Our attention has been drawn to the orchestrated plan to politicize the Sunday Dana Air crash in Lagos in which many people lost their lives, through rumours about the possible cause of the accident citing VIP movement involving the wife of the President.
We consider it callous, inhuman and devilish for anyone to have thought of wrapping such national calamity in political garb by insinuating that the plane crashed because the airspace was closed for the First Lady’s movement in Lagos.
For the avoidance of doubt, the First Lady arrived Lagos at about 2pm on Saturday, 2nd June, 2012 for a private engagement and was billed to leave for Abuja on Monday, 4th June, 2012.
In compliance with her itinerary, the First Lady arrived Lagos on Saturday. She was at a public event on Sunday when the accident occurred and promptly abandoned the ceremony as a mark of respect for the victims and retired to the State House, Marina. She left Lagos at exactly 13.15hrs on Monday, 4th June, 2012, according to schedule.
It is therefore surprising that some mischievous persons will see this moment of National mourning as an opportunity to blackmail and impugn the First Lady’s integrity.
This is the time for all Nigerians to be sober and pray for the repose of the souls of the victims and not a time to subordinate the interests of our nation to narrow self-serving interests.
Let us all put the interest of the Nation first in whatever we do.
Mrs. Jonathan had no intention to travel on Sunday and never did. Like all Nigerians, she has been mourning the dead.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, June 5th , 2012 arraigned a former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on a six count charge of fraud, criminal conversion, and conspiracy to commit crime to the tune of over N2billion when he held sway as governor of the state.
Prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo had sought the leave of the court for the six count charges to be read to the accused person and his plea was granted. Sylva ,however, pleaded not guilty to all the count charges.
Lead defense counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, leading another senior advocate of Nigeria along with 12 other lawyers, then moved a bail application on behalf of Sylva. He told the court that the defense team had filed a bail application dated May 22nd , 2012, supported by a twelve- paragraph affidavit, a written address and a reply to the counter affidavit filed by prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo opposing the bail application.
Fagbemi informed the court that the offenses for which Sylva is standing trial are ordinarily bailable, and that the main purpose of bail is to ensure that an accused person faces trial . Citing authority of the Supreme Court in Saidu VS State (1982), the defense counsel urged the court to discharge its discretion for bail on lenient terms while taking judicial notice of the fact that the accused person came to court on his own volition to answer his charges.
In his response, prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo informed the court that he had filed a sixteen- paragraph counter- affidavit accompanied with a written address in opposition to the bail being sought for the accused person. Keyamo told the court to take judicial notice of the several applications filed by prosecution for substituted service of Sylva who evaded service and even ran out of the country and deny him bail. He further urged the court to note that an accused person who had shown a propensity to bolt away should not be trusted to be around during his trial , if granted bail.
Furthermore, Keyamo asked the court to also note that there was a judicial pronouncement in a sister matter before Justice Okorowa with the same charge “that there is a very strong prima-facie case against the accused” but only that at that time, he enjoyed immunity as a sitting governor. Keyamo then prayed that the court in the exercise of its discretion of bail, should note the weighty evidence against the accused person and deny him bail while remanding him in prison custody.
Justice Adamu Bello reserved ruling on the bail application of the accused person till Thursday, June 7th , 2012 and directed that the accused person be remanded in EFCC custody.
Some of the charges against Sylva are:
COUNT 1:
That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire to commit a crime to wit: conversion of properties and resources amounting to N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) belonging to Bayelsa State Government and derived from an illegal act, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the said amount and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act), 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.
COUNT 2:
That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 22nd of January, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N380,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Eighty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in Fin Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.
COUNT 3:
That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 5th of February, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Enson Benmer Limited with Account No. 6152030001946, in First Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday shed tears during his visit to the site where a Dana plane crashed on Sunday evening, killing everyone on board in Lagos.
The president promised a thorough investigation into the incidence that led to the crash
“We have been working very hard to improve aviation in this country,” Mr Jonathan said.
“This particular incident is a major setback for us … I will make sure that this will not repeat itself in the country.”
More than 153 people were killed when the domestic passenger plane travelling from Abuja, crashed into a heavily populated area, Iju Agege, Lagos around 3:45pm on Sunday.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that 70 bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far and that at least two people were killed on the ground while several others are receiving treatment for burns.
