The Federal Government has approved a subsidy of N50 billion for electricity consumers in low income cadre and commercial categories.

This was revealed by the Commissioner, Government and Consumer Affairs, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Dr. Abba Ibrahim.

Speaking at a consumer forum in Ilorin on Thursday, he said beneficiaries would include welders and hairdressers.

He also said rich consumers and industries would cross-subsidise the low income earners.

Ibrahim said electricity consumers would no longer be required to pay for meters when the new tariff regime begins on June 1, 2012.

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Governor Babangida Aliyu, chairman, Northern Governors' Forum and governor of Niger State

Northern governors on Thursday commended Federal Government’s efforts to check security challenges and pledged to end the spate of violence in the region.

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who is the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, announced this at the opening of the forum’s meeting in Kaduna, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Babangida said, “The Federal Government should be commended for its readiness to dialogue on security issues with various interest groups.”

He pleaded with the governors to find a means of getting a solution to end the crises and allow peace to reign in their states.

He said individuals and groups seeking to restore normalcy should be encouraged to do so.

“It is unfortunate that the situation has not abated; rather, it is worsening and attaining alarming dimensions with attendant negative implications for the economic growth and development of our nation; and indeed, our national image.

“We are passing through a very difficult phase in the history of our nation, a period that puts our patriotism, nationalism, sincerity and responsibility to test.

“This is the period that we have to demonstrate, individually and collectively, our abiding faith in our nation.

“When we must confront the common enemies of the nation, those who are sworn to destroying the spirit of nationhood through wanton destruction of lives and property,” he said.

Babangida also lauded the Federal Government’s initiative on promoting the Almajiri education system and advised the governors to domesticate the programme.

He enjoined his colleagues not to be distracted by political campaigns for 2015, telling them to put their faith in God and redeem their electoral pledges.

“If our present opportunity as governors and leaders cannot earn us paradise, it should not send to hell fire; we must ensure that we enter 2015 as a peaceful and united constituent of Nigeria,” he said.

Babangida announced that the Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation, designed to accelerate development in the region, had collected N2.3 billion as donations and on investments.

He assured that the proceeds would be reinvested in social development projects to improve the living standards of the people.

The chairman commended member states and individuals that redeemed their pledges and appealed to defaulters to honour their promises in the interest of the region.

The meeting will consider reports of the committees on education, agriculture and New Nigerian Newspapers.

It will also elect a new chairman for the forum, discuss the need to rejuvenate the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation and adopt the position paper of the secretaries to the states governments for action.

The governors of Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Benue, Plateau and Niger are attending the meeting, while those of Nasarawa, Kwara, Bauchi, Kano, Gombe, Kogi and Zamfara were represented by their deputies but Yobe, Jigawa and Taraba were absent.

A communiqué is expected at the end of the meeting.

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Masai Ujiri

As Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Denver Nuggets, Masai Ujiri believes in creating a culture of winning. It is a philosophy that may have worked well in his first 20 months on the job. Ujiri, the first African-born general manager of a major professional sports team, has helped construct one of the deepest teams in the league…He spoke with Punch’s Pius Ayinor. Excerpt:

After more than a year in office we believe you’ve settled in properly into the NBA management system?

Thanks. I was fortunate to have learned from top-notch NBA executives like Bryan Colangelo, Wayne Embry, Mark Warkentein and Kiki Vandeweghe. I have a visionary head coach in George Karl who I learn from every day. I have the support of an incredible staff. Mostly, I am fortunate to work for a great team President, Josh Kroenke.

What’s the difference between the time with Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and post-Melo season?

The most obvious difference is that our team is much younger now. The average age of our roster went from 28.6 to 25.6. While we continue to focus on winning, we now must also emphasise player development (both on-and-off the court). Our coaching staff is one of the top in the league in developing young players. We also have key seasoned veterans like Al Harrington, Andre Miller, Chris Andersen and even Arron Afflalo (who is only 26 himself) who all have a large influence on our younger players. We have seen great strides from all of our young players. I am excited about the future.

Are we going to see Denver as the NBA champions soon?

That is always the goal. We hope to continue to build and develop our youth. With a top coaching staff and the second youngest team in the playoffs, I believe we are headed in the right direction. We will continue to evaluate draft prospects and free agents with the goal of an NBA championship.

How much has the NBA work affected your developmental projects with kids in Nigeria?

