Nigeria’s life is coming back. God is trying to redeem what the enemy has stolen – Don Moen

The evil and negativity in the air notwithstanding, world renowned gospel singer, Don Moen, has said that going by the wave of religious activities in the country, something good is in the offing for the country.
Don Moen made this prophetic utterance during a press briefing held at The Glorious Fountain Ministries (a.k.a City of Refuge), Airport Road, Warri, Delta State, at the weekend to mark a three-day praise programme that ended on Sunday. Moen, who hinted he gets his inspiration from prayer and real life experiences, was in Nigeria with his guitarist, Alabama-based Lenny Leblanc, for the three-day praise programme tagged, “The encounter,” that ended on Sunday.
The American singer, who said Nigerians had embraced his music beyond cultural and denominational linings, stated that he noticed Nigeria was bubbling up for something good and great that was ahead. “We are happy to be here. This is about my eight time of being invited to Nigeria for ministration. Nigeria is just bubbling up. Something is rising. Something good is rising up. Nigeria’s life is coming back. God is trying to redeem what the enemy has stolen. God has something for Nigeria,” he declared.
President of the ministry, Pastor Gweke Ikoge, while speaking, appreciated the move of God during the programme such that lives had been transformed and Warri nay Nigeria would never remain the same again.
InformationNigeria.org

Why the Super Eagles will not win the Nations Cup – Taribo West

Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, says the Nigerian national team, will not win the African Cup of Nations next year in South Africa.

Taribo West, a former Inter Milan player, insisted there were a number of factors, that will stand in the way of the Stephen Keshi-coached team, as they make a return to the continental competition.
“You know the team is just evolving and when teams are in the re-building process, it is very difficult to win any major trophy,” Taribo West told Goal.com. “I am saying this because the Super Eagles would need another two years to become a better team. The young players are doing well. They have been able to show great courage and determination since Stephen Keshi took over.
“I have watched them at close quarters and noticed that they are a bunch that wants to succeed at all times. But sincerely speaking I don’t see them as champions at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Taribo West said.
“They will do their best in the tournament. They will create enough upsets but they will not win the trophy. Not because they are not good, but for the fact that it will take another two years of consistent hard work to become world beaters.
“Keshi has done well I must confess because there is a new lease of life in the team since the players now do their best in their clubs because they want to play for the Super Eagles.
Taribo West further said ” I am looking forward to see the Super Eagles getting their hands on the trophy in the next edition of the tournament.”
Nigeria will face Ethopia, Zambia and Burkina Faso in Group C.
Naijaurban

4 Charged In The UK For Bribing Nigerian Officials Over Tax

Four former Swift Technical Energy Solutions Ltd. employees have been charged with conspiring to bribe Nigerian officials to lower the taxes their workers paid in the country.
Three men and one woman, all British nationals, were charged at a London criminal court following a two-year probe of the company, which is a Nigerian subsidiary of the Swift Group of companies, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.
The defendants- a former chief financial officer, tax manager, financial controller and area director for Nigeria, allegedly paid a total of 180,000 pounds ($292,000) in bribes in 2008 and 2009 to agents of the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue and the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue, according to prosecutors.
The bribes were paid to avoid, reduce or delay paying taxes on behalf of the oil- and gas-industry workers whom Swift sent to Nigeria, the SFO said. The case was transferred to a higher criminal court for a hearing on Febbruary 22, 2013 and the defendants were released on bail.
“The company itself is not under investigation and has fully supported the inquiry,” Swift spokesman, Andrew Honnor said.
InformationNigeria.org

