Breaking News: 11 Senators defect to APC

Below is the full list of 11 Senators that submitted a letter to Senate President David Mark today asking to defect to the opposition   All progressives Congress (APC) party.

The defecting senators are  as follows :
1. Senator Bukola Saraki-Kwara Central
2. Senator Umaru Dahiru-Sokoto South
3. Senator Magnus Ngei Abe -Rivers South-East
4. Senator Wilson Asinobi Ake-Rivers  West
5. Sen. Bindawa Muhammed Jibrilla-Adamawa North
6. Sen. Mohammed Danjuma Goje-Gombe central
7. Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan-Taraba North
8. Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume-Borno South
9. Senator Mohammed Shaba Lafiaji-Kwara North
10. Sen. Abdulahi Adamu-Nasarawa West
11. Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir-Sokoto East

Nigerians may pay more for electricity as NNPC considers 50 per cent gas price hike

Nigerians may have to pay more for electricity as the Federal Government says it is considering a hike in the price of natural gas to power plants by about 50 per cent.

At the moment, oil and gas companies supply gas to power plants for the generation of electricity at the rate of $1 per 1000 standard cubic feet, SCF.

However, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, said in Abuja on Tuesday that the rate would soon be raised to $1.5 per 1000 SCF to ensure adequate supply and encourage more gas supplies/sales to power plants.

The decision to consider a 50 per cent hike in the price of the commodity was said to be sequel to the demand by gas suppliers who complain about the “uneconomic price” they have been made to sell to the power plants.

Indications are that the development may result in an increase in electricity tariff with power producers trying to recover cost incurred.

Currently, fertiliser companies pay about 90 cents for 1,000 cubic feet of gas, while industrial users purchase 1,000 cubic feet of the commodity at above $2.50.

The price of gas for power producers, who account for about 80 per cent of the domestic gas consumption, was increased about two years ago from $0.1 to $1.0 by the federal government for the same purpose of encouraging suppliers to sell to power plants.

The government has said that despite the hike, the prices were still lower than the about $3 per 1,000 standard cubic feet charged at the international market price for gas.

Concerns have always been expressed among electricity producers that the existing inappropriate gas pricing regime may frustrate the Federal Government’s efforts at achieving efficient and stable power supply in the country.

Power industry experts have noted that this was already happening as producers were now reluctant to supply gas to the power plants in favour of industries, a development that has negated government’s objectives in the power sector.

The Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, also said the decision to raise the price of gas was an attempt to establish an appropriate pricing regime as a necessary step to guarantee improved power supply in the country.

The minister said the disparity in price between gas supply to the power industry and the industrial sector was cited by the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, as a major reason why gas supply to power plants had been erratic, an issue that negatively affected power supply nationwide.

Another issue that has affected gas supply to power plants is pipeline vandalism which has sometimes reduced gas supply and thus electricity generation by about 20 per cent.

Nigeria recently privatised most of its power generating and distributing plants. The new gas pricing thus means the power generating plants, majority gas powered, would have to pay more to generate power; and to break even may demand an increase in the amount paid for the electricity generated by the eventual consumers, many of whom already complain of paying for non-available electricity. Nigeria generates less than 5000 megawatts of electricity, less than a quarter of what is required to power the whole nation.

Before this new gas directive, however, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, had said there was no plan to increase electricity tariff.

Adamawa church attack: Death toll rises to 138

The death toll arising from the two separate attacks on a Church in Chakawa village, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State and  Kawuri village in Konduga, in Borno State has now risen to 138.

Armed men
Armed men suspected to be members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect attacked Chakawa village in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State as well as the Kawuri village in Konduga, Bornro State killing innocent people.

In Chakawa, the terrorists attacked a Catholic Church while the faithful were praying on Sunday with AK47 riffles and Improvised Explosive Devices, IED, killing many of them and wounding several others.
Also at Kawuri village in Borno State, another gang of terrorists invaded the rural community killing no fewer than 52 people.

Council boss speaks
However, the Chairman of Madagali Local Government, in Adamawa where a Catholic Church was attacked, Mr. Maina Ularamu said that local officials have counted 47 corpses, including those of two policemen, adding that several others who were wounded were still receiving treatment in  some hospitals in the area.

Ularamu said that the gunmen who were armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons later invaded another border village and killed more people before fleeing to the neighbouring Cameroun Republic.
A resident of the area who pleaded anonymity, however, stated that he counted about 53 bodies before they were evacuated to hospitals.

Commander confirms attack
The Brigade Commander of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Yola, Brigadier-General Rogers Nicholas, confirmed the attack saying, however, that he was yet to ascertain the death toll.

Nicholas further said that the impact of the attack was minimal pointing out that the military was on top of the situation.

This was even as residents of the area said they were living in perpetual fear as more attacks could be launched since none of the attackers had been apprehended by the security operatives.

