Ribadu, seven others withdraw from Adamawa guber race

Barely 24 hours to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary for the Adamawa governorship election, the former EFCC chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has withdrawn from the race.

Apart from Ribadu, seven other aspirants have also withdrawn, leaving only six to battle for the ticket of the party.

Others who withdrew are Awwal Tukur, Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa, James Barka, Aliyu Kama, Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei.

Those still in the race are Ahmed Gulak, Buba Marwa, Ahmed Modibbo, Umar Ardo, acting Governor Umaru Fintiri and Jerry Kumdisi.

This was the outcome of a crisis meeting held in Abuja on Thursday night with the aspirants by Senate President David Mark and members of the national working committee (NWC) of the party.

However, it was resolved that those who participate in Saturday’s primary ahead of the October 11 poll will not take part in the 2015 poll.

The meeting, which lasted for four hours ─ starting 9pm on Thursday and ending at 1am on Friday ─ was held at the Banquet Hall of the State House.

There had been fears among PDP members that the sheer number of aspirants and a bitter contest for the governorship ticket could tear the party apart ahead of the poll.

With the resolution at the crisis meeting, the party’s ticket will now be zoned to Adamawa central district for the 2015 election. Ribadu is from Yola in the central district which has never produced a governor in the state.

Speaking with the media at the end of the meeting, chairman of the Adamawa chapter of the party, Joel Madaki, said: “Fourteen aspirants contesting for the position earlier has now reduced to six aspirants due to this meeting. It is a very welcome idea. Nobody was forced to step them. Those who stepped down did so voluntarily in order to wait to contest for the position in 2015.”

On his part, Gulak, former presidential adviser, hailed the outcome of the meeting.

He said, “The outcome of the meeting was fantastic. We met as family members of PDP, even before coming here all the aspirants in Adamawa have unanimously resolved that after the primaries, in a free, fair primaries, anybody that emerges will get our support.

“Today, in this meeting, the number of the aspirants have been drastically reduced to six, which is manageable. And we have resolved to go into the primary without rancour, without acrimony and to come out of it as peaceful co-existing members.

“And at the end of it all, anybody that emerges, we will all queue behind him. And if I emerge as the candidate, they will all queue behind me. It is going to be a family affair and there will be no losers”.

Also, Hong, who withdrew from the primary, said: “Peace-building, negotiation, give-and-take, everything went well. We have been given a caveat and one thing we have succeeded in extracting from this meeting is that the meeting started with a preamble that whoever is going to contest and if he happens to win as a governor, he will not have the right to contest the 2015 election”.

Source: Dailypost

Ribadu, seven others withdraw from Adamawa guber race

Barely 24 hours to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary for the Adamawa governorship election, the former EFCC chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has withdrawn from the race.

Apart from Ribadu, seven other aspirants have also withdrawn, leaving only six to battle for the ticket of the party.

Others who withdrew are Awwal Tukur, Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa, James Barka, Aliyu Kama, Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei.

Those still in the race are Ahmed Gulak, Buba Marwa, Ahmed Modibbo, Umar Ardo, acting Governor Umaru Fintiri and Jerry Kumdisi.

This was the outcome of a crisis meeting held in Abuja on Thursday night with the aspirants by Senate President David Mark and members of the national working committee (NWC) of the party.

However, it was resolved that those who participate in Saturday’s primary ahead of the October 11 poll will not take part in the 2015 poll.

The meeting, which lasted for four hours ─ starting 9pm on Thursday and ending at 1am on Friday ─ was held at the Banquet Hall of the State House.

There had been fears among PDP members that the sheer number of aspirants and a bitter contest for the governorship ticket could tear the party apart ahead of the poll.

With the resolution at the crisis meeting, the party’s ticket will now be zoned to Adamawa central district for the 2015 election. Ribadu is from Yola in the central district which has never produced a governor in the state.

Boko Haram operating freely in North-East – US

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has said that Boko Haram was operating freely in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria and had shown that it could operate not only in the area, but also in Kano, Abuja and elsewhere.

Speaking on Thursday during the Third Session of the Regional Security Working Group of the Nigeria-United States Bi-national Commission, in Abuja, the envoy said the frequency and scope of Boko Haram’s terror attacks had grown more acute since August 2013, when the commission last met.

Thomas-Greenfield, stated that the United States was troubled by the capture of Bama, Borno State, noting that the conflict had affected the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in the Lake Chad region.

Cameroon’s military,she  added, is increasingly forced to fight Boko Haram within its borders and “they flee back into Nigeria without fear.”

She said, “Since we last met in August 2013, the frequency and scope of Boko Haram’s terror attacks have grown more acute and constitute a serious threat to this country’s overall security.

