Nigerian Army Raid : Boko Haram militants disperse to Gombe, Bauchi , Jigawa states

Following the declaration of a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, some members of the fundamentalist Boko Haram sect have started fleeing to neighbouring Gombe, Bauchi and Jigawa states.

On Thursday, members of the sect attacked two police stations and four banks in Daura, Katsina State.

It was the first time the sect was carrying out attacks in Katsina.

President Goodluck Jonathan placed the three states under emergency rule following unabated bloodbath and bomb attacks which have left hundreds of people and security officials dead.

Security sources confided in our correspondents on Friday that following the increased pressure by the military, some of the insurgents have started sneaking out of the states.

A top military official who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said, “All the states are under intense military surveillance and we are ensuring that no one sneaks out but the insurgents have some secret routes which we are going to block. They will use these secret routes to sneak out because of the heat on them. Ordinarily, they will want to protect their wives, children and the weak among them.”

One of the soldiers deployed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, also told one of our correspondents that some of the insurgents are fleeing the state to neighbouring ones.

The solider who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said, “We have reports that they are running away to neigbouring states and even neighbouring countries. We are doing our best to ensure that all escape routes are blocked.”

According to the soldier, several residents of Gamboru, Ngala, and Marte, where the sect hoisted its flags are fleeing the area because of heavy military operation.

A security expert and former State Security Service director, Mr. Mike Ejiojor, toldSUNDAY PUNCH that it was possible that members of the Boko Haram sect would attempt to escape to states near Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“Preventing them from migrating to neighbouring states is the essence of the state of emergency in the three affected states. We hope that it won’t be easy for them to migrate to other states especially if they have cells there,” he said.

Another security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, told one of our correspondents that there was a possibility that members of the sect that had fled the states, could regroup to launch massive attacks on the states under emergency rule.

Ekhomu, who is the President, Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, said such a development could lead to having more states on the list of those under emergency rule.

He said, “They will continue to launch attacks, it is not without doubt. Don’t forget that apart from the affected states, other states have some Boko Haram presence, so they may regroup. The military must ensure that they don’t escape from the states.

“The military should use a lot of tactics to freeze the bad guys (Boko Haram). The essence of conducting the military operation in the North-East is to flush out or capture the Boko Haram elements. If they get away, then the purpose of the exercise is defeated.”

He added that members of the sect might wear military uniforms to disguise as they were becoming more adaptive.  According to him, it would become difficult to differentiate between a genuine military officer and a Boko Haram member in military uniform.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Immigration Service has deported 31,822 illegal immigrants from the country in the first five months of the year.

The Public Relations Officer of NIS, Mr. Ekpedeme King, told SUNDAY PUNCH, that the figure represented the total number of immigrants arrested without proper documentation in different parts of the country.

“According to our records, from January this year to the first week of May, the Nigerian Immigration Service arrested and repatriated 31,822 illegal immigrants. I know there is the temptation to link the number to the security situation in the country and the Boko Haram insurgency. But this is the total number of illegal immigrants we have repatriated so far this year, as part of our duties to ensure that every foreigner in the country has adequate documentation,” he said.

Findings showed that most of the deportees were nationals of Niger, Mali and Cameroun, while a small number from other West African countries like Ghana and Benin Republic.

Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who confirmed this development, said the illegal aliens came into the country through the many porous border inlets, adding that to fight terrorism in the country, it was necessary to “throw them out.”

Moro explained that the deportation was part of the measures adopted by government to check the incursion of strangers into the nation and to further contain the security threat posed by Boko Haram.

According to him, it will cost about N500m to provide the manpower and gadgets needed at the borders.

He said, “Manning our international borders effectively to check illegal entry of persons is almost impossible in the nation today. We have to admit the fact that we don’t have enough manpower and equipment to have real control of the situation.

“And I admit to you that prior to the present situation we face, it used to be worse. We used to take so many things for granted until we came to the point of this daring and dire security challenge.

“Part of the measures to succeed in the task had led us to getting into partnership with the American government to procure advanced surveillance equipment for better border security. The illegal immigrants were sent out of the country by the appropriate authorities under the ministry.”

In a related development, Amnesty International has called on security forces to adhere to international human rights standards and the rule of law.

It said it would continue to document human rights abuses by the security forces and Boko Haram, and the dire situation of the people trapped in the middle.

It stated, “We will continue to call on the Nigeria government to take action to protect the population. Nigeria must adopt measures that prevent, investigate and prosecute attacks by Boko Haram, while fully respecting and ensuring human rights in accordance with Nigeria’s international obligations and commitments. 

The population will not be truly secure until everyone in Nigeria can be confident not only that the risk of attacks from Boko Haram has been reduced, but also that they will not face human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces mandated with their protection.

“Unfortunately, at the moment in Nigeria we have a situation where the military are behaving like they are above the law – like they don’t have to respect the rule of law. So, in some respects, the issue is not so much which law the military are operating under, although it is vitally important that the law complies with international human rights law and standards.”

(Punch)

Prof Itse Sagay: on Rivers State , and the gathering storm !

by Itse Sagay

Since the rumour that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State is nursing an ambition to be the next vice president to a northern presidential candidate in 2015 started circulating, many disturbing developments have occurred. Whether this rumoured ambition is true or not, it is totally irrelevant. The truth is that every Nigerian over the age of 40 is entitled to aspire to be president or vice president of Nigeria.

This constitutional entitlement is not in any way qualified by the party or zonal relationship between an incumbent president and the aspirant. That is why the series of unfortunate events that have occurred in Rivers State since the so-called aspiration was published are most disturbing, ominous and dangerous.

The publication in various newspapers in the last few weeks have disclosed that the following disturbing events have occurred:

1. The grounding of the official private jet of the Rivers State Government, intended apparently to cripple the Rivers State governor’s movements around the country.

2. Prevention by police of the state House of Assembly from functioning.

3. Escorting some suspended members of the House of Assembly accompanied by hoodlums masquerading as protesters by the police with the apparent intention of initiating impeachment action.

