Okorocha Expresses Gratitude, As he Returns After Treatment Abroad Over Car Crash,

Owelle Rochas Okorocha has returned to Owerri, the Imo State capital after undergoing further evaluation and treatment in the United Kingdom due to a head injury he sustained in a car crash in Orlu last week.

Okorocha expressed his gratitude to Imo People for their prayers and concern while he was away.

The Governor while addressing journalists shortly after his arrival from London at the Government House Owerri advised motorists to drive carefully and avoid driving when under the influence of alcohol or impaired.

“I was involved in a motor accident which gave me a cut. I sustained a minor head injury and I had to travel out of the country after brief treatment at a private hospital at Orlu, to re-examine the position of the injury that I sustained, I want to say that I am fine, healthy and I am grateful to God Almighty,” he said.

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House of Reps to probe controversial grounding of Rivers airplane

The House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja mandated its committees on Justice and Aviation to extensively investigate the justification and circumstances surrounding the alleged grounding of the Rivers Airplane.

The committees are expected to report their findings to the house within two weeks.

This resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Ahmed Idris (ACN-Plateau), which was unanimously adopted without debate when put to vote by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

The motion is entitled: “Urgent need to investigate the justification for and circumstances surrounding the controversial grounding of Rivers State Government Bombardier B700 Global Express”.

Mr. Idris expressed concern that impunity and political vendetta were currently the order of the day in a 21st century democratic Nigeria.

He said that a Bombardier BD700 Global Express Plane with registration number 5N565RS belonging to Rivers Government was grounded at Akure Airport on April 26.

According to Mr. Idris, the plane which conveyed the Governor of Rivers and other government officials from Owerri to Akure was grounded by the National Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, in controversial circumstances.

He said that the plane was grounded with a request that the entourage should contact the Minister of Aviation or Director of NAMA for clearance, being the only condition for the plane to fly.

According to Mr. Idris, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NACA, subsequently issued a statement giving a different reason why the airplane has been permanently grounded.

He said that there was an attempt to ground the airplane at Owerri Airport on the orders of the Managing Director of NAMA for a different reason.

The legislator expressed concern that three different reasons had been adduced for the controversial grounding of the Rivers Government Airplane.

Mr. Idris urged the relevant committees to looks into matter.

Meanwhile, a bill to amend the National Park Service Act of 2004 passed its second reading.

The bill seeks to broaden the definition of ” National Park” to expressly include waterfalls.

The bill was sponsored by John Enoh (PDP-Cross Rivers).

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Justice Talba, Afenifere condemns one-year suspension

                                                 The NJC suspended the judge over a controversial judgement.

The leader of a Yoruba Socio Cultural Group, Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti, on Tuesday said the one year suspension of Justice Abubakar Talba of the Abuja High Court by the National Judicial Council[ NJC ] is not sufficient for his offence.

Justice Talba was found guilty of handing an ‘’unreasonable ‘’ sentence to a self –confessed pension thief, John Yakubu Yusufu.

The NJC, had last week, suspended the embattled judge for one year, saying he should not be entitled to any form of remuneration within the period .

Mr. Talba had earlier directed Yusufu to pay a fine of N750,000 ,shortly after the accused person who was a former Deputy Director in the pension office ,admitted before the trial court that he conspired with other civil servants to steal about N23 billion from the police Pension Fund .

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Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan misappropriate fresh N1.04 trillion, Senate reports

The administrations of three successive Nigerian Presidents misappropriated about N1.04 trillion from the Special Funds Accounts (SFA), a report by the Senate has said.

Between 2002 and 2012, the administrations of President Olusegun Obasanjo, late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and President Goodluck Jonathan spent funds from the account for unrelated purposes, an investigation by a senate committee revealed.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts stated its findings on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja.

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Rivers accuses Nigerian aviation agencies of unprofessionalism

The Rivers State Government has clarified its ownership of a private plane saying it owns the plane but registered it “as a US Aircraft in the first instance.”

In a statement by Ibim Semenitari, the Commissioner of Information, the Rivers Government said it is also baffled by the conflicting reports of Nigerian aviation agencies who have raised three different reasons ‘for the delay of the Rivers State Government’s aircraft in Akure,” on April 26.

The State Government accused Nigerian aviation authorities of unprofessionalism for failing to issue any official correspondence with it since the incidence.

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FG to inter-link NYSC locations

The  Management  of the National Youth  Service  Corps (NYSC)  has announced  plans to install a necessary platform that would enable  all NYSC locations to be inter-linked.

In achieving  this, the Director General of the scheme, Brigadier  General N.T Okore-Affia, said the management  would explore  the possibility of public  private  partnership  in view of the limited  financial resources available  to the organisation.

General Okore-Affia stated this while commissioning the NYSC Imo State / WOLEX ICT Resource Centre in Owerri.

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Bama town another Boko Haram attack, 17 persons killed, over 200 houses burnt: JTF battle

Barely a week after a massacre in Baga community of Borno State, a gun battle similar to the Baga massacre occurred on Thursday in Bama Town of the state, claiming 17 lives including soldiers and police officers, security officials said.