I believe that my NBA work has only had a positive effect and will continue to enhance my developmental projects in Africa. With the responsibilities of being the first native of Africa to become a General Manager comes a certain amount of attention which can only help to highlight the work I do in Africa. I was honoured and humbled to have this door opened. I only hope that my hard work, perseverance and dedication are strong examples to all Africans, who will be able to follow my lead and stay the course with their own goals and dreams.

You have never stayed this long away from Nigeria since about 2004 when the Big Man camp began. Is this the way it is going to be now? Would you contract out the camp work to some other people or you desire to follow and run the camps yourself?

The camps will always be my passion. Having run the camps for more than 10 years now, I will always find a way to get back to Africa and be personally involved in the camps. Young Africans are always in need of good leaders and people who will have a positive effect on their lives. I will always be committed to the continent of Africa.

How much do you still follow Nigerian basketball?

I do follow it quite a bit. My African heritage will always be of the utmost importance to me. I’m proud of the fact that the Nigerian team placed third out of 16 teams for the 2011 Africa Championship. Their success is evidence of how far Nigerian basketball has come and hopefully will continue to improve. I really feel that if we organise and plan better, we will really achieve. The players that played in Madagascar really competed. We now have to evaluate the level of the Olympic qualifier and identify the right players. We must build a programme. This will not happen in one year. Consistency and continuity is very important.

Would you still prefer to work with the young players in the national team programmes or to continue with the senior team if still given the opportunity?

I relish the opportunity I get to work with young African players when I meet them during my camp in Nigeria and when I participate as camp director for the NBA’s annual Basketball without Borders camp that unites players from across Africa. This year, it will take place in early September in Johannesburg, South Africa. I believe it is important to be able to help young players develop and grow both on-and-off the court. I had one of the best basketball experiences of my life coaching the Nigeria’s junior teams. That was a true honour. I hope one day I can go back to contributing to our national programmes.

There are so many Nigerian players in the NBA but the country hardly gets to use any of them. Can it ever be possible to have an NBA-Nigerian team or even an NBA starting line-up for Nigeria at any competition?

I believe that Nigerian talent will only get better. Yes, it would be great to see an NBA starting line-up for Nigeria at an Africa Nations Cup but Nigerian talent will be a formidable force regardless of whether they have NBA experience. We just have to find a way to build our programmes where it becomes a strong priority for these players to play in the national team.

When next are you coming to Nigeria?

My next trip to Lagos will be for my Big Man camp and Top 50 in the summer. Because of the nature of the job, I will have to run all events in Africa during the summer. I expect to be there for about a week to ensure that the camp is always a complete success and that the kids benefit not only from my experience and example but they are exposed to important life lessons to help them succeed on their chosen paths in life.

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Charles Taylor

LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands (AFP) – Convicted Liberian warlord Charles Taylor accused UN prosecutors Wednesday of paying witnesses to testify against him as he addressed a war crimes court in The Hague.

Taylor, 64, was found guilty by the UN-backed court last month of aiding and abetting war crimes in Sierra Leone.

“Witnesses were paid, coerced and in many cases threatened with prosecution if they did not give statements,” the former Liberian president told the Special Court for Sierra Leone ahead of his sentencing on May 30.

Dressed in a light grey suit, white shirt and blue tie, Taylor spoke for 30 minutes from the witness box — his last chance to state his case before judges pronounce a sentence.

Taylor insisted that he “pushed hard for peace” in the neighbouring country. “I was convinced that unless peace came to Sierra Leone, Liberia could not go forward.”

And he expressed “my sadness and deepest sympathies at the crimes suffered by victims and their families in Sierra Leone.”

Once one of west Africa’s most powerful men, Taylor was found guilty last month of arming and aiding rebels who killed and mutilated thousands in Sierra Leone during a decade-long civil war that killed 120,000 people.

In return, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) paid Taylor in so-called “blood diamonds” mined by slave labour.

In a landmark first judgment against a former head of state since the Nazi trials at Nuremberg in 1946, Taylor was convicted on all 11 counts against him, including acts of terrorism, murder and rape committed by the RUF.

The court’s chief prosecutor Brenda Hollis recommended an 80-year jail sentence.

“Mr Taylor’s critical role in the entire campaign of terror is deserving an adequate condemnation,” Hollis told the court Wednesday.

“Mr Taylor was the root that aided, abetted and maintained the alliance: without him, the rebel movement would have died sooner,” she added.

