Nigerian built war ship in remarkable one year anniversary
The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has commended the immense contribution of NNS Andoni, a Nigerian war ship built in 2011 by local expertise in the Nigerian Navy.
The President of Council, Dr Kasshim Ali, toldreporters that contributions like the building of the Naval Ship that showed Nigerian's capacity to develop resources andinfrastructure to drive the economy must beencouraged.
Andoni vital roles
He noted that the ship had empowered the Nigerian Navy in securing the waterways.
Voice of Nigeria's defence correspondent, Chiamaka Ikechukwu, reports that the Nigerian Navy Ship, Andoni, has played vital role in Nigeria's maritime domain.
The ship has help in maintaining constant presence at sea to check illegal bunkering, piracy, sea robbery, illegal fishing, poaching,hijacking and arms smuggling in line with the Nigerian Navy's constitutional roles, she explained.
The commendation by the council comes one year after President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned NNS Andoni at the Headquarters of the Western Naval Command in Lagos the commercial center ofNigeria.
The Ship has participated in two major exercises. The first is the Chief of the Naval Staff Fleet Evaluation Exercise, code named Ex FARAUTA which lasted for a period of seven days at sea followed by Ex ICUHNTA which also lasted for three days.
NNS Andoni has been conducting a number of patrols particularly within the Western Naval Command.
With the ship, the Nigerian Navy interceptedone hundred and twelve vessels suspected to be engaged in illegal activities including a Russian Service Boat, MYRE SEADIVER, which was arrested with arms and ammunition at Lagos Anchorage on October 19 2012.
Capitalize on the capacity
In support of the Nigeria Navy's war against piracy from August 29 to 30 2012, NNS Andoni participated in the search and rescueoperation of a vessel that was hijacked off the Coast of Lome in Togo and diverted it into the Nigerian waters.
Dr. Kasshim Ali applauded the current role being played by NNS Andoni.
They can go to a higher level, build bigger ship and if they do that over a long time there may be no need to import ships and that will save a lot of money for the government. That is what has happened in other countries. What they have to do was to capitalize on the capacity of their indigenes to develop their resources and infrastructures ­ because that way you have the people who did the work available to dothe maintenance, he stated.
He said the availability of accurate infrastructure and equipment in Nigeria would lead to the delivery of world class services and advance the economy
Though the construction of NNS Andoni was a challenging and rare experience for the naval team of engineers and others experts, the ship has so far attained over eight hundred hours at sea and covered over six thousand nautical miles.

PhD, MSc holders jostle for Lagos’ N25,000 jobs



General Manager of the Lagos Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA), Mrs Yinka Fashola, has decried the growing rate of unemployment across the country, saying 85 per cent of applicants for the resident registration exercise are PhD and MSc holders.

She said the PhD and MSc holders applied for jobs which were meant for secondary school leavers and a few National Diploma (ND) holders because of unemployment in the country.

Fashola, who until her appointment as the LASRRA boss served in the Office for National Statistics in United Kingdom, said the agency would have loved to increase the salaries of the applicants who obviously should have earned more because of their qualifications, but the agency was hampered by inadequate fund.

Speaking on the preparation to register Lagos residents, she said: “Yes, some of the applicants are holders of PhD and Msc as well as other qualifications. Where am I going to put them? But we have taken some of them as station manager; I can only choose 57 of them to work in the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Area (LCDA). So, what would I do with the rest of them?

“Most of them are on contract for one year. I wish I could keep them, but we can’t. We are paying them N25, 000 per month. I wish it is more, but we did not expect that graduates and post graduates would be applying for the jobs.”

She, however, encouraged residents to avail themselves of the online registration in order to make the exercise easier.

According to her, the rationale behind the exercise is to enable the government allocate resources efficiently.

Fashola said: “The exercise will enable the government know what are the electricity needs, what are the water needs, which area need more schools and which environment requires more hospitals and other basic amenities. The only way the government can know this is through registration of residents.”

Asked if the 1,500 registration agents would be enough to register estimated 21.5 million residents, the LASRRA boss said the exercise was continuous exercise, saying all measures to ensure successful had been put in place.

As the calculations for the 2015 presidential election continue to gather strength, the Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere has declared that the state governor, Rochas Okorocha will contest the presidential election.

