Child rights NGO Stepping Stones Nigeria today called upon all Nigerians to recognise the value of child participation and to support children to participate in Nigerian society. In a statement signed by Dr Emilie Secker, SSN’s Advocacy Programme Manager, the NGO said that it was important to remember that child participation is a right under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which gives every child “who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child”.
Dr Secker said “Today the UN is upholding the right of everyone to participate in public decision-making. It is very important to also remember the value of child participation and that children have a right to participate. People often think that children have nothing to add to decision-making, but children will often have particular knowledge that other people in the community do not have, and being included gives children confidence as well as helping to protect them from abuse”.
Stepping Stones Nigeria has just completed a research project in partnership with the University of Sheffield on ‘Facilitating Children’s Participation in the Niger Delta’. The study, which took place between June and November 2012, explored how child participation is understood by NGOs in the Niger Delta and the ways in which children are able or not able to participate in society[1].
Dr Afua Twum-Danso Imoh, lead researcher on the project, said “This project produced some extremely interesting results. In particular, we discovered that children have a very good understanding of the problems in their society and clear ideas for how these should be solved. We also found that although there are a great many obstacles to child participation, opportunities for child participation do exist in Nigeria and these should be supported by those working on child rights issues. There is clearly a need for more attention to be paid to child participation if children in Nigeria are to enjoy their rights to the full”.
Ngwa Youths have been urged to shun political apathy and embrace active political participation if they want to remain relevant in the politics of Abia state.
Barr. Ikenna Anyanwu, who was the guest speaker at the 2012 Ngwa Bu Otu Youth Association’s Annual General Meeting, made this call while delivering a lecture titled “Economic and Political Empowerment in Ngwa Land”, at the Eastern Comfort hotels, Umuahia.
Anyanwu said until Ngwa youths show much interest in the election of candidates to various political offices, they will still remain irrelevant in the scheme of things.
He stressed that a total emancipation of Ngwa Land from its present state will only come when Ngwa youths wake up from their economic slumber, embrace education and active political participation.
According to him, political power always carry economic undertone. “Economic revolution needed in Ngwa land will only come when they (Ngwa youths) participates actively in determining who leads them.
“Ngwa people should participate in the process of enthronement of government. When they participate, they see the enthronement of that government as their own and therefore, the maintenance of such a government becomes their responsibility. Both the ruler and the ruled work together for the good of all”. He asserted.
Describing unity and education as a vehicle that will drive the process of emancipation of Ngwa land, Anyanwu posited that until both the old and young in Ngwa land embrace literacy in all ramifications, Ngwa land will not make any headway.
The chairman, Board of Trustee of Ngwa Bu Otu Youth Association, Chief Ogbonna Nwannunu called on Ngwa indigenes at home and in Diaspora to see love as a virtue they must imbibe to make progress.
He further condemned the attitude of some Ngwa people who have promote acts that cause disunity, describing such actions as capable of undermining the progress of the Ngwa race.
“It is only when love and peace reigns among us that we may be sufficiently empowered to stand eyeball to eyeball with our peers across any divide to demand whatever rightly belongs to us and be taken seriously.
For as long as brothers and sisters keep maligning one another, our salvation will remain remote,” he remarked.
The President –General of the Association, Chief Gabriel Onyendilefu in his remarks stated the annual conference of the association provides opportunity for various chapters of the group to come and render account of stewardship and also to fulfill the legal act establishing the association.
Onyendilefu who is also the Accountant General of Abia state called on Ngwa indigenes to always carry their identity and embrace their language as a means of communication when they come in contact with one another as a means of propagating the rich cultures of Ngwa land
The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, popularly known as “GEJ” recently celebrated his 55th birthday.
It is on record that Dr. Jonathan started holding leadership positions during his school days. He was class captain in classes 3 and 4, Secretary, College Food Committee (CFC) class 3; house prefect, Matterson House classes 4-5. At the Rivers State College of Education, Rumuloumeni, Port Harcourt, he was secretary, Biology Department Academic Staff Meetings as well as department timetable officer (DTTO). He was also member, senior staff appointments and promotions committee. He has received several awards, best performing state Deputy Governor, an award by the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria; Honourary Fellowship, Nigeria Environment Society (NES).
