Jonathan enjoins Nigerians to shun corruption

8:12 PM News No Comments

Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Thursday enjoined Nigerians to shun corruption and work hard to build the country.

Jonathan made the call at the 3rd National Prayer Breakfast organised by members of the National Assembly.

The theme for this year is: “Sacrifice with Righteousness, a Necessary Ingredient for National Transformation.

Represented by Mr Caleb Olubolade, the Minister of Police Affairs, Jonathan urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in prayers.

The president noted that insecurity was one of the greatest challenges confronting Nigeria as a country currently.

Mr Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, in his remark, said that Nigeria had all it takes to develop as a nation, saying that the present challenges would be a blessing at the end.

Maku noted that if Nigerians keyed into the transformation agenda of Jonathan, the country would develop as a nation.

In his keynote address, Prof. Vincent Anigbogu, the Director-General, Institute for National Transformation, stressed the need to put in place quality leadership for the development of the country.

He identified the provision of basic infrastructure as a basis for sustainable development.

“We must create an environment where every Nigerian will be allowed to give his best,” he said.

Anigbogu decried the deplorable state of the country’s education system after 52 years of independence.

According to him, all hands must be on deck to build a virile nation devoid of poverty and insecurity.

In his remark, Sen. Uche Chukwumerije, the President, National Prayer Breakfast, said that the occasion afforded them the opportunity to pray for the country.

He said that the prayer was to seek divine grace, solution and intervention in solving intractable national challenges.

Gen. Yakubu Gowon, a former head of state, Mrs Sarah Ochepke, the Minister of Water Resources, lawmakers and clergymen attended the prayers session.

The prayer breakfast started in 2010 and was aimed at creating an environment of dialogue and lasting relationships. (NAN)

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President orders probe of deported female pilgrims

8:11 PM News No Comments

Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a thorough post mortem of some Nigerian female pilgrims deported from Mecca over the issue of male companions.

Jonathan made this known on Thursday in his Eid-El-Kabir Message to Nigerians, which was made available to State House correspondents in Abuja.

He said the essence of the probe was to ensure that Hajj airlift operations were never disrupted by such problems in future and Nigerian pilgrims not subjected to such traumatic experience again.

The president extended warm greetings to Nigerians and Muslims in particular on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir festival.

He congratulated all Nigerians who successfully undertook the Hajj operations.

Jonathan noted that the country would make faster progress toward the attainment of developmental objectives with the co-operations of the citizens.

He called on people to live up to the highest ideals of religious beliefs, including the fear of God, selfless service, respect for laws and constituted authorities, honesty, justice, equity, fairness, dutifulness, peace and harmonious co-existence with others.

Jonathan said his administration would continue to give dedicated, committed, focused and purposeful leadership toward overcoming old and emerging challenges before the nation.

The president said Nigerians should use the occasion of the Sallah celebration to remember the plight of the victims of flooding.

“I have already announced a relief package of close to N18 billion and constituted a national committee to raise more funds to help victims of the floods.

“In the true spirit of our major religions which enjoin us to be generous to the needy, I urge all Nigerians who can do so to donate munificently to the national relief fund for affected persons and communities.

“We will monitor the disbursement and utilisation of the funds released by the Federal Government and those raised by the National Committee very closely to ensure that they are judiciously and expeditiously expended for the benefit of the flood victims,’’ he said. (NAN)

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Sallah: NDLEA arrest 8 drug suspects with 10.635kg of narcotics

8:11 PM News No Comments

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Thursday arrested eight suspected drug traffickers for allegedly smuggling about 10.635 kilogrammes of narcotics at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA)Lagos.

Amongst the drug suspects apprehended was one Mr. Tembo Gideon aka Benson Okechukwu who was travelling to Thailand with about 2.522kilogrammes of methamphetamine tactically hidden inside local fabrics called Aso-Oke.

Speaking on the arrest, the NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr Hamza Umar pointed out that the suspects were arrested with various kind of drugs ranging from cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin among others.

According to Umar, the breakdown of drugs recovered included 4.460kilogrammes of methamphetamine, 4.030kilogrammes of heroin and 2.145kilogrammes of cocaine. Apart from one of the suspects caught attempting to smuggle 3.455kilogrammes of heroin from India, others were going outside the country with different quantities of drugs”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade in his Sallah message urged members of the public to desist from smuggling drugs and criminal acts capable of truncating their God ordained destinies.

