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March 29, 2008

All Set for Kogi Guber Poll; INEC Relocates HQ to Lokoja

From Chuks Okocha, Dayo Thomas and Wole Ayodele in Lokoja, 03.29.2008

Kogi will today make history as the first state in the country in which the governorship election will be re-run in compliance with the tribunal’s ruling nullifying the state’s gubernatorial election held in April 2007. The verdict of the lower court was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

In order to ensure that the election is hitch-free, the national headquarters of the Independent National Elec-toral Commission (INEC) relocated its entire staff to Lokoja for effective monitoring.
Amidst increasing tensions across the state, there were unconfirmed reports that two people were killed by security operatives deployed to Ayangba, Kogi on Thursday night.

This it was learnt, led to face a off between indigenes of Ayangba and security operatives that led to the deployment of two armoured tanks to forestall the breakdown of law and order.

Supporters of the two leading candidates - former Governors Ibrahim Idris and Abubakar Audu - used most of yesterday for last minute house to house campaigning.

But surprisingly, virtually every part of the state was peaceful yesterday, a major departure from the violence that trailed the campaigns of the front runners in the election in the last two weeks.
While urging their supporters to go about the voting exercise peacefully today, both Audu and Idris expressed optimism about securing victory.

The directive to relocate the INEC staff was given by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu who ordered that any staff from the cadre of director that fails to move to Lokoja for the election should consider him/herself sacked.

Workers from the Abuja INEC headquarters were relocated to Lokoja in 42 luxury buses popularly known as El-Rufai Buses. All the buses arrived INEC’s office in Lokoja as early as 9 a.m. on Friday.
Also, all election materials have arrived their respective local governments and were waiting to be transported to the wards and polling centres.

Iwu was on hand directing the affairs of the commission at the Marine Road, Lokoja office of INEC.

During the election, directors of the commission will serve as election supervisors, while deputy and assistant directors will double as presiding and collation officers for the elections.
All the ballot papers for the elections are serially numbered for easy identification with specific marks for local governments, thereby making it difficult for the ballot papers to be transferred to alternate destinations.

INEC also posted three resident electoral commissioners (RECs) to the state for each to man the three senatorial zones.
INEC directed that no indigene of the state should serve in any capacity to avoid bias. The commission also threatened to cancel elections anywhere violence is recorded.

Security has been beefed up with police deploying over 3,000 from its rank and file to the state. Soldiers and plain cloths security agents were not left out in the massive security build up in the state.
Also yesterday, the Kogi State Police Command declared the governorship candidate for the Movement for the Restoration of Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Col. Suleiman Babanawa and two others wanted in connection with violent acts.

The MRDD Chief was alleged to have procured military uniforms for youths in the state.

Similarly, the former deputy chief of staff to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Prince Olushola Akamode was quizzed and later released.

But generally there is calm in the city of Lokoja, as armed soldiers were seen patrolling the major streets of Lokoja and other towns considered flash points.

Posted by Publisher at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)

Kidnapped Woman Gives Birth In Captors' Den; Gunmen Demand N1m Ransom

From Chido Okafor, Warri

IT was not in her wildest imagination that one day, she would put to birth in the bush. And in the hands of hoodlums for that matter.

Even when she was whisked away from her home last week, Mrs. Stanley Oforegbu, a resident of Igbudu, Delta State thought that her captors would free her because of her condition. Alas! she was wrong. A day soon turned to three for her in the kidnappers' den. After a week, the worst happened: she allegedly gave birth inside the bush without any medical assistance. Prior to her seizure, the gunmen reportedly attempted several times to abduct her husband but failed.

At last, they settled for his pregnant wife. Last week, they struck in their home and without any resistance took her away in a waiting vehicle.

Her embattled husband, Mr. Stanley Oforegbu, an assistant personnel manager with an oil firm, Globstar Nigeria Limited, got a shocker when the kidnappers broke the news of his wife's delivery to him.

Sources close to the family told The Guardian that every now and then, the gunmen would call Oforegbu demanding for N1 million ransom.

The woman was almost due for delivery when the hoodlums stormed their home and took her away to an unknown place. It was learnt that some hoodlums in commando style forced the woman into a waiting car and sped off.

At the time of filing this report yesterday evening, Oforegbu still did not know where his wife was kept. The Guardian learnt that the captors who demanded ransom before her release, called Oforegbu to inform him that she had delivered a baby, which sex they refused to disclose.

The hoodlums believed to be from the firm's host community (Igbudu) were reportedly unhappy with Oforegbu for filling two vacant offshore job slots with his kinsmen instead of indigenes of the area.

The firm has been having running battles with its host community over the employment of qualified workforce, it was learnt.

"They wanted to punish Oforegbu severely for his actions by kidnapping his pregnant wife. They had tried to kidnap Oforegbu in the past but they could not, so they opted for his wife an easier target," a very reliable source said.

The Personnel Manager of Globstar and Oforegbu's immediate boss, Mr. Chris Ozegbe refused to comment on the matter when contacted yesterday on phone but he confirmed the kidnap of the woman.

Ozegbe said the company's policy does not allow staff to make comment on such an incident.

He said: "Our company policy does not allow us to discuss such issues in the public. The fact is that we have not accused any community of being behind the kidnap. Our worker, whose wife was kidnapped, did not accuse any community at all. He does not know those behind the kidnap of his wife. So, I cannot say anything more than that."

Asked about the condition of the mother and her child, Ozegbe said: "The man, whose wife was kidnapped is on leave, so until he returns to duty we cannot know the condition of his wife and baby or where they are."

The company's management, it was learnt had kept sealed lips on the incident and failed to inform security agencies in Warri, in order to avoid the adverse publicity the incident would attract. They instead advised Oforegbu to lie low on the matter.

Oforegbu, The Guardian learnt, receives phone calls from the captors daily demanding for N1 million before his wife would be released. But the man is said to be worried about the health of his wife and the new baby.

When contacted yesterday, a senior police officer at the Warri Area command, said the matter had not been reported to them.

Posted by Publisher at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)

China, Nigeria Sign $50b MOU On Infrastructural Development

FROM MATHIAS OKWE, ABUJA

REPRIEVE may not be long in coming to the nation's pitiable infrastructure as China has promised to help out with about $50b (six trillion naira).

The fund according to the Finance Minister, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman is to help rehabilitate the nation's contemptibly poor infrastructure.

Already, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Africa Finance Company (AFC) on the one hand; and the Managing Directors of Zenith Bank, Oceanic Bank and First Bank on the other on behalf of other Nigerian financial institutions with the Chinese Export Credit Guarantee Agency called SINOSURE for the purpose.

The Finance Minister made this known at a briefing yesterday in Abuja.

"This is the money that they will make available to any private sector or public sector arrangement. The way they want it utilized is that it is not likely to be money that the government will borrow so that

Nigerians will not be afraid that we have gone to bring back the debt that has been repaid. It is funds that will be made available through Nigerian companies to be able to participate in the funding of infrastructure in Nigeria,'' the Minister explained yesterday.

He also said that Beijing has also converted commercial credit worth $2.5 billion contracted under the immediate past administration to concessionary loans.

The development is the outcome of a recent visit by

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to that country, the Finance Minister added.

In another development, Usman yesterday said the

Chinese Government was desirous of investing in the Nigerian oil corporation and would soon be making a foray into Abuja for an investment survey.

The minister explained that the positive development was the outcome of a new wave of partnership the nation was cultivating in the Asian region.

"First of all, I think it is important to understand that the President's trip to China was extremely successful because it brought out framework for strategic relationship between Nigeria and China.

This relationship was agreed upon. We have got our traditional partners, mostly Europe and the United

States. What we are trying to do now is to cultivate some new strategic partners who seem to be much more willing to actually engage positively with Nigeria especially in terms of addressing key infrastructural constrains that we have,'' Usman stated.

The Minister revealed that under the previous administration, the Chinese government had extended basically two facilities totalling $2.5bn to Nigeria.

The first part of the facility, he said, was a

$0.5b which was supposed to be more concessionary, because it was a government to government lending, while there was another $2bn facility granted by the Chinese bank, both amounting to $2.5bn.

"Since Nigeria left the Paris Club Debt, we have not been taking commercial loan. We insisted that any loan that Nigeria takes must be extremely concessionary.

"There is a technical formula that can be used to calculate the degree of concessionality and when we calculated for these two loans, I think it was an average of about 21 per cent which is not as high as minimum of 35 per cent that Nigeria requires to borrow.

"Part of the success of the trip was that we were able to engage the Chinese authorities and really renegotiate these loans to the level that the

concessionality in them is increase to about 38 per cent. The minimum Nigeria requires for degree of concessionality is that it must not be less than 35 per cent.

"These loans were renegotiated to the level of 38 per cent. That was a very important achievement. Clearly, we have finished with the $0.5billion. On the $2billion, we have reached substantial agreement with the Chinese authorities and anytime from now we hope that the deal can be sealed,'' he further said.

He said: "During the trip, the Minister of Petroleum had some meetings with the China National Oil Corporation to discuss any area in which they are interested in oil and gas subject to due process. We made it clear to them that whatever is done will be subject to the necessary due process.

"A delegation of the China National Oil Corporation is due to arrive in the country in the next couple of weeks to actually start engaging with our authorities in the Nigerian oil industry in order to advance the discussion.

Posted by Publisher at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)

N300m Health Ministry Loot: EFCC recovers N106m

Written by Kinglsey Omonobi,
Saturday, 29 March 2008

INVESTIGATION by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) into the alleged N300 million scam in the Federal Ministry of Health suggests that the deal was hatched by a suspended Accountant of the ministry (names witheld)

He was, according to the investigation, also responsible for the withdrawal of the money and its disbursement. Vanguard gathered yesterday that the commission has recovered N106 million of the N300 million from officials of the ministry.

One of the culprits in the scam and Principal Admin Officer in the ministry who confessed that his own share was N400,000 which has been returned, was said to have corroborated the EFCC’s findings that it was the Chief Accountant that ordered that the money be withdrawn and shared.

