A season of kidnapping.

As we are approaching the end of the year, recent headlines in our news are pointing to a new season of kidnapping. 

Below are some of the headlines in September:

• Gunmen kidnap businesswoman in Lagos
• Indian engineer abducted, released 10 days later
• Gunmen kidnap Bauchi PDP chieftain
• Delta lawmaker's wife kidnapped
• Gunmen kidnap Edo businessman’s children, kill aides
• Three arrested for kidnapping, killing Lagos businessman

13.09.12 - Gunmen kidnap businesswoman in Lagos

Morenike Popoola was kidnapped Wednesday night around 9:30 -10 in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos on her way home. Her car, a wine-coloured Toyota Corolla Sports car was also taken, but was recovered very early Thursday morning around Kirikiri. Morenike's abductors demanded for N10million but she has since returned safe and sound to her family.

23.09.12 - Indian engineer abducted, released 10 days later

An Indian abducted by armed men in Nigeria where he had been employed as an engineer in a construction firm, was on Monday released after being in captivity for over ten days, his family said.

44-year old Rajimon, working in the firm at Uromi in Edo state of Nigeria and kidnapped on September 13, contacted his wife and father and informed them about his release.

Rajimon has reported to the nearby police station at Uromi and is staying at a friend's house. He told the family that there was no harassment from the abductors who provided him food and other facilities.

The abductors had contacted the company officials demanding a ransom for his release though it was not clear whether the ransom was paid.

24.09.12 - Gunmen kidnap Bauchi PDP chieftain

Unknown gunmen on Monday kidnapped a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Bauchi State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Sade, and killed his bodyguard.

Sade, who is also a former chairman of the Bauchi State Fertiliser Distribution Committee, was seized by the hoodlums from his residence on Railway Road in Bauchi at 5a.m in his way to attend the Fajr (morning) prayer at a nearby mosque.

He was forced into a vehicle and driven away, just as his bodyguard was shot dead.

24.09.12 - Delta lawmaker's wife kidnapped

Wife of Mr. Kenneth Preyor, member representing Bomadi State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs. Campaign Preyor, has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

Mrs. Preyor was abducted at Kpakiama community, Bomadi  Local Government Area of the state on Saturday night.

Sources said the heavily-armed kidnappers had stormed the Kpakiama country home of the legislator with intent to abduct him, but had to whisk his wife away in a waiting speed boat when it was discovered that he was not at home.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr. Charles Muka, said no ransom had been demanded as the abductors were yet to open any channel of communication.

Saying that the command was determined follow the development to the letter with a view to bringing those involved to book, Muka said the incident was an exceptional case.

24.09.12 - Gunmen kidnap Edo businessman’s children, kill aides

Gunmen killed the driver of a businessman in Benin, Edo State, Oseyawe Iyamu,
and took away two of his children. Witnesses said the gunmen shot the driver as he taking the children to school.

25.09.12 - Three arrested for kidnapping, killing Lagos businessman

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested three men -Ogbuesor Sadiq, Abdulwahab Mutairu and Adenola Lanre- for the alleged kidnap and murder of a businessman, Akinsanjo Akinlade.

Akinlade was alleged murdered in Ogijo, a border town between Lagos and Ogun states on August 31, 2012.

According to police authorities, the suspects kidnapped, killed Akinlade and dumped his body in Ogijo.

It was learnt that the suspects ransacked their victim’s apartment and dispossessed him of jewellery, laptop and other valuables.

The suspects later abducted the man, drove him in his car to an unknown destination from where they called his wife to demand for a ransom of N200,000.

S.O.S: N2 million can save this boy’s life.

N2 million can save this boy’s life

BORN into the family of Reverend and Mrs John Oluranti Oyediran in 2005, Emmanuel’s birth brought joy to the clergyman’s family but the joy was shortlived when it was discovered that the little boy had health challenges.

As it is the usual practice of a proud father to play with his children, Reverend Oyediran, in one of such outings, noticed that Emmanuel’s breathing was abnormal. Emmanuel was around six months old at that time. From then, the journey to make the little boy live a normal life began, taking its toll both on the parents’ psychological and financial capabilities.

According to Reverend Oyediran, “on a light day while I was playing with my son, I just discovered that his breathing was becoming abnormal. On noticing this, I consulted a friend who directed me to a doctor friend in Jericho, where I was directed to the University College Hospital, Ibadan. He was nine months old then in December 2006.

“On discovery, I couldn’t believe my eyes after series of tests conducted and it was discovered that he had a hole in his heart. As a Christian, I believe God is in control and He will perform His miracle in Emmanuel’s life. This is our story. It has taken us through many valleys but we have a high hope in God that our son will live a normal life again, especially with the help of Nigerians.”

That has been the travail of the Oyedirans since December 2006, when Emmanuel was diagnosed with a hole in the heart. The family has been running helter skelter in order to see that Emmanuel lives a normal life again. One of the treatments given to him to enable him to get relief was the insertion of a template put in place five years ago. In a letter written by a Paediatric Cardiologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Dr O.O. Ogunkunle on August 2006 entitled: Re: Emmanuel Oyediran, (M): UCH No. 1084055, “This nine month-old boy is a patient of the University College Hospital, Ibadan. He has a cyanotic congenital heart disease called Fallot’s Tetralogy. He requires surgery to correct it. Initial surgery in UCH will cost about seventy thousand Naira (N70,000.00k), after which he will require open heart surgery abroad which may cost up to two million naira (N2,000,000.00).”

The race to raise the needed fund for the treatment overseas, according to Reverend Oyediran, has compelled the management of the UCH to assist in raising the money. In a letter signed by the Senior Registrar of the hospital, Dr A. Kigbu, on January 31, 2012, the management gave the family a letter for the authentication of the surgery which would come up in India.

