The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has revealed that the federal government cannot prosecute the people indicted in the House of Representative probe into the management of the fuel subsidy, saying the probe was just a ‘fact-finding’ mission.

Reacting to calls for the prosecution of those allegedly indicted in the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, the AGF in a statement on Thursday stated that the government will need relevant agencies to conduct necessary investigations before it can commence the prosecution.

According to the AGF, “government must be guided by the dictates of the rule of law and due process as required of any democratically elected and responsible government.  In this regard, the need to ensure that thorough investigations are carried out by relevant law enforcement agencies cannot be overemphasized.”

Even as the House of Representative in a unanimous vote approved all the recommendations of the report, the AGF noted that the exercise carried out by the legislature is “mainly fact-finding.” He further pointed out that the report of the ad-hoc committee and the resolutions adopted by the House of Representatives, were yet to be transmitted to the executive arm of government.

“Nevertheless, when the report and accompanying resolutions are received, the relevant law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies will commence the tedious process of sieving through the report, with a view to assembling all the essential ingredients required to sustain criminal charges that may be filed as a result of such investigations” he added.

Lack of evidence

Referring to recent flaws recorded by the anti-corruption agencies in the trial of some corrupt allegations, Mr Adoke stated that “experience has shown that whenever our law enforcement agencies are stampeded to arraign suspects, the end result is usually the discharge of such suspects by the courts ostensibly for want of evidence.”

“Nigerians must therefore allow our law enforcement agencies to conduct painstaking investigations that will ultimately satisfy the standard of proof required in criminal cases.”

He however admitted that the allegations contained in the subsidy probe report deserve serious action on the part of all those with oversight responsibility over the agencies and persons concerned.

He urged Nigerians to have faith in the processes being undertaken and to patiently wait for the outcome of the investigations and subsequent prosecutions that may flow from the fuel subsidy probe and also the on-going probe by the Senate.

Divert attention

Mr Adoke also reached out to the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) that has given the government a two weeks ultimatum to commence the prosecution of all those indicted in the report; else they will call for a nationwide protest.

The AGF stated that the threat to embark on demonstrations and strike actions will only “compound the problem and divert attention, as well as, the energy that would otherwise have been channeled into productive use by law enforcement agencies”

Mr Adoke reiterated government’s commitment to anti-corruption as he recalled the President’s initial reaction to the Report of the Fuel Subsidy probe, saying that “any person found wanting will be prosecuted irrespective of the person’s standing in the society.”

He therefore enjoined all Nigerians who are concerned about the revelations from the fuel subsidy probe report to be “patient and exercise restraint while these difficult, but essential processes are carried out by appropriate agencies.”

“As Attorney General of the Federation, I swore to uphold the Constitution and I am therefore not oblivious of the constitutional responsibility placed on my shoulders to ensure that those who contravene our laws are held accountable through the legal process” he stated.

Source: Channels

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s army said Tuesday it killed 27 soldiers from Sudan’s armed forces during a clash along the countries’ contested border.

South Sudan’s military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer said the fighting took place in Hofra along the road to South Sudan’s Unity State capital, Bentiu.

He said three South Sudanese soldiers were killed and two others wounded after soldiers for the south intercepted three Sudanese trucks mounted with machine guns traveling to positions held by South Sudan’s soldiers.

“They were trying to surprise the SPLA, but we had been monitoring their preparations for the last three days,” said Aguer. The SPLA is an acronym for South Sudan’s military.

He said South Sudan’s forces killed 27 soldiers, including the Sudanese major leading the attack, before driving the trucks back across the border.

This is the latest in a steady stream of confrontations between the two forces since South Sudan left the oil-rich and disputed town of Heglig more than 10 days ago. South Sudan had invaded Heglig, saying it belonged to the south. Sudan later retook the town; Sudanese forces say they pushed out the South Sudanese while South Sudan says its troops pulled out to avoid an all-out war. Sudan elevated the tension even further by bombing South Sudan.

Aguer said Sudan’s military launched Tuesday’s attacks from Heglig. Aguer said the SPLA forces only pursued the Sudanese troops “about 5 kilometers” from Hofra, and did not plan to immediately respond.

But he said South Sudan would retaliate if Sudan continued launching attacks from Heglig.

“This may be the first of many attacks,” he said. “It has not reached that level, but definitely if they continue to advance toward Jau and Pariang, SPLA has the right.”

