How crude oil is stolen, refined, sold in Niger Delta

Communities or criminals, a new report, goes deep to unearth the working of oil theft and illegal oil refining in Nigeria’s oil rich Niger Delta.

The business of oil theft and illegal oil refining in the Niger Delta region has become so brazen and networked, involving communities, government officials, oil workers, and security agencies that it is difficult to properly classify the sabotage as a crime, a new report by Stakeholder Democracy Network indicates.

The oil is being stolen at an industrial scale. Moderate estimates suggest 150,000 barrels of crude oil are stolen every day in Nigeria. The vast majority of this is sold internationally.

But at least one in every four barrels of crude oil stolen everyday ends up in the Niger Delta region where it is refined at illegal refineries by locals who claim proceeds supplant non-existent government welfare package and help support their families; in the process destroying the environment and threatening legal oil refining.

The report claims the illegal refining industry is worth several billions annually, and Nigeria’s politicians and security officials are among those profiting. Oil and gas experts, and Niger Delta activists believe oil theft and local refining is growing rapidly, with suspicions that as the 2015 general elections gets closer, it will boom.

The SDN report is the first study that explains how illegal oil refining in the Niger Delta operates and what is driving its rapid growth. It also analyzed the political, economic and societal drivers, networks and impacts and nature of local oil refining.

Illegally refined diesel is transported to market

How it works – Instal a tap

The illegal petrol refining industry in the Niger Delta is organized like the legitimate, applying the same basic technology – distillation.

The illegal refineries do not drill, but tap from the established oil companies at the point of transporting the crude from one point to another. According to the report, the installation of pipes is done with great dexterity and mostly at night.

Skilled welders, many who were previously contractors for the oil companies and are now formally unemployed, typically carry out this installation.

“The most skilled operators can install taps both on dry land and underwater. They often work in small teams of 3 to 6 people and can set up a tapping point in just a few days,” the report said.

Installing is a dangerous step. The pipes could explode while high in pressure. During the tapping process, the pressure on pipes must be reduced before a tap can be installed, and oil companies’ control room staff provide this service, the report stated.

The installation of taps is the beginning of the illegal refinery production chain, and operated by an organized “union” criminal gang that boasts of support from community members and staff of tapped oil companies; and security officials posted to the area to stop the crime.

“We have unions here, you don’t just come into the community and start refining,” one of those interviewed told SDN.

Oil theft “unions” serve to organize the placement of an illegal tap for an average fee of N1 million. Control room operators, for a fee of N900 thousand, would inform the union members when pressures are being reduced for routine maintenance, to allow tap installations.

The union also provides an informal control on illegal pipeline activity across the region, like the petroleum ministry would do in the formal oil and gas industry.

The union also provides new entrants with personal connections to rogue actors within the JTF whose protection is needed to ensure a steady supply of crude.

The report says Nigeria’s security forces are neck deep in stealing oil in the Niger Delta. When installed, each tap point is owned by a consortium of three key parties – security, technical capacity and operational access.

Running the tap

Once the tap is installed, a small team of around five workers guards and operates the tap, using the oil pressure and a rubber hose to siphon crude oil from the tap into a boat – called Cotonou Boat – built to receive oil.

Tap operators well are guarded and dangerous for outsiders. “They are well protected either by armed local boys or the JTF,” the report said. An average tap point spends N200 thousand on security monthly.

Operating a tap point is the most lucrative segment of the illegal oil theft business. They earn as much as N165 million per month supplying both local refiners and international oil thieves.

Distribution

Distributors, riding in Cotonou Boats, transport the stolen crude, once filled, from the point of tapping, through the creeks where they supply a small quantity to illegal refineries -camps – scattered around the creeks of the Niger delta.

A bulk of the stolen crude, up to 75 percent is transported to oil tankers waiting off the coast for national, regional and possibly, international markets.

“When shipping stolen crude, distributors tend to avoid middlemen. This keeps costs low and margins high,” the report said.

The local transport vessels can be owned by the tap owner, a local refiner or by other individuals engaged in export oil theft.

Within the first half of this year, the JTF said 861 giant Cotonou boats have been “scuttled.”

Refining

When the stolen ‘black’ arrives by boat from the tapping point, camp workers transfer the cold crude oil to a storage tank using a rubber hose and pump. The most common storage tanks are large locally made “GEEPEE” tanks. In some camps open-air pits are also used for storing stolen crude.

Some camps are set-up like a well run small company employing a wide variety of workers, including women. Average camps employ between 12 to 20 workers.

“I have an escort boat (deck man) paid N20,000 per trip, my camp manager is paid N100,000 a month, camp security is N2000 per person and I have three people on security,” one camp owner told SDN.

The basic refining technique, first used during the Biafran Civil War, is what the camps apply. These techniques were most recently used by members of militant camps between 2005 and 2009, providing fuel and cash to support the Niger Delta insurgency.

In Bayelsa, gangs can set up camps with N250,000. In Delta state, a camp may cost from N750,000 – N1 million. In Rivers state, the camps are more established and may cost up N3 million to set up.

The report suggests former militants brought back refining skills from militant camps.

“Now illegal refineries are a core part of the local economy of many Niger Delta communities, and refined products from them find their way at least as far as Lagos and into other licit distribution networks,” SDN said in the report.

The report described camp owners as the least profiting, earning up to N1.2 million per month.

Distribution

A security boat allegedly collecting bribes at a hub where illegally refined diesel is distributed.

If you buy diesel in the Niger Delta region, or in Lagos, there is a possibility that you bought an illegally refined type. The bulk of petroleum product produced at illegal refineries in the Niger Delta is diesel – 41 per cent – and waste, 55 percent. Petrol, kerosene, and bitumen are produced in very little quantity.

Distributors get into the towns to sell their products at N100 a litre to traders and filling station owners, or go to the high sea and sell to other middlemen with big vessels at N15,000 – N18,000 per drum (200 litres).

A large distributor makes up to N13.1 million monthly, the report said.

After the tapping point, distribution is the second most profitable area of the oil theft business.

Many refiners also give their host communities’ small quantities of kerosene for lighting and cooking at no charge.

“We give out kerosene and fuel to our people here at home and fuel our community generator with our diesel. We don’t sell at home, we dash,” one of the refiners told SDN.

culled from premiumtimesng.com

Nigeria’s Highest Paid CEOs

Being a successful and influential chief executive officer takes hard work, guts, sacrifice and a more-than-average knowledge of how the business environment works. Many who wish to be successful and influential wonder how others have achieved great things, thinking such feats are impossible in their bid to toe same path.