4. Prevention of the Caretaker Committee of a local government council from functioning.

5. The withdrawal of the security details of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly.

6. The threatened withdrawal of the security detail of the governor himself.

What all these events establish is that neither democracy nor federalism is functioning properly in Nigeria. Any Nigerian, more so, a high official like a governor, is entitled to have presidential ambition. It is his constitutional and democratic right. To lay a siege on him and his state because of the rumour of vice presidential interest is a major assault on our so-called democracy. The sort of events that have been occurring recently in Rivers State have a threatening and intimidating effect and are unworthy of any society governed by the rule of law. When any Nigerian is threatened and his environment surrounded by the sort of dark clouds and storms being witnessed in Rivers State, it is democracy and democratic rights in the whole country that are endangered.

The above developments have also demonstrated the fact that Nigeria is not a federation, but merely a unitary state pretending to be one.

In a federation, both the Federal Government and the federating units are autonomous and independent of each other. This has been stated again and again by both national and international authorities, including our own Supreme Court. As Wheare put it, “the fundamental and distinguishing characteristic of a federal system is that neither the central nor the regional governments are sub-ordinate to each other, but rather, the two are co-ordinate and independent”. In short, in a federal system, there is no hierarchy of authorities, with the central government sitting on top of the others.  All governments have a horizontal relationship with each other.” (Wheare, Federal Government, 4th Ed…OUP, 1963)

According to Professor B.O Nwabueze:

“Federalism, therefore, may be described an arrangement whereby powers within a multi-national country are shared between a federal or central authority, and a number of regionalised governments in such a way that each unit including the central authority exists as a government separately and independently from the others, operating directly on persons and property within its territorial area, with a will of its own and its own apparatus for the conduct of affairs and with an authority in some matters exclusive of all others.  In a federation, each government enjoys autonomy, a separate existence and independence of the control of any other government. Each government exists, not as an appendage of another government (e.g. of the federal or central government) but as an autonomous entity in the sense of being able to exercise its own will on the conduct of its affairs free from direction by any government.  Thus, the Central government on the one hand and the State governments on the other hand are autonomous in their respective spheres.” (Nwabueze, Federalism in Nigeria under the Presidential Constitution, Sweet & Maxwell, 1983, p.2.)

In Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation [2003] 6 SC Pt. 1, p.24 at pages 35 and 57, Uwaifo JSC explained the nature of a federation lucidly as follows:

“But I do not need to repeat that Nigeria operates a federal system of government. Section 2(2) of the 1999 Constitution re-enacts the doctrine of federalism. This ensures the autonomy of each government. None of the governments is subordinate to the other. This is particularly of relevance between the State Governments and the Federal Government, each being, as said by Nwabueze in his book, The Presidential Constitution of Nigeria, pages 39-42, an autonomous entity in the sense of being able to exercise its own will in the conduct of its affairs within the Constitution, free from direction by another government. I think it is significant that shortly before and since the independence of Nigeria in 1960, all the Constitutions that have been enacted have taken the pattern of federalism. Under this system, each tier of government has its legislative competence or functions conferred on it as the case may be”.

In conclusion, Uwaifo JSC., stated thus: “it is a non-controversial political philosophy that the Federal Government does not exercise supervisory authority over the state governments.” (at p.60)

From what has been happening in recent weeks in Rivers State, it is clear that if every state has its own Police Service, there will be no need for the Federal Police to provide security for state authorities and agencies.

Therefore, to the extent that states do not have their own police forces, our federalism remains incomplete and under developed. The National Assembly, therefore, has a lot of re-thinking to do about the present attempt to amend the Constitution. What it has done so far, is, in fact, a perverse movement towards more centralism and unitarism and that is contrary to the interest of an enduring Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It is now obvious that there is need to look at our constitutional provisions in order to re-structure them for the achievement of true federalism, in which states and their governors will be able to assert their autonomy and independence from the Federal Government. The current events in Rivers State are ominous and do not portend well for the future of the Federal Republic.

- This Best Outside Opinion was written by Prof. Itse Sagay

Ethiopian Airlines to start flights to the city of Enugu International Airport , in south eastern Nigeria soon

Ethiopian Airlines says it plans to start flights to the city of Enugu, in south eastern Nigeria soon as part of its attempt to extend its flight destinations in Africa’s most populous country and West African Power house Nigeria. 
Tewolde Gebremariam CEO of the air carrier said Ethiopian also has  plans to fly to the southern central port city and oil hub of Port Harcourt as well as Northern Nigeria’s largest city Kano, while increasing the number of flight trips to Nigeria’s capital city Abuja, Nigeria. “We want more flights to Abuja because now Abuja-Addis-Asia and Abuja-Addis-Dubai-Bangkok-China is the best flight option for Nigeria bound passengers,” said Tewolde adding that Ethiopian would be pleased to add flights to the country where it has been flying for more than 40 years.  It currently has nearly 70 international destinations out of which 43 are in the African continent, while there are 17 domestic flights it operates. 
The national flag carrier has recently started flights to the Indian ocean island archipelago of Seychelles, Toronto in Canada, and Port Novo in Benin. It is also planning to start flights before the end of 2012 to Kuala Lampur, capital city of Malaysia, expected to start on October 31 and Brazil’s commercial hub Sao Paulo, its first Latin America route expected to be in December.     
As part of Vision 2025 Ethiopian plans to operate more than 120 airplanes flying to 90 plus destinations internationally carrying over 18 million passengers and 710,000 tons of cargo per annum while employing more than 17,000 people. 
Its 2025 vision’s overarching objective is to continue the scaling up of profitable and sustainable growth to enhance its profitability and technology to make its staff, customers and financiers secure.
Ethiopian got its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner named “Africa first” delivered at Bole International Airport on August 17, 2012, making it the first African air carrier to receive the aircraft.
The airline is expected to receive a total of five 787 Dreamliner aircraft before the end of 2012 and five more airplanes in 2014,

Reuben Abati: Distances his Boss from Asari Dokubo's Fierce outbursts on 2015 Presidential race

       Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo                                                                          Reuben Abati

Below are excerpts from an interview Nigerian newspaper, Vanguard conducted with President Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati regarding issues affecting Nigeria.