From his employment history, Dr. Jonathan could also be described as a core civil/public servant. This is because he first worked as a preventive officer in the Department of Customs and Excise from 1975 to 1977. Science Inspector of Education, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Port Harcourt from 1982 to 1983; Lecturer, Dept. of Biology, Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt from 1982-1983; Lecturer, Dept. of Biology, Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt 1983 to 1993; Assistant Director (Ecology), Head Sub-Dept. of Environment Protection, OMPADEC from 1993 to 1998; he was sometime Deputy Governor, Governor of Bayelsa State as well as Vice President and acting President of Nigeria. He is currently the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since 2010.
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is from Otuoke, Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State, attended St. Stephen’s Primary School (now state school) Otuoke from 1961 to 1965; St. Michael’s Primary School, Oloibiri, Bayelsa State (where oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in 1956) from 1965 to 1969; Mater Dei High School, Imiringi, Bayelsa State from 1971 to 1975; University of Port Harcourt from 1977 to 1983 (first degree); also bagged his masters and doctorate from the same university. From these, one can say he is a core south-south brought up.
He is a member of different professional bodies like Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN); Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON); Fellow, Nigeria Environmental Society (NES); Fellow, Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria; Fellow, Nigeria International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).
Dr. Jonathan is a humane administrator who is simple minded and loved by his people; friends and colleagues. Nobody expected he will venture into the Nigerian politics. That notwithstanding, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan saw the need to boost the socio-economic with political interest of the common man as well as bridge the lacuna of rural/urban dichotomy of his people through the provisions of social infrastructure. Based on all these, he took to politics in the Fourth Republic and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the biggest political party in Africa. He was picked as running mate to the party’s flag bearer, D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha. The duo won the polls in 1999 gubernatorial election; consequently, Dr. Jonathan became the first deputy governor of Bayelsa State. After a fine and successful tenure, Dr. Jonathan repeated the feat where he led Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseiga popularly called ALAMCO campaign machinery. By the grace of God and the desire for Bayelsans to have a good government, the duo won the gubernatorial election again in 2003. As a result, Dr. Jonathan became a deputy governor for a second time.
His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is a man of great honour and outstanding integrity. He is a true statesman whose meritocracy, selfless services and exemplary leadership qualities bear eloquent testimonies to his professional and political successes. A seasoned administrator, an accomplished academic, a democrat and known technocrat.
Without mincing words, His Excellency has endeared himself to the common man on the street. To this end therefore, it is true to say that Dr. Jonathan’s administration will continue to fight against corruption, shun ostentatious life-style, indiscipline and arrogance. I am quiet convinced that he listens to genuine advice and constructive criticism from both old and young. This is because he is well exposed, educated, enlightened and astute politician cum academic who is being jealously and rigorously guided by elders and fathers to enable him move Nigeria to the next level.
One may boldly and proudly say that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was identified to be a great chld right from is tender age because of his attributes and rare disposition. I think that was why his paternal grand mother “nicknamed” him ‘Azikiwe’ as a striking smile to the great Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first and only ceremonial president Nigeria has ever got, the first Nigerian media mogul and the founder of the first indigenous and autonomous university in Nigeria, that is, the university of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to connote another great Nigerian to come in the nearest future.
As His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan celebrates his 55years on this earth, my special advice as a mass communication scholar and public relations practitioner based on my commitment to my country through informative, incisive, analytical including projecting and protecting image write-ups, I am to use this opportunity to say that presidency must not neglect public relations (P.R.). God Himself even used PR at the beginning of creation when He said: “Come let us make man in our own image and likeness”. Consequently, I don’t think there is any individual, organization or nation that would survive without PR because it goes beyond media relations. It is abundantly and crystal clear that since Dr. Jonathan assumed office as the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the nation has been set on a new pathway that is now bringing democratic stability and political serenity.
