NIS tragedy: We obeyed ministers’ order, says Comptroller General

NIS tragedy: We obeyed ministers’ order, says Comptroller

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), David Parrandang, Thursday told the Senate that he simply obeyed the last order in the ill fated NIS recruitment exercise.

Parradang consistently said that the NIS was never the “driver” of the recruitment process but simply complied with directives as given by the Ministry of Interior.

The Immigration boss noted that throughout his years in the Service nobody had ever taken away the power of the NIS to recruit operatives of the Service from levels 1-7.

He also told the committee that he was opposed to the collection of money from applicants.

The Comptroller said that he also advised that the exercise be staggered and to adopt state of origin.

He said that on the 9th of September, 2013 the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board placed advertisements in some national dailies for appointments into the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Immigration Assistant cadres.

He noted that the advert was signed by the then Board Secretary, Dr. Attahiru.

“I immediately placed a call to the Secretary that I am not aware that the Board met on this issue. I also placed a call to the Permanent Secretary too whether there was any decision of the Board to place an advert in the papers.

“I also placed a call to the two Commissioners that are seated before you here whether they were aware that the Board met and agreed for a publication to be made to recruit in the Service, but they all answered in the negative,” Parradang told the lawmakers.

The Immigration boss said that he wrote the then Secretary to express “my dismay that as a stakeholder, as the head of a Service that is supposed to recruit, I was not aware of this exercise.”

Parradang said that the Secretary pleaded with him that “I should understand with him that he was under immense pressure to put up the advert.”

Parradang quoted Dr. Attahiru to have said “I should not write the letter but I said no, this is an official matter it is not an issue to do with Mr. David Parradang but with the Nigeria Immigration Service.”

He added, “So I wrote him a letter that I was not given any benefit of a reply till way back in October when he had been removed from the Ministry. Along the line we were asked to look for funding and I had to look for funding for this exercise from the office of the Director General of Budget.

“I wrote him a letter that we have waiver from the Federal Civil Service Commission to recruit 4,556 operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

“He told me categorically that Government was very conscious of overheads and there would be no money made available for it. I thought he was just being reluctant.

“So I kept pressurizing him. I went to that office practically every day for the whole of that week and subsequent weeks.

“The last concession I got from him is that I should wait that maybe it would be captured in the 2014 budget.

“So along the line, the Committee of the Board met, we discussed this issue of Drexel (consultant) being the service provider and I said look, I am not in support of anybody collecting money for recruitment.

“I remember very clearly during that meeting where the two Commissioners were, I told them that I read in the papers that in Niger State there was recruitment and people were meant to pay and there was a lot of outcry in that state and the Governor had to step in and cancelled it.

“I said look we may go this line gentlemen if we don’t take time. But we kept going and we had no other board meeting to my knowledge till when the Secretary called us to the Steering Committee Meeting in January.

“I told them that it is advisable for us to stagger the exercise and to go by states of origin. But when we appeared before this Committee of the Senate to in one of the committee rooms here, we were all seated here and we got to know that we will be conducting recruitment examinations on the 15th of March, 2014.

“That was the first day I heard that. I did not hear from any board; there was no board meeting to that effect.

‘As a man in uniform you obey the last order.

“Subsequently, everybody that asked me when is Immigration recruitment, before then I used to tell them that I don’t know but subsequently anybody that asks me I will reply that the Honourable Minister has declared categorically that we will recruit on the 15th of March and that is what we are going to stick to.

“Then I sent the DCG Human Resources to attend all subsequent meetings and when it came to the issue of funding he told me that they have made a budget of N212million to be used for that exercise.

“I asked him where the money will come from, knowing that Immigration does not have such money. He said it is expected that the company should pay for it. I said okay, go and take representatives of the Service Provider to the Honourable Minister of Interior maybe he would have funding for the exercise.

“He told me there was none till about on 13th of March 2014 when N45million was made available for him to carry out that exercise.

“We were left with the option of having to mobilize all our officers in the State Commands to attend to the recruitment exercise. We sent bulk SMS to all of them saying look gentlemen this is the day we have to work with.

“All of them kept calling me to ask how they were going to get money to do this exercise? I told them if any money is given to me I will make it available to you.

“No money was made available to the Nigerian Immigration Service and the exercise was supposed to be conducted.

“If you notice too there was no advertisement giving clear guidelines on how to go about it until the 14th of March that people were asked to go to the various centres for the tests.

”I will like to state that on a state by state basis, the Nigeria Immigration Service is deeply pained about the events that led to loss of lives of 16 people.

“I want the figures to be corrected. We had seven people that died in the Federal Capital Territory. We had five that died in Rivers State. We had two that died in Niger State. We had one in Bauchi. We had one in Edo. Those are the exact figures.

”On the fateful day when we started hearing reports that this was what was happening in the field I came back from Jos and I met the Secretary in his office we sat all through till midnight getting direct reports from each of the State Commands.

“We had given them clear guidelines on what to do. We asked them to contact the regular stakeholders that we normally meet together like the FRSC, the NSCDC, hospital authorities that they should get people to assist us because this is a short notice thing but on day the crowd was really overwhelming.”

Asked why he did not stop the exercise, he said, “We were not the drivers of this process at all.

“So the decision to stop it would never have come from me. I was not the driver of this process and my position had been very clear on this.”

On why he did not see the tragedy coming, he said, “Of all the capacities that God has given human beings nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow.

“All of us are optimistic basically. We were of the hope and of the belief that this is a genuine intended activity that nobody would want anybody to lose his life or even get injured. We did not and could not have seen that it was going to fail.”