She said time Taylor had spent behind bars since his arrest in March 2006 and his transfer to The Hague three months later, should be deducted from his sentence, but not the time he spent under house arrest in Nigeria.

Taylor left Liberia in August 2003, to end that country’s civil war,, headed into exile in Nigeria where he lived until his arrest in March 2006 as he tried to flee.

Taylor’s lawyers said the prosecution’s demand was “excessive” and that their client should not be made to carry the blame alone for what happened in Sierra Leone’s war, which ended in 2001.

“Peace would not have come to Sierra Leone but for the efforts of Charles Taylor,” his lawyer Courtenay Griffiths told the hearing in leafy Leidschendam, just outside The Hague.

The trial heard that children under the age of 15 were abducted and conscripted during the conflict, and had the letters “RUF” carved into their foreheads and backs to deter escape.

The RUF rebels were notorious for hacking off the hands and legs of civilians.

The trial, which saw supermodel Naomi Campbell testify she had received “dirty” diamonds at a charity ball hosted by former South African president Nelson Mandela in 1997, lasted nearly four years, until March 2011.

Handing down the verdict last month, Judge Richard Lussick stressed that although Taylor had substantial influence over the RUF, including its feared leader Foday Sankoh, “it fell short of command and control” of rebel forces.

Sankoh died in 2003 before he could face trial.

Taylor, Liberia’s president from 1997 to 2003, had dismissed the charges as “lies” and claimed to be the victim of a plot by “powerful countries.”

Authorities in Nigeria arrested Taylor in March 2006 as he tried to flee from exile after being forced to quit Liberia three years earlier, ending that country’s own civil war.

He was transferred to The Hague in 2006 amid security fears should he go on trial in the Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown.

Source: Vanguard

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Facebook.com's mastermind, Mark Zuckerberg smiles at his office in Palo Alto, Calif., in this Monday, Feb. 5, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, FILE)

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Facts and figures about Facebook, which priced its initial public offering: – Facebook has more than 900 million active users. If the company were a country, it would be the third largest in the world after China (population: 1.34 billion) and India (population: 1.17 billion).

- Some 488 million people use Facebook on mobile devices. That is more than half of its members worldwide, and the reach is even bigger in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Japan, where mobile use is 70 to 90 percent. (source: socialbakers.com).

- With 157 million members, the United States has the most Facebook users. Brazil recently jumped to second place with 47 million, followed by India with 45.8 million, Indonesia with 42.2 million and Mexico with 33.1 million. (source: socialbakers.com)

- Facebook is the most popular social network in every country of the world, with the exceptions of China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam. (source: comScore)

- In April, Facebook announced a billion-dollar deal to buy the startup behind wildly popular smartphone photo sharing application Instagram, its biggest acquisition to date. The US Federal Trade Commission is reviewing the deal.

- Facebook has minted four billionaires: Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin and Sean Parker. The 28-year-old Zuckerberg’s net worth was estimated at $17.5 billion on the 2011 Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans.

Moskovitz had a net worth of $3.5 billion but pipped Zuckerberg for the title of world’s youngest billionaire, being eight days younger.

The Brazilian-born Saverin, who left Facebook early on after a falling-out with Zuckerberg, had a net worth of $2 billion. Parker, the Napster co-founder who briefly served as Facebook’s president, had a net worth of $2.1 billion.

- Chris Hughes, one of Facebook’s four co-founders, served as director of online organizing for Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential campaign.

- Facebook says it had an average of 526 million daily active users in March 2012, an increase of 41 percent from a year ago. It had registered 125 billion “friend connections” as of March 31 and 3.2 billion “likes” and comments.

- More than 300 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day and more than 488 million active users access Facebook using mobile devices.

- “The Social Network,” the 2010 film about the origins of Facebook, won four Golden Globes — including for best picture and best director — but flopped at the Oscars, walking away with only awards for best adapted screenplay, original score and film editing.

- Facebook, which currently employs some 3,500 people, has announced plans to hire “thousands” more over the next year. Some studies suggest that Facebook-related firms and apps have created many more jobs and economic value.

Source: Vanguard

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Anolue

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Mrs. Kate Anolue, has been officially inaugurated as the new Mayor of the London Borough of Enfield.

Anolue, a midwife and the second black female Mayor of Enfield, hails from Nanka in Anambra State.

The Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reports that although the position of Mayor in UK is mostly ceremonial, it places a distinction on a serving councillor who is respected by all the political parties.

She followed her father’s desire for her to become a nurse and moved to Edmonton more than 20 years ago, starting her training in May 1972, eventually qualifying as a midwife.

In an interview with NAN, Anolue said she would devote most of her time to civic functions, including presiding over full council meetings, as well as acting as returning officer during elections.

She said she would also devote her time to giving attention to vulnerable children and young people.

“I will also want to raise money for children’s charities. I have spent all this time delivering babies, I need to know that someone is looking after them,” she said.

Anolue said although this was a big responsibility; it was a dignified and honourable thing to do.

Commenting on the appointment, Head of Chancery at the Nigeria High Commission in the UK, Mr Ahmed Umar, described Anolue as “a true representative of Nigeria.”

He said, “Councillor Anolue is a very dedicated, hard working, committed and passionate Nigerian. She is always willing to serve at all times,” Umar said.

He urged other Nigerians in the UK to emulate her patriotic zeal and dedication to service.

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A Cross Section of ECOWAS Chief of Defence Staff during their meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan today Monday at the State House in Abuja.

ABUJA – Nigeria, west Africa’s regional powerhouse, will deploy troops to Guinea-Bissau this week, Defence Minister Bello Haliru Mohammed said on Monday at a meeting of ECOWAS defence chiefs.

“I will like to announce to you that the pledges made by Nigeria for the Guinea-Bissau and Mali mission, we are committed to them and our troops are ready. In Guinea-Bissau, we will deploy before the 18th of this month,” he said.

He told newsmen that the Nigerian troops would complement the one battalion of military peace-keepers which the ECOWAS is sending to the West African country.

Mohammed made the declaration after a meeting held between President Goodluck Jonathan and ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff.

“As you know our sub-region is plagued with challenges of insecurity and also instability in some of the countries.

“The CDS (Chiefs of Defence Staff) are here to discuss how the intervention of ECOWAS will help to bring security and to stabilise the country where instability is rearing its head, this is on the instruction of the Head of States of the ECOWAS.

“On Guinea Bissau, a decision is already made that a military contingent from the ECOWAS will be sent to assist the government in maintaining law and order.

“Nigeria, as a leading member of ECOWAS, will participate when invited.

“The ECOWAS is sending one battalion but the contribution of Nigeria depends on when we are invited.

The minister said that ECOWAS was yet to take decision on whether it would send troops to another troubled member state, Mali.

He said that the meeting with the president was on the challenges of insecurity and instability in the two ECOWAS member states.

Speaking in the same vein, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petinrrin, said the military was prepared for the assignment anytime an invitation was received.

“The decision to send troops will be made by government. Our job is to be prepared so that when they decide to deploy we will be ready.

“And, it is possible they have decided, but have not announced it,’’ he said.

Petinrin said that with the intervention of ECOWAS, a lot of progress had been made in resolving the political crises in the two countries.

“Right now, we have constitutional order; the two countries are no longer been headed by military people because they were told in certain terms that it will not be accepted and they have stepped down in both countries.’’

Following respective coup d’états in Mali and Guinea Bissau, ECOWAS and other international organisations took steps to restore democratic order in both countries.

ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the respective junta to ensure compliance to its protocols on zero tolerance for military rule.

At the extra-ordinary meeting of ECOWAS in Dakar on May 3, President Jonathan recommended stiffer sanction for the military junta for their failure to accede to the demands of the sub-regional bloc.

Jonathan urged ECOWAS to take stringent decisions in accordance with its avowed commitment to the cause of democracy and constitutionality. (AFP & NAN)

Source: Vanguard

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Rashidi Yekini

I have waited for all to pour in the tributes, lamentations, all the ‘had I know’, ifs and how come. Plenty lies, praise, buck-passing and as usual the good morning at night of government and its officials. All the half-truths, propaganda and truth that we may never come to know.

He was a stand alone, reclusive; players were jealous of him, did not pass the ball to him at the World Cup in USA ’94. All sorts of cock and bull stories. Players, colleagues have explained away why this and that, the rasion de etre all makes one form of sense or the other. We were and are still being treated to stories in different media of how he battled ‘mental illness’. At some point, this writer recalls the police was involved in Ibadan.

