Inside Port Harcourt Airport
The Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Saleh Dunoma,
Latest Nigeria political and Celebrity news
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Equipment at Nigeria airports acquired over 30 years ago, FAAN MD tells Senate
Inside Port Harcourt Airport
Nigeria: Aviation Ministry Funding Stopped After Oduah Left - Perm Sec
The Senate ad hoc Committee on Aviation which is chaired by Rabiu Kwankwaso (APC-Kano State) Tuesday, held a public hearing on Tuesday.
Heads of parastatals and other officials of the Ministry of Aviation led by the Permanent Secretary, Binta Bello, attended the hearing at the National Assembly.
Ms. Bello lamented the challenge of funding which she said was affecting the Nigerian aviation sector, particularly infrastructure at various airports.
Ms. Bello said,
Dear President Buhari, You Do Not Have to Appoint Ministers Without Portfolios!, By Ogaga Ifowod
If fair representation in government is the goal, then that is more perfectly taken care of by the legislature which, lest we forget, is an arm of the government! In any case, the mere appointment of an individual from a state does not in any way guarantee fairness to every individual or group inhabitant of that state. For instance, the Isoko people have never had a minister appointed from their midst in all of the 55 years of Nigeria’s independence!
In a short period of one week,
Ministerial appointee hands over at NEITI
The outgoing Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Zainab Ahmed, on Tuesday handed over the management of the agency to the Director of Communications of the agency, Ogbannaya Orji.
Mrs. Ahmed is one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees confirmed last week by the Senate.
In her valedictory speech Tuesday,
Saraki: How the messy past haunts the moment
The tremulous pressure oozing from nooks and crannies against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki can pass him as one of the most disturbed Senate President Nigeria has ever had. History was. however, set to reckon him as such.
The son of late Abubakar Saraki of blessed memory who is a benefactor of his father’s political dynasty has unarguably played into the murky waters of Nigerian politics for sure.
His emergence as Senate President on June 29th had let loose hierarchy of demons who have refused to leave him alone to preside over Nigeria’s 8th Assembly, thus, he has been moving from one Court to the other, battling with cases and sometimes the National Assembly has to close down against legislative timetable because he must appear in person. That happened on September 16th and November 21st, when Justice Danladi Umar’s led Code of Conduct Tribunal asked that he be produced in person having lost injunctions at appeal court in an attempt to stop the Order, to defend himself.
None of these legal fireworks ever ended in his favour, thereby creating a woe situation of things for him. This has negatively affected his coordination of plenaries as the sagacity with which he is to manage the Assembly was yet to be seen.
For instance, on the 21st of September, 2015 when he had to unavoidably confront a litmus test of an envisaged stormy but controversial screening notably because of a well publicised Amaechi saga, expectedly, Saraki would have acquainted himself with relevant laws (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended) and extant laws – Standing rules of the Senate which is an instrument used to coordinate legislative activities into a workable system. But to the consternation of all discerning minds, and in the face of stiff opposition to Amaechi’s screening by the minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, Saraki was bereft of invoking the necessary sections of standing rules so as to rule Akpabio out of order.
It was Senator Omoworare that later did the job, but before then, the red Chambers had become a theater of confusion before PDP Senators staged a walkout, something that never happened before.
It falls within the purview of this assertion that Mr. Senate President should retreat to read all relevant instruments, package himself psychologically and be in his frame of mind to traverse with precision the art and science of governing plenary.
Saraki’s trouble stand on tripod: (1) 13-count charges of corruption, false declaration of anticipatory assets and abuse of office where he enriched himself against public trust, (2) managing his opposition colleagues – the Peoples Democratic Party Senators on whose back he rode to Senate Presidency, and, (3) those of his APC households who prefer Senator Ahmed Lawan as Senate President to him. They swore to take his pound of flesh and to see him (Saraki) fall like an Iroko tree.
What obviously played out regarding Amaechi, was conflict of interests that eventually define Saraki’s loyalty and for doing what he did after all were said, he deserves to be applauded.
Standing between the devil and deep blue sea, Saraki’s plea and show of magnanimity to the camp of Lawan to sooth Sword was continually seen as an aberration and the body language of the way he is treated. But the Saraki we know will not succumb to the coward’s alternative by throwing in the towel Midway.
