Oil majors sign gas agreements with PHCN

As part of the strategy to end gas shortage for power plants, some International Oil Companies (IOCs) yesterday signed gas purchase agreements with Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The agreements are to boost gas supply for Egbin Power Plant in Lagos to run its turbines. Egbin is the largest power plant in the country with about 1350 Mega Watts of electricity per day capacity. Due to shortage of Gas, Egbin is not producing more than half of its capacity to the national grid.

The companies involved in the agreements include Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on one hand and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on the other hand.

The two agreements signed were Sellers Representative Agreements and Gas Sales Agreements. The event supervised by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke was second in the series of the signing of the gas agreements for power generation in the country. With such agreements, the government has began to create confidence amongst investors to step up gas supply development for the Nigerian domestic gas sector, Mrs Madueke said

“We are executing gas supply agreements between the top two gas supply joint ventures in Nigeria namely the NNPC/SPDC and NNPC/CNL JVs. Collectively, these two JVs’ will be supplying about 70 percent of the total power sector gas requirement”, the minister said.

The many promises of Jonathan His campaign promises are legion, but does Jonathan have the capacity to deliver?

President Goodluck Jonathan

As he prepares to be sworn in tomorrow as president,Goodluck Jonathan has the full weight of Nigerians’ expectations on his shoulders. While he was president in the last one year, he has largely dodged answering to such expectations thanks to the successfully well orchestrated campaign by his handlers that the year he had spent was largely spent completing someone else’s tenure (late President Yar’adua) whom he succeeded after his demise. Even though Jonathan was a vice-president under the Yar’adua administration his new team was at pains to explain that his non-stellar performance in office in the one year he succeeded President Yar’adua was because the programmes he inherited were not his programmes. But now that he has won a fresh mandate of four years as president of the country, even Jonathan himself knows he has no excuses this time. His position is not made easy by the fact that 12 years after Nigeria made another go at democracy after decades of military rule the old problems that have confronted the nation have refused to go away. In many ways the country is exactly at the point it was in 1999 when the military handed over power to the civilians. The ethnic and regional grouses over political domination and power sharing have remained, reminiscent of the June 12 crisis that has polarized the nation. Even the president, unfortunately, had to make reference to Nigeria’s civil war past when his election victory was heralded by violent protests in the north following allegations of vote rigging.

And exactly four years ago, while then vice president Jonathan and President Yar’adua stood at the Eagle Square to be sworn in they both had the specter of the rigging that had preceded the election hanging over their heads. This election is no less different in some ways except in the magnitude of condemnation that has trailed the conduct of the previous election. Just like in the past, while the president is been sworn in the opposition has gone to court to challenge his mandate. But despite all these, Jonathan remains well loved and there seem to be a general consensus that he be given the chance to prove himself.

Even though his handlers have spent the last one year trying to emphasize how different he is from his predecessor it would be difficult to avoid obvious similarities in personality and the circumstance of their ascension to power, factors which are pointers to how well the president will live up to the high expectations vested on him. Both Jonathan and Yar’adua  are men with humble public mien, a disposition Nigerians seem to admire in their leaders, as against the tough mien that reminds them of the military men who held sway in the decades past. Both men were relatively unknown people whose personalities makes them ill-fitting matches for the murky waters of Nigerian politics until former president Obasanjo handpicked them to succeed him, obviously in a bid to exercise some control in government when his bid for a third term in office failed.

Once again, Obasanjo has been a large influence in Jonathan’s emergence as president. And while most Nigerians who voted Jonathan justify the reason for their vote on the premise that they voted the man and not his party, the PDP which has been in power in the last twelve years and is largely to blame for the squandered opportunities since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule, it would be foolhardy to deny how the party and the powerful men within it had determined the performance or non-performance of the president. Yar’adua started on a good promise: he was sincere in his acknowledgement that the election that brought him was flawed and made promises of electoral reform; he made a public declaration of his assets and made promises to fight corruption; he reversed some of the controversial decision Obasanjo took while in office, especially the sale of government assets to cronies, and seem to promise he was going to distance himself from some of the actions that have made the PDP unpopular among Nigerians who had the growing perception that it is a party meant to serve purely the interest of the elites who are the ones populating it. But as the days rolled by, one after the other the hopes of Nigerians were dashed. Even after the Uwais committee on electoral reform had made its recommendations it was obvious the PDP was not comfortable with it and Yar’adua was no longer keen about it. The administration also became protective of powerful PDP men who were being prosecuted by the EFCC for corruption charges. The humble mien of the president became a metaphor for slowness in a country in urgent need of quick actions that would reverse the obvious decay taking place. Gradually, the administration withdrew into its shell where even within the PDP there is a growing sense of the isolation of the president by a cabal which seems to have hijacked power all of a sudden.

As Jonathan prepares to be sworn in as another president from the PDP stable, where he is beholden to a lot of powerful members and blocs within the party who were instrumental to his ascension to power, these are observations which raise concern about the promises he has made to Nigerians on making the country’s democracy worth the while of every of its citizens.