The medical team is ready and the time is up for Emmanuel’s operation. Funding is however unavailable. This, his father said, was giving him a headache. “As a father, I’m not happy seeing him passing through the pains. As a young boy he can’t relate freely like his peers because of this challenge. The doctors say his PV is high because of his condition. Though I’m a Christian, the only hope we have now is for him to travel to India for the open operation as recommended by the doctors. I am appealing to Nigerians to come to our aid. We want him (Emmanuel) to live beyond his current age but we don’t have the means now because it’s beyond our reach. But I know that Nigerians would come to our assistance,” he said. Interested persons who wish to assist Emmanuel Oyediran could please send their widow’s mite to: First Bank Account no: 3062617719, Oyediran Johnson Oluranti.

The ignorance of faithless believers.

Which subtler way to put the recent display of violent demonstrations in parts of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and now northern Nigeria, which was characterised by burning of flags and pictures, and even leading to the killing of people in some cases, over a stupid obnoxious video clip?

For me, it is a stark exhibition of dangerous ignorance of the way the world works plus a clear proof of lack of faith in an omnipotent God by the masterminds of the so called protests we were forced to endure. It is time we tell these uncivilised thugs without mincing words that their senseless actions have no place in a modern world where normal ordinary people, regardless of their race, faith, gender or ethnicity, just want peace and prosperity for themselves and their loved ones.

As I write these notes, I am also staring at the footages of the mob that went out in Kano to protest and burn flags and pictures over the weekend; please have a look at those pictures if you can. Without much analysis, two things immediately come to mind. One is that the crowd we see is an organised and coordinated team, not a spontaneous group of angry protesters. The second is that I doubt that those people in the images we saw in the streets of Kano have actually seen the video clip they claim to be protesting about. This ill famed stupid tasteless video is not available in public domain anymore. I had to make a special request and prove I needed it for my studies for me to see it.

Let us not fool ourselves, a clear and reasonable implication of such observations is that there is someone or some people with resources sustaining these actions and guiding these crowds. In the Nigeria of Boko Haram, a person or people with enough resources to inform, convince, mobilise and coordinate others to go to the streets to burn flags and picture in the name of religion and actually doing so should be identified and kept under close scrutiny by those charged with protecting our lives and properties. If any more reason was needed, this is a golden opportunity for our secret service and they should seize it in order to prevent future calamities.

With their actions, those orchestrating these uprisings and the devotees executing on their behest and influence are clearly showing that their understanding of how things work in countries like the USA is shockingly modest and dangerously wrong. In their ignorance, they are equating the action of a faceless individual to that of a government or even a whole country. From their shallow point of view, they seem incapable of understanding that from all available analyses and polls we have today, the people of America and their government have no desire to go to war with more countries or movements. These ignorant flag and picture arson orchestrators that claim to be causing mayhem in the name of a God in which they seem not have complete faith are clearly showing themselves as incapable of understanding that the crux of present American administration’s foreign policy is to put emphasis on negotiation and collaboration rather than confrontation and unilateralism.

If there was a bit more depth to their thoughts they would probably realise that with their actions they are giving validity to those foreign policy hawks who claim there is no point in trying to reason with non-Christians as they are just haters that needed to be isolated, dominated and quashed. If they could think just a little bit more, they might easily realise that if the American people reasoned like them then they would see the people in Kano burning the American flags and in retaliation consider Nigeria an enemy country. Could it be that these people actually want that? Could it be that they want war? Looking at the images of Kano and elsewhere with all those children and woman amongst that mob one cannot but wonder and ask what value do these people place on the lives of their dependents. What kind of injudicious and selfish cynicism are we dealing with here?

A lot is amiss; for the purpose of understanding these irritating and criminal acts, even if we were to grant just for the sake of argument that the orchestrators are mere reckless injurious cynics and that their devotees are fuelled by the belief that they are doing something godly, one must still ask a few questions on how these people conceive their God. Do they really see their God as omniscient, omnipotent and merciful? It is legitimate to doubt these arsonists and especially those supporting and guiding them really have enough faith to believe that their God that sees and knows all, has enough power to deal with someone that insults his commandments and Prophet.

They seem to believe that God and his Prophet need their help to protect themselves from an ugly video clip. They are the faithless ones. Their act is a display of ignorance of faithless believers who want to play God. They should beg for forgiveness of their sins.

President Jonathan Should Sack Sanusi Now! By Eghes Eyieyien.

"Sanusi behaved as if he was the de facto President of Nigeria. He had cashed in on the weakness of the Jonathan administration to run his own parallel government...It is strange how a man of such sartorial tastes ended up in banking and not showbiz...The profession he chose [is] not for vainglorious and adventurous rabble-rousers." ~ Bashorun Dele Momodu

After reading Dele Momodu's article which he aptly titled " The Bully Called Sanusi" published in his back page column in the Saturday, 22nd September, 2012, edition of Thisday newspaper, the urgency to sack Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the CBN Governor dawned on me.

Sanusi has outlived his usefulness in that hallowed office! His arrogance, infantile flippancy, ineptitude and incompetence should no longer be countenanced. Why he has stayed in office this long despite his folly and foibles is a mystery.

Nigeria needs a new CBN Governor like YESTERDAY! My recommendation for the position is Mr. Ballama Manu. He was the Executive Director, Operations, NDIC; former, Executive Director, Union Bank; former Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service; and former Interim Chairman of the Nigeria Stock Exchange. He would make a great CBN Governor. By the way, he is from Yobe State and a Muslim. If the CBN Governor must be a northern Muslim, there are of course very many others who are imminently qualified: a person like Alh. Ado Wanka (MD of Unity Bank) and Mohammed K. Ahmad (Director General of the Pension Commission) readily come to mind.

