The Lies And Deceits Of Governor Rochas Okorocha

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By Citizen Reporter

The Executive Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha while narrating the full import of his government’s rescue mission likened it to the Israel’s rescue operation in Uganda tagged “90 minutes at Entebbe”.  Although, the Entebbe raid was acted with exquisite sense of timing, its target of rescuing Israeli hostages from Field Marshall Idi Amin Dada was of vital strategic importance to Israel’s prestige as a nation. Nevertheless, the rescue operation as mission accomplished had all the hostages rescued and airlifted to Israel.

In view of the foregoing, governor Okorocha’s rescue agenda in Imo State lacks vision, since it was likened to the Israel’s operation in Uganda, which has its distinctive circumstance. In fact, such an imitation cannot pass for a vision. It can be a mere daydream, which most times, cannot be turned into reality due to lack of originality and reasonable concordance.

Apparently, within 10 months in office, a state government that purports to be on rescue mission could not pass simple litmus test as it still appears insensitive to the two factors, namely to rescue people in supposed desperate plight, and to achieve it within a time frame. Thus, the only question on the lips of Imo people is “who is the rescue government actually rescuing or for whom is effort made in that direction?”

Is it the Transition Committee (TC) Chairmen at the Local Government Councils (LGCs) that have neither members nor appointment letters and all the paraphernalia of office? Or, is it the stooge members of the Imo State House of Assembly (IMHA) and the rescue government appointees who act as guinea pigs in the midst of being denied the pleasure of using brand new official vehicles and the benefit of all the entitlements attached to their offices? Or, is it the state civil servants who are at a crossroads between asking for a stop to an endless screening of certificates and craving for the actual computation of the hyped N20,000 new minimum wage, which should have placed them above the federal civil servants?

Let’s tell ourselves the bitter truth! Is governor Okorocha in all sincerity paying the state civil servants far and above their counterparts in the federal civil service who are earning N18,000 minimum wage? What is this lackadaisical mentality beclouding Imo people that a spade can no longer be addressed as such? Nevertheless, the civil servants know too well that the table used by governor Okorocha in calculating the so-called N20,000 minimum wage does not give a value worth up to N11,000 minimum wage, and they are afraid to voice out this truth for fear of victimization.

BUILDING TRUST AND ENGAGING THE PEOPLE

One is worried at the level of lies, falsehood, deceit, and abracadabra, which the Imo people have brazenly admitted to contend with.

*    It is beyond every reasonable doubt that governor Okorocha did not cut down any state security vote as claimed. Reference to the 2011 budget reveals that the said state security vote was N2billion and not N6billion. Therefore, for governor Okorocha to claim that he cut down the said state security vote to N2.5billion is a criminal projection aimed at hoodwinking the Imo people for self-aggrandizement to the tune of N500million. This is fraud.

*    Imolites are no daft to be deceived that governor Okorocha paid 2-12years pensions to retirees whereas he merely paid 3months arrears in a dramatized interactive session. This window dressing to attract undeserved applause was stage –managed to portray the past governors of Imo State as insensitive to the plight of the retirees while masquerading as “a self-acclaimed messiah”.

SECTORAL REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE

(a)    PUBLIC WORKS/INFRASTRUCTURE

*    The totality of the public works and infrastructural projects embarked upon by governor Okorocha are all at their teething stages that should not warrant any self-glory or applause. It is sad to note that the award of these contracts did not follow due process because according to governor Okorocha, “in rescue mission, there is no protocol”.

*    The verbosity in respect of breaking the age-long jinx about Okigwe and Orlu regarding the location of such white elephant projects as a five star hotel, a civic centre, a modern stadium, etc are the usual fallacious promises of governor Okorocha. It can be likened to the N100million development fund promised to each of the LGAs in the State, which till date is yet to be realized. To add salt to injury, governor Okorocha promised another N1billion to each of the LGAs in a manner that presents him as one in need of psychiatric diagnosis and spiritual deliverance so as to bring his flippancy to a bearable level.

(b)    EDUCATION

*    Governor Okorocha has made a ruse of education in the Imo State public school system with his ill conceived free education programme. Disappointedly the governor is busy politicizing the N100 stipend to school children, while the imprest to run the schools have not been made available, which invariably affects the quality of the so-called free education. Recently, the school children were restive on why the state government could not live up to its words of N100 daily stipend, which was paid for the first (and last) time in October 2011.

