Okonjo-Iweala Drops Jumbo Salary Request, Makes Demand For Jumbo Ministry.

Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala

Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan's intention to appoint Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala continues to create intrigues in Abuja just as she has reportedly dropped her demands over pay.

But she has raised a new request:  the merging of the Finance and National Planning ministries into one under her leadership, Naija News Desk has learned.

As the intrigues over her proposed appointment mount alongside intense pressure on Mr. Jonathan by lobbyists of every colour, Empowered Newswire has reported that previous discussions of dollar-denominated salary for Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala may have hit a legal brickwall because of a 2007 Court of Appeal ruling that declared the previous dollar salary structure paid Okonjo-Iweala and Mr. Olu Adeniji (who she would later succeed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Obasanjo administration) was an illegality. Both Ministers were ordered to refund the excess salaries paid them.

In that ruling, the Court of Appeal said such a dollar salary was an illegality even if the salary differential was paid by an organization such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which was reportedly   involved in the payment of the controversial dollar salary at that time.

 After dropping the initial demand for a jumbo pay, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala is said to have have demanded that in addition to merging the Ministries of Finance and National Planning into a single entity, she wanted to be given the freedom to formulate and control Nigeria's fiscal and monetary policies during her tenure as Minister.  She has also reportedly a free hand to choose all the members of Jonathan's economic team members in and outside of the government.

Officials in the US also confirmed yesterday that Mr. Jonathan had always shown keen interest in at least two of Nigeria’s top officials at the World Bank: Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and Ms Oby Ezekwesili, wanting them to return to the government as ministers in charge of some critical portfolios.  Both former ministers played prominent roles in Obasanjo’s economic reform team.

But only one of them, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has been more forthcoming about returning to her old position as federal minister apart from her request for a differential salary which ignited a controversy within the government from the outset. 

Some presidency officials are irked by her brazen requests, with one of them describing her as being too ambitious and wanting to run a parallel government in order to bolster her political ambition to run for president in 2015.  Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala has not indicated such an ambition.

Those who opposed the request for a dollar-salary for any federal minister point out that since the controversy that greeted the dollar salary that former president Olusegun Obasanjo approved for the Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala and Chief Adeniji, other foreign-based Nigerians have been named to the cabinet without being paid  dollar salaries.

They cite Olusegun Aganga, Nigeria's most recent Minister of Finance.  Mr. Aganga, it was learned yesterday, neither asked for nor enjoyed a dollar-denominated salary.

Before his appointment as finance minister by Jonathan, Aganga was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in London. Incidentally, Mr. Aganga, who was described as cocky and colorless by a presidency official, is unlikely to return to the cabinet, especially if the FG strikes an agreement with Okonjo-Iweala.

Others critics of Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala's conditions for accepting a ministerial position say some  Nigerian ministers who formerly worked in top US schools and institutions  did not receive dollar salaries from the Obasanjo administration. 

One such person is Ms. Ezekwesili, who worked with Prof. Jeffrey Sachs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard before being named by Obasanjo as Senior Special Assistant.  She created and managed the successful Due Process Unit of the presidency, from which she became Solid Minerals minister, and then education minister.

It would be recalled that former FCT Minister Nasir Rufai was instrumental, by his own personal disclosure at a New York event in 2004, to the appointment of Okonjo-Iweala as minister and the approval of a dollar salary for her at that time.

President Jonathan is said to be interested in including technocrats in his administration for two reasons:  to keep the international goodwill and endorsement that followed his recent election, especially from some strategic and friendly Western nations and governments.


A US diplomatic source said that friendly western leaders had hoped that Jonathan would constitute his cabinet early enough as he had promised so that he would be able to beat the current political fights and jostling from his party members.

One of the sources said "we had hoped he would name his cabinet on day one of his new term," because as the source explained,  Jonathan gave the impression to some western leaders during his recent international outing of strong determination to make real change happen in Nigeria.

A diplomatic source also told Empowered Newswire yesterday that the delay in naming the cabinet, about a month now since the president was inaugurated, and the reported names of the politicians dominating leaked versions of the list, are all being closely watched by western diplomats in Nigeria as well as officials in their home capitals.

Commenting on the dollar salary controversy, Dr Baba Adam, a public commentator, said: “Anyone in Diaspora deserves what they are earning in their current positions outside Nigeria.  We understand the skill-set many of us in Diaspora can bring to Nigeria, however, it is very bad for anyone in Diaspora to knowingly request the Nigerian President who swore to defend the Nigerian Constitution to violate the Nigerian Constitution and/or disrespect a Court ruling by paying their salary in dollars or any other currency."

In a statement released earlier in the US, Adam noted, “We strongly urge Nigerians in Diaspora who are willing to go back to serve in any position to accept the Nigerian salary remunerations prescribed by law.  After all Minister's salary and allowance is thousand times the earning of an average Nigerian.  After their service, Nigerians in Diaspora, if they wish can return to their jobs and earn their Diaspora jumbo salary."

Based on a legal suit filed by the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the Court of Appeal in Abuja in July 2007 granted the reliefs he sought in the case including:

*A declaration that the purported authorization by the President to the effect that the salaries of Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and External Affairs Minister, Mr Olufemi Adeniji be paid in foreign currencies was unconstitutional and amounted to an abuse of office;

*A declaration that the yearly salary of USD247,000 (about N36 million) being paid to the 3rd defendant, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , the Federal Minister of Finance is a flagrant violation of Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances , etc) Act No 6 of 2002 which prescribes a yearly salary of N794,085.00 for every Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

*A declaration that the yearly salary of USD120,000 (about N17 million) being paid to the 4th defendant Ambassador Olufemi Adeniji, Federal Minister for External Affairs is a flagrant violation of Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act No. 6 of 2002 which prescribes a yearly salary of N794,085.00 for every Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and

*An order compelling the 3rd and 4th defendants to stop the Federal Government of Nigeria, its agents, servants, privies or howsoever called particularly the 1st defendant from paying Ministers or any other public officers covered by certain political, public and judicial office holders’ salaries and allowances etc Act No 6 of 2002 outside the salaries prescribed in the said Act.