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Charles Ikedikwa Soeze, fhnr, fcida, fcai, fscam. cpae, son, emba, ksq, is a mass communication scholar from first degree to doctoral level, public affairs analyst, and Assistant Director (Administration)/Head, Academic and Physical Planning (A&PP) at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria. (08036724193) charlessoeze@yahoo.ca
Justice Dije Abdu Aboki of the Kano State High Court, Kano has sentenced two fraudsters, Emmanuel Akabueze Obiora (alias Temple Nnaemeka ) and Aliru Ibrahim to 21 months imprisonment respectively with an option of N500,000.00 (five hundred thousand naira) fines.
Emmanuel Akabueze Obiora and Aliru Ibrahim were arraigned on a 4-count criminal charge of conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
One of the charge reads: ”that you Emmanuel Akabueze (alias Temple Nnaemeka ) and Aliru Ibrahim on or about 13th October 2011, in Kano within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice of Kano state with intention to defraud, obtained the sum of two hundred fifty thousand naira (N250,000.00) from Adamu Abdullahi through Oceanic Bank Account number 0059164345 of Temple Nnaemeka by false pretence that the said money is for purchase of a purported solar electric ring model 10A, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 and punishable under section 322 of the penal code”.
They pleaded guilty to the all the charges and were convicted accordingly.
The convicts were arrested following a petition from the victim, Adamu Abdullahi alleging that the duo, at different times, obtained various sum from him under the pretext that the money would be used to purchase solar electric ring.
Emeka, my profoundly gifted younger brother travelled to one of the upwardly mobile Asian Countries for his masters degree in Information Technology after he rounded up his University education in one of the Federal Universities based in the South East Nigeria. He excelled in his Degree examinations whereby he read Philosophy as his first course after much encouragement from me who inspired him to embrace the study of Philosophy because of its inherent intellectual benefits of broadening the thinking faculty of the scholar and readily put the person in the right frame of mind to interrogate issues around his/her environment with a view to finding meaningful and relevant conclusions to such probing questions of exisentialism.
In our many conversations in the recent past just before he rounded up his post-graduate studies, Emeka appeared very worried that the crop of political leaders that Nigerians have entrusted our future with are really not committed to transform Nigeria from our current bakward status as one of the most dangerous places to live on earth and also one of the most corrupt countries of the World. On several occasions, my sibling has sounded very worried for my safety because of what he called my consistent advocacy campaign to compel the Nigerian political class to respect the basic rule of Law and the fundamental human rights of the citizenry. He, it was who rightly branded the unfortunate scenario going on in Nigeria as “the Nigeran ongoing tragicomedy.” I think there is no other appropriate way to describe the Nigerian current situation than to use the word tragicomedy.
In Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, the writers defined tragicomedy as ” a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms. Most often seen in dramatic liteature, the term can variously describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the overall mood or, often, a serious play with a happy ending”.
An interesting dimension in all of these sad scenarios playing up themselves in our contemporary times in Nigeria is that there are still many people with good and courageous hearts in Nigeria like my younger brother- Emeka who are truly worried about the fate of Nigeria if at the end of the day, our own kind of tragicomedy does not end up in a happy mood as contemplated by those who propounded the leterary theory of tragicomedy.
These set of persons in Nigeria who wish that things turn out differently for the good of all Nigerians are sometimes branded as ‘rebels’ by the powers- that- be who are so unperturbed by the worries expressed by genuinely committed Nigerians regarding the existential consequences of their corrupt practices on the body polity called Nigeria.
But Mr. Albert Camus, one of the World’s best known but departed Philosophers took his time to author a beautiful book he titled “The Rebel” in which he graphically painted a glorious picture of what it takes to consistently preach against these kinds of corruption, economic crimes and perfidy that the Nigeria’s current Political elite are busy perpetrating and perpetuating thereby exposing Nigeria to one of the worst cases of political instability, insecurity and the near- total state of anarchy and impunity that have enveloped the present day Nigeria.