But this is not even about section or religion. I am a NON-TRIBALISED (as distinct from "de-tribalised"!) Nigerian. My marriage, close friends, business associates and employees bear testimony to this fact.

Sanusi is an Old Boy of my alma mater (King's College, Lagos) and I used to be his fan. I supported his appointment as the CBN Governor and also spoke publicly in favour his controversial removal of the eight bank MDs. I was on Channels TV's live programme, Sunrise (with Chamberlain Usoh and Suleiman Aledeh as hosts), pushing his suitability for the post the day he appeared before the Senate for his confirmation hearing. I was also on Channels TV's live programme, Business Morning (with Boason Omofaye as the presenter at the time) defending his take-over of the eight banks and the sack of their MDs. 

So what happened? Sanusi's imposition of his wrong-headed, illegal, unconstitutional, Malaysia-style Islamic Banking policy exposed him as an Islamist. I subsequently also became aware of his inglorious role in the infamous Kano religious riot which culminated in the beheading of Gideon Akaluka in 1996 and for which he was incarcerated for two years in Sokoto Prison by the government of Gen. Sani Abacha. This vital factual information is, understandable not disclosed in any of his profiles. The Senate was misled by late President Umaru Yar'adua (who ensured that this information was not highlighted in his Security Report) to confirm him as the CBN Governor. I have challenged Sanusi publicly to come clean on this issue or sue me if I have maligned him!

Moreover, his incompetence, profligacy (he now wants CBN to be sponsoring the Super Eagles!! LOL!!) and inane monetary policies have damaged the financial services sector and badly affected our nation's economy. 

President Goodluck Jonathan should sack this guy before he does even more damage! It has now reached a crisis point. And the time to act is NOW!!

God bless Nigeria!

Eghes Eyieyien

JTF Claims Progress Against Boko Haram.

0 Comments

The Nigerian military says it killed 35 Islamist militants and arrested more than 150 in recent days in two northeastern states. The military says this is a sign it is overpowering the group known popularly as Boko Haram. But some analysts say battles will not be enough to eliminate the threat.

The military says the battle was "fierce'’ and lasted from early Sunday evening through the night.  
 
In a phone conversation from Yobe State, on one of Nigeria’s notoriously bad phone lines, spokesperson Lieutenant Eli Lazarus said two soldiers were injured in the battle, and that the military recovered guns, ammunition, bombs, swords and even bows and arrows after the fight.
 
Lazarus said the raid was part of “Operation Restore Sanity,” which included the arrest of 156 suspected Boko Haram members in Adamawa State, also in Nigeria’s northeast.  One suspect was also reportedly killed in that raid.
 
Lazarus said from a military perspective, this is a sign that the Nigerian government is beating Boko Haram, which has been blamed for roughly 1,400 deaths since it began attacks in 2009.
 
But some lawmakers, including Senator George Akume, say that from a social perspective, Nigeria’s mostly-Muslim northern states need development and jobs to eliminate the threat.   

“Because of lack of power and collapse of industries you have a large group of unemployed people,” said Akume. "There are so many of them, in millions, doing nothing.  It is so easy to recruit from this group.”
 
Boko Haram has not released a statement since the government announced the arrest and killing of a man known as Abu Qaqa, the Boko Haram spokesperson, last week.
 
Kabir Mato, director of the Institute for Anti-Corruption Studies at the University of Abuja, says the Boko Haram group formed in part as a response to extra-judicial killings, and Qaqa's alleged death is a part of a larger ongoing problem.   

“If it were a sensible society and if it is true that the spokesman of Boko Haram was arrested and without a weapon in his possession and he was killed then there are more questions there than answers,” said Mato.
 
Boko Haram demands the imposition of Islamic law and freedom for imprisoned members, and has attacked churches, government buildings, security forces, schools, the media and individual government officials.  
 
The United States has put three Boko Haram leaders on its list of foreign terrorists and analysts say the group is connected to other militant groups like al-Qaida and al-Shabab.  
 
However, their only non-Nigerian target to date was last year’s bombing of the local United Nations headquarters. (VOA)

Nigerians spend N1.6 trillion on generators annually -Channels TV.

The Director-General of Centre for Management Development, Kabir Usman has disclosed that about 60 million Nigerians spend N1.6 trillion on generators annually.

He also said that Nigeria had the highest number of standby generators, which had become permanent, making the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) the standby.

Mr Usman disclosed this at the launch of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) graduate skills development programme  in Abuja, on Monday.

He noted that the presence of too many generators has also been the cause of many deaths in the nation as a result of carbon monoxide emission.

“Still on the use of generating sets as alternative sources of electricity, it is no news that irregular power supply has adversely affected businesses in Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Usman revealed that Nigeria’s highly inadequate supply of electricity adds 40 percent to the cost of goods produced in the country.

According to him, “the situation has compelled many industries to either shut down or relocate to neighbouring countries.”

He  said that the poorest Nigerians paid more than N80/kwh burning candles, kerosene and firewood while  manufacturers paid between N45 and N60/kwh on diesel to run their generators.

Female U-17 World Cup: Nigeria destroys hosting Azerbaijan 11-0.

Nigeria registered a demoralising 11-0 victory over FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup hosts Azerbiajan, seeing them eliminated, with Chinwendu Ihezuo playing a part in eight of them.

Right from the off the game was being played almost exclusively in the hosts’ half, so it was little surprise when the first goal came. Chinwendu Ihezuo capitalising after Madel Effiom’s cross cannoned fortuitously off the bar to tap in from a yard out.