“It is sad that these suspected drug traffickers are behind bars when they ought to be with their families this festive season. Drug trafficking and other criminal acts will only lead to misery, shame and unfulfilled dreams” Giade said.

The suspects are Onyekwere Wisdom Chinedu, 26years; Obinna Christian Chigbo, 37years; Muogbo Uchechukwu Sixtius, 25years; Tembo Gideon aka Benson Okechukwu, 25years and Orabusinze Chukwuka Joseph, 28years. Others are Ogbonnaya Kalu Robert, 54years; Obiorah Celestine Nonso, 31years and Udeh Lazarus Makwe, 44years.




By Daniel Eteghe

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Two students arrested over kidnap, rape, murder of colleague

8:08 PM News No Comments

BENIN—TWO students of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Henry Edewo, 21 and Emmanuel Isikhuime, have been arrested by the Police for kidnapping, raping and murdering a female student, one Mercy Peter, 21, also a student of the institution.

They were alleged to have buried their victim in a shallow grave in a forest at Ugbor village, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, after killing her.

Vanguard gathered that the victim, who was kidnapped on July 29, this year, was killed four days later after she was serially raped by the suspects.

They were also alleged to have continued to demand for ransom from her parents after killing her.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Anthony Airhuoyo, however, told newsmen that the police made a breakthrough in the case on October 17 when two of the suspects were arrested.

The arrested suspects

He added that a third suspect, whose name was given as Charles, was still on the run.

Airhuoyo disclosed that the suspects took the police to the spot where they buried Mercy and her corpse was exhumed. He said they were awaiting autopsy report.




BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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Sallah: IG orders 24-hour security alert

8:05 PM News No Comments

ABUJA — Following security reports that the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram, was bent on disrupting the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations in various parts of the country, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has directed all zonal Assistant Inspectors General, AIGs, and state Commissioners of Police to provide water-tight security across the country before, during and after the celebrations.

The IGP gave the directive just as FCT Police Command disclosed, yesterday, that it was in possession of intelligence reports that trouble makers, including terrorists and criminal minded persons, were planning to carry out attacks in some unknown places in the federal capital territory but warned that its men were already on alert and primed for action in case of any eventuality.

Pilgrims from Lagos state in one of their tents in Mina

Command CPs have also been directed to personally ensure that key and vulnerable points, all places of worship, recreation centres, resorts and other public places are adequately and effectively protected to enable worshippers and the general public enjoy maximum fulfillment.

According to a statement signed by Force spokesman, CSP Frank Mba, the IG in addition, urged Commanders of Police Highway Patrol Teams to ensure that motorized patrols on highways targeted at crime and accident prevention, were intensified to ensure a safe, secure and peaceful celebration.

IG orders AIGs, CPs to ensure adequate security

He said: “Policemen deployed on our highways have also been directed to render necessary assistance to travellers and road users, especially accident victims and those who might have suffered vehicular break down.

In a similar vein, Zonal AIGs and CPs have also been advised to ensure the provision of 24 hours security around all government installations, facilities and other related vulnerable targets.

“The IGP warned officers who will be deployed during the period, to ensure that they comport themselves. They must be firm but polite, civil and professional in the discharge of their assigned roles, giving due regard and respect to the fundamental human rights of citizens at all times.”

While expressing the belief that Almighty Allah will, in his infinite mercy and in answer to the fervent prayers of Muslim faithful, resolve the country’s numerous challenges and grant the country’s leaders the wisdom to lead the nation aright, the IG sought the prayers, support and understanding of Nigerians, assuring that by God’s grace, the battle against crime and criminality will eventually be won.

Massive deployment of Policemen

On his part, FCT Police Commissioner, Aderenle Shinaba, while explaining security measures put in place to ensure hitch-free Sallah celebration, stated that massive deployments of counter terrorism, mobile Police and regular policemen had been made while a 24-hour round the clock patrol of the city by men of patrol vehicles and foot patrol had been activated.

Noting that the security measures will be in force before, during and after the Sallah celebration, CP Shinaba said: “We have done a lot to bring down the spate of violent crime and disturbances in the FCT and we will ensure that the tempo is sustained during this period and beyond.

“We have put in many measures to make sure this period of celebration is free of hoodlums and violence. We got reports and rumours of imminent attacks and danger by violent groups. We will make sure that all the threats and rumours received are checked out and appropriate measures taken to prevent them from seeing the light of day.”