Catholic spokesman
The spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Yola, Reverend Father Raymond Danbouye, also confirmed that dozens were killed and that some of corpses were buried after a funeral service on Monday.

At Kawuri, Borno State, residents said that gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists attacked them on Sunday pointing out that they had so far buried 85 bodies even as more others were still being discovered.
The residents spoke when the state Governor, Kashim Shettima, visited to condole with them on the tragedy yesterday. According to them, they had buried 83 bodies earlier before recovering two unidentified bodies which were buried yesterday morning.

Victims with bullet  wounds
Councillor of Kawuri village, Dala Lawan, said about 40 persons with serious bullet wounds and burns were earlier recovered.

“We have been searching and burying corpses since yesterday. We first buried 53 corpses and more are still being picked up in the bushes. Those with serious wounds died. We have just found two more corpses which brings the death toll to 85 for now,” Lawan told Shettima.

A victim of the attack in the hospital.

Vanguard observed that some women, children and the aged who had high degree burns were writhing  in pains on hospital beds in Konduga town, about 10 kilometres away from Kawuri village.

A mother, Rabi Mallam, 46, who had second degree burns said she was hiding along with her son and grand daughter inside the room when the gunmen set their house on fire.

“We ran inside the house to escape the bullets from their riffles but they came and set our home on fire while shooting sporadically. We could not come out because they were shooting, we were there for hours before they left thinking we were dead. I shieded the kids with heavy blanket soaked in water, but we were still burnt badly. I cried for the children because they were calling me to take them out, but I couldn’t ,“ Rabi who had blisters all over her body said.

40 victims on admission
About 40 injured persons were currently on admission in the hospital.
A newly married couple who said they lost everything was among those fleeing Kawuri with other villagers at the time Vanguard visited the village alongside the state governor.

Meanwhile, Governor Shettima who shed tears while inspecting the level of the destruction of Kawuri village by the Boko Haram insurgents yesterday urged the remaining residents to take heart and leave everything that happened to God.
He, however, promised that his administration would rebuild the burnt houses even if they were burnt again.

Governor Shettima donates
Shettima then announced the donation of N250,000 each to the families of those who lost their beloved ones, even as he promised to settle all the medical bills of those injured.

The governor said: “It is sad that some innocent people who have never seen me or benefited anything from me as governor are being killed by terrorists in the name of politics. We pray that Allah will touch the heart of these terrorists so that they can lay down their arms and embrace peace in our dear state.”

Condemns killings
He also condemned the wanton killings and destruction of property on a daily basis in the state, describing it not only as anti-Islam, but callous and barbaric.

While at the General Hospital, Konduga, Shettima sympathised with a 12-year-old boy and another 80-year-old Mallam Mohammed Mustapha and prayed Allah to grant  them  quick recovery.

Google buys artificial intelligence firm DeepMind

Google said on Monday that it had agreed to buy British artificial intelligence start-up company DeepMind for an undisclosed amount.

“I can confirm that the acquisition has indeed gone ahead but unfortunately we are not commenting beyond that for now,” a Google spokeswoman told AFP.

Reports put the deal at between $400 million and $500 million (292-365 million euros).

On its one-page website, DeepMind describes itself as “a cutting edge artificial intelligence company” which combines “the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms”.

Artificial intelligence can help computers “think” in ways similar to the way humans think and help solve problems.

Last year, Facebook unveiled a partnership with New York University for a new centre for artificial intelligence, aimed at harnessing the social network’s massive trove of data.

2015: Jonathan's Kinsmen In Disarray As Ijaw Elders Sing Discordant Tunes On Ijaw Youth Leadership Crisis

Loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan are in a state of disarray over the lingering leadership crisis in the umbrella body of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), the youth group normally deployed for ‘election duties.’   A faction of the Ijaw leaders led by Chief Edwin Clark and which includes the Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson and Chief Francis Dokpoular, is promoting the election of Comrade Udenz Eradiri election as President of the IYC.  

Eradiri emerged leader of the youth body in a controversial election in October 2013 which was described as “inconclusive” by most contestants.  

A different faction spearheaded by the indicted former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Mr. Kingsley Kuku and ex-militant leader Ateke Tom are insisting on a fresh election into the executive positions of the IYC based on the incessant protest by aggrieved members of the youth council.  

Clark had endorsed a fresh election at a consultative meeting held on the 5th of January at Ekiagbodo community in Delta State, but made a summersault after being ‘briefed’ by Governor Dickson.   Clark subsequently went to town with his new brief.  

The intervention of Clark however led to over 10 aspirants in the controversial election abandoning their quest for fresh election, but another six aspirants are insisting on one.   The option being canvassed by Alamieyeseigha and Kuku that a fresh election be conducted in the next one week has drawn the battle line between them on one hand, and Gov. Dickson and Clark on the other.  