Once again, the Appeal Court has thrown out his case “suo motu”, and said the Code of Conduct Tribunal has jurisdiction to try him. He might have not envisioned as at 2003, that trauma would be waiting in the wings on account of those weighty allegations been pounded by CCT. What he should stop doing at this moment is not the retinue of Senators on empathy once he is to go to the Tribunal, for mere empathy has no impact on the force of law in trial of this matter, but to get set to defend himself so as to maintain the integrity of office he currently occupies.
He should let go the impression of putting number three man in the dock which used to be considered as an aberration and a sacrilege in the past, but brace up with the reality of today’s change mantra where administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 has criminalised false declaration of assets.
MTN Nigeria fined $5.2-billion
Seven months after a dramatic election that toppled Nigeria’s government, the world is still waiting for a clear economic policy to emerge in Africa’s most populous country. But its shocking decision to demand a $5.2-billion (U.S.) fine from a cellphone company is offering some early hints of change.
The fine has triggered turmoil and stock losses at MTN Group, the South African cellphone giant, which is frantically struggling to get the size of the Nigerian penalty reduced. It also sheds light on the stern disciplinary attitude of President Muhammadu Buhari, the retired army general and former coup leader who won the March election.
Mr. Buhari still has not named a finance minister or settled key questions about Nigeria’s embattled currency. The country has slumped to its slowest growth in a decade because of falling oil prices.
But, as the biggest economy on the continent with vast oil wealth and a population of nearly 180 million, Nigeria remains a fascinating target for foreign investors, who see it as a potentially important consumer market in the future.
That is why so many investors have been rattled by Nigerian regulators’ stunning announcement that they had fined MTN $5.2-billion for failing to cut off unregistered SIM cards. Few people doubted that MTN had violated the regulations, but the sheer size of the fine caused an uproar.
MTN, the biggest mobile phone company in Africa, with 62 million subscribers in Nigeria alone, has seen its stock plunge by about 25 per cent since the fine was announced last week. On Monday, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange suspended trading in MTN shares for several hours because the stock was being hammered by reports that the company had agreed to pay the entire fine. The company denied the reports, insisting it is “engaging” with the Nigerian government to reach a “mutually agreeable” solution.
Nigerian officials have expressed concern that criminals or terrorists could use MTN’s unregistered SIM cards – numbering more than five million – as a way of evading police surveillance. The huge fine is seen as evidence that Mr. Buhari’s highest priority is not the economy but national security and the battle against the Boko Haram terrorist organization, which has killed thousands of civilians with bombs and bullets in recent years.
The MTN fine, along with smaller ones against two Nigerian banks for violating banking regulations, is also seen as an indication that Mr. Buhari will demand strict enforcement of regulations that were often ducked in the past. Nigerian officials have accused MTN of ignoring repeated warnings to deactivate all SIM cards that were not properly registered with the photos and fingerprints of the owners.
Corruption and lax regulation have long plagued Nigeria, allowing revenue to leak from official channels and keeping most of its people poor while a politically connected elite became rich. But the crackdown on MTN suggests Mr. Buhari wants to run a tighter ship. He has already moved to take tougher action on corruption in the oil industry.
“This is a government that won’t tolerate business as usual,” said Dianna Games, head of a Johannesburg-based business advisory firm, Africa@Work, and a specialist in Nigeria’s economy.
“This is a wake-up call to investors. It’s a very strong lesson for MTN and other companies that the government won’t tolerate these violations of regulations.”
But the massive size of the MTN fine has fuelled allegations that the government is simply making a cash grab at a time when it lacks budgetary funds for its election promises. The $5.2-billion amount is equal to more than one-third of the Nigerian government’s total revenue in the first half of this year and it would wipe out MTN’s global profit for the past two years.
“The punishment doesn’t fit the crime,” Ms. Games said in an interview on Tuesday. “The issue is the unpredictability of it. The size of the fine seems shocking and unreasonable. Surely the intention is not to bankrupt one of Nigeria’s biggest investors.”
MTN gave investors some reassurance on Tuesday when it announced that Nigerian regulators had agreed to renew the company’s operating licence and operating spectrum for five years for a fee of about $94-million. The licence and spectrum had been due to expire in February. An MTN spokesman said the five-year extension was “a demonstration of confidence” from the regulators.