Three minutes later it was 2-0, Oluchi Ofoebu squaring from inside the box to see Halimatu Ayinde squeeze her first under Aytaj Sharifova.

It was clear the hosts couldn’t handle Nigeria’s pace or physicality, and a third came when Effiom once again crossed for Ihezuo, who laid the ball off for Tessy Biahwo to fire from the edge of the box.

Ayinde then made one and scored her second, lay the first on for Aminat Yakubu before Ihezuo turned provide.

Ihezuo then doubled own tally, Yakubu crossing for her to put in at the far post. Ayinde missed the chance to complete her hat-trick when missing an untended goal, but her pass on 37 minutes saw Ihezuo complete hers.

Nigar Jalilli had two chances to score for the hosts, one drawing a fantastic save from an otherwise unworked Gift Andy.

The tune didn’t change after half-time, Ihezuo netting her fourth after Ebere Okoye’s neat through-ball. Substitute Joy Bokiri then got in on the act, converting Ayinde’s cross.

Ihezuo got her fifth, rising to head Biahwo’s deep free-kick, before roles reversed as the midfielder curled an effort into the bottom corner for the final goal.

The quote

“So far we have played against Nigeria and Colombia and in these countries women’s football has been around there for 20 or 30 years – it has been there for generations. We need those generations, we need that time.” Sissy Raith, Azerbaijan coach. (FIFA)

Reps Condemn Saudi’s Detention of Nigeria’s Female Pilgrims.

Members of Nigeria’s lower chamber, the House of Representatives on Tuesday condemned the continued detention of 400 Nigerian female pilgrims by Saudi authorities in Jeddah.

Reports indicated that the Pilgrims were detained on Sunday by the Saudi authorities at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah over allegations that they did not travel with their approved male companions, otherwise called muharram.

Though some reports indicated that the problem has been resolved diplomatically, lawmakers at the National Assembly however said on Tuesday that the female pilgrims are still being detained with threat of deportation back to Nigeria hanging on their heads.

Ado Doguwa, a member of the House who said that three of his sisters were among those detained, said information he got when he called one of them was that the condition of the Pilgrims were pathetic.

He said one of his sisters who has taken ill in the course of the detention has not been able to access any form of medication.

After discussing a motion moved by Abdulrahman Kawu , the Deputy Minority Leader on the issue, the House mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to meet with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and report to the House on the situation on Thursday.

Kawu had earlier during a debate on the issue expressed surprise that the female pilgrims had obtained valid visas from the Saudi Embassy in Nigeria without such condition made known to them.

He also said the action of the Saudi authorities is a negation of long standing understanding between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on Hajj.

Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs who said the detention of the pilgrims was first of its kind however told journalists that the ministry of foreign affairs was looking into the issue.

Most of the detained are pilgrims from Sokoto and Jigawa State who arrived in Jeddah above Max Air on Sunday.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad had in an interview with Abuja based Daily Trust on Monday described the action of Saudis as insult on Nigeria.

“They never raised this issue and never demanded that female pilgrims must have muharram. They did not make this a requirement for issuing visas. They issued visas to all these pilgrims, only to embarrass, detain and threaten to deport them when they arrived in Holy land. How can they do this to us?” queried the Sultan. (PM News)

398 Unescorted Nigerian women held in Saudi Arabia

Nigerian officials say 398 Muslim women pilgrims traveling to Mecca were temporarily held at a Saudi Arabian airport for traveling without male relatives.

A spokesman for Nigeria's National Hajj Commission said Saudi authorities held the Nigerian women between Thursday and Monday at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah.

Spokesman Uba Mana said the women were allowed to proceed with their pilgrimage Monday following diplomatic intervention.

He said Saudi authorities held them for not traveling with a male relative due to a "communication gap."

He said an agreement between the countries exempts Nigerian women from requiring a male relative to escort them during the Hajj pilgrimage, which costs about $4,000 per person.

All able-bodied Muslims who can afford it are expected to perform Hajj at least once in their lives.

Kenyan MPs in Nigeria to learn from country's (mis)management of oil revenue.

Kenyan lawmakers have finished up a three-day tour of the oil production facilities in Nigeria, where they learnt tips on how to effectively prepare the country to handle oil and gas resources.

The study tour was meant to help the lawmakers keep abreast with practical means of lawmaking following the discovery of oil and gas resources in Turkana and other parts of the country, as they prepare laws to govern oil and gas resources in the country.

Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi said Kenya chose Nigeria due to its successes and pitfalls in managing petroleum resources.

“We came to pick lessons from Nigeria especially what to do and what not to do. Our plans are to look at afresh the New Nigeria Petroleum Industries Bill, which is before the parliament. We want to look at it and see how we can modernise our Exploration and Petroleum Act,” he explained.

“What we have is a political and oil management curse. To avoid this pitfall, what we look forward to do is to ensure that oil money is used on a three win basis- for the host country, for the host community and the win for the oil company,” he added.

Compared to Nigeria, Kenya has continued to walk the long and difficult journey for nearly six decades now in its efforts to search for oil and gas deposits in its four sedimentary basins Lamu, Mandera, Anza and Tertiary Rift which have a combined surface area of about 485,000 square kilometers.

Speaking during the tour, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Energy Nicholas Gumbo said, “What we are taking home is how to share oil revenues. Most oil conflicts revolve around sharing of oil revenues and environmental protections.”

Kenya’s energy legislation – currently in the works – lays emphasis on local communities to ensure that those affected by the exploitation of this natural wealth will be effectively compensated.

The laws that govern oil resources sector came into existence in 1980, but there have been efforts to modernise the laws.

