Gbagbo’s release will facilitate reconciliation in Cote d’Ivoire – Son!

Michel Gbagbo, son of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, has called for his father’s release, saying it would facilitate reconciliation in the country.

An Abidjan-based newspaper, Le Temps, on Sunday in Abidjan quoted Michel as making the call at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the arrest of Charles Goude.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Goude, one of Gbagbo’s strong allies, fled the country at the peak of the political violence in Cote d’Ivoire after being declared wanted.

Goude was arrested in Ghana on Jan. 17, 2013 and extradited to Abidjan where he has been in detention.

Only recently, the Ivorian Government said it needed more time to decide whether or not to extradite him to The Hague.

This was in response to an arrest warrant on Goude by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The newspaper quoted Michel as saying it would be in the interest of peace and reconciliation in the country if Gbagbo was granted freedom.

“Granting freedom to my father, the former president, will be in the interest of the nation, especially with the on-going reconciliation.

“I think it is not good to talk about peace and reconciliation while Gbagbo is in detention. He needs to be part of the process,’’ he was quoted as saying.

NAN recalls that the arrest of Gbagbo, his wife Simone and Michel on April 11, 2011 officially ended the post-election crisis reported to have caused the death of some 3,000 persons.

While Michel and 13 others were granted provisional freedom in August 2013, Gbagbo had remained in the custody of the ICC.

Simone was also detained in a prison cell in Odienne, northern Cote d’Ivoire.

Cote d’Ivoire, world’s largest cocoa beans producer, was hit by a post-election violence following a disputed election between then President Gbagbo and his challenger, now President Alassane Ouattara.

It was reported that talks have been ongoing between the government and the former ruling party, the Ivorian Popular Front.

Source:NAN

Rivers crisis: 2 youths shot in Ogoni!

OGONI area of Rivers  State is the new theatre of war in battle for the soul of the state between Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s camp and those opposed to him. 

Last weekend’s advertised rally by both camps was another reason for the  latest round of violence that visited the state. Uncomfirmed reports said that two people lost their lives in the shootings that dazed the residents.

While the rally organised by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, at Degema in the state was peaceful, that of the Save Rivers Movement, SRM, was aborted by suspected thugs and ceaseless shootings from some unknown gunmen. Both camps seemed to be agreed that two people were shot during the aborted rally.

Governor Amaechi in his reaction blamed the Rivers State police commissioner of police for the mayhem and for supporting those opposed to him. 

The Governor vowed to attend next Saturday’s rally of the SRM.  The scene of  last weekened shooting was Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government.  The SRM applied for police permit on January 7, 2014 and slated its rally for yesterday, at the All Saints Cathedral, Diocese of Ogoni, Anglican Communion on Hospital road in Bori, headquarters of the local government.

Some youths said the shootings started at the venue of the rally at about 2am  following an invasion by some PDP youths.

According to one Bright Ibobor the residents heard the first round of shooting at from about 2am to 3am, while the second round started at about 5am. Another source who spoke on condition of anonymity also blamed the rival youths over the incident. According to him, the shooting intensified at about 8.30am when some youths sighted the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, and Chief of Staff to Government House, Chief Tony Okocha at the venue of the rally.

However, the two top government functionaries were said to have escaped through a route in Bori that led to the East West road. Deputy Speaker in the state House of Assembly, Leyii Kwanee who also spoke on the issue confirmed the shooting to newsmen, blaming the police for inaction.

It was reveled that anti-riot policemen moved into the venue between 9 and 10am to maintain law and order. The police later took over the Hospital Road which stretches from Bridge area to School Land. Motorists plying the road were diverted to adjourning roads by the fierce looking policemen who disallowed pedestrians from walking through their barricades but advised them to take other routes to their destinations.

A youth leader in the area said the shooting at about 8am caused panic  in the area as most people ran into the churches for refuge. He also said the incident forced the market on Monsi Street in Bori to shut down immediately by traders and buyers who scampered for safety. At the All Saints Cathedral, Diocese of Anglican Communion, venue of the aborted rally, canopies erected the previous day by SRM for the rally were pulled down allegedly by the rival groups. At about 3pm some youths were seen dismantling the canopies under heavy security watch.

Reacting to the incident, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, in a statement entitled “another violent attack in Rivers: President Jonathan’s sympathizers pushing Nigeria to the precipice,” said the presidency was pushing Nigeria to the precipice. The APC also said that PDP-sponsored militants attacked a peaceful rally in Rivers State with guns and other weapons, yesterday.

Mohammed, said “the hoodlums, who invaded the venue of the rally by the SRM in Bori, where the executives of the pan Rivers group in Khana Local Government Area of the state were to be inaugurated, attacked those in attendance and beat up some of the journalists who were invited to cover the event, damaging their vehicles and equipment in the process.

