The National Assembly has failed the nation

National Assembly building, Abuja

ON December 19, 2012, the National Assembly passed the 2013 budget, upping it by N63 billion from N4.924 trillion to N4.987 trillion. But the budget has not been signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan, more than a month after its passage, for reasons that have now become obvious – the National Assembly, as usual, has needlessly increased its expenditure. A media report attributed to a presidential aide in Davos, Switzerland, where the President had gone for the World Economic Forum, revealed that the legislators allegedly enhanced their overhead cost by N93 billion, subsumed in a dubious constituency projects sub-head.

Over the years, the parliament has acquired notoriety for such predilection, thereby triggering avoidable stand-off between the Legislature and the Executive. The country cannot continue to tread this crooked path. All things considered, the action is tantamount to selfishness and abuse of legislative powers. The report stated, “The National Assembly is asking for extra N93 billion as overhead expenses, which they have hidden under constituency projects. This is despite the fact that they had earlier budgeted N100 billion for constituency projects.”

Regardless of the spurious claim to its legality, we do know for certain that the constituency project idea in Nigeria is steeped in obscene corruption. Since 1999, our scandal plagued legislature has held every President hostage over budget implementation, especially the constituency projects component. The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency, as gritty as it was, almost crashed for failing to do the lawmakers’ bidding in this regard. The lower legislative chambers had raked up 36 “impeachable offences” against him in response to his resistance to the lawmakers’ greed. The late Umaru Yar’Adua suffered a similar threat.

Constituency projects’ idea is one of the evils weakening the country’s federal structure. How can the Federal Government in Abuja be involved in digging water boreholes, installing electric poles, repairing roads in rural communities or building town halls across the country? These are contracts that do not go through public tender and technical designs, in line with due process requirements, before being awarded. The N100 billion involved is absolutely not a two-penny.

Contract awards determined by rule of the thumb and subversion of best practices, ultimately, add to the existing stock of abandoned projects scattered nation-wide, requiring over N7 trillion to complete. Instead of stirring up controversy every year with constituency projects, the lawmakers’ interests would be best served by making the 774 local government areas work through legislative activism or engineering. The so-called constituency projects fall within the competence of efficient and effective councils.

This is not the only area where the national parliament has consistently failed the nation. Since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democracy, it has been unable to truly exercise its function of maintaining checks and balances in government, especially in curbing corruption. Its story, rather, has been a harvest of criminal corruption scandals – the bribe-for-budget scam, alleged scummy pension fund deals, etc.  Nowhere is the fact that our lawmakers are corrupt and ineffective more evident than in the $620,000 fuel subsidy scandal, a.k.a. Faroukgate, and the ongoing Herman Hembe trial. In spite of the breadth of evidence against Lawan Farouk, he still sits pretty in the “hallowed” chamber. This is deplorable. If nothing is done, our legislature may soon be turned into a gallery of rogues.

The National Assembly has a long and sordid history of corruption and waste. Without putting its oversight powers into an effective use for the common good, the National Assembly has watched conspiratorially as the country’s oil wealth is being despoiled by a rapacious cabal; it neither knows how much is made from oil nor ensures that what is made is transparently accounted for by managers of the economy. No wonder, Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, described the legislative arm of government as “hydro-pus”, his coinage from “hydra” and “octopus.”

The only thing our “gobbling” lawmakers do well is fattening their paycheques by awarding themselves outrageous allowances.  Nigerian parliamentarians are reputed to be the highest paid in the world, earning more than even their British and American counterparts, for doing too little. Eminent lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, alleged three years ago that the Senate President’s office collected a mouth-watering sum of N88 million per month. A senator, according to Sagay, took home about N45 million, while his counterpart in the House of Representatives earned N28 million per quarter.

Even this amount is hardly considered enough by the lawmakers. This insatiability pushed the House, under Dimeji Bankole as Speaker, to borrow about N40 billion from banks in order to pay the members more, far above recommended perks by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. It is a shame, a big one for that matter, that our legislators collect hefty allowances, live in luxury without qualms in a country where the minimum wage is N18, 000 per month and basic infrastructure and service delivery are alien to governance.

It is a travesty that the National Assembly has not thought it fit to review the archaic laws that allow corrupt officials to escape justice with a slap on the wrist. The Nigerian Railways Amendment Bill, Petroleum Industry Bill and others that will make a difference in the economy have not been passed into law. Though it has oversight powers, the country’s refineries are comatose, just as the air space has metamorphosed into a “Bermuda Triangle” as planes are plucked from the sky due to the cutting of corners in the aviation sector; our road networks have become death traps, while electricity has become a rarity. Therefore, the National Assembly has failed Nigerians; and nothing provides eloquent testament to this than the infrastructural ruins that blotch our national landscape.

But we see no evidence that the Senate President, David Mark, and the House Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, are ready to use their leadership positions to reverse the ugly trend. Like the stunning failures of its predecessors, the Seventh National Assembly has little to be proud of. Though it is said that every legislative session ends with notable achievements and glaring disappointments, Nigeria’s parliament always ends in shame. This legislative session will also be remembered more for its failures.

Nigerians must be ready to end this aberration. We need a complete systemic transformation of the legislative arm of government. As the arm of government that defines democracy, the people themselves should ensure that the legislature is made effective and responsive.  It is time the leadership of the Senate and its counterpart in the House were told that the country would no longer continue to bear the raft of waste that emoluments of the 109 senators and 360 lawmakers in the lower chamber symbolise. It is this kind of self-indulgence that has inspired calls from some quarters for the country to adopt a part-time unicameral legislature.

Since corruption is Nigeria’s greatest and most enduring challenge, our parliament must be truly seen to be a hallowed chamber, peopled by men and women of integrity. This is a sure way to win the battle against the raging sleaze.

Kaduna Attacks Latest: 3 Police Officers Killed, Millions Stolen From Banks In Birnin Gwari

First Bank in Birnin Gwari after the attack

We has learnt that Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna State has rushed this morning to Birnin Gwari town, the scene of yesterday’s brazen, five-hour operation by a group of armed bandits.
We broke the news of the dare-devil attacks in Birnin Gwari town in Kaduna State. Our correspondent has since discovered that   attackers killed three police officers, wounded several more, and made away with millions of naira from the vaults of two banks.
“The governor is still in town now,” a security source told us, adding that a huge contingent of the police were also present in every part of the town.
Another source disclosed that the additional police contingent was not able to enter the town until the early hours of today. “The armed bandits operated for four, even five hours without any serious police challenge,” said the source.
News of the attacks was first received from students living in the town of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State's Birnin Gwari local government area. The informants told us that heavily armed bandits had overrun the police station in the area and burnt it down after engaging the police in gun battle. “The police were so overwhelmed that they took to their heels,” one source had told our correspondent.
The attackers completely razed the police station in the attack that started at midnight, according to the source.
ECO Bank, Unity Bank, and First Bank branches in the town as well as other public buildings were also attacked and bombed along with the police station, according to one elderly witness. The man told Saharareporters that the heavily armed men arrived in unmarked vehicles and set the police station on fire after a two-hour long gun battle. The source said the attackers appeared to use explosives in breaking into the banks.
One of our sources, who claimed to have witnessed the attacks, said the bandits planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that exploded simultaneously amid gun shots.
The source said the bandits were part of a group of armed robbers believed to be hiding out in a nearby forest. He disclosed that, prior to yesterday’s attacks, the bandits had launched assaults in several villages and districts including Kuyelo and Randagi on Friday and Tuesday respectively.
The source also stated that the unidentified gunmen had sealed off the whole township last night before launching their attacks. A security source told us that the Divisional Police Office (DPO) was  out of the area at the time of the attacks last night.We also learnt that soldiers who are part of “Operation Zaki” refused to move into the area at night to combat the attackers. The commanders of the soldiers were reportedly afraid of being ambushed at night by the armed bandits.
“We are trapped, and we’re under fear,” one of our sources told us last night. He added, “We need military support too. If not, there is no certainty on our lives. As I speak, they are still firing.”
Last night’s attacks were not the first in the town’s recent history. In October, 2012, armed bandits invaded the town and killed some 20 worshippers leaving a mosque.
  We tried last night to speak with official spokesmen of the army and police, without success. However, a district head said the Kaduna State police commissioner had promised to intervene as soon as possible.
Just last week, the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Mai Jubril Zubair, had visited the new governor of Kaduna State. The emir, who was accompanied by several politicians, top civil servants and district heads in the area, had asked the governor for increased security in the area. The traditional ruler complained that armed bandits in the area had stolen up to 10,000 cows and murdered several people. The governor had promised to set up a committee to find the stolen cows and to deal with the bandits.
A source told us that  he suspected last night’s attacks were a kind of reprisal for the emir's visit to the governor and a way to serve notice to the governor that he can do little to stop the bandits operating in the area. However, a security source told our correspondent this morning that he did not think the attacks were related at all to the emir’s visit to the governor or the governor’s threat to deal with the bandits.