“Boko Haram has shown that it can operate not only in the Northeast, but in Kano, in Abuja, and elsewhere.  We are very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects for an attack on and in Maiduguri, which would impose a tremendous toll on the civilian population.  This is a sober reality check for all of us.  We are past time for denial and pride.”

According to her, despite the collective efforts against the insurgency, the situation on the ground is worsening.

“Cameroon’s military is increasingly forced to fight Boko Haram within its borders and they flee back into Nigeria without fear.  The Chibok schoolgirls and others remain hostages, enduring horrible and tragic suffering.

“Abubakar Shekau’s bold announcement that Boko Haram is now governing a “caliphate” only adds to the perception that the security situation is steadily worsening.  All of these developments are deeply disturbing, and increasingly dangerous with each passing day,” she stated.

The diplomat said that in order to combat the insecurity in Nigeria, President Barrack Obama launched a major security initiative to support Nigeria and the region under the Security Governance Initiative at the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington.

She explained that the partnership would help  both sides to work together to identify the problem and design the solution.

 “The United States is close to announcing the launch of a major border security program under our Global Security Contingency Fund, which will include Nigeria and its neighbors Cameroon, Chad, and Niger,” the envoy stated.

Thomas-Greenfield said that her country had continued to provide technical training to military and police forces engaged in the fight against Boko Haram, adding that the US was providing advanced training to a Nigerian infantry battalion.

She said, “The United States is especially concerned about the more than 700,000 internally displaced persons and reports that those numbers continue to increase.  We are deeply troubled by the risks to their personal security and their economic livelihoods as well as the implications on food security.

“We are concerned about their ability as citizens to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections.  The fabric of too many communities is coming unwoven under the unrelenting pressure of this threat.”

Source:Punch

Boko Haram operating freely in North-East – US

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has said that Boko Haram was operating freely in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria and had shown that it could operate not only in the area, but also in Kano, Abuja and elsewhere.

Speaking on Thursday during the Third Session of the Regional Security Working Group of the Nigeria-United States Bi-national Commission, in Abuja, the envoy said the frequency and scope of Boko Haram’s terror attacks had grown more acute since August 2013, when the commission last met.

Thomas-Greenfield, stated that the United States was troubled by the capture of Bama, Borno State, noting that the conflict had affected the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in the Lake Chad region.

Cameroon’s military,she  added, is increasingly forced to fight Boko Haram within its borders and “they flee back into Nigeria without fear.”

She said, “Since we last met in August 2013, the frequency and scope of Boko Haram’s terror attacks have grown more acute and constitute a serious threat to this country’s overall security.

“Boko Haram has shown that it can operate not only in the Northeast, but in Kano, in Abuja, and elsewhere.  We are very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects for an attack on and in Maiduguri, which would impose a tremendous toll on the civilian population.  This is a sober reality check for all of us.  We are past time for denial and pride.”

According to her, despite the collective efforts against the insurgency, the situation on the ground is worsening.

“Cameroon’s military is increasingly forced to fight Boko Haram within its borders and they flee back into Nigeria without fear.  The Chibok schoolgirls and others remain hostages, enduring horrible and tragic suffering.

“Abubakar Shekau’s bold announcement that Boko Haram is now governing a “caliphate” only adds to the perception that the security situation is steadily worsening.  All of these developments are deeply disturbing, and increasingly dangerous with each passing day,” she stated.

Another Ebola victim dies in P-Harcourt - Vanguard

The first confirmed Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, case that was also one of the three persons quarantined in Oduoha, Emohua Local Government Area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has died of the disease.

The deceased, an elderly woman, is the seventh Ebola fatality to be recorded in the country, and the first death in the new Port Harcourt isolation centre for Ebola.

She was said to have shared the same room with late Dr. Iyke Enemuo, the doctor who treated the Nigerian ECOWAS diplomat, Koye Olu-Ibukun at the Good Heart Hospital, Port Harcourt, prior to the death of the former from EVD.

It could be recalled that the late woman was  quarantined with a doctor and a pharmacist, who were staff of Sam Steel Clinic, a health facility founded by late Enemuo.
However, following several tests ran on the duo, it was discovered that they were free from Ebola and were given a clean bill of health. Though reports say they were still under medical surveillance.

Presenting an update on the status of EVD, in Nigeria, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed that the eighth Ebola patient successfully managed in the Lagos isolation centre was discharged Tuesday.

Chukwu, who gave the  number of cases successfully managed and discharged in the country as eight, explained that the last case to be discharged, (the eighth case) was the first secondary contact to be diagnosed, adding that the patient is a spouse of a primary contact of the index (first) case.

He said: “Total number of cases successfully managed and discharged is now eight.  The last case to be discharged, the first secondary contact to be diagnosed and a spouse of a primary contact of the index case, went home from the isolation ward in Lagos yesterday (Tuesday). The ninth survivor is the ECOWAS Commission official who jumped surveillance in Lagos and travelled to Port Harcourt where he infected the doctor who attended to him.”


