The Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, on
Thursday absolved herself of blame in the
purported purchase of two bullet-proof
armoured cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA).
Oduah while speaking before the House
Committee on Aviation probing the purchase of
the cars said the fact that she gave approval
for the purchase of the two cars does mean she
encouraged NCAA not to follow due process.
The minister said while she was approving the
purchase, she told the NCAA to “do the
needful.”
The “needful” according to her, meant they
should follow due process.
The minister not only defended herself at the
session, but went a step further to stick her
neck out for the NCAA.
Oduah, who read a prepared speech, spoke on
the allegations against her.
She said, “In the last few weeks, I have
received all sorts of bashings in the media.
Many persons have also risen to my defence.
Many have abused me, some out of a genuine
sense of outrage that I allegedly spent $1.6
million of government funds to purchase for
myself two bulletproof BMW cars.”
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Thursday, October 31, 2013
N255m cars: I did nothing wrong – Oduah
Fashola proposes N489.69b for 2014
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde
Fashola (SAN), has proposed a budget of
N489.69 billion for the 2014 fiscal year to the
House of Assembly.
Fashola, whose budget presentation yesterday,
was before a large audience of stakeholders,
ranging from party chieftains and captains of
industries, amongst others, said the showed a
slight drop of about N10billion from the
N499.604billion of the year 2013 budget.
He said the budget has N234.665 billion as
recurrent expenditure and N255.025 billion for
capital expenditure.
The breakdown showed a Total Personnel
Cost/Total Revenue of 19 per cent; Total
Personnel Cost/IGR, of 27 per cent, and
Personnel Cost as percentage of Recurrent
Expenditure of 37 per cent, anchored on a zero
deficit financing requirement, he said.
The sectoral breakdown is as follows: General
Public Service, N100.215 billion; Public Order &
Safety, N17.977 billion; Economic Affairs,
N160.046 billion and Environmental Protection,
N39.727 billion.
Also, N50.537 billion is allocated for Housing
and Community Amenities; N37.8 billion goes
to Health; N3.482 billion, is set aside for
Recreation, Culture and Religion, while N77.423
billion and N2.466billion are devoted to
Education and Social Protection, respectively.
Fashola, said because this is the last full year
budget that his administration would
implement, there’s a slight reduction in budget
size when compared with the 2013 budget,
stating that its focus is “to complete on-going
projects, and consolidate on the gains we have
made.”
He listed the sectoral highlights of the 2014
budget as; General Public Service, Pensions,
Residents Registration and Issuance of
permanent residents’ cards, implementation of
Public Procurement Law, Public Order and
Safety, Computerisation/Automation of Judicial
procedures, including e-filing, Completion of
on-going High/Magistrate Courts’ projects,
Renovation/Rehabilitation of Court Rooms and
Judges Chambers, and Improving Safety and
Disaster Management.
He said the budget would also focus on
implementation of various Independent Power
Projects, development of Enterprise Zones in
Gberigbe, Ikorodu and Upgrading of Yaba
Industrial Park, advancement of Ten-Lane
Lagos-Badagry Expressway/Blue Rail Line
Corridor, completion of other on-going Road
Construction Projects and pedestrian bridges,
Agric-YES, Accelerated Food Expansion
Program, Rice, Animal Husbandry and Root
Crops, among others.
“One of our programmes that we will be paying
attenition to is the Residents’ Registration
exercise. As I said at the launch, it is for
Residents of Lagos and no more. It seeks to
register everybody who intends to live here for
up to 6 (six) months and beyond, irrespective
of where they come from,” he stressed, adding
that “with effect from the 1st of December
2013, it will be a requirement in terms of
information to be provided in order to enable us
to provide service to you or process requests
from you.”
Dangote makes world’s most powerful list
Who’s more powerful: the autocratic leader of a
former superpower, or the handcuffed
Commander-in-Chief of the most dominant
country in the world? This year the votes for the
World’s Most Powerful went to Russian
President Vladimir Putin. He climbs one spot
ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama, who
held the title in 2012.
Putin has solidified his control over Russia
while Obama’s lame duck period has seemingly
set in earlier than usual for a two-term
president — latest example: the government
shutdown mess. Anyone watching this year’s
chess match over Syria and NSA leaks has a
clear idea of the shifting individual power
dynamics.
The Most Powerful People in the World list is an
annual snapshot of the heads of state,
financiers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs
who truly rule the world. It represents the
collective wisdom of top FORBES editors, who
consider hundreds of nominees before ranking
the planet’s top 72 power-brokers – one for
every 100 million people on Earth — based on
their scope of influence and their financial
resources relative to their peers. (See full
methodology here).
This year’s list features 17 heads of state who
run nations with a combined GDP of some $48
trillion — including the three most powerful
people, Putin, Obama and Xi Jinping, the
general secretary of the Communist Party of
China. The 27 CEOs and chairs control over $3
trillion in annual revenues, and 12 are
entrepreneurs, including new billionaires on the
list, Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote (No. 64), founder
of Dangote Group, and Oracle’s Larry Ellison
(No. 58). Speaking of, this year’s class has 28
billionaires valued in excess of $564 billion.
Here, a quick peek at the Most Powerful People
in the World 2013:
Newcomers: Among the 13 newcomers are
Pope Francis (No. 4), Samsung Chairman Lee
Kun-Hee (No. 41), Volkswagen’s Martin
Winterkorn (No. 49), South Korean President
Park Geun-hye (No. 52), IBM CEO Virginia
Rometty (No. 56), and Janet Yellen (No. 72),
nominated by President Obama as the next
leader of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Rosneft CEO
and Putin confidant Igor Sechin (No. 60) and
Jill Abramson (No. 68), the executive editor of
the New York Times, make a return appearance
after dropping of the list in years past.
He’s Not No. 1: This is the first year that Putin
carries the crown. Obama has been on the top
of the list for every year with the exception of
2010, when Hu Jintao, the former political and
military leader of China, was No. 1.
Women Moving Up In Numbers: This year there
are nine women on the list, representing 12% of
the world’s most powerful — in stark contrast to
being 50% of the world’s population. Both 2011
and 2012 featured six women leaders, and the
inaugural list from 2009 included only 3 — or
just 4.4%. Recently elected Park of South Korea
joins the other female heads of state German
Chancellor Angela Merkel No.5), Brazil’s Dilma
Rousseff (No. 20)and de facto head of India
Sonia Gandhi (No. 21). Two of the world’s
most important NGO’s are run by women:
Christine Lagarde (No. 35) leads the IMF and
Margaret Chan (No. 59) steers the World Health
Organization.
Billionaires: Worth a cumulative $564 billion.
Sure they’re rich but many of these billionaires
deserve special attention for their philanthropic
work, including Warren Buffett (No. 13),
Michael Bloomberg (No. 29), Li Ka-shing (No.
30), Charles and David Koch (No. 31), and
Mohammed Ibrahim (No. 71).
Entrepreneurs Represent: There are 12 in total.
As expected, many are headquartered on the
West Coast: Google’s Larry Page and Sergey
Brin (No. 17), Mark Zuckerberg (No. 24), Elon
Musk (No. 47), Ellison and Reid Hoffman (No.
65). Global entrepreneurial spirit spans from
Japan’s Masayoshi Son (No. 45) and China’s
Robin Li (No. 61) to Africa’s Dangote and
Ibrahim.
Sambo, others to hand over to firms
Vice President Namadi Sambo will hand over
the physical assets of 14 PHCN Successor
Companies to their new owners tomorrow.
The event, the Bureau of Public Enterprises
(BPE), said will take place simultaneously at
the headquarters of the companies across the
country where the Vice President will be
represented by Ministers and other top
government functionaries.
It however noted that, Sapele Generation
Company (SGC) will not be affected because of
the comprehensive legal review of the status of
the company following the failure to complete
payment by the preferred bidder.
The companies to be handed over and their
new owners are: Abuja Distribution Company
(KANN Consortium Utility), Benin Distribution
Company (Vigeo Power Consortium), Eko
Distribution Company (West Power & Gas),
Enugu Distribution Company (Interstate
Electrics Ltd) and Ibadan Distribution Company
(Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing
Ltd).
Others are; Ikeja Distribution Company (NEDC/
KEPCO Consortium), Jos Distribution Company
(Aura Energy Limited), Kano Distribution
Company (Sahelian Power SPV Ltd), Port
Harcourt Distribution Company (4Power
Consortium) and Yola distribution Company
(Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing
Ltd).
The Generation Companies are: Shiroro (North-
South Power Company), Kainji (Mainstream
Energy Solutions Ltd), Geregu (Amperion Power
Distribution) and Ughelli (Transcorp Ughelli
Power Plc).
Top government functionaries who will
represent the Vice President at the various
hand over venues are: Minister of Power, Prof.
Chinedu Nebo (Abuja), Co-ordinating Minister
of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Ibadan), Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-
Madueke (Enugu), Minister of Trade &
Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga (Eko),
Minister of Transport, Senator Idris A. Umar
(Kainji/Jebba) and Attorney General of the
Federation & Minister of Justice, Mr.
