Fuel Subsidy Crisis: CNPP, NBA, Muslim Congress, Support Protests; NBA Outlines Way Forward

As more groups express their reaction to the situation in the country, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) today lamented the failure of the government of Mr. Goodluck Jonathan to understand the seriousness of what it is confronted by.

“It has failed to understand that all Governments be they dictatorial or otherwise enjoy power because the people allow it to remain in power,” the NBA said in a statement by its President, Mr. Joseph B. Daudu, noting that no government can outlast the will of the people.

The Muslim Congress (TMC), in a statement signed by Luqman AbdurRaheem,  urged President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to listen to the voice of wisdom and rescind the punitive elimination of the subsidy on petroleum products unconditionally in the interest of the populace.

That position of the TMC is shared by the Conference of National Political Parties (CNPP) which also today called on Mr. Jonathan “to muster all sense of humility, listen to voice of reason and honour the demand” of Nigerians and reverse his subsidy removal decision. 

The CNPP, rising from an extensive meeting on the State of the Nation on Wednesday night, resolved to support the mass action declared by the Labour Movement in Nigeria following their ultimatum to Mr. Jonathan to reverse the petrol price to N65, on or before 8 January 2012.

The NBA said it supported all the actions contained in the 4 January 2010 communiqué of the Labour Movement, and that all members of the NBA will participate in the nationwide strike commencing on the 9th of January 2012.

In the its strongly-worded statement, the NBA said: “It is clear that Nigerians do not and will not tolerate subsidy removal under the terms and conditions set out or laid down by Government. Any removal of subsidy based on the importation of petroleum products is unacceptable to Nigerians. Government must create the infrastructure for the refining 100% of petroleum products in Nigeria and by Nigerians. It had been done in the past, it was sabotaged, and it can and will be done again.”

TMC, aligning itself with well-meaning Nigerians, advocacy groups, labour unions and civil societies to condemn “the wicked, sudden, deceptive and heartless removal of the fuel subsidy,” described the new policy as a diabolical agenda orchestrated by the ruling elites in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deregulate the downstream oil sector for their self-fish ends.

It pointed out that the fuel subsidy removal conflicts with, and has rubbished the objectives of all the ongoing developmental programmes of the Nigerian government especially the Millennium Development Goal which seeks to reduce the number of people living in poverty by 2015; the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President; the poverty-reduction thrust of Vision 20: 2020 and worsened the Human Development Index In Nigeria.

From Sahara Reporters New York

Prosecutor wants death penalty for Mubarak, others

 

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak lies on a stretcher as he is carried to the courtroom at the police academy in Cairo on Thursday.

Photo: Reuters

The prosecution in the case against Hosni Mubarak on Thursday demanded the death sentence for the former Egyptian president and other defendants including his two sons and the former interior minister.
Mubarak is facing charges of ordering the killing of protesters during the demonstrations which swept him from power last February, Reuters reports.
The judge adjourned the trial until January 9.
"The prosecution demands the maximum penalty against Mubarak and the rest of the accused which is death by hanging,"said Mustafa Khater, a member of the prosecution team during a court session.

Courtesy The Nation

Army kills two suspected sect members

An army official says soldiers have killed two armed men suspected to be members of a radical sect responsible for a spate of violence in Nigeria.

Lt. Col. Hassan Mohammed told The Associated Press the two suspected Boko Haram members were killed Thursday morning after resisting arrest in the northeastern city of Maiduguri.
He said the army believes the gunmen were responsible for an attack Wednesday evening that left two people dead.
 President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency on Saturday in Maiduguri and other parts of the country most affected by Boko Haram attacks.

The move allows security officers to make arrests without proof and search property without warrants.

Courtesy The Nation

Protesters in Kaduna denounce fuel price increment

 

KADUNA – Scores of mostly youths, Thursday,  stage a peaceful protest in Kaduna condemning the sudden high price of petrol.

The youth who staged the peaceful protest around the famous Lugard Hall Roundabout, by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Unguwan Shanu, displayed various  placards with inscriptions such as:  “Mr. President is wicked;  We need change in Nigeria;  Save our father land;  Build more refineries;  No to subsidy removal;  This is badluck”!