He added, “For all my years in the Service, nobody has ever taken away the power to recruit from level one to level seven from the NIS.”

He said that he protested in writing but was assured that his fears had been taken care off.

Most of the State Commands of the NIS told the committee that they received only N300, 000 out of N45 million released by the consultant to the Board

One Central Bank, Four Governors"

THE VERDICT By OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

Question: Who is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria? Options: (A) Sarah Alade; (B) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; (C) Godwin Emefiele (D) Jim Osayande Obazee; (E) None of the above. Please shade the correct answer.

The above is an examination question recently encountered by a friend but please don’t ask me for his name. He said he could not pick “A” because Mrs Alade, the acting CBN Governor in a period of transition, wields little or no authority. He said he could not pick “B” either because, even though President Goodluck Jonathan recently affirmed that Sanusi remains the CBN Governor, he is still on suspension. My friend said he also could not pick “C” because even though Emefiele’s appointment was confirmed by the Senate yesterday, he would still have to wait for Sanusi’s tenure to expire before assuming office. For some minutes, according to my friend, he toyed with the idea of picking “D” because, as he explained, the Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) is the man who has been calling all the shots at the CBN in recent weeks. But then he demurred because he could not lay his hands on where Obazee derives his powers from. So at the end, he settled for “E” which means that today, for all practical purposes, Nigeria’s apex bank is without a substantive Governor!

Given the foregoing, it came as no surprise that Standard and Poor's (S&P), one of those international financial agencies whose ratings the managers of our economy like to flaunt, has put a question mark on Nigeria’s “stable outlook” rating, citing dearth of new information on the country and the uncertainty surrounding monetary policies. While stating that the suspension of the CBN Governor amounted to government interference with monetary policies, S&P said it was placing the country on a credit watch for a period of one week as a result of the appeal by the federal government. “As a result, we are placing our long-term sovereign credit ratings on Nigeria on Credit Watch with negative implications,” S&P stated rather ominously.

Before I proceed, it bears repeating that I have made my position very clear about Sanusi’s gross act of insubordination to President Jonathan, especially considering the reckless manner in which he went about touting some CBN laws which he believes make him untouchable (Sarki Goma, Zamani Goma…). As a student of power politics, I am aware, as British philosopher, John Locke, argued in “The Second Treatise of Government: And, A Letter Concerning Toleration”, that the people sometimes allow “their rulers to do several things of their own free choice, where the law is silent...and their acquiescing in it when so done." Whatever the law cannot provide for, according to Locke, “must necessarily be left to the discretion of him that has the executive power in his hands, to be ordered by him as the public good and advantage shall require...”

Even though I am not a lawyer, to the extent that the CBN Act is silent on suspension, I believe that Sanusi was not well advised to have taken on the presidency in the manner he did. But that is just the opinion of the layman that I am. Notwithstanding my position, I am also worried that some people may unwittingly be destroying a critical institution like the CBN in the attempt to get back at one man who, whatever may be the misgivings about his style, did very well in office.

Against the background that Sanusi became CBN Governor in the middle of a global financial crisis in 2009, his intervention (by removing some bank chief executives who were dancing “Skelewu” with depositors’ funds) helped to restore sanity in the system. It is also on record that under Sanusi’s watch, inflation has been kept below 10 per cent while until recently, there was a measure of stability in the foreign exchange market. The CBN also implemented policies aimed at reducing the excessive use of cash in the system to ensure safety, improve efficiency and curb money laundering.

So, all factors considered, Sanusi has been a good CBN Governor and I refuse to be taken in by the noise emanating from those who fiddled with depositors’ money for which they were entrusted and paid dearly for it. In any case, it is not lost on fair-minded Nigerians that in this obsession to nail Sanusi, the “witnesses” being lined up are some former bank chiefs who abused their trust and were punished by the CBN. Yet it is a serious indictment on our country that the same fat cats who are being tried by the state for economic and financial crimes are also being aided by the same state, in the bid to settle score with the suspended CBN Governor. It is not right.
While I am aware that politics trumps everything in Nigeria today, those who are circumspect should be worried that the head of a small government parastatal under the Ministry of Trade and Investment should have the powers to be conducting a public investigation into the operations of the CBN with all the attendant publicity. Aside the professional breach (audit investigation is never conducted on the pages of newspapers), there is also the issue of a not-so-subtle executive interference into what are clearly operational issues at the apex bank. For those of us who can see beyond the person of Sanusi, that is very troubling and such details are also not lost on S&P and other international credit rating agencies.

Because most Nigerians still wonder how this little-known FRCN crept into our consciousness, a brief story may be necessary here. It started with the Nigerian Accounting Standards Board (NASB), a private sector initiative established in 1982 in collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Ten years later in 1992, the General Ibrahim Babangida administration by military fiat converted the NASB into a government parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Commerce. In 2003, the NASB Act was passed with the primary functions to “develop, publish and update Statements of Accounting Standards to be followed by companies when they prepare their financial statement, and to promote and enforce compliance with the standards”.

Following a critical appraisal of the NASB by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2010, the then Executive Secretary, Mr Godson Nnadi began a process for the establishment of a new body that would set accounting and auditing standards in the country and would be independent of both ICAN and ANAN. At about that same time, Nnadi was appointed Finance and Economic Development commissioner in Enugu State where he hails from. But his protégé and successor, Obazee (who joined the organisation after graduation in the early nineties) saw to the drafting and eventual passage of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) Bill on May 18, 2011.

