Ribadu report: Group calls on the President to Fire Petroleum, Finance ministers

Minister of Finance, Okonjo Iweala; and Petroleum Minister Diezani Madueke

President Goodluck Jonathan has been urged to sack the Petroleum Resources and Finance Ministers, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala respectively, following the controversy generated by disclosures from the Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Revenue Task Force (PRTF), which implicated government officials.
The president has also been charged to fire the boards and management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Addressing reporters in Abuja Wednesday, the National Convener of United Action for Democracy (UAD) Mr. Jaye Gaskia, and leader of the group further threatened to mobilize Nigerians to stage a mass protest in the city of Abuja should the president fail to heed to their demands.

The Ribadu panel revealed theft in the country’s oil and gas sector to the tune of over $29 billion, price fixing and contract scams with additional $6 billion lost yearly as well as 250,000 barrels of crude daily over the previous ten years.

Gaskia decried that Nigeria lost an equivalent of the total budget for 4 years in the past ten years.

“We are worried and concerned enough as patriotic citizens of our country to reach the conclusion that something drastic, immediate, and far-reaching must be urgently done to end all forms of impunity in the governance of our country, and begin the process of salvaging Nigeria. “ We declare without fear or fervor that with the campaign tagged, ‘End Impunity Now’ we insist that because of the endemic nature and systemic character of corruption in the country the process of ending impunity begins immediately with the tackling of corruption.”

“And we had gone on to make some key demands including: sacking of the boards and management of the institutions of government implicated in the mind boggling and monumental fraud in the management of the fuel subsidy regime for 2011, a fraud which as at the time of the various probes amounted to over 1.7 trillion naira, and just about 45 percent of the 2011 federal budget. We have been clear about the fact that the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and its minister, as well as the NNPC, DPR, PPMC, PPPRA, bore direct and greatest responsibility in the monumental fraud”, he stated.

According to him, “We had also stated clearly that given that manifestation of the complete lack of coordination in the economy and among relevant agencies and institutions with respect to the management of the subsidy fund, combined with the fact that monies were signed and paid out from the Federation Account without the knowledge or authorization of the minister of finance, who is also the coordinating minister of the economy that her office bore indirect responsibility for the fraud and barefaced looting of the economy.”

“We had thus demanded the sacking of all officials so implicated, and the trial of those with cases to answer. Additionally we had demanded that all subsidy thieves and those who aided and abetted them should be speedily brought to trial and looted funds recovered.”

He said the group has maintained its stand that the president should guarantee quick prosecution and conviction of indicted oil marketers and the officials that work together with them to steal from the oil revenue and other sources with all their names published for the members of the public to know them and their level of involvements.
BusinessNews

Veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Eneh’s leg amputated

Extremely sad news coming from the home of veteran actor, Pete Eneh. Just heard from reliable sources that doctors at Parklane Hospital Enugu had no choice but to amputate one of his legs in order to save his life.
The veteran actor was said to have sustained some kind of injury last year, and because he didn’t take proper care of it, it led to serious infection that became hard to treat. The injury was said to have degenerated to a sore and because Mr Eneh was diabetic, it refused to heal. He spent three months at the hospital before he was advised to amputate the leg before the infection spread to other parts of his body.
The amputation took place on Wednesday October 24th after all efforts to save the leg was unsuccessful. Pete Eneh is said to be dealing with it well.
 DailyPost

Nigeria army 'abuses' in Boko Haram crackdown - Amnesty

Boko Haram has been held responsible for widespread violence in north-eastern Nigeria

Nigerian security forces have carried out widespread abuses in their campaign against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Amnesty International says.