The youths were  protesting under the banner of  Occupy Nigeria led by Tajudeen Oladoja.

Protesters in Kaduna

Speaking to the crowd. Oladoja said,  “we have decided to show our displeasure and lack of support on the new policy of subsidy removal.

“The government argument is that if we do not stop funding fuel subsidy the economy will crash and we will go down with it. But are there no other places to reduce spending to save money?

“We believe the government seems to impoverish us the more by removing fuel subsidy while they continue to waste money on their friends and families.”

The protester questioned government overspending on political office holders at the expense of the poor masses.

“David Mark earns N600 million  annually enough money to set up at least 100 schools in Benue, President Jonathan and his friends will eat 1 billion naira worth of food in 2012, while fueling their cars for 1.7 billion naira. This amount will build at least 50 good health care centers in the south-south.

“The N200 million  budgeted to water the President’s garden in 2011 is enough to educate 200 Nigerians through university education”, he said.

Culled from Vanguard

Nigeria needs skilled security to tackle Boko Haram – Prof Odinkalu

Prof Odinkalu

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, a lawyer and academician is chairman designate of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, and a human rights activist. In this interview, he spoke on some burning national issues.

On the security problems confronting the country, he said Nigeria needs steadfast leadership, skilled security agencies and international cooperation to tackle the security menace headlong, particularly the threat posed by the Boko Haram Islamic sect.

Excerpt:

Boko Haram bomb blasts in parts of the country, with its attendant loss of lives, seem to have overwhelmed the government. What is the way out?

If I had a magic bullet to end the Boko Haram problem, I would jump into action, but as you can see, I am an ordinary citizen. We need steadfast political leadership, skilled security agencies and international co-operation. At the moment, many Nigerians probably believe we’re short on most or all of these. The security agencies particularly have a steep gradient to negotiate in persuading the country that they can bring this under control.

Of course, they will need the support and assistance of the citizens and communities around the country but people are not going to offer help to security agencies if they don’t trust the security agencies or see security agencies as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. This means that the leadership of our security services has to work much harder to earn public trust and co-operation.

The quality of intelligence and analysis needs to be upped and the loop between analysis and field operations needs to be improved. Firm political leadership is needed across the political divides. Finally, international co-operation will help in many ways. Many people look to Europe and North America for such co-operation. We can and must begin with our near neighbours– Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Sudan.

The amnesty granted to militants in the Niger Delta region has been blamed for the upsurge in militancy and attacks by different groups in the country. Do you agree?

Every geo-political zone has a major pathology of political violence. This is not at all confined to the Niger Delta. The cause, in my view, is because people have developed profound distrust and loss of confidence in both political leadership and our institutions. Nigerians are not stupid.

The boys in the creeks may have got amnesty; but lots of more highly placed people have got impunity over the years. So many high profile killings and assassinations entirely unconnected with the boys in the creeks have gone unsolved from Dele Giwa to Bola Ige and more.

Many people who should be in prison in more respectable climes have quite respectable positions of influence and authority around the country. A two-term state Governor and political god-father in this country was a serial convict before he became governor. The democratisation of violence as the only means of political advocacy across the country reflects an underlying crisis of rule of law and non-performing institutions.

Some believe that formation of Boko Haram and the recent bombings are politically motivated, while some argued it is religious. Where do you place it and why?

I don’t have the evidence or access to the forensics to support those lines of speculation. The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has said elsewhere: “this is not about religion even though the promoters of hate would want it to be seen as such hence the attack on churches and in the hope that a religious war could be provoked. Therefore, I agree with the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, that this unfortunate attack does not call for a precipitate, brute force reaction on the part of security agencies against so-called ‘Islamic fundamentalists.’

What it requires in the immediate is a careful, diligent and comprehensive intelligence gathering and detection capacity aimed at undercutting the masterminds of the attack – the sponsors of Boko Haram(BH) and their international agents, not a focus on the foot soldiers – many of whom will be caught in the line of any ‘extra-judicial’ fire. While the foot soldiers maybe the headliners now, they are really cannon fodders and a huge distraction.” I totally agree with him

Today, the ordinary Nigerian cannot feel a sense of security, as cases of kidnappings, robberies and the likes are daily occurrences. What should Nigerians do to ensure that government lives up to its duty of providing security?