Chukwu who hinted that schools may re-open from September 15, 2014  as last contacts under surveillance may be discharged by then and the fact  that there were no community transmissions in Nigeria, stressed that the 18th confirmed case of Ebola in Nigeria is the sister of the late Port Harcourt doctor, who is currently on admission in the Lagos isolation centre.

He said: “Total number of deaths from Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria is now seven. One is the index (first) case, which occurred in a private hospital in Lagos; four in the Lagos isolation ward, one in the Port Harcourt isolation ward, the female patient who was on admission in the same hospital where the late Port Harcourt doctor was also admitted, while another one was the doctor who was infected by the ECOWAS Commission official in Port Harcourt and who did not come under the care and management of the Incident Management Committee.”

The total number of EVD patients currently under treatment, according to the Minister, is two; one in the Lagos isolation ward and another one in the Port Harcourt isolation ward.
Source: Vanguard

Another Ebola victim dies in P-Harcourt - Vanguard

The first confirmed Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, case that was also one of the three persons quarantined in Oduoha, Emohua Local Government Area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has died of the disease.

The deceased, an elderly woman, is the seventh Ebola fatality to be recorded in the country, and the first death in the new Port Harcourt isolation centre for Ebola.

She was said to have shared the same room with late Dr. Iyke Enemuo, the doctor who treated the Nigerian ECOWAS diplomat, Koye Olu-Ibukun at the Good Heart Hospital, Port Harcourt, prior to the death of the former from EVD.

It could be recalled that the late woman was  quarantined with a doctor and a pharmacist, who were staff of Sam Steel Clinic, a health facility founded by late Enemuo.
However, following several tests ran on the duo, it was discovered that they were free from Ebola and were given a clean bill of health. Though reports say they were still under medical surveillance.

Presenting an update on the status of EVD, in Nigeria, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed that the eighth Ebola patient successfully managed in the Lagos isolation centre was discharged Tuesday.

Chukwu, who gave the  number of cases successfully managed and discharged in the country as eight, explained that the last case to be discharged, (the eighth case) was the first secondary contact to be diagnosed, adding that the patient is a spouse of a primary contact of the index (first) case.

He said: “Total number of cases successfully managed and discharged is now eight.  The last case to be discharged, the first secondary contact to be diagnosed and a spouse of a primary contact of the index case, went home from the isolation ward in Lagos yesterday (Tuesday). The ninth survivor is the ECOWAS Commission official who jumped surveillance in Lagos and travelled to Port Harcourt where he infected the doctor who attended to him.”

Boko Haram seizes Borno’s second biggest town Bama

Fighter jets were pounding Bama, Borno State’s second biggest town last night -  in a desperate bid to save it  from Boko Haram insurgents.

The vicious Islamist group that is fighting to create a Caliphate in the Northeast captured the city on Monday night, hoisting its flag there.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) ordered the Air Force to flush them out.

A top military source, who spoke at 7:18pm, said:  “Based on the order of the DHQ, many fighter jets have been deployed in Bama to sack the insurgents from their temporary occupation of the area.

“The jets are to pound the insurgents into submission. So, aerial battle is in progress now in Bama because the insurgents have blocked access to the town.”

Asked how long the air strikes would last, the high-ranking source added: “Till the insurgents surrender and vacate Bama. We hope to reclaim the town within 24 to 48 hours because we are dealing with an unorganised group.”

There were fears last night that the insurgents might use Bama as a base to attack Maiduguri, the state capital, which is less than 70 kilometres away.

But a top military source, who described the capture of Bama as a “temporary setback”, said the  “devastated insurgents” regrouped Monday night and descended heavily on Bama.

“The troops tried to repel the insurgents but they were just too many. I think they had a base in some villages nearby from where they launched their reprisals,” said the source, who added:

“From intelligence reports, the insurgents had seen heavy casualties in their camp in their first encounter with troops at dawn on Monday. They had also put in place a Plan B with which they used to attack Bama afresh at night.

“Our concern is that the insurgents might harm the residents of Bama and destroy military, police and security formations.

“For now, reports have indicated that the situation in the town is tense. The insurgents have established a firm control of the town. They are also prepared to declare an Islamic Caliphate in the area.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “There were casualties on both sides but we cannot take stock now because the insurgents have occupied the place.

“You will recall that early on Monday, troops killed more than 40 insurgents. The reprisals led to fierce encounters with  casualties on both sides.”

Military chiefs were locked in a meeting last night on how to reclaim Bama from the insurgents.

Security has been tightened around Maiduguri following the fall of Bama.

Another source said: “The fall of Bama poses danger to Maiduguri because under one or two hours, the insurgents can launch fierce attacks on the state capital.

“This is why there is a heavy security ring in and around Maiduguri.”