Chief Fawehinmi also contended that besides the jumbo salaries and allowances being paid in foreign currency, the illegality involved the point that the payment of the salaries into the foreign accounts of the Ministers contradicted the provision of the Code of Conduct for public officers which frowns against maintenance of foreign accounts while holding public office.

He further contended that the approval of different  salary scales for the two ex-ministers offended an Act of the National Assembly tagged “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act No 6 of 2002, which prescribed the yearly salary of N794,085.00 for every minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The court then asked the former ministers to refund the money paid.

Implication for President Jonathan Goodluck’s Transformational Agenda.

By John M. O. Ekundayo

Preamble: It is gladdening to read of a president thinking about transforming Nigeria. I believe that this is not the first time that political leaders have bamboozled citizens with their usual favourite leadership cliché or jargons chosen at their whims and caprices from their lexicon.

While it can be argued that it is better for any leader to declare his leadership style, from the outset, so that his followers will know the expected direction of his administration, appropriating or adopting a leadership style confines a leader to model the way according the proponents of exemplary leadership model-Barry Posner & James Kouzes (authors of ‘The Leadership Challenge’). It is of wisdom to state that transformational leadership main objective as originally propounded by James MacGregor Burns was to inspire followers with vision and passion; in the process the latter themselves are transformed. In a way, transformational leadership, as a model, can be defined as a process involving dynamic influential interactions between leaders and followers, expecting a mutual outcome, within a giving context. The mutual outcome normally results in change(s) to the status quo which invariably energizes followers with the end result of developing them to leaders. Simply and squarely put, leaders that will drive transformational agenda must be courageous to challenge the status quo, be visionary, passionate and proactive to interact with followers to bring about the envisioned innovative change. It must be stressed that that change must uplift the followers-their levels must change in tangible ways that can be felt, seen, touched and embraced!

Wisdom of Nehemiah in the Age of Dr Jonathan:


At this juncture, I will like to draw an analogy from the Biblical Nehemiah, a man that was a servant to a king who was burdened to go back to rebuild the ruins of the ancient Jerusalem. Mr President, you need to accept the fact that Nigeria is presently in ruins; we are blessed with abundant resources yet many Nigerians are living below poverty line. Nehemiah pursued his assignment with catholic zeal and zest. There is a particular reference that I will want Mr President to emulate in the leadership style of Nehemiah in driving his transformation agenda. Before, I go further, I like to remind, Dr Jonathan Goodluck that our dear erstwhile President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (of blessed memory) while reading his inauguration address on 29th May 2007 declared inter alia to the whole world that he would be a servant leader. It was unfortunate that his health compounded the content and context of his traits as a leader and could not really allowed us to fairly assess properly how he performed as a servant leader. I doubt if he would pass if empirically assessed. However, there are some good points that still stand today, by and large for Yar’Adua. These are upholding the rule of law and the Niger Delta amnesty issue.

Dear Mr President, you have 4 years which when broken down is 48 months or 208 weeks translating to 1461 days (sic). Meditating on some portions of Chapter 5 of the book of Nehemiah, my heart was drawn to some issues that Mr President must be passionate, practical, pragmatic and proactive about without delay. Time is running out! In Chapter 5, Nehemiah, who later became the governor of the people, challenged the nobles and leaders who were oppressing and afflicting their fellow citizens. In book of Nehemiah, Chapter 5:7-9, it is stated: “After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers...So I called a great assembly against them. And I said to them...Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?”

This is the real situation in Nigeria. We need a President who will have enough resolve or spine to call the bluff off some callous elites who are so greedy that Nigeria can roast so far they are richer in the process. I am not a religious zealot but I know that my country Nigeria is mostly made up of people of two religions (almost 95% of the nation’s population):

Islam and Christianity. I read your encounter with journalists the last time you were in USA in which you declared that the proportion of Muslims to Christians in Nigeria is 50:50. Some may differ but I defer to your stand, Mr President, you are not far from the truth. In the light of this, as a balance, I will like to quote from what Abubakar Siddique, the first Caliph, leader of the Muslim community after the transition of the referred Prophet Mohammed stated in his inaugural speech: “I have been chosen to rule over you, though I am not the best amongst you. Help me if I am right; correct me if I am wrong. The weak among you will be strong until I have attained for him his due…and the strong among you will be weak until I have made him give what he owes...”


From the foregoing, it cannot be overemphasized that we need a President who will vigorously fight corruption putting his own life online to redeem our battered image locally and internationally. Presently, we are “fighting” this virus with kid gloves while it spreading with the speed of light all over the fabric of our nation. Corruption is everywhere; followers and leaders are involved! One can argue that during former President Obasanjo’s era, he was accused of being selective in his war against corruption; nevertheless he made some people to face the music. One notable good deed by Obasanjo (I am not his fan), his administration established two institutions to fight corruption. No government before his own institutionalized the fight against corruption. Mr President, I will plead with you to adequately empower and equipped EFFCC and ICPC especially by giving them free hand to operate. I read in the paper, as the time of writing this piece that you were under pressure to ‘intervene’ in the judicial process indicting the former speaker and his deputy. If it is true, please, do not hearken; let the law take its course. Enough is enough of these dealers in the garb of leaders rampaging and routing our land while throwing decency and decorum to the wind. Is this not the same Honourable Dimeji Bankole who passed through one of the finest and best universities in the world-Harvard? He was even mentioned before he became the speaker that he was an influential member of the ‘Integrity Group’ in the house? Where is that so called integrity group in the House of Representatives today? I doubt its existence.