It was gathered that while the attack was going on, the police  who had been formally informed of the rally and were expected to provide protection instead gave the hoodlums a free rein, in the most egregious and open display of partisanship by an institution of the state saddled with ensuring the protection of lives and property of all citizens.”

Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who spoke yesterday said he was going to attend a rally in the area on Saturday. He accused the President of failing to call the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Mbu to order in the state.   His words, “We heard Mbu called a meeting at the Police officers mess and declared war against the Rivers State Government and Rivers people. He is determined to ensure that they are not protected and warned them in advance not to protect anybody at the rally. The interpretation of that means that he knows that there is going to be an attack and he must have been part of the process of the attack.”

On the other hand, In  a statement signed on behalf of the Special Assistant to the state PDP Chairman, Mr Jerry Needam, the party said, “the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, has raised alarm over increasing spate of violence in the state masterminded by the Rotimi Amaechi administration. SRM and the APC to continue to create a state of insecurity to justify their call for the removal of the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu.

“The crisis which left two Ogoni youth shot and their conditions are very critical and unstable in a private clinic in Port Harcourt, according to reports, followed a local resistance of the APC, Rotimi Amaechi and the Save Rivers Movement by the Ogoni people today (yesterday) in Bori. One was shot on the leg and another shot in the stomach.

“The Rivers State chapter of the PDP is indeed miffed at this trend. We, therefore, call on the police to arrest the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Mr Bariledum Greg Nwiedam who on the instructions of Governor Rotimi Amaechi masterminded the crisis and shooting in Bori today. The PDP abhors violence and we shall continue to preach peace, unity and progress of Rivers State.”

In the meantime, the rally of the Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI slated for Degema local government area in the state held smoothly.

The GDI is a pro-PDP group in the state. The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who spoke at the rally said President Jonathan had the interest of Rivers people at heart; a situation he said informed his appointment of a Rivers man as Chief of Army Staff.  Wike said that a man of his status was not supposed to do what he did. Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Henry Ogiri who also spoke called on the people of the state to support Jonathan.

Source: Vanguard news



...We Pray these violent ladened rallies does not escalate into a full blown crisis in the Oil rich Niger Delta region. Nigeria is still recovering from the years of Crisis that depleted economic growth in this region. 

The use of force by security personals  (whose primary duty is to protect the citizenry) to check a supposedly peaceful rallies thereby inflicting injuries that often results to death, and destruction of properties does not sell well a government that is truly democratic. 

I think both the sitting government of Rivers state and the Fed govt need to sit down and decide what better and more acceptable ways to resolve their Political differences instead of turning the region into a battle field.
- Roving Informant

China may become largest energy importer by 2035 – BP!

A report issued by British oil giant BP revealed that China is expected to exceed Europe to become the largest energy importer in the world by 2035.

The annual Energy Outlook 2035 report released on Wednesday forecast global energy consumption to grow by 41 per cent from 2012 to 2035, slower than the growth of 55 per cent during the 1989-2012 period.

Of the global energy consumption growth, 95 per cent is expected to come from emerging economies, while the energy consumption in developed countries will slow down, ecns.cn reported on Friday.

According to the report, China’s energy production will rise 61 per cent by 2035 while consumption will grow by 71 per cent. China’s share in global demand rises from 22 per cent to 27 per cent in 2035, and its import dependence will rise from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.

“China’s energy mix continues to evolve with coal’s dominance declining from 69 per cent to 52 percent and natural gas doubling to 12 per cent with oil unchanged around 18 per cent,” the report said.

It predicted China to overtake the United States as the world’s largest oil consumer by 2027 and Russia as the world second largest gas consumer by 2025, only after the United States.

For fast growth of energy consumption, the report held that energy consumed by transport will surge 120 per cent, the fastest among all the sectors.

Oil remains the dominant fuel but loses market share, dropping from 90 per cent to 82 per cent in 2038 while gas share increases from five per cent to 12 per cent, the report read.

Share of shale gas of China and North America will increase to 81 per cent by 2035, according to the report.

BP chief executive Bob Dudley expressed confidence that energy production will be able to keep pace thanks to the trends in global technology, investment and policy.

Dudley said new energy forms such as shale gas, tight oil, and renewables will account for a significant share of the growth in global supply.

“Energy efficiency promises to improve unabatedly, driven by globalisation and competition,” he said.

Anambra electoral commission cancels LG polls in Nnewi North!

The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, on Saturday cancelled the Local Government polls in Nnewi North Local Government Area for security reasons.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Acting Chairman of the commission, Sylvester Okonkwo, said in Nnewi via telephone that the poll could not go on as scheduled.

The election was rescheduled for Saturday following its failure to hold in the local government on January 11.

Mr. Okonkwo said that the commission would sit to determine the next possible date for the election, saying that members of the public would be informed.