The big question is can he deliver on his promises of change and reform without a commensurate change and reform within the PDP itself as a political party? A telling observation is just after Jonathan was made president after the demise of Yar’adua a radical group within the PDP, The PDP Reform Group as they tagged themselves, tried to seize control of the party and tried to initiate changes that will make the party more accountable to the people. The group failed in their quest, some members of the group who felt the PDP is beyond reform left the party entirely to pitch tent with the opposition.

Another telling observation is Jonathan’s response to a recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Panel, a panel he set up to help advice his administration on the directions to take to make its impact in governance effective. On the day the panel submitted its report to him he had told them their recommendation that he reduce the size of his cabinet is impossible. While Jonathan’s excuse is constitutional constraints, the reality is a substantial number of his cabinet members will be nominated, or even probably selected by people who helped him to victory in the elections. Among these people are party godfathers and influential state governors who have seen their power and influence rise as more and more the president rely on them to bring in the votes. Now is what will be described as a payback time.

It was a similar system of reward that played out when Jonathan succeeded Yar’adua. Those who worked to thwart the effort of the cabal that seemed to have hijacked the presidency and ensure Jonathan was made acting president and later president were rewarded with ministerial slots. The dominant verdict now is the cabinet he has worked with has performed poorly. But if the president’s recent comment about maintaining continuity among ministers is anything to go by, he would be starting his fresh mandate with his old team. The question that remains is will the team or an incoming one work such wonders that will make the administration stand out?

The areas needing urgent attention are well known. Chiefly the power sector, health, education and security. Jonathan’s promises during his campaign about reforming these sectors and others are legion. But even while he was making such promises, they were not matched by a clear road map for their actualization. The presidential debate would have provided a forum for Jonathan to be challenged on some of the promises he made but he did not attend. A later debate that was organized by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission saw Jonathan debating against himself as his opponents boycotted the event out of protest to his non-attendance at the earlier debate organized by NN24. This failure has largely meant that Jonathan never got tested on his grasp of policy in a public forum. Not that this would have mattered much because it was already clear at a point that the presidential elections is largely going to be determined by ethnic and religious factors than by the ability of the candidates in the race.

But it is one of the ironies of Nigerian politics that even if the candidates owe their support and victory to sentimental reasons, immediately they are voted in Nigerians expect to see them perform in office. Jonathan is not going to be exempt from such expectations. Another equally crucial factor is how he is able to juggle the expectations of the different geopolitical zones in the country without bringing the charge of bias against him. Going by the way the nation was divided over his election, an allegation of bias is something that will further polarize the nation. But even at this Jonathan has the full weight of the expectation of the Niger Delta weighing on his shoulders because he is seen as the son of the soil who will address all the injustices of the past. How to meet these expectation without generating outcries from the other region of the country is one of the challenges he will be facing as he settles down to work.

Probably what gives some hope for the success of a Jonathan presidency is a surprising precedence set by his predecessor, Yar’adua, immediately after he settled down to work. Confounding all expectations, Yar’adua became assertive and began to shake off the influence of those who railroaded him to power, giving every indication that he was going to thread his own path not that set for him.  Luckily, Jonathan is not bogged down by health concerns. Now that his ambition to be president has been realized, he can say thank you to the godfathers and influence peddlers and maintain a clear head and begin to work for Nigerians. The only thing that will stand on his path is his courage, will and capacity. But does he have what it takes to muster all these? Only time will tell.

27,580 barrels of Shell oil spilt in Nigeria in 2010

Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell said on Friday that theft, sabotage and operational reasons caused 27,580 barrels of oil to spill from its facilities in Nigeria last year, according to a report on international news portal AFP. It added that: “Sabotage and crude oil theft was the cause of 22,310 barrels spilled from SPDC (Shell Petroleum Development Company) facilities in 112 incidents, an average of about one spill every three days,” the company said in a document.

It said the balance of 5,270 barrels was due to 32 operational spills recorded during the period. The company said security agents arrested 187 people and seized 20 tankers, 15 vehicles, 28 barges and 38 other boats allegedly involved in oil theft in 2010. Shell said it paid more than $1.7 million in compensation only to those affected by operational spills. Under Nigerian law, compensation is not paid on damages caused by sabotage.

It said that on average sabotage accounted for more than 75 percent of oil spill incidents and more than 70 percent of oil spilled from Shell facilities in the Niger Delta between 2006 and 2010. In January, environmental campaigners in the Netherlands accused Shell of destroying lives and the environment in the Niger Delta, and urged Dutch MPs to wade into the matter.

We deserve more, Nigerian kids tell leaders

The Old Parade Ground in Garki was yesterday agog with activities celebrating the Nigerian child. May 27th is a date set aside to pay attention to their needs, in an event celebrated in many parts of the world. In Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan was absent from festivities, no doubt readying for his own big day tomorrow, the inauguration at Eagle Square. But FCT Minister, Bala Muhammad, represented him, assuring Nigerian children that greater commitment would be given to their development in the country. “You are the future of the nation and we cannot afford to invest less. As it is, the future is bright for you and it is surely yours,” he said in a speech.

Among guests at the event was the Mayor of Dallas, who will be sponsoring five Nigerian children for a one-week trip to his city in the United States. The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Iyom Josphine Anenih was also in attendance and made it known that the kids to make the trip will be selected from schools that win at the marching contest.