He advised, however, that “people should stop spreading unfounded rumours most of which are meant to unsettle the society.

Our programme of action is to provide security before, during and after the celebration to ensure there is peace. Let me use this opportunity to commend the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed for providing the command with 75 patrol vehicles which ensured that our presence is everywhere.”

Continuing he said, “The ember months are here and everybody knows that there is upsurge of crime during this period. That is why after the Sallah celebrations, we will maintain the tempo.

Already, you will realize there are increased patrols because of the 75 vehicles and the minister also fuels the vehicles. So there is no excuse not to perform”.




BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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Subsidy bribe: Pressure on Police to charge Otedola with Lawan

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ABUJA — Indications emerged, yesterday, that the Police are under intense pressure to charge Chief Femi Otedola, the accuser of the erstwhile chairman of the House Probe Committee, Hon. Farouk Lawal, if at all Farouk is to be prosecuted.

Vanguard gathered that the delay in arraigning Lawan after months of the conclusion of the investigative reports followed intrigues and pressure being mounted on the government by top brass of the National Assembly to drop the charges against him.

Farouk Lawan and Otedola

With government insistence, however, that the matter was purely left for the Police to handle and that it will abide by Police findings, mounting pressure is now on the police to charge Otedola along, with sources saying this may lead to the Federal Government intervening to give Lawan a safe landing.

However, the embattled former Fuel Subsidy Adhoc Committee Chairman, Farouk Lawan, has continued to report to the police authorities in compliance with his bail condition which says he should be reporting twice a week to the police.

Consequently, a register was opened for him to be signing every time he reports in a week and Vanguard gathered that so far, he has obeyed the directive diligently and signed attendance register about 40 times.

When he appeared before the Police yesterday, Lawan was cited in a milk colour caftan signing the register at the Force Headquarters.

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Boko Haram: Why Sambo, Adoke were not interrogated – SSS

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ABUJA — Chief investigator of the State Security Service, SSS, Mr James Ene Izih, yesterday, explained before a Federal High Court in Abuja, why the duo of Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, were not interrogated with a view to ascertaining their level of involvement with the Boko Haram Islamic sect.

Izih who, yesterday, testified as the second prosecution witness, PW-2, in the ongoing trial of the lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Mohammed Ali Ndume, also told the court that Ndume gave the telephone number of the Attorney-General of the Federation to the Islamic sect.

The witness said though Sambo and Adoke were alleged to have had contacts with the sect, “however, instead of inviting them for questioning as we did in the case of Ndume, the service decided to investigate the claim using our state-craft.”

The witness who told the court that he had been in the business of investigation for the past 31 years, maintained that it was an apprehended spokesman of the sect in Maiduguri, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, and Ndume that fingered the VP and the AGF, in separate confessional statements they made upon their arrest by a special investigation panel that investigated the spate of bombings in parts of the country.

Ndume was indicted by Boko Haram ex-spokesman

He told the court that Ndume, who he said volunteered three separate statements upon his arrest on November 21, 2011, admitted having contacts with the Boko Haram sect, insisting that he even gave some materials including a compact disk, given to him by the sect, to both the Vice President and Director of the SSS.

“My lord, our investigative panel was set up with a mandate to trace, locate, arrest, question, detain and prosecute any person arrested in connection with the bombings. It was in the course of executing the mandate that one Boko Haram suspect, Konduga, a.k.a Usman Alzawahiri, was arrested.

“He was arrested at Gwange Area of Maiduguri in Borno State, where he functioned as the spokes-man of the sect. It was in the process of his interrogation by the Special Investigation Panel, SIP, that he mentioned Senator Ndume and one Saidu Pinda who is now deceased.

“Konduga had alleged that Ndume assisted the sect to carry out certain terrorist activities in Maiduguri. On account of that, we invited the accused person and I detailed some of my case officers to witness his voluntary statement on November 21, 2011.

“He made three different statements on that particular day and made additional statements on November 24, 30 and December 2, 2011, where he confessed that he had made telephone contacts with Konduga.

“Due to that confession, we had to take his mobile phone from him for expert analysis because we had already taken Konduga’s phone too.”

The two phones comprising Nokia E-7 and Nokia 27100, were tendered and admitted into evidence yesterday as exhibits P5 and P5(a).

Meanwhile, under cross examination by Ndume’s lawyer, Chief Ricky Tarfa, SAN, the witness said it was the decision of the security agency not to invite Vice President Sambo for interrogation, adding: “We investigate cases based on the facts we have. On the allegation against the VP, though we did not have an audience with him, we investigated the claim using our state-craft.”