The commanding military officer in charge of Bama Barracks, A.G Laka told the visiting Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, that trouble started in the commercial town of Bama when armed Boko Haram gunmen attacked a police patrol vehicle of a Divisional Police Officer killing two cops.

Five police officers were also killed during the gun battle with the insurgents; while ten of the insurgents were also killed, the military officer said.

The soldier said another ambush on soldiers in the town on the same day claimed the life of a soldier and injured four others.

In response, the Joint team of soldiers and police returned fire on the raging attackers which led to a colossal destruction of buildings mostly shopping malls and shops.

Angry residents called on the federal government to withdraw the soldiers from the streets of the town; even as they vowed to lay down their lives should they suffer further attacks.

Our reporter saw hundreds of houses and commercial buildings burnt.

A local ward head, who declined mentioning his name for security reasons, said over 200 small time traders lost their wares in the fire.

Mr. Laka said that Boko Haram insurgents were using civilians, mostly women and children in the thatch houses as shield.

He said the special bullets fired by soldiers are called tracers, saying “once they hit target they catch fire.”

The Borno State Governor expressed sadness with the development and called for a general caution on the part of operatives and residents.

He ordered that seven trucks of food items be distributed to the displaced residents, while a committee is expected to advise government on compensation for victims who suffered losses.

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Jonathan: Urges Nigerian police officers to respect human rights

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday urged officers of the Nigerian Police Force to be mindful of the rights of citizens while doing their job.

The President gave the charge while commissioning 275 patrol vans, seven helicopters, 17 Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC, and other equipment for the Police Force at a ceremony held at the Eagle Square in Abuja, to mark the end of the Nigerian Police Force Week, the first to be held in 37 years.

He advised police officers to have regards for human dignity and the sanctity of life in the course of their duties.

“I will also charge the Police that while doing their work to be mindful of the rights of ordinary citizens because that is very sensitive. While policing us you must know that the rights of the citizens of this country must be protected.

“In that regard respect, maximum discipline from officers and men of the Nigerian Police is required,’’ he said.

The president decried the poor maintenance of equipment by Nigerians and urged the police to ensure it maintains the equipment so as to get maximum results.

“In the issue of the equipment, one thing I will urge the Police to do is the issue of maintenance. As a nation we are not too good in maintaining what we have. Presently, that aspect is improving because my interaction with the armed forces they have set up a very formidable team that now maintain their equipments, the Police should do the same so that these equipment will last the time it is expected to last.

“Also we must emphasise the need to train. For you to remain functional in whatever you do, and especially in security services, training is very paramount. So you must train with the equipment so that our men and women in the Police Force will have confidence in themselves and they will continue to operate as gallant men and women.

“The Police must be well equipped and kitted to protect us while on land, while in water and also in the air,” he said.

Helicopter for each state in Nigeria

The President further announced that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that each state command across the country has a helicopter.

“My commitment is that every state command must have helicopter. This is the commitment of government and that is why we set up a special fund because the idea that armed robber will take over a city and be operating for three hours and no challenge must be a thing of the past,” he said, adding that the government was determined to reposition the security sector for a more effective policing of the country.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to lend their full support to the police as the officers are noble men and women drawn from “our neighbourhood families and society; who have dedicated themselves to our protection and well being. In return all officers and men of the force must rise to the challenges that face us”.

The President condoled with the families of officers and men of the Police that lost their lives in the course of the security challenges faced by Nigeria. He assured that government will continue to remember their loved ones who had served the nation, as well as the family members.

While commissioning the equipment, the president said he expected that the equipment will “enhance Police capability in the prevention of crimes and deployment in emergency situations. They shall be instrument of justice and protection of all men and women of goodwill”.

In his welcome address, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said the resuscitation of the Police Week signified that police was returning to the basics aimed at restoring public confidence in the police.

According to him, it also provides an opportunity for police authorities to reappraise their activities in the last one year; especially as they relate to the security challenge confronting the nation and crime fighting.

“The Police is returning to the basics and the traditional values and practices of the Force are being restored. Today, the Force leadership is giving practical meaning to its firm determination to restore the lost glory of the Force and re-enact those practices which bind the citizens to their police and elicit fond memories of the Force.

“The week provides veritable window to reappraise our achievements in an increasingly complex security and crime environment, while also identifying our peculiar challenges in the fight against crime”, Mr. Abubakar said.

He thanked President Jonathan for supporting his vision to transform the police and for rewarding “deserving officers who have displayed exceptional gallantry and professional excellence in the line of duty and those that have paid the supreme sacrifice while discharging their constitutional mandate.” Presidential awards were presented to 17 police officers at the event.

Also speaking, the Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, thanked the President for supporting the police reform agenda especially the move to upgrade the Police Academy in Kano to a degree awarding institution.

As part of the ceremony, the President presented a presidential commendation awards to some officers and men who have distinguished themselves in the course of duty.

The police event caused a traffic snarl as most parts of the Abuja Central Area where the Eagle Square, venue of the event, is, was cordoned off.

