AU rejects Mali rebels' independence call

By Agency Reporter 

 

Ivory Coast Chief of Staff General Soumaila Bakayoko speak at the beginning of a meeting with West African military chiefs in Abidjan on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images

The head of the African Union Commission rejected on Friday a declaration of independence by rebels in the north of Mali and called on the rest of the world to shun their secession bid.
"(AU Commission chair Jean Ping) firmly condemns this announcement, which is null and of no value whatsoever. He calls on the international community as a whole to fully support this principled position of Africa," Reuters quoted the continental grouping as saying in a statement.

Reps rue death of Nigerian woman in U.S

By Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi

 

Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal

The House of Representatives has decried the shooting of a 40-year old Nigerian woman in the United States by a lone gunman.
The woman, Mrs. Doris Chibuko, a mother of three was just two months away from graduating from the Korean Nursing School, Oakland’s Oikos University, East Oakland, California.
Chibuko met her death, when the gunman opened fire indiscriminately on students and staff of the school on Monday, April 2, 2012.
In her condolence message, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman House Committee on Dispora, noted that the deceased worked as a lawyer in Nigeria before her departure for the U.S.
Before her untimely death, Mrs. Chibuko was on the verge of launching a second career in nursing, eight months into a one-year vocational programme.
“The House Committee on Dispora sends its heartfelt condolences to the husband, Mr. Efanye Chibuko, the children - Chemelie 3, Ify 5, Chioma 8 and her mother who also lives in Oakland.

SSS to train NOA on intelligence gathering

By The Nation: Gbenga Omokhunu 

 

Mr. Ita

The Directorate of State Security Service (SSS) has offered to train staff of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in intelligence gathering.

 The Director-General of SSS, Mr. Ekpenyong Ita, made this known when he received the NOA Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri on a working visit to the SSS.

 It said reports from NOA to the Service must have intelligence value to enable the service take the requisite security measures.

 Consequently, he announced the willingness of the SSS to build the capacity of NOA in this regard and appealed to Nigerians to avail the SSS of intelligence reports to facilitate pro-active strategies as against reactionary security measures.

 According to a statement issued on Friday by NOA spokesman, Fidel Agu, the SSS boss commended the NOA for its role in creating security awareness across the nation and for providing security reports to the SSS.

 He harped on the need for infrastructural development, the lack of which, he said, provides conducive environment for the recruitment of terrorists.

 Ita warned that the country must not allow criminal elements make life difficult for its people. 

 This, he said, can be achieved by constructive engagement of the people in security matters.

 While commending the SSS for its resilience and the patriotism of its men in combating insecurity in the country, the NOA Director-General disclosed the willingness of his agency for closer team work with the SSS towards ensuring that Nigeria is one of the safest places to live on the planet.

 Omeri said that jingles and posters alone were insufficient to raise the consciousness of Nigerians to the required level on security matters.

Why Boko Haram persists - Senate leader

By The Nation: Nicholas Kalu

 

Ndoma-Egba

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, has said the "large army of uneducated young men and women" in Northern Nigeria is largely responsible for the Boko Haram menace in the country.
Speaking during the Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba Scholarship Award Ceremony for the 2012/2013 academic year in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Friday, he said if youths in the northern part of the Nigeria were educated, they would not be used to cause mayhem in the country.
Ndoma-Egba, who represents the Southern Senatorial District in Cross River State, said education is the only true gift anyone can get.
The senator, who recollected how he nearly dropped out of school because of three pounds, expressed gratitude to one late Mr. Paul Erokoro, who came to his rescue during the period.
"You see how just three pounds that did not even mean anything to Mr. Erokoro produced a Senate Leader today," he said.

Malawi president dies

By Agency Reporter

 

Watharika

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has died after a heart attack, medical and government sources said on Friday, although few of his countrymen mourned a leader widely seen as an autocrat responsible for a stunning economic collapse.
The 78-year-old was rushed to hospital in Lilongwe on Thursday after collapsing but was dead on arrival, the sources told Reuters.
State media said he had been flown to South Africa for treatment although his immediate whereabouts remained unclear.
Medical sources said the former World Bank economist had been flown out because a power and energy crisis in the nation of 13 million was so severe the Lilongwe state hospital would have been unable to carry out a proper autopsy or even keep his body refrigerated.
Many Malawians blamed Mutharika personally for the economic woes, which stemmed ultimately from a diplomatic spat with former colonial power Britain a year ago.
"We know he is dead and unfortunately he died at a local, poor hospital which he never cared about - no drugs, no power," said Chimwemwe Phiri, a Lilongwe businessman waiting in a snaking line of cars for fuel at a petrol station.
There was no official announcement. State media said a statement would be made at midday (1000 GMT).
As rumours of the death of the self-styled 'Economist in Chief' swept the capital on Thursday night, there were even pockets of drunken jubilation among locals who saw him turning back the clock on 18 years of democracy in the 'Warm Heart of Africa'.
"I am yet to see anyone shedding a tear for Bingu," said Martin Mlenga, another businessman. "We all wished him dead, sorry to say that."  