The implication is that Governor Okorocha will not seek a second term in office as governor of Imo State. This is because; he cannot contest both the office of the president and the governor at the same time.

Okorocha has been at loggerheads with some political stakeholders in the state over whether he would seek a second term in office, as they claimed that he had an agreement with the stakeholders not to seek re-election.

More to follow…

AWKA — Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has said that the emerging mega political party, All Progressive Congress, APC, would not favour Igbos based on their political experience.

Speaking yesterday when Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, a governorship aspirant in Anambra State paid him a courtesy visit, observed that Ndigbo had attained a high level of political consciousness that would make it difficult for APC to survive in Igbo land.

He said: “APC is dead on arrival in Igbo land. We have not walked that path before and I don’t think APC will favour Ndigbo and that is why we still insist that the legacies our late leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu left behind, should not be allowed to die.

“I am here to make sure there is peace in Igbo land, and the issue of who becomes the next governor of Anambra state still lies with the masses. I am only here to bless all the aspirants and the rest is left for the people.

“I don’t like the situation where my people continue going to court after each election and stay in court even till the end of the tenure of the election in contention.”

The MASSOB leader further said as the Igbo leader, the issue of who became the next governor of Anambra State laid with the masses.

ONITSHA — Nigeria Ambassador to Spain, Bianca Ojukwu, yesterday, in Onitsha, AnambraState revealed that many Igbo and other tribes got drowned in the ocean in a bid to cross over to Spain in search of greener pastures.

Disclosing this at a special interactive session/launching of almanac of the South East zonal chapter of the Campaign for Democracy, CD, Bianca regretted that the country they were struggling to get into was not better off than Nigeria, adding that on managing to get there they became jobless.


According to her, “as an ambassador to Spain, you come face to face with the trouble people are going through. I am sad that because things are not going on well in Nigeria the way they should, people now board ships to Spain and on their way, they get drowned.”

Regretting that it was hardship and suffering that made them to leave the country, she urged the state and Federal Governments to create enabling environment to help curtail the rush abroad.

On the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Spain, Bianca stated that it has been very cordial, adding: “Nigeria has signed a lot of memorands of understanding, MoU, with Spain on various areas, cultural cooperation, education as well as transportation and infrastructures.”

She commended Dr. Okei-Odumakin, National President of CD, for her role in activism, saying she has made Nigeria proud, nationally and internationally.

Earlier, in her brief remarks, Prof. Okei-Odumakin had commended the South East branch of CD for its efforts in helping to better the welfare of the people.

In his welcome address, the chief host and chairman of CD in the South-East Zone, Dede Uzor.A Uzor expressed joy that Bianca left her tight schedules to be physically present at the function and urged her not to relent in her good works.

Dignitaries in attendance at the occasion included the Special Adviser to Governor Peter Obi on Political Matters, Chief Fidel Okafor who represented the Governor; the State police commissioner, Ballah Nasarawa who was represented by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in Fegge, Mr. Makudi Shehu; the Chairmen of the five South East States of CD; Chairman of Vigilance group, Onitsha North, Chinenye Ihenko (a.k.a. Okpompi) and the President of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo

http://www.punchng.com/news/dangote-to-site-8bn-refinery-in-olokola-ftz/
JUNE 6, 2013 BY DAYO OKETOLA 18 COMMENTS
Indications emerged on Wednesday that the $8bn refinery proposed by Africa’s richest man and President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, would be located at the Olokola Free Trade Zone, Ondo State.

A senior official of the company, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told our correspondent that the refinery would be located in the OFTZ.

One of the factors considered for the location of the refinery, according to the source, is that it is the biggest deep seaport in the country and other big industries are located there; besides, Ondo is one of the oil producing states in the country.

The source added that stable crude oil supply was also a vital element in the choice of the location for the refinery because Chevron and a number of other oil producers had oil fields in the oil-rich region of the state.

On why Lagos was not chosen, industry analysts said though the state was a coastal state, Dangote would have to build pipelines to transfer crude from oil fields to the refinery, thereby incurring additional expenses.

The source explained that necessary approvals had been secured for the refinery, adding that the Dangote Group was just waiting for the necessary equipment with which to build the refinery to arrive.

