Economic Crunch: Governors Can't Pay Salaries, Say Okorocha

Gov. Rochas Okorocha

*As APC governors approach Buhari for bail-out
*Buhari: Nigerians should give us chance to restore economy
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The economic challenge facing the country is gradually taking its toll on the lives of Nigerians as the situation is now threatening the payment of salaries of public servants.

Governor of Imo state and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors' Forum, Chief Rochas Okorocha on Tuesday painted a picture of a desperate economic situation that may make many of the states not being able to pay workers’ salaries.

In acknowledgement of the enormous challenges facing the country, the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, asked Nigerians to exercise some patience and to allow the incoming administration chance to re-organize the ailing economy.

Okorocha, who met the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, along with other APC governors at Defence House in Abuja on Tuesday, lamented that the terrible state of the economy has put payment of April salaries of workers in jeopardy.

"One of the issues that became of concern to all of us is the state of the Nigerian economy which is really in bad shape. We have come to notify the incoming president of the challenges ahead of him.

"As it stands today, most states of the federation have not been able to pay salaries and even the Federal government has not paid April salary and that is very worrisome. By May and June, that (salaries) will be cumulative of three months," he said.

On behalf of the state governors, Okorocha pleaded with the incoming Buhari administration to consider implementing intervention measures that can bail out federal and state governments from the critical situation to at least enable them meet their salary obligations.

"We wonder with the huge expectation from Nigerians and people who have voted us into power, we are hoping that the president-elect will do whatever is humanly possible to bring about a bailout not only in the states but the federal government at least for people to get their salaries and turn around the economy.

"We have seen the reason to work together and support Mr President and we have also called on all our brothers in other political parties to come along with us to build the Nigeria of our dream. In a nutshell, we have come to congratulate Mr President on a well deserved victory knowing that this victory, the change we've all been waiting for must only be dedicated to ordinary citizens of Nigeria who stood up and voted accordingly.”

Jonathan Expected to Assent to 2015 Budget

Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

*N145.52bn approved for fuel, kerosene subsidy

* FG borrows N473bn to cushion revenue drop  *N1bn introduced for National Assembly clinic

By Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

President Goodluck is expected to assent to the 2015 budget recently passed by the National Assembly soon as the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (CME) and  Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala declared on Tuesday that what the parliament passed ‘is not dramatically’ different from what was sent to it by the executive.

And contrary to claims in some quarters that subsidy on petroleum motor spirit (PMS) had been removed from the budget to torpedo the smooth take-off of the incoming administration, Okonjo-Iweala confirmed that a total of N142.52 billion was provided in the budget for both PMS and kerosene.

She gave the breakdown as N100 billion for PMS and N42 billion for household kerosene, otherwise known as Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).

At the 2015 budget briefing in Abuja yesterday, the minister gave the parameters as $53 per barrel benchmark, a dollar higher than what was proposed to the National Assembly; exchange rate of N190.

The minister, who expressed appreciation to the National Assembly for finding time to pass the budget in spite of the demands of electioneering,  stated that the Senate had passed the 2015 Budget on April 28, 2015 following the passage of the same bill by the House of Representatives on  April 23, with an expenditure outlay of N4.493 trillion (up from the N4.425 trillion proposed by the  President.

This, she said, represents an increase of N67.43 billion, adding that the parliament passed a benchmark oil price of US$53 per barrel ($1 higher than the Budget proposal; generating an extra revenue of N54.25 billion for the government.

According to her, other key parameters driving the oil revenue side of the budget were retained, including oil production volume of 2.2782mbpd and an exchange rate of N190/$.

The minister said It was important to note that the lawmakers approved the N100 billion and N45.52 billion provisioned for fuel and kerosene subsidy proposed by the Executive.

While other components of non-oil revenue were also retained as proposed, the minister disclosed that the federal goverrnment Independent Revenue was raised by N39.294 billion, from N450 billion to N489.294 billion.

Based on the above, she affirmed that  Gross Federally Collectible Revenue increased by N169.845 billion, from N9.61 trillion to N9.78 trillion, as a direct result of raising the benchmark price.

FGN Budget Revenue also rose from N3.358 trillion to N3.452 trillion even as aggregate expenditure passed  by the parliament stands at N4.493 trillion—N67.43 billion higher than the proposed aggregated expenditure of N4.425 trillion.

  The National Assembly also retained the N943.62 billion proposed by the Executive for Debt Service while  Statutory transfers increased by N9.34 billion, from N366.28 billion to N375.62 billion.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC ) vote also increased from N45.78 billion to N46.72 billion (an increase of N940 million), while that of Universal Basic Education (UBE) also increased from N67.30 billion to N68.38 billion (an increase of N1.08 billion).

According to the CME, “these are strictly based on formula driven by the increase benchmark oil price.”

National Assembly allocation was raised by N5 billion, from N115 billion proposed by the Executive to N120 billion.

Aggregate capital expenditure (including transfers and SURE-P) increased to N722.20 billion, from N663.67

This comprises an increase of N37.77 billion in Ministries Departments and Agencies’ (MDAs’) capital and N20.80 billion for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) under capital supplementation.

However, while the National Assembly completely removed N5 billion proposed for the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), N1 billion was provisioned for a new project, National Assembly Clinic.

Capital development of the National Institute for Legislative Studies was also increased by N4 billion (from N2 billion to N6 billion).

But the provision of N20.78 billion for SURE-P capital spending as proposed in the Appropriation Bill presented by the Executive was retained.