Mohammed Bello Adoke- SAN (Yola).
The others are; Minister of Mines & Steel
Development, Mohammed Musa Sada (Kano),
Minister of Information, Labaran Maku (Jos),
Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu (Ughelli)
and Minister of State (Works), Amb. Bashir
Yuguda (Shiroro). The rest are; Director General
of BPE, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki (Ikeja & Egbin),
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr.
Godswill Igali (Port-Harcourt), Chairman,
Presidential Task Force on Power, Engr.Beks
Dagogo-Jack (Benin) and Group Managing
Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu (Geregu).
Of the 14 successor companies scheduled for
handover, a total of US$2, 525,824,534 was
realised as proceeds. Out of the amount, US
$1,256,000,000.00 came from the Distribution
Companies (DISCOs) while the Generation
Companies (GENCOs) raked in US$1,
269,824,534.
40,093 PHCN workers get N292b handshake
The unbundled energy behemoth – Power
Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) – will be
transferred to new owners tomorrow, the
Federal Government said yesterday.
The government said it had paid 40,093
workers of the fading firm N292.51 billion as
severance package.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of
Power, Godknows Igali, told reporters at the
State House after a meeting with Vice President
Namadi Sambo that the cash comprises
N214.22 billion for severance and N80.290
billion for pension.
With the payment, all is set for the transfer of
the PHCN to the new owners tomorrow.
Igali said of the 47,913 PHCN workers who
were identified after validation, regularisation
and cross-checking, the payment of only 5,907
workers was being delayed due to lack of
biometric data records and duplications .
He said: “We have been asked by the Vice
President to update you on the outcome of the
briefing, which he has just received for the
preparations towards the handover of PHCN
assets to the new owners by 1st of November.
So far, during the process of validation,
revalidation and processing, the total number
of 40,093 workers, as at this morning, have
been completely validated and their
entitlements paid.
“An additional 605 workers were validated in
the course of yesterday and their papers have
just been sent in for payment of their
entitlements.
“The 40,093 people, the severance
components that have been paid out is
N214.22 billion while the pension components
(N80.290 billion) has been paid.”
“In total, 47,913 PHCN workers were identified
in the process of validation, regularisation, and
cross-checking of workers. As you know, this
process has to be done because PHCN is a
very large organisation and had workers in all
parts of this country.”
On the 5,907 workers whose payment is being
stalled by virus, duplication and no records, he
said: “The balance of the number, we have
some issues with some of them. It is an
electronic process and unfortunately some
workers in Enugu Disco, 1,478 workers, their
biometric capture got corrupted by virus and
the consultant has moved to site in Enugu to
recapture them.
“Additional 929 other workers from around the
country also had their biometric data corrupted.
This is a usual thing that happens when
dealing with large numbers and we are bringing
them to Abuja at the expense of the
government for their biometric data to be
recaptured so that they can be paid their
entitlements immediately. “
“An additional about 1,000 workers from the
number that is left has been cleared, but there
are some duplications of various nature; names
are duplicated, accounts are duplicated.
“For example, there are cases where people
have three names and while filling they put only
two names. There are also cases where
someone’s name is Mohammed and they write
Mahmud. So, these things have to be captured
properly because the amounts are big and we
don’t want the wrong people to be paid
somebody else’s money.
“For such a huge number, such delays have
occurred and that is why we are accounting
6,000 or so people that their cases are still
being dealt with out of the 47,000.”
“There are cases of 2,500 that are bad cases,
but they are being handled. These are cases of
people that don’t have any record, any
document to back up the claim that they are
PHCN workers. But people have identified them
that they have been in the system. These are
mostly casual workers and their cases are
being looked into,” he added
To ensure that every worker is paid his or her
entitlement, Igalli said, the technical committee
will continue to work day and night to validate
as many people as possible.
He said any delay of payment of the 40,093
workers had to do with processes in the banks
and that the government has directed them to
expedite action on the payments.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said it
had despatched a team of consultants and its
staff for the biometric data capture of 1, 478
employees of the Enugu Distribution Company
who could not be audited because of virus
attack on the system were their names were
stored.
Head, BPE Public Communications, Mr. Chigbo
Anichebe, said the federal government set aside
the entire proceed of N384 billion from the BPE
transaction to settle labour liabilities.
Salami unfairly treated by NJC, says Uwais
It was fantastic farewell to a fearless Jurist who
was “unfairly treated”.
Retiring Appeal Court President Justice Isa Ayo
Salami was all smiles as the encomiums came
down in torrents.
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice
Mohammed Uwais said the National Judicial
Council (NJC) – judiciary’s highest
administrative body – acted unfairly in the
manner it handled Justice Salami’s
suspension.
He regretted that a body peopled by eminent
and experienced minds could act in the manner
the NJC treated Justice Salami.
It was all in Abuja at the launch of a book titled:
“Isa Ayo Salami: Through life and justice”,
written in honour of Justice Salami.
The former CJN, who was the event’s
Chairman, argued that it was wrong for the NJC
to have involved President Goodluck Jonathan
in its decision to discipline Justice Salami.
Relying on the provisions of Section 153 (2) of
the Constitution, Justice Uwais restated his
earlier position that President Jonathan lacked
the powers to suspend any judge.
He argued that having retired on October 15,
Justice Salami’s suspension automatically
lapsed.
“Sometime in April 2011, I expressed my
opinion on the issue in answer to a question by
the media in Lagos.
“Let me now expatiate what informed my
answer that it is the NJC that is vested with the
power to suspend a judicial official (a judge
that is) for misconduct, as a disciplinary
measure, and not the President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
“It follows that Justice Isa Ayo Salami has
been unfairly treated by the NJC. It is
disturbing, to say the least that the NJC, whose
membership consists of eminent and
experienced judges and lawyers, should act in
the manner they treated Justice Salami.
Former Attorney General of the Federation
(AGF) Abdullahi Ibrahim (SAN) argued that
Justice Salami was unduly maligned. He said
all the allegations made against him were not
true.
Ibrahim, who said he had known Justice
Salami for long, added that he was incapable of
committing all the atrocities that his name was
wrongly associated with.
“We have known him from his youth in the
profession. He is a humble gentleman by any
standard of the word. He is an intelligent
human being, and above all, a man of
integrity.”
Former President of the Court of Appeal Justice
Mamman Nasir was delighted at the large
turnout of judges and lawyers at the event.
He said the development demonstrated a
united judiciary that is intact, despite attempts
to cause disaffection among its members.
Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State
warned of the negative consequences of the
growing culture of impunity, abuse of power
and injustice in the country.
“We should stand up for justice whenever
injustice is being meted out to anybody,” he
said.
The governor said it was unhelpful to the
growth of democracy if the people failed to
confront acts of injustice.
He said the people should not take for granted
what is happening in the country, else the
violent crises being experienced in other
countries could occur here.
He bought 250 copies at N55million – on
behalf of the 11 progressive governors.
The spacious venue was filled to capacity, with
dignitaries.
But the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice
Aloma Mukhtar was absent. She also did not
send a representative.
Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu said history will be kind to Justice
Salami in spite of the deliberate plot to
humiliate the judge out of the bench by the
Peoples Democratic Party-controlled Federal
Government.
He also said it is regrettable that justice has
been placed on the auction block in the
country.
He said: “We live in an era where justice has
been placed on the auction block. Too often the
temple of justice has decayed into a chamber
deceit. One man fought to bring justice back
into the temple through singular acts of
courage. He stared injustice and the
misconduct of craven power in the face and did
not flinch. He stood his ground because it was
a firm and honest position, established on the
unbiased rule of law.
“Justice Salami represented the judiciary a true
democracy needs. We are yet to achieve this
judiciary simply because those in power do not
want it. They do not want judges who are
objective arbiters of the law. They want jurists
who cheer for them not jurist who cherish the
law. They want judges who believe power and
might are the law not judges who believe in the
power and might of the law.
“For being forthright and objective, Salami was
taken from his deserved position on the bench
by the ruling party. An innocent man was made
to suffer, pilloried for the sin of being good and
forthright. Those who forced him into retirement
saw him as an obstacle because he did not
play favourites.
“When it came to the law, he did not play at all.
He held the law in great esteem and protected it
as one should protect the cornerstone of a just
society.
“The story of Justice Salami is instructive.
Despite being exonerated by numerous panels
of men of integrity, the government refused to
re-instate him. Though kept at home, he was a
constant thorn in their side because he would
not abide their script. His compass was not the
demands of those in power . His compass was
the dictates of the law. In another setting, he
would have been proclaimed a great and noble
man. In Nigeria, he was punished.
“Salami’s account is the story of Nigeria.
Nigeria stands in the cross winds of history.
Unless we find more men with the gravity and
sobriety of Justice Salami in the judiciary we
shall be swept in the wrong direction by the
terrible gales of unbridled ambition and mean
power.”
The ex-governor clarified that Salami was
never a stooge of the defunct ACN.
He said: “ Instead of learning democratic
lessons from the judicial overturning of its
electoral violations, the ruling party has vowed
t overturn the impartiality of the judiciary.