*    In the face of the above, governor Okorocha perfected another lies and deceit phenomenon where he promised free education scheme and mouthwatering bursary for all Imo State undergraduates in the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri and the Imo State Polytechnic (ImoPoly), Umuagwo. If Lagos, Rivers, and Bayelsa States whose Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) surpasses the federal allocation to Imo State cannot offer free tertiary education programme, and are finding it difficult to grapple with that of the secondary and primary schools, one marvels at why governor Okorocha thinks he can always play on the intelligence of the enlightened Imo citizens.

(c)    SECURITY

*    Imo people witnessed how governor Okorocha rebranded all the Hilux vans and Healthcare delivery hummer buses in the State to credit his so-called rescue government. Even, the additional 100 Ford Ranger Trucks, which he claimed to have purchased were actually donated by banks to the State government. The said governor was not ashamed to present these trucks to Imo people as his achievement in his first 100days in office, which he earlier planned not to celebrate.

*    In the same manner, the said governor re-allocated all the official vehicles (acquired by the past administration) to his political appointees who invariably were denied the comfort of brand new official vehicles. Thus, the money so conserved from not purchasing any new vehicle is not seen to have been meaningfully utilized by the Okorocha’s government.

*    In late January 2012, governor Okorocha visited Gombe, Bauchi and Kano States for his 2015 presidential ambition. However, he claimed to have visited and held meetings with the Igbos, and found out that no Igbo was killed in any of the Boko Haram attacks. Thanks to God that Rochas abracadabra did not charm the visibly annoyed Chairman of Ohaneze ndi Igbo of Kano State who was quick to respond that, “Okorocha did not enter Sabon Gari to see anybody. He came for his own political business. He did not come to see Ndigbo. He did not set foot in the community”.  This is how governance has been reduced to a child’s play where time, effort and money are wasted on frivolities.

(d)    IMO STATE CIVIL SERVICE REFORM AND COMMERCIALIZATION PROGRAMME

It is on record that governor Okorocha has addressed Imolites on several occasions on the issue of the State being very rich. However, one is amazed on why, in the midst of this professed plenty, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were directed by the governor to engage in commercial activities in order to generate their salaries and allowances, while subventions to these MDAs have since been completely withdrawn. What a contradiction and double speak by governor Okorocha!

(e)    REDUCING THE COST OF GOVERNANCE

*    Governor Okorocha, in his address on the STATE OF IMO told Imolites that, “one of the biggest setbacks to the development of our nation has been the unusually high and largely unjustified cost of governance. Unfortunately, our State was a classic example of how resources could be frittered away by the excessive overheads and a plethora of unwholesome practices fueled, to a large extent, by greed and avarice”.

The same governor Okorocha who claims to be patriotic and prudent by his so-called rescue agenda deceived Imo people by wasting a whopping sum of N2billion on a trip to woo investors from purported seven countries. Imolites are still waiting for the investors to arrive.

*    During the same address on the STATE OF IMO, governor Okorocha disclosed that “my government since inception has not borrowed a kobo”. Thus, the governor should in the spirit of his acclaimed prudent management of the State resources explain the following:

–    Who borrowed the N10billion and N50billion respectively in 2011, and which were approved as supplementary budgets by the stooge IMHA?

–    Who borrowed N6billion for repayment of purported loan owed to UBA PLC by the past administration?

–    Who borrowed another N6billion for supposedly counterpart fund for UBE, ETF, MDG, etc?

–    Who, also, borrowed N5billion for fruitless adventure of re-surfacing good and motorable roads in Owerri municipality?

–    Who, too, borrowed a whopping sum of N10billion for phantom infrastructural development?

The loans are endless. Who is governor Okorocha fooling? Perhaps, governor Okorocha is right, because he is yet to start the actual borrowing spree.