TINUBU- meet the pathfinder for the development of Lagos

A brief journey back into the fiscal, physical, economic and social conditions of Lagos some 13 years ago will reveal the following: a city buried in heaps of rubbish, a city almost swallowed up in crime, a people choked up in traffic, millions of unemployed youths, thousands of area boys on the prowl, decaying infrastructure, dwindling internally generated revenue and a city of over 12 million with hopelessly bad and damaged roads. The armed bandits also ruled the day and night. Lagos was Nigeria’s nemesis. Everyone loved Lagos, but no one, not past military and civilian governors could do anything about it. Not even the federal government was willing to tackle the problems of Lagos. The narrative of Lagos was that of an abandoned and neglected former capital city which had become a no man’s land.
Then the military with their jackboots exited power and stepped in one man who changed the face of Lagos. That individual was Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He came in as an elected governor in 1999 after years of democratic struggle and a wealth of experience in the business world as an accountant and oil industry expert. Soon after he took over, he stamped both his vision and authority on the state of Lagos and in 8 years, the face, reputation and face of Lagos changed. He re-wrote the rule book, broke away from development stereo types and against all odds, inspite of detractors and political enemies initiated and implemented policies that laid the foundation for the infrastructural renewal of Lagos. The Lagos we see today had one chief Architect- Governor Tinubu supported by a cast of competent technocrats and progressively minded individuals, one of whom now occupies the Alausa government  house-Governor Raji Fashola. The story needs to be told and there is no amount of hatchet job or sponsored write ups and paid online advertorials that can change the solid legacy that was built.
The virtues of courage, determination, commitment, vision, focus and strong sense of purpose that have characterized Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s politics were no doubt responsible for this extraordinary politician’s emergence as one of the country’s most successful governors since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance 12 years ago. On his assumption of office as Governor of Lagos State in 1999, Asiwaju Tinubu inherited a state that was practically bankrupt. The country’s commercial nerve centre was one of the worst victims of the previous one and a half decades of military dictatorship and neglect.
Public infrastructure had disintegrated abysmally. Delivery of social services had collapsed in virtually all sectors. The environment was in chaos as Lagos was routinely described as one of the dirtiest cities in the world. The state was largely dependent on insufficient financial allocations from the centre as she lacked the capacity to generate adequate revenue internally to meet her numerous challenges. 

The public sector was demoralized and ill-equipped, psychologically and logistically, to effectively perform its functions and achieve set objectives. While the citizenry was alienated from the state and thus de-motivated from paying taxes or the ones they paid being stolen making the state technically bankrupt, the organized private sector had little or no incentive to partner with the government in meeting the immense developmental challenges of the Mega City.
Assembling a team of accomplished technocrats, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration drew up a Ten-Point Agenda, which it began to systematically implement for the re-vitalization and re-invention of the state.  The total budget size of Lagos State at the inception of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration in 1999 was a little over N14 billion while the state’s Internally Generated Revenue was approximately N600 million monthly. Yet, the monthly public sector wage bill was N800 million. The implication was that Lagos state was entirely dependent on allocation from the centre, which was grossly insufficient to meet the huge challenge of re-building a state that had been neglected and allowed to decay for over two decades.
Eight years later under Asiwaju’s astute guidance, Lagos had become financially viable and autonomous of the federal government; lives and property had become more secure; public infrastructure was being aggressively modernized and expanded; there had been a dramatic improvement in the quality and efficiency of public health care, education, the environment, water supply and public transportation; Lagos was attracting new investment in diverse sectors on a daily basis despite the depressing national economic climate.          
The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration from inception drew up a clear and focused Action Plan for the state in conjunction with critical stake holders including the Organized Private Sector, civil society groups and the public service. The result was the evolution of the Ten-Point Agenda focusing on Education, Health care, Job creation/poverty alleviation, Power and water supply, Public transportation/Traffic management, Physical Planning/Environmental renewal, Infrastructure renewal, Justice/Law and order, Food security and public sector reforms.
Tinubu’s visionary administration re-structured the machinery of government creating new ministries such as Housing, Physical Planning Sports and Youth Development as well as Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation for more effective policy implementation. Asiwaju Tinubu brought seasoned and accomplished technocrats into government as Commissioners and Special Advisers in their areas of expertise. Through meticulous planning and disciplined implementation, the Asiwaju Tinubu Administration grew the budget size of Lagos State from N14.200 billion in 1999 to N240.866 billion in 2007. It is significant that at no time under Tinubu’s stewardship did budget implementation performance fall below 60%. In a similar vein, the Tinubu Administration consistently maintained an annual budgetary ratio of at least 60-40% in favour of Capital over Recurrent expenditure to ensure rapid infrastructure development.   
A first class financial strategist, Asiwaju Tinubu, through creative and innovative financial engineering, took Lagos from a yearly Internally Generated Revenue of N14.64 billion in 1999 to N60.31 billion in 2006. By March 2007, the state had achieved a monthly Internally Generated Revenue of N8.2 billion.
This impressive revenue performance achieved by the Tinubu Administration in Lagos State did not happen by chance or luck. It was due to carefully thought out and effectively implemented policies such as the introduction of the Electronic Banking System/Revenue Collecting Monitoring Project, computerization of the revenue collection process, introduction of Electronic Tax Receipts, re-organization and professionalization of the former Board of Internal Revenue now the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, tax administration reforms and the creation of robust data base of tax payers.
Lagos State under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu became a pace setter in sound and innovative public sector financial management. In September, 2002, for instance, Lagos State was the first government in Nigeria to raise funds from the Capital Market for infrastructure development. This was in recognition of the fact that long-term funds were necessary for long-term projects. The state raised a N15 billion Floating Rate Redeemable to prosecute such development projects as roads construction, millennium housing, water works, construction and rehabilitation of courts, waste management projects and millennium class rooms among others. 
The bond has since been fully redeemed and other states and even the federal government have copied the Lagos State model. Again, in 2003, the Tinubu Administration invested N3.84 billion in Celtel (now Airtel) and by the time the state divested from the company in 2006, asurplus of N19 billion had been reaped, which was invested in the provision of infrastructure. As a result of its financial ingenuity, prudence and discipline as well as extensive public sector reforms for improved service delivery, the lasting legacy of the Tinubu Administration in Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 are still there for all to see. They include:

