Maiduguri in “utter silence” after intense gun battles on New Year Day

After a protracted gun duel between Joint Task Force, JTF and Boko Haram forces around Gwange, Maidugurii, the town is now in “utter silence”. There is no movement around Maiduguri at the moment. But that has not been the situation since the new yearr’ eve. While the sound of firecrackers heralded New Year in many parts of
the world, the story is different in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in north-east Nigeria, as gunshots rented the air.
At exactly 12:00 am, residents say sporadic gunshots were heard in some parts of the state.
At least 22 people have been killed in three separate attacks in northeastern Nigeria since Friday, including 15 Christians shot Sunday inside a church, according to officials.
Reports reaching elombah.com indicates that there is a serious fighting between Boko Haram terrorists and men of JTF, at the moment (Tuesday afternoon) with sophisticated weapons such as armoured tanks with which the JTF engaged the BH forces but no exact location was indicated.
However, it appears that it takes place in two or three separate areas. Residents told elombah.com Lagos Street is quiet, but ferocious battle is taking place around Umrari, Ngarnam and Bulabulin areas. Residents who were lucky to escape from the war zone reported of intense ongoing battle.
“3 km from where I am, I could hear the monotonic sounds of the JTF war machine, children dispersed from Islamiya schools are playing away happily oblivious of the carnage going on a few neighbourhoods away. Life here is indeed a paradox”, a citizen reporter wrote for elombah.com.
The violence began early Friday when unidentified gunmen raided a village in Musari, in Borno state, killing five people, said Joint Task Force Lt. Col. Sagir Musa. JTF troops responded, and a gun battle ensued. Three of the attackers were killed, and troops recovered weapons and ammunition.
Also Friday, gunmen with suspected ties to the Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed two people and wounded another in an attack in Maiha, in Adamawa state, according to Godfrey Okeke, Adamawa state commissioner. The attackers freed 35 inmates from the Maiha prison and set government buildings on fire, Okeke said.
In Sunday’s attack, gunmen entered a church in Chibok, also in Borno state, and killed at least 15 worshipers, said Mohammed Kana, a regional official for the National Emergency Management Agency.
“Some of the people had their throats slit,” Kana said, citing NEMA staff who responded to the scene.
Sunday’s violence comes six days after attackers raided two churches during Christmas Eve services, killing 12 people.
In October, a report from Human Rights Watch addressed the violence plaguing northern Nigeria, particularly from Boko Haram. The group’s name means “Western education is forbidden.” It seeks to impose a strict version of Sharia law in the Muslim-dominated northern part of the country.
“Suspected members of the group have bombed or opened fire on worshipers in at least 18 churches across eight northern and central states since 2010. In Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, the group also forced Christian men to convert to Islam on penalty of death,” it said.
It is not immediately known whether the group was behind the latest attacks.
 DailyPost

Why Fuel Subsidy Is Not Working – FG

NGOZI OKONJO IWEALA & DIEZANI ALISON MADUEKE

The Federal Government on Monday said payment of subsidy on local consumption of petroleum products was not working because it was subject to abuses.
“The system (fuel subsidy) will not work because there is so much room for abuse. Where ever you go outside Lagos and Abuja, fuel is hardly sold for N97 per litre. Civil society organizations are not speaking against this. They only attack the government. Government cannot be at all filling stations,” Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said in Abuja.
The declaration by the minister came barely hours after media reports of a suit in which a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State, Chief Stanley Okeke, asked a Federal High Court to compel President Goodluck to totally remove subsidy on fuel.
Mr. Maku, who spoke while briefing the media on the achievements of the Federal Government for 2012, lamented the unavailability of premium motor spirit at the control price of N97 per litre outside Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister called on civil society organizations to rise up against the exploitation of Nigerians by dealers in petroleum products, arguing that the government could not be at every filling station across the country.
He also urged Nigerians to ask questions on why they cannot buy fuel at the control price.
However, despite the abuses in the system, Maku reiterated government’s continuation of the subsidy regime because it was the wish of the people.
He said, “Government has paid subsidy for every litre of fuel sold in this country but dealers are selling above the regulated price. We have not deregulated fuel pump prices. For every price above N97 per litre, Nigerians are paying twice.
“People are profiteering from the system and it is wrong. Nigerians should have mercy on Nigerians. We are retaining the subsidy because that is what people want now.”
InformationNigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan’s New Year Message To Nigerians

