•SSS arrests 5, recovers dangerous weapons
From UBONG UKPONG, Abuja
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
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| Arrowed: Building where bombs are allegedly manufactured in Nasarawa Iku Village, Suleja, Niger State (inset) one of the manufactured bombs PHOTO: NAN |
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Briefing newsmen at the SSS Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, the Assistant Director, Public Relations, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, disclosed that the Service also uncovered the building where the Boko Haram cell operating in the Suleja/Abuja axis manufactured and assembled bombs, revealing that the improvised explosive devices were assembled at a non-descript building located at a popular area known as Chechnya, Hayin-Uku village in Tafa LGA.
She declined to disclose the names of the suspects in line with the Service’s policy, but noted that several dangerous weapons were recovered from the suspects, who were said to have confessed to being members of Boko Haram operating in the Suleja-Abuja axis under the direction and control of a Boko Haram leader now at large.
Ogar said that investigation to unravel the Suleja bombings led to the arrest of a Nigerienne national on August 4, 2011, adding that his confession led to the arrest of a 3-year-old Imo State native who converted to Islam in 2003, explaining that the second suspect who is born of a Nigerienne mother was brought up in Niger Republic, where he had his early education.
Said Ogar: “The five suspects all confessed that the main supplier of the explosive materials used for their bombing operations is a miner from Nasarawa State who the service eventually arrested on August 30, 2011.
“They also confessed that they took part in the killing of four policemen at a checkpoint at Dakwa-Deidei in Bwari Area Council of the FCT on May 22, 2011. The suspects will soon be charged to court.”
The dangerous items recovered from the suspects by the Service as paraded were one ceiling fan coil, two laptops, 37 unused metallic oil filters; two metallic filters primed for bombing; two metallic cylinders and a clock connected to a primed bladeless ceiling fan with nine volts batteries ready for use.
Others were a Honda Civic car with registration number Borno AG 94 MNG, 200 pieces of detonators; battery connected to a detonator; two damaged detonators; a locally made revolver; one gun butt, two knives and 10 GSM handsets with SIM cards, among other things.
The Service also recovered pieces of shrapnel; red colour detonating cords; a Sony remote control, five battery chargers and a black bag containing detonating cables from the suspects.
South-west Can't Reclaim House Speakership, Says Baraje
Hon. Aminu Tambuwal
From Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have foreclosed any move by the members of the party in the South-west to reclaim the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, currently occupied by Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.
Indication to this effect emerged at the weekend, in Ilorin, Kwara State, when the Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said the leadership of the party has zoned the position of the Leader of the House to members of the party in the South-west geo-political zone.
Baraje, who disclosed this at a news conference shortly after hosting his secondary school mates of 1971 to 72 set at the 1lorin Teachers College, added that the right candidate for the job would be announced as soon as the National Assembly resumed from vacation.
It would be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, at the strategic zonal meeting of the party, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday, reiterated that the zone would still reclaim the Speakership position of the House, osaying the loss of the position was distasteful.
Obasanjo said the: “Speaker of the House of Representatives, which the constitution of the party zoned to the South-west is our legitimate right which must be given back to us.”
However, Baraje said since the election of Tambuwal was the endorsement of the members of the House of Representatives, including the PDP members, the party was not going to punish or sanction any member for the action.
According to him: “There is nothing like compensation for South-west for losing out in the Speakership election and that the PDP is being administered by zoning but the position of Leader of the House had been zoned to South-west now.”
He said the House would actualise the position for the South-west zone immediately members resumed from vacation.
Baraje, who described the events and circumstances, which led to Tambuwal’s emergence on June 6, as an aberration to the instruction and tradition of the party, however, said the party had warned that the party would never entertain such “difference” again.
While stating further that, the party has ruled out the possibility of disciplining or sanctioning any member over the emergence of Tambuwal, stated that the leadership of the party was against the reported recommendation of the six-man committee of the BoT of the party, which recommended punishment for the PDP lawmakers for disobeying the party’s directive to vote against a South-west choice in the House.
The PDP chairman said the BoT of the party was only an advisory body, adding that the party’s executive was only at its liberty to either take or reject the BoT advices.