Commuters complained of the difficulty in transporting themselves to their various destinations; and the loss of man power hours caused by the road blockage.

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ICC probes extra-judicial killings in Nigeria

The Special Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mrs Fatou Bensouda, has begun investigation into allegations of extra-judicial killings in Nigeria by security forces.

Bensouda confirmed this in an interview published in the August/September 2012 edition of the New African Magazine.

She was quoted as saying: “The OTP (office of the prosecutor) is currently conducting preliminary examinations in a number of situations, including Afghanistan, Georgia, Guinea, Columbia, Honduras, Korea and Nigeria”

The on-going inquiry is sequel to a petition lodged with the Special Prosecutor on behalf of the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP) by rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) two years ago.

Only last week, following the killing of 185 people in Baga, the border town 180 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, by Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) described the attacks on the civilian population as crimes against humanity.

It said the military action requires ICC’s attention to bring the actors to book since the government has not been able to deal with the situation effectively.

Falana, in a statement, said the disturbing phenomenon of attacks on civilians was confirmed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

According to the lawyer, Adoke revealed at a public event marking the Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012 that the Police alone had killed 7,108 persons in four years.

Of the victims, 2,500 were detained suspects.

Falana said with such summary executions by the police all over the country and the brutal killing of hundreds of innocent people by the joint task forces operating in the Niger Delta and in some northern states, a strong case had been made for the immediate intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try the culprits who have committed such crimes against humanity with impunity.

He said pursuant to the provisions of the Rome Statute to which Nigeria is a signatory, allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide are triable by the ICC where a state is unwilling or unable to prosecute suspects under its own legal system due to lack of political will.

Falana believes since the Federal Government has allegedly consistently demonstrated its unwillingness and inability to try security personnel and powerful civilians who engage in extra-judicial killings and other crimes against humanity, the suspects and their sponsors are going to appear before the ICC sooner than later.

He added: “To avoid a situation whereby some highly placed public officers and security personnel are dragged before the ICC for conspiracy and crimes against humanity the Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, direct the National Human Rights Commission to investigate and ensure the prosecution of all persons found culpable in the Baga invasion and other cases of extra-judicial killings in all states of the Federation.

“The Commission is the only body statutorily empowered to investigate complaints of human rights abuses in Nigeria. The Federal Government should make use of the Commission instead of wasting public funds on ad-hoc panels or tribunals of inquiry.

“When President Goodluck Jonathan visited Yobe and Borno States in March 2013, he warned that gone were the days ‘when one soldier is killed, the soldiers come and kill scores of people, we have always been admoninishing that’.

“Now that over 200 people were gruesomely massacred in Baga because one soldier was alleged to have been killed by a gang of criminals, the Federal Government must demonstrate a commitment to the defence and protection of the lives of Nigerians by bringing to book the coward murderers and arsonists, who invaded Baga penultimate week without any justification.

“During his last media chat, President Jonathan was unsparing of the barbaric invasion of Odi in Bayelsa State in November 1999 by a detachment of soldiers. The Federal High Court has since awarded monetary damages of N137 billion against the Federal Government for the brutal infringements of the fundamental rights of Odi people.

“Before then, the court had ordered the payment of N42 billion to the people of Zaki Biam in Benue State, who were similarly brutalised by armed troops on the illegal orders of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“President Jonathan should ensure that the compensatory damages are paid while the murderers who took part in the expeditions are fished out and prosecuted without any further delay.”

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NUP Group berates blast on Alison-Madueke, PIB

A pressure group, the National Unity Project (NUP), has berated some northern leaders over what it described as unwarranted attack on the person of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and their opposition to the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

In a statement signed Sunday by the Director-General, NUP, Mr. Igwekala Leo Ugomaduefule, the group urged the leaders to 'surrender their pride' to the reforms engineered by Alison-Madueke in the oil sector.

Ugomaduefule said such attacks were ill-advised and reminded them that in the past, ministers of northern extraction had exercised powers beyond the actions of the current minister without any condemnation from the North.

He said: 'The relentless barrage of criticisms directed at the Minister of Petroleum Resources, is very unwarranted, undeserving and evidently discriminatory. We note that these nefarious actions are coming from the political elite mainly of northern regional extraction, even to the extent that the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwanso, made a most inexplicable and ridiculous call for the trimming down of the power and authority of the petroleum minister.

'One wonders whether the current Minister of Petroleum Resources is exercising more powers and authority than erstwhile Ministers as General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Dr. Rilwan Lukeman, Prof. Jubril Aminu, among others. As a matter of fact and history, these other ministers performed their functions in a dictatorial military style when their words were final law, with no democratic input whatsoever from a legislature.'

Ugomaduefule, therefore, reminded the protesting northern leaders that the PIB was actually initiated in the regime of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and condemned Kwankwaso's comments that the implementation of the bill would serve further to impoverish the North.

He also noted that the bill was yet to exhaust the due process of vetting and adaptation by the National Assembly, stressing that it was still subject to inputs from all shades of opinion across the land, including that of Northern leaders.