Nigerians are already doing what they can to cope; voting with their feet; not going home; abandoning the hinterland; establishing vigilantes; arming themselves; resorting to self-help; praying, fasting, casting and binding and mouthing incantations! My view is this: we need to stop coping and learn to get angry as citizens of a country whose institutions are failing us. If we do, then we will exact accountability from those who ought to provide leadership in this situation. The present situation in the country is an opportunity for both citizenship and leadership to prove themselves.

Recently, the Senate passed a law banning same sex marriage in Nigeria, this did not go down well with some countries in the West. What is your reaction to this?

I’m advised that this issue may already be before the National Human Rights Commission. I would rather not comment on it right now.

How will you assess the human rights situation in the country in the last one year?

We have several related problems. You cannot separate the general human rights situation from the crisis of sovereign and institutional capability in the country. The mechanisms of administrative, judicial, and political accountability are weak, destitute or manifestly compromised.

This reality compromises access to redress and also encourages discrimination and inequality as the dominant philosophies of the public space. The promise of common and equal Nigerian citizenship is unreal for most Nigerians, thus making the promise of human rights even more difficult to realise.

Because public institutions do not work for the ordinary people, there is a high propensity and tolerance for de-centralised violence both as a means of state and as a mechanism for self protection. This has, in turn, created a context that is ripe for both lawlessness and domestic terror. The pervasiveness of impunity has thus become a national security problem and a challenge for the promotion and protection of the rights to human dignity, safety and security. We’re in a little spot of bother.

You have been cleared by the Senate as Chairman of the board of the National Human Rights Commission. How does it feel to be empowered to play your role in ensuring that the rights of Nigerians are protected and defended?

The law requires that members of the Council of the National Human Rights Commission can only begin to exercise their responsibilities as such after they have been sworn in. That has not yet happened. If and when it happens, it will be a call to service. My hope and expectation is that the Council as an institution and its members as committed Nigerians, will do their bit and best with the responsibilities entrusted to them.

Several times, international rights organisations have scored the country low in term of respect for individual rights by security agencies. In your view, do you think they projected the country in real light?

I don’t think we need international organizations to tell us whether or not we are treating ourselves and our people right. When we get to the point of looking to internationals for validation as to whether or not we care for ourselves, then something is fundamentally wrong with us and our system. So, the question of whether they are projecting the country in real light doesn’t arise for me.

Caring for our people and treating our people properly is an obligation and a responsibility we owe ourselves. When we do it, we’re not auditioning for international approbation and we shouldn’t expect the world to hand out certificates of commendation to us. And when we fail to do it, we shouldn’t complain if others outside our shores take or voice a very dim view of us.

Despite the opposition by majority of Nigerians against the removal of fuel subsidy, government is insisting on going ahead with the policy. What does this portend for the country and the citizens?

There are three related conversations here that are increasingly eliding into one: one is the subsidy issue; the second is the nature of leadership, values and institutions in Nigeria; and the third is the future of Nigeria itself with safety and security also part of it. The subsidy issue is symptomatic of the two latter crises. Many people don’t believe that government has the credibility to take far reaching decisions such as the subsidy issue because they don’t see in government people willing to make the kinds of far reaching sacrifices that they ask of Nigerians.

Some are willing to dare government to do that at the risk of harming Nigeria’s integrity as a country. In response, some in government portray the subsidy issue as a matter of economics only. John Campbell’s penultimate posting on his Council on Foreign Relations Blog on 20 December is headed, rather pointedly, “Nigeria’s Fuel Subsidy is More than Economics.”

It is also about the deficits of credibility in government that have been inherited by the present government, which, ironically, is probably the first government in post-independence Nigeria with something close to genuine electoral legitimacy. My view is that government needs to listen to and address this underlying concern about rehabilitating its decision-making credibility because that is important and government is a continuum.

General Buhari made some quite constructive proposals after the Supreme Court verdict in his electoral petition on 28 December 2011 which, in my view, deserve close attention from those who presently have the responsibility to run the country or any of its constituent parts or institutions. Perhaps, this is the beginning of a different kind of politics – in which disagreement on means does not preclude us from forging consensus on both negotiable and non-negotiable ends.