Vanguard gathered that when the first batch of the amount was disbursed, a sum of N17 million was sent to the former Health Minister, Adenike Grange through her Personal Assistant, Mrs. Roberts, but that she (Minister), who was not carried along in the plot, ordered her to take the money back to the source it came from.

Meanwhile, a source at EFCC told Saturday Vanguard that the Commission has received the permission of the presidency to prosecute the suspects in line with the rule of law stance of the Yar’Adua administration.

Though the suspects were all granted bail after interrogation, it was gathered that lawyers from EFCC and officials from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondaaka, are presently putting finishing touches to the charge sheet and that the suspects may be charged to court next week.

It will be recalled that former Health Minister, Grange, Minister of State, Gabriel Adukwu, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, permanent secretary Professor Simon Ogamdi, Director of Finance, Mr. Hamafi Muhammed and Director of Administration, Dr. H. B. Oyedepo and others, were invited and interrogated by the EFCC last Tuesday over the alleged fraud.

Posted by Publisher at 10:42 AM | Comments (0)

Why we banned ‘Hafsah’ - DG

Written by Yusha’u A. Ibrahim, Kano
Saturday, 29 March 2008

Alhaji Abubakar Rabo Abdulkareem is the Director-General of the Kano state Censors Board, the body which was recently agged to court by the National President of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sani Mu’azu over the ban of his film called ‘Hafsah’.

In this interview with Weekly Trust, Rabo speaks on why the movie was banned, and other issues raised by the MOPPAN President. Excerpts:

Weekly Trust: Why did you ban the movie ‘Hafsah’?

Abdulkareem Rabo: The Kano State Censors Board instituted a complaint to the mobile court assigned into its activities and responsibilities against various films produced outside Kano and marketed, circulated for the consumption of Kano people such films that were not brought before this board for licensing. The law establishing the board has given the board powers to equally censor and license films produced outside Kano, but intended for, or presently marketed in the state. Therefore such kinds of films were taken before the court of law for necessary action and of course ‘Hafsah’ was part of those films, which we complained to the court that were in circulation in the market while were not licensed by this board as request or provided by the law.

WT: But the producer said you did not contact him before the issuance of the ban…

Rabo: Obviously, there’s nothing bad for a constituted authority like ours to be contacting the individuals, but rather, the individuals should contact us. In other words it is a duty bound upon them to contact a constituted authority like Kano State Censors Board.

So I am expecting an individual stakeholder in the film industry to be wise enough by not only articulating himself with the law establishing his business but also to make sure that he is conducting or transacting is a very legal business. Obviously we don’t have to contact anybody because we assume and we believe particularly the MOPPAN President knows the power of the board that all films intended be marketed in the state must be licensed by this board because that’s the provision of the law. So, even if he is ignorant, I want to tell him that ignorance is never an excuse.

WT: But Mu’azu alleged that you publicly commended the film, only to turn around and ban it. Why this contradiction?

Rabo: I can have my opinion, my views about the content of a film but that does not in anyway negate the provision of law that ought to be respected by any film item intended to be marketed in the state. Therefore whether the content of the film is okay, whether the content of the film is obscene, the issue we charged ‘Hafsah’ with is purely the issue of non-licensing. That’s all.

I could have my personal opinion. But my personal opinion about a film does not make it above the law.

If, really, I made any commendation about ‘Hafsah,’ I am sure it is on one of the songs which were in the film, because it was a kind of song which I like, mostly because it portrays an element of my culture. That notwithstanding, there are other parts of the film which are more damaging compared to what I have earlier on highlighted because there are lots of songs that are unbecoming. Also various dancing scenes which cannot be allowed for public consumption not only in Kano, but in any responsible state where government is serious about the morality of its people.

WT: Are you saying that there are certain portions contained in ‘Hafsah’ that contravene the rules and regulations governing filmmaking in Kano?

Rabo: Obviously, the first relationship that should be strictly considered by both the producer and or the marketer is to bring the film for licensing and for censoring. It was from there that the board will start scrutinizing the content of the film in order to filter all unnecessary portions from the film. But if the film was not brought to the board, there are lots of segments particularly the immoral singing and dancing contained in the film that go out for public consumption. It is a duty put upon the board to have clear understanding about a film before licensing it. This cannot be achieved without censoring the film. So, licensing and censoring a film before circulation and or marketing in Kano is our legal mandate.

WT: But the producer said there is no need for the film to be censored because the contents of the film are not restricted to Kano people alone. What can you say about this?

Rabo: I am sad to hear one of the foremost elements of filmmaking in Nigeria say that. Being the president of MOPPAN, I expect him to not only be responsible, but to be enlightened enough to respect a constituted authority like our board. However, his statement is a clear testimony to the level of ignorance in the film industry. If, to say, the National President of MOPPAN could say that, then obviously I am sorry for the film industry.

WT: The producer accused members of the board for being sycophants in the discharge of their primary assignments, which he also described as deceptive…

Rabo: I will like to use this opportunity to warn, because to libel or to defame an officer of the Censors Board, or any government-related body, cannot be condoned. We are bound to impose our rights; we are bound to impose our rights as citizens of this country.

On the issue of rendering deceptive services, I also see this allegation as ridiculous. I want the National President of MOPPAN to face reality and address issues.

If by our saying that professionalism must be respected in the film industry or if by saying that certain immoral obscenities ought to be removed from films are assumed to be deceptive, then obviously we will remain deceptive because that’s our job.

WT: The producer of ‘Hafsah’ recently dragged the Censors Board to court over what he called ‘unnecessary ban’ of his film. What are the charges he leveled against you?

Rabo: The board has been served with summons and we are very happy to be before the constituted authority — I mean the court of justice, which will make it vividly clear to each and every person that the board has a constituted power to execute or carry out its responsibilities. I am expecting the court of justice will make vividly clear that this is a concurrent legislation from which the board has the power like that of the federal agency to censor, license and filter films intended to be produced or marketed in the state.

For the National President of MOPPAN to say that the law that established the board is unconstitutional, it portrays a level of ignorance among the stakeholders of film industry, particularly those who claim to be executives of the industry.

Posted by Publisher at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)

Voting begins in Zimbabwe elections

(CNN) -- Zimbabweans are turning out in large numbers to vote in hotly contested elections that will decide whether longtime President Robert Mugabe can win a sixth term in office.

Mugabe, 84, of the ruling Zanu-PF party, faces two major opponents: leading opposition figure Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe's former finance minister, Simba Makoni, both supported by different factions of the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party.

Critics have predicted the elections will be marred by fraud, though the government has promised they will be "free and fair."

The Zimbabwean government has denied CNN and other international news organizations permission to enter the country to report on the elections, but Zimbabweans crossing the border into South Africa on Saturday told CNN there was good voter turnout with long lines at polling stations, and a heavy police and army presence. Read about reporting on the elections.

But less than an hour after voting began at 7 a.m. (1 a.m. ET), both opposition factions said that in at least 19 polling stations, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission claimed to have "lost" the accreditation for the opposition's polling agent, so it refused to let the agent in.

Eddie Matsangaise of the Zimbabwe Exile Forum said he had heard reports that the names of long-dead white colonialist leaders were on voter lists, but voters who thought they were registered were turned away.

"Obviously they're not free and fair," Matsangaise said of the elections.

Voter confusion is a problem. The elections are not just for president, but also for parliamentary, senate, and local council seats, meaning voters have to cast a number of ballots in a limited amount of time.

Limited voter education means many registered voters were not told which ward to go to and may turn up to the wrong polling station. In heavily-populated urban areas -- traditionally opposition strongholds -- Zimbabweans said there were too few polling stations.

Mugabe's critics say a recent move by Mugabe to increase the salaries of the police, army, and teachers and hand out machinery to black farmers was a vote-buying move. The government denies it was linked to the vote.

The absence of international media and independent observers has heightened critics' concerns. The United States this week warned of a possible unfair election, and New York-based Human Rights Watch warned earlier this month that the elections were likely to be "deeply flawed."

Human Rights Watch said in a report that Zimbabwe's electoral commission is partisan toward Zanu-PF and lacks both expertise and resources to run the elections properly.

An MDC official this week said leaked correspondence from the electoral commission showed it had asked for 3.3 million more ballots than there are registered voters -- including 250,000 extra postal ballots for soldiers and police. Tenda Biti, MDC secretary-general, said it was an indication of fraud. Voting was scheduled to close at 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET).

Of the three candidates standing against Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Makoni have good chances of winning.

Tsvangirai founded the MDC and led hotly contested challenges against Mugabe in 2000, 2002, and 2005.

Makoni used to be a member of the Zanu-PF and served as the country's finance minister, but the party expelled him after he announced his bid to unseat Mugabe.

A hero of the country's civil war against the white Rhodesian government, Mugabe became the country's first black prime minister in 1980. But nearly three decades later, he has consolidated his rule over all aspects of Zimbabwean life, and the country does not appear better for it.

His country was once revered for offering its citizens some of the best education and health care in Africa, but now schooling is a luxury and Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world.

Zimbabwe was once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa, but now it's difficult to get even basic food supplies. Inflation has skyrocketed to more than 100,000 percent while food production and agricultural exports have dropped drastically.

Thousands of Zimbabweans flood into neighboring countries looking for jobs.

Part of the economic freefall is traced to Mugabe's land redistribution policies, including his controversial seizure of commercially white-owned farms in 2000. Mugabe gave the land to black Zimbabweans he said were cheated under colonialist rule, and white farmers who resisted were jailed.

In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Clean Out the Trash, in which he razed slum areas across the country.

Mugabe denies mismanagement and blames his country's woes on the West, saying sanctions have harmed the economy.