Instead of desisting from practices deemed
improper, the PDP now employs those same
practices to wreck the operation of justice.
“Thus government wrongfully ended the career
of one of our illustrious jurists, Court of Appeal
President, Justice Isa Salami. What was his
crime? He refused to put his sense of justice on
sale. Because of this, they slandered and
libeled him. They rumoured he was in the
pockets of the ACN. This was a terrible lie
against a good man. Our party has no hold on
him.
“His verdicts were not for the ACN. They were
for justice. However, those in power could not
tolerate his impartiality. So partisan and
power-mad, they cannot see that this man
operates from principles different and more
exalted than the crude politics they play.
The book’s editor, Mrs Funmi Quadri, had, at
the inception of the event, informed all that the
CJN was being expected.
Also at the event were former Head of State
General Mohammed Buhari, The All
Progressives Congress (APC) interim Chairman,
Chief Bisi Akande, Governors Rauf Aregbesola
(Osun) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), former CJN
Idris Legbo Kutigi and Acting President of the
Court of Appeal Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.
Others are former Speaker of the House of
Representatives Aminu Bello Masari, former
Edo State Governor John Oyegun, APC’s Interim
National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, former Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) Minister Nasir el-Rufai, former AGF Akin
Olujimi (SAN), Justice Salami’s wife, Mrs
Olayinka Salami, President of the National
Industrial Court Babatunde Adejumo, former
Communication Minister Cornelus Adebayo,
Justice Clara Ogunbiyi of the Supreme Court
and Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, who
represented Justice Ibrahim Bukar, the Chief
Judge of the FCT High Court.
Alo present were Justices Mahmood
Mohammed of the Supreme Court, M. A Garuba
of the Court of Appeal, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN)
Mike Ozekhome (SAN) Emeka Ngige (SAN)
Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) and Rickey Tarfa
(SAN).
The event was organised by a seven-man
group, including Fagbemi, Tarfa, Ngige, John
Baiyeshea (SAN), Abeni Mohammed and Funmi
Quadri.
The book reviewer, Professor Ademola Popoola
of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said
the book, a 7769-page compilation of Justice
Salami’s unreported judgments, was not an
attempt to do the honouree’s biography.
He said any legal practitioner, who takes
intelligent interest in the nation’s judicial
system, will find the book interesting.
Describing Justice Salami as an individual, who
believes in due process, he recalled that the
former Court of Appeal President once rejected
an attempt to make him the Chief Judge of
Kwara State in 1984.
“He would have become the CJ of Kwara State
in 1984 without asking for it. He refused and
insisted that due process must be followed,”
Popoola said.
He urged Justice Salami to tell his own account
of the incident leading to his suspension,
stressing that “people will listen”.
Reading Justice Salami’s citation, Adeniyi
Akintola (SAN) noted that his suspension was
not the first in his life.
He recalled that Justice Salami was once
suspended in his final year at the Secondary
School, when as a School Prefect in Offa
Grammar School, Kwara State, he mobilised
students to protest against some decisions of
the school’s authority.
He described Justice Salami as a courageous
man, “who dared to run where others feared to
thread”.
N255m bulletproof cars: Customs loses N10.133m
MORE shocking facts emerged yesterday on
Aviation Minister Stella Oduah’s N255 million
bulletproof cars.
Duties were not paid for the luxury cars,
Customs said. The vehicles came in free, using
waivers meant for the Lagos State Sports
Festival (Eko 2012), a House of
Representatives probe panel was told.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
bought the cars from automobile giant
Coscharis, which battled fiercely yesterday to
defend its integrity.
Speaking at the hearing on the purchase of the
two BMW cars, a Deputy Comptroller of
Customs in charge of Modern Research and
Economic Relations, Manasa Daniel Jatau, said
N10,133,505.74, which should have come into
the coffers of the Federal Government, was
waived for Coscharis.
Jatau said the port of entry for the cars was
PTML Terminal, TinCan Island Port, Lagos.
The Port of Loading was Beanr Antwerpen Port,
Netherlands. The vessel/ carrier was Grimaldi
Line/ Grande Atlantic VO513.
According to him, duties were not paid because
of the waiver, but the “beneficiary should have
been Lagos State”.
Jatau said this was because the approval
issued from the Office of the National Security
Adviser with end user number 000001672
dated 6th of June 2013 was in the name of
Lagos State.
“The waiver was given to Lagos State for an
event that happened in 2012. Coscharis applied
to the Ministry of Finance, saying that the
beneficiary is Lagos State,” he said.
A letter from the Budget Office of the Federation
under the Ministry of Finance, dated 20
November, 2012 and addressed to the
Governor of Lagos State with the title: “Import
Duty, VAT, ETLS, CISS and Port Charges Waiver
Certificate”, and tendered before the committee
by Customs, reads in part: “I am directed to
refer to your letter dated 23rd June 2012 in the
above subject matter and to convey the
approvalof Mr. President and Commander-in-
Chief to the Lagos State Government for the
waiver of Import Duty, Value Added Tax (VAT),
ETLS, CISS and other port charges in respect of
the importation of 300 units of BMW, Ford,
Land Rover, Range Rover, Lexus, Mercedes,
Escalade, Jaguar and buses ( Petrol/Diesel) for
use during the 18th National Sports Festival
( EKO 2012) to be imported through Messrs
Coscharis Motors Nigeria Limited, as indicated
in the duly attached list.”
The letter was signed by Mrs. Rose Ngozi
Marauzu, Director Revenue, for the Coordinating
Minister of the Economy and Minister of
Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Members insisted that the process had been
corrupted, particularly because of the luxury
cars on the list as well as the fact that
Coscharis sold the BMWs to NCAA at an
outrageous price, in spite of the duties
waiver.The lawmakers expressed doubt over
the cost of the cars.
Coscharis President/ Chairman Cosmas
Maduka caused a stir when in an emotional
voice he responded by saying that the probe is
politically-motivated and an attempt to smear
a reputation he has spent over 20 years to
build.
He said he had been variously described as a
money launderer and accused of contract
inflation.
Maduka said the price of the cars could be
verified from the German Embassy. He said:
“We are too small to BMW for them to risk their
reputation because of us, they will give you the
details of the price.
“The price of a car from the manufacturer will
be different from one taken to a private
armourer, but the difference between N121m
and N127m was the five per cent VAT.”
“I will not do anything that is not ethical,”
Maduka said.
On the variance in the chassis numbers quoted
on the NCAA document and what was found on
the one inspected by the Committee, Maduka
said: “We provided the chassis numbers based
on the document you sent inviting us but the
one you are quoting now, we will send the
documents for the one you saw”.
The Managing Director of Coscharis , Josiah
Samuel, said due process was observed in the
importation of the two cars. According to him,
the company has a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Federal Government on
the use of cars for events.
The company, he said, provides vehicles to the
Federal Government for event use without being
paid, but asks for waivers to replace them.”
Sometimes, it is at the twilight of the event or
after the event is over that the vehicles arrive.
“We then use the new ones to replace the ones
we have given them from our stock.” The MOU,
he said, also extends to some state
governments.
Seyi Oyefeso, Group Head in charge of Lagos
Office, spoke on the transaction between First
Bank and NCAA. According to him, the facility
the bank gave NCAA is an auto loan and not a
lease as the NCAA has claimed.
He said the bank does not involve itself in the
negotiations of their clients and the vendors,
adding that all they do is to check if the client
has the ability to repay the loan and, thereafter,
pay to the vendors based on the pro-forma
invoice tendered by the client.
Oyefeso said his bank paid Coscharis and
Metropolitan Motors only after the NCAA wrote
them that the cars had been received,
A letter to that effect, dated 16th August 2013
from NCAA with the title “Delivery of 2no.BMW
760 by Coccharis”, partly states:
“We hereby acknowledge the delivery of 2no.
BMW 760 motor vehicles by Coscharis Motors
Limited with Chassis nos: DW 68032 and DW
68044.
“In the light of the above, please effect the
payment of the sum of N255,150,000( Two
hundred and fifty- five million, one hundred and
fifty thousand naira only) to Coscharis Motors
Limited being the total cost of the 2 nos BMW
760 motor vehicles with Chassis nos: DW
68032 and DW 68044.”
The letter was signed by Aba Ejembi, Director of
Administration, for the DG/ CEO of NCAA.
The committee, thereafter, asked the Acting DG,
Joyce Nkemakolon, to provide the originating
memorandum from the NCAA overriding the
earlier approval for the procurement of the
vehicles that was missing after the Acting DG
was identified as the originator of the
procurement.
“Despite knowing that the procurement was
beyond budgetary provisions, yet you
presented the memo to the Minister. Did you
include the budgetary provisions for that sub
head in the memo for the procurement of those
two cars?” the chairperson asked.
The Acting DG did not answer.
There was also an argument over the actual
numbers of vehicles bought and approved in
the budget.
A document showed 56. Another showed 54,
but the Director of Finance, Ozigi, said anything
other than 54 operational vehicles was not to
his knowledge.
A member of the committee, Raphael Igbokwe,
said: “Then there is something between you,
the internal auditor and the procurement officer
in the Ministry of Aviation over this procurement
that you are not telling us.”
