Nigeria Content Online

The
federal government’s post amnesty programme could only achieve
meaningful result if activities of oil theft and proliferation of arms
are reduced to the barest minimum on our waterways, the Flag Officer
Commanding, Western Naval Command, Ola Ibrahim said yesterday in Akure.

Mr. Ibrahim, who
led a team of Naval Chiefs on inspection of ships in formations under
his command to pay a courtesy visit to the Ondo State Governor,
Olusegun Mimiko, said all hands must be on deck to checkmate
proliferation of illegal arms to coastal communities.

“There is direct
relationship between oil theft and small arms proliferation. This is a
big problem which had resulted in loss of materials and men by the
Western Naval Command. However with the appropriate protection of the
water ways and economic activities taking place there, the country will
be better for it,” he said. “We must all rise up to make sure that the
post amnesty programme is successful by checkmating illegal
transporting of arms to the riverine communities which is being used by
militants as their base” He stressed further that the Nigerian Navy was
ready to work hand in hand with the state government to make the
waterways in the state crime free.

Mr. Ibrahim said
the conception of the Forward Operations Base is essentially to shorten
reaction time within crisis period in the area of operations, stressing
that the base is part of infrastructure that must bring about the
quality of service the Nigerian Navy renders for national development.

Mr. Mimiko charged
the Nigerian Navy to consolidate on the gains of the Federal Government
Amnesty Programme in 2009 by making the Niger Delta Waterways free of
criminal activities.

Ondo Naval Base

He said the presence of the Forward Operations Base (FOB) at Igbokoda,

in the oil-rich
Ilaje Local Government area of the state, was appreciated by the state
government as an additional means of securing lives and property in the
area.

“The establishment
of FOB will also serve as a deterrent to would-be criminals in our
waterways,” he said. “It will no doubt have positive effects on
securing the strategic oil and gas business in the Niger Delta region.

“The situation is much better now, but I think you are prepared to
confront any eventuality. The Amnesty Programme of President Musa
Yar’Adua administration has reduced illegal bunkering and economic
sabotage in the Niger Delta.”

Aware of the
challenges of election monitoring, the Inspector General of Police,
Ogbonna Onovo, has directed the Assistant Inspectors General of Police
(AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) manning all the respective
zones and state commands across the nation to start preparing their men
for the next general elections.

Deputy Inspector
General of Police in charge of ‘D’ (Investigations) Department, Israel
Ajao, disclosed this yesterday in Ibadan, during a working visit to
Zone 11 of the force. He said Mr Onovo’s order was designed to make the
men of the Nigeria Police well prepared in order to play their role
more effectively in the coming elections.

Mr. Ajao said
special trainings are going on in all commands across the country to
properly ground policemen on what are expected of them when they are
assigned to monitor elections.

“We want our men to
know what to do and what not to do during elections. That is why the IG
has directed all the AIGs and CPs to start the special training for the
men, so that we will get things right this time,” he said.

The police boss
also revealed that the array of commendations coming the way of the
Nigerian Police in respect of the conduct their men in the last two
elections in Anambra and Abuja confirmed that the police can discharge
its duties during elections effectively.

Speaking on crime
fighting, which is the core of policing, Mr. Ajao said the IG has
ordered that the police start employing the old beat system to reduce
crime to the barest level in the country.

The system demands
from the DPOs good understanding of the environment where they operate,
as well as friendly rapport with the residents to the extent that
useful information that could lead to foiling of crime at planning
stages are regularly available to the police.

Though, he agreed
that many of the crimes committed in the urban centres are often
executed with sophisticated weapons, Mr. Ajao confirmed that the beat
system remains the most effective means of fighting crime in most of
the police divisions in the country.

According to him,
the system will make the police more proactive as they would not be
waiting for crimes to be committed before acting.

Back to the beats

“The police should
be proactive,” said Mr. Ajao. “We should not be waiting till crimes are
committed before we act. The DPOs need to be friendly with members of
their communities to be able to get information that would be useful in
foiling crimes. The DPOs should be our eyes and ears in the communities
where they operate.

He also informed
that the police will not take things easy for any vigilante group who
operates without the knowledge of the police as this brings more
problems than solution to crime fighting.

Mr. Ajao said the
DPOs have been directed to register all vigilante groups in their
areas, including information about members of the groups.

Commenting on
recent attacks on police stations, the police boss said the IG has
directed that security be beefed up at all stations and police barracks
across the country to forestall possible attack from members of the
public.

