The Presidency has defended the centenary award
given to the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha,
saying the award was not a glorification of
corruption.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who defended the
posthumous award given to Abacha during Nigeria’s
centenary celebration last week, said that the
award was not meant to celebrate moral virtues.
A cross section of Nigerians had questioned the
government for honouring some controversial
recipients, one of whom was Abacha.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, even rejected
his nomination for the centenary award, saying he
could not share the award with Abacha, who he
described as a “murderer and thief of no redeeming
quality”.
However, Abati told Saturday PUNCH that the
award did not mean that the government was
supporting sharp or corrupt practices, adding that
the allegation about money laundering and forfeiture
of money was another matter entirely in which the
government was also interested.
He said, “This (award) does not in any means
translate to supporting sharp practices or corrupt
practices. It is important to make the clear
distinction in this regard.”
He said, in giving the award to Abacha, the
committee in charge made it clear that he and
others under the same category were honoured
with regards to their contributions in keeping Nigeria
together.
Abati said, “I think it is important to make the
necessary distinction here. The centenary award,
like every award, has its own criteria. That
centenary award was in relation to the
amalgamation, the national unity, the history of
Nigeria and the roles played by certain individuals.
“The centenary award was not a test of sainthood.
In giving the award to the former Head of State,
Gen. Abacha, the committee in charge made it very
clear that the award in the category in which the
former Head of State appeared was awarded with
regard to the contributions of those individuals in
keeping Nigeria together.
“You will find out that under that category, there
were largely former Heads of State, persons who
have at one time or the other presided over Nigeria
and under whose watch, in spite of whatever
challenges they might have faced, helped to sustain
the unity of the country and helped to defend the
integrity and sovereignty of the country. That was a
specific criterion in this particular category. Of
course, every award at all, be it for beauty or any
other thing has its own criteria.”
Abacha was honoured during the nation’s centenary
award last Friday under the category of
“outstanding promoters of unity, patriotism and
national development.”
The reason given for his nomination was that “he
took over power when the nation was on the brink
of precipice. He mobilised the nation’s most
prominent political class into his cabinet and
succeeded in ensuring the continued unity of the
nation. He also raised Nigeria’s international
standing for his peace keeping military interventions
in Sierra Leone and Liberia.”
His award was received on his behalf by his widow,
Mariam.
Meanwhile, Abati added that the Federal
Government had always initiated moves to ensure
that stolen money is repatriated back to the country.
Abati said this while responding to questions by
Saturday PUNCH about the moves being made by
the Federal Government to recover $458m Abacha
loot seized by the United States.
He said, “The allegation about money laundering
and forfeiture of money is another matter entirely
and it is also a matter in which the Nigerian
government is interested in.
“The Nigerian government has consistently over the
years initiated efforts to ensure that stolen money is
repatriated back to the country and that such
repatriated funds are used for the benefit of the
people.”
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Centenary award to Abacha not unlawful – Presidency
Boko Haram: Soldiers complain of poor welfare, low morale
There are mounting concerns in security circles
over the issue of special arrangement for the
security operatives deployed in the operational
areas in the three states of Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa which are under emergency rule.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that low morale occasioned
by lack of motivation and poor welfare package
might be some of the factors working against the
successful execution of the war against Boko
Haram militants in the zone.
The Islamic sect had killed close to 200 people in
the last one and half weeks including the massacre
of 53 schoolchildren in Yobe State. Thirty five
persons were also killed on Sunday during a fierce
gunfight between the insurgents and soldiers in
Mafa, a community that is 45 kilometres to the east
of Maiduguri in Borno State.
The Mafa attack was the third within 24 hours in the
troubled state. Last Saturday, a twin bomb attack
left 52 people dead while another attack on Mainok
village by the insurgents killed 39.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that both the medical care
and welfare packages for the fighting soldiers were
grossly insufficient to motivate them.
Saturday Punch had in a previous edition reported
that outdated military weapons hindered effective
war against the Islamic insurgents. It was reported
that the last time serious military hardware was
purchased for the Nigerian military was during the
Alhaji Shehu Shagari regime in the early 80s.
Also, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had
warned that from what he had seen, the
sophistication of the weaponry of the Boko Haram
insurgents could not be compared with that of
Nigeria’s military.
But Saturday PUNCH findings showed that apart
from outdated weapons, other issues bordering on
welfare and motivation might be hindering effective
war campaign against members of Boko Haram.
Some of the soldiers who spoke to Saturday PUNCH
on the condition of anonymity, because it is against
military rules for unauthorised soldiers to speak to
the press, alleged that apart from the poor welfare
package, some of the wounded soldiers pick their
own medical bills while others do not get the
required comprehensive medical attention.
It was gathered that most of those injured in
conflicts were treated at the barracks while
complicated cases were referred to government
hospitals, including the University of Maiduguri
Teaching Hospital.
A soldier said, “Some of the injured are compelled to
pay for their drugs, they have to pay for the
expensive drugs, the only drugs available are
usually paracetamol and phensic. ’’
He claimed that some soldiers’ limbs had been
amputated due to lack of proper medical attention.
Another soldier told our correspondent that there
was a time one of them was shot in the stomach
and admitted at the UMTH. “’When we visited him,
we could not but be moved to contribute some
money towards his medical care, because he was
in great pain and had no money to treat himself.’’
Investigations revealed that since President
Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency
in the three Boko Haram endemic states on May 14,
2013, the Joint Task Force, which assumed initial
responsibility of combating the insurgents, put in
place an arrangement to pay N1,000 per day to
each security operative involved in the operation.
It was learnt that the same amount was paid to
soldiers, riot policemen, State Security Services
officials and other security operatives under the
JTF.
Security sources said that while the Federal
Government paid N45,000 per month to each
security operative, the authorities deducted the sum
of N15,000 from each personnel as feeding
allowances in the camps.
It was further learnt that the allowances were paid
strictly on a daily basis as N31,000 is paid for
months with 31 days; N30,000 for months with 30
days and N28,000 for the month of February.
Investigation further revealed that the present
arrangement makes a provision of N50, 000 for the
family of any soldier or security operative who gets
killed in action.
It was further learnt that no extra financial
arrangement was put in place to cushion the pains
of injured soldiers in the frequent audacious attacks
of the sect.
It was also learnt that while in principle, medical
arrangement was supposed to be made available
for injured soldiers, some of them with gunshot
wounds were left at the MRS.
The MRS is a short term for the traditional medical
facility in any military formation in the country.
In most cases, the MRS is not equipped to the level
of a standard medical facility with the capacity that
could give adequate treatment to gunshot wounds
inflicted on soldiers during gunfights.
It was further learnt that even those who were
taken to the general hospitals where they are
supposed to be treated for free had issues with the
quality and frequency of the feeding arrangement.
It was stated that a good number of security
operatives were being lackadaisical because of the
magnitude of risk and the associated loss involved
in the operation if things went the other way.
The source said, “What they pay is N45, 000 per
month to each security operative. When you say
soldiers, there is no difference between a soldier,
police, SSS, immigration, customs or any other
security agent.
“Out of the N45, 000, they deduct N15, 000 per
month from every operative for feeding.