Responding to questions on what would become of capital releases which have been stalled due to 50 per cent revenue drop, the minister said she could not speak for the incoming administration since the government she is serving is winding down on May 29.

She maintained her position that the year would be a difficult one due to the revenue slump, adding that the serious cash crunch had been ingeniously managed month by the current administration in order to keep the country afloat.

“As you know, I have been honest with you since the current economic problems started. I would like to repeat: we have serious challenges. Things have been tough since the beginning of the year and they are likely to remain so till the end of the year. We have serious challenges but we also have strengths and if we do the right things we can keep a steady course and emerge out of the current situation,”

“As a result of the 50 per cent decline in oil revenues, the country has faced a difficult cash crunch and the federal government has focused on keeping the economy stable and the government running through a series of measures,” she said.

According to her, ”We have front-loaded the borrowing programme to manage the cash crunch in the economy,”, adding that out of the N882 billon budgetary provision for borrowing, the government has borrowed N473 billion to meet up with recurrent expenditure, including salaries and overheads

“Traditionally the first part of the year witnesses low revenue because tax receipts come in from the middle of the year. This has compounded the challenges caused by the steep drop in revenues due to the oil price fall.

“As a consequence of the revenue challenges, there has been no capital budget release so far this year. In spite of this challenge, government has managed to keep the economy stable to the point that the Nigerian economy which is projected to grow by 4.8 per cent this year is according to respected analysts is doing much better than many other oil producing countries

“One positive feature despite the clear challenges is the fact that food prices, though inching up are still quite stable. Also inflation is still in single digits. This has helped to reduce some of the pressure that Nigerians are going through

“We also have the advantage the we are an asset rich country and that is a definite strength.

“ It is a challenging time and requires daily, weekly and monthly management to keep the country going and that’s what we have been doing,” she said.

MORE TO FOLLOW

A Time to Kill or a Time to Heal?

Simon Kolawole Live! email; simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe. Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III. Cardinal John Onaiyekan. Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi. Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu. Mrs Priscilla Kuye. What do they have in common? Age? Far from it. Politics? Not quite. Cash? No. These were some of the eminent Nigerians in the National Peace Committee convened by Bishop Matthew Kukah to help keep Armageddon at bay before, during and after the 2015 general election. There was also the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Council of the Wise, convened by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and supported by Dr. Kole Shettima-led MacArthur Foundation, to help undermine the Doomsday.

Now that the presidential election has come and gone and there are no rioters on the streets, no curfew, no indefinite closure of universities, no massive looting and shooting, no running helter-skelter, no Red Cross, no Red Crescent, no Médecins Sans Frontières, no "Muslim North, Christian South" analysis on CNN, no AU peace-keeping force, it is all too easy to forget that just a few weeks ago, we feared the country was on the verge of a political meltdown. It is also so easy to forget that in addition to all the praying and fasting, there were people who worked tirelessly and selflessly day and night to ensure that Nigeria did not descend into yet another political impasse.

As a young man who has read or seen a lot of political upheavals in Nigeria, I take nothing for granted. In the First Republic, allegations of rigging led to the deaths of as many as 2,000 persons in the "Wetie" uprising in the Western Region. Over 5,000 houses were burnt in protest. In the Second Republic, violence broke out after the 1983 elections. Hon. Tunde Agunbiade, the Majority Leader of Ondo State House of Assembly,  was killed along with his wife, two children, driver and five others. Hon. Olaiya Fagbamigbe, a federal lawmaker and secretary of NPN in Ondo State, was burnt to death. In fact, ten members of his household were burnt with him.

In the aftermath of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, soldiers killed protesters mercilessly in Lagos as the military authorities tried to suppress popular resistance. Activists were going in and out of jail by the minute. Everything was paralysed. You could leave your house and get stuck midway, unable to proceed to destination or return home, as a result of constant outbreak of violence. In 2011, more than a thousand persons, including youth corps members on national service, were killed in the north because of the elections. If you do not think deeply, you are most unlikely to appreciate the relative peace we enjoy today.

It is not as if the elections were without incidents. Over 50 persons still lost their lives, and Rivers State looked more like a war zone than an electoral battleground. But by and large, the world did not come to an end as we had feared. That an opposition party won for the first time, that the sitting president did not resort to any funny game but accepted the results and congratulated the winner, that the Niger Delta militants who initially threatened hell fire are now speaking like people who want peace... ladies and gentlemen, if you do not see this season as a positive one worth congratulating ourselves for, then you're stone-hearted.

We must recognise the efforts of those who managed the situation behind the scene, working the phones, calling meetings, drafting accords and constantly reminding the combatants of their responsibility as statesmen and citizens. Gen. Abubakar, former head of state who chaired the peace committee, appears to enjoy the respect of both President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. It was not an easy deal to strike, and I understand he met with frustrations as supporters of the candidates continued to violate the terms of the agreement through inciting statements and pronouncements.

Ukiwe, former chief of general staff, is a bit quiet but he worked for national peace with absolute commitment. Onaiyekan and Sultan Abubakar III have always demonstrated that religious leaders from opposite faiths can work for the same purpose. Maturity is a key element of leadership lacking in many Nigerian clergymen who are fond of making statements that can only hurt the cause of peace and unity. Dangote, representing the private sector, arrived on the scene just at the right time. Credit must go to Kukah who continues to contribute positively to national development. We must appreciate Uwais and Gambari for their patriotic intervention.