*    Whereas governor Okorocha is busy siphoning the State funds, he turns round with a Catholic look to tell easy-going Imolites what they like to hear about manna falling from heaven. Without fear of contradictions, Concorde hotel has been suffocated in the guise of renovation to pave way for LA MONDE hotel (owned by governor Okorocha) to reap all government sponsored socio-political activities. Roche group International (owned by governor Okorocha) controls all the ETF and UBE contracts at IMSUBEB as well as manages ADAPALM, Concorde hotel, and ITC. LA MONDE Press, LA MONDE Guest House, Concorde newspapers, and Rochas Convention Center Fast Food are other conduit pipes of governor Okorocha for siphoning state fund. No wonder, governor Okorocha once said, “I am here for a mission, and the mission shall come to pass. Don’t see me as a conventional governor, but a radical governor, that is why I don’t observe protocol”.

*    As a friend, Kenneth Uwadi once wrote, “Okorocha has been proclaiming heaven that will become of Imo State. Every month, he will make press release, promising Imolites heaven on earth. To get cheap popularity, he rents praise singers who lie to the world that all is honky dory with Imo State. Our ears are sore with ‘we will build this and that’ in place of ‘we have done this and that’.”  Indeed, Imo people are yearning for result. Do governor Okorocha realize that he sacked the following groups of Imo people from the government pay roll?

(a)    The beneficiaries of the 10,000 jobs

(b)    The elected LGC chairmen, the deputy chairmen, the councilors, the supervisory councilors in the 27 LGAs (their personal assistants and drivers).

(c)    The Co-ordinators and members of the Local Government Development Centers in the 27 LGAs (including their personal assistants and drivers).

(d)    The chairmen and members of the various boards of government departments and agencies (including their personal assistants and drivers).

In fact, these groups result in a combined total of about 16,000 Imo people displaced. Till date, there is no replacement with other Imo people begging for rescue. Then, where do we place governor Okorocha and his rescue mission in the annals of Imo history?

CONCLUSION

It poses a great difficulty to reconcile the random and reckless utterances of governor Okorocha with the realities on ground in Imo State. A situation where MDAs are subjected to generate their salaries and allowances; where contractors are subjected to fund government projects to completion without payment; where in ten months in office, a government borrowed a sum of money more than the sum total of the borrowings of three previous administrations in Imo State; where governor Okorocha sets up numerous private outfits which took over the management and control of government contracts, departments and agencies for his self-aggrandizement; where about 16,000 Imolites were deprived of their legitimate jobs without payment of their entitlements or their replacement thereof smacks of a government cover-up and hypocrisy. It’s time to stop the lies and deceit.  EFCC will, indeed be needed to help Imolites unravel the true accountability of the reckless and mischievous financial transactions of governor Okorocha’s rescue government in Imo State

 

ACN governors’ defense of Aregbesola’s Islamisation of Osun State irresponsible – PDP

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The Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as irresponsible and hypocritical, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governors’ defense of Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola’s alleged islamisation of the State; saying; “The best any lover of Aregbesola should do is to advise him to thread the path of honour by putting a stop to his illegalities and religious extremism in Osun State.”

The PDP said in a statement issued by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon Kayode Babade that the ACN governors would have done the Osun State governor a lot of good if they had advised him to stop his flagrant afront on the Constitution and unity of Nigeria, instead of blabbing about an imaginary destablisation plot by the PDP.

The party said; “the ACN governors should rather tell Nigerians why it was only Aregbesola that is using Islamic Extremists as guards instead of men of the police and SSS? Why are other ACN governors like Abiola Ajimobi, Babatunde Fashola and Ibikunle Amosun that are Muslems like Aregbesola not islamising their States?

“Why are the ACN governors not introducing the use of hijab in public schools in their States as done by Aregbesola?

“Why didn’t the ACN governors change the name of their own States as done by Aregbesola?

“Again, why did they reject the idea of having a Sharia Court of Appeal in the Southwest when Aregbesola mooted it during one of their meetings late last year?”

On Aregbesola’s claim that States in the United States of America like Florida are addressed as State of Florida, the PDP said; “Nigeria is different from the United States of America and if Aregbesola wants Osun State to be addressed the way States in the USA are addressed, he should simply migrate to the USA with his illegal State of Osun.

“Alternatively, he should stop receiving allocation from Abuja and run his State of Osun like a semi-autonomous republic, and pay royalty to the federal government.

“Therefore, this matter goes beyond politics. Rather, it touches the basis for the existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity and Nigerians must rise up now to stop the emerging Boko Haram in Osun State.

“Nigerians must realise that Boko Haram started like this, and prevail on Aregbesola to stop his islamic extrenism now before it becomes too late again.”