Albert Camus, who was born in Algeria in 1913 and killed after a glorious intellectual life in a car accident in January 1960 had written thus; ” There are crimes of passion and crimes of logic. The line that divides them is not clear. But the penal code distinguishes between them by the useful concept of premeditation. We are living in the era of premeditation and perfect crimes. Our criminals are no longer those helpless children who pleaded love as their excuse. On the contrary, they are adults, and they have perfect alibi; philosophy, which can be used for anything, even for transforming murderers into judges”.
Put more appropriately, this great philosopher of all times, Mr. Albert Camus seem to have the present day Nigeria in mind while writing the book entitled “The Rebel” when he also stated with regret that; “…On the day when crime puts on the apparel of innocence, through a curious reversal peculiar to our age, it is innocence that is called on to justify itself….”
Still talking about the Nigerian ongoing story which my younger sibling [Emeka] who now resides permanently abroad has rightly branded as ‘tragicomedy’, there are instances of political and economic developemnt in the polity that calls to question the integrity, credibility and commitment of those who currently presides over our affair as Nigerians and whether they are aware that their collective crime of political crimes have consistently pushed Nigeria to the pricipice of destruction.. Few years back, when the current Economic Affairs Minister Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was the Finance Minister under the then Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, she was credited with leading the international advocacy to successfully negotiate Nigeria’s exit from the foreign debts trap whereby she was said to have led a team of negotiators that got Nigeria big reprieve so much so that the Country paid off $12 billion in place of the over $35 billion or so foreign debts that past federal and state Governments administrations accumulated dubiously for the corporate entity.
But only on December 6th 2012, the local media are awash with stories that in the year 2013, the Federal Government has completed plans with the 36 states to also approach some creditor agencies and nations such as China, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to attract a foreign loan of over $9 billion USD payable in forty years time to immediatelly finance the building of some infrastructure and also facilitate the building of some mass housing projects for the benefits of poor Nigerians. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who briefed the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the desirability of this huge foreign loan sounded as if it is being done to satisfy the greatest happiness of the greatest number of Nigerians.
This is a tragicomedy because Nigeria is now being gradually enslaved into another foreign debts trap similar to the situation that we found ourselves when the past federal administrations collected huge but dubuious foreign loans which only took the ingenuity of Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and her economic management team under President Obasanjo to exit Nigeria. But the Finance Minister who was the person that actively and vigourously campaigned for the international community and precisely for Nigeria’s foreign creditors like Paris Club and other multinationals to forgive part of our total foreign debts overhang, has also begun another campaign but this time around to also drag Nigeria into another foreign debts. Oh what an unfortunate irony of fate?
Only recently, the FinancMinister asked the National Assembly to quickly approve the Federal Government’s external borrowing plan of N1.8Trillion. Nigeria is seeking the loan facility from World Bank , Africa Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Exim Bank of China and India’s lines of Credit. Okonjo-Iweala said the loans were required to complete some ongoing projects captured in the year 2012 budget. This line of reasoning is absurd because what immediatelly comes to mind is to ask the Finance minister why Nigeria had to use the scarce fund to finance the last line of foreign debts which were mostly dubiously obtained and only to return few years now to seek another huge foreign loans. Where are the huge revenue accruable to Nigeria from the crude oil exports in the last twelve months? Have they all being stolen by Government officials?
Again, some of the Nigerian States that would benefit from these loans are also some of those unfortunate states in the federation in which their state Governors who behave like emperors have acquired for themselves state- of- the art private jets using the scarce fund available in the treasury of their state Governments to finance their high taste and profligate lifestyle.
In River state for instance, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is in the news for the wrong reason of seeking to justify the fact hat he diverted $30 million USD to buy private jet [chopper]. This is River State whereby basic infrastructure are lacking in much of the rural areas and even in the state capital there are evidence of abandoned and uncompleted projects that are littered all over tha place. Taraba state has had the singular misfortune of producing a state Governor who not only bought private jets but flew himself into mishap with the same private jet that he allegedly diverted public money to purchase and worst still, the poor rural state of Taraba is being compelled to shoulder the financial burden of bearing the huge cost of foreign hospital treatment of the ill-fated Governor Danfulani Suntai who flew himself into this misfortune using the state scarce fund to fund his extraordniary high lifestyle of flying in private jets of different variety, shapes and sizes. Reports have emerged to show that the accidented Governor Danfulani Suntai for two weeks running is still in a life support machine in an expensive German hospital at the cost payable from Taraba state public fund.