Gunmen kill eight in Nasarawa

By Agency Reporter

 

Governor Al-Makura

The Police in Nasarawa State on Friday confirmed the death of eight persons as suspected gunmen attacked Duduguru village in Jenkwe council development area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Cornelius Ocholi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia on that trouble started on Tuesday when armed men suspected to be herdsmen, invaded the area killing two persons.
He said the situation was brought under control following the prompt response of security agents deployed to the area.
Ocholi added that the situation took a different dimension on Thursday as the suspected assailants, numbering more than 100 invaded another part of the village and shot dead eight persons, burnt down houses and farm produce.
He said the situation had been brought under control as more security men had been deployed to the area to secure it.
Ocholi could not confirm the number of arrest made.
``As we speak, more than 10 patrol vehicles have been deployed to the area for surveillance and about 100 mobile policemen from the mobile unit in Akwanga have been drafted to restore peace in the area,” he said.
The police spokesman disclosed that the state police commissioner, Abayomi Akeremale, accompanied Governor Umaru Al-Makura and other security chiefs in the state to the area on Thursday for an on-the-spot assessment of the crisis.
He said the commissioner suggested the establishment of a mobile police station in the area to maintain peace.
Meanwhile, Al-Makura has given the assurance that his administration would bring perpetrators of the dastardly act to book.
He said government was seriously disturbed over the situation and promised to establish mobile police units in all flash points across the state as part of measures to checkmate future occurrence.

Ex-World Bank managers back Okonjo-Iweala

By Vanguard: Babajide Komolafe & Uduma Kalu
LAGOS — As the World Bank gets set to interview the three candidates vying for its presidency from April 9-11 before announcing its decision the following week, a group of former World Bank officials, including one-time chief economist, Francois Bourguignon, said it supported Nigerian Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy to become the lender’s president even as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said Nigeria’s nominee was the best candidate for World Bank top job.
The 39 former managers, in a letter to the bank’s members, cited Okonjo-Iweala’s “deep experience in international and national issues of economic management” and said she had the ability to increase the bank’s effectiveness. Okonjo-Iweala, who was a managing director at the bank until last August, “would hit the ground running and get things done from the start,” the letter said.
According to the former World Bank officials, “challenges for the future president range from international fundraising to brokering agreements on global issues and while all the three presidency candidates, including former Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo, have strong qualifications, Okonjo-Iweala’s skills cover the full spectrum of criteria. Uri Dadush, a former World Bank director of policy and one of the 39 signatories, provided a copy of the letter.
The US is the bank’s largest shareholder and has always picked the bank’s president, a tradition that’s now being disputed by rival candidates. The US nominee, Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim, has received an endorsement from countries including Canada and Japan. Kim has been on a world tour to seek advice about priorities for the bank.
The former officials endorsing Okonjo-Iweala, who said they wrote in their personal capacities, include Mustapha Nabli, governor of Tunisia’s central bank, and Jean-Michel Severino, who headed France’s International Development Agency from 2001 to 2010.
Okonjo-Iweala is best candidate — Sanusi
Meanwhile, CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi, has said Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is the best candidate for the President of the World Bank.
Sanusi said this in Lagos, Wednesday night, while fielding questions from journalists  at the  send-forth for the International Finance Corporation  (IFC) Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Caribbean and Western Europe, Mr. Thierry Tanoh.
He said: “Before I said it, The Economist has said it, The Financial Times has said it and I don’t think there is anybody that doubts that Ngozi is the candidate to beat there. We are talking about somebody who is competent, not because she is a Nigerian, black or a woman, but because of her curriculum vitae, her education, and her experience. There is simply no candidate out there on merit that can compete with her.
“So we do hope, as they have said, that it would be a merit-based contest. We do hope that the Americans and Europeans would practice what they preach to us and actually allow merit to reign.”
Sanusi commends IFC
In his remarks at the send forth, Sanusi commended IFC for standing by Nigeria during the banking crisis and supporting the banking sector reforms. The support of the IFC, he said, helped sustain confidence in the Nigerian banking system and in the economy, adding that the corporation not only supported the reforms, it also continued to invest in Nigeria.
He said: “When you have a banking crisis, your biggest problem is not how to raise liquidity, not how to raise capital, but to make sure that confidence does not disappear because once there is no confidence, nothing will work.
Then, when we needed credible institutions that would come up and say what we did was right, at that time, the IFC was one of the first that came to meet us and issued a public statement in support of the actions that we had taken and effectively said what we did was what central banks everywhere should be doing.
“And that was all we needed. That was one moment that as an institution, as a country, we remain grateful to the IFC for. And since then, they (the IFC) have moved their investments from the bank to other sectors of the economy.
“I know people would think that as the Central Bank governor, I will want the investments to remain in the banks. But we need to diversify the economy. The banks in Nigeria will not grow in the long-term until we have the structural adjustment into manufacturing, into agriculture and agro-business, into power and these would not happen without the basic infrastructure.
“And these are the kind of things that the IFC is focussed on. We have tried to use the CBN balance sheet to support power, agriculture and somebody has been trying to chat me up to go into real estate, but I won’t go there. I am going to start buying into shopping malls.
“But certainly, the IFC has worked like a development bank with an eye on returns. So, and I think that is one of the reasons I believe Ngozi is the best President for the World Bank, that you can do development in a manner that is consistent with economics.”
“That is, you can make good money while contributing to growth and development. If you invest in Nigerian power sector, you make a lot of money and by generating power, you create jobs and you lift people out of poverty. If you invest in infrastructure, it is the same thing.
So, there is so much you can do in this country to make money and move so many people out of poverty. And that is what the IFC has done.  For me as a policy maker and as a member of the economic management team, these are the type of thing we would like to see.”

