Jessica Chiu
Greed and Corruption on Nigerian Television
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/chatter/greed-and-corruption-nigerian-television
On the 24th and 25th of April, Nigerians were glued to their television sets as they watched a live broadcast of the parliament debate. A leaked government report claims that over the past 2 years, over $6 billion has been stolen from the state fuel fund. The report also claims that government officials benefited from the subsidy fund and that "a total of 15 fuel importers collected more than $300 million two years ago without importing any fuel." As a result, numerous Nigerians are now starting to call for immediate investigations of those who are allegedly involved in the graft. In response, Kazeem Adebanjo, a leader of the Nigeria Bar Association, says that "This is a government that swore to fight corruption when it came on
board. It is heart rendering; nobody expected it, but it has happened. I
believe that what is left for this Jonathan government to do is for it
to be courageous enough to enforce those recommendations of the House of
Representatives panel. The
culprits there must be unveiled and dealt with according to the law.
... Let me tell you, these are not the only federal agencies that are
involved but we are shocked because their activities touch the lives of
the masses."
For Cheap Fuel, Nigeria Bought Massive Corruption
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/24/3573439/for-cheap-fuel-nigeria-bought.html
In order to keep the cost of gasoline down, "Nigeria paid billions of dollars into a
corrupt government system of fuel subsidies that saw huge contracts
awarded to shady companies without any oversight." Upon the removal of said subsidies, chaos erupted as Nigerians took to the streets to protest the jump from $1.70 per gallon to $3.50 per gallon. President Goodluck Jonathon quickly responded to such protests by introducing a partially subsidized price of $2.27 per gallon. Regardless, Nigeria is still unable to meet the nation's demand for gasoline due to years of mismanagement and sabotage. As stated in a lawmaker's report, ""Government officials made nonsense of ... guidelines due mainly to
sleaze and, in some other cases, incompetence. It is
therefore apparent that the insistence by top government officials that
the subsidy figures was for products consumed was a clear attempt to
mislead the Nigerian people."
The Peace Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRGXMJuTXzs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRGXMJuTXzs&feature=related
As the name of this video suggests, it is a call for peace. Clips of protestors smashing windows and setting cars on fire
Nigeria: Government to Develop AIDS Vaccine
http://allafrica.com/stories/201204250202.html
In 2001, Nigeria's HIV vaccine plan was written but never executed. This was extremely problematic as there are currently more than 700,000 Nigerians living with HIV and AIDS. Recently, however, it was announced that Nigeria has begun making new plans to develop a vaccine against HIV and AIDS. What sets this new plan apart from the old one is that this plan will be "moree realistic, implementable and something that could be advocated for in terms of funding." The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof John Idoko, notes that "Nigeria must get in to the research now and avoid the failures that
have stalled efforts to deal with hepatitis B in the past. We cannot
afford not to be part of the global initiative because the number of
subtypes we have are numerous and we don't have a definite answer as to
whether we need a polyvalent or monovalent vaccine."
Angelica Ehioba
Africa
26 April
2012 Last updated at 13:34
ET
Three people were killed in a blast in Abuja, with another three killed at the paper's offices in the northern city of Kaduna.
Witnesses say at least one was a suicide bombing, but officials have not confirmed this.
No-one has said it carried out the blasts although the Islamist group Boko Haram has staged similar attacks.
The blasts at the offices of ThisDay newspaper, a leading daily, happened around 11:30 GMT.
Several witnesses, including the chairman of ThisDay's editorial board, said the blast in the capital was the result of a suicide attack.
"The suicide bomber came in a jeep," Olusegun Adeniyi told reporters at the scene in Abuja.
"[Security guards] opened the gate for them. The guy drove in through the gate and rammed into the building and exploded," Mr Adeniyi said.
Parts of the newspaper's office, including the printing press, have been completely destroyed.
Suspect held
The Kaduna explosion happened outside a complex housing a number of newspapers, including ThisDay.