Let me tell you something that you already know: if Nigeria is going to move from strength to strength, it has to be a deliberate plan. Things will not happen on their own. We would not have peace if we don't work consciously towards it. We would not have national cohesion just like that. We would not banish poverty if we don't make it a focal point of policy. We are not going to go to bed tonight and wake up tomorrow morning to discover that all the cockroaches and mosquitoes have disappeared. We won't just get up one day and discover that all our troubles and worries are gone. We must work hard to solve these problems. Let's be clear about that.

Before the general election, I was asked by many Nigerians and foreigners about a possible breakdown of law and order. Some said 2015 was going to mark the end of Nigeria in line with the supposed "prediction by CIA" which is quoted by experts and commentators who have never seen any such CIA report. While I had my fears about the elections, I never believed Nigeria was about to disband. The Nigeria that I know, the Nigeria I have travelled extensively, the Nigerians that I interact with everyday —I am yet to see concrete signs that they are preparing for divorce, except on Twitter and Facebook. Yet, I would take nothing for granted.

Even in my enthusiasm, I would like to say the job is not finished. Despite the unprecedented level of concessions by those who lost, from the president to the governors, there are those who are still hurting and hurting badly. Some still speak the language of violence. There are those who think vengeance by any means is the best way forward. The message of peace must continue to be preached and pursued with all tenacity and sagacity. We need a new national spirit, a new thinking, a new politics. We have to do away with the old mindset of do-or-die and put the peace and prosperity of Nigeria above personal interests.

I believe we went to war in 1967 because of the inexperience of our leaders. They were too young to manage the combustible side of their personalities. They also did not know how to handle brinkmanship. They had no experience to learn from. I believe we have learnt from the civil war. We are better equipped today.  This has helped us manage other serious crises better, notably the June 12 impasse and the President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua illness-induced constitutional logjam. In all our anger and agitations, we must know that we cannot make progress without peace and national cohesion. The time to kill is gone. It is now time to heal.

QUOTE<><><><><><><><><>  "Now that the presidential election has come and gone and there are no rioters on the streets, it is very easy to forget our fears a few months ago that the country was on the verge of a political meltdown" <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

AND FOUR OTHER THINGS...

THE CHIBOK GIRLS

So it is over a year now that the hapless Chibok schoolgirls were abducted? What a tragedy. I still remember vividly when the media reported that hundreds of girls were kidnapped and how the military authorities hastily announced that all but eight of them had escaped and returned home. As the blame-game and the 'na only you waka come' drama broke out, my driver told me something that I will never forget: "They won't find those girls again. The government has left things too late." Let's still hope they will return one day. But government could have done better. Definitely.

XENOPHOBIC SICKNESS

Black South Africans have a history of violence. Perhaps the worst crime of apartheid was that it prevented the blacks from being properly educated and equipped with entrepreneurial skills. The society is still paying —and will continue to pay —the price. These guys are mentally limited and are therefore unable to utilise their opportunities to lead a meaningful life. Ongoing attacks against foreigners whom they accuse of taking their jobs is only a symptom. If they can kill just to steal a mobile phone or nick a wristwatch, what then can't they do? They need mental and emotional re-engineering. Clearly.

ODE IRELE MYSTERY

While the world is still trying to contain Ebola which turned three West African countries to graveyards, a strange ailment has broken out in Ode Irele, Ondo state, killing 17 persons in two days. It kills with speed —within 24 hours —after a headache, according to reports. Ebola does not kill that fast, and this should worry us more. The disease reportedly started when a corpse was exhumed and those who had contact with it were afflicted. Locals attribute it to an abomination. All I can say is that this is an emergency. We must react and contain it. Decisively.

MEDITERRANEAN TRAGEDY

Many Africans are doing the unthinkable just to get into Europe —and too many are losing their lives in avoidable circumstances. The anarchy in Libya has afforded some fast guys the business opportunity of ferrying would-be migrants by flimsy boats to Italy, where they hope to seek asylum. Nigerians are, not unexpectedly, part of these desperate travellers. I was shocked to learn that some pay as much as $1,000 (or N200,000) to get on the boat. Now if I had access to that kind of money, I would rather sell pure water or recharge cards than flee to Europe. Honestly.

Ondo Deaths Linked to Poisonous Gin?

WHO logo

Paul Obi in Abuja

The death of the 18 people in Ondo State in a mysterious circumstance has been linked to a local gin that was contaminated with poisonous material (methanol).

Minister of State for Health, Fidelis Nwankwo, stated this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday.

He said : "At this stage, the particular poisonous substance (Toxin) is being ascertained. The Results of these detailed investigations currently being conducted by Government and partners are still being awaited and will be made public as soon as possible."

Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) has denied ever issuing any statement on the mysterious deaths.

According to the minister, "Epidemiological findings indicate a strong linkage of the outbreak with the consumption of a local gin that may have been contaminated with methanol (poisonous material).

"The assuring news however, is that NO new cases have been reported in the past 100 hours and no new mortality in the last 72 hours.

"We therefore believe that the situation is under control and that the stability will be sustained, while active case search and contact tracing continue in earnest.

"However, if any suspected case is found, it should be reported to the nearest Health Center for prompt investigation and treatment."

While noting that preliminary laboratory investigations indicate that the outbreak cannot be attributed to any infectious organism (Bacterial or Viral). Nwankwo further said that the outbreak was also clearly not due to Ebola Virus Disease, as feared by many.