Rivers: Hon. Leyii Kwanee tasks Journalists on Advocacy

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By David Amusa

 

 

The Deputy Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Leyii Kwanee has implored Nigerian Journalists to engage in advocacy in order to accelerate development of the nation.
Speaking at the International Conference and book presentation in honour of Professor Sylvanus Ajana Ekwelie on the theme: “Advocacy Journalism and National Development, organized by the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, the Deputy Speaker said that it was unfortunate that the present practice of Journalism is on sensationalism and muckraking including sex and violence.
The practice, he said was copied from western countries and advised journalists to engage in advocacy for peace particularly in this period of security challenges.
Represented by his Media Assistant, Mr. David Amusa,he urged them to also look at other areas of advocacy such as enduring democracy, poverty eradication, harmful cultural practices, good governance, health matters and qualitative education.
“Nigerian journalists should gear their practice towards development and de-emphasize on frivolities such as sex, homosexuality and violence which they imitate from their western counterpart and concentrate on our core values that are catalyst to national development”.
“In so doing journalism will take its pride of place in the contemporary Nigeria as they did in the past to help the nation gain independence and stamped military out of power, he stated”
Also speaking, Hon. Kwanee advised Nigerians to celebrate their great men while they are alive rather than when they are dead.
He said such honour will motivate the young generations to work hard to be great.
The Deputy Speaker decried the situation in Nigeria where material wealth is celebrated more than intellectual wealth pointing out that those who are celebrated for having material wealth end up being those who acquired wealth of filthy lucre.
He appealed to Nigerians to celebrate their great intellectuals as it is the practice in advanced countries of the world.
Hon. Kwanee commended the University of Port Harcourt and the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies for honouring one of their own who has acquired intellectual wealth to the extent of being an international shinning star in the field of communication.
Furthermore, he urged the institution to organize conferences in honour of other of their great scholars pointing out that this would serve as tonic to the junior scholars and students in order to make the University unique as it is popularly called.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Rev. Fr. Dr. Walter Ihejirika, said the honour was bestowed on Professor Ekwelie in recognition of his immense contributions to the development and growth of the department.
“The Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies strongly believes that Professor Ekwelie has earned his position of honour, having exhibited a high degree of honesty, fairness and integrity in his chosen field of work”.

Gov. Okorocha Orders Immediate Payment Of Contractors

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Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has directed the Ministry
of Finance to commence payment of all contractors whose jobs have been
certified without further delay.

Gov. Okorocha who recently approved 10 Billion Naira for payment of
contractors handling over 500km rural roads projects across the 27
local government areas of the state, directed the Commissioner for
Finance, Deacon Chike Okafor and officials of the ministry to ensure
that the process is completed and payment made immediately.

He reiterated that his administration will always ensure prompt
payment of contractors handling roads and infrastructural projects
even as he promised to stop at nothing in the bid to transform Imo
into a model and enviable state in the country.

Meanwhile, the commissioner for Finance, Deacon Chike Okafor said his
ministry has commenced the process of ensuring immediate payment of
contractors in accordance with the governor’s directive.

The Commissioner who spoke to reporters in Government House explained
that the project monitoring and financial teams will visit the road
projects to concur with the earlier report of the Transition Committee
Chairmen before the payments are finally made.

He promised that the process will not delay the payment but a
necessary step to ensure that only qualified contractors are paid.

Okafor further explained that the Gov. Okorocha’s led government has
made adequate financial arrangement to ensure that over 150 Billion
Naira ongoing roads and infrastructural projects are well funded and
completed within the estimated time-frame.

He however urged the contractors to cooperate with the ministry of
finance and other relevant agencies involved in the process as
stipulated by the state government.

AGF, Please Let The EFCC Be!