Nigeria boasts a slew of successful CEOs in almost every sector – banking, oil and gas, sports, health and manufacturing. LEADERSHIP Friday unveils some of Nigeria’s highest paid CEOs and the stories behind their rise to the top, based on authoritative reports, between 2009 and 2012.

CEO, Stanbic IBTC, Sola David-Borha 

As the managing director/CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, David-Borha is one of the country’s highly-rated bankers. She is the highest paid director in Nigeria’s banking sector, with an annual remuneration of N177m. When broken down, this becomes N484, 931 daily, including weekends when may have no reason to go to work.

David-Borha has patiently risen through the ranks to get to where she is today. She was, at different times, responsible for overseeing the corporate finance and corporate banking, projects and structure finance, as well as asset management and private banking departments. At a time, she bore the burden of supervising treasury and finance services department.

David-Borha also headed the correspondent banking relationships’ department at Stanbic IBTC and served as a member of the executive committee. She was appointed to the bank’s board in 1994 and has held other positions, including a spell as director of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Stanbic Nominees Nigeria Limited and Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited. She was also appointed a member of the board of Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC). She did not miss serving as a member of the bank’s board credit, board nominations and risk management committees.

Having passed through these stages before rising to the pinnacle, David- Borha can be said to have, indeed, paid her dues and can be said to have exhibited a great degree of competence, experience, long career plan and hard work to get to her present position.

CEO, Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited, Tunji Oyebanji

Mobil Oil Nigeria (MON) is one of Nigeria’s major petroleum products marketing companies. As its chief executive officer, Oyebanji is on an annual remuneration of N85m. When broken down, this amounts to a daily pay of about N231, 956.

As chairman/CEO/managing director of MON, there is no doubt that Oyebanji’s hard-work, commitment and dedication has been largely responsible for the turn-around which the company’s fortune has experienced, making it stand tall among other competing oil corporates.

The company now operates more than 200 retail outlets spread across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Fedeeral Capital Territory; it owns three plants (in Apapa, Lagos State) where lubricants, petroleum jelly and insecticides are manufactured.

As at 2011, MON had an annual turn-over of N63.1bn, from N58.34bn in 2010. With a combined dividend per share of N5 and bonus issue of one for five shares, MON has, arguably, the industry’s highest priced stock.

CEO, GTBank, Olusegun Agbaje

The managing director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Olusegun J.K. Agbaje, is rated as one of the country’s highest paid CEOs. His GTB prides itself as “the biggest and most profitable bank in Nigeria” and one of the biggest companies on the shores of West Africa. Agbaje co-founded the GTB in 1990 with Tayo Aderinokun who died in 2011.His annual take-home is a whopping N77m.

Before assuming the current position, Agbaje was the deputy managing director of the bank between August 2002 and April 20, 2011. He has also served as the divisional head of the bank’s institutional banking division and also as acting MD of GTB (Ghana) Limited, from April 20, 2011.

Interestingly, Agbaje has served in a number of capacities before becoming the man at the helm of the bank’s affairs. He was, at different points in his career; member, Assets and Liability Management Committee; member, Criticised Assets Committee; member, Board, Information Technology Strategy Committee and member, Board, Risk Management Committee.

On his way to the top, Agbaje also served as member, board, Human Resources and Nomination Committee; member, Management Risk Committee and member, Management Credit Committee. Experience garnered from serving in these committees helped, in no small measure, in preparing him for the current position of CEO.

CEO, Oando Plc, Jubril Adewale Tinubu

According to recent financial reports, the second highest paid CEO in the oil sector is Wale Tinubu, with a total annual remuneration of N69m, an equivalent of N189, 041 per day.

Tinubu is the group chief executive of the company which has been hailed as Africa’s leading indigenous energy solutions provider listed on the stock exchange in Nigeria and Johannesburg. Tinubu also has a record of long-time service, having served on the board of various blue-chip companies as chairman and director.

His outstanding performance has won him several awards, among which are; Africa’s Business Leader of the Year awarded by the African Business Magazine and the Commonwealth Council on the basis of his contributions to the development of the African oil and gas sector in 2010. He won the same accolade in 2011, courtesy of the African Investor.

These accolades are proof that Tinubu’s ascension to the pinnacle of the administrative ladder in Oando was no fluke but a function of his doggedness and hard-work. Tinubu also holds key positions in a number of major financial institutions.

CEO, Forte Oil Plc, Akin Akinfemiwa

Forte Oil Plc. (formally African Petroleum Plc.) is a foremost indigenous major marketer of refined petroleum products with strong presence in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja. According to recent reports, as its group chief executive officer, Akinfemiwa’s annual salary is N64m (N175, 342 per day).

Prior to this appointment, Akinfemiwa had a successful career in the banking sector. He served as the CEO of Sky Bank Plc, until July 31, 2010. His expertise covers a range of areas, including; strategic planning and management, corporate banking, project financing, leadership and advisory services. He has also served as managing director/CEO of Prudent Bank.

Akinfemiwa has now brought his hard-work to bear on the fortunes of Forte Oil Plc. The public liability company which is quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has over 500 dealer-assisted and dealer-developed retail outlets spread across the country.

CEO, UBA, Phillips Oduoza

Phillips Oduoza is the chief executive officer, group managing director, and an executive director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc. He is one of the highest paid CEOs in the banking sector, with an annual remuneration of N57m (as at 2010). It suffices to say that Oduoza is one of the few who can beat their chest in fulfilment of a banking career.

He became the CEO and managing director of the bank in August 2010 and has served as its deputy managing director (South) from the 2005. Besides having the honour of having gained monumental experience from working across different banks for more than 20 years, he has served also as the bank’s executive director of Retail Financial Services. UBA’s fortune, no doubt, has snow-balled, with results from his professional services and investment of talents as proof.

His services in the bank cut across membership of the board risk committee and financial and general purpose committee. Before assuming the position of CEO, he served as deputy managing director of the bank. Among many other designations, he was an executive director of the defunct Standard Trust Bank (STB) which was acquired by the UBA in the thick of the consolidation exercise introduced by the then-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. 

CEO, Ecobank Nigeria, Jubril Aku

According to a Banks’ Financial Transparency report, as at 2009, the bank ranked second on the list of highest paid bank CEOs in Nigeria, with N88m per annum as salary for its CEO. But the bank reportedly slashed the CEO’s emolument to N38m per annum, perhaps, as a measure against financial stress.

Jubril Aku is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Ecobank Nigeria Plc. He has been its managing director since March 2010. Aku served as acting treasurer, Citibank, Tanzania and as country treasurer, Citibank Nigeria Plc.

He began his banking career in 1979 with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc., where he worked for three years from September, 1986 to December, 1989. He served at the Continental Merchant Bank Plc., where he worked as a credit and investment analyst.

