22 Lagos pupils faint after inhaling gas

x November 1, 2013 by Eniola Akinkuotu There was confusion at Ogba Junior Grammar School, Lagos, on Thursday after about 22 pupils fell unconscious. PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident was caused by a gaseous substance emitting from a neighbouring laboratory, close to the school. The chemical was said to have engulfed the entire school. When our correspondent visited the school premises, it was deserted. However, a security guard, who did not identify himself, said the incident occurred around 1pm. He said, “I was just by the gate when I perceived this offensive smell. I quickly ran to a corner and covered my nose with my shirt. “Pupils came running, saying some of their colleagues had fainted. When the smell subsided, teachers rallied around and rushed them to a hospital. “I don’t know the exact number of pupils affected but they were over 20. A few minutes later, emergency officials came around to attend to the victims.” Panic-stricken teachers reportedly fled in different directions, using clothes to cover their nostrils so as not to be affected by the foul smell. Moments later, the teachers rushed four of the pupils to Blue Cross Hospital, Ijaiye Road, Ogba, Lagos, while the others were attended to by emergency officials. PUNCH Metro learnt that the rescue officials went around the compound in a bid to identify where the smell emanated from. Our correspondent learnt that the odour was traced to Ogba Shopping Arcade, Ijaiye Road, which shares a fence with the affected school. Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, said it was discovered that a photo laboratory located in the complex was emitting the substance. He said, “On getting to the school, 22 students were unconscious. LASAMBUS was able to revive most of them and their parents took them home. “Four were not alright and had been taken to Blue Cross Hospital. We were able to trace the odour to the complex which shares a fence with the school. “We spotted the laboratory where the smell was coming from and the place has been cordoned off. Investigations are still on.” When asked why it was only those in the school that were affected by the chemical, Fadipe said it was probably because the lab faced the school directly. PUNCH Metro learnt that the matter had been reported to the police while the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency had taken up the case. An official of LASEPA, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “We will revisit the laboratory on Friday (today). If it is discovered that the laboratory was run illegally, then those running the place will be prosecuted. “However, it is too soon to jump into conclusions; we will inform the public of our findings.” When our correspondent visited Blue Cross Hospital, a nurse on duty said the pupils had been revived and transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. “Four children were brought here and we were able to stabilise them before transferring them to LASUTH. We don’t know the nature of the chemical they inhaled,” she said.