Besides, Izih told the court that the SSS operatives who searched Ndume’s house, seized his laptop and phones, saying they, however, failed to recover any judgement linking him to the sect.

The court, yesterday, adjourned further hearing on the case till November 1, 5 and December 11.

Ndume gave AGF’s telephone number to Boko Haram —Witness

The witness further told the court that it was the accused senator who gave the telephone number of Mohammed Adoke to the Boko Haram.

The accused has, however, said he established the link to facilitate peace as a member of the Presidential Committee on Security in the North-East zone.

Izih said Konduga informed the panel that Ndume obliged him with the GSM telephone number of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.

The witness said the number was used to bargain a governorship petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno State.

Izih said that Konduga had testified that the calls to the AGF were threats to spur him to influence the governorship election tribunal members to cede the election victory to PDP or risk mayhem in the state.

He explained that the name of the AGF was dragged into the panel report submitted on November 25, 2011 on the grounds that his GSM number was found in Konduga’s telephone set.

Izih said that Konduga’s transaction with the AGF was a threat to the minister’s life, adding that the accused facilitated it by giving out Adoke’s telephone number to a senior official of Boko Haram.

Ineh, in his testimony, further said that the items found in the accused’s telephone were indicative of his close connection with the dreaded group.

“The fact that Konduga was tried and convicted of terrorism acts is enough to show that the accused is also liable,” he said.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole adjourned the matter to Nov. 1, Nov. 5 and December 11 for continuation.

Specifically, Ndume who is answering to a 4-count criminal charge, had in his statements, maintained that the reason the sect approached him was as a result of his being a member of the Presidential Committee that was inaugurated on August 2, 2011, with a view to addressing the security challenges in the North Eastern part of the nation.

He said the first telephone exchange between him and the sect was on October 4, 2011, two months into the Committee’s work.

In a 24 paragraph affidavit he deposed before the court, Ndume said after the sect approached him, “he promptly informed one Usman, who represented the SSS before the Presidential Committee of his contact with the said Jammatul Sunnah Walid Jihad (otherwise known as‘Boko Haram’ sect) and also other members of the committee.

“He also informed the Director of State Security Service of his interaction with the said “Boko Haram” sect and forwarded a copy of the DVD he obtained from the sect to the Director of SSS for review.

“The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Namadi Sambo, is also aware that he was in contact with the Jammatul Sunnah Walid Jihad (otherwise known as ‘Boko Haram’).”




By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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Bakassi: Court dismisses move to void GTA

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Cross River lawmakers protesting the decision of the FG not to appeal the ICJ ruling on Bakassi
| credits:

An Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday dismissed a suit in which the indigenes of Bakassi asked for an order to compel the Federal Government to repossess the Bakassi Peninsula and nullify the Green Tree Agreement it entered with Cameroon.

The International Court of Justice, in a judgment on October 10, 2002, ceded the oil rich Peninsula to Cameroon.

However, the Senate President, David Mark, at the ongoing 127th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Quebec, Canada, said Nigeria had discussed the fate of Nigerians in the Peninsula with Cameroon.

A few days to the October 9, 2012 deadline for Nigeria to appeal for a review of the ICJ judgment, the Bakassi indigenes, in a motion ex-parte moved by their counsel, Mr Festus A. Ogwuche, had dragged the Federal Government, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), before the Abuja FHC.

They asked the court, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, for an order of mandamus compelling the government to, “by any means available to it, repossess, occupy and take full legal and administrative control of the Bakassi Peninsula.”

The motion was initially slated for hearing on October 9, 2012 but Kolawole’s absence stalled it.

However, when he eventually ruled on the motion on Wednesday, he said the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine the matter. Kolawole noted that the issues raised by the plaintiffs in the motion were political.

He also noted that the motion was not competent enough, as the plaintiffs did not support it with enough grounds of appeal.

The judge said, “The court lacks the jurisdiction to determine the issues raised by the plaintiffs. The issues raised in the motion are political in nature and volatile, and the court is ill-equipped to handle it. The motion is hereby dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.”

The motion was filed, pursuant to section 1 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Enforcement and Ratification Act Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, as well as Order 34 Rules 1(a), 3(1) and (2) of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2007.