Posted by Publisher at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

Policemen Assault Ogun High Court Registrar

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:00:00

A Principal Registrar with the Ogun State High Court, Mr. Yinka Oduwaye, had a close shave with death as policemen brutalised him on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Eight anti-riot policemen assaulted him on the premises of the court. The victim is receiving treatment at the Ijaiye General Hospital as a result of the beating.
The battle-ready policemen were on duty at the venue of the state Election Petitions Tribunal, which was expected to take the written submission of the counsel to the litigants in the April 14, 2007 governorship election in the state.
The Action Congress governorship candidate, Otunba Dipo Dina, is challenging the election of the incumbent governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, of the Peoples Democratic Party, who is running his second term in office.
The policemen were said to be manning the Armoured Personnel Carrier at the gate of the court when the registrar drove into the premises.
Trouble was said to have started when Oduwaye was ordered out of his office over allegation that he did not stop for the search being conducted by the policemen at the gate of the state Magistrate’s Court, which serves as the venue of the sitting of the Election Petitions Tribunal. The victim, who was rushed to the state General Hospital, Ijaiye, shortly after being manhandled by the policemen, told our reporter amidst expression of pain that he was duly passed at the gate before he drove into the premises in his green Datsun car.
The Court Registrar said, “While I was opening the door to my office, one of the policemen shouted at me saying, ‘Hey you, come back here.’ I thought it was a joke and I entered my office. A minute later, about three of them stormed my office and started pushing me around, charging at me why I did not obey their order. “Despite the pleas of my colleagues, the policemen, eight in number, started beating me with their belts and the butts of their guns. My head and body are paining me now.”
The doctor who attended to Oduwaye at the Ijaiye General Hospital, diagnosed “physical assault, well hydrated and little distress.”
The Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Femi Awoyale, however, blamed Oduwaye for refusing to be searched at the gate of the court.
“The man drove there in a taxi. Under the circumstance, the policemen will have to ensure the identity of the occupants before granting entry. But the man did not wait to be searched at the gate; he forced his way in. So, the policemen challenged him,” he said.
Awoyale, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, did not deny that the man was assaulted, and he did not explain the rational behind the deflation of the tyre of the car that brought the man after he was beaten.
Meanwhile, the Election Petitions Tribunal in the state has shifted the adoption of the written submissions of the counsel to Daniel, Dina and the Independent National Electoral Commission to Tuesday, April 1, 2008.

Posted by Publisher at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

No president will rip up NAFTA

By MICHAEL DEN TANDT

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First there was Barack Obama in Ohio, threatening to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement. Now, with another rust-belt primary in the offing -- Pennsylvania -- Hillary Clinton has made the same threat. NAFTA must be renegotiated. If that isn't done, she'll rip it up.

Please, kids. Can we get serious?

The U.S. is not in a position to arbitrarily dictate changes to NAFTA. As Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Industry Minister David Emerson have said, that's not how negotiations work. If the deal were reopened, Canada would have demands, too. So would Mexico.

Consider energy for instance. As NAFTA now stands, U.S. companies have guaranteed tariff-free market access to Canadian energy resources. And Canada has the same access to U.S. energy.

That's a good deal for Canada. It allows our oil and gas exporters uninhibited entry into the massive U.S. market, which they otherwise might not have. And it's good for the U.S. -- for the obvious reason that it needs Canadian oil and natural gas, among other resources.

Now let's talk about energy security. In the late 1980s and early '90s, when the North American Free Trade was first negotiated, the Cold War was ending and America reigned supreme.

Today the world is different. What do Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Venezuela, Russia, Libya, and Nigeria have in common? They're nine of the world's top 10 holders of proven petroleum reserves. Yikes.

The 10th country, and No. 2 on the list in terms of the size of resource, is Canada.

The fact that Canada's reserves are geographically accessible, in a stable democracy, and sheltered by a free trade agreement, is a priceless strategic asset to the United States. No president -- Democrat or Republican -- will jeopardize America's access to that resource.

Clinton is no more "serious" about abrogating free trade than she was about landing "under fire" in Bosnia. It's campaign hooey, and not to be believed.

Posted by Publisher at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

Nigeria beats SA 3-0, picks Africa`s 3rd ticket to Olympic football

Abuja, 03/29 - Nigeria`s Dream Team IV Wednesday beat visiting South Africa 3-0 to win a ticket to the men`s football event of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Two of the goals came via Taiye Taiwo and Victor Anichebe, who was making his debut for Nigeria.

The third was an own goal by a South African defender as he tried to clear the ball from his team`s vital area.

Nigeria finished group A of the qualifiers with 8 points, followed by Ghana with 7 and South Africa with one.

Ahead of the crunch game, the Nigerian players were promised US$4,000 each for a win.

Cote d`Ivoire and Cameroon have already secured Africa`s two other tickets to the Olympics.

Nigeria became the first African nation to win the Olympics football gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Nigeria`s female national team, the Super Falcons, has already qualified for the Biejing Games, meaning Nigeria will field men`s and women`s football teams in China

Posted by Publisher at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

LOOTING DEMOCRACY: Adamawa’s last bazaar

From KENNY ASHAKA, Kaduna
Saturday, March 29, 2008

In March last year, stiff opposition to the candidacy of Admiral Murtala Nyako threatened the unity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Adamawa State. The governorship primaries slated to produce a candidate for the party among the many aspirants jostling to become governor of the state was suddenly aborted.

From the blues came Murtala Nyako, a former Chief of Naval Staff as the candidate of the party. He was not exactly unknown in the party, but he was known more as a kingmaker than a king aspirant. His candidacy was, therefore, a huge shock. And it instantly threw the PDP in the state into turmoil.

It has never been without one. The many aspirants from among whom a candidate would have emerged rejected the choice of Nyako, rather quietly. But the presidency insisted, and had its way. On May 29 last year, Nyako was sworn in as the executive governor of Adamawa State. Opposition to Nyako was never voiced again. Those who printed posters and, in fact, ran full course campaigns had accepted his governorship.

But Nyako’s governorship which was terminated late last month and which ran for only nine months of the four-year tenure has not been without its problems. Due process, on request for funds, was observed more in the breach. Powerful officials of the government at the Government House Yola and in some ministries virtually made indiscriminate requests for funds that seemed to have never been scrutinized by the governor before approval.

Incidentally, Nyako’s was an administration allegedly designed to raise the moral tone of a much criticized past administration. But it turned out, from the documents available to SATURDAY SUN, to have bled the state even more. And the state is benumbed.

The triumvirate
As soon as Nyako was sworn in, he appointed Alhaji Bello Tukur, former Governor Boni Haruna’s deputy, his Chief of Staff. He followed suit by appointing John Manasa as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). Nyako reconstituted the State Executive Council and made Emmanuel T. Vahyala finance commissioner. Between the Council members and close officials of government, the trio of Alhaji Bello Tukar, Emmanuel Vahyala and John Manasa wielded more influence on the governor.

They engaged in influence peddling with such arrogance that appeared to lend an air of bravado to it all. The manner they allegedly went about their duties seemed to convince many that the secret of their influence must lie outside their legitimate functions as government officials. Indeed, they appeared larger than life the way they conducted the affairs of state. They acted accordingly. The road to these influences by the trio is a mind-boggling saga of introducing confusion in the request system.

SSG’s Christmas, Sallah and New Year moves
On the 17th December, John Manasa, the Secretary to the state government raised a memo to then Governor Nyako reminding him that members of the State House of Assembly would soon proceed on recess. For this reason, he recommended that “there is need to pay off their Constituency Allowances.”
In the same memo, the SSG informed the governor that “in addition to the normal allowances at the end of the year, assistance is given to them for Wardrobe Allowances.”

He continued in the same memo. That, “this time around, the Sallah, Christmas and New year celebrations are in sequence” and recommended for the release of the sum of N130 million for the purposes stated.
It was a one paragraph memo which did not tabulate what would be given for Sallah, Christmas, New year, constituency Allowance and Wardrobe Allowance. However, the request received instant approval that day as the governor directed the Commissioner of Finance to release N130 million in line with the approval.

Curiously, the same government scribe got approval for additional N5 million “as a token welfare assistance to some organized group to help cushion some of their needs in respect of Sallah, Xmas and New year.” He acknowledged the fact that although “some of these occasions (Sallah and Xmas) have come and gone; all the same, it is still in order to assist them.” This memo was submitted for approval to the governor on the 27th of December 2007. It was approved that same day.
If this deal about Christmas and Sallah gifts and entertainments were limited to the SSG alone, it would have been swept under the carpet. What is probably raising dust in government circle now is the bazaar made out of the two occasions.

Commisioner for Finance makes his pitch
On the 8th December, a day after the SSG made his request, the Commissioner of Finance, Emmanuel T. Vahyala, also sent in his request to the governor. “Your Excellency, the end of the year 2007 has come. It is customary to have celebrations of both the Eid-El-Kabir for Muslims community and Christmas for all the Christians,” the Finance Commissioner wrote in his memo.

“At each of the occasions, His Excellency would need to play host to Government dignitaries from in and outside the state as well as members of the public.” This content in the memo was followed by a request for N30 million. In his own case, there was a breakdown. According to Vahyala, the Ed-El-Kabir celebration would gulp N10 million, Christmas N10 million and contingencies and other unforeseen expenses would consume another N10 million. Quickly, Governor Nyako approved the request on the day it was written and ordered the N30 million to be released.

Chief of Staff weighs in
What aroused suspicion was that in spite of these two memos on the same subject matter, the Chief of Staff, Bello Tukur, who was the deputy to former Governor Boni Haruna also laid claim to the need for welfare package for prominent personalities and Non-Governmental Organizations in the state to mark the Christmas and Sallah celebrations. On the 17th of December, he made a request for N23.3 million for the Christmas celebration and N25.9 million for the Sallah festivities. These sums were approved without qualms from any quarter.
The manner the three government officials made their request as enunciated in the memos sent to the governor must be the envy of Accountants.

A farmer-governor and his farm
But the governor was not left out in this unofficial bazaar. On the 3rd of July last year Hajiya Ladi Sa’adatu Atiku, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, wrote to the governor about the need to purchase 60 metric tones of “Admiral “A” Improved Maize seeds and 40,000 bags of Cassava Cuttings from Sebore (Export processing) farms.