Aku has served in various capacities with different financial institutions and is, by all standards, an accomplished banker.

Au’s academic brilliance has earned him several accolades, among which are the First Bank of Nigeria Plc Prize for the Best Graduating Student in Banking and Finance at the Ahmadu Bello University, from where he graduated with honours in 1986.

CEO, Zenith Bank, Godwin Emefiele

The CEO and group managing director of Zenith Bank Plc, Godwin Emefiele, is also one of the highest paid CEOs of Nigerian companies. Emefiele succeeded the pioneer CEO of the bank, Jim Ovia, in August 2010. By his current position in the bank’s hierarchy and the number of branches it can bboast of within the country and in West Africa, it is evident that Emefiele is fulfilled.

Prior to his choice of banking as a career in Zenith Bank, Emefiele was a lecturer in University of Nigeria and University of Port Harcourt where he taught Finance, Bank Management and Insurance. However, he later left the academia for banking. He joined Zenith as a pioneer staff over 22 years ago and has proved his worth in advancing the bank as well as increasing its fortunes and profitability. In 2001, he was appointed deputy managing director before succeeding Ovia three years ago. 

He has also served as member of Executive Committee, member of Board Credit Committee, member of Staff Matters, Finance and General Purpose Committee and member of Board Risk Management Committee. Emefiele’s services and impact were also felt in Management Global Credit Committee, Risk Management committee, Assets and Liabilities Committee and Information Technology Steering Committee where he served as member.

The advancements made by the bank are not without the inputs of Emefiele who served as executive director in charge of corporate banking. He as well served in the treasury, financial control and strategic planning department. He has been in the management team of Zenith Bank from its inception

Leadership Newspapers

NATIONAL CONFERENCE:‘NWABUEZE CAN’T DRAFT CONSTITUTION ALONE’– ACF, FALANA, DANSADAU

Professor Ben Nwabueze’srequest to President Jonathan to be allowed to produce a draft constitution for consideration by the proposed National Conference has come under criticism, with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) describing the proposal as troubling.

Nwabueze had recently asked Jonathan to convert a small committee that is already meeting in his house into a Presidential Committee to draft a constitution.

Senior lawyer Femi Falana, in his reaction to this, said: “Nobody can write a Constitution; it has to be done by the people.”

Nwabueze had also asked Jonathan to insert a clause into the proposed National Conference’s enabling law forhis draft constitution to be laid before it and to “form the basis of its deliberations and decisions and to be piloted through the conference by the members of (Nwabueze’s) committee.”

But the ACF yesterday issued a statement, saying there was no basis for Jonathan to allow Nwabueze’s select group to draft a constitution for consideration by the National Conference.

“(The) Forum has read with great concern reports credited to Professor Ben Nwabueze to the effect that he wants Mr. President to mandate him to draft the people’s constitution for consideration in the proposed conference,” ACF spokesman Anthony N. Z. Sani said in the statement.

“We do not want to believe the reports, precisely because there is a National Advisory Committee charged with the task and responsibility of collating views for the purpose of advising the government on the mode, nature and content of the proposed conference.

“That Professor Nwabueze and some sections of this country have managed to sell the idea of the conference to the government and to the good people of Nigeria do not qualify him to seek to determine the outcome of the conference upfront.

“More troubling would be the impression created in the minds of Nigerians that the conference is intended to produce a brand new constitution, whereas no sitting

government has the constitutional right to discard the existing constitution in favor of a new one. We hope Professor Nwabueze is not attempting to make the conference sovereign irrespective of the advice by the advisory committee.”

In his reaction, former senator Saidu Dansadau said Nwabueze’s idea amounted to playing with the intelligence of the president.

Dansadau accused Nwabueze of making subtle moves to impose his personal opinion on Nigerians using the national dialogue as a launch pad.

He said Nwabueze resigned his appointment as a member of the Femi Okoruonmu-led National Dialogue Advisory Committee on health grounds, but now turned round to smuggle his ideas through the backdoor.

“My assumption is that he resigned his appointment in the first place because he was not made the chairman of the committee. He must have felt that as far as the issue of dialogue is concerned, he is a more competent person than Femi Okoruonmu to be the chairman of the committee,” he said.

Dansadau urged Jonathan not allow himself to be used by “selfish individuals to promote their selfish agenda,” as this would portray his government in bad light.

He also said if Nigerians were sincerely ready to discuss the critical issues bedeviling the country then there should be a “sovereign” national conference.

For his part, Falana, who spoke to Daily Trust by telephone last night, said also that the mandate of the proposed National Conference should include issues of the economy, the nation’s future, corruption, the rule of law, presidential or a parliamentary system, and unicameral or bi-camera legislature among others.

Daily Trust Newspaper 

EFCC accuses Lagos Speaker of 57 illegal cash transactions

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday told a Federal High Court, Lagos that there were 57 illegal cash transactions involved in the money laundering charges it preferred against the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his aide, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi.

At the commencement of the trial on Thursday, the first prosecution witness, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo, who is an EFCC investigator, said the cash transactions were above the threshold prescribed by the Money Laundering Act.

Both Ikuforiji and Atoyebi are being prosecuted by the EFCC for 54 counts of allegedly receiving over N600m from the Lagos State House of Assembly without passing through a financial institution between April 2010 and July 2011.

The EFCC said the alleged offence contravened Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.

Adebayo, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), said the anti-graft agency in June 2011 received a petition which “was a complaint of siphoning of public funds against the first accused person (Ikuforiji).”

The witness, upon being asked by Obla, told the court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba, that investigation conducted by his team, revealed that “57 cash transactions” were involved in the charges.

He said, “We received documents from the Lagos State House of Assembly – Cash Release Registers. On analysing the documents, we discovered that various amounts of money were released to the second accused person (Atoyebi) on behalf of the first accused person (Ikuforiji).

“On further analysis of these documents, we also discovered that the cash releases were above the stated threshold in the Money Laundering Act.”

He said Atoyebi received the cash payments on all the 57 occassions on behalf of the Speaker.

He said when confronted with the allegation, the Speaker, Atoyebi and other concerned members and personnel of the House of Assembly admitted in their various statements to the EFCC that the cash transactions actually took place.

Upon an instruction from Obla, Atoyebi read a portion of a statement dated October 28, 2011 credited to Ikuforiji, who was quoted to have confirmed that Atoyebi “properly delivered” the money to him.

The matter was adjourned till December 2.

 Punch Newspapers

President Jonathan undergoes medical check up in London

In the course of his on-going visit to London for a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council, President Goodluck Jonathan became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today.

President Jonathan has since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He has been advised to rest for a few days.


