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The power outage
that paralysed operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport
in May this year was caused by the poor management of the airport, the
Senate has said.

The report of the
Senate Committee on Aviation, led by Ayim Ude (PDP Ebonyi state),
reveals that the power outage at the airport and other infrastructural
decay at the airport were primarily technical failures caused by lack
of funds.

The report says
the poor funding was as a result of a N17 billion debt owed Federal
Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which the management of FAAN has
been unable to collect due to “flagrant disregard for all known
business decorum, rules, regulations and best practices.” Following the
report, the Senate on Wednesday asked the federal government to “carry
out a total overhaul of the management of FAAN in order to deal with
the corruption and incompetence in the operational system of the
organization.” The report, which was adopted by the Senate on
Wednesday, detailed how the alleged managerial failure at the aviation
authority led to a series of facility decay at the airport, resulting
in intermittent “embarrassing” breakdown of facilities at the airport.

“There is no gain
saying that our airports are embarrassments to Nigeria,” the Senate
President, David Mark, said, “Apart from the building being an
embarrassment, there are too many things that go wrong with our
airports.” According to the report, the aviation authority has seven
categories of clients including the government, handling companies,
active airlines, dormant airlines, oil companies, and concessionaires
(general and management). It says these clients collectively owe the
agency N16.777 billion.

While the
government is owing FAAN N1.405 billion, active airlines and dormant
airlines owe N3.02 billion and N2.794 billion respectively. Handling
companies owe N1.136 billion and oil companies owe the least N415.787
million.

Ghost companies

The report also
published a list of 26 companies that are management concessionaires
handling internally generated revenue collection for FAAN. These class
of companies owe FAAN the highest amount, of N5.534 billion.

“None of these
management concessionaires had bank guarantees while most of them
neither have Memorandum of Incorporation nor detailed contractual
agreement with FAAN,” Mr. Ude said. “Of all the concessionaires that
did business with FAAN, only 35% of them were properly documented.”
Meavis Nigeria Ltd and Bi-Courtney Ltd are among the 26 management
concessionaires of FAAN, but they claimed that FAAN’s allegations that
they owe N1.3 billion and N856.98 million respectively as outstanding
revenue collected and not yet remitted to FAAN are untrue.

However, the
Senate recommended that the federal government should direct FAAN to
“dispense with the services of Meavis ltd since it was unable to add
value to FAAN’s revenue profile… in the interest of airport
development and administration in the country.” The Senate also urged
the aviation minister to present the seven-year old dispute between
FAAN and Bi-Courtney on the concession agreement to the Federal
Executive Council.

Former National
Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Audu Ogbeh, will head
the Presidential campaign of Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), NEXT has learnt.

A close aide of Mr.
Ribadu who confirmed this stated that the choice of Mr. Ogbeh is
“because of his demonstrated integrity, vision for Nigeria and ability
to garner broad support for the candidacy of Mr. Ribadu.” Mr. Ogbeh
joined the Action Congress in 2006 alongside former Vice President,
Atiku Abubakar. Seen as one of the political leaders in Northern
Nigeria, Mr. Ogbeh left the PDP following his fallout with former
president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was ousted as
PDP Chairman in January 2005 following his public criticism of the
former President over the latter’s handling of the Anambra saga between
the then Governor Chris Ngige, and his estranged ‘godfather’ Chris Uba.
Mr Ogbeh, who was Chairman of the PDP from 2001 to 2005, had condemned
Mr. Obasanjo for not calling Mr. Uba to order and stopping the carnage
and destruction that went on in Anambra state during the crisis.

He was a member of
the nine-man committee of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF)
which chose Mr. Abubakar as consensus Northern aspirant for the PDP,
though he reportedly voted for the Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki.

Ribadu to Kick start Campaign

Indications also
emerged that Mr. Ribadu, who has chosen “A New Nigeria is Possible” as
his campaign slogan, will commence his full campaign on December 15
when he is expected to hold a formal declaration.

Mr. Ribadu will
challenge two other aspirants for the ticket of the Action Congress of
Nigeria. They are Usman Bugaje, the national Secretary of the party,
and Attahiru Bafarawa, the former governor of Sokoto State.

Should the ongoing
discussions between the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC) also come to fruition, Muhammadu Buhari, former military ruler and sole Presidential aspirant of the CPC will also be a contender for the ticket.