A suspect has been arrested and is thought to be a member of the Boko Haram group, news agency AFP quoted police as saying.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar in Kaduna says that another, smaller explosion occurred in the city just before 16:00 GMT.
Witnesses told our correspondent an explosive device was thrown by the passenger of a motor bike at the junction of a major highway.
Two people were taken to hospital, our correspondent says.
Footage filmed by the Nigerian paper the Daily Trust, showed a scene of confusion in Abuja as people sifted through the rubble while a number of small fires burned.
Police and paramilitary forces cordoned off both offices while emergency workers evacuated the injured and removed the bodies of those who died.
"The ceiling of our building collapsed on to our computers because of the force of the blast," an Abuja office worker in the building next door to ThisDay told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
A ThisDay employee, Samson Oliver, was dozing after a night shift when the blast occurred: "When I woke up with shock and fear, I saw everywhere was so dark, something like smoke everywhere, and I ran out and saw that it was a bomb explosion."
Boko Haram - whose name means "Western education is forbidden" - wants to establish Islamic law in Nigeria and has launched a series of deadly attacks across the country, including the capital, in the past 19 months.
Last month the group warned journalists not to misrepresent its views.
There have recently been a series of terrorist attacks in central and northern Nigeria on media headquarters. It has been suggested that these acts of terrorism were commited by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram. This terrorist group, whose name means "western education is forbidden" wants to establish
Nigeria's ThisDay newspaper hit by Abuja and Kaduna blasts
Three people were killed in a blast in Abuja, with another three killed at the paper's offices in the northern city of Kaduna.
Witnesses say at least one was a suicide bombing, but officials have not confirmed this.
No-one has said it carried out the blasts although the Islamist group Boko Haram has staged similar attacks.
The blasts at the offices of ThisDay newspaper, a leading daily, happened around 11:30 GMT.
Several witnesses, including the chairman of ThisDay's editorial board, said the blast in the capital was the result of a suicide attack.
"The suicide bomber came in a jeep," Olusegun Adeniyi told reporters at the scene in Abuja.
"[Security guards] opened the gate for them. The guy drove in through the gate and rammed into the building and exploded," Mr Adeniyi said.
End Quote Olusegun Adeniyi ThisDay's editorial board chairmanThe guy drove in through the gate and rammed into the building and exploded”
However, a spokesperson for Nigeria's National Emergency
Management Agency earlier said the Abuja blast appeared to be caused by a bomb
planted inside the building.
Parts of the newspaper's office, including the printing press, have been completely destroyed.
Suspect held
The Kaduna explosion happened outside a complex housing a number of newspapers, including ThisDay.
A suspect has been arrested and is thought to be a member of the Boko Haram group, news agency AFP quoted police as saying.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar in Kaduna says that another, smaller explosion occurred in the city just before 16:00 GMT.
Witnesses told our correspondent an explosive device was thrown by the passenger of a motor bike at the junction of a major highway.
Two people were taken to hospital, our correspondent says.
Footage filmed by the Nigerian paper the Daily Trust, showed a scene of confusion in Abuja as people sifted through the rubble while a number of small fires burned.
Police and paramilitary forces cordoned off both offices while emergency workers evacuated the injured and removed the bodies of those who died.
"The ceiling of our building collapsed on to our computers because of the force of the blast," an Abuja office worker in the building next door to ThisDay told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
A ThisDay employee, Samson Oliver, was dozing after a night shift when the blast occurred: "When I woke up with shock and fear, I saw everywhere was so dark, something like smoke everywhere, and I ran out and saw that it was a bomb explosion."
Boko Haram - whose name means "Western education is forbidden" - wants to establish Islamic law in Nigeria and has launched a series of deadly attacks across the country, including the capital, in the past 19 months.
Last month the group warned journalists not to misrepresent its views.