Oil spill in the Niger Delta region is notoriously becoming a daily occurrence, but strangely, unlike the Gulf Mexico spill by BP, where President Obama made the company to pay $20billion first before further talks. In Nigeria, our government fails to act to the embarrassment of Nigerians. How can we ensure that these multinationals stop getting away with polluting our environment?

In many ways, the twin crises of violence and environmental denudation unite all parts of the country. From Sokoto to Sagbama, we have environmental crises around the country with far reaching negative consequences on livelihoods. The Bonga spill is the latest in a long history of spills and blow outs in all the oil producing areas that have destroyed the livelihoods of host communities. Part of the cause of that oil-field here has been historically abysmal and those who should do something about it have mostly mortgaged their responsibilities to ‘rent’.

The operators have been uncaring but so also have been the agencies and the traditional institutions that have usually collected money and sold out their own people. This can and must change. Many people think the Petroleum Ministry is not pushing the operators hard enough on this issue and that the Federal Ministry of Environment has to step up and be seen and heard. The Environment Ministry should be one of the most far reaching portfolios in government but no one hears about it.

What is your assessment of the judiciary in 2011?

My late maternal grandmother always insisted that if you cannot say a kind word about someone or something, you should keep quiet. On this question, I think I’ll listen to her.

What are your expectations of the judiciary in 2012?

I guess the good news has to be that 2011 was such a low point for Nigeria’s judiciary, the only way to go is up. In July 2012, there will be a historic change in Nigeria’s judicial annals: Justice Aloma Mukhtar, will probably rise to assume office as Nigeria’s first female Chief Justice.

The changes needed to transform judicial skills, service delivery and accountability in Nigeria are deep and far reaching. My hope rather than expectation is that 2012 is the year in which we can make the beginning that the institution needs and Nigerians deserve.

Culled from Vanguard

The Punch Interview: "I Told The Inspector General Of Police In Advance That Abuja Would Be Bombed," Says Boko Haram Leader

Boko Haram Leader Speaks

What is Boko Haram about?


Our aim is to spread Islam all over Nigeria, that is our mission and I want people to understand that our correct name is Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad. Those calling our group Boko Haram do so to discredit the group and its ideas. It was formed at three fundamental levels.

The first level from which our group emerged was from people in this country who, for selfish reasons, recruited young people and sometimes children and sent them overseas for education. In reality, these people are totally ignorant of the reasons why these big men take them abroad. In the name of education, these young men are taken to mostly Arab countries and turned into militants who respect only those who sponsored them abroad. Those big men who sponsor these youths don’t have any conscience and no love for this country. 

It all started in 2004 when the Government of Mauritania fell.


It is similar to what is happening in Libya now, though slightly different. When the government in Mauritania fell in 2004, some individuals from that country came into Nigeria to recruit some youths as mercenaries to join forces with them to overthrow the government in power.


The second level of our membership is made up of young men who were recruited by our late leader, Mohammed Yusuf. Yusuf was approached by some people from Mauritania to recruit more Nigerians to continue with the struggle in Mauritania. The grounds were that these young people were being recruited to further their Islamic studies. They were to serve as a support group to the Mauritanian army. But our leader Mohammed Yusuf rejected the plan. But a number of Nigerian big men who were involved in the Mauritania struggle were angry with Yusuf. This led to a disagreement which pitched the young men loyal to Yusuf against those backing the big men. Yusuf, however, insisted on genuine Islam whereas those opposing him were mercenaries who were willing to serve their master’s interest in Mauritania.


At what point did they leave perfect Islam and become violent? 


Whatever I am telling you now I have already made available to the SSS when they arrested me. There was a misunderstanding within the group and this disagreement was between those who received military training in Mauritania and those who were loyal to Yusuf. The SSS infiltrated our ranks and began to arrest many of those who were militants. However, as they were arrested some big men moved in to ensure that the court released them and they came back causing more problems within our group.