More facts emerge on Oduah car scandal

October 31, 2013 by John Ameh and Sunday Aborisade Abuja 212 Comments Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah More cans of worms were thrown up on Wednesday in Abuja during the public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on the controversial N255m bulletproof cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. But the woman at the centre of the scandal, Ms Stella Oduah, dared the committee as she again reneged on her promise to honour an invitation earlier extended to her. Her absence however led to a near disagreement between the Committee Chairman, Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, and a member, Jerry Manwe. Manwe had complained that the committee started proceedings without first clarifying why Oduah, who is the Minister of Aviation, was absent. He said, “We adjourned (on Tuesday)to take the minister today (Wednesday). Why is she not here? “She should have been the main issue today (Wednesday). “The absence of the minister (Oduah) is a slap on the face of the House.” Responding, Onyejeocha argued that the hearing was not about Oduah alone. She overruled Manwe and moved on to hear the officials of the Nigerian Customs Service, Coscharis and First Bank Nigeria Plc state their roles in the purchase of the cars for Oduah by the NCAA. The committee chairman later read a letter from the Ministry of Aviation in whicn the minister explained why she could not make the public sitting. Onyejeocha told her colleagues that the Aviation ministry wrote to inform the committee that Oduah was on “transit” from Israel to Nigeria. In the letter, the minister, who had allegedly failed to honour 12 invitations by the House, claimed that she would arrive in Lagos late on Wednesday and applied to appear before the committee on November 4. • Oduah must appear today, says committee But, Onyejeocha directed that the minister must appear on Thursday (today). She said, “If she fails again, we take it that she does not want to appear. We are saying this in the spirit of fair hearing. “Thursday (today) is sacrosanct and we will turn in our report whether she comes or not.” The committee had on Monday issued a statement in which it insisted that the minister must appear before it on Wednesday. It warned that it would not hesitate to take necessary actions against her if she failed to turn up on Wednesday. The House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, had also told The PUNCH on Tuesday, that sanctions that could be imposed on the minister if she failed to appear before the committee, included issuing a bench warrant to facilitate her arrest by security agents. • Fresh revelations on the deal But even with her absence, the committee, the NCS, Coscharis Motors and First Bank Nigeria Plc made fresh revelations on the controversial cars. Among the fresh revelations made public at the hearing was the difference in the chassis numbers of the cars inspected by the committee members and those in the transaction documents between the NCAA and Coscharis. Another is how the Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Security Adviser were made to believe that the two vehicles were for the 18th National Sports Festival (Eko Games 2012) hosted by Lagos State. The Customs Service was the first to blow the lid when it told the committee that no duty was paid on the cars because Coscharis obtained a duty exemption certificate from the Federal Ministry of Finance. According to the Customs, the government lost N10.1m due to the waiver, which covered 300 vehicles, including the two controversial bulletproof cars. The Deputy Comptroller-General (Modernisation and Economic Relations), Mr. Manasa Jatau, who testified before the panel, disclosed that the Ministry of Finance granted the waiver after Coscharis wrote that it wanted to import 300 assorted vehicles for the EKO Games. He added that the “end beneficiary” of the cars, including the two bulletproof vehicles was the Lagos State Government. However,he hinted that the waiver was later used as a cover to import the bulletproof cars to evade the payment of import duty. He revealed that there was also a third bulletproof car imported by Coscharis. The Customs chief who did not name the owner of the third bulletproof car, added that the office of the NSA issued a security clearance for the two bought for Oduah. Asked whether a waiver granted for a specific purpose, could be transferred to a different end-user, he replied, “To the best of my knowledge, end-user certificate is not transferable.” The DCG said, “N10.1m was the duty payable on the 300 vehicles; but no duty was paid because there was an import exemption certificate issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance. “The waiver was for a period of one year. “The waiver showed there were 300 vehicles for the sports festival, hosted from November to December, 2012. “Only three of the vehicles were bulletproof and the NSA gave security certificate for their clearance.” Coscharis Motors was represented at the hearing by its Chairman, Mr. Cosmos Maduka, and the Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Samuel. The company admitted that it got a waiver to import vehicles for the games, saying that “it is the usual practice for government to approach us to supply vehicles for major events.” However, efforts by the committee to establish how the waiver was used to cover the bulletproof cars, did not yield results. Samuel parried questions and chose rather to advertise BMW cars to members at the hearing. • Coscharis accused of connivance The committee however accused the company of conniving with the NCAA to inflate the cost of the cars. But Coscharis denied the accusation. On the price of the cars, Samuel claimed that the BMWs were “7 Series, B7” security cars, which were costlier than their equivalent quoted by “independent amourers” on the Internet. He argued that the cars in question had factory-fitted armour, as against buying a plain car before taking it to an independent firm