There have recently been a series of terrorist attacks in central and northern Nigeria on media headquarters. It has been suggested that these acts of terrorism were commited by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram. This terrorist group, whose name means "western education is forbidden" wants to establish
President Goodluck Jonathan: I won’t spare any culprit
By 13 hours 50 minutes ago
President Goodluck Jonathan closely followed by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the State House, Abuja yesterday.PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that those indicted in the report of the House of Representatives Committee that investigated the implementation of the subsidy regime in Nigeria will be punished. He vowed that no one will be spared.
The House which called for the prosecution of former PPPRA boss, Ahmadu Ali over his alleged role in the subsidy scam has also received the backing of the ruling party which promised to continue to encourage the National Assembly in its efforts to stamp out corruption.
President Jonathan who spoke through his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi during a press briefing yesterday, vowed to ensure that every rot in the oil sector was cleared no matter how highly placed the person may be.
When asked if President Jonathan, or the Presidency was not disturbed by the outcome of the report, Senator Emodi answered thus: “No, no, no, no. Mr. President ab initio initiated the move to rid the petroleum industry of the rot because the bane of this society today, the bane of maladministration in the petroleum sector is nothing, but corruption.
“The fact that he appointed a person like Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to head another panel looking into the rot is a clear manifestation that Mr. President is determined to rid the sector of corruption, he is not going to spare anybody, if not why would he go and appoint Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the ex-EFCC chairman and his very rival in the last presidential election? I am sure that he is not going to spare anybody found wanting and there are no moves to distort the report. I am the Special Adviser to Mr President on National Assembly Matters, any slightest moves here of course, I would be the channel. You know it. So I am sure that no move is being made and Mr. President has zero tolerance for corruption.
Nobody will interfere with probe report
“So, I can assure you that nobody is going to interfere with the report but you have to look at the people he selected to look into the rot in the system – men and women of proven integrity. As this one is happening here another investigative panel is also taking place in the executive arm. Mr President is on the same page with the members of the National Assembly to rid the society especially the oil sector of the rot”.
According to her, “the investigation undertaken by the House of Representatives into the utilization of the petroleum subsidies is commendable. It is in line with the Federal government’s anti-graft war in the petroleum industry.
“The Executive and the legislative arms of government are on the same page on the issue and would collaborate towards ensuring that any rot in the sector is fully addressed.
“The issues that led to the investigation predated President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration. The President is poised to sanitize the oil sector and give it new breadth of life through enhanced probity, transparent governance and zero corruption.
“So, it is a wrong claim in some quarters of uneasiness in the administration over the recommendations of the House ad-hoc committee on the utilization of petroleum subsidies.
“In fact, such sharp practices in the oil sector were part of the reasons President Goodluck Jonathan moved against fuel subsidy in the first instance and directed the then Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga to engage an internationally recognized Audit Company to investigate the rot in the sector and KPMG was retained for the purpose. This was overtaken by the more comprehensive industry wide investigation now headed by the erstwhile Chairman of EFCC and Presidential candidate of the ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Is this not a clear manifestation of President Jonathan’s determination and genuineness to fight corruption and reduce it to zero level?
“Mr President’s sincere desire of enthroning probity was clearly manifested by his choice of men of integrity to be involved and he did not mind crossing the partisan barrier to get his opponent in the Presidential election to lead the investigation. So, it is not surprising that the President should welcome what the House members have done and he is on the same page on the issues.”
House deliberation of the report
Meanwhile, further efforts by some members of the House of Representatives yesterday to push for specific indictment of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Allison Maduekwe for her role in the utilization of the Subsidy regime were defeated even as the House adopted the recommendations of the Faruk Lawan-led committee that investigated the management of the Subsidy funds by the federal government.
At the resumed consideration of the report of the committee yesterday, the House also exonerated the former Accountant General of the Federation and incumbent governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo as a letter from both the governor and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to the House exonerated him of any wrong doing and placed the blame on the door steps of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.
The committee had alleged in its report that the Accountant General had authorized the payment of N999,000,000, 128 times within 24 hours and recommended that relevant anti corruption agencies should investigate the transaction.
The House also resolved to forward its report to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate and other relevant anti-corruption agencies for their information and necessary actions.