But close to the truth is that his mother and siblings came one day and bundled him away, out of love, to find a cure for perceived ailment. Were they culpable? What happened? Many of these questions in the Nigerian way may and will never be answered. If we push too much, our always wonderful Police and security agencies will go into an “arrest overdrive”. Arresting everything and everyone in sight connected to the man.

Nevertheless, all these are just part of my hurt at this hero’s death. Recently he was to be involved in some ambassadorial role for a youth soccer project with Segun Odegbami, one which was going on fine. It seems we were more concerned about his sanity than what really happened and how it could have turned out differently.

However, Yekini exposes the question: what does Nigeria offer her heroes and heroines? What is the reward for patriotism? How do we treat those who through one form of art or other skill gave millions of Nigerians a smile?

The list is endless; Muda Lawal is still being owed by his last employers. What was really done for Sam Okwaraji, Majek Fashek is ebbing away.

Rashidi Yekini was NOT mad, I state this emphatically. Madness doesn’t kill in Africa like that. Just weeks ago, many testified to him driving himself. He could or was depressed but not mad.

No certified doctor confirmed him mad or insane. He was not running around naked and chasing people with an umbrella. He was not unkempt.

If anything two sets of people are culpable – my constituency, the media, that reported the story and the rumour mill. So he was largely mad by rumour and media reports! What a nation and a people, including you and I.

Okay, let us for logical reasons agree that gangling Yeking of goals was insane. So, what did we do? What did the nation do? In his little way, he served well. As a people, how did we serve and save him? Now, the Kwara state government wants to name its stadium after him. Jonathan don greet his family, Oyo state go name street after am; bringing the question, what’s wrong with us?

Kanu is not mad yet, neither Okocha nor Odegbami, Amokachie and a host of athletes, musicians and artistes. Like Abia state governor that boasted that he spent three million on James Iroha burial, when really a million would have kept him alive.

Maybe these stars earned millions; yes, maybe they did not plan but how do we tell them “thank you.” We give thieves our higher and highest awards and insult our stars with Akish and paw-pawish massage. Our heroes are treated as lepers, given no Medicare or at best poor Medicare. We even grin-facedly mock them by having them appear in all sorts of demeaning kalo-kalo, like who wants to be a millionaire.

Thank God, you were not killed by vices; thank God no one could accuse you of owing him or that you took his wife, like the vultures and ravines in power today.

Rashidi Omo Yekini, the onetime panel beater – you were the car, after the sandpaper bruised you, from KKD (Kaduna, Kick and Die) you moved to Green/Super Eagles. The paper we threw away, the Eagle you were, and you flew high, glided, and did your bit and your best.

Carter Burwell said “death is always around the corner, but often our society gives it inordinate help”. How true of this, in our clime. We score the own goal always and play ostrich, when we are guilty.

In general sporting terms, as in soccer, it’s a goal scored by a player accidentally playing the ball into his own team’s net. In informal usage, it is any action that results in disadvantage to the person who took it or to a party, group, etc. with which that person is associated.

For Yekini, it is an own goal; O.G as we call it in those days of street soccer…One that we will all score ourselves, by our actions or inaction; actions that will result in disadvantage to us.

Your death is an own goal, after all those goals, memorable to all being that first ever World Cup goal, you succumbed to the hands of death, an own goal which every soul must score.

Your death again has shown that Nigerians can be united. You brought joy to Muslim, Christian and pagan, juju loving soccer fans, to Igbos, Hausas, Ijaws, Idomas, Efiks, Tarokhs, Nupes who loved and enjoyed those goals after goals.

We say good night…sai de safe…so’un re…ka chineke du gi… Nigeria and our own goals; time will tell.

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Pastor E.A. Adeboye

“There’s no stopping me until I have put a church within five minutes of everyman’s reach.”

That powerful ministration was credited, in a newspaper interview (The SUN, March 04, 2012), to the immensely revered General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. It was in commemoration of his 70th birthday anniversary which recently made waves here in his native Nigeria and elsewhere on the globe.

Deservedly so! Pastor Adeboye is generally regarded within and outside the body of Christ as a true man of God, questioned only by a few. In a perverse world where many who are supposed to be Men of God have metamorphosed into gods of men, this is no mean accolade and credential. More significantly, he reserves the divine grace of heading perhaps the largest church in Nigeria and one of the fastest growing churches in the world.