The suit was endorsed by nine executives of the Free Bakassi Association – Prince Imoh Imoh, Godwin Ukpong, Christian Umoh, Anthony Ukong, Kingsley Edu, Etim Ndong, Offiong Ekpeyong, Bassey Osua and Bassey Antiga.

The Federal Government, Jonathan and Adoke were joined as respondents in the suit.

The Bakassi indigenes sought leave for an order of mandamus, compelling the respondents to “unilaterally resile from, withdraw, rescind, repudiate and/or revoke Nigeria’s obligations under the Green Tree Agreement” entered into between Nigeria and Cameroon in Green Tree, New York, USA on June 12, 2006.

They told the court that they were neither consulted nor was their consent sought before former President Olusegun Obasanjo endorsed agreement.

They argued that the said agreement was invalid and in breach of Articles 1, 2, 20, 21, 22 and 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, Article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 1 (2) of the UN Charter, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous peoples.

They also claimed that the Green Tree Agreement was inconsistent with sections 1-3, 2(1) and (6), 13, 14(1) and (2)(b), 17(1), (2)(b), (c ) and (d), sections 19(a) and 9d0, 21(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The Bakassi indigenes, in the motion, maintained that the ICJ gave its judgment based “on archaic and anachronistic colonial declarations, and communications between colonial officers.”

They said the ICJ, “in reaching its decision, relied on (a) Henderson-Flerichau Exchange of Notes of 1931, (b) The Anglo-German Agreement of March 11 and April 12, 1913 and (c) The British Order-in-Council of August 2, 1946.

“The treaty, signed years before Nigeria came into existence as a sovereign entity was a ‘Treaty of protection’ conferring limited ‘protectionist’ rights on Britain and cannot by any shade of imagination translate to sovereignty or absolute power of transfer of title, sufficient to extinguish the rights of the kings and chiefs to the traditional over lordship of the territory.”

Mark, who led Nigerian delegation, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, said in spite of the court ruling on the Peninsula, Nigeria would seize the opportunity of the IPU meeting to harp on the need for Cameroon to respect the fundamental human rights of the Bakassi people.

He said, “Bakassi is a different story entirely because for Bakassi, there’s a judicial decision and once there’s a judicial decision, you must be careful on revisiting it. Is it revisiting it so that it will bring more profit or whether we should ensure that Nigerians who are in Bakassi have all their rights intact, to ensure that they are protected; that their human rights are protected?

“We will ensure that they are not maltreated by the Cameroonians. That is one of the issues we will actually take time to discuss with Cameroonian parliamentarians here at the IPU.”




BY JULIET BUMAH AND IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE

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Nations Cup: Nigeria draw Zambia, Ethiopia, B’Faso

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Super Eagles players celebrating victory over Liberia in Calabar … on Saturday.
| credits: AFP

Nigeria will return to the Africa Nations Cup final tournament with the first match against Burkina Faso after the Super Eagles were drawn in Group C alongside defending champions Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. The draw ceremony was held Wednesday night in Durban, South Africa ahead of the 2013 event.

The grouping may have become a prayer answered for many Nigerian fans that prefer to avoid Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana in the early round. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2012 edition held in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea.

Eagles captain Joseph Yobo toldMTNFootball.com, “It’s a fair draw; Zambia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia? Well that’s not bad. But I’m not saying it’s going to be easy because football in Africa has vastly improved. No team is a minnow anymore, but looking at the group on paper, I want to say it’s a fair one.”

Debutants Cape Verde, who upset Cameroon to make their first finals, will play host South Africa in the opening match of the biennial competition.

Morocco, due to host the tournament in 2015, and Angola complete Group A. On paper, it is a fair deal for the hosts who are expected to qualify for the next stage from that group. South Africa won the competition as hosts in 1996 – an edition boycotted by Nigeria as defending champions.

Ghana, who last won the trophy in 1982, face DR Congo, Niger, Mali in Group B. The seeded Ghanaians are favourites of the group with the other having fair chances to qualify as the second team from the group.

The most respected team in Africa this period, Cote d’Ivoire are leading Group D already dubbed the ‘Group of Death’ as the other three teams are balanced in their makeup. Togo, Tunisia and Algeria who complete the group will battle each other hard to scale through. Only the Togolese are yet to win the African cup from this group.

Cape Verde, with a population of about 500,000, shocked the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 3-2 on aggregate to book their place in the tournament and there were cheers as they were drawn out by South African president Jacob Zuma last night to form the other half of the event’s curtain-raiser.