BREAKING NEWS: Gunmen Invade Birnin Gwari Township In Kaduna State, Bomb Police Station And Banks

Photo of a recent attack in the area

We has just received information from students living in  Birnin Gwari town in Kaduna State to the effect that heavily armed bandits took over the  Police Station in the area and burnt it down after about two hours of gun battle with troops.
The police station is completely razed in an attack that started at midnight, according to the source.
Banks and other public buildings were reportedly  bombed along with the Police Station.
The source who claimed to have witnessed the attack said the  bandits also planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that exploded  simultaneously in addition to  sporadic gun shots.
The source also said that the whole area was sealed by the unidentified gunmen whose number could not be ascertained because of they came in the dark.  Several police officers and  some of the  bandits are believed to have died in the attack  which  lasted about two hours.
“We are trapped, and under fear, we need  military support to, if not there is no certainty on our lives. As I speak, they are still firing”, he said.
In October, 2012, bandits invaded the town killing some 20 worshippers leaving a  Mosque in an early morning raid in the area.
 Calls made to spokespersons of the army and police were not returned as at the time of this report.

 Last year SaharaReporters Did a reasoned exposee on the problem of armed banditry in Birnin Gwari LGA: Seee report below:
 Dogon Dawa Killings: Terrorists Believed To Be Bunkering In Kaduna Forests; Military Considering Armed Response  
A SaharaReporters investigation in Dogon Dawa community, where over 20 people were killed in a mosque, and in other neighboring villages in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna State, indicates that the suspected terrorists may be camping out under the cover of dense forests in Kaduna State.
Senior State Security Service personnel who had previously studied the area and made several for immediate action, confirmed to our reporters SaharaReporters the suspects are taking advantage of the forest, which borders Plateau, Niger, Kano, Zamfara and Katsina States, to hide.
A senior police officer also told our reporter that the immediate solution is military action, in which helicopters would be used to support ground troops.  Barring this, he said "they will continue to carry out their attacks and what we witnessed last Sunday [may be] just a joke.”
  Our team which drove through villages in Niger State to Birnin Gwari spoke with villagers before arriving at the national park in a serene area called Kamuku.
The suspected terrorists, according to the locals, are heavily armed and live mainly in the thick forest except when they are traveling outside of the terrain.
They added that the suspected terrorists have established tents and other mobile settlements inside the forest, pointing out that some of them are foreigners while others are simply mercenaries who specialize in carrying out killings and counter attacks in Kaduna State and other parts of the North.
The locals told our reporters that the criminal elements also double as armed robbers to obtain money for their running costs and upkeep.
One of the villagers, speaking through an interpreter, said, “There are strange men inside the forests, they are camping in there and at times you will see them carrying their luggage on motorbikes before melting into the forests.  There is nothing we can do, but they have never attacked us, but they have been targeting villages that formed vigilantes against their operations in the area. They do not talk with anyone.  And we heard that they usually block the road and rob motorists.”
A security official who spoke on condition of anonymity further explained, “The whole area is under threat, these people come here from hundreds of kilometres away, through the bush, from forests in Zamfara or Katsina. They get here well-armed and know the terrain. We need ground troops and air support to raid and survey the whole forests. It is an urgent exercise.”
There were differing views in Dogon Dawa community where over 20 people were butchered on Sunday. Muhammad, who is a relative of the late vigilante leader, Ahmadu Aliyu, said that the armed robbers came to kill their father because he was a thorn in their flesh.
"These people are organized terrorists or militia; we know armed robbers cannot carry out this act in this manner.  They came around 4:30 am and left around 6:30 am.”
Another young boy who spoke in tears said, “They are thieves tormenting us and all the travelers in the Birnin Gwari routes. But it is obvious they engaged services of experienced killers and they wrote us that they will come, but the authorities did not care until they struck.”
  We saw armed soldiers and anti-riot policemen fully stationed around the area, but none of them agreed to talk to our reporter.

Ex-Abacha Minister Accused of Stealing $15 Million Loses Defamation Suit To Nuhu Ribadu

Bashir Dalhatu and Nuhu Ribadu

Bashir Dalhatu, a former minister in the Sani Abacha regime, yesterday lost a N2.1 billion libel suit he filed against Nuhu Ribadu, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and DAAR Communications Plc, the parent company of African Independent Television (AIT).
Mr. Dalhatu had filed the case on February 7, 2007 claiming that the former EFCC boss had defamed him by stating that he had stolen public funds. AIT, which was initially sued along with Mr. Ribadu, was subsequently dropped from the case after apologizing to the former minister. However, Mr. Ribadu had stood his ground, choosing to contest the case in court.
In the original suit, Mr. Dalhatu asked the court to make several rulings against Mr. Ribadu, the first defendant. He sought the sum of one billion naira from Mr. Ribadu as general damages for an alleged defamatory speech where the former EFCC boss spoke as follows: “I can name names of lawyers who struggle over 419 cases…Some of these, we have facts and figures. For example Bashir Dalhatu, he is a lawyer, we have a case we are investigating. He took fifteen million dollars ($15 million) from the Government of Nigeria. He said he was going to give to somebody whose ship was destroyed by the Buhari administration for illegal bunkering. They went and got Babangida to approve and they took $15 million. The same guy went to a judge, his own classmate, Justice Auta to give him a court order that we can’t prosecute him. Yes it happened in our country…”
In addition, the plaintiff has originally demanded that the second defendant, DAAR Communications, pay him a billion naira as well as general damages for repeated broadcast of Mr. Ribadu’s words. He then asked the court to award him an additional sum of one hundred million naira against the defendants jointly and severally as aggravated and exemplary damages.
In addition, Mr. Dalhatu sought a court order compelling the defendants to write and publish a written apology to him in several Nigerian newspapers, including The Daily Trust, ThisDay and Daily Leadership along with a broadcast of same on AIT. He had wanted AIT to broadcast its apology for seven consecutive days in all its news broadcast.
In the defamation case filed on his behalf by Yunus Usman, Mr. Dalhatu also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further making or publishing defamatory statements against him.
The plaintiff stated that Mr. Ribadu made the allegedly libelous statement while addressing the Nigerian Bar Association in November 2006. Daar Communications Plc, which broadcast the statement, later settled the case with the plaintiff by apologizing for its broadcast. But Mr. Ribadu insisted that he was prepared to justify every claim he made in the statement.
During trial, the Plaintiff gave evidence for himself and also called four other witnesses. On his part, Mr. Ribadu called an official of the EFCC to testify on his behalf.
In a verdict delivered on January 29, 2013, the trial judge upheld the arguments of qualified privilege and justification canvassed by Mr. Ribadu’s attorney, Femi Falana. The judge held that Mr. Dalhatu was not defamed having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case.
In particular, the court found that the allegation that Mr. Dalhatu duped his client was not challenged because evidence was led to show that even though he collected $15 million from the Federal Government on behalf of his foreign client he only remitted $6.5 million while the remaining sum of $8.5 million was not accounted for.
 

Subsidy Fraud: Court Fixes Trial of Sons Of PDP Bigwigs Tukur, Ali And Businessman Arisekola-Alao

A High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos today fixed the 6th and 7th of May 2013 for the trial of Mahmud Tukur, son of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bamanga Tukur; Mamman Ali, son of the former National Chairman of the Party, Ahmadu Ali; and Abdullahi Arisekola-Alao, the son of Ibadan based businessman, Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao.