On Sunday, April 22, 2012, according to media reports, he was, as well deservedly, hosted to a day  of tributes tagged “This Is Your Life” by inter-faith groups from Israel, Korea, Indonesia, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and Nigeria to mark the birthday anniversary in London. This, beyond doubt, highlighted the immense popularity, acceptability, religious aura and, most significantly, the spiritual influence he commands and the recognition of the unsurpassed successes he has accomplished.

However, in his determined race to put a church within five minutes of everyman’s reach, Pastor Adeboye inadvertently submitted he was not even aware of how much success, in conjunction with others, he had accomplished already in that respect. There are already as many as five churches within five minutes of everyman’s reach, especially in the southern part of the country. They may not all be RCCG parishes, but Daddy’s church stands out as the undisputed largest single contributor. On the shortest close in the neighborhood, there are only two dwelling houses but three churches. Along the longest road in the city, there are scores of churches but no libraries.

The PUNCH of Friday, April 20, 2012, in its back page photo story “Expression,” presented the nauseating sight of a dilapidated Eket Divisional Library serving 12 local government areas in Eket Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State as taken the previous day. The number of churches in that same senatorial district alone, I suspect, would dwarf that in the entire entity of any of the most-developed economies of the world. Technologically super-advanced Japan and its people are not necessarily less spiritual than ultra-religious but corruption-riddled third fastest-groaning (fastest-growing?) economy in the world.

The major, or perhaps the only cause of the “weeping and wailing and mourning and gnashing of teeth,” as the old Reggae music group, Mighty Diamonds, chorused, of the largest black people on earth is not dearth of churches to sustain our romantic penchant for mere religious showmanship. It is, as the rest of the world rues, criminal godlessness, manifesting, principally, in heart-rending corruption. The prowling canker, which Malam Nuhu Ribadu would describe as Nigeria’s own terrorism, as a terminal disease, has now evolved from the HIV state and developed into full-blown AIDS with no cure in sight.

Little wonder our brutally raped and impoverished country exports to the world numerous “stinkingly rich (!)” swaggering rakes, most of whom are rampaging criminals masquerading as civil servants and public office holders. Much revered Pastor Adeboye, I believe, would be appalled by the mind-boggling revelations oozing out from the on-going fuel subsidy, pension fund and capital market probes. He would equally feel jolted by the considered submission that most of Nigeria’s outnumbered godly men of conscience are, like the late Dr. Tai Solarin, those who profess no faiths.

One comic newsmagazine columnist, several years ago, described the church or mosque as a place where people go to ask for God’s permission to commit more sins. A good number of those men and women in the evil cabal of ghost importers and briefcase marketers running the system aground are deacons, deaconesses, leaders and elders in our numerous churches. Many members of the pension office cult group of blood-drenched multi-billionaire pen robbers also most probably are. Newspaper pages at times like these are usually steaming with stories about high-profile “unknown entities” rushing to churches, mounts and crusades in desperate attempts to assassinate justice.

Gitto Construzioni Generalli, the Italian construction firm working in the country which made headline news recently, knew the terrain pretty well. That’s why it would rather donate the renovation of a church in Otuoke, hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan, in the “discharge of its corporate social responsibility.” In its native Italy, it would have been a medical, educational or vocational facility, an employment-generating venture or an enterprise to boost the petty occupation of the local population.

My no-nonsense mother would rise from her grave and whip me silly if it was discovered there was no functional library in Otuoke and its entire local government area. No wonder our teeming teenagers and their elder brothers could easily access five churches within five minutes of leaving home but could not conjure a mere pass in WAEC and NECO exams in five attempts.

Pastor Adeboye, at the London event, was reported to have proffered that religious leaders needed to come together to speak against global violence, including the use of religion to perpetrate evil, in order to achieve peace in the world. He also submitted that although God had assigned him to preach His word in all the nations, he believed “a bigger part of the assignment is beginning to surface.”

That bigger assignment, now, as Daddy himself deposed, is to speak against violence in, taking a cue from charity, his home nation, Nigeria. The deadliest national violence in the country today is the violence of earth-shaking corruption in high places, more dehumanizing and devastating than the violence of boko haram. Pastor is, beyond question, the biggest voice of God in our nation today. Even the president knelt down before him. As one who wields so much spiritual influence, our Big Daddy would render the biggest assignment to Nigerians if he became most ruthless in taking on the monstrous vampires stalling our nation’s progress and rubbishing the spiritual significance of the church. We would rather prefer he remained unstoppable in such a determined race in order to put godliness even within four years of the reach of the cabal, the cartel and our public office holders.