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The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, is no doubt a gentleman.  Beside his gentility, his knowledge of the law may have also offered him a sensitive place in the President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet as a minister of Justice and AGF. But his activities in recent times however call for questioning.
The AGF was alleged to have initially proposed the merger of the two anti-graft agencies EFCC and ICPC which the national assembly also toyed with but eventually was cut short, owing to public outcry.
Let me say that there is no doubt that at 52, the story of Nigeria nation reads like a scattered script and the redemptive efforts of the EFCC are changing the story for better. Many Nigerians say the EFCC offers bigger hopes for the nation in the coming years. I strongly join this school of thought.
But the honourable minister may have come up with another game plan with the Oransanye’s committee recommendation. This was a committee set up by the Federal Government to consider the merger and in some case outright scrapping of federal government institutions and departmental agencies. The committee was quick to recommend that the EFCC and ICPC were duplicating the functions of the Nigeria Police Force.
To me, this was no doubt the handiwork of the AGF. To further confirm that it was the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob at work, the federal government wasted no time in setting up another committee headed by the AGF Adoke, SAN, to review the report as to enable the Government Issue a white paper on the recommendations.
One fact is clear; the powers that be are not comfortable with the anti-graft agencies. Not even with the embarrassment corrupt political elements in the ruling parties have been drawing to the party. The corruption cases of former Delta state governor, James Onanefe Ibori, ex-Bayelsa state governor, Alamieseigha, the immediate speaker  of the house of representatives, Dimeji Bankole, member of the House of representative, Ndudi Elumelu and a host of others involving PDP members are enough for the ruling party to declare war against the anti-graft agencies through the AGF.
But I want to beg the honourable minister Adoke, SAN, to allow reason prevail in his current assignment and allow the EFCC and the ICPC be, as any attempt to take life out of the two agencies will amount to returning to the status quo-ante.
We can’t afford to go back to where we where before the establishment of ICPC and EFCC in 2002. I hope the minister will know that history will judge him after now. He should beware of the vituperations being poured on the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Micheal Aondoakaa in the handling of the corruption trial of the former Delta state governor, Ibori. I implore Adoke to try everything possible to write his name in gold. He has opportunity to do that and I hope he will not fail his generation
If we are going to continue frittering our economy through corruption in the face of the global economic crises, then we are in for an imminent economic catastrophe which we may not be able to recover from for a long time.
Favour Ojelimafe
Abuja

The Demise of the People of Akwa Abasi Ibom State

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The fact of the matter remains. After my writing the open email to the Governor of Akwa Abasi Ibom State that revealed the problems we see such as intellectual theft in the ranks of the Commissioners and government officials . There has been a secret and concerted effort to have me (secretly)ejected from all forums in which I communicate my views from AkwaIbomglobal to Ibom-Chronicle.

I speak with great risk to the safety of my family in Akwa Ibom State and even there is speculation of me being sought out in the USA.
I have also been told that a large campaign is being unleashed to completely destroy my reputation and with me ejected out of the forums I will not be able to address my accusers thus making the false allegations that will be brought forward seemingly “true”.
It doesn’t matter because the truth must be told from now until further out.
With the kind of resources that Akwa Abasi Ibom State has,the kind of revenue that is generated from oil allocations, people in this state should not be living in abject poverty in the midst of fine buildings and roads.
The oga of the society should not be the person with the only borehole for water in the neighborhood with the noisy generator for electrical power that is ejecting air pollutants into the atmosphere.
The few states in the South-South axis of Nigeria are seeing in a few months financial revenue that translates as budgets of other countries and yet the people have nothing to show for it.
As one famous psychologist remarked,” It is a deep case study that Africans flock around leaders that contribute to their financial demise as a people!” Yes and it seems sometimes the average African subconsciously welcomes abuse from their leaders and people that they vote into power that should rather defer to them.
I condemn in the strongest terms “bigmanism” created by the political “few” through the inception of artificial scarcity based on a monopoly of projects and ideas and financial revenue to continue the status quo. Wealth in a sea of abject poverty and the pride that comes from possessing such wealth is an indicator of a very sick mind overwhelmed by megalomaniac tendencies
Especially when there is the perception created that none in Diaspora or Locally can execute any projects except the Governor of the State. For two consecutive terms of this administration in  Akwa Abasi Ibom State every project in the state has the name of just the Governor appended to it. Logically this means that either all of us in Diaspora and locally in Akwa Abasi Ibom State are too daft to figure out anything to bring in development to the state or we have a genius of a Governor.
Yes and anybody can make their own deductions from my accusations but I am so sorry for the people and they deserve better.
I will be writing another letter to the Governor that will be more comprehensive than this to appeal for the solution to more problems I see in the system.
But the President of Ibom People’s Congress, Dr Tom Mbeke- Ekanem Made a summary advice :
  Let me share a piece by then Gen. Obasanjo as reproduced in Beyond the Execution. In his “State of the Nation” address delivered on February 2, 1994, Obasanjo when chastising Gen. Babangida said in part: “…When some of us saw the light or is it the darkness, if some half-dozen serious, responsible, principled and respected voices all over the country had joined to raise an alarm publicly, we would not be in the situation we are today. The alarm might have been heeded, and a harrowing experience avoided.”
OBJ did not spare Gen. Abacha either. Referring to Abacha’s takeover of power from Ernest Shonekan and not handing over to Abiola he added, “General Abacha reminds one of a man who with the other do-gooders prepared a meal for a blind man. As soon as others turned their backs, this seeming good Samaritan, who was supposed to assist the blind man, went back to snatch the pot of soup and spoon from the blind man for himself.”
Is this not what is going on in Akwa Ibom State today? The “little” rogues who are supposed to represent the people now join the “biggest” rogue, supposedly a governor and wantonly killing the very people by subjecting them to undue economic hardship, hunger and outright deprivation. Go to villages and take stock!
Welcome to the club. Aren’t you lucky Commissioner Aniekan Umanah’s brats have not come out to accuse you of stealing $250,000,000!
Idiongo Clayton-Thomas Udoh
Mesa ,Arizona