According to the Nigerian Red Cross, a search and recovery operation was still underway.
The operation was initially hampered by the presence of a large crowd at the site. Some onlookers climbed onto the wreckage of the McDonnell Douglas 83 plane and were dispersed by riot police who fired tear gas, the Nigerian Red Cross said.
Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. Relatives of the victims flocked to an information centre set up by Dana Airlines, which has been operating in Nigeria for four years.
Government officials said earlier they did not expect to find any passengers alive. “We don’t believe there are survivors,” the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Harold Demuren said.
Four flight attendants and a captain, co-pilot and flight engineer were among those killed when the plane came down. According to the airline’s Abuja manager, “the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineers (were) all foreigners.”
Local media reported that several high-ranking military and government officials and central bank bureaucrats were on board the plane for the journey of about 50 minutes.
Also among the passengers was a group of wedding guests, including children.
Six Chinese citizens were among the dead, Beijing’s embassy in Nigeria said. A German development worker is believed to have been on the flight.
The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola was reported to have taken in three children who were sent on an errand by their parents shortly before the crash, and on their return found their home engulfed in flames, the Vanguard reported.
At least two people listed on the aircraft’s manifest missed the flight.
“(My brother) was delayed by heavy traffic around the airport,” Mark Pam said. “He was very sad when he missed the flight, but by the glory of God, he is alive today.”
The Military headquarters on Monday also confirmed that General Tahir Umar whose name was on the manifest could not travel on the flight and so he’s alive and well.
The Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Odua said the pilot had sent a distress signal minutes before the accident and that the plane had apparently suffered engine troubles.
Rescue workers battled the fires for hours despite water outages in the area. At some points they resorted to using buckets of water to quell the flames. Witnesses said the scenes around the crash site were chaotic.
Following the accident, President Jonathan declared three days mourning period for the country. Flags were to be flown at half-mast in Abuja and in Lagos on Monday and will continue so till Wednesday.
Nigeria has an abysmal record of air safety, with more than 40 fatal crashes in the last 50 years. However, there has been a marked improvement in the last seven years, after a Boeing 737 belonging to the now defunct Bellview Airlines crashed into a village, killing 117 people.
Canada has chosen to formally remove itself from The United Nation World Tourism Body (UNWTO) over the body’s latest choice of ambassadors. With a lineup of questionable ambassadors ranging from Drew Barrymore to David Beckham, it seems that the latest pick has pushed Canada over the edge.
Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe since 1987, is leader to a country with its economy in the tank, and millions starving. Over his 25 year presidential term, Mugabe has been accused of election rigging, controlling the media, terrorizing opposition, engineering hunger and ethnic cleansing.
Today, Mugabe is banned from traveling throughout the EU and the United States. This decision has left many wondering how a man, who can’t travel to some countries, can be the ambassador for tourism for all countries.
The Tourism Review reported “The Canadian foreign minister, John Baird said that the UN tourism office correspondence in which the body’s secretary general on Tuesday reportedly praised President Sata of Zambia and President Mugabe for their role in tourism at Victoria Falls was the ‘last straw’ in Canadian participation at the UN body.
Although the position holds no real power, many believe that the symbolism of giving Mugabe a role in the international organization raises questions about the UN’s credibility.
British MP Kate Hoey, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Zimbabwe, said: “For a man who has destroyed his country’s infrastructure and cynically engineered hunger to be an ‘ambassador’ for tourism is disgraceful – particularly as he has been personally responsible for the downward spiral of the economy and destroyed the hotel, travel and tourism industry in the process.”
Exposing a dark underbelly of the U.S.’ two-track strategy to contain Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions, a major leak to media outlets here revealed that President Barack Obama had, in parallel, authorised waves of crippling cyber-attacks aimed at destabilising the operation of Iran’s key nuclear centrifuges.
While the Obama administration has repeatedly assured the international community that it would press Iran with only a combination of economic sanctions and an open window for diplomatic negotiations, news that the White House had teamed up with Israeli experts to unleash the so-called “Stuxnet” programme on Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility, for example, hinted at a more aggressive U.S. tack.
The leak hinted at the magnitude and impact of the U.S.-driven cyber-attacks suggesting that one specific series of attacks that occurred weeks after Stuxnet was detected around the world “temporarily took out nearly 1,000 of the 5,000 centrifuges Iran had spinning at the time.”