Despite the MTN turmoil, other foreign investors are still interested in Nigeria. At an Africa business conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday, an executive of U.S.-based Kellogg Co. praised the Nigerian market. “It’s a really diverse economy, not just driven by oil,” said Gerald Mahinda, managing director for sub-Saharan Africa for Kellogg, which recently invested $450-million in a Nigerian food sales company.
“Over the long term, you can manage the risks, because the returns on investment are so high,” he said.
African press review 4 November 2015
According to Vanguard, Buhari spoke his mind at a brief ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, after receiving the list of confirmed ministerial nominees from Senate President Bukola Saraki. No date has been scheduled for the inauguration of the cabinet.
The newspaper reports that the President’s remarks have caused tension among the ministers-designate who have been hanging around Abuja and waiting for a call from the Presidency to come and assume office.
Meanwhile, a former minister of transport and aviation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday for declaring that Nigeria is broke.
Babatope, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), told Daily Sun that the opposition party and Nigerians were watching Buhari to see how he would handle the economy with all the “noise” the All Progressives Congress made during the 2015 general elections.
On the president’s intention to have ministers without portfolios, Babatope said the southern part of the country had been cheated through various appointments Buhari has made so far which were mostly in favour of the north.
In South Africa, BusinessDay has breaking news from Nigeria for MTN after Nigerian authorities announced the renewal of the mobile phone service provider's licence for another five years.
The paper says MTN stock rose 5% to close at R155.54 after Tuesday’s announcement. However, according to the paper, it is still caught up in a crisis over a $5.2bn fine from the Nigerian Communications Commission for unregistered SIM cards on its network.
MTN’s original licence was issued in 2001 and is due to expire in February next year. The five-year licence period is much shorter and could put further pressure on MTN in its single largest market.
MTN said it would have to pay a spectrum fee of $94.2m by the end of December and the licence was "conditional upon MTN fulfilling all its regulatory obligations."
Mail and Guardian warns that South Africa is in danger of becoming a radicalized society. That’s according to a column published by Mail and Guardian this Wednesday as the country comes to terms with the “no school fees” campaign.
The paper claims that are similarities between what’s happening today and the mood in South Africa in the 1940s – the results of which altered the country’s course, for the worse.
The Johannesburg publication holds in the article that “exclusivist nationalists” pursue a form of nationalism that is driven primarily by a keen sense of distinctiveness. They desire to elevate it at the expense of others. Radical actors locate their policy goals toward one pole of the policy spectrum and create polarisation. They express an urgency to achieve their goals, evident in an unwillingness to bargain or be patient.
For Mail and Guardian, moderates realise that inherent in democracy is a core tension requiring significant maturity – that of balancing. They also grasp that for the sustainable future of a democracy, it is imperative that certain ingredients come to the fore such as moderation, which recognises and accommodates differing political beliefs; pragmatism, instead of a rigid ideological approach; a measure of institutional and social trust; willingness to compromise; and civility, which implies a respect for other views.
The newspaper reports that the President’s remarks have caused tension among the ministers-designate who have been hanging around Abuja and waiting for a call from the Presidency to come and assume office.
Meanwhile, a former minister of transport and aviation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday for declaring that Nigeria is broke.
Babatope, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), told Daily Sun that the opposition party and Nigerians were watching Buhari to see how he would handle the economy with all the “noise” the All Progressives Congress made during the 2015 general elections.
On the president’s intention to have ministers without portfolios, Babatope said the southern part of the country had been cheated through various appointments Buhari has made so far which were mostly in favour of the north.
In South Africa, BusinessDay has breaking news from Nigeria for MTN after Nigerian authorities announced the renewal of the mobile phone service provider's licence for another five years.
The paper says MTN stock rose 5% to close at R155.54 after Tuesday’s announcement. However, according to the paper, it is still caught up in a crisis over a $5.2bn fine from the Nigerian Communications Commission for unregistered SIM cards on its network.
MTN’s original licence was issued in 2001 and is due to expire in February next year. The five-year licence period is much shorter and could put further pressure on MTN in its single largest market.
MTN said it would have to pay a spectrum fee of $94.2m by the end of December and the licence was "conditional upon MTN fulfilling all its regulatory obligations."
Mail and Guardian warns that South Africa is in danger of becoming a radicalized society. That’s according to a column published by Mail and Guardian this Wednesday as the country comes to terms with the “no school fees” campaign.