The Alamieyeseigha-led group maintains that the cancellation of the October 29 election remains the only path to peace in the IYC.   "The proposed election at Okusiri community in Okhirika would have solved the crises and put the IYC in a position for 2015," the group said.  

An executive member of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern over the development.   “It is not right for the elders like E.K Clark to agree at a meeting for fresh election and recant at another meeting that the meeting should not hold,” he said.  “Clark has become a problem."  

Condemning the division among the Ijaw elders, the source added that "the agitation by the candidates and the crises within the IYC is based on fairness and rule of law."  

It was gathered that the recent official release of the election timetable for the 2015 elections may have triggered the pressure to prepare the foot soldiers for the task ahead, and the current jostling for places.

Defiant El-Rufai accuses PDP-led government of plans to rig forthcoming elections, says he can’t be silenced

A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, in spite of his recent detention by the State Security Service, SSS, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led Federal Government of plans to rig the 2015 elections.

“They have definite plans to rig the elections in Ekiti & Osun in 2014, & the entire nation in 2015. We will not be intimidated into silence!” Mr. El-Rufai said via his twitter handle on Tuesday.

“They intend to rig”, Mr. El-Rufai insisted on twitter, when he was asked by one of his twitter followers – “why hold presidential election on Valentine’s day? Are they so desperate for apathy from youths?”

The SSS released Mr. El-Rufai at 12.35 a.m. on Tuesday after he voluntarily walked into the agency’s headquarters at about 9 a.m. on Monday.

“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai left the SSS premises at 12.35 a.m. today after more than 15 hours,” the former minister’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, tweeted at 12.40 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

The politician, one of the most vociferous critics of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, went underground on Friday after the SSS launched a manhunt for him for failing to honour an invitation from the agency in connection with his remarks about an impending violence if the 2015 elections are not credible.

The former minister had initially declined the invitation citing his pending suit against the SSS over his detention in a hotel in Awka during the Anambra State governorship election last November 16.

Three days later, Mr. El-Rufai voluntarily surrendered himself to the SSS. He was accompanied by the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, and a serving senator, Chris Ngige.

Mr. Amaechi, who was also allowed access into the SSS office, later left at about 12 noon, while Mr. Ngige left two hours later.

The SSS said the former minister’s comment about possible violence in the coming elections was “provocative” and warned that those making inflammatory remarks might be prosecuted.

Mr. El-Rufai, however, denied any wrongdoing, saying his position was only based on Nigeria’s electoral history.

The ex-minister’s political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, condemned the SSS for haunting its deputy national secretary, saying the comments attributed to the former minister were not inciting in any way.

Mr. El-Rufai himself has consistently said he would resist ploys by the SSS to silence him.

“Mallam El-Rufai will not be silenced,” the former minister had said through Mr. Adekeye, Friday.

“He will continue to do his patriotic duty of challenging INEC and the security agencies to guarantee the climate for free and fair elections in Nigeria by desisting from partisanship and the embrace of impunity.”

Ekiti 2014: Fayemi heeds the call

Governor Kayode Fayemi last Sunday formally entered the race for the 2014 Ekiti gubernatorial contest. His long expected entry into the contest has been welcomed by his supporters, but breaking the famed second term jinx is another matter

‘When an orange is sweet, you ask for more,” that was the response of the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC to the declaration last Sunday by Governor Kayode Fayemi, that he would be seeking a second term in office.

The official declaration by the governor followed the recent release of the time-table for the forthcoming gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It is not as if the governor’s declaration was anything surprising, especially given the recent media and personal clashes between the governor’s camp and his one time political soul mate, Rep. Bamidele Opeyemi who is also aspiring for the same position, but now on the platform of the Labour Party, LP.

Besides Opeyemi, Dr. Fayemi is also facing the prospects of clashing with a formidable aspirant from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which presently parades a multitude of aspirants with one time governor of the state, Mr. Ayo Fayose and the minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Olu Bolade leading the pack.

Provision of infrastructure
Dr. Fayemi’s aspiration for an unprecedented second term in office is expected to break grounds. No governor of the state has won re-election, a fact the incumbent is now aspiring to cross. His supporters who acknowledge that fact equally say that no governor has performed as well as Dr. Fayemi, especially in the provision of infrastructure and social well being.

The administration’s efforts in infrastructure development are underpinned by the network of new and rehabilitated roads accomplished since his inauguration as governor in 2010. But in the run-up to the election the gist is that accomplishments are not the only essential ingredients necessary to win elections in Ekiti State.
So the prospects of Dr. Fayemi being rejected at the election not essentially because he has not delivered but for some other local reasons are not obvious to the campaign.

It is not surprising that even before the governor formally inaugurated a campaign team that his associates had been in campaign mood, addressing issues against his prospects as they came.