The law was gazetted on June 7, 2011 as “an Act to repeal the Nigerian Accounting Standards Board Act, No. 22 of 2003 and enact the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria charged with the responsibility for, among other things, developing and publishing accounting and financial reporting standards to be observed in the preparation of the financial statement of public entities in Nigeria; and for related matters.” Both the chairman and the executive secretary are to be appointed by the president.

Ironically, while Obazee was trying to get the bill passed in the National Assembly, he got support and encouragement from Sanusi who argued that such a law would help to attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria and perhaps for that reason mobilised through the CBN and the Bankers' Committee a whopping sum of N500 million for the construction of its International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Academy. I still wonder how Sanusi came about his theory considering that many countries, including the United States have refused to subscribe to the IFRS, preferring instead the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

When the bill was finally signed into law by President Jonathan, Trade and Investment Minister, Mr Olusegun Aganga, under whose purview the new parastatal was domiciled said: "More meaningful and decision-enhancing information can now be arrived at from financial statements issued in Nigeria because accounting, actuarial, valuation and auditing standards, used in the preparation of these statements, shall be issued and regulated by this Financial Reporting Council. The FRC is a unified independent regulatory body for accounting, auditing, actuarial, valuation and corporate governance. As such, compliance monitoring in these areas will hence be addressed from the platform of professionalism and legislation.”

What the foregoing suggests is that the FRCN is not another Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), its main function is to standardize accounting practice in Nigeria. To therefore read reports of Obazee “grilling” Sanusi, Alade as well as the immediate past Deputy Governor, Operations of the CBN, Mr. Tunde Lemo; Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Ms Evelyn Oputu; Deputy Governor, Operations, CBN, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu and Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, CBN, Alhaji Suleiman Barau is beyond ridiculous. Because the FRCN Executive Secretary is arrogating to himself some powers that he does not have and even if he has the authority of the president for his assignment, I don’t think he is approaching it the right way.

Now, I have read all the provisions of the FRCN Act 2011 and its power of investigation is derived from Section 62 which stipulates that “(1) The Council may investigate or cause to be investigated

(a) Any complaint or dishonest practice, negligence, professional misconduct, malpractice made against any professional; (b) any breach of the Code of Conduct and Ethics by any registered professional; or (c) any material irregularity notified to it”.

However, it is noteworthy that the section itself falls under Part V11 of the Act which is on “Review and Monitoring of Standards”, which then implies that it is targeted at compliance with standards for accounting practitioners. Even if we concede that the FRCN can investigate statutory institutions, such powers reside in the Council and not the Executive Secretary. And the Council, currently headed by Hajiya Ladi Ibrahim, (now at the National Conference representing Kogi State) has a long list of membership: Two representatives each of both ICAN and ANAN as well as one representative of each of the following: Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation; CBN; Chartered Institute of Brokers; Chartered Institute of Taxation; Corporate Affairs Commission; Federal Inland Revenue Service; Federal Ministry of Commerce; Federal Ministry of Finance; NACCIMA; NDIC; SEC; NAICOM; NSE; PENCOM and the National Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers. The Executive Secretary who has become the judge and the jury in the so-called CBN investigation is just one member in this big Council!

Now, I must make my position very clear. I am for transparency and accountability so to that extent, I do not subscribe to the position that Sanusi or the CBN which he heads should be above the law. No, both should be held to account. But such should be done within the ambit of the law and with due regard to process. What worries me is that right before our very eyes, we are watching a systematic destruction of perhaps our strongest institution, the Central Bank of Nigeria, that has been built over time, by a Johnny-just-come Federal Reporting Council of Nigeria that has no track record. Audit investigation is not the same thing as criminal investigation, and even at that, only a court of law can pronounce anybody a criminal as Obazee’s FRCN seems to have done with its report.

I have my issues with Sanusi who was disrespectful of the president and attracted to himself too much needless media attention. Indeed, in a moment of introspection in his recent interview with METROPOLE magazine (http://bit.ly/1cPddTz), Sanusi admitted this much: “There was only one thing that I had hoped at the beginning I would achieve which I believed I have not achieved. And this saddens me a bit even though it is also the circumstances. A central bank should, as much as possible, be out of the front pages of newspapers. Apart from on monetary policy days when you announce your rates, you should just work behind the scene.”

That should be a big lesson from which his successor must learn. In the United States, a Fed Chairman (CBN Governor in Nigeria) once spent hours in Congress fielding questions at the end of which one frustrated lawmaker offered a sarcastic compliment: "You would make a very excellent prisoner of war... you wouldn't tell the enemy a thing." Sanusi as a prisoner of war would bring down the whole roof with his mouth! However, that should not diminish his achievements in office.

I am not one of those people who subscribe to the conspiracy theory that Sanusi was suspended because of his allegation that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) failed to remit some billions of Dollars into the Federation Account. However, it is also an open secret that because of the mutual distrust between him and the president, the FRCN report became rather handy. But the report itself reads more like the judgment of a court against a criminal than an audit review of CBN accounting process. That is why it lacks any modicum of credibility.

The elevation of the hitherto unknown FRCN into an inquisition whose first outing is to hang Sanusi clearly reduces what ought to be a serious concern for probity in high public places into a petty political witch-hunt. Nigerians know about the EFCC and its awesome powers in such matters. They also know the ICPC for what it was established to do. But for the Federal Government to stage a kangaroo accounting inquisition into Sanusi's alleged malfeasance, as it is doing, is to further expose the nation's financial system to international ridicule.