This request had earlier been turned down by the Boni Haruna administration. But former governor Nyako is a farmer and was expected to show more sympathy to the cause of the farmers, especially when he is the farmer from whom the items are to be bought. Sebore farms is owned by Admiral Murtala Nyako and is located in Mayo-Belwa, his home town. It is not so much the cost of N42 million approved for the purchase of the maize seeds, bags of cassava cuttings, transportation to seven locations and training of farmers that worries critics of the deal than the timing.
Nyako was accused of selling his stock of old maize in July when the people are supposed to be harvesting; which also means that the comparative price would have been far less than the price quoted by Sebore farms for old maize.

Bello Tukur’s Reaction
Saturday Sun asked the Chief of Staff, Bello Tukur, whether the allegations are mere fabrications or fiction? Tukur at first denied knowledge of any additional N3 million made for Sallah entertainment for the teeming population. Reminded by Saturday Sun that there is a document to that effect which showed he applied for the money, the Chief of Staff said; “well, if there was any request for anything like that it must have been genuine and okay,” adding “so what is the big deal about it?”
When Saturday Sun told him that the big deal was the duplication of request for the same Christmas and Sallah celebration, he said “these are annual rituals that have been happening in the last eight to nine years; so what is the big deal about it?

“How can I explain to you something that has been done and is on records? You just phoned me like that. How can I be remembering the transaction that took place off head (off hand)? If you want any clarification, go to the office and speak to relevant officers. We have Accountants; we have Secretary One in that office who has been responsible for raising memos. I cannot speak to you on this matter please. If you want details, go to the Commissioner of Finance.”

We got nothing -Lawmaker
A member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly representing Song Local Government Area, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, told Saturday Sun in a telephone interview that there was nothing like Sallah or Christmas gifts from government to the lawmakers last year.
“The only money I know that I collected was Constituency Allowance. Even that one was half of the total amount due to me. I never received any wardrobe allowance or anything apart from what I have told you”, he said.
Sounding very frantic, Abdullahi asked: “You mean wardrobe allowance was given? To whom? Who collected the money?”
From Abdullahi’s tone, the end of the matter is not yet in sight. A Controversy that may lead to serious investigations has just begun.

Posted by Publisher at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

Obasanjo messed up NNPC – Yar’Adua

By Kenny Ashaka, Kaduna and Dennis Mernyi
Saturday, March 29, 2008

The NNPC yesterday slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the manner his administration conducted the affairs of the oil industry in Nigeria.

The Corporation said the former President concentrated the oil sector in the hands of a few oligarchies which they manipulated to enrich themselves.

The NNPC also came down hard on President Obasanjo’s privatization programme, saying the process was driven from outside the corporation and in the process excluded competent hands who would have availed the government of their expertise.

The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Alhaji Lawal Abubakar Yar’Adua who made this known after a tour of the Kaduna Refining and Petro- Chemical Company (KRPC) said that Obasanjo’s administration did not allow NNPC staff to contribute to the process that ensured the facilitation of selling the companies to potential buyers as if the staff were bereft of ideas.
The KRPC started refining petroleum productions on March 14, this year after about three years of closure.

The GMD was represented on the occasion by the Group Executive Director, Refinery and Petrochemicals, Mr Anthony Azubuke
“I want Nigerians to realize that the downstream sector of the petroleum industry is better when majority of Nigerians participate than when a few oligarchies seized the sector and manipulated it to whatever they wanted to do in order to become billionaires.

“You are all aware that prior to this regime, the privatization process was essentially driven from outside the NNPC as if NNPC had nothing to contribute towards ensuring that the facilities that will become presentable for potential people who want to participate.
“But thanks to the current regime, the process is significantly different. We have to first of all ensure that people who want to partner with us are seen to run in that process…” he said.
The GMD said that contract would be awarded during the next dry season for the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) as it cannot be done during the rainy season.

He, however, stressed that the cost of the TAM would be significantly reduced because of the major work done to rehabilitate the company for it to start production once again.
According to him, the KRPC now produces about 1.8 million litres of diesel, 1.3million litres of kerosene and 1.4million litres of petrol daily at its present 60 per cent production level even as efforts were being made to get to between 75 per cent and 80 per cent production level soon.
He said that since the completion of repairs along the crude oil pipelines that were damaged, the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company had also started production just as the KRPC had started receiving crude from Warri.

On the significance of resumption of production of petroleum products at KRPC, he said that textile and other agro-allied companies which closed shops because of lack of products like black oil would soon begin production.
“This is a happy day for the northern region as you are all aware that the refinery is not just there to produce PMS (petrol) and kerosene. It is a critical and strategic infrastructure that produce more than PMS and kerosene because it produces other products like black oil that drives the economic activities of this country.

“We will in a short while begin to see the resuscitation of various industries that have since shut down, particularly textile and agro-allied industries,” he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director of KRPC, Mr Mojeed Olayinka Agoro, had said that lack of nitrogen for preservation took its toll on the various plants.
Agoro also said that the KRPC recruited retired but experienced staff for the start up of the company and urged the government to approve more funds for the repair “of lockers and furniture in various control rooms to raise them to a level befitting our status as the pride of the nation.”

Posted by Publisher at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2008

Atiku Wants Obj Probed

Friday, March 28, 2008; Posted: 08:40 AM

Lagos, Mar 28, 2008 (Daily Champion/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- -- FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Atiku said former President Obasanjo should be thoroughly investigated because of what he called the startling revelations from the House of Representatives probe on Energy sector.

In an interview with select newsmen Atiku said: "To the best of my knowledge I cannot recollect one project which was started and completed, owing to lack of vision, bad leadership, mismanagement and corruption.

There is , therefore, the need for a thorough investigation of the immediate past regime."

He also took a swipe at President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's administration, which he said, has not moved Nigeria forward in the last 10 months.

According to him: "I don't know whether they are still slow or they don't have the idea or the vision."

He described President Yar'Adua as his brother whom he has always offered advice as president but he said it is up to him to take such advice.

Posted by Publisher at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)

Ex-Wema Bank MD released

Lukkey Abawuru & Chioma Chuka

DETAINED ex-Group Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Adebisi Omoyeni was yesterday released by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) Lagos over alleged mismanagement of the bank’s funds, after interrogations.

Daily Champion recalls that Omoyeni was arrested in Abuja on Wednesday by detectives of SFU Lagos following a petition by the bank’s management alleging misapplication of N450 million.

The ex-Wema Bank boss regained freedom about 3.45 p.m yesterday after satisfying specified condition at 13 Millverton Road Ikoyi office of SFU.

We learnt that the police at SFU only requested for a surety, who would produce the embattled bank chief whenever needed by the police. A police source at SFU said an unnamed surety secured Omoyeni’s release after interrogation by the commissioner of police."

He said that Omoyeni provided answers to all the questions put to him.

Reacting, Commissioner of Police, in charge of SFU, Mr. Olayinka Balogun confirmed the release, arguing that the case was a bailable one.

"Fraud cases are bailable offences. The suspect is a known person, we believe that he would not run away if we release him to a substantial surety that will produce him if needed to answer more charges," Balogun said.

He further said: "if after investigation, he is found liable, we will charge him to court but right now, we are investigating. He has said his own views and we will go back to the petitioners."

However, at the bank’s head office, Marina, Lagos it was business as usual when our correspondent visited.

Head, Corporate Affairs of the bank, Mr. Tunde Olofintila told our correspondent that "He only visited the police this morning (yesterday) he slept in his house on Wednesday. All other people who accompanied him have returned while Oga went home to rest.

Omoyeni was suspended from office in January 2008 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and directed to proceed on an indefinite leave to pave way for investigations against him.

Among the allegations are that he without the approval of the bank’s board, asked for and got N90m housing allowance upfront for five years amounting to N450m and also took advantage of CBN directives to acquire shares of the bank last year."

The examiners sent by CBN however, accused Omoyeni of not allowing them access to investigate the matter and thus recommended his suspension.

He later petitioned President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who constituted an independent committee that reinstated him in office before he was arrested.

Posted by Publisher at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)

Niger Delta, Gulf of Guinea dilemma Nigeria, stakeholders agree on security

Nigeria and other stakeholders are to cooperate to boost security in the Gulf of Guinea, reduce oil theft, money laundering and small arms proliferation in the Niger Delta.

This resolution is contained in a communique issued yesterday at the end a two-day multilateral meeting of the stakeholders in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that top on the agenda was energy security in the Gulf of Guinea and sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland attended the meeting.
Development partners such as the EU Commission, USAID, UNDP, DFID, World Bank, International Oil Companies (IOCs) as well as NNPC and EFCC also participated.
They pledged to support Nigeria’s efforts to ensure maritime safety and security to eliminate oil theft, bunkering and criminal activities in the Niger Delta.
They promised to encourage NNPC and the Plymouth University in efforts to use oil fingerprinting for authenticating the source of crude oil sold internationally.
On small arms control, the parties agreed to enhance communication and information exchange among the governments on the sources of illegal weapons.
“The government of Nigeria should increase efforts to control movements of weapons across land borders and within Nigeria.
“Members should support the coordination of small arms control activities across the Gulf of Guinea region and the ECOWAS Sub-region.
‘’The Nigerian Navy should intensify its maritime control capabilities in the Niger Delta region to ensure enthronement of law and order,’’ the communique stated.
The meeting agreed to enhance cooperation and information exchange between partners to fight money laundering.
The meeting acknowledged the stimulation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative at the state level, saying that “the Bayelsa Expenditure and Income Transparency Initiative (BEITI) is welcomed in that respect.’’
On sustainable community development, the meeting charged NNPC to coordinate the development of a common and harmonised development plan within each state in the oil-producing area.
NNPC is also expected to work with oil companies operating in the respective states.
They will also share information and activities between the partners, IOCs, states, NDDC and local governments to avoid duplication and waste of resources.
“Partners are to identify areas of strength to ensure that assistance offered is based on organisation’s area of expertise,’’ it said.
It stated that development partners were prepared to assist the states in capacity building to improve governance and ensure value for money.
The foreign partners took note of positive developments in the Niger Delta and pledged to assist with development and security.
Participants called for special session for security agencies, diplomatic corps as well as stakeholders in the industry.
The next meeting is scheduled for September 2008, in Yenagoa.