“What they pay is N1,000 per day because they
pay N30, 000 when the month has 30 days and
N31, 000 when the month is 31 days. They pay
according to days in the month. As for allowances
for the injured, I am not aware of any such
allowances.
“If you are unlucky and you are injured, you are
taken to a general hospital, where you will be
treated. They will feed you but if you rely solely on
that and you don’t have money , hunger go wire
you .”
“There are also occasions when soldiers are taken
to the MRS where they simply dress the wounds if
there are no spaces in the general hospitals.
“And if a soldier or security operative is killed, they
pay N50, 000 to the family, they take the body back
home and that is it. Of course, this is apart from the
entitlement of the personnel in his service.
The source said that the issue of the N50, 000
death allowance to the family was a major
disincentive to the soldiers and security operatives
involved in the fight.
It was stated that many security operatives were
reluctant to be transferred to the operational areas
because of the feeling that N50,000 could be easily
made in a non-operational area and was not worth
the risk.
In Borno State, some of the soldiers who spoke to
Saturday PUNCH said they were not being paid the
feeding allowance.
One of them who said, “We were supposed to get
N45,000 monthly allowance which should also take
care of our feeding but instead of getting the whole
amount, we are only paid N30,000 monthly with the
understanding that the remaining N15,000 was
deducted to prepare food for us.”
The soldier, who is of the infantry unit of the
Nigerian Army, said that he was returning to the
troubled Maiduguri. He explained that in his first
sojourn to the troubled region, soldiers were served
thrice daily.
He said, “But now the food is brought just once; the
whole three meals are brought at the same time.’’
He also lamented that the quality of the food was
poor.
Another soldier, a Lance Corporal said, “I just dey
manage the food, it is not something that is worth
the N15,000 they are taking from me monthly but
wetin man go do?”
He said he believed that the allowance was jointly
contributed by the state and the Federal
Government.
The soldiers described the N1,000 per day
allowance as grossly inadequate. One of them said
it was generally believed that the allowance is
N5,000 daily, but that the officers were short-
changing them.
He said the most annoying thing was that the
soldiers were made to go back home empty-
handed after the exercise. The soldier, who said
this was his second time of being deployed in the
state, explained that: “The other security outfits in
the Joint Task Force deployed out of the state went
away with N1m when they were being deployed
from the state but those from the Army went with
nothing.”
One of the soldiers lamented that other incentives
from the governor of Borno State were not given to
them by their superiors. He said, “There was a day
we went out with the governor and he gave the
officers N12,000 each for a soldier but the officer
just bought a can of coke for each of us and did not
give us anything.
“It is a pity that there is so much corruption in the
system and this is discouraging, especially at times
like this when morale should be high to deal with the
insurgents.”
The soldiers, however, said the state governments
in the region had been helpful to families of soldiers
that lost their lives in the fight against the
insurgents.
“The states give N1m each to the families of slain
soldiers,’’ they said, but lamented that this,
sometimes, does not get to the family of the
deceased intact, alleging that officers sometimes
give as little as N250,000 to some families.’’
When Saturday PUNCH contacted the Director of
Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, for
comments, he said that he was not in a position to
state what local and state governments were giving
to the security operatives and asked that the inquiry
be directed to them.
He stated also that the assistance being rendered
by states was not general as each state had
arrangement which might differ from the others.
Olukolade explained that the military did not have
any special conditions of service for soldiers
engaging the Boko Haram insurgents in the ongoing
operation.
He said that the statutory conditions of service for
the operatives were in place in the event of any
incident.
He also debunked the claim that N50, 000 was the
standard compensation to families who lose their
members in action, noting that the amount was
dependent on the rank of the personnel.
He said, “That is not correct, the conditions of
service apply; there is no special condition for Boko
Haram, the conditions of service apply.
“There are other entitlements and it depends on the
rank of the personnel; there is the Nigerian Army
Welfare Insurance, which is paid to them; there is
Benevolent Funds which are also paid to them.
“All of them are meant to augment other benefits
that would come up. The details of the conditions of
service for soldiers apply and they differ…
“On the issue of what states or local governments
are giving, what Borno claims to be using to assist
may be different from that of Yobe and Adamawa, it
is not universal.”
SOURCE: SATURDAY PUNCH
How Obasanjo’s govt spent $500m Abacha loot – Okonjo-Iweala
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
has explained how the Olusegun Obasanjo
administration spent the loot recovered from the
late maxiumn dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha.
She said that contrary to reports that the sum of $
2bn was recovered from Abacha’s loot, only $500m
was recovered under her watch when she was first
made finance minister.
The minister made the clarification amidst
conflicting figures about the actual amount
recovered.
For instance, speaking in London in November
2006, the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,
had said that “Abacha took over $6bn from
Nigeria,” and that $2bn of the loot had been
recovered.
Ribadu repeated the same figure in the same month
during the 12th International Anti-Corruption
Conference in Guatemela.
Three months ago, Ribadu repeated the same claim
in Dakar at the 2nd Annual High Level Dialogue on
Governance and Democracy in Africa.
As Minister of Finance in the Olusegun Obasanjo
administration, Okonjo-Iweala, in 2005 – a year
before Ribadu made his claim – at a news
conference in Switzerland reportedly said that
Nigeria had recovered about $2bn total of asset
from Abacha.
But reacting to the conflicting claims on the stolen
money, the minister who spoke through her Special
Adviser Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said
that the recovered $500m under her watch was
verified and used in a structured manner for
developmental projects.Nwabuikwu said, “The
minister did not say only $500m was recovered as
the entire loot of Abacha. What she actually said
was that under her watch when she was in
government as a minister, it was that amount that
was recovered. And that money was used in a
structured way to carry out some programmes of
government.
“You will recall that at a point, she left government
to return after some years and she cannot be held
accountable for whatever happens when she was
not in office.
“So the bottom line is that only $500m was the
amount recovered when she was in government.”
On how the funds were utilised, the minister through
her special adviser said part of the recovered loot
was used to fund projects in the power, health,
works, health, education and water sectors.
The minister supported her claims with a report
jointly prepared by the World Bank and Ministry of
Finance – a copy of which was made available to
our correspondent,
According to the document, the sum of N21.70bn
was spent on power (rural electrification and power
generation); N18.6bn on works (priority economic
roads); and N10.83bn on health (primary health care
and vaccination programme).
Also, N7.74bn was utilised on basic and secondary
school education (primary schools, junior secondary
schools and federal government colleges) and
N6.20bn on water (potable water and rural
irrigation).
The political situation in Rivers State is getting messy by the day as an improvised explosive device was thrown at the Administrative Block of the Office of the Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, in the early hours of today, causing a minimal damage to the building.
The Deputy Governor was unhurt in the explosion.
There has not been any official statement yet but
Mr. Godswill Jumbo, the Press Secretary to the
Deputy Governor confirmed that an incident like that
happened, adding that he would issue a statement
later.
Sources at the Government House assured that an
official statement will be issued after Governor
Chibuike Amaechi had inspected the scene.
Phone calls to Ahmad Muhammad, the Police Public
Relations Officer, PPRO, for the state, were not
answered.
Facts are also emerging that the fire that engulfed
the old section of the Mile One Rumuoji Market
today may have been caused by an explosive
device thrown into the stores in the market.
Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, the state Commissioner of
Information and Communications, said that arson
was not ruled out in the burning of the market as
explosions were heard in some parts of the state
capital the previous night.
She said explosives might have been thrown into
the market.
Interestingly, Police Public Relations Officer Ahmad
Muhammad told Premium Times that he was not
aware of any explosion in the state.
If the attack is proven, it would be a fresh twist in a
series of political crises that have rocked the
volatile oil producing state for months.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Don’t be a victim of scam
No one wants to fall for a scam. Yet, thousands of
people have been scammed over the years. It is
particularly tricky to avoid a scam when there is a
crafty fraudster involved. There are many forms of
financial fraud and scams today and experts say a
lot of caution is required by people if they are to
stand a chance of preventing themselves from
becoming victims.
Being careless will not only amount to the loss of
hard-earned funds or savings, it can also subject
the victim to ridicule. The Washington State
Department of Financial Institutions says, “Many
victims of financial crimes blame themselves for not
seeing through the scam”.
Calling on people to take steps to protect
themselves against scams it says, “No matter what
we call them — con artists, con men, scamsters —
they’re criminals. They steal our money. They’re
not just people next door trying to make a living.
They are trying to deprive us of the money that we
have worked hard to earn and save. They destroy
lives.”
To avoid becoming a victim, the WSDFI says the
following self-defence tips will be helpful.
Don’t be a courtesy victim
Con artists will not hesitate to exploit the good
manners of the potential victim. Remember that a
stranger who calls and asks for your money is to be
regarded with utmost caution and skepticism. You
have absolutely no obligation to stay on the phone
with a stranger who wants your money. It’s not
impolite to say you are not interested and hang up.
Don’t be rushed – check it out
Say no to any salesperson that pressures you to
make an immediate decision. If he or she doesn’t
have the time to explain the investment to your
regular investment professional, or other party, or if
they ask “Can’t you make your own investment
decisions?” Say ‘NO!’You have the right and
responsibility to check out the salesperson, firm,
and the investment opportunity itself. Before you
even consider investing, get the prospectus, review
it carefully, and make sure you understand all the
risks involved. But remember, even written material
sent from the promoter can be fraudulent or
misleading.
Always stay in charge of your money
Don’t be taken in by anyone who wants your money
and assures you that he or she is a professional
and can handle everything. Beware of any financial
professional who suggests putting your money into
something you don’t understand. And never let
yourself be talked into leaving everything in his or
her hands.
Always watch over and protect your nest egg
Never trust anyone who wants you to turn over your
money to them and then sit back and wait for
results. If you understand little about the world of
investments, take the time to educate yourself.
Constant vigilance is a necessary part of being an
investor.
Never judge a person’s integrity by how they look or
sound
Far too many investors who are wiped out by con
artists later explain that the swindler “looked and
sounded so professional.” Successful con artists
sound extremely professional and have the ability to
make even the flimsiest investment deal sound as
safe as putting money in the bank. Remember that
sincerity in a voice, especially on the phone, has no
bearing on the soundness of an investment
opportunity. Always do the necessary homework.
Watch out for salespeople that prey on your fears
Con artists know that many investors, particularly
older investors, worry that they will either outlive
their savings or see all of their financial resources
vanish overnight as the result of a catastrophic
event. It’s quite common for swindlers and abusive
salespeople to pitch their schemes as a way to build
up life savings to the point where such fears are no
longer necessary. Remember that fear and greed
can cloud your good judgment and leave you in a
much worse financial posture.
Exercise particular caution if you have limited or no
experience handling money
Ask a con artist to describe his ideal victim and
you’re likely to hear “elderly widow or widower.”
Many people now in their retirement years have
limited knowledge about handling money. They
often relied on their spouses to handle most or all
money decisions. Those who have received windfall
insurance in the wake of the death of a spouse are
prime targets for con artists. People who are on
their own for the first time in years should always
seek advice of family members or impartial
professionals before deciding what to do with their
money.
Monitor your investments and ask tough questions
Too many investors trust unscrupulous investment
professionals and outright con artists to make
financial decisions for them. They then compound
their error by failing to keep an eye on the progress
of the investment. Insist on regular written reports.
Check the written information. Look for excessive
or unauthorised trading in your funds. Don’t be
swayed by assurances that such practices are
routine or in your best interest. Don’t permit a sense
of friendship or trust to keep you from demanding
this information. If you suspect something is wrong
and you don’t get satisfactory answers, get help.
Look for trouble retrieving your principal or cashing
out profits
If a stockbroker, financial planner, or other
individual stalls you when you want to pull out your
principal or profits, demand to know why. Since
unscrupulous investment promoters have probably
pocketed the funds of their victims, they will go to
great lengths to explain why your savings are not
available.
Don’t let embarrassment or fear keep you from
reporting investment fraud
Investors who fail to report that they’ve been
victimised often hesitate out of embarrassment. Con
artists know all about such sensitivities.
They count on these fears preventing or delaying
the time when the authorities will be notified about
the scam. It’s true that most money lost to
investment fraud is rarely recovered. In many
cases, however, when investors recognised early
that they’d been misled, they were able to recover
some or all of their funds by being a “squeaky
wheel”.
CREDITS: ADEMOLA ALAWIYE
Centenary: Outrage as Abacha’s children attack Soyinka
Two children of the late maximum ruler, General
Sani Abacha, on Wednesday singled out Nobel
laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for what can be
described as a venomous attack.
While Gumsu, one of the late dictator’s daughters,
took to her Twitter page to pass disparaging
remarks on Soyinka, his brother Sadiq chose blogs
and online forums to snarl abuses at him.
According to them, their grouse against Soyinka
borders on a statement he made that he rejected
the centenary award by the Federal Government
because of the inclusion of their late father’s name
on the list of awardees.
Soyinka had said it was an insult for him to be listed
alongside Abacha for the award saying, “I reject my
share of this national insult. We are speaking of a
man who placed this nation under siege during an
unrelenting reign of terror that is barely different
from the current rampage of Boko Haram.
“It is this very psychopath that was recently
canonised by the government of Goodluck Jonathan
in commemoration of 100 years of Nigerian
trauma.”
But Gumsu, who threw the first salvo, said in her
own wisdom, Soyinka’s statement was “stupid,
foolish and insignificant.”
“Someone should tell Soyinka that I liked his books
when I was younger but that is where it ends.
Today, I reject his stupid, foolish and insignificant
statement. I am not perfect, nor was my late dad.
We are human beings. God’s creation! We are not
perfect just like our fingers aren’t equal. Take it or
leave it,” she tweeted.
In what appeared as a coordinated attack, Sadiq
took time to write a 1,762-word open letter in which
he cast aspersions on Soyinka.
While claiming to be “lecturing” Soyinka, Sadiq said
he believes that the professor’s “brilliance is not
perfection” adding that the Nobel Laureate should
desist from always “pouncing” on his late father.
While defending his dictator father, he described
Soyinka as a “common writer” who has grown old
and fast “losing his grasp of reality.”
“Here I find myself defending my father 15 years
after his death because some of you have no one
else to pounce on, or rather, you have chosen a
dead person to keep pouncing on over and over
again when you have more than an array of
contestants,” Sadiq added.