The rights group says in a report that abuses include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture.
A spokesman from the Nigerian army rejected the accusations, saying soldiers always operate within the law.
Boko Haram campaigns for an Islamic state and has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of people this year.
It has carried out frequent attacks in northern and central Nigeria since 2009.
In its report, Amnesty blamed Boko Haram for widespread atrocities, including murder, burning down churches and schools, and attacks against the media.
But it said a heavy-handed response by the security forces had only fuelled further violence.
"The cycle of attack and counter-attack has been marked by unlawful violence on both sides, with devastating consequences for the human rights of those trapped in the middle," said the group's secretary general, Salil Shetty.
"People are living in a climate of fear and insecurity, vulnerable to attack from Boko Haram and facing human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces which should be protecting them."
Reports of people being shot dead by the army or beaten to death in detention were particularly common in the north-east of the country, Amnesty said.
In response, Nigerian army spokesman Col SK Usman told the BBC that soldiers were professional and properly trained.
"There is no Nigerian soldier that goes out on the streets to just kill innocent Nigerians," he said.
"So whatever we do we always make sure it is done within the ambit of the law."
Amnesty's report documents what it calls an "increasing climate of fear" in which people are too scared to report crimes and journalists do not dare to cover them.
It calls on Nigeria's government to clarify the truth about incidents linked to Boko Haram, establish accountability for abuses and bring those responsible to justice.
BBCNewsAfrica

Boko Haram: Senator Under Investigation Sues AGF, Defence Minister

The Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial Zone, Ahmed Khalifa Zanna on Wednesday filed a N5 billion suit against the Minister of Defence, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Spokesman of the military Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa for alleged libel and mental trauma when the JTF claimed that a Boko Haram Commander, Shuaibu Mohammed Bama was arrested at his residence in Maiduguri.
Mr. Zanna, who is still being investigated by the State Security Service (SSS), deposed to a 19-point affidavit in support of the action in which he insisted that the arrested Boko Haram Commander was not arrested in his house.
In the Writ of Summons filed by his counsel, Gbenga Olagundoye, the Senator is “claiming N5billion jointly and severally against the defendants for libel.”
The writ reads: “On or about the 19th of October 201, the 4th Defendant (Lt.Col. Sagir Musa) acting at all material time in the normal course of his duties as spokesperson of the Joint Task Force at a press conference attended by numerous representatives of the print and electronic media (both local and foreign) maliciously issued a written press statement which was distributed and disseminated to journalists and members of the public following defamatory words concerning the Plaintiff which the defendants knew to be false.
“I am aware of the facts stated above because my attention was drawn to the publication of the press statement in all newspapers, television and radio stations as well as the internet. I read the report in the newspapers and on the internet, viewed the report on all the television stations in Nigeria and listened to the same report on all the radio broadcast on the issue in Nigeria
“Judging from the volume of phone calls and text messages that myself, my aides, my relatives, friends and well-wishers received on the issues, I sincerely believed that practically every Nigerian read the report of the press statement issued by the 4th Defendant
“That the words referred and were understood to refer to me by the following particulars:
“That I am the only serving Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has a house along Damboa Road GRA Maiduguri
“That I am a member of the National Assembly and the Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial Zone in the Senate
“That the facts in (a) and (b) above are widely known to Nigerians especially my friends, relations and associates and the entire population of Borno State and the Borno Central Senatorial Zone
“That in their natural and ordinary meaning, the said words published concerning me, meant and were understood to mean that:
“I harbored a wanted Boko Haram terror suspect in my house and therefore I am a supporter of the terrorists group Boko Haram
“That the clear innuendo in the words complained of, bore and were understood to bear the meaning which I have just stated by the facts that pleading in the foregoing paragraph by way of innuendo with the following particulars:
“That Boko Haram is a notorious terrorist group operating in Nigeria and who had been held responsible by the public for a series of terrorist activities, bombings and killings of both of civilians as well as military, police and other Para-military personnel
“That it is generally believed by members of the public that the Boko Haram secretly receives materials aid and other support from some members of the society
“That the publication complained of falsely portrayed me as one of the persons who aid and support the Boko Haram in their terrorist activities.”
InformationNigeria.org