On why the NCAA insisted on going on with the
leasing after being informed by First Bank that
it was not disposed to leasing facility but loan,
the Acting DG said: “I signed the agreement
based on advice from my colleagues that
leasing and loan facilities are the same. I
thought the templates are the same.”
The Committee was, however, shocked when
the Acting DG said though he was the Chief
Executive Officer during the period under
investigation, he was not aware of the delivery
of the two vehicles.
Members accused Coscharis and NCAA of
ripping Nigerians off through the car deal.
A member noted: “One of the cars we inspected
looked like a used car, not like one that was
supplied in August this year because even one
of the tyres is almost torn, with a mileage of
over 3000 kilometers.”
Nkemakolon said he had no immediate
response to both observations.
The Chairman of the Committee said the
proceedings so far had shown that some
people would not own up to the truth and
continue to lie under oath.
She, however, advised the Minister to appear
today by 10am together with the NCAA and
Coscharis teams. “The Minister sent a letter
that she is in transit but we advise her to
appear here tomorrow (today) by 10am
because we must conclude this hearing by
12pm.
“If not, we will take that she did not want to
appear before the Committee but we have a
duty and we must put in our report before the
House by Tuesday. We will not shift this
hearing even by a minute,” Mrs Onyejeocha
warned.
N255m bulletproof cars: Customs loses N10.133m
MORE shocking facts emerged yesterday on
Aviation Minister Stella Oduah’s N255 million
bulletproof cars.
Duties were not paid for the luxury cars,
Customs said. The vehicles came in free, using
waivers meant for the Lagos State Sports
Festival (Eko 2012), a House of
Representatives probe panel was told.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
bought the cars from automobile giant
Coscharis, which battled fiercely yesterday to
defend its integrity.
Speaking at the hearing on the purchase of the
two BMW cars, a Deputy Comptroller of
Customs in charge of Modern Research and
Economic Relations, Manasa Daniel Jatau, said
N10,133,505.74, which should have come into
the coffers of the Federal Government, was
waived for Coscharis.
Jatau said the port of entry for the cars was
PTML Terminal, TinCan Island Port, Lagos.
The Port of Loading was Beanr Antwerpen Port,
Netherlands. The vessel/ carrier was Grimaldi
Line/ Grande Atlantic VO513.
According to him, duties were not paid because
of the waiver, but the “beneficiary should have
been Lagos State”.
Jatau said this was because the approval
issued from the Office of the National Security
Adviser with end user number 000001672
dated 6th of June 2013 was in the name of
Lagos State.
“The waiver was given to Lagos State for an
event that happened in 2012. Coscharis applied
to the Ministry of Finance, saying that the
beneficiary is Lagos State,” he said.
A letter from the Budget Office of the Federation
under the Ministry of Finance, dated 20
November, 2012 and addressed to the
Governor of Lagos State with the title: “Import
Duty, VAT, ETLS, CISS and Port Charges Waiver
Certificate”, and tendered before the committee
by Customs, reads in part: “I am directed to
refer to your letter dated 23rd June 2012 in the
above subject matter and to convey the
approvalof Mr. President and Commander-in-
Chief to the Lagos State Government for the
waiver of Import Duty, Value Added Tax (VAT),
ETLS, CISS and other port charges in respect of
the importation of 300 units of BMW, Ford,
Land Rover, Range Rover, Lexus, Mercedes,
Escalade, Jaguar and buses ( Petrol/Diesel) for
use during the 18th National Sports Festival
( EKO 2012) to be imported through Messrs
Coscharis Motors Nigeria Limited, as indicated
in the duly attached list.”
The letter was signed by Mrs. Rose Ngozi
Marauzu, Director Revenue, for the Coordinating
Minister of the Economy and Minister of
Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Members insisted that the process had been
corrupted, particularly because of the luxury
cars on the list as well as the fact that
Coscharis sold the BMWs to NCAA at an
outrageous price, in spite of the duties
waiver.The lawmakers expressed doubt over
the cost of the cars.
Coscharis President/ Chairman Cosmas
Maduka caused a stir when in an emotional
voice he responded by saying that the probe is
politically-motivated and an attempt to smear
a reputation he has spent over 20 years to
build.
He said he had been variously described as a
money launderer and accused of contract
inflation.
Maduka said the price of the cars could be
verified from the German Embassy. He said:
“We are too small to BMW for them to risk their
reputation because of us, they will give you the
details of the price.
“The price of a car from the manufacturer will
be different from one taken to a private
armourer, but the difference between N121m
and N127m was the five per cent VAT.”
“I will not do anything that is not ethical,”
Maduka said.
On the variance in the chassis numbers quoted
on the NCAA document and what was found on
the one inspected by the Committee, Maduka
said: “We provided the chassis numbers based
on the document you sent inviting us but the
one you are quoting now, we will send the
documents for the one you saw”.
The Managing Director of Coscharis , Josiah
Samuel, said due process was observed in the
importation of the two cars. According to him,
the company has a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Federal Government on
the use of cars for events.
The company, he said, provides vehicles to the
Federal Government for event use without being
paid, but asks for waivers to replace them.”
Sometimes, it is at the twilight of the event or
after the event is over that the vehicles arrive.
“We then use the new ones to replace the ones
we have given them from our stock.” The MOU,
he said, also extends to some state
governments.
Seyi Oyefeso, Group Head in charge of Lagos
Office, spoke on the transaction between First
Bank and NCAA. According to him, the facility
the bank gave NCAA is an auto loan and not a
lease as the NCAA has claimed.
He said the bank does not involve itself in the
negotiations of their clients and the vendors,
adding that all they do is to check if the client
has the ability to repay the loan and, thereafter,
pay to the vendors based on the pro-forma
invoice tendered by the client.
Oyefeso said his bank paid Coscharis and
Metropolitan Motors only after the NCAA wrote
them that the cars had been received,
A letter to that effect, dated 16th August 2013
from NCAA with the title “Delivery of 2no.BMW
760 by Coccharis”, partly states:
“We hereby acknowledge the delivery of 2no.
BMW 760 motor vehicles by Coscharis Motors
Limited with Chassis nos: DW 68032 and DW
68044.
“In the light of the above, please effect the
payment of the sum of N255,150,000( Two
hundred and fifty- five million, one hundred and
fifty thousand naira only) to Coscharis Motors
Limited being the total cost of the 2 nos BMW
760 motor vehicles with Chassis nos: DW
68032 and DW 68044.”
The letter was signed by Aba Ejembi, Director of
Administration, for the DG/ CEO of NCAA.
The committee, thereafter, asked the Acting DG,
Joyce Nkemakolon, to provide the originating
memorandum from the NCAA overriding the
earlier approval for the procurement of the
vehicles that was missing after the Acting DG
was identified as the originator of the
procurement.
“Despite knowing that the procurement was
beyond budgetary provisions, yet you
presented the memo to the Minister. Did you
include the budgetary provisions for that sub
head in the memo for the procurement of those
two cars?” the chairperson asked.
The Acting DG did not answer.
There was also an argument over the actual
numbers of vehicles bought and approved in
the budget.
A document showed 56. Another showed 54,
but the Director of Finance, Ozigi, said anything
other than 54 operational vehicles was not to
his knowledge.
A member of the committee, Raphael Igbokwe,
said: “Then there is something between you,
the internal auditor and the procurement officer
in the Ministry of Aviation over this procurement
that you are not telling us.”
On why the NCAA insisted on going on with the
leasing after being informed by First Bank that
it was not disposed to leasing facility but loan,
the Acting DG said: “I signed the agreement
based on advice from my colleagues that
leasing and loan facilities are the same. I
thought the templates are the same.”
The Committee was, however, shocked when
the Acting DG said though he was the Chief
Executive Officer during the period under
investigation, he was not aware of the delivery
of the two vehicles.
Members accused Coscharis and NCAA of
ripping Nigerians off through the car deal.
A member noted: “One of the cars we inspected
looked like a used car, not like one that was
supplied in August this year because even one
of the tyres is almost torn, with a mileage of
over 3000 kilometers.”
Nkemakolon said he had no immediate
response to both observations.
The Chairman of the Committee said the
proceedings so far had shown that some
people would not own up to the truth and
continue to lie under oath.
She, however, advised the Minister to appear
today by 10am together with the NCAA and
Coscharis teams. “The Minister sent a letter
that she is in transit but we advise her to
appear here tomorrow (today) by 10am
because we must conclude this hearing by
12pm.
“If not, we will take that she did not want to
appear before the Committee but we have a
duty and we must put in our report before the
House by Tuesday. We will not shift this
hearing even by a minute,” Mrs Onyejeocha
warned.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Foreigners behind oil theft,says minister
The Federal Government yesterday described
oil theft as terrorism, saying foreigners were
behind it.
Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke alleged that the theft of
Nigeria’s crude oil is in connivance with some
syndicates outside Africa, adding that the crime
robs the economy and dissuades investors.