'The pertinent question is: are the rest of Nigerians expected to continue to subsidise the North when their leaders had all the opportunities during the over 40 years of unbroken Northern military rule to put the whole of the country on the path development,' he queried.

'Or are these elements insisting that unless the office of Petroleum Minister is occupied by a Northerner, as has been the case with the Federal capital Territory (FCT) Ministry, the minister cannot be allowed to freely exercise to his or her functions,' he added.

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Obasanjo :Jonathan probe me, not my aides

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday challenged the Federal Government to probe his eight-year administration instead of descending on his cabinet members.

Besides, he criticised the establishment of an agency to protect oil pipelines, describing the action as a move for 'another chop, chop' - a veiled reference to corruption in governance.

Obasanjo, who spoke at the 50th birthday thanksgiving for a former Vice-President of the World Bank, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, at the TEAP-RCCG 45 in Abuja, said he was ready to account for his tenure. He said if the government found anything wrong, he would carry the can.

The former president was reacting to the recent moves to probe Ezekwesili by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the challenge thrown to the former World Bank Vice President by the Presidency to account for her tenure as Minister of Education.

Facing Ezekwesili, Obasanjo said: 'Actually, those who wanted to probe you, you should have asked them to, because if they are honest probers, they would find out that the government of Nigeria should give you money for what you have done for this country without stealing money.

'I have always said this, whatever you want to blame in my government, blame me, don't blame any of those people who assisted me. If there is any credit to dispense we share it. But for anything you want to say is wrong, I was the one in charge and I was in charge.'

Looking at some of his former cabinet members, Obasanjo added: 'When I look at you, I thank God for making you available to serve my administration, to serve Nigeria and serve God at the time you did.'

The ex-President condemned plans to create a special desk or agency/commission for national integration.

He said: 'The entire constitution of Nigeria is for integration; what else do you need? You have a constitution that is intended to integrate the country. You have things (agencies) like the Federal Character Commission; what is that one meant to do? It is for integration. The entire constitution is all about integrating this country. If at all we failed to use it, it can even be said we have breached the constitution. You don't need a commission for integration.'

Obasanjo also said moves to set up an agency for pipelines protection are meant to further perpetrate corruption.

He said: 'This morning, I was travelling from Abeokuta. I was listening to radio. I heard that they said that they are going to set up an agency for pipeline protection. Now, what are the police there for.? What are all the security agencies that we have doing? This is another chop chop.

'I just hope that we will get it right. We have no choice; we have to get it right. Let us decide individually that I would do what I have to do to bring about change in Nigeria. If you do that, let me assure you, you will be called names. You will be abused; some people are hired to do that. But like Oby, say what you believe is right and stand by it.'

Mrs. Ezekwesili said: 'I was born to parents who are from a humble family. My daddy was a man of uncompromising integrity. My daddy worked in Nigerian Ports Authority. He used to say to us that the Nigerian Ports Authority has become a centre of corruption. That was so many years ago. My mother talked my father out of public service because she was afraid for him.

'My mother used to go to Tejuosho market, like what we call bend down boutique, to buy clothes for us. She knew what they called grade one Okrika. We did not have money. We were poor but were rich in values. Those values shaped everything about my life. From young age, good governance and accountability mattered to me.

'I feel a sense of completion of a certain phase in my life. When I look back and I just remember so much that God has done in my life, I can't help but really understand God as the one who gives grace.

'It is only because of the grace of God that I am what I am today. It is not because I deserved it but because God decided that he will take a child from humble home and enable my parents to give me education, and laid on my path the opportunity to prove myself. Then He blessed the work that I did at different stages of my life.'

In an interview with reporters at a reception at the Peace Centre, International Conference Centre, Ezekwesili said corruption would sink Nigeria.

She said she would not stop talking against bad governance because it is her civic right.

She pleaded with Nigerians not to swallow up their voice against lack of accountability and transparency.

Ezekwesili is optimistic that Nigeria will attain greatness, but the nation needs 'sacrificial leadership' to move forward.

She said: 'I cannot even really relate to a life where people want to enjoy something they have not worked for. It is just an anathema because my family was founded on the principles of reward on the basis of efforts, hardwork, diligence and character.

'I have a very, very positive and optimistic view. I think I am congenitally optimistic. Concerning Nigeria, I am an eternal optimist. It does not matter if I am the only one standing and believing that this nation will attain the greatness that God destined for it. I am prepared to be that.

'It does not matter what you see. Hope that is seeing is not hope. This nation will transform; true transformation will come to Nigeria.'

Asked if she is interested in politics, she added: 'No. Actually, there is nothing about being interested in politics, if you understand democracy.

'Democracy is incomplete without the engagement of the citizens in the process. The demand for accountability and for results is the role of citizens, You don't have to be in politics in order to be an active citizen engaged in the democratic process.

'The reason that we have lacked results and accountability since our first democratic experiment in the 60s was simply because the citizens failed to play that role. I am not going to be a citizen that acts like a eunuch like there is no capacity to demand accountability.