Schools from different parts of the federal capital city came in vibrant colours and attire. Students from nursery, primary and secondary sections won trophies for the marching segnment of festivities, which is one of the main draws. Some of the students were excited but were at the same time skeptical if government really meant all they promised. “Every Nigerian child deserves the best but year-in, year-out we keep seeing deterioration in the education sector and every part of the life of an average Nigerian child,” said Veronica Obanye, a student.

For Roseline Odoh, she feels not enough attention is given to the Nigerian child as most of them feel imprisoned even in their homeland. “Yes, it is children’s day but how many of these kids were opportune to be here to celebrate this day? There are many of them out there who deserve to be celebrated but they are out there hawking and looking for a means of livelihood for themselves and their families. Also, I think the educational standard of the country should be reviewed to what can be compared with other countries. We deserve more,” said Odoh Roseline, another student.

Just like Roseline, Farida Kabir Baba, a student from a school in Area 11, Abuja, says she expects the government to be more serious with education in the country especially that of the primary and secondary levels. “I would like to give all gratitude to my parents for believing in me and giving me the necessary education, as I know thousands of my peers are out there hawking or begging on the streets,” Farida added.

Apart from different schools coming together to march-past, and listen to speeches to celebrate the day, games, outings and picnics with family and friends are also part of events organised to spice-up the occasion. A visit to Millennium Park by Weekly Trust showed that even those who could not make it to the old parade ground and had nothing in their pockets had a nice time as children and adults alike danced, ate and made merry.

A parent had this to say: “Nigerians are yet to celebrate the day of the Nigerian child in a fashion that would make the day truly important. So far, it’s only a jamboree, and nothing more. But in the future, who knows?

The Nigerian child: Living with hope and little else

Another Children’s Day has just been celebrated in Nigeria. Countries world over celebrate the day on different days and it is a day set aside to appraise the life of the child. Thus in Nigeria, of what value is the child to Nigerians and their government? Should the Children’s Day in Nigeria be a day of celebration or commiseration? Is the government doing enough for the child to warrant a celebration?

Yearly, Government budgets substantial amounts to tackle educational inadequacies in the interest of the child and other Nigerians. In its bid to eradicate illiteracy and lay a solid foundation for qualitative education through reading culture, the Federal Government launched the “Bring Back the Book” campaign last year in Lagos. Sadly though, the plan has not really taken off effectively nationwide as it is only concentrated in Abuja; for now.

Speaking through Vice President Namadi Sambo at the formal launching ceremony, Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan said the campaign was initiated against the background of the Federal Government’s commitment to sound and qualitative education based on genuine thirst for knowledge.  “This reality underscores why all of us must act in concert to bring back the book not only in the schools but the Nigerian society at large,” he said. The “Bring Back the Book” campaign is a deliberate policy designed to redress the pitfalls that have been adversely affecting the quality of education in the country for over 30 years.

Many ask what difference the book campaign will have as many kids do not even have access to a book not to talk of bringing it back. A pundit posits the programme is meant to serve the children of the well to do of our society who live in Abuja. Because, he claims, “Now, frustrated by their children’s deep affair with the facebook, they have decided to bring back the book. After spoiling their children with iPods, iPads, iPhones that have already turned them away from their books, they decided to launch bring back the book. Indeed, this programme cannot be said to be initiated for the benefit of the common man’s child who has not seen the book in the first place talk little of bringing it back! And for the common man’s children lucky enough to have seen it, they definitely have not lost it because they do not have access to facebook or the internet games to distract them.”

Another interesting programme of intervention reeled  out by government is‘ The Child’s Right Act’ which was endorsed in 2003 seeking to protect and regulate the rights of the Nigerian child as enshrined in the 1999 constitution and other subsidiary legislations.

There were varieties of laws regulating the rights of children before 2003, such as; The 1999 Constitution, Chapter IV; The Children and Young Persons Law; The Criminal Code Laws in the South and the Penal Code in the North; Adoption of Children Laws in some Southern States and Abuja; Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003, amongst others.

The Child Right Act provides for the best interest of the child and enjoins stakeholders to make this paramount in all matters concerning the child; it further imposes responsibilities on parents, guardians, institutions to make provision for the welfare of the child.

The Act had balanced the pendulum of rights and also placed some duties and responsibilities on the family, community and nation to work for the cohesion of the family unit with the aim of serving the country well in future while respecting democratic ideals. For the purpose of evaluation therefore, how far has the Nigerian child’s life changed with the enactment of the law?

As protective as the Act is, it is sad to know that it is yet to put an end to the many sufferings of the Nigerian child as evidenced on the streets. One could observe that children still suffer abuses which range from street hawking, child labour, maltreatments while serving as house helps, trafficking, and dropping out of school among others. These anomalies portray the Act as a barking dog that cannot bite.

It has been said that our laws are perfect but the operators are very weak. If the operators could rise up to the challenge, imbibing the spirit of selflessness and exhibiting true love for the nation, then our children would enjoy all their fundamental rights as provided for by the Child Right Act.