The tournament will be held in Durban, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg between January 19 and February 10.

Groups in full:

Group A: South Africa, Angola, Morocco, Cape Verde

Group B: Ghana, Mali, Niger, DR Congo

Group C: Zambia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia

Group D: Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Algeria, Togo





BY PIUS AYINOR

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$183m oil fund missing – Ribadu committee

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Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke
| credits:

A total of $183m (N28.73bn) in signature bonuses paid by oil companies to the federation is missing, according to a confidential report seen by Reuters.

A team headed by the former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, produced the 146-page study based on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources’ request. It covers the year 2002 to 2012.

The report said that Ministers of Petroleum Resources between 2008 and 2011 handed out seven discretionary oil licences, but that $183m in signature bonuses was missing from the deals.

Three of the oil licences were awarded since the current minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, took up her position in 2010, according to the report.

“I have not given any discretionary awards during this administration,” Alison-Madueke told Reuters, although she added that the President had the right to do so instead of using bids if he saw fit.

“That is entirely up to him,” she said.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest crude oil exporter, shipping more than two million barrels per day, and is also home to the world’s ninth biggest gas reserves and one of its largest Liquefied Natural Gas export terminals.

The report provides new details on the nation’s long history of corruption in the oil sector, which has enriched its elite and provided the oil majors with hefty profits, while two thirds of the people live in poverty.

Alison-Madueke, told Reuters on Tuesday that she received the report last month but that it was a draft and the government was still supposed to give input.

The one seen by Reuters was labelled “Final Report.”

The report concluded that oil majors, Shell, Total and Eni, made bumper profits from cut-price gas, while oil ministers handed out licences at their own discretion. This, while not illegal, did not follow best practice of using open bids.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in signature bonuses on those deals were also missing, it said.

“We have not seen this report and are, therefore, unable to comment on the content, but we will study it if and when it is published,” a Shell spokesman said.

The report alleges international oil traders sometimes buy crude without any formal contracts, and the state oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, had short-changed the Nigerian treasury billions over the last 10 years by selling crude oil and gas to itself below market rates.

There was no suggestion that the oil majors or traders had done anything illegal, but the report highlighted a lack of transparency in their dealings in a nation rife with graft.

“It is a draft,” Alison-Madueke said. “There will be some areas where the government … may have a slightly different opinion … (and) will put its point of view to the committee.”

She said she expected the final report to be with President Goodluck Jonathan within two weeks.

Ribadu’s probe was among several set up following a week of nationwide strikes against a rise in fuel prices in January, which morphed into a campaign against oil corruption.

Billions of dollars of revenue was missing in unpaid debts from signature bonuses and royalties, the report found.

Nigeria LNG, a company jointly owned by the NNPC, Shell, Total and Eni, had paid the country for gas at cut-down prices before exporting it to international markets, the report said.

Total and Eni declined to comment because they invest in but do not operate Nigeria LNG, the role played by Shell.

“The estimated cumulative of the deficit between value obtainable on the international market and what is currently being obtained from NLNG, over the 10-year period, amounts to approximately $29bn,” the report said.

It also said foreign oil firms had outstanding debts.

Addax, now a unit of China’s state-owned Sinopec, owes Nigeria $1.5bn in unpaid royalties, part of a $3bn black hole of unpaid bonuses and royalties owed by oil firms.

Addax did not respond to requests for comment, but the report noted it disputed owing the signature bonuses.

Shell owes the Federal Government N137.57bn for gas sold from its Bonga deep offshore field, the report said, while oil majors owed $58m between them for gas flaring penalties. They were also not adhering to newer higher fines.

The probe also said Nigeria was the only nation to sell all its crude through international oil traders rather than directly to refineries, adding that such trades were often opaque.

It said some international oil traders who were not “on the approved master list of customers” had been sold crude oil “without a formal contract” so little could be obtained about the details of these deals, which could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

“This logically will serve to reduce margins obtainable on sale of crude oil,” the report said.

But Alison-Madueke disputed this, saying there were no informal contracts and there was “an official tender put out every year,” which could be seen by the public in newspapers.

The state oil firm gets an allocation of 445,000 barrels per day of crude oil to refine locally, but it has been selling itself this oil at cut-down prices, a practice which cost Nigeria $5bn in potential revenue between 2002 and 2011, the report said.

“NNPC buys at international rates,” Alison-Madueke retorted.

The report said the NNPC made N86.6bn over the 10-year period by using overly generous exchange rates in its declarations to the government. There was no sign of the money.