The paper claims that are similarities between what’s happening today and the mood in South Africa in the 1940s – the results of which altered the country’s course, for the worse.
The Johannesburg publication holds in the article that “exclusivist nationalists” pursue a form of nationalism that is driven primarily by a keen sense of distinctiveness. They desire to elevate it at the expense of others. Radical actors locate their policy goals toward one pole of the policy spectrum and create polarisation. They express an urgency to achieve their goals, evident in an unwillingness to bargain or be patient.
For Mail and Guardian, moderates realise that inherent in democracy is a core tension requiring significant maturity – that of balancing. They also grasp that for the sustainable future of a democracy, it is imperative that certain ingredients come to the fore such as moderation, which recognises and accommodates differing political beliefs; pragmatism, instead of a rigid ideological approach; a measure of institutional and social trust; willingness to compromise; and civility, which implies a respect for other views.
Nigeria’s gay pastor, Jide celebrates 50th birthday
Rev Rowland Jide Macaulay, the gay minister who founded House of Rainbow, Nigeria’s only gay church, which was forced to close in 2008, has expressed his gratitude to God in celebration of his 50th birthday.
“It is unbelievable that this moment has come. I AM 50 YEAR OLD. I am delighted and grateful to the almighty God, who is incomparable, the omnipotent and magnificent God. If I have a thousand tongues it is not enough to express my gratitude. I just want to say THANK YOU GOD.
Jide Macaulay
I also want to say thanks to my parents, who laboured in my upbringing, though my mother is late. I believe she is looking down from heaven with joy and blessings for my future. I am grateful for my dad too, who through all hardship has the forbearance of hope and wisdom of a father.
I want to say thanks to the thousands of people who have befriended me in joyful and difficult circumstances, too numerous to mention here, but I am joyful because of the unavoidable contributions in my life.
Half a century is a gift, everyday will always be a precious bonus.
I say THANK YOU JESUS, MY SAVIOUR AND MY LORD,” he posted on his facebook account.
Half a century is a gift, everyday will always be a precious bonus.
I say THANK YOU JESUS, MY SAVIOUR AND MY LORD,” he posted on his facebook account.
Macaulay first set up House of Rainbow in 2006, when he openly held Sunday services in a Lagos hotel hall decked out with rainbow flags. A public backlash culminated in members being beaten as they left church. Macaulay fled to the UK after death threats.
Nigeria Airlines Can't Service Aviation Agencies - Arik Air MD
Lagos — The Managing Director of Arik Air, Mr. Chris Ndulue, has expressed concern over high tariffs federal government aviation agencies impose on Nigerian airlines, saying the domestic airlines are not strong enough to be sources of revenue for the agencies.
Ndulue, who spoke on the sideline of a press briefing to mark the ninth anniversary of the airline and launch of travel insurance for passengers, urged government to devise alternative means of funding the agencies.
He said "What I feel is that at this stage of our development in the aviation industry, I do not think that Nigerian airlines are strong enough to become a source of money for agencies. I think this is the time when we have to look at alternative ways of raising money, instead of depending on airlines to fund the agencies because that is what these tariffs are meant to achieve".
On the feats recorded by Arik Air since inception in October 2006, Ndulue said from only four aircraft that it started with beginning with the Lagos-Abuja flight, the airline now has 28 aircraft in its fleet, flying 19 domestic and 12 regional/international destinations.
And from just 29,363 passengers flown at the outset in 2006, the airline has so far airlifted 17,304,741 passengers by September 30, 2005.
He disclosed that the company is on the verge of being listed for an Initial Public Offer (IPO) on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2017, while it has completed the process for its private placement for prospective investors in the first quarter of 2016.
He added that the airline would be extending its Abidjan operations to Dakar in Senegal from mid-November and starting operations to Libreville in Gabon in the first quarter of 2016.
Other plans for 2016 include the acquisition of six new aircraft comprising two units each of Q400s, CRJ 1000s and A330-200s and launch of its Lagos to Rome operations.
He welcomed the decision to suspend further devaluation of the naira, saying it is good for the airline industry.
What has happened to Nigeria’s climate pledge?
President Buhari has yet to sign off submission of Africa’s most populous country to a UN Paris deal, to the frustration of civil society
(Pic: flickr/jbdodane)
By Megan Darby
At the UN General Assembly in September, President Muhammadu Buhari said Nigeria was “strongly committed” to a global deal on climate change.
