared not release them without informing me. Adeleke was so furious that Sogo wanted to caution him by holding him back, but he gave Sogo an elbow and which he returned with a dirty slap and Adeleke ran away with his thugs.”

Adesiyan also said that nobody can insult Omisore in his presence, saying: “I would rather die there.”

Soldiers Insist On Searching Speaker Tambuwal’s Official Car In Kaduna

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal

By Citizen Reporter

Soldiers yesterday in Kaduna  briefly detained the Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, insisting his official car must be searched before he could be allowed into an international conference where he was due to deliver a speech.
Angered by the conduct of the soldiers, the Speaker came out of the car and trekked into the venue.
The incident occurred at Hotel 17, venue of an  International conference on security and development challenges of pastoralism in West and central Africa organized by the office of the National Security Adviser.
The Speaker,  who arrived the venue of the gathering at exactly 9.16 am for the 10.00 am opening ceremony, had his convoy stopped by soldiers who insisted they must search his official car before he could be allowed into the venue.
Despite much entreaties by security details attached to the Speaker,the soldiers refused, claiming they have “orders from above” to search the Speaker.
Incidentally, other VIPs, especially Governors,  who attended the conference were allowed access into the hotel without hindrance
The Speaker is the number four citizen in Nigeria’s official hierarchy after the President, Vice-President and the Senate President.
When contacted for his reaction, Tambuwal's spokesman,  Malam Imam Imam, decried the conduct of the soldiers, saying their attitude undermines the institution of the legislature.
"It is not about the person of the Speaker, but the office he is occupying. What we expect is for the security agents to show respect for the office of the Number 4 citizen of the country, " he said.

The soldiers did not search the speakers car after he walked into the venue.

Osun poll: Oyegun, Tinubu meet Oyinlola

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

The National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun, and the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, met a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Okuku, on Sunday.

It was learnt that Oyegun and Tinubu, who led leaders of the party to the hometown of Oyinlola, solicited the support of the former military administrator of Lagos State, saying they wanted him to be part of their new movement.

Oyegun, who spoke first, said: “The APC knows that you are the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the face of the law. But we want you to be a part of our new movement.”

Speaking after Oyegun, Tinubu reportedly shared the same vein with Oyegun, acknowledging Oyinlola’s leadership qualities.

In his response, Oyinlola thanked the leaders of the APC for their visit and acknowledgement, promising to make consultations with his followers over the meeting with the APC.

Oyinlola, who acknowledged that he remained a Peoples Democratic Party member, said he would fight the case of his removal as National Secretary of the ruling party to a logical conclusion.

Insinuations are rife that Oyinlola, who had been in talks with the leadership of the APP, might defect soon.

Ayo Fayose Beats Kayode Fayemi To Win Ekiti Governorship Election

Posted: Jun, 22 2014, 4:06AM

PDP candidate, Ayodel Fayose

By Saharareporters, New York

People’s Democratic Party Candidate and former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has defeated the incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi to win the governorship race in Ekiti state as earlier projected by Saharareporters.
Mr. Fayose defeated Mr. Fayemi by a wide margin, polling 203, 090 votes while Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) scored 120, 433 votes. The third contender from the Labor Party, Opeyemi Bamidele, only managed to win 18, 135 votes.
The election which was nearly marred by unprecedented use of security agencies to intimidate members of the APC was largely peaceful on polling day.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, Professor Isaac Azuzu made the official announcement in Ado Ekiti earlier today.

Tinubu has turned APC into private property – Ikimi

The estranged pioneer member of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Tom Ikimi, on Wednesday attributed his grouse with the party to the tyrannical approach to leadership by some of the leaders of the APC, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said before Tinubu singlehandedly chose the former Edo State governor, John Odigie-Oyegun, he had threatened “fire and brimstone” if he did not emerge as the party’s national chairman at last Saturday’s national convention of the APC.

Ikimi said Tinubu operated caucuses whose membership varied from time to time subject to his whims and caprice.

He added that the current trends in the APC portended frightening prospects for the nation if the party wins the Presidency.

In a statement made available to The PUNCH, Ikimi, a former foreign affairs minister, said Tinubu had turned the APC into a private property and that some stalwarts of the APC were willing to accede to his whims which eventually turned the party’s Saturday convention to a “charade.”

The APC chieftain added that the party’s governors colluded with Tinubu to truncate democratic process in the national convention.

He said, “The governors and the Tinubu groups decided on a zoning process that was limited only to party offices as well as the choice of individuals to fill them. They proceeded in a manner that was neither open nor transparent. Most undemocratic and bizarre procedures then prevailed.