The Presidency wishes to assure all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the medical attention he has sought is only precautionary.



Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Obasanjo To Jonathan: Tread Softly On G-7 Governors

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to tread softly with the G-7governors who are threatening to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), in the interest of the party.

The governors are Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

The governors want Alhaji BamangaTukur removed as the national chairman, even as they demand internal democracy and lifting of the suspension on Governor Amaechi, among other conditions. Although they have had a dialogue with Jonathan, peace remains elusive in the party.

A few days ago, five of the G-7 governors were in Abeokuta to meet with Obasanjo to inform him of their resolve to defect to the APC but their host reportedly cautioned them against doing so, while he reportedly advised them to embrace the party’s internal mechanism to resolve the matter. He also promised to speak with Jonathan over their agitation.

A credible source close to the former president disclosed to LEADERSHIP that Obasanjo had spoken with Jonathan, advising him against pushing the seven governors out of the party as the 2015 general election draws nearer.

The source, who is also a member of the PDP BoT, said: “Baba (Obasanjo) has spoken with President Goodluck Jonathan about the issues raised by those PDP governors. He advised him against being unnecessarily harsh on them. He reminded the president of the danger in sending seven governors away, with electioneering around the corner. He assured those governors would not leave the party, that he was talking with them and persuading them to remain with the party.”

Speaking further, the source said: “President Jonathan explained to him that he had no problem with any of the governors and that some of them like the governors of Adamawa, Rivers and Kano are having problems with the chairman of the party (Tukur) whom they want removed but that he had no such power to do so. He also told Baba that some of them were merely sympathizing with those who have lost the party machinery.

Our source also explained that Obasanjo had briefed the governors on the outcome and “that is why some of them kept away from the Sokoto Retreat organised by the Rotimi Amaechi-led Nigeria Governors’ Forum”. 

Another source who corroborated him explained that although Obasanjo had been stopping the aggrieved governors from defecting to other parties but two of them would surely jump the ship.

“Former president Obasanjo is trying his best behind the scenes to stop those governors from going, but there is nothing he could do that can stop Murtala Nyako and Amaechi from leaving the party, not because of President Jonathan but because they have lost out in the power tussle in their states. So, they have no choice but to go, but the remaining five would surely remain as advised by Obasanjo whom they see as their father.”

Anti-party accusations: PDP invites Baraje, Oyinlola, others to defend themselves

The Umaru Dikko-led Disciplinary Committee of the ruling PDP has formally invited the suspended former acting national chairman of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, former deputy national chairman Dr Sam Sam Jaja, national secretary Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure to appear before it to defend themselves on five-count allegations of misconduct inimical to the party on Wednesday, November 27, 2013, at the PDP presidential campaign office popularly called “Legacy House” in Abuja.

A statement by the committee signed by its secretary, Onwe Solomon Onwe, who doubled as the deputy national secretary of the party, yesterday, said it had received cases of anti-party activities against Baraje, Oyinlola, Jaja and Kazaure from the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The committee added that, in keeping with Section 57(4) of the PDP constitution, it has since informed the affected persons of the allegations and subsequently invited them to state their own side of the story.

The charges against the accused include staging a walkout along with others at the August 31, 2013, Special Convention of the party in a manner contrary to Section 58(1)(b)(g) and (h) of the party’s constitution; and dragging the party to court on September 2, 2013 without first exploring the internal remedies of the party contrary to Section 58(1) (L) of the constitution.

Other allegations are that the accused persons have made disparaging statements in the media against the PDP national chairman, Bamanga Tukur, and other national leaders of the party including unduly publicising disputes/differences within the party contrary to Section 58(1)(i) of the party’s constitution. Oyinlola particularly wrote letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 1 and 23, 2013, respectively seeking recognition for the suspended members as NWC members of PDP.

They are further accused of factionalising the party by creating “new PDP” and recruiting members of the party in the National Assembly into their ranks since August 31, 2013, contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“The affected persons may wish to present their cases orally or in writing either in person or through a counsel of their choice. They may also wish to call witnesses,” the committee said.

I’m unaware of PDP Disciplinary Committee – Oyinlola

But Oyinlola has said the PDP Disciplinary Committee is unknown to law.

He said the fact is that he swore to an oath of office stipulating that he will respect and protect the grund norm of the PDP in his capacity as the custodian of the seal of the party.

Oyinlola, in a statement issued and signed on his behalf by his media aide Deji Falegan, said he was conscious of the provisions of the PDP constitution which states without any equivocation that “nominations to membership of the Disciplinary Committee at the national level shall be ratified by the National Executive Council of the PDP”.

In effect, he said, Oyinlola, “as a law-abiding member of the PDP is not aware of the composition of any disciplinary panel that is not ratified or known to the National Executive Committee of the PDP’’.

‘’This reaction itself is being made out courtesy for the media and its right to inform and be informed, as Oyinlola has not received any correspondence from any quarters and would not honour any invitation from any illegal body since that would amount to violating the constitution of the party. As individuals and elders, the PDP national secretary has great respect for the members of the NWC committee that is, however, not recognised by the PDP constitution which stipulates that the party’s NEC is the statutory body to approve the composition of a disciplinary body at the national level,” he stated. ‘’It is important to stress that the first meeting of NEC of PDP, which is statutorily expected to be a quarterly affair, deliberated on the composition of NEC but never agreed on its membership at the meeting. I am also sure that the second NEC meeting, out of the seven meetings that ought to have been

held statutorily by the present NWC did not also agree on the membership of any Disciplinary Committee. It is rather funny, illogical and antithetical to democratic conduct for the NWC that has consistently denigrated the judiciary, the constitution of the PDP and even the extant grund norm of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be talking about discipline and internal party democracy, when it has continued to show disregard for the rule of law, and fundamental human rights.

“All these could only indicate indecent political behaviour and lack of accountability and integrity as the party’s spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, who in his interview with the Sun newspaper of Tuesday, November 19, 2013, was quoted as saying ‘if you didn’t commit the act, the party will not suspend

you’; he stated the position of the NWC to summarily accuse and judge Oyinlola and others.

“Metuh’s reaction clearly gives cause for concern about their true commitment to democracy. I wish to re-assert that I will NEVER compromise illegalities and destructive tendencies that border on the culture of impunity, tyranny and oppression that could be interpreted as the hallmark of dictatorship.

This is indeed the time for introspection and protection of the PDP from descent into anarchy’. If these people truly mean well, they would have taken the pains to examine the causes and effects of occurrences that are fragmenting the PDP instead of further adopting measures designed to put the PDP into disrepute. I was removed by Justice Kafarati on January 11, 2013, and vacated office immediately, as a politician with honour, respect for the rule of law, and a second address.