“A situation where
people will attack police stations and cart away our arms is no more
acceptable to us,” he said. “If this continues to happen, we are
sending wrong signals to the public. If we cannot protect our stations
and barrack, how do we protect them?”

In order to arrest
the situation, Mr. Ajao said the IG has directed that special security
be provided for police stations, divisions and barracks to ward off
invasion from disgruntled elements.

Cowardly officers

Although the police
is desirous of having well educated men within its fold, the DIG hinted
that the institution has stopped unofficial schooling by its men.

“The police would
expect whoever wants to go back to school to apply properly and secure
approval before going,” he said, adding that the arrangement would give
the police the privilege of knowing officers that were on duty..

He said such record
will allow the institution to maximize the use of its scanty manpower,
which is said to be affecting its operation currently.

Instructing the
DPOs to reduce number of policemen in their administrative sections,
Mr. Ajao noted that majority of policemen carrying files at police
stations could be trained to combat crime in the society.

He also announced
the police leadership’s renewed zero tolerance to acts of cowardice,
saying but for the cowardice of some members of the Ogun State police
command, the area commander killed during last year’s crisis in
Ijebu-Ife would not have suffered the fate.

Baba Adisa Bolanta,
Oyo Command’s Commissioner of Police, said the command has embarked on
training of its men, especially in the area of weapons handling to
avoid cases of accidental discharge.

Mr Ajao was accompanied by Mohammed Yesufu, AIG of Zone 11, comprising Oyo, Osun and Ondo States police commands.

The management of
the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Tuesday,
debunked media reports that the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt
Refining Company (PHRC), Bashir Abdullahi, Turai Yar’Adua’s brother,
was sacked from the services of the Corporation in the wake of the
changes announced on Monday by the Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Diezani Alison- Madueke.

The NNPC, through a
statement signed by Levi Ajuonuma, its group general manager in charge
of Public Affairs, said “the former MD of PHRC is on a six months
Exploration and Production Attachment programme with Shell Petroleum,
which would see him traverse seven countries across the world where
Shell has its E&P Platforms.”

A national newspaper had, on Tuesday, reported in one of its lead stories that ‘Turai’s brother sacked in NNPC changes.’

Mr. Ajuonuma said
the report amounts to “deliberate mischief and celebration of
ignorance. The fact is that Mr. Abdullahi is one of the most
experienced chemical engineers on the pay roll of the Corporation. And
in recognition of this, the NNPC top management nominated him to attend
the six months SPDC facilitated E&P exposure course, beginning from
February 2010,” he said.

He added that
during the period, the former PHRC MD will tour Shell E&P operation
platforms in the Hague, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Houston, Canada,
Singapore, Qatar and Brunei.

The NNPC
spokesperson said that the essence of the training is to prepare Mr.
Abdullahi for higher responsibilities. “The course outline covers
intensive training in such areas like Economics, Strategic Planning,
Traditional E&P Business, Emerging Technologies, which also
includes Deep Water, Tar sands and Gas to Liquid,” he said.

The change

The NNPC further
said that Anthony Ogbuigwe, who was on Monday confirmed as the
substantive managing director of the Port Harcourt Refinery, has been
acting in place of Mr. Abdullahi since February 2010.

Ms. Alison-Madueke,
speaking at the State House, Abuja on Monday, announced a redeployment
exercise that cuts across the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR),
the NNPC, and some of its subsidiary companies.

She said the
changes and personnel movements are with a view to “greater efficiency
in line with the aspiration of the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan,
for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.”

Following a petition by some civil society groups
seeking the trial of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida over
his alleged indictment by the Okigbo Panel, the nation’s Attorney
General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has requested for a
signed copy of the Okigbo Report from the group.

Responding to the petition, sent two weeks ago by 10
Nigerian civil society groups, Mr. Adoke acknowledged the receipt of
the petition in a reply dated April 16, 2010 signed by his Special
Assistant, Tunde Busari, requesting “for a signed copy of the Okigbo
Report attached to your letter under reference.” The groups, in another
letter to the Minister’s office yesterday, welcomed Mr. Adoke’s
response and his interest in the matter, which they described as
‘unprecedented.’ They said the minister’s response demonstrated the
willingness of the Acting President to exercise the requisite political
will to tackle the impunity of perpetrators of corruption, “which is
the single most important factor for the prevalence of high level
official corruption in the country.” The group however said a copy of
the report submitted to the Minister along with the petition is genuine
and reflects the original copy of the Okigbo’s Report, which they claim
is also in the custody of the government.