'So, I am not a politician. The day I decide that I want to be a politician, you don't need to guess, you will see me. I am very candid. I am very frank; I am too honest to play games on things that I believe in. I don't want to be a politician. I am not a politician but I am an active citizen who is basically carrying out the role that every citizen of this nation must carry out.

'My general overview is that we are going through the throes of challenges that require a very strong sense of sacrificial leadership. The corruption in the society right now is so endemic, it's almost become democratised. And that is going to sink us. We need not implode under the weight of corruption. We need to tackle corruption and tackle it as you would tackle cancer. It can kill.

'There is no need pretending that this country is not burdened by the weight of a cancerous phenomenon that is called corruption. Every Nigerian knows that we have a problem. This is a broken society and it has permeated every aspect of our national life. So, we must do something about it.

'That is why, for example, when I talk about the active citizen that engages the democratic process. That is what I mean. The motivation that drives me is that look at me, the child of a poor family in a relatively decent society, I got a kind of education that has taken me thus far.

'I was Minister of Education. A similarly poor child, who would come from the kind of family I came from when I was young, will not have the kind of opportunities that I had in this same nation. That is what it is about. It is not about anything other than building a decent society.

'We must build a decent society that does not sow the terrible seeds of inequality that I see around me today. When I see the children of drivers, gardeners and I see that they will not get the kind of education, the kind of access that I had, the kind of opportunities that led to this life that I have, it pains me. That is what it is about.'

Responding to a question, Ezekwesili said she is not controversial.

She said: 'Am I controversial? I don't think I am controversial. I am not one bit controversial. I, actually, am not. Perhaps why you are saying that is because of the incident on the Excess Crude Funds. No.

'You should say that the government did not handle a citizen who has served this nation with all her heart well. My speech to the young people in UNN, Nsukka at the graduation ceremony was not picking on the government. It was picking on the collapse of the governance system in the petroleum sector and the fact that the oil sector had not delivered any benefit to the poor and that it needed to be tackled. That is what it was about. I am not controversial.

'I don't have to run for an office in order to make change happen. What I believe in is that every citizen has an important role to play. The most important role of the citizen is voice. Nobody is going to take my voice. Voice is God-given. God has given each and every Nigerian the voice in order to determine the kind of results that we are going to get from our leaders.

'In a democracy where you swallow up your voice and you sit quietly and you are murmuring in your home, nobody that is leading will have the incentives to offer you results. Every one of us must demand for results.

'The resources that are spent in this nation are greater than anything about 25 countries in Africa spend. There are some 25 small countries in Africa that do not have the equivalent of the budget that we spend.

'So, to that extent, you can see that if there are no results that are coming out of the spending of oil money in this country, it must become your responsibility. It should not be my responsibility alone. The society must be mobilised to play its active responsibility in underpinning democracy that works for the larger number.'

Asked if JAMB and NECO should be scrapped, she said: 'I cannot comment on that directly. But I do know that when I was Minister of Education, we tried to look at a consolidation process because with technology, you can actually converge a lot of the services that examination bodies offer.

'So, whether it is JAMB, NECO or it is WAEC, you can bring them togather and can integrate their platforms. We wanted to have that kind of mechanism and restore the integrity of the examination and their certification process.

'You would have to first think of the idea analytically, you must analyse it properly. And you need to engage with the National Assembly because they would need to repeal any necessary laws that need to be repealed.

'But it must be done on the basis of the outcome. It must be that you know clearly what outcome you are seeking to get, not simply that you are in a very incomplete manner trying to scrap them.'

In his sermon, a former Chaplain of Aso Rock, Rev. Williams Okoye, said: 'Life is not about material things that some of us are concerned about today; life consists far more than clothes and food.'

Some of those who attended the church and reception were: ex-Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammadu and his wife, Maryam Uwais; a former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo; a former Special Adviser to the President, Mr. Joseph Makoju; a former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mrs. Irene Chigbue; ex-Federal Capital Territory Minister Nasir el-Rufai; a businessman, Mr. Hakeem Bello-Osagie; a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Senator Magnus Abe; and the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh. The Nation

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JTF : Boko Haram Uses Kidnapping To Raise Funds

 Indications have emerged that the Boko Haram sect members may have resorted to kidnapping and ransom demand instead of their usual armed robbery operations as a way of raising the much-needed funds for their terrorist activities.

The thinking of the terrorists, it was gathered, was that while armed robbery poses too many risks and takes much longer time to plan and execute, kidnapping for ransom is less cumbersome, takes a short time to plan and execute and is even more rewarding.

The military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, Operation Restore Order, who disclosed this on Sunday said the sect may have taken this decision when it became obvious that most of their men involved in robberies are being lost in battle with the security agencies and their sources of funds are being stifled.

JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, who disclosed this said in a statement, Sunday, that the security measures adopted by JTF Operation Restore Order had made it difficult and nearly impossible for the Boko Haram terrorists and other criminals to conduct successful bank robbery operations in Borno State. 

“Consequently, intelligence available to the Task Force has indicated that Boko Haram terrorists have resolved to concentrate more on kidnappings than robbery. They alleged that kidnapping is more lucrative, less dangerous and requires short time to plan and execute.