President Goodluck Jonathan’s New Year’s message’s to Nigerian outlined government initiatives for 2013.
“We will give priority attention in the coming year to flood and erison control, the rehabilitation and expansion of roads,” Jonathan said.
President Jonathan also spoke on the issues of employment and security. Nigeria has suffered numerous incidents of kinappings, armed robbers, and attacks by Boko Haram in 2012.
Jonathan closed by urging Nigerians to become more involved in supporting the improvement of the country.
Full Text of President Jonathan’s New Year’s message
Fellow Nigerians,
1. I greet and rejoice with you all as we celebrate the advent of a new year.
2. I join you all in giving thanks to God Almighty for bringing us and our beloved nation safely through the past year to the beginning of 2013 which, by His Grace, will be a much better year for us and our country.
3. In keeping with tradition, it is usual for individuals, institutions and organizations to make resolutions and set agenda as a new year begins, to guide their actions in the coming months.
4. I have already given a clear indication of the Federal Government’s agenda for 2013 in recent pronouncements. Our objective for the year is to ensure by all possible means that more of the programmes and projects envisioned by this administration, and which are already being embarked upon are further brought on stream within the next 12 months to meet the yearnings of our people, and raise the quality of life.
5. We have in the last year achieved a lot in terms of the positive transformation of vital sectors of our national life such as public infrastructure, power supply, oil and gas, transportation, education, health and agricultural development. We will continue to work diligently in 2013 to ensure that our efforts in these areas are carried forward to full fruition in fulfillment of our promise of better public services and improved living conditions for all Nigerians.
6. We will give priority attention in the coming year to flood and erosion control, the rehabilitation and expansion of existing federal roads, improved power supply, as well as the continued rehabilitation, upgrading and reactivation of the national rail network.
7. Employment generation and wealth creation will also remain a primary objective of our socio-economic agenda for 2013. Creating more employment opportunities for our youth and graduates of our universities is an imperative that will continue to underpin our drive for massive economic growth, the rapid expansion of our manufacturing and industrial base, and the productive diversification of our national economy. In this regard, we will continue to provide the necessary enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.
8. As peace and security remain pre-requisite conditions for the full realization of our objectives, we will also do more in 2013 to further empower our security agencies who are working in collaborative partnerships with our friends in the international community to stem the scourge of terrorism in our country and enhance the security of lives and property in all parts of Nigeria.
9. I also want to assure Nigerians that we will refuse to be discouraged by those who have taken it upon themselves to pick on every initiative and effort of this administration. We remain resolutely committed to the rule of law, due process and fair play in all circumstances. Our democracy continues to grow, and the scope for human freedom continues to expand. It is an achievement that we will continue to build upon.
10. I say it again, we are determined to continue to push forward. We will do more, not less. We will remain focused.
11.For your part, dear compatriots, I urge that you all include in your new year resolutions a commitment to do more this year to support the implementation of the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation in every possible way. That is all I ask for.
12. The task of making our dear nation a much better place for present and future generations cannot be left to government alone. Leaders and followers alike have critical roles to play in our march towards the fulfillment of our great national potentials.
13. Let us all therefore resolve as we celebrate the new year to place the higher interests of national unity, peace, stability and progress above all other considerations and work harder in our particular fields of human endeavour to contribute more significantly to the attainment of our collective aspirations.
14. I wish you all a happy and rewarding 2013.
15. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
President
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Naijaurban

Why Indigenisation Hampers Growth In Africa By Erwin Ofili

Throughout history, there has been a general feeling that the fruits of the land should only be harvested by the sons of the soil. Different peoples at
different times in history have tried to enforce this. In Biblical times, when the Hebrews settled in Egypt and flourished over time, the pharaoh instituted a policy of ethnic cleansing, killing the sons of Jewish stock and enslaving the adults. The Hebrews who settled in Persia during the Diaspora were the subject of a plot of genocide planned by an Amalekite in the king’s court.