The minister spoke in London, according to
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) spokesman Tumini Green.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke was delivering the
keynote address at the Powerlist 2014. She
said: “Theft of this magnitude is not only highly
technical, but it is also an international-level
crime. It is aided and abetted by syndicates
outside of Africa who are the patrons and
merchant-partners of the oil thieves. This crime
against Nigeria must be resisted, as we
simultaneously deploy in-country resources to
fight this menace,’’ she said.
The Minister urged the global community to
advocate strongly against crude oil theft.
She said: “It perpetuates criminality, defrauds
economies and discourages investment. This is
a crime that threatens not only Nigeria’s oil and
gas sector, but also threatens the security of
the Gulf of Guinea and, by extension, threatens
the global economic order.”
The minister said the grave phenomenon of oil
theft and its global support system represent
another face of terrorism, which has continued
to remain a spoke the wheel of the nation’s
high economic growth trajectory.”
In the paper titled: “The strengths and
obligations of the African Diaspora”, the
Petroleum Minister explained that the ugly
episode of oil theft has continued to thwart
efforts at sustained economic growth because
the effect of the oil theft scourge reverberates
across the entire spectrum of the Nigerian
economy.
“The grave phenomenon of oil theft and its
global support system represents another face
of terrorism counteracting our efforts at
sustaining the trajectory of our high-growth
economy, the stability of our society, and the
enhancement and wellbeing of our people,’’
Mrs. Alison-Madueke said.
She said efforts at combating the menace
locally is made more complicated because of
the international slant of the crime.
Despite the scourge of crude theft, Mrs. Alison-
Madueke said Nigeria’s oil and gas industry
had been placed on the path of growth and
irreversible progress.
“The Nigerian Content Act, signed into law in
2010 by President Jonathan, vigorously
advocates for indigenous participation, job
creation and in-country capacity development
and has nurtured leading edge indigenous
companies capable of competing with the
traditional multinationals. The very topical
Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is a historic piece
of legislation designed to effect extensive and
much needed legal, regulatory, financial and
environmental reform to Nigeria’s oil and gas
industry,’’ she said.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Jonathan promises better electoral process
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in
Jerusalem promised to stabilise Nigeria’s
electoral process.
Jonathan, who made the promise at an
interdenominational service for 2013 Nigerian
pilgrims, said the process is better now than
previously.
“We promise that we must do a number of
things differently. We have challenges in our
electoral system, but at least it is better than
what it was yesterday,” he said, adding: “Let
me reassure you that even though our nation is
passing through challenges this period, God
has made it possible for us to pray at a period
like this.’’
The President decried the high level of
vandalism of petroleum pipelines and electric
poles by criminals in the country.
The President said his administration would
continue to improve the living condition of
Nigerians.
He enjoined Nigerians to continue to pray for
the country, saying that evil forces would never
succeed in their evil ways.
“I assure you that things will continue to
improve for the better as Nigeria will no longer
be the same.”
He expressed gratitude for the Yitshak Rabin
Family Award for Good Leadership conferred on
him and for the naming of the Yitshak Rabin
School in Port Harcourt after him.
Jonathan said Nigeria and the state of Israel
would continue to be friends.
Mr John-Kennedy Okpara, Executive Secretary
of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission,
said over 30,000 Nigerian pilgrims were
transported to the Holy land annually,
compared to 4,000 pilgrims transported five
years ago.
He advised pilgrims to see pilgrimage as a time
for spiritual rebirth and a divine encounter with
God.
The high point of the occasion was the
decoration of Jonathan with the JP title and the
conferment of the Yitshak Rabin Award for Good
Leadership Award on him.
Other dignitaries, who were decorated with the
JP title, include Governors Gabriel Suswam
(Benue), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Liyel
Imoke (Cross River) and Jonah Jang (Plateau).
On Saturday in Nazareth, the President
performed the symbolic candle lighting at the
Church of Mount Camel, the place where the
Biblical contest between Prophet Elijah and the
400 false prophets of Baal took place.
The President also visited River Jordan, the
place where Jesus Christ was baptised by John
the Baptist. He prayed before dipping his hands
seven times into the river.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
the President and members of the Presidential
Pilgrimage Team also visited the Church of
Annunciation, otherwise known as Basillica of
the Annunciation, the place where Angel Gabriel
broke to Virgin Mary the news of her
conception.
Other places visited by the team were the Holy
Family Church in Nazareth and the Cana
Wedding Church in Galilee. They took a boat
drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and
visited the Mount of Beatitudes.
President Jonathan had on the second day of
the pilgrimage visited the Jerusalem Old City,
Pool of Bethesda, Wailing Wall, where he prayed
privately, the Tomb of Jesus Christ where he
also prayed after leading the Fourteen Stations
of the Cross.
Army to Boko Haram members: surrender
Members of the Boko Haram sect who
surrender will get free passage, the army said
yesterday.
Acting Brigade Commander of the 21 Armoured
Brigade in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital,
Col. Ibrahim Yusuf, also said that the army
would do everything to protect residents from
attacks. He spoke in Maiduguri.
He said: “I want to assure you that we will give
a safe passage to members of the sect,
including foot soldiers, ready to surrender.
“Those involved can either surrender
themselves at any military outpost or go to
their ward or district head.
“Let me say again that all those who surrender
will not be killed, but will be given safe
passage,” he said
He added that new measures to counter Boko
Haram attacks on civilians had been
introduced but he did not state the measures.
“I want to assure you that the army is doing
everything possible to ensure that no civilian is
attacked by Boko Haram in the state because
we are here to ensure the safety of all
Nigerians,” Col. Yusuf said.
He linked the recent attacks on travellers and
villagers by suspected Boko Haram militants on
highways to frustration.
The acting commander said “most times, the
Boko Haram members go to remote villages to
kill innocent civilians in cold blood because
they have been frustrated by the army”.
“They cannot operate in the open, so they vent
their anger on innocent civilians.’’
Col.Yusuf, who said the military was equal to
the task, noted that “we cannot be taken by
surprise by the Boko Haram; the recent attacks
are nothing but signs of weakness.
“We are also evolving strategies to make sure
that we prevent future attacks, no matter how
small.’’
The Army, also in Damaturu, denied that two of
their VVL Armoured cars were taken away by
Boko Haram invaders during the night attack
on Damaturu.
It also denied reports that an ex-officer who
was purported to have led the attack in
Damaturu on Thursday night was arrested.
The spokesman of the 3 Division Special
Operation Battalion, Damaturu Cpt. Eli Lazarus,
in an sms, said: “The story that the Army
arrested an ex-Colonel who led Yobe Boko
Haram attacks is absolute falsehood. Also, the
purported arrest of a truck containing uniforms
and arms is also not true. “
Capt. Eli said: “We did not lose any of our
armoured vehicles to Boko Haram. All our
machines are intact.”
Damaturu, the state capital, is bouncing back in
the aftermath of the black Thursday.
Church services were successful in the
metropolis, but with low turnout.
Normalcy has also returned to the metropolis
as many shops were open, with residents
making brisk purchase to beat the 4pm curfew
dateline.
The Borno government is to re-build about 200
houses destroyed last week in Kawuri village of
Konduga Local Government Area by suspected
insurgents.
Deputy Governor Zannah Mustapha gave this
indication yesterday when he visited the village.
He said the government would compensate
traders who lost their shops during the attack.
Mustapha directed the Konduga Local
Government Caretaker Committee to prepare a
list of all those affected.
He said that since attacks by insurgents had
become a daily affair in remote areas, the
affected communities must form vigilante
groups to defend themselves.
“I am here to condole with the community over
last week’s attack by suspected Boko Haram
militants.
“I want to appeal to all those who suffered
losses to take it as an act of God, because it is
only Him who gives or takes away.
“ Communities who are vulnerable to this kind
of attack must begin to introduce a kind of
community policing to prevent future attacks.
“What I am saying is that individuals must
come out to form vigilante groups to defend
themselves against attacks.
“The best form of security is community
policing. People must be ready to fight and
defend themselves against Boko Haram,
through the formation of vigilante groups,” he
said.
While promising that the government would
collaborate with security agencies to
strengthen security in the area, Mustapha urged
the community to copy the experience of
Maiduguri, the state capital, which used to be
the stronhold of the insurgents.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
about 18 persons were injured after suspected
insurgents attacked the community last week,
destroying about 200 houses, 50 shops and
many vehicles.
431,000 jobs generated in first quarter 2013, says NBS
No fewer than 431,0021 jobs were generated in
the first quarter of this year while the economy
generated 385, 913 jobs in the last quarter of
last year, the National Bureau of Statistics
(NBS), said yesterday.
The development shows an 11.69 per cent
increase between the two quarters.
According to the result of the survey issued by
the NBS, in the 4th Quarter of 2012, 152,018
jobs were created in the formal sector, 208,920
jobs in the Informal sector and 24,975 in the
public sector.
The formal sector it said, contributed 174,326
jobs to the total jobs generated in the 1st
Quarter of 2013, while the Informal and public
sectors generated 232,327 and 24,368 jobs.
The survey report sent by the NBS reads: “The
informal sector generated1/3 more jobs than
the formal sector in the same first quarter 2013.
