The Nigerian Masquerade.

The death this February of the comic actor Mr James Iroha, a.k.a Gringory, of my favourite Nigerian sitcom “New Masquerade” marked the passing of a great era.

This was soap opera production that really encapsulated the spirit of One Nigeria with its delightful mix of the bombast of Chief Zebrudaya “alias 4.30” with the ambitious duplicity of Chief Jegede Sokoya, “the young millionaire and shon-of-the-soil”.

With the passing in quick succession onto the great beyond of its leading stars, Christy Essien Igbokwe a.k.a. Apena; Claude Eke who played the part of Jegede Sokoya; and now James Iroha who created the programme, the curtains have truly fallen for the last time on that Masquerade which we all grew up to love. Now we are left with the old masquerade which runs without rival in the comedy and entertainment stakes. I speak of the political masquerade, that long-running sitcom that plays out every day in the National Assembly.

Just like Chief Zebrudaya & Co, the political masquerade is pure theatre and bombast intended for entertainment value only and never to be taken too seriously. In this soap opera the actors play out the script of “Democracy, Federalism and Development”. At the end of each episode they leave us, the audience, either in tears or in stitches but with scant else to show for the attention that we give them.

There can be no doubting their theatrical skills though as they play at setting up political parties, complete with party logos and other political paraphernalia, although devoid of any meaningful agenda or ideology. This is not of itself a fault in their eyes as it allows their members to switch from playing a cameo role in one party to a major role in another party as smoothly as a customer moves from one hawker in Alaba market to another.

These masters of the guild of actors even produced a document which they proclaim to be a Constitution. Although drafted in Nollywood, our own land of make believe, the document comes complete with a solemn declaration “We the people” even though the people knew nothing about the document before it was proclaimed.

Like any good film production, the Nollywood Constitution gives the members of the political parties a script that they must memorize and recite as if they really meant every word of their recitation. Any party that fluffs its lines will not be allowed to appear on the political stage. Thus the Nollywood Constitution requires each and every party to have a ‘national’ outlook and to demonstrate its commitment to the ‘One Nigeria’ storyline by having offices in at least 24 of the 36 States of the Federation. Any party that says that it is tired of pretending and just wants to be real and true by restricting its campaign to those areas of the country that it is really committed to serving, and which its policies are designed to appeal to, cannot be given a role in this old masquerade.

This is make-believe of a different order because the people are made to believe in the performance not so much because of the quality of acting but under duress. Thus although Nigeria did not exist in 1899, the people are bullied and badgered into believing that it has always been. But the tears of the clown will eventually wash away the happy make-up and of tears and sorrow there have been much too much of late.

This has been the work of the murderous and cowardly terrorist group which now goes by the name of Boko Haram but which has been operating under many guises since the bloody mayhem that it triggered when Nigeria tried to host the Miss World Contest in 2002. More recent instalments of its evil harvest have been the slaughter of the Youth Corp innocents in April 2011 down to the recent Christmas Day massacres in Abuja and the most recent being the one this Easter Sunday in Kaduna. If it wasn’t obvious before it is clear beyond argument now that this group has issued a fatwa against the political masquerade and now there is open talk of Northern Governors’ Forum, South-South Governors Forum, and there is speak of a Development Agenda for Western Nigeria.

The tragedy is that it has taken this catalogue of evil for the political class to put their play acting on hold and to begin to face the realities on ground because there were many still small voices who have been ringing the alarm bells all along. Even now that the political class are hurriedly playing catch-up with the people’s realities, the Nollywood Constitution continues to enjoin them to play the charade of national appeal.

But let us fast-forward to the next elections in 2015 and tell me if it is realistic to expect political parties from the South, led by Western-educated elites, to establish offices in Maiduguri, Borno, Kano and Kaduna and invite Boko Haram to their opening ceremonies. Are such party offices likely to fare any better than the churches that are being bombed to smitherings on a weekly basis? Who is it that will go out and campaign for votes in these Boko Haram-declared no go areas for those who like western education?

The important lesson which the governing elite have yet to grasp is that governance is not supposed to be a fire service only geared up to respond to emergencies; it is supposed to be forward looking and forward thinking.