Daddy, now “this is your life.” Let somebody shout Hallelujah!

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Weeks after the House of Representatives released the damning report of its investigations into the utilization of fuel subsidy by oil importers, expectations for quick government action on the report are increasingly mired in politics. The cabal is even fighting back!

It is now more than three weeks that the Farouk Lawan led ad-hoc committee on the utilization of fuel subsidy released its report to the House of Representatives. The release of the report had in the days following, fueled a nationwide frenzy for the prosecution of the marketers, thier political collaborators and merchants who were demonized for reportedly milking the nation of trillions of naira.

Inevitably, presidency officials had initially sought to be on the right side of public opinion with a pledge from senior presidency and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP officials joining the clamour in the demonization of the subsidy beneficiaries.

However, days after as dusts from the report began to settle, the clamour for the prosecution of those indicted by the House report began to ebb.

An indication that the government may not be in a hurry to deal with the alleged culprits is amplified by the cacophony of voices in which government officials are speaking.

The damaging report

In its report submitted on April 18, the Lawan-led House probe committee submitted that while the sum of N245 billion was budgeted for subsidy in 2011, the government paid out N2.5871 trillion.

The report said that subsidy fund totaling N1.7 trillion was illegally paid to some government agencies and oil marketers. It identified the agencies as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The report also listed the Office of the Accountant- General of the Federation and 72 oil marketing firms as authorising and receiving the illegal payments, respectively.

Given the bitterness of Nigerians over the way and manner that the administration handled the removal of subsidy from petrol at the beginning of the year it was understandable that many Nigerians would call for the prosecution of those indicted by the report.

“Contrary to the earlier official figure of subsidy payment of N1.3 trillion, the Accountant-General of the Federation put forward a figure of N1.6trillion, the CBN N1.7trillion while the committee established subsidy payment of N2.587.087trillion as at December 31, 2011 amounting to more than 900per cent over the appropriated sum of N245billion.

The figure of N2.587.087trillion is based on the CBN figure of N844.944b paid to NNPC in addition to another figure of N847.942billion reflected as withdrawals by NNPC from the Excess Crude Naira Account as well as the sum of N894.201billion paid as subsidy to marketers,” the House report disclosed.

Jonathan’s pledge

Following the nationwide clamour on the issue, President Jonathan on April 22 through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said he would act in the best interest of Nigerians and ensure that any person found wanting is prosecuted irrespective of the person’s standing in the society.

“Nigerians can be rest assured that President Goodluck Jonathan will act in the best interest of Nigerians in this matter. After the report is properly laid before the Federal Government, President Jonathan will not condone any wrongdoing and he will act in the best interest of all Nigerians,” Abati said.

SNG ultimatum

With all those indicted walking free so far, the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) penultimate Monday gave the government a two week ultimatum ending on May 13, to prosecute the culprit or face mass protests.

Convener, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said in Lagos that considering the low confidence Nigerians have in the anti-graft agencies in dealing with corruption in the country, the group would want a private prosecutor to deal with the issue.

Bakare spoke at a press conference organised by the group on the fuel subsidy scam with a theme “Kleptocracy Unlimited.”

FG officials speak in diverse tongues

Since the promise was made, no culprit has been charged to court. The only action taken to date is the sacking of the auditing firms of Akintola Williams and Company and Adekanola and Company, by the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The two firms reportedly certified the documents and claims of the marketers before payments were made.

With those indicted walking free, actions of government agencies and different positions taking by government officials indicate that little or no progress may be made on the matter in terms of refund of the money and prosecution.

For a start, some members of the House of Representatives during the presentation of the report absolved the then Accountant General who allegedly made the controversial payments of any wrong-doing.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also picked holes in the report and washed its hands of most of the allegations leveled against it by the panel.

In a four-page letter dated April 27, 2012 with reference number: BPS/DIR/GEN/DOL/01/028 and signed by its Deputy Governor (Operations), Mr Tunde Lemo, addressed to Lawan, the CBN claimed that  there was no time CBN paid any money to the NNPC in respect of subsidy claim.

The apex bank also faulted the committee’s report which accused the CBN of creating an avenue for falsification of records of quantity of petroleum products discharged through its forex policy.

Relatedly, Political Adviser to the President, Alhaji Ali Gullack, said on Wednesday that the probe lacked credibility because “it looks like the probe is targeted at some individuals.”