Backed by EU funding, consultants have drawn up a plan to green Africa’s biggest oil producer and protect its 170 million citizens from shifting weather patterns.
But more than a month after the deadline for national submissions to a Paris climate accord, that pledge has not made it to the UN’s inbox. What gives?
It is a question exercising Jibo Nura, a climate researcher and campaigner, who wrote to top federal officials this week demanding answers.
“I didn’t see any will, any effort from the federal ministry of the environment or the presidency,” he tells Climate Home. So far, 155 countries have entered pledges, including many African states. Nura asked: “Why is Nigeria lagging behind?”
That tardiness also drew comment from Stephane Gompertz, French climate diplomat for the region, last month.
“It is a pity,” he told West African news service Climate Reporters in Abuja. “Nigeria is a country which has great potential in renewable energies. So, Nigeria should set an example for other countries.”
One reason is not exclusive to climate change: five months after taking office, President Buhari has yet to appoint any ministers. The senate president on Tuesday presented a list of 36 candidates screened by the National Assembly, to be allocated portfolios.
That means he has no trusted colleagues to advise him on a range of issues, not least what emissions reduction target to sign off.
Atayi Babs, editor of Climate Reporters, is not optimistic about the quality of advice he can expect.
“By the look of things, the president will not have anybody who is environmentally sound around him,” he says.
“In the list of ministers he has released, there is no-one who has been involved in the climate change process.”
Ricardo, a multinational consultancy founded in the UK, has provided technical analysis to several developing countries, including Nigeria.
Along with domestic experts, it drafted options that were forwarded to the president in September. At the same time, they gave a presentation to civil society groups. None were allowed to take a copy of the document.
Contacts at Ricardo and Nigeria’s environment ministry declined to comment on either the content of the climate pledge or process for developing it.
While some NGOs were unhappy to see foreign involvement in the national strategy, they broadly agreed the proposed targets were “ambitious and realistic,” says Babs. “What they were wary of was: is the government ready to commit?”
Oil and gas provides around 35% of Nigeria’s GDP, according to OPEC, making it a strategically important sector.
It is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, with creaking infrastructure in the Niger delta notorious for oil spills and gas flaring.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development singled out Shell for failing to clean up its act. The impact of contamination on fishing and farming livelihoods make it a human rights issue.
The government turns a blind eye, says Babs: “Even when there are laws punishing [oil companies] for every spill, for every flare, they [officials] really don’t apply those laws.”
There are more signs of progress on clean energy, with regulators requiring electricity distributors to get 50% from renewable sources.
Meanwhile, climate change is worsening water scarcity in the country’s northeast,contributing to conflict and the rise of terrorist group Boko Haram.
Nura would like to see Nigeria target emissions cuts of 35% from business as usual by 2025 and 40% by 2030.
He is also looking forward to a national climate rally on 30 November: “A lot of people will come out and march and show their grievances at Nigeria’s lack of commitment to the UN climate change agreement.”
Nigeria fully committed to peace in Africa – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said all efforts to achieve political stability and maintain peace in Africa will continue to receive Nigeria’s full support.
Buhari made the remark while speaking at an audience with Special Envoys of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said under his leadership, Nigeria will remain at the forefront of efforts to achieve enduring peace, security and progress in all African nations.
This, he said, was because whatever happens elsewhere in Africa affects Nigeria directly or indirectly.
He said African leaders must all do their best to achieve greater peace, political stability and security within their countries so that they can give more attention to the urgent task of improving the living conditions of their people.
FG, AATF Commission Confined Field Trial Facility for Genetically Improved Rice Production
The Federal Government, and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), on Wednesday commissioned Nigeria’s first Confined Field Trial (CFT) facility for the production of a genetically improved African rice variety.
It is known as Nitrogen-Use Efficient, Water-Use Efficient and Salt Tolerant (NEWEST) rice and is aimed at addressing the country's food challenge.
The Acting Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, who was represented by Mr. Abayomi Oguntunde, Director, Bio-Resources Technology, Federal Ministry of Science Technology, and the Executive Director, AATF, Mr. Dennis Kyetere who spoke at the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), in Badeggi, Niger state, averred that the project is aimed at increasing food productivity in the continent and in Nigeria in particular.