The irony is that it was exactly 10 years ago in 2002, about the same time as Boko Haram was putting together its destructive agenda for Nigeria, that the Movement for National Reformation (MNR) was working on a constructive alternative for Nigerians. That alternative was a constitutional framework which would allow the diverse ethnic groups that were thrown together, without care or concern for their compatibility, to live together within their new shared identity on a more respectful basis. Under the leadership of the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, MNR called a press conference in Benin to launch the alternative Constitution that it had put together in place of the winner-takes-all one that had been produced in Nollywood. It was a forward-looking document produced by a forward-thinking organisation. The Preamble said it all:

We the nationalities and peoples of Nigeria having cohabited as a country under arrangements conceived and imposed by colonial powers in their interests, wishing to continue our cohabitation as one country on the basis of our common consent in our own interest and with a view to encouraging peaceful, respectful and supportive relations between our nationalities and peoples, so as to advance our common interests, do through our freely chosen representatives, adopt this constitution for our Union of Nigeria.

It is a sad indictment of the governing elite that although Chief Enahoro personally delivered a copy of that alternative Constitution to the then tenant of Aso Rock, Olusegun Obasanjo, it was ignored. The leader who was supposed to be thinking ahead, instead made it his duty to drown out the loud calls for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) that was being made by those who could hear the cracks in the African Titanic.

Even so the old sage Anthony Enahoro did his best to get popular buy in to the visionary document by opening its ownership from just MNR to the broader platform of all organisations who were “pro” National Conference (PRONACO). If he were watching the tragedy that is unfolding before us, he would perhaps lament over the fact that so many of our people have their eyes at the back of their heads such that we fail to see problems early enough but he would draw some consolation from the fact that in the MNR Constitution for Nigeria he left us another way for Nigeria.

Bayero University Church services attack kills 20.

KANO, Nigeria — Attackers armed with bombs and guns opened fire at church services at a Nigerian university on Sunday, killing around 20 people as worshippers tried to flee, witnesses and officials said.

Explosions and gunfire rocked Bayero University in the northern city of Kano, with witnesses reporting that two church services were targeted as they were being held on campus.

One of the services was being held outdoors, while the second was inside a building, but with an overflow audience outside, witnesses said.

Officials were unable to confirm casualty figures, but an AFP correspondent counted six bullet-riddled bodies near one of the two sites.

At least another dozen bodies could be seen on a roadside by the university, but the exact number was unclear.

Musical instruments and half-eaten meals could be seen at the site of one of the services.

An army spokesman confirmed the attack but could not provide a casualty toll. Lieutenant Iweha Ikedichi told AFP that it appeared the attackers used bombs and gunfire in the assault.

Witnesses said the attackers arrived in a car and two motorcycles, opening fire and throwing homemade bombs, causing a stampede. They said worshippers were gunned down as they sought to flee.

A Scene from last Christmas day attack on Catholic Church near Abuja

"They first attacked the open-air service outside the faculty of medicine," one witness said. "They threw in explosives and fired shots, causing a stampede among worshippers. They now pursued them, shooting them with guns. ... They also attacked another service at the sporting complex."

A witness who said he was at the sporting complex at the time of the attack reported hearing gunshots outside while they were praying.

"Then there was pandemonium," he said, adding that he later saw two men outside shooting indiscriminately.

A crowd of people later gathered at a Kano hospital waiting to hear news about friends or family.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the attack was similar to others carried out by the Islamist group Boko Haram.

Boko Haram claimed January 20 attacks in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 dead in the extremists' deadliest attack yet.

On Thursday, bomb attacks at the offices of the ThisDay newspaper in the capital Abuja and the northern city of Kaduna left at least nine people dead.

The group has previously targeted churches, including on Christmas day when at least 44 people were killed in a bombing at a church outside Abuja.

A bombing on Easter Sunday in Kaduna near a church that killed at least 41 people was a stark reminder of the Christmas attacks, but Boko Haram is not known to have claimed it.

Boko Haram's increasingly bloody insurgency has claimed more than 1,000 lives since mid-2009. Police and soldiers have often been the victims of such attacks, although Christians have been targeted as well.

It also claimed responsibility for an August suicide attack at UN headquarters in Abuja which killed at least 25 people.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south.

Boko Haram initially claimed to be fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in Nigeria's north, but its demands and structure have become less clear in recent months.

It is believed to have a number of factions, including those with political motives as well as a hard-core Islamist wing. Criminal groups are also believed to have carried out violence under the guise of Boko Haram.

An attempt at indirect dialogue between the group and the government in March collapsed, with a mediator quitting over leaks to the media and a spokesman for the Islamists saying they could not trust the government.