“Your assessment of the performance of the Jonathan administration which you have put at above average has not affected the scathing criticism from Nigerians. Why do you think Nigerians are very critical of this administration despite the sterling performance as you have consistently said?

This being a democracy, there will never be a time when people won’t criticize government. The positive freedom that democracy offers includes the right to complain about everything including the weather. But even this must be done responsibly. Freedom does not mean the right to be irresponsible. Under the Jonathan administration, there has been real freedom. Nigerians have never had it so good. But what is bothersome is the tendency by some people to insist on promoting falsehood. I have read articles based completely on false premises, and even when the ignorance is pointed to the authors of such articles, they claim that this is a free country. Now, that is not the exercise of freedom. It is sheer irresponsibility.

Second, we have a President that is humble and accessible; focused and disciplined and a system that supports fundamental freedoms. In exercising their freedom, the people ask for more; they want more. Thus, expectations are high. There is a fast food mentality that has over-conditioned our conception of democracy. That is another reason why there is so much criticism. But democracy is not a fast-food recipe. It is a process, like putting a building together or bringing a child to life. And this government respects due process. Our own expectation is that people will come to understand this point in due course.

The good news is that the majority of Nigerians knows and appreciates the fact that this government has been very productive in delivering on President Jonathan’s transformation agenda. They are happy with what has been done in the agricultural sector to diversify the economy, create jobs and add value through a value-chain, business oriented approach to agriculture.

Are you sure they are happy with the value chain?
In the agric sector, this government has ended the season of tractor and fertilizer scam and re-energized the private sector and state governments, to take agriculture more seriously. Our aviation sector is different today. The airports have been upgraded, facilities for air traffic control, which used to be a major issue in the past, have been provided. International best practices are being enforced. The Jonathan administration has placed more emphasis on capital expenditure, resulting in massive investments in infrastructure.

Electricity supply has improved in many parts of the country; the power sector privatization process, abandoned by previous administrations has been revived, and there is every indication that in due course, the interest and commitment that this has generated among private sector investors will yield the desired goal of an effective, modern, and competitive electricity sector and market. At the moment, generation is up, distribution is up; things can only get better.

The railway sector is alive again. The trains are moving, moving goods and persons from North to South, North to East, and West to North. When you consider the fact that the railway sector practically died and became a poster case for abandonment, inertia, and mismanagement, you’d appreciate what this administration has done. At the same time, the roads are being fixed across the nation. There is a total road network of 200,000 km in Nigeria. About 65, 000 of that is paved with bitumen; 54% of which belongs to the Federal Government. The Federal Government is working on its roads. The states and local governments must also do theirs otherwise the Federal Government will continue to get blamed for roads that do not fall under its care.

Industry, trade and investment is another area where this government is doing well. Investment flows into the country keep rising every day because there is renewed confidence in this economy. The capital market has stabilized; our economic outlook is good, with the economy growing at an average of 7% per annum, and in 2013, IMF has projected that the country may record up to 7.2% growth rate. In this case, we are talking about inclusive and real growth. When last did you hear of any company relocating to neighbouring countries? That used to happen in the past, not anymore.

The ports have been sanitized. I mean, sanitized, because duplication of agencies resulting in real terms in the duplication of artificial toll gates at the ports has been checked. The gain is measurable in terms of the growing efficiency of ports operations. Before this President assumed office, there used to be long queues at fuel stations, universities used to be shut down for months. That has changed. The fuel queues have vanished. School sessions have become regular. This is the case because someone has been working hard, relating well, and paying attention.

Our foreign relations is much better. President Jonathan’s diplomacy has strengthened Nigeria’s relationship with its neighbours, the rest of Africa and the world. Our national pride and honour has been restored. I must add that under this President, the integrity of elections has been achieved. Today, Nigerian elections are always considered free and fair. This is a major legacy achievement by President Jonathan.

When you try to transform a system and promote change, it is normal that people who used to benefit from the old, retrogressive system will protest. Those are the ones spewing scathing criticisms to use your phrase. Then you have members of the opportunistic opposition who have declared publicly that their main task is to discredit and pull down the Jonathan administration.

They should not be taken seriously because they have no useful ideas they are bringing to the table. Ignorance poses a big threat to democracy, and the most vicious brand on our shores is the thinking by opposition elements that the best way to play politics is to destroy the government of the day with any possible means. That is not politics; that is perfidy. Being in the opposition does not mean being congenitally contrarian. And that is why I find it instructive that the attempt by the leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria to shoot down the President’s proclamation of State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states has been dismissed by many Nigerians as utterly irresponsible.

It is two years since President Jonathan assumed office and I am saying he has done very well, and he is committed to doing even more, and he enjoys the confidence of Nigerians at home and abroad. There are security challenges, yes, and that probably accounts for some of the criticisms, but the administration has demonstrated great resolve and confidence in dealing with the challenges.

The inauguration of the committee on dialogue with members of the Boko Haram sect has not in any way affected the activities of the sect. Is the President discouraged by this development?

He is not discouraged. Rather, he has taken the decision to deploy all necessary and appropriate tools in concert with local and international stakeholders, to ensure that we all overcome the evil of terrorism that is threatening our well-being as a nation. Terrorism is a new kind of threat on our shores. Suicide bombing, nihilism, was something we thought impossible in Nigeria.

But here we are. It is also important to note that there can be no illusion of simplicity where the fight against terrorism is involved. Terrorists strike at will with deadly cruelty. Besides, in Nigeria, there are many sides to the terror, many factions within the group, and now they want to take over the country.