According to officials speaking to The New York Times, The Washington Post and others, the cyber-attacks authorised by Mr. Obama since his early days in office and codenamed “Olympic Games,” suffered their biggest exposure when Stuxnet became public in mid-2010 after a programming error resulted in it escaping Iranian systems and spreading around the world on the Internet.
News of the lethal worm’s escape into cyberspace led to a “tense meeting in the White House Situation Room within days” during which Mr. Obama was said to have asked Vice-President Joseph Biden and erstwhile Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta, “Should we shut this thing down?”
The risk to the wider Internet posed by Stuxnet may not have led to greater restraint by the White House, however. Only last week it was disclosed that Iranian computer systems had also been felled by a new super-virus named Flame, reportedly 20 to 40 times larger than Stuxnet.
While Stuxnet was designed for outright sabotage, Flame is described as an espionage virus, possibly intended to give its creators a detailed blueprint of Natanz’s industrial computer control designs. Similar to its drone programme, the U.S. has never admitted using cyber weapons against other nations, although it is said to have recently acknowledged developing them.
The alleged use of Stuxnet against Iran may, however, give pause to countries such as India, which have in recent months felt the heat of U.S. and Israeli pressure to cut down on Iranian oil imports and fall in line with bilateral sanctions. This pressure has been predicated on the presumed two-track approach which, in reality, would be a three-pronged approach if the cyber-attacks were confirmed as true.
During the civilian administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Many plane mishaps occurred in his eight years government which almost plunged the country into unpalatable pandemonium. The fear of taken flight to different places of the country was the beginning unprepared demise among prominent Nigerians.The aviation industry has witnessed several lost of lives and property worth billions have been abruptly destroyed.Transportation by air is one of the risky challenges that has directly affected the Nigerian economy in a negative ways over the years.The dozen of people dying through plane crashes can be brought to halt if all airlines are prepared to employed capable hands and purchase new modern aircraft’s instead of second -hand ones that are mere caskets for great beyond.
Taking the current analysis of plane crashes across Nigeria , many aviation watchers can deduce from the negative occurrence as a sign of God being angry with our so-called political leaders who have turned the country into a begging nation despite of being the giant of Africa and 6th largest producer of crude oil and gas and most populous black African countries.On November 20, 1969, Nigeria Airways BAC VC 10 crashes on landing killing 87 on board and January 22 1975, Royal Jordanian Airlines flight 707 carrying 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and 5 crew men died in crash in Kano, Nigeria. The Major problem of aircraft crashes in Nigeria i being caused as a result of lack of qualified Meteorologists to forecast the weather condition before the take off plane and landing. Our so-called airlines operators are not ready to invest on trained pilots and engineers that would oversee all the faulty of the planes.It has been a recurring decimal of plane crashes . Some of these airlines operators operate with genuine licenses but use old aircraft to convey their passengers to different of this world. Even receiving awards from media houses and corporate bodies as best airline operators of the world.No Nigerian airlines are using 2012 modern aircraft rather than antiquated and abandoned ones being imported into Nigeria as waste can and dumping ground for all sorts and nothing else.Most of these airlines which both Nigerians and foreigners are operating in our local and international airports are old compared to foreign ones. In the developed and developing countries plane mishaps have some limitation unlike in Nigeria where is now a music of the day.Deaths recorded in air crashes are more than any form of transportation in the world. The state of emergence of air mishap is nothing to write home about.
On march 1,1978: Nigeria Airways F28- 1000 crashes in Kano killing 16, November 28, 1983: Nigeria Airways F28- 1000 crashes on approach i Enugu killing 53on board. December 1988: Skypower Brandeironate aircraft overshot illorin Airport runway all the passengers died. On 26 June 1990, :Okada Air BAC -111: Sokoto , Nigeria fuel starvation during holding pattern over Sokoto due to heavy rain. Flight from Benin city diverted from Kano due to heavy rain. None of the three crew members and three of the 52 passengers sustained fatal injuries. February 24, 1991: British Helicopter crashed in Eket, Akwa Ibom state, killing all nine people on board. May 21, 1991: A Cessna citation 550 of Ashaka cement, Hombe, crashed killing all on board. June 26, 1991: An Okada air BA-111 crashed in Sokoto three people died. July 11,1991;Nigeria Airways DC -8-61 crashes in Jeddah audi Arabia from system failure killing 261 on board. September 26, 1992: Nigerian Air force AC-130 plane crashes minutes after take-off from Lagos, All 200 o board were killed. June 24, 1995: Harka Air services Tupoleo 34 crashes on landing in Lagos killing 16.