President Goodluck Jonathan, during a visit Saturday to the newspaper offices in Abuja hit by Thursday's suicide attack, did not answer directly when asked whether dialogue was necessary to stop the violence.

"You may dialogue, you may not dialogue depending on the circumstances," Jonathan told reporters, adding: "But we will exploit every means possible to bring this to an end." (AFP)

Oil subsidy scam: Ahmadu Ali, others to face trial.

Defying all odds, the House of Representatives yesterday began the clause-by-clause consideration of the subsidy probe report which was laid on the floor of the House last week.

Against the wishes of the PDP, the House recommend that former chairman of the party Ahmadu Ali be prosecuted for the fraud that took place in the subsidy regime under his watch as the chairman of the board of the PPPRA from 1999-2011.

This is just as the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, lambasted oil sector players for attempting to frustrate the investigation of the subsidy regime of the federal government, adding that the secrecy in the operations of the oil sector must be revealed since there is no provision in the law that makes room for secret societies.

While considering the recommendations of the report which was the only listed business of the House in plenary yesterday, the lawmakers vehemently opposed clause 16 of the recommendations of the report which states that the “chairman of the board of the PPPRA from 2009-2011, and the entire board members of the board during the period be reprimanded and their decision which opened the floodgate for the bazaar is condemned in the strongest terms”. They queried why in the case of the management and board of the NNPC, it was recommended that they be investigated and prosecuted while the recommendation for the chairman and board of PPPRA is put differently.

Hon. Musa Sarki Adar then went ahead to propose that the clause be amended to read “...be prosecuted for their decision which opened the floodgate for the bazaar,” which was unanimously adopted by the members when put to voice vote by the chairman of the committee of the whole, deputy speaker Emeka Ihedioha. Attempts to hurriedly pass the clause as it was contained in the report were rejected by the lawmakers who insisted that the decision be rescinded to make room for the amendment.

Before yielding the floor to the deputy speaker to preside over the committee of the whole, the speaker gave an opening speech where he blasted oil sector players for attempting to scuttle the investigation of the committee and condemned reports that the EFCC and ICPC will not act on the recommendations unless it is harmonised with a similar resolution from the Senate.

 He said: “I have heard all kinds of insinuations, including the one about anti-graft agencies waiting for a ‘harmonised version’ of this report before taking any action. Let me quickly say here that this is at best an excuse that cannot stand. After all, the same agencies accept and investigate petitions from individuals, how much more resolutions of this House. There will be no such document, so they should just go ahead and do their job and where they find any person or body culpable, they should proceed in accordance with the law.

“The probe of the oil sector has raised so much dust from certain segments of the polity such that it became clear that the intention was to frustrate it. For those who regard the oil sector as a secret society or sacred cow, I wish to state without equivocation that it is not. All public agencies in the oil sector are the creation of acts of the National Assembly and this honourable House has no powers to legislate for the creation of secret societies. Similarly, all private sector corporate bodies operating in the sector are the creation of the Corporate Affairs Commission and that commission also is not vested with any powers to incorporate secret societies. Let it therefore be known that, in our drive to sanitize the polity, there are no sacred cows and we do not intend to discover any.”

However, the lawmakers bowed to pressure, agreeing to give an additional two weeks to oil marketers who were asked to refund the sum of N42 billion to the national treasury to come up and defend their roles in the subsidy scheme with relevant documents, having failed to appear during the three-week investigative hearing.

The move, which may mean that the final consideration of the subsidy report has been delayed, was defended by the House spokesman, Hon Zakari Mohammed, who told newsmen after the day’s sitting that the resolution by the lower House to compel the 17 marketers to face the Lawan panel was done in the spirit of fair hearing and best interest of the country.

“The onus lies on us to give them fair hearing so that they do not rubbish the report in court. In the court of public opinion, people know that the 17 oil companies are being economical with the truth. So we are giving them two weeks to come up and defend themselves,” Zakari said in reaction to the oil firms summons. “If they (17 summoned oil marketers) fail to come at the end of two weeks, the law will take its course.”

The spokesman clarified that the findings of the probe of the 17 oil companies will come by way of a supplementary report of the House upon resolution.

“As far as we are concerned, we have taken that decision in the best interest of Nigeria. Tomorrow (today) we are going to continue with the consideration of the report; hopefully by tomorrow (today) we should be able to conclude the adoption of the report,” he said.