to rebuild. The Managing Director stated that the factory price for the grade of BMW cars it supplied the NCAA was €418,000, excluding other charges. On how the company gets and utilises duty waivers, Josiah said most times, the waivers would come too close to the date of the event they were meant to cover. “So, what we do is that we sign a Memorandum of Understanding with government to release the vehicles we have in our showroom. We then use the waiver to replace the vehicles we have supplied”, he added. But, his response angered Manwe, who accused Coscharis of committing “fraud.” Manwe said a quotation he received from an American firm showed that the same car sold for N42m. He said, “We are not fools; you have been taking us for a ride. “You imported the cars without paying duty, why are you selling one for over N127m? Are your own bulletproof cars manufactured in the moon. “You got a waiver to import cars for the National Sports Festival, but you ended up using it to import bulletproof cars for the NCAA. “You have been lying to us. You ripped off the people of Nigeria through the NCAA. “That is the summary of what is before us here, so what are you saying?” But, Maduka protested, saying his company did a legitimate transaction. He said the whole scandal was “politically-motivated” for reasons he could not explain. Maduka added, “We followed all the processes required. We sold vehicles to the NCAA and First Bank financed it. “We were interviewed by the SSS(State Security Service), the NSA; we didn’t do any wrong.” • More drama But, more drama played out when the Aviation Committee’s Sub-Committee on Inspection, reported that the armoured cars Coscharis supplied were different from the ones quoted in its letter to the NSA. The committee had visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on Tuesday to inspect the cars. However, members discovered that the chassis numbers were different from the ones quoted in the transaction documents. The leader of the inspection team, Mr. Ahmed Chanchangi, said, “We sighted the cars at the airport yesterday (Tuesday). “The chassis numbers do not correspond with what you said you supplied. It looks like Nigeria was shortchanged here again”, he stated. However, Maduka disagreed and insisted that a member of his staff ought to have accompanied the team to the airport to ascertain the cars they inspected. The discrepancy in the chassis numbers was left unresolved. • Our role –First Bank First Bank which was the financier of the transaction, confirmed that it entered into a loan agreement, “not lease agreement” with the NCAA. The head of the bank’s Lagos Mainland branch, which handled the transaction, Mr. Seyi Ojefeso, recalled how the NCAA approached the bank for a loan to purchase vehicles for its management staff. Ojefeso claimed that it was possible that the NCAA “got it mixed up” when it described it as a lease agreement. He explained that the NCAA applied for a total loan package of N643m to finance the purchase of 54 vehicles. For the bulletproof cars, he said there was a Coscharis proforma invoice attached to the application in the value of N255m. He added, “We offered an auto loan to the NCAA in May to purchase cars for its management staff. “The application was for N643m; we financed the purchase of the cars based on the application they submitted to us.” The committee observed that the original request of the NCAA to the Minister of Aviation was N564m, but First Bank eventually approved a loan of N643. When asked to explain how the difference came about, Ojefeso said only the NCAA could answer the question since N564m was not in the agency’s communication with the bank. • FAAN also bought cars for Oduah The Senate Committee on Aviation also said that four of the 202 ‘operational’ cars bought by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for its top officials are armoured vehicles. It added in Abuja on Wednesday, that two of the armoured vehicles were for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah and two for the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. George Uriesi. “FAAN did confirm that among the operational vehicles they purchased, four of them are armoured vehicles, two for the Managing Director and two for the minister,” the committee Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma, told journalists on the sidelines of the investigation into the crises in the aviation industry. Uriesi had while appearing before the panel on Tuesday said the operational vehicles included two Lexus limousines and two Toyota Prado jeeps. But the FAAN chief did not state who the armoured vehicles were bought for. He said the limousines were bought for N60m each and not N70m being insinuated. Uriesi, who said he did not have details of the cost of the Prado jeeps, also claimed that the vehicles were still in the custody of the bankers wthat funded their purchase. He also did not give the names of the persons / company(ies) that ordered the vehicles and those they were meant for. But Uzodinma told journalists on Wednesday that Uriesi had confirmed on oath that FAAN bought operational vehicles. He said, “Investigation is still on-going and it will not be fair for me to preempt the outcome. “We told them to go back and put everything in writing and make comprehensive statements on all vehicles purchased. Until they come back on Monday, we cannot rush into conclusion. “The MD FAAN said they did a funding arrangement with a commercial bank.This investigation will be a very deep one so that at the end of the day, we do a holistic approach and look at how the sector will be repositioned so that all anomalies will be corrected.” The Director-General of the Nigeria Metereological Agency, Mr. Anthony Anuforom; and his counterpart in the Accident and Investigations Bureau, Captain Muhtar Usman, told the committee that they were not involved in the purchase of armoured vehicles. The Uzodinma-led committee will also inspect theN255m bulletproof cars bought for Oduah by the NCAA before the end of the week.