Subsidy removal: Nwabueze, Utomi, others 48 sue FG

By Vanguard: Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA — Fifty eminent Nigerians led by  Prof. Ben Nwabueze, have approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to declare the increase in fuel pump price from N65 to N97 announced by the Federal Government on January 15, as unlawful, null and void.
The plaintiffs named President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President, Speaker of House of Reps, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the 36 state governors as co-defendants in the suit.
Other plaintiffs in the suit are Mr Balarabe Musa, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Kalu Idika Kalu, Prof. Pat Utomi; late Gani Fawehinmi’s wife, Ganiyat; Shehu Sanni, Dr Fredrick Fasheun, among others.

Protesters at Mobolaji Johnson road Ikeja during the peaceful protest, against deployment of soldiers to Lagos state and new price of fuel, by Fed Govt, organised by National Action Coalition of Democracy, in Lagos . Photo; Bunmi Azeez

In their originating summons, the litigants contended that going by provisions of Section 7 of the PPPRA and Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution, the defendants were not empowered to validly increase the pump price of petrol as was done on January 15, 2012 from N65 per litre to N97 per litre.
They stressed that by virtue of Section 81 of the 1999 constitution, the defendants cannot sit as a body or in consultation with one another and validly take any decision affecting the appropriation of revenue accruing to the Federation and, in particular, the removal of subsidy on petrol without a valid appropriation Act.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, has already assigned the case file to Justice Adamu Bello.
Specifically, the plaintiffs, through their lawyer, Festus Keyamo, are asking the court to declare that  the purported increase of petrol pump price from N65 to N97 by the defendants while sitting as a body or in consultation with one another is in violation of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 7 of the PPPRA Act and, therefore, null and void and of no effect.
“To nullify the decision of the defendants increasing the price of petrol from N65 to N97 on the grounds that the defendants’ action contravened Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution  and section 7 of the PPPRA Act.
Besides, they asked the court to direct President Jonathan to immediately reverse the price of petrol from N97 to N65 per litre.
The case has been fixed for mention on May 22.

Robbery attack: Ekene Dili Chukwu apologises to students, parents

By Vanguard: Theodore Opara EKENE Dili Chukwu Transport Company, yesterday, apologised to the parents and students of Holy Rosary College Enugu, over last Saturday’s robbery attack along Oke-Odo end of Shagamu/Benin Expressway, Ijebu Ode.
The firm, however, maintained that the students were neither hurt nor sexually molested.
The company’s legal adviser, Mr. Frank Obayagbona, while briefing newsmen on the robbery attack said: “Our company sympathises with the students and their parents for the inconvenience, emotional and psychological trauma they may have subjected to as a result of the unfortunate incident.
“We are ready as a responsible corporate entity to work with parents of the children with a view of helping them overcome the traumatic experience medically and otherwise to the best of our ability.”
Maintaining that the children were never hurt or sexually molested during the armed robbery incident, as was widely reported in the press, the legal adviser maintained that their concern was the welfare of the children and how to join hands with their parent to help them overcome the trauma. He added that the interest of the children was very important to his company.
“At the time students were rescued and a head count conducted, we inquired whether any of them (students) was hurt or sexually molested but they all confirmed they were fine and not molested. Even the woman who was a representative of the Parent Teachers’Association in the bus at the time they were all rescued confirmed that non of them was sexually molested.”
Explaining further, he said there was no report made to the police by any of the students or the female representative that they were sexually molested, adding that they were shocked by the unsubstantiated report in the media that the students were raped.