The nature of witnesses being called and the status of CBN officials being summoned in this laughable inquisition by perhaps the smallest of the agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Investment make the matter more injurious to the financial system. I believe that the Jonathan administration needs to handle the Sanusi matter with a measure of dexterity. Here is an administration that has repeatedly cited among its 'transformation' miracles some of the fiscal and monetary reforms that Sanusi instituted in the nation's banking and financial system. It is also on record that Sanusi put himself on the firing line of public disaffection when the administration tried, without success, to remove subsidy on PMS early in 2012. Now, because the CBN Governor mismanaged the politics of his high office, the same administration is staging a public hanging of its once favourite man.

In all these, what is forgotten is that Sanusi is no ordinary public officer. He 'is' Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the custodian of some of our most hallowed financial secrets and the government's accountant of last resort. What that means in effect is that unless the Jonathan administration handles the Sanusi saga with extreme care, it may find out that suspending the CBN Governor is the easier part of this charade as the ever widening international financial and domestic economic disquiet on the matter could hurt the nation very badly.

"I Believe in Speaking Truth to Power"

“I am Ready for the Backlash” by metropole magazine

metropole.ng

Court declares FRSC’s new number plates illegal

NATIONAL, NEWS

The threat by the respondent to impound vehicles and arrest motorists who failed to comply with the October 1 deadline, is illegal, the court ruled.

The new number plates introduced by the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, is unconstitutional, a Federal High Court in Lagos said on Wednesday.

Delivering judgment in a suit filed by Emmanuel Ofoegbu, a lawyer, against the FRSC, the judge said that it was unlawful for the commission to impose the new number plates on Nigerians, where no existing law permitted it.

“The issue of redesigning new number plates by the respondent, is not covered under the provisions of any law in Nigeria,” said James Tsoho, the judge.

“The respondent (FRSC) cannot force Nigerians to acquire new plate numbers by impounding cars, without the backing of any legislation to that effect.

“I hold that the act of the respondent amounts to an arbitrary use of power, and is therefore illegal and unconstitutional.

“Judgment is therefore entered in favour of the plaintiff, and all the reliefs sought is hereby granted, I so hold,” the judge added.

Mr. Ofoegbu filed the suit on September 30, 2013, through a Human Rights Activists, Ogedi Ogu, challenging the power of the FRSC to impound vehicles of motorists who failed to acquire the new numbers.

Mr. Ofoegbu had sought a declaration that the threat by the FRSC to impound vehicles of motorists, who failed to acquire the new number plates, was invalid and unconstitutional.

In his statement of facts, the plaintiff averred that the old plate numbers were issued under the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2004.

He averred that the NRTR 2004, is a subsidiary legislation made under the FRSC Act, Laws of the Federation as revised in 2004.

According to the plaintiff, the NRTR 2012, in Regulations 230 (2), provides that “the revocation of the 2004 Regulations, shall not affect anything done, or purported to be done pursuant to that Regulation”

Mr. Ofoegbu stated that there is no law made in accordance with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which prohibits the use of the old plate numbers, or declares its use as an offence.

He also said that the threat by the respondent to impound vehicles and arrest motorists who failed to comply with the October 1 deadline, was a gross violation of the provisions of 36 (12) of the constitution which guarantees the rights of individuals.

He, therefore, urged the court to declare as unlawful, the threat by the respondent, to arrest motorists using the old plate numbers, because there is no law validly made in accordance with the constitution, prohibiting its user.

The applicant had also sought an order of injunction restraining the defendants from impounding vehicles or otherwise arresting or harassing motorists who failed to acquire the new plate number.

Premium Times

I’VE NO PLANS OF LEAVING APC - OKOROCHA

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Category: Inside politics

Published on Wednesday, 26 March 2014 05:02

Written by Johnkennedy Uzoma Owerri

Hits: 1116

Rochas Okorocha

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has denied plans to dump the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Okorocha through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, described reports about his intention to leave APC as false saying”The truth of the matter is that I cannot leave APC for any reason with a lot of people across the nation looking up to me in APC.”
The governor said there is nothing that would make him abandon a vibrant party like APC having been one of the leading lights in the information of APC and what it is today.
Okorocha said he is now standing like a colossus in Imo politics with what he has been able to achieve as governor adding that his opponents in the state have resorted to scratching him through such false reports to see if it could help their situation.
He said the people should wait for the results of the membership registration exercise carried out by the APC to be released adding that Nigerians will see that Imo people have emptied into APC.
He said that as far as the politics of South East and Imo State is concerned, he has become a very attractive personality adding that those threatened by such enviable records are responsible for all the gossips against him.

Daily Trust

2015: Jonathan will be the easy for APC to beat

Wednesday, March 26th, 2014

By Duku Joel, Damaturu. On Mar 26th, 2014 at 01:01
Filed under: Featured, News

Yobe State Commissioner for Water Resources Alhaji Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will defeat President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election.

Karasuwa said: “Actually as far as we are concerned, personally I will prefer Jonathan to contest. Why? Because, he is the one we can easily beat because he has done so many things that he cannot be marketable.

“There are a lot of things under this administration of Jonathan that one can tell Nigerians and it is not something hidden. See the corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and all over the place. Today, hundreds of billions of dollars are gone; tomorrow is the same; next tomorrow is still the same? Look at his Petroleum Minister who is spending over N10billion just for charttering aircraft. What about the tragedy recently at the Immigration recruitment? The list is endless.

“So, politically talking, politics is about presenting the score card of the present administration for you to criticise or support; so, we in APC have so many things now at hand that we can present to Nigerians and tell them that Jonathan is not competent to rule this country.

“I heard some time that PDP wants to make him a consensus candidate and if that happens, we will have an upper hand. As far as APC is concerned, the contest will be a walk-over for us.