They are to be tried for charges of defrauding the Petroleum Support Fund of about N1.899bn.

Another man, Alex Ochonogo, as well as Eterna Oil and Gas Plc, were arraigned along with them for obtaining the nearly N2bn from the Subsidy Support Fund although they had not imported even one liter of the Premium Motor Spirit.

Abdulahi Arisekola-Alao’s application for the return of his international passport, which was earlier seized by the court as part of measures to ensure that the suspects did not escape trial was granted.  He told the court that he needed to travel to take care of his sick son in the United States, and that he would be away for 30 days and return well before his trial date.

The EFCC lawyer did not oppose his application, saying that his availability for trial was the important factor for the prosecution team.

Mahmud Tukur also indicated he would apply for his own travel passport on business grounds.

In August last year, both men had also applied to an interim judge, Justice Lateefat Folami for leave to travel.  Their trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, was on leave at the time.

That application was turned down by the Justice Folami, who insisted that the trial judge’s rule which adjourned their matter before his leave would rule on their application upon his return.

Apart from the N1.899bn fraud for which Abdulahi, Mahmud and Ochonogo are being jointly tried before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, Abdulahi and his company, Axenergy Limited, also separately face seven counts of subsidy fraud amounting to N1.472bn. before another judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru.

Justice Onigbanjo has fixed May 6th and 7th for the trial of the trio.
 

CAN blasts el-Rufai for Jesus, Mary retweet

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai

The Christian Association of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja reacted to the allusion to Jesus Christ by a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on a social media.

The body condemned el-Rufai, saying he was only tring to whip up sentiments around religion for a selfish agenda.

CAN urged religious leaders and political associates to advise him on the need to be sober and circumspect, in his comments to avoid setting the country on fire.”

The organisation, which also asked President Goodluck Jonathan to check the former minister, added that from his unbridled assault on the Christian faith, el-Rufai was capable of “setting the country on fire.”

The ex-minister had, in an attempt to discredit the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe; and Presidential Adviser on Media and Publcity, Dr.  Reuben Abati, tweeted, “”@zebbook: If Jesus criticises Jonathan’s govt, Maku/Abati/Okupe will say he slept with Mary Magdalene.”….LWKMD…..”

The sarcastic post elicited angry reactions from his followers on Twitter and Facebook friends, who saw his comment as blasphemous. The twitter post sparked public outrage on the social media so much that he had to offer an apology on Twitter and Facebook.

His apology stated, “Hello friends. I have been travelling and trying to catch some sleep in between the last 24 hours and missed all the furore arising from my retweet of Ogunyemi Bukola’s (@zeebook) joke, Maku et al and Jesus. I must say I am taken aback by the extent of desperate misrepresentation of what was an innocuous attempt to show the godlessness of the Jonathanians to denigrate anyone that dares to ask them to be accountable.

“To those who were genuinely offended by the retweet, I apologise. I did not meant to offend anyone, neither did the @zeebook I know and featured as one of the Young Voices in my Friday Column. Jesus or Isa Alaihis Salaam is a respected prophet of Islam. Every Muslim accepts this in addition to his miraculous virgin birth. It is therefore absurd for any Muslim believer to disrespect Jesus Christ.

“I hope those in this class will see my point of view and accept my apologies for any offense or disappointment caused. And I advise everyone to read @zeebook’s timeline and mine to read exactly what was tweeted, rather than the second-hand reports of certain people who always twist whatever I write or not write to achieve their morally-repugnant objectives.”

The General Secretary of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake, who read the assocation’s first official reaction on the alleged careless utterance to journalists, had described the statement by the former minister as reckless and a reflection of deep-seated moral bankruptcy.

He said, “We must not allow him to turn Nigeria into a cauldron of fire by his reckless, bigoted and twisted commentaries about our Lord and our faith, and we must view him for exactly what he is.

We are not opposed to Jonathan, say governors

GOVERNORS yesterday rejected the claims that they are Nigeria’s problems and are working against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, recently attacked the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), declaring it a threat to peace and stability.

Rivers State Governor and NGF Chairman Rotimi Amaechi, said the forum is not opposed to President Jonathan’s administration.

“No. Chief Edwin Clark is an elder states man, we wont join issues with him”, he said.

Reading the Communiqué of the NGF’s Monday meeting, Amaechi said: “Forum decries the present attitude of the Federal Government on the Excess Crude Account and resolves to take no further adjournments in the subsisting case in court but to seek a final resolution of the matter from the Supreme Court.”

“On the rising incidents of polio in the country, Forum unanimously agreed to lead the efforts to eradicate polio by instituting the following: A monthly campaign to be headed by Governors in all 36 states of the Federation to promote routine immunization as well as promote healthy environmental habits.”

“Governors from non-polio states will support their counterparts in affected states by joining them in their states during the upcoming national polio campaign. To meet the Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication in order to identify current funding gaps and challenges against polio eradication in Nigeria.”

He went on: “Forum agreed to hold a two-day retreat to deliberate on the current state of security of the country. Members declared their confidence in the Chairman and endorsed his leadership as head of the Forum.”

“The Forum remains resolute in the development of our different states for the benefit of the nation and our citizens.”

Speaking on the health of Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime, Amaechi said “I talked with him, put him on the phone to an editor who is my friend. It was real.”

Some stakeholders have raised doubts about a picture published in newspapers of Amaechi, Chime, Gabriel Suswam, the Benue governor and Godswill Akpabio, the Akwa Ibom governor.

Some of the states represented at the meeting are Lagos, Ekiti, Jigawa, Abia, Kogi, Kaduna, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Kwara, Adamawa, Ogun, Rivers and Bayelsa. Delta, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kano, Ondo, Oyo, Anambra, Sokoto and Bauchi were also there.

States to get $1b from Excess Crude Account

To facilitate execution of more people-oriented projects in line with the administration’s Transformation Agenda, the President Goodluck Jonathan, has approved $1billion from the Excess Crude Account to be shared among the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, made this known yesterday while speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the 45th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

He said the President’s approval was conveyed by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, while briefing the CouncilPresided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Ngama said the Excess Crude Account has a balance of $9.242 billion after $1billion was spent on subsidy payments.

Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, said the Council has also prevailed on states to buy into the activities of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).

He said the Council considered a report presented by the National Planning Minister and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, on the need for states to buy in to the activities of NAPTIP to combat human trafficking.

The recommendations of the report, he said, include the development and effective implementation of state level Trafficking in Persons Plans of Action, the development and strengthening of the States Social Welfare System’s for Child Protection and the provision of basic needs, including medical care, educational, vocational and recreational facilities for victims of trafficking.

He listed others as mobilising and providing support for civil society organisations working on combat-trafficking and related issues, assisting and empowering identified victims of trafficking by providing educational grants, scholarships and other incentives and implementing the Child’s Rights Law in each state.

Orji said the Council adopted the recommendations and directed the Minister of National Planning, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Chief Executive of NAPTIP, to liaise with the states towards ensuring better collaboration in addressing the situation.

He said the report recommended that Abia, Kogi and Ogun states should be treated as pilot cases in the bid to combat the scourge.

Dr. Usman also briefed the Council on the status of the on-going implementation of the states’ GDP Computation programme embarked upon by the Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Governors’ Forum and the states.

Following the successful completion of the state GDP computation in the six pilot states, he said the NBS is working closely with the states’ Statistical Bureaux/Agencies to conduct the survey and publication of data on the GDP computation for six states , namely, Niger, Rivers, Gombe, Anambra, Kano and Lagos.

The states’ GDP computation programme is being implemented in two phases, with the first phase covering the six pilot states in each of the geo-political zones due to be completed in April.

The second phase is to cover the remaining states from April to December this year.

Usman said the Council stressed the endorsement it gave the Roadmap when the matter was first presented to NEC in July, 2010.

He urged the states to work closely with the National Planning Commission and the NBS to address the identified capacity and infrastructure related gaps in the states’ Statistical Bureau and Planning Commissions, to ensure the sustainability of the states’ GDP computation programme.

The Council was briefed by a team from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) led by its President, Chief Kola Jamodu, on Multiple Taxation across the country at various levels and its effects on manufacturing and productivity.

