Economic growth driving Nigeria’s foreign policy, says Jonathan

Nigeria’s foreign policy focus is on how to attract greater foreign direct investment to accelerate domestic growth and create jobs President Goodluck Jonathan has said.

He spoke Wednesday in New York at a dinner organised in his honour by the Corporate Council on Africa.

The President is attending the 67th United Nations General Assembly Session.

Jonathan, according to a statement by his spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati, said his administration is wholly committed to promoting the development of a knowledge-economy that will enhance the security of lives and property, thereby accelerating growth to provide more employment and reduce youth restiveness.

The President told the gathering of leading American businessmen and investors that attracting foreign investment to support the realisation of the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation is the topmost priority of Nigeria’s diplomacy abroad.

“Let me restate here that Nigeria’s foreign policy is now anchored on the realisation of this Transformation Agenda through the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment. Under the new policy thrust, our Diplomatic Missions abroad have been directed to focus more on attracting investment to support the domestic programmes of government with a view to achieving not only our Vision 20: 2020, but to bequeathing an enduring legacy of economic  prosperity,” he said.

President Jonathan assured guests at the dinner that adequate safety nets has been established to protect all foreign investors in Nigeria. Such measures, he said, included the establishment and strengthening of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Public Procurement.

The President said his Administration is dealing decisively with Nigeria’s security challenges. “We have some security challenges now, but let me assure you that the Nigerian Government is on top of it. We are dealing with the issue decisively; it will soon be a thing of the past.

“Opportunities abound for would-be investors with capital and technical know-how in key areas of Nigeria’s economy with a high rate of return on investment. I invite our friends in the United States to take advantage of existing incentives and invest more in Nigeria. I am confident that by the year 2015, Nigeria would have witnessed transformation in all sectors to the benefit of not only its citizens, but also those who have an interest in Nigeria,” President Jonathan concluded.

Welcoming President Jonathan to the dinner earlier, the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, pledged that the Obama Administration will continue to support Nigeria’s efforts to attract greater foreign investment.

Noting that Nigeria is already a very important destination for American companies and the second highest recipient of American direct private sector investment in Africa, Mr. Carson said he is optimistic that Nigeria could become  a great economic success over the next decade.

The Assistant Secretary of State announced that the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission, which has been established as a primary platform for the promotion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, will meet again in Nigeria next month.

President Jonathan’s other engagements in New York on Wednesday included meetings with President Sauli Ministo of Finland and the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mrs. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.

The President also met with President Francois Hollande of France, the Emir of Qatar and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa. He also received representatives of the over 200 Nigerians who work for the United Nations and its agencies.

President Jonathan and Prime-Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway with whom he serves as Co-Chairperson of the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children also participated at an event to promote its work. Guests at the event included former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

HoS Blames Babangida for Rot in Civil Service

Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali

The Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali, Thursday blamed the regime of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), for of the current rot in the nation’s civil service.

Speaking in Abuja at the opening session of the 36th annual conference of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSAN), Sali, who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Human Resources, Mr. James Obiegbu, argued that the civil service reforms carried out between 1985 and 1988 were largely responsible for the paucity of professionals and committed public officers in the public service in the country.

He said: “The subsequent reforms of 1985-88 which arose from the recommendations of the Dotun Philip’s report were given legal effect through Decree 43 of 1988. The legislation paved the way for all comers into the top echelon of the civil service.

“It also led to the abolition of the Office of the HSCF, whose functions were subsumed under those of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the incapacitation of the Federal Civil Service Commission which had most of its functions transferred in the main to the Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies.

“The aftermath was the unbridled influx of low quality personnel into the Civil Service at career levels far above their competencies, knowledge, experience and capabilities.

“The cumulative impact of these influxes was the loss of Civil Service vitality, standard of performance and cohesion. This further paved the way for the culture of sidelining time-tested procedures and processes and the loss of officers’ self respect and integrity.”

Although the Head of Service also accused other military administrations of the damages suffered by the service in terms of inability to sustain its capacity, ethos and values, he said the eagerness of post war successive military governments to increase salaries and emoluments of workers rather than promoting value-added policies constituted as a major factor that eroded the professionalism of the service.

He, noted however, that the ongoing reforms in the public service was part of the sustained efforts by subsequent administrations to restore the efficiency of the service and reposition for national development.

source: thisday

We’re Winning War against Boko Haram, Says Jonathan

 President Goodluck Jonathan

 

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed optimism that the acts of terrorism being perpetrated by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has killed over 1,400 people in the North since 2010, will soon be over.

Jonathan told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday in New York on the sidelines of the ongoing General Assembly meeting of the United Nations, that the Federal Government’s multifaceted approach in tackling terrorism has started bearing fruit.

He also dropped a hint that he had not given up on the complete withdrawal of fuel subsidy, despite the strong opposition to the policy that forced him to back down last January when he attempted it.

According to him, the “robust” approach to checkmating Boko Haram using military force, holding indirect talks with the group and improving education in the North has led to a reduction in the number of successful attacks carried out by the insurgents.

Security agents in the last few months seemed to have gained the upper hand in their frequent clashes with the terrorists, many of whom have either been killed or arrested.

The security agents made a major breakthrough in their anti-terror campaign last Monday when they killed a suspected top member of the insurgent group and arrested 156 others in Mubi, Adamawa State.

Operatives of the special security squad, Operation Restore Sanity, made the arrest during a raid on the insurgents’ hideout in Mubi, which led to a gun battle with the terrorists in which one of the Boko Haram key commanders, believed to be Abubakar Yola, alias Abu Jihad, was killed.