The DHQ said   a dust-to-dawn curfew had been imposed on Maiduguri to prevent the insurgents from entering the city.

The DHQ said: “The curfew in Maiduguri is from 7pm-6am, aimed at preventing infiltration into Maiduguri metropolis by insurgents who suffered heavy casualties.”

One security source said up to 5,000 people had fled Bama.

Defence spokesman Gen Chris Olukolade had not spoken on Bama at press time last night.

In a “bungled” air strike, several troops were killed at the Bama armoury by a fighter jet targeting the insurgents, according to a soldier on the ground.

The Boko Haram fighters captured the remote hilly town of Gwoza, along the Cameroon border, last month. Sect leader Abubakar Shekau declared Gwoza an Islamic Caliphate.

Troops are still battling to regain control of Gwoza.

“When we started hearing gunshots, everybody was confused. There was firing from different directions. We just ran to the outskirts of town,” Bukar Auwalu, a trader who fled with his wife, three children and brother, said. “There were military helicopters and a fighter jet. We slept in the bush on the outskirts of town.”

A soldier involved in the Bama clashes, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the insurgents had targeted the armoury with heavy weapons, including tanks.

As troops tried to repel the attack, they called in air reinforcements. But by the time the fighter jet arrived, they had mostly lost the battle for this location. The jet then bombed the area but accidentally killed everyone there – both Nigerian troops and insurgents – the soldier said. “The situation is bad. We lost so many of our men,” he added.

A local farmer, Ibrahim Malu, said hundreds of residents had fled the town. He said he had visited his farm before morning prayers when gunfire and explosions erupted. He ran home, but by the time he got there his wife and children had fled. “I still don’t know where they could be,” he said. “Two soldiers fled with me. One of them didn’t even have shoes.”

Source: The Nation

Boko Haram seizes Borno’s second biggest town Bama

Fighter jets were pounding Bama, Borno State’s second biggest town last night -  in a desperate bid to save it  from Boko Haram insurgents.

The vicious Islamist group that is fighting to create a Caliphate in the Northeast captured the city on Monday night, hoisting its flag there.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) ordered the Air Force to flush them out.

A top military source, who spoke at 7:18pm, said:  “Based on the order of the DHQ, many fighter jets have been deployed in Bama to sack the insurgents from their temporary occupation of the area.

“The jets are to pound the insurgents into submission. So, aerial battle is in progress now in Bama because the insurgents have blocked access to the town.”

Asked how long the air strikes would last, the high-ranking source added: “Till the insurgents surrender and vacate Bama. We hope to reclaim the town within 24 to 48 hours because we are dealing with an unorganised group.”

There were fears last night that the insurgents might use Bama as a base to attack Maiduguri, the state capital, which is less than 70 kilometres away.

But a top military source, who described the capture of Bama as a “temporary setback”, said the  “devastated insurgents” regrouped Monday night and descended heavily on Bama.

“The troops tried to repel the insurgents but they were just too many. I think they had a base in some villages nearby from where they launched their reprisals,” said the source, who added:

“From intelligence reports, the insurgents had seen heavy casualties in their camp in their first encounter with troops at dawn on Monday. They had also put in place a Plan B with which they used to attack Bama afresh at night.

Obama: U.S. will pursue ISIS to gates of hell

US President Barack Obama

America's top defense official says the goal of the United States is to "degrade and destroy" the capabilities of ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria, not contain them.

The statement by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel came during an interview with CNN's Jim Sciutto on Wednesday, just hours after President Barack Obama said the United States will not be intimidated by the killers of two American journalists.

"Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget ... that our reach is long and that justice will be served," the President said.
Obama's words followed the U.S. authentication Wednesday of an ISIS terror group video, released the day before, showing the beheading of journalist Steven Sotloff.

The killing is the second beheading of an American journalist in two weeks, and the militant group said it's a result of Obama's decision to conduct airstrikes in Iraq against ISIS, which also calls itself the "Islamic State."
"It makes you sick to your stomach, but it again reminds you of the brutality and barbarism that is afoot in some places in the world," Hagel said. "...It won't just recede into the gray recesses of history until we stop it."

All options -- with the exception of a ground invasion -- are on the table to address the threat posed by ISIS, Hagel said.
Those options include possible airstrikes in Syria, where ISIS has established a stronghold in and around the northeastern Syrian city of Raqqa.

Vice President Joe Biden added his own voice to the calls for justice, saying the United States will pursue the killers "to the gates of hell."

"As a nation, we are united, and when people harm Americans, we don't retreat, we don't forget," he said at an appearance near Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"We take care of those who are grieving. And when that's finished, they should know we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice, because hell is where they will reside. Hell is where they will reside."

Source: CNN

Obama: U.S. will pursue ISIS to gates of hell

US President Barack Obama

America's top defense official says the goal of the United States is to "degrade and destroy" the capabilities of ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria, not contain them.