“Given that the Okigbo report is a public document,
and the huge public interest to see justice done in the matter, we urge
you to use your good office and leadership as the Chief Law Officer of
the Federation to obtain the original copy of the report from the
cabinet office through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of
the Federation,” they wrote. The group also drew Mr. Adoke’s attention
to the fact that a member of the Okigbo panel, Ufot Ekaette, is now
serving with the incumbent government. They directed the Attorney
General to meet him, as he “will have original copy of the report.”
“Accessing or obtaining the original copy of the Okigbo report is a
public function, which would be best performed through the Office of
the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and in criminal matters
like this, the government can also be asked to submit the original copy
of the Okigbo report by way of subpoena,” the groups said, adding that
“pursuing the above suggested course of action will ensure that
substance and justice prevails over technicality.”

Time for concrete action

They called for a concrete action within one week of
the receipt and/or publication of this letter, given the minister’s
expressed interest.

“We are leaving open the possibility of taking all
appropriate legal actions nationally and internationally to ensure full
compliance with Nigeria’s voluntary international anti-corruption
commitments, including under the UN Convention against Corruption,” the
group said in the letter. “Prosecuting the case and recovering any
missing public funds would have significant implications for the fight
against corruption in Nigeria. It will also send a strong message to
the citizens and the international community that the government is
capable of preserving the legitimacy of governmental activity.” The
letter was signed by the directors of all the groups, including the
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); Access to
Justice (AJ); Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC);
Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF); Women Advocates and Documentation Centre
(WARDC); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA); Committee
for Defence of Human Rights, (CDHR); Partnership for Justice (PFJ);
Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS) and Centre for the Rule of Law (CFR).

The groups sent a petition to the Attorney General on 7 April 2010
expressing concerns about the continued failure or refusal by
successive governments to prosecute those involved in the mismanagement
of $12.4 billion.

The Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, yesterday said the current
review of the 1999 Constitution is not a self-serving exercise aimed at
benefiting the sitting members of the National Assembly.

Mr. Bankole, who
stated this before the House commenced voting on the amendment of the
constitution, said it is a joint effort by Nigerians to achieve a
people’s constitution because of the inadequacies of the document,
which has been in operation for nearly 11 years.

“Let me be clear:
this important project of constitution amendment is not a self-serving
exercise for the benefit of this National Assembly. No. It is a
conscious and concerted effort by Nigerians to achieve a people’s
constitution in view of the observed inadequacies in the procedure of
promulgation and vital contents of the 1999 Constitution,” he said.

The Speaker, who
alongside his deputy, Usman Nafada, did not vote on the amendments,
urged the lawmakers to conduct themselves in such a way that they would
be remembered as members of the 6th National Assembly who allowed
patriotism, sincerity, and conscience to guide them in doing the right
thing for the nation.

Recalling that
Nigeria is operating its 10th Constitution since 1914, he reminded them
that the exercise was a rare opportunity to deepen, broaden, and
consolidate those key institutions needed for the growth and sustenance
of our democracy.

More responsive House

“This is our chance with history. Let us use it well to bequeath lasting legacies to our nation,” the Speaker stated.

Mr. Bankole said
members would continue to work towards building a more responsive and
people-oriented House of Representatives, which every member would be
proud of.

“We will also continue to support the executive arm towards the
realisation of our full potential as a blessed nation, rooted in the
ideals of sustainable democracy, even as we all know that governance is
a social contract between the government and the governed,” the Speaker
said.

The Enugu State House of Assembly has
passed the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Bill into law. This
followed the presentation of a report from the joint committees on
Health and Judiciary and its third reading during the plenary at the
House on Tuesday.

Chairman of the Joint Committee, David
Atigwe noted that with the passage of the bill, affordable health care
services would be provided for all levels of income earners in the
state’s civil service.

Ruling on the motion to pass the bill,
the Speaker, Eugene Odoh, commended members for their useful
contributions since the inception of the bill.

He apologised for the delay in the
passage of the bill which, he attributed to other official engagements,
urging implementing agencies to put necessary arrangements for its
immediate implementation.

“With the passage of this bill, the contributions of Enugu State
civil servants will not be in vain as it will enable them to access
health care services at minimal costs,’’ he said.

Aero Contractors,
one of Nigeria’s oldest commercial airline involved in domestic and
regional transport business, may suspend its flight operations
following accumulated debts of about $200m.