Again , November 13, 1995: Nigeria Airways Boeing 737-2F9 crashes on landing in Kaduna killing 9. January 17, 1996: Ibrahim Abacha , son of Sani Abacha was killed in a plane crash. Thegroup United front for Nigeria’s liberation(UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash. November 7 , 1996: A Nigerian ADC ( Aviation Development Corporation) Airline Boeing 727-231 flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos with 142 passengers and 9 crew members crashed on landing, plunging into a Lagoon will allon board killed.January 31, 1997, Skypower Express Airways Embrear 110I A crashes on landing in Yola killing 5. September 12, 1997: A NAF Dornier 228-212 in Nguru , Bornu state ran into a ditch during the take off, none of the 10 people died. January 5, 2000 Skypower Express Airways Bandeirante 110IA crashes on landing in Abuja killing 17. October 26, Dornier aircraft plunged into a thick bush near, the Niger Delta, 6 occupants injured. May 4,2002: EAS Airlines BAC 1-11 500 with 105 people on board crashed and burst into planes in a poor densely populated suburb of Kano, 76 on board killed., including 72 on the ground bringing it to a total 148 dead. On November 30, 2003: a cargo aircraft of Hydro cargo Brussets, Belgium, crash landed, March 6,2004: An aenail spray aircraft with registration number 5NBEF belonging to BArfreex Nigeria limited, crashed at Bauchi Airport. July 26,2004: Pan African Airlines helicopter crashed into the Atlantic ocean in Eacravos, Delta state, 4 people on board died, December 29,2004: A Kenya Airlines aircraft crashed landed at the MMA due to gear fault. January 28, 2005: ADC ‘s B73 aircraft had its tyre burnt while landing at Yola airport. March 27,2005:A Boeing 737 of Beliview had one of its engines caught fire. June 11 and 12,2005: Lagos a Boeing 727-200 aircraft belonging to the domestic Chachangi Airlines overshot the runway at Muritala Muhammed Airport, While yet another overshot thier runway at airport in Jos in central Nigeria a day earlier. June 24, 2005: A Russian airport belonging to Harka Air crash -landed at the MMA, all the people on board died,. July 6,2005: Port Harcourt : an Air France A330 plane crashed into a hard cattle at Port Harcourt airport sustaining serious damage and killing many of the cows. The airport had no perimeter fence and herdsmen usually take their cattle across the tarmac, sometimes abandoning them there.On July 23,2005: a Lufthansa aircraft crash-landed at Lagos airport and was badly damaged, but no life was lost.October 22, 2005: A Beliview airlines Boeing 737 airliner with 117 people on board crashes and disintegrates in flames shortly after take -off from Lagos, all on board killed. December 10, 2005: A Soliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in Port Harcourt, killing all 103 on board. Most on board where school children going home for Christmas, September 17, 2006: A 18-Seater Dornier 228 Air for transport plane , carrying 15 senior army officers and three crew members crashed leaving only three survivors that sustained serious injuries. The plane with registration number 228-212 crashed in the northern part of the country at Oko village in Vandeikya local government area of Benue state at about 10: 3am. October 29,2006: Aviation Development Corporation Airline Boeing 737 with 104 on board crashes minutes after take-off from Abuja ‘s airport during a rain storm, All but 6 perished in the disaster. The spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Sunni Muslims, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido was among the dead.