• Massive roads construction, dualization and modernization across Lagos State such as Kudirat Abiola road, Oregun; Awolowo road, Ikoyi; Akin Adesola road, Victoria Island, Adeola Odeku road, Victoria Island; Agege Motor road; Ikotun-Igando road; Yaba-Itire-Lawanson-Ojuelegba road; LASU-Iba road, Ojo; Ajah- Badore road, Eti-Osa; Oba Sekumade road, Ikorodu; Adetokunbo Ademola road, Victoria Island and the ongoing expansion and modernization of the Lagos-Epe Expressway as the largest concessioneering project of its size and compexity in Africa  among several others.
• Reconstruction and upgrading of the Lagos Island Central Business District including the modernization of 16 roads in the area and the historic Tinubu square.
• Upgrading of the buildings and facilities at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to world class grade; expansion and rehabilitation of old General Hospitals in Lagos, Gbagada, Epe, Isolo, Ikorodu, Badagry, Agege and the Island Maternity; building of new General Hospitals at Mushin, Shomolu, Ibeju-Lekki and Isheri-Iba as well as upgrading of existing health centres to full fledged hospitals at Ijede, Ketu, Agbowa and Agege among others.
• Provision of free health services for children under 12, the aged above 60 and free ante-natal care for women; Free eye screening, eye treatment, eye surgery and provision of free eye glasses popularly known as ‘jigi Bola’, free treatment for maleria, tuberculosis and leprosy, free Limb Deformity Corrective Surgery, free Cleft-Lip Corrective Surgery and the introduction of the Quarterly Eko Health Missions that provides free medical services including free heart surgeries to local communities.
•   Elimination of mountains of refuse that used to deface and disgrace Lagos through the introduction of community-based Private Sector Participation (PSP) in refuse collection and disposal, expansion and modernization of land –fill sites, construction of Transfer Loading Stations, establishment of waste-to-wealth facilities in Ikorodu as well as re-organization, modernization and re-equipping of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
• Massive construction of new drainage channels as well as the creation of Drain Ducks as well as the Emergency Flood Abatement (EFAG) to clear existing drains and respond to flooding.
• Rehabilitation of primary and secondary schools in all Divisions of the state through the Schools Rehabilitation Programme, massive construction of school furniture and equipping of laboratories; provision of free education in all public primary and secondary schools including payment of WAEC/NECO fees as well as all internal examination fees to ensure that indigent children do not drop out of school.
• Construction of 6,000 housing units such as Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, Ibeshe low income housing scheme, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Estate, Lekki, Ayangburen Phase II, Ikorodu, Gbagada Medium Housing Scheme, Amuwo-Odofin Housing Scheme, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Phase II, Ojokoro Millennium Housing Scheme, Alaagba low income housing scheme as well as the Oke Eletu and Oko Oba low income housing schemes among others.
• Massive construction of rural roads as well as rural electrification and water supply schemes; construction of micro water works at Onikan, Ikeja, Iwaya, Igando, Oworonsoki, Atan, Bariga, Isolo, Shomolu and Iponri among others to improve water supply in Lagos state.
• Construction and equipping of new High Courts, computerization of court registries, enhanced welfare for judicial officers to stregthen the rule of law, establishment of the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) to provide free legal services to indigent persons and the establishment of the Citizen Mediation Centre as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.
• Establishment of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for enhanced traffic management; establishment of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to plan and manage an integrated transportation master plan for Lagos; initiation of the revolutionary Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme that has transformed the face of public transportation in Lagos State; construction of 55 bus stop shelters; construction of 25.9km of median barriers to enforce lane discipline and improve travel time on major high ways; fabrication and installation of 50,000 units various types of traffic signs to improve road safety; installation of at least 63 functional traffic lights at major road intersections among others in the transportation sector.
• Initiation despite stiff opposition by the federal government of the first successful Independent Power Project (IPP) by any state government generating 260MW of electricity from Ikorodu to the National Grid.
• Completion of such abandoned projects as Teslim Balogun Stadium and the new Government House at Alausa as well as finding a permanent solution to the erosion and perennial flooding of the Bar Beach by constructing an enduring shoreline defensive barrier.
• Creation of 37 new Local Development Council Areas bringing the total number of Local Government Areas in the state to 57 in order to accelerate grassroots development. He successfully sustained and nurtured them to maturity despite the fierce opposition of the Federal Government that illegally withheld N24 billion of the state’s Local Government Statutory Allocation for two years despite a Supreme Court directive to the contrary.