Bisi Akande, the
outgoing national Chairman of the ACN had earlier confirmed the ongoing
negotiations between both parties. While the ACN wants an outright
merger of both parties to create a stronger party, the CPC wants an
alliance that will see both parties present a single presidential
candidate.

Chido Onumah, the director of communication of the Ribadu Campaign Organisation confirmed to NEXT that Mr. Ogbeh would head Mr.

Ribadu’s campaign
while stating that other political parties and prominent personalities
had also declared support for the aspirant.

“Our campaign is
targeted at the average Nigerian, the man and woman on the street. That
is why we are accepted not just by the traditional politicians, but by
the millions of apolitical Nigerians. However, our ongoing
widespread consultations led to the choice Chief Ogbeh who has shown
himself as a man of courage who stands by the truth, as the Chairman of
our campaign organisation,” Mr. Onumah stated.

The All Nigeria
People Party (ANPP) yesterday said it was withdrawing its members
serving with the federal government as the party puts an end to its
participation in the government of national unity.

The national
chairman of ANPP, Ogbonnaya Onu said the National Executive Council of
the party has directed all its members in the federal government to
withdraw immediately.

Mr Onu, who
recently took over the leadership of the party, had said the ANPP,
under him, will likely pull out of the arrangement entered into by the
former leadership of the party under Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.

“Our great party
has reviewed its position and has come to the conclusion that in the
best interest of our dear country, the new All Nigeria Peoples Party
should no longer participate in the government of National Unity,” Mr
Onu said. “The party therefore calls on all its members who are holding
one position or the other, as a result of the Government of National
Unity, to withdraw their services and return home. Also, in any state
of the federation where there is any such relationship, out great party
wants those affected to take similar action.”

Mr Onu, who said
there is a bright future for the party, added it has reclaimed its
identity as the leading opposition in the country and a party to watch.

He said that in the
last two months he has visited 20 state chapters of the party and will
visit the remaining states. During the visits, he met with religious,
community and political leaders.

Mr Onu said that
since the new leadership assumed office, defections from the party have
reduced considerably and has ceased as of now.

“It is instructive
to point out that as I speak more and more people have been defecting
to our party from other political parties, especially from the ruling
party.”

Bright future

He said the ANPP
has commenced discussions with other opposition political parties who
share similar conviction with the party to ensure that it is successful
in the next general elections.

“Make no mistake
about it; Nigerians deserve and want change for the better. To defeat
hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy, we are asking other opposition
political parties to work with us so that change can take place,” he
said.

Members in government

The party decided,
along with the Progressive Peoples Alliance to serve in the federal
government after the 2007 election when it nominated. As at today, the
party has two ministers in the PDP government. They are the Minister of
State for Finance, Yabawa Lawan Wabi and the Minister of State for
Foreign Aaffairs. The ANPP also has two advisers – Chineme Ume-Ezeoke,
Special Adviser on Civil Society matters and Ebute Ayuk, Coordinator,
Informal sector.

The three governors of the party – from Borno, Yobe and Kano States – attended the NEC meeting.

In the Yoruba
movie, “Aye Olomokan” starring Funke Akindele, a mother demanded
“academic excellence and nothing else” from her daughter, and that is
what she got: Academic excellence and nothing else.

The girl faced her
studies, was diligent, hardworking, and did very well in school –
studies were paramount. She was not expected to tidy her room or the
house, cook, clean, run errands, be generally helpful….so she wasn’t.

When not studying,
she went out with her friends, hung out with her mum, or lazed in her
untidy bedroom watching TV, talking on the phone and playing computer
games. In a hilarious scene, the houseboy rigorously and courageously
protested having to wash her underwear.

We are bringing up
a generation of young people whose only set goals are to pass exams;
not to be good citizens, good neighbours, to contribute to their
community, to help the needy, to be self-sufficient, to be clean, tidy,
neat, to know how to cook and entertain, to have manners, to
automatically say please and thank you, to inquire after the welfare of
others.

And what are the carrot and stick, reward and punishment, for behaviour?

Purely material
things. Behave and you will get the latest mobile phone handset, IPod,
computer, clothes, cash, jewelry, watch, shoes, or bag.

Misbehave and have
those things withheld. Oh yes, and my driver cannot take you to that
party! Where is the naming and shaming? Where is the intensive home
training to become a rounded and responsible person? Who is sending
them on errands that prepare them for life? Learning to do something
for the first time. Making a mistake and living with the consequences.
Opening a bank account, making withdrawals and deposits, booking a
ticket, changing money, bargaining in a market for food or equipment.