“The governors initiated a zoning plan that allocated the national chairman to the South-South. This proposal was reluctantly accepted by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose well-known preferred option had been to retain Chief Bisi Akande as the chairman forever. Nevertheless, he in the circumstance, proceeded to draw up a list of his cronies for the entire national executive all by himself. Very strange as this may sound, it was the reality. Nothing was ever referred to the National Interim Executive Council for approval or even information.”

Ikimi also lambasted Tinubu for parading himself as the national leader of the APC, saying no one gave him such a position. He added that it was unfortunate that some members of the party had tried to justify Tinubu’s unilateral appointment of Oyegun as the national chairman as a concession done to him as the national leader.

He said his problem with the ex-governor began when he opposed the Muslim-Muslim presidential and vice presidential ticket of the party.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may recall that mostly for the same reasons I opposed his desire to run as vice presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the Action Congress banner in 2007. We settled for Senator Ben Obi from eastern Nigeria.

“I know he nurses a grudge against me for the position I took which was strongly supported by leaders from five zones apart from the South-West. I have no regrets whatsoever for my courage to stand up against oppression or dictatorship. No matter what anyone might say against the PDP, no individual claims ownership of that party,” the statement read in parts.

When one of our correspondents contacted the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for a response to Ikimi’s statement, he said the party had no comment.

In a text message response, Mohammed said, “I have gone through his (Ikimi’s) statement and we have no comments at the moment.”

Keshi set to dump Osaze, Azeez

Osaze Odemwingie

Stoke City striker Osaze Odemwingie and Almeria midfielder Ramon Azeez may not see action in Saturday’s crucial World Cup Group F clash against Bosnia-Herzegovina,africanfootball.com has learned.

Osaze brought some urgency and creativity to the Super Eagles’ attack against Iran on Monday, but Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi said the former Russia-based forward defied his instructions even though he was playing an unfamiliar role.

Keshi is said to be disappointed with Azeez’s performance against Iran and has lined up Belgium-based Michael Uchebo to take his place.

Skipper Joseph Yobo is expected to keep his place in the first team after Turkey-based defender Godfrey Oboabona was ruled out of Saturday’s cracker as a result of a foot injury he suffered against Iran.

Yobo told africanfootball.com in Brazil that reaching a century of international caps would be an added bonus for him as he was already fulfilled to be at his third World Cup.

“I’m just happy that I made it here because towards the end of the season I got injured and it was difficult for me,” he said.

“Any other personal achievement will be great and I will enjoy it.”

Absenting Delegates Risking Their N4m Allowance — Confab VC

National Confab

By Saharareporters, New York

Delegates at the ongoing national confab who have made a habit of absenting themselves from plenary without valid reasons will not receive their allowances henceforth, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Vice Chairman of the confab has warned.
Speaking on Thursday, Akinyemi said it was important to draw the attention of members who had been disregarding the plenary to desist from the act. He gave them till Monday to start attending or forfeit their allowances.
“We don’t want to be treating delegates as secondary school pupils,” he said.\
“As from Monday, delegates who don’t show up will not be paid sitting allowance unless on medical reasons. We want you to know that this because we are all adults and we must be seen to be responsible.”
He conveyed the displeasure of government with the absence of more than half of delegates at the plenary, saying the sight of empty seats on televisions is a great disservice to the work of serious delegates.
“It is shown live and this is not good,” he said.
“They [the government] are now reminding us that there are government rules, and that when we are being paid sitting allowance, it must be seen to be so.
“Delegates have to learn to be responsible, because they were selected to deliberate over issues of national importance, which require the attention of everyone.”
Each delegate at the confab receives monthly allowance of N4 million per month. By the end of the confab next month, the delegates would have received a whopping N16 million each, following the one-month extension approved for the confab by President Goodluck Jonathan in May.

Ekiti 2014: APC lies to Nigerians on Kano governor’s air travel

APC said, “At least three Governors – Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano – have so far been prevented from making the trip”

The claim by the All Progressives Congress, APC, that federal officials prevented the plane carrying the Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from landing in Akure is false, PREMIUM TIMES can reveal.

At the time the APC was claiming that the Kano governor was being barred from getting to Ekiti, the spokesperson of the governor told PREMIUM TIMES his boss was in Kano and had no plans to travel to Ekiti.

The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, claimed Mr. Kwankwaso and two other APC governors, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, were barred from getting to Ekiti to support Governor Kayode Fayemi’s re-election bid.