Four of the 156 persons arrested are also believed to be top unit commanders of the sect involved in the recent bombings of telecommunications facilities in the North-east about three weeks ago.

In addition, over 300 improvised explosive devices already primed for detonation, 25 assorted brands of rifles, mostly brand new AK 47, submachine guns and over 2,000 daggers, swords, bows and poisoned arrows were recovered from the hideout.

Also recovered was a huge quantity of bomb-making devices, which was stored in a large compound, situated at Shagari Low Cost Housing, Mubi.

Security agents also in Yobe killed 35 suspected Boko Haram members in a raid on their hideout in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, between last Sunday and Monday.

The killing of Abu Jihad and others came one week after the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) claimed to have killed a key member of the sect, suspected to be the sect’s spokesman, Abu Qaqa, a nom de guerre used by the spokesmen of the sect, and arrested two others in Kano.

Jonathan, in his interview with Reuters, however, played down the significance of the killing of Abu Qaqa, in a gun battle in Kano on September 16.

“If I look at it, the trend is coming down,” he said about the threat posed by Boko Haram. “It's not because Abu Qaqa is dead. Abu Qaqa is just one person. If one Abu Qaqa dies, it can generate 10 Abu Qaqas.

“The issue is not the death of one person. The issue is that the robust approach that government is taking, exploiting all possible means, is paying off, and we believe it will continue to pay off.”

The president made it clear that the military approach could only be one part of the solution.

Much more important, he said, was a push to improve agriculture, job prospects and access to Western-style education in the North.

“The whole approach, both the security aspects, both the indirect talks, and the job opportunities that we are creating, is achieving results. We are giving hope to the people. The education institutions we are establishing are giving hope to the people.

“One links up with the other to get to the respite we are seeing now; I cannot credit it to only one approach,” Jonathan said.

Last month, presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, had said the Federal Government was reaching out to Boko Haram and talking with some of its members through “backroom channels” as it seeks a peaceful way out of terrorism.

On the crisis of confidence between the Federal Government and states over the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), the president said both parties would soon resolve their differences.

The governors have proposed fresh terms to the Federal Government as a condition for withdrawing their suit before the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the operation of the Excess Crude Account (ECA) from where government withdrew the $1 billion seed capital for the take-off of the SWF.

“Yes, we can go to court. But we believe it's not the best to solve certain problems through a court. We are discussing, and I believe at the end of the day we will get to a point where both parties will win.

“They are not arguing because they know that the issue of the Sovereign Wealth Fund is transparent, they trust the Minister of Finance.

“They feel that some of the states have challenges and they want to decide what percentage they can put in. But we feel it is better we do it collectively,” the president said.

Jonathan also talked about his push to abolish fuel subsidy, for which he had to beat a retreat last January in the face of crippling nationwide strikes.

“Besides the issue of corruption, it was being abused. All over the world, people advised that states should no longer subsidise hydrocarbons, because when you subsidise hydrocarbons, those who gain are not the ordinary people.

“Quite a lot of Nigerians agree that subsidies must go," he said, adding that he expected to again try a gradual phase-out to soften the impact of price increases. "This time around, we will properly involve the people and give a robust timeline."

Nigeria's cities are expected to grow to 200 million people by 2050, the UN forecast in April. But Jonathan said he was wary of forecasts based on current trends and suggested that the country's population growth would eventually slow down.

“That (growth forecast) is based on the present statistics in terms of a pattern of reproduction, which may not continue that way,” he said. “As more people become more educated and more aware, they tend to reduce the size of their population.”

300 Killed in Single Day in Syria, Group Says

Free Syrian Army fighters try to drag a civilian's body away from the line of fire

More than 300 people were killed in Syria on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, in one of the bloodiest days in the 18-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

World leaders meeting at the United Nations have expressed concern at the continuing violence in Syria but are deadlocked over their response to the conflict, which the Observatory says has claimed 30,000 lives since March 2011, reports Reuters.

The British-based organization, which monitors violence in Syria through a network of activists, said in a report released on Thursday that 55 people were killed in rural areas around Damascus. They included at least 40 who appeared to have been shot in cold blood in the town of al-Dhiyabia, southeast of the capital.

Other activists have put the death toll in al-Dhiyabia as high as 107, blaming Assad's security forces for what they said was a massacre. Video published by activists showed rows of bloodied corpses wrapped in blankets. The victims shown on camera appeared to be male, from 20-year-olds to elderly men.

The Observatory also said 14 people were killed in a rebel bomb attack on a military command centre in Damascus and in an ensuing prolonged gunbattle between rebels and security forces.

Violence in Syria has deepened as the fight against Assad has became more militarized and the president has responded with increasing use of force - including regular air strikes and bombardments against rebel areas.

In the first nine months of the conflict, the United Nations human rights chief said around 5,000 people had been killed. U.N. officials have given up trying to monitor the violence but the Observatory's figures suggest five times as many people have been killed in the second nine-month period.

The Centre for Documentation of Violations in Syria, which is linked to the grassroots anti-Assad Local Coordination Committees, puts the overall death toll at 27,318.

NECO Releases June/July Results, Records Improvement

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Professor Promise Okpala

 

After five consecutive years of mass failure, the National Examinations Council (NECO) Thursday announced an improvement  of students in its June/July 2012 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

NECO said over 50 per cent of the candidates who sat for examination recorded credit pass in Mathematics while 49.33 per cent of the 1,087,627 candidates passed English Language with credit.