The quantum of deaths being experienced in our Aviation industry has seriously call for great concern of the Federal government to checkmate the operators of these Airlines. How many of these Airline operators are using 2011 or 2012 modern aircraft?Though it is very costly to operate airlines but some pentecostal pastors in this country are having 4 to 6 jets and aircraft let alone corporate bodies or government and lives and property needed to be preserved to avid the unavoidable.November 10,2006 OAS service Helicopter crashed in Warri, Delta state killing 4 on board, august 2,2007: Bristow -owned helicopter crashed inside Exxonmobil facility in Port Harcourt. March 15 , 2008: Beechcraft 1900 plane marked 5N-JAH, belonging to wing Aviation crashed in the mountainous forest of bush in Cross River state on its way to Obudu airstrip. The wreckage was not found until 6months after the suddenly disappearance of the aircraft, All 4 man crew on board died. March 14,2012: a Helicopter belonging to the Joint Task force (JTF) crashes in Kabong, Jos killing all members on board including 4 senior police officers died.
On Saturday 2, 2012: DHV 111 cargo aircraft, Nigerian plane crashed in Accra Ghana killing 10, one female and nine males. Though the Nigerian plane crashed into a bus loaded with passengers on a nearby street in Elwak sports stadium. As Nigerians were still mourning the irreparable loss of lives in Ghana when the plane mishap of Dana airlines commercial aircraft crash at Iju- Ishaga, Lagos which claimed about 170 lives and property worth billions of naira were destroyed, one of the worst air crashes in Nigeria ‘s history. In two unrelated accidents between Lagos and Ibadan, last Thursday 10 persons were killed. At Ibafo along Lagos-Ibadan expreeway, five persons were burnt in a multiple accident and explosions involving nine fuel tankers while a building under construction at New Covenant church, Sagbe, Ojoo , Ibadan collapsed during a downpour and claimed five persons including two women.
Consequently, 30 people were killed at Assakyo, headquarters of Lafia Local Council Development Area of Nasarawa state broke which followed the renewed violence between Alago and Beron communities and on the same day, an accident in Funtua Kastina state claimed three persons and injured 17 others. Still thirsty for blood, the agents of remained on prowl which nine people were abruptly killed and 40 others injured when a suicide bomber in a Honda civic car who attempted to force his way into the iron protected gate of the Loving faith church, Ungwan Angas Yelwa , Bauchi state but was denied entry detonated his explosives at the barrier opposite the church.
Although peace has become a scare commodity in many northern cities of the country on the account of bombing activities in recent times, the southwestern part, including Lagos, the economic nerve-centre has had no respite since last year.The unfortunate incident of the black Sunday is that many prominent Nigerians died at the plane crash including the General Manager, Corporate Affairs NNPC, Dr Levi Ajuonuma, former Tv broadcaster on NTA channel 10.
More so, Boko Haram insurgence from the Northern region which security challenge is one the problems confronting Jonathan’s government.Dana airline also killed innocent Nigerians in Lagos.Alternatively Nigerians will prefer to use road, water or rail transportation to prevent such quantum of deaths. Though our Nigerian roads are yet to be fixed to prevent unimaginable accidents in the country.Even other modes of transportation are not saved. But the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has tried to prevent road mishaps in recent past years since its creation of the commission.Even other methods of transportation must be secured against Boko haram, Kidnapping, armed robbery and other social vices.The minister of Aviation Princess Stella Adaeze Odua- Ogiewonyi, chairman senate committee on Aviation sector Hope Uzodimma, all government and private stakeholders, governors of the 36 states, federal, local and state emergence units, Nigerian red cross, Civil society groups, Fire service men, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) and chairman of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Africa-Indian Ocean Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG) Dr Harold Demuren must work hand in hand to regurgitate the Aviation industry against future plane mishaps. Our pilots, weather forecasters, Meteorologists, engineers needed regular training to update their knowledge on 21st century on Aviation technology while new modern planes should be bought into the country and airline operators must be examined by Aviation Authorities of their aircraft whether it is aging or not.Those who are not capable to run airlines should be banned out of business.The aircraft need regular maintenance before its daily take off and landing.Security agencies and the National Assembly must work with Jonathan to counter Aviation terrorism attacks. From 1969 to 2012, a total of 2021 people have lost their precious lives and property to air mishaps.It is time for the government to wake up from slumber to fix the Aviation industry now not investigation or probe after mishap.May their souls rest in peace.