However, the formal sector shows the greatest
increase between the two quarters of 14.68%
more jobs created than in the fourth quarter of
2012. Job creation in the Public sector is the
only area to exhibit a decline from the fourth
quarter of 2012 to the first of 2013.
“Analysis of the formal jobs created shows the
Education sector provided the most jobs in both
quarters, making up 50.35% of new jobs in the
fourth quarter 2012 and 39.49% in the first
quarter 2013. Financial Intermediation
contributed the second largest portion of 15.9%
of jobs created in the fourth quarter of 2012,
increasing by a further 6.60% points to 22.51%
in the first quarter of 2013. Mining and
quarrying generated the least employment in
the industrial sector, constituting just 0.14%
and 0.11% of all jobs created in the last quarter
2012 and the first of 2013 respectively. The
fastest growth in job creation comes from the
Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector, with
100.9% increase in job creation between the
two quarters. Substantial increases in the
number of formal jobs created also can be
found in Real Estate, Renting and Business
Activities, with 66.6% increase,
“Manufacturing with a 63.2% increase and
Financial Intermediation, with a 62.3% increase
in jobs created. Only two sectors witnessed a
decline in job creation between the two
quarters. Firstly, mining and quarrying which
created 10.9% fewer jobs than in the previous
quarter. Secondly in the Education sector,
which was not able to sustain its high rate of
job creation, witnessing a 15.86% point decline
in the number of jobs created relative to the
fourth quarter of 2012.
“The most cited reason for new employment is
‘Other’ which has a share of 11.36 and 11.46 in
Q4 2012 and Q1 2013 respectively. However,
reasons for employment are fairly equally
distributed over the two periods, with each
category retaining a 10-11% share of
responses; there is a less than 1% point
change in between categories across the two
periods even when looking at individual
sectors. However, although small, some
changes are notable. For instance, the greatest
increase of 0.80% comes from the promotion of
the occupant of the position, which eludes
towards an expansion of managerial positions
and an upward mobility within the workplace.
Secondly there is a 0.54% increase in job
creation due to a new skill being required in the
office, showing an increase in the technical
requirements of businesses.
“In Q4 of 2012, 119,905 full time formal jobs
created compared to 145,032 jobs in Q1 of
2013 indicating an increaseof20.96% infill time
employment between the two quarters. On the
other hand, part time employment 29,293 jobs,
which are a 9.62% decline on the Q4 2012
number of 32,112.The top three sectors that
produced the highest numbers of fulltime jobs
in Q4 2012, were Education, followed by
Financial Intermediation and then Health and
Social Work. In Q1 of 2013, the same sectors
maintained the top three positions for
generating fulltime jobs. This is indicative of the
huge investment of resources in these sectors,
particularly in the Education and Health
sectors.”
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Atuche’s trial: Court orders EFCC to produce documents within seven days
Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court,
Ikeja yesterday ordered the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to, within
seven days, produce some documents relating
to the ongoing trial of former Managing Director
of Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche.
The documents the court ordered the
commission to produce include board
resolutions of four companies, viz Integrated
Services Limited, Futureview Financial Services
Limited, Tradjeck Limited and Extra Oil Limited.
The judge had on October 2, 2013 issued a
subpoena on the EFCC and ordered the
commission to produce the documents on or
before the next sitting of the court on November
1, 2013.
Atuche and his wife, Elizabeth, were charged to
court by the EFCC, alongside a former Chief
Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.
They are standing trial for allegedly stealing
N25.7 billion belonging to Bank PHB (now
Keystone Bank).
At the resumed trial of the matter on Friday,
Atuche’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN),
asked the court to order the EFCC to produce
the original documents.
Chief Idigbe said the documents are very
relevant to the charge as they relate to a N10.9
billion credit facility Atuche had allegedly
granted to the companies, without their
knowledge.
He alleged that the original copies of the said
documents were in the custody of the EFCC.
An EFCC official, Mr Boniface Uzoechi, who
reacted on behalf of the prosecution, admitted
that the documents are in the custody of the
commission.
Uzoechi however told the court that the said
documents were at the agency’s headquarters
in Abuja and that he only got to know that the
court was sitting yesterday.
Uzoechi said: ”I got to know about today’s
adjournment last night on my way from Osun
State.
“I was unable to get through to the Abuja office
to produce the documents.”
The court admitted as exhibits Bank PHB
Annual Reports for the years 2006, 2007 and
2008.
Also admitted as exhibits were minutes of Bank
PHB Board of Directors meetings between May
2007 and September 2009.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till
November 1, 2013 to enable the EFCC produce
the documents ordered by the court.
FG extends deadline for new number plates to June 2014
The Joint Tax Board (JTB) has extended the
deadline for the registration of vehicles number
plates and drivers’ licences to June next year.
Chief Executive Officer, Federal Road Safety
Corps (FRSC), Chidoka Osita, who was
represented at the Road Transport Employers
Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) headquarters
by the Corps Transport Standardization Officer,
Oluwasusi Familoni, revealed this in Abuja
yesterday.
He said: “For the benefit of everybody here, the
Joint Tax Board has graciously approved the
extension of the deadline for procurement of
driver’s licence and number plates till June next
year.”
He explained to the association that the
responsibility of fixing the deadline is that of the
JTB, which consists of all the boards of Internal
Revenue, the Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS) and the corps.
Osita said that the FRSC, which is only on the
board as an observer, does not fix deadlines for
procurement of number plates and drivers’
licences.
He added that “ whatever the Joint Tax Board
says on driver’s licence, number plates is what
we carry out. Even as per the price, it is the
Joint Tax Board that fixes the price.”
RTEAN President, Alhaji Musa Isiwele Shehu,
announced that since the association is a
major stakeholder in road transport matters, it
would today write a letter to the JTB and FRSC
to be included on the JTB board.
He said: “I think I have a point to raise there.
We are supposed to be a member of that board
because the FIRS and Road Safety are not the
ones to buy the numbers, it is our members
who buy them. And it is not free, it is for sale.
“We are supposed to be there as board
members and we are now to negotiate the price
on behalf of my people. You only dish out
directives- ‘come and buy this number plate at
the rate of N30,000.’
“I know some drivers who have no N30,000 in
their accounts. Please you should take this to
the office that this is our request.”
Shehu also asked the Federal Government to
re-examine the issue of number plates.
The RTEAN boss urged the Federal Government
to withdraw the old number plates now that
there are new ones.
He explained that failure to withdraw the old
ones would culminate in two number plates for
one vehicle.
His words: “We are talking about the plate
numbers that since they have the intention of
changing, it should be a change because of the
old one we have paid for it before. They are
now bringing another one and saying pay. If
you don’t withdraw the old one, automatically,
one vehicle has two numbers.”
The association, according to Shehu, wants the
dealer numbers be restricted to the state where
the dealer is resident.
He insisted that “you can’t put dealer’s number
in a vehicle and drive from Kano to Lagos. That
dealer number has no particulars. A criminal
can commit a crime with it and remove the
dealer’s number and obtain a plate number.”
According to the RTEAN boss, the dealer
number is supposed to be meant for testing of
a vehicle before payment.
2015:Power shift to North not negotiable—Northern leaders
Northern Elders are not prepared to back down
on the North’s demand for the presidency in
2015,spokesman for the group, Professor Ango
Abdullahi has said.
“There is no going back on the presidency
returning to the North in 2015, and that has
remained our position,” he told The Nation on
the outcome of the last weekend meeting of the
Northern Elders Forum.
Professor Abdullahi accused the President of
playing politics with the proposed national
conference.
“As far as we are concerned, all this talk about
national conference is political and geared
towards 2015. It is also becoming clear that
the only card on the table of Mr. President is
ethnicity or religion. We are waiting to see how
this will work in his favour,” he said.
But he explained that the North is not in any
way against the conference.
His words: “The Northern Elders’ Forum met
last weekend and we generally agreed with the
direction of the North on the National
Conference. And we said why not? The point we
tried to make is what kind of conference?
“This is because we have had all sorts of
conferences in the past from 1914 to date. All
the reports of these conferences are there in the
Government House. The Northern Elders’ Forum
wondered what kind of conversation, dialogue,
or conference that would be different from the
ones we have had before.
“We agreed that the only thing that will make
the proposed conference significantly different
is when it is sovereign. What needs to be done
is to suspend the current 1999 Constitution by
the National Assembly to pave the way for a
peoples’ conference. The National Assembly
should vacate itself to enable the sovereign
conference to take place.
“I am particularly surprised that those who
have always wanted a sovereign conference
are now backing out and for whatever reason, I
cannot say. While the Northern Elders’ Forum
may be at home with the proposed conference,
as we have always maintained that we are
ready for any kind of conference, I still maintain
that we either have a sovereign conference or
nothing else. Without that, we had better
manage the system as it is. Otherwise, the
proposed conference will be a mere talk shop
and a jamboree.”
Saturday, October 26, 2013
N225m bulletproof cars: Jonathan snubs Oduah in Israel
Embattled Aviation Minister, Princess
Stella Oduah, has got the snub of her political
career in far-away Israel, it was learnt
yesterday.