In 2009 the disagreement developed into a crisis in areas where our group was spreading Islamic ideals. I was in charge of our operations in Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau. The crisis was more in Bauchi State, in two locations and in Kano in one location. In Bauchi, a group began to lay claim to a mosque that was built by our group. This caused a major crisis again and a young girl was kidnapped in Bauchi and taken to Borno State. Our group was fingered but we told one intelligence officer, Bala, who was investigating the case that her relations took her to Borno and if the issue was not handled well it could cause a crisis. The SSS directed us to contact the Commissioner of Police in Borno State to secure the girl’s release. We were still in the process when the Bauchi State governor directed that members of our group should be driven away from the state. That was how our people started to resist the forced evacuation and the crisis with the government spread to Borno State. In fact, the crisis began in Bauchi and not Borno.


Anytime there is a bombing in Nigeria Boko Haram claims responsibility, for example, four times in Borno Police headquarters and the UN office in Abuja.


Yes, we bombed some of those places you mentioned. Remember I told you that some of our members were recalled from military training in Mauritania. Among them were three specialist in bomb making.


When this crisis began I made a move to the authorities advising that the arrest of Boko Haram members would not bring an end to the crisis. I suggested that the government should stop the arrest and release those already arrested. Let me repeat it today, government should rebuild houses, mosques and schools demolished in Bauchi and Borno states. Government should not interfere in the genuine worship of our group and ensure justice for all. If these are not in place, I predict that the Nigerian situation may become like what is happening in Somalia.

I give this warning because many of those young men who went to Mauritania are being attracted back home because of the violent situation brought by the present crisis.


When I gave my advice, the police chased and arrested me, and kept me in detention. Before I was detained, I gave the police the video recordings of how some of our members were being given military training, but the IGP ordered that I should be detained. I was left in detention for 10 months. 


But those things that I warned about are playing out today. While I was in detention, I was in contact with our people and I still gave forewarnings to the authorities about attacks. I even told them beforehand whenever an operation was to take place. The bombing of the police headquarters had been planned and on many occasions I had always told them in advance.


In fact, Bala had helped the police because each time I got in touch with him he worked to avert the attacks. If not, the police headquarters would have been bombed before now. Three days before the attack I warned the police that there would be an attack in Abuja that would embarrass the security authorities. Also, after the bombing of the police headquarters, I was summoned before the IGP and given a GSM phone. I called the person who planned and led the attack and we spoke right in front of the IGP. So, all these terror attacks are caused by the negligence of government.


Since I was released from detention, I have rejoined my group and some of us have warned our members to stick to the original ideals of our leader, Yusuf. He did not tell us to kill innocent people or to break into and steal from banks. If there is a conflict between the faithful and the authorities our opposition should be against the authorities and not the talakawas.


There are allegations that Boko Haram is being sponsored by some top level politicians, is it true?


The truth is that politicians are the root cause of this Boko Haram problem. For instance, in Borno State, the governor sponsors a group of armed youths known as ECOMOG. It is this ECOMOG that the governor formed and looks after, above the police, SSS and other security agencies. In Gombe State, the governor has the Kalari. I was once contacted by a governorship candidate to kill an opponent for a fee. The security agencies know what I am telling you.


In Bauchi there is the Tarafuka, an armed group sponsored by the government, and the government watches on, even when we have the SSS and police. That is why our new leader, Mallam Abubakar Shekau, is calling on the youths to disregard all government in the country – a call that has brought him and the group into conflict with the government. Some politicians are now taking the advantage of the conflict between the Boko Haram leadership and the authorities to execute their own agenda.


Did Boko Haram bomb the United Nations Office in Abuja?


I would not answer the question of whether Boko Haram bombed the UN building or not for some reasons.


Did Boko Haram bomb the Police headquarters in Abuja?


Yes, we bombed the police headquarters in Abuja. I told you earlier that when the bombing of the Police headquarters happened I called the person who led the attack, I was in front of the IGP. Yes, we bombed the police headquarters in Abuja. They asked me why we bombed the police headquarters and I told him (IGP) in his presence that it was because of his statement in Maiduguri that the days of Boko Haram were numbered.


Why does Boko Haram bomb army barracks and attack police and security operatives? What do they do to affect Islam or the work of Boko Haram?


It is because of the indiscriminate killing of our members and innocent people by the police without trial. They arrest innocent people harass and shoot them and the authorities do nothing about it. Why should we then leave the police?