Come May 29, 2015 the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan would expire while a new administration will emerge from one of the sought after political party in Delta state. During Delta state at 20 which the state was created on Tuesday August 29,1991 from the old Bendel state which is now Edo state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan elucidated some of the political and economic achievements since its creation of the state and his led administration. To some extent Delta state have achieved some feats in the area of unity among the ethnic groups in the state. Though some of the regions had ethnic clashes that almost disrupted the unity of the state over the years.Delta state is divided into three senatorial districts , Delta south, Delta central and Delta north. Out of these senatorial districts only Delta south and Delta central have piloted the affairs of the state.
Apart from the military administrators that ruled the state, the Delta central and Delta south have controlled the top positions in the state since when power was handed to the civilian government. The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has been controlling the state without opposition clinching to power. Though the former governor James Ibori vowed to remain in power for 32 years with his so-called nefarious cabals in the state.In 1999, Chief James Ibori who is presently serving his jailed terms in UK over corrupt practices, the then governor of Delta state ruled the state for 8 consecutive years with little achievements and looted the state coffers.PDP is one of the strongest political party in Delta state which other political parties find it difficult to win any election conducted in the state. Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan is a man who has been part and parcel of James Ibori’s government who vividly knew the nitty- gritty of Delta state and headed several sensitive positions in that last administration. Some ethnic groups in Delta state have been totally marginalized and neglected over the years with unfulfilled promises in the making. The Isokos , Kwales and the Aniomas are relegated to the background in recent past years.
Since the emergence of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan as the governor of Delta state in 2007 general elections, Many Deltans never expected him to come to power becauseof his close confidant with the former governor equally created opportunity to come out with landslide victory which many believed the election was marred with irregularities.Even the state PDP torn into two which led to many factions of the party.Some avid political watchers of Delta politics assumed that Uduaghan was conscripted on the good people of Delta state to hid the callous activities of the then governor. In a short while, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has proved his political critics wrong , though he came into power with flaw elections but his personality is different.Although, many Delta who are avid observers of the politics deduce that only selected not elected people are dubiously voted into power without the wishes of the people except few. Chief Leo Ogor. three times serving Federal House Representatives member of the PDP has not done anything to deserve such position. Most of the infrastructural projects embarked upon in Delta are mere media hype with no completion.Some of these representatives needed to be questioned from the local,state and federal governments.Some are only representing their private pockets and nothing else.Even some politicians that left PDP to other political parties to contest election but did not win because of their faulty foundation of their parties.Dr Uduaghan has able to appoint high profile technocrats and experts to oversee his administration over the years.
PDP has the nexus to win election because of its strong foundation and party faithfuls. PDP almost lost in the January 6th 2011 re-run election which Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) nearly captured the state that eventually brought unconstitutionally dissolution of the 25 local governments in the state and appoint caretaker committees to pilot the affairs of the local governments. DPP fought tooth and nail to capture Delta state with many electoral petitions, Even PDP godfather chief Edwin Clark had a frosty relationship with the PDP led faction state chairman for not given his candidacy opportunity to contest election in person of Prof Saliba Mukoro. Even some politicians from Isoko region contested election with the incumbent governor but abysmally failed to secure PDP ticket. Omo- Agege and others were not left out.DPP is currently one of the opposition political party that can run neck to neck with PDP in 2015 with no trepidation. In the last election in the State DPP was able to elect some people in the Delta State House Assembly and senate.There are five major ethnic groups in Delta state, Isokos, Itsekeris, Urhobos, Aniomas Delta-Ijaws and Kwales. Isoko has three state Assembly slots and one federal constituency and two local governments Isoko south and Isoko north.
Although I am a not card-carrier of Uduaghan , but the governor surprised all Deltans on Democracy day when he used that day to advise Delta youths to channel their mindsets towards entrepreneurship skills and deviate their knowledge from oil and gas and others. Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan is the only governor in Nigeria that has put such intellectual programmes together to provide listening voice to the youths. In terms of infrastructural developments, Uduaghan has tried to appease the state. Umeh road and other projects are testimonial gains of PDP-led government in Delta state.In 2007 Delta state governorship election, many political candidates from the opposition parties came on board to contest election with Uduaghan with serious debate of candidates but Uduaghan confidently emerged as the winner of that election with his productive manifestos he unveiled to the people.