The international community has condemned the fighting and has called for an end to the hostilities between the countries, but those calls have largely been ignored. The two nations’ armies have continued to clash around positions at Teshwin and Panakuac near the disputed border, and Sudanese jet fighters have repeatedly dropped bombs inside Unity State, including on Bentiu.

South Sudan split from Sudan in July last year, but the two countries have yet to agree on border demarcation and divvying up oil revenues and resources.

(CNN) — When the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng staged his astonishing escape from house arrest, he sought American protection at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Six days later, when Chen left the embassy for a local hospital, it looked as if U.S. officials had found a solution that, as the State Department put it, “reflected his choices and our values.”

One official at the U.S. Embassy said Chen was so grateful for America’s help that he told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the phone, “I would like to kiss you.”

But the picture is starting to change, with signs emerging that the Obama administration failed to effectively protect Chen.

Did the United States betray the Chinese human rights lawyer?

The United States said a deal with China would set Chen free and allow him to relocate within the country along with his family and attend a university. But Chen has told CNN that the U.S. government let him down. The United States insists the activist left the diplomatic compound willingly and wanted to remain in China. However, Chen said he fears for his life, his wife’s safety and wants to leave the country. More troubling, he claims that U.S. officials, instead of extending their protection, pressured him to leave the safety of the embassy.

If this is true, it is a dark mark of shame for the United States. Until now, President Obama had a mixed record on human rights. This was an important test for an administration that has favored pragmatism over emotionally satisfying displays.

Chen’s unexpected request for shelter at the U.S. Embassy created a terrible dilemma for Washington. Months ago, Clinton had already spoken on his behalf, as human rights groups characterized his detention as wholly illegal.

But Chen’s escape to the U.S. Embassy came at the worst possible moment, with Clinton about to visit Beijing for high level meetings on other crucial issues.

America’s relationship with China is complicated, to put it mildly. The United States needs Beijing’s cooperation on Iran and North Korea. China is one of America’s top trading partners and its top creditor.

The Chinese government does not take well to lectures on human rights, saying that they are a hypocritical construct of the West and are used for political purposes. Even if the issue has merit, Beijing says, it would be an internal matter; none of America’s business.

Chen, who has been blind since childhood, is a self-taught lawyer. He became a fierce advocate for the poor and disabled and gained attention when he exposed abuses of China’s one-child policy, uncovering the brutality of lower level officials who carried out forced abortions and sterilizations on thousands of poor Chinese women. Initially, Beijing heard his case and even arrested some of the offenders. But Chen said Beijing’s actions amounted to very little. As his international profile rose and he redoubled his commitment to empower the people before the government, Chinese authorities turned against him.

In 2006, the Chinese government sent Chen to prison on charges that he disrupted traffic and damaged property, charges that he denies. After he left prison four years later, he and his family were placed under harsh house arrest. Human rights groups say they endured daily beatings and a near-starvation diet.

On April 29, under cover of darkness, Chen climbed the wall that had been built around his house. His blindness meant the dark gave him an advantage over the scores of security personnel that kept watch over him. He had led his captors to believe he was ill, and they lowered their guard even more.

Once over the wall, a network of activists helped him, with one of them, He Peirong, driving him 300 miles to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. She is now under arrest.

When President Obama was asked about Chen, he said he was aware of the situation but refused to address it, saying only, “Every time we meet with China the issue of human rights comes up.”

Obama disappointed human rights activists early in his administration when, for example, he resisted coming out strongly in support of pro-democracy activists in Iran, claiming it would not be helpful to “meddle” when hundreds of thousands took to the streets. He was criticized for canceling a meeting with the Dalai Lama, and after he finally met him, for having him leave through a back door to lower the profile of the meeting, in order to sooth China. His continuing support for some dictatorships and tepid, inconsistent positions on the Arab uprisings have also spurred criticism.

At the same time, his pragmatic diplomacy appears to have borne fruit, most notably in Myanmar. And human rights activists say he has come a long way since his earlier stumbles.

The Chen case, however, could become iconic. If the Obama administration cannot explain what went wrong, it will have opened itself to criticism from human rights advocates and from Republican rivals, that he badly fumbled.

The Chinese government has demanded an apology from Washington for helping Chen and for interfering in Chinese domestic affairs. But the Obama administration, which claimed it had stayed true to American values in the Chen case, needs to prove that it has the moral strength to stand up for one courageous individual who sought help.