The lawmaker also added that the House was exploring the option of private prosecution, saying: “Our ingenuity about legislation is that if we put it to those who should implement and they refuse to, in the course of time, the private prosecutor case is not out of place. If the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) is not forthcoming, we can get a private prosecutor by a two-thirds vote in the House. Just like it happened in the case of Dele Giwa with Gani Fawehinmi, we can do that too. So it tells you that we are resolved to explore all possibilities within our disposal to ensure that this report for once is not going to be rubbished.”

The consideration continues today from clause 36. The report has 62 recommendations out of which 35 were considered with the additional 27 expected to be taken today.

Plagiarism: I did not write my speech, CBN did, say Sanusi.

Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Wednesday, denied allegation that he copied the research work of a United States based Nigerian Professor, Victor E. Dike and presented it as his own ideas at a public lecture he delivered in Edo state on November 26, 2010.

Sanusi who refuted the allegation via a press statement that was issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,  Wednesday  insisted that he did not write the said paper that culminated to the lawsuit currently pending before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

It will be recalled that the court presided by Justice Adamu Bello, on Monday, summoned the CBN governor to appear on May 31 to defend himself over his alleged complicity in acts of plagiarism.

The Court equally granted the plaintiff, Prof. Dike, who is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Technology, National University, Sacremento and Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Centre for Social Justice and Human Development in California, leave to paste the court processes at the Notice Board of the apex bank, situated within the Central Business District, Cadastral Zone AO, of Abuja.

However, the CBN boss denied receiving the court papers, just as he refuted allegation that his security personnel thwarted efforts by the court bailiff to effect service on him.

The statement which was signed by the Director, Corporate Communications at the CBN, Mr Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor, reads: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been drawn to reports in the media regarding a suit against the Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, by one Victor E. Dike, who is said to be a professor of Engineering and Technology, National University Sacramento, USA.

“It is important to provide some clarifications on the matter. First, as at the time of release of this statement, no court papers in respect of the said suit, had been served on the Governor.

“Furthermore, and for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi did not write the said paper.  Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria, just like Chief Executive Officers of similar institutions in Nigeria and abroad, deliver papers, not in their personal capacities, but on behalf of the institutions for which they are chief spokespersons.

“In the case of the CBN, such papers, even though presented by the Governor, represent our collective views and are prepared by professional researchers in the relevant departments of the Bank. We can vouch that such papers are prepared in line with strict global and ethical standards.

“As a responsible public institution, we always cooperate fully with court officers and our well trained and responsible security officers have ever been under strict instructions to treat them with the appropriate dignity and respect they deserve.

“While awaiting details of the alleged suit, it is pertinent to state that speeches delivered by the current Governor, focus on the core mandates of the Bank and are direct contributions to discourse on national development.

“At a time like this, when the Bank is deeply committed to critical reforms of the banking system, the least we can do is to focus on the arduous task of bequeathing to the nation a financial system that will effectively improve the collective welfare of the Nigerian people.”

Specifically, the plaintiff, told the high court that he was the original author of a research wok entitled:“Review of the challenges facing the Nigerian Economy: (Is national development possible without technological capability?), which he said the CBN boss copied verbatim and delivered as his paper during the eight convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.

Prof Dike said he was forced to approach the high court for redress upon discovering that the CBN governor had in six separate occasions, plagiarized his intellectual works, just as he has asked the court to make a declaration that the defendant is in breach of the copyrights of the plaintiff.

As well as to grant, “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from citing the two papers delivered by the defendant on the 26^th of November 2010, and 10^th of December 2010 respectively as his work, having breached the Copyrights of the plaintiff without proper reference and citation in accordance with Copyrights Acts.”

One killed as Barca, Chelsea fans clash in Lagos …two die celebrating.

One person was killed at a pub in Lagos on Tuesday night after a fight broke out between fans of Barcelona and Chelsea football clubs, while two others suspected to be Chelsea fans drove dangerously after the match resulting in a fatal accident.

We learnt that John Idoko, a 23-year-old boy, was stabbed to death at a makeshift pub at Shiro Bus Stop, Boundary Road, Shasha.

It was learnt that the outcome of the football match, which favoured Chelsea FC, did not go down well with some Barcelona’s supporters.

According to police authorities, an altercation, degenerated into fisticuffs and supporters of the two clubs some of whom were drunk, soon engaged in a free-for-all.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone. He, however, added that no arrests had been made as no witness had come forward.

He said, “On Tuesday, around 10pm, a report reached Shasha Police Division that one John Idoko was stabbed to death with a broken bottle during a match between Chelsea and Barcelona football clubs.