In his statement declaring his intention for a second term, the governor said: “our people can faithfully testify that together the Collective Rescue Mission we promised at the outset of our first term in office has crystalised. Indeed our people can testify to how we have rescued Ekiti State from the years of locusts and returned our dear state to the path of respectability, stability and development.

Our people can affirm that we have kept faith with the Roadmap to Ekiti Recovery – our 8-points agenda. Every stratum of Ekiti State can see our footprints on those key sectors we promised to touch. My readiness to heed your calls today is therefore a demonstration of our collective commitment to continue the good work we have begun.”

The governor was quick to reassure those within his party that his declaration did not foreclose them from contesting for the governorshp.

“My decision to heed the calls of our people following the plethora of endorsements I have received from the leaders and members of our party does not translate to the closure of the political space for contest. I therefore look forward to fair competition from my co-aspirants within and outside our party. I look forward to very robust debates and issue- based campaign”.

But with the only notable opponent of the governor from within the fold, Opeyemi not in the APC, the coast is apparently clear for the governor. The state branch of the APC in fact did not hide its appreciation of the governor’s decision to contest a second term. “If not Fayemi, who else? His promise-keeping tendency is second to none,” Mr. Segun Dipe, the director of media and publicity of the Ekiti State chapter of the APC said in a statement made available to Vanguard.

“He has not only walked his talk, he has humbly, steadily but surely, kept our state, Ekiti on the world map of development. All the promises he made during the campaign for his first term were fulfilled in record time as if this is not the same Ekiti State, which was wearing the toga of infrastructurally-disadvantaged state in a not too distant past,” he added.

Continuing, he said:
“We are happy that Governor Fayemi has not turned down our request for an encore of the good times we are enjoying under his administration. When an orange is sweet, you ask for more. When an experience is sweet, you want to relive it. When governance is sweet, you want a repeat of it, especially if it is legitimate to do so. Governor Fayemi could have said “No, I have heard enough, let me aim at something higher, now that APC is the party to beat at the centre in the country.”

Govt shutdown: PDP, APGA, LP, AP unite against APC

The famed unity  in the Aminu Tambuwal-led House of Representatives was unravelling, yesterday, as members began to take position along party lines on the directive by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to shut down the government.

The directive by the opposition party to shut down government bills upon the alleged reign of impunity in Rivers State, yesterday, led to the emergence of at least three groups in the House taking divergent positions on the issue.

The crisis of confidence among political groups also led the split in the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, which also yesterday, disowned a statement of support for the APC directive issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu.

CNPP Chairman and former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, in a joint statement with the body’s national secretary, Mr. Willy Ezugwu, said the CNPP, as a body encompassing all political parties, would not side one party against another.

From left: Yakubu Brade, Bitrus Kaze, Tom Zakari, Tobias Okwuru and Jerry Alagbaoso, members of National Unity Group of House of Representatives (PDP, Labour and APGA members) addressing newsmen on the call of APC to boycott budget…  at National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. 

Also yesterday, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State gave strong support to the APC directive, saying it was a necessary legislative action to bring a belligerent executive arm of government to order.

Meanwhile, the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu has scheduled a strategic meeting with members of the House of Representatives caucus to fend off the challenges from the APC.

“The meeting which is being convened by the PDP House leader, Mrs. Mulikat Adeola-Akande at a five star hotel in Abuja today, is to be graced by the party’s 18 governors.

Meantime, the PDP which for the first time last month lost its majority in the House, yesterday, teamed up with three smaller political parties to form a body to frustrate the directive issued by the APC to its members to frustrate the passage of government bills and appointments in the National Assembly.

PDP, APGA, LP, AP unite against APC
The new body termed “National Unity Group of the Federal House of Representatives” (NUG) is composed of PDP, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Accord Party (AP) and Labour Party (LP) members.

Speaking as the Leader of the group, Hon. Bitrus Kaze (Jos North/South Federal Constituency of Plateau State) said the group was formed to essentially protect the unity of the country.

He recalled the attempt by Gbajabiamila to ridicule the PDP Deputy Leader, Rep Leo Ogor on the floor of the House last Tuesday when he addressed him as the “minority leader,” and vowed that the group would not allow Nigeria to be ridiculed.

Motif of the group
Giving the motif of the group, he said: “Just a week ago, in defiance of a court order, the APC in what the media next day admitted was a failed “attempt to take over NASS,” created a near breakdown in the chambers when the minority leader sought to claim that the majority leader was no longer the majority leader; in any case he was properly shouted down by most members.

“These latest directives are a provocation and as far as legislative manoeuvres go, they will once again fail. Hence, everything must be done to arrest the APC attempt to turn Nigeria into a laughing stock. We the National Unity Group in the House of Reps made up of PDP, Labour, Accord and APGA members, wish to aver as follows:

“That any attempt to tamper with the 2014 budget and hence the Transformation Agenda of the Jonathan administration, would be met with robust resistance;

Reps react
Reacting to the development, Gbajabiamila, the leader of the APC House caucus said: “Those names and groups are unknown to the House. So I cannot speak to their agenda. However, that it would take the hurried and panicky  formation of three groups to counter a legitimate directive from one party speaks volumes not only about their understanding of issues and politics but also of the impact and force of the directive.”
Rep. Ogbonna Nwuke (Omuma/Etche Federal Constituency, Rivers State) on his part also charged the PDP to respond squarely to the issues on hand.