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Professor Promise Okpala, announced the improvement in the results yesterday at the NECO headquarters in Minna, saying that 13 schools in seven states across the federation had been blacklisted for gross examination malpractices for the next two years.

Okpala said in Mathematics, out of the 1,124,879 that sat for the subject 567,011, representing 50. 41 per cent passed at credit level and 418,351, representing 37.19 per cent had passes, while in English Language 554,884 candidates representing 49.33 per cent passed at credit level, and 478,605, representing 42.55 per cent had passes.

Similarly, other core subject areas, including, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and others also recorded significant improvements.

When compared with the 2011 performance rate, Okpala said only 22.34 per cent recorded credit pass in English Language, while 25.14 per cent made similar credit pass in Mathematics and paltry one per cent of the candidates that sat for the examination made credit level in Biology.

The registrar attributed the improved performance of candidates in the just concluded examination to the Federal Government reforms in the education sector. The registrar noted that for sustainable improvement, all stake holders
“Must put up efforts at assisting in the education reforms.
“We have always said our reforms will take years to manifest, the result is what we are seeing today. All stakeholders should not relax for continuous improvement. We should be focused in our responsibilities. We are making progress, but the journey is still far,” Okpala advised.

He however lamented that despite efforts at curtailing examination malpractices, some candidates and schools still indulge in the nefarious activity, compelling the council to blacklist 13 schools in Anambra, Cross Rivers, Rivers, Imo, Kano, Benue and Nasarawa.

US: Court Denies Bail for 'Anti-Islam Film' Man

Protests over the film have been widespread across the Muslim world

A man linked to an anti-Islam video that sparked riots across the Muslim world has been held without bond after a hearing in Los Angeles, California.

A judge said Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was a flight risk and cited a pattern of deception when making his ruling, Reuters news agency reported.

Nakoula was investigated for violating probation terms after he was released from prison in 2011 for bank fraud.

He has not been detained over the contents of the inflammatory video, reports the BBC.

Nakoula, who allegedly produced the 14-minute trailer for the film Innocence of Muslims, was banned from accessing the internet or using an alias without an officer's permission under the terms of his probation.

Earlier, the Obama administration had requested Google, the company that owns YouTube, to remove the clip. The technology firm refused, saying the film did not violate its rules.

The US Attorney's office in Los Angeles confirmed Nakoula had been taken into custody earlier on Thursday.

"Mr Nakoula was arrested pursuant to allegations made by the Probation Office that he has violated the terms of his supervised release," spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

He had been in hiding after the release of the video.

A clip from the US-made film was dubbed into Arabic, provoking widespread anger for its disrespectful portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad.

The film was made on a very low budget, with insults and offensive inferences to the Prophet Mohammad and Islam crudely dubbed on afterwards.

But it has not broken any laws in the US, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution's first amendment.

The clip was uploaded to YouTube in July, but violence broke out over the video on September 11.

Four Americans, including US Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya earlier this month.

FG orders opening of bye-pass in Lokoja-Abuja road

Reprieve came the way of stranded motorists along Lokoja-Abuja road, as the Federal Government directed the opening of an identified bye-pass along the road on Wednesday.

Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolemenen, stated this after the Federal Executive Council  meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Onolemenen said the bye-pass, which had been created around the flooded area would be opened to motorists from Thursday.

He said government had engaged construction giants in the country to create the bye-pass as a temporary measure to ease the suffering of commuters.

He said, “What we’ve been doing since yesterday morning is that around the flooded area, we identified a bye-pass which we have created.

“As at this morning, we have attained about 60 per cent completion. From the way we are going, by tomorrow, the road should be opened to motorists.

“We have done a diversion at those drainages and vehicles will be able to now drive normally through this bye-pass without having recourse to canoes on our roads as a result of the flooding that happened.

“For us, that was a national priority because we needed to open that particular transport corridor so that movement between the southern states and the northern states will not be impaired.

“We have done that and I want Nigerians to be assured that government is with them in this situation and that government will continue to do all in its power to ensure that the pains are reduced to the barest minimum.”

Also Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia, said a Presidential Committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to assess the impact of flooding across the country presented a preliminary report to the Council.

She said the committee visited seven states to ascertain the extent of impact of the flood on life and infrastructure and to identify immediate areas of intervention.

She said, “The most devastating that we have witnessed is that of Kogi State where we have a major road completely made impassable.

“We have also seen a lot of infrastructure submerged and witnessed very traumatising experiences by people that were affected.”

Mailafia said among the consequences of the flooding was huge loss of farmlands which might likely pose a threat to food security.

Meanwhile, Chairman, State Emergency Management Agency of Kogi State, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, has said  about  eight people and over N5bn were lost in the flooding that is ravaging the state.

He stated that six persons lost their lives and two others are still missing.

In an interview with journalists in Lokoja on Wednesday, he said the devastation occasioned by the  flood was enormous.

He stated that many farmlands had been washed away, buildings, roads and bridges submerged and farm produce destroyed.

Iran: Ahmadinejad Pushes New World Order

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

After an hour of fielding questions about Syria, sanctions and nuclear weapons, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had enough. Now, he said, it was his turn to choose the topic — his "new order" which will inevitably replace the current era of what he called U.S. bullying.

Continuing his hectic pace of media appearances and diplomatic meetings, Ahmadinejad presented an air of boredom when it came to the hot topic on everyone's mind — Iran's nuclear program and the possibility of impending war. Whether it was feigned or sincere, he said he would much rather be talking about his vision of what the next world order might be, reports The Associated Press.

