Al-Qaeda plots fresh attacks on Nigeria, others

3:06 PM News No Comments

As the country struggles to curb the violent activities of the Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, international intelligence agencies have uncovered plans by al-Qaeda, to launch fresh attacks on Nigeria, Ghana and two other African countries.

Al-Qaeda, which was founded by the late Osama bin Laden, has launched attacks all over the world.

Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively showed that the targeted countries were receiving help from Western nations on how to prevent the onslaught.

However, it was not clear if the attacks would be launched by al-Qaeda in the Maghreb or the main terrorist organisation in the country.

The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the al-Qaeda plot to our correspondent.

Mba, however, noted that such threats were received in the past, and added that security agencies were determined to ensure the group’s plan did not succeed.

According to him, the police are receiving immense support from developed countries that have counter- terrorism expertise.

Mba said, “That al-Qaeda and similar groups want to attack some certain countries is not new. As security operatives, we treat information at our disposal with uttermost care. We test their veracity and analyse them.

“Here in Nigeria, we stop most of the domestic attacks before they take place. We defuse more bombs than they detonate. We save thousands of lives daily but we do this discretely and quietly.

“More than ever, we have so much support from the international community. We are getting help from both ECOWAS and western countries. We are doing our best with the resources we have and we will continue to do so.

“We have stepped up security everywhere but we won’t disclose how we are doing that and the specifics of our mechanisms.

“I want to assure Nigerians and the international community that government is irrevocably committed to its mandate of providing adequate security in the country.”

Ghana, another country on the radar of al-Qaeda, last Tuesday stepped up security at its Kotoka International Airport, Accra, with heavy deployment of soldiers, who frisked passengers using metal detectors.

Armed troops are not a regular feature in Kotota and Ghanaians described the movement of troops as strange.

On Tuesday, Daily Guide, a newspaper in Ghana, had reported that, “Nigeria, three others are said to be on the radar of the terrorist group. Ghana is also said to be on a hit list of an international terrorist group, leading to deployment of soldiers at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra.

“It was learnt that the action of the military was informed by international intelligence fed to Ghana that the country was one of four others being targeted by terrorists for bombing. The presence of the soldiers is therefore a national security response to the alert, a source said.”

When the newspaper contacted Ghana’s Director of the Armed Forces Public Relations Directorate, Col. Mbawine Atintande, he reportedly explained that “there are only a few military policemen at the (airport) place.”

As to whether the operation was a response to certain international threat, Akintande said he would find out.

Just on August 3, 2012, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom warned travellers to Ghana that there was an “underlying threat from terrorism” in the country.

“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by expatriates and foreign travellers,” it said.

Al-Qaeda‘s foot prints abound in Nigerian as it has cells in the northern part of the country and had also claimed responsibility for some terrorist activities.

In April, the State Security Service arrested Mohammed Ashafa said to be al-Qaeda linkman with a terror group in Nigeria.

Ashafa was reportedly apprehended by the Pakistani government through the National Intelligence Agency and handed over to the Federal Government for prosecution.

When he was arraigned at the Federal High Court, the SSS told the court that the accused person facilitated terrorist exchange programmes between al-Qaeda and its allies in the country.

The intelligence agency further said its investigations showed that Ashafa was allegedly the second in command to one Adnan Ibrahim, who was said to be the Resident al-Qaeda chief in West Africa, but based in Kano.

Also, in May, al-Qaeda in the Maghreb claimed responsibility for the murder of a German, Edgar Raupach, in Kano.

Raupach was killed by his abductors when security forces tried to free him during a rescue operation.

A Briton, Christopher McManus, and an Italian, Franco Lamolinara suffered similar fate in March.

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Experts prepare girls for career in ICT

9:19 AM Education No Comments

The need to strengthen Information and Communication Technology training for the girl-child was the main focus of a recent Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre’s two-week ICT camp for girls, MOTUNRAYO ABODERIN reports

Female Information and Communication Technology experts have reiterated the need for girls to get acquainted with ICT. To them, the notion that the industry is majorly dominated by men has become a thing of the past.

Speaking at the closing of the 5th W.TEC Girls Technology Camp, the Executive Director, W.TEC, Ms Oreoluwa Somolu, said the training was designed to encourage girls and young women to prepare themselves for a career in ICT. She told parents, teachers and other stakeholders that preparing for a career in ICT is good for women and girls, businesses and societies.