Posted by Publisher at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)

Bank Robbery: Police Arrest More Suspects, Recover Ammunitions

By Seyi Odubanwo, Reporter, Lagos
Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00

Barely two weeks after it foiled a massive bank robbery operation at a first generation bank in Lagos, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested more hoodlums in connection with the attack, recovering seven riffles from the suspects.

Disclosing this on Wednesday was the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone II, Lagos, Mohammed Abubakar.
He spoke when the Acting Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank Plc, John Aboh paid him a courtesy visit.
While describing the arrest of the robbery suspects as morale booster for the police, Abubakar stated that intelligence work and interrogations have so far revealed that the gang was the brain behind some of the recent bank robberies in the state.
Abubakar, who described the successful intervention of the police in the robbery attack as an act of God, recalled that the armoured vehicle sent to the scene of the robbery as an emergency rescue operation was not in good shape at the time.
“Somehow, God was at work. Even with the bad engine and bad tyres, the armoured car got to the scene to assist in arresting the robbers”, he stated.
The AIG stressed the need for banks and the police to partner together in order to ensure effective security,
adding, “Security goes beyond acquisition of armoured vehicles and mere employment of security staff”.

Posted by Publisher at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

Fallout from Tibet takes glow off Olympics; China's showcase event is clouded by harsh response to uprising

By Edward Cody
Washington Post
updated 11:32 p.m. ET, Thurs., March. 27, 2008

BEIJING - The riots in Tibet two weeks ago have turned into a major challenge to China's leaders, whose decision to use military force and restrict media access has cast a shadow over hopes for an unblemished Olympics this summer.

The uprising in the remote Himalayan region lasted for barely more than a day. But it generated a worldwide swell of concern. Now, the Games -- intended to be a festive coming-out party for modern China -- could become a dramatic reminder that the Communist Party still relies on Leninist police tactics and Orwellian censorship to enforce its monopoly on power.

"This is exactly what the party leaders didn't want," said Li Datong, a senior magazine editor who was fired in 2006 after an essay in his publication challenged the party's official history. "This has become a real headache for them."

By Edward Cody
updated 11:32 p.m. ET, Thurs., March. 27, 2008
BEIJING - The riots in Tibet two weeks ago have turned into a major challenge to China's leaders, whose decision to use military force and restrict media access has cast a shadow over hopes for an unblemished Olympics this summer.

Games ‘kidnapped by the Tibet issue’
With Tibet unrest having seized the public's imagination abroad, the Chinese government already has lost its battle to keep politics out of the Olympics, said Li, the editor. He said the government should brace itself for an onslaught of protests over Tibet, Darfur, human rights and other causes before and during the Games, both in China and outside.

"It's over," he said. "The Olympic Games have already been kidnapped by the Tibet issue." The issue has become so huge, it has been mentioned in the race for the White House, he added: "Even Hillary's talking about it."

The party's security apparatus -- the Public Security Bureau, the People's Armed Police and the People's Liberation Army -- have blanketed Tibet and other Tibetan-inhabited parts of China over the last two weeks. Chinese officials have voiced confidence that the vast deployment can smother what remains of Tibetan unrest in the days and weeks to come.

Given experience, there was no reason to doubt their word. But there is little they can do to apply similar pressure against protesters promising to disrupt the Olympic torch relay at its stops abroad.

‘One World One Dream’ a pipe-dream?
Even in China, where authorities have vowed the relay will go on as planned, cracking down hard on foreign protesters -- in view of legions of television cameras -- would make a mockery of China's Olympics motto, "One World One Dream." Plans to carry the torch to the top of Mount Everest and display it on a run into Lhasa have become particularly difficult to execute without restricting access in a way certain to draw howls from foreign groups.

Already, Olympic officials in Beijing, fearing protests, have refused to reveal the route of the Olympic torch as it moves Monday from its arrival at the airport to Tiananmen Square for a ceremony marking the launch of its world travels.

Despite pledges to allow open reporting during the Olympics, Chinese officials have reacted to the uproar over Tibet mainly by restricting journalists and, in language reminiscent of another era, questioning the motives of critics. Qin Gang, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Tuesday that the protesters in Greece were "shameful" and should be feeling "remorse" for their actions.

Measured response short-lived
By blocking access for foreign reporters and enforcing strict censorship in Chinese media, the government has to a large degree restricted the news about continued unrest in Tibet and Tibetan regions of Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces. China's controlled press has stressed a return to normality; Wednesday's People's Daily showed Tibetan women practicing tai chi moves in the shadow of the iconic Potala Palace in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

Although tough in its attempt to suppress information, the government's initial response on the ground was unusually cautious. At the first explosion of violence March 14, police faded back, leaving the streets open for marauding Tibetans who set fire to shops and attacked Han Chinese businessmen. Only the next day did People's Armed Police restore control of central Lhasa.

Li suggested the Olympics were in officials' minds that day, leading them to order restraint. But other analysts attributed the soft response to confusion and to party secretary Zhang's presence in Beijing for the annual meeting of the Chinese legislature. In any case, Chinese officials have been incensed by appeals from human rights groups denouncing a crackdown.

Striving for modernity
Hu, the party leader and president, has dealt with these problems before. He was party secretary in Tibet during similar disturbances in 1989 that were put down by the imposition of martial law and dispatch of PLA troops into streets and villages. Historical accounts say dozens of Tibetans were killed and hundreds arrested.

The party leadership, under Deng Xiaoping, decided in 1989 that putting down the Tiananmen and Tibetan protests was worth suffering opprobrium abroad. But the difference now is that China wanted -- and still ardently wants -- to play a different role at the Beijing Olympics.

The role, that of a modern country embracing the world, has already been compromised by the unrest in Tibet and the way the world is viewing the government's reaction, the analysts said. Shambaugh, at George Washington University, characterized the government's attempt so far to manage its image in the aftermath of the violence as "heavy-handed" -- resorting to vilification of the Dalai Lama and questioning the motives of foreign critics.

"The government is not particularly adept at public diplomacy, as they define it as 'external propaganda' and pursue it as such," he said.

But a Beijing-based scholar and political analyst said some party factions do not care much about China's image abroad, even in this Olympic year, provided the party is seen to be firmly in control. "A lot of these guys in a crisis go into the default mode, and that is: Crack down," he said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive subject.

Posted by Publisher at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

International Zone under curfew as attacks continue

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's government imposed a weekend curfew in Baghdad on Thursday amid clashes between government troops and Shiite militia fighters, and U.S. Embassy staff were told to remain indoors after days of rocket attacks left two U.S. government employees dead.

The curfew, which took effect at 11 p.m. Thursday (4 p.m. ET), bans pedestrian, motorcycle and vehicle traffic through 5 p.m. Sunday, said Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman.

Sixteen rockets were fired Wednesday and 12 on Tuesday. U.S. Embassy workers in Iraq were told to remain in secure buildings and wear protective clothing as rockets continued to rain down on Baghdad's International Zone.

Also called the Green Zone, the International Zone is a heavily fortified central Baghdad district housing the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government offices.

A senior U.S. official says the insurgents may have had recent training allowing them to conduct more precise targeting of the rockets, believed to be made in Iran.

Meanwhile, the name of the U.S. government official killed in the attacks Thursday has not been released, an Embassy spokesman said.

Another U.S. employee, Paul Converse, died Wednesday from wounds he sustained Sunday, officials said.

And a U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, the U.S. military reported.

Iraq's parliament called a special session for Friday to address the crisis caused by three days of fighting between government troops and Shiite fighters. Meanwhile, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for an end to attacks on his followers.

Fighting between Iraqi government troops and what officials call rogue or outlaw members of Shiite militias has spread through southern Iraq's Shiite heartland to Baghdad since the launch of a government crackdown in Basra on Tuesday.

Three days of fighting have left more than 100 Iraqis dead.

Casualty figures from Basra weren't available Thursday, but the number of deaths is expected to rise from the 40 to 50 reported Wednesday.

The fighting threatens to unravel a seven-month cease-fire by al-Sadr's Mehdi Army.

Al-Sadr issued a statement Thursday urging "all groups to adopt a political situation and peaceful protest and to stop shedding the Iraqi blood," according to a senior member of his movement.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has been overseeing the operation in southern Iraq, has ordered militants to surrender their weapons by Saturday.

In Washington, U.S. State Department official Richard Schmierer said the rocket attacks appear to be coming from fighters affiliated with al-Sadr who were "trying to make a statement" about the government offensive in Basra.

Schmierer, the State Department's director of Iraq affairs, discounted the prospect that the cease-fire was collapsing. He blamed the violence on "marginal extremist elements" who have associated themselves with the Sadrist movement.

Iraq's Interior Ministry said mortar rounds killed one person and wounded four in the city's central Karrada district on Thursday evening, and the ministry's own compound was hit by one shell, wounding seven police officers.

Also Thursday in Baghdad, dozens of gunmen kidnapped the spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, Tahseen Sheikhly. Three of his guards were killed and his house burned in the attack, which an Interior Ministry official said was carried out by "outlaws," a reference to al-Sadr's militia.

A car bomb killed three people and wounded five others near a police patrol in central Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry official said. There are no apparent links to the violence in the Shiite regions.

People in Basra report smoke rising and gunfire and explosions ringing out across the city. Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. and British troops, have been taking on fighters using grenades, mortar rounds and machine guns.

A Basra provincial official said on condition of anonymity that weapons such as machine guns and grenades were stolen from a military post in the Muqal area.

Al-Maliki briefed city and provincial officials Wednesday about the offensive and vowed to finish the job.

Provincial officials expressed reservations about the operation, saying Basra will fall into the hands of "outlaws" if al-Maliki fails to restore order.