Conveniently, it would be an order in which the U.S. and the traditional powers play a smaller role and every country has equal standing (though the state of Israel, he often predicts, will soon become a historical footnote).

"God willing, a new order will come and will do away with ... everything that distances us," Ahmadinejad told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Tuesday, speaking through a translator. "All of the animosity, all of the lack of sincerity will come to an end. It will institute fairness and justice."

He said the world was losing patience with the current state of affairs.

"Now even elementary school kids throughout the world have understood that the United States government is following an international policy of bullying," he said. "I do believe the system of empires has reached the end of the road. The world can no longer see an emperor commanding it."

The interview was held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly — Ahmadinejad's last as president of Iran. He was to address the assembly Wednesday morning.

He also discussed solutions for the Syrian civil war, dismissed the question of Iran's nuclear ambition and claimed that despite Western sanctions his country is better off than it was when he took office in 2005.

Earlier Tuesday, President Barack Obama warned Iran that time is running out to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program. In a speech to the General Assembly, Obama said the United States could not tolerate an Iran with atomic weapons.

Ahmadinejad would not respond directly to the president's remarks, saying he did not want to influence the U.S. presidential election in November.

But he argued that the international outcry over Iran's nuclear enrichment program was just an excuse by the West to dominate his country. He claimed that the United States has never accepted Iran's choice of government after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

"Everyone is aware the nuclear issue is the imposition of the will of the United States," he said. "I see the nuclear issue as a non-issue. It has become a form of one-upmanship."

Ahmadinejad said he favored more dialogue, even though negotiations with world powers remain stalled after three rounds of high-level meetings since April.

He said some world leaders have suggested to him that Iran would be better off holding nuclear talks only with the United States.

"Of course I am not dismissing such talks," he said, asked if he were open to discussions with the winner of the American presidential election.

Israeli leaders, however, are still openly contemplating military action again Iranian nuclear facilities, dismissing diplomacy as a dead end. Israel and many in the West suspect that Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, and cite its failure to cooperate fully with nuclear inspectors. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Ahmadinejad also proposed forming a new group of 10 or 11 countries to work to end the 18-month Syrian civil war. Representatives of nations in the Middle East and elsewhere would meet in New York "very soon," he said.

Critics have accused Tehran of giving support to Syrian President Bashar Assad in carrying out massacres and other human rights violations in an attempt to crush the uprising against his rule. Activists say nearly 30,000 people have died.

Ahmadinejad said the so-called contact group hopes to get the Syrian government and opposition to sit across from each other.

FG Fears Flooding May Cause Food Crisis

Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia

The Federal Government has raised the alarm that the disastrous effect of flooding being experienced in some parts of the country may result in food crisis occasioned by lack of good yield.

This came as the Kogi State Government has put in place measures to urgently reduce the negative effects of the flooding that has ravaged the state on food production.

It noted that the devastating effects of flooding caused by heavy rainfall which submerged many farmlands call for serious attention if famine must be averted in the land.
Speaking with journalists after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday, the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, said there was need for a national debate to address the flood disaster which is becoming a threat to food security.

She said: “Where you have in a country, well over 5,000 farmlands washed away, then the chances are that there is cause for attention. It is of national interest. So, all what we are saying is that it is a national emergency. It calls for sober reflection. It does for open debate of who did that and what.”

The Deputy Governor and Chairman, State Emergency Management Authority (SEMA), Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, who made this known Wednesday in his office, said: “a post-flood management mechanism is already in place to address the food shortage that is likely to follow the flood.”

According to him, there is the concern that there will be scarcity of food after the flood because several farmlands have been washed away by the flood across the country.

“Kogi being the most hit and as a way to mitigate the effect, we have keyed into a programme to access the rapid maturing of seedlings to enable fast growth of farm products.”

He also added that while the state government is encouraging communities not affected by the flood to embark on increasing their food production, there is an ongoing assessment of affected farmlands with the hope of providing compensation to affected farmers - as an incentive to encourage them back to farm.

He expressed high hopes that the state will overcome its current predicament.

Awoniyi also eulogised the Federal Government for its proactive measures aimed at reducing the damages wreaked by the flood.

Noting, however, that it was a natural disaster which government was doing its best to tackle, the minister said, “The flooding we are experiencing in the country do not in any way fall into what you can term man made. This is a natural phenomenon that cuts across the globe. With the kind of technology put in place in the United State, they still had flooding there, in China and even one of our neighbour Niger, an arid land, they are experiencing flooding.

Also, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, has said contrary to reports in some quarters that the cause of the current flooding in some areas of the country is solely as a result of excessive rainfall and climate change, the disaster should be blamed on the inability of the previous governments to build the Dasin Hausa Dam, which is capable of saving 16 billion cubic metres of water.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, the minister said because of the configuration of the River Valley and the high water resources of the environment, it was proposed in the late 70s that two dams be constructed by Cameroun with Lagdo Dam and Dasin Hausa by Nigeria.

However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) urged some communities in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State and others in Benue to immediately move to higher plains in the neighbouring councils or Anambra State due to the increase in the level water level from the River Benue and Niger.

The Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi made the warning yesterday after presenting additional relief materials to victims of flood in Kogi State.

The warning came as the flood ravaging communities in the two states yesterday turned messier yesterday as NEMA rescue team along the banks of the rivers evacuated affected persons from rooftop and trees, where they had fled to safety.

Sani-Sidi said: “It is now necessary to call on people living in Ibaji to either move to Idah Local Government Council of the state or to closer communities in Anambra State”
The DG also added that the agency was working with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to explore further assistance to the affected persons.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has chided the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) over its comments on the flooding that affected some parts of the country, explaining that the closure of the Abuja-Lokoja road was aimed at achieving safety measure to preserve lives and property.