Agenda Setting To Cripple Corruption: Overhauling EFCC

Subsequently, I will opine that there is need for change in the leadership of EFCC if your transformational agenda will succeed very well. Corruption is like a cancer killing Nigeria and Nigerians gradually; even President Barrack Obama was passionate in pleading with you recently when you visit the White House to do more in fighting this hydra-headed monster! Virtually, all nations on earth have Nigerians living in them-legally and illegally. It is a truism that many cases of Nigerians in Diaspora are but for survival strategies while there are more than enough resources at home to go round for everyone! Tips of the iceberg: After May 29th, how many former governors are undergoing trial? It is only the case of the erstwhile Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives we are reading about. Where are the others? Walking freely all over the land some of them even having the effrontery or temerity to be lobbying for ministerial positions! Are we really serious as a nation? I even read in the newspapers that about two of former governors left the shores of Nigeria a day or so before 29th May 2011. Were not the security agencies aware of this development? What was the role of EFCC and ICPC in this regard? This is time for followers to ask pertinent questions requiring urgent responses if our nation must not pass through what some North African and Middle Eastern countries have gone through and some of them are still wallowing in the imbroglio that may consume their leaders and possibly their nations.

Opportunity To Address Poverty:

Mr President, I was one of your friends on Facebook and I gave a thumb up for your write-up declaring your formal intention to run for the office of the president sometimes in 2010. I read the story, Mr President, of how you could not afford a bag to put your books in while you swam through a river to go to school (sic). Definitely, there are still people in such a situation like that today not only in Oloibiri, but in Numan, Aliade, Baga, Sabongida-Ora, Igboho, Biliri, Takum, Ikot Epkene, Ode-Ekiti, Umunede, Nnewi, etc. What are the practical, pragmatic and proactive steps your transformational leadership will take to address poverty that people will perceive have a human heart of kindness and compassion? Are there going to be a provision to care of the senior citizens throughout the length and breadth of our nation? I have been living in Singapore and Malaysia for 6 years now, and I could see that people from age 65 and above are classified as senior citizens and they are given concessions for some public services like transportation (at times they pay 50%). How about education: can the nation afford to cushion the crunch on parents paying for the tertiary education of their wards by having bursary award for students in this category? Can the Federal Government make funds accessible (could be a loan) to pursue higher degrees (Master degrees and Doctorates) both in local and overseas universities so that no Nigerian is denied education because he or she cannot pay for it?

Creating Jobs: Proactive Agricultural Development As A Way Out

Going back to Nehemiah’s time, virtually everyone was engaged in building the wall, carrying away the rubbles and restoring order to the nation. The citizens need to be mobilized. There is the need for your government to proactively create jobs! Personally, I see Agriculture as a way out. It is unfortunate that the Federal Government and most of the states government avoid practical agriculture like a plague. It is obvious that both federal and state governments annually vote money for agricultural development which callously end up in distribution of fertilizer, loans to ‘farmers’, building dams, etc. These activites, in most cases, have no direct bearing on the lives of farmers or citizens in Okenne, Wukari, Idanre, Otukpo, Baga, Yenogoa, Kabba, Ayangba, Nguru, etc. There must be proactive ways to reach these farmers. Is it not possible to initiate modern day farm settlements in each state of the federation where mass number of youths can be gainfully and productively employed? The merits are numerous: Food Production, Employment Creation, Income Generation and Foreign Exchange Earning. A stitch in time can save nine. I have posted messages like this on your Facebook but I found them deleted, possibly by your agents: it is good that this in public domain.

Conclusion:


Mr President, I want to appreciate you and your assistants (leadership team) taking time to read this and setting down to work. Nigerians are yearning and longing to witness the real transformation; not just words and words, promises and promises; there must be passionate, pragmatic and proactive steps taken to deliver this nation from ruins and rubbles she has been subjected to. The wounds on Nigeria and Nigerians are in the words of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State self inflicted which only, according to him, only leaders with bold resolve can attempt to heal. You can start somewhere and leave an indelible and memorable mark; yours could even be a benchmark, Dr Jonathan Ebele Goodluck!

Feedback is welcome from readers:  jmo.ekundayo@gmail.com
This piece is written by John M. O. Ekundayo, a leadership researcher/political commentator, who resides in Malaysia, South East Asia.

Suicide Terrorism: New Trouble At Home And Challenges Ahead Of President Goodluck Jonathan.

By Oludare Ogunlana

The recent Abuja bombing of the Louis Edet Police Headquarters is something not surprising as the emergence of Boko Haram and other domestic terrorist organizations has become evident for the last seven years. Nigeria is recording its first incidence of suicide terrorism since the insurgence of domestic terrorism in the most populous black nation.