Coming to health, statistics from the ministry of health confirm that no fewer than 90,000 children die yearly from malaria, pneumonia, polio, HIV and measles which have all become a threat to child survival in Nigeria.

At the core of the high rates of child mortality are high levels of malnutrition, unhealthy environments and limited access to quality health care services. The weakness of the country’s primary health care system has continued to pose as a major challenge to child’s health in Nigeria.

In view of the above therefore, is Nigeria’s Day worth celebrating in the style it is being celebrated today? What the Nigerian child demands today is not a one day Gala event to dance and cut anniversary cakes with the First Lady or go on a jolly ride on trains with the state governor’s wife.

How to help the Nigerian child is not to stretch out a presidential handshake on every 27th of May and the next morning, the child is back to holding classes under the tree with pleasant memories of how he or she danced with the governors’ or ministers’ children. In truth, even such classes under the trees are luxuries to some of our children.

Time is indeed ripe for Nigerian government to really commit itself to the wellbeing of the child. There is no better time than now for Nigerians to grow out of the colonial mentality of celebrating Children’s Day with children’s march pass  under the scotching sun or rain; especially with the backlash of activities of vagrant children venting their frustration with the flimsiest opportunity. It is time to initiate our own home grown approach towards uplifting the life of the child as a way of celebrating the day. For instance, a dignitary could set aside Children’s Day to kick off a programme for the improvement of children in his community.  One could for instance, choose that day to start revamping a school, do all the necessary ground work to enroll and encourage children into the school and by the next year, see how many children have benefitted. And when the next anniversary returns, use the occasion to evaluate the initiative and start off another etc.

Perhaps government has not really fathomed the consequences of leaving its children to the hands of fate. Only this week, newspaper headlines carried the obscene amount of N99 billion earmarked for Niger Delta militancy rehabilitation programme in 2011 budget. Half of this amount if judiciously spent to discharge its responsibility to the innocent child would curtail chances of hundreds more turning militants in future. While government budgets such large amount for the amnesty programme, it should remember that these militants were once neglected and aggrieved children who have now turned adult rebels. Now, how does government intend to go about preventing its present young ones from turning rascals in future?

The beggarly children scavenging refuse dumps to carve a survival for themselves have a right over the resources our leaders sit fat on. It is not the choice of this innocent children or preference to lead miserable lives if at all they will be provided social support to uplift their standard of living. The same blood that run through the veins of a minister’s child runs in the body of the boy roaming the street, bowl in hand searching for a morsel to kill his hunger. While these officials design viable programmes of development of the child on paper, Nigerians actually see it happen in the lives of children of government dignitaries and their ilk and even spoil them with splendour while ours wallow in squalor. What is good for the goose is good for the gander if government is to be sincere about plight of the Nigerian child.

FG to spend N100bn on ex-militants

The 2011 Appropriation amendment bill passed by the National Assembly provides among several other things about N100 billion for settlement of ex-militants in the Niger Delta.

The ex-militants are to get N17bn as feeding allowances, N35.7bn for re-integration, N17.5bn as arrears for re-integration of transformed militants, N20.4bn for additional allocation to 6,166 ex-militants and N6.5bn as safety allowances to 20,192 transformed ex-militants (2010 arrears).

The budget which has now been read for the third time in both chambers is to be transmitted to the Presidency for assent.

President Goodluck Jonathan had returned the original N4.9tr budget passed by the National Assembly and requested for downward review to N4.407tr.

But the National Assembly jacked up the figure to N4.484tr increasing the provision for several subheads including the legislature.

Senate Leader Teslim Folarin suspended and invoked standing rules for the Senate to conclude the entire process of considering the budget proposal sent to the Senate Tuesday. In a harmonised report of the two chambers, the lawmakers jacked up the provision for the National Assembly from N120bn provided by President Jonathan to N150bn. The President had slashed the legislature’s budget down from N232bn to N120bn.

Details of the budget passed show that the lawmakers increased the Statutory Transfer by N30bn; from N387.8bn to N417.8bn to take care of additional fund for the National Assembly.

Recurrent expenditure is now N2.425trn from N2.401tr while Capital expenditure is to get N1.146tr as against N1.122tr proposed by the President.

Presenting the report of the budget amendment bill, Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore said “the decision of the Senate to pass the N4.97 trillion was based on the believe that the incoming government needs to improve on the infrastructures of the country.”

Also speaking during the budget consideration, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (ANPP, Yobe North) said “there is need for the executive to work closely with the legislature for subsequent budgets so that the minister or any other person will not come and tell us that it is not feasible.”

Ministers:Jonathan mulls Saudi, Soviet models

Frequent change of ministers and their portfolios is detrimental to national development and service delivery and the current crop of ministers may be retained for many years in order to address this problem, President Goodluck Jonathan said in Abuja yesterday. He spoke approvingly of the Saudi Arabian and old Soviet practice where some ministers were in office for 30 to 40 years.

The President, who spoke at the 2011 Presidential Inauguration Lecture at the auditorium of Foreign Affairs Ministry in Abuja, said the duration that a minister spends on the job determines his or her competence, his familiarity with government policies as well as ensures stability in the implementation of government policies. He said Nigeria has not made any significance progress in the Mines and Steel sector because of frequent changes of ministers overseeing the sector which he put at nine months’ interval.