In modern times genocide is deplored. Except in Zimbabwe, violence has rarely been used as state policy in recent times to expropriate assets belonging to “non-indigenes”. But this sort of sentiment finds popular support among Nigerians, maybe not publicly, but in private conversations. Nigerians express desire to reallocate assets from non-indigenes to the “sons of the soil”. Some in the Niger-Delta complain about “Yoruba domination” of the oil industry as much as they complained about “Igbo domination” of their politics in the 1960s. Some of my friends in Lagos have said to me “if Boko Haram keeps terrorising the country and come near Lagos, we would seize Dangote’s properties here”. It might surprise some to know that the people who say this are educated Nigerians.

However, the sentiment of nativism finds expression - fuelled by demagoguery - in government policy and rhetoric. The most recent I can remember is Sanusi suggesting that Telecomm companies making huge profits in Nigeria should be compelled to list their shares in the local stock exchange. This opinion is apparently popular with many Nigerians. This is reminiscent of the indigenisation policy of Gowon’s government. This policy of indigenisation is very common among African countries and is a very insidious product of xenophobia. It is the reason Nigerians complain about Ghana’s government policy targeting non-Ghanaian (mostly Nigerian) businesses. It is a vicious circle that reduces trade among African countries and ensures that poverty level remains high for much of Africa and therefore feeds nativist mentality.
There is justifiable cause for fear of foreign influence in local business participation. At the time that American foreign and military policy was heavily influenced by commercial interests in the early 20th century, the American military invaded Haiti, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries with its politicians egged on by plutocrats whose investments in such countries were under threat from the government policies of such countries. But I believe this fear can be managed by the government seeking mutually beneficial trade agreements with foreign governments and protecting the interests of Nigerian businesses located abroad from harsh government policies.

The conflict between Nigeria and Britain over Britain’s policies that targeted Arik Air shows that foreign investments in the country can be used as a leverage against other countries who unfairly victimize Nigerian businesses. The encouragement of foreign investments would not only bring foreign capital to the country but also provide bargaining power for allowing Nigerian businesses expand into foreign countries. The same philosophy should be pursued on the African continent with other African countries if we would have any chance of reducing poverty on the continent and improving trade. The dearth of trade between African countries has been identified as a main reason for the high rate of poverty on the continent.

It is unusual to hear anyone speak against any policy of indigenisation as it is seen as something that benefits the masses. It doesn’t. The indigenised companies of the early 1970s went to beneficiaries of government corruption and were run down. The expropriated farms and other properties of white farmers in Zimbabwe went to government cronies and were mismanaged. The “abandoned properties” of Rivers state went to government cronies and were also mismanaged, which scared off other property developers from Rivers state who chose Lagos to invest in instead. The people who bought over indigenised companies have made a lot of money for themselves but have destroyed institutions that would have provided jobs for the millions of unemployed Nigerians. These same Nigerians are the ones who would support the idea of forcing Telecomm companies to list their shares on the Nigerian stock market.
The reason indigenisation does not work is neither because all government policies are doomed to fail in Africa nor due to bad implementation. It is
because indigenisation is a faulty and retrogressive policy. It is a policy that rewards people for doing no work and adding no value to the economy. The history of indigenisation in a country scares away potential foreign investors and makes it difficult to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the economy. Indigenisation would eventually fail even if it were possible to implement it without corrupt government officials and their cronies taking over the businesses.

This is simply because when you reap where you did not sow, it is natural human tendency to squander the harvest. Given citizens, especially rich ones, handouts permit them to be reckless. Think of a man who buys his teenage son a sports car for his birthday. Do not expect that son to be too remorseful about denting the car, or even crashing it. If, however, the young man made some sacrifices and savings to buy even a less expensive car, he would be upset if a fly does as much as perches on the car.

Instead of people looking on the government to hand them the ownership of big foreign companies, the government should instead allow local businesses to compete with foreign businesses established in the country. Legislation has already been made protecting local big businesses from foreign take over, so that should allay fears of having our economy controlled by foreign powers with stronger militaries. Our banks, for example, have gone from one crisis to another since the indigenisation policy. Allowing more foreign participation in this sector – with foreign banks existing side by side and competing with local banks – would make the local banks step up their game.