America worried over poverty in Nigeria, says ambassador

By Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja and Wale Adepoju

 

•McCulley

The United States (U.S.) yesterday said it is concerned about poverty situation in the country.

Its ambassador in Nigeria, Terence McCulley, said in order to reverse the trend, U.S. would work with government to alleviate poverty.

 McCulley said the U.S. government, through its agencies, would support the energy sector, Niger Delta, education, agriculture and regional security. The ambassador, who spoke to reporters via the telephone, said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to that effect recently. 

McCauley said President Goodluck Jonathan’s economic agenda offered incredible opportunity for poverty alleviation, adding that the U.S. would help to build capacity of Nigerians to curb insurgency in the country. 

He condemned the August 26 bombing of last year and other bombings, which, he added, affected the country and international community.

He said the U.S. was concerned about the extreme ideology of the Boko Haram group, saying it would carry out educational programmes to ensure the development of the North. He identified Bauchi and Sokoto as states which require education and public health programmes. 

He said: “The U.S. government will improve children’s education and restore hope for their future.” 

He said the U.S.  plans to extend its outreach to Kano. He said the threat by Boko Haram might stop the US from opening its embassy in Kano.

He said: "We are committed to partnership with Nigeria and we have programmes with the Nigerian Police in various capacities. I think that there would continue to be challenges and Nigeria can count on partners like the United States to help build capacities to address these challenges."    

On the fight against corruption in Nigeria, he said: "We have a variety of programmes to build capacity of the EFCC. We saluted the nomination of Chairman Ibrahim Lamorde. For a year and half, we tried to raise nomination because we recognised that the EFCC had not been able to fulfill its mandate. 

"We have a variety of training programmes in place to build the capacity of EFCC workers. Chairman Lamorde is going to Washington in a week's time to have similar discussion with law enforcement and other agencies. At every opportunity, we talk about the need to address the problem of corruption. It is a dialogue we carry out at the highest level of this government and we recognize there is a problem. But I think we are deploying resources to assist the government of Nigeria to address this problem and it is part of our public diplomacy message."

EFCC uncovers another N9b police pension fraud

By Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Abuja

 

 EFCC chair Lamorde

THERE seems to be no end to the pension fund scam.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it has uncovered another N9billion fraud in the Police Pension Office.

The cash was withdrawn between 2007 and 2008. Some of the six suspects standing trial over the N32.8billion police pension scam are said to have been involved.

The six suspects on trial before Justice Abubakar Talba of the FCT High Court in Gudu are the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira.

The anti-graft agency has kept key witnesses who will testify against the six suspects in protective custody.

These facts are contained in a counter-affidavit deposed to in court by the EFCC through one of its detectives, Simon Iorzua, who was a member of the team that discovered the N32.8billion scam.

The EFCC’s deposition reads in part: “That the team is still investigating the accused/applicants on account of other funds allegedly misappropriated by them while at the Police Pension Office.

“That apart from the present charge, our team also discovered that the accused/applicants in the period of 2007 – 2008 withdrew N9 billion with First Bank and there is an ongoing investigation on the involvement of the accused/applicants.

“That our team further stumbled on some other accounts being operated by the accused/applicants in other commercial banks which they did not disclose to our team during interrogation.

“That the Commission is still investigating other complaints against the applicants bordering on money laundering, fraudulent acquisition of properties and misappropriation of public funds.”

The EFCC expressed concern about the safety of some of its key prosecution witnesses.

Although the commission did not give the exact figure of the witnesses in the affidavit, a source said “they are more than 10”.

The affidavit added: “That the accused/applicants corruptly enriched themselves as public servants and diverted the funds of the Police Pension Office to their personal use.

That I know as a fact that the evidence gathered against the Applicants by my team is overwhelming...

“That some of the proposed prosecution witnesses are civil servants who worked with or under the accused/applicants as junior workers at one time or the other.

“That many of the proposed prosecution witnesses are now apprehensive and some of them are in protective custody as a result of continuous threat to their lives by the applicants’ agents and persons connected with them.”

The anti-graft commission gave the details of its investigation and specific findings on how the funds were looted.

It added: “That the EFCC received an intelligence report to the effect that over N19 billion was withdrawn from the account of the Police Pension Office by 5th Applicant (Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula) herein in violation of the e-payment circular and the financial regulation.

“That it was alleged in the intelligence report that at various times, the 1st – 3rd accused/applicants (Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo and Ahmed Inuwa Wada) in collaboration with the other applicants, authorised the fraudulent withdrawals of the said funds and shared same among themselves.

“That the Commission accessed the intelligence report and found same to be credible. The intelligence report was further referred to my team for further investigation.