“I want to say categorically that there's no committee to discipline anybody by the party. There were comments about the behaviour of lawmakers on June 6 in the National Assembly by the BOT members, particularly by the BOT chairman, Olisegun Obasanjo. The party’s constitution says that BOT is an advisory body of the party. The party has the leverage to either take or reject the advice given.
“If the BOT is holding discussion relating to that singular instance and they are reacting in any way, it's strictly within the BOT and has not got to the party,” he said.
IBB Played Double Standards on Atiku
General Ibrahim Babangida
By Paul Ohia with agency report
A Wikileaks cable release at the weekend, reveals that former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, played double standards with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, with the aim of positioning himself for the position of president.
The Wikileaks cable said Babangida took advantage of Atiku’s leaning on him against the backdrop of any shortfall from a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation on the former vice-president.
“He deceived the latter into thinking he had listening ears, when in actual fact, he plotted to relay the information to Obasanjo in order to cause a rift between him and his former boss,” the cable said.
The cable allegedly classified by Consul General, Brian L. Browne, for reasons disclosed that a long-standing consulate contact said pro-Obasanjo hardliners in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were eagerly waiting information from the FBI that would incriminate Atiku.
“In his political distress, Atiku is reaching out to former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB). The contact, who is close to Babangida, said this is the type of situation in which Babangida thrives. Babangida will secretly support Atiku, while informing Obasanjo of some of what Atiku is up to-this way hoping to score points with the President,” Wikileaks said.
The embassy cable was quoted by Wikileaks as saying that in a September 1 meeting with the Consul General, Prof. Ukandi Damachi, opined the PDP appeared to be moving up its timeline from early next year to right now to dump Atiku.
He said Obasanjo’s loyalists believed the FBI’s investigation of Congressman Willaims Jefferson will unearth evidence of misconduct by Atiku. “The rumour circulating among the political elite was that the USG will come down hard on Atiku’s wife, purportedly a United States citizen, for tax evasion. This should be enough to finish Atiku,” Damachi said.
The cable narrated that in political extremis, Atiku was making overtures to Babangida, Damachi’s political boss. Atiku wanted to gather anti-Obasanjo allies to form a new political alliance of political heavyweights such as himself and IBB.
“Of course, IBB’s strategem is not as coarse and is more Machiavellian than Atiku's. Damachi said IBB will likely give Atiku assurances of support in hopes of enticing Atiku into battling Obasanjo. Simultaneously, IBB will also keep his lines open to Obasanjo, informing him of some of Atiku's plans.” the cable claimed.
It continued: “IBB hopes to keep Obasanjo and Atiku feuding so that they enervate themselves. At the same time, IBB figures he can better position himself in Obasanjo's future political calculations if he is seen as helping Obasanjo by feeding him information on Atiku.
Damachi said IBB would begin to perfect this strategy the weekend of September 2 to 3, when most of the Northern elite, including Atiku, would be attending a series of weddings in Kano. IBB, Damachi said, would encourage Atiku to start his own party as a way of not allowing Obasanjo to bury him and as a way of remaining in the hunt for 2007.”
The cable finished with a comment: that with Atiku under siege, IBB feelt he had more room to maneuver.
“IBB’s instincts are correct but he overestimates his ability to spin this situation to his liking. Both Atiku and Obasanjo are aware of IBB's legerdemain and will not be taken by his expressions of support. Thus, while IBB may enjoy the gamesmanship of political intrigue, his vaunted mastery of the craft has actually restricted his ability to act effectively and will unlikely advance his position appreciably,” the cable concluded.
Osun Orders Striking Workers to Resume Today
Protesting Workers
•Kebbi NLC: Why we’re on strike
From Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo and Saka Ibrahim in Birnin Kebbi
The four-week old strike action embarked upon by workers in the Osun State Public Service came to an end at the weekend as the state Head of Service, Mr. Segun Akinwusi ordered them to report for duty today.
This, however, came on a day the Kebbi State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Sadiq Sambo Kaoje, said the union decided to embark on the strike over the N18,000 minimum wage due to government’s indifference to its cause.
In a state-wide Public Service announcement broadcast on the state-owned radio and television services, Akinwusi promised the returning workers of their safety and security as they resumed work.
He said the government had exhausted all avenues at negotiating with the striking workers in a bid to ensure the enthronement of peace, progress and development of the state.