“At least three Governors – Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano – have so far been prevented from making the trip,” Mr. Mohammed said.

The spokesperson added that “the helicopter that was to ferry Governor Oshiomhole from Benin to Ado-Ekiti was refused permission to take off from the Benin Airport, while the plane that was flying Gov. Kwankwanso to Akure was denied permission to land”.

Ekiti has no airport and so travellers by air have to first land at Akure (neighbouring Ondo State) airport, then travel by road to Ekiti.

When the news of the denial first spread on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES called the Director of Press Affairs to Mr. Kwankwaso, Baba Dantiye, who said his boss had no plans to travel to Ekiti.

Mr. Dantiye said Mr. Kwankwaso was at an event in Kano State and had no plans of travelling to Ekiti State.

“The governor is in Kano here; he did not have plans of going to Akure, none that I know of,” Mr. Dantiye said.

Perhaps realising that his party had released a statement to the contrary, Mr. Dantiye called back to say he was at an event with the governor and would not “want to confirm or deny” the APC’s claim.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the event the Kano governor attended in Kano on Thursday was the graduation of 1120 mechanics and vulcanisers from the 44 local governments of the state.

Supporters of the governor posted pictures of the event on facebook.

Not all lies

While the APC apparently lied on Mr. Kwakwanso’s situation, the party’s claim that Mr. Amaechi was prevented from getting to Ekiti is true.

PREMIUM TIMES reported a statement by the Rivers State government that Mr. Amaechi was stopped from getting to Ekiti by road after his plane landed in Akure.

The governor was then detained by soldiers for several minutes before he was allowed to return to Akure but not to Ekiti to campaign for Mr. Fayemi in the Ekiti election that holds on Saturday.

“Governor Amaechi was ambushed and refused entry into Ekiti by military personnel acting on orders from above. He made to turn back and return to Akure where his chattered aircraft was parked but was chased and rounded by armed soldiers and security personnel in Odudu, Ondo state. According to the captain who led the operation, he had orders not to allow the governor entry or exit,” the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, said.

The spokesperson to the Edo State governor, Peter Ohiare, also told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Oshiomhole’s aircraft was barred from leaving Benin airport.

Mr. Ohiare said he was informed of the air travel ban by the Commander 81 Maritime Crew, Benin City.

The spokesperson of aviation agencies had told PREMIUM TIMES that the military had the power to regulate Nigeria’s airspace even without the permission of the civilian agencies.

Military reacts

When contacted on why soldiers detained Mr. Amaechi, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Olajide Laleye, denied that the incident occurred.

“That’s ridiculous, on what grounds? How could the military have arrested the governors? That’s not true, there was no arrest,” Mr. Laleye, a Brigadier General, said.

The military and the Nigerian Police have pledged to ensure security during the Ekiti election; but have been accused of aiding Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The three major candidates in the election are Mr. Fayemi of the APC, Ayo Fayose of the PDP, and Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party.

But Governor Amaechi himself confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he was detained by soldiers who barred him from travelling to Ekiti. His aides later said he was released and allowed to return to Akure but that his plane remained impounded.

Jonathan appoints Bode George’s wife, Roli, as new NDLEA boss

The appointee is the wife of a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George.

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Roli Bode-George as the new Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

The appointee is the wife of a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George.

Mr. George, a leader of the PDP in Lagos, is currently a delegate, appointed by the president, at the National Conference. His conviction for fraud, when he served as head of the Nigeria Ports Authority, by a High Court was upturned by the Supreme Court.

Mr. Jonathan’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, announced the appointment on his twitter handle on Thursday evening. He said the appointment is with immediate effect.

Mrs. Bode-George takes over from Olufemi Ajayi, who was on Wednesday appointed the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF.

President Jonathan had in 2011 also appointed Mrs. Bode-George as a federal commissioner in the National Population Commission, NPC.

B’Haram invades Borno villages, kills 38

 

| credits: nigeriana.org

Men believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect have again invaded the Borno villages of Ngoshe and Kaigamari, in Gwoza and Konduga Local Government Areas, respectively,  killing 38 people.

The insurgents also set ablaze several houses and shops in addition to destroying mobile telecommunications masts in the area.

Ngoshe is located east of hilly Gwoza town, between Cameroon border with Nigeria, while Kaigamari is a remote settlement in Konduga, a town which has always been under the siege of the Boko Haram terrorists.

Gwoza is about 140 kilometres south, while Konduga is 40 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital.