Buhari denies link with Boko Haram, may go to court

A former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has denied either sponsoring or backing Boko Haram as alleged by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

He said the PDP is playing politics with Boko Haram insurgency to cover up for the deluge of public perceptions against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

But there were indications last night that Buhari might go to court to clear his name if the PDP does not withdraw its allegation.

Buhari, who made the clarifications through his spokesman, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, likened the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh to Joseph Goebbels in the last days of Adolf Hitler’s regime.

He said: “For clarity, Gen. Buhari has never supported or sponsored insurgency. He has no link with Boko Haram; he cannot do any of such things, he would never be involved in insurgency. They are just afraid of this man at the poll

“In all his years, in the service of Nigeria, he has always shown total patriotism for the state. It is total arrant nonsense. It is a ploy by PDP to cover up the deluge of negative perceptions against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan because the general elections are around the corner. Unlike 2011, they know they have a mountain to climb to convince Nigerians to vote for them.

“PDP has found it convenient to play on the very thin line of religion and ethnicity to remain in power but Nigerians are wiser.

“General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) has proven his mettle as a patriotic Nigerian leader whose passion for the virility of the Nigerian Nation is untrammeled.

“He is still the reference point in transparent, honest and compassionate leadership. This, obviously, contrasts the present leadership that constantly evinces larcenous disposition in its governance of the nation. Indeed, Nigerians are asking: where is the $20 Billion that NNPC has not remitted to the Federation account?”

Responding to a question, Fashakin, who was a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) added: “Gen. Buhari might go to court; he has had enough of this nonsense from PDP and the likes of Metuh.”

A follow-up statement condemned the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh for showing desperation with fabricated lies to gain political advantage.

The statement added: “Metuh is showing as much desperation as Joseph Goebbels in the last days of the Hitler regime.

“It is sad that Mr. Metuh decided to deal in despicable fabrications with a view to gaining political advantage through iniquitous revisionism.

“The former NSA, late Gen Andrew Azazi, was unequivocal in his assertion that the power play in the PDP was the raison d’etre of the Boko Haram insurgency. Apparently, the discomfort caused within the PDP hierarchy was the reason for his sack.

“Furthermore, we knew of the confessional statement to the SSS by one of the PDP stalwarts that the contact with Boko Haram was with the imprimatur of the VP Namadi Sambo!

“It is well understood that after the ruinous Jonathan regime had impoverished the teeming population of Nigerians through its deliberate policy of leadership-centred corruption, there will obviously be a desire to attempt to deflect the pressure put on it by Nigerians.”

The statement asked the PDP and Jonathan administration to address exploitation of jobless youths instead of clinging to any excuse for not providing employment.

It said: “An exploitative and iniquitous regime that specializes in exploiting poor Nigerian youth on the pretence of providing elusive job placements.”

“This is a regime that has shown culpability in the needless deaths of vulnerable Nigerians through the callous lusting for greedy gains by the key honchos of the PDP party, as seen in the botched immigration job recruitment earlier in the month of March.

“This is a regime that is now so desperate as to employ the services of an Olisa Metuh who, without scruples, evinces infernal asininity with his press statements.”

Reps Uncover Another Diezani’s State-sponsored Private Jet

Barely a week after the House of Representatives raised the alarm that the minister of petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, had spent about N10billion of public funds on the maintenance of a Challenger Jet for her private use, it has been gathered that she also maintains another jet for international trips only which is estimated to gulp about €600,000 per trip.

The House last week, while acting on a motion raised by Hon Samuel Adejare (APC, Lagos), mandated its committee on Public Accounts to investigate whether Diezani actually spent taxpayers’ N10billion on maintaining a private jet which costs €300,000 per trip.

LEADERSHIP however gathered last night that documents obtained by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the course of its investigation revealed that the minister also allegedly maintains another jet for international flights and it costs as much as €600,000 per trip.

The document, according to a source in the committee who spoke on condition of anonymity since the probe is ongoing, said the panel is in possession of a flight manifest of the chartered jet whose registration number is OF-LGX GLOBAL EXPRESS, the number of trips it has undertaken, complete with dates and destinations.

He added that the lawmakers have decided to summon people whose names are on the manifest to testify in the investigative hearing on the subject.

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday defended the minister on the initial accusation of wasting N10bn on the Challenger jet, saying the corporation reserves the power to maintain such facility in line with its 2004 Act.

While denying operating any private jet for private use of Diezani, NNPC spokesman, Dr Omar Farouq Ibrahim, said no law prohibits it from owning or chartering an aircraft, explaining that the corporation engages third parties for the provision of services outside of its core business.

In a related development, the committee has summoned the accountant-general of the federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Sarah Alade and Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu, to explain why N69.6 billion oil subsidy fund is unaccounted for.

In a bid to exonerate itself from any wrongdoing, NNPC officials had told members of the committee that the money in question was never cash-backed and had made efforts to make the Budget Office and AGF write formally to affirm this position to no avail.

Responding, chairman of the committee, Hon Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos) gave the NNPC leave to write a formal letter explaining the non-receipt of the said N69.6 billion subsidy fund.

He also summoned the CBN, AGF and Budget office to explain why such sum of money was disbursed without any documentary evidence.

Conference in stormy session over rules, others

 Featured, News

Even before it takes off, the National Conference seems to be living up to its billing as a contentious forum.

Its plenary started yesterday on a stormy note.

The session, which was devoted to the adoption of rules of proceeding, was adjourned without adopting the mode of voting if delegates failed to achieve consensus on an issue.