Jonathan Conceding Defeat, a Legacy For African Continent, Says Qouttara

President of Cote D'Ivoire, Allassan Qouttara

Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja

President of Cote D'Ivoire, Allassan Qouttara, on Monday said the presidential election which President Goodluck Jonathan, an incumbent, lost and conceded defeat to an opposition president-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), would contimue to remain a great legacy for the African continent.

Qouttara, who paid a private visit to Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, told State House correspondents that the refusal of an incumbent President in his country, Laurent Gbagbo in relinquishing power five years ago, led to the loss of over 3,000 lives in a needless civil war.

He recalled that he and his team were locked up in a hotel for four and half months,  without food and water for days.

The Ivorien President noted that Jonathan had won his admiration for that singular act of conceding defeat.

He stressed that Jonathan's decisions dis not come as a surprise, because he (Jonathan)   had always demonstrated he was more West African than Nigerian by his contributions in quelling the crisis in Mali,  Guinea Bissau, and Togo.

Qouttara added that avoiding violence and civil war when  any elections is held in Africa, should be the objective of leaders of African continent.

"I came on a private visit to see my friend and brother and to congratulate the Nigerian people for the conduct of the presidential election. On May 29 there will be inauguration and swearing in of the President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. So I wanted to tell you (Jonathan) our appreciation for the leadership we have received from you during all these years.

"Mr. President, you know about five years ago Cote D' Ivoire had presidential elections and I won the election and the incumbent president decided not to leave office. This brought a civil war and 3000 people were killed and we were put at hotel and under the protection of the United Nations for about four and half months. There were days we could not even have food or water because the hotel had been barricaded and encircled by the former president and it was only after four and half months of imprisonment in these hotel that finally that were able to leave the hotel after the former president was caught and finally left office for me to take over.

Abia Govt Wants Jega to Supervise Supplementary Poll

Gov Theodore Orji

Emmanuel Ugwu, Umuahia

Abia state government Monday called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega to come over to the state and monitor the forthcoming supplementary governorship election.

State commissioner for information and strategy, Dr Anthony Agbazuere who stated the government’s position in the run-up to the supplementary poll slated for April 25, 2015, told a news conference that the state government believed that either Jega or a senior INEC official would be needed to do a better job.

He explained that the demand for Jega “to come over to Abia or send senior INEC officials to monitor the supplementary elections” was borne out of the fact that “we have no confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Selina Oko and the state Returning Officer, Prof Benjamin Ozumba”.

The supplementary elections came about after INEC declared the April 11 governorship poll inconclusive on the ground that there was no clear winner with the PDP candidate, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu polling 248,459 as against 165, 406 votes scored by his closet rival, Dr Alex Otti of APGA. According to the state Returning Officer, the 83,053 votes margin of lead was less than the 179,244 registered voters in the polling units where election did not hold hence the need for supplementary election to determine the eventual winner.

Agbazuere said that the ruling PDP was prepared to participate in the supplementary governorship election but certain conditions needed to be put in place to ensure credible outcome of the poll.

“We shall no longer tolerate the intimidation of our party members nor accept a situation where INEC will aloe more party agents or observers for a political party than the number allowed for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” he said.

AFA Asks AU to Probe SA over Attacks on African Nationals

  

*‎As SERAP Asks Jonathan to Refer SA to African Commission

By Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

A Civil Society Organization, Alliance for Africa (AFA) has called on the Africa Union (AU) to investigate the role played by South African government, agencies and traditional institutions in instigating the attacks on foreign nationals living is South Africa.

While condemning the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, AFA said ‎that the host government did not do enough to protect African nationals who were attacked by South Africans.

The statement which was signed by AFA's Executive Director, Iheoma Obibi‎ called on the AU to also tackle the rising cases of xenophobia associated with unemployment within the African continent.

The statement reads: ‎"We are specifically calling on the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal Province, where the attacks started to continue to denounce and use her good office to bring perpetuators of the ongoing violence against foreign nationals in her South Africa homeland to justice."

It also called  on African Human Rights institutions, Commission and Court to intervene by calling to question the South African government’s inability to safeguard the lives and properties of migrant Africa citizens within its borders and its inability to mitigate the repeating instances of jungle justice meted on fellow black African citizens including women and children.

The organization said this month's attacks on African nationals were not the first.

Gunmen Invade Jonathan's Special Assistant's Home in Yenagoa

Police logo

Segun James in Yenagoa.

The political situation in Bayelsa state has taken a bizarre turn as gunmen on Saturday night invaded the Yenagoa home of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Dr. Waripamowei Dudafa and carted away an undisclosed amount of money after destroying the safe kept in one of his rooms.

Family sources said that the gunmen were asking after him and ransacking the entire building looking for him.

The source said that gunmen who invaded the home were not looking like hoodlums. The 10 man gang were allegedly dressed in mobile police uniform when they came calling.

They were said to have stormed the residence in Okaka Estate, Yenagoa at about 8pm when the three mobile policemen guarding the residence of the Presidential aide were not around.

The gunmen were said to have gained entry into the premises of Dudafah after allegedly telling the security men (civilians) that they were policemen on operations from the police headquarters.

When they got into the premises, they were said to have bound the Chief gateman, one Muhammed Garba, tying his legs, his hands and covering his eyes and mouth. 

An eyewitness, who craved anonymity, alleged the attack on Dudafah's home was politically motivated.

He said the incident took place few minutes after results of some rescheduled House of Assembly polls were released and Dudafa backed candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance defeated his Peoples Democratic Party opponent in Kolokuma-Opokuma Constituency.