“That my team went into action by investigating the case and our investigation revealed the following:

“The 1st accused/applicant (Esai Dangabar) was the director in the Police Pension Office between 2008 and 2009.

“That the 2nd accused/applicant (Atiku Abubakar Kigo) was a director in the Police Pension Office between February 2010 and February 2011.

“That the 3rd accused/applicant (Ahmed Inuwa Wada) was a director in the Police Pension Office between February 2010 and June 2011.

“That the 4th accused/applicant (John Yakubu Yusufu) was an Assistant Director, accounts in the Police Pension Office between February 2009 and September 2011.

“The 5th accused/applicant (Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula) has been with the Police Pension Office since 1999 and she is currently the cashier of the office.”

The 6th accused/applicant (Sani Habila Zira) “is the Head of ICT (Information Communication Technology).

EFCC gets order to paste criminal charge on Sylva’s home

By Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

 

Former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva,

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday got the legal nod to paste criminal charges against former Bayelsa  State Governor Timipre Sylva, at his Abuja residence.
Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted the order, following an ex-parte motion for substituted service by the EFCC counsel, Oghenevo Otemu.
Sylva is facing a six-count criminal charge of criminal conspiracy and conversion of state property and resources amounting to N2.45 billion while in office.
The motion brought pursuant to Section 90 of the Criminal Procedure Act and the inherent jurisdiction of the  court prayed for “an order granting leave to the complainant/applicant to serve the charge sheet, criminal summons and any other processes in this case on the accused by substituted means to wit: Pasting same on the gate of No 3, River Niger Street, off Dan-Obe Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, which is the accused’s ordinary residence”.
Justice Bello had at the last sitting refused application to serve Sylva the charge through his counsel. 
In an affidavit in support of the application, Ibrahim Ahmed, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, attached to the EFCC averred that all efforts to serve the charge on the accused personally had proved abortive.
*That the accused  is aware that this charge has been filed against him.
*That I have been to the accused residence at No 3 River Niger Street, off Dan-Obe Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, severally to effect service of the charge sheet on him personally but I was always told by his aides at the gate of the premises that he is not around.
That the accused,  being a former governor, is always surrounded by aides, which, makes it impossible to reach him personally with court processes.
*That the accused will definitely know of the charge sheet and the criminal summons if this application is granted and the processes are served by pasting same at his residence…
*That the accused will not be prejudiced if the application is granted
According to the charge filed by Festus Keyamo, Sylva allegedly perpetrated the illegal act through proxies under the false pretence of using the amount to augment salaries of the Bayelsa State Government.
The alleged offences are contrary to Sections 14(1) and 17(a) and punishable under Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004.
They are also contrary to Sections 1(1)(b) and 8(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2004.
The proxies allegedly used by the former governor are Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in Fin Bank; Enson Benmer Limited with Account No. 6152030001946, in First Bank and John Daukoru with Account No. 04800250000418 in United Bank for Africa (UBA).

NY Times picks Okonjo-Iweala over Obama’s choice

By Vanguard: Uduma Kalu THE influential New York Times, perhaps,  has picked  Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala over US President Barack Obama’s nominee for the World Bank presidency, Jim Yong Kim.
Comentators on the paper said: “Whereas Okonjo-Iweala has already attracted strong endorsements from publications at the cutting edge of global financial journalism like The Economist, and The Financial Times, this new endorsement enhances the profile of Okonjo Iweala.
Conventional qualities
The New York Times is unequivocal in its support saying as an “economist, diplomat and former World Bank managing director, she offers many conventional qualities of bank presidents” adding, “she breaks the mould as a woman from an African country where she fought to reduce the country’s debt, gain greater access to international credit markets and battle corruption.”
Advancing merit over politics, and given the current global economic and social challenges, Okonjo-Iweala, is the best fit for the presidency of the World Bank, the paper said, even as the influential newspaper praised Obama’s choice as an “inspired choice.”

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

More importantly also, argues the paper, the tradition that allows all presidents of the World Bank to be American, just as the headship of the International Monetary Fund traditionally goes to Europeans is antiquated and needs be replaced by a merit-centred consideration.
The New York Times noted, however, that what the bank needed was “a president with experience beyond Washington’s narrow political and economic circles.” It posited that although “Dr. Kim has worked on development in the poorest countries, one major success: leading a World Health Organization initiative that provided access to H.I.V. treatment to millions of people, the new president must also tackle broader issues of economics and growth, and manage the prickly political leaders who are the bank’s overseers. That is why the bank board must take a serious look at Dr. Kim’s strongest challenger, Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s finance minister.”
The paper argued that nevertheless, a merit-based consideration should not exclude qualified Americans, the paper said, but even as much, “neither should it guarantee them a job” in a world where emerging economies contribute a significant share to global growth, and are “rightly demanding a greater say in decision-making.”
Global health expert
Yong Kim is a South Korean-born medical doctor and president of Ivy League Dartmouth College of whom the paper admits,“ has a stellar reputation as a global health expert.”
Of the third candidate, José Antonio Ocampo, a Professor at Columbia University in New York, and who is the former Colombian finance minister and high-ranking United Nations official, the paper said “he, too, is a credible contender with long experience in development and international policy.” However, with regards to Dr. Kim, the paper said: “The bank will almost certainly do well under his leadership. But it would do even better if the process for choosing the next president were truly competitive and fully transparent.”