Government’s commitment is to get the factions to lay down their arms, government’s commitment is to enforce the rule of law and justice; government’s commitment is to beat terrorism. The overriding consideration is the peace, security, and stability of Nigeria. While the option of dialogue and peaceful resolution is being pursued, government will also not condone impunity of any sort, or the obvious attempt by terrorists to create and run an enclave within the Nigerian state. Hence, the declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by President Jonathan.

If anyone is in doubt, the Commander in Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces has made it clear: this government will not tolerate any attempt to violate the sovereignty of Nigeria. Those who are willing to dialogue and lay down their weapons can approach the National Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on the Security Challenges in Northern Nigeria. The work of that Committee remains significant and relevant, and it is bound to be impactful.

In the South-South, the spate of attacks on oil facilities is on the increase despite the amnesty programme. This is even more worrisome because the President’s home state of Bayelsa has recorded most of these attacks. What is happening?

It is not true that there is renewed insurgency in the Niger Delta. If anything, the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta has been very successful. Thousands of Niger Delta youths have been sent for training in South Africa, Botswana, Europe and elsewhere. Over, 1, 000 of them, ex-militants just returned from South Africa.

In Botswana, I was there when President Jonathan met with a graduating class of ex-militants. Their former leaders, self-styled warlords have been reintegrated back into society. They are now gentlemen, not anarchists. President Jonathan’s focus is to create new role models among Nigerian youths and his administration has done a lot in that regard. The Almajiri Education Programme is one example. YouWIN is another example. There is also the Youth in Agriculture programme.

What is happening at the moment in the Niger Delta are isolated, episodic, and opportunistic cases of criminality including crude oil theft or occasional protest. It is not an insurgency. You have on one hand, militants who failed to take part in the amnesty programme all through Phases One to Three, who have now suddenly woken up and are insisting that they must be accommodated outside the original framework. Then, you have the greedy, attention-seeking “Na my brother dey there” noisemakers who just want to be noticed. And the crude oil thieves. Now, crude oil theft is a serious matter; because it is economic sabotage and an assault on the Nigerian state. Government is dealing with that decisively.

Some people have said that the crisis in the People’s Democratic Party is an indication of the people’s frustration with the President. How will you react to this? Secondly, why is the President fighting the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as people have alleged?

There is no connection between the politics within PDP and what the people feel about President Jonathan. Every political party has its own internal dynamics. The PDP as a political party can and will resolve its own internal issues. As a political leader and as Nigeria’s Head of State and Head of Government, President Jonathan’s focus is on service delivery, performance and progress. I am sure that people are able to differentiate between intra-party politics and the very business of governance. And surely, there is no political party anywhere that does not have its own internal issues to deal with. Secondly, the allegation that President Jonathan is fighting Governor Rotimi Amaechi is wrong. There is no rift between the President and the Governor. Amaechi himself has said that much publicly.

The insistence by the president to retain Arumah Oteh, the DG of SEC has created an impasse on the passage of the 2013 budget. Is Oteh so irreplaceable that the country’s budget would be put on hold because of her?

There is no impasse as far as I know over the passage of the 2013 budget. The 2013 Budget is not on hold; it has been passed by the National Assembly and it is already being implemented. I think both the Executive and the Legislature must be commended for ensuring that the 2013 Budget was prepared and passed early. Considering what used to happen in the past, that is indeed commendable.

I am aware that both arms of government had agreed to look into some grey areas and take care of these in a supplementary budget that is now being considered. But nothing has been put on hold. What the Jonathan administration has introduced and has been able to achieve is to make the budgeting process open and transparent, so much that today even masons and motorcyclists pretend to be experts in budget analysis. I like the idea of people taking ownership of something as fundamental as the Appropriation Act, but we must beware of beer parlour economists taking charge.

There are big and serious issues involved. The budgeting process cannot become an instrument for vendetta. It cannot be reduced to the level of personality conflicts. That will amount to a reductio ad absurdum. Arunmah Oteh was head-hunted for the job of Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2010, her appointment was endorsed by the National Assembly on the basis of merit and the excellent credentials that she brought to the job. She is one of the very many high-fliers in President Jonathan’s team of the best and the brightest and she has acquitted herself very well.

She met a Stock Exchange that had been reduced to a penny stock market and a source of fright for local and international investors. She has rescued that market from the decline slope; she has strengthened it, and reorganized and rebuilt confidence in it. Our stock market is becoming bullish again, it is on the rebound, investors are streaming back in large numbers. That should be rewarded not opposed just because some people don’t like Arunmah’s face. She has a very pretty face by the way, and a sharp brain. Those who are gunning for her head should adjust their lenses.

The leader of one of the groups in Niger Delta, Asari Dokubo, has sensationally asserted that there would be no Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan is not elected in 2015. Some people have alleged that he is speaking the mind of the President, that is why he has neither been called to order nor arrested. How do you react to this?

I speak for President Goodluck Jonathan. The last time I checked, I was still his official spokesman, not Asari Dokubo. And I can tell you that President Jonathan has not issued any formal statement with regard to the 2015 general elections, other than to state that he remains focused on the assignment that Nigerians have given him and that the time has not yet come for 2015 politics. INEC has not issued any directive on it. The political parties have not either. When the time is ripe, he will make his position known.

Are you with me? I can also tell you that President Jonathan who is an exponent and champion of the one man, one vote, one woman, one vote, one youth, one vote electoral principle will never play the politics of threat and intimidation. He believes in Nigeria and the right of Nigerians to choose their own leaders. For him, politics is not a do or die affair. It is an opportunity to serve and make a contribution. He sees leadership as a privilege not a birthright. As for Asari Dokubo, I stand by my earlier comments on him. You’d have to google that, because I don’t want to waste precious saliva.

In the next few weeks, this administration would be two years. Some Nigerians have argued that their electoral investment has not been worthwhile because of the myriads problems that have remained unsolved. They cite the increasing insecurity, unemployment and corruption as some of the areas that this government has failed. Would you say Jonathan has met the expectations of Nigerians?