It also said that the comments of the ACN amounts to acts of insensitivity and opportunism on  throwing  decency and the dignity of the human lives to the winds and  playing  politics and grandstanding rather than sympathise with the people on what they were going through.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, the party said the comments of ACN over the floods in Kogi State and other parts of the country were ridiculous.

According to Metuh, “ACN in its statement even went to the ridiculous extent of condemning the closure of the Abuja-Lokoja road which is a precautionary measure taken to save lives following the disaster.

“While we welcome constructive criticisms meant to keep us on our toes, we would not succumb to cheap politicking from political jobbers who do not know when to draw boundaries between partisanship and national humanitarian interests,” Metuh said.

PDP said that the action of the ACN was nothing but “unnecessary politicisation of this force majeure is an indication of their insensitivity to the plights of the victims. They would rather scavenge for political capital while the victims remain homeless, hungry and prone to diseases.”

The statement from PDP reminded the ACN that natural disasters are not restricted to any particular parts of the country, as Lagos State which is under the ACN has suffered multiple cases of flooding yet not one came out to ascribe them to the failure of infrastructure by the state government.

SOURCE; THISDAY

Anxiety as Saudi rejects 1,500 Nigerian pilgrims

A diplomatic row is likely between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia over the rejection of some Nigerian women pilgrims.

Yesterday, 159 would-be pilgrims from Katsina, Taraba and Oyo states were returned to Nigeria from Medina — Saudi Arabia’s second holiest city.

The National Hajj Commission (NAHCOM) has suspended the airlift of Nigerians for 48 hours, following the incident.

The pilgrims were returned to the country because the Saudi authorities barred them from the pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage to the Holy land is the fifth pillar of Islam.

A Muslim must undertake the journey, at least once – if he is financially capable of doing so.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have urged the President to intervene in the matter.

Those returned are not part of the 1,000 Nigerian pilgrims, mostly women, already stranded in Jeddah.

They were refused entry because they were not accompanied by their husbands or family guides.

They were among the 500 would-be pilgrims airlifted by three airlines but who were prevented from entering.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo has intervened in the brewing diplomatic row.

NAHCON Head of Media Mana Uba said last night that the suspension of flights became necessary to allow the Federal Government and Saudi Arabia resolve the impasse through the ongoing diplomatic consultations.

Uba said: “We are suspending flights to Saudi Arabia for the next 48 hours to enable the Federal Government consult with the Saudi authorities.

“There will be no airlift of pilgrims. But we are positive that the discussion will be far-reaching.”

Uba also confirmed that 159 pilgrims had been brought back to Nigeria after the Saudi authorities refused them entry for not having Muharrams (male guardians).

He gave the breakdown of the pilgrims as follows: Katsina (84); Taraba (62); and Oyo (13).

He said: “These pilgrims arrived in Medina on Wednesday but they were disallowed from entering the city because of the same factor of Muharrams (male guardians).

“In order not to leave them stranded at the airport, we decided to bring the pilgrims back to Nigeria pending the time we will resolve the issue.”

A government source said: “The Vice-President is already leading talks with Saudi government in Riyadh and through the Embassy in Nigeria.

“We hope that in the next 48 to 72 hours, the two countries will reach amicable resolution on the areas of disagreement.”

The source added: “The Federal Government is seeking a waiver, although the Saudi authorities appear not ready to bend their regulations.

“But in diplomacy, nothing is impossible. We are optimistic that this matter is resolvable.”

The NAHCON spokesman explained that the women were not deported.

He said if they were deported, their passports would have been stamped and they will not be able to return to Saudi Arabia in the next five years.

He could not, however, ascertain if the returnees would still be able to observe the pilgrimage before the end of the operations.

He said: “They were not deported. What happened was that we had an experience in one of our destinations in Saudi Arabia; Medina. For your information, we also land in Jeddah. Our pilgrims arrived there and until this morning (yesterday), they were never detained. None of them was detained in Medina.

“What happened was that Medina is a very small airport just like our local airport here without enough facilities. So when they got there, NAHCON decided not to leave anybody there because they could not be cleared by the airport authorities and we decided to return them to the country and they were brought with the same aircraft that took them to the country.

“The reason is that if they were to be deported, they enter Saudi Arabia in the next five years. So, the commission knowing well that there was inadequate facilities, decided to bring them back, pending when the issue would be resolved between the two countries.

“Yes, they are all women. The reason is because they didn’t have a guide like a husband or a blood relation. So, if you are to travel for a pilgrimage like this, you need to go with a guardian and the Saudi authorities are saying these 159 pilgrims had no guides.

“They were from three different states with three different aircraft that took them there. There were pilgrims from Oyo (13) taken there by Medview Airline about 62 from Taraba State taken by Max Air and another 84 from Katsina who also travelled on Max Air.

Mikel vows to help Nigeria qualify for Nations Cup

JOHN Obi Mikel has said he is back to help Nigeria qualify for the next AFCON after the country missed the last tournament.

The Chelsea midfielder was picked among 15 foreign-based pros for the return leg clash against the Lone Stars of Liberia coming up on October 13 in Calabar, which overall winner will advance to the tournament proper in South Africa in January.

“I am ready to put in my best to see that we redeem ourselves by defeating Liberia to secure the AFCON ticket,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com. “Missing out of last edition still hurts and so this is a must-win game and I am ready to do battle.”