Jamodu said MAN sought a reduction in stamp duty, Value Added Tax (VAT), exemption on some raw materials, harmonisation of taxes and levies within the three tiers of government, outlawing of unorthodox means of collecting taxes and full automation of the entire tax administration system.

After extensive discussions of the issues, the Council raised a committee to examine items and report to the Council by March.

The committee is chaired by the Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwabo, with the Governors of Zamfara, Kogi, Abia, Rivers, Imo, Ogun and Lagos states as members..

Usman, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, CBN Governor, Economic Adviser to the Vice- President, Secretary to the National Planning Commission and MAN President, are also members.

EFCC Re-arrests Pension Thief For False Declaration Of Assets

John Yakubu Yusufu and his lawyer leaving the court yesterday

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today re- arrested Mr. John Yusuf, a former director of the Police Pension fund who had earlier been set free by an Abuja high court for stealing $203 million from the Police pension fund.
A  High Court at the Federal Capital Territory had set Mr. Yesufu free after a controversial plea bargain yesterday leading to a major outrage across the world.
The plea deal saw Yesufu  paying N750,000 ($4,500) fine in lieu of a six year prison sentence for conniving with others to defraud the office and pensioners of N27.2bn.
EFCC spokesperson Mr. Wilson Uwujaren  said Mr. Yesufu is currently being detained at the Abuja office of the the EFCC for false declaration of assets. He stated that the former pension administrator will soon face fresh charges.

Mother keeps daughter in asylum for attending ‘strange’ church

Ndiomu

An elderly woman, Mrs. Florence Omotehinwa, has been accused of bundling her 40-year-old daughter, Mrs. Toyin Ndiomu, in a psychiatric hospital for attending “an unconventional” church.

We learnt that the victim, who attends Jordan Ministries, Opebi, Lagos, was abducted on January 12, 2013, at 25 Joel Ogunnaike Street, while she was celebrating her 40th birthday.

A legal consultant with Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Mr. Benjamin Odeh, told our correspondent that the victim was a mother of two and had been separated from her husband because of domestic violence.

Odeh said on the day the victim was abducted, her mother stormed her party with naval operatives and policemen.

He said, “On that day, Mrs. Omotehinwa and Ndiomu’s estranged husband came with two women, naval personnel and two armed policemen. They seized the victim, pushed her into a vehicle and sped off.”

He said the victim was taken to Farri Psychiatric Hospital, where she was being kept incommunicado.

When we visited the hospital located on Gbaja Street, Surulere, the matron denied our correspondent access to Ndiomu, saying that she had been given strict orders by her mother not to allow visitors to have access to her.

The matron, who did not identify herself, said, “This is not a conventional hospital, it is a hospital for patients with mental illnesses and as such we cannot allow just anybody to see her.

“Her mother said no one should be allowed to see her and we are standing by that instruction. We don’t know anything about abduction; our own responsibility is to treat patients.”

After waiting for hour, Omotehinwa, showed up at the hospital. She told our correspondent that she brought her daughter to the hospital because she had been brainwashed by the church she was attending.

Omotehinwa described the church as occult, adding that it was the pastor of the church, Chigbo Ndukwe, that made her daughter to leave her husband, saying that the separation was not because of domestic violence.

She said, “Since my daughter started attending that church, her life has not been the same. She is now distant from the entire family to the extent that she now addresses me as Mrs. Omotehinwa, not mummy.

“That church is a cult, they hold their services at 6am on Saturday and they kiss their pastor on his hands and feet to greet him. Almost all the women there are divorced. They even changed my daughter’s name to Ifeanyichukwu Ndwukwe

“As her mother, I have done nothing wrong by bringing her to this hospital because I have her best interest at heart. She is the second of my four children and I raised all of them singlehanded after their father, a Rear Admiral, was killed 17 years ago.”

Omotehinwa however said her daughter had no history of mental illness.

Dr.LA Farri, who owns the hospital, confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that the victim was indeed mentally unstable.

Farri said he was empowered by law to hold a mentally unstable person against his or her will.

He said, “I am an expert and a London-trained neuropsychiatric and I have been practising for over 25 years. I was Chief consultant neuropsychiatric at the General Hospital, so I know my onions.

“The victim was treated a few years ago at Yaba Psychiatric Hospital after showing signs of mental illness.

“Section 10 of the Nigerian constitution empowers me to hold anyone that seems unfit mentally. The police have already sent me a letter on the matter and I will respond.”

A copy of the victim’s case file reads in part that she suffers from “Delusional thinking, schizophrenia and she exhibits paranoia towards members of her kith and kin.”

When our correspondent visited Jordan Ministries located on 5 Agbaoku Street, Opebi, the pastor denied the allegations.

Pastor Ndukwe said those involved in brainstorming were Ndiomu family and that was why they locked her up in an asylum even though nothing was wrong with her.

Ndukwe said Ndiomu was a victim of domestic violence, adding that her husband and the family took the step because he (Ndukwe) did not encourage her to go and reconcile with her husband.

He said, “A 40-years-old woman should be able to choose where she wants to worship? The main issue is that Ndiomu’s mother wants her to remain with her husband because this is Toyin’s second marriage. They wanted me to encourage her to go back to her husband but I did not because God did not instruct me to do that.

“The family claims she is brainwashed and yet she runs a successful business. The mother has deliberately prevented anyone from seeing her because she knows there is nothing wrong with her.”

Ndukwe said the allegation that his church was occult was an attempt to tarnish his image.

He said, “I hold services on Saturday so that members can go to their respective churches on Sunday. My sermons are on CD free of charge and anyone is free to come and attend any of our services if they have doubts.”

We learnt that the police at the Zone 2 Command had begun investigation into the matter after a petition by her lawyer.

The source said, “The police have written the doctor but we are not yet satisfied with the case because the doctor has not disclosed all the facts due to patient-doctor confidentiality”, she said.

When contacted on telephone, the spokesperson for the command, Femi Balogun, said he could not immediately confirm because he had not been briefed on the matter.

El-Rufai apologises over tweet on Jesus, Mary

former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai

A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on Monday apologised to his followers on Twitter and Facebook friends over a post deemed insulting to Jesus Christ.

His tweet on Sunday stated, “@zebbook: If Jesus criticises Jonathan’s govt, Maku/Abati/Okupe will say he slept with Mary Magdalene.”….LWKMD…..”

The retweet of the sarcastic post which many Nigerians, especially Christians, took offence at was directed at defending a former Education minister, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, and attacking the Information minister, Labaran Maku; Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe; and Presidential Adviser on Media and Publcity, Dr.  Reuben Abati and invariably, the Jonathan administration.

Despite offering an apology on both Twitter and Facebook, el-Rufai’s comment still sparked public outrage.

His apology stated, “Hello Friends. I have been travelling and trying to catch some sleep in between the last 24 hours and missed all the furore arising from my retweet of Ogunyemi Bukola’s (@zeebook) joke, Maku et al and Jesus. I must say I am taken aback by the extent of desperate misrepresentation of what was an innocuous attempt to show the godlessness of the Jonathanians to denigrate anyone that dares to ask them to be accountable.

“To those who were genuinely offended by the retweet, I apologise. I did not meant to offend anyone, neither did the @zeebook I know and featured as one of the Young Voices in my Friday Column. Jesus or Isa Alaihis Salaam is a respected prophet of Islam. Every Muslim accepts this in addition to his miraculous virgin birth. It is therefore absurd for any Muslim believer to disrespect Jesus Christ.

“I hope those in this class will see my point of view and accept my apologies for any offense or disappointment caused. And I advise everyone to read @zeebook’s timeline and mine to read EXACTLY what was tweeted rather than the second-hand reports of certain people who ALWAYS twist whatever I write or not write to achieve their morally-repugnant objectives.”

But many of his Facebook friends and Twiter followers slammed him for the comment and for also shifting the responsibility for the blame on those he called “Jonathanians”

Emmanuel Ogbeche  stated on Facebook, “This is no apology. I don’t know what el-Rufai means by ‘Jonathanians’. You retweet an offensive tweet and claim Jonathanians are making mountains out of nothing? Sick!”

Easyaffection: tweeted, “Sir with all due respect. I get u point in this joke. But why Jesus? It’s not funny.”….ask @zebbook….”