One thing Deltans should know that Dr Uduaghan is different from Chief James Ibori with different educational backgrounds but the same family .The fact remains that Uduaghan is a brilliant political leader to the core.PDP is still
strong in Delta politics in as much as opposition parties continue to emerge on daily basis. Most of these opposition leaders were members of the PDP before leadership tussle teared them apart.Some party leaders have since returned to PDP to steer the affairs of the state with their different portfolios.Chief Great Ogboru is one of the opposition leaders in Delta politics and under the platform of the DPP who is not ready to give up power to PDP despite their political suppression from the centre.He is bold to flag up his political mandate without qualms. Great Ogboru contested elections in 2007 and 2011 and narrowly lost to the incumbent governor with some substantial votes.DPP is waxing stronger in the state while other opposition parties like ACN,LP.SMDP,and others are obviously waiting for 2015 and use the media to issue inflammatory statements and nothing else.DPP has able to capture some areas of the PDP , Isoko south and Isoko north who Hon Benjamin Essien of Ivrogbo-irri town who defected from PDP to DPP to realize his political mandate after loosing his State Assembly election in 2007.DPP has also dominated some areas in the state. The DPP members have not failed their people since they were elected into power. The dividends of democracy is shown in the state. The fact still remains that politician is always a politician. It is clarion call for all serving politicians in Delta state to do well now. 2015 will unveil itself to only politicians that have credibly served its people.
BY GODDAY ODIDI. PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST. 08058124798,08063458693,20 ORO STREET AJEGUNLE APAPA LAGOS
Bauchi state Governor, Isa Yuguda yesterday visited the scene of suicide bombing in Yelwa describing the act as barbaric and man inhumanity to fellow men assuring that government will go after the perpetrators until they were brought to book declaring that his administration will rebuild the Harvest Field Church majorly affected by the blast as well as the Living Faith Church and other structures around the area that were damaged.
Isa Yuguda who was accompanied on the sympathy visit to the scene by the State CAN Chairman Revd Lawi Pokti as well as Bishop Oyedepo, General Overseer of the Living Faith Church worldwide lamented the monumental loss of lives and properties in the blast declaring that his administration will do everything humanly possible to bring succor to al those who lost their loved ones adding that his government has already picked up the medical bills of the injured.
The Governor further said that the actors were neither Christians nor Moslems because according to him none of the two religions preaches violence but peaceful coexistence and brothers keepers stressing that the time has come when all Nigerians will put aside all religious sentiments and join hands to fight all forms of terrorism in the country.
He added that his administration will continue to provide security for lives and properties of the people of the State irrespective of socio-political and or religious differences urging the people to be calm and go about their normal and legitimate businesses but report suspected characters to security operatives.
In his reaction, the Chairman of CAN in Bauchi, Revd Lawi Pokti commended Governor Isa Yuguda for visiting the scene of the blast saying that it shows that he is a good leader who is demonstrating good leadership quality assuring that the Christian Community wii continue to pray for peace in the state.
Unconfirmed number of people were trapped as a new hospital building under construction collapsed on Monday afternoon..
The cause of the collapse of the multi billion naira central hospital building could not be immediately ascertained but one of the workers in the construction site Hassan Jimoh who gave an eye witness account said the crane that was being used at the site was lifting some heavy objects when the iron rope cut into two. In the process the heavy object it was carrying fell one side of the uncompleted building forcing it to collapse and fell on some of the construction workers inside.
Although the exact number of people trapped inside the building could not be immediately ascertained some of the masons said three of their colleagues including the foreman a white man were still being trapped as their voices were heard calling for help.
Rescue operations made up of state fire service, civil defence, NEMA officials, Red Cross and Setraco equipments were used for rescue operation.
The situation almost became violent as workers tried to prevent journalists from taking pictures of the collapsed building. Some journalists were beaten up and their cameras seized. It however took the intervention of some policemen around before journalists were allowed to do their work.
As at the time of filing this report official government reaction was still being expected. The state deputy governor Dr Pius Odubu and some top government officials were at the site of the building to inspect the extent of the damage. The state governor Adams Oshiomhole who has travelled outside the state capital on a campaign tour was also still expected.
Following yesterday plane crash, a former Executive Director of Air Nigeria has come out to issue a stern warning to the Nigerian public who uses Air Nigeria as their flight of choice, to desist from doing using that. According to John Nnorom who was a former Executive Director Finance of Air Nigeria to stop until the aircraft being used by the airlines for its flight operations are being put in order.