Jonathan said, “One thing that worries me is the duration of ministers serving. For instance from Tafawa Balewa to Odein Ajumogobia, we have 24 foreign affairs ministers in 51 years; that means an average of two years per minister. How will a country drive its foreign policies?

“For a Minister to be very conversant with his or her duties, it will take an average of two years to really understand the policies of his country viz-a-viz international interest. This is the problem we are having.

“From my interaction with Ministers of Foreign Affairs of some other countries I realized that they have to stay for a longer period. For instance, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister has stayed for 30 years.

“I am not saying any minister should serve like the defunct Soviet Union that had the longest serving minister of over 40 years, but at least you will expect that a minister, if they must transform and if that person is performing above 60% average, if you must change and develop, we expect that minister to stay for a number of years.”

On the ongoing jostle for ministerial slots, the President dismissed media reports on ministerial appointments saying, “If you open the newspapers today you will read that there are people who are lobbying to be ministers and I am at the centre of it and I know that more that 60% of the stories are not true.” He said 90 percent of politicians lobbying for ministerial appointments are doing it “either for themselves or their wives.”

Dr. Jonathan also advocated for four-year capital budgets, saying only that would allow government to achieve its budget implementation and give room for long term planning. He said there is the need for both the executive and the legislature to work together on planning for the execution of projects that would affect the lives of the people.

“I am happy that for us at the Executive level, we are now talking about having a capital budget for the duration of a government. If I am to sit here for four years, why can’t I propose for capital budget of four years especially for key projects and agree with the National Assembly?”

He said the number of post election litigations in the country has dropped by 80 per cent compared to 2007 and gave the credit to his government, to which he said provided the room for transparent general elections. “I believe by 2015 we will be able to reduce it by 95 per cent and as we progress may be in the next 20 years, going to court will be a thing of history,’’ he said.

Senate backs CBN on new cash policy

The Senate yesterday expressed support for the new retail cash policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) aimed at improving cash management and banking efficiency in the country. They however called for an upward review of the minimum cash withdrawal.

Speaking during a meeting with CBN officials on the new cash policy, Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu (PDP, Abia) said the committee supports the policy but that the CBN must ensure adequate awareness before its take off.

Explaining the new cash policy to the committee, CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido said the daily limit cash withdrawal of N150,000 for individuals and N1 million for corporate bodies is to ensure that the burden of cash transactions is placed on those responsible for huge cash transactions.

He said “45 percent of total cash transaction that were done in Nigeria was in the region of zero to N10, 000 and 90 percent of daily cash transaction were less than N100, 000. Only 10 percent of the number of the transaction that are done in the banking sector are of N100, 000 and above. The 10 percent of N100, 000 and above accounts for 75 percent of the total value of cash; so what is happening is that the 90 percent poor Nigerians who do not withdraw more than N100, 000 a day are subsidizing the 10 percent rich ones.

“And what we said is that this is not fair. Those that do heavy cash transaction, they should pay for it; if you do more than N150, 000 you pay a fine. We did not say you cannot withdraw more than N150, 000. If you do, you pay a fine so that you are not subsidized by the poor Nigerians.”

Sanusi said the apex bank findings indicated that huge cash transactions was responsible for the heavy cost of banking operations which is transferred to the customers in terms of high lending rate.

He said main objective of the new policy is to evolve a cashless society saying “by the first quarter of next year, Lagos would be almost a cashless society. CBN plans to use the state as a satellite centre for the planned cashless society.”
 

Soldiers kill DPO, 6 other cops in Lagos

IGP. Hafiz Abubakar Ringim

Soldiers attached to 242 Recce Battalion at Ibereko, a small suburb of Badagry in Lagos State went on a rampage yesterday and killed 14 people including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), and his Divisional Crime Officer (DCO). The DPO was identified as CSP Samson Salisu while the DCO was identified as DSP Samuel. The soldiers were protesting the alleged killing of one of their colleagues by Policemen from the Lagos anti-crime patrol team known as Rapid Response Squad (RRS). The protest however turned ugly when the protesting soldiers ambushed and killed eight policemen, including the DPO and DCO.

A man who witnessed the episode told Daily Trust that the clash, which engulfed the ancient town of Badagry, started at about 8am yesterday. The incident happened as both Police

Affairs Minister Humphrey Abah and Police Inspector General Hafiz Ringim were paying a visit to Lagos. They hastily cut short their visit when they heard   of the fracas.

Yesterday’s   episode, described as a “reprisal attack” by the soldiers, had its roots on Monday when a policeman attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos   State government allegedly shot dead a soldier at the Badagry round about.

There were conflicting accounts of what happened to the killer. Public Relations Officer of the Army’s 81 Division Lieutenant Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya told newsmen that those who shot the soldier have since being arrested and are currently being detained by the army, but another source alleged that the trigger-happy cop was detained by the DPO while investigation was ongoing.

Those who witnessed Monday’s killing said the deceased soldier was in mufti at the time of the incident and was allegedly escorting goods suspected to be smuggled into the country when he was confronted by the RRS team. “The RRS policemen ordered the vehicle the soldier was in to stop for a search, but the soldier rebuffed the policemen’s orders. The ensuing argument led to the policeman shooting the soldier,” a witness said.