"Similarly, a special kidnapping squad has been earmarked and tasked by Boko Haram sect to kidnap persons who could have wealthy relatives, politician, businessman/woman, traditional ruler, senior civil servants and foreigners alike," Musa said in the statement.

Warning members of the public to be wary of this trend, the JTF spokesman urged all to be wary and continue to be security conscious at all times. 

"The members of the public are hereby advised to avoid or be very sensitive to strangers and friends that have not been in contact for long. Additionally, members of the public are also warned to avoid isolated areas and shun meetings or friends found through telephones or social media. 

“The JTF once again appreciate the cooperation and understanding between members of the public and security agencies and to re-emphasise that security is a collective responsibility. Thus, members of the public are reminded to give credible information to the JTF through their hotlines which are operational at all time,” he advised.

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Nigerians should resist Jonathan’s “evil” $40 million Internet spy contract: ACN

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has condemned as “evil” the Jonathan administration’s $40 million ambitious internet spy programme awarded to an Israeli firm to secretly search out on Nigeria’s 47 million Internet users. The party urged Nigerians to resist the move.

The contract, undertaken by Elbit Systems, with headquarters in Haifa, will allow the government spy on citizens’ computers and Internet communications and emails under the guise of intelligence gathering and national security. Elbit announced the contract award Wednesday without stating the name of the benefiting country.

 A report confirming the existence of the contract between the firm and Nigeria, has sparked some of the most intense debate in recent years over a federal government policy, with many rebuking the plan as invading the privacy of Nigerians.

 In a statement in Lagos, the ACN noted how the government has failed to deny the story since it was published, apparently dispelling any doubt about the report’s credibility.

 The ACN’s statement, issued by the party’s spokesperson, Lai Mohammed, said the move was an unprecedented assault on the civil rights of Nigerian citizens by the government.

 ”For a government that is increasingly paranoid, having failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry who are justifiably becoming restive by the day, the ability to spy on the Internet communications of citizens as well as to intercept and read private emails, not to talk of being able to suppress unwanted connections, is a potent weapon against the civil rights of Nigerians as well as the constitutionally-guaranteed rights like freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of association,” the ACN said.

 ”It is also common knowledge that journalists have borne the brunt of the administration’s increasing propensity to stifle freedom of expression and press freedom, while members of the opposition are being portrayed more and more as enemies of the administration, rather than being seen as indispensable allies in the nation’s quest to evolve a strong and enduring democracy,” the statement said.

 The party said desirable as it may be for the government to gather useful intelligence on the terror groups, nothing can justify what will essentially become a weapon for harassment, intimidation and even decimation of perceived opponents by a desperate government.

 ”No government should have the right to play a ‘Big Brother’ role in the lives of the citizens, because this will ultimately herald the return to autocratic rule and sound the death knell of our democracy,” the ACN warned.

 Elbit says it will take two years to complete the project, by which time it claimed, the administration will have “a highly advanced end-to-end solution, [to] supports every stage of the intelligence process, including the collection of the data from multiple sources, databases and sensors, processing of the information, supporting intelligence personnel in the analysis and evaluation of the information and disseminating the intelligence to the intended recipient.”

 Many Nigerians believe however the government’s professed motive for the plan in generating anti-terrorism intelligence, the  main package of the project would be deployed spiritedly check a flurry of embarrassing lashing administration officials have been receiving online.

 The earliest hint that the Jonathan administration had desires to invade privacy of citizens surfaced early April when researchers at the Munk School for Global Affairs at the University of Toronto alerted the world that Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya were deploying Internet surveillance and censorship technology developed by an American company, Blue Coat, which specializes in online security.

 Blue Coat’s technology allows the government to invade the privacy of journalists, netizens and their sources. Its censorship devices use Deep Packet Inspection, DPI, a technology employed by many western Internet Service Providers, to manage network traffic and suppress unwanted connections.

DPI not only threatens the principle of Net Neutrality and the privacy of users, civic groups say, it makes single users identifiable and, in countries that flout the rule of law and violate human rights, often exposes them to arbitrary imprisonment, violence or even torture.

While details of the Blue Coat contract appears to have managed to evade scrutiny up till this point, our sources say the Elbit annunciation of the contract, opaque as it was, terribly rattled top administration officials – from the presidency to the National Security Adviser’s Office, and the National Assembly.

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Justice Talba suspension group salutes Nigeria’s Chief Judge

Lagos based nongovernmental organization, has welcomed the decision of the Nigerian judiciary to suspend Abubakar Talba of the Abuja High Court for 12 months, last week.

Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, had approved the suspension of Mr. Talba following his controversial judgment on John Yusufu, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged N32.8 billion Police Pension Fraud.

In a statement on Sunday, the group said that Ms. Muktar had “stepped up to the plate” to fight elements that have, for a long time, undermined the legacy and strength of the Nigerian judiciary.

“There is so much more that needs to be done to lift up the Judiciary from the doldrums and make the institution relevant for Nigeria’s future,” said the statement signed by Joseph Otteh, Access to Justice’s Executive Director.