“The PDP should rather address the issue in question. What the APC drew attention to was the brazen abuse of power, the unnecessary recourse to impunity by the authorities especially in Rivers State. Why are they not addressing that matter? That is the issue the APC was drawing national attention to and why it ordered its lawmakers to shut down government.

Hon. Abiodun Faleke (APC) Lagos State: “No law maker can stop me from democratically expressing my views on the floor just as I cannot stop any. At the end, majority will prevail.”

CNPP disowns scribe
Disowning the recent statement by its national publicity secretary giving support to the APC directive, Musa the CNPP chairman and Ezugwu, the secretary said: “The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, hereby distances itself from the statement credited to Mr. Osita Okechukwu, who claimed to have spoken in his capacity as the Publicity Secretary of the CNPP.

“Mr. Okechuckwu specifically said that the CNPP supports the APC’s directive to its members in the National Assembly to block the confirmation of Service Chiefs and ministerial nominees as well as stall passage of the 2014 national budget.

“We wish to remind Nigerians that the CNPP as an umbrella organization of all the registered political parties in Nigeria cannot take side with any one political party against another.

“The secretariat of the CNPP did not at any time mandate Mr. Okechukwu to issue a statement endorsing the directive of the APC to its members in the National Assembly.

“The views expressed by Mr. Osita Okechukwu are personal to him and do not represent that of CNPP.”

Fashola backs APC Reps
Governor Fashola, in a session with newsmen yesterday gave support to the APC directive, saying: “But let me say here without any shadow of doubt, that three arms of government in the theory of separation of powers recognized the needs for every arm of governments, the executive, legislature and the judiciary as a check on the other.”

PDP caucus meeting
Today’s meeting with the PDP House caucus would be the first formal contact between the new national chairman and the members.

It was also learnt that the meeting was called to fine-tune ways of neutralising the increasing influence of the APC and stall the bid by the opposition to change the leadership of the House of Representatives.

Ministers with political ambitions should resign – President

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan   may have  given ministers who have political ambitions to resign voluntarily latest by first week of February.

It was gathered  from a very competent source in Abuja on Monday, that most of those affected   are ministers who plan to contest governorship elections in their states.

The source, who added that Jonathan was mulling a cabinet shake-up in February, however,  said the minister had not resigned  because they  were not  sure that they would get the governorship   tickets in their states.

He said, “The President cannot wait endlessly for them. That is why he has given them the directive to resign voluntarily between now and February. Definitely, there will be further changes in the cabinet.”

The source, who asked not to be  named, did not say when the President ordered the ministers with political ambitions to quit.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Navy-Cpt. Caleb Olubolade (retd.) is eyeing the Peoples Democratic Party ticket for the Ekiti State governorship election  in June  this year.

Others   who are eyeing   governorship seats   are the  Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku (Nasarawa);  the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe (Delta),  and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).

Our source   explained  that the impending cabinet shake-up   would  see some  of the  current ministers   dropped.

It was gathered on Monday that the  exercise  would take place after  the ministerial nominees  would  have resumed work  after being cleared by the Senate. Their screening begins this week.

The  Presidency source  explained that  the  ministerial nominees  would  fill existing vacancies in the cabinet.

He said, “The cabinet shake-up will definitely be in two phases. One was the one we witnessed in September 2013. The list before the Senate is meant to fill the current vacancies in the cabinet.

“What is clear is that by the time those ones are cleared and they resume work, more ministers will still be asked to leave.”

When asked if the embattled Minister of Aviation,  Ms Stella Oduah, would be dropped, our source replied, “What I don’t know for now is those that will be affected in the imminent purge but it is certain that some  will go.

“It is also almost certain that some of the  ministers who will still be part of the new cabinet will be redeployed.”

The ministers who were relieved of their appointments in September  were Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i (Education); Prof. Ita Okon Ekwa (Science and Technology); Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs); Hadiza Mailafia (Environment); Dr. Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning) and Ama People (Housing, Lands and Urban Development).

Others were Minister of State, Defence, Chief Olushola Obada; Minister of State, Agriculture, Alhaji Bukar Tijani  and Minister of State, Power, Zainab Kuchi.

It will be recalled that Oduah had been in the eye of the storm since last year over  the N255m BMW bulletproof cars bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The House of  Representatives, based on the report of a committee set up to investigate the matter, had asked Jonathan to review her appointment.