The statement by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel came during an interview with CNN's Jim Sciutto on Wednesday, just hours after President Barack Obama said the United States will not be intimidated by the killers of two American journalists.

"Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget ... that our reach is long and that justice will be served," the President said.
Obama's words followed the U.S. authentication Wednesday of an ISIS terror group video, released the day before, showing the beheading of journalist Steven Sotloff.

The killing is the second beheading of an American journalist in two weeks, and the militant group said it's a result of Obama's decision to conduct airstrikes in Iraq against ISIS, which also calls itself the "Islamic State."
"It makes you sick to your stomach, but it again reminds you of the brutality and barbarism that is afoot in some places in the world," Hagel said. "...It won't just recede into the gray recesses of history until we stop it."

All options -- with the exception of a ground invasion -- are on the table to address the threat posed by ISIS, Hagel said.
Those options include possible airstrikes in Syria, where ISIS has established a stronghold in and around the northeastern Syrian city of Raqqa.

Vice President Joe Biden added his own voice to the calls for justice, saying the United States will pursue the killers "to the gates of hell."

Japan develops Machine to detect Ebola Virus in 30mins

Ebola Detector – Following the upsurge in the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in West Africa, Japanese researchers say they have developed a new method to detect the presence of the deadly disease  in 30 minutes. According to Professor Jiro Yasuda and his team at Nagasaki University, the ebola detector could allow doctors to quickly diagnose infection of the Ebola virus. -

The team also stated that their process is also cheaper than the system currently in use in West Africa where the virus has already killed more than 1552 people, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO.
“The new method is simpler than the current one and can be used in countries where expensive testing equipment is not available,” Yasuda told AFP by telephone.

“We have yet to receive any questions or requests, but we are pleased to offer the system, which is ready to go,” he said.
Yasuda said the team had developed what he called a “primer”, which amplifies only those genes specific to the Ebola virus found in a blood sample or other bodily fluid.

Using existing techniques, ribonucleic acid (RNA) – biological molecules used in the coding of genes – is extracted from any viruses present in a blood sample.
This is then used to synthesise the viral DNA, which can be mixed with the primers and then heated to 60C to 65C.

If Ebola is present, DNA specific to the virus is amplified in 30 minutes because of the action of the primers. The by-products from the process cause the liquid to become cloudy, providing visual confirmation, Yasuda said.
It was gathered that a method called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is currently widely used to detect the Ebola virus, which requires doctors to heat and cool samples repeatedly and takes up to two hours.


“The new method only needs a small, battery-powered warmer and the entire system costs just tens of thousands of yen (hundreds of dollars), which developing countries should be able to afford,” he added.
No fewer than five countries in West Africa have confirmed cases of Ebola virus within their territories- Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal.

In Nigeria alone, six people have died from the dreaded disease since a Liberian businessman, Patrick Sawyer, brought the disease to Lagos on 20 July, 2014.
With more cases of the Ebola virus disease being reported in the country and suspected patients having to wait for days to confirm their status, maybe the new technology would help to reduce the waiting period.

Source: http://musbizublog.com/2014/09/japan-develops-ebola-detector-see-photo/#sthash.Jt977GUJ.dpbs

Japan develops Machine to detect Ebola Virus in 30mins

Ebola Detector – Following the upsurge in the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in West Africa, Japanese researchers say they have developed a new method to detect the presence of the deadly disease  in 30 minutes. According to Professor Jiro Yasuda and his team at Nagasaki University, the ebola detector could allow doctors to quickly diagnose infection of the Ebola virus. -

The team also stated that their process is also cheaper than the system currently in use in West Africa where the virus has already killed more than 1552 people, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO.
“The new method is simpler than the current one and can be used in countries where expensive testing equipment is not available,” Yasuda told AFP by telephone.

“We have yet to receive any questions or requests, but we are pleased to offer the system, which is ready to go,” he said.
Yasuda said the team had developed what he called a “primer”, which amplifies only those genes specific to the Ebola virus found in a blood sample or other bodily fluid.

Using existing techniques, ribonucleic acid (RNA) – biological molecules used in the coding of genes – is extracted from any viruses present in a blood sample.
This is then used to synthesise the viral DNA, which can be mixed with the primers and then heated to 60C to 65C.

If Ebola is present, DNA specific to the virus is amplified in 30 minutes because of the action of the primers. The by-products from the process cause the liquid to become cloudy, providing visual confirmation, Yasuda said.
It was gathered that a method called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is currently widely used to detect the Ebola virus, which requires doctors to heat and cool samples repeatedly and takes up to two hours.

Anambra to Shut down GSM Services

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, is set to shut down GSM operations in the state any time from now as a result of new levies on telecoms services.