Gullack’s comments are in sharp contrast to those of the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emordi, who like Abati, said President Jonathan was on the same page with the lawmakers.

According to Gullack, the manner of invitation of persons, who appeared before the panel fuels beliefs the probe was meant to advance the political ambition of some individuals.

“Why did they not invite Rilwanu Lukman? He was the Minister of Petroleum Resources during the period of the probe. Where is Mohammed Barkindo, who was the Group Managing Director, NNPC at the time? Where are the other key actors, who were at the vanguard f the subsidy regime?

The House of Representatives must probe these individuals before we can truly say they are doing the right thing, otherwise the report will lack credibility,” he said.

Gullack’s comment was against the backdrop of allegations that the President was sitting on the report because implementing it would hurt some loyalists and financiers of the ruling PDP.

Saraki: The cabal fights back

Penultimate Thursday, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) in his first response to the development rattled the activists when he disclosed that the President had not okayed any culprit for trial because there was “need to ensure that thorough investigations are carried out by relevant law enforcement agencies.”

While asserting that the report on the investigations carried out by the House had not been transmitted to the executive, the chief law officer of the federation did not mince words in saying that conclusive evidence on the guilt of the subsidiary beneficiaries had not been produced.

The dithering procrastination by the executive in acting on the report has inevitably led to claims of a fight back by the alleged beneficiaries of the subsidy scam.

In the most notable case of what some allege as a vicious fight back by the subsidiary cabal is the case that has been brought up against Senator Bukola Saraki.

Saraki it would be recalled had first blown the whistle on the misuse of the subsidy regime through a motion he brought before the senate last October.

Remarkably, that motion was only brought to the senate floor after some extended delay which no one was able to explain.

In the motion, Senator Saraki had urged the senate to investigate how the N240 billion appropriated for fuel subsidy in the 2011 budget had as at September exceeded that provision and was heading towards N1.5 billion.

In the motion which was supported by at least twelve other senators, Senator Saraki representing Kwara Central Senatorial district had noted thus: “notes that the N20bn monthly allocation, N11.2bn was allocated to Domestic Fuel Subsidy (NNPC) and N8.8bn for Domestic Fuel Supply (Market) as stated in the Appropriation Act 2011.”

”Although N20bn was set aside for subsidy on a monthly basis in the Appropriation Act 2011, in August 2011 the total figure expended was N165bn of which NNPC was N88bn and Independent Marketers N7.7bn.”

“Observes that although N240bn was budgeted for the entire year, so far as at the end of August 2011 N931bn has been spent. This is a variance ofN771bn or 700 per cent above budget in the first three months of the year both NNPC and the Independent Marketers did not exceed N62bn monthly, but within the last three months figures have ranged between N150bn and N186bn.”

The senate in upholding the Saraki motion mandated its committee on downstream petroleum to uncover the issues raised in the motion by Saraki.

Remarkably, while the Senate Committee headed by Senator Magnus Abe was still deliberating on the issue, the House of Representatives last January empowered the Lawan committee on a similar assignment. There is a deep suspicion in some quarters that the subsidy beneficiaries could be fighting back against Saraki who was the first to make a public disclosure of what was going on in the sector.

So, when the Police penultimate bared its fangs on Saraki’s alleged complicity in a bank loan gone sour, it was not difficult for Saraki’s sympathizers to make a connection between the issue and the senator’s role in the subsidy probe.

But then, the matter of Saraki’s quizzing is beside the issue of the allegations raised against him by the police on the alleged illegal write off of a substantial part of a loan given a company, Joy Petroleum plc.

The loan was written off reportedly at the behest of a former top shot of the legacy Intercontinental Bank who remarkably, at one time an employee of Kwara State during Saraki’s time as governor of the state.

Irrespective of the substance of the case, critics point to the fact that the authorities had kept mute on the allegations against the senator until after the clamour for the prosecution of the subsidy beneficiaries.

So, given how past reports had been swept under the carpet, reported attempts by some powerful forces in the polity to stop the report from being published, and moves to divide the Reps with the goal of getting of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal removed, as well as varying positions of government officials, it is to be seen if the fuel subsidy report would be treated differently.

Source: Vanguard

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2. Bukola Saraki Surrenders To Police
3. Nigerians Should Beg the Cabal or ‘Occupy Jonathan’