Another source told our correspondent that Dangote, who was listed on Monday as the first African entrepreneur to lay claim to a $20bn fortune and one of the 25 richest men in the world, would put down $4bn of his personal fortune to build the refinery, while international financial institutions had raised the balance.

Dangote had in April announced plans to invest up to $8bn in building an oil refinery with capacity for around 400,000 barrels a day by late 2016.

The capacity, experts had said, would almost double Nigeria’s current refining strength.

“This will really help not only Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa. There has not been a new refinery for a long time in sub-Saharan Africa,” Dangote had told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Nigeria currently has the capacity to produce some 445,000 barrels per day in four refineries, which operate well below that owing to decades of mismanagement and corruption in Africa’s leading energy producer.

The country relies on subsidised imports for 80 per cent of its fuel needs.

Dangote said the country’s ability to import fuel would soon be challenged.

“In five years, when our population is over 200 million, we won’t have the infrastructure to receive the amount of fuel we use. It has to be done,” he said.

Past efforts to build refineries have often been delayed or cancelled, but analysts have said Dangote should be able to build a profitable Nigerian refinery, owing to his past successes in industry and his strong government connections.

Analysts have said previous attempts to get the refineries going were held back by vested interests such as fuel importers profiting from the status quo.

“The people who were supposed to invest in refineries, who understand the market, are benefiting from there being no refineries because of the fuel import business. Some are going to try to interfere,” Dangote said.

He said making a new refinery run at a profit would work even if the government failed to scrap the subsidised fuel price that has deterred others from investing.

“We’ve done our numbers and the numbers are okay,” he said.

Dangote, who spoke on the sidelines of the recent World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, said he had secured $4.25bn loans from banks to build the refinery.

He said the loan was secured from “two offshore banks and some Nigerian banks.”

MINISTER of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, alongside the Minister of State, Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, Wednesday described the power outage being experienced in the country as national embarrassment, but blamed it on systems collapse.

Nevertheless, Nebo said that steps had been taken to rectify the problem, adding that power was already being restored. According to the ministry, at least 120 million out of the estimated 160 million Nigerians are currently without electricity supply, leaving only an estimated 40 million Nigerians with electricity.

Nebo, who addressed State House Correspondents after briefing the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on the activities of his ministry in the last one last year, said that systems collapse affected some power installations in some parts of the country.

He cited the recent breakdown of power installations in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, which kept the two states in darkness for over three weeks, stating: “Bayelsa State was almost knocked out because a huge tree fell on the transmission tower and shattered it up to the foundation.

“Similar situation occurred in Kebbi, where heavy storms destroyed three transmission towers. These things are natural phenomena that are not caused by human beings.”

Aside systems collapse, the minister also manipulated the activities of vandals as well as lack of funding last year for routine maintenance of electricity equipment. He noted: “I can use the word ‘nightmare’ to describe what we witnessed in the past three weeks, as far as power supply is concerned.”

Nebo said it was down to “systems collapse, which occurs at the beginning of every rainy season, or when the rainy season is about to take off robustly, with a lot of storm.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsdey Orubebe, and his Minister of State, Darius Ishaku, told journalists that, “privatization is at its concluding stage. We need to focus on commercialisation of the power sector, considering where we are and the fact that only 40 million people have power supply.”

He expressed hope that the short-term mechanism being put in place, and additional fund being approved by government would raise power holding beyond the current 3200 megawatts.

Nebo, whose ministry presented its 2012 scorecard to FEC, said the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) has started a road show to make 10 different power plants available to interested investors, pointing out that once on stream, the 10 would add 4000 megawatts to the national grid.

For Kuchi, Nigerians would be better off owning great stakes in the power sector by availing themselves the opportunity in government’s commercialisation drive, as “the future of power in Nigeria is through IPPs and PPPs.”

Meanwhile, Orubebe said that funding has been the problem hampering the construction of the East-West Road. He noted, however, that the programme has made a lot of progress under SURE-P, as some bridges have been completed and key sectors of the road were being steadily delivered.

According to him, the ministry, in the post-amnesty period, has provided more skill acquisition centres to equip the youth and create jobs. Ishaku disclosed that the ministry spent N39 billion on the amnesty project in the past year.