At the last count, over five serving Governors are said to have pruchased private jets. The other day, I read in the press that the Niger State Governor Aliyu Babangida who branded himself as the ‘Chief Servant’ was said to have celebrated his birthday anniversary inside exotic private jet. What a tragicomedy in Niger state whereby students of public schools practically take lectures under trees and much of the primary and secondary schools have leaking roofs even as teachers are paid like modern day slaves.
The Nigerian story of tragicomedy came to an international climax with the recent scorecard released by Transparency International [TI of Germany]and the Economist Intelligence Magazine [of the United Kingdom] with varying degrees of international opprobium for Nigeria. Transparency International, a non-governmental organization with global repute, said Nigeria ranked the thirty fifth most corrupt country in the World. Economist Magazine released a report saying that in the year 2013, Nigeria will rank as the Worst place for ‘newborns’ meaning that infant mortality will be at its worst peak due to collapse of health infrastructure across Nigeria.
These are basic facts that so notorious so much so that even Preidential spokesman on public affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe never dismissed the bad record in the area of transparency achieved for Nigeria by the current crop of political elite. He was reported to have stated that the Transparency International report on Nigeria is a wake up call. The federal minister of Health Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, a gentleman of the finest dimension is helpless because Nigeria operates a system whereby budgets are not adequate and the components so approved by the National Assembly and awarded financial backups by the federal ministry of Finance end up not being completely financed and the oversight agencies in the National legislature is also heavily compromised to monitor to ensure that projects to consolidate public health infrastructure are implemented transparently. Most of our Federal and state legislators are commercial contractors who fight with other contractors for government patronage. So can a kettle call pot black?
On the issue of corruption and economic crimes, the Nigeria’s ongoing story is indeed a huge tragicomedy because several tons of public fund have disappeared into private pockets of some influential individuals with close ties to the Federal Government officials and especially the Federal Ministry of Petroleum under the President Jonathan administration. At the last count over N5 trillion was reportedly missing from the public treasury since the current Federal administration emerged, according to report in one of Nigeria’s respected print media. The Finance Minsitry said over N400 billion was stolen by thieves who presented fake companies as fuel importers to collect fuel import subsidy from the Federal Government in the last twelve months.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is currently prosecuting some of these subsidy fund thieves who are connected to some powerful government officials. It is uncertain how successful the anti-graft commission will achieve in the ongoing prosecution given that these fuel subsidy thieves have stolen enough cash that they have gone to town to hire Senior Advocates of Nigeria who charge big andling charges including slush funds to allegedly compromise the judicial proceedings.
The Labour Minister Cief Emeka Wogu was alleged to have links to one of the indicted companies that allegedly stole N2 billion of the fuel subsidy money but he vowed publicly with document to show that he indeed sold out the said company long before he assumed public office. I personally led my team of private investigators to interact with him and some other officials at the corporate affairs commission and we came up with some findngs to justify his defence based on available material evidence within our reach so far. But by and large, corruption is indeed threatening the fabrics of our body polity and if nothing revolutionary is done to check this evil trend then sooner rather than later we may be forced to sing nunct dimitis for Nigeria as a sovereign entity because no sovereign nation can survive with the scale of massive fraud and corruption that have enveloped our nation. There is a general climate of fear and instability becuase the resources meant to develope security infrastructure and architecture have all been stolen and no genuine effort is ongoing to retrieve these funds and prosecute the thieves who presided over the various security outfits at the highest levels including the Nigeria Police Force and the office of the National Security Adviser in the past few years. The Presidency has recently earmarked N16 Billion to complete an edifice being built for the holder of the office of Vice President of Nigeria just as N2 billion has also being voted to build new Presidential banquet hall only few years after the huge edifice was erected by the then General Ibrahim Babangida military junta. President Jonathan’s Government is so insensitive that it is going about borrowing money to finance high lifestyle even when all he basic public infrastructure have collapsed. We must reverse this tragicomedy immediatelly.