Obianoin a bid to raise its internally generated revenue (IGR), imposed a N750,000 levy per telecoms base station in the state.

According to an online news medium, s new base stations are to be levied N700,000 each before operation, while a fine of N1 million will be levied on every defaulting base station.
The combined revenue from the levy on the four major service providers from the one-off levy is estimated at N1.5billion.

The levy is called “Telecommunications Mast Installation/Approval Permit” and is to be applied retroactively to existing base stations.
The operators, who have not complied with the new directive, currently pay other levies, including planning permit fees, tenement rate and advertisement signage fees to the Anambra government.

Telecoms companies have been complaining about multiple taxes and excessive levies across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

If Anambra shuts down the stations, there are gross economic and commercial implications for a state where Nnewi and Onitsha, two of Nigeria’s biggest commercial centres, are located.

A demand notice was issued to the telcos last month by GeoSonic  Nigeria Limited, revenue consultants to the state government.
It was gathered that the telcos have made efforts to meet with Obiano over the impending closures without success.

source: thisday

Anambra to Shut down GSM Services

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, is set to shut down GSM operations in the state any time from now as a result of new levies on telecoms services.

Obianoin a bid to raise its internally generated revenue (IGR), imposed a N750,000 levy per telecoms base station in the state.

According to an online news medium, s new base stations are to be levied N700,000 each before operation, while a fine of N1 million will be levied on every defaulting base station.
The combined revenue from the levy on the four major service providers from the one-off levy is estimated at N1.5billion.

The levy is called “Telecommunications Mast Installation/Approval Permit” and is to be applied retroactively to existing base stations.
The operators, who have not complied with the new directive, currently pay other levies, including planning permit fees, tenement rate and advertisement signage fees to the Anambra government.

Telecoms companies have been complaining about multiple taxes and excessive levies across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Imperfect impeachment - The Nation

One of the least-attractive features of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in May 1999 is the repeated refusal of politicians to play the game by its established rules.

The most egregious manifestation of this tendency is the use to which the constitutional provision of impeachment has been put. Instead of being utilised as a last resort to be employed when all other options have been tried and failed, impeachment has become a crude weapon for the achievement of crassly partisan political ends.

The recent impeachment of the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, must rank among the most gratuitous examples of this grossly-misused constitutional provision. The speed of the process, its glaring lac k of transparency, and the sheer ludicrousness of the charges against him all combine to show that getting rid of a perceived nuisance was the real aim, rather than serving the interests of due process and fair play.

Onyebuchi was accused of gross misconduct and flagrant disobedience to the directives of Governor Sullivan Chime, but the crimes alleged against him were underwhelming in their pettiness. The deputy governor was said to have failed to represent the governor at ceremonies launching the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, and to have operated a poultry farm in defiance of a resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly.

 In a nation where financial impropriety, gross incompetence and the use of violence and intimidation as instruments of state policy are rife, it is truly incomprehensible that these would constitute the “grave violation or breach of the provisions” referred to in Section 188 (11) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

If Onyebuchi’s offences amount to no more than these allegations, then there can be little doubt that his impeachment was more a means to a dishonourable end, as opposed to an end in itself. The fact that the panel appointed by the Enugu State House of Assembly was unable to find truly serious charges to level against him, as well as its refusal to sit in public is a clear demonstration of the fact that the impeachment provision had been abused by politicians whose personal ambitions took precedence over constitutional propriety and natural justice.


When it is recalled that the deputy governor held the fort during Chime’s well-publicised extended absence from the state in 2012, the injustice to which he has been subjected becomes even more apparent.
The main reason why the impeachment weapon can be deployed so recklessly is the loosely-worded nature of the relevant sections. While it is accepted that the provisions dealing with impeachment cannot be defined too narrowly and cannot specify every imaginable offence, it is disturbing that the references to “gross misconduct” are so vague.

To make matters worse, the Constitution characterises it as “a misconduct of such nature as amounts in the opinion in the House of Assembly to gross misconduct.” Given the pliancy of so many state houses of assembly in the hands of state governors, it is no surprise that impeachment has been repeatedly misused in Nigeria over the years.

The consequences have not been beneficial to the country: violence, political instability, the entrenchment of money politics and godfatherism have been the most obvious repercussions. The long-term implications are not positive either, as politicians will seek to rely less on competence and service as they increasingly realise that controlling the impeachment weapon is the most profitable strategy to longevity in office.

Onyebuchi has promised to seek redress in court. It is hoped that he makes good his intention, as it will enable the propriety or otherwise of his impeachment to be subject to the due process of law. The removal of governors and their deputies from office is a profoundly serious undertaking; it can no longer be subject to the whims of over-ambitious politicians and craven state houses of assembly.

Source: The Nation

Imperfect impeachment - The Nation

One of the least-attractive features of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in May 1999 is the repeated refusal of politicians to play the game by its established rules.