Mr. Yusufu, had pleaded guilty to stealing N2 billion of pension savings, and was sentenced to two years in jail, with a shocking N250, 000 option of fine.

Mr. Yusufu promptly paid the fine and left the court premises in his car; before public outrage compelled the EFCC to re-arrest him.

Mr. Otteh said the decision to suspend him for one year without pay is likely without precedent in all of Nigeria’s history.

“He will be basically without work and pay and stay in enforced hibernation for the entire period,” Mr. Otteh said.

“Taken more broadly, this decision means that the Judiciary in Nigeria is getting more serious about the quality, rationality, prudence and justness of substantive decisions reached by courts in Nigeria and shedding the image of an institution that always could afford to bury its head in the sand when important struggles are at stake,” he added.

“Mr. Talba, however, has a fresh chance to reappraise his own place in the judiciary by resolving the difficult choices placed before him in manner that can be redemptive, both for himself and the judicial institution and salvage whatever can be salvaged from this situation,” Access to Justice said.

“What has happened has diminished his moral standing and authority and would adversely affect perceptions court users would have of his forthrightness and autonomy.”

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APGA moves to expel Okorocha

The formation of All Progressives Congress (APC) political Party has deepened the crisis in the All Progressive Grand Alliance, as members of the party are intensifying moves to expel the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, for alleged anti-party activities.

If the plot sails through, Okorocha will be the first incumbent governor to be expelled in the present Republic.

Ex-governors Abubakar Rimi of Kano State and Balarabe Musa of Kaduna State were expelled under the platform of Peoples Redemption Party in the Second Republic.

We learnt that members of the National Working Committee of APGA are spearheading the plot to edge Okorocha out of the party.

A member of the NWC told our correspondent that the party was not happy because the governor took a unilateral decision to join the All Progressives Congress, the opposition mega party.

Factions of APGA led by Mr. Victor Umeh and by Mazi Okwu have disowned Okorocha for romancing with the APC.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Rochas has left APGA and that is why he can’t get re-election. His romance with APC amounts to anti-party activities. When we put things right, we can talk of punishment for errant members. But I can tell you that Rochas will be expelled in APGA.”

Okwu told our correspondent that although attending conventions is not an offence, since it brings about cross-pollination of political ideas, Okorocha had however been attacking the APGA which produced him as governor.

He said, “His (Okorocha’s) body language and movement show he is with APC. Attending the Action Congress of Nigeria convention, is not bad, because during convention, about eight political parties attended as guests. I have attended the convention of other parties as well.

“But if he is now bad-mouthing his party because of his relationship with an association that is unregistered, we can only keep our fingers crossed hoping that if and whenever the APC is registered, we will know what to do. For now, the APC is still as an association and not a political party.”

When asked if it was possible to expel a sitting governor, Okwu said Rimi and Musa were expelled from the PRP.

“If a governor dumps the party on which he was elected, it is an issue that has to take care of itself. But let us wait; it may be possible that at the end of the day, he (Okorocha) may have a rethink. So, let’s not say much on that issue yet,” he said.

Also speaking, APGA leader and its Abia state governorship candidate in the 2011 general elections, Mr. Reagan Ufomba, said any member of the party who contravened its constitution and indulged in anti-party activities would be “disciplined irrespective of his position.”

Similarly, the National Secretary of the Umeh-led APGA, Mr. Sani Shinkafi, said the APC was not yet a political party but a political association, adding that  “Okorocha is on his own.”

The Special Assistant (Media) to Okorocha, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, however dismissed the expulsion threat.

He  added that Okorocha’s decision to ‘rescue APGA’ remained the best option.

“You know the present condition of APGA with respect to the numerous crises in the party. Based on that fact, Okorocha, being a progressive politician, opted to join forces with other progressives to form a bigger and national party. But it appears that some of these retrogressive elements are not in support of that move by the governor.

“I don’t know those that are trying to expel him; we are not aware. But as I speak with you, the governor is enjoying the support of over 80 per cent of APGA members in his latest move to join other progressives to form APC.

“So those few persons who want to continue making a mockery of themselves should go ahead. We are not aware and whatever they do there is null and void. It won’t enjoy the support of the real  APGA people,” he said.

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Falana: Another fuel subsidy removal will lead to revolution

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has warned the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum against removing the subsidy on petroleum products.

He said deregulation of the commodity would lead to revolution.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria was reacting to a recent comment credited to the chairman of the forum and Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in which he said mass revolt, was unlikely in the country.

Amaechi had at the Nigeria Symposium for Young and Emerging Leaders held recently, said many Nigerians had become used to suffering rather than pushing for a change.

The governor said he was sure that those who gathered to protest against the removal of oil subsidy in January 2012 would have fled if President Goodluck Jonathan had drafted soldiers to the Freedom Park, Lagos, and other states to quell the uprising.

Falana, in an electronic mail to our correspondent, further said Nigerian rulers had been cut off from those they rule.

He argued that the increasing number of people taking up arms to commit crimes, had confirmed that Nigerians were not afraid of death.