+ Emmanuel Onwubiko, Head, Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, blogs @www.huriwa.blogspot.com.
A non-profit organization under the auspices of Network for Good Governance (NGG) has called on traditional rulers all over the country to advise their subjects to desist from acts capable of jeopardising the free flow of petroleum products via the pipeline networks throughout Nigeria.
Speaking to airport correspondents on Friday in Lagos, the Coordinator of the group, Mazi. Tony Udenta, advised traditional rulers to ensure that government’s installations in their communities are properly protected and should not to hesitate in identifying individuals in their domain who perpetrated pipeline vandalism for appropriate sanctions, as such acts are sabotage to the national economy.
“A role of traditional rulers in ensuring that sensitive government’s installations in their respective communities are protected cannot be over emphasised. They know that if the integrity of the installations such as pipelines is guided jealously, it will create employment and boost the economy of their area. Doing so would make petroleum products available everywhere in the country,” he said.
Udenta further stated that as the season sets in, some youths could easily be lured into such nefarious acts in their bid to get rich over night but insisted that government should take drastic steps to punish offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Now that the management of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) said the company is committed to the rehabilitation of the pipeline network and depots across the country, all hands must be on deck to support this initiative. Our people should behave responsibly. We have no other country, other than Nigeria. Therefore, we must protect her jealously, “ he said.
He therefore called on community leaders in host communities with oil and gas pipelines to ensure adequate protection of such facilities from vandals.
Speaking on the heels of a pipeline vandal suspect arrested by the Police in Lagos, who claimed that his gang always bribe community leaders whenever they wanted to break any pipeline, Udenta appealed to community leaders to lead by example and be wary of people whose activities are capable of causing problems for the Nigerian economy.
“You must have read in the newspapers recently of one suspect arrested in Lagos over their nefarious acts in Takwa Bay area of Lagos Island, confessing that they would always bribe the community leaders and most times, it is the leaders that even inform them when the coast is clear so they can perpetrate the act. This is shameful and must be condemned by all well meaning Nigerians,” he said.
DEMAND FOR DUE PROCESS, LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE-LED PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE ON OIL SUBSIDY, ACCESS BANK AND COSCHARIS MOTORS.
The National Leaders of Political Parties (NLPP) are most concerned that at a time when Nigerians are suffering from acute and perennial fuel scarcity, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, a Company that supplies about 35% of daily consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria has been shut down purportedly on the orders of a Federal High Court in Abuja at the behest of a Federal Government Agency, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
During the last Presidential Media chat, Mr. President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan assured Nigerians, amongst other things, that there will be regular and adequate supply of petroleum products at the filling stations and the fuel queue will be a thing of the past. Contrary to his Presidential assurances, the fuel situation is worsened by the continuing closure of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited.
You will recall that on 1st January 2012, Nigerians were shocked with an astronomical increase in the prices of petroleum products by the Federal Government which led to unprecedented mass protests nation-wide. It seems to us that this closure of a local major supplier of petroleum products is an attempt by the same Government to implement the same increase in the price of fuel through the back door. If this closure is not reversed, the fuel scarcity in the country will
exacerbate, quadruple and cause enormous hardship, suffering, inflation, economic stagnation and aggravation of other debilitating social and economic indicators in the country.
More importantly, the closure of Capital Oil will lead to the dismissal of over 5000 workers of the Company and their dependants, in an economy that is already volatile with over 50 million youths unemployed.
Whereas the youths ofNigeriaare expecting a marshal plan of aggressive job creation, the government that promised a transformative agenda, is implementing policies that are aggravating the unemployment situation in the country by sacking workers even in the private sector.
This House of Representatives have just declared that no place is safe in Nigeria anymore due to activities of terrorists; security formations such as the Military Cantonment at Jaji, Police Headquarters in Abuja, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and numerous Police and Military formations across the country have come under terrorists attacks. In addition, civilian targets such as United Nations Headquarters, places of worship, market places, schools and residential homes have all come under terrorist attacks.