31 journalists killed in three months

By Vanguard
GENEVA  (AFP) – The number of journalists killed while doing their job in the first three months of the year reached 31, up 50 percent from 21 deaths a year ago, media watchdog Press Emblem Campaign said Monday.
In strife-torn Syria, nine journalists lost their lives during the period, including famed American war correspondent Marie Colvin.
Brazil was also turning out to be dangerous for media workers this year, with five journalists killed in the three months.
Three journalists lost their lives in Somalia, while two each perished in India, Bolivia and Nigeria.
In the whole of 2011, 107 journalists were killed.

Okonjo-Iweala best candidate to lead World Bank, Jonathan canvasses

President Goodluck Jonathan Monday issued a strong statement in support of Africa’s  World Bank pick, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy.
In a statement made available today the president said that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s knowledge and expertise make her the best candidate to lead the World Bank.
Below is the President’s statement
I am very pleased to note the staunch support and universal acclaim elicited by the nomination of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, as a candidate for the post of World Bank President.
I am particularly appreciative of the strong endorsement and proactive backing for her candidature as Africa’s nominee for this very important position by fellow Heads of State across the continent, the African Union Commission, ECOWAS and African Ministers of Finance, Economy and Planning.
It is noteworthy that other developing countries, prominent individuals and organizations across the globe, including development experts, national and international media, Think Tanks, and Civil Society groups, have been very supportive of her nomination.
I also acknowledge the positive role played by Nigeria’s legislature, and other prominent groups, including members of Nigeria’s vibrant media, in lending strong support to her candidature.  These have given Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s campaign a tremendous momentum, which we welcome.
As a preeminent development institution, the World Bank is well-positioned to play an important role in partnering with Developing countries to promote growth, tackle poverty and uplift living standards.
Accordingly, the leadership of the institution matters greatly and must be chosen with utmost care.
It matters even more in a complex, increasingly inter-connected global environment characterized by volatility and uncertainty.
It is for this reason that there is a resounding call to ensure an open, transparent and merit-based process in the election of the  World Bank President, which our country aligns with, and which has been promised by the G-20 Countries as well as the World Bank’s Development Committee.
We firmly believe that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s knowledge and expertise, as well as the depth and breadth of her experience make her the best candidate to lead the World Bank. She has first-hand experience of managing complex financial and economic development issues at national and international levels, deploying her skills with demonstrated passion, commitment and professionalism.
She has also shown a high degree of innovation and drive, while exhibiting a strong ability to integrate and manage interwoven problems of development in infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, and other sectors in her expanded role as Coordinating Minister for the Economy.
I am firmly convinced that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership will be beneficial, both to the World Bank and to its principal stakeholders.
I also believe that it would be immensely beneficial to Africa and the developing world at large.  Nigeria urges that her candidacy receives fair consideration in an open, transparent and merit-based process, which should be embraced by all stakeholders.

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Why Jonathan is yet to sign budget

By The Nation: Yusuf Alli and Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

 