Yesterday’s session was rather tempestuous as some members expressed reservations over the non-indictment of the Minister.
House rejects call to indict Minister
Raising a point of privilege, Hon. Robinson Uwah informed the House that after Tuesday’s session, he had received several calls from Nigerians including his constituents who he alleged accused him and the House of protecting the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
He therefore called for the resignation of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, a suggestion that drew wide support from members who apparently shared his opinion.
However, the Deputy House Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor countered that the point of order raised by Hon. Uwah was out of procedure as the House had not finished deliberation on the report of the committee.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha who again presided over the committee of the whole cautioned that after doing a wonderful job, the House cannot be seen to be out on a witch hunt of persons.
His ruling not withstanding, another member of the House, Hon. Benjamin Aboho later raised the matter and insisted that the Minister of Petroleum Resources should be specifically indicted for her failure to properly monitor how the subsidy regime was utilized. He was again ruled out of order.
Highlights of the recommendations
Highlights of the recommendations adopted by the House yesterday were that the committee on Petroleum Down stream should conduct an extensive and thorough investigation into the operations of the Petroleum Equalization funds Management Board in order to ascertain the management of the bridging funds under the subsidy regime.
The House also approved that the services of the Accounting Firms, Akintola Willaims, Deloitte and Olusola Adekanola and Partners should be discontinued with immediate effect for professional negligence on this particular assignment and the firm be further investigated and prosecuted. It was also approved that the two firms be blacklisted from being engaged by any federal Ministry, Department or Agency for a period of three years.
On the activities of the Pipelines Products Marketing Company, the House approved the recommendation that its management should be overhauled while institutional mechanism be urgently developed to ensure the monitoring of actual delivery of Kerosene to Nigerian masses.
It also called on the PPMC to deploy modern state of the art devices to protect its facilities and pipelines to eliminate wastages arising from vandalism. In the short term, the House noted that PPMC should establish a surveillance system which should incorporate community protection and using part of the bridging funds on the petroleum Support funds template to finance.
Other recommendations include:
*That the NNPC takes immediate action to pay the N46 billion owed the Nigeria Customs Service and the N6billion owed to the Nigeria Ports Authority.
*That the failure of the Nigerian Ports Authority to provide the committee the vital vessel data particularly the IMO numbers is an indication that either Nigerian Ports Authority has a very poor record keeping system or that it was a deliberate ploy to cover up the collusion between its officials and importers. We recommend an investigation into the operations and activities of this authority.
*That the Department of Petroleum Resources should take immediate steps to bring all facilities and depot owners into compliance with international best practices by ensuring the installation of modern metering gadgets and sealable and non-return valves, to eliminate the rampant cases of round tripping.
*That the department of Petroleum Resources should brace up to its role of regulation and compel the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/Pipeline Products Marketing Company to comply with all regulations issued to ensure transparency and accountability
*That in order to reduce and gradually eliminate lightering, associated inefficiency and cost, government should invest in the provision of single point monitoring. This provision should be followed up by instituting regulations to compel owners of jetties, depots and storage facility owners to develop pipeline throughout availability to facilitate direct delivery of imported products by heavy vessels inshore in Nigeria.
Speaking after the adoption of the report, chairman of the committee, Hon. Farouk Lawan thanked the leadership of the House of Representatives for the opportunity given to members of the committee to serve, pointing out that in carrying out its assignment, the committee was fair to all the parties involved.
He however warned that those indicted in the report are likely to take up the gauntlet against the report and members of the House, while appealing to Nigerians to fight for the protection of truth and sanity in the country.
Also speaking on some of the controversy surrounding the call for the Minister of Petroleum to resign, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Zakari Mohammed said the recommendation that the management of NNPC should be overhauled addressed the issue of the minister. According to him the minister is the chairman of the board of NNPC and therefore it was wrong to insinuate that she was exonerated, adding that the objective of the report was not to witch hunt anybody but to state facts as they are.