Bulletproof cars: We don’t have documents, NCAA tells Falana

OCTOBER 28, 2013 BY ADE ADESOMOJU 

Femi Falana and Director-General, NCAA, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu
| credits: .

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has denied having any documents relating to the  two BMW bulletproof cars it bought for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah.

The denial came two days after Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), gave seven days ultimatum to NCAA to supply his law firm with the information.

Falana’s request, dated October 21, 2013, was made on the strength of the provisions of the Freedom of information Act.

But a copy of the reply to the request dated October 23, 2013 by the NCAA Director-General, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu, was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.

In his reply through the NCAA Legal Adviser, Mr. E.K Chukwuma, Akinkuotu also claimed not to have in the possession of the NCAA any documents relating to previous purchase of such cars.

The reply read, “I am directed to your letter dated October 21, 2013 on the above matter (Request for information on N255m armoured cars for Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah) and to inform you that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is not in possession of any document relating to the purchase of the armoured cars for the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah.

“With regard to your request for records of previous purchase of armoured cars by the Aviation Ministry or NCAA, I am to inform you that the  Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority does not have such records.”

But Falana, in a telephone chat with our correspondent on Sunday, said he was going to request the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute the NCAA DG.

He said, “Since copies of the documents on the Oduahgate are available the DG has wilfully violated the provisions of the FoI Act, I am sending a request to the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute him without any delay.

“Since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced investigation pursuant to my petition, I am also forwarding the DG’s letter to the Commission for necessary action.”

Falana, had in his letter, written on his behalf by a lawyer in his law firm, Mr. Adedotun Isola-Osobu, asked Akinkuotu to supply his chamber with detailed information on the vehicles.

The SAN had  predicated his request on the claim by Akinkuotu during a press conference on October 18, 2013, that the NCAA indeed bought the cars for the minister.

In his letter to the NCAA, Falana had asked Akinkuotu to supply records of previous purchase of such cars if indeed it was customary for the NCAA to purchase such cars for the aviation minister and visiting foreign dignitaries.

The letter read, “In your press conference at Abuja held on Friday, October 18, 2013 you did admit that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority actually bought the controversial armoured cars and that ‘it is customary to convey the minister and visiting dignitaries in security vehicles whenever they are in Nigeria.’

“In the light of your claim at the said press conference we are compelled to request you to make available to us certified true copies of the documents relating to the purchase of the cars, including budgetary approval and due process for the entire transaction.

“Since you claimed that it is customary to purchase such cars for aviation minister and visiting foreign dignitaries you are also requested to provide the records of previous purchase of armoured cars by the aviation ministry or the NCAA.

“Take notice that you are mandatorily required to supply the requested information within seven days of the receipt of this letter by virtue of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.”

The NCAA had admitted to have spent   a whopping $1.6m (N255m) on the two cars. The purchase of the cars had since ignited calls for the removal of the aviation minister.