Where is the
apprenticeship around the ‘village fire’, in the kitchen, or bedroom,
or at their parent’s workplace, to learn how to do things right.

When do they get
lessons on how to run a home, or a business, to impart wisdom from the
experiences of others? Where and how do we convey the values that we
loudly declare we live by, that the religious houses preach about? How
are they prepared for the required qualities to look for in their life
partners?

Growing without guidance

So, they grow up
without real guidance and home training; and then, for those privileged
to go to University, National Youth Service sends them away from their
home state to be a corps member and live in another part of the
country, interacting with Nigerians who they would be unlikely to meet
otherwise.

The objective of
the exercise is often achieved. Young professionals expanding their
self-identity to include Nigeria and not only their ethnic and regional
identity. Young ladies ready to live and work in other parts of the
country, having seen that life goes on there too. Young Nigerians with
close friends from every part of the country.

By the time they return home, academic achievers and Youth Corps
survivors, how well do we really know them? What we prepared them for
and focused them on – their studies – are over. Can we swear to what
they will or will not do? Can we predict the type of people they will
associate with? Can we gauge how they will react to the politics they
will face at work? Can we realistically expect them to react well to
the hardships of life?

A chartered accountant, Abayomi Sofolayan, has been
sentenced to 18 months in jail for conniving with three staff of
Oceanic Bank Nigeria Plc, to defraud the Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS) of N7.3 million.

The judge, Abimbola Obaseki, handed down the 18-month
jail verdict at a Markurdi Federal High Court yesterday after Mr
Sofolayan pleaded guilty to a 12-count charge of forgery, fraudulent
diversion of cheques, conspiracy and nine other related charges. The
Prosecuting Counsel, James Binang, said the accused persons, Jacob
Dzurgba, Abayomi Sofolahan, James Uwalaha, Deji Sanni, Afolabi Suleiman
(now at large) and Etuk Umo fraudulently paid the sum of N5million,
being tax payment made by Guardian Newspapers Limited, into a
fictitious FIRS Account, No. 3111750000240 with Skye Bank at Old Otukpo
Road, Makurdi, Benue State. He said they committed an offence
punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C28 Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

According to him, the accused persons followed this
up with another attempt to steal the sum of N7.3million, being tax
payments made by Guardian Newspapers Limited into a fictitious FIRS
Account, No. 3111750000240 with Skye Bank in Makurdi, Benue State. Mr
Sofolayan already refunded the sum of N2.5 million. But for one of the
10-count charges, Mr Sofolayan was fined the sum of N100. Ms Obaseki,
however, gave him no option of fine for counts three, ten and eleven.

How it worked

Mr Binang told the court that the suspects forged a
letter, captioned ‘Application for Current Account Opening’ dated 22nd
March 2010, purportedly written and signed by Ifueko Omoigui Okauru the
Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, addressed to the
Business Development Manager, Skye Bank Nigeria, 88 Old Otukpo Road,
Makurdi, Benue State, without lawful authority. He said the accused
persons used the letter to fraudulent open an account of the Federal
Inland Revenue Service Account No. 3111750000240 with the bank.

Emmanuel Igbokwe, the Branch Manager of Skye Bank, who represented
the bank, was asked to deposit the sum of N5 million as deposit before
he could earn his freedom. He was still being detained as at about 6 pm
yesterday. The accused staff were handed stringent bail terms. One was
that they must bring a surety who must be a civil servant of the rank
of Level 12 and above, or a businessman with property in Makurdi.

President Goodluck
Jonathan has advised naturalised Nigerians to discharge their
fundamental obligations and responsibilities faithfully, loyally and
honestly, to enable them serve their new country better.

He said this in
Abuja yesterday at the presentation of Citizenship Certificates of
Naturalisation and Registration to 82 foreign nationals and expressed
the hope that the beneficiaries will justify the confidence reposed in
them by the government and people of Nigeria.

The president spoke
through the Minister of Interior, who was represented by the Minister
of State for Interior, Humprey Abbah urged them to exhibit exemplary
behaviour in their conduct as Nigerian citizens.

“The president has
given you visa to be full citizens of Nigeria and it is now up to you
to discharge your conduct and loyalty to your new country( Nigeria )”,
the Minister said.