I believe I had answered this question much earlier. But you must have your reasons for bringing it up again and my well-informed, categorical and affirmative answer is yes. The only new thing perhaps is your pointed reference to unemployment and corruption and I will deal with the issues quickly. First, on the matter of insecurity, you must have seen that Nigerians are quite happy that President Jonathan is taking a very decisive step in that regard with the declaration of a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and the signal that no form of impunity will be tolerated in any part of Nigeria.

President Jonathan is committed to solving the problem of insecurity, just as he is solving inherited problems in other sectors of the economy: agriculture, aviation, education, infrastructure development, aviation, industry and so on. The combined effect of these efforts is to further open up the economy, deepen its absorptive capacity and create opportunities for job seekers. Once the economy continues to grow, it opens up access for skilled labour automatically. In addition, there are specific schemes for job creation: YouWIN, the Graduate Internship Scheme under the SURE-P and the youth empowerment programme in agriculture. There is also a specific emphasis on entrepreneurship promotion from curricular review to that critical school to work intersection that is central to development dynamics.

What of allegations of corruption?
Corruption! There has been so much misinformation and blackmail on this subject. To say that the Jonathan administration is not fighting corruption is a wrong-headed expression, which I have no doubts attracts very easy donor funding and so, that attracts so many opportunists. You just have to shout corruption as many times as possible for you to become a saint, and also smile to the bank. Don’t be fooled; some of the people claiming to be holier than thou are the most corrupt elements in this country and one day, they will get their come-uppance. The hypocrites aside, President Jonathan’s position is that corruption is inimical to national growth and development, worse still, it amounts to economic sabotage.

Through a well-articulated reform agenda, the Jonathan administration is waging war against corruption in the power sector, in the civil service, at the ports, in the downstream sector of the Petroleum industry, and more importantly in politics through the administration’s emphatic insistence on the integrity of electoral processes, this has been empirically proven in all the elections conducted under President Jonathan’s watch. After two years in office, President Jonathan deserves commendation. He has shown great resolve and resourcefulness and has led us all with a good heart, conscience and a result-oriented, productive strategy.”

What are you thinking?

BOKO HARAM WAR UPDATE: BATTLE RAGES AS TROOPS PURSUE AND TERRORISTS RETREAT

Troops have continued the advance and attack on identified terrorist camps in the Northern part of the country. Patrols are also ongoing to secure towns and villages from infiltration, while curfew on identified flash points are being enforced.

Dislodged terrorist have been noted to be in disarray with a large number of them heading backwards various border. Their bases are being deserted but they are making efforts to evacuate most of the large stock of logistics including scores of vehicles in there holdings.

In the course of special forces pursuits and operations, a number of encounters have ensured since yesterday. After a mop up of scenes of battle, 14 terrorist were confirmed dead, while, 7 vehicles and 13 telephone handsets were recovered. A total of 20 terrorist were apprehended as they fled.
Altogether, 3 soldiers died, while 7 are wounded and are being treated in military medical facility, one soldier is missing.

Meanwhile the required reinforcement and logistics have been delivered to forces in front where the forces have been engaging a large number of heavily armed terrorists since yesterday.

Defence Headquarters is quite satisfied with the high standard of compliance with operational order and strict observance of the rules of engagement so far. The forces have been directed to maintain the robustness of the patrols and enforcement of
curfews where emplaced and ensure that civilians are kept out of harms way as much as possible.

Thank you for your usual cooperation.

AC OLUKOLADE
Brigadier General
Director Defence Information

JONATHAN GIVES ISLAMIC MILITANTS ANOTHER CHANCE TO SURRENDER AMID 24 HOURS CURFEW

The military, yesterday, extended the curfew in some parts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, to 24 hours, in continuation of the emergency rule imposed on the state alongside Yobe and Adamawa States, on Tuesday, to curb Boko Haram insurgent activities.

The curfew extension came on a day President Goodluck Jonathan told the insurgents to surrender and embrace the amnesty proposed for them by the Federal Government.

Northern governors also warned against civilian casualty in the implementation of the emergency rule in the three north-eastern states.

Reports, yesterday, said residents of a community in Borno State,  Marte, were fleeing air strikes by the Nigerian Airforce jets and helicopter gunships on suspected Boko Haram camps.

The spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, listed 12 neighbourhoods in Maiduguri where a 24-hour curfew was being imposed.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) also said troops arrested 65 suspected Boko Haram members trying to enter the Borno State capital after fleeing aerial bombardment elsewhere.

The DHQ insinuated that the insurgents were trying to infiltrate Maiduguri.

The imposition of the curfew in the Borno State capital was said to pave the way for the troops deployed to the state to embark on a house- to- house search, as well as face insurgents still residing within the metropolis and Jere council area.

A  press release  by the JTF spokesman, Musa, said, “In order to sustain the ongoing Special Operations in the face of recent Boko Haram attacks in some areas within Maiduguri metropolis, the JTF is imposing 24hours curfew with effect from today (Saturday), 18 May, 2013”..

He stated that the areas/wards include Gamboru-Customs Area, Mari Kuwait Area of University of Maiduguri, Bakin Kogi Area and Kasuwan Shanu-Kofar Biyu Area.

Other areas under the 24hours curfew are Rawan Zafi-Customs Area, 202 Housing Estate, Bama Road, 303 Housing Estate Bama Road, Dakiwa Lowcost Housing Estate.

Also affected are Simari-Zannari-Kwanan Yobe Area, 505 Abba Gana Terab Housing Estate, Muna Garage Road, Chad Basin Muna Garage Road, Baga Road Federal Lowcost Area, Bolori, Jajeri and Umamari Area.

The JTF appealed to the public to continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information which will assist the troops in carrying out their assignment.

The statement said JTF operatives could be reached on phone numbers 08064174066, 07085464012, 08154429346 and 08142333138 to pass on information on terror activities.

`LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS’
Hinting that the option of dialogue was still open to the Boko Haram insurgents, President Jonathan asked them, yesterday, to surrender.

“Those (insurgents) who are willing to dialogue and lay down their weapons can approach the National Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on the Security Challenges in Northern Nigeria. The work of that Committee remains significant and relevant, and it is bound to be impactful”, the president, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr Reuben Abati, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, said.

He declared that “there can be no illusion of simplicity where the fight against terrorism is involved.”

Jonathan noted  that “terrorists strike at will with deadly cruelty”, adding, “The overriding consideration (in imposing emergency rule) is the peace, security and stability of Nigeria. While the option of dialogue and peaceful resolution is being pursued, government will also not condone impunity of any sort, or the obvious attempt by terrorists to create and run  an enclave within the Nigerian state.

“If anyone is in doubt, the Commander in Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces has made it clear: this government will not tolerate any attempt to violate the sovereignty of Nigeria. Those who are willing to dialogue and lay down their weapons can approach the National Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on the Security Challenges in Northern Nigeria. The work of that Committee remains significant and relevant, and it is bound to be impactful.”

`OPERATE BY THE RULES’

In the meantime, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has advised the military to respect the sanctity of human lives, especially civilians who are not involved in the crisis in the three states where  emergency rule has been imposed.

According to the Chairman of the Forum, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who is also the governor of Niger State, in a press statement  by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, yesterday, in Minna,  security agencies deployed to the affected states should operate by their rules of engagement.

The Forum expressed support for the emergency rule while believing the dispensation  will complement the offer of amnesty made to Boko Haram to restore peace to the North.

The statement called on the people of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa to  cooperate with the military personnel in enforcing the emergency rule to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

The governors, while commending Jonathan for taking the action, appealed to members of Boko Haram  to accept government’s gesture of amnesty so that lasting peace could  return to the North and Nigeria in general.

The NSGF  commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in an attack by gunmen in Daura, Katsina State, on Thursday, and advised citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement or persons to the police or other security agencies.

A  regular meeting of the Forum, scheduled to hold in Kaduna on Tuesday, has been shifted to Tuesday, May 28, 2013 to allow governors of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa  states monitor the take off of the emergency rule in their domains.

Top on the agenda of the meeting is deliberation on the report of the Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and security submitted to the governors in Abuja last month. The meeting will also discuss the proclamation of emergency rule on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

INFILTRATION

In a statement on the arrest of 65 suspected insurgents, yesterday, the DHQ, in a statement, said, “In  continuation of the mission to rid the nation’s territories of all insurgents’ activities, the Special Forces have apprehended 65 persons confirmed to be terrorists as they made attempt to infiltrate Maiduguri while fleeing from various camps now under attack.

“A total of 11 vehicles, 4 tricycles and 24 handsets were also seized in the process.  All the suspects are in custody of Joint Task Force and are currently being interrogated.

“Meanwhile, the camps of the terrorists have been found deserted by fleeing insurgents when troops of the Special Task Force stormed the localities. The facilities have been occupied by troops”.

In another development, the statement said, “Troops have engaged and dislodged elements of insurgents groups who carried out attacks on citizens in localities such as Gamboru ward yesterday (Friday).

“At the end of the encounter, a total of 10 suspected terrorists were confirmed dead while weapons such as Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers, assorted ammunition and rifle magazines were recovered. The area is being combed to fish out any of the surviving insurgents.

“Also, some of the fleeing insurgents from various camps have been noted to be in search of fuel from neighboring communities.

“Citizens are advised to report to JTF, any group of persons roaming around the local communities with large quantities of containers in search of fuel. The advance of troops is continuing in all fronts as scheduled.

“The Defence Headquarters has further enjoined the troops to sustain the intensity of the operations”

FLEEING RESIDENTS
In the Marte district of Borno State, yesterday, some residents were fleeing east, towards a town on the Cameroon border, 42 kilometres away (26 miles). “It has been scary in the past three days,” said Buba Yawuri, whose home is in the town of Kwalaram in Marte but who has fled to the border town Gomboru Ngala. “Fighter jets and helicopters kept hovering in the sky and we kept hearing huge explosions from afar,” he said.

He said that as the air assaults began,  security forces told residents to stay indoors, cutting off his family’s access to food and water. “I couldn’t hold on any longer. I took the bush path and reached Gomboru Ngala early today (yesterday)”, he said.

Shafi’u Breima, a resident of Gomboru Ngala, said the border town was receiving a continuous flow of people arriving from Marte and neighbouring areas.
The phone network in Borno State has all but collapsed since the emergency measures were imposed but residents in Gomboru Ngala use phone services from Cameroon and have been sporadically reachable.

The remote, thinly populated region has porous borders where criminal groups and weapons have flowed freely for years. The military has sealed previously unguarded crossings to block Boko Haram fighters from fleeing during the offensive.

The military campaign could prove to be the biggest ever against Boko Haram and is believed to be the first time Nigeria has carried out air strikes within its own territory in more than 25 years. Aerial support was believed to have been used against rioters in the North in the early 1980s. Many have warned that there is a risk of high civilian deaths and Nigeria’s military has been accused of massive rights violations in the past, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said, on Friday, that he was “deeply concerned about the fighting in northeastern Nigeria” and urged the security forces to “apply disciplined use of force in all operations.”

There are also doubts as to whether the insurgency can be crushed by force, amid concerns that the militants will scatter and re-emerge when the offensive eases,.Nigeria has been urged by various camps to tackle the root social causes of the conflict, including acute poverty and government corruption which has helped radicalise many young Muslims in the North.

The conflict is estimated to have cost 3,600 lives since 2009, including killings by security forces.

We know Jonathan is fighting Amaechi over 2105 Presidential Bid.

INTERVIEW WITH PROF TAM DAVID WEST FORMERLY KNOWN AS CHIDIADI HARAIWE

Tam David-West

Prof. Tam David-West, a former Petroleum Minister and later Minister for Mines, Power and Steel, speaks on the state of the nation with ALLWELL OKPI

Having been in government twice as minster, what do you think about the state of the nation today?