The Eagles drew 2-2 in Monrovia earlier this month with Mikel opting out of that clash after it was first learnt that the game would be played on astro turf pitch. But he has again restated his total commitment to the national team despite suggestions to the contrary.

“I have said it times without a number that I have no other nation apart from Nigeria and I am happy to be back in Eagles, though I have always seen myself as part of the team, even when I was not playing games for the team,” he said.

Mikel, who has won 37 caps and scored two goals since his debut in 2005, is yet to play for Nigeria under Stephen Keshi, who took over from Samson Siasia in November.

Meanwhile, Osaze Odemwingie’s refusal to maintain a cordial relationship with the coach Keshi-led technical crew is one of the reasons he is yet to return to the team, findings have revealed.

Keshi admitted that he had tried to reach the outspoken striker on phone but with very little success, and has since declared that the Lille former star was not ready to return to the national team.

Also, many fans have still not forgiven him for Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2012 AFCON. He was so dismal in front of goal against Guinea in Abuja in the last qualifying game last October that former coach Siasia regretted fielding the striker, especially after they had previously fallen out.

The Uzbekistan-born striker is no longer on fire in the English Premiership and has scored only two goals in four matches thus far. And the form of Victor Moses on the right wing and the effectiveness of the likes of Brown Ideye and Emmanuel Emenike as top strikers now mean he is no longer missed.

Besides his bust-ups with several Eagles’ coaches, from Shaibu Amodu to Lars Lagerback, Osaze has also “slugged it out” with several of the team’s key men, including skipper Joseph Yobo, which will not do the team any good.

Senate asks govt to appeal ceding of Bakassi peninsula

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 Says Nigeria not ready to lose oil-rich area
 Akinjide urges caution, Amadi berates govt

FACED with the grim prospect of permanently losing Bakassi in less than two weeks unless Nigeria takes a decisive step to intervene, the Senate yesterday urged the Federal Government to appeal the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague ceding the area to Cameroun.

The ICJ in 2002 passed a judgment ceding Bakassi to Cameroun following the dispute between Nigeria and Cameroun on the area.

But former Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide, yesterday called for caution in the handling of the Bakassi matter.

On his part, renowned writer and poet, Elechi Amadi condemned what he described as the nonchalant attitude of President Goodluck Jonathan to the ceding of Bakassi to Nigeria’s eastern neighbours.

The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Abdul Ningi, in a motion on the floor of the chamber yesterday drew attention to the judgment and urged the chamber to ask   the Federal Government to do something immediately.

“The Senate notes that the dateline of the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the international boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroun, including Bakassi, that cedes Bakassi Island from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of Cameroun, would expire by October 9, 2012, and the territory would belong to Republic of Cameroun forever.

“Notes that the judgment was erroneously based on the agreement between the British and Calabar Chiefs in 1884.

“Observes that there has never been a precedent in history where any case of this nature was executed without a referendum as enshrined by the United Nations.

“Disturbed by the lack of faithful implementation of the ‘Green Tree Agreement’ signed by both Cameroun and Nigeria thereby violating the basis of the implementation of the court judgment. Articles 3(1) and 2 (a) of the ‘Green Tree Agreement’ stipulate that, after the transfer of the territory to Cameroun, the Camerounian authorities should guarantee the Nigerian nationals living in the Bakassi Peninsula the exercise of their fundamental human rights and other relevant provisions of the international law.

“Notes further that new facts have emerged after the ruling that were not available before the first trial coupled with the absence of a Nigerian legal representation.

“Aware that Article 16 of the statute of the International Court of Justice requires appeal which include among other ‘areas of errors or unknown facts from the judgment.’

“Accordingly resolves to: Urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to invoke Article 61 of the ICJ Statute to appeal the said judgment in the interest of Nigerians in the affected areas, including Bakassi.’’

Before contributions came from the floor, President of the Senate, David Mark, noted the need to write to the executive arm on the necessity to act fast.

Ningi continued: “Bakassi should not be allowed to be history. Otherwise, many more territories in border towns in Nigeria risk being ceded in future. The parliament must speak with one voice… we must do something about it. Let the government appeal and we are ready to fund the legal processes. We are ready to contribute money to fund the legal processes.’’

Those who supported the motion included Victor Ndoma-Egba, Enyinnaya Abaribe, James Manager, Haddi Abubakar, James Solomon Ita Enang, Bassey Otu,  Senate Minority Leader,  George Akume, Heineken Lokpobiri and Benedict Ayaade.

Mark summed up the debate saying: “Time is not on our side. Whatever decision we take is that they will have effect. Going on appeal is a line of action we should not neglect. We subjected ourselves to the court’s authority. In spite of what the president said at the UN, I will interpret it to mean that we have obeyed what the International Court of Justice has said. We have obeyed it to this time. This Senate will protect all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and tongue.

“We should urge the Federal Government to invoke Article 61 to appeal this judgment in the interest of all Nigerians especially those in the affected areas and appeal the judgment in the interest of Nigeria as it affects Bakassi.”

The question was put with amendment and it was agreed that the Federal Government should reject ceding the territory while it should also go on appeal.

Akinjide, who was the guest speaker at the Two Division, Nigerian Army’s three-day training week, was part of the legal team that handled the Bakassi issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Nigeria.

The erstwhile minister said the issue of Bakassi was more complex contrary to the views of Nigerians.

In his paper titled “ The International Perspective of Nigerian’s Borders: Bakassi Peninsula in Retrospect, ” Akinjide pointed out that those who handled the matter had the interest of Nigeria and Bakassi people at heart.