The most egregious manifestation of this tendency is the use to which the constitutional provision of impeachment has been put. Instead of being utilised as a last resort to be employed when all other options have been tried and failed, impeachment has become a crude weapon for the achievement of crassly partisan political ends.

The recent impeachment of the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, must rank among the most gratuitous examples of this grossly-misused constitutional provision. The speed of the process, its glaring lac k of transparency, and the sheer ludicrousness of the charges against him all combine to show that getting rid of a perceived nuisance was the real aim, rather than serving the interests of due process and fair play.

Onyebuchi was accused of gross misconduct and flagrant disobedience to the directives of Governor Sullivan Chime, but the crimes alleged against him were underwhelming in their pettiness. The deputy governor was said to have failed to represent the governor at ceremonies launching the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, and to have operated a poultry farm in defiance of a resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly.

 In a nation where financial impropriety, gross incompetence and the use of violence and intimidation as instruments of state policy are rife, it is truly incomprehensible that these would constitute the “grave violation or breach of the provisions” referred to in Section 188 (11) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Boko Haram: SERAP urges ICC to investigate, prosecute culpable Nigerians

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Ms Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor, International Criminal Court to urgently investigate allegations that certain high ranking public officials and politicians are among the sponsors of Boko Haram that has continued to engage in unlawful killings and destruction of civil property, and cases of extra-judicial executions in the country.

The organization also asked the court to “bring to justice anyone involved in these international crimes prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Nigeria is a state party.”

In the petition dated 1 September 2014 and signed by SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said that, “We are seriously concerned that so far those who are responsible for the grave violations of international law have not been identified let alone prosecuted. Worryingly, government’s initiated probes with recommendations on those that may be behind the Boko Haram attacks have not yet been implemented.”

A government committee in 2011 recommended the prosecution of some politicians for funding and providing general support to Boko Haram. This recommendation remains unimplemented as the government White Paper on it published in 2012 has been ignored.

“A Perth-based international adviser to Nigeria, Dr. Stephen Davis, who for four months was involved in negotiations on behalf of the federal government with commanders of Boko Haram for the release of over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the sect last April, has named certain high ranking public officials as sponsors of Boko Haram. Among others Dr Davis disclosed that a former governor of Borno state, a former chief of army staff and a former top official of the Central Bank of Nigeria have provided funds and other logistics to Boko Haram to commit crimes under international law.”


“We remain concerned that given the antecedents of successive governments to ignore reports and recommendations of national agencies and institutions in situations like this, we are convinced that intervention by the ICC will bring international pressure to bear on the government to honour its international obligations by promptly identifying and bringing to justice those sponsoring and providing support for the Boko Haram attacks.”

“Our request for the intervention by the ICC is further buttressed by increasing level of cases of extra-judicial execution that continue to take place in the country. In fact, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN) revealed at a public event marking the Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012 that the Police alone had killed 7,108 persons in four years.”
“Additionally, given the weak criminal justice system and the fact that successive governments have shown themselves either unwilling or unable to prosecute suspected perpetrators of international crimes in places like Jos (Plateau State of Nigeria), the intervention by the ICC will ensure that the truth is told about those sponsoring the Boko Haram attacks, and provide the much needed international accountability and ensure effective remedies for victims and their families,” the organization also said.

“Without accountability for these serious human rights crimes, the victims will continue to be denied access to justice, and impunity of perpetrators will remain widespread and the result will continue to be a vicious cycle of violence and abuses with serious consequences for the entire citizenry.”

It said that, “Under Article 17 of the Rome Statute, the Court is a court of last resort, expected to exercise its jurisdiction only if states themselves are unwilling or unable genuinely to investigate and prosecute international crimes. Also, pursuant to the Rome Statute, the Prosecutor has power to intervene in a situation under the jurisdiction of the Court if the Security Council or states parties refer a situation or if information is provided from other sources such as the information SERAP is providing in this case.”

Arguing that ubstantial grounds exist to warrant the intervention of the Prosecutor in this case, especially given the scale of the killings and destruction and the lack of transparency and accountability, the organization asked the ICC Prosecutor Invite rUrge the Nigerian government to fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute to cooperate with the ICC; including complying with your requests to arrest and surrender suspected sponsors and perpetrators of international crimes, take testimonyepresentatives of the Nigerian government to provide written or oral testimony at the seat of the Court,

Bring to justice those suspected to be complicit and therefore responsible for crimes under international law and extrajudicial executions in other parts of Nigeria.to:


Urgently investigate allegations that high ranking public officials and politicians are sponsoring and providing support for the Boko Haram attacks.

Source: Dailypost

Boko Haram: SERAP urges ICC to investigate, prosecute culpable Nigerians

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Ms Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor, International Criminal Court to urgently investigate allegations that certain high ranking public officials and politicians are among the sponsors of Boko Haram that has continued to engage in unlawful killings and destruction of civil property, and cases of extra-judicial executions in the country.