The sharp disagreement on the mode of voting seemed to be a North-South divide with a preponderance of northerners rooting for 75 per cent vote to decide an issue. Most southerners believed that left with 75 per cent, no decision would be achieved.

Signals that the session might be tempestuous emerged as it started more than one hour behind the stipulated 10 am.

Mike Ozekhome, a chief, who described himself as an “addendum” from a minority ethnic group, fired the first shot on voting procedure.

He requested the Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd) to allow him speak on Order 6 (4) and 11(1)(2), which deals with voting.

The section states in part that any issue under discussion shall be determined by consensus and in the absence of consensus, the chairman shall adjourn proceedings to allow for consultation.

It added that where consensus finally failed the issue shall be decided by three quarters of members.

But Ozekhome reasoned that achieving three quarters would be problematic.

He noted that controversial, emotive and sensitive issues were bound to come up.

In such a situation, he noted, it would be difficult to get 75 per cent or three quarters to support an issue.

The lawyer suggested that the conference should go for simple majority or two-third, insisting that three quarters was likely to produce a tyrannical minority.

The tyrannical minority, he said, might shoot down a popular issue because the conference was unable to get three quarters vote.

He prayed that the section should be reviewed to avoid a situation where the delegates would find it difficult to take decision on issues.

Ozekhome said: “369 is 3/4 of this conference, a number that is obviously humongous, elephantine and behemoth. As we go into the serious issues after adopting this rule, a lot of highly emotive, controversial issues and some demanding primordial sentiments would prop up.

“As a Federal Government delegate, I will discuss from the perspective of a nationalist, but there are many delegates here who are from various strata of our society who have their own issues, such as state police, which I vehemently believe in, regionalism or the form of government we are going to take. When such emotive and controversial issues prop up, how do we get 75 per cent or three quarters because it is going to be very difficult if there is no consensus.

“In other words, such issues are dead on arrival if we have to go by this rule.

“If we also have to go by this 75 per cent rule, it means we are going to have a tyrannical minority; if 74 per cent of the delegates vote on an issue and 26 per cent voted against but can’t carry through because we have not the 75 percent mark.

“The result is that the 26 per cent that voted against has actually won. So, my suggestion is that we should tow the line of parliamentary standard across the world by adopting 2/3 majority.”

Perhaps the stage of discord was set when Justice Kutigi told the delegates that the conference was not competent to change three quarters vote to decide an issue.

He said that the letter that appointed them stipulated that determination of an issue where consensus failed shall be three quarters of the delegates.

He said that the letter foreclosed discussion on three quarters vote to decide an issue.

Most delegates shouted that the section should be revisited.

Chief Adeniyi Akintola (Oyo State) wondered why President Jonathan should make up his mind on the issue.

He said: “If Mr. President has made up his mind on voting, why did he bring us here?”

Prof. Awwulu Yadudu reminded the delegates that there were some no-go areas as stated by President Jonathan.

Yadudu noted that Jonathan asked delegates not to discuss any issue that has to do with the continued existence of Nigeria as an entity.

He added that it was his wish that issues would be decided by consensus but where consensus failed three quarters should be adopted.

But Chief Ahmadu Ali said that decisions should be arrived at by two-third because three quarters will be difficult to achieve.

The ding dong went on unresolved.

Attempts by the chairman to shelve debate on the contentious issue were met by a resounding “no!”.

The delegates went on break.

On resumption from break, the Chairman said: “Let us go to page 12”. But the delegates would have none of it as they shouted: “No, were are still on page 11!” that deals with voting.

The chairman noted that some delegates said that the conference should work with consensus.

“We shall come back to it later after we’ve taken more arguments,” he said.

The issue did not come up again for discussion until Justice Kutigi adjourned the session.

Senator Ken Nnamani said there were inconsistencies in the draft rule.

He noted that in some place three quarters was mentioned while in other places “two-third” was used.

He noted even the Constitution allows for two-thirds to decide issues.

The former Senate President wondered why Justice Kutigi did not allow delegates to conclude the matter.

On appointment of chairmen and deputy chairmen of committees,

some delegates were of the opinion that the chairman of the conference and his deputy should not appoint chairmen and deputies of committees, as well as constituting members.

Such appointments, they said, should be subjected to democratic norms whereby members of committees should pick their own presiding officers.

Chief Olu Falae, among others, supported the idea of members choosing their chairman and vice chairman.

The chairman put the question and those against the draft carried the day.

Not convinced, the chairman put the question the second time. Those against the draft rule, which vested the power of appointing chairmen of committees on the conference chairman, outnumbered those in support.

Justice Kutigi ruled and banged the gavel.

Removal of chairman and deputy of committees after review of their performance by the conference chairman was also rejected by the delegates.

On quorum, the delegates decided that 1/3 delegate membership should form quorum for deliberation.

On replacement of conference official, some delegates wanted a time frame of 48 hours to be given to Mr. President to replace any conference official who resigned or became indisposed.

But, others said that Mr. President should not be compelled to announce the replacement of an official.

Chief Segun Osoba suggested that the conference should sit between 10am to 5pm. The break period should be reduced to one hour instead of two hours.

Osoba proposed an amendment to the provision of the rules of proceedings, saying that the conference should not be rigid about it.

The current rule being debated stipulates that plenary begins at 10 am and lasts till 2 pm to give way for a lunch break that lasts till 4 pm when plenary resumes to close at 6 pm.

Some of the delegates canvassed for the plenary to hold between 9 am and 4 pm without break. Others suggested the reduction of the break time to one hour, to enable them to close at 5 pm.

However, the chairman ruled for the retention of the current provision.