THISDAY however, gathered from AATF Project Coordinator, Mr. Kayode Sanni, that the technology will be used from 2016, in accelerating the product that will be developed.
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Achieving peace in Africa remains Nigeria’s priority – Buhari
ABUJA-President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja said that Nigeria would remain at the forefront of achieving political stability and peace in Africa, saying that his government was committed that.
The president spoke while in audience with the Special Envoys of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, Maj.-Gen. Evariste Ndayishimiye and Ambassador Dieudonne Kwizera, yesterday in Abuja.
According to him, Nigeria occupied a significant position on the continent and an unrest in any part of africa directly and indirectly affects the country.
The president also enjoined all African leaders to key into the task as a way of enhancing the living standards of their individual countries.
He thanked the envoys for briefing him on recent political developments in Burundi and expressed hope that all stakeholders in the country will resolve their differences peacefully and learn to work together for the development of their country even as he hailed the ongoing efforts by President Nkurunziza towards peace and national reconciliation in the country.
Alleged Interference In Akwa Ibom And Rivers States Governorship Election Tribunals: Let The Truth Be Told By Inibehe Effiong
The sustained vitriolic attacks and despicable campaign of calumny against the Nigerian judiciary and the presidency over the judgments delivered by the Governorship Election Tribunals of Akwa Ibom and Rivers States by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its appendages in the media and the civil society should be deprecated by every truth loving person in Nigeria.
Rivers Election Tribunal
The sustained vitriolic attacks and despicable campaign of calumny against the Nigerian judiciary and the presidency over the judgments delivered by the Governorship Election Tribunals of Akwa Ibom and Rivers States by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its appendages in the media and the civil society should be deprecated by every truth loving person in Nigeria.
Rivers Election Tribunal
It is beyond political partisanship and affiliation.
Those who violently raped and emasculated this country for several years before the historic election of President Muhammadu Buhari, should be reminded that Nigerians rejected their criminal proclivities resoundingly at the polls and voted overwhelmingly for change.
The endless cries of the sons of perdition and the daughters of the Philistine against the nullification of the internationally condemned make-believe governorship election in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States amounts to dancing on the graves of the innocent citizens of this country who were cruelly murdered by the agents of election robbers on April 11th, 2015. Those seeking to subvert the course of justice through mischievous propaganda and premeditated attacks on the judiciary should know that they have the blood of innocent Nigerians on their hands.
We cannot forget so soon the indisputable fact that the so-called governorship election in the two States was characterised by snatching of election materials, mass disenfranchisement of eligible voters, violence, arson, blood letting, murders, kidnappings, and other illicit acts unprecedented in the history of elections in Nigeria. The Tribunals of both States were confronted and presented with hard facts and incontrovertible evidence. In Akwa Ibom State, two security agencies, namely; the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) wrote compelling reports on what they observed during the purported April 11th election in the State.
For emphasis and clarity, the observation part of the NSCDC report which was tendered and admitted as Exhibit 12 at the Tribunal is reproduced below:
"It has been observed clearly, that the general conduct of the April 11th Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections was not properly conducted by [INEC] by all standards, it appears INEC had a close relationship with the sitting authority in the State. Thuggery, killings,and snatching of election materials was above average. Therefore, the general conduct of the Election on April 11th, 2015 Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections was marred with high level of violence and killings."
Also tendered and admitted by the Akwa Ibom Tribunal was Exhibit 337 which is the Certified True Copy of the report of the Nigeria Police Force on the said election duly signed by Assistant Inspector General (AIG) B. A. Bolanta, NPM, fwc, supervising AIG, Akwa Ibom State Command. The report is littered with incidences of violence, killings, kidnappings, macheting, snatching of ballot papers, etc. It is instructive to note that the Nigeria Police Force, the 5th respondent in the case, did not defend the petition. Despite being served with processes, the police declined to defend the 'election' at the Tribunal.
No evidence was led by the Respondents (Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, PDP, and INEC) to discredit or contradict Exhibits 12 and 337.
In the case of Rivers State, officers of the Nigerian Army who monitored the election in the State gave irresistible evidence at the Tribunal of how violence, murders, arson, and wanton brigandage scuttled the April 11th election in the State. Their testimony was effectively corroborated by Mr. Charles Okoye the Head of Election and Party Monitoring Department of INEC who insisted while testifying at the Tribunal that the Rivers governorship election was "a sham and a mockery of democracy".