This is not just about Chen. It is about universal principles of human rights, really, and about America’s willingness to defend them on the global stage. The whole world is watching.

A Nigerian Air Force F7-Ni single seat fighter jet, on a routine training exercise, crashed yesterday afternoon at a location close to the Kaduna International Airport.

The pilot on board the aircraft, however “ejected successfully”, a statement issued yesterday by the Air Force Headquarters, Abuja by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Y. Anas, stated.

It said a Search and Rescue Team from the Nigerian Air Force 301 Flying Training School Kaduna immediately rescued the pilot.

“The pilot, who is in a stable condition, is currently receiving treatment at the Nigerian Air Force Aero Medical Hospital, Kaduna.

No fatality on the ground was reported,” it statement added.

Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation into the crash, the statement said, has been ordered by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal MD Umar, to ascertain the cause of the accident.

In another development, the Force also announced the passing away of Air Vice Marshal John Yisa-Doko, a former Chief of Air Staff from 1975-1980, who died yesterday after a brief illness, saying, “the burial arrangements will be announced later.”

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Source: Leadership

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has expressed worry over what he called attempts from some quarters to create the impression that he is not eligible to vie for the presidency in 2015.
Atiku said that those who claim to have the gift of foresight, especially what would happen in 2015, should stop playing Allah, because ”we do not know tomorrow”.
The former vice-president’s statement is coming on the heels of a recent clarification from the presidency that President Goodluck Jonathan was serving his first term in office.
A statement from Atiku’s media office said, “In this post-zoning era, President Jonathan is free to contest, his younger brothers or anyone from Otuoke village are free to contest, while Atiku Abubakar is also very eminently qualified to aspire to become the president of Nigeria in 2015.
President Jonathan can aspire to contest for the presidency as many times as he wants with Bamanga Tukur as the PDP chairman. But, these must not stop Atiku from raising his hands for presidency.
“Those who are engaged in political blackmail should desist and look up to Allah who is the author and finisher of the many desires of a man’s heart. He is also the Supreme Being, the only one who can determine the future with certainty, including what will happen in 2015. It is also instructive, as Chinua Achebe advised, those whose palm-kernel has been cracked by benevolent spirits should not forget to be humble.”
The statement further said that since the last PDP convention, which produced Bamanga Tukur as the national chairman, the media have been awash with all kinds of analyses and permutations on the implications of the outcome of the convention on Atiku’s presidential ambition.
“Some of these political fortune-tellers have, in a desperate attempt to keep their man, meaning, President Goodluck Jonathan in power beyond 2015, foreclosed Atiku’s bid for the presidency. They think Atiku’s bid can no longer see the light of the day. They are wrong, dead wrong!
”For Atiku Abubakar, whose political qualities and skills are not hidden to Nigerians, the 2015 presidential race has not become his pre-occupation, considering the fact that President Jonathan has not even completed one year into the tenure and that is why Atiku has not even made any policy statement on this administration. There is no doubt, that Atiku is the issue in Nigerian politics today! We do not know of tomorrow,” it further stated.
The statement recalled that since May 29, 2007, when Atiku left office as vice-president, the Senate and the House of Representatives had carried out probes in different sectors of the economy – the Bureau of Public Enterprises, power sector, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, to petroleum subsidy and capital markets and pensions. Where and when in all these, it queried, has Atiku’s name or those of his family or close associates been mentioned or indicted?
“If the intentions of these ghost political jobbers are to make way for President Jonathan to violate his promise of not contesting for the presidency in 2015 and therefore remain in office beyond that year, these agents of political power-mongering do not need Atiku’s name to achieve all that.
“Atiku stood and fought for zoning in 2011 to ensure equity and maintain the constitution of the party. He was there at the 1994-1995 Constitutional Conference where the six geopolitical zones were created and zoning made part of the constitution of Nigeria to give a sense of belonging to all parts of the country, particularly the minority ethnic groups which President Jonathan is part of.
It was unfortunate that General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s military government removed the zoning clause from the constitution.
From here, the PDP picked up the battle and made it its own. The party inserted zoning in its constitution and this accounts for why its fortunes soared. President Jonathan and his political supporters ensured that zoning in the PDP constitution was destroyed in 2011,” it said.

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Source: desertherald