Kiraitu was part of a high-profile delegation, including the Chairman of the Parliamentary Energy Committee Eng Nicholas Gumbo, Wajir West MP Adan Duale, Labour Minister John Munyes, Turkana South MP Josphat Nanok and Turkana East MP Ekwe Ethuro.

Other government officials included the Ministry of Energy PS Patrick Nyoike, Chief Geologist in the Ministry Hudson Adambi and Camac Energy officials.

“The success of oil exploration does not come in isolation without attendant challenges,” Murungi noted.

“You will appreciate that unless properly managed, the stakeholders’ issues can bring the oil and gas operations to a disruptive halt,” he added.

Director of Department of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria Osten Olorunsola advised the lawmakers to think on areas to invest oil and gas revenue before the drilling of oil and exploitation of gas begins.

“Think where to invest oil revenue before drilling starts. By doing this you will have avoided all pitfall and conflicts that come with oil and gas money,” he urged.

He also encouraged the participation of local communities, while drafting the framework.

“What you have to keep in mind when drafting the law is communities’ participation, value additions of all oil products, environmental protection, modern oil and gas infrastructure network and avoidance of duplication of roles,” he said.

The Kenyan delegation engaged the National Petroleum Investment Management, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists and Camac Energy On-Shore drilling plant.

Camac Energy Chairman and CEO Kase Lawal told the Kenyan delegation to learn from Nigeria’s mistakes in order to develop the best policies in Africa.

“We would like Kenya to become a case study in Africa where everyone can say indeed Africa can exploit their natural resources and get it right,” he said.

However, Murungi assured oil investors that the Ministry has employed diplomacy in handling stakeholder issues via a series of meetings organized to have them put the issues on the table for an ultimate amicable resolution of the issues raised.

“It is of extreme necessity that any issues that can lead to disrupting or delaying operations must be handled expeditiously and in a manner that will assist oil companies to not be exposed to unnecessary financial risk,” he said.

FG names Otedola, Transcorp among top bidders for its power plants.

The first stage of electricity privatisation in Nigeria has not been without controversy but the with Tuesday’s announcement of winning bids for five power generation plants in an open process with international observers, the programme is back on track. Next up: distribution and transmission.

Among the winners in the generation round are companies from 13 countries including the US, Russia and China. The sale could net up to $1bn.

A consortium including Transcorp of Nigeria was the highest bidder for a single unit, offering $300m. Another group led by Forte Oil of Nigeria and including Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company bid $132m. A group of Chinese, UK and Nigerian companies bid $201m for another unit.

The bidding process attracted 271 interested parties and generated 25 proposals from pre-qualified bidders before the final bids. The Bureau of Public Enterprises paid two local television stations to broadcast the process live, in an effort to instill confidence among the public and investors.

The chairman of the privatisation committee, Atedo Peterside, said in a statement:

It is heartening to report that the seven bidding consortia for the generating companies… includes owners and operators of some of the world’s largest and most efficient electricity thermal and hydro generating companies. Even if I say so myself, all well-meaning Nigerians would be comforted and pleased to know that it would be difficult to assemble a more qualified group of bidders for our generating companies.

Super. But what of those controversies? Here’s a quick run-down:

Controversy 1: The Central Bank of Nigeria barred Nigerian banks from extending loans to 113 companies, some of which had submitted bids. However, the National Council on Privatisation said the blacklisting should not affect the bids.

Controversy 2: The consortia Mainstream and North-South had no competitors for their bids.

Controversy 3: One of the plants (Afam) is being re-tendered after the power minister Barth Nnaji resigned in August when it was revealed he had a stake in one of the consortia bidding.

Of the few listed companies taking part, Transcorp was up more than 4 per cent in Lagos. (FT)

Source: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/09/25/nigeria-power-privatisation-winners/#axzz27VuJWv7z

Otedola, Transcorp to take over Ughelli and Geregu power plants

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has named the preferred bidders for some of the five power generation plants that are to be privatised with the ongoing reforms of the power sector.

A consortium which included Transcorp PLC was the highest bidder for the Ughelli Power Company, with an offer of $300 million, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) announced at the bidding ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday.

The bid for Geregu Power plant has won with a bid of $132 million by a group which included Forte Oil, a petrol importing company owned by billionaire oil tycoon Femi Otedola.

A consortium made up of Nigerian, Chinese and British companies is set to buy the Sapele Power Plant for $201 million, while Mainstream Energy, a group including Russian firm RusHydro and several Nigerian companies won a contract to manage the Kainji Power Company.

North-South Power, a mostly Nigerian consortium, won the bid for Shiroro Power Plant.

Mainstream Energy and North-South Power had no competitors for their bids, raising question marks over the legitimacy of the sales.

The sale of the remaining generation firm, the Afam power plant, is being re-tendered following the revealation that the former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji had a stake in one of the consortiums bidding for the plant.

Prof Nnaji, who has led the reform of the power sector since the advent of the Jonathan’s administration resigned his appointment from the cabinet last month.

There are concerns over financial difficulties after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), last week banned the nation’s commercial banks from granting loans to 113 companies for failing to pay previous debts.

These affected company include Forte Oil and some others that bidding for the power assets.

Speaking at the ceremony to announce the winners for generation firms in Abuja, the Minister of State for Power, Darius Ishaku, stated that “this is a milestone in the power privatisation process”, adding that  “I’m sure each and every one of you would agree the process has been transparent.”

The highest bidders for the electricity distribution companies are due to be announced on October 16. (Channels TV)

While Nigerians Suffer, Reps Demand N35m Allowance.

"Members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday launched an agitation for a N7m increase in their quarterly allowances, barely 24 hours after resuming from a two-month recess.

Each member of the House currently enjoys N27m per quarter as allowances but the lawmakers want the sum jerked up to N35m, The PUNCH learnt.



Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, reportedly had a hectic time calming frayed nerves at an executive session on Wednesday.

Some of the lawmakers, in seeking an increased allowance, at the closed door session, reportedly raised questions of financial impropriety against the leadership of the House.

They reportedly questioned how the N5m budgeted for each members medical expenses and insurance was utilised by the House.

One of the lawmakers at the session told our correspondent that transparency and accountability were the main issues discussed at the executive session.

There are 360 members; we have funds budgeted for medical allowances and insurance.

If you put aside some funds for these sub-heads, which is about N5m, we have to know how this money is being utilised.

Tambuwal was said to have used the session, which lasted for over two hours, to explain to his aggrieved colleagues that the leadership was transparent in the running of House accounts.

A source said he explained that the delay in the payment of pending allowances was caused by paucity of funds.

The speaker reportedly tried to convince members that there was the need to prudently manage resources.

He reportedly called for the account books of the House in a bid to convince his colleagues that no lawmakers funds had been taken for any unofficial purposes.

The PUNCH had stumbled on a text message circulated to members before Wednesdays session by some lawmakers, who said they were launching a project to clean up the House.

The text message had invited members to a meeting originally scheduled for the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Thursday (today).

Investigations revealed that the House quickly went into an executive session on Wednesday in a bid to stop the meeting and use the opportunity to clear the air on any misgivings.

The text reads, This is inviting all first term members of the House of Representatives to an urgent meeting and launching of the Project OPERATION CLEAN. Date; 20th Sept. 2012. Venue-Transcorp Hilton, Abuja Time: 11am prompt.

However, following what a member described as the elaborate explanations by the Speaker, the conveners of the meeting were reportedly satisfied and saw reason to call off the meeting.

The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, however denied that issues of increased allowances and use of the House funds were mentioned at the executive session.

It is not true; there was nothing like that as far as I am concerned, Mohammed said in a reply to The PUNCH enquiries.

He said the executive session deliberated on a meeting held between President Goodluck Jonathan, the President of the Senate, David Mark, and Tambuwal on Tuesday night.

Mohammed claimed that the Speaker used the session to inform members on what transpired between the three leaders at the Aso Rock Villa.

According to him, Jonathan raised the opposition by the National Assembly to the planned introduction of the N5000 note by the Central Bank of Nigeria with Mark and Tambuwal.

He (Speaker) told members that the President was under the impression that the National Assembly queried the Executive on the policy, Mohammed stated.

But, he said Mark and Tambuwal took time to explain to Jonathan why the proposed N5000 note was not necessary.

He added that the two leaders of the National Assembly told Jonathan that they had a constitutional responsibility to protect the wishes of Nigerians, whose suffering would be worsened by the N5000 denomination.

However, a separate source, who attended the meeting, confided in The PUNCH that Jonathan hinted that he would direct the Governor of the CBN, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, to stop the proposed policy, having heard the position of the National Assembly.

It is a good thing that Mr. President has promised to ask Sanusi to stop this N5000 issue.

He gave Mark and Tambuwal the assurance, the source disclosed.

The Chairman of a major committee of the House, also said, take it from me; Mr. President has said he would stop the policy.

Patience Jonathan Yet To Stabilise, Says German Hospital Source -Leadership.

Horst Schmidt Klinik in Wiesbaden, Germany, where First Lady Patience Jonathan is presently being treated has confirmed that she would not be discharged so soon, a development that is contrary to frequent reports from the presidency that the ailing first lady would return to the country by the end of this week.

One of the consultants with President Jonathan’s wife told our foreign correspondent during a telephone dialogue on Wednesday that the condition of the ailing first lady had not improved up to the expectations of the medical team.

Although the consultant who did not want her name to be mentioned disclosed that the presidency was making serious efforts for Mrs Jonathan to be discharged before the end of this week so she could travel with the president to New York where she will be expected to lead some side events at the ongoing 67th United Nations General Assembly.

During the telephone dialogue that lasted about five minutes, the source further  said there was no way the ailing first lady could be discharged now as a result of her unstable health situation, stressing that the management of the hospital had communicated with the federal government in writing as regards the impossibility of discharging her as proposed by the presidency.

She said: “They wanted us to discharge Mrs Patience Jonathan but we have notified the Nigerian government through its embassy here that we will not be able to discharge our patient at this time because her situation is not stable. We still need to monitor her very well before we can ask her to proceed on any long distance trip.

“Our response to the Nigerian government as regards the condition of our client here was communicated through the Nigerian embassy in Germany. We cannot discharge her now. She has to remain with us until her deteriorating health condition improves.”

Ask ed the real cause of her ailment, the consultant who declined to go into details confirmed that Mrs Jonathan had undergone some intestinal operations to keep her tummy firm -- a process, she said, led to poisoning and complications.

“Those operations that were performed on Mrs Patience Jonathan led to a ruptured stomach and I think that was the reason she was fainting and as well having abdominal pains before she was brought here for treatment,” the source said.

She however stressed that the doctors working with the first lady would perform some other operations on her at the beginning of next week if her condition does not improve as expected.

The presidency had earlier maintained that the ailing Mrs Jonathan was only in Germany to rest until LEADERSHIP spoke with a spokesperson of Horst Schmidt Klinik in Wiesbaden, Germany, that confirmed that Nigeria’s first lady was truly on admission in the hospital, and receiving treatment after being operated on for ruptured appendix, which was as a result of food poisoning.

During LEADERSHIP’s investigation, then, a senior consultant of the hospital who refused to mention her name, said that one Mrs Jonathan was brought to the hospital after the management of the hospital had been contacted and briefed on the deteriorating health condition of the first lady.