He added that the desire of government was to ensure, “that all workers in the state public service enjoy maximum comfort and good life necessitated our offer to pay a N19001.00 as Minimum Wage to the least paid worker which is far higher than what the Federal Government instructed states to pay it's workers.”
Akinwusi stressed further that the government shifted its position four times to accommodate the position of workers while also taking cognisance of the interest of other sectors of the state.
The Head of Service noted that, “a sizable number of workers controlling the vast majority, who are willing and ready to resume work prefers to hold the state to ransom by insisting on forging ahead with the strike action despite strident appeal and persuasion as it is the norm in democratic setting.”
Furthermore, Akinwusi reiterated the promise of the state government to pay N19001.00 as Minimum Wage to workers, while N7429, N6611, and N5096 are to be paid to workers on Salary Grade Levels 08 to 10, Grade Levels 12 to 14 and Salary Grade Levels 15 to 17 respectively.
In a related development, Kaoje in an interview with THISDAY in Birnin Kebbi, said government had not been responsive enough to their demand when some states have finished negotiation. According to the NLC chairman, the union had given the government two weeks ultimatum before embarking on the strike which started on Friday.
Kaoje said: “We have started our strike over the N18, 000 minimum wages we demanding from the state government. We wrote to government but have at the time I’m talking to you, government has not acknowledge receiving our letter on the issue.”
He said the union would not accept anything less than N18, 000 as minimum wage for its workers and that the union will not call off the strike until l the government is ready to pay.
“This strike is an indefinite strike and we are not going to call off, until the government is ready to implement the bark age,” he added.
Kaoje stated that strike has been total and there will be skeleton services been rendered either in the hospital, water board or any government offices.
CPC Cries Foul over Presidential Election Tribunal
CPC Chieftain, General Muhammadu Buhari
From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has expressed concern over the decision of the Acting President of the Appeal Court (PCA), Justice Dalhatu Adamu, to reshuffle of Appeal Court justices, describing it as fraught with hidden agenda.
Justice Adamu had reportedly redeployed a member of the Presidential Election Tribunal, Justice Mohammed Garba last week.
A source had confirmed the redeployment to THISDAY weekend, saying Garba had been replaced with Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa from the Yola Division of the Court of Appeal.
Garba, it was learnt, was transferred to the Calabar Division of the court.
Another justice, Justice Paul Galinje, has been transferred from the Abuja Division of the court to the Port Harcourt Division.
Until his transfer last week, Garba was the presiding justice of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, described the action of the new Acting PCA as part of a hidden agenda to frustrate the on-going CPC presidential election petition.
“CPC hereby brings to the notice of Nigerians the dire consequences of the gradual extirpation of the enviable values of a vibrant judiciary by the newly appointed acting President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Adamu,” Fashakin said.
CPC is battling to prove at the presidential election petition tribunal that the result of the April general election that produced President Goodluck Jonathan as winner was not free and fair.
Fashakin said in the statement that the action of Adamu had left no one in doubt as to the reason for his appointment by President Jonathan.
He said it was not surprising that one of the major tasks embarked on by the judicial officer was the reshuffling of the Presidential Election Petition members.
According to him, "Undoubtedly, Justice Adamu is bringing about the same hastiness that attended his appointment in this latest action.
What remains unanswered is why a judicial officer on an acting capacity would cause such dishevelling changes in an otherwise smooth process?
“Why would Justice Adamu feel that the time is propitious to for such changes if not to ensure that the CPC Presidential Election Petition suffers irreversible setback? Does this not give credence to the earlier assertion that it is only a corrupt Bench that can save Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidency?”
The CPC spokesman further alleged that plans were underway to make changes in the composition of the Appeal Court justices for the states that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might likely lose at the state governorship tribunals.
He said such a development was a disservice to the good people of Nigeria that are desirous of seeing the Nigerian courts as citadels of justice, adding that CPC believed that the security of Nigeria, or any nation could only be predicated on the dispensation of social justice.
“The scenario where the oppressed and repressed in the land cannot have their grievances freely ventilated and properly adjudicated on by the judiciary can only portend breach in national security. This is why we believe that this chain of convoluted actions by the Acting PCA is portent of grave danger to the health of the judiciary and inexorably, the nation’s security,” he added.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had suspended the former PCA, Justice Ayo Salami, on August 25 and recommended him for retirement from the Bench following his refusal to apologise to the council and the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, after a panel of the council found him to have wrongly accused the former CJN of arresting the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the Sokoto State governorship election dispute.