When they heard of their colleagues’ killing, soldiers from the barracks were said to have gathered around the Ibereko Bus Stop along Badagry-Seme Roundabout. The soldiers then burnt   the property of policemen living in the army barracks before they spread to the bushes and killed the policemen. They also set ablaze several police vehicles.

Another witness told our correspondent that some passers-by were also beaten by the soldiers who barricaded the highway. Commercial and vehicular activities came to a halt as residents of the area scampered to safety.

Witnesses said while the carnage lasted, travellers and residents of Badagry ran helter-skelter. All roads leading to Seme border were blocked by the   rampaging soldiers, while traders near the scene of the incident quickly closed shops and ran for cover.

Commander of the 242 Recce Battalion, Badagry, Colonel Nabara, when contacted on phone, said the matter is under control but that he would not comment any further.

Spokesman for the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, when contacted on phone, said the Army would investigate the incident.

The Police Force Public Relations Officer in Abuja DCP Olusola Amore only said two police officers were killed and others were attacked in Badagry, Lagos State by men suspected to be soldiers from 242 Recce Battalion of the Nigerian Army.

He said after the “two senior police officers paid a peace mission visit to the commanding officer of the Battalion in Badagry as a result of the alleged unfortunate killing of a soldier by policemen attached to RRS on Monday, The two officers were ambushed and killed when they were leaving the barracks.”

He urged the men on both sides to exercise restraint and stop the attacks, “as such situation will undermine the existing cordial relationship between the two services.”

Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Abubakar Ringim has ordered a high powered investigation into the case and appealed for calm as those involved in the act will be identified, arrested and prosecuted, the FPRO further said.

Attempts to get the reaction of the Army headquarters were unsuccessful last night.

It would be recalled that a similar incident occurred between personnel of the Nigeria Army’s Abalti Barracks and policemen of the Area ‘C’ in Ojuelegba, Surulere in 2005, in which several lives were lost. The Headquarters of both the Area C’ Command and the Police Divisional Headquarters were destroyed were destroyed in that episode.

Explosive devices thrown out of a moving vehicle

The Canisters

Seven canisters believed to be explosives were yesterday hauled out of a moving vehicle in Bida, Niger State.  Our correspondent gathered yesterday in Bida that the objects were dumped at the premises of the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank, (NACRDB) in Bida area. It was also gathered that following the discovery, security operatives have sealed off the area from public use pending the outcome of investigations into the matter.

Witnesses said the objects may have been planned to detonate at the NACRDB building and also possibly thrown to explode close to the residence of a prominent politician, Alhaji Musa Baba,  a former commissioner in the state.

Budget returns to NASS, failure looms

President Goodluck Jonathan has sent back the 2011 Appropriation Act to the National Assembly proposing a reduction of about N500 billion. In a budget amendment sent to the National Assembly, President Jonathan wants a downward budget review from N4.97 trillion passed by the Legislature to N4.40 trillion.

The amendment provides for reduction in Capital Expenditure from N1.562 trillion to N1.122 trillion, recurrent expenditure is to be reduced from N2.46 trillion to N2.40 trillion, Statutory Transfers is to be cut to N387.8 billion from N496.6 while Debt Services has been increased from N445 billion to N495 billion.

The President has also slashed the National Assembly’s budget by about 50 percent from N232.7 billion to N120 billion. The National Assembly had increased its budget by 100 percent on the budget proposal sent by the President.

In a letter to the Senate read by Senate President David Mark yesterday, President Jonathan said the budget amendment becomes necessary in view of present global economic realities.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the Senate session yesterday, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media Senator Ayogu Eze said the amendment to the budget is to reduce the huge deficit.

He said, “There is also a commitment on the side of Mr. President to implement whatever is in the budget that is passed 100 percent. Though I don’t have the details now, there is likely to be a budget of about N4.4 to N4.5 billion.”

The Senate also approved N236 billion as 2011 budget for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).  The FCT budget provides for N195 billion expenditure in 2011 out of which N40.7 billion is for personnel cost, N38.2 billion for overhead costs while the balance of N116 billion is for Capital Projects.

The National Communications Commission (NCC) also got a budget of N58.9 billion for 2011 after Senate adopted the report of its Committee on Communication which considered the request.

Speaking after passing the NCC budget, Senate President David Mark berated the commission for ineffectiveness saying “there are too many problems in the communication sector at the moment. The operators are taking consumers for granted and the NCC is not taking up its task of regulation work. I think they should buckle up.”

Senate also approved N9.7 billion as 2011 budget for the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) with Mark also giving marching orders to the agency to sit up.

CPC vows to stop senator’s inauguration ceremony

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has demanded that INEC declare its senatorial candidate for Niger East federal constituency, Alhaji Mohammed Inuwa Zakari, winner of the April senatorial election in the state or it would frustrate the senator-elect’s inauguration.  The Niger State chairman of the CPC, Alhaji Umaru Shuaibu, who made the call yesterday in Minna at a press conference, maintained that the recent publication of the National Assembly Vol.12 No 263 of the Lawmaker and an earlier publication on the website named Zakari as the winner.