Narrating his ordeal, Garba, who said he had been working with Dudafa for eight years,  said the suspects came in two black Sport Utility Vehicles.

"They ordered me to open the gate. I opened a small gate and saw about 10 of them. They pushed me and they gained entry into the premises. They spanked my head. They tied my hands, mylegs, covered my mouth and eyes with celotape. They went for my room at the security gate and asked me to show them the apartments of police security in the building. They also asked for Dudafa (Oga) house keys. I told them I did not know where they were since I was not the person keeping them. They said they would kill me if they eventually found the keys in my place. I kept quiet. After ransacking my room, they saw the keys. They started using them to open the main building.

"The man leading the operations, asked his colleagues to talk gently so that when my colleague who had gone to buy noodles at that time would not suspect something was amiss. No sooner had they said that than my colleague came in, and they caught him. They now abandoned me bound, and took my second to be directing them. It was my second that was now showing them way. They also went to boys quarters and also seized Dudafah cousin living there. They also tied him. They were threatening them that if they did not cooperate with them, they would waste them."

Garba said when they had held all of them captive, they went inside the building and started ransacking everywhere.

He said they came also with axes and saws which they were using to cut something inside the apartments.

The 55 year old Garba,  a father of one, said the operations lasted about three hours before they left.

Dudafah's cousin, Pere Ozoru, said he was sleeping his room when the gunmen came.
He said it was the second gate man, Ibrahim, that brought them to his apartment.

When newsmen visited the residence on Sunday, it was discovered that most apartments in the gigantic edifice were ransacked and furniture were destroyed.

In one of the rooms, a safe was destroyed and it could not be ascertained how much could have been carted away from the safe.
Efforts to get the police reaction were unsuccessful as calls to the spokesman for the Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, rang out several times.

Boko Haram: Ground Troops Enter Sambisa in Search of Chibok Girls

 Nigerian troops

By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Nigerian Army on Saturday landed in the dreaded and expansive Sambisa forest with the possibility of finding and rescuing the abducted Chibok girls from the Boko Haram terrorists.

THISDAY was reliably informed on Saturday that the operation to liberate the terrorist enclave may not last more than one week as most of the strikes and special operations have knocked out the enemy defence systems.

According to a military source the sustained aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for weeks now have now made it possible for the Army to move in today for ground operation. “The operation is nearing its conclusion and the Army will be moving in tomorrow (today) and I am sure in a matter of days, if plans goes accordingly the operations will be over.

The Air Force have been bombarding the area for weeks now and with the right kind of weapon, the Army is ready for the final onslaught”, the source said. The source further confirmed that even though there is no concrete evidence that the Chibok girls were in the forest, it will however be the top priority of the military to find and rescue them if that should be the reality.

According to the source, “the fear is that some of the girls might be amongst the women killed in Bama and other parts of the liberated towns, and Sambisa offers  the more viable hope of all the remaining options to rescue the girls”.

It could be recalled that the Nigerian Military in the last eight weeks of sustained offensive have recaptured over 90 per cent of the territories that were once under Boko Haram occupation with the exception of Sambisa forest.
However, several towns leading to the forest including Allagano have been confirmed liberated last two weeks by the Nigerian Army Director of Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, thereby clearing the way for the final onslaught.

In the same vein, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah in a recent special interview with select journalists in Abuja, confirmed that the battle with Boko Haram terrorists is almost over.

Minimah even assured that with the way Nigerians react to issues, within a space of six months Boko Haram atrocities might have been forgotten.

“I will tell you that militarily, they (Boko Haram) have been defeated, but as armed groups, thieves, armed robbers, or people who go about to steal, burn markets and loot to go back to the forests that will continue for a while”, he stated.

However, he added, the other programmes of government will take care of those ones. Bomb explosion also happens in civilised worlds where there are no terrorists.

He also said with the expected recapture of the Sambisa forest the Chibok girls, which he admitted not knowing their whereabouts might be rescued.

“Yes, by the time we capture Sambisa forest completely, we will be able to find out where the Chibok girls are. Because as it is now, anybody you ask, they will say they did not see them, they are not here, they are not there. But when we capture Sambisa forest we will be able to know where they are and government will take it up from there”, he assured.

50 Killed in Another Bloody Communal Clash in Benue

  The Nigeria Police logo

By George Okoh in Makurdi

A communal clash between Ologba and Egba communities of Agatu over a fish ponds has claimed the lives of 50 people in Benue State.

According to a source, the villagers had been fighting over a fish pond and the renewed crisis was a result of suspicion by the Egba community that the Ologba people had organised the recent deadly Fulani invasion against them where 82 people were killed in March.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hycinth Dagala, said police sources had claimed that 23 dead bodies have been confirmed while further update is being awaited.

Villagers said 50 deaths occurred in Ologba as  fighting continued. According to the People Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy Governorship Candidate John Ngbede who hails from the area, the communities in dispute had long-standing issues.

Ngbede said many people were injured following the crisis which started on Friday evening adding that they are now refugees in Ogbagaji, the headquarters of the Agatu LGA. However, the Police has said that calm has returned to the area.

Kogi Deputy Gov’s Wife, 3 Others Injured in Explosion

 Kogi State Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

An early morning explosion on Saturday rocked a building in Lagos belonging to the Kogi State Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, trapping his wife and three others in the rubble.

The building located on HFB Way, at no 19B Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi area of Lagos, was said to have collapsed following a sudden explosion.