Hakeem Babatunde Disu  while commenting on El-Rufai’s Facebook page said, “Mallam indeed misfired, you don’t make jokes on such sensitive matters knowing that nations have gone to war on issues of lesser importance. Tweet or re-tweet, it was a big error.”

Iyabo Charles wrote, “El Rufai thought you were a responsible politician, but now I see you are one of the big hegoats using religious & sacred names for your innocuous post. Go and hug transformer and never again will I follow you on facebook because I have totally lost respect for  you.”

However, while some rejected El-Rufai’s apology, others gave him a second chance and warned him against repeating the same mistake.

Suzan Okpara said on Facebook, “I understand where you are coming from Mallam and I stand with you but for Christ sake for all the people physical and spiritual why is it that it’s our dear lord and personal saviour you had to use for your riddled sarcasm. Please we forgive you as good Christians but don’t try that again for whatever reason.”

Brendan Chu said on Facebook El-Rufai’s conduct was far below acceptable standard  but lauded him for realising his mistake.

He said, “Thumbs up Mallam, you are truly a man. Anyone who stands up and defends what he or she has done and  apologises honestly when such deed is judged to  be below the acceptable standard deserves the respect of all.”

Self- Proclaimed Boko Haram Commander Declares Ceasefire In Maiduguri

Boko Haram leader-Abubakar Shekau is believed to be hiding outside Nigeria

A self-proclaimed commander of the Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria’s north-eastern state of Borno has announced a peace offer , even as the state was horrified by another brutal killing by militants of the sect.
The commander who identified himself as Sheikh Muhammed Abdulazeez spoke to journalists Monday in Maiduguri, where the Islamist sect known as Boko Haram got its start.

Abdulazeez described himself as a second-in-command to sect leader Abubakar Shekau and said there would be a ceasefire as the Borno government had promised to release some sect members.
Abdulazeez reportedly met with Governor Kashim Shettima today. While a government official later welcomed the announcement, it came as soldiers and police still hold Boko Haram members and violence continued unabated in the region.
A local resident of Gajiganna, a nearby village, said he saw eight bodies — some decapitated — after an attack, that bore the violent trademark of Boko Haram.
Boko Haram had offered unilateral ceasefire in the past, which it never kept, choosing instead to launch brutal attacks on the Nigerian state.

Nigerian Official Convicted For Stealing $203 Million Gets Two Years in Jail, Or Option Of $1,500 Fine

John Yakubu Yusufu

An Abuja High Court became the punch line to a tasteless joke today when it sentenced John Yakubu Yusufu, standing trial on charges of stealing N32.8billion in the Police Pension scam, to two years on each of three charges, and then offered him a go-home option of a fine of N250,000 ($1,500).
Wisely, Mr. Yusufu accepted the judge’s kind offer, parted with N750,000 ($4,500), and walked into freedom with the rest of his loot.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said in a statement it would “study the ruling and respond appropriately.”
Before Justice Talba Mohammed, Mr. Yusufu had dramatically pleaded guilty to counts 18, 19 and 20 of the offense of grand theft and money laundering involving N32.8 billion ($204 million), in connivance with Essai Dangaba, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa, Wada, Mrs. Veronica Uloma, Sani Habila Zira, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuike.
At today’s trial, the EFCC amended the charges and introduced two more suspects, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuike.
Mrs. Attang was however not produced in court as she is said to be a powerful woman.  She was however identified as a Director of Finance at the Ministry of Communication; between 2007 and 2008, she served as a Director at the Police Pension Fund.
During that short span, Mrs. Attang amassed so much wealth that in one account, at the United Bank of Africa, she had N500 million and the Code of Conduct tribunal brought charges against her.  Those charges were then swiftly quashed as the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, allegedly waded into the case on her side.
The EFCC said in its statement that Mrs Attang was “removed from the list of accused persons due to her absence in court,” but that she will be arraigned at a later date.
Count 19, one of the three that Yusufu pleaded guilty to, reads: “That you John Yakubu Yusufu between 27th January, 2009 and 25th November 2009 at Abuja in the Abuja Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory converted to your use certain property, to wit the sum of N1,364, 285, 419.95 ( One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty Four Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Nineteen  Naira and Ninety five Kobo) belonging to Police Pension Office domiciled in its account with First Bank of Nigeria Plc and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 309 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, 2007.”
According to the EFCC, prior to the ruling, the defence counsel, Theodore Bala Maiyaki pleaded with the court for leniency.  “My Lord, his conduct has shown respect for this honourable court, he has saved the time of my Lord and being a first offender, with no previous record of conviction, I urge the court to temper justice with mercy and sentence him with least possible terms.”
He also pleaded that Yusufu has a serious heart condition and is the bread winner of not only his immediate family but of numerous others.
However, prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs reminded the court that Section 309 of the Criminal Procedure Code prescribes a maximum of 2 years imprisonment, a fine or both for the offence which the convict had pleaded guilty to.

He said, “The court needs to send out the message that the era of stealing public funds with impunity is gone. Having regards to the amount and properties involved, the duty imposed on the convict, it would not be good to convict him without regards to assuaging the feelings of Nigerians especially the pensioners.”
Mr. Jacob urged the court to convict Mr. Yusufu accordingly. He also submitted an application seeking for the forfeiture of 13 properties found in Gombe GRA and Abuja which the EFCC seized from Yusufu as proceeds of crime.
Mr. Jacobs said the process of illegally withdrawing and sharing monies among the accused persons started in 2007 and ended in 2009; within that period, Mr. Yusufu came into office, met the unwholesome practice and continued with it.  He told the court that apart from the 13 properties confiscated from him, the sum of N325 million found in his account should also be forfeited.
Mr. Jacobs later protested the slap on the wrist handed down by Justice Mohammed, warning that it will defeat the fight against corruption.
Apart from the jail term, the EFCC said the former assistant director of Police Pension office will forfeit 32 properties. They include two units of a 3 bedroom semi detached bungalow at R2, A and B, sunny homes, Dakwo District, Abuja; two units  of 3 bedroom semi bungalow- detached at M24, A and B, sunny homes Dakwo homes, Dakwo District Abuja; four units of a 3bedroom semi- detached bungalow, managed by Daniel at sunny homes, Dakwo District, Abuja; eight units of an Estates of two bedroom flats, at Gombe, GRA; one unit Semi-detached Duplex at house 21, 4th Avenue, Gwarinpa, Abuja; four units of a 2 bedroom semi-detached duplex at Bricks city, Kubwa road, Abuja and one unit of Semi- Detached Duplex, at 14B Democracy crescent, Gaduwa, Abuja.
He will also forfeit the sum of N325, 187, 867.18 in cash.

The substantive case was adjourned to February 25, 2013.

Masquerader shoots Islamic cleric dead in Ogun

The masquerader’s house

Tension gripped the residents of Ijaye in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital on Monday following the alleged killing of a Muslim cleric, Lateef Amusa, by a masquerader on Sunday.

Also, the police command in the state said it arrested four suspects, including a masquerader, for the killing.

Thirty-year-old Amusa was allegedly shot dead by a masquerader popularly known as, Leyin Aponle, during the celebrations of the annual Egungun Festival in Ijaye.

The victim, who was said to be riding on a motorcycle, allegedly defied the earlier warning from the masquerade to disembark from the motorbike shortly before the incident occurred.

The alleged defiance of the masquerader’s order by the deceased resulted in the former shooting at the Islamic cleric who immediately fell and died on the spot.

The killing infuriated members of his sect who on Monday morning invaded Ijaye, armed with kegs of petrol and other dangerous weapons and attacked the family house of the masquerader which they set ablaze.

The sect members were said to have also removed the masquerader’s costume which they dragged to the street entrance before setting it ablaze. They also destroyed the masquerader’s other paraphernalia.

The charred remains of the burnt costume and paraphernalia littered the surroundings when our correspondent visited the area.

Our correspondent observed a detachment of heavily armed regular and anti-riot policemen drawn from the different divisions in the state keeping vigil at Ijaye.