According to the report, the assailants gained access to the police Headquarters by disguising as part of the back-up convoy of one of the Inspectors General of Police. Immediately, the bomb suspected to be about 500lbs of TNT explosive went off killing eight people and destroying several vehicles parked on the police premises.  The effect of the explosion would have been worse and could have resulted in greater casualties if not for the fact that the car used for the operation was not in close proximity to the main building.  The terrorist target was successful not as a result “failure of intelligence” per se but due to the “failure of imagination”.  We all failed to imagine that the terrorist could have been so audacious to the extent or targeting the “lion den”.  The June 16, 2011 terrorist act is a “symbolic” attack just like October 1, 2010 terror campaign in Abuja and other bomb blasts that have occurred in Nigeria military barracks. It is a clear message that there is trouble on the home front. Once again, the modus operandi of the suicide attack shows that the 21st century terrorist organizations are more organized, discipline, committed, and sophisticated with high levels of intelligence gathering capability.

Of course, terrorism is no more a new phenomenon in Nigeria but the worrisome part of it is the new dimension of suicide terrorism.  There is no doubt in the fact that there is real trouble at the home front for President Goodluck Jonathan in terms of building capability to confront and defeat the fast growing terrorist groups in Nigeria.  Nevertheless, it is not yet time to trade blame or shift the responsibility on the law enforcement agencies, rather the incidents call for full commitment on the part of the Government and its agents.  Defending the homeland from terrorist organizations is vital to the state, and hence the challenges to that interest must be met with full force. President Goodluck Jonathan and his security chiefs must understand that our adversaries are unconventional, and so our approach for defeating them must be unconventional as well.  We cannot defeat them solely by force; we must use a blend of political, informational, military, economic, and socio-cultural approaches, in combination with foreign governments’ assistance, security forces, and populations.

Understanding Suicide Terrorism

What could have tempted a normal human being to risk and sacrifice his life for a cause by embarking on a death mission?  The justification of rationale behind this irrational behavior as exemplified in many actions of suicide terrorists has formed a major concern among the political scientists and researchers on terrorism across the world.  According to Marthar Crenshaw, “the purpose of terrorism is to intimidate popular watching audience by harming only a few’.

Terrorism is meant to hurt, not to destroy.  Terrorism is preeminently political and symbolic”. Crenshaw 2000, p. 406.  However, the purpose of suicide terrorism has gone beyond ordinary hurting, it has moved from demonstrative to a destructive terrorism like what we witnessed at the event of the September 11, 2001 suicide attack masterminded by Al-Qaida on the soil of the United States of America.  Scott Atran defined suicide terrorism as a “targeted use of self destructing humans against non combatant – typically civilian population to effect political change”.  Atran 2003.

The purpose of suicide terrorism is to coerce the targeted opponent in order to get partial or full concession of the demands.  Its primary use is typically an instrument of psychological warfare intended to affect a larger public audience.  Terrorist choose the suicide option when realizing that fighting a conventional war will surely lead to their defeat, therefore, suicide terrorism is the weapon of the weak against a strong opponent.  The history of suicide terrorism is ancient and dates as far back as the 1st century, when the Jewish sect called Zealots (siccari) adopted the suicide option in Roman occupied Judea.  Also, a radical offshoot of Muslim Sha'a Ismaili (Islamic Order of Assassin - “hashish eater”) adopted same suicide method against the Christian crusaders attempting to conquer the present day Syria and Iran between A.D 1090 and 1272.

Terrorist organizations like Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad, Chenchen rebels, Hesbollah and Tamil Tigers have successfully adopted the suicide tactics and prefer suicide terrorism as a strategic weapon against their opponents.  According to Hoffman, even though, Al-Qaeda is known to be the first terrorist organization to have successfully conducted suicide attacks on land, sea and in the air, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) remain the leader among the organizations that use suicide terrorism since LTTE adopted the suicide tactic in 1987.  It should be noted that all these terrorist organizations adopted suicide terrorism because it is not expensive, lethally efficient, easier to execute and has a high degree of success.  Of course, the mode of attack is attractive to the perpetrators because suicide terrorism guarantees media coverage and sends fear to the target audience.  “Suicide terrorism is a high cost strategy, one that would only make strategic sense for a group when high interest is at stake and even then as the last resort” Pape 2003.  With the adoption of suicide terrorism by Boko Haram, Nigeria should be vigilant because such an attack may occur in places of worship, police checkpoints, military and police barracks, academic campuses, high profile functions, mass transportation system and inside government offices.

Boko Haram (brief profile and modus operandi)

The name Boko Haram connotes fears and terror in the mind of every household in Nigeria, particularly, the people living in the North East of Nigeria.  The group was founded in the year 2002 by Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf with anti-west education ideology.  My personal encounter with Yusuf as an undercover reporter in the year 2006 gave me more idea of Yusuf’s philosophy. The Boko Haram goes beyond what people think.  He spoke to me about injustice, corruption, collapse of moral values and all other social vices of which he wanted me to help send to Saharareporters.com for publication.  He blamed everything on the influences of western education.  Yusuf was killed in the year 2009 under a very controversial circumstance.  Since the execution of Yusuf in the year 2009, the organization has adopted the leaderless style for a cell group leadership.  It means any member of the cell group is capable of taking decision in line with the philosophy of the organization without necessarily waiting for an instructional command from higher authority.  This method of cell group leadership makes it extremely difficult for law enforcement agencies to tame and grab the leadership of the group.

I have been profiling Boko Haram since 2007; the modus operandi of the organization is similar to all known terrorist groups in the world.  The trademark of the organization is blood, tears and sorrow with both covert and overt violent attack against Police officers, churches and high profile government officials.  Their weapons are; machete, "daga", locally made bow arrow and guns.  The use of bombs was introduced in December 2010 while suicide terrorism is the latest method adopted by the group as a new strategic weapon of attack.