But no sooner had their bombshells surfaced online
than a barrage of criticisms began to trail their
actions.
Many were quick to remind the children of the
autocratic ruler that the freedom of expression they
were exercising online by attacking Soyinka was
actually repressed during their father’s dictatorial
rule.
A political blogger, Babatunde Rosanwo, said it was
appalling that Abacha’s children were running
commentaries on highly respected individuals in the
country.
He reminded the two siblings that their father
brought much “sorrow” to the nation while his reign
lasted.
“When Abacha’s children begin to run commentary
on Wole Soyinka, you wonder if they were too
young to know their father. There is no need to
remind the Abachas of the sorrow their father
brought upon Nigeria.
“I blame President Jonathan for his short memory.
Today it is Wole Soyinka, tomorrow it may be Gani
Fawehinmi. The Abachas are enjoying the freedom
of expression their father repressed,” Rosanwo
added.
A few hours after Sadiq’s article was circulated
online, a blogger, Ayo Sogunro, who described
himself as a young Nigerian who sees Soyinka as
his “socio-political” father, took to his blog to defend
the literary icon.
In his 1,454-word blog post on ayosogunro.com , he
said the Abacha reign “have been the worst years
of my material life as a Nigerian citizen”, noting that
the attacks on Soyinka amounted to a “misguided
filial bravery.”
“You (Sadiq Abacha) can never eradicate the
infamy of your father’s legacy by trying to point out
the failings of another Nigerian. No length of finger
pointing will wash away the odious feeling the name
Abacha strikes up in the mind of the average
Nigerian.
“Wole Soyinka did not antagonise your father just
because he was a military man—Wole Soyinka was
against your father’s inhumanity. Your father was
intolerant of criticism beyond belief,” Sogunro wrote
in his blog post.
Lending a voice to the outrage, a public relations
practitioner, Isioma Osaje, wrote on Twitter that no
matter the amount of mudslinging from the late
dictator’s family, they cannot distort history.
She said, “You (Sadiq and Gumsu) should know that
it is unfortunate that he is your father. But Abacha
was everything he is accused of and more. A thief
is a thief, father or not. His sins are not your sins
unless you were cohorts and while it is admirable
that you defend your father, it does not change
history.”
Also, one Tobi Amoo, who claimed to have once
attended the same school with Sadiq, cautioned the
duo against further spewing rubbish in an attempt to
get back at Soyinka.
“Sadiq Abacha was actually a year my senior in
Maitama during his father’s terrible reign,” he said.
“If my father were a thief and murderer, I’d keep
quiet when people talked about it, not spew crap as
if na only me sabi speak oyinbo .
“If your father is a thief and you speak to support
him, you are a thief also. It’s the same freedom that
Wole Soyinka and others like the late Gani
Fawehinmi fought for that allows these badly-
brought up children to open their gob and spout
rubbish.”
Ukraine crisis: EU leaders to hold emergency talks
EU leaders are to begin an emergency summit to
decide how strongly they should respond to
Russia’s troop deployment in Ukraine’s Crimea
region.
Some members, particularly from Eastern Europe,
are pressing for tough sanctions, but others – led
by Germany – put more stress on mediation.
The Brussels summit comes a day after high-level
talks with Russia in Paris ended without significant
progress.
Pro-Russian forces are in de facto control of
Crimea.
A tense stand-off continued overnight across the
southern region, where Ukrainian troops remain
blockaded in their bases.
The leaders of the 28-member EU block are
expected to open the emergency meeting at 10:30
GMT.
British Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping that
in alliance with Sweden, Poland and other Eastern
European countries he can persuade their
colleagues of the need for Russian President
Vladimir Putin to pay a price for the occupation of
Crimea, the BBC’s political editor Nick Robinson
reports.
They will push not just for the suspension of EU-
wide agreements with Russia on visa free travel and
energy, but also the explicit threat – though not the
implementation – of targeted sanctions, he adds.
However, other countries – led by German
Chancellor Angela Merkel – are believed to be
pushing for mediation as the best way out of the
escalating crisis.
Ms Merkel is said to be worried that tough steps
may undermine attempts to start a dialogue
between Russia and Ukraine and distract from the
need to support the new government in Kiev both
economically and politically, our editor says.
Ukraine’s new interim Prime Minister Arseniy
Yatsenyuk will also be present in Brussels.
The EU summit will probably impose some fairly
symbolic sanctions, like halting talks on visa or
trade liberalisation, the BBC’s Chris Morris in
Brussels reports.
But more substantive measures – including travel
bans or asset freezes against senior Russian
officials – are unlikely, our correspondent says. The
idea is to offer strong support to Ukraine and simply
try to keep talking to Russia.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry
described his Paris meeting with his Russian
counterpart Sergei Lavrov over Ukraine as “tough”,
but promised to continue talking.
Kerry said he was committed to working with
Moscow to ease the crisis.
However, he stressed afterwards that that Russia’s
violation of Ukrainian sovereignty “would not go
unanswered”.
The talks were also attended by foreign ministers
from the UK, Germany and France, but Mr Lavrov
refused to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy
Deshchytsia, whose government Moscow does not
recognise.
Deshchytsia is part of the new regime in Kiev,
which came to power after pro-Russian President
Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia.
Moscow regards the new government as
illegitimate, and says that Mr Yanukovych is still the
rightful leader.
US intelligence under fire over Ukraine
The nation’s top intelligence office denies
suggestions the United States was caught off guard
by Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, calling
reports to that effect “highly inaccurate.”
Shawn Turner, a spokesman for Director of National
Intelligence James Clapper, said in a statement
Wednesday that the intelligence community has
“frequently warned of worrisome trends with
respect to Russia’s foreign policy” since Vladimir
Putin returned to the presidency in 2012.
He included examples issued several days before
Russia’s movement last week into the Crimean
peninsula during political upheaval in Ukraine.
Some members of Congress have been vocal in
their questioning of intelligence ahead of the military
steps taken by Putin, and vowed to investigate.
On Tuesday, House Intelligence Committee
Chairman Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican,
ordered a review of the intelligence assessment
leading up to the intervention, Rogers’
spokeswoman Susan Phalen said.
Separately, Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican
and a member of the Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence, said on CNN’s “Erin Burnett
OutFront” that Russia’s intervention was “not
predicted” but was “among a list of possibilities.”
He said lawmakers would look at whether “more
intelligence could have been gathered” or whether
there was a problem with the analysis.
“Now the CIA is right in that they did give that as a
possibility but they certainly didn’t say it was going
to happen,” he said, noting there would be hearings
on the matter.
“But clearly we were not anticipating this level of
attack, this level of incursion by the Russians and
that is something that as we’re going to have I
believe an ongoing series of crises with the
Russians we have to do better in the future,” he
said.
In the Senate, John McCain pressed Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel at an Armed Services
Committee hearing on Wednesday on whether
Russia’s Crimea action was a surprise.
Early treatment ‘cures’ second US HIV-positive baby
US researchers have revealed another baby
carrying the HIV virus, which leads to Aids, may
have been cured through early treatment.
Antiretrovial drugs were reportedly administered to
the baby in California just four hours after birth.
The unidentified nine-month-old child is now said to
be HIV negative.