According to him, the ministry was working hard to curb militancy, and though Julius Berger left the region because of militancy, the contract for the East-West Road was re-awarded and the new contractors were doing well despite the dearth of “real funding.”

LAGOS — Emotion ran high, Monday, at the Bar Beach Police Division, following revelation by a Primary 5 pupil of how her 57-year-old father had been having carnal knowledge of her in the last three months.

The primary school pupil during interrogation said her mother brought her to her father after years of separation, adding that since the sacrilegious act began, her father had been giving her N200 as pocket money to school.

Unsure of who to confide in, she said she told her mother during one of her visits only for the father to dismiss the claim, stating that he could not bring himself that low as to having carnal knowledge of his biological daughter.

But the bubble burst after she summoned courage to tell her head teacher, who invited the police.

According to the pupil, “ when I was reunited with my father, I was happy because I was living with an aunt in the village since my parents separated. He usually told me that I would take the place of my mother in his life since my mother had divorced him. I did not know what he meant until he started having carnal knowledge of me at night.

“At a point, I got tired and insulted him. Then, he started beating me and changed his loving nature. He would beat me and strip me Unclad and have his way whenever he wanted.

When I attempted to scream, he would hit me harder and cover my mouth. He later apologized, telling me he would buy me a car. All I want at the moment is for my father to be punished for what he did to me.”

But her 57-year-old father, Nwafor Iko, described her daughter’s claim as mere allegation. Ikoro said he only beat his daughter after he discovered she was in an amorous relationship with an unnamed man.

The matter, according to Police sources, was immediately charged to the Igbosere Magistrate Court, from where Ikoro was remanded in prison custody until his application bail would be considered.

US Government seize home belonging to Alamieyeseigha in Maryland



The US government has seized a Rockville home belonging to former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release last week Friday May 31.

Feds said they seized the home because the former governor bought the house using stolen state money. Alamieyeseigha was ordered to relinquish the $700,000 home on May 24, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Fedederal prosecutors claim Alamieyeseigha bought the Rockville property during his first term as governor “with funds obtained through corruption, abuse of office, money laundering and other violations of Nigerian and U.S. law.”

 

According to ICE, the title to the property was transferred to a shell corporation controlled by Alamieyeseigha.

Citing federal prosecutors, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Alamieyeseigha bought $8 million in properties around the globe with bribes he received while he was governor.

Alamieyeseigha, WSJ reported, denied the charges and offered a very different account than the Justice Department of how the house came into his possession. The article cites a 2011 affidavit in which Alamieyeseigha stated:

“I am not unaware of the monkey politics that is played in third world countries like Nigeria with the active connivance of over zealous individuals, agencies and government parastals (sic) touting themselves as global ethics compliance monitors. The civil forfeiture action which was brought against the defendant property in a quest to score cheap points as the global watchdog should be dismissed.”

In a news release, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman said the seizure was made possible through DOJ’s Kleptocracy Initiative.

“Foreign officials who think they can use the United States as a stash-house are sorely mistaken,” Raman said in the news release.

Alamieyeseigha pleaded guilty to money laundering and other charges in 2007 - two years after he was impeached - and was sentenced to two years in prison, The Gazette reported. He was pardoned by Nigeria’s president in March

Nigeria’s national U20 team are now involved in permutations as they hope to take part in the third-place playoff of the on-going Toulon Tournament in France.

The Flying Eagles have played three games with no victory to show. They played their best game at the Toulon Tournament to hold world champions Brazil to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night.

The permutations

Nigeria now have two points from three matches and must beat Portugal on Thursday and hope Belgium beat Mexico for them to play the third-place playoff against the runners-up of Group A.

Colombia and Brazil have qualified for the final of the competition as they won their groups with nine points and 10 points, respectively.

On Tuesday, Nigeria fell behind on the dot of half time when the dangerous Erik Lima scored for Brazil when he fired a low shot past goalkeeper John Felegha.

Enugu Rangers striker Alhaji Gero made up for a couple of missed chances earlier in the game to score a superb equalizer in the 53rd minute, his second goal of the tournament.

Determined to check the continued despoliation of the environment, the Federal Government yesterday said plans are underway to ban the use of plastic bags in the country. Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadza Mailafia, who dropped the hint during the 2013 World Environment Day celebration in Abuja, said government would favour the use of paper bags in their place.