The Balogun of Ijaye, Chief Ganiu Babayeju-Alemo, told our correspondent that the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, had placed a ban on the continuation of the 17-day annual Egungun Festival.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrests of four suspects, said  the Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

Adejobi, an Assistant Superindentent of Police said, “The CP has also ordered that all masquerade outings and festivals in the state be put on hold till further notice.”

The police spokesman added that that the masquerader and the other suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations into the matter were concluded.

Daughter exposes father whose gang killed four policemen Januar

Lagos police boss, Umar Manko

A17-year-old girl identified simply as Simi has exposed the hiding place of her robber father to the officials of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command.

Her father, Ife, was the alleged leader of a 10-man robbery gang that killed four policemen in Ajah during a robbery operation two weeks ago.

We had reported on January 15, 2012 that the dead policemen were responding to a distress call when they were ambushed by the robbers.

Simi did not give her father up easily. She gave the information the police needed to arrest her father after a four-hour non-stop interrogation.

Ironically, it was the love that Ife’s wife, Taiye, had for her daughter that first alerted the police to the existence of the daughter.

On the day that the gang killed the policemen, they left the area in a hurry. In their haste, Ife accidentally dropped his handset.

The police downloaded the numbers on the phone and after a thorough screening, they were able to get the telephone number belonging to Taiye. They subsequently tagged the number.

Meanwhile, Taiye has a frozen food and drinks shop at Sola Arodoye Street, Ijaye, Lagos. A resident in the community told us that Taye had not been coming to the shop for about two weeks.

 She said, “We noticed that she stopped coming to the shop for a while. Even Ife was absent at that period of time. It was Simi who was left to run the shop. Taye had introduced Simi to us as her younger sister. It wasn’t until her arrest last week that we knew that Simi was her daughter.”

Ife and his wife were said to have switched off both their phones and afterwards fled Lagos. But last week Thursday, Taye finally made a call with her phone to check on Simi. She called on one Funke, who lives close to the shop to give the phone to Simi so she could speak with her.

Two hours after that call was made, some SARS operatives traced Funke to her place of work at a nearby school and arrested her.

A police source said, “Funke was interrogated for more than five hours. The SARS operatives thought she was a member of the gang too. Eventually they discovered she knew nothing about Ife except as a neighbour. It was Funke who led the SARS operatives to Taye’s shop at Sola Arodoye street.”

The team then arrested Simi after Funke identified her and took her to Ojokoro Police Division.

For four hours, Simi repeatedly denied knowledge of her parents’ whereabouts. When the police showed no intention of stopping the interrogation, she eventually agreed to cooperate with the SARS team.

The team accompanied the teenager to her parents’ home at Beckley estate, U-turn bus stop at Abule Egba. Ife and Taye had just returned from Abeokuta where they had fled to.

The source said, “Ife tried to escape but was shot in the process. In his wife’s travelling box were hidden two pistols, one AK 47 rifle and a locally made double barrelled gun. Clearly, Taye was aware that Ife was an armed robber.”

One of the residents at Sola Arodoye said they thought that Ife was a worker with a paint manufacturing company.

She said, “Some of us had often wondered what Ife did for a living because he was usually at his wife’s shop all day till she closed at night. Those who dared to ask said Taye had told them Ife worked in his father’s paint company.”

The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, when contacted said some arrests had been made.

Braide said, “Ife was actually arrested last week. Efforts are being made to apprehend other members of his gang on the run.

“Ife was also involved in a Thermocool robbery in 2011. He has been on the command’s wanted list for years.”

N10.6 TRN WASTED FUND: FG hits back, takes on Ezekwesili

ABUJA — The Federal Government, yesterday, reacted to comments by the former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, alleging that the governments of presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, squandered $67 billion in foreign reserve, describing the allegation as “outlandish and clearly fictitious”.
Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku who addressed a press conference in response to some of the allegations raised by the former Vice President (African Region) of the World Bank said the damning verdict passed on the education sector by Mrs Ezekwesili was a self-indictment as she presided over the sector without making any positive impact on it.

Erstwhile Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, Dr Oby Ezekwesili

The Information Minister who was flanked by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe; Economic Adviser, Prof. Nwanze Okedigbo and Special Adviser on Performance Monitoring, Prof. Sylvester Monye, said Ezekwesili’s allegations were curious in the light of the fact that she had been part of governance in the past as the Vice President of World Bank.
According to Mr Maku, Ezekwesili’s criticism of the education sector amounts to hypocrisy as she was part of the sector and contributed to its sorry state because despite receiving N458.1billion between 2006 and 2007 for the sector, there is nothing to see in terms of achievements.
The Minister said: “If she says education has not worked it means she is saying she did not work”.
He accused the former Education minister of  betraying a surprisingly limited understanding of government finances in her comments at Nsukka.
He noted: “These statements are even more curious in the light of the fact that she has held senior positions in government, and more recently, a position as a Vice President of the World Bank. However, rather than speculate about her motives, we would focus on the facts.
All I demand is accountability  -Ezekwesili
Responding to Maku’s attack Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili challenged officials of the Federal Government to a public debate.
On allegations that she mismanaged funds meant for the education sector during her 10 months as Education Minister, Mrs Ezekwesili said: “I Challenge them to a public debate of facts regarding 2007 Excess Crude Account (ECA) and foreign reserve and last five and half years oil revenue.”
Also writing on twitter yesterday in messages prefaced with the declaration, “Nothing but Accountability,” Ezekwesili said: “In 2007, the incoming Administration was handed $45Billion in Foreign Reserve plus $22Billion.
Nothing but accountability: Let Mr. Maku go further. As a citizen all I want to know is the Mathematics of the ECA and the Foreign Reserve. Nothing but accountability: I demanded accountability and that’s all a citizen asks of government. I will not stop asking for accountability.

 N458.1bn Education Ministry fund

“The statement by the former World Bank Vice President that the governments of Presidents Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan have squandered $67 billion in reserves (including $45 billion in external reserves and $22 billion in the Excess Crude Account) left by the Obasanjo Administration at the end of May 2007 is factually incorrect. At the end of May 2007, Nigeria’s gross reserves stood at $43.13 billion – comprising the CBN’s external reserves of $31.5 billion, $9.43 billion in the Excess Crude Account, and $2.18 billion in the Federal Government’s savings. These figures can be independently verified from the CBN’s records. The figure of $67 billion alleged in her statement is therefore clearly fictitious.
“However, since President Obasanjo left office, the reserves have experienced fluctuations, rising from $43.13 billion in May 2007, peaking at $62 billion in September 2008 during the Yar’Adua/Jonathan Administration when oil prices peaked at $147 per barrel, and falling subsequently to a low of $31.7 in September 2011. This fall in reserves was a result of the vicissitudes of the global financial crisis which caused CBN interventions in the currency market to defend the value of the naira. The Excess Crude savings, a component of the reserves, was also used to stimulate the economy at the height of the global financial crisis to the tune of about $1 billion (or 0.5 per cent of our 2009 GDP). As a result, Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world that did not seek assistance from international financial institutions. It should be noted that the fiscal stimulus used to shore up the economy during that period was shared by all three-tiers of government, including commitments of about $5.5 billion made under the Obasanjo Administration for power projects.
“On the use of reserves, it is fallacious to say that the nation’s external reserves were dipped into or misapplied by the Federal Government. It is important to note that the Federal Government cannot dip its hands into external reserves. Like in other countries, the management of external reserves is one of the statutory mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