To her, the need to develop early interest in computers and other ICTs, positive images of technology-related careers, was the drive for organising the camp training.

She said, “W.TEC was set-up to address imbalances in the participation of women in Nigeria’s ICT industry. Over the last decade, Nigeria has witnessed a rapid growth of ICT jobs especially – within the oil and gas, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment industries. But according to data by the Development Information Network, women account for less than 20 per cent and tend to occupy mostly junior or non-technical positions.

Somolu said, “This is a big loss of economic and social development opportunities for women. It also hinders Nigeria’s progress, because research has traced positive correlations between women’s economic and social development and national growth.

“The long-term goal is to increase the number of women working with and using information technology productively for professional and leadership activities. Each year, we host 15 school girls from J.S.S.2 to S.S.2, but this year, we decided to double the number to 30 girls. There is every need to deal with the pre-conceived notions girls have about ICT. They think ICT is stressful and that it is all about programming; working long hours; sitting in-front of computers; but things have changed. There are numerous job opportunities in ICT. It is one industry that is fast growing.

“People usually ask why I chose to focus the camp on ICT. One compelling reason is the predicted need for skilled professionals and the fact that many companies and organisations are actively seeking to hire highly skilled technical women.’’

Somolu said despite the obvious benefits, many girls still do not consider a career in ICT. “There is a lack of awareness among pupils, teachers and parents on what a career in ICT could offer. Attitudes can change when girls are invited into companies and government agencies to meet ICT professionals and see what life is like on the job.”

Another speaker at the event, an ICT researcher, Mrs. Abiodun Jagun, charged parents to support the career choices of their children.

“The potential of ICT to empower girls and foster equality between boys and girls has clearly not been systematically and effectively harnessed. Parents have a major role to play in creating this bond. If your girl child tells you that she wants to pursue a career in ICT, don’t kill the dream. Support her dream.

“Parents play a major role in the future aspirations of their children. They are also the ones who have contributed to the low number of female ICT experts in the society. They think anything related to computers is for men, which is wrong,” she noted.

Another ICT advocate, Dr. Wunmi Hassan, called on the government to set up ICT networks in schools. “When you train a woman, you train a nation. Once a woman is opportune to learn something; she can go the extra length to master that thing. Boosting ICT education in girls is worth the effort. Whilst young women are not participating in ICT subjects at schools to the same extent as their male counterparts, this does not mean that they are not interested in computer technology. Research reveals that girls and women use computer technology widely but in different ways to boys and men,’’ she observed.

Meanwhile, the World Bank and the United Nations, which emphasise the need to harness ICT for women and girls development, have declared support for initiatives that would address gender imbalance in ICT.

Speaking on the training, Kehinde Akpan, a pupil of Ifako Comprehensive Secondary School, Lagos, said that the training had really developed her interest in ICT. “I have now mastered how to operate a computer. There is so much one can do with a computer. This training has been an eye-opener. It has also made me realise that there are so many job opportunities in the industry,’’ she said.

Another pupil, Uloaku Anyiam, a pupil of Sunnydale School, Lagos, said, “It has been so interesting. Better than what I expected. I now know how to create a website. I would never have thought that someone like me could create a website. Technology is very wide. I’m glad I came for the training.”

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Akeredolu challenges Labour Party on N20bn war chest claim

9:16 AM News No Comments

The Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, on Thursday slammed the Labour Party”s for accusing him of setting up a war chest of N20 billion for the October 20 election.
In a message on social media, Akeredolu said the LP changed tune a few weeks later and claimed that he was planning to raise campaign finance from job seekers, whom he had asked to submit their CVs.

He said the LP’s volte-face was an indication of “a house in disarray.”

Akeredolu advised job seekers to submit their CVs by email to http://jobs.aketi.org, adding that his campaign organisation was not charging any fee as alleged by LP.

He said his campaign train visited Ikakumo, Akunu-Akoko, Auga-Akoko, Ise-Akoko, Isuwopo, Ilepa, Ugbe-Akoko, Ilepa, Ikado, Iyometa , and Edo on Wednesday, where it was received by a large number of people in the downpour.

He promised that if elected, his administration would provide 30,000 jobs to the youths of the state within the first 100 days of his administration.

According to the state, the candidate “decried the dilapidated state of the roads across the wards within Ikare-Akoko and promised to speedily attend to it when elected.