I feel bad my dad didn’t send me to school – Salawa Abeni

October 26, 2013 by ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo Waka queen, Salawa Abeni, tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about the challenges she faced during her ill health Was it because of your health issues that you titled your latest album ‘Recovery’? Oh yes. It was basically because of it. Thank God I am very okay now. We learnt you had stroke. How true is that? I don’t know where people got the stroke story from. My father didn’t die of stroke. My mother is still alive even at 96 years. People are just peddling rumours. But what was the problem with you, what were you diagnosed with? My blood pressure was very high. I think it started when I lost my son 13 years ago. He wasn’t my only son. But then, no matter what, if you have 10 fingers and you lose one, you will feel the pain. Were you not aware that your blood pressure was rising? No. I wasn’t aware. It was five years ago that I found out. But this particular sickness that got me down, I wouldn’t know where it came from because I performed that Friday. I went to meet colleagues at Fantasy Land (Lagos). We wanted to do a collaboration for (Barrack) Obama’s inauguration. I was dressing up for the show. I was about to tie my gele (headgear). The person that ties my headgear was doing it. I wanted to tell her that the scarf was too tight for me. I raised my hand and suddenly, I found out that I couldn’t make use of my right hand again. Did it get better? No. So I had go to my mother’s place. She called a local masseur to massage the hand for me. They used candle to rub on the hand. Thereafter, I still went back for the show. Oh, you did? Even with the hand like that? Oh yes. In order to exercise the hand, I told my driver to sit beside me so that I could drive. I drove from Ijebu Ode to Lagos. Eventually, I went to the hospital. My doctor checked my BP and said it was a little bit high. He told me I needed to rest. The late Dr. Ayinde Barrister, my dad (that was what I used to call him), came to my house. But that was after I had called him. I saw him and I started crying. Why did you start crying when you saw him? It was simply because I couldn’t stand to welcome him. He spent so many hours with me. He told me I shouldn’t worry that I would be fine. I knew I wasn’t feeling fine. From my neck down to my legs were dead. My brain was functioning very well. I didn’t sound sick on the phone. Why didn’t you travel abroad? I did. But before then, my aunt took me to a hospital in Lagos. They couldn’t find out what was wrong with me. I did so many tests. But I wasn’t getting better. That was when I had to go to London with my daughter. Did you get any better in London? Not really. I left London for Paris. Were you able to pay for your hospital bills on your own or did you get help from the public? I had a lot of money in my account. But I spent all my money. I got the phone numbers of some high personalities in the country. They were able to render their assistance. The Lagos State government helped me as well. Some people started dodging my calls. Some people said I was lying concerning my ill health. Some would give you excuses. Some would say they gave me money the other day so I shouldn’t expect another. I know when I get my career back, I would be okay. Are you fully recovered now? I am okay. But I really want my career to bounce back. That will make me happy. But don’t you think you should leave your career and rest for a while? I am okay. Even my doctor in Paris still told me that I needed to rest. The last time I saw him, he asked me, ‘Salawa, you are still singing?’ I told him that my country is not like his country. If you don’t work, you won’t feed. Who will I call again? Some people will give me once, then will give me the second time reluctantly and then, the third time, they would tell you in black and white that they are not giving you again. Kollington Ayinla is the father of your kids. Did you reach out to him when you were ill? He heard. Our son told him. He called me immediately and asked me why I was sick. Did he eventually come to see you? Four months later, during Ramadan, I was in my aunty’s house, he called. He said he just saw it in the papers. I asked him why he couldn’t even call his son to ask how I was. Two months after, he came. He also called a couple of times. But did he render any form of financial assistance? Hmmmm. No comment. You always say you trained your kids all the while you were separated from him. Was it your choice to train them or he didn’t bother helping out? That is the way God wanted it. It is difficult to train one child let alone four of them. Then, I could wear one particular attire to perform at 10 or more events. I never owed their school fees. Would you say you have lived a happy life? Life is about ups and downs. At times, people will be happy and at times, they will be sad. I only thank God for my life. I am happy with my kids and fans. I am happy that I was sick and I came out of it. If you had seen me then, I am sure you would also thank God for my life. I love singing. That is my talent. Nobody taught me to sing. This is all I know how to do. You started singing in 1974… Yes. I released my first album in 1977. I titled it In Memoriam. It was in memory of our head of state, Murtala Muhammed, who was killed. I didn’t grow up with my mother. I grew up with my guardian. My mother was seriously sick for 15 years. My dad didn’t want me to sing. He noticed that I was different from all his other children. Later on, he gave his consent. Was it because of music that made you not to go higher than primary education or was it financial constraints? During my own time, my dad didn’t believe in women going to school. It was my guardian and my headmaster that made sure I schooled up to Primary Six. They wanted me to at least get to that level so that I could be able to write my name in future. But what I cannot do, my children can do now. I cherish education. At times, I feel bad that my father didn’t allow me to further my education but then again, I also remind myself that you might read all the ‘Cambridge’ and you would still be nothing. Were you able to get your master tapes from the family of the late Lati Adepoju, the music promoter you had a son for? No. Lati died in January 2000 while my son died in October 2000. Demola (Lati’s second son) told me that his daddy said that anytime I asked for my master tapes, he should give them to me because they are my property. Before Lanre died, they brought five tapes. Were they just five? No. they brought five out of 15. I travelled to Canada and I saw Demola. I asked him about my master tapes. He told me that I should open an account. For what? He said their father left a flat for Lanre. He said he would be paying in the rent of Lanre’s flat into the account. I told him I didn’t need it and it was my master tapes that I needed most. He said I would need the money. He told me I could give the money to the motherless. Did you eventually open the account? When I wanted to open the account, he said the tenants weren’t paying the rents. The more I remember Lanre’s death, the more I feel so pained. How did he die? He died in a motor accident. He wasn’t the one driving. I had a driver who had been driving me for seven years. They went to Ilorin. The accident happened on their way back from Ilorin. How was Lanre’s relationship with his step siblings? The remaining children are Kollington’s. I didn’t give any room for division. They loved one another. There was never a problem. The other three saw Lanre as their brother. Was it your fault that you broke up with Kollington? If I open up the chapter of my relationship with him, I am not sure it would take less than three pages. Why didn’t you remarry after you broke up with Kollington? I tried but it didn’t work out. I wanted to. I love children. I had the intention of having more children. Did you encourage them to have cordial relationship with their fathers? I never turned the children against their fathers. Anytime they had to go to Kollington’s house, four of them would go there. When they had to go to Lanre’s father’s house, all of them would go as well. How easy was it while you were married? I came from a polygamous family and God took me to a polygamous family. Where would I start from? Is it the day we ate or the days we didn’t eat? I would use my iro and buba to make the clothes for them and tell them not to let their step siblings know that the clothes weren’t new. But in all i thank God.