The airline, which
has been in regular negotiations with its banker (Oceanic Bank Plc) for
about six months, disclosed that it has now reached a point where it is
difficult for the carrier to operate on the terms of discussions with
the financial institution.

“Though flight
services might be affected if this continues, Aero is still flying and
operations are still on,” said a reliable source at the carrier on
Tuesday in Lagos.

Meanwhile, the
airline in a statement “regrettably” disclosed that the unilateral
decision taken by the bank on the morning of April 23, have effectively
prevented the carrier from paying its suppliers and lessors, including
Canadian Helicopter Company (CHC).

“The dilemma
centres on the allocation of historical debt. The management teams at
Oceanic Bank and Aero have been in constant dialogue about this matter
for the previous six months. However, they have been unable to agree on
a resolution that will allow Aero to continue trading as a going
concern,” said the carrier in a statement.

The carrier,
however, disclosed that it has approached Nigeria’s minister of
aviation, Fidelia Njeze; the National Security Adviser, Aliyu Mohammed;
and the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA), Harold Demuren, in the belief that they will intervene as an
arbitrating party between Aero and Oceanic.

Commenting on the
development, the airline’s chief executive officer, Shaf Syed,
disclosed that the carrier is poised to set itself on a better
pedestal, regardless of the thorny condition.

“Despite the
difficult situation that Aero finds itself in today, I am sure the
strategic importance of Aero Contractors to the national economy will
be appreciated and good sense will prevail all around,” he said.

“We have every
confidence that Aero will be able to set itself on a good platform and
we look forward to a bright future, serving a third of the Nigerian Oil
& Gas industry and 1.5 million passengers each year.”

It would be
recalled that Aero Contractors commenced the online sales of reduced
promotional airfares varying from N7,000 to N3,000 across all domestic
routes, which it covers for one way trips.

The airline, which is notable for the introduction of online
check-in of passengers, recently introduced an advanced pricing
strategy and price optimisation application called Aviator, which has a
capacity of making available 26 different types of fare on every flight
for passengers.

For allegedly
assaulting a police officer, a 22-year-old businessman, Solomon
Nwankwo, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s
Court, Lagos.

Mr. Nwankwo is facing a two-count charge of conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and assault.

The prosecutor, ASP
Stanley Iwok, said the accused on April 24 at the Divisional Crime
Branch Office, Ogombo Police Station, conducted himself in a manner
likely to cause the breach of peace.

“The accused
seriously assaulted one PC Falana Adeniyi by slapping him on his face
and raining curses on the police officer,’’ Iwok said.

Mr. Nwankwo pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate, O. I. Oguntade, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 and adjourned the case to May 12.

Civil society
organisations under the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN),
promoting police accountability and respect for human rights, have
accused the police and the Borno State government of insincerity in the
aftermath of the Boko Haram crisis.

In a petition sent
late last week to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji
Bankole, NOPRIN’s programme coordinator, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said nine
months on, the Borno State governor, Ali Sheriff, refuses to release
the Panel of Inquiry report on the crisis which led to the loss of
hundreds of lives and the destruction of property worth millions of
naira.

“The governor of
Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, set up an Administrative Panel
of Inquiry one week after the crisis had been quelled. Although the
panel submitted its report to the governor one month after, the
governor is yet to make public the report, or issue a white paper,” Mr.
Nwanguma said.

Findings from an
independent investigation by NOPRIN also implicated the Borno State
government and the Borno State Police Command for failing to forestall
the crisis which rocked the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, between
July 26-29, 2009, despite several early warnings.

A Koranic teacher,
Babakura Fugu, whose father, Baba Fugu, was allegedly murdered by the
police for being the father-in-law to Boko Haram’s sect leader,
Mohammed Yusuf, had before the crisis alerted the Borno State governor
of Mr. Yusuf’s activities.

“I made a complaint
by a letter dated 15th July 2009, to the governor and the Attorney
General of Borno State, informing them of the activities of the sect,
which was duly acknowledged… But in spite of the receipt of the
letters, they refused or declined to act upon it,” Mr. Fugu said.

Mr. Nwanguma said
amongst the hundreds of victims yet to be compensated is the family of
late 72-year-old Fugu, who voluntarily submitted himself to the police.
His death is believed to be connected to his refusal to concede his
plots of land located behind Government College, Maiduguri, to the
state government.

“The Borno State
High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Mustapha asked the Borno
State government and the police to pay US$70,000 in compensation for
the extra-judicial killing of Baba Fugu. The federal government should
ensure they comply with the court ruling,” Mr. Nwanguma added.