“He also enjoined the women, especially the traders, to register with cooperative organisations, promising that huge financial assistance would be offered to the women in the state through these networks.”

He reassured the elderly people of the state of his commitment to their welfare and stated that his government, when elected, would provide a monthly feeding allowance to the aged.

He also received defectors in the area into the party, stating that they had all made the best decision to join the party of the progressives.

He reminded the people that it was indeed the turn of Ondo North to produce the next governor of the state and thanked everyone for the privilege of been chosen for the noble assignment.

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Power show over free extra-mural classes in Kwara

9:12 AM News No Comments

One of the schools earlier picked as a centre
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Two weeks ago, the Kwara State government stopped the free holiday coaching classes organised by the Action Congress of Nigeria, 2011 governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Dele Belgore for secondary school students. The action has elicited controversy, reports SUCCESS NWOGU

Corporate and private interventions in educational development ordinarily should be a welcome development, even by the government as such complements its effort in ensuring qualitative, and affordable education to the citizenry.

But when an intervention from a different political camp is misconstrued as a way to score a cheap political point by the incumbent, then it becomes a food for thought.

That is what is currently happening between the Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate in Kwara State in 2011 elections, Mr. Dele Belgore and the state government.

Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had organised free holiday coaching for students in secondary schools in the state, and had wanted to use the public schools as centres for the exercise. He was said to have got approval for such use from the principals of the schools selected.

But the government of the Peoples Democratic Party, on realising such that intervention from Belgore might give him an edge and recognition from the Kwarans, quickly stopped it.

Since the coaching classes were stopped last week, it has continued to generate reactions from all the stakeholders, including the initiator of the programme and the ruling party in the state.

Throwing the first salvo was Belgore who accused the state government of political vendetta by frustrating his good and humanitarian gesture, by denying Kwara students an opportunity for educational enrichment.

Also, in a swift reaction, the state government said it cancelled the coaching classes because Belgore did not comply with laid down procedure for getting permission for such exercise.

Belgore who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye stated that it was a programme a total of 6,000 students, made up 2,000 each from the three senatorial districts of the state would have benefited from it. He added that at the end of the programme, the students would have written an examination to test their knowledge of what they would have been taught.

He explained to him, best students were to get some sort of scholarship. He stated that he would have paid the expenses for the West African School Certificate examination of the best students in Senior Secondary School Class 3 and Junior Secondary School Class 3.

He stated that senior students were meant to be taught lessons in Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry, Physics, Accounts, Economics, Commerce, Agricultural Science, Yoruba, Computer,Government, Literature in English, and Biology during the extra-mural classes. He added that Junior students would have been taught lessons on Basic Science, Agricultural Science, English Language, Mathematics, Business Studies, Computer, Social Study, and Yoruba.

According to Belgore, the Kwara State Ministry of Education ordered school principals to disallow in their various schools, the annual free holiday classes he sponsored for secondary school students across the 16 local councils of the state.

He stated that his ‘Solidarity Team’, which is the group supervising the initiative to assist students in their studies, had written and secured written approval of the principals whose schools had been chosen as venues for the lessons.

But he said, following an alleged intense pressure from chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party; officials from the state Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board went round some of the schools and stopped the lessons.

He added that the officials claimed that they were acting on the order of the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Saka Onimago, who, Belgore alleged had directed the principals to stop the extra-mural lesson.

He claimed that the extra-mural lesson, in its second year, would have commenced on Monday August 6.

He said, “As at Thursday, the state government has stopped the lesson in St. John Primary School Maraba, in Ilorin East, St. Bernaba Primary School Sabo Oke, in Ilorin East, Adabiya Primary School Abata Baba Oyo in Ilorin West and United Community Secondary School Unity Road in IIorin South.

“No reason was given for the directive. Such decision is harsh and smirks of cheap politics,” he said.

Belgore accused the state government of double standard since it did not stop similar initiative by a former Governor of the State, Dr. Bukola Saraki a few months ago when the latter floated extra coaching for students writing the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Ilorin.

“It is cheap politics, the sort of which we are preaching against, to stop this wonderful education initiative which to our mind is the best way to empower the people,” Belgore added.

Also Kwara ACN Chairman Kayode Olawepo, said it was ‘repressive, anti-people and short-sighted’ for the state government to stop the free holiday classes.