Inside Boko Haram camp, by escapees

Two women who escaped from the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents have relived their horrendous experience.

Liatu and Janet told the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna how they escaped from the insurgents after spending several days with them.

Liatu, 23, who claimed to have spent 12 days with her abductors inside the Sambisa forest, said she was captured by the insurgents on her way to her village. The insurgents, according to her, barricaded the road near the Bama Bridge, killing some people and abducting others.

One of the men who was also abducted, she said, suggested that they should escape. “One man suggested that we run away because one can only die once. We took a golf car and ran away, the Boko Haram people chased us on a motorbike, shooting at us and killed those who sat at the back. When we were approaching Bama, they retreated and went back,” Liatu said.

Liatu, a Christian, claimed that the Boko Haram members had earlier asked her to accept Islam as a religion. She watched while they slaughtered about 50 people.

Also sharing her experience with the BBC, Janet claimed that she spent about three months with the insurgents who tried to conscript her after severally violating her. They took her to Gwoza town in the state where they killed people.

Liatu claimed that the insurgents gave her a knife and instructed her to slaughter one of the five people, a task she said she could not perform, adding that the wife of the Boko Haram leader later carried out the task on her behalf.

Janet said she has continued to live with the nightmare, and the gory details of what transpired when the victims were killed, adding that most of the Boko Haram members were known faces to her because they were neighbours.

She claimed that she escaped from her captors after feigning illness and was allowed to seek medical attention. “I feigned illness for two weeks; they said I had AIDS and should be taken to their hospital for test. I told them it was stomach pain. That was how I escaped.

“The Boko Haram men hide in caves and mountains. They sight jets and other aircraft. I felt happy whenever I saw soldiers, but they could not locate the Boko Haram who were mostly, along the Liman Kara and Gwoza axis.

“They took many of us into the bush. If they searched and found ID card, they will say they had warned that people should not work for the government, and they will kill the person. For those Konduga girls, they will select those who perm their hair and kill them.”

Also yesterday, the Defence Headquarters said government troops at the weekend, killed 18 suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Bama and Ngurosoye in Borno State.

A statement by the Director Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said the insurgents were dislodged while attempting to attack some settlements.

According to the DHQ, 16 AK 47 rifles, five pick up vans and seven Gulf cars belonging to the insurgents were destroyed.

The statement however said the attack at Bama market in which about 20 persons were reported killed had not been verified, adding that 75 villagers were screened and released in the course of cordon and search in the adjoining communities.

The statement added: “In a related development, a total of 16 AK47 rifles were recovered in the course of cordon and search of communities, while mop up operations are ongoing on Mandara mountains and Haraza hills.

“Troops eventually overran camps in the outskirts of Gombole, Mele, Kecheri, Dufrfada, Yuwe, and others around Mandara mountains and Sambisa forests after stiff resistance. Many terrorists died in the encounter. A soldier lost his life and five others were wounded.

“The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has also stepped up patrols of the banks of Lake Chad as well as surrounding communities in addition to air surveillance and patrols designed to smoke out the remnants of the terrorists.

“The air raids on some camps sited on Islands have also recorded successes in dislodging the terrorists located there.

“Cordon and search for the terrorists have been focused on thorough screening of the villagers in surrounding communities. Many terrorists have been identified and subsequently apprehended by troops in the process.

“Meanwhile, troops morale and fighting spirit have remained noticeably high while some of the terrorists camps falling to the forces in the ongoing counter terrorists campaign have been found deserted.

“Food items earlier seized by the terrorists from the villagers are often found stockpiled along with other items such as electronics and power generators. The camps were swiftly razed by the troops”.

The Nation.

NIGERIA AND THE APC SOLUTIONS

With the centenary celebrations, Nigeria is supposed to be among the best economies of the world or at worst developed. But unfortunately we are not even tackling our basics needs. While insecurity has deteriorated. Therefore, the need for capable hands to restore the already sinking country is paramount. 

The problems encountered while trying to form indigenous government are quite different from current happenings. At that time it was about replacing colonial masters with Nigerians, its true we had infrastructure and education deficits but the button line is about independence.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of Blessed memory, emerged the prime minister with majority support. Northern People Congress (NPC) was very formidable, its leader, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello had the required prerequisites to provide solutions to Nigerian problems, Northern region in particular. There was no leadership vacuum, the peers of the late premier, such as lates Hon. Aliyu CBE, Makaman Bidda, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, Jigatau dan Bayero, Alhaji Mohammadu Sanusi CMG,KBE etc. where equaled to the task, while on the opposition. Lates Aminu Kano, Ibrahim Iman etc where there to even sacrifice their lives for the progress and development of Nigeria.

The problems before the 1979 elections has to do with the need to democratize Nigeria in line with civilized societies, the military regimes were not forthcoming despites enormous resources.

The type of leader required at that time was one that can consolidate our young democracy. Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the Turaki of Sokoto served the purpose. An acceptable personality and a true Nigerian, Danmasanin Kano was just too Northern for a national task, while Dallatun Fika’s radicalism and civil service sophistication where not the immediate requirements. It is all about some one to nourish a young democracy to the next level, foster national integration and economic growth. Nigerians are still grateful to the Turaki of Sokoto it was and still a job well-done.

Situation before the 1999 elections depict a derailing nation. Country of corrupt leaders, decayed infrastructures, shamble economy, powerful military and divided polity. General Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd) emerged. An acceptable General, bridge builder that caught across the three regions and above all experienced. Others at the primaries, Abubakar Rimi, Alex Ekwueme were miles apart, Baba’s credentials at that time were unmatched.