Basra has been relatively quiet during the war, but the southern city has seethed with intra-Shiite tensions as Sadrists, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and the Fadhila party have jockeyed for power.

Much of the fighting in the Shiite heartland involves followers of al-Sadr and security forces aligned with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq's militia, the Badr Brigade.

The council dominates the ruling United Iraqi Alliance, but the Sadrist movement left the government last year after al-Maliki refused to demand a timeline for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. Both groups have strong contingents in the Iraqi parliament.

A provincial council official also said insurgents sabotaged an oil pipeline Thursday in Zubeir, a town near Basra. The attack sparked a large fire on the pipeline, which transfers crude oil to tanks in the city.

Meanwhile, the FBI identified the remains of two U.S. contractors who had been missing in Iraq for more than a year, a bureau spokesman said Thursday.

Minnesotan Paul Johnson-Reuben, 41, and Californian Joshua Munns, 25, were among four men kidnapped in November 2006 during an ambush in the southern Iraqi town of Safwan. All four worked for the Crescent Security Group, a Kuwaiti-based firm that escorts convoys.

The other two men -- Jonathon Cote, 25, and Bert Nussbaumer, 26 -- are still listed as missing. The FBI has the remains of one more body, which the bureau is trying to identify.

Posted by Publisher at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

FG to use Dokubo as star witness against Okah

Written by Ise-Oluwa Ige
Friday, 28 March 2008

Ahead the arraignment of the detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Mr. Henry Okah, and one Edward Attata for treason before a Federal high court, Abuja, indications emerged yesterday that the Federal Government is planning to use Alhaji Asari Dokubo as its star prosecution witness to nail the MEND leader.

A top official in the Federal Ministry of Justice who spoke with Vanguard yesterday on the condition of anonymity on the issue however added that the Attorney-General of the Federation might enter nolle prosequi in court with respect to the treason charge pending against Dokubo.

The source however did not disclose whether Dokubo had indeed agreed to testify against his brother, Henry Okah, in court and whether the militia leader had already made a statement to the SSS to warrant the idea of making him the government’s star prosecution witness.

It would be recalled that the Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Salihu Aliyu, had, few weeks back, hinted that the government had filed a 14-count treason charge against Henry Okah and one Edward Attatah.
He had said that the duo would soon be arraigned in court. Although Vanguard confirmed that the charge had indeed been filed before the Abuja Federal high court, no date has been fixed for the arraignment of the accused persons.

It is not clear whether the on-going Easter break for judges or and the mass transfer of the judicial officers in the Abuja division of the high court is (are) the cause of the delay in fixing a date for the accused persons’ arraignment.

In the charge preferred against the duo of Okah and Attatah, the government is linking them to the missing
arms at the Nigerian Army Ordinance depot in Kaduna.

According to the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Salihu Aliyu, he said that Okah bought over 6000 assorted rifles ammunition from some military officers who are currently in detention for missing arms at the Nigerian Army Ordinance depot in Kaduna. Aliyu alleged that the accused persons supplied the weapons to Militant groups in the Niger Delta with the
intention to intimidate and overawe the federal government.

The Prosecutor said that Okah and his co-accused were arrested last year in Angola while trying to buy a Korean shipping vessel worth US $670,000 for the purpose of transporting weapons to militant groups in the Niger delta.

If convicted, Okah and Atatah risk death penalty. Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, is defending the detained MEND leaders in court. Niger Delta militants have made Okah’s release one of their conditions for ending attacks on oil installations and workers.

But their activities continued even after the government met their demands for the liberation of other leaders.

Posted by Publisher at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

Obasanjo ordered waivers for power projects, says Okonjo-Iweala

From John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja

There is no provision for waiver, says Ezekwesili

FORMER Minister of Finance and now World Bank Managing Director, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday absolved herself of any wrongdoing in her role in the financing of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).

According to her, all her actions were based on schedule of duties and instruction from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whose administration she served. Her counterpart then in the solid minerals and later education ministries, Oby Ezekwesili, said she had no regrets over actions taken while in office. She, however, faulted the waiver allegedly allowed by Obasanjo in financing the projects.

At the beginning of her testimony, Okonjo-Iweala pleaded with the committee to excuse her from responding to any question on World Bank because it would be against the rule of the bank, noting that her role in the ministry in respect of the NIPP contracts had nothing to do with award of contracts but disbursement of funds.

"I was minister from 2003 to June 2006 and so I would answer questions during the period and not outside that period. I want to state categorically that my discussion will not involve the contract but disbursement of funds.

"The responsibility for the contracts lies with the Ministry of Power and they are responsible for that. The NIPP was formed initially to deal with the implementation of the seven power stations in the Niger Delta. The amount of $2.5 billion was to be set aside to target 2000MW by 2007 because the whole country was held hostage by the power sector" , she said.

The former minister further added: "The idea was to use the gas in the area and fire the projects. During the first half of 2006, it was also the time I was working on the debt relief for the country and I was travelling to negotiate the debt relief, and because of this, I was not frequent at many meetings. It took me outside of my duty stations at Abuja quite a lot.

"Records are still at the Finance Ministry. In addition to looking at money, they should look at the technical issues like where the right technical approach taken to ensure that the siting of the plants and if after there would be the right power as a concerned Nigerian. The power sector had its normal share in the budget. I was responsible for the construction of the budgets."

The World Bank MD said most of the funds were released for the NIPP project after she had left the Ministry of Finance as minister but said the project was as a result of an agreement between the Federal Government and the states and local governments as on how to utilise the excess crude oil account.

"The former President said there was an agreement with the governors that the excess crude funds should be used for pressing needs like power and roads.

"Since the idea has been put together by the technical people, they said it was good and that the money should be on power. I also recall that it was also an idea to repay some of the debts.

And I recall that the area of power was sent to the National Assembly. I also recall that the plan was to take the money and refund it after. But since I left, I don't know or can't recall what has happened" , she said.

She insisted that the notion that she gave out money was false: "When you say that I gave out money or appropriated money; no minister of finance gives out money. It is not my right to give out money. According to finance and regulatory laws, the Ministry of Finance is responsible for preparing budgets to the National Assembly and also payments.

"We also have a due process to make the processes and procedures very clear. When we took over, it was not very clear. We started the publishing of the revenue of all tiers of government. We also set up in place measures to have a Due Process Certification."

She also refuted the claim that she was the chief accounting officer for the project. Her words: "The Minister of Finance can't be accounting officer for Power and Steel or any other ministry. I want to repeat that I knew nothing about the tendering of the contracts. We were not the accounting officers..."

The former minister told the panel that in allowing waivers for the NIPP projects from Due Process office, she merely acted on instruction from the former president who acted on the request of the former Minister of Power and Steel, Senator Liyel Imoke. "Well, of course you said you have evidence from the present finance minister. Because we needed a documentation, we could not pay without due process certificate, a waiver proposal was presented to us from the former minister of power and it was also sent to the CBN and the ministry. I received an instruction from the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to pay.

She said only the sum of $857 million was paid in respect of the projects during her period out of the $3.5 billion alleged to have been paid to contractors.

Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, who also appeared before the committee yesterday, said since the NIPP projects had failed to yield results, the states and local governments were expecting a refund of their money.

On her part, the former minister of education and solid minerals and now World Bank Vice President for the African Region, Ezekwesili, said she had no regrets over her action while she was in charge of due process office. She also faulted the waiver allowed by Obasanjo, saying that it was not part of due process laws. "I did not expect waiver and that was why I was considered uncompromisable and called names. I have no regret over any action I took while in office because I stood for the truth and because of the way things went that is why you are all here and if we don't follow due process, you will have more panels like this", she said.

Posted by Publisher at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)

Zimbabwe forces 'on full alert'

Zimbabwe's security forces have been put on full alert amid fears Saturday's election could spark violence similar to that in recent Kenyan polls.

Candidates are on a final day of campaigning, with the two main rivals to President Robert Mugabe raising fears of widespread vote-rigging.

Mr Mugabe insists the vote is fair and everyone should abide by the results.

About 1,500 people were killed in violence that followed disputed elections in Kenya in December.

Military presence

The joint chiefs of Zimbabwe's police, army, prison service and intelligence services gathered in Harare to warn that violence would not be tolerated.

Augustine Chihuri, commissioner general of the police, said: "The defence and security forces of Zimbabwe are on full alert from now onwards covering the election period and beyond."

He said they would "thwart all threats to national security".

Mr Chihuri also said candidates would not be allowed to declare victory before official results were announced.

Reports say tanks and vehicles with water cannon are being deployed in parts of the capital.

On Thursday, Mr Mugabe warned opponents not to protest if they lost. "Just dare try it," he said at one of his final rallies.

A BBC contributor in Masvingo in south-eastern Zimbabwe says there is an increased military presence and fly-bys by Chinese-made fighter jets.

One 54-year-old villager told him: "We have been warned that if we vote Mugabe out, there will be war."

In Masvingo city, one resident said he would not be cowed by intimidation: "We do not mind even if they deploy soldiers at polling stations - it's time for Mugabe to go."

Voter lists

Mr Mugabe, 84, has led the country since independence in 1980.

His key rivals for president are Morgan Tsvangirai, the head of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and Simba Makoni, an ex-finance minister and independent candidate.

On Thursday they issued a joint statement expressing severe concerns about the poll.

They said they had still not received full nationwide voters' lists that could be verified.

The BBC's Southern Africa correspondent, Peter Biles, says one major worry is that there may not be enough polling stations in urban areas.

He says there is also concern about equal access to the media.

The government has accused Britain and the US of already having decided that the elections will not be free and fair.

However, campaigning has been relatively peaceful, with none of the widespread intimidation of opposition activists seen in recent polls.

Both Mr Makoni and Mr Tsvangirai have been able to hold rallies across the country.

A total of 5.9 million people are eligible to vote in Saturday's joint local, senate, assembly and presidential polls.

A candidate must win 50% of the presidential vote to avoid a run-off.