The organization also asked the court to “bring to justice anyone involved in these international crimes prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Nigeria is a state party.”

In the petition dated 1 September 2014 and signed by SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said that, “We are seriously concerned that so far those who are responsible for the grave violations of international law have not been identified let alone prosecuted. Worryingly, government’s initiated probes with recommendations on those that may be behind the Boko Haram attacks have not yet been implemented.”

A government committee in 2011 recommended the prosecution of some politicians for funding and providing general support to Boko Haram. This recommendation remains unimplemented as the government White Paper on it published in 2012 has been ignored.

“A Perth-based international adviser to Nigeria, Dr. Stephen Davis, who for four months was involved in negotiations on behalf of the federal government with commanders of Boko Haram for the release of over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the sect last April, has named certain high ranking public officials as sponsors of Boko Haram. Among others Dr Davis disclosed that a former governor of Borno state, a former chief of army staff and a former top official of the Central Bank of Nigeria have provided funds and other logistics to Boko Haram to commit crimes under international law.”

Tackling unemployment: Report says Nigeria requires 4.5million new jobs annually

A report by the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, NSRP, indicates that Nigeria should create 4.5 million jobs annually to tackle the high level of unemployment in the country. It added that concerted effort made towards attaining the target would create enduring benefits to Nigeria and the entire African continent.

‎The report, which was made public in Abuja, particularly showed that the country’s unemployment rate was the highest in Sub-Sahara Africa.

While the country’s economy is said to have grown at the rate of seven per cent during the last decade, the report revealed that unemployment doubled during the period with poverty rate standing at a staggering 54.4 percent.

It made reference to the 2013 United Nations Human Development Index, where Nigeria came 153 out of 186 countries and 118 out of 134 in Gender Inequality Index and linked some of the conflicts in the country to unemployment.

The report reads in part, “Official measures of unemployment in Nigeria were as high as 23.9 per cent for 2011, rising to 27.4 per cent in 2012, while a 2012 UN report asserted Nigeria’s youth unemployment figures were the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“With a total population of 167 million, estimates of the country’s total number of unemployed given by government officials in the media during 2012 and 2013 ranged between 20.3 million and 67 million.”

Already rated the most violent country in Africa, the report stated that increasing unemployment and its attendant conflicts have upped the number of people killed through armed violence.


It estimated that conflict-related deaths led to the death of at least 3,000 people annually between 2006 and 2011, while violence against women and girls has been on the increase.

It said, “Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced by conflict,

“Consistent with global trends, there is in Nigeria evidence of a close correlation between youth unemployment and rising armed violence.

“The World Bank identifies the increasing magnitude of youth unemployment as one of two key indicators of the declining welfare status of Nigerians in recent times.

“High unemployment in Nigeria is associated with a growing gap between rich and poor, and there is evidence that such polarisation in itself reflects and fuels structural grievances.


“Unscrupulous political leaders and ‘winner-takes-all’ power politics exacerbate feelings of inequality and exclusion when ethnic or religious divisions are manipulated in electoral campaigns at national, state and local levels,” the report stated.

It submitted that politically mobilised violent gangs who are recruited from unemployed male youths and sometimes get beyond the control of their initial patron, is a constant feature of various conflict contexts in Nigeria.

As a result, the report rated high the possibility of retaliatory attacks between armed groups, or armed groups and security forces, which it noted will culminate in a continued cycle of violence.

Source: Dailypost

Tackling unemployment: Report says Nigeria requires 4.5million new jobs annually

A report by the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, NSRP, indicates that Nigeria should create 4.5 million jobs annually to tackle the high level of unemployment in the country. It added that concerted effort made towards attaining the target would create enduring benefits to Nigeria and the entire African continent.

‎The report, which was made public in Abuja, particularly showed that the country’s unemployment rate was the highest in Sub-Sahara Africa.

While the country’s economy is said to have grown at the rate of seven per cent during the last decade, the report revealed that unemployment doubled during the period with poverty rate standing at a staggering 54.4 percent.

It made reference to the 2013 United Nations Human Development Index, where Nigeria came 153 out of 186 countries and 118 out of 134 in Gender Inequality Index and linked some of the conflicts in the country to unemployment.

The report reads in part, “Official measures of unemployment in Nigeria were as high as 23.9 per cent for 2011, rising to 27.4 per cent in 2012, while a 2012 UN report asserted Nigeria’s youth unemployment figures were the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“With a total population of 167 million, estimates of the country’s total number of unemployed given by government officials in the media during 2012 and 2013 ranged between 20.3 million and 67 million.”

Already rated the most violent country in Africa, the report stated that increasing unemployment and its attendant conflicts have upped the number of people killed through armed violence.