“Between January and August 2013, I took steps to dialogue with the national leader, His Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan and communicated my grievances to him in writing a couple of times; I made representations to the Chief Tony Anenih Committee; I submitted a memorandum to the PDP Governors Panel headed by His Excellency Alhaji Ibrahim Shema; consulted with the Prof. Jerry Gana Committee; and also had informal consultations with the Governor Seriake Dickson Reconciliation Committee through Chief Dosu Fatokun and agreed to meet with the committee, among other moves, to find an amicable solution to my persecution and illegal removal from office. Yet, they have continued to trail Oyinlola with rabid and unimaginable downbeat intentions.

“I pray that history will be merciful in judgement to all actors in this saga; and that some people will refrain from continuing to take actions that would enter their names on the negative pages of history.”

culled from Leadership Newspaper 

Brussels widow 'slept with husband's corpse for a year'

A Brussels widow slept next to her mummified husband's corpse for a year, her landlord said after making the macabre discovery during an eviction, a Belgian daily reported Tuesday.

The newspaper, La Derniere Heure (The Final Hour), published striking pictures of a shawl-wrapped, emaciated body with a long white moustache, sunken eye sockets and protruding rib-cage, covered in a film of dried skin.

The newspaper said the images were of a man who had died at the age of 73 after living in the down-at-heel Anderlecht district of the Belgian capital for a dozen years or so with his wife.

According to initial medical tests, he died of natural causes a year ago.

The gruesome find emerged because the rent on their apartment had not been paid since November 2012 and the landlord launched eviction proceedings.

"I have seen dead people before... but never in this condition," the landlord was quoted as saying by the newspaper, which is known for its coverage of the weird and wonderful.

"The lady slept next to her husband's body," he said.

Neighbours told the newspaper a pungent odour had drawn their attention to the address, and that the 69-year-old widow had not taken out the garbage recently.

They said the widow had told locals her husband was away "receiving treatment."

Brussels prosecutors said they were attempting to "shed light" on the discovery.

source: yahoo news 

EFCC Arrests Gov. Sule Lamido’s Sons

Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa State

Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, sons of Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido were arrested yesterday, November 14, 2013 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Dependable sources say they were picked up by operatives of the Commission between 10 and 11.55pm in Kano and have been moved to Abuja, the Commission’s headquarters, where a crack team of investigators will grill them.

Their arrest, according to a knowledgeable source, is in furtherance of the investigation that commenced in December 2012 when Aminu Sule Lamido was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano Airport en route Cairo, Egypt for failure to declare the $50,000 he had on him.

Though Aminu has since been prosecuted and convicted by a Federal High Court in Kano, investigation as to how he came by the money has led investigations to uncover a web of money laundering in which billions of naira from Jigawa state government accounts are funnelled into the accounts of companies run by the Jigawa state governor and his two sons.

Over N10billion is said to have been transferred from Jigawa state government accounts into the accounts in which Sule Lamido and his two sons have interest from 2007 till date.

The Commission is said to have traced these transfers to 10 companies where Lamido and sons are directors and signatories to the account.

The companies include Bamaina Alluminium Limited, Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Rawda Integrated Services Limited, Speeds International Limited and Saby Integrated Nigeria Limited.

The account of these companies received huge cash inflow between 2007 and 2013, a period that coincide with the tenure of Sule Lamido as governor of Jigawa state. For instance in Bamaina Aluminium where Sule Lamido and his two sons are directors, investigations revealed that the company’s account controlled by Mustapha as signatory received total credit of N1.52billion between January 2010 and August 2013. It recorded a total debit of the same amount, with Mustapha and other companies in which Lamido and his sons are directors, being the beneficiaries.

In the same vein, Bamaina Holdings Limited’s account with the governor as sole signatory received a total of N1.19billion between February 2007 and July 2013. About N1billion was paid from this account into accounts of companies controlled by the governor and his sons.

Massive lodgements were also discovered in the account of Bamaina Company Nigeria limited controlled by Mustapha as sole signatory from Bamaina Alluminium. Between January 2010 and July 2013, the account received over N500million.

From the account of Rawda Integrated Services Limited controlled by Mustapha, there have also been massive movement of funds to another company run by Sule Lamido, Speeds International Limited. Speeds’ account recorded a turnover ofN2.2billion between January 2007 and February 2010.

In the account of Rawda with a new generation bank investigators discovered the movement of N2.6billion to an unknown signatory. That account recorded over one hundred withdrawals running to over N600milion in cash between November 2007 and April 2008

Saby Integrated Services Nigeria Limited, another company owned by Lamido received over N730million from several Jigawa State government agencies between June 2010 and August 2010.

Culled from Sahara Reporters

Taraba Assembly elects new speaker

The bereaved Taraba state House of Assembly now has a new Speaker.

The Assembly this morning elected Josiah Kente as new Speaker to replace Haruna Tsokwa who died after a brief illness on November 4.

Details of the election that produced Mr. Kente is, however, still sketchy. But initial reports suggest Mr. Kente, a former deputy majority leader of the Assembly, emerged by consensus after members agreed to retain the speakership position in the Southern Senatorial Zone of the state. Late Speaker Tsoka hailed from that part of the state.

Deputy Speaker Tanko Maikerifi was reportedly disqualified to allow for religious balancing in the leadership of the state. Acting Governor Garba Umar is muslim and the lawmakers believe another muslim should not be allowed to lead the second most powerful arm of government in the state.

Mr. Tsokwa died of a yet undisclosed ailment on the morning of November 4 at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.

The late speaker was a staunch supporter of Acting Governor Garba in the ongoing battle for the control of the state.

Mr. Tsokwa had escaped death by the whiskers on September 19 when suspected gunmen attacked his convoy along the Jos – Abuja road.

He escaped unhurt but some policemen in his convoy sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds during an exchange of fire between them and their attackers.

culled from premium times

APC leaders, rebel govs’ meeting rattles PDP

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party was rattled by the meeting of the leadership of the All Progressive Congress and some of the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto, Sokoto State on Tuesday.

The APC leaders, who were in Sokoto for the inauguration of the Sokoto State University , where the meeting was held, were a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Members of the New PDP who were in attendance were the governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko; Governors Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).

Two of the aggrieved governors, Aliyu Babangida(Niger) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), were absent at the event.

However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, was at the event, where no Federal Government official was present.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that the meeting of the APC leaders with the rebel governors was a topic for discussion among members of the National Working Committee of the PDP on Wednesday.

A member of the committee, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said it was almost certain that the rebel governors were out of the ruling party.

He said the NWC of the party was surprised that the rebel governors were no longer hiding their disdain for the party.