The organization is funded through mandatory daily contributions from members. There is no doubt the fact that the organization also gets support from politicians in Nigeria. Even though, one is yet to establish any direct link between the leadership of Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda movement, however, the recent indication has confirmed the fact that the Boko Haram sect is getting international training and financial support from the international terrorist groups.

 A very Serious Threat

With the recent occurrence, terrorism is now taking a dangerous dimension with the introduction of suicide terrorism.  It is a very serious threat to the existence of Nigeria as a nation of which President Jonathan must act very quickly to tame the “monster”.

In what could have looked like the first suicide attempt in Nigeria  was an unusual incident at the Margaret Ekpo Airport, Calabar on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 in which a lone driver beats all the airport security and rammed into an Abuja-bound Arik aircraft.


The second incidence was the June 16, 2011 Louis Edet House attack of Police National Headquarters.  These are serious threats to our National Security and government must use all means available to remove all sources of insecurity at all levels. Of course, threats always outnumber the resources available to negate those threats to safety.  The gap between the threats and resources to nullify those threats is a risk.  Therefore, the Government must be determined and ready to take the necessary risk in order to build enough capability to confront terrorism.

Capability

Home grown violent extremism is not the only threat our nation will face in the near future. We must also prepare to tackle both domestic and regional terrorist organizations.

The lead agencies in charge of our security in Nigeria were primarily organized, trained, educated, and equipped for conventional crime fighting, and these capabilities remained essential to deter and fight conventional crimes.  The senior leadership of law enforcement agencies is yet to grab exactly how to handle issue of terrorism because they have not been trained to handle terrorism issue. Therefore, the federal government must ensure that our law enforcement agencies need to re-balance conventional capabilities and the capacity of our police to conduct long-duration counterterrorism operations. We must train, equip, and foster the development of civil society and of course, the effective governance is essential.

Most important of all, the law enforcement agencies need to create or improve career paths, incentives, and advancement opportunities for security personnel with critical counterterrorism-related skills and knowledge. If we do not create new demands that force the Service personnel management systems to transform, we cannot hope to identify, access, educate, train, develop, utilize, and retain adequate numbers of the people we need to wage a protracted war against terrorism.

The way forward

The recent signing of the anti-terrorism bill into law as a legal instrument to arrest and prosecute the offenders is a welcome development.  However, the President must exercise his power at this point in time.  In order to exercise power, the state must be capable of carrying out threats.  Doing this requires possessing the instruments of power.  In traditional terms, these instruments are divided into three categories: Diplomatic (or political), economic, and military power.

The approach towards fighting terrorism is the semi –military aspect of security.  The significant aspects of terrorism and its suppression are also political and law enforcement concerns and for which military responses are ineffective.

Therefore, President Goodluck Jonathan should make this as a priority by designing strong counterterrorism policies that supersede the mass killings and extra-judicial murders committed by our macho police and military officers in the past.

This is not a time for complacency; the President must be ready to act on all necessary intelligence reports related to terrorism.  In most cases, the policy makers often make such mistakes by failing to act on intelligence.  It is also acknowledged that this happens in some instances because the “customer” does not understand the intelligence.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the analyst and the officer of the NSA to ensure that the President not only receives the real time intelligence but fully understands it.

In conclusion, out law enforcement agencies and the intelligence communities as constituted in Nigeria Joint Intelligence Board (JIB) must be ready to share information.  It is common that most intelligence organizations place more emphasis on secrecy than on effectiveness.  This in most cases leads to poor intelligence.  Failure to work as a team has been one of the principal reasons for the intelligence failure.  The absence of crime is the splendor of efficient security. Therefore, the goals in countering terrorism are:

·         Stop terrorists from committing acts of violence by capturing them, disrupting their cells, or killing them

·         Keep the most dangerous weapons out of terrorists' hands

·         Recognize that it is impossible to prevent all attacks

·         Protect those facilities in Nigeria that, if struck, would cause catastrophic damage

·         Prevent radicalization by helping to deal with grievances that are spawning terrorists

Oludare Ogunlana is an Intelligence Analyst, and President, Global Alternative Agenda, (GAA)
 www.global-agenda.net

 Updates to follow

UPDATED: Kidnappers Snatch 11-Year Old Daughter of Rivers REC In Eket Church, Demand N100M Ransom.

Gov. Godswill Akpabio Of Akwa Ibom

The growing insecurity in Akwa Ibom State worsened even further on Sunday with the abduction of the only daughter of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Rivers State, Mr. Aniedi Abasi Ikoiwak, in the premises of a church.

Eleven-year old Utibe-Abasi, who was slightly ill at the time of her abduction, is the only daughter of Mr. Ikoiwak.  The REC said today in Port Harcourt that the kidnappers have now issued a ransom demand of N100m and he has appealed to them for her release.

The police spokesman of the Akwa Ibom command, Mr Onyeka Orji, had confirmed the incident in a telephone chat with our correspondent.  He said they had launched a manhunt for the kidnappers but were yet to make any arrests.

The kidnapping occurred at the Abundant Life Ministry Church, on Ikot Ibiok/ Ikot Udoma Road on the outskirts of Eket.


“We are working hard at freeing their hostage unharmed, and that is our priority for now,” Mr. Orji said.

Naija News Desk gathered that the REC was the target of the gunmen.  They grabbed his child when he could not be found as he reportedly escaped in the chaos, which followed the sporadic shooting of the kidnappers.

In the past two weeks, an oil worker at ExxonMobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal and an old woman were kidnapped in separate incidents.  The victims are still being held hostage.