External Reserve under CBN

“Section 2 sub-section (c) of the CBN Act (2007) states that the Bank shall ‘maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency’ – in other words, to defend the value of the naira. No President since the democratic dispensation has contravened this Act. Other uses of the reserves are to settle both public and private sector foreign currency (e.g. payment of goods and services, settlement of external debt, etc) it must provide the naira equivalent to the CBN before the Bank sells the required foreign currency. As a former World Bank Vice-President for Africa, surely, Mrs. Ezekwesili must have known this.
“We also found Mrs. Ezekwesili’s interrogation of the educational system somewhat disingenuous and borderline hypocritical. During her tenure as Minister of Education between 2006 and 2007, she collected total sum of N352.3 billion from direct budgetary releases. In addition, she received about N65.8 billion under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Fund, and over N40 billion from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) during her time as Minister of Education.
“In view of these humongous allocations, few legitimate questions arise. What did she do with all these allocations? What impact did it have on the education sector? One wonders if our educational system would have been better today if these allocations were properly applied.
“No one disputes that Nigeria still faces challenges, most of which were built up over a long time. But we need to acknowledge the significant achievements of this administration in the aftermath of difficult but necessary macro-economic and structural reforms being implemented in the country.
“This administration has restored macro-economic stability against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, slow growth in the United States and high unemployment and unsustainable debt in Europe. In the first three quarters of 2012, Nigeria’s economy grew by about 6.4 per cent and is set to continue at a similar pace in 2013 according to independent forecasts. We have reduced our fiscal deficit to only 2.17 per cent of GDP in the 2013 budget, while rebalancing our spending in favour of capital expenditure. These achievements have already received strong endorsement from international rating agencies. At a time when many advanced and emerging markets are being downgraded, Fitch and S&P have upgraded our sovereign credit ratings. The inclusion of Nigeria’s sovereign bonds in the emerging market bond indices of JP Morgan and Barclays also testifies to the growing confidence of the international investment community in our economy.
“We have also focused our attention on removing the bureaucratic and structural bottlenecks in the economy to enable the private sector create more jobs for our youths. In the power sector, most Nigerians will attest to improvements in power supply even as the 10 new power plants being built by this Administration are yet to fully come on stream. There have also been improvements in rail services; for example, the Lagos—Kano rail line is now fully operational and serving Nigerians for the first time in over 20 years. There have been significant improvements in road development; aviation – in particular refurbished terminals; and agriculture, where new jobs are being created every day. Serious work is ongoing to improve our ports and lower the cost of doing business and the cost of consumption in Nigeria. The government has further launched a number of initiatives targeted at creating jobs for our youth, including support for entrepreneurship through the YouWin Programme; work for the unskilled through the Community Services programme of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme; and support for unemployed graduates through the Graduate Internship Programme.
“This administration is squarely focused on promoting a stable, non-inflationary, and inclusive economic environment for Nigeria to ensure that Nigerians can live better and more fulfilled lives”, Maku said.
Responding to a question on why the Federal Government waited for the former minister’s outburst before charging  her for the alleged misappropriation of $458.1b, Maku said:  “The essence of the briefing is not to prosecute her but to debunk her claim that Federal Government had squandered N10. 6 trillion. It is wiser that people of Ezekwesili’s calibre become more conscious than to behave like strangers in what they ought to know better in the way they condemn things after they have left office.”
On the recent threat by MEND that they are going to bring the country down on the account of Henry Okah’s conviction in South Africa,  Maku said since the MEND leader  was not convicted in Nigeria, it will be very shocking if any Nigerian or group of Nigerians will take such actions against their own country.
“What we expect at this time is that all Nigerians should show higher level of commitment and patriotism to Nigeria. We can’t live in a nation where we abandon the law.
What I expect at this moment is that our citizens should understand that this nation offers the best of opportunity to live better lives and that anything you do against your country is not a plus.
We call on all those making the threat to commit themselves to the laws of the land and allow the peace that have rained in the nations over the couple of years since amnesty programme started not to be bridged.
He charged all Nigerians to condemn terrorism and vandalism, saying “that this is the time to unite Nigeria.”

Outrage over govs’ visit to Chime

Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime

The Action Congress of Nigeria, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), and civil society groups have slammed the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for sending a delegation to visit Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, who is reportedly receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness, in London.

According to them, the governors are helping Chime to perpetuate  has hold on power by all means.

Chime has been away from the country for over four months and with the nature of his illness shrouded in secrecy, there have been questions about his fitness to govern the state.

Last week, after months of questions and criticisms of the governor’s health and the manner in which his absence was being handled, a group picture of Chime with governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Gabriel Suswam of Benue, and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers states, said to have been taken in London, went viral on the Internet and in newspapers.

However, in a statement in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ahaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN criticised the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for the “choreographed visit”, saying it was designed to reinforce the line being peddled by Chime’s supporters rather than keep the people of the state informed of the true situation.

While the Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, accused the governors of hypocrisy, Falana said it was a mere solidarity visit which failed to satisfy constitutional provisions.

For his part, the Secretary, Joint Action Force, Mr. Abiodun Aremu, who agreed that it was a solidarity visit, said the governors went with the hope that the visit would be reciprocated if such a fate befell them in the future.

According to the ACN, the poor handling of Chime’s reported illness fits into the growing pattern of shrouding the health problems of elected officials in secrecy.

It said, “There is no doubt that that the reason behind all the shenanigans is the desperation by public office holders to hold on to power at all costs, even when it is clear that their health has failed to such a level that they are better off stepping down so they can attend to their health problems.”

The party explained that its main concern was that the conspiracy of silence being perpetrated by the state governors who were reported to have taken ill and abandoned their duty posts, as well as their supporters especially the NGF, did not serve the interest of the country’s democracy.

It added, ‘’In the case of Governor Chime, how can a man who is purportedly on vacation disappear for over 135 days and the people who voted him into office are not expected to ask questions?

“Does the constitution provide for such a long ‘vacation’ without consequences? Is Governor Chime’s deputy, whom he reportedly handed over to, given enough latitude to adequately preside over the affairs of the state? If not, how has this affected governance in the state?

“And to what extent have the people of the state been denied the dividends of democracy by this unnecessary controversy?”

According to Falana, the right thing to do is for the House of Assembly of Enugu State – and other states where governors have been absent – to constitute a five-man panel of medical experts who will determine the governor’s fitness to continue to govern.

He said, “It is that panel that will submit a report after examining the governors involved to determine whether they are fit to remain in office. It is not (determined following) a mere visit by non-qualified medical personnel. That does not satisfy the provisions of the constitution.”

While calling on the governors to condemn the situation in the state and call for the deputy governor to be sworn in, Adeniran stressed that the secrecy surrounding the governor’s health was being motivated by President Goodluck Jonathan, who had also refused to disclose details about his wife’s health.

He said, “People should be able to disclose their state of health, especially when they are at the helm of affair in any political entity. The present President doesn’t also help matters by the way he handles the condition of his wife’s health.”

Where the House of Assembly fails to do the right thing, Aremu said it was up to the people “to rise in unison and demand for a leadership that can serve them”.

The ACN, which also accused the governors of  frittering away taxpayers’ money on the trip to London and creating more controversy by releasing a picture instead of providing needed details about Chime’s condition, urged public office-holders to be more open about their illness and, if necessary, cede full power to those constitutionally empowered to take over.

“It is time we stopped this practice that only serves the purpose of those who are hell bent on clinging to power, not considering the interest of the people who voted them into office,’’ it said.