‘Mimiko’s Has Attracted Federal Presence to Ondo’
Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko
From James Sowole in Akure
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), at the weekend, said the laudable steps taken by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, in providing an enabling environment for the Judiciary had contributed to the many federal presence recorded so far in the state.
The attracted benefits, he said, included the establishment of the Court of Appeal, the Zonal Office of the Federal Ministry of Justice as well as a division of the Industrial Court in the state.
Jegede, who spoke during the signing and presentation to the public the Revised Law of the state which would take effect from September 20, this year, to replace the one in use since 1978, enumerated the administration’s feats in the judicial sector since its inception including the provision of e-library services, legal compendium software with automated internet updates for the bench and state counsel.
Also speaking, the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Sehinde Kumuyi, who bemoaned the stressed faced by lawyers in courts, especially in the application of obsolete laws, praised the state government for making the administration of justice easier with the revised laws.
He commended Mimiko for making the Judiciary in the state, a haven to work in by creating the necessary ambience for Judges and judicial officers as well as the citizenry at large.
With the signing of the new law by the governor, the state now has 500 sets of Revised Edition of Laws, which was a compendium of all the laws from since its creation to 2006.
Presenting the new law, Mimiko, said the objective of the revision and publication of the laws was to remove obsolete and spent laws as well as codify the extant laws emphasising that law should be an instrument of social transformation.
“These revised laws will further give impetus to our aspirations to transform the social, economic and political landscape of the state just as it will regulate human behaviour and ensure peace and order in the society.
“Equal access to justice is an important pillar in the building of a stable and successful society, while its absence breeds myriads of societal vices such as resort to self-help, violent crimes and a sense of hopelessness in the democratic order,” he added.
Mimiko, therefore, charged institutional structures and stakeholders in the justice system to partner and form synergies that would deepen democracy and ensure peace and security in the society.
Ex-militants on the rampage, block East-West Road
From FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
The ex-militants under the aegis of Niger Delta Development ex-militants, third phase drawn from Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Ondo states had recently written to President Goodluck Jonathan alerting him on the moves by some influential people within government circle to derail the peace in the Niger Delta region by the deliberate abandonment of some of the ex-militants who had surrendered their arms.
While issuing a one-week ultimatum to the Federal Government, they warned of dire consequences if the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and coordinator of the post-amnesty programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku insisted he would not co-opt them into the amnesty programme.
Checks indicated that Monday night, the leadership of the ex-militants led by Julius Joseph and Tam Odogwu decided to block the major East/West Road to send a message to the Federal Government on their capacity to disrupt the economy of the country at the expiration of the one-week ultimatum.
As early at 4.30 am, those from Bayelsa had stormed the East/West Road and were joined by their counterparts from other states for the immediate blockade of the road using heavy-duty vehicles’, kerosene tankers and bone fires in strategic locations along the road.
By 6am travelers going to Lagos, Warri and Benin from Bayelsa and Rivers state and those going to Port Harcourt from Warri were forced to stop as the situation at Mbiama junction with the presence of ex- militants had became chaotic with many of them carrying placards with the inscriptions such as ‘President Goodluck Jonathan fulfill your promise to pay us’ ‘We want our payment in one week or’ We have surrendered our arms, include us in the amnesty programme’ ‘Tell Kingsley Kuku to include us in the amnesty programme.’ They were chanting war songs.
The protest and blockade halted vehicular movement with a long stretch of cars from Mbiama to Ahoada in Rivers State and Mbiama to Kaiama in Bayelsa State. The situation forced some travelers to make calls to the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and immediately five hilux of fully armed soldiers arrived the scene.
However Joseph refused to disperse the boys, insisting that they needed to talk to somebody in authority about their grievances. In an interview, Joseph said, their patience has worn out since the amnesty committee had refused to listen to their pleas. According to him, they had explored the option of dialogue by sending correspondence to the amnesty office and the Presidency, but nobody has taken up their matter.
His words: “What we are doing today is to register our grievances with the amnesty committee. We were promised to be included in the amnesty programme if we surrendered our arms, and we have done that. All of us have our certificates of disarmament after we surrendered our arms to the security agencies we have not heard anything from the amnesty committee. We want to once again appeal to President Jonathan not to allow some people spoil the peace in the Niger Delta.