It is the second such case after an HIV-positive
Mississippi infant brought into remission following
early treatment was reported in 2013.
“This is a call to action for us to mobilize and be
able to learn from these cases,” Johns Hopkins
University paediatrics specialist Dr Deborah
Persaud said at a Boston medical conference.
No trace of the virus can now be found in the
infant’s blood or tissues, the doctor revealed.
Dr Persaud said the nine-month-old child is still
receiving a three-drug anti-Aids cocktail, while the
three-year-old Mississippi child stopped receiving
antiretroviral treatments two years ago.
“Really the only way we can prove that we have
accomplished remission in these kids is by taking
them off treatment and that’s not without risk,” Dr
Persaud added.
Both children are reported to have been born to
mothers infected with HIV, which weakens the
body’s immune system.
The human immunodeficiency virus has infected
more than 34 million people worldwide, researchers
estimate.
Neymar scores hat-trick against S’Africa
A much-hyped friendly between the last and next
World Cup hosts lacked bite as the ‘Selecao’
exploited woeful Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
defending.
Oscar opened the scoring on 10 minutes, Neymar
struck once in the first half and twice in the second,
and Fernandinho got on the scoresheet as well, AFP
reports.
Brazil had won four previous games between the
countries since 1996 – all by one-goal margins –
but showed no mercy this time.
It was the final warm-up for the 2014 World Cup title
favourites before the May announcement of the 23-
man World Cup squad.
South Africa, who stunned World Cup and Euro title-
holders Spain 1-0 at the same stadium last
November, were overawed and outclassed.
Coach Gordon Igesund has been branded a ‘dead
man walking’ after poor tournament results and this
loss greatly lessens his chances of a new contract
in mid-year.
South Africa gave a first cap to 22-year-old
goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in the absence of
injured captain Itumeleng Khune with centre-back
Thabo Nthethe taking over the armband.
Brazil also introduced new faces as coach Luiz
Felipe Scolari gave first starts to Bayern Munich
defender Rafinha and Manchester City midfielder
Fernandinho.
It did not take the South Americans long to establish
control before a crowd that grew to 51,000 after
heavy mid-day rain.
A Brazilian goal was inevitable and it arrived on 10
minutes as midfielder Oscar outpaced Nthethe to a
Rafinha pass and lobbed the ball over Williams.
Tortoise-slow Nthethe was suffering against the
slick visitors and his defensive partner Bongani
Khumalo was an early injury casualty, giving way to
Siyanda Xulu.
The persistent pressure told again on 41 minutes
with Neymar the scorer, hammering the ball past
Williams from close range.
Veteran Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar was a virtual
spectator until first-half stoppage time when a Dean
Furman drive flashed just wide.
Brazil made a planned half-time change from a
yellow-and-blue outfit to an all-blue kit and 25
seconds into the second half they were three goals
ahead.
Neymar had time and space he would not normally
be accustomed to and he calmly lobbed the ball
over Williams.
South Africa introduced Ayanda Patosi just past the
hour and he almost scored with his first touch,
forcing Cesar into an acrobatic block.
Fernandinho netted 11 minutes from time, latching
on to a loose ball and giving Williams no chance,
and Neymar scored in stoppage time from point-
blank range.
I raped my daughter to get a job –Father
A 42-year-old father, Pedro Anegbe, has told an
Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court that a spirit asked
him to rape his 15-year-old daughter to get a job.
He said the voice ordred him to rape the girl shortly
after he lost his job and was idle at home.
Anegbe was arraigned on two counts for defiling his
15-year-old daughter (name withheld) at their home
on Ifelodun Street, Fatolu Ipaja, Lagos State.
The Investigating Police Officer, Sergeant Bakare
Murtala, told the court his findings in the course of
investigation.
Murtala said, “The defendant is the biological father
of the girl. She told us her father had sexually
harassed her. We questioned him on his daughter’s
allegation and he confessed to the crime. He said he
had raped her twice.”
The magistrate, Olanrewaju Olatunji, asked Anegbe
why he raped his own daughter.
The father of three said, “I am actually living with
my wife and three children. I have two girls and a
boy. She is my first born. I have had sex with her
just two times. The first was on January 27, 2014.
But I cannot remember the date of the second one.”
On how it all began, he said, “I did it because I
thought it was God talking to me, but later I knew it
was an evil spirit. The voice said I needed power.
To get the power, the voice said I must damage
some things.
“I started destroying the clutch and brake of the
vehicle I was given to drive. Then the voice told me
I should stop delivering money to the owner of the
vehicle after each day’s work. I stopped and I was
sacked.
“I became idle after I lost my job. The voice came
again, saying I should have sex with my daughter or
else I would not get another job. That was why I
slept with her.”
However, despite his admission, the defendant
pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape.
He also told the court that he wanted his case tried
at the High Court.
Olatunji said, “You have confessed that you raped
your daughter, why then did you still say you were
not guilty of the crime after the charge was read to
you? Don’t you understand the charge or what is
the problem?”
“I am just forcing myself to talk, because the voice
said I should not say anything,” Anegbe said.
His defence counsel, Rasaq Adeyemi, citing Section
115 of the Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011, prayed
the court to admit him to bail in liberal terms since
he was still presumed innocent until proven guilty
by the court.
In his ruling, the magistrate said, “This is a bailable
offence, but it is a family matter. The defendant is to
be remanded in prison pending legal advice from the
Directorate of Public Prosecution.”
The matter was adjourned till April 4, 2014.
On Nigerian trains, passengers are like refugees
In spite of the much touted successes of the
Federal Government in reviving the hitherto ailing
Nigeria Railway Corporation, the majority of the
passenger coaches are old, giving travellers little or
no comfort.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that
some of the coaches in use are actually decades
old. In fact, the first-class coach which this
journalist boarded from Lagos to Ilorin, Kwara State,
on February 7, was the one previously used to ply
the Omi-Adio to Bodija intra-city mass transit in
Ibadan, Oyo State, in the early ’90s.
NRC Assistant Director, Public Relations, Mr. David
Ndakotsu, corroborates our correspondent’s
findings as he notes that some of the coaches are
indeed as old as 20 years.
Shameful facilities
“Yes, we have coaches that are about 20 years old.
But we don’t have any coach that is older than
that,” Ndakotsu tells our correspondent.
As expected, the majority of the factory-fitted
facilities on many of the coaches have broken
down, leaving the corporation with no options other
than to improvise.
For instance, the air conditioner, which is the only
luxury available to passengers on the first-class
coach this journalist travelled in, could not be
enjoyed. It has packed up; while the two make-shift
split ACs hung on the walls of the coach adjacent to
each other only blew raw air without any cooling
effect.
“The Nigeria Railway Corporation could do better
than this, though. It is already over one year since
it began the inter-city rail transport operations but
things don’t seem to have progressed,” Sunday
Oyeniran, a passenger on the first class coach,
laments.
Oyeniran, who was travelling from the Iddo
Terminus in Lagos to Inisha, Osun State, regrets
paying an extra 60 per cent over the regular N560
fare for the economy class.
“I haven’t enjoyed the extra N340 I paid for this
first-class ride. The coach is as good as not having
an air conditioner,” he laments as he wipes off the
sweat on his face.