“The owner of the pub said almost all her property was damaged during the fight as the fans went crazy. We don’t even know if Idoko was a fan of Chelsea or Barcelona

“No arrest has been made as witnesses have refused to come forward but investigations are ongoing.”

Jaiyeoba warned fun seekers to be careful when celebrating and remember their loved ones at home.

The spokesperson also warned members of the public that the use of explosives such as banger, would not been tolerated anymore.

He said celebration should be carried out in a peaceful manner, warning that the police would not tolerate any form of unruly behaviour.

“The use of banger is illegal as well as any form of disturbing public peace,” he said.

Meanwhile, the two people who died in the accident were driving dangerously in a commercial bus, popularly known as danfo, after the match.

Witnesses said the occupants were fans of Chelsea FC celebrating their club’s victory.

Jaiyeoba confirmed the two deaths but said it was uncertain whether they were football fans or not.

“Around 11:30pm, a Volkswagen bus somersaulted and caught fire around Ojota end of Ikorodu Road inward Maryland. The two occupants were burnt to death” he said. (Punch Metro)

Liberia's Charles Taylor, guilty of war crimes, to be sentenced May 30.

Liberian ex-leader Charles Taylor was convicted Thursday of arming rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war in return for blood diamonds, in an historic verdict for international justice.

In the first judgment against a former head of state by a world court since the World War II Nuremberg trials, Taylor was found guilty of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

"The trial chamber finds you guilty of aiding and abetting of all these crimes," said presiding judge Richard Lussick.

"The chamber finds beyond reasonable that the accused is criminally responsible... for aiding and abetting in the commission of crimes one to 11 in the indictment," Lussick said at the court, based just outside The Hague.

Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and red tie, the former president stood motionless as the verdict was read and showed no emotion afterwards.

He will be sentenced by the same court on May 30.

If sentenced to jail, Taylor will be held in a British prison.

Earlier the Samoan judge Lussick said: "The trial chamber found that the accused was instrumental in procuring and transporting arms to (Sierra Leone's) RUF rebels, that he was paid in diamonds and kept some for himself."

Taylor, 64, was convicted on all counts against him including acts of terrorism, murder and rape, committed by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, who waged a terror campaign during a civil war that claimed 120,000 lives between 1991 and 2001.

The trial, which saw model Naomi Campbell testify she had received diamonds from the flamboyant Taylor, wrapped up in March 2011.

Prosecutors alleged that the RUF paid Taylor with illegally mined so-called blood diamonds worth millions, stuffed into mayonnaise jars.

These diamonds would then be smuggled through a guest house in the Liberian capital Monrovia in return for diamonds and ammunition provided by Charles Taylor.

Lussick said the stones were gathered by the RUF in Sierra Leone, who used slave labour and enlisted child soldiers.

"Children under the age of 15 were abducted and conscripted. They had the letters 'RUF' carved into their foreheads and backs to prevent escape," the judge said.

During the trial, prosecutor Brenda Hollis told the court that Taylor had "created, armed, supported and controlled the RUF in a 10-year campaign of terror against the civil population of Sierra Leone."

Taylor, Liberia's president from 1997 to 2003, dismissed the allegations as "lies" and claiming to be the victim of a plot by "powerful countries."

During the trial which began on June 4, 2007, 94 witnesses took the stand for the prosecution and 21 for the defence. Taylor testified for 81 hours.

Campbell and actress Mia Farrow gave headline-grabbing evidence in August 2010 about a gift of "dirty" diamonds Taylor gave to Campbell at a charity dinner hosted by then South African president Nelson Mandela in 1997.

Judges also heard gruesome testimony from victims of the Sierra Leone conflict, including a witness who said he pleaded with RUF rebels to cut off his remaining hand so they would spare his toddler son.

Others said Taylor's fighters strung human intestines across roads, removed fetuses from wombs and practised cannibalism, while children younger than 15 were enlisted to fight.

One witness said he was present when the Liberian leader ate human liver.

During his own testimony, which began in July 2009, Taylor called the trial a "sham" and denied allegations he ever ate human flesh.

In its reaction, Amnesty International said the verdict sent a message to high-ranking officials responsible for crimes that they would eventually face justice.

"There is no doubt that today's verdict sends an important message to high-ranking state officials; no matter who you are or what position you hold, you will be brought to justice for crimes," said Brima Abdulai Sheriff, Amnesty's Sierra Leone head.

The proceedings were relayed live on TV screens to Sierra Leone where victims of the war looked on intently.