SSS, Police Shoot Out Near CBN Quarters In Abuja

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The afternoon of Wednesday April 18, 2012 saw a shoot out at the busy area of the Abuja Federal Capital Territory. As 247ureports.com gathered through eyewitnesses on the the scene, sporadic gunshots was heard near Uturu Plaza located at the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] quarters in Utako area of Abuja.

According to the eyewitness report, the gunshots were coming from plain cloths police officers and mobile police officers [MOPOL] who were in hot pursuit of a vehicle. After a period of shooting, the security forces were able to arrest two of the occupants of the vehicle – they were dressed in orange colored kaftans. The shootings continued after the arrest – and after the scene had been barricaded.

It is believed that the people being pursued were not armed robbers but it is not certain who they were.

The men of the State Security Services [SSS] were also present on the scene. They drove in an Abuja colored Taxi vehicle.

Details remain sketchy.

Senate Empowers Jonathan To Match Boko Haram Fire for Fire

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The Senate on Wednesday has passed a motion empowering President Goodluck Jonathan to crush members of Jama’atu Ahli Sunna lid Da’awati wal Jihad popularly known as Boko Haram.

The Senate under the leadership of the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, ordered the Federal Government to launch operation fire for fire on the Islamist terrorist group who are responsible for lost of thousands of lives since 2009.

Today’ session which lasted for several hours, unanimously grant the Federal Government enough power to crumple on the sect, who posed a threat to the national security of the country.

Nigeria enjoys least electricity supply among OPEC members – Investigation

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nnaji in anambra

Despite being a major crude oil producer, Nigeria has the lowest electricity consumption per capita at 123.76 per kilowatt hour among the eleven members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The country’s electricity generation per capita of 0.000021 megawatts is also the lowest among the group’s members, according to statistics obtained from the World Bank.

The World Bank data shows that Nigeria’s electricity consumption per capita or unit of the population is far lower than that of Algeria (809.83kWh), Angola (237.880kWh), Ecuador (1,053.48kWh), Iran (2,653.7kkWh), Kuwait (15,491.43kWh), Libya (3,360.13kwh), Qatar (16,190.73kWh), Saudi Arabia (6,318kWh), the United Arab Emirates (12,814.97kWh) and Venezuela (3,004.08kWh).

Algeria has a per capita electricity generation of 0.000329MW; Angola, 0.000378MW; Ecuador, 0.001217MW; Iran, 0.00081MW; Kuwait, 0.002636MW; Libya, 0.001658MW; Qatar, 0.001106MW; Saudi Arabia, 0.005305MW; UAE, 0.002268MW; and Venezuela, 0.00079MW.

Nigeria, which has the highest population at 167 million people among the OPEC members, generates the lowest volume of electricity at around 3,500MW on the average.

Algeria generates 12,000MW for a population of 36,423,000; Angola, 7,000MW for 18,498,000 people; Ecuador, 18,260MW for 15,007,343 people; Iran, 61,000MW for 75,330,000 people; Kuwait, 9,400MW for 3,566,473; Libya, 9,400MW for 5,670,688; Qatar, 9,000MW for 1,696,563; Saudi Arabia, 30,000MW for 27,136,997; UAE, 18,747MW for 8,264,070; and Venezuela, 23,000MW for 29,105,632 people.