Boko Haram is asking for Sharia in all the Northern states, and the states have Sharia, so what is the problem again?


I have been waiting for this question. I was in detention when it was said that Boko Haram had threatened to turn the entire North of the country into a Sharia state. Since I came out of detention have you heard that Boko Haram is threatening to turn the whole of Nigeria into an Islamic nation? The truth is that those spreading such information are just lying against us. What we are demanding is that those states that have independently declared their states Sharia states should implement it to the letter. Have you seen Sharia cut the hand of someone who steals a cow head, while someone who corruptly enriches himself is left to go free? They have chased away local prostitutes and brought in international red light prostitutes to replace them. They have also banned local alcoholic drinks, yet they drink imported spirits in their respective government houses. Is that Sharia? They are insincere, so they must be effective in the implementation of Sharia. Sharia is being abused. I pity this country. Mauritania does not have any wealth they exported Boko Haram into Nigeria. Now, Libya has money and wealth but have collapsed. Who says that these countries would not bring something worse than Boko Haram into Nigeria?

Culled from Sahara Reporters

Fuel Subsidy: NLC Commences Strike On January 11

“Reuben Abati is a blatant liar”- NLC President
 

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella bodies of Nigerian workers have fixed Wednesday, January 11 for the commencement of a nationwide strike to protest the removal of the subsidy on petrol.”The Labour unions reached the decision to embark on a nationwide industrial action after a meeting on Tuesday.

The only condition given that would avert the strike was the reversal of the pump price of petrol.

In a statement issued by the President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, the Union dissociated itself from Dr. Reuben Abati’s claim that Labour was in support of the fuel subsidy removal. The NLC President stated that “no one would have believed that the revered office of the President could stoop so low to tell a lie, in a bid to defend the Presidency on the misleading and callous imposition of astronomical increase in fuel prices on Nigerians, the Special Adviser on Media to President Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati told the media that Labour was in support of the subsidy removal.

His claim that Labour was consulted and had given support to whatever government does on the issue of removal of subsidy is a blatant lie. In the first place, the leadership of the Labour Movement has held only one meeting with the Federal Government on the issue of subsidy removal. This was on Tuesday, 20^th December, 2011 and that meeting was not conclusive, as it was agreed that a follow-up meeting will be called by the Presidency. ”

Meanwhile, the President has constituted a committee headed by Retired Justice Alfa Belgore to dialogue with the NLC. Another committee which would ensure judicious use of the proceeds from the subsidy is to be headed by Dr. Christopher Kolade.

Hundreds of people trooped out on Tuesday in Lagos, Ibadan and Ilorin to protest the removal of the subsidy which has caused an increase in the price of petrol. A protester was shot dead by the police in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Courtesy: The Street Journal

UN warns against killing of employees

The United Nations Staff Union on Tuesday warned against terrorists' attacks on its members around the world, saying the strikes have assumed a frightening dimension.
The union gave the warning in New York when it paid tribute to its members who lost their lives in various attacks in 2011.
``Enough is enough,” said UN Staff Union President Barbara Tavora-Jainchill, stressing that ``one life lost is one life too many.’’

She said that the security and safety of UN premises and staff ought to be taken more seriously, adding that more funds should be made available for that purpose.
Tavora-Jainchill recalled that 35 UN personnel, 25 civilians, nine peacekeepers and a military officer were killed, along with four security guards working for the organisation in 2011
She said that the number reflected a significant increase in the deaths of UN staff members in attacks, if compared to 2010, when 15 UN personnel were killed.

``Decisions regarding the security of staff should be independent of any economic or political considerations,” she said, stressing that the union would continue to press for the safety of UN officials worldwide.
Tavora-Jainchill noted that the three worst attacks against UN personnel in 2011 occurred in Afghanistan and Nigeria, two countries where the organisation maintained a significant presence.
She recalled that on April 1, 2011, a large crowd of Afghan demonstrators, incensed by the burning of a copy of the Qu’ran by one group in the United States, stormed the UN compound in Mazar-i-Sharif and killed three UN staff and four Nepalese guards.