"We as victims expect that Taylor will be given 100 years or more in prison," said Al Hadji Jusu Jarka, a former chairman of the Amputees Association, his prosthetic arms folded in his lap.

Jusu Jarka lost both his arms when rebels held him down on the root of a mango tree and cut off first the left, and then the right, just above the elbow.

Nigerian authorities arrested Taylor in March 2006 when he tried to flee from exile in Nigeria after stepping down as Liberian president three years earlier in a negotiated end to a civil war in his own country.

He was transferred to the SCSL in Freetown, but in June 2006 a UN Security Council resolution cleared the way for him to be transferred to The Hague, saying his presence in west Africa was an "impediment to stability and a threat to the peace."

The court, set up jointly by the Sierra Leone government and the United Nations, has already convicted eight Sierra Leoneans of war crimes and jailed them for between 15 and 52 years after trials in Freetown. (AFP)

85 Out Of 145 Nigerians Awaiting Trial In Togo Prisons.

The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs was on Wednesday stunned when it heard that 145 Nigerians were in Togo prisons.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof.  Viola Onwuliri, made the revelation during an interactive session with the committee in Abuja on Nigerians in various prisons abroad.

Onwuliri said that out of the 145 Nigerians in Togo prisons, 60 had been convicted, while the remaining 85 were awaiting trial.

She said that the embassy in Togo had intervened by urging the Togolese authorities to fast track the prisoners exchange agreement between the two countries.

Onwuliri, however, explained that there were certain offences that could be transferred under the agreement.

She said that inadequate funds had hampered the intervention of the Nigerian Missions abroad, saying it cost a lot of money to engage lawyers abroad for some of these cases.

According to her, the ministry is in a tight corner on how to meet its financial obligations to the foreign missions because of the removal N3 billion from the ministry’s 2012 budget.

She said the ministry in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice would soon conclude prisons transfer agreement as a way out, to assist Nigerians serving various jail terms in other countries.

The minister, who apologised to the committee for not furnishing it with all the necessary information, promised to get all the data.

Earlier, the chairman of the Committee, Rep. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, criticised the slow response of the ministry to the plights of Nigerians in various prisons abroad.

``The committee is not happy with the way  the ministry is treating Nigerians in various prisons abroad and not having a data to work with. ’’

Ukeje reminded the ministry of the prison transfer agreement, which Nigeria was a signatory, especially in ECOWAS countries.

She noted that it provided that ``a Nigerian must not be held more than three months before being tried,’ and recalled how Britain complained that Nigerians were congesting their prisons.

Ukeje (PDP-Abia), expressed regrets that the committee had no answers to the issue because of the inability of the ministry to furnish it with data.

``I am a very depressed person. So much pending matters but we as a committee don’t have answers to them.

``From Togo to China, India, UK, U.S, Libya, Spain, Malaysia and so on, why is it impossible for us to have data of all Nigerians in various prisons?

``We are supposed to show them that we care by visiting and engaging the respective missions to fast track their trial and give them other consular assistance but we don’t.

``This attitude must change in line with our citizen diplomacy. ’’

She, however, gave the ministry a week to furnish the committee with details of Nigerians in various prisons.

The committee chairman directed that it should be done, country by country, exchange agreement, how many on death rows and how many were awaiting trial among others. (NAN)

Oil subsidy probe report and its integrity.

After the monumental scandal that passed for the probe of perceived irregularities in the power sector a few years ago, the last thing the House of Representatives or indeed Nigerians needed was a repeat of the Tony Elemelu-led charade which raised the hopes of many Nigerians and subsequently dashed them with a vengeance in the better-forgotten power sector probe by the House.

Now, with a clear hint of déjà-vu, the much heralded probe of the oil subsidy regime widely believed to have been used as a conduit for the perpetration of monumental fraud risks going the same way unless urgent measures are taken to address the many objections raised in the conduct of the Farouk Lawan-led Committee and the several objections raised to the report it tabled before the House last week.

At the last count no fewer than four parties indicted by the report submitted by the Committee have raised objections to the veracity of its findings in a manner that cast serious doubts on the integrity of the probe itself which, if truth must be told, was mired by controversies almost from day one.

In fairness to the Committee however, no one expected its work to be a cake-walk for obvious reasons. It is a well-known fact that corruption had eaten deep into the operations of the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry for several decades. The Nigerian oil sector is after all, among the least transparent in the entire world, while the NNPC, like most other moribund federal agencies has struggled to shed its image as the fulcrum of sleaze over the past several decades.