Mailafia, who said the ban would take effect from January 2014, also said the Federal Government was also considering banning the use of sachet water.

According to her, the move to ban the plastic bags are necessitated by the numerous health and environmental hazards associated with their use.

The minister noted that unlike the paper bags that could easily decompose, plastic bags are non-biogradable materials which could stay in the soil for years, contaminating water sources when washed into the rivers by the rain.

Relying on the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO’s, statistics, the environment minister said one-third of global food production is wasted from farm to stock which is equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes of food annually; while an estimated 870 million people go hungry worldwide. She said more than 20, 000 children under the age of five also die daily from hunger.

‘Jonathan is displaying desperation for 2015’
THURSDAY, 30 MAY 2013 00:00 ALEMMA-OZIORUVA ALIU FEATURES - FOCUS
User Rating: / 1
PoorBest


Reverend David Ugolor, a rights activist, is the Executive Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ). In this interview with ALEMMA-OZIORUVA ALIU in Benin City, he spoke on the raging crisis in the Rivers State PDP involving Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the 2015 general election build-up.

WHAT is your stance on issues relating to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the Presidency?

This is another Abuja magic in display, we are in trouble. Femi Falana recently released a statement where he said there is a gradual move to dictatorship in Nigeria and attempt to muzzle opposition groups and free speech. You know Falana cannot just make a statement out of the blues. I raised the alarm that this government is not willing to listen to alternative voices, every attempt to demand justice, has been frustrated and the level of impunity today in Nigeria is alarming, it cuts across government sectors and institutions.
If you look at the just released human rights report 2012, it is the same message and the response of this government has been very bad; yesterday it was me, today is Amaechi, tomorrow it could be Adams. The Niger State governor also said so recently. So you can see that there is a gradual trend towards muzzling people with alternative views and even a threat to justice and once there is threat to justice, you cannot talk of the rule of law, you cannot talk of democracy.

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is a platform for the governors to articulate their positions. They are not arms carriers. The NGF is made up of both governors from the opposition and ruling party and they elected Amaechi as their chairman, and all the issues he has been raising are not his personal views they are consensus issues. Should he now pay a price for that? But you can see that this Abuja magic has brought politics into the NGF and this we condemn outrightly and as if that is not enough, this Abuja Magic which is interpreted as those old politicians who have expired in their states, as soon as they form partnership with the presidency, they try to undermine everything that happens in the states; they portend danger. The on-going politicisation of the NGF activities is condemnable, it is unacceptable and as civil society, we cannot keep quiet.

They brought the judiciary into who becomes the chairman of PDP in Rivers State. They went to Abuja to get a court ruling, something that could be done in Port Harcourt. It is an attempt to muzzle Governor Amaechi and Nigerians should oppose it. If the President wants to contest in 2015, the first thing he should do is to engage all stakeholders from the region, particularly the NGF. I don’t think anybody who wants to be president of Nigeria should be fighting Amaechi who is the chairman of the NGF because the position is that of the NGF. They are playing dirty politics. Look at the delay or seizure of the Rivers State aircraft. The differences between the President and Amaechi is dirty politics, an attempt to undermine some persons as we move towards 2015, it is 2015 politics at play. Even at that, does Amaechi not deserve and have the right to aspire to be president of this country? Does any other person from the South-South not have the right to become the president? It is like once you make contrary statements, you become a target and it is wrong.

Do proper assessment of South-South presidency, what practical benefit has the region got from this government? Amaechi raised concern about the East West Road. Who will say that the road is not an issue in the Niger Delta? He said if the Federal Government cannot handle it, let the South-South governors handle it. Is there anything wrong about that? The politics surrounding NGF has to do with 2015 election and we are saying that everybody, every tribe in the region all has the same right to aspire to become president of this country.
But as a matter of fact, I am not to concerned about who becomes president because from the example in Edo state, the issue of tribe does not really matter. To a large extent, if Oshiomhole was to contest on the basis of ethnicity, he may not even become a councillor in the state. But the people of Edo believed that ethnic background is not the issue but who is able to deliver.