He said, “As far as I am concerned, it is the height of alienation on the part of the country’s rulers to believe that Nigerians are not ready to die in a country where militants, terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers and other young people are taking up arms against a rickety neo-colonial state.”

Falana further said out of class solidarity, most state governors conspired with the Federal Government to break the general strike and mass action against fuel subsidy removal in January 2012.

He said, “If the governor thinks a revolution is impossible in Nigeria, we dare the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Federal Government to announce another increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit.

“With respect, one does not expect a state governor cruising around in a private jet in the midst of poverty- stricken people to see the faces of hungry and angry people who are going to wage the revolution at the appropriate time.”

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Goodluck Jonathan bans Governor Amaechi’s aircraft from flying in Nigeria again

Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday intensified its attack on the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, with the National Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, banning the Rivers State-owned bombardier aircraft from flying in Nigeria’s airspace again.

Governor Amaechi has been having a running battle with the presidency over his stance on major national issues  and his plane was on Friday temporarily prevented  from leaving the Akure Airport. A spokesperson for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN,  told My Nigerian Today, that the plane was blocked from taking off because the pilot failed to declare the flight manifest.

But at a press conference in Lagos Saturday, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, Joyce Nkemakolam, announced the suspension of the plane from Nigeria’s airspace, saying its clearance certificate had since expired.

“The controversial aircraft on the service of Governor Rotimi Amaechi is operating illegally in the country” Ms. Nkemakolam said. “The aircraft, a bombardier –BD700, global express with registration no N565 RS has its clearance approval expired since Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013.”

She continued, “By our records, the last flight clearance for this aircraft was approved for operation on Thursday, March 28, 2013 on Accra-PH –Accra and to terminate on April 2, 2013. With this development, the aircraft has exceeded the extra two days or 48 hours leeway for it to leave the country.”

The NCAA boss further noted that “while still operating illegally, the aircraft has been sighted in several places including Owerri and Akure.”

“The owner of this aircraft according to the certificate of registration is Bank of Utah, trustee of Salt Lake City, Utah USA. The clearance for the aircraft was sought by Caverton Helicopters on March 27, 2013. Consequently, this aircraft in reference is hereby grounded at any airport that is located right now in the country.”

The presidency and the top brass of the Peoples Democratic Party had of late become uncomfortable with Mr. Amaechi who is believed to be leading a massive opposition against Chairman Bamanga Tukur and the President Goodluck Jonathan. He is also accused of using his post to strategically position himself as vice-presidential candidate of the party in the coming presidential election.

In late February, the ruling party formed the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, in what analysts see as a last gasp effort by Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Tukur to dilute the perceived growing political influence of  Mr. Amaechi, who was elected chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum in June 2011 for an initial two-year term.

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A’Ibom communal clash, Soldiers take over

No fewer than four persons were feared dead and over 10 houses burnt in a renewed communal clash between the Esit Urua village and Mkpanang  in Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State.

The clash, Saturday Independent gathered started when bulldozers were seen clearing the disputed area of the boundary between the two villages.

It was alleged that the site clearing was done at the instance of Mr. Okpolupum Etteh, a member representing Ibeno in the state House of Assembly for the establishment of a police station.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that some youths from Esit Urua on sighting the bulldozers on the disputed land, had moved in to inquire why the land was cleared but this was met with stiff reaction by youths from Mkpanak village who were alleged to have prepared for war.

It was gathered that as the fight erupted, more youths from Mkpanak village were mobilized to attack the Esit Urua village resulting in four death and eight houses being burnt with others seriously injured while many  fled the community to nearby Eket town.

When our correspondent visited the area, it was observed that all movements to and from Ibeno where the ExxonMobil operational office is located have been stalled leading to a zero commercial activities in the area.

Besides, more than five trucks of soldiers from the 6 Amphibious Battalion, Ibagwa in addition to the Joint Military Task Force codenamed  Operation Thunder, have taken over the two warring communities and all adjoining roads to Mobil operational base.

It was gathered that a similar clash had occurred in 1993 where several houses were burnt and over 150 persons were allegedly killed leading to the Federal Government setting up of Justice Akpata Panel of Inquiry to look into the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

We were reliably informed by a source who pleaded anonymity that though, the panel had submitted its report, it is unfortunate that almost 10 years after, the White Paper has not been released by the federal government.

The youth leader of Esit Urua village, Mr. Michael Bassey, while confirming the number of lives lost and houses burnt lamented that the situation could have been averted if the Ibeno people did not provoke the Esit Urua people to fight.

The Paramount Ruler of Eket, His Royal Majesty, Obong Nathaniel Oduenyie, while speaking with My Nigeria Today called on the warring villages to sheath their swords and urged all to remain calm.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, ASP Etim Dickson, who confirmed the incident when contacted also said that the situation has been brought under control.

A stakeholder meeting of the warring villages which was convened at the instance of the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in the area was in progress at the time of filing this report.

Efforts to speak with the paramount ruler of Ibeno, HRM Effiong Achianga, was futile as he was said to be attending the stakeholder meeting.

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