He said though the issue was not on the agenda of the Wednesday’s meeting, the matter was discussed informally among the NWC members.

The source said, “Though the gathering was about opening of a university, why was the event dominated by those who are against us?

“We have been hearing that these governors are planning to defect to the APC. Maybe that was why they invited the leaders of the party and used the opportunity to concretise their discussions. We are watching.”

Reacting to the issue, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Ibrahim Jalo, told our correspondent that the party believed that the gathering had no political undertone.

Jalo said the party believed what Wamakko said, which was that the event was for the inauguration of the state university.

He said, “The event was a mere gathering. We also believe that it was, according to the governor, meant to open the state university as stated by the governor.

“Apart from that, we believe that these people are free to meet and discuss as guaranteed by the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees freedom of association.”

However, the party said it had directed party leaders in zones, states, local government areas and wards to establish disciplinary committees in accordance with its constitution.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the action was in tandem with the “focused determination of the national leadership of the PDP to ensure discipline and loyalty at all levels.”

Culled from Punch

‘HOW SAMBO WILL HAND OVER 14 PHCN ASSETS TO NEW OWNERS TOMORROW’

Come Friday, November 1, 2013, the Vice President and Chairman, National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Mohammed Namadi Sambo, will formally hand over the physical assets of all 14 PHCN successor-companies to their new owners, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said in a statement yesterday.

Signed by the Head of Public Communications, Mr. Joe Anichebe, the statement said the event would take place simultaneously at the headquarters of the successor-companies across the country, where Sambo would be represented by ministers and other top government functionaries.

However, it said the Sapele Generation Company (SGC) would not be involved in the exercise since the NCP has directed its legal committee to undertake a comprehensive legal review of its status following the preferred bidder’s failure to complete payment.

The affected companies are: Abuja Distribution Company (KANN Consortium Utility), Benin Distribution Company (Vigeo Power Consortium), Eko Distribution Company (West Power & Gas), Enugu Distribution Company (Interstate Electrics Ltd) and Ibadan Distribution Company (Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Ltd).

Others are Ikeja Distribution Company (NEDC/KEPCO Consortium), Jos Distribution Company (Aura Energy Limited), Kano Distribution Company (Sahelian Power SPV Ltd), Port Harcourt Distribution Company (4Power Consortium) and Yola Distribution Company (Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Ltd).

The generation companies are: Shiroro (North-South Power Company), Kainji (Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd), Geregu (Amperion Power Distribution) and Ughelli (Transcorp Ughelli Power Plc).

Top government functionaries to represent the Vice President at the various handover venues are: the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo (Abuja), Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Ibadan), Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (Enugu), Minister of Trade & Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga (Eko), Minister of Transport, Senator Idris A. Umar (Kainji/Jebba) and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (Yola).

The others are the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mohammed Musa Sada (Kano), Minister of Information, Labaran Maku (Jos), Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu (Ughelli) and Minister of State (Works), Bashir Yuguda (Shiroro). 

The rest are the BPE Director General, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki (Ikeja and Egbin), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Godswill Igali (Port-Harcourt), Chairman, Presidential Taskforce on Power, Beks Dagogo-Jack (Benin) and Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu (Geregu).

Dikki noted: “This handover is a culmination of 14 years of painstaking effort by the NCP, BPE and other key stakeholders to reform and liberalize Nigeria’s electricity industry, which began in 1999.”

The Electric Power Sector Reform Implementation Committee (EPIC) was set up in year 2000 with the key mandate to proffer an appropriate legal and regulatory framework for the sector. This gave birth to the National Electric Power Policy, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in September 2001.

It was followed by the passage of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005. The passage of the Act gave the NCP/BPE the legal impetus to set up the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), also in 2005.

The NCP/BPE went further to vertically unbundle the integrated monopoly into three segments of Generation, Transmission and Distribution. As part of the reform initiative, the utility was transformed into Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in compliance with Section 1 of EPSR Act of 2005, as prelude to the full unbundling of the utility into different successor companies

So far, from the 14 successor-companies scheduled for take over, a total of $2,525,824,534 was realized as proceeds. Of this amount, $1,256,000,000.00 came from the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) while the Generation Companies (GENCOs) raked in $1, 269,824,534.

The Federal Government has equally set aside the entire proceed of N384 billion from the transaction to settle labour liabilities. 

Meanwhile, in its determination to resolve all labour issues before the handover, the BPE has dispatched a team of consultants and its staff for the biometric data capture of 1, 478 employees of the Enugu DISCO, who could not be audited because of virus attack on the system where their names were stored.

Culled from The Guardian 

N225m Car Scam: Jonathan Orders Probe Of Aviation Minister

President Goodluck Jonathan today set up a three-member administrative panel to commence a full blown investigation into transactions involving the purchase of two BMW bullet proof cars at the cost of N225 million by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Special Adviser too the president on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati who disclosed this to State House Correspondents immediately after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Aso Rock presidential villa said the three member committee which is chaired by former head of service, Alhaji Isa Sale has two weeks to submit its report to him.

Other members of the committee include the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and Air Vice Marshal Dick Iruenaberi (rtd). The NSA's office is to act as secretariat for the panel.

Abati noted that President Jonathan directed that no stone should be left unturned in the probe of the controversial purchase of the armoured vehicles.

 

culled from leadership newspaper 

Suleiman's Blog: How to travel in Nigeria

Suleiman's Blog: How to travel in Nigeria:   Salisu Suleiman. N igeria is one of the few – and certainly the only country of its size in the whole world – without a functional...

10 Reasons North Should Support Jonathan in 2015

The most important political issue that has been, and would continue to revolve around the Jonathan presidency and his 2015 ambition is political power shift to the north. With the 2015 general elections fast approaching, should the north support Jonathan for a second term? Here are 10 politically touchy reasons the north should support Jonathan for a second term.

Firstly, Jonathan’s second term would be an important milestone in that long process of completing the ‘equation of power’. This is because every part of Nigeria would also see, and experience the pain of having one of ‘their own’ in power. Many ordinary Nigerians outside the northern part of the country generally assume that, the grip northern elites have had on political power for over forty years have bettered the lives of common man in the north. And this is not so. 

With this stereotyped belief about the common people of the north by most people outside the north, the north should support Jonathan for a second term to show other ordinary Nigerians that having someone from your region in power does not guarantee betterment for your life. Nigerian political elites share same thought and belong to same ‘club’. The ordinary people in the southwest have learnt the lesson from the Obasanjo presidency.