N255m bulletproof cars deal illegal, panel told

Minister of aviation Stella Oduah

Posted by: Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja in Featured, News 16 hours ago

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, breached procurement laws in the purchase of two BMW armoured cars, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) said yesterday.

At the commencement of the House of Representatives’ public hearing on the purchase of the cars, the agency could not provide authorisation for the deal.

The minister was not at the hearing as she was away in Israel on an official assignment.

The revelations were made by BPP in its response to the committees’s request for correspondences between it and NCAA on the procurement of the two vehicles.

NCAA was also said to have failed to get the consent of the BPP for the transaction in contravention of procurement laws.

Mr. Ayo Aderibigbe, a Deputy Director in the BPP, said there were no correspondences between the two. “We have nothing to forward to the House on this matter; we also have nothing on details and dates on the procurement process, including a certificate of no objection, on the purchase of the vehicles,

“We also have no other relevant documents that could facilitate the process of the Committees’s investigation in the purchase of the two vehicles,” Aderibigbe said.

The BPP spoke on the procurement of such goods, saying approval must be by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) once it is over N100m and not the Ministerial Tenders Board.

The procurement that was approved by the Minister was also in breach of the law as the cost of the two vehicles at N255,159m can only be approved by the FEC.

The agency was also shown to display total disregard for the law with the purchase of the two armoured cars that were removed from the agency’s budget during its 2013 budget defence/presentation at the House of Representatives.

In addition, the aviation agency also breached the 2013 Appropriation Act by exceeding the budgeted amount of N240m to purchase operational vehicles for N403m.

Similarly, while 25 operational vehicles were appropriated for, the agency went ahead to procure 54 vehicles.

The purchase of 54 vehicles instead of the approved 25 cost the agency N643m that would eventually amount to N1,018b, with the instalmental repayment, according to the term of agreement with the bank.

The Director General of NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, who was unable to provide information on the Oduah car transaction, said the deal was completed before his assumption of office on August 14.

He also said though he received handing over notes from all the directors of the agency, none mentioned the procurement of the two vehicles and when he asked questions about it, no one offered any explanation.

The then Acting Director General, Mr. Joyce Nkemakolom, during whose tenure between April 14 and August 14 the procurement was made, angered the committee by evading questions.

He could not defend how one unit of the armoured car put at N70m in the memorandum sent to the minister was purchased for N127m.

When he was asked if the procurement of the vehicles was correct and in consonance with the Appropriation Act, he said it was a lease finance facility and not an outright purchase.

Nkemakolom failed to cite the relevant sections of the Act to back his claim, but the BPP said the procurement involved government funds.

He also saw no wrong in overshooting the budget, saying the vehicles were property of First Bank that financed the deal.

“As we speak, the vehicles are still under the control of the financing bank and we were given approval for N240m for the procurement in the 2013 budget and with this procedure, we can never, never flap that ceiling,” Nkemakolom said.

The committee said Nkemakolom was lying on oath with documents that showed how NCAA exceeded the number of vehicles approved in the budget with his signature on the document.

He was also shown another document that confirmed the delivery of the vehicles to the Ikeja office of the agency on August 13, 2013.

The Chairman of the Committee, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, said her Committee’s only interest was Nigeria and that in line with the mandate of the House aimed to find out whether the purchase was correct.

She also said the Committee wanted to find out if the purchase was authorised by any Appropriation law, whether NCAA had been complying with the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) on internally generated revenue and whether any minister is entitled to such vehicles under the law.

The committee adjourned its sitting to Tuesday, asking Oduah, the Chairman of Coscharis Motors and the Managing Director of First Bank to appear before it.