As a matter of fact, he noted government should encourage private individuals and institutions who are ready to assist in lifting educational standard.

On his own part, the Commissioner for Education said the Kwara State government had advised all interested members of the public that intended to make use of infrastructure at public schools across the 16 local government areas of the state during the long holidays to get approval from the state government.

Onimago, in a statement by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Lamidi Alabi, said Belgore did not get permission to use public schools from the government before embarking on the programme.

The commissioner also said no application was submitted to the ministry as regards the usage of the school premises by Belgore. He added that the normal procedure for any person or organisation that intended to use school premises for any purpose be it social, cultural, educational, among others, was to seek the permission of the Ministry of Education through the principals of such schools.

He stated that the permission from the appropriate authorities would go a long way in safeguarding and protecting the infrastructural facilities of such schools.

The commissioner, the senior special assistant to Kwara State Governor on media and communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede said the free holiday lesson of Belgore was stopped by the state government because the promoters allegedly failed to follow laid-down procedures. According to him, approval should have been sought from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development rather than from school principals.

However, parents and students who could have been the beneficiaries of the programme were not happy that it was cancelled. A parent who pleaded not to be identified told our correspondent that ‘it was quite sad that such a laudable programme could be sacrificed on the altar of politics.’

Also a student in one of the junior secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis, who also craved anonymity, said he was already looking forward to the coaching classes when he heard that it had been cancelled by the state government.

“I was excited when I was told by a friend that there will be free lessons for students during this holiday, but my excitement was short-lived when I heard it had been cancelled by the government. It is sad,” he lamented.

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Northern govs should focus on other sectors – Groups

9:09 AM News, Politics No Comments

Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu
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Northern governors have been advised to check their wastage, ensure proper management of their limited resources and develop the middle class in order to win the fight for economic survival.

The Save Nigeria Group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and a Professor of Economics, Sherrifdeen Tella, gave the advice in separate interviews with our correspondent.

The Northern Governors Forum had last Wednesday decried the near collapse of their economy due to insecurity in the region, which, they said, had paralysed the socio-political activities to the detriment of their development.

The Chairman of the forum and the Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, at the inauguration of the region’s Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security had described the menace as a serious threat to national stability, unity and development.

However, Executive Director, SERAP, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, said there was a need for some of the governors to cut their expenses on the retinue of aides in their cabinet.

He said, “The governors should stop their wastage. There was a report that a northern governor had about 1000 personal aides. When you continue to waste your revenue and you mismanage your limited resources, economic hardship is looming.”

He however said the spate of insecurity in the region remained a major challenge to the economy.

“The economy will collapse in an environment that is not stable. Investors only do business in a secure environment. The governors must stem the killings in the region, if they want a robust economy,” he stated.

Mumuni further said there was a need to diversify the economy, adding that the nation’s dependence on oil as the major source of revenue was dangerous. He warned that the current draught in the North would surface in the South, if the trend continued.

“The dependence on oil is not peculiar to the North, it is a general malaise. We had massive cocoa production in the South-West, palm oil and kernel from the South-East and cotton from the North. However, the states have relied on revenue from oil, as if the oil will never dry; they have abandoned other viable resources for their survival,” he added.

The spokesperson of the SNG, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who identified insecurity and corruption as the bane of economic development in the country, said failure of the North to develop the middle class made the problem bigger in the region.

He said, “Where you have terrorism added to nationwide corruption, the economy will be terribly affected. Corruption has eaten deep into our system so much that people are celebrating the refund of monies stolen in the subsidy regime. This shows how bad the situation is.”

Similarly, Tella, a former vice-chancellor of Crescent University, pointed out that the economy in the North and other regions would remain in hardship, if there were bombing and killings.

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Electricity will drop by 300MW after rainy season – NERC

9:05 AM News No Comments

Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said power generation will drop by 300 megawatts after rainy season and this will partly cancel the improvement in electricity supply experienced recently in some parts of the country.

While answering questions during a recent e-conference on power sector reforms, organised by Spaces for Change, a human rights organisation, the Chairman of the NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said the recent improvement had been due to repairs of some power plants and high water volume occasioned by the rainy season.

Amadi told the moderator of the e-conference, Zainab Usman, of the International Crisis Group, Brussels, that it was unrealistic to expect more than 5000MW by December.

He urged Nigerians not to be too hopeful about the recent improvement, stating that a massive haulage of power will come in the near future.