``Many staff members were wounded, including the head of the UNAMA’s office in the city.
``Also on October 31, three Afghan employees in the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were killed and two others wounded when suicide bombers and gunmen attacked their compound in Kandahar.
``In addition to those killings, on August 26, a car bombing at the UN complex in the Nigerian capital of Abuja claimed the lives of 13 staff members,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Tavora-Jainchill as saying on the incidents.
She said hundreds of UN personnel, working in 26 different agencies and entities were in the building when the bomber struck.

Culled from The Nation

Subsidy removal: Utomi faults FG

The Director of Lagos Business School, Prof Pat Utomi has denounced the Federal Government imposition of collective tax on Nigerians in the guise of deregulation of the prices of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS.

 

Prof Utomi, who was the presidential candidate of Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP, said the Federal Government has sold a dummy to Nigerians that the increase in the pump price of fuel was a product of its policy on deregulation “when in actual fact the government is using it as a disguised taxation  on petroleum,  to raise revenue as it is still business as usual in the process of importation and distribution of fuel by cronies and lackeys of government.”

Prof Utomi said a genuine process of deregulation of the petroleum sector will entail transparent process of  privatisation and divestment of  government interest, encouragement of new players, especially those that want to set up private refineries, and restriction of governments role to regulation and collection of taxes.”

According to Prof Utomi, “what we have today is the Federal Government hiding behind PPPRA to use its cronies that import petroleum products from outside the country to bring in the product, and sell to Nigerians at a price that is collectively agreed between the importers and the PPPRA to the detriment of the already impoverished Nigerians”.

He said ‘’What the Federal Government is selling to Nigerians in the guise of deregulation is a tax on fuel because it wants to generate and put more revenue in the hands of government at the expense of the people”.

He said for us to experience economic progress in the country, they must be a balance between the  critical sectors of the economy namely the public sector, the business sector, foreign investment and household or personal finance, non of these sectors must develop at the expense of the other” It must be recalled that the inability of household  to spend  in the United States led to the meltdown in 2008”

According to him, “there is a complete misunderstanding of the process of deregulation and what government intends to achieve from imposing a tax on price of petrol. In other countries where such policy is implemented, the idea is usually to encourage people to use public transport like the train system, and discourage them from using their SUVs that are known for their high consumption of petrol”.

He said the philosophy behind the setting up of the Kolade Committee “is to borrow on the moral authority of Dr. Christopher Kolade and the credibility of other Nigerians to pacify Nigerians to accept the new policy, if there is deregulation, we do not need the Kolade Committee to manage the proceeds of subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme”.

He said “there is no deregulation in what the government has done, rather, it is imposition of taxes on petroleum products because some faceless individuals rather than market forces, are the ones to determine the prices of petroleum products”.

He said government has not addressed the issue of improving the capacity of domestic refining of petroleum product which will create jobs and economy of scale. It has not addressed the issue of cutting down on the irresponsible spending of government, which includes keeping 11 air crafts in presidential fleet, when the entire country has no national carrier.

Prof. Utomi said if there is proper deregulation, corporate organisations and individuals will be encouraged to build refineries, ‘’but there are some vested interests that would not want to see the country refine petroleum locally.

According to him, if there is proper deregulation, prices will go up in the interim, but competition will drive the price down, but what is happening now is government trying to use power to force a  fuel tax on Nigerians. I can assure you that in six months time we will come back to the issue of subsidy on fuel.

Culled from Vanguard

Eucharia Anunobi Anointed In Church, To Be Officially Ordained Pastor

For those who know Star actress, Eucharia Anunobi, her present life style may come as a surprise; according to close associates, God must have specially and divinely touched her.

Some have even insinuated that her child, Raymond’s sickle cell anemia condition might have made her draw close to God, while others standing in her defense believe that people initially got her acting personality mixed with her real person.

It was news when it was first reported that this once dressing-to-kill acting goddess of the Glamour Girls fame, where nudity in films almost first started in Nollywood, has become a born again Christian.

The story did not stop at that, she was also said to have become an Evangelist in the vineyard of God.

According to NigeriaFilms.Com, the latest step of the estranged wife of Charles Ukwu in serving her heavenly father as a born again Christian and an Evangelist is being ordained pastor.