Secondly, it is a fact; the Jonathan’s presidency has brought some sort of relief to the Nigerian polity. This relief comes in terms of giving the minority a sense of hope of ascending the highest position of the land. It is also a fact that never in the history of the north had the touchy issue of minorities’ place in the polity been in the forefront of political discourse as it is now. It is obvious that northern minorities– especially within the Christian community feels some sense of ‘political relief’ with the Jonathan presidency. Thus the north can support Jonathan for a second term as gesture to their minority brothers in the spirit of Sardauna’s ‘one-north’, regardless of tribe, religion or geography.

Also, if Jonathan is supported for a second term, it would be an opportunity for the country to restart the disrupted power rotation between the north and south. And, it would be in north’s favour- as power should, with no trouble, shift to the north after Jonathan’s second term.

After Jonathan’s second term, no other part of the country can accuse the north of being part of the obstacles that denied it the opportunity to taste power to its fullest. 

Furthermore, the political elites in north have been busy fighting for a power shift, while completely ignoring the most important task of nurturing a candidate sellable to the entire country. Apart from Atiku Abubakar, nobody from the north currently has the political structures, influence and contacts to win national acceptance. Hence, Jonathan’s second term would be an opportunity for the north to have enough time to present to the country its best candidates.

Jonathan’s second term ambition would also be an opportunity for the north to present him its development demands, which should include speedy and feasible policies that will break the poverty cycle in the north through economically empowering the poor, massive development initiatives targeted at assets like the Lake Chad, Sokoto Basin and Benue Valley Oil Exploration projects, and the Mambilla plateau hydro-electricity project. 

Jonathan’s supporters always use a strong point against northern politicians. They claim the northern politicians have distracted Jonathan’s first term with politics. So, giving Jonathan support for a second term would be an opportunity to give him some breathing space to see his performance, and if he fails, it can be perfectly used against him and his supporters.

There is a historical alliance between the north and the south-south; a genuine support to Jonathan by the northern political elites would rekindle that historic political alliance and completely shut up those who rely on the present misunderstanding for selfish gains. 

The current crisis in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a golden opportunity for both northern political elites and Jonathan to strike a win-win deal. Then, Jonathan should make a honest direct talk to the Talakwas of the north and diffuse their current state of minds- ‘yes, ideally, it should have been a northerner as the president; but destiny chose me. Please I need your support’. After all, most people of the north are not enthusiastic about where the president comes from, but someone that can free them from the prison of poverty.

The tenth reason is, Jonathan came to power just by destiny. The north should use today in the spirit of tomorrow, because nobody can tell what tomorrow would bring– a northerner may one day find himself in Jonathan’s situation.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. He blogs at www.zayyaddp.blogspot.com

How to Know an Aircraft's Age

By George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog

The World's airlines are buying lots of new shiny planes of all sizes and types, and that's good news for travellers, giving them some sense of justice now that airfares are going up and airlines are raking in profits. Even so, the skies are full of old clunkers DC-9s, 717s, early versions of the 757 and 767 and 737, to name a few.

The venerable 757, no longer produced, debuted in 1981, which means that there are some examples plying the airways that could be 26 years old. So how do you tell an aircraft's age?

One method is to note the plane's registration number (also known as the "Nnumber" for U.S.-registered planes or the "tail number," so called because it is usually displayed on the tail end of the fuselage) and look it up at planespotters.net (click on the airline's link and scroll down). 

Granted, it might be difficult to see the registration number from the gate unless the plane is parked at such an angle that the number is visible, or unless you're boarding or de-planing using stairs (as you do at some smaller airports). You can also ask a gate agent or the pilots for the registration number, although there have been reports of ill-defined security concerns when passengers request this information.

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I've also read that the registration number is sometimes displayed on placards inside the plane, either in the cockpit or near the doors or jump seats.

If you're flying on United Airlines, you can figure out the N-number by checking the flight status and noting the four-digit "aircraft number" and then finding the corresponding "fleet number" on Planespotters. A few other airlines have similar workarounds.

If you prefer something less airline-geeky and quantitative, here are some visual ways to tell if the plane your'e flying on is no spring chicken.

The flight attendant call button icon is wearing a skirt or it's labelled "stewardess."

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There's an ashtray in the lav on or the seat's armrest.

There's a razor blade disposal slot in the lav.

There are video monitors hanging down from the ceiling.

There's a no smoking sign above the seats rather than a turn off electronics symbol.

The in-seat power outlets are DC instead of 110-Volt (granted, some newer aircraft have no in-seat power ports at all).

There's a stairway to the outside in the tail.

 .

There are three engines instead of two or four.

The company that made it no longer makes the plane.

The company that made it no longer exists.

The economy class seat padding is more like a La-Z-Boy than a church pew.

There's a landing gear over the tail instead of at the front (a DC-3).

There's no landing gear. But you'd be flying in a Pan Am Flying Boat. And you'd be time travelling.

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culled from yahoo.com

Re – Sambo and the PDP impasse

By Sulaiman Lawal

As discussions on the likely outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) impasse envelope the Nigerian media space, various postulations have been canvassed by commentators and opinion molders as to their expectations.The one that readily comes to mind is that espoused by one Zayyad I. Muhammed on some pages of some Nigerian newspapers and his blog. On Vice President Namadi Sambo, the writer, who was obviously straying into unfamiliar territory of informed commentary on national issues, made some postulations, deductions and drew conclusions on sensitive political issues that should not be allowed to go unchallenged. However, his expression of the political trends of the post-Makarfi era as they affect the Vice President makes his motive suspect. His display of facts as it relates to the ascension of Sambo to the pinnacle of his profession and the twists of facts he pleaded all in an attempt to justify his arguments are the motivations for this rejoinder so as to put the records in proper perspective and set them straight.

The Vice President of Nigeria, it must be understood, has no defined constitutional duties and responsibilities assigned to him. His joint mandate which is tied to that of the President notwithstanding, he acts on the instructions and directives of the President. The Vice President, no matter how good intentioned he is in aiming to resolve an impasse, must seek the consent and blessings of his principal and in doing so must be careful not to draw the President’s ire. Where he chooses to do so without the consent of his boss it might be misconstrued to mean declaring his boss as weak and incapable of resolving issues. His position in the pursuit of the resolution of the impasse stirred by G7 is not only appropriate but adopting its rightful position on the matter.

More so, the reference to the Atiku-Jonathan efforts at addressing challenges emanating from their respective areas is way out of order. The G7 is made up of governors who are not only loyal but are already paying their allegiances to their masters, except for Kwara whom, we all know, is working for Saraki by proxy. For anyone to claim that the Vice President could not rally them round smacks of an attempt to diminish his status using the impasse as a tool of destruction.