A visit to the seven other coaches on the train,
which was economy class, also reveals the
harrowing experience of the second-rated
travellers.
The population of passengers on each of the
economy class coaches far outweighs those on the
first-class facility. While the single class coach
seats only 60 passengers, each of the seven
economy coaches has 90 seats.
But the economy facilities are usually crowded, as
they are the coaches where railway officials cramp
travellers whenever they carry passengers more
than the train’s sitting capacity.
Apart from the overcrowding the majority of the
overhead fans were not functional.
Harvest of dust
On one of the economy coaches, only two of the
fans were working, forcing travellers to throw open
the windows of the coaches to forestall suffocation.
But the travellers’ self-help discretion also comes
with its disadvantages. As the Ilorin-bound train
covered distances, specks of dust from the
countryside soon took over the coaches, with many
passengers forced to cover their noses in a bid to
stave off the dust.
Frequent travellers came prepared for the
challenge, as a handful of them were seen putting
on face masks. However, the first timers were at
the mercy of the dust.
“I wear face mask not only for preventing dust but
to also contain the offensive odour emanating from
toilets,” a middle-aged man who declines to give his
name says.
The state of many of the toilets and bathrooms on
the coaches are nauseating, to say the least. Apart
from their dirty state, some of them have their
doors damaged, depriving users any form of
privacy.
Even the booking terminal at the Offa Station was in
a derelict state, as it lacks basic aesthetics. The
majority of the stations also have no loudspeakers
to communicate with passengers, while some of the
stations are usually thrown into darkness at night
as they have long been disconnected from the
national grid.
Suffering and smiling
Mrs. Esther Ademola joins the train at the Abeokuta
Station en route Osogbo, the Osun State capital —
one of the stopovers on the Lagos-Ilorin route.
The woman in her 50s and her aged husband were
returning home after a visit to one of their children
in Abeokuta.
The coaches were filled to the brim, as the train,
which took off at the Iddo Terminus, Lagos, had
picked up extra passengers at the Agege and Ijoko
stations before getting to Abeokuta.
Ademola was boxed in the far right corner of the
small compartment in-between the first class and
the seventh economy class coach. She sat on her
luggage.
“We were lucky that my aged husband was able to
get a seat. A Good Samaritan gave up his seat for
him. At least, I was also able to get this space to
rest my legs,” Ademola says.
One of her regrets, though, is the intensive itching
she experiences on her skin as a result of the
overcrowding.
She says, “As you can see, the windows are
always open because of heat, while the glass
covering of the entrance is damaged. This makes
dust and other elements such as dry leaves to find
their way into the coaches.
“Sometimes, the wind blows the devil’s bean plant
into the coach. When this happens, passengers
virtually run berserk, as they are forced to scratch
their bodies due to the burning effects of the devil
bean plant!”
She says she has continued to travel by rail simply
because it is cheaper than other means of
transportation.
“We paid N350 each for our trip from Abeokuta to
Osogbo. If it were to be by road, we would have to
pay nothing less than N1,200 per head.”
Students embrace trains
One of the major categories of people who patronise
train services running on the Lagos-Kano rail route
are students of tertiary institutions.
The majority of them are students of the University
of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Kwara
State University, Malete; Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State; Federal
Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, and Federal
Polytechnic, Ede, among others.
Some of the students, in separate chats with our
correspondent say the cheap fares, relative
absence of accidents and virtually nil cases of
armed robbery on the railways have been the
overriding factors sustaining their patronage.
A Higher National Diploma student of the Federal
Polytechnic, Offa, Lukman Alabi, joins the Lagos-
Ilorin train from Ijoko to Offa each time he is
returning to school.
Alabi, who paid N400 for the trip on the economy
class coach, took to standing for most part of the
journey. At a point, it was difficult for this
correspondent to have a chat with him as there
were so many people on board so much so that
there was hardly any space to move one’s leg.
“Aside the cheap fares, there’s nothing good about
this train ride. The inconvenience is just too much,”
Alabi laments.
Snail-like crawling trains
Before now, the Federal Government had boasted
that the “express passenger trains” which ply the
1,126km Lagos-Kano line carried a whopping five
million passengers in 2013 alone. However, findings
by our correspondent show that the trains actually
travel at an average speed of 40km/hour.
Sources at the NRC, who confided in our
correspondent, say the snail speed is as a result of
the continuous dependence on the old technology
which the colonial masters bequeathed to us for the
running of the “revived” railway system.
Ndakotsu, the NRC spokesman, agrees with our
correspondent that the speed at which the trains
travel leaves much to be desired. He, however,
says some of the express passenger trains could
still manage to travel at a high speed of as much as
50km/hour.
This is in sharp contrast with what obtains in some
African countries where trains move at a speed of
as much as 160km/hour. For instance, the Gautrain
which links Johannesburg, Pretoria and Ekhuruleni
and the Tambo International Airport in South Africa
travels at a speed of 160 km/hour.
Besides, the comfort with which South African rail
commuters travel puts to question the success of
the much-talked about transformation of the
Nigerian railway system.
While the business express passengers on the
Metrorail trains in South Africa enjoy onboard
services such as refreshments, complimentary
newspapers, and are treated to movies from two
giant LCD screens per coach, such cannot be said
of Nigerian travellers on first-class coaches who
battle with suffocation as a result of badly
functioning air conditioners and overhead fans.
An Associate Professor of Economics, University of
Lagos, Dr. Olufemi Saibu, in a chat with our
correspondent, wonders if any member of the
Federal Executive Council would be willing to travel
by rail, considering the unflattering state of facilities
and services.
Saibu, whose research interests are in the area of
urban transport, public finance and economic
development, says it is imperative for the
government to increase expenditure towards the
total overhaul of the railway system.
He notes that an efficient and effective railway
system will help in opening up communities,
reducing cost of doing business, increasing the
profit margin of entrepreneurs, thereby creating new
jobs, expanding existing businesses and helping in
better urban management.
He says the government can liberalise the railways
with a view to bringing about efficiency in the
system.
“We have to change our current use of the old
locomotives and coaches by switching over to new
technology. We cannot continue to use the old
technology that has been rejected by those who
invented them.
“Government needs to increase its expenditure on
railway infrastructure and encourage the private
sector to come into the business,” he adds.
No basis for comparison — NRC
The management of the NRC has said that there is
no basis for comparing operations of the Nigerian
railway system with what obtains in other
countries.
“There is no way you can compare the speed of the
train in Nigeria with those in Europe or Japan where
they use electronic trains. There is no basis for
comparison. Over there, they use electronic trains
that travel at 500 km/hour.
“We can get there, depending on when we have
stable power and when we have standard gauges.
We are operating at the current level of technology
that we have,” Ndakotsu says.
The NRC argues that infrastructure on ground may
not allow Nigerians to enjoy the full capabilities of
the new locomotives that were recently acquired by
the Corporation.
“Most of the trains we have can move at the same
speed of between 100 and 120 km per hour, but we
don’t travel at that speed. For passenger trains, we
go like 50 or 60km/hour.
“It is like that because our tracks are narrow. We
use what we call narrow gauges instead of the
standard gauges. Besides, we have very steep
gradients with very sharp corners on our tracks. We
cannot afford to have accidents, as train services
are primed on safety. In this situation, we can’t
move past that speed,” Ndakotsu says.