Police Pension Scam: Head of Service Suspends Perm Sec, 4 Others
Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Permanent Secretary Police Pension Office
By Senator Iroegbu
The Federal Civil Service Commission has approved the suspension of five serving federal civil servants recently charged to court in connection with involvement in alleged fraudulent practices at the Police Pension Office.
A statement signed Thursday by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations, said Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, confirmed the suspension of the officers from office with effect from March 29, 2012.
The affected officers include Atiku Abubakar Kigo (Permanent Secretary), Ahmed Inuwa Wada (Director), John Yakubu Yusuf (Assistant Director), Veronica Onyegbula (Cashier) and Sani Habila Zira (ICT Officer).
It would be recalled that the five of them had pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge that was preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged fraud of N14, 518,567,724.36 between January 2009 and June 2011.
It was alleged that five of them conspired and sequentially withdrew monies from Police Pension funds account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria and shared it amongst themselves, and that Wada collected N18 million from Unity Bank Plc as his reward for retaining the Police Pension account with the bank.
---
Angela DePizzo
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The acting Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, has announced that the force will replace its regular assault rifles with rubber bullets. They would prefer to arrest rather than kill criminals and terrorists, and think rubber bullets will do a sufficient job of incapacitating without killing. He has also described the rubber bullets as more "people-friendly." In addition to replacing the assault rifles, road blocks are also being abolished. Instead, they will be replaced with patrol teams.
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"Attacks in restive central Nigeria killed five people in a village and another died in the city of Jos, where a blast also wounded nine soccer fans, police and officials said Wednesday." The village was called Gwa-Rim, and the five dead includes two children. The Fulani ethnic group is thought to be at the heart of these killings. "The gunmen," a witness said, "went from house to house and shot their victims dead." Central Nigeria has lately suffered more attacks and blasts like the one that wounded nine people at a football (soccer) game. Explosions like this are thought to be the cause of Boko Haram.
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Gani Fahweninmi was a protester up until his death in 2009, becoming influential enough to garner a park named after him. This park became a popular destination of the Occupy Nigeria movement participants. Police were then wrongly dispatched to the Gani Fahweninmi Freedom Park. The fact that the police are being called in to break up a peaceful protest is a huge indicator of the backwardness and corruption that exists in the Nigerian government. It also sadly reminds us of the Internet-infamous Pepper Spray Cop from America's own Occupy movements. Nigeria's protesting has been declared constitutional, and peaceful protesting has a long-established international history. I find it sad and mildly disturbing that the Nigerian government would try to stop something so well-intentioned and unharmful.
Danielle's Posts
Hollywood
Nollywood
"Twenty years after bursting from the grungy street markets of
Though
Under Pressure, Nigerian Leader Relents on
Gas Price
Similar scenes have played out around the world in recent years, from Latin America to the Middle East to Asia, and the government response is frequently the same: give in quickly, despite the counsel of economists and international financial institutions that fuel subsidies are wasteful and distorting, sapping governments of money that could otherwise be used to improve education, public health or other needs. ."
Even when it would be good for the country overall and over
time, it's hard to tell people living in poverty that they must pay more for
something now when they are barely scraping by and believe they may not live to
see the benefits promised. This article brought home the difficulties in making
even somewhat small changes in developing countries: nothing is organized, but
everything is urgent. Unlike in developed countries, where it is sometimes easy
to see which issues are more important and can/should be resolved first, and
which ones can be put on the back burner, in developing countries it is very
difficult to decide which issues should be resolved first; where the resources
should be allocated; and basically, whose needs are more important than others'.
The fact that these decisions are often dependent on the aid foreign countries
are willing to provide means the countries have even less sovereignty and are
less able to help more people. And the fact that people are unwilling to give
in a little more now, even if it's understandable and their only way to survive
means the country's development is slowed down even more.
The Somebodies and Nobodies
It’s no wonder that Nigeria
The Somebodies and Nobodies
“This week, former Nigerian state governor James Ibori was
sentenced by a British judge to 13 years in prison. He is guilty on two counts.