She also confirmed that she was brought into the hospital in a very bad state of health but was then responding to treatment after she had undergone a major surgery to take away the poisons in her intestine.

The hospital’s official, who confirmed that initial records, showed that Mrs Jonathan had earlier been treated for food poisoning in Nigeria, however, declined to mention the time that she would be discharged from the hospital.

She said that Mrs Jonathan was getting better but insisted that the hospital management would ensure that she was fully fit before she would be allowed to go back to Nigeria.

LEADERSHIP reliably gathered that the mobile sets of the personal aides to Patience Jonathan were seized upon their arrival at the German Hospital in order to avoid further leakage of secret information on the health status of the ailing first lady.

Jonathan Stops N5000 Note.

President Goodluck Jonathan has agreed to stop move by the Central Bank of Nigeria to introduce N5000 notes and restructure lower denominations, Daily Trust learnt in Abuja yesterday.

The president made pledge at a meeting he held with National Assembly leaders led by Senate President David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday night.

On resumption from recess Tuesday, the two chambers separately adopted resolutions calling on the president to halt the N5000 note plan, saying the Central Bank governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was misleading him on the matter.

But the Central Bank said yesterday that it had not received any directive from the president to halt planned introduction of the N5000 note and restructuring the lower denomination.

The Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Mr. Okoroafor Ugochukwu, when contacted said: "We are not aware of any such directive." He failed to make further comments.

Sources in the National Assembly told Daily Trust that, few hours after the resolutions were adopted on Tuesday, Jonathan invited the National Assembly leaders to the presidential villa for a meeting over the issue.

"The President told them (Mark and Tambuwal) that he will ask the CBN governor to halt the decision in line with the resolutions of the legislature," the source said.

"According to the third schedule of the 1999 constitution as amended, any resolution that is passed by any chamber and concurred to by the other is binding on the executive to implement as it carries the force of law like an Act of parliament. Therefore, neither the President nor the CBN governor can refuse to abide by the resolutions as passed on Tuesday," the source said.

Not until the resolution of the National Assembly on Tuesday, the Federal Government had stood its ground to support the bid by the CBN to introduce N5, 000 notes and convert the N5, N10 and N20 notes to coins.

Minister of National Planning, Dr. Usman Shamsudeen gave the hint to that effect early this about two weeks ago after a meeting of the Economic Management Team (EMT), saying the endorsement of the N5000 note by the EMT followed the approval of President Jonathan.

"Obviously, the discussion today was basically to endorse. Mr. President had already approved; that is the only requirement by law. The CBN is to propose and Mr. President is to approve. And since Mr. President has approved, really what is important is to just explain. I personally had some concerns about the coins but since some discussion with the CBN governor, he has actually clarified that even the media didn't get it", the minister said.

But the National Assembly members said the CBN governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was leading the President astray on the matter, because the views expressed by many economists indicate that the policy "would cause inflation, reduce purchasing power, lead to currency devaluation and widen the gap between the rich and the poor."

Adopting a motion of urgent national importance moved by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Solomon Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East), the Senate said CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was leading Jonathan astray by proposing such a policy.

The upper chamber, which had earlier gone for a two-hour closed door session, also resolved not to conduct any public hearing on the issue.

Describing the introduction of the proposed N5,000 note as unnecessary, Senate President David Mark said the Federal Government should be humble enough to reverse the decision since Nigerians have expressed anger at it.

"The wishes of the people should be considered before any policy is put in place. The important thing is that if Nigerians say they don't want a particular policy at any given moment, there is no harm in the government retracting its stand on it," the Senate President said.

Mark said he failed to be convinced by the arguments of those supporting the move as they appear to be "highly theoretical and technical in nature and do not address any practical issue on ground."

"Any policy that does not address issues directly but just talks about indices we cannot verify for now should wait," the Senate President stressed.

At the House of Representatives, the lawmakers directed its committee on Banking and Currency to investigate the planned restructuring and report back in four weeks.

In the same vein, the Committee on Banking was further asked to commence urgent process of amending the CBN Act with a view to making it mandatory for the National Assembly to have input into the introduction and or restructuring of the nation's currency in the future.

Bakassi belongs to Nigeria, Fresh facts reveal -Vanguard.

Fresh  facts have emerged, showing that the disputed Bakassi peninsula which the International Court of Justice, ICJ, ceded to Cameroon, actually belongs to Nigeria.

Vanguard gathered that the jurists at ICJ might  have been misled by the legal teams of Cameroon and Nigeria, who did not show vital information that clearly placed Bakassi as a territory within the geographical, political and administrative jurisdiction and control of Nigeria, contrary to the October 10, 2002, verdict which awarded the sovereignty of the peninsula to Cameroon.

Bakassi protesters. Photo by Johnbosco Agbakwuru

International relations experts, renowned historians, researchers and politicians told Vanguard in Lagos, last week, that contrary to the claims by the Cameroon and Nigerian legal teams that the first legal treaty on the Land and Maritime borders between Nigerian and Cameroon was the 1913 Anglo-German treaty, it was discovered that the limits of the Land and maritime boundaries between both countries went as far back as 1811 when the British made the treaty that went from the Lake Chad region down to the Atlantic ocean through the Rio Del Rey Estuary.

The Great Fraud

1. There are evidence to show that in 1994 when  a dispute erupted between Nigeria and Cameroon, Nigeria asked the British government to attest to the true status of Bakassi Peninsula, the British government replied to assert that the Peninsula belongs to Nigeria.

2. This was when Alhaji Babagana Kingibe was Nigeria’s Minister of External Affairs but curiously that document was not tendered at the ICJ trial.