Among the report’s recommendations were that parts of NNPC be reorganised or scrapped, an independent review of the use of traders be set up and a transparency law be passed requiring oil companies to disclose all payments made to Nigeria.

United States regulators put new rules in place in August that will require US-listed oil and gas companies to disclose payments they make to foreign governments like Nigeria.





Punch News

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Senator told Boko Haram to threaten Adoke – SSS

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Senator Aliyu Ndume
| credits:

The State Security Service on Wednesday told an Abuja Federal High Court that Senator Aliyu Ndume asked a self-confessed spokesman of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, Ali Kodunga (a.ka Al-Zawahiri), to call and threaten the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

Konduga has since been convicted on two counts of criminal breach of public trust and intimidation through anonymous communication. He is currently serving a three-year prison term.

The SSS said it made the discovery when Ndume’s mobile telephone call logs were analysed during investigations. The Senator is facing terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

On June 14, 2012, a Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, ruled that Ndume must face trial on four counts of terrorism .

The court also dismissed a motion filed by his counsel, Chief Rickey Tarfa (SAN), seeking the dissolution of the charges against him. Ndume is accused of having links with Boko Haram and also being involved in its activities.

When the trial resumed on Wednesday, a chief investigative officer in the SSS, Mr. James Inneh, told the court that Ndume gave Adoke’s phone number to Konduga.

According to Inneh, the alleged threat by Konduga was to force the AGF to influence the outcome of the election tribunal sitting in Borno State in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Inneh said , “Konduga, in his confessional statement told the SSS that Ndume gave him the phone number of the AGF to threaten him (AGF) that they would make Borno State ungovernable if he did not ensure that the Borno State Election Petition Tribunal gave judgment in favour of the PDP.”

The agent admitted that Ndume gave some materials he obtained from Boko Haram to Vice-President Namadi Sambo and the Director-General of the SSS, while he served as a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North-East.

Inneh said, “We investigated his claim by using our tradecraft. We did not have any audience with the VP but we investigated. His (Ndume) phones were sent to experts for analysis and after the phones were analysed, we did not tell him about our findings.

“He was not there when the analyses were carried out. Some of the materials we took from his house were laptops, GSM phones, an international passport and other things.”

Inneh said he could not recall if Ndume had written a letter to the Inspector-General of Police to ask for protection.

Justice Kolawole, however, adjourned the trial to November 1- 5 and December 11, 2012.

Ndume had asked the court to acquit him of the charges, arguing that the proof of evidence filed by the prosecution did not link him with the sect.

Ndume said his alleged relationship with Konduga, which formed the basis of the charges against him, came as a result of his membership of the presidential committee set up to address the security challenges in the North-East.

Ndume told the court that before his appointment as a member of the committee, he had no contact with Konduga or any other member of the sect.

However, in a counter-affidavit, the prosecution counsel, Mrs. Olufumilayo Fatunde, had asked the court to hold that Ndume’s trial must proceed summarily in line with Section 33(2) of the Federal High Court Act.

Ruling on the matter, the court maintained that, after studying the charges brought against the Senator, it found that he had a case to answer.

Kolawole said, “There is a link between the accused person and the offences listed in counts one to four.

“The mere presence of a probable defense to a criminal charge is not enough to quash the charge. The fact that an accused person denied the charges is not enough to quash the charges. There is a link between the accused person and some members of the Boko Haram.”





BY IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE, ABUJA

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Lagosians trek as okada ban, fuel scarcity bite harder

7:46 PM News No Comments

Stranded commuters at Alausa...on Wednesday
| credits: Olatunji Obasa, Simon Utebor and Saheed Olugbon

With the restriction of okada on some routes and the worsening fuel scarcity in Lagos State, many Lagosians who were stranded trekked to their destinations on Wednesday.

Also, motorists were held up for hours following gridlock on most major roads. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway towards Seven-Up, Yaba, Iyana Ipaja, Ikorodu Road, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Oba Akran Avenue, Oba Ogunnusi Road in Ogba among others witnessed traffic snarl.

Findings by our correspondents showed that the gridlock was as a result of motorists struggling to buy fuel at some filling stations, ban on okada in some routes and Sallah rush.

At Oando filling station, Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja and at Total filling station in Ojota, where fuel was being dispensed, the queues took over a large part of the road causing gridlock.

Some motorists and commuters, who spoke with our correspondents, also attributed the situation to the Lagos State Government new traffic laws.