If an opinion poll is carried out in the region today, people are not happy with the current presidency of Godluck Jonathan. The so-called South-South presidency is a ruse, no benefit has come to the region and I think we have a responsibility to begin to articulate views that will help to advance the cause of our people. The fact that less than one per cent of those who believe in arms are currently in comfort zone with the present government does not take away our own right to ventilate our concerns and as an Urhobo person, I have a right to articulate issues that will advance my tribe in the region. The fact that we don’t carry arms in the region does not mean we are silly because we have our own vision.

Allegation that the NGF and its chairman have become like an empire and emperor


NGF is a kind of pressure group registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. Its members have their positions. If you have contrary views to what they say, you also have the right to reply to their views. You cannot use federal agencies to now undermine the views of the NGF; it is unacceptable, it is dictatorship and a move to muzzle alternative views. ‘When NGF is supporting the presidency, it is good when they have alternative views, it is bad.’ You don’t run a country like that. Look at the issues they have been raising, Sovereign Wealth Fund and others. The states have their autonomy. The constitution is clear about allocation of resources.

You cannot use state resources to run the SWF and that is what the state governments are saying. Today it is Jonathan, tomorrow it could be anybody. He should not use federal government agencies to do 2015 because he is setting a bad precedent. At best, he will be president for eight years and that is why we are concerned but other persons will be president tomorrow. Look at Obasanjo today, he has become an emergency activist, if somebody had told him he will now be running around as an activist, he won’t believe. Yesterday when he was president, he was so dictatorial and that is why we are saying the right regulations should be put in place instead of castigating and hounding those who hold contrary views because you will not be there tomorrow. Look at people like El-Rufai, Oby Ezekwesili, today they are with us but yesterday they were in government. I don’t think if anybody had told El-Rufai that he will take this stance today, he would believe. So Jonathan should remember these people, let the right policies be in place.

How do you see the recent presidential pardon?

Pardon is now being given to some tribes and some tribes are not given. What is the difference between James Ibori and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha? As a matter of fact, Alamieyeseigha also has an international dimension to his corruption. That is why I want to appeal to the international community that they should not play into the hands of this government because this government’s so- called anti-corruption crusade is wrapped up in tribal sentiments; so when this government said they were cooperating with the British government to bring Ibori to justice, it was a ruse. The British government is wiser. A few months ago, Tinubu was being paraded before the Code of Conduct Tribunal because of his strong views.

We all have a responsibility to defend this democracy. Left alone, I don’t think Jonathan would have become the president of this country. Nigerians fought doggedly for him. We also have the right to disagree with him. Anybody from the Niger Delta who has been driving along the East West road would not be happy with the pace of work there and I don’t think that can fetch him votes from there. Let him not be deceived, Abuja Magic cannot say who will be president in 2015; it is what you are able to do, and what he is able to deliver to the region that will be the basis for who becomes what.

Violence is not exclusive to any particular tribe. The federal government now deals with only those who carry arms. The fact that the Urhobo do not carry arms, the fact that the Ogonis did not carry arms, does not mean they are silly. Look at the billions of naira that have been sunk into amnesty which would have been used to build infrastructure. This is fraud, less than one per cent of the people in the Niger Delta are the ones benefiting from the amnesty. This government has not been able to justify the billions it has spent on the people of the area to justify the sacrifices people have made, sacrifices made by Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni Eight, sacrifices by other tribes in the region. You cannot appropriate such for just one tribe. I think the presidency is heading for disaster in the region and every tribe have the right to defend its own. Amaechi comes from a tribe and every tribe has the right to aspire to be president of the country.

On Obasanjo’s criticism of the Jonathan administration’s fight against corruption

As far as I am concerned, Obsanjo has lost his moral right to criticise this government. He is an hypocrite; his daughter who was a senator was accused of corruption, he is only trying to whip up sentiments. Jonathan is the president of this country; what Obasanjo is doing is unacceptable. When Obasanjo was president, nobody would do to him what he is doing to Jonathan today. What moral basis does he have? If you want to even compare him to Jonathan in terms of listening to alternative views, Jonathan is better. If he had allowed Nigerians to pick their president, we won’t be where we are. It was because he singlehandedly picked Yar’Adua who later died that brought about Jonathan. If he had allowed Nigerians to pick their leader, it would have been different. We are asking Jonathan to deliver because we want true democracy. Our criticism is that he should not use state machinery to manipulate his coming back in 2015.