While calling on INEC to issue a certificate of return to their candidate, the CPC chairman vowed to frustrate efforts to inaugurate Senator Kuta at the forthcoming swearing in ceremony at the National Assembly in Abuja.

“Since the PDP or its candidate is not the one on the INEC list, he or the party cannot claim any right to the Niger East senatorial seat at the forthcoming inauguration of newly elected senators”, he said.  He added that the party had to go to the tribunal to challenge the victory of incumbent Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta primarily to follow the provisions of the law but added that it had enough evidence to prove that they won.

It would be recalled that the election could not hold in Suleja due to the bomb blast that claimed several lives, leading to its postponement but was subsequently held one April 26.

The CPC chieftain maintained that the Suleja senatorial election result was declared under suspicious circumstances. He said none of the CPC returning officers was present when the result was announced, submitting that up till now the outcome of the senatorial poll in the area remained a mystery.  Shuaibu said the recent development leaves the party with no doubt of possible complicity of INEC in the process, stating that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Emmanuel Onucheyo, is yet to apologise for naming the PDP senatorial candidate who lost in Niger North senatorial election instead of the CPC member that won.

UN Sec-General arrives Nigeria

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon yesterday arrived in Abuja for a two-day visit during which he is scheduled to discuss regional peace, health and sanitation issues with the country’s officials.

Mr. Ban was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia, and later in the evening met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House in Abuja. There was no official statement on what was discussed at the meeting.

The UN chief, who is on his first visit to Nigeria since assumption of office in January 2007, is due to meet with state governors to discuss accelerating the Millennium Development Goals, according to information from the UN. He will also meet with INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega.

Mr. Ban yesterday urged the Federal Government to improve intervention efforts in ensuring access to health care for the citizenry, especially to women and children.

Speaking while inspecting the Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, the UN chief said he was in the country to personally observe the extent of government intervention as it relates to infant and maternal health.

He lamented that over the years many health systems operating in various countries have failed in providing quality health care to women and children.

“Nigeria has done well in polio and in reducing maternal and infant mortality, and they are saving lives which is commendable and I am here to observe their progress and share this experience with the world.

“Providing care for mothers and children is top on my priority, because I believe that when you provide quality health to women and children, you breed health society which in turns makes a health world,” he said.

He noted that 1,000 women along with 22,000 children die on daily basis which according to him is “totally and truly unacceptable situation, as most of these deaths are preventable.”

Earlier the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, reiterated the Nigerian government’s effort in providing care for women and children adding that in line with their commitment during the MDGs meeting in New York over 4,000 midwives have been deployed to rural areas to provide care.

He said Nigeria has witnessed positive improvement with regard to attaining the MDGs especially with the reduction of infant-maternal mortality, polio and a reduction in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.

Also speaking, FCT Minister Bala Muhammed said the administration has redefined its policies on health, specifically in the areas of primary health care, immunization and provision of care to women and children.

The Ministry of Defence yesterday denied reports that while in Nigeria Mr. Ban will discuss the crisis in Libya. Director of Defence Information in Abuja Colonel Mohammed Yerima said, “I am not aware of any meeting with the UN Secretary General.”

Why govs disagreed with Obasanjo –Saraki

Lack of collaboration on common issues of development was responsible for periodic clashes between the federal and state governments during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Bukola Saraki has said.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Governor Saraki said it was not in the interest of the Federal Government to be battling states, pointing out that collaborative efforts between the two levels of government beginning from President Yar’adua’s regime have helped to produce results that ensured progress on matters of national interest.

“I think the country has more to gain in the collaboration of states and Federal Government than just to be tackling ourselves all the time. Look at the Fiscal Responsibility bill, Procurement law that the states agreed to sign into law. Under Obasanjo everybody refused to sign. Obasanjo said ‘go and sign’ we said ‘no we cannot sign, you cannot force us.’ But under the next administration it was give and take. Okay, you are talking about excess crude; we must sign these laws,” he said.

Saraki said the Federal Government’s collaboration with states should not be misconstrued as weakness, stressing that this understanding has led state governments to inject funds into the police force as well as the power sector.

Saraki who will be inaugurated as senator on June 6 said he was satisfied that he is leaving a more focused and value oriented forum. He became chairman of the forum in 2007 and survived an attempt to remove him in the run up to the PDP presidential primaries in January this year.


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Sambo commends Goje over Jewel Hotel

Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has commended Gombe State Governor Muhammad Danjuma Goje for building the ultra-modern Gombe Jewel Hotel in Abuja, saying the project would not only attract revenue for the state but open up the country as a preferred tourism destination in Africa.

Sambo, who stated this during the official commissioning ceremony of the hotel in Abuja on Saturday, said the project was in line with the Federal Government resolve to ensure that Nigeria markets her tourism potentials properly by providing state-of the-art luxury accommodation and catering facilities for discerning tourists.

He said, “to properly compete in the tourism market, you need affordable and well-packaged accommodation facilities which are the basic needs of both leisure and business tourism.”