The Committee requested NCAA to come along with details of banks where it has accounts as well as six months statement from the banks.

APC: Presidential panel diversionary

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned against any attempt by the “unimaginative spin doctors” of the Aviation Ministry to use politics as a cover for the egregious corruption scandal surrounding the illegal purchase of two armoured cars for the Minister of Aviation.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it was “most unconscionable for anyone to blame the supposed opposition to President Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 as the reason for the widespread outcry against the monumental corruption and abuse of office engendered by the scandal.”

It said that the opposition, in particular, “should not be blamed for the justifiable indignation of most Nigerians to the scandal, as Yakubu Dati, who goes by the nebulous title of ‘coordinating spokesperson for the aviation ministry”.

“Don’t blame him. After all, there is a coordinating minister of the economy, a title unknown to the Constitution) tried to do in his winding postulation on the scandal.

‘’What Dati and his co-spin doctors tried to do is to play on President Jonathan’s insecurity as far as 2015 elections are concerned. This is very insulting not only to Nigerians but also to President Jonathan himself, and it will not sell. After all, attempts to blame the opposition for the lingering ASUU strike has also failed. In any case, what is the business of a public servant, who is supposed to be apolitical, about whether a President is re-elected or not?

‘’We in the APC have not joined the fray over the Oduahgate scandal since it broke out because we thought this was a straightforward case of corruption and abuse of office that should be summarily dealt with. But President Jonathan has again failed to live up to expectation, thus allowing all manners of clowns to seek to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians in the name of defending the indefensible,’’ the APC said.

The party wondered why President Jonathan will engage in a diversionary and exculpatory strategy of setting up a panel to investigate the scandal, when there are statutory bodies that are supposed to do so.

‘’There is precedence on how to handle such a matter. In case President Jonathan has forgotten, his then boss, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, sacked Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, Minister of Health and Minister of State for Health respectively, for spending part of the ministry’s unspent budget. The Permanent Secretary and other top officials of the ministry were also suspended when the issue broke out. No panel was set up before this action was taken.

‘’While many may argue that President Jonathan is only following ‘due process’ in dealing with the issue, we counter that he is only seeking to buy time while hoping that the issue will die down. The composition of the panel set up by the President itself supports our stand. It is doubtful if any of the members will act against what they perceive to be the ‘interest’ of the President on the issue,’’ it said.

The APC also condemned the arrest of Mr. Dino Melaye and other protesters against the Oduahgate scandal in Abuja, saying the police, by their action, have signalled that they will protect corrupt public officials.

The party said the reasons given by the police, obstruction of traffic and disturbance of public peace, were apparently cooked up to justify their shameful act.

‘’The Nigeria Police must learn to operate in accordance with the best practices around the world. Elsewhere, the police will offer protection to peaceful protests, the type that Mr. Melaye led in Abuja, and ensure that their protests are not hijacked by hoodlums, like the hired pro-Oduah protesters who reportedly attacked those protesting against corruption and abuse of office.

‘’This is not what is expected of a police force that is maintained with taxpayers fund, and all those involved in harassing and arresting the anti-corruption protesters must bow their heads in shame,’’ APC said.