It was gathered that Eucharia was anointed by some pastors on Sunday December 18, 2011 at Fresh Oil Ministry, Egbeda, Lagos. She was laid hands on to officially join the soul winning business of God.

Also, plans have already been concluded by the pastors to officially ordain the former bad girl of Nollywood as a pastor in the vineyard of God.

Eucharia has started her work as an evangelist, as she has already been mounting the pulpit to teach the church congregation.

Her ordination into pastor-hood would come up during Easter in 2012. We wish Eucharia Anunobi success in her new status.

Fed Govt, Global Biofuels sign N424b plant deal

To generate 450mw of electricity, create 870,000 jobs

THE Federal Government  and Global Biofuels Limited, an indigenous bio-fuel producer,  have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of 15 integrated bio-fuel plants in Nigeria worth N424billion.The project is expected to generate 450megawatts of electricity as well as create 120,000 direct and 750,000 indirect jobs.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, signed for the Federal Government, while the Managing Director/CEO, Global Biofuels Limited, Dr. Felix Obada, signed for his firm.

Aganga said: “This will create value chain,  in addition to linking 15 states of the federation  to cheap bio-fuel generated electricity at the rate of 30 megawatts per state."Construction on the pilot plant, which  will be established in Ekiti State, will commence in the first quarter of 2012 and shall be  completed  within 12 months, while  14  additional plants will be  established  in 14  other states  after the completion of the pilot project. The states include: Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Gombe,Bauchi, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa and  Plateau.

“The project had been subjected to stringent feasibility and market studies, the Ministry of Trade and Investment would partner other focal ministries and parastatals of the Federal and state governments to ensure the successful execution of the project.” The minster said the project is the culmination of several years of hard work and intensive research between Global Biofuels and its collaborators in Research Institutes in Nigeria, China, Brazil and India. When completed, he said the project would positively impact the nation’s economy and attract more Foreign Direct Investments into the country.

The company, he said, will start the implementation of an agro-based industrial activity for the production of ethanol, biomass electric power and food, all from a single industrial complex, using sweet sorghum as raw materials. The pilot project is at Ilemeso, Ekiti State. 

Aganga said plant construction is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2012 while mechanical completion, test run and inauguration have been fixed for the last quarter of 2012. 

“The project is expected to create 120,000 direct jobs and 750,000 indirect jobs across the project’s value chain while a minimum of 15 states of the federation shall be linked to cheap biomass electric power supply at the rate of 30 megawatts per state,” he added.

Obada said 70 per cent of the project would be funded by the Chinese government while the remaining 30 per cent would be sourced from other financial institutions including NEXIM Bank, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development,Africa Finance Corporation, Fond Gari of Togo and FirstBank of Nigeria Plc.

Culled from The Nation

Before The New Boko Haram Emerges

The time is 1:20am here in the winter-cold state of Michigan here in the United States, and I have just finished talking to my friend in Nigeria about Jonathan’s New Year gift. Like other Nigerian Diasporans, I placed this call to get the people’s structure of feeling concerning the subsidy issue and my interlocutor’s response was not surprising.

Temidire, (that’s my friend’s name), is a youth corper serving in the North but is currently in Lagos due to the Christmas break. He plans to return to his base this weekend but wonders where he will get the money to pay the outrageous bus fare to his destination. As I spoke to Dire, the literary analyst in me detected a somber mood that is reflective of the general mood of the Nigerian masses that have at least three serious problems at this time: the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, the effect of the fuel subsidy, and the sense of betrayal by a president that they empowered some months ago.

But beyond the foregoing, I am worried about the million Temidires scattered over Nigeria as I write. A few courageous ones will trudge on hoping that things get better but I am afraid that the current situation is another open invitation to the membership of another Boko Haram and the effect, I think, would be calamitous for us as a people. When young people wake up and realize that their meager earning (that is for those who are lucky to be employed) cannot buy them anything anymore, we are simply telling them to devise new means of livelihood, of which crime, is one of them. 

Before we send another group of Madalla victims to their graves, it is time to rethink this subsidy madness and not add to the burden of Nigerians. I hope Okonjo-Iweala, Reuben Abati, Oronto Douglas and others who have the ears of Mr. President are reading this.

By Cajetan Iheka
Cajetan is a doctoral student in the United States.