They would realise that they have to treat their employees and customers better when they notice competing foreign banks are attracting the best personnel and the wealthiest customers. Decisiveness on the part of the government is also important here. Better operation of our banks is also dependent on effective, but not excessive, regulation and action against corruption. The regulators should not be determined by the state or region of origin of the president or by Federal Character or quota system but by their suitability for the job. The government should also resist the siren call for indigenisation of the foreign banks, whatever form it might take –whether it be laws requiring them to list their shares on the local stock exchange, “local content” or laws forcing divestment. Nigeria can encourage employment of more local staff members by tax incentives instead of by legislation forcing them to employ more Nigerians. We cannot legislate our way out of everything.

Economies that slowly encouraged foreign participation have seen tremendous growth not only in foreign investment and jobs, but also the scale and competitiveness of local companies. China has encouraged American businesses to operate on their shores. The strength of these businesses have even driven so many Chinese businesses that could not compete under and the rest have had to improve their operations. It is usually pointed out to Americans who complain about their large trade deficit with China that the companies in China that cause this trade deficit are American companies operating in China – in a sense, America is having a trade deficit with itself [give the example of the iPhone]. India has seen the emergence of Infosys on the global scene after they opened their Information technology market to international competition. Indeed the founders of Infosys were concerned about this and considered selling their business to the foreign competitors, but decided instead to make huge investment in Indian local human capital. India has even recently opened its local retail sector to global supermarket chains.

The reason we seem to be on track to repeating all past errors in Nigeria and in Africa is because too many of us are ignorant of our history. This is why we do not challenge regurgitated policies that led African economies to the current state. While even the highly educated Nigerians are derelict in this area, the bad quality of education in Nigeria does not help. It is due to the low standard of education that sentiments of nativism are still very strong in Nigeria and much of Africa years after the end of colonialism. But for the low standard of education, more Nigerians and Africans would understand the definition of madness – repeating the same actions and expecting a different outcome each time.

 Saharareporters

Nigeria To Borrow N178 Billion in 2013

Mr. Maku said on Monday at a news conference that $1 billion will be secured from the African Development Bank to finance gas supply, while another $150 million will be secured from the same bank to finance the liberalisation of the power sector.
The Federal Government’s decision to go ahead with the loan is despite condemnation from economists, civil society groups and opposition parties that Nigeria’s debt was growing without any real benefit to show for it.
While talking about the achievements of the Jonathan administration, the minister also said that the current electricity generation in the country had reached 4,502 megawatts, the highest in recent times. According to him, electricity generation is expected to move up to 7,000 megawatts in 2013.
“At the moment, there is an average of about 15 to 18 hours per day of constant power supply to different parts of the country. This feat was brought about through the implementation of the integrated power sector reform programme anchored on the Power Roadmap.
“This includes institutional reforms to involve the private sector in power generation, transmission and distribution,’’ he said.
Mr. Maku said under the roadmap, 10 new thermal power plants had been completed, adding that more were coming in 2013 to boost electricity supply to all parts of the country.
He said that the rehabilitation of power generation and distribution infrastructure across the nation were ongoing, as well as the Kainji Hydro power station to generate power at installed capacity. He also said the contract for the maintenance of the Shiroro-power station has been awarded.
Mr. Maku also said that new contracts had been awarded for hydro power plants in Kaduna and Mambila Plateau to generate additional 750 megawatts.
“The implementation of the National Integrated Power Project is being fast-tracked to ensure stability in power supply,’’ he said.
Naij

Hit And Run Driver Kills Journalist In Rivers

A journalist, Mr. Edward Alyemen, has been killed by a hit and run driver in Elelenwo area of Rivers State.
In a statement, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, Chairman of the state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Opaka Dokubo, called on the state Police Command to track down the driver for prosecution.
According to the statement, the late journalist, who was the state correspondent of Banner News, a provincial newspaper in the state, died at a hospital, weekend, where he was rushed to after the vehicle knocked him down.
Dokubo said the driver of the vehicle fled after the accident and appealed to the state Police command to help arrest the driver. He also appealed to Rivers State Traffic Management Authority, TIMARIV and Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, to come up with effective measures to check reckless driving in the state.
He said: “We commiserate with the Federated Correspondents Chapel, where late Alyemen was a staunch member, as well as his immediate family for this irreparable loss and we pray God Almighty to give them strength at this trying period.”
Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel in the state, Mr. Terver Akaser, on his part, urged the Police to help uncover the mystery surrounding the accident that claimed the life of the journalist. Describing the death of Alyemen as a big loss to the chapel and the NUJ in the state, he prayed God to grant the deceased family the strength to bear the loss.
Naij