It was gathered from a source that “the gunmen, armed with Improvised Explosive Devices, petrol bombs, AK 47 rifles and rocket propelled grenades invaded Ngoshe at about 10pm on Saturday and opened fire on the already sleeping and unarmed residents, killing 30 of them and inflicting injuries on several others, before setting ablaze some houses.”

Also in Kaigamari, no fewer than eight people were said to have been killed on Sunday when another set of gunmen attacked the village and torched some houses and shops.

An eyewitness, who said he was lucky to escape the attack in Ngoshe, Mallam Usman Jidda, told journalists in Maiduguri that the gunmen who were sighted some few days back in between the mountainous areas of Ngoshe and Limankara villages had a field day killing and destroying houses without being challenged by security operatives in the area.

“I thank God for sparing my life and those of the members of my family as we were able to escape the attack, we are now settling with one of my relatives in Gwoza council area. I can confirm to you that more than 30 people were killed by the insurgents in Ngoshe, apart from the destruction of property worth millions of naira,” Jidda stated.

The attack in Kaigamari village near the state capital was said to have forced surviving residents to flee the area to Maiduguri on Sunday.

The insurgents were also said to have attacked Hamsa in Gwoza Hills in Borno State.

Investigations revealed that the attackers came to the besieged area through Kwatara and encamped against the community at Tate.

The source said that the “operation started around 5pm on Saturday and lasted all through the night.”

Although, the source could not give the casualty figure in the latest attacks, it was stated that a relative of the leader of the Church of Christ in Nations in the area was among the dead.

But the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said on the telephone on Sunday that the operation to flush out the insurgents in the Gwoza hills was still ongoing.

He stated that the area was very vast as it extends to Adamawa State and Cameroon.

He said, “The operation to flush out  the insurgents is still going on; that place is very vast, the Special Forces have taken over a part of the hill; you know that  it extends to Adamawa and, Cameroon…”

However, Olukolade said in a statement on Sunday that several makeshift insurgents’ camps in the forest and mountains had been dislodged in ongoing ground and aerial bombardments

He stated that the security forces had noted the “presence of unarmed members of terrorist groups in some villages.”

He said that the Special Forces had been directed to ensure aggressive patrol of local communities to complement the ongoing assault on the insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, lamented on Sunday that the killings in the country under the guise of insurgency was spreading at an alarming rate.

The sultan, who spoke at the 50th Anniversary Lecture of the JNI in Kaduna on Sunday, asked the Federal Government to curb the ugly development.

He said, “We have discussed with government on the National Conference and how to make it a success. We don’t want another jamboree, we have been giving advice to our leaders it is left for them to take the advice or jettison them.

“Everyday we hear of people killed in different parts of the country. It is a nightmare that is spreading to parts of the country in the name of cattle rustling. We are worried about the Muslims, Christians and Fulani being killed because life is sacred.

“Why are we fighting one another in the name of ethnicity and religion; we should all go about our religion peacefully. Our non-Muslim brothers should join us to look at problems bedeviling the country and find solutions,” he said.

The Vice President, Namadi Sambo, assured that the Federal Government was doing all it could to arrest the ugly trend.

Sambo promised that the perceived imbalance raised by the Sultan would be addressed, noting that the government would ensure fairness and equity in all its dealings with Nigerians irrespective of religion.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Alhaji Lawal Tanko, said no  candidate for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Saturday was killed in the state.

Tanko was reacting to an online report that 200 candidates were killed in one of the centres in Maiduguri by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that “I was directly in charge of the police operations to ensure safety of the candidates in all the examination venues in Maiduguri.”

Abuja Explosion: At least 71 dead, 124 injured – Nigerian Police

Hospitals create information centres for relatives.

The Nigerian Police on Monday afternoon confirmed that at least 71 people died in the bomb explosion at a motor park in Nyanya, the outskirts of Abuja.

The police spokesperson, Frank Mba, confirmed this to journalists in Abuja.

“So far, we have a total of 71 persons dead and 124 others injured and they are all, receiving treatments at various hospitals in and around FCT metropolis,” Mr. Mba said.

Estimates by witnesses and body count by our reporter at the scene indicate the casualty may go up as about 200 people are believed to have died from the blast.

During his visit to the blast scene and the hospitals, President Goodluck Jonathan appealed to the media to assist government in enlightening the public on security consciousness.

Mr. Jonathan was close to tears as he spoke at the blast site.
Some of the affected vehicles were seen littered around the park while the dead and the injured had been taken to hospitals.

Mr. Jonathan harped on the need for extra vigilance and for people to report suspicious movements in any part of the country to security agencies.