The maximum proof of this of course is in the painful knowledge that the NNPC is now a dwarf compared to similar agencies in Brazil (PETROBAS) and Malaysia (PETRONAS) established at about the same time with the responsibility of developing and adding value to the oil industries in their host nations.  PETRONAS, in particular, now ranks among Fortune Global 500 largest Corporations in the world.

It was ranked the 95th largest company in the world in 2008 and 80th largest in 2009, and was also classified as the 13th most profitable company in the world and the most profitable in Asia. By comparison the NNPC, no thanks to endemic corruption and chronic inefficiency, had degenerated into a net importer of petroleum products over the same period.

To make matters worse for the Committee, it was obvious that it was up against formidable forces in the sector who had become fabulously wealthy feeding fat on both the inefficiency and corruption in the industry on which the fuel subsidy scam was itself predicated. And corruption will always fight back we all know, especially in Nigeria where it can count on powerful accomplices in the corridors of power who had become complicit in either their negligence, or chronic and treacherous abuse of executive privilege.

That was why we all expected much from the outcome of the Committee’s sittings. Destiny placed an enormous burden on the  shoulders of members of the Committee especially after the ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protests, which dispelled all previous doubts as to how close we are to a full-blown revolution to address the nation’s accelerated drift towards the abyss caused by endemic corruption and abysmal leadership.

Nigerians wake up to be inundated by reports of fresh cases of multi-billion Naira fraud perpetrated by those put in charge of public funds. Recently, it became clear that even pension funds were not spared from the wide-spread malfeasance. They have also become frustrated by the obvious negligence or inability of the system to arrest or deal with high graft. The James Ibori fiasco has forever cast a slur on the integrity of our own judicial system, as well as the commitment of the authorities to confront corruption head-on. But that is a story for another day.

For now, it is safe to assume that much was expected from the Farouk Lawan Committee, whether its report has met those expectations is now an issue for serious debate. The Committee should have known that because of the disgraceful outcome of the power probes, it was itself on trial, given the enormous expectations from Nigerians constrained to bear the adverse effects of the removal of oil subsidies.

The situation demanded a clean job from the Committee, in order to safeguard the integrity of not just the report itself, but ultimately the image of the House itself, given the crucial role of the legislative arm in any democracy.

Truth be told, the report could certainly have done without the serious objections raised by the NNPC, Mobil Oil Nigeria plc, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, as well as the accounting firm Olusola Adekanola & Co; all of pointed out several loopholes in the report of the Committee, which, if not sufficiently disproved, risk impinging on its integrity.

In the case of Mobil Oil, for instance, I was appalled by their claim that they were never invited by the Committee to give evidence in whatever form! It claimed in an advertorial in several national dailies that: “Mobil Oil Nigeria’s name was not listed in the invitation list by the Committee as published in Thisday of Friday, January 13, 2012 and did not receive any letter of invitation to appear before the Committee.”

The company went further to reiterate its readiness to appear before the Committee at anytime if given the opportunity do so. If their claim is proved, then it certainly goes against the principle of fair hearing in such instances.

Similarly, given the rebuttals published by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, which specified its roles in the subsidy payments administration, as well as the counter-claims also published by the NNPC on who received or paid what, it has become apparent that a lot of explanations are still required with regards to the conclusions of the report. And before we know it, the CBN may also have issues with the claims from the other parties.

The least I expected from the Committee was for its probe and subsequent report to have unravelled or comprehensively dealt with all such ambiguities especially with regards to roles, responsibilities or the delineation of functions in a manner that would have made the paid adverts I referred to unnecessary and a complete waste of time.

The Committee’s report or findings need not itself become controversial if Nigerians are to derive the maximum benefit from the exercise. Ultimately what we risk when the supposedly damning report is subjected to such preliminary objections, is that the entire process could also become mired by endless litigations especially if those indicted are able to prove that due process was breached in the way the Committee either sat, or arrived at its conclusions.

To reclaim the public trust and to assure Nigerians that the subsidy probes will not end up like that of the power sector, as the House begins deliberations on the report today, it must ensure that all genuine grievances and short-comings in the sittings of the Farouk Lawan Committee are addressed.

The nation, especially long-suffering Nigerians cannot afford such distractions over a matter that so gravely impacts on the quality of their daily lives. If they fail to do so, they need no reminder that history is capable of drawing its own appropriate conclusions.