When the building collapsed, the three occupants in the house, including Mrs. Awoniyi, were trapped while the driver who was outside washing cars was injured from the explosion.

According to an eyewitness report, the explosion which had come out of the blue, rocked the nearby building to its foundation and was followed by the crumbling of blocks.

Although no life was lost, THISDAY gathered that the four victims, who had sustained varying degrees of injuries, were rushed to the hospital immediately they were evacuated from the rubble.

Confirming the incident, the South-west Zonal Spokesperson, of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said when the building collapsed, the first line of action was to ascertain if people were trapped underneath the rubble.

He said once that was established, emergency services swung into action and were able to evacuate the four persons trapped there.

He said, “The building collapse was suspected to have been caused by gas cooker explosion around 7:15 a.m. this (yesterday) morning. The explosion and subsequent building collapse affected three occupants, who were inside the building at the time, and the driver who washing the car outside. “Although no life was lost, the four injured persons have since been evacuated to St. Maria Hospital, Yaba, for proper treatment. Currently, the Police Anti-Bomb Squad and Police Disaster Management Unit are working on the site to get to the root of the explosion.

“Afterwards, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) will move in to determine the next level of action to take”, he added. In an another development, a nine-seater bus conveying passengers from the Lagos Island to the Mainland also went up in flames yesterday. The bus was said to have exploded at the Costain area, bordering between the Island and Mainland axis, and burnt its passengers.

Although all the passengers were rescued alive with varying degrees of burns, one of them was said to have given up the ghost on the way to the hospital. 

Okupe: Chibok Girls Kidnapped to Make Jonathan’s Govt Look Incompetent

 Dr. Doyin Okupe

By Abimbola Akosile

Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, yesterday claimed that the 200 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted to make Jonathan’s government appear incompetent before Nigerians and the international community.

Okupe, in a post on Facebook said the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG#) was formed with the sole aim of smearing the image of Jonathan’s government.

The presidential media aide, in his post which went viral on Facebook and twitter, and which appeared in an online media report by Daily Post said, “One of the reasons the Chibok girls were kidnapped was to present Jonathan’s administration as incompetent and hold it to ransom against 2015 elections. One of the reasons the BBOG was formed was to sustain and internationalise the embarrassment. “One of the reasons President Jonathan lost the election was a national and international conspiracy predicated on this carefully choreographed and assiduously sustained perception. One of the issues that will be in the hand over notes will be the missing girls.

“What is reasonable and expedient for well-meaning men and women of good conscience is to dialogue with the incoming administration on what best new approach to employ to find and rescue the Chibok girls.

Not much can be achieved, except mischief, by continuing to flog this administration on this matter”, Okupe added.

The top aide was once reported to have likened President Jonathan to Jesus Christ.

Wike:I Will Honour My Social Contract With Rivers People

Nyesom Wike

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor-Elect, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that he would honour the social contract he entered with the people of Rivers State during his campaign to lead the state to a prosperous future premised on good governance, transparency, accountability and the development of all parts of the state.

In a thank-you message on his election as the state’s governor-elect, Wike stated that the massive support he got from across the state was a challenge for him to ensure that the people of the state stepped into better days and experience compassionate governance with the right political will to positively transform the state.

While noting that he would never take the goodwill of the people for granted, Wike urged the people to support his administration and the PDP to resolve the developmental challenges facing the state.

Milan, Inter Play for Pride in San Siro Derby

Years back a clash between AC Milan and Inter would have been the talk of the town and the attention of the world would have been focused at the San Siro Stadium as the two Milan sides clash on Sunday. But not anymore as both teams are just living on past glories and are occupying 8th and 10th positions on the Serie A log, therefore, the encounter will just be another clash

However, Milan full-back Ignazio Abate insists there will be no lack of motivation in Sunday's match against fierce rivals Inter.
The Milan derby is traditionally one of the most revered contests in world football due to the prestige and history the two Serie A giants boast.

However, this weekend's contest at San Siro has a somewhat underwhelming feeling considering the struggles of both teams in the league this season.

Much was expected of Filippo Inzaghi's first season in charge of Milan, but they are seven points adrift of the UEFA Europa League places and some 28 off the pace of leaders Juventus.

Roberto Mancini's return to Inter has also as yet failed to yield a turnaround in fortunes and they are two spots and one point below their rivals in 10th.

Despite the sides' respective failures, Abate  who has been deputising as captain for the injured Riccardo Montolivo  says the burning desire to secure bragging rights remains as fierce as ever.

"It is not the same derby as a few years ago. But there is still motivation to win. We want to give satisfaction to the club and to the fans. They're a good team with good players and great strikers like Mauro Icardi and Rodrigo Palacio, so we'll have to be careful," he told Sky Sport Italia. A day earlier Juve have the chance to respond to one of the biggest upsets in Serie A history in last week's 1-0 defeat to Parma when the champions play their top-of-the table encounter against Lazio.

Massimiliano Allegri's side saw a 20-match unbeaten league run ended at Stadio Ennio Tardini, but returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Monaco in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals first leg.
Lazio have proved to be no pushovers, though, and a run of nine wins in 10 league matches has seen them usurp city rivals Roma into second.
Roma could only muster a 1-1 draw against Torino last time out and they will attempt to get back on track against Atalanta, while fourth-placed Napoli will hope to capitalise on any slip-ups by beating relegation-threatened Cagliari.