He, however, adds that the government has started
the conversion from narrow to standard gauges
piecemeal. According to him, the rail line being
constructed from Kaduna to Abuja, as well as the
one connecting Ajaokuta, Kogi State, with Warri,
Delta State, is in the mould of a standard gauge.
“When they finish with those ones, they will start
standard gauges all over the country; that will work
side by side with the narrow gauges. It is a gradual
process,” he notes.
Poorly motivated workers
Experts have said that the operation of railways
anywhere in the world is complex and requires a
wide range of technical skills from a well motivated
pool of staff. However, members of staff of the NRC
are crying foul over their conditions of service.
Many of them complain that they are the least-paid
categories of federal civil servants in the transport
sector.
A Level 5 official of the NRC, who speaks on the
condition of anonymity because he is not authorised
to speak to the press, says that his gross monthly
salary currently stands at N23,000.
The NRC employee who has put in three years of
service, having been posted to the Lagos District of
the corporation, says his duty tour allowance of
N600 per 100km travelled is being owed.
“Our salaries cannot take us anywhere. Besides,
those of us that travel with the trains are entitled to
Mileage Allowance as well as Duty Tour Allowances.
But we are being owed a backlog of these
allowances running into several months. How do
they want us to survive and take care of our
families?” he laments.
A Level 8 official with over 17 years of service in
the corporation, who says he receives a little over
N44,000 monthly, was also sighted sleeping on one
of the parked trains on the premises of the Ilorin
station when our correspondent visited.
When asked why he decided to retire into the coach,
the middle-aged man who hails from the northern
part of the country says he passes the night on the
parked wagons because there is no provisions for
accommodating NRC employees on duty tour in any
of the stations they travel to.
“I am not the only one passing the night on this
train. Check other coaches, you will find other
people lying there too. That is the situation we have
found ourselves, as nobody appears to care for our
wellbeing,” the official, who is a member of the
Central Riding Squad, says.
Strings of corrupt practices
To this end, a handful of members of staff of the
corporation have resorted to sharp practices in a
bid to augment their alleged meagre income.
At the Offa Station where this correspondent
boarded a first-class coach to Zaria, it was
observed that while the tickets for the economy
class coaches were on sale at the counter, the
boarding pass for the luxury coach were hoarded.
Despite getting to the train station 11 hours before
the 10p.m. departure time, tickets were not
available, as they were said to be in the sole
custody of the station head who was nowhere to be
found.
Barely an hour to departure, one of the ticketing
officers decided to sell but at a hiked price. The Offa
to Zaria ticket was sold to our correspondent for
N2,500 instead of the N1,640 official rate; while
those travelling to Kano paid N3,000 instead of the
official N1,980.
“That is how we were asked to sell it and people
have been buying it like that,” the ticketing officer
yells at our correspondent who complains about the
inflated price.
The head of the station was not available in his
office when this correspondent made repeated
visits to complain about the rip-off. Frequent train
passengers said they were familiar with the game.
It turned out that passengers travelling on the
economy class coaches who do not want to sit near
the toilets because of the offensive odour confess to
tipping off the officials with sums ranging between
N300 and N500 to get a seat reservation far away
from the rest rooms.
‘We don’t owe salaries, allowances’
Reacting to employees’ allegation of poor welfare
condition, Ndakotsu says the corporation is trying to
“meet up” to ensure that workers are “comfortable
and happy.”
He says the railway employees remain the “prime
factor of production” of train operations in the
country, adding that the NRC places high premium
on human capacity and welfare packages for
members of staff.
He also notes that allegations that allowances and
other entitlements are being owed are untrue. He
says those complaining might be the staff members
who are claiming “frivolous allowances.”
“It is not true. Those allegations are false. If you
are entitled to certain allowances, you are given. In
fact, all allowances are paid as due. We go by civil
service rules. When you are entitled to an
allowance, you will be given,” he adds.
CREDITS: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS
How Jonathan has betrayed Nigerians
memory. I remember it just like yesterday. It was in
that year that Goodluck Jonathan was elected the
third executive President of the Federal Republic. It
was a momentous occasion for him and the nation.
His election, comparable only to the election of
Barack Obama as America’s first black president,
was unprecedented. It signalled the triumph of the
struggle for relevance by Nigeria’s long-suffering
minority groups. When Jonathan was elected,
Nigerians dreamily believed that the maladies that
afflicted the nation would cease to exist. They
believed his election would usher in a vigorous wind
of economic and political change for the nation.
Jonathan himself vowed that his election would
demarcate the conclusion of grisly “politics-as-
usual” to the commencement of democratic and
political freshness. However, as this administration
continues on, it is clear that Jonathan has not only
failed to deliver in a general sense, he has also
completely betrayed Nigerians.
Looking back now, I have often rued the lost
opportunities of the Jonathan Presidency. I wish
Nigerians had not been so trusting. I wish they had
not been so gullible. I wish they had not easily
believed the “no-shoes-at-childhood’’ tales told by
this president. Now, some years down the line, the
events that have shaped the Jonathan Presidency
have revealed a gross betrayal of the Nigerian
people. But how could Nigerians have known that
they were electing a leader who would eventfully
surround himself with those that have brought our
country to its present state? Who would have known
that this President will be more of the same or even
worse? Any honest person in Nigeria today must
look at the President’s demonstrable disregard for
issues that affect the common man and come to the
inescapable conclusion that Nigerians are the very
least of his concerns. The President has since
pitched his tent with the corrupt political elite.
Ordinary Nigerians who voted for him, who trusted
him, can go to hell after all he does not give a damn.
The system many thought he would change for the
good of ordinary Nigerians has apparently taken
him hostage. It is indeed a great betrayal. What has
become really scary is the President’s surreptitious
support of primordial ethnic schism that has been
the bane of our underdevelopment. His silence in
the face of ethnic irredentists who make statements
that threaten the polity will further polarise us as a
nation. The President has also been found to breach
the secular status of the country as entrenched in
the constitution as he goes from one church to the
other where he makes policy statements. He has
converted the pulpit into the theatre of political
bitterness. Those churches who allow the President
to use the pulpit as a campaign platform also
contribute to our national malaise.
This is certainly not the type of President Nigerians
envisaged. Now, the schism is so pronounced that
one cannot even criticise the government without
one’s ethnic group coming into play. If you criticise
the government, it is because you are Yoruba, Igbo
or Tiv or in the opposition. Where is the
nationalism? The President is sacrificing patriotism
on the altar of religion and politics. In the years
former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in power,
his most ardent critics were those of his ethnic
group. Where is the Pan-Nigerian mandate given to
Jonathan in 2011? Jonathan has betrayed Nigerians
in many fronts. Is it in his record of non-
performance? Is it in his lack of political will to fight
corruption? In fact, his dismal anti-corruption
record is the worst betrayal of trust by Jonathan.
Because of his lip service to the fight against
corruption, Nigerians are worse off than in 2011. All
the institutions of government have been corrupted.
Even his Niger Delta is not better off. Who would
have known that Jonathan will not fight corruption?