If these bombs going off everyday kills any of these corrupt leaders, I will not shed any tears; I’ll clap, because they are destroying the system. It has become so bad that graduates are looking for driver jobs because there are no jobs. Graduates are serving as waiters in hotels and we say that we are a great country. During my time as minister, $1.5 was one naira. Two naira was £1. Now it is N240 to £1 and N160 to $1. That was how powerful we were. And they say we are not a failed state. If we are not a failed state, then we are a fast failing state. The earlier we realise it, the better. Nigeria needs emergency. President Goodluck Jonathan should use his power as the President to declare the whole of Nigeria an emergency state.

The aviation ministry has said it would launch an investigation into the documents that River State Government used to purchase its aircraft. What is your take on this?

That plane has been flying in Nigeria for nearly one year. If the aviation ministry tells me that the Rivers State’s plane was flying in the country without documents, and they did not know, that is self indictment. How can a plane fly in your air space for one year and it is now you realise that it does not have documents? What if it was an enemy’s plane? Governor Rotimi Amaechi cannot be that irresponsible to fly a plane without documents. In all of these, my question is, why now? What has Amaechi done? During the 2011 election, Jonathan had the highest vote in Rivers State. Without the help of the governor of the state, he couldn’t have gotten that and they are very close. The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, was Amaechi’s bosom friend. Wike was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff. All that is happening in Rivers is personal and it is dragging the state and the country back. Jonathan heard that Amaechi wants to contest for vice-president in 2015. He (Jonathan) started fighting him. It’s all personal vendetta. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which is a forum of all state governors, does not belong to the Peoples Democratic Party, and should not be under the control of the President. I’ve told Jonathan before, I can reveal it. There is a proverb in Ijaw which says that if you chase a chicken too much, you will fall down and the chicken will go. If all Jonathan is doing is to guarantee 2015, I tell you, Jonathan may lose 2015 by fighting 2013. Amaechi has controlled the state very well. They expected action and reaction from the state which would have led to a crisis and then they would have declared a state of emergency. But if they are not careful, the way they are going, they will plunge this country into a serious crisis. It happened in the West, when (Ladoke) Akintola and (Obafemi) Awolowo were fighting. How did it end?

Campaign for re-election of Jonathan in 2015 seems to have heated up with recent controversial comments by Asari-Dokubo and others.

People like Asari-Dokubo cannot help him. Asari-Dokubo is my cousin. How can Asari-Dokubo give Jonathan the presidency? He said the northerners are parasites. He used to stay with me. He dropped out of the university twice. He dropped out from the University of Port Harcourt; he dropped out from the University of Calabar. If you did elementary biology, you will know that there is no state in the country that is a parasite. Is it people like Edwin Clark that will help him win election? Edwin Clark abused me that as a former Minister of Petroleum, I don’t have a house. I think if I don’t have a  house as petroleum minister, then it’s a plus to me. The total votes Jonathan had in the Ijaw area is 24 per cent, they should go and check. It was not the Ijaw people that put Jonathan in Aso Rock. Jonathan is in Aso Rock due to Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba. The lady who moved the motion for the adoption of doctrine of necessity, Prof. Dora Akunyili, is Igbo. The person that moved the motion for Jonathan to become acting President is an Hausa. Ijaw people contributed less than 24 per cent to Jonathan becoming President. Therefore, Jonathan cannot allow Asari-Dokubo and others to be abusing people that made him the President. How many people are loyal to Asari-Dokubo? It’s just the Niger-Delta People’s Volunteer Force. That group does not exist again.

As a former petroleum minister, how do you rate the current administration’s management of the country’s petroleum resources and the economy?

They have been talking about excess crude account, but there is nothing like excess crude account. What we have is extra crude account. There is a difference between excess and extra. When you talk about excess crude account, it means you have done everything and there is still more money. If you based your budget on $40 for example, and if later on, oil price went up to $50 per barrel, the $10 difference is not excess. It is extra. There is nothing called excess crude account. It’s a lie. It is intellectually fraudulent. And they would say our foreign reserves have gone to several billions, I’m not impressed. What do we want to do with that? Have you taken care of the country? it’s like somebody saying he has N10m in his bank account and is not able to feed himself and his children.

I still have hope. God will intervene. But things cannot continue like this. We are slipping gradually into anarchy. Between anarchy and collapse is a very little stop. The polity is heated. Next year will be very hot. I’m not sure what will happen between now and the end of the year. I can see more crises.

But don’t you think the state of emergency declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states would stop the crisis in the North, and save the country from the looming anarchy?

I’ve told them that emergency rule will not stop crisis. The Federal Government cannot win Boko Haram with force of arms. When it was happening in Niger Delta, I told them they cannot stop the militants with force and they realised it. You can only disperse the insurgency with force.

Recently, the International Monetary Fund asked the Nigerian government to remove fuel subsidy. Considering the protest of it generated in 2012, what should the Federal Government do? 

IMF has no right to ask the Federal Government to remove subsidy. When I was in government during Shehu Shagari’s time, they were negotiating some IMF loan, (Muhammadu) Buhari came and received IMF loan; (Ibrahim) Babangida came and received IMF loan. If you want me to borrow money from you and I say I don’t want to borrow money and you say I must borrow, that means that something is wrong with you. IMF cannot be friends with Nigeria. Both IMF and World Bank do not mean well for Nigeria. The fact is that there is no fuel subsidy. Anybody talking about fuel subsidy is fraudulent. If IMF said there is fuel subsidy, then IMF is fraudulent. I have a document in which (Ngozi) Okonjo-Iweala, who is the Minister of Finance, said there wasmago mago in the administration of the so-called subsidy. We are paying for fuel that was not imported. They would move fuel from Port Harcourt to Lagos, they would say they brought from abroad. There is no fuel subsidy. Didn’t they say that if fuel did not sell for N141 per litre, Nigeria will collapse? The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido, said so. Jonathan said there was no going back. Didn’t he bring it down to N97 per litre? Has Nigeria collapsed? All of them are lying. I’ve been challenging them for about eight months now. I challenge Jonathan and his ministers to a public debate and I will prove to them that there is no fuel subsidy. Fuel should not cost more than N40 per litre in Nigeria. I said it; a professor in Texas, USA said the same thing that it should be around N39.50. They are lying, they know how much they are gaining. There are four refineries and none of them is operating at 40 per cent capacity. They deliberately destroyed the refineries so that they can import fuel.