We, the National Leaders of Political Parties, having visited the shut down facilities of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited in Apapa,Lagoswish to draw the attention of the National Assembly that the facilities are totally unsecured and unprotected. We observed the closed down facilities and were amazed that they were completely unsecured.
We noticed that the gates and fence at the water front were vandalized leaving the entire facilities open to pirates and other oil thieves. We also observed quite a number of oil drums scattered around clearly being used to pilfer petroleum products from the facilities.
Most of all, we fear that the unsecured facilities lent itself easy target to terrorists attack from the porous water front that will decapitate the entire Lagos and further cripple the economy of our country through acute, severe and draconic fuel shortage.
We are amazed that one person, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, a major player in the oil subsidy imbroglio, also an interested party in the debts related to Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, happens to be the person appointed by the President to head the Presidential Committee on Fuel Subsidy. This is a glaring case of conflict of interest that an ordinary person would have expected the Government to know and avoid.
May we respectfully remind this House of Representatives that it has a responsibility to prevail on Mr. President to make public the full and original report of the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede led Presidential Committee on subsidy. In the same vein, we demand, on behalf of the long-suffering Masses of this country, that this House should also ensure that the Federal Ministry of Finance make full disclosure of all waivers granted to the oil marketers and the beneficiaries. We also demand to know who are directly responsible for the disbursement of the subsidy payments to the oil marketers. The Masses of this country has the right to know.
It is public knowledge that Access Bank granted an unsecured loan amounting to $164 Million to Dr. Cosmas Maduka / Coscharis Motors, who is also the Chairman of the Credit Committee of Access Bank Plc.
We recall that at the inception of the administration of the current Governor of the Central Bank ofNigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, all banks that were found to have engaged in insider-trading were sanctioned and the affected Directors of the banks were removed. We therefore call upon this honourable House of Representatives to compel the Governor of Central Bank to immediately commence the process leading to the investigation and sanctioning of Access Bank Plc and the above named Directors of the bank who have clearly contravened the extant laws.
Wonders, they say, may never end. It has come to our knowledge that one MAN, Barrister Kemi Balogun, who is the Attorney of Access Bank Plc in this debt debacle with Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, is also the counsel to Coscharis Motors, the primary borrower of the controversial loan. Now, we hear that the same MAN, Barrister Kemi Balogun is the counsel to the Federal Government Agency, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) seeking to take over Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited. This is exactly the same manner in which Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede led Access Bank Plc took over Intercontinental Bank Plc.
We also note that it has been alleged that Dr. Cosmas Maduka has a track record dating back to 1984, of unethical practices of borrowing without collateral which contributed to the collapse of Morgan Savings and Loan Limited and Guardian Express Bank. If these allegations are true, we fear that his continuing involvement in the affairs of Access Bank Plc places the bank in grave danger. In the light of the foregoing, we demand that the National Assembly should carry out an exhaustive investigation of the insider-trading activities of the aforementioned bank and its functionaries in order to safeguard the depositors’ funds in Access Bank Plc.
Finally, we urge this House of Representatives to pass the necessary resolutions to forbid the aforementioned persons from holding public offices in the financial sector inNigeria.
The American military drone that Iran claims it captured is the kind of unmanned spy aircraft manufactured in the Columbia River Gorge.
Officials in Tehran say they’ve captured a ScanEagle drone, a five-foot long craft built by Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary in Bingen, Wash., across the Columbia from Hood River, Oregon.
U.S. military leaders say none of their drones is missing.
The ScanEagle drone is unarmed, flies at 20,000 feet and can track subjects for up to 24 hours.
It was invented in 2002 by Insitu’s founders, Hood River-based aeronautic engineers Tad McGeer and Andy von Flotow, who first designed unmanned aircraft to track schools of tuna for fishing companies.
Insitu began producing ScanEagles for the Defense Department in 2004, and Boeing bought the company in 2008.