Comment on the one year anniversary of the death of Olaitan Oyerinde

One year after, the President of this country has failed again. It becoming increasingly clear who killed Olaitan, there is no doubt about it. What they wanted to do was to rope me in and close the case but it is now clear that the they killed Olaitan. It was the President that ordered the investigation into the killing and after almost a year nothing has happened to the extent that a sitting governor, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state had an altercation with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who lied to Nigerians. It is the same Abuja magic, when they didn’t feel comfortable here in the state, they had to approach the federal DPP (Director of Public Prosecution) for advice on the matter that happened here in Edo; expired politicians who run to the federal government once they see they cannot use their power in the state. All these show the culture of impunity in Nigeria.

Till today, the investigation of Olaitan’s killing is still shrouded in controversy, on who killed him, who did not kill him and I think that in a country where we are talking of democracy, the president by now would have invited the SSS and the police. I hope that as we mark his one year anniversary, it provides us with the energy to continue to demand for justice for him, for us and for his family on who killed Olaitan Oyerinde. But like I said, from the way the police tried to frame me up, that those young men that police claimed killed Olaitan where shot to confess me and we made this point clear through Femi Falana during the public hearing on the matter and up till today, that allegation has not been countered.

On centenary celebration

This provides an opportunity for us to look back. Where are we coming from? Government is investing more resources to embark on criminal investigation and prosecution. We are not heading anywhere. Impunity is increasing daily and I think that according to the book of Leviticus as we approach jubilee period, we should all come together. Most of the political elites are enmeshed in corruption. I think we should have a fresh beginning. Everybody should be forgiven so that we can start on a new slate because the man who wants to prosecute the other person is also corrupt.

On Edo council election


It is still the case of Abuja Magic. I will comment on the post-election. I congratulate the Edo State government for conducting the election. It was done because of the agitation of Edo people that they need a democratically elected local government administration and the government responded. At least, there is a general consensus that election was held and issues arose. Although I didn’t monitor the election but my colleagues did and from my own appraisal, the key lesson we must learn is that there are areas we must improve on, but the idea that election should be cancelled is unacceptable.

We must move forward, people have invested resources, elections have been organised and people have won and some have lost. The constitution is clear, when you lose an election, you can approach the court, and we will monitor the court process as civil society groups to ensure that the judiciary does its part. I also condemn the violence that erupted. People should not see election as a do-or-die affair, election should be for service. When you don’t win, go and do other things. We must commend the Edo state government for two reasons: for listening to the agitation of the people that election should be conducted and then the logistics challenge. I think the idea of printing our materials from abroad is not acceptable; we must internalize, localize, domesticate because apart from the capital outflow, we must learn to trust ourselves. I understand the challenge of the materials not being hijacked but I think they should improve on it in future so that those things can be printed here.

Rotimi Amaechi: His Only Sin Is His Victory
By Wale Odunsi

Nigeria, the self-acclaimed giant of Africa, is one of the few countries where citizens become endangered species once they foray into politics.

At the beginning of the face-off between the camp of Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the powers that be, I said that in not too distant future, a major player in the continuing battle would raise a disturbing alarm. The assertion came to pass seventy-two hours days after the chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. The duly re-elected chair of the body (as we’ve all now confirmed) at a gathering, alleged that “Federal People” were after his life; “Pray for me” he pleaded.

As for the traitor called Nyesom Wike, Minister of State for Education, he has given credence to the axiom: Best friends can be worst enemies. Thanks to him, governors now have an impeccable reason not to nominate their Chief of Staff for federal appointments. I am sure Amaechi, even with 99% alcohol in his blood stream, will not repeat that faux pas if the hand of time is reversed. Wike is playing god and his body language corroborates this. He is emboldened by his possession of the Rivers state People’s Democratic Party executive committee and the promise of a governorship ticket in 2015. Obviously to secure his political future, he has handed over his goodluck to Goodluck.