•Dr Jonathan

THE President is yet to sign the budget because of some technical errors in the document, The Nation learnt at the weekend.
But the Budget Office and National Assembly committees may meet this week to “clean up” the document. After the clean-up, the Budget Office will then advise Dr Goodluck Jonathan to sign the document or not.
After harmonisation, the Senate and the House of Representatives on March 15 passed a budget of N4.88 trillion with a benchmark of $72 per barrel.
The vote was increased from N4.65 trillion proposed by the Executive.
It was gathered that although the budget was passed on March 15, the Executive did not get the details until last Wednesday from the National Assembly.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The main bill was submitted two weeks ago, but the government did not get the details until March 28.
“These details were about 3,000 pages and upon the receipt of these, the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance worked round the clock to analyse the details.
“The Budget Office had completed the analysis yesterday but it noticed some technical errors in the bill as passed by the National Assembly.
“These technical errors have to be cleaned up before the Budget Office can advise the President to assent the 2012 budget or not.”
Asked to be specific on the technical errors, the source added: “For example, there are some ongoing projects in the Niger Delta but no money was allocated for their completion. The funds meant for the projects were put elsewhere.
“Also, since the National Assembly raised the benchmark to $72 per barrel, it means automatically that statutory funds for the NDDC and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) will go up. But the reverse was the case in the bill sent.
“We have many other errors like that which we need to clean up.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “There is no disagreement between the Presidency and the National Assembly at all on this budget.”
Another official in the Budget Office said: “The budget has not been sent to the President for his signature because of some “irregularities” with the budget the legislators passed.
“The irregularities noticed in the 2012 budget by the ministry and the Budget Office had to do with some components of the budget like the administrative capital which the Executive had drastically reduced to free up more money for infrastructure development. The National Assembly retained some of the Administrative Capital.
“Administrative capital deals with the funds in the budget set aside for the provision of office furniture and equipment, which the government believes could be forfeited to make more money available for other serious capital projects - in line with the administration’s desire to deliver on social infrastructure.
“Also, the budget figures for the Legislature were said to have been jacked up by the National Assembly. This does not go well with the Executive.”
Despite these irregularities, the Budget Office official said President Jonathan is anxious to sign the 2012 Budget into law.
The official also denied any friction between the executive and the legislature, stating that “the executive has done its ground work to ensure that there is no conflict of interest between both arms of government”.

DERIVATION: The North’s conspiracy against us – Sen Enang

By Vanguard: Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Bartholomew Madukwe Senator Ita Solomon Enang has since 1999 been a pivotal part of the machinery of the Nigerian National Assembly. First as the Vice-Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business in 1999, and subsequently as chairman of the committee, Enang is believed to have since then had a hand in all enactments to have come out of the National Assembly.
It was not surprising then that upon his election into the Senate to represent the Uyo Senatorial District in 2011 that he was named the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business. A lawyer, Enang was born on 23 August 1962 and attended the Presbyterian Teachers Training College, Ididep, Akwa Ibom State (1974-1979) and subsequently the University of Calabar, Calabar between 1980  and 1984 where he read Law.
Enang cut his political teeth with his election as a councilor in 1987. He was elected to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in 1992 before he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 to represent the Ibiono Ibom/Itu Federal Constituency. He won re-election in 2003 and 2007 before his election to the Senate in 2011. Enang spoke in an interview on the issues pertaining to revenue derivation and distribution among other issues. Excerpts:
WHERE do you stand on the dispute over the implementation of the derivation principle in the sharing of federal revenue?
I stand on the principle that the derivation principle should be reviewed by raising it upward to between 25% and 50% because the constitution says that it should be a minimum of 13%. It should be raised by way of an Act of Parliament to make it between 25% or 50%. Afterall, under the 1960 constitution derivation was 50%.
Again I want to say that it is only oil that is contributing to the revenue and other solid minerals are not contributing. What I have discovered is that the North has so much solid minerals and even oil but they are not exploiting. It is hidden under what they call “illegal mining”. In Kaduna there are so many solid minerals, but they are  being mined by individuals and sold without anything being paid to government.
In Nasarawa State, the governor, some days ago, even signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an agency to prospect and exploit mineral resources for Nasarawa State to earn revenue and increase their revenue. In Bauchi State and the  Chad region, there is oil but it is not being exploited yet. Also in Borno State and Yobe State because these are states bounded by the Chad-Basin.
In the Chad-Basin, which surrounds Cameroun, Chad, Niger Republic and Nigeria, Niger Republic has oil within that basin, which is about 20 kilometers from the boundary of Nigeria. They have exploited oil and even have a refinery there. And it is suspected that Nigerians, big Nigerians of some extractions, own the rigs and the mining rights; and it is them- the big Nigerians, who sponsored and installed the refinery there in Niger Republic. But instead of putting the rig on the soil in the Nigeria end of the Chad Basin, they put the rig in the Niger end and are then exploiting the oil from Niger, paying revenue to Niger Republic.