He further said the
exercise has also affirmed the status of Nigeria as a respected member
of the international community, committed to international laws.

The president said
in spite of differences in race, creed and colour, humanity is one and
the difference between nations should be attributed more to the
pursuits of national interests as against the exploitations of
primordial sentiments.

He said the process of naturalisation helps in bringing countries closer and thereby reducing conflicts.

“We must therefore take advantage of occasions of this nature to contribute our quota to the achievement of world peace.”

Place in the world

Mr Abbah in his
contribution said the federal government has continued to give Nigeria
a new image through the execution of many projects that are intended to
leave a legacy for many generations..

He said one of the objectives of the federal government is to lay a

solid foundation
that will turn Nigeria into one of the 20 great economies of the world
by the year 2020. “To achieve this global vision, the government is
determined to encourage and attract foreign investments into the
country,” he added.

Out of the 82
persons that were given certificates of citizenship, 38 are by
naturalisation, 44 by Registration while 15 are past approvals
communicated after last year’s ceremony .

The recipients of
the Right Livelihood Awards, otherwise called the Alternative Nobel
Prize, were formally conferred with the honours in a ceremony in
Stockholm, on Monday.

The ceremony,
preceded by a press conference which held at the Swedish Parliament and
presided over by Jakob von Uexkull, Founder and Co-Chair of the Award,
was the climax of the announcement of the conferment of the awards to
the four laureates whose activities cover human rights in the Middle
East, environmental destruction through oil production, the survival of
the Amazon and its people, and an inspiring example for how to overcome
poverty. The recipients include a Nigerian, Nnimmo Bassey, the
Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth
International; Shrikrishna Upadhyay, of the organization SAPPROS;
Ruchama Marton, the Founder and President of Physicians for Human
Rights-Israel; and Erwin Kräutler.

Their work

Mr Bassey was
honoured “for revealing the full ecological and human horrors of oil
production and for his inspired work to strengthen the environmental
movement in Nigeria and globally.” Erwin Krautler, from Brazil, was
honoured “for a lifetime of work for the human and environmental rights
of indigenous peoples and for his tireless efforts to save the Amazon
forest from destruction.” Shrikrishna Upadhyay, and the organisation
SAPPROS in Nepal, were recognised “for demonstrating over many years
the power of community mobilisation to address the multiple causes of
poverty even when threatened by political violence and instability.”
Due to the loss of a family member, Mr Upadhyay was represented by
Jyoti Bhattarai, his daughter, and Narendra Bahadur, the Executive
Director of SAPPROS. The organisation, Physicians for Human
Rights-Israel, was awarded “for their indomitable spirit in working for
the right to health for all people in Israel and Palestine,” and
represented in Stockholm by its president and founder, Ruchama Marton.

Uniting against environmental degradation

Mr Bassey, in his
statement at the press conference, urged people around the world to
join hands and stand against rampaging corporate interests to defend
our planet and build a sane future.” “With about 60 percent of the
world’s crude oil reserves already exhausted, it is stunning to see
policy makers believing they can run into eternity on less than half a
tank,” he said. “As the world seeks cheap energy, someone has to pay
for it. With regard to the fossil fuel sector, those paying the price
for others to enjoy are the communities on whose territories oil is
found, the degraded environments and of course the global atmosphere.”

While describing
the extent of poverty in Asia, Mr. Bahadur insisted that ‘the poor must
become subjects of development rather than objects’. “Nepal has the
highest level of poverty in South Asia,” he said. “Two-thirds of our
population are poor, which contributes to the persistence of conflict.
Yet, Nepalese experience has shown that we can make poverty history if
we trust the ingenuity of the poor. To help the poor overcome poverty,
we need to adopt a holistic model of social mobilisation, which
includes technology, institutional development, infrastructure, market
access, and above all capacity-building to manage local resources. The
poor are not the problem but part of the solution. Thus, we need to
trust them.”

In a congratulatory
letter by the United Nations Environment Programme, signed by its
Executive Director, Achim Steiner, the agency said Mr Bassey’s “work in
bringing serious environmental and human rights issues to the
forefront, in particular campaign on the impacts of the oil industry in
Nigeria is admirable,” adding, that, the UN agency would welcome advice
from ERA on its work in Ogoniland.

The Right Livelihood Award was founded in 1980 and presented
annually in the Swedish Parliament to honour and support those offering
practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing
the world. It is often referred to as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize.’