The residents of Eket and Akwa Ibom State at large have been helpless, as the state government, led by Chief Godswill Akpabio, has failed to rise to the occasion to protect lives and property in the state.

Security in the country was one of the key promises of Goodluck Jonathan when he was campaigning for office, which he took last month.

New Cabinet List: Ngozi Iweala Stalls Jonathan Over Pay And Control Of Economic Policy.

Ngozi Iweala

Would you give up the power and privilege of the position of Managing Director of the World Bank in exchange for a second stint as Minister of Finance of Nigeria?

Would you do it if you had no guarantee you could control economic policy?  Would you do it for a local salary that is considerably out of tune with that of your current job in Washington, DC?

These are some of the questions said to be standing between Mrs. Ngozi Okonji-Iweala and the desire of Goodluck Jonathan to see his former cabinet colleague return to the job at Finance, and they have stalled the early release of his cabinet nominees.

Mr. Jonathan, who is putting finishing touches to a lackluster cabinet composed mostly of his former ministers and Peoples Democratic Party executives, is reportedly negotiating with Mrs. Okonji-Iweala. She had previously been involved in a dollar-denominated salary controversy when she took up a similar appointment with former president Olusegun Obasanjo.


Dr.  Okonjo-Iweala is currently enroute to Nigeria from Russia and is amongst new ministerial nominees whose names were obtained last night by Naija News Desk.  Although her last and brief job was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she would most likely be nominated to head Finance.

Other names on the list include Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, a former field and track champion; Ms Jumoke Akinjide, the daughter of Chief Akinjide of the infamous 12-2/3rd controversy; Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman; Alhaji Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar; Alhaji Nuhu Zagbayi, Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello, Professor Rufai Alkali, a former PDP secretary, Dr. Tonye Cole; Hajiya Zainab Maina;  Alhaji Bukar Tijjani; Mr. Mohammed Musa; Dr. Akinwumi Adefila; Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi; Alhaji Yerima Ngama, Mrs. Ada Okwuon, Elder Godsday Orubebe; and Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.

Others are Professor Bath Nnaji , Jonathan's adviser on power who is expected to head the Power ministry; Mr. Mohammed Adoke; Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu; Mr. Labaran Maku, Chief Chukwuemeka Ngozi Wogu; Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, SAN; Senator Bala Mohammed; Prince Adetokunbo Kayode; Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, and Professor Ruqqayatu Rufai.


Correction: This article previously stated that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was in Nigeria, she is currently on her way to Nigeria from Russia. We apologize for the mistake.

Boko Haram Fatally Strikes ANPP Lawyer.

Islamist militants arrested in Kano in 2009

Militant group, Boko Haram reportedly shot and killed Peter Adebayo, a lawyer for the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

The Boko Haramislmaist militants also shot and killed 22-yr old Civil Defense worker, Baba Usman at the Lawan Bukar ward in Maiduguri on Monday night.

This is the latest in a series of attacks, in which the militant group has been targeting officials,  traditional rulers and Islamic clerics in the state. Authorities have confirmed that yesterday's attack, which left six police officers dead, was also linked to the group.

Naija News Desk has also learned that the money looted from a PhB bank in yesterday's raid was allegedly distributed amongst the poor in the region.

A bomb was also found planted at the Galadima junction in Maiduguri yesterday.

Gov. Obi Spends Millions to Secure Favorable Press As Popularity Plummets.

Peter Obi

A two-week investigation by Naija News Desk has exposed a scheme by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra to offer financial inducement to senior editors as well as placing advertising supplements in various newspapers in exchange for flattering reports and columns about his administration.

Governor Obi has been rattled by evidence of his extremely high unpopularity in Anambra. Obi was shaken by the defeat of all three senatorial candidates he backed during the April 2011 general elections. Most of the candidates personally chosen by Governor Obi and the All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA) also suffered crushing defeat.

Several sources in Anambra, including a member of Governor Obi’s cabinet, several clergy and top bureaucrats, told Naija News Desk that Mr. Obi sponsored two separate groups of senior journalists to visit Anambra. Our sources disclosed that the journalists, who were Obi’s guests three weeks ago, received both cash handouts and the promise of state-sponsored supplements in their publications.

Our sources revealed that one group of journalists was led by Dame Comfort Obi of The Source magazine while Femi Adesina, deputy managing director of the Sun, led the other group. A source within Government House, Awka disclosed that each member of the group led by Mr. Adesina received a cash gift of 350,000 naira each while members of Dame Comfort Obi’s group received 250,000 naira each.

Our sources named some of the journalists as Louis Odion of National Life, Steve Nwosu of the Sun, Onuoha Uke of the Sun, Simon Ibe of Champion, Ocherome Nnanna of the Vanguard, Felix Abugu of The Guardian, Chiemeka Iwuoha of Champion, Dan Onwukwe of the Sun, Eze Anaba of the Vanguard and Justus Nwakanma of Champion. Others include Charles Ike-Okoh of Businessday, Robert Obioha of the Sun, Luke Okoro of Sunday Champion, Rose Moses of Saturday Champion, Maureen Chigbo of Newswatch, Emeka Duru of Daily Independent, and Alvan Ewuzie of the Sun.

Our sources also disclosed that both Adesina and Comfort Obi were handsomely rewarded for leading the two separate delegations of journalists.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Odion admitted that he was in Awka to inspect projects in the state, but insisted that he did not collect any payment from Mr. Obi or his officials. Naija News Desk sent an e-mail to Mr. Adesina on his involvement in arranging the visit by one group of senior journalists. In his response, Mr. Adesina described Governor Obi as “a friend,” adding, “Since I knew him many years back, he has proven decent, and quite different from many Nigerian politicians.”