In a reaction, the Chairman of Labour Party in the state, Sam Oraegbunam, said it was a great shock that the polls were cancelled half way. According to him, there was no serious reason whatsoever to do so.

Mr. Oraegbunam said that the cancellation was because of efforts in some quarters to subvert the process; pointing out that some manners of politics in the state were becoming embarrassing.

“We no longer understand what is happening in Anambra politics where some people want things their way rather than the masses deciding their own fate. ANSIEC has failed this time, I doubt its level of independence because there is peace in the entire Nnewi North today, I see no reason for this decision,” he said.

In his reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, councillorship candidate for Uru Ward 1, Nnamdi Okafor, said on phone that he was not aware of the development as the process was going on smoothly in his ward.

“It is not true, we have even started counting votes in my unit,” he said.

The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, councillorship candidate, Ngozi Uba, said that she would accept whatever decision the umpires made as she belonged to a law-abiding party.

APGA, PDP and Labour Party are the main parties in the election.

Meanwhile, economic activities as well as vehicular movement was as usual in the area.

Ex- Gov. accused of stealing N19.8billion, is new popular Nigerian party chairman!

Barring any last-minute change in plan, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will, at its National Executive Committee meeting on Monday 20th January, ratify a former governor of Bauchi state, Adamu Mu’azu, as its new national chairman, party and presidency sources have said.

The usually reliable sources revealed early Monday morning that Mr. Mu’azu emerged the consensus candidate for the job after a rash of meetings involving President Goodluck Jonathan, PDP governors and other influential chieftains of the party, including Vice President Namadi Sambo and President of the Senate, David Mark.

Mr. Mu’azu, who will replace Bamanga Tukur, who was forced out of office  last Thursday, emerged ahead of Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, a former Minister of Commerce, Idris Waziri, former Acting National Secretary of the party, Musa Babayo, a former party spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai Alkali   and a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Ibrahim Bunu, who were all widely reported to have jostled for the position.

A party source familiar with the maneuverings and negotiations that threw up Mr. Mu’azu said President Jonathan actually preferred Minister Umar for the position but was outfoxed by governors from the North-East geopolitical zone who all rooted for Mr. Mu’azu.

When Mr. Jonathan tried to insist on Mr. Umar, insiders say, the North-East governors reminded him of how they deferred to him two years ago when he insisted on Mr. Tukur for the position in spite of massive opposition from the zone.

It was gathered that Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, and President of the Senate, Mr. Mark, joined the North-East governors in pushing that position.

They reportedly warned the president against foisting an unpopular candidate on party members to avoid a repeat of the Tukur situation where the party was perpetually  in crisis throughout his reign.

Mr. Mu’azu, 55, was among candidates who contested for the PDP chairmanship position in March 2012.

In a zonal congress election conducted by the North-East PDP in Bauchi to choose a consensus candidate for the zone at the time, Mr. Mu’azu got only one vote to place last.

Mr. Babayo got 14 votes  to defeat other contenders. Mr. Tukur, who was clearly the president’s anointed candidate for the position at the time, got four votes.

Former Ministers Bunu and Shettima Mustapha scored 2 votes each while Mr. Alkali , just like Mr. Muazu, scored only one vote.

Disturbing issues bothering Mr. Mu’azu's election as Party Chief:

In November 2013, President Jonathan appointed the former Bauchi governor chairman of the Nigerian Pension Commission, PENCOM.

He was appointed to the position even though he is still being investigated for graft by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly looting N19.8billion belonging to his state while he was governor between 1999 and 2007.

The former governor has consistently denied any wrongdoing but he is yet to be cleared of the allegation.

The civic group, Transition Monitoring Group, protested the appointment at the time, saying it was morally wrong for the president to appoint a man being tried for corruption to such a high office.

Mr. Jonathan and the National Assembly disregarded that position and proceeded to clear the former governor for the position.

The TMG statement at the time reads in part, “The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, is astonished and peeved by this move of the President, especially in the light of the fact that the former Governor is yet to be cleared by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of the corruption charges he is facing for allegedly defrauding the coffers of Bauchi State to the tune of N19.8billion when he was Governor of the State,” the group said in a statement on Monday.

“This and other similar acts of Mr. President, particularly his penchant for surrounding himself with famed corrupt individuals, makes his government’s so-called anti-corruption efforts a laughing stock, for it is patently obvious from his antecedents that President Jonathan endorses corruption.

“The EFCC is investigating Mr. Mu’azu for allegedly stealing billions of naira belonging to Bauchi State during his term as governor between 1999 and 2007.Other names forwarded to the Senate for confirmation as Commissioners of PENCOM include Chinelo Anohu-Amazu (South East), Reuben Omotowa (North Central), Mohammed Ka’oje (North West), and Adesojo Olaoba-Efuntayo (South West).But the group said that appointing Mr. Mu’azu to head the commission is in line with his practice of shielding corrupt individuals.