National Assembly moves to ban smoking

Lagos State National Assembly are seriously making plans to ban smoking in some restricted areas of the state.
The anti-smoking bill which scaled through the first reading at the Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday was a private member bill sponsored by Mr. Gbolahan Yishawu, a member representing Eti-Osa Constituency 2. It was read to the house by the Acting Clerk of the House, Segun Abiru.
It contains the prohibition of smoking in designated places for connected purposes
If passed into law, the bill will restrict smokers of tobacco, or anything, which contains tobacco, or any other substance in places marked ‘No Smoking Area’.
It would also be seen as a grievous offence to smoke in the presence of under-aged kids at any given location.
DailyPost

Revealed: Real reasons Akwa Ibom deputy governor resigned

Indications are emerging that the sudden resignation of Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere, on Wednesday without official explanation might be unconnected to his governorship ambition.
His Chief Press Secretary, Inemesi Ina, in a statement, said Ekere resigned “on personal grounds” and declined to elaborate.
Reacting to Ekere’s resignation, chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Akwa Ibo State chapter, Mr. Clifford Thomas, described the former Deputy Governor’s decision as ‘a conspiracy,’ noting that he had been nursing the ambition of ruling the state.
He said, “Ekere is not going to wait if he is asked to wait for someone from Uyo senatorial district who had had their turn in the person of Governor Victor Attah. There is a conspiracy yet to be known.
“Ekere is not going empty just like that, he is going to disclose a lot of things; there are arm-twisting.
“It’s a very sad thing: I want to see competition in this state and not arm twisting people. He might have endured a lot of things.”
Also, Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties in the state, Mr. Linus Udofia, said the resignation of Ekere was not good for the government.
He described Ekere as very quiet and intelligent, stressing that whatever led to his sudden resignation would have been weighty.
He said, “It is not possible for Ekere to have resigned so early. There are indications that Ekere might have been tolerating something, which he felt there was no need putting up with it anymore. And this may lead to his resigning so early.
But a reliable insider who craved anonymity disclosed that Akpabio starved Ekere of funds.
He said, “Ekere fell out with Akpabio because of his interest in running for the PDP’s governorship ticket in 2015 election.
“Akpabio prefers SSG, Okon Umana, for governorship ticket in 2015 to Ekere. This has led to a frosty relationship between the two. He might have resigned owing to frustration.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umana, is yet to make any official statement on the matter
DailyPost

Bauchi Civil Servant Arrested Over Facebook Comments

A 30-year old civil servant, Abbas Faggo, detained by Bauchi State Government for allegedly posting a Facebook account of alleged monumental corruption in the state, was yesterday arraigned before a magistrate court over alleged injurious falsehood and defamation.
The prosecution accused Faggo of using his mobile telephone number to forward a message on his Facebook profile on September 4, alleging that the state funded the wedding of the state governor’s son, which took place at the Azare area of the state on September 8.
Faggo had commented on his Facebook on the alleged extravagant funding of Governor Yuguda’s son, Idris’ wedding. The case generated comments from over 500 people, including politicians, the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, prompting the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to indicated interest in defending the accused person.
In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Adamu Madaki granted bail to Faggo.
According to the bail conditions, Faggo must produce two sureties, who must sign a bond of N500,000 each and then adjourned the case to November 15, to enable the prosecution get lawyer to address the issues raised by the defence that had obviously rendered the charges on the First Information Report, FIR defective.
Police prosecutor, Sergeant Mohammed Gaba, had earlier told the Court III, that the state Police Criminal Investigation  Department, SCID, received a request from the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Al-Mustapha Suleiman, to investigate the offence against Faggo, which was contrary to Sections 393 and 394 of the Penal Code.
When the case was mentioned, yesterday, counsel from different organisations led by Chairman of NBA in Bauchi State, Mohammed Alhassan, announced appearance for Faggo.
However, Garba told the court that police did not come with the accused, a situation which was opposed by the defense counsel and the presiding magistrate, who consequently ordered the police to produce the accused within 90minutes. The police complied with the order.
InformationNigeria.org