Is it not true that the then PDP-led federal government of Goodluck Jonathan aided the rigging of elections in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States? What are the pretensions about? Were people not killed and houses and properties destroyed during the so-called governorship elections in these States? Why are some people talking as if they were on the moon when democracy was massacred on April 11th in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States? Or did the Nigerian Army, the Police, NSCDC, and international and local observers all conspire to vilify and castigate the so-called elections in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States?.
No matter how hard those who are lampooning the judiciary and President Buhari may try to harass and blackmail the Justices of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court before whom the decisions of the Akwa Ibom and Rivers Tribunals will be tested, the facts of what transpired on April 11th remains indelible. They may have succeeded in rigging the elections, but they will never succeed in their ongoing dispirited efforts to rig history.
The PDP, Governor Ayo Fayose, International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), and their surrogates in the media, etc, should know that apart from the judgment of the court of law, there are two other judgments; the judgment of God and the judgment of posterity.
In an attempt to discredit the judgments of the Tribunals, allusions have continually been made alleging "harassment" of the Akwa Ibom and Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioners by the Department of State Service (DSS). The questions are: how did the investigation of these persons by the DSS affect the proceedings of the Tribunals? Did the DSS restrain or bar any INEC official from testifying at the Tribunal? Is it not true that the ballot papers purportedly used for the Akwa Ibom State governorship election was wilfully immersed in water to frustrate inspection and forensic analysis by the Petitioners as ordered by the Tribunal? Does such despicable action by a so-called electoral umpire not constitute an electoral offense to warrant him being investigated sequel to a petition by the Petitioners?
Where was Prince Olisa Metuh, Governor Ayo Fayose, and their band of false alarmists when the people of Akwa Ibom were prevented from freely exercising their franchise on April 11th?. Is Governor Fayose who voted for himself during the June 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State aware that aside Mr. Umana Okon Umana of the APC, candidates of two other political parties, namely; Bishop Samuel Akpan of the Accord Party and Etebom Christopher Itiat of the DPP, gave evidence at the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal that they were denied the right to vote for themselves which was upheld as the truth by the Tribunal or is he talking simply because he thinks that responsible leadership is all about moving from one local beer parlour to another and sharing rice in the name of "stomach infrastructure"?
Where was Intersociety when innocent Nigerians were killed on April 11th, 2015 in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States? Intersociety's petition to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on the so-called "interference" of the Executive with the cases at the Tribunals makes a mockery of the very values that a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) with such a name should represent. Intersociety's petition is nothing but a by-product of 'Stomach Activism'.
Again, it has been suggested that the relocation of the Akwa Ibom and Rivers States Governorship Election Tribunals to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was in furtherance of a sinister plot to manipulate the outcome of the cases at the Tribunal. This is a very ludicrous and untenable argument. At whose insistence were these Tribunals relocated and what precipitated the applications for their relocation? The President of the Court of Appeal relocated the Tribunals to Abuja because of apparent and manifest security threats and concerns.
In the case of Akwa Ibom State, the PDP had practically turned the premises of the Tribunal in Uyo prior to its relocation to a party secretariat. While the Tribunal sat in Uyo, the PDP consistently mobilised thugs and its supporters in buses to the Tribunal at each sitting. This created a rancorous and tensed atmosphere which deprived the Tribunal of the serenity and decorum that was required for the judges, lawyers and witnesses to effectively attend the Tribunal without fear. Both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have ruled that the relocation of the Akwa Ibom and Rivers State Tribunals was constitutional, lawful, and justifiable given the security challenges in both States. So what is the cacophony about if the highest court of the land has agreed that there was security challenges to warrant the relocation?
How come the PDP is completely silent on the judgment given in favour of its leader in the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, given that the Tribunal that delivered the judgment (which is now a subject of debate and controversy) in the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial election petition case of Inibehe Okori vs Godswill Akpabio also sat in Abuja? Or is the issue now about the specific part of Abuja where each Tribunal sat? If the Presidency is interfering with the Tribunals why is it that other Tribunals, like that of Delta and Imo States, have given judgment in favour of the PDP?.
We all know that the PDP from inception despised the Card Reader with passion. The reasons are visible to the blind. With Card Reader, 16 will no longer be greater than 19 in Nigeria; with Card Reader, those who have been rigging elections in this country since 1999 will be consigned to the dustbin of history and political oblivion. For the PDP, cohesing and blackmailing the courts to reject Card Reader is a do or die affair.