“TMG recalls that in the heat of the corruption charges against the same Mu’azu Adamu, President Jonathan appointed him in 2011 as Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA),” said the statement signed by Ibrahim Zikirullahi and Eddy Ezurike, the group’s Chairman and Publicity Secretary respectively.

“It was with the President’s nod that Business Mogul, Mike Adenuga and his wife, Titi Adenuga in late 2010 walked free from the EFCC charges they were facing for reportedly collecting bribes from Siemens officials; and it was this same attitude of Presidential Romance with alleged corrupt individuals that enabled controversial Lawyer, Dele Oye to walk scot free from EFCC charges of allegedly acting as front for the defunct Oceanic Bank CEO, Cecilia Ibru; and aiding her to loot tens of billions of Naira in Bank assets.

“The Nigerian people of course will not forget in a hurry how this same President granted presidential pardon to a notorious convicted corrupt former Governor and his kinsman, DSP Alamieyeseigha, and other criminals, including a paedophile.

“Those who recently looted the Police Pensions Board, including its former Director are yet to be brought to book. The list is endless; yet Jonathan’s regime talks about fight against corruption. The attitude of Mr. President in recycling corrupt individuals in public places is worrisome and does not inspire confidence at all.

“In fact, on issue after issue, he has shown that he will never combat corruption but will rather aid, abet and shield corrupt officials.

“The group called on President Jonathan to withdraw, immediately, Mr. Mu’azu’s nomination and take “creative steps” to rebuild confidence and imbue confidence in the anti-corruption war.

“This is the only pathway to redemption, prosperity and development in this country.”

culled 

Ejigbo Pepper Murder Case : Perpetrators Arrested!

Report as obtained from Sahara reporters has it that all the perpetrators of a bestial torture and sodomy of three women in Ejigbo which happened February last year.

The arrest of the sodomy gang, Saharareporters was reliably informed, happened at the palace of Oba Moruf Adisa Ojoola of Ejigbo earlier today.

The arrest was possible due to immense pressure on Oba Moruf himself, he reportedly got all the men assembled at his palace around 11pm Saturday night. The gathering of the gang by Oba Moruf followed a closure of the market yesterday, which prevented the market men and women from carrying out their trading activities until the perpetrators were identified and brought to book.

The gang’s torture and sodomizing of a lady by thrusting of a bottle of ground pepper and sticks in her genital had resulted in her death, two months after. She was later identified as “Juliana” by her father, a palm wine tapper, who revealed that he also lost a toddler in the incidence as his wife, mother of the baby while being tortured by the gang was not allowed to attend to the baby.
In addition to torture, the gang also destroyed the palm wine tapper’s house and banished him from the community, after he was made to pay N50,000 as fine to secure the release of his wife and two daughters.

On Thursday, last week, Oba Moruf was invited by the Lagos Assembly Committee regarding the investigation into the crime. A source familiar with the meeting of the Oba with the committee told our correspondent that the Oba’s demeanor at the meeting was cooperative, and he did not spend much time. The previous day, Wednesday, the Iyaloja (Ejigbo Market women leader) also visited the committee on invitation. She was accompanied by her husband, who pledged support toward the investigation.

The Babaloja, who allegedly received a fine from the palm wine tapper and also supervised his banishment, did not honor an invitation by the committee. He gave the excuse that he had injury on his leg. But sources in the market said the Babaloja may have had the injury when he scaled a fence to escape arrest by a police team that visited the market for investigation last week.

At a public hearing upon constitution of the Lagos Assembly committee, the police, the local government chairman, market women and other members of the Ejigbo community had denied knowledge of the crime, even as sources from the community insisted the crime happened in the public glare.

As efforts progressed into finding the perpetrators, the police, through its DPO in Ejigbo, CSP Oliver Abbey had clearly shown complicity and laxity by claiming it doubted the event happened at all, evidently by doing nothing about it. CSP Abbey was later deployed out of the area after his compromised position became clear to his superiors.

It is expected that the arrested gang would be tried for the crime of murder, and the illegal sum collected from Mr. Freeman, the palm wine tapper to secure his wife and daughters recovered.
Mr. Freeman’s family is also expected to be rehabilitated.

Source: SAHARA REPORTERS

Three Fuel Tankers, Trailer Catch Fire in Lagos!

Three  fuel  tankers and a trailer   Sunday morning  caught fire  close to the office of Zoom Telecommunications, Iganmu, Lagos.

The fire incident, occurred during the transfer of fuel from one tanker  into another.

The incident which caused panic in the area led to the burning of two  petrol tankers and a trailer.

Although no life was lost, an eye  witness said that one of the tankers was faulty, leading to the transfer of the product to another  that resulted in the fire incident.

Fire fighters from  the Federal Fire Services, Surulere were reported to have  helped in putting off the fire.

Source: NAN