President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly turned
down the minister’s request for an
appointment.
The minister is on the president’s entourage to
that country.
Sources in Jerusalem said that Oduah made
several attempts to have a one-on-one
discussion with Jonathan to explain her role in
the N255m armoured cars procurement
scandal by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA).
The cars were said to have been purchased for
her personal use as she was said to be under
security threat due to ongoing reforms in the
aviation sector.
Since the news broke out, pressures have
mounted on the President to relieve her of her
job.
Before his pilgrimage to Jerusalem on
Wednesday, Jonathan announced the
inauguration of a three-man committee to
probe the procurement and determine if due
process was followed.
A source on the entourage of the President said
it would have been out of place for Jonathan to
meet with Oduah when the panel he set up is
yet to begin sitting or clear her of alleged
involvement in the scandal.
The source said: “I can tell you that the minister
has not and will never meet with the President
here in Jerusalem. This is not to say that she
has been found guilty, but it is just fair that the
President does not send the wrong signal that
may influence the report of the panel.
“We were under strict instruction to prevent the
minister from having access to the president for
the days we would be spending here. It is,
therefore, wrong for anybody to assume that
the minister and the President would resolve
the issue of the car purchase here. There is
nothing like that. I would not describe it as
shunning the minister, but it is just something
to do.”
Meanwhile, members of the House of
Representatives Aviation Committee probing
the purchase of the two armoured vehicles by
the NCAA yesterday flared up at officials of the
agency for allegedly evading some questions.
The committee turned down an attempt by the
NCAA to bring in a financial expert to answer
questions on the deal.
Committee Chairman Nkiruka Onyejeocha told
the authority’s acting Director General Joyce
Nkemakolon: “As acting DG and chief
accounting officer, you did not deem it fit to
consult a financial expert while making your
decision to procure the two vehicles.It is too
late in the day to now call in a financial expert.”
The committee also did not take kindly to the
documents presented by the management of
the agency to back up its case.
It said the documents did not look real.
Onyejeocha said: “This matter won’t end here
because when we come to the papers, going by
what you submitted to us, most of them are
more or less pro-forma invoices and some look
like they were downloaded from the Internet,
not real receipts.
“We are going to ask you to bring the receipts
of all the transactions you have done in NCAA
from January to date because we have not
seen anything to show us that they are the real
receipts.
“This will not end here.If we cannot get the bulk
of what we are looking for from you, we are
going to send our own people to go and look at
your records from January to date.
“It is after we are in possession of those
documents that we can now call on your
financial expert because what you submitted is
not the true reflection of what actually
happened over the period.”
A member of the probe panel, Mathew
Omegiara, accused the acting DG of showing
disrespect to the panel by suggesting that the
organisation’s Director of Finance, Mr, Ozigi,
should respond to some questions on the deal.
The Rep snapped: “You are learned enough to
know that you can’t spend above certain limits
and also that the minister cannot give approval
beyond certain limits.”
The NCAA, in the documents submitted to the
committee, disputed claims by the Bureau of
Public Procurement (BPP) that its purchase of
the two cars breached regulations.
The NCAA insisted that it adhered to the
procurement laws in the deal.
The BPP had said the purchase, having been in
excess of N100million, ought to have been
approved by the Federal Executive Council
(FEC) and not the Ministerial Tenders Board.
However, the aviation agency insisted
yesterday that the Appropriation Act 2013 was
not breached as what was required to pay for
the two vehicles is below the appropriated
benchmark for the year.
Besides, it noted that towards the effective
implementation of its statutory regulatory
responsibilities , it is imperative that it is fully
equipped with highly specialized tools and
facilities, including adequate operational
vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and
over 400 airstrips.
It said: “To acquire the vehicles, lease financing
was adopted. Lease financing is one of the
ways of acquiring fixed assets in both public
and private sector organizations. NCAA
embarked on lease financing in line with
prudential cash flow management.
“Leasing improves cash flow and enables an
organization enjoy an asset before fully paying
for it. This approach minimizes the effect of
initial capital outlay that occurs if outright cash
purchase is embarked upon.”
It explained that having identified the need for
the controversial cars,it wrote a letter on April
15,2013 to the Ministry of Aviation to seek
approval for the procurement. “On the 25th’ of
April, 2013, Federal Ministry of Aviation
conveyed approval for the acquisition of the
operational vehicles through lease financing.
“On the strength of the above letter of approval
from Federal Ministry of Aviation, the list of all
banks in Nigeria was obtained on 7th May,
2013 and were circulated with a Request for
Expression of Interest on the financing of the
lease. E01 was adopted because the
procurement is two sided. First, the financier
would have to be selected before the supplier is
determined. “This is in line with procurement
best practices. “On 24th May, 2013 the
Request for Expression of Interest (EOT) was
publicly opened and minutes of the opening
exercise were documented. “The Evaluation of
the Expression of Interest was held on 31st
May, 2013 during which First Bank PIc, Union
Bank Pic and Stanbic IBTC emerged
responsive. “ It said that the three banks were
invited on June 10 to submit financial
proposals with First Bank emerging the highest
rated responsive bidder. That was followed by
receipt of invoices from “a credible motor
vehicle dealers during which only Coscharis
Limited quoted for BMvV Armoured Vehicles.
“On 28 June, 2013 NCAA Parastatal Tenders
Board approved the selection of First Bank for
the Lease Financing as well as Metropolitan
Motor Vehicles and Coscharis for the supply of
the vehicles. “This approval is predicated on
the due process documentations so far done.
“Between 8th July, 2013 and August, 2013
various meetings were held with First Bank,
contract agreement was signed and necessary
documentations were carried out. “On 13th
August, 2013, suppliers of the vehicles were
contacted on the instance of First Bank.
“Payment for the vehicles is in 36 equal
monthly instalments, out of which only two
have been paid as at 21 October, 2013.”
Friday, October 25, 2013
When 150 virgins stormed Lagos
Lagos recently witnessed a remarkable day.
Not many expected it but it came with its
flurry of activities. It was a day the youths –
boys and girls in their large numbers –
converged on the city to prove that in a sex-
soaked society, there were still a good
number of them, who were still virgins.
As part of the events lined up for the day, a
group of choreographers, Alien Nation , made
up of gospel hip hop artistes, performed:
"Don't mess with my body; my body is the
lord's sanctuary," one of the very instructive
works of the Trin-e-tee 5:7 . It was a
delightful performance that fittingly
captured the rhythm of the occasion, as
guests gathered for the celebration of 150
virgins.
The event, which was organised by
Virginspride Network (VPN), a non-
government organisation, was the fifth to be
held amid pomp and ceremony at the exotic
conference hall of the Renaissance Hotel,
Alausa, Ikeja. It featured girls draped in all
white gowns to showcase their purity,
maintaining that virginity still remained a
virtue.
Delighted by the proceeding, Mrs. Olaide
Bakare, mother of the day and wife of the
fiery pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly,
sprang to her feet to pour encomiums on the
girls. "You are all blessed; you're products of
envy; you'll not lose your virginity, I salute
your courage," she told the girls.
Speaking further, she stated: "I chose to grace
the event because I cherish chastity and
purity. A lot of girls, who are mothers today,
didn't have the opportunity to be sat down
and encouraged to keep their virginity.
Those who were not encouraged had nothing
to offer to their daughters. It is a privilege to
be known as virgins in the odd world where
there are pressures on the girl child."
She described virginity as a state of mind,
adding that virginity must be reflected both
physically and mentally by avoiding films
that arouse sexual urge and extolling dignity
of labour, integrity, self esteem, association
with peers that share similar virtues and
relying on God.
The event, which was witnessed by couples,
who testified to their virginity status before
they got married, had Mrs. Moji Awokoya,
representing Mrs. Rosemary Odukoya of the
Fountain of Life Church. She said on the
occasion: "I wish I were your age. This is not
taught in schools. A lot of girls lose their
virginity due to peer pressure and parents,
who are not there to instruct them on the
importance of purity and chastity. Truth is
that once it is lost, it's gone for ever."
She emphasised that sexual intercourse
outside marriage was akin to stealing from
the girl, adding that "research shows that
couples that had sex before marriage found
it difficult to trust each other and they
virtually had extra-marital affairs."
She urged the girls to always seek the face of
God, read and meditate on the word of God,
watch the company they keep, avoid porn
movies, be focused and lead a goal-oriented
life. "When a guy pressurises you for sex, he
is not for you," she added.
President, Virginspride Network, Mrs. Nkechi
Odebiyi, explained that her greatest joy was
seeing the girls adorned in their white
dresses, and standing before God singing
psalms, hymns and pledging to remain
chaste until they were married.
She revealed that virginity was core to her
because she lost hers very early in life. "I
wasn't happy when I realised its
importance. I wish I had the privilege of
being taught. But now that I know, I have
decided to carry the banner to every nook
and cranny of the society to raise girls, who
would carry their bodies in dignity. Every
young girl should appreciate the virtue of
carrying herself with candour."