Late Mallam Umaru Yaradua’s government was an offshoot of Baba’s regime, young intellectual, that served the purpose and lived to divine expectations, world-class in corruptible being, that genuine Nigerians still mourn.

The memories of Yaradua’s demise, happenings after and current situations, oh my God! are not only heart breaking but to say the least breath taking, while writing this piece and at these very point, my heart boils and bleeds in agony, my eyes draw thinner, while the cells of my brain search for possible comfort. Had to lay my pen, Nigeria is in a coma! It is devastating that my metal capacity and average physique can not withstand. The assaults on my father land gigantic.

Many things has been written since President Jonathan assumed office, there is absolutely no need for any repetition, but conclusively, I will thread the part of some notable personalities such as Gen TY Danjuma, Governors of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states who all concurred that Nigeria is in a war. Military is not my discipline, I am and I loved being a bloody civilian, but simple understanding of a war country is very clear and that is exactly the situation we found ourselves courtesy of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. 

The need to salvage Nigeria became an issue which the political class were saddled with. There were series of high level discussions and meetings nationwide in search of possible solutions. This led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress APC, principally to restore the country from this mess.

APC became the hope of Nigerians. Combination of concerned politicians, diverse in ideologies but converged on the need to clean Nigeria of present corruption and move it forward. For this onerous task APC has competent hands tested and trusted, Among them includes Gen. Mohammed Buhari (rtd) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Turakin Adamawa, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Dr. Danjuma Goje, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, Mr Sam Nda Isiah,Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Iman Matawalle of Bornu etc.

Starting from the later, Matawalle of Borno is presently one of the front contenders, expected at the APC Presidential primaries. A season intellectual, political scientist, international management expert and no doubt the most influential and compelling voice in North East politics. Matawalle’s formation as a strong pillar of Nigerian politics started with his childhood involvement in the activities of Borno Youth Movement BYM, which served as an umbrella of the masses and protector of the oppressed. 

Matawalles promotion of the ideals of Borno State Union, BSU, a cultural organization, designed to accommodate all Borno people of every political persuasions, helped to foster the sprit of Kanuri nationalism. The building of a University in Maiduguri in Maiduguri was one of BSU objectives, a milestone Matawalle followed to actualization years later. Education in his submission has always been primary. The building of a Friday mosque in Maiduguri was top on BYM agenda and achieved during the rein of Sir Kashim Ibrahim, Waziri of Borno, it was also to Waziri’s credit the mosque expansion. Younger Kashims contributions to this project to date is second only to that of Senior Kashim of blessed memories. The political class started noticing the sterling leadership qualities of Matawalle during the formation and activities of the People Front (PF). His contributions, that of late Alhaji Mohammed Buhari, Amb. Babagana Kingebe, Atiku Abubakar with late Gen. Yaradua heading, ensured the success of the Front as the only formidable political formation that metamorphosed into the then Social Democratic Party,SDP. 

Matawalle was great and successful that during the SDP days and as a vibrant member of HOPE 93, he was instrumental to the overwhelming victory of Chief MKO Abiola in North East, where the Basharun made a wonderful outing to the astonishment of their son, Alh Bashir Tofa. 

The G 18 that culminated into G 34 then the PDP had founders such as late Chief Solomon Lar, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Alex Ekweme, Late Abubakar Rimi, Dr Sule Lamido, Sen. Iyuchia Ayu, Proff. Jerry Gana among and others. Also giving a helping hand and progressive inputs were Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Iman, Lawal Batagarawa, Adamu Maina Waziri etc, the contributions of the Matawalle of Borno to the overall success of G18 can not be over emphasised.

During the days of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) as president, Matawalle was the presidential Liaison officer to the National Assembly. He played a mediating role as a first class negotiator, matured ambassador and intelligent intermediary. He succeeded in guiding the then National Assembly as to its functions, powers and limits as enshrined in the nation’s constitution. Matawalle has always been an institution of advance political knowledge. 

This presidential hopeful was a two time gubernatorial aspirant in Bornu State. The Bornu people are still grateful to God for giving the chance to vote for their choice, only to be rigged out later; in line with the unfortunate election trends in Nigeria. Gen. Mohd Buhari (Rtd) was thrice a victim of this type of political sociopaths.

The emergence of President Yaradua as presidential candidate in 2007 was an honor done to us. He was a technocrat and had concern for Nigeria’s development. Matawalle led the inner caucus that gave the parties approval for Yaadua’s candidature and forwarded same for presidential assent. That was the final struck that made Malam Umaru to the exalted seat. He continued as a senior Adviser to the government, getting involved and in several instances assenting to major policy decisions. 

The first intended merger between the Congress for Progressive Change CPC and Action Congress of Nigeria ANC suffered a serious setback and failed. Their members were willing, but lacked capable hands to attend to this type of political permutation. The need for the merger continued after the first attempt. With the involvement of Matawalle, the PDP were laughing, that he was going into an impossibility, un known to them he is close to General Buhari, Chief Tinubu and ofcourse major stakeholders of the marging parties.He formally and informally facilitated it with Mal.Nasiru El Rufai, former FCT minister playing a critical role.

If leadership is about being a nationalist like the late Tafawa Balewa or ability to forgive as in the spirit of Gen. Gowon or competency as in Gen Murtala Mohd, then the Matawalle fits the seat. If it is about independence and honesty as in Gen Buhari or accommodation like Gen. IBB, experience as in OBJ or even integrity as in Yaradua it is still the matawalle of Borno. Sometimes referred to as Dogon yaro{

I thank you.

Long Live APC
Long Live Nigeria

Written By Mallam Garba Dankani