3. There are fresh evidence to show that in the March 18, 1961 plebiscite in Southern Cameroon, to determine areas that either wanted to stay in Cameroon or join Nigeria, Bakassi Penisular was not among the areas that participated in the exercise because it was given that it was not part of Cameroun.

According to Southern Cameroon gazette, Volume 7 no. 14,  the areas that were asked to determine where they wanted to belong included Mamfe, Bamenda, Kumba, and Victoria.  Also, the people of  Bakassi have voted in Nigerian elections and the Nigerian Customs has been in control of the territorial waters since 1811.

4. The 1913 Anglo-German treaty which Cameroon rested its claim was not signed by both countries before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

5. Germany renounced all its terrirorial claims at the end of the war in 1919 and all the former territrories controlled by Germany came under the mandate of the League of Nations.

6. There were clear cases of ethnic cleansing in Bakassi peninsula in the past 10 years in violation of the Green Tree Agreement.

According to Prof. Walter Ofonagoro, a historian and former Nigerian Information Minister, who did  his Ph.d thesis on Southern Oil protectorate, “fresh facts have emerged to show that the Cameroonian legal team deceived the ICJ into believing that before the Anglo-German treaty of 1913 upon which it rested its case, there were no other treaties that delineated the  land and maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon, which is a fraudulent claim”. Prof. Ofonagoro said that he has in his possession, 1822 documents which vested ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Old Calabar Chiefs, by extension to Nigeria, and debunked claims that the 1913 Anglo-German treaty was the first recognised treaty on the land and maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon. Said Prof. Ofonagoro:  “This is not true because as far back as 1811, the British had already established a strong sphere of influence over the territories that eventually became Nigeria in 1914.  The Anglo- German treaty upon which Cameroon built its case was contestible because after the First World war ended in 1919, all the territories controlled by Germany were taken away  from them and given to the League of Nations.

He said:  “There were other treaties between Nigeria and Cameroon on the Land and Maritime boundaries, which were entered into in 1884, 1885 and 1886, all of which clearly demarcated the land and maritime border between Nigeria and Cameroon from the Lake Chad region down to the Akwa Yafe River, which was the land border from Akwa Yafe to Rio Del Rey estuary to the Atlantic ocean.

He said: “When the Germans got to Akwa Yafe River, they discovered that they could not gain a direct access to the sea because going toward West of Akwa Yafe River will take them straight to the Calabar Sea Port. The Calabar Sea Port was clearly outlined in the treaty.  This was the main port of entry for the British merchants, and later missionaries, who were the first to establish sphere of influence in Nigeria.” He said there was no way the British would have granted the Germans a boundary access that would have constrained their access to the Calabar power.

The British were fully in control of the Calabar Sea Port. The Germans went East of Akwa Yafe River, which took them to the Rio Del Rey estuary to the sea. This ensured that the Bakassi Peninsula was on the West, which put the Peninsula on the Nigerian territory. The predominant population on the Peninsula then were the Efiks and Efuts, who were of Efik kingdom which stretched up to Khumba, Victoria and Bamenda.

Grounds for Appeal for review

Although the Federal Government has been reluctant to listen to the calls from the National Assembly, the Judiciary, the Nigerian Bar Association to appeal for a review, Prof.  Ofonagoro said “Nigeria has very strong ground to ask the ICJ for a review of its decision because there were concrete material facts and documentary evidence that were not before the ICJ in 2002, which would have helped to guide the world jurists in their decision”.

According to him, the Cameroonians concealed other vital treaties during the trial and told the court that the treaties were for mere adminstrative convenience, but more suprising is the fact that the Nigerian team did not do their home work to debunk the claims of Cameroon; rather they went there to resurrect a dead treaty in their attempt to justify the 1975 Maroua Declaration which was also an illegal treaty.

He said:  “If the ICJ should allow a judgment that was obtained by fraud and concealment of fact to stand, grave in justice would have been done to the people of Bakassi. The reputation of  ICJ would have been tarnished because the whole world expects it to do justice at all time”.

Ofonagora said the Nigerian defence team went to the Hague to agree with the Cameroonians that before 1913, there were no other treaties between the two colonial powers, which is false. But more fallacious is the fact that the Cameroon of 1919, was not the Cameroon of 1913, because after the end of the First World War, Germany was forced to give up all its territories in Africa, which came under the mandate of  League of Nations.

Germany renounced all its claims to territories and all the treaties it entered into which  gave it control of territories, became a nullity. The League of Nations consisting of Britain, France and Italy, the territory of Cameroon was carved up by France which took the Northern part.

Senator Ewah Bassey Henshaw, in his reaction said: “We have evidence from the memoir of the German Ambassador in 1913, who negotiated the so-called 1913 Anglo-German treaty”. He said the treaty was not signed because of the distrust between Britain and Germany at that time and the conflict between the envoy and some officials of his own country.

“In 1961, when a referendum was conducted in Southern Cameroon to determine on which part of it wishes to belong to Nigeria or Cameroon, after the British ended its colonial rule, Bakassi Peninsula was not included because it was regarded as part and parcel of Nigeria. In the areas such as Issangale that were included in the referendum, they voted to be in Nigeria”.

Speaking at the Vanguard Conference Hall in Lagos,  Senator Henshaw said the ICJ has a duty to review its judgment wich gave the sovereignty of Bakassi to Cameroon because it was obtained by fraud and deceits.

He said: “We are not asking for too much for the ICJ to take a second look at the fresh facts and our action is covered by Artcle 61 of ICJ which empowers people to come back for a review of their judgment if there were fresh facts that surfaced after the decision was made, which have substantially affected the judgement.

The president who has sworn on oath to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and the constitution should assist the people of Bakassi by asking the AGF to appeal for a review of the ICJ verdict.”