If the G7 governors were on their own, it would be easy to meet with them to cajole them back to the fold. However, the reason for the impasse should not be completely jettisoned, which aims to target the jobs of both the President and his Vice by mobilizing support through persuasions.This explains their visitations to well respected elder statesmen without first laying their cards on the table to the President or his Vice for amicable resolutions. An aggrieved person should first state his grievance and if nothing is done he could then explore other acceptable mechanisms of peaceful resolution. In the present circumstance, no one needs to be lectured that the Vice President is handicapped since no such action took place.

It should be stressed that the first major political appointment of Vice President was a commissioner in Kaduna state in 1986, while that of Makarfi was in 1996, ten clear years after that of Sambo. Similarly, while the Vice President graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University in 1978 with a Master’s degree in Architecture, Makarfi graduated from the same university between 1985 to 1987 with M.Sc Accountancy and Finance. This was the period within which the Vice President was serving the state as a commissioner. In terms of age, experience and exposure, there could be no basis for comparison. The choice of Namadi Sambo ahead of other contestants for the governorship seat was well deserved to all discerning minds. He had financial independence, less controversial and reasonably humble as not to embark on witch-hunts or vendetta against the previous administration. The reasons adduced by critics are merely a smokescreen to cover these glaring qualities.

To demonstrate equity and fairness, the Vice President carefully chose his close aides in the following order of percentage distribution:-Kaduna 21%, Yobe 13%, Kano 13%, Kebbi 13%, Zamfara 5%, Taraba 5%, Delta 5%, Rivers 5%, Borno 5%, Lagos 5%, 0 Kaduna state Special Adviser on Special Duties Senator Isaiah Balat is a Christian from southern part of the state.

Playing safe politically is a good approach as it makes one learn from the mistakes of the past. For those who have previously occupied such seats and challenged their bosses, what benefit had accrued to them or their region from such unjustified actions? Some of the actions of the previous occupants in fact have added to the multiplicity of the problems that subsequent successors are now facing. The art of politicking is not an avenue to promote deception or insubordination but a way to collectively put heads together to work for the benefit of your country and in this regard, Namadi towers above all like a colossus. The Vice President will reach out to those who have mutual respect for him and his boss and not to those who see themselves as the means to an end.

Sulaiman Lawal, Jarman Kauru, wrote in from Kaduna

Plane crashes at Lagos Airport

A plane has crashed at the Lagos airport, witnesses and an official have said.
A witness said the crash occurred at the local wing of the airport close to the section were JET-A1, plane fuel, is stored.

Fire service officials were seen evacuating the occupants of the plane.

It is not yet clear if there was any casualty.

The spokesman of the Nigeria aviation agencies, Yakubu Datti, asked for more time to get details of the incident.

But another official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the crashed plane belonged to Associated Airlines, and was just about to take off when the accident occurred.

The plane, our FAAN source said, was on its way to Akure.

culled from premium times

Who Wants Governor Suntai’s Job?

Garba, Suntai, Bwacha
 

The political crisis in Taraba state revolves around only one thing- who becomes the governor of the state in 2015.

The thinking among politicians and some pundits in Taraba state is, if Governor Suntai had continued to stay abroad for medical treatment, it would have altered some political arrangements and blocked some people’s political ambitions. So, those that feel they would be affected most, made sure Suntai was brought back home, regardless of its implications on his health and that of the state’s polity.

Politics in Taraba is similar to that of some states in northeast and central Nigeria- faith, geography, ethnicity and powerful politicians determine who gets what. Since its creation on 27 August 1991, those who had become governors in Taraba have shared the same trend with those who had become presidents in Nigeria- finding themselves as governors without having planned to be. Rev Jolly Nyame was an aide in the then Atiku Abubakar campaign organization, when Atiku wanted to be governor of the former Gongola State. When Taraba state was created out of the former Gongola state and Atiku was among the politicians disqualified by IBB. Atiku supported Nyame to contest for the governorship of Taraba state, and he won. In 2007, Governor Danbaba Suntai was not in the political equation of who becomes governor. Danladi Baido won the governorship ticket of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but he was denied the ticket. Suntai was eventually given the ticket and he won the governorship election. Same goes for Acting Governor Garba Umar, he was not in the calculation at all, then suddenly the then deputy governor Sani Abubakar was impeached by the State House of Assembly, Suntai picked Garba as Sani’s replacement. Then tragedy struck, Suntai was involved in an air mishap in Yola, on October 25, 2012. Garba assumed the Acting Governor position, following a resolution by the State House of Assembly.

Those who were alleged to have spearheaded Suntai’s return, are also believed to be claiming that the governor has promised to champion the course for power shift to southern Taraba. Senator Emmanuel Bwacha is representing Taraba South in the Senate, and is generally believed to be one of the major players in the return of Suntai. It is believed, Bwacha has a strong ambition to be governor. One should sympathize with Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, he has relied so much on the belief that Gov. Suntai would hand over power to him, but it seems he has to redefine his strategy and work harder. On the other hand, one should admit that Bwacha has the right to be governor of Taraba state, as his constituency- Taraba South, has never produced a governor. Taraba North has produced a governor- Rev Jolly Nyame who was governor for nearly 10 years. While Tabara Central has produced Suntai, who is in his second term. Though, Taraba South has its fair share of power, it has produced three deputy governors (Uba Maigari, Saleh Usman Danboyi and Armaya’u) during Rev Nyame’s reign.

With the current happenings, it appears providence would again keep away the governorship position from Taraba South. Furthermore, Taraba South Senatorial District comprises five local government areas- Wukari, Takum, Ussah, Ibi and Donga. Taraba north comprises six local government areas of Jalingo, Zing, Karim Lamido, Lau, Ardo Kola and Yorro, while Taraba central has five -Sardauna, Kurmi, Bali, Gashaka and Gassol. There is a historical political and cultural affiliation between Taraba Central and North.This is because most parts of the two zones are areas that formed the historic Muri zone. Furthermore, majority of areas in Taraba south are parts of the Wukari division which is mainly dominated by the majority Jukun and Kutep tribes, these are factors that may not be in favour of Senator Bwacha, who is from the minority Nshi tribe. Nevertheless, in politics, building strong consensus and vast contacts are the most powerful weapons in winning elections.

Another potential contender for the governorship of the state is Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan; she represents Taraba North in the Senate. She has strong grassroots and women support, but she is from Taraba North, same zone with Acting Governor Garba Umar.

The centre point of the entire crisis is acting governor Garba Umar- just like President Jonathan- Garba was catapulted to his present position just by destiny, nothing else. He was not in the limelight even before becoming the deputy governor. Garba is from Karim Lamido local government area– Taraba north. Fate has placed Garba in a complex political situation; he has shown maturity and quality of leadership in handling the situation, which has won him the hearts of majority of Tarabans.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd @yahoo.com, 08036070980.