The opposition has been campaigning on Zimbabwe's economic crisis - it has the world's highest inflation rate at more than 100,000% and just one adult in five are believed to have regular jobs.

Mr Makoni, who left the government in 2002, said repairing the economy could take "10 to 15 years".

But Mr Mugabe says land and control of economic resources are the main issues.

He blames a Western plot for the economic troubles.

"The British, the Americans... would rather see our children, the old and the infirm suffer under the weight of their evil sanctions," he said on Thursday.

Posted by Publisher at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2008

We ’ll stamp crime -- Jonathan assures Nigerians

From MUSTAPHA SAYE, Kaduna
VICE President GoodLuck Jonathan has said that the present administration is determined to make criminality unprofitable for both practittioners and beneficiaries.

Speaking yesterday in Kaduna on the occasion of the formal launch of the ``Operation Yaki’’, the anti-crime out-fit initiated by Kaduna state government at Murtala Muhammad Square Jonathan said: ‘’Our end goal is to ensure that our streets and our creeks are safe,’’ adding that ‘’our homes and villages become better livable spaces so that our towns and cities are transformed into secure dwelling places for the benefit of our people.’’
Dr. Jonathan said the initiative, according to the government of Kaduna state will employ 2,000 people and will be backed by 75 patrol vehicles fully equipped with communication gadgets and a helicopter from the police headquarters, pointing out that, ‘’here lies the beauty of the out-fit, recognising that a siignificant percentage of the crimes committed may be job related.’’
According to him, the government of Kaduna state decided to create jobs even as it focuses on eliminating high and low crimes in the society, noting that the struggle to reclaim Kaduna state from the hands of criminals has begun.
The Vice President called on all patriots in the state to become fully involved because there is a lot at stake, pointing out that: ‘’as you all know, this city gained reputation as the nerve centre of Northern Nigeria and it is believed that it is one place where prominent citizens in this part of the country would first prefer to have a home outside their home towns.’’
He reaffirmed the committement and support of the federal government towards reducing criminality in the state and the country to the barest minimum, stressing the need to have a regional synergy to achieve effective law enforcement.
He said ``we can not afford the recycling of criminals’’, suggesting that due emphasis be placed on intelligence gathering and grassroots campaigns targeted at value orientation.
Earlier in his remark , Governor Namadi Sambo of Kaduna state had said that his government had taken bold steps to ensure that criminal activities in the state become histroy.
Govenor Sambo said no serious government can achieve its desired goals under insecurity, adding that it is the responsibilty of the government to protect the lives and property of its citizenery.
He said it is on this reason his government initiatied this noble operation tagged: ``Operation Yaki’’ aimed at tackling and addressing the issue of insecurity for which the government has employed 2,000 people and backed by 75 patrol vehicles fully equipped with sophoisticated gadgets.

Posted by Publisher at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)

Kogi poll:Yar’Adua, Ogbulafor storm Lokoja for Idris

TIMOTHY AJIBOYE, Lokoja

AHEAD of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Kogi State, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor yesterday stormed Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital to campaign for the re-election of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris. President Yar’Adua pledged that the party would make the country an economic power by 2020.

This is as the state Police command confirmed the arrest of 22 members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the state over alleged political thuggery.

The President, who arrived Lokoja Township Stadium, venue of the PDP rally about 12.19pm said he was in there to identify for election of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, describing him as a servant leader.

"Ibrahim Idris is a simple, honest, humble, performer and God fearing, who is a servant leader that is appointed by God to serve the good people of Kogi State."

"Everybody in Nigeria has witnessed the difference between Idris and Audu and you can see the difference between darkness and light, honest and deceit, servant leadership and emperorship," he said.

Yar’Adua said that voting for Idris again was voting for peace, property, progress, trust and honesty while praying God to fulfill their wishes in making Idris the governor of the state.

In their speeches, Prince Ogbulafor, the Senate President, Senator David Mark, Kwara State, governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki the Acting governor Clarence Olafemi and in promised to deliver Kogi State to the PDP in the Saturday governorship election.

Responding, Idris noted that PDP was the only party accepted by the people of the state stressing that they cannot afford to be in opposition on the arrest of OPC members, Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mike, Okiro who paraded the 22 suspected political thugs arrested in Kogi said they were arrested by mobile policemen on Tuesday at Okene in two 18-seater buses with registration numbers XA 469 KAB (Kogi) and XE 409 FGE (Kano) respectively.

He said that the suspects were traveling with arms from Kabba and Aiyetoro Gbede to Anyingba when they were intercepted by the police.

"On interrogation, it was revealed that they were OPC members going to Anyingba for a political rally and that their leaders were in another bus which never arrived the scene of the arrest,’’ he said.

Okiro said that investigation into the matter had commenced with a view to identifying and arresting the sponsors of the suspects.

He said that exhibits recovered from suspects were one locally made pistol, three live cartridges, three axes, two chop knives and various charms.

Okiro said that the suspects wanted to use the recovered exhibits to cause trouble in Kogi.

He said the police would not tolerate any act of lawlessness during and after Saturday’s rescheduled gubernatorial election.

Okiro advised parents and guardians to talk to and control their children and wards against crime.

Okiro had on Feb. 28 and March 18,met with gubernatorial candidates and top politicians from the state on how to ensure a peaceful fresh governorship election in the area.

Posted by Publisher at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)

Nigerian football to represent Africa at Olympics

Thursday 27 March 2008

Local newspapers Thursday hailed the qualification of Nigeria’s Under-23 national football team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, saying it paves the way for the country to repeat its gold-medal-winning feat at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The ’’Dream Team IV’’, as the team is known, beat its South African counterpart 3-0 in their last group A qualifier in the capital city of Abuja Wednesday to pick Africa’s third and last ticket to the Olympics.

’’Taiwo, Anichebe give Nigeria Olympic ticket’’ was the headline in the Punch newspaper, in reference to the goals scored by defender Taye Taiwo and Victor Anichebe, the English premiership player who was making his debut for Nigeria.

’’Nigeria’s U-23 lands in Beijing’’ (Guardian); ’’Dream Team IV seals Beijing ticket for Nigeria’’ (Sun); Nigeria flies to Beijing, picks Olympic ticket’’ (The Nation) and ’’Nigeria smashes South Africa 3-0, picks Olympic ticket’’ (Leadership) were some of the headlines.

Nigeria joined Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon as the three teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Beijing Olympics.

In addition to its men’s team, Nigeria will also feature a women’s football team - Super Falcons - at the Games.

Nigeria became the first African nation to win an Olympic soccer gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, US. Panapress.

Posted by Publisher at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)

We Won’t Allow Political Assassinations Any More –Yar'Adua

By Sukuji Bakoji Bureau Chief, Kaduna
Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has vowed that his administration will not allow the country to drift back to the ugly past where political assassination was the order of the day.

According to the President, his administration will do everything possible to stop the trend which has started rearing its ugly head in the country.
Yar'Adua said this through the Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, at the formal launch of Kaduna State anti-crime outfit, “Operation Yaki,” on Wednesday.
"We use this opportunity to formally inform this country that this administration, headed by Yar'Adua, will never tolerate the ugly past where we had political murders in this country.
"Only few days ago, a couple of days ago, a local government chairman in Kogi State was murdered; and we believe it was a political assassination.
"We will do everything to make sure that the culprits are brought to book because we can never allow another round of political killings in our country."
Against this backdrop, he enjoined other state governors to form their own anti-crime outfits to combat the upsurge of violent crimes in the country.
"We cannot afford the recycling of criminals. Therefore I would suggest that due emphasis be placed on intelligence gathering and grassroots campaigns targeted at value reorientation," he stated.
Earlier, the governor, dressed in police uniform, asserted that the establishment of the anti-crime agency has become imperative because of the increasing rate of violent crimes and other related crimes in the state.
About 700 security personnel, comprising Army and the Police Force are involved in the anti-crime combat, with 75 Toyota Hillux vehicles equipped with communication gadgets and a helicopter from the police headquarters.

Posted by Publisher at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)

NGO Faults Nigerians On Rating Of Yar’Adua’s Rule of Law

By Femi Ogbonnikan Reporter, Lagos
Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00

Hasty conclusions on President Musa Yar’Adua administration’s respect for the rule of law, has been faulted by a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

CLEEN Foundation, at a press conference on “Indicators for Measuring Government’s Respect For Rule of Law in Nigeria” held at Lagos Travels Inn, Toyin Street, Ikeja, on Wednesday, said postulations by many Nigerians and civil society groups on the issue remained subjective, thus, did not represent the correct picture.
Rather, it said pessimists have failed to find out what progress has been made in the implementation of the policy.
The NGO recalled that at its inception of the present administration on May 29, 2007, it declared commitment to respect for the rule of law as its cardinal principle.
CLEEN declared that in demonstration of its commitment, the administration pledged to always obey court orders.
However, barely a year after, quite a few Nigerians and organisations had begun to notice how the administration appeared to be exhibiting a lopsided dedication to the rule of law.
Government’s interpretation of the rule of law appeared to favour corrupt politicians, who exploited legal loopholes to escape justice.
Executive Director of CLEEN, Innocent Chukwuma stated that when many Nigerians’ contact with the law and its enforcement agencies led to harassment, extortion, long detention without trial, torture and even extra-judicial killing, the rule of law is absent.
Chukwuma disclosed that his organisation was working in collaboration with a New York, USA-based group, Vera Institute of Justice and other partners in India and Chile, to develop a set of indicators for measuring government’s respect for the rule of law, which are currently being piloted in four countries, namely, India, Chile, Nigeria and United States of America.

Posted by Publisher at 09:33 AM | Comments (0)

Omoyeni, Wema Bank MD arrested; EFCC charges him with theft

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday in Abuja arrested the suspended Group Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Adebisi Omoyeni and flew him to Lagos where he may be arraigned in court to face charges of forgery and stealing.

The EFCC says Omoyeni is being investigated for allegedly stealing N450 million from Wema Bank.