In Y2007, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu successfully handed over the mantle of the state’s leadership to Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) who has continued to build on the firm foundation laid by his predecessor. In the just concluded general elections, Asiwaju Tinubu’s influence was a critical factor not only in his party’s retention of power in Lagos State but also its success in recovering the states it had earlier lost in the South West in the 2003 and 2007 elections.

For his excellent performance as the Executive Governor of Lagos State of Nigeria (1999 – 2007), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu received several awards. These include

• Best Governor in Nigeria for Y2000 by the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce;
• Y2002 Best Practices Prize in improving the living environment, awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works and the UN Habitat Group;
• Citation by the New York based World Trade Association on June 12, 2002, as the symbol of progress in Nigeria. The only other recipient in Africa was President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

Asiwaju Tinubu palyed key roles in Nigerian politics long before he became Governor of Lagos State. Tinubu was elected to the Senate from Lagos West constituency with the highest votes in the country in the Third Republic. In the Senate he was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, Currency and Appropriations. In that capacity Tinubu initiated a far reaching probe of the finances of the National Assembly that set him at loggerheads with the legislative bureaucracy and the military regime at the helm of affairs at the time. Again, Tinubu was at the forefront of Chief MKO Abiola’s campaign for presidency in 1993. When the June 12, 1993 election, described as the freest and fairest in the country’s history was annulled, Tinubu emerged as one of the fiercest opponents of the annulment. As the arrowhead of the struggle to actualize Abiola’s mandate, the military junta reached out to him severally to jump ship and come over to their side. He was offered juicy appointments and contracts to no avail. He refused to betray his principled commitment to the sanctity of a free and fair election. Exasperated by Tinubu’s intransigence, the military viciously went after him. He was detained. His house was fire bombed. He eventually had to flee the country for his dear life. His wife, now Senator Oluremi Tinubu and her children had to be smuggled out into exile. Tinubu, while in exile remained steadfast in his commitment to the pro-democracy struggle making great personal and financial sacrifices towards this effort. A pseudo democrat would rather enjoy the transient benefits of economic and political power rather than risk his life fighting for truth and justice but not Tinubu who remained steadfast.
Tinubu’s re-engineering of the finances of the IGR of Lagos, remains a sterling contribution. The facts are clear. Lagos was earning an Internally Generated Revenue of N600 million monthly when Tinubu assumed office in 1999. Through deft financial engineering, Tinubu turned around the finances of state and by the time he left office in 2007, the IGR of Lagos was over N8 billion monthly. Governor Fashola has built on this strong foundation and the IGR of Lagos is today over N15 billion monthly.
Asiwaju Tinubu remains one of the most influential, courageous and principled politicians and statesmen in contemporary Nigeria. In a political culture where most members of the political class tend to gravitate towards the ruling party for pecuniary reward, Tinubu’s resilience and steadfastness in giving inspirational leadership to the opposition is remarkable. It is a testimony to the depth of the convictions that have motivated and sustained him in politics over the last two and a half decades.
SpotOnReporters

Fear Grips Kaduna Cabinet, Following Plans To Boot Them Out

New Kaduna Governor, Mukhtar Ramallan Yero

By SaharaReporters, New York

Fear has gripped many top government officials and aides of the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, who died in a plane crash on Saturday.
Sources in Kaduna Government House told Saharareporters that a major casualty is likely to be the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Lawal Samaila Abdullahi, a relative of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, as well as several Commissioners close to the late governor.
The crux of the problem is the widely-known and intense political rivalry between Abdullahi and the new governor, Alhaji Yero, when he was Deputy Governor which seems to justify booting out the state’s scribe.
The source added that the only choice before Abdullahi is to bow out or risk his position which is now shaky in view of the fact that Yero may want to bring in his allies from the larger and suddenly more powerful camp of Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Other officials whose seats are hanging by a thread are Abokie Galadima, Yakowa’s Chief of Staff; the Private Personal Secretary, Allamagani Yohanna; the Commissioner of Finance, Mr. John Ayuba; his Water Resources counterpart, Sunday Katung; Mr. Timothy Gandu, Economic Planning; and Jonathan Kish Adamu, the Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General.
A
nother suspected to be on the list heading for the exits is Mr. Reuben Buhari, Yakowa’s media aide.  Sources said he will be booted out as Yero’s camp already has a spokesman-in-waiting.
A top female politician in Kaduna who pleaded for anonymity said there will be major shake-up by Governor Yero, and that, contrary to what he has said, he will also reverse many policies of his previous boss.
She said, “If you know the mindset of Yero, he is complete product of Sambo and will act in that light. There will be major shakeup and the booting but just after burial.”
As at the time of this report, Yakowa’s son, Mr. Peter Ibrahim Yakowa, was said to be moving out the personal belongings of his father from the official residence to their private home in Kaduna town.