A research shows that on the issue of short-list for national executive jobs, most governors eventually regret the choice/s they make. It appears that a demon enters some of the appointees soon after they land juicy posts; pertinent to add that Ministers and head of parastatals are the usual culprits. You need to see their intimidating convoy in Abuja, the nation’s capital. These are people that hitherto had only one or two cars. Merely weeks into their new found glory, they wear arrogance like a well-tailored Babaringa. You then wonder how a man, who had to face 106 Senators for screening and probably asked to recite the National Anthem like a Primary Two student, suddenly lives and act like an emperor.

The Federal People and the leadership of the PDP, supported by their apologists, claim that their common foe siphon monies meant for developmental projects; that his achievements does not match funds allocated to/generated by the state; that he has marginalized some quarters; that he doesn’t kiss the foot of the President…bla bla bla. But do you on the basis of that scheme the man’s removal without following due process? I am not in any way supporting his deficiencies, but if you do not like an elected public office holder and wish to remove him, it is required that you at least respect the provisions of the constitution.

For the benefit of those with little or no idea of the genesis of the conflict, let me bring you up to speed. Sometime in 2012, Amaechi at a meeting declared that as an Ikwerre from Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area, it would not be fair for another person from same Ikwerre to succeed him in 2015.

The statement which makes sense, in view of the peculiarity of our multi-ethnicity, did not go down well with Wike, also an Ikwerre from Rumuepirikom community; he has his eyes set on the State's number one seat. Since then, he has colluded with the Presidency to make life hell for his one-time friend.

Adekoya Boladele, in his recent opinion advised President Jonathan to take a cue from his estranged godfather, if he really wants to rubbish someone. “I think the President need to talk to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and learn a thing or two on how to bring down his political enemies…Every attempt by him to bring down Amaechi has brought the presidency to ridicule and public condemnation,” he opined.

No doubt the Rivers helmsman is now widely regarded as a hero and someone being victimized for daring to say NO to certain policies; for having the audacity to show legitimate interest in a attaining a higher position in life. I thought ambition is one of the attributes we all possess as human, so when did God label it a sin or have I been in coma since birth? I totally agree with the comment by Sokonte Davies, a House of Representatives member on platform of PDP. Reacting to the controversy surrounding the outcome of the NGF poll, he declared that this is the first time in history somebody is being punished for winning.

At a time most of his colleagues in same party would sit on the fence to avoid a clash with the overall Oga at the Top, Amaechi would always speak his mind. Few days to the disputed election, there were reports in the media of how Jonathan forced some state governors to vote for his last-minute candidate, Jonah Jang of Plateau. Of course they bowed to his inclination because intelligence gathered against them revealed staggering and monumental corrupt practices.

Come to think of it, PDP as a party has a thing for Septuagenarians. National chairman, Bamanga Tukur; Board of Trustees chairman, Tony “Mr. Fix It” Anenih and lately, favoured stooge, Baba Jang, are all above the age of 70! Not surprised though, the party’s National Youth Leader, Garba Chiza, is 61 years old!

The treatment being mete out to Ameachi is prejudicial and I urge the 27 supporting members in the House of Assembly to remain unshaken in their resolute to do the right thing. Posterity will not take it lightly with them if they sell their conscience even for porridge worth billions

Two years to his re-election, President of the United States, Barrack Obama, invested heavily in the youth as well as information communication and technology. He embarked on sweeping health reforms, boosted foreign bilateral trade and partnership, and re-moulded his country’s image in a bid to portray it as a friendly world power and not a war monger.

Here, it is two years to general elections and electricity supply is yet desirable. In fact as I typeset this piece my generating set is on, while they are busy lavishing our collective wealth on a frivolity tagged ‘Democracy Day Presidential Dinner’. Healthcare and education sectors still cry for help yet we are building more federal universities and doing ground-breaking ceremonies for hospital projects; urban settlements still get royal treatment to the detriment of satellite towns which in actual context are slums; the SURE-P jobs they make so much noise about are only seen by them – we should ask our statistics’ managers to tell us if unemployment has reduced from 24% it was in 2011; internal security is at the scariest level with three states slammed with State of Emergency and others at the risk of same; one can go on.

Instead of working vigorously to ensure that efforts (whether that is enough requires a separate debate) injected in these areas are seen and felt by the ever-expectant electorate, we are fuelling the split of our Governors’ Forum. What a shame; Oh, what a big shame!