Senator Enang

Chad has oil, still from the same basin, it is exploiting the oil. Cameroun has oil within the Chad Basin. All the countries around the Chad Basin are drilling oil. Why is Nigeria not allowing the exploitation or exploration of oil in the Chad Basin?
I want you to go to the website of the Energy Commission of Nigeria and look at the address that was delivered last (penultimate) week, by the Director General of Energy Commission of Nigeria, where he said the same thing. That Nigeria is deliberately not exploiting oil in the Chad Basin in Borno, Yobe and all those areas because there is oil that has been discovered there and so much money has been spent by Nigeria in discovering oil in those places.
Is this deliberate, and on whose part?
It is deliberate; it is on the part of Nigeria or Nigerians who are from there. They do not allow the oil to be exploited because, in my opinion, it is to preserve that oil until the one of the South is finished. But it does not work that way; because when they stand to drill oil in Niger, they are drilling the oil that is in that basin.
So even if you are standing in Nigeria, if it is to finish it will still finish because there is this lateral drilling or horizontal drilling that wherever you put your rig there in the oil bed it is the same oil. Within a specific area it does not matter where you stand to drill.  It is just like water, it has a water bed. When you put your rig, you take the water from within that particular area. Therefore Nigeria should, instead of talking of revenue allocation, we should be talking more of revenue generation.
Let every part of this country that has oil minerals cause its own to be exploited. And I believe that if we reach a situation where people or the states are allowed to exploit their own minerals and pay a percentage to the Federal Government, all the states will be able to produce. If you go to Kebbi State, Sokoto State, there is this diamond and lots of precious stones, including gold.
But we have a Ministry and Minister of Solid Minerals?
The minister should resign and the Ministry of Solid Minerals should be scrapped and merged with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and renamed Ministry of Mineral Resources. So that it will be incharge of all minerals issues, whether it be liquid, solid, petroleum or solid minerals so that it could know that revenue from minerals is revenue from minerals.
A new Northern group has alleged that too much money going to the Niger Delta is breeding corruption in the region
(Cuts in)…
That is not correct. Come to Akwa Ibom State and see come and see how money that is derived from derivation is being put to use. Or is that what has caused the entire Niger Delta to be given less amount of money that is given from the federation account to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Federal Capital Territory alone uses over N400 billion naira to construct its roads annually. How much of it goes to the Niger Delta? The roads that are constructed in Abuja, in Kaduna, in Lokoja, all those infrastructure in Kaduna, where is the money coming from? It is from oil of the Niger Delta. It is time that other parts of this country that have minerals should allow their minerals to be exploited so that something would go into federation account.
Otherwise, let it be that whoever has mineral exploit it and pay something into the federation account. Let Kaduna State not hide behind illegal exploitation. Let Bauchi State not hide its own oil. Let Yobe and Borno States not hide their oil. Let Kebbi and Sokoto State not hide their diamond and gold.
The Northern Governors are equally calling for the strict application of the offshore/onshore dichotomy in the sharing of revenue.
Offshore where? Offshore from the coast of Nigeria area. What makes that area part of Nigeria is because of the littoral states and all the littoral states suffer the effect. Those areas in the continental shelf became the continental shelf of Nigeria because they belong to part of a state of Nigeria. If they were not part of a state of Nigeria, then you wouldn’t have the right to go and exploit oil on that offshore.
It is offshore the coast of Nigeria, because it is offshore the coast of Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Rivers State, Delta State, Lagos State, which are part of Nigeria. Can we say that of Cotonou, or Benin Republic? We cannot say because those are not parts of Nigeria. Can we say that of Ivory Coast,  or any part of Ghana? No! Because those are not parts of the coast of Nigeria. They are not part of any state of Nigeria. That is why, since our continental shelf overlaps that of Equatorial Guinea, that is why we have joint development zone with Equatorial Guinea.
If our territories did not overlap, if part of Akwa Ibom State and Delta State and all those areas in Gulf of Guinea and Bight of Biafra were not part of those littoral states in Nigeria, then you would not have a joint development zone for the purpose of producing oil in that area. So that argument does not follow logical.

Ex-militants bomb five Agip oil wells

By Vanguard Reporter (Emma Amaize) YENAGOA — WHILE Christians trooped to the churches, yesterday, to mark Palm Sunday in commemoration of the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, suspected ex-militants stormed the National Agip Oil Company, NAOC, with explosives and bombed five cluster oil wells belonging to  the company.
The oil wells, according to information available to Vanguard, are located between River Niger and Tailor creek in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
It was reliably gathered that the bombing of the oil wells was led by an ex-militant leader, identified as “Commander” Cairo.
The ex-militant leader, who confirmed that he actually led the “operation” in an interview with Vanguard, yesterday, said: “We, among other things, are protesting the underdevelopment of Niger Delta by the Federal Government.”
Reminded that the President Goodluck Jonathan hails from the same Niger Delta, he (ex-militant leader) said was underdeveloped, “Commander” Cairo said: “It does not matter whether he is from Niger Delta, the problem is that the region is underdeveloped. We will continue to bomb oil installations until they realise that they have to come and develop our region.”
Asked if the ex-militants who bombed the five oil wells did not encounter men of the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, on the way, he said: “We did not meet soldiers and if we met them, we would have killed them.”
He said he was a member of the third phase amnesty programme, adding that he and many others were not accommodated in the post-amnesty programme by the Federal Government after they were wooed to surrender their arms by the government, with promises of rehabilitation and training.
He said: “Tell them, what we will do after this time if they don’t come to develop Niger Delta will be dangerous. We will  bomb vital installations of the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNPECo, in our next onslaught and nobody will be spared.”