Petroleum Minister Allison-Madueke Returns To Hospital In London

Petroleum Resources minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke

By SaharaReporters, New York

Nigeria’s controversial Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, has returned to a London hospital to continue treatment for an undisclosed ailment that is believed to be cancer.
Saharareporters sources said today that Mrs. Allison-Madueke made the journey last week, and began a daily therapy.  She is yet to return to Abuja.

Her one-week absence from Abuja has emboldened those Nigerians who have been calling for her removal to further pressure President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her as Minister of Petroleum Resources.  She is frequently cited on allegations of corruption and mismanagement, but is also known to be a close friend of the President’s.

Recently, the French government impounded a private jet that was carrying Jide Omokore, a business associate of the Minister, on suspicions that the jet-a Bombardier Global Express XRS- belongs to her.
Investigations show that the jet was purchased by the Bank of Utah Trustee in June 2012 through the same process that was recently used in purchasing private jets for the governors of Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.

The Return of Darkness

.

Thisday Editorial.
Nigerians are again getting depressed as a result of poor supply of electricity
As Nigerians enter the festive season, power outages have gradually set in. Suddenly the nation is witnessing blackouts as a regular feature of our daily living, thereby taking the country back to the old days when such situation was considered normal.
Explaining the rationale for the current situation, authorities of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) blamed it on a system collapse that occurred on Thursday, November 29, at a 330kv transmission line from Onitsha to Benin and the shutdown of the Escravos Gas Plant, thereby causing nationwide shutdown of 3,716mw of power and three units of the Egbin Power Station.
The current outage was also said to have been caused by the loss of about 1,100 Megawatts of electricity from the national grid. Unfortunately, the TCN says with the onset of dry season more power blackout was imminent.
From Kano to Calabar, Sokoto to Shomolu, Abuja to Abakaliki, indeed across the country, there is hardly any part that does not presently experience power failure on a daily basis. In most places several days go without electricity with its resultant effects on socio-economic activities. Yet until recently Nigerians had witnessed a fairly improved and steady supply of electricity power both in their homes and offices.
They were indeed getting attuned to paying the recently introduced higher tariff if that was the only conditionality for uninterrupted power supply as promised by the ousted Power Minister, Prof Barth Nnaji. In fact the former Minister had assured the nation of more regular power by the end of 2012.
When he spoke at an extensive interview with THISDAY Board of Editors on June 3 this year, Nnaji said he was targeting 5,400MW by this December. And somehow, between June and August there was incontrovertible proof that the target looked feasible.
In fact shortly before the former minister left office on August 28, the country had achieved a new high in power generation of 4,307.7MW and an additional 170MW, which served as spinning reserve, bringing the total
quantum of electricity generated to 4,477.7MW.
Although it may sound too simplistic a proposition, it is instructive to note that with Nnaji’s departure, power availability dropped significantly by about 1,000MW within two months that it seemed as though the former minister left with the reform magic. Unfortunately we do not agree that the fate of a nation and a great institution like the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) should be seen to be tied to any one person.
And this is not to diminish any credit due to Nnaji for the great work he did while he was around. The point here is that we should have ensured that the targets Nnaji set for improved power generation and supply continued to run on course. After all that is the essence for the existence of PHCN and its successor company, the TCN.
We are not oblivious of the fact that there are many factors working against effective power generation and transmission in the country. There is the diesel Mafia, the generator manufacturing and distributors’ Mafia, the deliberately institutionalised corruption at the PHCN both at the management level and the power-drunk labour unionists.
These forces of negativism waged relentless battles against Nnaji even as he defied them in his single-minded pursuit of an agenda to make blackout a thing of the past.
It is just possible that these forces are back to their trenches and would certainly seek to frustrate any attempt to improve on electricity power delivery in the country.
We therefore urge those presently running the power sector to borrow a leaf from the Nnaji template by taking on the Mafioso. Nigerians need steady power supply not just at this festive period but all round the year. All the excuses being offered by TCN are merely begging the question.

NigeriaIntel