“You can see that I am here with Senate President, Senator David Mark. And the Chairman of PDP, Chief of Defence, service chiefs, National Security Adviser, and that the security agencies are also doing their best to handle the situation,” Mr. Jonathan said.

“Let us first express our collective condolence to the family of those who lost their lives and also commend the security agencies for their quick response.

“It is not the number, let me appeal to our country men and women, for them to continue to work, very hard on this issue of Boko Haram,” he added.

The president said government will do everything necessary to ensure that the country moves forward despite the activities of those who preferred to move the country backwards.

“We shall get over it. We want to appeal to our media to begin to come up with enlightenment programme for our people, to make citizens very aware of suspicious movement so that they can be reported promptly to security agencies,” he said.

“Let us become more observant and monitor the movement of people so that we can reduce. We will do our best, the security agencies will continue to work hard to ensure that we get over this issue of Boko Haram.”

Speaking on the casualties, the police spokesperson disclosed that those injured are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals around the Nigerian capital.

Mr. Mba said a total 16 luxurious buses were torched, while 24 others mainly belonging to individuals suffered damages in the blast that occurred at about 6:30 a.m.

He disclosed that security agencies were working with hospitals to create information centers for relatives to assist them in getting information on their loved ones.

“We promised you earlier on that we will continue to update you and it in that spirit that I want to update you as regards the casualty figures.

“In order to help families of the bereaved, the security agencies are working with hospitals encouraging most of the hospitals to open information centers that will help relatives, friends to get relevant information from those hospitals where the dead bodies are deposited and others receiving treatments,” he said.

Senate, House of Representative order probe of Nigeria Immigration recruitment deaths

Senate in session

The senate rejected calls for the removal of interior minister, Abba Moro

The Senate and the House of Representatives have ordered separate investigations into the death of more than a dozen job seekers at recruitment centres organized by the Nigeria Immigration Service Saturday.

About 18 job applicants died on stampedes after hundreds of thousands of people clogged at the venues for the screening across the country, sparking calls for the removal of the interior minister, Abba Moro, and head of the immigration, David Parradang.

Mr. Moro has accused the applicants of “impatience”, and said 520 thousand people jostled for about 4,000 openings.

The senate rejected calls for Mr. Moro’s sack, but mandated its committee on Interior to within one week, investigate the exercise and the circumstances that led to the deaths.

The senate also urged the Federal Government to come up with a `”marshall plan’’ to address Nigeria’s shocking level of unemployment.

Separately, the House of Representatives mandated its committees on Interior, Labour and Productivity, Public Service Matters and Justice, to conduct investigations.

Both houses will hold public hearings on the recruitment.

Senators spoke with rage about Saturday’s tragedy, and canvassed bipartisan support to tackle what they called a “national emergency”.

The chairman of the senate committee on interior, Atiku Bagudu, who raised the motion, said more than 700 thousand applicants were registered for the recruitment, and all of them charged N1,000, which was purportedly paid to a consulting firm.

“It is a security breach for a para-military organisation to contract a consultant for its recruitment exercise. This does not augur well for our national security,’’ said Abdulkadir Jajere said, a member from Yobe State.

APC Senators want minister dismissed

In an earlier statement, the caucus of the All Progressives Congress senators said the interior minister, Mr. Moro, should be immediately fired.

“We are calling on the Minister of the Interior, Hon. Abba Moro to resign his position, because he can’t be absolved from the activities that eventually led to this monumental tragedy,” a spokesperson for the caucus, Babafemi Ojudu, said in a statement.

The lawmakers lambasted the federal government for doing nothing about the growing unemployment and allowing its agencies to charge job seekers.

“Employment into government agencies has always been a social service and never a mercantilist aberration. But the President Goodluck Jonathan administration has redefined the concept, giving it a new, capitalist meaning altogether. It was hitherto unheard-of that government agencies would be requesting poor, unemployed youths to pay in whatever form before they could be offered employment.

The lawmakers also criticised the government’s failure to tackle unemployment.

“As in the past years since the current administration came into power, budgetary proposals for recurrent expenditure in the 2014 appropriation are three-quarters of the entire document. The budget is loaded with proposals for spending that are clearly frivolous – the Presidential fleet, travels and trainings, Office of the Secretary to the Federation, questionable welfare and purchases of computer software and vehicles, among many others. There are also repetitions of purchases that have become a yearly affair. So while the Executive has sustained its extravagance, attention to vital areas that could address the unemployment problem has direly suffered. So the problem has been inevitably degenerating,” the caucus said.