Who would have known that this President would
render the anti-corruption agencies so pineffective
as to not to convict any individual for corruption in
spite of the allegations of corruption involving high
ranking officials of his government? Nigerians have
lost count of corruption scandals in the Jonathan
administration. The President even hobnobs with
indicted individuals. Who would have known that this
President would condone corruption to the extent
that oil theft which had previously existed minimally
would deepen under his reign? Are the scandals in
the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation not
embarrassing to the President?
Besides, Nigerians have certainly been hoodwinked
by a President who promised change. He looks the
other way while his cronies steal the country blind,
prevaricates when he ought to sack indicted
officials, and carries on not minding the effect of his
inaction on ordinary people. The power sector has
yielded no result in spite of trumpeted reforms.
There is no indication that the country will have
constant electricity even if this President gets a life
term. The health sector is worse off. Public
hospitals are nothing to write home about.
Privileged Nigerians visit hospitals abroad even for
minor health issues like a headache or to treat
rubber bullet “injuries” while ordinary Nigerians die
of common ailments at home. The betrayal of
Nigerians has manifested in all areas of governance
in which this government has shown its
incompetence.
Is it in the creation of jobs? Is it the voodoo
economy where government and its officials have
bandied bogus job statistics? If indeed they have
created employment, how come job statistics
continue to rise with millions of Nigerians roaming
the streets? The Jonathan government claims
phantom growth in the economy but over 100
million Nigerians are, according to verifiable studies,
impoverished. Recklessness, official wastage, and
outrageous recurrent expenditure characterise
budgetary spending. More egregious than the high
rate of unemployment is the fact that Jonathan has
been completely disconnected from ordinary
Nigerians. He has failed to articulate any policy that
would deal with emerging socio-economic crises.
Rather, he is more focused on articulating and
enacting policies that are favourable to his friends
and cronies. The excuse has always been that the
he did not create the problems Nigerians elected
him to solve. This feeble argument exists for the
sole purpose of deflecting legitimate criticism of his
failure to meet the needs of Nigerians. They said
Nigerians should be patient yet they have no road
map for the future.
The President has also displayed gross insensitivity
to the past suffering of his Niger Delta people. The
centenary award he bestowed on the late dictator
Sani Abacha amounts to a betrayal of the Niger
Delta cause. At the centenary awards, he betrayed
his own people by making heroes of yesterday’s
villains. He gave a centenary award to a dictator,
Abacha, who plundered and oppressed Nigerians.
He honoured a wicked leader who sent soldiers to
destroy villages and killed his own people. A
President who is mindful of history would have
declined to endorse such an ignominy. By so doing,
Jonathan has spat on the graves of activists and
others who died in the struggle to restore
democracy of which he is a beneficiary. Now, he is
aiming to recontest his lack lustre presidency in
2015. Nigerians should reject Jonathan in 2015 as a
payback for his betrayal.
CREDITS: Bayo Olupohunda
Power supply: FG to take $170m French loan
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday
ratified an anticipatory approval given by President
Goodluck Jonathan to the Ministry of Finance to
borrow $170m from the French Development
Agency.
The loan is meant to beef up power infrastructure in
the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, and
the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
briefed State House correspondents at the end of
the meeting, which was presided over by Jonathan.
Okonjo-Iweala said the loan, which would be used
to undertake the construction of 270-kilometre
transmission lines and additional substations within
the FCT, was one of the agreements that were
signed when the French President, Francois
Hollande, visited the country for the centenary
celebration last week.
She said, “It is a $170m soft credit. The terms
include 1.56 per cent interest rate per annum;
commitment charge of 0.5 per cent per annum; and
then, a service charge of 0.25 per cent per annum
payable on the amount withdrawn.
“The loan is for 20 years with a seven-year grace
period; that means, moratorium on payment for
seven years; and the rest payable over 20 years.
“This will help to boost our transmission. As you
know, the Ministry of Power has set forward an
emergency transmission programme for the entire
country requiring $1.9bn, and we have been able to
raise $1.2bn so far of very soft credits.”
The minister added, “This $170mn from the French
Development Agency is part of that package. The
balance of the package comes from the World Bank
with $700m, and the Japanese government, $200m.
We have been able to raise that all very soft credits.
“This project has been approved in the borrowing
plan since 2010; but after it was approved, it was
shelved until we asked the French Development
Agency to renew it and fast-track it, and that is how
we came to approve that today.”
PDP, APC Reps clash over kerosene subsidy
Peoples Democratic Party members in the House of
Representatives and their All Progressives
Congress colleagues nearly exchanged blows on
Wednesday over the investigation into the N1.7tn
spent on kerosene subsidy by the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation.
The House Committee on Petroleum Resources
(Downstream), which is conducting the
investigation, had summoned the Director General,
Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu, to
testify.
But, trouble started when Okogu addressed the
committee and was questioned by the APC
members.
Some of the APC members had asked him to tell the
committee where the NNPC got the legal backing to
deduct kerosene subsidy before remitting revenue
to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
But PDP members opposed the line of questioning
by their APC colleagues. They argued that NNPC
officials should answer questions relating to the
corporation’s operations and not the Budget Office
DG.
At this point, one APC lawmaker from Kaduna State,
Mr. Bala Yusuf, stated that there should be no
boundaries on questions.
“Let us not downplay the significance of this
gathering by arguing along party lines because this
is an issue of serious national importance,” he
advised.
In his bid to restore order, the Chairman of the
committee, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, also an APC
member from Rivers State, objected to a point of
order raised by some PDP members.
But the PDP members accused him of being
partisan.
The vocal PDP members were Mr. Raphael Nnnana-
Igbokwe, Mr. Emmanuel Ekong, and Mr. Sunday
Karimi.
Igbokwe in particular, shouted at Yusuf and
Peterside saying, “This is not a private enterprise;
again, this is not the Committee on Finance.”
As Peterside struggled to restore order, he shouted,
“If your (Peterside) ruling is biased, we will
challenge the ruling.
“This is not a private enterprise. Let the NNPC
answer questions relating to its operations. You
(Peterside) cannot hold the DG, Budget Office
responsible for NNPC operations.”
On his part, Karimi asked, “DG, do you have the
competence and authority to speak for the NNPC or
the Central Bank of Nigeria?”
Okogu replied that he could not answer questions
that should ordinarily be directed at the
management of the NNPC.
In his efforts to dismiss the claim that he was taking
sides, Peterside said, “From time to time, we have
our misunderstanding. We are before the public, let
us respect ourselves as gentlemen.”
As disagreements persisted, Peterside adjourned
the session for a few hours to allow time for
tempers to cool down.
Before the adjournment, Okogu had confirmed that
the budget office had not make any provision for
kerosene subsidy in the national budgets since
2010.
However, he clarified that the NNPC was in
business and must find a way to pay for any extra
expenditure it incurred above the officially approved
price of the product.
He said, “If they (NNPC) buy kerosene from the
international market at $1 per litre for instance and
sells for less than half of a dollar, they must pay for
the shortfall due to the subsidised nature of the
product.
“So, it only makes a business sense if they source
money elsewhere to pay for such amount that must
have been cut down from the cost which the
consumers must have borne.”
The committee resumed two and half hours and
investigation progressed smoothly.