Nigeria: US spent N5trn on HIV/AIDS in 7 years.

UNITED States (US) government has spent N5 trillion on the prevention of HIV/AIDS in  Nigeria in the last seven years.

The US Director of President’s Emergency Programme for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Mr Eric Goosby, who told newsmen during the meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), on Tuesday, said the US government spent N72.3 billion annually on AIDS care in Nigeria.

He disclosed that there were about 390,000 children born as HIV positive every year worldwide, adding that 72,000 such children were born in Nigeria.

He added the test for women, especially during pregnancy, was to help in referring those tested HIV positive for medical attention and to ensure that they were given anti-retroviral drugs.

He said if such a woman was given an anti-retroviral drugs, it dropped the chances of transmitting to the baby to less than two per cent from 27 per cent.

Goosby believed the rate of HIV prevalence could be reduced in the country, noting that  “this is something we can do. We can do it through the primary health care system that the president and minister of health are supporting in Nigeria and each state is trying to develop it. But we are here to talk with the Nigerian leadership to understand how we can partner to move this forward.”

Kano State governor, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, informed that the meeting was fruitful,  saying “all the governors are willing to work with all partners, both within and outside the country, to ensure that there is zero transmission of HIV from mother to baby.” (Tribune)

Orji Should Lead With Integrity.

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." - Romans 12:18.

Skimming over the happenings in Abia State, it is surprising that there is no peace in the state. This, without doubt, is only experienced where there is underprivileged leadership. Putting the principles of leadership into practice requires integrity, and Governor Theodore Orji of the state seems not to be compelled to insulate integrity. If not, how could he be fingered to be sentencing his critics?

The first step to leadership is for one to tell truth to himself or herself. Juxtaposing to that, it is a known fact that Orji is not telling himself the truth about Abia State. And without these, whatever legacy he might be claiming in the state is bunkum without honesty.

As a leader, he cannot beat his chest tomorrow and say that he led well when he cannot be generally be vindicated by truth today. One Renee Bledsoe, in Addiction Alchemy, said: “The Light is more than some abstract, unknowable energy force. Light is Truth. If Light is truth, then darkness must be lies. Each and every lie we tell to ourselves and others casts the shadow of separation upon us. Every time even the most minor deception is revealed and the truth is made known we are re-united with the Light. So, Let there be Light. Those are the words by which you can create your own magnificent world.”

Yes, Light! The call for Orji to reconsider his position as governor was hinged on the notion that if he tells the people the truth today, the truth will make him to be happy after, because it takes the multiplication of lies to defend a lie. If he can lie for himself, he can lie against another. Let him come to the acknowledgement that life needs to be lived with integrity, and not witch-hunting personalities in the state. One wonders what happened that he has taken the good-natured Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu as his arch-enemy. Is Orji just after the ensnaring of prominence and affluence without counting back how he got to the position he is today?

He forgot to embrace the truth that Kalu is a shinning star in whose light he will follow in the years to come, because Kalu has been demonstrated as a mode of conduct, a standard of bravery, authority, resilience and integrity. It is because Orji built the foundation of his government without integrity that the state is bereft of reputation of integrity. He forgot that a government that doesn’t tend to preserve its integrity is bound to be unstable. Ayn Rand said: Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.

Abia people will never have confidence in Orji without him showing some traits of friendship; it is not about being a governor that matters, but the ability to govern the people well is what makes a governor garner reverence from the people.

It is easier to be a governor in Nigeria but not easy to govern Nigeria, because some people like Orji cope with bad conscience and reputation in the course of governance. They compromise and make integrity look sharp whereas its original state is blunt. Anything blunt does not compromise.

William Shakespeare: Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. 

In the The Philosophy of Despair, David Star Jordan warns that wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it. So, Orji must go beyond political precision and go all-out for human rectitude.  He should understand that character is doing the right thing in secret, the other is eye service.

The key to success is in character, and Orji must imbibe the character of reconciliation. Reconciling with Kalu will be more than simple honesty. It will be Abia’s fortune to good governance in order to have the ability to pull everything together, to make it all happen excellently in Abia no matter how challenging the circumstances are today.

In The Soul of Man Under Socialism, Oscar Wilde warns that selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live. Orji must believe in anything herein simply because it was written.  Ndi’Igbo would say that somebody does evil enough when he or she does nothing good, and that there is no head support so yielding as a clear conscience. Orji should succeed in Abia State! He should avoid being a man of success instead of a governor of success.