She said her decision to embark on the
assignment was out of God-driven passion,
noting: "I'm on a rescue mission to save this
generation from destroying the virtues our
parents held in high esteem, which is in line
with God's command that we should keep
our body holy and acceptable to him. There
is no religion that condones immorality and
sex before marriage. The message is: 'No
wedding ring, no sex' and there is no
stopping us until the message is etched on
the minds and lips of every girl child."
On her expectations from the girls, she said:
"It is my wish to see the girls keep their
virginity until they get married, be wise in
their decisions, become honourable
members and leaders in the society, who
would work in integrity, transparency and
ensure that corruption takes the back seat in
the emerging new Nigeria."
Odebiyi informed that "to accomplish this,
we have established virginity clubs in
schools in Lagos State to nurture the girls.
Over 2,000 girls have so far been enlisted in
schools across the state.
"We are also planning to build a home for
capacity building where the girls can be
taught to be self-reliant. This is in addition
to acquiring a bus to help in evangelism and
movement to the schools. Being a virgin
makes a girl a woman of honour among her
peers. It also saves her sex-associated
worries, such as unwanted pregnancy and
abortion.
"We celebrated them in order to show them
that it is essential to remain chaste and pure
from sex outside marriage. I believe in
second rate virgins, a term which is used to
describe girls, who had had sex before but
chose not to continue until they got
married."
She, therefore, urged the girls to see virginity
as a pride, noting that "when one is a virgin
and later marries, that confers respect on her
and her husband. God also respects and
honours the family that marries pure and
undefiled."
In his comments, Mr. Sola Omonijo, a
participant whose son was part of the
celebration observed that "this is a vision
inspired by God to ensure that the society
regains the purity we lost several years ago.
To assist the children keep it, we must start
from the cradle to instill into them moral
virtues and the fear of God."
Speaking on behalf of the girls, 18- year-old
Funmilayo Bemehin said: "Some people
probably think there are no virgins around
anymore but looking around, one is sure to
find one, standing in the midst of others and
I'm the one amidst the guys being
celebrated."
"This gives me the confidence that I can still
find a man, who is a virgin, as a husband.
But if at the end of the day, he is not a virgin,
I'll still be grateful to God so long as he is
God-fearing and understanding."
She enjoined the girls to make God their
foundation and know that in the face of
temptation, God will make a way of escape.
"We face temptations on daily basis and one
of the ways I have managed it is never to
give attention to it. In fact, I just walk away,"
she added.
PDP crisis: Another building marked for demolition in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA) has marked for demolition a multi-
million naira complex belonging to a member of
the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP).
The owner of the complex, Senator Aisha
Jummai Al-Hassan, raised the alarm over the
alleged plan to demolish the complex at a news
conference in Abuja yesterday.
Al-Hassan, the senator representing Taraba
North Senatorial District, said she had been
given 48 hours on Thursday to remove her A-
Class Park located in the highbrow Maitama
area of Abuja.
Addressing journalists yesterday, Al-Hassan
traced the decision by the FCTA to demolish the
complex to her membership of the nPDP.
She said: “On the 26th of September 2013, in
fulfillment of the PDP threat to deal with
members of the Baraje-led division of the PDP,
a two-week notice to demolish the A-class
park and event centre was served on A-Class
Events Management Services Limited, and
yesterday (Thursday), another notice, a 48-
hour notice dated 24th October 2013, was also
issued.
“I am a free born citizen of Nigeria whose rights
to freedom of choice and association are
guaranteed under Chapter 4 of the Nigerian
Constitution 1999 as amended.
“If because of the grievances that I have
against my party, the PDP, especially its
leadership at state level, I decided to belong to
an aggrieved divide of the party led by Alhaji
Kawu Baraje, I see no reason why I or any
member of the divide should be witch-hunted or
persecuted and many other Nigerians (park
owners and workers) punished.”
Al-Hassan said that in response to a letter by
the FCTA directing A-Class to vacate its
location, the management of A-Class park
wrote to the FCT Minister, Senator Bala
Mohammed, urging him to allow the park to
continue operation until such a time that actual
and physical development of the Maitama
Transit Way would commence.
The park, she said, also reminded Mohammed
of relevant sections of the allocation letter
which said that the allocation was pending the
identification of an alternative site.
She said that the space for the park was given
to her when authorities of the FCTA discovered
that the place earlier allocated to her was
encumbered.
She said: “By another letter reference AMMC/
P&R/S.500 dated 17th March 2010 from Park
and Recreation Department of the FCTA,
approval was given to A-Class Events
Management Services Limited to develop and
manage a park on a site measuring
approximately 3.0 hectares on the transit way
corridor Maitama District.”
She noted that one of the conditions in the
letter of allocation of plot 102 A00 was that the
offer was for a five-year period in the first
instance, renewable after satisfactory
performance.
The lawmaker said it might interest Nigerians
to know that while she was being hounded and
issued threats to demolish A-Class Park, two
other parks were given approval to operate
parks in the same area.
She noted that contrary to the promise of an
alternative site for A-Class Park, none was
given “despite several reminders to the minister
by me personally and through my colleague
and brother, Senator Smart Adeyemi, the
Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT.”
She added that the development of the
Maitama Transit Way was yet to commence.
According to her, “the Maitama Transit Way will
only be developed and linked to the light rail
lines when completed, and everybody knows as
fact that the light rail line project that will go
round the FCT with linkages to many transit
ways within the city is not anywhere near
completion.
“If A-Class Park and Events Centre is
demolished with others on the transit ways as
alleged by the FCTA, what will the FCTA do with
the space since development of the transit
ways is not even in contemplation now?”
The Taraba-born lawmaker lamented that more
than 200 employees at the highbrow park were
about to lose their means of livelihood.
She called on President Goodluck Jonathan to
intervene in the matter. “I am calling on him
that he should see what his officers are doing
because whether it is development control,
whether it is FCTA, whether it is the minister or
not, they are all members of the executive that
are doing this, and they are doing this contrary
to his vision of wanting to employ the Nigerian
youths to make them useful to themselves and
to Nigeria.
“This single act of demolishing this park, they
are just hiding behind assertion that no people
have been building on transit ways. People
have been building on corridors. Who gave the
people permission to build?
“If you are not authorised to be in a place in
this FCT, will you stay one hour without being
chased out by development control?
“They gave all the people, knowing full well that
these places are road corridors. Right now, why
I am saying that it is a case of witch-hunting
and persecution is because I know for a fact
too that they are not ready now to develop this
transit way.
“I know too as a legislator that no money is
given in the budget to develop this transit way.
With due respect to them, it is not true.
“They are not developing anything. They are
just persecuting me.”
But the Federal Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA) yesterday said that its planned
demolition of the park no political undertone.
A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to
the FCT Minister, Nosike Ogbuenyi, said that
the Development Control Department of the
Abuja Metropolitan Management Council
(AMMC) over a month ago commenced the
processes leading to the closure and removal
of all temporary recreational facilities situated
on the public transit ways within the Abuja
Federal Capital City as the Administration’s
major road and railway projects were in
progress.
It added that the planned demolition of the of
the park was in the public interest.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of
the Federal Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA) has been drawn to a press conference
conducted earlier today by Senator (Mrs) Aisha
Jummai Al-Hassan where she claimed that the
quit notice served on her event centre, A-Class,
Maitama District by the FCTA had political
undertone.
“We wish to state that the quit notice has no
political motive whatsoever as her facility is
sitting on the public transit way.
“As a matter of fact, the Development Control
Department of the Abuja Metropolitan
Management Council (AMMC) over a month
commenced the processes leading to the
closure and removal of all temporary
recreational facilities situated on the public
transit ways within the Abuja Federal Capital
City as the Administration’s major road and
railway projects are in progress.
“The quit notices being given in the course of
the exercise are not targeted at any person or
group of persons. They are also not politically
motivated as claimed by Mrs. Alhassan.
“Rather, they are part of FCTA’s routine
administrative processes aimed at ensuring
strict compliance with the provisions of the
Abuja Master Plan.
“The allegation by Mrs. Sani Alhassan, the
owner of A-Class, one out of many affected
gardens, that the administrative measures have
political undertone is untrue and most
uncharitable.
“The A-Class is not the only recreation centre
on the public transit way that was served quit
notice. For instance, Leisure Park, which is
directly opposite A-Class, among other non-
conforming land users, was also served the
same quit notice.
“It will be recalled that at the end of a recent
monthly FCTA Operational Briefing over a
month ago, the FCT Executive Council had
reiterated the determination of the
Administration to strictly enforce the provisions
of the Abuja Master Plan as an ongoing
process.
“In the process, a total of 202 cases of land use
violation have been sealed across the Federal
Capital City.
“That shows clearly that there is no political
motive whatsoever behind the quit notices, as
they were informed by time honoured rules and
regulations guiding development of structures
in the Federal Capital City and such rules are
not targeted at individuals or groups of
persons.
“Mrs. Sani Alhassan should therefore desist
from reading political or other parochial
meanings to normal and general administrative
measures intended to uphold the intent of the
Abuja Master Plan and the overriding public
interest.”