Cesena are seven points adrift of safety and face a make-or-break encounter at Europa League hopefuls Sampdoria today.
Empoli and Verona are not fully out the mire yet, the former host Parma, while the latter visit Fiorentina on Monday.

In other matches, Sassuolo and Palermo are at home against Torino and Genoa respectively, while Udinese visit Chievo.

Rivers: Gunmen Abduct Ahoada East Council Chairman

Police logo

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Yet-to-be-identified gunmen saturday abducted the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Ahoada East Local Government Council in Rivers State, Chief Cassidy Ikegbudu.

THISDAY gathered that Ikegbudu was abducted in his community, Yiboko, by gunmen dressed in military fatigue uniform after a gun battle with security personnel attached to him in the early hours.

Ahoada East is one of the four local government areas where house of assembly elections were rescheduled to hold  on the 18th of April, after the election of April 11 was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The APC House of Assembly Candidate for Ahoada East constituency 1, Mr. Eric Apia, said armed men abducted Ikegbudu from his village, Yiboko.

He said, “Reports received from his family said there was exchange of fire between security personnel attached to the chairman and the armed men.

Details shortly...

Buhari Backs Measures To Protect Nigerians in South Africa

 Muhammadu Buhari

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has expressed his full support for the steps taken so far by the Federal  Government in its efforts to protect the country’s citizens from the wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, Buhari said that Nigeria’s Head of Mission in Pretoria had taken the right steps by advising the Nigerian community in South Africa to close their shops, stay home and keep out of trouble, while ensuring that they obey the laws of their host country.

“I am happy to see that the Nigerian government is very well aware of its responsibilities to its citizens in South Africa,” General Buhari said.

“We equally understand that the South African government is making efforts to bring an end to this unfortunate situation,” General Buhari said. “In the meantime, Nigerians in South Africa should abide by the words of caution extended them by their government representative in Pretoria.”

APC Zones Senate Presidency to N'Central, Speaker to N'East

Bukola Saraki, and George Akume

  Saraki, Akume in battle royale     Atiku may get BoT chairmanship
Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Arising from a meeting in Abuja Thursday night, the national leaders and national caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have officially zoned the office of the Senate President in the 8th Senate to the North central geo-political zone, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives was zoned to the North-east geo-political zone.

A source at the APC meeting which lasted till the wee-hours of Friday told THISDAY that the party leaders accepted in principle a prototype office sharing formula that would accommodate all vested interests within the party.

The source said: “After deft negotiations, the leaders agreed to cede the position of the Senate President to the North-central and that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North-east. They also endorsed a zoning arrangement that would see the South-west producing the Deputy Senate President and South-south, Deputy Speaker.”

With the agreement yesterday, the current minority leader in the Senate, George Akume from Benue State and Senator Bukola Saraki from Kwara State are expected to engage each other in a fierce contest for the Senate Presidency.

It was learnt that the position of the Speaker was earlier allotted to the South-west but had to be moved to North-east following a strong lobby by leaders from the zone who argued that such arrangement was necessary to compensate them for the massive support for the party during the election.

Apart from the sharing arrangement for the principal positions, the APC meeting which had personalities like the former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu and some governors in attendance also considered the issue of ministerial appointments.

In line with THISDAY exclusive story yesterday, the APC leaders also zoned the office of the Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BoT) to Adamawa State, where the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is set to clinch the position that was hitherto held by the former governor of Osun State and former national chairman of the party, Bisi Akande.

The source hinted further that the party zoned the office of the Majority Leader of the Senate to the South-west.

However, South-east did not get any position in the current allocation but according to a top notch APC member, the zone will be compensated by other appointments to ensure some balance and equity. In all the eight senatorial seats in the zone, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all the seats. This has made it impossible for the zone to aspire for any principal office in the senate.

The same thing happened in the zone for the House of Representatives. No single member of the House of Representatives from the zone is from the APC. PDP won all the National Assembly seats in both arms of the National Assembly. In fact, in the Presidential Election, the APC did not score up to 15 percent in any of the states in the southeast.

Another source at the Abuja meeting said the APC chieftains could not however conclude deliberations on the ministerial appointments as it was decided that stakeholders in the states and zonal levels should go back to the areas to hold consultations on the matter.

It was resolved that the state chapters of the party would each nominate three persons for ministerial consideration and are to submit same to the party through the Vice Chairmen and Deputy National Chairmen on or before Tuesday next week.

The source added that another meeting of the party leadership is scheduled to hold on Tuesday where they hope to harmonize issues and finalize discussions on the recommendations to be presented to the National Executive Committees (NEC) of the party.

“While the President- elect, General Muhammadu Buhari had asked the party to discuss the issue of ministerial appointments and to advise him as appropriate, he has insisted on retaining the transition committee list. Buhari had in choosing members of the transition committee made sure that each of them is tested expert in the various sectors where they will serve. He was said to be very conscious of their level of integrity and honesty,” added the source.

A top member of the APC who spoke to THISDAY last night on condition of anonymity said: “All the positions said to have been shared are yet to be firmed. Nothing can be confirmed until the final meeting next week.” He advised that all reports about sharing of positions should be disregarded until next week when a final decision would be taken.

Residents Flee As Death from Strange Disease in Ondo Rises

Governor Olusegun Mimiko

By James Sowole in Akure

Many residents of Ode Irele, the headquarters of Irele Local Government area of Ondo State, are now fleeing the town following the rise in the number deaths from the strange ailment that hit the place on Wednesday.

The state government on Friday confirmed that 17 persons had died from the disease, an increase from the 12 that were originally confirmed. Some sources said the death toll resulting from the disease was as high as 30.