They said the policy was not well thought out because it had only imposed hardship on the people.

“I really don’t know the purpose of a law. Is it to make the people suffer or to provide relief? a woman, who gave her name as Janet, said in Ogba.

Janet said she usually took okada as buses do not ply her route.

A motorist, Emmanuel Achubi, told one of our correspondents, that he had to call his office that he would be late for work after being held in traffic for about two hours on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

Another road user, Niyi Onanubi, said, “Higher fares, stranded commuters; these are what you get when a few people think they know what’s best for 18 million others.”

A university teacher, who declined to give his name, said the traffic snarl could be partly blamed on the forthcoming Sallah festival.

“I could not get to any office today (Wednesday) because of the gridlock. Apart from the fuel scarcity and ban on commercial motorcyclists, I think Sallah rush contributed to what people experienced on the roads,” he said.

Commercial bus drivers cashed in on the situation to hike their fares from between 50 to 100 per cent.

The transport fare for Ikeja-Yaba route increased from N120 to N200 while Ketu-Ikorodu was hiked from N100 to N200.

A Bar Beach-bound passenger, who identified himself simply as Cosmas, lamented the traffic situation in the state.

Cosmas said, “From CMS to Bar Beach/Eko Hotels, we used to pay N100 but now, drivers have increased it by 100 per cent. The most worrisome is that as short as the distance is, it will take you close to one and a half hours to get there because of gridlock.

“Okadas, which used to help us in such a situation, have been chased away. Government must rescind its decision in the interest of the people. We are suffering seriously and the situation cannot continue like this.”

A commuter, Jide Adeyemi, said the ban on okada had increased the number of people commuting by bus.

“Apart from the transport fare being too exorbitant the buses are not even available. I have been standing here waiting for a bus to convey me to my place of business for about an hour with no success,” he said.

But a commercial driver, John Sogo, said the hike in fares was as a result of petrol scarcity.

He said, “It’s not our fault. I woke up as early as 5am today (Wednesday) in search of fuel today and on getting to my turn after queuing up for hours, they told me that they had ran out of supply.

“I eventually bought 10 litres for N2, 000 from black marketers. In all fairness, we are left with no choice but to adjust the fares we charge.”

There was also much pressure on the Bus Rapid Transit services as passengers cramped onto the buses. Many would-be commuters were seen in long queues awaiting BRT buses.






BY SIMON UTEBOR, KUNLE FALAYI AND TEMITAYO FAMUTIMI

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Mimiko’s victory, end of ACN in South-West – Afenifere

7:44 PM News, Politics No Comments

•Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (middle), his wife, Olukemi; and Deputy Chairman, Labour Party, Chief Dele Akinyele (second left) in the queue for their accreditation for the governorship election at Ward 7 , Ago-Itunu, in Ondo town
| credits:

Pan Yoruba social and political organisation, Afenifere, says the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State has signalled the end of the Action Congress of Nigeria in South-West.

The group said this in its letter to the winner of the poll, Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

The letter signed by Chief Reuben Fasoranti (Leader) and Chief Seinde Arogbofa (Security) reads in part, “Afenifere salutes Mr. Governor and wishes him well.”

The group said the outcome of the election had shown that Yoruba people were tired of the ACN and would “kick them out at the appropriate time”.

The letter added, “This victory, amongst other things, is victory over god-fatherism, a rejection of political imposition and slavery from outside the state and the people’s hope of a better deal to come.

“One or two of your predecessors have one way or the other broken the jinx of second term in office. But yours is unique and not associated with rancour or political upheaval. We appreciate God for you.”

The group advised Mimiko to justify the confidence reposed in him by the electorate “through aggressive attack on graduate and able-bodied joblessness, consolidation of social services to the people and the multiplication of same to those who are yet to benefit from the government largess”.

Afenifere added, “There is a need for the exhibition of fair play and justice to all and carry the banner of progressive politics into national politics now that the eclipse of the ACN is unavoidable.

“We entered into electoral cooperation with you (Mimiko) in the election for mutual respect in all ramifications for you to give better governance to our people, and for the creation of a forum for the emergence of a healthy third force to counter an emerging group under the leadership of few disrespectful, snobbish, arrogant, ravaging and power-thirsty politicians.

“In the march for progress and greater things to come, he should consider an all inclusive government to assist him in the governance of the state.”




BY SUNDAY ABORISADE, AKURE

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