As a member of the constitution drafting committee in 1979, what would you say is wrong with the Nigerian Constitution?

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the Nigerian Constitution. When we were drafting the 1979 Constitution, we worked for 11 months and we did not have allowance. We produced a document, which became the 1979 Constitution, which former Justice Mohammed Uwais said was the best constitution. There is nothing wrong with our constitution; the problem is with the people. Obasanjo said there were 11 errors in the constitution. When Murtala Mohammed died, that was the constitution that was handed to him (Obasanjo). He said there were errors in the constitution because he wanted to smuggle in his third term agenda. Immediately the issue of third term was over, there were no longer errors in the constitution. And let me tell you, all they are doing in Abuja in the name of constitution review, amount to a waste of time. The National Assembly cannot change the constitution by one letter. How to change the constitution is clear, what they are doing is rubbish. They have no power to amend the constitution. If you want to amend the constitution, the National Assembly has to agree by the majority that there is something to be amended. Then two-third of all the state Houses of Assembly must agree. This means Houses of Assembly in at least 24 states would have to approve the amendment. Then you come back to the House again. So, they have not even started. It’s just a waste of time. What they have been saying that the 1979 Constitution was imposed on Nigerians by the military is a lie. I will soon publish what Murtala Mohammed said when he inaugurated us. He said, ‘recommend anything.’ No military government imposed 1979 Constitution on us. How can you say you have somebody like Chief Rotimi Williams and teleguide him? Other eminent lawyers like Prof. Ben Nwabueze were there. The constitution amendment they are doing is nothing but an exercise in futility. It’s obvious that most of them in the National Assembly have not read the constitution. It is like saying you are a Christian and you have not read the Bible. If they have read the constitution they would have stopped this exercise. It’s so bad that they cannot even create states; they cannot change local governments. When we were writing the constitution, Rotimi Williams told us that by putting the names of the states, it means that nobody can create states and local governments without going through constitution amendment and constitution amendment is difficult. It is difficult because that constitution is the fundamental law of the country.

You recently criticised the Federal Government of exposing the country too much to US intelligence. Why did you say so?

Yes, I said so and I still stand by it. The US Federal Bureau of Intelligence was to open an office in Nigeria and I said they should not. If you allow the intelligence agency of a foreign country to open an office in your country, are you not making your country more porous? Worse still, it is a country that is more sophisticated than Nigeria. Our politicians are fond of glamorising America, but they would never tried to improve our infrastructure and system to be like what they see when they travel to America. What Jonathan is doing, no American President can try it. In a federation, no state is subject to the Federal Government. They are partners. No president can dictate to a state governor what to do. But here Jonathan can order state governors. That is even worse than military government. Murtala Muhammed did not dictate to states. The governors are executives in their states, and the President is the executive at the federal level, so the President has no constitutional right to dictate to state governors. They must stop these excesses. This arrogance of power must stop or we will go into chaos.

The new Petroleum Industry Bill has been controversial. What’s your opinion of it?

There are some good parts in the bill, but it is a political bill. A bill that has 40 words as title cannot be a serious bill. The new PIB has 40 words as title, so it’s a rambling document. There are a lot of things in it. If you look at the bill, they are to open a petroleum institute at Effurun, Delta State and open another one in Kaduna for the middle man. I think the oil producing states should set-up a high-powered panel of professionals to look at that bill in order for them to take a common stand, because that bill has a lot of politics in it. There are attractive areas, but look beyond the attractive areas. Oil-producing states shouldn’t just buy the bill like that.

But can’t the new PIB help solve the Niger-Delta problem?

It can’t. Niger-Delta problem is not about petroleum. Hundreds of Asari-Dokubo cannot get Nigerians to fight. Can he fight? How can he say if Jonathan is not re-elected, Niger-Delta will go into crisis?

Do you agree that the standard of education has fallen in Nigeria?

Education is finished. We had about 128 universities about two weeks ago, now they have added 10 more universities. That is irresponsible. Jonathan opened one university in his town, Federal University of Otuoke. We should equip the universities we have. I’ve been teaching in the university since 1967, I know that the standard has gone down so much.

What can be done to revive the education sector?

To be strict; we have over one million students in Nigerian universities; this does not include those in distant learning. We graduated hundreds of thousands of them and there are no jobs. It is bad enough that you leave the secondary and there is no job. It is bad that people graduate from the university and there is no job, then instead of creating high-level manpower, we are creating high-level criminals. It’s very bad.

The North seems hell-bent on getting a President from the region in 2015.

The North is not hell-bent on getting a northerner as President in 2015. Some reckless Ijaw are even more hell-bent in getting Jonathan to go for second term. There is nothing like northern domination in Nigeria. To be the President of Nigeria, you must have popular votes from different parts of the country. We have 36 states, about half are in the North and the rest, in the South. So, one part cannot really dominate the other. The North is not insisting on the next President coming from the North. Every party has the right to institute any policy they want. PDP said there should be rotation between North and South and Jonathan said yes and signed. Now, you signed that you are going for one term, the Governor of Niger State, Aliyu Babangida, is a responsible man, he cannot be lying. If they are serious, let them form a committee and Aliyu will present the document to the committee. The way Jonathan is going, if he does not restrain the people who are speaking for him, he will lose 2015 in 2013.