“The current improvement in generation is because of repairs on plants which resulted in the recovery of lost capacity, and of course, the rise in rainfall has helped us to recover about 200 to 300MW lost during the dry season.

“We have over 20000MW of licensed power. If we succeed in creating a market that allows for these licensees to get to bankability for their projects, then we are home and dry. So, we should not invest much hope on this small improvement.

“The key thing is to let Nigerians know that although in the next eight months or so, we may not see a major haul of new power, in the subsequent eight months, we will make significant and sustainable progress,” he said.

Amadi noted that the capacity building embarked upon by NERC was yet to yield results in terms of improvement in power generation and distribution.

Amadi also noted the bane of the power sector has been corruption, which had continued to undermine the investments made in the sector.

He said, but for corruption, the National Integrated Power Project initiated by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration would have provided at least an additional 5000MW of power.

Amadi also reiterated that the prepaid meters were to be distributed to customers free of charge.

“Meters are no longer to be paid for by customers. That is the law. But practice may be different in many different places. Please refuse to pay for meters and report anyone who asks or collects money for meter to NERC and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” he said.

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Ondo PDP yet to have governorship candidate – Faction

9:03 AM News, Politics No Comments

The Ambassador Olu Agbi-led faction of the Ondo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday alleged that the party was yet to produce a candidate for the October 20 governorship election.

Chairman of the faction, Mr. Akin Olowookere, who addressed a news conference in Akure also said his members will not support the candidature of Chief Olusola Oke because his emergence was not constitutional.

Olowookere said the congresses that produced the current state executives of the party were “carried out in full deliberate disobedience of a subsisting Court Injunction.”

He said, “The so-called State executive that emanated from the illegal Congress proceeded to conduct primaries for governorship aspirants within the party through a heavily flawed and crooked selection process.

“Five delegates for the primaries were handpicked from each Local Government making only 90 members from the entire state to participate in the exercise.

“Again, on the day of the so-called primary, only 18 members out of the 90 were also handpicked and taken into an inner room to decide privately who will be the flagbearer of the party.

“It is these18 members that later came out to announce their verdict to the 72 left-over to produce the current so-called candidate.

“To further formalize their illegality and undemocratic procedure, the illegal State EXCO members assembled three handpicked members again from each ward in the 18 local government areas of the state to ratify the

illegality they had earlier committed.

“The perpetration and perpetuation of undemocratic actions continued unabated when the illegal Alabi-led executive decided to set up caretaker committees in some local governments in the state where they picked their cronies and friends to run the affairs of the party.

“In as much as democracy cannot be built on undemocratic foundations to say the least, Olusola Oke’s nomination is heavily flawed but more will be heard of this at a later date.

Olowookere also added that the distribution of party appointments “was cornered by a few cronies of Dr. Olusegun Agagu at his dictation thus reaffirming the proprietorship system once again.”

He also noted that the choice Oke as the party’s candidate constituted the bane of the party because he is from the Ondo South senatorial district where the where the former governor of the state Dr. Olusegun Agagu hailed from.

He said, “We have noted that only one Senatorial district has dominated the government seat since the formation of the P.D.P. in Ondo State. In 1998, Dr. Olusegun Agagu from the South Senatorial Disrict contested for the governorship of the State as well as in 2003.

“The same Dr. Olusegun Agagu contested in 2007 and now in 2012, Chief Olusola Oke who is also from the Southern Senatorial District is about to contest for the governorship of this State again.

“From the foregoing, one can see that this is not only unprecedented in the annals of Ondo State history but also unfair by any yardstick or criterion.

“It cannot be said that the P.D.P. in the State cannot find a qualified candidate from the Northern and Central Senatorial Districts.” He added

Olowooke also noted that it would be difficult for a party without a senator, member of House of Representatives, member of the House of assembly and a local government chairman to win a governorship election.

He said, “The incumbent governor who is also an administrator that have 99 per cent of National Assembly, State Assembly and have nominated all the Federal appointments, will be difficult to beat in an election.”

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Tales of prostitution, drug from Kuramo village

8:59 AM News No Comments

Many faces of Kuramo after it fell
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Kuramo village fell to ocean fury and the rage of the Lagos State government last week. But tales of prostitution and drug peddling which defined its exixtence have come to the fore, as insiders recount, reports SAMUEL AWOYINFA

Kuramo Beach, to its residents, is escapism of some sorts. Besides its regular occupants, prostitutes and drug peddlers see the place as haven for their operations. It was like an island on its own.