Conviction Of Okah: MEND Statement Promises Hell Ahead

Henry Okah after he was convicted in South Africa-AP photo

MEND, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, has responded to the conviction in South Africa of Henry Okah, its former leader, declaring that the movement will be the start of the disintegration of Nigeria, and warning of disastrous consequences to befall the federal government and all of its officials since 1999.
The statement, dated 23 January, was signed by “Comrade Azizi,” but SaharaReporters has been unable to determine its veracity.
“Nigerians as a whole will feel our presence when we finally decide to carry out our targets which will not be restricted to the Niger Delta Region alone,” it warned, stating that as a group, MEND has become more sophisticated than the level of mere IED or car bombs, and reached “capabilities which will take the Nigerian Military another 10 years to catch.”
The statement declared: “We are not on the same program with regional agitators in the north or elsewhere, we will not hide our faces, soon and very soon, Nigerians will get to see the structures (Diaspora and Home) as well as our new states, regional commanders and new National Leader, arresting and killing Henry Okah will change nothing.”
It also offered the following chilling warning: “To the Nigerian Government, you have seen NOTHING, the disintegration of Nigeria will start through us and by us, we are well equipped for this task. We have details of all the family members of the Government (1999-2013) and our Diaspora Command will take care of that aspect, we will get to them, we will skin them and post their remains to your door steps as compensation to the Ode people, except our resources are handed over to us without conditions.”
MEND warned federal government officials to stay away from the Niger Delta, with particular attention to one current official:  “The Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry Mr. Orubebe Peter Godsday is hereby banished from Delta State and the region at large pending when he returns the money he stole which was meant for the Niger Delta Development Councils” and in various public offices since 1991.
“To our Natural Resources, there will soon be a massive earthquake that will be trigged by our nuclear war head, this earthquake will destroy the entire oil wells, oil pipelines especially to Kaduna refinery, oil installations, oil rigs and what have you, when it happens, which we know will be very soon, the Government and those owners of these oil wells and installation will know it’s a different ball game,” the statement warned.
It also warned South African companies operating in Nigeria, “LEAVE NIGERIA totally, there will be massive and aggressive campaign on all companies owned, operated and affiliated to the South African Citizens or their Government both in Nigeria, Western and Southern Africa respectively.”
Full Text of the Statement Purportedly From MEND
MEND/QTD/82MP/2013
23rd JANUARY 2013
Ref: CONVICTION OF OUR LEADER AND FOUNDER MR. HENRY OKAH.
We witnessed ourselves firsthand the conviction of our dear leader yesterday the 21st of January 2013 by the South African Supreme Court on all the 13th count charges which as we all know has to do with ASO ROCK politic on a man simply because he refused to be bought over.
Before yesterday’s ruling, we had high regards for the South African judiciary but not now as we were wrong on our previous assessment nevertheless, people pays for mistakes committed by others so we the High Command of MEND have an advice for the South African people, which is TELL YOUR GOVERNMENT through your judiciary stay away with events that happened in Nigeria or else some South Africans will pay dearly for it.
To the Nigerian military (The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta) don’t bother for now placing officers on alert, we will not bomb nor kill anybody for the time being, as we had communicated months back, we no long require IED or car bombs as we’ve gone pass that stage. Nigerians as a whole will feel our presence when we finally decide to carry out our targets which will not be restricted to the Niger Delta Region alone.
We so much understand the job load of an image maker but I most point our here clearly that the JTF’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Onyeama Nwachukwu will have much jobs to do in the region anytime soon for thinking we rely on the OLD COMMANDERS that sold out to take up arms on behalf of our leader, just don’t underrate our capabilities which will take the Nigerian Military another 10 years to catch.
We are not on the same program with regional agitators in the north or elsewhere, we will not hide our faces, soon and very soon, Nigerians will get to see the structures (Diaspora and Home) as well as our new states, regional commanders and new National Leader, arresting and killing Henry Okah will change nothing.
To the Nigerian Government, you have seen NOTHING, the disintegration of Nigeria will start through us and by us, we are well equipped for this task. We have details of all the family members of the Government (1999-2013) and our Diaspora Command will take care of that aspect, we will get to them, we will skin them and post their remains to your door steps as compensation to the Ode people, except our resources are handed over to us without conditions.
All Federal, States and Local Government officials under the pay roll of the Government ( ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Director Generals, Directors etc ) should stay away from the Niger Delta, if found anywhere in the South South region, they will have themselves to blame and that is if they live to tell the tales.
The Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry Mr. Orubebe Peter Godsday is hereby banished from Delta State and the region at large pending when he returns the money he stole which was meant for the Niger Delta Development Councils and also while with:
(a) Burutu Local Government Council, Delta State (1991-1993),
(b) As second Member: Primary Education Board, Asaba, Delta State 2000-2003.
(c) As the Special Adviser to James Ibori former Delta State Governor on Urban/Regional Planning between January 2004 and November 2005.
This whole money belongs to the Niger Delta people and most be return or he should be ready to face the consequences along with your nuclear and immediate family members.
To our Natural Resources, there will soon be a massive earthquake that will be trigged by our nuclear war head, this earthquake will destroy the entire oil wells, oil pipelines especially to Kaduna refinery, oil installations, oil rigs and what have you, when it happens, which we know will be very soon, the Government and those owners of these oil wells and installation will know it’s a different ball game.
All oil companies, (foreign or local) should start parking up from the region as this might be the last warning, we really will not want civilians to be caught in between so please take this warning seriously.
To our old breed Commanders, you can talk as much as you want just because you were bought over for a token but we wonder why the fight against your masters, the hurricane is almost there and it will sweep everything left.
And finally to the South Africa Companies: we made some promises before and now we are repeating same, LEAVE NIGERIA totally, there will be massive and aggressive campaign on all companies owned, operated and affiliated to the South African Citizens or their Government both in Nigeria, Western and Southern Africa respectively.
OUR CAMPAIGN START AFTER HENRY OKAH’S APPEAL.
WE WILL MAKE A POINT!!!!
SIGNED:
COMRADE AZIZI
23rd January 2013

ACN/CPC merger: Parties may ask Buhari to drop 2015 bid

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

Former head of state and Congress for Progressive Change presidential candidate in the 2011 election, Maj.-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.) may drop his presidential ambition in 2015, as part of ongoing merger negotiations between his party and the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Our investigations showed that although the CPC and the ACN  had not begun full  discussions, there was an  initial understanding that the leadership of both parties must be ready to make personal sacrifices for the success of the merger plan.

An influential member of one of the parties involved in the negotiations told us on Thursday that such a personal sacrifice might include asking Buhari and the ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to drop their ambitions in 2015.

After the 2011 elections, Buhari had said that  he would not run for the office of the President again, having failed to win the election three times.

But during the inauguration of the CPC merger committee in Abuja on January 16, the former head of state said that the ongoing merger talks by the major opposition political parties would determine if he would run for president in 2015.

Although Tinubu has not declared any presidential ambition for 2015, there have been reports that he may run on a joint ticket with Buhari.

It was gathered that the merger partners had started working on another plan, if Buhari and Tinubu were barred from contesting.

This is based on the fear that unless the duo forgo any 2015 ambition, the merger plan might fail.

They would be prevailed upon to step aside for a younger and progressive person, the source said.

It was learnt also that the parties were looking beyond their membership for such a candidate.

A chieftain of one of the parties, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Nothing is rigid for now.  All parties in the merger plan are going into the talks as equals. Leaders of the parties are ready to make personal sacrifices.

“Buhari  is not going into the talks with a mindset that he must contest the 2015 poll. If after the merger, the majority in the party says he will not contest, he will drop his ambition. Leadership of the parties, including Buhari, are ready to put aside their personal ambitions.

“We are looking at a situation where Buhari or Tinubu would not be able to contest. We do not have anybody in mind now, but our search is not restricted to our members.

“We are looking for a progressively-minded and mature person. This is not in terms of age. Such a person can be a technocrat, who is well- experienced in the politics of the country, not somebody, who will start learning on the job.”

Both parties have already disagreed on the exclusion of the All Nigeria Peoples Party from the merger.

It was gathered that while Buhari believed that the ANPP should be excluded from the merger, the ACN thought otherwise.

The CPC and its presidential candidate believe that there are some PDP moles in the ANPP, who might thwart the proposed merger.

The ACN thought that to give the mega party a national outlook, the ANPP should be included.

It was learnt that the ACN was making moves to bring the All Progressives Grand Alliance into the merger talks, to ensure that the mega party makes an inroad into the South-East.

When contacted, the CPC spokesman, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, justified the exclusion of some politicians from the merger talks.

He said, “Undoubtedly, we are getting to the stage where the wheat shall be separated from the chaff. The real progressives shall flock together leaving those with a penchant for reactionary politics to intermingle with the PDP.

“The strength and determination of the merging parties cannot be vitiated by the deceptive politicking of the PDP.”

On the non-inclusion of Buhari’s running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare, in the CPC merger committee, Fashakin said that there was no quarrel between the duo.

Fashakin said, “What we did was to say no member of our Board of Trustees will be in the merger committee.

“In fact, both leaders agreed to this. If you look at the 18-member committee, there is no member of our BoT among them.

“Anyone insinuating that there is a quarrel between them is halucinating.”

His ACN counterpart, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, “The merger partners are determined to make the alliance work in order to salvage Nigeria from the misrule of the PDP.”

Bakare, had in an interview with Saturday PUNCH  last week, said, “But I realised recently when the ACN said the PDP is a party of rogues and thieves and criminals, the PDP replied that there are more criminals in the ACN than the PDP and there was no response thereafter. I read all that in the newspapers. If there is going to be a merger, between who and who-between rogues and criminals? Can light and darkness co-exist?”