Sambo noted that recent forecast by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) indicated that tourism would play an increasingly important role in the new millennium and by the year 2020, tourism traffic would triple with 1.6 billion tourists visiting countries and spending $2 trillion, noting that Nigeria must work hard to reap huge benefits from this windfall and assume her rightful place in the comity of nations.

Sambo also used the occasion to renew the commitment of the Federal Government towards providing sufficient and stable electricity which, he said, would “substantially lower the costs of production and operations for our industries, improving their transnational competitiveness.”

Earlier, Goje had said that the hotel was one of the abandoned projects inherited from his predecessor since 2003. He said having adjudged it as economically viable and a politically worthwhile venture, he embarked on the project to expand the revenue base of the state.

He said the hotel was one of many projects he had embarked on and disclosed that projects such as the Gombe olympic-size stadium and the Gombe International Hotel have been slated for commissioning.

C’ttee: Shekarau spent N4bn on hotel bills

Governor Ibrahim Shekarau’s outgoing administration in Kano State incurred hotel bills of nearly N4 billion in the past eight years, according to findings of the transition committee raised by governor-elect Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

Of this amount, N3 billion has already been paid to the three hotels, which operate in the state, while the government still owes them N805 million.

Spokesman for Kwankwaso, Malam Jaafar Jaafar, who announced the findings of the transition committee in a statement in Kano yesterday, did not name the hotels affected.

“Kano State government under Shekarau is transacting with many other hotels in Kano, Abuja and Lagos. This amount is just for three hotels, and the transition committee is trying to know the cost incurred in the other hotels,” Jafar said.

But Shekarau’s media aide Sule Ya’u Sule said he doubted the committee’s claims, saying he was not aware of such expenses.

A source in the Kwankwaso committee said the spending was at the expense of the once vibrant state-owned Daula Hotel which suffered neglect by the outgoing administration.

The source said if the hotel was in proper shape, more revenue would be generated for government in addition to cutting hotel expenses for government officials and other guests.

Jafar, the Kwankwaso committee spokesman, said the transition committee was facing some hitches in trying to know the actual amount the state government spent on the other hotels apart from the mentioned three.

While expressing dismay over the enormous nature of the liabilities, the spokesman also said the cost was “uncalled for in view of the economic hardship Shekarau administration plunged the state into.”

“To say the truth, this is beyond politics. It is sheer mismanagement and misapplication of public funds. It is sad that the money that should otherwise be channeled to the public schools or hospitals is being wasted in hotels,” he said.

He said the committee’s findings indicated that most of the hotel rooms and suites were not used for official purposes but were permanently kept for years by government officials and politicians.

“Although one cannot rule out seeking the hotel services, the cost is obviously outrageous,” he said.

Reacting to the committee’s findings, spokesman for Shekarau, Malam Sule, said he was not aware of such expenses. He said such kind of things were normal and expected when an opposition party took over the reins of power.

“We are not surprised at all over all these findings because we all know what Kwankwaso will do to tarnish the image of the outgoing administration,” he said.

Shekarau, who tenure ends on Sunday, May 29, took over eight years ago from Kwankwaso after winning a fiercely contested election. The two had a running battle over how Kwankwaso run his four-year term between 1999 and 2003.

Shekarau raised an inquiry commission into Kwankwaso’s administration, which returned an indictment but which Kwankwaso challenged in court.

With the defeat by Kwankwaso of Shekarau’s anointed ANPP candidate in last month’s elections, there have been fears across Kano that the incoming administration would be vindictive.

Visa denial: CPC asks FG to apologise to Campbell

The federal government should offer unreserved apology to former United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell, for denying him visa over “his candid opinion about the country.”

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) made the call yesterday in a statement issued at the weekend by its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fa-shakin.

The CPC said the apology is necessary “so as to bring about a quick resolution of this infernal impasse.”

Fashakin said: “As a party, we are convinced that the real reason for this show of unreasonableness is not unconnected with Mr John Campbell’s critical commentaries in recent times on the shenanigans of this PDP-led Federal Government.”

“Undoubtedly, Mr. Campbell is unjustifiably being persecuted for his candid opinion about the country, more so that Nigeria’s Ambassador to US, Professor Ibidapo Adebowale Adefuye had threatened that his visa would not be reviewed when expired. As stakeholders in the Nigerian enterprise, we are appalled by this descent to infantile and thuggish diplomacy because the Nigerian nation is projected in bad light, among the comity of nations, by this latest action of the Federal Government.”

“It is our considered opinion that if the Nigerian government has strong aversion to Mr. Campbell’s recent communication on Nigeria, there are available diplomatic channels to ventilate such grievance. We insist that this government’s action is faux pas and has, inexorably, enhanced Mr. Campbell’s diplomatic status rather than vitiating it.”

“In his inimitable brutally audacious style, Mr. Campbell had also written about the flawed 2007 elections and pre-election polling project thus: ‘Shortly before the 2007 elections, a government cabinet minister came to see me with polling results that ostensibly showed overwhelming support for the governing People’s Democratic Party. In hindsight, the Obasanjo government’s sharing of poll results with the diplomatic community looks like it was part of an orchestrated campaign to try and give credibility to the electoral outcomes despite the massive PDP rigging of the elections.”