At the height of the public outcry that trailed the news of the car purchase, Jonathan had set up a three-man panel led by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello, to investigate the matter.

Although he had publicly acknowledged receipt of the panel’s report, Jonathan has yet to make any pronouncement on the fate of the Anambra State born   minister.

The House of Representatives had on  December 19, 2013,  endorsed the report of its   committee which probed the purchase of the vehicles  and agreed that Oduah breached the 2013 Appropriation Act.

It therefore asked Jonathan to review Oduah’s  appointment.

The spokesperson   for the House, Mr. Zackary Mohammed, had explained that the lawmakers wanted the minister sacked.

He had said, “The word  ‘review’   means a change in status. It is a mild way of saying that Mr. President should sack the minister.”

On  Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission   said  it was  still investigating the  car scandal.

 The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this to one of our correspondents in Abuja,  said the operatives of the commission had not stopped the investigation.

Uwujaren said  the civil society organisations that had given  the anti-graft agency  14 days within which to arrest and investigate the minister,  were only expressing their right to freedom of expression.

 He said, “The investigation into the issue is on. Who is stopping it? Look, there is nothing like delay; there is no delay.

 “They (civil society organisations) are expressing their right to freedom of expression. The matter is already being investigated.  We are on it.”

 The EFCC had  on November 4, 2014  questioned the officials of   Coscharis Motors which supplied the controversial BMW cars and the officers of  First Bank Plc, which provided funding for the purchase of the vehicles.

The civil society organisations under the aegis of Say No Campaign  had on Sunday issued the ultimatum to arrest and prosecute the minister.

The Conveners of the SNC, Ezenwa Nwangwu, Auwal Rafsajani, Musa Itodo and Jaiye Gaskiya, also challenged   Jonathan to  act  on the report of the three-man committee he set up to  investigate the scandal.

Nigeria 2015: Jega says 2015 elections will be more credible than 2011

INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, painted an optimistic picture of the 2015 elections in Washington DC on Monday evening, Nigerian time, saying the lessons of the 2011 elections had been learnt and new processes are now in place to make the coming elections “much more better than anything in the past.”

Mr. Jega was speaking at the Nigeria Elections Forum organized by the Africa program of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS], a leading think tank in Washington DC.

Mr. Jega gave the keynote address and spoke on the theme of preparing Nigeria for the 2015 elections.

Reforms now in place

Mr. Jega, in a very upbeat mood, spoke exuberantly of the new processes at INEC which he characterized as “reforms” that he said has paved a bright prospect to deliver a “free, fair and credible” elections in the country “because many things we were unable to do [in 2011] are now in place.”

The audience was a healthy mix of U.S. policy leaders on Africa matters, past U.S. diplomats to Nigeria, a broad spectrum of leading Washington civil society organizations, Nigerian citizens, and academics with interest on Nigeria matters.

Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa program at CSIS set the stage for Professor Jega getting into his presentation by speaking to his “candour, integrity, and the evidence in his leadership that an individual can create sea change in the fortunes of organizations.”

The INEC boss said with plans for the 2015 election erected on three focal planks of “adequate planning, partnership, and transparency” INEC had now put “square pegs in square holes” with regard to bridging its human resource gaps. He said INEC has continued with a vigorous program of removing multiple registration from the voters roll, while it is trying to put a redoubtable voter education and communication strategy on the rails.

Areas of concerns

Mr. Jega also doused concerns about elections not holding in the troubled North Eastern part of Nigeria, saying “as far as INEC is concerned, elections will take place everywhere in the country in 2015, that is what we are preparing for.” He, however, said he was “hoping that ongoing security operations and dialogues to restore peace in areas where emergency operations are currently apace will bear fruit.”

He also spoke of funding challenges, saying although INEC has relative financial autonomy, and that “everything we need for the 2011 was provided;” but what he characterized as “micro economic fluctuations in our jurisdiction” could mean that “what you have is not what you need.”

With the 2014 federal budget in Abuja still under decision, Mr. Jega did not say if he has all he needs, financially to be ready for the 2015 elections.

He took a swipe at the attitude of the political class, complaining that it has been difficult to wean them off their civility deficit, and their mindset which he said “is a matter of a serious concern… because for them elections are matters of do or die.”

INEC, he said, had introduced a code of conduct to help address the civic sense of politicians, saying “but this is a freely signed document.”

Starting with the elections in Ekiti and Osun States in June this year, Mr. Jega said INEC’s transparency move will include “publishing names of those who have done double registration.” He said this was a gesture of “bending backwards essentially for those who commit crimes.”

A new Electoral Act

Mr. Jega said he was concerned that the new Electoral Act had not worked its way out of the National Assembly. He told his audience that he had a December meeting with leadership of the Senate and had assurances that this would be ready before the June elections. He said the new act was necessary to come early because there was no hope that the constitutional reform process currently apace would be ready before the elections.