Following released
video clips on international media showing Nigerian security officials
executing civilians after the crisis, NOPRIN decried the police’s
failure to unravel the identities of those involved; while still
awaiting the House of Representatives proposed public hearing into the
incident.

But in a reaction
from the Police Force spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, the faces of those
police officers shown in the clips could have been superimposed, thus
not providing enough evidence to make a case.

“It is possible
their faces can be superimposed so we are still looking into the issue.
It doesn’t take one month to investigate. It takes time. Investigations
are still ongoing,” Mr. Ojukwu said.

Amongst NOPRIN’s recommendations are that the Borno State government
immediately adequately compensate all victims of the crisis; while the
federal government identifies the ‘powers from above’ responsible for
making sure Mohammed Yusuf was killed and never prosecuted.

Something
rather strange happened on the floor of the House of Representatives
last Wednesday. Olufemi Gbajabiamila, the Action Congress leader
stirred the hornet’s nest when he accused the leadership of leading the
lower chamber to act against the opinion of Nigerians.

“One of the
problems of the leadership of this House today is that many members are
saying while Nigerians are going this way, the House is going the other
way,” the lawmaker said, as the debate on the constitution review
re-opened at the plenary session presided over by the deputy speaker,
Usman Nafada.

Mr Gbajabiamila’s
comment was sequel to his discovery that a clause, which had to do with
the appointment and removal of the chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) in the report of the ad-hoc committee on
the review of the constitution, had been tampered with.

Although a member
of the ad-hoc committee, the lawmaker was not aware of the change made
because he was absent at the Kaduna and Makurdi retreats of the
committee where final touches were put on the report.

Expectedly, the comment generated anxiety in the House.

Some of his
colleagues, led by Halims Agoda and Bala Na’Allah, demanded an apology
from Mr Gbajabiamila as, according to them, he had ridiculed the
leadership. Some members shared Mr Gbajabiamila’s views, but others
merely booed; almost throwing the session into rowdiness. Mohammed Ali
Ndume, his ANPP counterpart, came to his rescue by apologizing on his
behalf; but members refused to accept it, threatening the Lagos
lawmaker with punishment.

Mr Gbajabiamila,
eventually withdrew the statement; but he insisted that he stood by it,
thereby causing more confusion and anger.

The legislator
seemed to have spoken the minds of many of his colleagues, however. A
trained lawyer, who represents Surulere federal constituency of Lagos
State, Mr Gbajabiamila ranks among the few lawmakers who speak
fearlessly and frankly on national issues as well as those concerning
the House. His contributions to debates on the floor of the House are
not only sound but convincing. He has demonstrated this in the last
three out of the seven years he has been a member of the lower chamber.

On some occasions,
the almost 48-year-old Mr Gbajabiamila is perceptibly belligerent and
combative – thereby lending to the suspicion that he is an activist of
sorts.

Interestingly, Mr
Gbajabiamila made his latest comment against the leadership at a time
the 360-member House was polarized over threats to sack the Speaker. A
day earlier, there was allegedly a plan by some members to remove the
Speaker from office over poor leadership style. Others also alleged
financial impropriety on the part of the young speaker. Although, there
was clearly anxiety over the plot, allegedly hatched by the Nigeria
First Forum (NFF), a pressure group in the House, no finger was raised
for a motion of no confidence on Mr Bankole and the leadership when the
House reconvened its plenary session on Tuesday after the Easter break.

Crack in leadership

The Forum, an
umbrella of lawmakers sympathetic to Goodluck Jonathan, had debunked
media reports that it was moving against Mr Bankole, largely perceived
as Umaru Yar’Adua’s acolyte. Even after three executive sessions in a
row where the development was reportedly discussed, members of the
group still claimed they never broached the subject of removal at its
meeting. They, however, confirmed that they were averse to the
Speaker’s leadership style, a view akin to that made by Mr Gbajabiamila.

Could the Lagos
lawmaker have spoken the mind of the group? Or was it a mere a
coincidence that he made his statement at the time the group members
were agitating?

Mr Gbajabiamila’s
direct attack may go beyond the issue of constitution review. He
attends meetings of the leaders and interact with them. Perhaps, he
could no longer stomach them. He is obviously in pains, but perhaps
because of the principle of collective responsibility, he cannot say
all he knows. But one thing is certain: this allegation is the
beginning of discomfort in the House and nobody can tell how it will
end until the tenure of this crop of lawmakers ends in June next year.