Mr. Adesina, who on May 27, 2011 wrote a highly positive column on Mr. Obi titled “Deconstructing Peter Obi, the Okwute,” also stated: “I went to Awka because the governor personally called me up to visit.  I did, no apologies.”

Like Mr. Odion, Femi Adesina denied accepting any bribes, adding, “Bribe? I can't stop laughing. What would anybody give me at this stage to influence my writing[?] I'm laughing so hard, my ribs are protesting.” He further stated in his e-mail: “If you need to know, my visit to Anambra earned my company five colour advertisement pages every month, to run for many months to come. The months of May and June have been paid for. Bribe? Then there should be more of such, don't you think?”

But one of the journalists who made the trip confessed to Naija News Desk that cash was disbursed, admitting that he was aware of only one journalist who did not collect. A source in Government House revealed that Governor Obi did not only give a hefty sum to Dame Comfort Obi, he also approved the placement of government-sponsored supplements in her magazine.

Our sources said that Governor Obi pleaded with the journalists to write reports, features and columns focusing on his “achievements in road construction” and the building of a so-called teaching hospital.


Mr. Adesina’s column stated that “Obi has built at least 500 kilometres of roads. He has taken wonderful strides in healthcare, education, job creation, infrastructural development, security, and many others.” Recently, Charles Ike-Okoh of Businessday made good on his deal by writing a report titled “Peter Obi constructs over 500 kilometers of road.” In the report, Ike-Okoh writes that Governor Obi’s extensive road construction had placed Anambra well to achieve “the Millennium Development Goals”.

But several of our sources in Anambra stated that the governor’s achievements are inflated or non-existent. One source, a state commissioner, wondered whether Adesina, Ike-Okoh and the other journalists made time to inspect Obi’s projects and see the condition of the roads constructed by the governor. “These journalists just swallowed the governor’s propaganda and rushed back to Lagos to write what they were told,” adding, “most of the roads this governor is building are already full of potholes.”

The commissioner, who said he was weighing leaving Governor Obi’s cabinet, also remarked that the governor likes to boast about building a huge structure he calls teaching hospital, “even though there is not a single piece of medical equipment in the building.”

The commissioner wondered why Governor Obi has embarked on erecting billboards all over the state touting his “so-called achievements” as well as paying for supplements in numerous publications. “If you have achieved something, do you need billboards to remind the people of Anambra State of your achievements?” he asked. He added: “The governor always says he receives little money from Abuja. He says he doesn’t have money to add a few naira to the salary of doctors and judicial workers, so where does he find the money to waste on billboards and media promotion?” He said that Governor Obi’s obsession with sponsored media popularity reminded him of the style of former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who “used the media to create the impression that he was a performer, but he had nothing positive on ground to point to as his concrete legacy.”

Another source, a Catholic priest who said he used to support Obi until he discovered that the governor “has very deceitful nature,” told Naija News Desk that the journalists imported into Enugu should have asked Obi “why he is building a teaching hospital while ignoring doctors who are on strike.” Medical doctors in Anambra have been on strike for several months over a wage dispute with the state government. The priest added that Governor Obi “finally confirmed his contempt for the people of Anambra when he sponsored a satanic person like Chuma Nzeribe to come and run for a senate seat under APGA.”

Over the last two weeks, many of the journalists who went to Awka have published glowing reports or features on Governor Obi. Onuoha Uke of the Sun wrote what one source described as “a confused and illogical piece” titled “A look at the Peter Obi governance model in Anambra”. Ocherome Nnanna of the Vanguard published excerpts from the general interview Governor Obi had with the group of journalists.

One of the journalists who went on Comfort Obi’s team said he was upset to learn that those on the Femi Adesina team were given 100,000 naira more than. He described the difference as “a slap on us,” adding that members of his group experienced a scare at the Enugu airport when the Arik plane that flew them back to Lagos developed some mechanical problem. “Comfort [Obi] and all of us were praying that nothing would happen once the flight finally took off,” said the journalist, adding that he felt insulted after that experience to discover that Obi gave more money to the other group.

As soon as Naija News Desk started posing questions to some of the journalists who went on the sponsored trip to Awka, Valentine Obienyem, who handles the governor’s propaganda, began to post anti-Naija News Desks’ messages on numerous listservs on the Internet. In one of these preemptive attacks, the state government’s propaganda machinery alleged that former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State had asked Naija News Desk and its founder to attack Governor Obi. The statement went further: “Tinubu told Sowore that the fight had started from Anambra and charged him to use his outfit to paint Gov. Obi bad. In the briefing, Tinubu told Sowore to attack anything that comes out from Anambra State.”

Besides, Naija News Desk received a sudden e-mail from a so-called Non-Governmental Organization closely affiliated with the Obi administration inviting us to visit Anambra to “ascertain her successes and failures.” The letter was signed by one Emeka Umeagbalasi, “chairman, board of trustees of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law.”

For the record, Naija News Desk does not inspect projects, but depends on citizen reporters to evaluate the performance of various governments and to advance the cause of transparency and accountability in governance.

EFCC Arrests Bankole to avert escape.

Bankole arriving at the EFCC this evening

Bankole exit the EFCC cruiser

Officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have finally arrested outgoing Speaker Dimeji Bankole of the House of Representatives.

An EFCC source told Naija News Desk moments ago that the agency operatives moved in today to arrest Mr. Bankole after the agency received intelligence that he was planning to flee tonight.

For the past one week, the EFCC and Bankole have been engaged in a tense stand off arising from Mr. Bankole's refusal to answer the agency's summons for interrogation over a series of corruption allegations.