In an open and blazing warning made through a passionate appeal, the former Executive Director who until April 1, 2012 was the ED in charge of Finance before throwing in the towel, apportioned blame on the business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim of having no interest company’s aircrafts maintenance.
According to him he said that he and some of the verifying Engineers face a lot of threats of elimination by the airline’s owner Jimoh Ibrahim if they dare make known this covert to Nigerians.
However, in his report he said that ahead of his resignation, he forwarded a strong letter to the company citing that he prefer to die rather than seen over hundreds of Nigerian souls perish in an aircraft called Air Nigeria.
According to him, Air Nigeria is in a deep pecuniary crisis as result of the N35.5 Billion money loaned by Bank of Industry has been sidetracked into Jimoh Ibrahim’s NICON INVESTMENT LTD, which is also a non-finance company popularly called wonder bank, which has also hindered air safety and adding that there awaits a ruinous air crash of air Nigeria any moment from now if care is not taken.
He went to lament that in early this years January 2012, all the licensed Licensed Engineers working in Air Nigeria embark on an industrial action due to the fact that they were being obligated to endorse flabby aircraft into the air, however that yet another strike was prevented in March 2012 with the prior interference of the DG-NCAA, Harold Demureen. According to Mr. Nnorom the two events were as a result of not a success to meet up Safety Standard, and that these are even information which is provable which the public are sentient of.
However, he raised pertinent questions which he said are facts; why are Air Nigeria flights occasionally belated for as several times as eight hours? According to the petitioner, that is because the aircraft for that flight is not ready. “While passengers are waiting, engineers are battling to put the aircraft on Air. Several times our Aircraft on Runway taxing to takeoff, turns back to offload passengers due to some technical faults observed by Pilots.”
He said that of the 11 aircraft being operated by Air Nigeria, only one, Embraer, is safe to fly Nigeria Air space, with all of the others needing “deep and heavy” technical maintenance.
“This explains why Air Nigeria has never operated more than six Aircraft out of eleven Aircraft. Air Nigeria does not have the money to fix these Aircrafts. Let anybody go and check now, some of the Aircraft and Engines have been grounded for the past one year.”
Mr. Nnorom even advised that “Nigerians who choose to take the risk of flying Air Nigeria not to eat or drink anything, pointing out that passengers have been poisoned because Air Nigeria serves bottled pure water, and that passengers have complained of being served smelling waters.
That also Mr. Ibrahim’s companies, including Air Nigeria; do not have tax clearance certificates. He listed the others as Global Fleet Oil & Gas, NICON Insurance, Nigeria RE-Insurance, NICON Properties Ltd, Nicon Luxury, Nicon Hotels Okitipupa, VGC & PHC, Newswatch Communications, Newswatch Daily and National Mirror,” Mr. Nnorom said in his petition.
“In Air Nigeria, just to renew expatriate resident permit, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim will instruct a vendor to forge all the tax clearance papers which is filed with the immigration.”
Mr. Nnorom said that Jimoh Ibrahim: “As the chairman of Air Nigeria, has diverted N5billion From a BOI aviation industry intervention loan Of N35.5billion granted last year by the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria into NICON INVESTMENT LTD; Diverted $18m Out Of $40m Afrixim federal government support of the aviation industry; with $26,969,505.63 diverted into Mr. Ibrahim’s acquisition of Energy Bank of Ghana,” he said.
He also said that: “Jimoh had diverted N10 billion released by the government through the office of the Accountant-General of Nigeria for the payment of pensioners into Nicon Insurance Plc released the sum of, with no pensioner being paid,” he concludes.
Moreover in his petitions he alleged that Mr. Ibrahim is trying to kill him, and attached his letter of resignation and subsequent acknowledgement by the CEO and FOREIGN LEASSORS to the petition.
“On the SFU, recovery of $75,000 from me, I was never arrested, never invited by SFU, did not make any statement, I do not know how money was recovered from me,” he said. “I am ready to sponsor any person to come with me to SFU and show me my statement,” attributing the matter to Mr. Ibrahim’s “poor character of cheap blackmail.”
According to the former Executive Director, “Jimoh Ibrahim is after my life but if my death will save hundred Nigerian souls from plane crash and that is the will of GOD, my soul will be happy to meet my creator anytime.”