This is a peaceful protest and it is a warning on what we can do after the one week ultimatum we gave for the assurance that we would be paid by the end of this month”
Efforts by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the Area command, Ahoada , M.I Buruche to calm the boys down proved abortive, as they ignore all his pleas to dismantle the barricade. At about 9.30 am, the JTF Sector 2 commander, Col M. Lasisi arrived the scene and expressed displeasure that they have blocked the entire road.
Lasisi who was furious threatened to deal with the ex-militants if they do not disperse. He pointed out that they have no right to deprive other Nigerians from the use of the East/ West road by blocking it. However he had to soft pedal on his threat when he realized that Joseph remained adamant as he refused to tell the boys to leave the road.
He later appealed to them to give peace a chance and trekked with the ex-militants from Mbiama road to the new Bayelsa gateway road where he addressed them and promised to pass their message across to the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile panic has gripped the amnesty committee over the threat of the excluded ex-militants with the hurried postponement of the resumption of camping for the 17th batch of ex-militants at the Obubra camp in Cross Rivers State.
Investigations revealed the Kuku led amnesty committee got wind of plans of some ex-militants to forcefully enter the camp and decided to postpone the resumption date for outstanding issues to be resolved.
In a radio announcement monitored on Radio Bayelsa, Kuku said, the postponement which is indefinite was due to unforeseen circumstances. He disclosed that a new date of resumption would be communicated to those expected in the camp, warning that those who are planning to forcefully enter the camp when the camp resumes should perish the thought as they would be decisively dealt with.
Obasanjo mismanaged economy, IBB insists
.Says I didn’t recant on comments
From TAIWO AMODU, ABUJA
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
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Obasanjo Photo: Sun News Publishing |
Speaking with journalists on the eve of his 70th birthday in Minna, Niger State last month, Babangida alluded to Obasanjo’s administration as having mismanaged the revenue. But recent media reports had quoted the former military president as saying that he was misquoted by newsmen.
However, reacting in a statement issued yesterday, the media aide to General Babangida, Prince Kassim Afegbua, disclosed that his boss never recanted his allegation of squandermania that characterised the Obasanjo’s government, particularly the $16 billion allegedly wasted on power project.
The statement reads: “We have read several news reports suggesting that former president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, recanted his comments on former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR . He wishes to state very clearly and without fear of contradiction, that there is nothing like “recant” on his part.
“What General IBB stated on the 30th August, 2011 was that the media misquoted him on his earlier interview granted prior to his birthday on 17th August, 2011. The contents of the newspapers’ reports were different from the screaming headlines that were carried. That perhaps informed Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s misplaced outburst to the effect of calling General IBB a fool at 70.
“General IBB still stands by the contents of that interview where he made allusion to the squander-mania that characterized Chief Obasanjo’s government with particular reference to the $16billion reportedly wasted on a fruitless power project, as revealed by the National Assembly power probe panel. There was nothing extra-ordinary in what General IBB said to warrant Chief Obasanjo’s outburst and scathing remarks on the person of General Babangida.
“In the light of the above, he wishes to state unequivocally that the idea or notion or impression of a recant does not arise at all. His response to Chief Obasanjo’s outburst remains in force and valid, hence, it will be wrong for anyone to report that “IBB recanted” on his earlier position. He will not allow history to record it for him that he kept mum when someone reportedly called him a fool. All the issues raised in his earlier response have not been contradicted by Chief Obasanjo, save that he resorted to name-calling and abuse. He still holds the position very strongly that former President Obasanjo’s government recorded the highest revenue in the history of Nigeria from independence in 1960 till 1999 when his government came into force.
“Over N16 trillion was shared among the three tiers of government during Obasanjo’s government, out of which about N7.4trillion was spent by the Federal Government. This is aside from other non-oil income that accrued to his government within the same period. Needless to state that the government went on a spending spree, which culminated in several sharp practices and abuses particularly in the privatization exercise. The records are gradually becoming glaring for all to see, no, thanks to the National Assembly probe panel.
“He will be prepared to offer further clarifications should the need arise but let it be recorded that there was nothing like recantation as previously reported,” the statement noted.
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