One is corruption – a crime of which many other Nigerian leaders
are guilty. But the second is his belief that some people are
"somebodys" who are born to own, control and enjoy while others are
"nobodys" whose lot is to serve, toil and endure – a mindset shared
by most Nigerians, at every stratum of our society…….Is it then surprising that
many Nigerians will do almost anything to rise just that one more level higher
than someone else? All in the hope of more dignity and more respect. And as
soon as someone on a lower rung edges that one level up, they immediately claim
their licence to disparage and abuse as they have seen others do, and so the
cycle of oppression continues.”
Nigeria's Finance Minister
Perhaps the fact that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was educated in
the US Nigeria US
Justine Lorenc
Nigeria Tested by Rapid Rise in Population
“LAGOS,
Nigeria – In a quarter-century, at the rate Nigeria is growing, 300 million
people — a population about as big as that of the present-day United States —
will live in a country roughly the size of Arizona, New Mexico and
Nevada.”
Overpopulation
has driven the living standard for many Nigerians living in urban areas down. Over
the course of just 15 years the population has doubled to 21 million. This
increase in population impacts many aspects of city life: schools are
overcrowded, unemployment is high, travel is difficult, hospital services are
overwhelmed, and families find their resources stretched. In the city of Lagos,
apartments are known as “Face Me, Face You”, due to extremely cramped and
rundown conditions. True to the adage that however Nigeria goes, the rest of
Africa goes, this situation is present across sub-Saharan Africa.
The
problem has stirred governments to action, one of the primary efforts being the
promotion of smaller families, sex education, and free contraception. Though
cultural and religious beliefs are opposed to these measures, change in
economic conditions impacts lifestyle, which has altered the attitude towards
large families, at least in the middle class. “Children were seen as a kind of insurance for
the future [in an agricultural lifestyle]; now they are a liability for life” for
an urbanized middle-class family, according to one Nigerian doctor.
And
there is hope. Nigeria is oil-rich, transitioning from an agriculturally-based
economy to a more industrial one, and productive individuals – adults reaching
working age – now outnumber the dependents of society, the young and elderly.
If managed well, this situation can turn from a problem into an opportunity.
Nigeria’s Abandoned Youth
Many of recent reports on
Nigerian have focused on the terrorist attacks of the militant Boko Haram. Here
is a look at some youths who, without an improvement in their conditions, may
someday join their ranks.
Many poor families with more
children than they can afford send them to Islamic schools called tsangayas. The conditions of many of
these schools are deplorable: dirty communal dorms may host up to 80 boys, who
sleep on straw mats. After the school day ends, instead of being supervised by
their teachers, they go onto the streets to beg. Millions of boys have become almajiris, a term that denotes an
emigrant in search of knowledge, but has come to mean beggar.
Virtual orphans, the boys lead
a desperate life; they are all hungry, many are sick, and accidents and
fatalities often occur while they are begging. They are at an increased risk
for criminal activity, both as victims and perpetrators. This puts them in the
perfect position for recruitment by Boko Haram. The almajiris are just one more
example of the human development issues in Nigeria; if they are left unanswered,
the violent outbursts of those dissatisfied with their country will only
continue.
Does Goodluck Jonathan Have What It Takes?
After Goodluck Jonathan's election as Nigeria's president last year, many are feeling optimistic. But does he have what it takes to bring the nation out of its rut? According to one article, several reasons justify the optimism:
- The past decade has seen the end of a dictatorship and the start of civilian rule, along with strengthening of crucial political institutions.
- This past election sets a precedent for democracy, as it was considered “by far the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history”
- Economic relations with China and India, whose economic success should translate into prosperity for Nigeria as well.
- In the “age of convergence”, developing countries like Nigeria can advance quickly through advanced technology and the implementation of good practices.
- Nigeria’s commitment to fighting the extreme poverty and disease wracking its population
Not only that, but the country has natural resources and the help of international allies. Though there are still many problems that plague the nation, Goodluck Jonathan has the opportunity to take advantage of these current conditions and set Nigeria on the path to prosperity.
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