One major challenge before INEC, Mr. Jega said, was the problem of new constituency delimitations. He said INEC is currently mapping existing constituencies using available GIS resources; saying “but this is not likely to happen before 2015.”

Prosecution of election offenders

He said 200 election offenders have so far been prosecuted, suggesting that INEC could have done better if it had control of the investigation process. We still have to rely on the [investigation] reports of the police and we rely on the courts he said. Nevertheless, he said “this is better than anything from the past…and this is a lot we have done that gives optimism in spite of skepticism.”

Mr. Jega scorned at the mainstream media, absolving some who he admitted “are doing decent work but that most of them are used by political interests to shape agenda and political outcomes.”

He said on the whole, his prognosis of the 2015 general elections is that it will be better than the 2011 election, promising that “we will continue to raise the bar.”

SSS Grants El Rufai “Bail”

It was learnt that officials of the State Security Service (SSS) have released Nasir El-Rufai, a former Minster for the Federal Capital Territory, on bail. A source close at the SSS confirmed that the agency released Mr. El-Rufai after interrogating earlier today. The former minister is the interim deputy national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr. El-Rufai had turned himself in this morning accompanied by Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Chris Ngige and several family members. However, our correspondent was told that his companions were not allowed inside the SSS headquarters in Abuja, the venue of the former minister’s interrogation.

Our source also revealed that agents of the SSS were upset to find out that Mr. El-Rufai had arrived at their offices with gadgets to record his interrogation.

The agent disclosed that the former minister was released after he provided a surety as demanded by the security agency as a condition for his release. The source, however, refused to disclose the identity of Mr. El-Rufai’s surety.

Mr. El-Rufai and the SSS had engaged in a mild drama last week after operatives of the agency stormed his residence to effect his arrest. The former minister stated that he was willing to submit himself to the agency, but added that the operatives failed to show an arrest warrant issued by a judge. The drama took a different dimension this morning when he showed up at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja escorted by top officials of the APC. 

Anti-Corruption Coalition Wants Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Alison-Madueke, Removed As Alternate President Of OPEC

CSNAC, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, has called on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to immediately remove Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke as alternate president of the organization, citing a wide swathe of undischarged corruption allegations against her. 

“Allowing Mrs. Madueke to function in such position will only broaden her circle of perpetual corruption and lack of transparency,” the group said in a letter to the Secretary General of OPEC dated December 20, 2013.

Her appointment for one year, starting this month, followed the election of Libya’s Abdel Bari Ali Al-Arousi as President of the Conference of OPEC for the same duration.

“In the alternative [to removing her], OPEC should suspend her from office, pending the outcome of an high level international investigation, to be commissioned by the OPEC, to verify allegations contained in this petition,” the petition said.

The group drew attention to the mixed reaction to Alison-Madueke’s election among Nigerians, noting that opportunities for Nigerians to showcase their talent and prowess in international fora are normally greeted with enthusiasm, and that the performance of Nigerians at various levels testifies to their inherent but untapped capacity to deliver with competitive excellence.

“In this particular case of Mrs. Madueke, based on her performance and reputation in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, it is feared that her occupation of higher position of influence might not only be detrimental to Nigeria's image but injurious to overall OPEC operations and reputation,” it said.

CSNAC recalled that since Alison-Madueke’s appointment as a minister in 2007, she has been embroiled in several controversies bordering on integrity, transparency and accountability, including the revelation that she deceived her employers by backdating her year of graduation from Howard University from 1992 to 1987, and also misled the Senate and the nation during her ministerial appointment with the same forgery.

“It was a fraudulent representation, a criminal offence punishable by law. An NNPC official said at the time of her appointment that, ‘What she has done is perjury. It is criminal and punishable by law and such a person is not fit to hold public office.’ Mrs. Madueke has successfully used her closeness to the President and corridors of power to evade prosecution based on this crime.”

The group expressed regret that as much as it is glad that a Nigerian Minister got elected to such an esteemed position in OPEC, it is not comfortable with Alison Madueke as such an occupant.

It cited some of the unresolved allegations trailing her discharge of duties since 2007 to include:

• A 247ureport.com  that as a Minister of Transportation, Alison-Madueke paid N30.9billion to contractors to rehabilitate the deplorable Benin-Shagamu expressway between 26 and 31 December of 2007, a road which remains in a deplorable state;  
• A SaharaReporters report of August 31, 2012 that the Senate, in October 2009, probed the questionable spending of N300 billion in the transport sector; and Alison-Madueke was the only serving minister among five former ministers of state and four permanent secretaries indicted and recommended for prosecution. Vanguard newspapers reported she allegedly transferred N1.2 billion into the private account of a toll company without due process and in breach of concession agreement;
• As the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, PremiumTimesng reported that through investigations carried out by the defunct NEXT newspaper, her under-arm dealings with a US-based jeweller, Chris Aire--who out of the blues subverted due process to register and gain approval for his two briefcase companies to lift Nigeria’s sweet crude—was unveiled;
• The 2010 KPMG report on the “process and forensic review” of NNPC which opened a Pandora’s Box of unauthorized violation of OPEC oil quota for Nigeria, to outright falsification of the exchange rates used for defraying government oil revenue, to barefaced exploitation of the subsidy regime.  “The question posed to her which remained unanswered is the allegation that she ordered the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to shake down marketers shortly before the 2011 general election, to purportedly raise funds for the president’s campaign”;
• A Vanguard newspaper report of August 02, 2012 that an alleged contract scam to the tune of N1.1 billion involving the supply of a Dive Support Sea-Going Vessel was uncovered at the Federal Government owned Petroleum Training Institute in Delta State under Ms. Madueke.  “Vanguard gathered that the Federal Government awarded a contract of N1,117,330,873. 31 inclusive of VAT to a Lagos-based company in 2009 to supply the vessel in six months, but three and a half years after the contract was supposed to have been executed, none has been supplied, whereas the entire contract sum of N1.1 billion had been fully paid to the contractor.”
• A SaharaReporters report of August 19, 2013 concerning a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by a Crusader for Good Governance, demanding the investigation of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke for squandering millions of dollars of public funds to rent extravagant private jets for her official activities, petitioner Okechukwu Obiora Nnamdi detailing that she had spent some N2 billion on private jet rentals.

“The aforementioned are tips of the iceberg in the minister’s breach of trust and violation of operational principles which have been brought to limelight,” CSNAC said, stressing they do not include those which have been deeply buried with all evidence concealed or destroyed. 

“Therefore, with her abysmal performance in different offices at the national level, Ms. Diezani Alison Madueke is unfit and undeserving of that international position and should not be allowed to pollute the integrity [of] OPEC in her position as the alternate president of OPEC.”

Adekunle Ajasin University Lecturers In Ondo Threaten Boycott, Ask For Removal Of Vice Chancellor Mimiko Over ASUU Assaults

AAUA VC, Femi Mimiko

Adekunle Ajasin University Akunga Akoko (AAUA) chapter lecturers are threatening to boycott their academic activities Tuesday, and demanding the Vice Chancellor step down, following an attack earlier this morning on the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Dr. Busuyi Mekusi and members of sister unions.

Dr. Mekusi was beaten and sustained injuries along with union members during a fight provoked by school security, Sheriff Security Outfit.

He and other union members were admitted to a private hospital, and are being discharged when they regain consciousness.

ASUU's Dr. Mekusi and union members from Benue State University and University of Ibadan were attacked when they came for a meeting at the University today. While visitors were assaulted by school security their car tires were also deflated.

Lecturers voted unanimously to boycott their academic activities on Tuesday to register their objection to the assaults, call for the removal of AAUA Vice Chancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko, and call for the arrest of the perpetrators of the attack.  

It was learned the VC has been at loggerheads with the institution's union following the almost four month-long nationwide ASUU strike when academic activities were paralyzed.  

Since the strike, Professor Mimiko, who is the younger brother of Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has engaged in intimidation threatening to sack union faculty.

ASUU will issue a statement once its members meet.  

A request for comment was sent to AAUA public relations and protocol department for comment.

All Eyes Will Be On Us, INEC Chairman Jega Warns Commission’s Staff

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moves closer to conducting the 2015 general elections, its chairman, Attahiru Jega, has urged its staff to be more committed and vigilant.

Addressing INEC’s staff, including Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), at the just concluded four-day retreat at the Asaa Pyramid Hotel, Kaduna, Mr. Jega warned, “All eyes are on us – our friends, partners, concerned citizens and indeed even our adversaries. We must be more vigilant, be more committed and strengthen our harmony at all levels to achieve the desired results.”

Mr. Jega, a former professor, urged the management and staff of the commission “to continue to do the job with integrity and in an impartial and non-partisan manner so that no one will make allegations that will impugn your integrity.”

He remarked that, in reviewing the commission’s sundry programs and plans scheduled to be implemented this year, he realized that there may be gaps.

Mr. Jega charged the retreat participants to ensure that those gaps were filled and that fundamental things that needed to be done were implemented. “We must work assiduously to bridge or mitigate those observable gaps,” he said. He disclosed that, in implementing the programs and plans leading to the 2015 general elections, the commission must ensure that its performance would improve, adding that those with the capacity to deliver more efficiently ought to be given the opportunity to do so.

The INEC chairman identified some of the key objectives of the retreat. According to him, they include to review, discuss and decide on the major policies and programs leading to the 2015 general elections; to share with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), Directors and Directing staff decisions taken by the Commission on major policies and programs; to use the opportunity of the retreat to share experiences and lessons from previous elections in order to keep on improving the electoral process; and to further review some of the challenges the commission faced in the conduct of previous elections.