He explained that Nigeria needed to appear for the matter because failure to do so, judgment would be given against it and would be registered at the United Nations.

“The ICJ has very learned people, we covered every ground at the court, there are a number of issues that are political in nature,” he said.

While speaking yesterday from his country home, Aluu in Obio/Akpo Local Council of Rivers State, Elechi expressed shock at the pronouncement of the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku on Federal Government’s acceptance of the world court’s judgment on Bakassi, in spite of resolutions passed by the Senate, the National Assembly and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Elechi said: “I cringe with sheer horror at the fact that the Federal Government can abandon without qualms a group of Nigerians large enough to make up a local government area which is recognized in the constitution; that it can ignore the Senate and National Assembly set up by Nigerians on excuse that their resolutions have no force of law.”

The renowned writer said that it was painful that the president could treat a matter of such magnitude with levity.

He queried: “What if the President had come from Bakassi? Would he be so nonchalant about the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun? Are the people of Bakassi second-class citizens? Are they not covered by the UN Charter of Fundamental Human rights? Whose interest is the president serving, Nigeria’s or his?”

Elechi noted that defending Nigerian citizens was an obligation of the president, adding that he found it agonizing to see that any one could sign away a chunk of Nigeria and the people with a mere flourish of the pen to please a neighbouring country.

Army records successes against Boko Haram

A military and police unit in Adamawa State tagged “Operation Restore Sanity” early Monday morning recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against Boko Haram with the killing of Abubakar Yola, popularly called Abu Jihad.  He was killed in Mubi town during a gunfight after resisting arrest. The military had imposed a curfew on the town the day before.

The team also detained 156 members of the terror group including commanders responsible for the bombings of cell phone towers in the north, belonging to major mobile phone companies.

Taking newsmen on a tour of the Boko Haram secret base later in the day in the company of the State Director of the SSS and the Police Commissioner, the Brigade Commander, 23rd Armored Brigade, Brig-Gen John Nwoaga said 5 women and 6 children were rescued from a house used as the group’s armoury.

Hundreds of canisters of IEDs, new assault weapons, submachine guns, 2000 daggers, bow and arrows were recovered from the armoury, Nwoaga said, adding that large quantities of bomb making materials were also recovered from another property inside the Shehu Shagari low cost housing estate in Mubi town.

Boko Haram, a group made up of radical Islamist fundamentalist have claimed responsibility for several bombings including the attack on the UN building and the police force headquarters, both located in Abuja. 

The terror group’s spokesman Abu Qada, was killed last week in Kano by the military. The group has not issued a statement of any sort since his death.

Snoop Dogg Appreciates Ronaldo's style On, Off Pitch

Snoop Dogg

You may not know this, but rapper Snoop Dogg is an old school soccer fan.

Goal.com caught up with Snoop for a few minutes at a promotional event on Monday night, and the hip-hop legend spit some soccer knowledge when asked about his favourite soccer player: Ronaldo.

"That's Ronaldo from Brazil from back in the day," he told Goal.com. "When I first started watching soccer, going to Europe for the first time, he was the one who was the most dynamic to me. I loved the way he played. He played with a lot of style, he was good and he had the different hairstyles. His hair was pretty."

Snoop currently keeps tabs on the U.S. national team. He participated in a charity flag football game with Hope Solo earlier this year and appreciates the Olympic gold medal-winning goalkeeper's attitude.

"She's a rider," he said. "I played with her in a celebrity flag game and she's tough. I know she's tough on that soccer field because she was tough in that flag game, and we were playing insane."

But while Snoop is a fan of soccer, it appears that his heart will always be with American football. The "Gin and Juice" rapper has a charity called the Snoop Youth Football League, which brings inner-city youngsters onto the football field to help them learn life values.

Snoop is currently promoting FIFA 2013, but he's never going to give up on the Madden franchise.

"I love Madden, I can't live without it," he said with a smile.

Davido denies "beef" with Wizkid

Dami Duro crooner, Davido, has come out to state categorically, that he is not at war with Wizkid, as it was reported some days ago. The 19-year-old pop singer, made this clear, in a video interview with AMC Nigeria, when he was asked about his relationship with Banky W’s protegé.

“Wizkid is my friend, Wizkid is my n***a, Wizkid is my brother. There’s nothing wrong at all. We are young n****as making money, that’s all,” he responded.

With these comments, Davido, who has been immersed in different controversial stories lately, hopes to put out the flames that were being fanned. The rumours especially became widespread, after he allegedly walked out, while Wizkid performed at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in New York.

Rebels: Bombs Explode at Security Site in Damascus

Syrian rebels hunt for snipers after attacking the municipality building in the city centre of Selehattin, near Aleppo

Bombs planted by rebels exploded at a school building occupied by security forces and pro-government militias in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday, activists and rebels said.

Residents said smoke was billowing from the area in south-eastern Damascus and an activist said ambulances were rushing to the scene, reports Reuters.

"At exactly 9:35 a.m., seven improvised devices were set off in two explosions to target a school used for weekly planning meetings between shabbiha militia and security officers," said Abu Moaz, a leader of Ansar al-Islam, one of the rebel groups in the 18-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

The state news channel Syria TV quoted a government official as saying two improvised explosives planted by "terrorists" blew up near the "Sons of Martyrs" school in Damascus. It said seven people were wounded, with minor damage to buildings.

Rebels said they expected high casualties from the blast but they did not give any confirmed reports of deaths.

"There were several officers present, and we are hoping they will be part of a large number of killed in this operation," Abu Moaz said.