Following the near collapse of the electricity system in the country two weeks ago, our correspondent learnt from a source at the Ministry of Power that electricity generation had dropped by 1,000MW.

The situation, the source had said, was likely to worsen following increasing gas supply challenges.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, had also confirmed that electricity generation had, indeed, dropped by 900MW due to gas supply challenges.

“Yes, power generation has dropped by about 900MW because of gas supply challenges. We are having serious gas supply challenges,” the minister said about three weeks ago.

Our correspondent learnt that both the government-owned and privately-owned power stations in the country had been generating between 3,200MW and 3,500MW of electricity in recent times against the over 4,000MW they had earlier reached.

Ministry officials, who asked not to be named, had blamed the situation on shortage of gas and failure of some equipment at the plants.

“Most thermal stations are working below capacity due to low gas supply and faulty generation units,” a source in the industry, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the subject, had told our correspondent.

The uncertainties in the sector made the Federal Government to recently sack three top officials in the electricity sector in a bid to give fresh impetus to the reforms in the sector.

Those affected were the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Mr. Akinwumi Bada; Market Operator, Mr. Uzoma Achinanya; and Executive Director, Human Resource, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Mr. Muyiwa Olushoga.

Nnaji, who presided over the meeting where the decision to sack the officials was announced, had reportedly obtained the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan for the sacking ahead of the meeting.

Nnaji had explained that the sacking of the top officials had become necessary in order to achieve adequate and effective electricity supply in the country.

He said, “A few persons are internally trying to tinker with the system. We are dealing with them. We are going to vigorously pursue any hindrance to supply and clean up the system.

“There are some people who do not want progress in the country. We need to manage these issues. We are making adjustments in the management of the 18 successor companies and PHCN.”

“There will be a major adjustment. We have no choice than to do this so that the country can move forward. The quality of management is essential in moving the sector forward. We cannot continue to have swings in power. We want this to change,” he added.

—

Source: Punch

Obama to witness land title handover to black Colombians

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CARTAGENA, Colombia — Visiting US President Barack Obama on Sunday was to join his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos at a ceremony here to hand over land titles to descendants of the country’s runaway African slaves.

The ceremony in Cartagena’s old colonial district, was to take place on the sidelines of the Summit of Americas which both Obama and Santos are attending along with 29 other democratically elected leaders of the Western Hemisphere.

The attendance of the first black American president at the event was seen by White House officials as having high symbolic value, given the large Afro-Colombian population in the Cartagena region.

Representatives of some 1,000 Afro-Colombian families descended from runaway slaves were to receive ownership titles to more than 3,350 hectares (8,200 acres) of ancestral land they occupy.

The families hail from the nearby towns of San Basilio de Palenque and La Boquilla.

San Basilio de Palenque, located in a jungle area near Cartagena, was founded centuries ago by runaway slaves. Its residents speak a unique local language, called Palenquero derived from African languages. Cartagena was one main ports for the slave trade during Spanish colonial rule.

Colombia has South America’s second largest black population after Brazil, and the largest in the Spanish-speaking Americas, but the black community here is much less well known than the one its Portuguese-speaking neighbor.

Experts estimate that Colombians with African ancestry, including those mixed with white or native American heritage, comprise about 20 percent of the country’s population of 45 million people.

In addition to the Afro-Colombians who inhabit the Atlantic coast in places like Cartagena, blacks predominate in the Pacific region called El Choco, an area largely populated by descendants of enslaved blacks set free after Colombia abolished slavery in 1851.

The land restitution program in the spotlight on Sunday is one of the major challenges facing the Santos government which in 2010 passed a law aiming at returning nearly two million hectares to peasants, who had been expelled by right-wing paramilitary militias battling communist guerillas.

Over the past 15 years, between 1.2 and 5.5 million hectares of land are believed to have been seized by paramilitary militias, guerrillas and drug traffickers.

Some 4.2 million people have been displaced due to the internal conflict, making Colombia one of the countries with the largest displaced population behind Sudan and equal with Iraq.

Obama was to fly home late Sunday after the close of the two-day summit.

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