For those who wanted to ‘feel high’ on illicit drug, Kuramo also gave them that illusion of being on top of their world. Kuramo offered unending music, blaring from speakers of numerous drinking joints that lined the ocean front.

But the music stopped early hours of Saturday, August 18, around 3:00am, when ocean surge, entombed a large section of the shanties and cabins. It was not only the shanties and cabins that fell casualties, about 16 persons were also swept away by the ocean rage.

By Sunday, the picture became clearer, as government agents moved in, and demolished the remaining shanties. As a result, the residents have scattered. But some of them still wished it were a bad dream that would soon go away. They were seen on Wednesday still hanging around the Kuramo Beach extension.

Some of them lived there for over 10 years, and for those in this category, it is difficult, having another place to call a home. One of them, who pleaded anonymity, said Kuramo though offered them a shelter; it also played host to a lot other negative indulgences.

According to him, over 50 per cent of the inhabitants were prostitutes and they were the main attraction, given the number of men who trooped in, mostly at night.

He said, “The prostitutes are the main attraction in Kuramo village. They were there in all shapes and sizes. From 8:00pm, men would start arriving. Some after gulping some bottles of alcoholic drink, would face the commercial sex workers.

“Besides prostitution, drug also came handy here. Whatever it was you wanted. Is it marijuana or crack (cocaine)? They were available. A pinch sold for N250, a wrapper of marijuana is N50. Again, there was another form of marijuana, which a wrap sold for N200. That one was the concentrated type.

“And for those who wanted to enhance their sexual performance, there were those who sold the local aphrodisiac called Bura ntasi.”

This source who spoke fluent English, said the prostitutes who lived inside the cabins, where they paid between N800 -N1000 daily, depending on the size of the room, were however, conscious of being infected with HIV/AIDS, as they insisted their clients must put on condoms. But he however, added that they had perfected some tricks, in which they swindled some unsuspecting clients.

The source said,“These prostitutes had agents, and the agents normally lurked around. As soon as any man entered the room with any of them, he would be asked to hang his trousers by the window. As soon as the client got carried away by the sexual ecstasy, the agent stealthily picked the trousers from outside, and emptied the money and valuables therein.

“Many patrons of prostitutes here had lost their valuables in that manner”. According to him, the prostitutes charged between N500 -N1000, and all depending on negotiation skills of the client.

“Kuramo ran on 24 hours basis, it hadly went to sleep.”

One of the former inhabitants, Mr. Samuel Adebayo could not be bothered about sex hawkers and their antics.

His concern was where he would start his tailoring business again. Having lived in Kuramo for over 10 years, and being thrown out under three hours, had left him puzzled for now. He was among those seen at the Bar Beach sea front, about 100 metres from Kuramo, on Wednesday.

He denounced the claim of the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure that they were given four days notice.

“I had lived in Kuramo Beach for over 10 years, it was not true that there was any notice. It was on Sunday (August 19) morning that the DPO of Bar Beach police station led his men to this place and told everyone to come out.

“We were given only two hours to pack our belongings. How many things could one pack in two hours? So, some of us only took a fraction of what we have, before the caterpillar moved in,” he said.

He recollected that there were about 110 cabins, and they paid for everything there. “There was no water, no toilets and no bathrooms. We bought water at the rate of N50 per bucket. To bath, one would pay N100, and to use the toilet, it attracted N100.”

On his own part, Mr. Laja Obasi, who said he was a security man at Kuramo, also said he lived there for almost 11 years, and he was almost regretting it.

Obasi who explained that he earned N3,000 per week, stressed that his fear was how to get another job.

Himself and his colleagues were for now, living at the mercy of friends and passers-by. He moaned, “I’m still fit to work as security man, but who can employ me?” He suffers a limp in one of his legs.”

Another former resident, who simply preferred to be addressed as Prince, said he was a tourism promoter at the beach front, and all that had gone with the wind. Dressed in a jeans trousers and ash-coloured sweater, he said he was in the business of making those who visited the beach comfortable, providing them good drinks and accommodation.