WW examined the company—and the boon of military drones to the Gorge economy—in a cover story written by James Pitkin in 2010, “…It Came From the Gorge.”
The story noted that one of the inventors had regrets about selling ScanEagles to the military:
The company McGeer founded— Insitu Inc.—is rapidly eclipsing tourism as a source of jobs in the Gorge. But it’s also drawing fire from peace activists for war profiteering and what they see as a disturbing trend toward remote-controlled, robotic killing.
At odds with the military direction his company was taking, McGeer left Insitu in 2005. Three years later, when Boeing bought the company for $400 million, McGeer made millions—exactly how much he won’t say.
“I made a Faustian bargain,” says McGeer, a lanky 52-year-old Canadian who lives with his wife and daughter in Hood River. “And when you make a Faustian bargain, you can’t complain when the devil shows up at the door.”
Many of his neighbors in the Gorge have no such qualms.
The residents of Hood River and surrounding towns on both banks of the Gorge have built an industry that, according to public statements made by Insitu executives, now generates more than $200 million a year amid this recession. The drones they’ve built have logged hundreds of thousands of flight hours over Iraq and Afghanistan, above disaster zones like earthquake-ravaged Haiti, or patrolling pirate-infested seas off the coast of Somalia.
The Enugu State government has approved the award of contract worth over four hundred and eighty nine million naira only (N489,000,000) for the executive of some MDG projects in three local government council areas in the state.
The state commissioner for Information Mr. Chuks Ugwoke who disclosed this to government house correspondent’s during a press briefing at the end of the state Executive Council Meeting president over by the acting Governor of the state Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi said the three benefiting local government councils are Aninri, Igbo Etiti and Isi-Uzo.
Commissioner Ugwoke said that out of the entire amount, the sum of one hundred and forty seven million, three hundred and thirty one thousand, two hundred and eighty four naira (N147, 331,284) was for the execution of some forty-four water project in the three council areas.
According to him, the project will include construction of rain water harvesters, facilities and storage tanks in various location in the council areas as well as water boreholes and over head tanks.
The commissioner further stated that the remaining sum of three hundred and forty one million, eight hundred and eighty six thousand, one hundred and sixteen naira sixty -eight kobo (341,886,116.68) from the total sum was for the construction of civil works in eighty –one educational institutions and health centres in parts of the three local government areas already mentioned.
The state information boss told the press that the sum of forty eight million, one hundred and ninety five thousand naira (N48,195,000) was also approved by the council for the procurement of water treatment chemicals for the state water cooperation.
The commissioner who was accompanied by his Culture and Tourism Counterpart Ozo Joe Mamel and SPA MDG Mr. Okezi Nwanjoku enumerated items to be procured as 180 tons of alum, 240 tons of lime, 120 drums of H.T.H Mr.
Ugwoke said that the items would be used to purify the raw water from Ajalli water scheme before it is pumped for consumption by the people. He explained that the council also approved the payment of the sum of three hundred million (300,000,000) to the state community and social development project (CSDP) as its counterpart contribution in the world Bank assisted CSDP in partnership with the state and federal government for the 2010-2012 project period.
The commissioner explained that a total of eighty different project under the programme which cut across different sectors in education, water, electricity, health and roads had already been completed and commissioned while 40 projects are ninety five percent completed.
The commissioner noted that with the payment of the said counterpart fund by the state government those additional 300 projects in 120 communities will be executed, in parts of the state.
The commissioner added that the council at the meeting approved a draft bill for a law to establish the state Bureau of statistics for the purpose of collecting, completion, analysis, storage and dissemination of statistical information. He noted that the bill would be forwarded to the Enugu State House of Assembly for consideration and possible passage into law.
The information commissioner said the council used the occasion to invite both residents, friends and the people of the state to the forth coming state cultural and Tourism fiesta which begins next week. He disclosed that the annual event which attracted sponsorship from both public and private bodies as well as Enugu State and 17 local government councils in the State will cost about one hundred million naira (100,000,000).
He added that events involved in the fiesta included food fair, children’s and teen’s party, street carnival masquerade and wrestling among others.