Man kills 12-year-old girl over N800 debt

A 28-year-old man, who claimed to be a naval rating, Mr. Ikechi Okoro, is now on the run after allegedly killing Chidera Timothy with a bottle over an N800 debt his brother owes the girl’s mother.
Twelve-year-old Chidera was a primary five pupil of the Holy Trinity Anglican Primary School in Calabar, Cross River State.
Ikechi’s younger brother, Friday Okoro, has been arrested by policemen from Atakpa Police Station in Calabar where the matter was reported.
Following the arrest, the members of the Okoro family residing at 34, Wilkie Street, have taken to their heels.
Narrating the incident to PUNCH Metro on Saturday, the girl’s father, Timothy, said Ikechi’s brother, Mr. Orieke Okoro, who repairs tricycle, had refused to pay his wife, Mercy, the sum of N800 that he owed her for several months.
Timothy said Orieke was a regular customer at his wife’s restaurant and beverage shop and at times bought things on credit.
After Orieke’s debt rose to N800, it was learnt that he stopped patronising the restauranteur.
Timothy said, “The debt rose to N800 and has remained so for two months. Whenever my wife asks him about the debt, he would claim he does not have money. When my wife discovered that he no longer patronised her but rather bought things from a nearby shop and still paid cash, she threatened to seize his tools.
“On Monday, December 17, 2012, my wife went to him to collect her money but the boy said he did not have money, my wife then picked his tools and the boy did not react.”
Trouble, however, started, when Ikechi took over the matter when his brother’s customer, who brought his tricycle for repairs, claimed that one of his spare parts was missing.
Timothy explained further, “Ikechi came with the customer to my wife’s shop to look for the spare part in the toolbox, but because my wife didn’t know them, she refused to release the box. She insisted that they ought to have come with Orieke and her N800 before she would release the toolbox.
“Then the fake naval man started insulting my wife and threatened to beat her up if she did not release the toolbox. He said the worst that could happen was for the police to arrest him. As he struggled to enter the shop to collect the toolbox, my wife blocked him and in the process, he slapped her and she held his shirt.
“As the trouble was going on, my son, Chukwuemeka, who had returned from where he went to fetch water tried to ask why the man slapped his mother then Ikechi allegedly ran to their house and collected a machete and returned with his younger brother and the elder sister.
“Three of them beat up my son and my wife. Friday used the machete on my son and gave him a cut on the left hand while the sister hit my wife with a wood she was holding.”
He said that as the trouble was going on, Chidera rushed to call him (Timothy) from where he was working close by.
He added that when he got to his wife’s shop, he saw Ikechi with an empty bottle threatening to kill someone with it.
Timothy said, “As I was trying to find out what happened and to calm him down, he struggled and freed himself from the people holding him and said that he was going to kill somebody. He said as a naval man he could do whatever he wished.
“He threw the bottle at my son but he dodged it. However, the bottle hit my daughter on the head. She fainted immediately. I rushed her to Mambo Clinic which was the nearest clinic for treatment. She was there till December 23 when she died.”
He said although he reported the matter at the police station, no arrest was made until he went back to the police station after his daughter had died.
Friday, who allegedly injured Chukwuemeka with a machete, according to him, was arrested.
Chidera’s corpse, he said, was deposited at a mortuary on Edgerley Street in Calabar South.
When contacted, the state police Public Relations Officer, Mr. John Umoh, confirmed the incident, saying the matter would be properly investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department.
Also, the Information Officer of the Eastern Naval Command, Lt.Commodore Williams Olabisi, said the alleged assailant who claimed to be a naval man might have been an imposter.
“If any of our officials commit offence of that magnitude, there is no way I will not be aware of it,” Olabisi added.
InformationNigeria