As at Wednesday, Prince was still in a quandary about the way forward. “I really want to retrace my steps by going back to God in a seven-day prayer and fasting,” he began. “After that, I will now decide what next to do. I have two options -either to raise money for my young wife to start business, because I had been the one shouldering the family’s burden or buy a car which I will be using to do kabukabu.”

The commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure, Mr. Olusegun Oniru, who visited the site on Monday reiterated that a four-day warning was given to traders and residents. He said, “It is not that we waited for this disaster to happen before we started acting. We gave them a four-day warning of the looming ocean surge and high waves but they wouldn’t listen. It is rather unfortunate that they waited for nature to force them out.”

Oniru added that the state government was faced with an Herculean task, because some of the residents, had no place to go. Some have constructed some shanties, directly in waterfront at the Bar Beach, and inside and outside where they kept their wares and personal effects.

Besides, some traders who were equally dislodged displayed their wares inside their buses and cars.

While most of the residents and traders ruled out compensation of any kind, some of them were still bogged down by uncertainty of their future.

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I won’t preside over a divided Nigeria — Jonathan

8:57 AM News No Comments

President Goodluck Jonathan
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Amid the declaration of “independence” by some groups in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan has said he remains committed to the unity of the country.

Jonathan spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Friday in Abuja.

The president’s comment came against the backdrop of the declaration of independence by the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People and the Bakassi Self-Determination Front, all of them from the South-South zone.

The Biafran Zionist Movement had issued a similar threat.

Despite these moves, Abati said the president believed strongly in the indivisibility of the country.

He said, “The Federal Government is committed to the unity of Nigeria. It also believes strongly in the indivisibility of the country. This is also enshrined in the constitution.

“The president has made it clear that he would not preside over a divided Nigeria.

On the groups declaring “republics,” Abati said the news had so far remained in the realms of online reports with nobody coming out publicly to make the declarations.

“These things are only seen on the Internet. It is easy for people to sit in the comfort of their rooms and make pronouncements.

“But the country remains one and the government is committed to that unity,” he said.

But Abati was not forthcoming on the specific steps the government would take against the groups that had made these pronouncements.

Punch News

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‘Refunding money doesn’t acquit indicted oil marketers’

8:54 AM Business, News No Comments

Coordinating Minister for the economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
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Prominent lawyers have said oil marketers refund of subsidy funds fraudulently received does not exonerate them as they were indicted in the fuel subsidy scam probe.

In separate interviews with SUNDAY PUNCH, the lawyers said the action was rather an admission of guilt and should make the case against the marketers easier to prosecute.

Last Thursday, at a press briefing after the National Economic Council in Abuja, the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, said a report submitted to members by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, indicated that some of the indicted marketers had started paying back to the coffers of the Federal Government subsidy funds that were wrongly paid to them.

According to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Itse Sagay, even if the indicted marketers refunded all the money they were paid illegally, they could still be guilty of obtaining with false pretence.

“Refunding the money does not in any way exonerate them. They are still guilty of a crime called obtaining by false pretence. In fact, paying back is an admission of guilt. It has only made proving the case a lot easier. All the prosecutors need to do is to present the receipt of the refund. According to the law, refunding what is stolen does not wipe out the crime,” he said.

Similarly, Femi Falana (SAN), said by refunding, the marketers have admitted guilt and indicted those who released the funds.

He said, “The crime has been committed. Apart from prosecuting them, government wants to recover the money. So, all that refunding the money could do for the marketers is that it might make the judge disposed to being lenient with them.

“Already by refunding, they have admitted that they are guilty of receiving payment for petroleum products they did not bring into the country, so it has become an easy case.

“Nigerians must continue to push for the total recovery of all the funds paid illegally and for the prosecution of the indicted oil marketers and those who released the funds.”

In his view, another lawyer, Yusuf Ali (SAN), said the indicted oil marketers could only escape sentence if they refunded the funds under an arrangement of a plea bargain.

He said, “There is no part of our law that says if a person refunds what was stolen, his or she is exonerated. Unless in the case of a plea bargain where it can be agreed that if I do this, you will do that.

“It is also necessary to note that in a criminal trial, where many people are being prosecuted for the same case, a few persons can be taken out of prosecution and used as witnesses against the others, if they agree to admit to have committed the crime.”

Meanwhile, according to the recommendations of the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede–led Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Subsidy Claims and Payments, N382bn is to be recovered from 21 firms indicted of fraudulent activities.

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