While the government said the cause of the ailment was not known, other sources from the community blamed the death on some people that defiled the  shrine of the community deity known as Malokun.

According to the source, strange death was caused by some people who incurred the wrath of the deity when they stole some artifacts from the shrine.

Stating that the government had put necessary machinery in motion to control the disease, Governor Olusegun Mimiko said samples collected did not show that the victims died of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Mimiko, who said the state had witnessed  a major health challenge said the causative agents, diagnosis and cure are also yet to be determined.

While stating the he was saddened by  the losses and the attendant fear of what looks like an epidemic, he said the government can only bring words of consolation to the families of the deceased just as he assured the people of the state of the government's resolve to find solution.

Mimiko said amidst conflicting and confusing information, the investigating team of experts sent by government to the area gathered that all the casualties died within hours of affliction. In all, 17 deaths have been confirmed in Ayadi Community and Ode Irele township and all the
deaths were preceded by symptoms of sudden blurred vision, headache and loss of consciousness.

"It must be said that the team was despatched to the communities affected and the General Hospital as well as other health facilities,
to gather needed information about the nature, scope and circumstances of the outbreak..

"I must state that the symptoms in this situation are not peculiar to any known epidemic and so have remained largely confounding.

"Specifically, it must be stressed, the symptoms observed in the two communities of Ayadi and Ode Irele bear no resemblance to those
associated with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)", he said.

N4bn Warri-Effurun Flyover Commissioned By Uduaghan

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta

By Omon-Julius Onabu in Warri

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta on Friday commissioned the Warri-Effurun flyover constructed over the busy Effurun roundabout in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Uduaghan used the occasion to underscore the point that the state-wide acceptance of the electoral victory of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the governor-elect was evidence of the success of his government's Peace and Security Agenda commenced in 2007.

The four-lane flyover, with both sides of the dual-carriageway measuring approximately one kilometre, was constructed at a cost of about N4.1 billion.

The Effurun Roundabout serves as an important traffic watershed especially for vehicular traffic on the Warri-Effurun-Sapele-Benin Road, the NPA-DSC Expressway as well as the Effurun-Port Harcourt part of the East-West Road.  

The Effurun Roundabout flyover bridge is the second of such projects to be commissioned by Dr Uduaghan within a space of about two weeks.

The N3.5 billion Summit Round/Inter-Bau Junction Flyover Bridge in Asaba, the state capital, was commissioned earlier by the governor.

While performing the official launching during an impressive ceremony on the bridge on Friday, Uduaghan noted that the promise of his administration to finish strong was not a fluke as the people had witnessed numerous state government projects commissioned across the state especially in the last few weeks.

Parties Boycott Rescheduled House of Assembly Elections in Bayelsa

INEC logo
From Segun James in Yenagoa
The Coalition of Political Parties in Bayelsa State (CPPBS) on Saturday boycotted today's rescheduled state assembly election, alleging collusion between the INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to undo other political parties.

The coalition, in a press release signed by the chairmen of 13 political parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), among others, alleged that there is a "ploy to hoard all sensitive electoral materials, result sheets inclusive, such that, after the conduct of the election with the non-sensitive materials, the INEC staff, the electoral officers of the eight local governments and other adhoc staff in the state will converge at designated places to enter their manufactured results into the original result sheet in favour of the PDP candidates."

the PDP was also accused of haven perfected "an illicit arrangement to use the military to intimidate, harass and muzzle other candidates and genuine voters in a ploy to influence the election in favour of PDP candidates."

In the statement which was signed by Chief Timipa Orunimigha, APC; Gerebo Joseph! UDP; Abbey Daniel, APA; Oniekpe Prince, SDP and Owei Woniwei, AD among others, they leadership of the parties therefore boycotted the election.

They claimed that their reasons for the boycott have been communicated to the INEC's resident electoral commissioner who told them he has to power to stop the election, therefore it would go ahead as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented  Certificates of Return to six out of the Eight elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the National Assembly elections in Bayelsa state.

The Six National Assembly members-elect, issued with the Certificate of Return, include the Senator-elect representing Bayelsa West Senatorial district, Deacon Foster Ogola, the Federal House of Representative members- elect representing Ogbia Federal Constituency, Sodaguwo Festus-Omoni; Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Chief Fred Agbedi; Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Hon.Douye Diri; Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Hon.David Henry Ofongo and Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Fouiyan Jephthah.

The two Senators-elect absent at the presentation ceremony were Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce and Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) of the INEC in Bayelsa State,Mr. Barido Kpaghi,while speaking yesterday at the presentation ceremony held at the INEC state Secretariat, said inspite of the peaceful nature of the National Assembly elections that produced the elected Senators and House of Representative members,the recent bad blood and tension created during the state House of Assembly election is worrisome.

Kpaghi called on the Senators-elect and the Federal House of Representatives-elect to assist the commission in advocating for peaceful conduct of the rescheduled State Assembly election in Eight constituencies of the Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama,Ekeremor Local Government areas of the State.

According to Kpaghi,"the commission is happy that the National Assembly election was peaceful and no casualty recorded.That was not the situation during the State House of Assembly election.We want to plead with you elected National Assembly members to tell your people that elections is not about do or die.Why is the House of Assembly election done as if it was a war.?"

The House of Representative member-elect, Hon.Douye Diri,commended the INEC for the conduct of the General elections in the state and promised the people of his constituent of proper representation.