Southern Damascus has become a battleground between Assad's forces and opposition fighters. Last week, the army bombarded rebel strongholds there to flush them out of the capital, once seen as Assad's untouchable seat of power but now a site of daily fighting.

Damascus residents also reported heavy clashes for two hours on Baghdad Street in a central district of the capital just to the north of the Old City.

Flood Havoc: Travellers Still Stranded on Abuja-Lokoja Highway, as More Communities Get Submerged

Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen

This year’s flash floods seem determined to affect much more people beyond those who live in flood plains. The floods, which have displaced about two million people in Kogi State, have impaired travelling to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by passengers coming from the South.

Thousands of travellers are stranded on the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene Road due to the flooding of the River Niger, a testimony that indeed, all are victims of the flood.

The hectic traffic situation has stalled vehicular movement from the FCT to the South and vice versa. The situation is compounded by the flooding of the Abuja axis of the river, which overflowed its banks due to the release of water from Shiroro and Kainji dams.

Men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) who were on hand to control the worsening traffic gridlock around the state capital have advised motorists to use the Ajaokuta-Ankpa-Makurdi road as alternative road to access the FCT and other parts of the North.

The flood that has ravaged Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has also cut off several parts of the capital thereby inhibiting intra-state vehicular movements as travellers bent on proceeding on their journeys have been compelled to use the canoe.

Also, many buildings, including the state-owned Confluence Beach Hotel, have been totally submerged leading to the rising population of displaced people seeking succour at the relief camps set up by the state government.

The degree of destruction in Kogi State has caused the Federal Government to declare the state a "national disaster area" and assured Nigerians that immediate solutions will be put in place to address the plight of those affected by the overflow of Rivers Niger and Benue.

Giving the assurance in Lokoja, Monday during a visit to the state Governor, Captain Idris Wada, Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, who led a presidential team to assess the situation, said President Goodluck Jonathan was highly touched by the sufferings of the flood victims.

Among those on the delegation were Minister of Environment and Chairman, Presidential Committee on the Assessment of Flood Disaster, Hajia Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya; Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe; the Executive Secretary, Red Cross, Alhaji Bello Diram; and chief executives of three construction companies—Julius Berger, RCC, Dantata and Sagoe.

“We are here at the behest of President Goodluck Jonathan. He has been deeply touched by the suffering of Nigerians affected by the flood. It is a national emergency. It has touched on key national infrastructure because the Abuja - Lokoja highway easily accounts for 70 per cent of traffic between the North and South,” Onolememen said.

According to him, the level of water currently devastating the state has not been witnessed in the last 100 years, stressing, “We have additional two metres rise in water level.”

He said the team arrived in the state with the construction giants to urgently evolve ways to solve the problems caused by the disaster.

“We have conducted air reconnaissance and we are sure to redress the logjam within the next few days,” he added.

Mailafiya, on her part, urged the people to always obey simple environmental laws as a way of reducing disasters.

“The reality is that it is an international phenomenon that is seen on international mass media. Our situation is worsened because we do not obey rules as it regards the use of the environment,” she said.

Wada, who described the disaster as "a major human calamity for the people of Kogi State in the past days,” expressed gratitude to Jonathan for his timely intervention, noting, "the Federal Government has shown that it is willing to share in the pains of the people."

And in Nasarawa State, about 12,223 persons have been displaced by flood in over seven communities in Iggi village, Toto Local Government Areas of the state.
Also, about 9,000 buildings in the area have been submerged by water while crops and farmlands have also been washed away.

To cushion the suffering of the flood victims, the state Governor, Alhaji Umaru Al-Makura, yesterday donated relief materials as well as N5 million cash to them. Items donated to the affected communities include rice, beans, garri, detergent, toilet soap, palm oil and body cream.

Al-Makura, who was at the palace of the Ohimege Opanda, Usman Abdullahi, to commiserate with the people of the area, said government regrets the plight of the people.

He also said as a government that is sensitive to the plight of the people, it was only right to identify with them at this trying moment. The traditional ruler urged the Federal Government to caution Cameroonian authorities against releasing water from their dam without proper enlightenment in future.

According to him, the Cameroonians had intentionally released the water, describing their action as "deliberate."

Beyond the middle belt where the River Niger seems to be unleashing its fury on the people, the coastal state of Bayelsa has also witnessed flooding that has sacked two towns in the state.  People in communities along the two tributaries of River Niger in the state and creeks are moving out as the waters continue to rise.

THISDAY investigations revealed that the floods have sacked schools and homes in Tungbo and Sagbama town, headquarters of Sagbama Local Government Area where at least 200 homes and families have been displaced.

Both communities are located along the bank of the River Nun, a tributary of the River Niger.

Similar situation also took place at Adagbabiri, a community along the River Forcados said to be perennially flooded every year because it is below sea level.

While Adagbabiri is flooded, the community opposite it, Patani, has relatively escaped the flood as it has shore protection, though threatened by the swelling body of water.

Many communities along the banks of both rivers have been sacked, while others are stranded, as no boat is ready to sail on the troubled waters.

At Sagbama, the Community Secondary School, Obuware and Community Primary School, Indiamazi, have been closed down as the waters have taken over their premises, which are located near the bank of River Nun.

In Tungbo, the two government schools in the town: Government Comprehensive Secondary School and Community Primary School have been taken over by floods from River Nun.

A community leader, Ogbo Akpoeyi, who took THISDAY round some of the affected areas in Sagbama, said over 300 families had been displaced by the ravaging flood in Sagbama, which he described as the worst since 1999.