An Assistant Commissioner of Police with the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Mr Olusola Amore, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday in Lagos.

Amore said Omoyeni was arrested based on a complaint by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), alleging that he conspired with the former Secretary of the bank, Mr Biodun Ogunlade, to steal the amount.

The arrest of Omoyeni is coming against the background of mounting speculations that the WEMA Bank GMD, who was forced to proceed on compulsory leave by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in January for allegedly denying inspectors from the CBN and Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation access to the bank's books, was planning to return to his job, having received a go ahead from the Secretary to the Federal Government Babagana Kingibe.

WEMA Bank had been locked in a protracted crisis in thelast few years which made the bank unable to hold its first Annual General Meeting post consolidation until late last year.

The main parties involved in the crisis are Omoyeni and his immediate predecessor at the bank Mr Tunde Lemo who left the bank to become a deputy governor of the CBN.

According to Omoyeni's sympathizers, Lemo allegedly was responsible for most of the huge bad loans which were already weighing the bank down when their man took over.

The group is allegeding that an inspection of the bank's books by the CBN and NDIC and the discovery of a missing N450 million was engineered by Lemo.

Follwoing the CBN's directive that he should proceed on compulsory leave and the appointment of Mr John Aboh from First Bank to stand in for him, Omoyeni petitioned the Presidency and the Secretary to the Government, Kingibe was said to have written to the CBN, directing a return to the status quo for all parties.

But according to the GMD's opponents, the facts are clear that he and the former secretary of the bank Mr Biodun Ogunlade had questions to answer on the disappearance of huge funds from the bank's accounts. For instance, they allege that the GMD collected 5 years up front housing allowance of N450million which is the amount he is now accused of having stolen.

Posted by Publisher at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)

Oil price rises to $102.6 per barrel

Written by Adekunle Aliyu
Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Oil prices surged by more than a dollar yesterday as traders switched investments away from the weak US currency and into commodities, analysts said.

Traders were, meanwhile, awaiting the latest snapshot of crude inventories in the United States, which is the world’s biggest consumer of energy.

New York’s main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, jumped by 1.38 dollars to $102.60 per barrel.

London’s Brent North Sea crude for May gained $1.24 to $101.84.
“Oil futures were firmer, extending last night’s gains amid persistent weakness in the US dollar and as investors were putting their money back into commodities,” Sucden analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov said yesterday.

“Just as it happened before, the dollar weakness prompted market participants to put their money into dollar denominated commodities, as they become relatively cheaper for foreign investors, while some use commodities as a hedge against inflation,” he added.

Later yesterday, the US government was to publish energy stockpiles data for last week. Analysts are forecasting that US crude inventories rose by 1.8 million barrels in the week to March 21.

“There could always be a surprise in the stockpiles report, and the market is focusing on that now,” said Tony Nunan, of Mitsubishi Corp’s international petroleum business in Tokyo.

Although prices were rising yesterday, they remained far below all-time highs of almost 112 dollars per barrel reached last week.

Oil futures have been supported by long-term concerns over the ability of producers to meet rising energy demand from the developing world, notably China and India.

New York crude had hit a record intra-day high of 111.80 dollars on March 17, while London Brent scored an historic peak of $108.02 earlier this month.

Posted by Publisher at 09:31 AM | Comments (0)

Amaechi threatens to expose masterminds of political killings

Written by Jimitota Onoyume
Wednesday, 26 March 2008

GOVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi has threatened to expose those behind politically motivated killings in the state.
The governor who accused some past top government functionaries in the state of trying to run down his administration challenged them to a public debate.

According to him, the debate will make the state and the nation to know whether he had ever willfully killed anybody. “We want to run an all-inclusive government but those who have not come in want to be in power for life.

They don’t see why they should not be in government. They are writing and taking adverts against us. They should continue and we will ignore them.

“We challenge those writing against us to a public debate. We challenge them. I have never willfully killed anybody. I challenge them to come and say same. And we will say who killed who”.

Promising to run a transparent government Amaechi said his administration had received over N68 billion in the last five months.

He said the state money would be used for the state. “I have always said that Rivers money is for Rivers people”.

He urged the state House of Assembly to pass this year’s budget before them so that his administration could fully swing into action.

He spoke of plans to develop two new cities for the state, saying already his administration had gone into public-private partnership with a Canadian firm to build a one thousand two hundred bed space hospital to be named after Justice Karibi Whyte.

The project which would cost $98 million he said would be shared by the state government and the firm in the ratio of forty/sixty percent. Still on health, he said his administration would reconstruct hospitals at Okrika , Isiokpo, Degema, etc.

Continuing, he renamed Ateke’s Evil forest in Okrika to God's Forest, and said a health centre would be erected there. On roads, he said the design of the Port Harcourt ring road which the government is handling in partnership with African Finance Corporation would cost $700 million. And it would be ready by next month.

Out of this money the state government is to pay 40% while AFC would take charge of the rest. He said this road would take about 24 months to complete. And toll would be charged on it so that the private partner could recover their investment.

He said the government had also concluded with Sky bank to provide buses to run the state transport scheme. On the power project inherited from the administration of Governor Peter Odili he said his government would drive it to completion just as he spoke extensively on the road rehabilitation and construction work of his government.

The governor said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by his government would also revisit the issue of the defunct wonder bank ran by Umana Umana where depositors funds from the state disappeared. He said the essence was to determine whose responsibility it is to pay back the missing funds.

Posted by Publisher at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)

EFCC begins probe of Obasanjo, others

By Abiodun Fanoro and Isaac Taiwo

INVESTIGATIONS may actually have been initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the eight-year rule of immediate past President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Indication to this effect came from the Commission's Head, General Investigations, Mr. Sanda Umaru, in Lagos yesterday.

Umaru spoke when protesting anti-graft civil society groups, under the aegis of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), stormed the EFCC office on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Office in Lagos.

Specifically making reference to the last administration, the leader of the CACOL, Debo Adeniran, said all the revelations that have indicted the administration demand that Obasanjo be called to question.

"Obasanjo has many questions to answer and we thought EFCC should have risen up to this task even before we started this protest.

"Talk of the scandal in the energy sector where a lot of money has been discovered siphoned without any improvement in the sector but rather, people are suffering, industries are getting paralysed and Nigerians are passing through an untold hardship.

"Specifically, Obasanjo was accused of having wasted $10 billion on the power sector by President Umaru Yar'Adua. The Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, put the cost of waste at $16 billion while the on-going probe by the Elumelu-panel has confirmed more than $13 billion waste in the sector so far.

"Why on earth should the chief accounting officer of that administration of waste be exempted from giving evidence on where the money went?

"Prof. Ndidi Okereke-Onyiuke, Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said that Obasanjo forced her to head TRANSCORP, a conglomerate, where Obasanjo acquired about 200 million shares", he said.

Adeniran said allegations about the last administration appeared in exhaustive and they were enough to bring more people to book, including the head.

He advised the EFCC to do its work in such a way that corruption would not be in governance any more.

He also called on Yar'Adua to be sincere in all the corrective measures he has been undertaking.

Responding, Umaru said "we are fighting the same course. The truth about the matter is that we are on that issue (probing Obasanjo) at the moment. We want everyone to know that we are on it and definitely we will get to where we are going."

Umaru however noted that the difference between the EFCC and CACOL was that while CACOL wanted investigation to be conducted rapidly into the issue, the EFCC by the nature of its job needed to be thorough, which made it appear slow, he said.

He continued: "You might not like the pace at which we are going in investigating Obasanjo. Ours is to ensure that we do things thoroughly. In so doing, we must not only display prudence, but we must be able to display professionalism so as to ensure that everything we do is in line with the scheme of things.

"You people are in a hurry, but we are telling you that we are on it and we will get to where we are going."

The EFCC official assured Nigerians that very soon, results of the commission's investigation into the activities of the former administration, including its key players, would be made public.

"You might want it now, but we assure you that you will get results, "he said.

Umaru commended the efforts and method adopted by CACOL in its agitation for the probe of the former president, saying that they were fighting for the good of the nation.

While addressing the EFCC, Adeniran said that his group would not be satisfied if the House Committee on Power and Steel failed to compel Obasanjo to testify before it in the on-going probe into how his government spent about $16 billion without improvements in the sector.

Adeniran said: "Such preferential treatment will not only rubbish whatever good intention that might have informed the effort of Ndudi Elumelu-led panel, it will also paint the House as another pack of opportunistic rent-seekers."

The group also urged EFCC to take the battle against graft to the doorstep of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Specifically, the group called for the probe of former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and her Education counterpart, Oby Ezekwesili.

He said: "This group, including some serving governors, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and even Madam 'Due Process' herself, Oby Ezekwesili, should be made to answer hard questions."

Other groups affiliated to CACOL are Campaign for Genuine Democracy and Zero Corruption.

Posted by Publisher at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)

Police intercept arms in Kogi, to quiz Atiku's ex-aide; Yar'Adua leads campaign for Idris

From John-Abba Ogbodo (Abuja) and Ralph Omololu Agbana (Lokoja)

SECURITY steps taken by the police in Kogi State to check violence during Saturday's repeat governorship election have led to the seizure of arms from suspected political thugs.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, yesterday in Abuja paraded 22 of the suspected thugs.

Also yesterday, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua led other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Lokoja to campaign for sacked Governor Ibrahim Idris.

He told the gathering at the Lokoja Stadium that the party has a "vision, mission and direction "to transform Nigeria.

The PDP under his leadership, Yar'Adua said, would transform Nigeria into a country where current and future generations would live fulfilled and dignifying lives, adding that the party was irrevocably committed to putting the country on the path of greatness.

On his part, Okiro said the suspects were arrested on their way to eastern part of the state in a convoy of vehicles for an undisclosed mission.

Most of those paraded by the police boss in his office in Abuja were teenagers.

And following a claim by one of the suspects that they took off from the home of Prince Olusola Akanmode, former deputy chief of staff to the immediate past Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Okiro said that the police had completed the process of inviting him for