Simply put, the Card Reader poses an existential threat to all that the PDP represents - rigging, murder, corruption, and other vices inherent in the party. Prior to the election, the party had ferociously resisted the use of the Card Reader. All sorts of dubious propaganda was orchestrated against the Card Reader. In the end, PDP lost and Nigeria won.
Card Reader survived the Executive, it survived the National Assembly, and I believe the Judiciary will be guided by the law and the overriding need to enhance our electoral process in reaching its verdict. From the legal point of view, I had previously written elaborately on why the Supreme Court should uphold the Card Reader therefore it is not necessary to re-argue that in this article. But suffice it so say that returning Nigeria to the pre Card Reader era will deal a deadly blow to our democracy and electoral process.
It is insulting to the collective sanity of the Nigerian people for the very cult of rascals who arrogantly deployed state apparatus, resources, and institutions in rigging the shambolic April 11th, 2015 gubernatorial elections in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States to be accusing the presidency of "interfering" with the judgments of the Election Tribunals. How come that the APC is unsatisfied with, and is appealing, against the controversial judgment of the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Tribunal if indeed the Tribunal's decision was at the behest of the presidency or the APC?.
Nigerians should understand that these unsubstantiated, malicious, and reckless accusations are aimed at infusing disaffection into the minds of gullible members of the public. Clearly, the principal objective of this sinful campaign is to intimidate and blackmail both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria into giving favourable judgments for the PDP.
May they never succeed.
Inibehe Effiong is a Legal Practitioner and the Convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD).
MTN Must Obey Nigerian Laws, South Africa's Ramaphosa Says
- $5.2 billion fine will have effect on South African economy
- Parliamentary panel plans to summon MTN to explain fine
MTN Group Ltd., Africa’s biggest mobile-phone company that’s facing a $5.2 billion fine in Nigeria, must follow the rules in countries where it does business, South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
“We will obviously be taking note of what is happening with a view of seeing how the company involved responds and reacts in this matter,” Ramaphosa told lawmakers in Cape Town on Wednesday. “We would like our companies to comply with the laws and regulations of countries where they operate, without violating those.”
The comments by Ramaphosa, a former chairman of MTN, suggest South African authorities may leave MTN to fend for itself as it seeks to have the penalty reduced. MTN shares have slumped 14 percent since Oct. 26, when Nigeria’s industry regulator imposed the fine for failing to disconnect customers with unregistered phone cards.
The Nigerian Communications Commission has given MTN until Nov. 16 to pay the fine, which relates to the timing of the disconnection of 5.1 million subscribers and is based on a charge of 200,000 naira ($1,005) for each unregistered customer. Nigeria is Johannesburg-based MTN’s biggest market with 62 million clients as of September.
“It does seem like in the case of Nigeria, there were issues, and those issues need to be addressed,” Ramaphosa said. “If this fine is indeed imposed as it is, it is going to impact on South Africa as well, as our revenue fortunes from a taxation point of view are going to be lower.”
South African authorities may be reluctant to confront their Nigerian counterparts following a series of diplomatic spats that have soured relations between Africa’s two biggest economies. The most recent occurred in April, when Nigeria’s government ordered its two most senior diplomats in South Africa to return home for consultations following a wave of attacks against immigrants, including Nigerians, in Johannesburg and Durban.
“South Africa does not have a track record of defending its national company champions internationally,” Nic Borain, a political analyst who advises BNP Paribas Cadiz Securities, said by phone. “On the face of it, this fine seems seriously over the top. Ramaphosa’s words about the issue seem weak as they veer too much on the side of caution.”
MTN Summoned
South Africa’s telecommunication and finance ministries didn’t immediately respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment.
Lawmakers plan to summon MTN officials to explain why the company was fined, Nkhensani Kubayi, chairwoman of Parliament’s telecommunications committee, said by phone from Cape Town. The panel also intends questioning the South African industry regulator to determine whether MTN is compliant with local rules, with hearings likely to take place next year, she said.
“I believe the South African government should be doing more than having a watching brief on what MTN does,” Athol Trollip, a lawmaker for the main opposition Democratic Alliance, said by phone. “They should give leadership on this.”
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