Naija News Desk exclusively broke the news that the EFCC investigators had linked Mr Speaker to an account at the United Bank of Africa (UBA) through which the outgoing speaker had laundered about $1 billion.

A source at the EFCC told Naija News Desk that the agency was able to arrest the speaker today as soon as it discovered he had planned to escape from Nigeria early tomorrow morning.

Last Friday EFCC agents had made an attempt to arrest the speaker from his residence but that had been rebuffed by Mr. Bankole's security protection.

The EFCC had appealed to IG of Police, Hafiz Ringim to withdraw Bankole's police security to facilitate the outgoing speaker's arrest. Instead, Mr. Ringim arrived at the scene to break the siege, stating that President Goodluck Jonathan had ordered that the EFCC should retreat from arresting Bankole.

A police source said Mr. Ringim came under fire following our report of his role. He later lied that he only paid the speaker a social visit at his residence, unaware of plans by the EFCC to arrest him.

In response to criticism, the IG of police then ordered the withdrawal of Bankole's police protection.

A source within the presidency said Jonathan, who is due to be received this Wednesday at the White House, did not want the baggage of appearing to American officials to be continuing the tradition of protecting Nigeria's major corrupt officials.

The source said that Jonathan then instructed the IG of police and the DG of the State Security Service to immediately withdraw Bankole's security detail.

 A source at the EFCC told us the the EFCC was able to arrest him shortly after he lost his police guards.

In addition to the huge financial scam at the UBA, the former speaker is also implicated in a car buying scandal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has explained that its operatives had to arrest former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole ahead of the Monday date he gave to surrender himself because he was discovered to be plotting other schemes to thwart his voluntary surrender or arrest on Monday. He was arrested in his Asokoro, Abuja residence at about 8pm on Sunday after resisting arrest again for more than four hours.


The Commmision in a statement signed by its Head of Media & Publicity, Femi Babafemi on Sunday said “the EFCC Chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri was compelled to order the immediate arrest of Mr. Bankole after analyzing an intelligence report which showed that the former Speaker was planning to leave Abuja for Lagos on Sunday evening and thereafter flee the country through an illegal route”. 


It will be recalled that Mr Bankole had twice shunned two invitations extended to him in the last two weeks by the EFCC, an impunity that climaxed last Friday when he resisted attempts by operatives to arrest him in his Asokoro, Abuja residence. 


“While our men kept surveillance around the former speaker hoping he will honour his promise to report on Monday, a fresh intelligence gathered by the Commission showed that Mr Bankole was not ready to keep his promise but was rather planning other schemes to escape from the country through an illegal route or obtain a restraining court order early on Monday to prevent the Commission from effecting his arrest or prosecution”, the statement added. 


Meanwhile, the former Speaker will remain in custody to enable him have sufficient time to answer questions on the numerous fraud allegations against him.

PHOTONEWS: Plenary Session Nigeria's National Fat Cats Assembly.

The last group photograph of some members of the National fat cats assembly

Police protection

Still group photograph

National assembly properties waiting to be carted away to their homes

Their assistants carting away national assembly properties

Speaker Bankole celebrating his freedom from the EFCC

Former speaker Patricia Etteh and outgoing speaker Bankole stealing ideas

Fat Cat General of the Nigerian federation, outgoing senate president David Mark

Some more fat cats

Fat cats agonizing of their last day of no work

Speaker Bankole taking a final bow before jail.

These photos were taken today during and after  the plenary session of overpaid national assembly fat cats in Abuja.

According to the central Bank of Nigeria, a member of the national assembly is paid an average of $80,000 per month, representing 25 percent of the federal budget.

The total federal government overhead budget is N536,268,49,280 and the total overhead of the National Assembly is N136,259,768, 112.

$1 Billion Dollar Scam: Speaker Bankole Demands Details Of EFCC Inquiry In Advance.

Dimeji Bankole

Emboldened by assurances  received after his visit last week to the Presidential Villa that the presidency would end EFCC inquiries into suspected money laundering crimes now under investigation, embattled speaker Dimeji Bankole has upped his challenge to the EFCC, demanding details of their inquiry in advance, SaharaReporters has learned.

He made his visit to the Presidential Villa in the company of Senate President David Mark , sources said.
Bankole is demanding to know specific details of the money laundering investigation in advance of his interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.


Last week, Bankole obtained a reschedule of the date of interrogation, fixed for last Thursday, after he had the Clerk of the House request a new date from the EFCC. Dimeji claimed to be tied up with inauguration activities.
The letter to the EFCC was written in the name of Bankole's chief of staff, Maurice Ekpeyong but incongruously, it was signed by another person on Ekpenyong's behalf.

Law enforcement officials at the anti-graft agency told SaharaReporters that they are under no legal obligation to discuss with Mr. Bankole his offenses in advance. Since he was asked to appear before the EFCC to answer to petitions written against him, he should honor the invitation without delay. A full description of his offenses, if any, will be made if it is decided to charge him for those crimes, they said.

Some members of the EFCC investigation team expressed dismay at Bankole's unorthodox behavior which, they said, had increased because of the protection he continues to enjoy from the president's office.

The outgoing Speaker is said to have diverted funds into the account from budgetary allocations to the House of Representatives and has an eye-popping $1 billion laundered through domiciliary accounts at the United Bank of Africa .

Meanwhile, Speaker Bankole continues to publicly attack the EFCC, most recently accusing them of “sensational prosecution and conviction on the pages of newspaper on an issue as grave as corruption.”