Algerian troops find arms cache on Libyan border

October 25, 2013 by Agency Reporter. Algerian troops have discovered a huge cache of weapons near the border with Libya, including surface-to-air missiles, rockets and landmines, an Algerian security source said on Thursday. “It is an arsenal of war,” the Algerian source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. Algeria and Libya’s other neighbors are worried about a dangerous spillover from growing turmoil in that country as Tripoli’s fragile central government struggles to contain militias and Islamist militants operating in its lawless southern desert. The source said the weapons found in Illizi in southern Algeria likely belonged to militants. They included 100 anti-aircraft missiles and hundreds of anti-helicopter rockets, landmines and rocket-propelled grenades. The area is about 200 kms (125 miles) from the Amenas gas plant, which was attacked in January by Islamist militants in an assault launched from inside Libya that killed nearly 40 foreign contractors. o� > s - �e `e id-align: none;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle’>“Those who can come to Turkey, they are the lucky ones, those who are back in Syria, they do not have anything to eat, they do not have hospitals, medicines, anything,” Davutoglu said. In an allusion to divided global powers who dominate the UN Security Council, he criticised those responsible for a failure to see through a council resolution to come to grips with the Syrian crisis. “Snipers are shooting pregnant ladies,” he said, citing recent media reports. Civilians without access to food are being forced to eat cat and dog meat to survive, Davutoglu said at a news conference with his Kuwaiti counterpart. Kuwait, which plans to host an international humanitarian aid conference for Syria in January, said countries bordering Syria were struggling to cope with the stream of displaced people and warned of violence spilling over Syrian borders. “The situation in Syria is very dangerous, this is as we warned from the beginning, because the blood will not be contained in Syria but will spread into the region,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Hamad al-Sabah said. “Syria is sliding towards becoming a rogue state, a failed state, a state where extremist ideas, drugs, weapons and outlaws spread.” Syria’s civil war has been replete with atrocities, including chemical weapons strikes into populated areas, and al Qaeda and other radical Islamists increasingly dominate the ranks of rebel forces. Kuwait has condemned the bloodletting in Syria but unlike some other Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar it has not thrown its weight behind Syrian opposition fighters, preferring to organize humanitarian donations. Kuwait hosted a fundraising conference in January this year which pledged more than $1.5 billion in aid, with contributions mainly from wealthy Gulf Arab states.You are here: Home / News / Africa / Algerian troops find arms cache on Libyan border Algerian troops find arms cache on Libyan border Algerian troops have discovered a huge cache of weapons near the border with Libya, including surface-to-air missiles, rockets and landmines, an Algerian security source said on Thursday. “It is an arsenal of war,” the Algerian source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. Algeria and Libya’s other neighbors are worried about a dangerous spillover from growing turmoil in that country as Tripoli’s fragile central government struggles to contain militias and Islamist militants operating in its lawless southern desert. The source said the weapons found in Illizi in southern Algeria likely belonged to militants. They included 100 anti-aircraft missiles and hundreds of anti-helicopter rockets, landmines and rocket-propelled grenades. The area is about 200 kms (125 miles) from the Amenas gas plant, which was attacked in January by Islamist militants in an assault launched from inside Libya that killed nearly 40 foreign contractors. o� > s - �e `e id-align: none;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle’>“Those who can come to Turkey, they are the lucky ones, those who are back in Syria, they do not have anything to eat, they do not have hospitals, medicines, anything,” Davutoglu said. In an allusion to divided global powers who dominate the UN Security Council, he criticised those responsible for a failure to see through a council resolution to come to grips with the Syrian crisis. “Snipers are shooting pregnant ladies,” he said, citing recent media reports. Civilians without access to food are being forced to eat cat and dog meat to survive, Davutoglu said at a news conference with his Kuwaiti counterpart. Kuwait, which plans to host an international humanitarian aid conference for Syria in January, said countries bordering Syria were struggling to cope with the stream of displaced people and warned of violence spilling over Syrian borders. “The situation in Syria is very dangerous, this is as we warned from the beginning, because the blood will not be contained in Syria but will spread into the region,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Hamad al-Sabah said. “Syria is sliding towards becoming a rogue state, a failed state, a state where extremist ideas, drugs, weapons and outlaws spread.” Syria’s civil war has been replete with atrocities, including chemical weapons strikes into populated areas, and al Qaeda and other radical Islamists increasingly dominate the ranks of rebel forces. Kuwait has condemned the bloodletting in Syria but unlike some other Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar it has not thrown its weight behind Syrian opposition fighters, preferring to organize humanitarian donations. Kuwait hosted a fundraising conference in January this year which pledged more than $1.5 billion in aid, with contributions mainly from wealthy Gulf Arab states.

Belgian plane crash 'kills 10' near Namur

19 October 2013 Last updated at 16:04 GMT

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The plane crashed in a field near the village of Marchovelette

At least 10 people have been killed after a small tourist plane crashed near the city of Namur in south-east Belgium.

It was carrying a group of skydivers and crashed shortly after take-off, killing all on board, the local mayor has told the AFP news agency.

The plane is thought to have taken off from the Temploux aerodrome and crashed around 10 minutes later in a field.

Its wing appears to have suffered some damage, Belgian media report.

The small plane came down near the village of Marchovelette, 10km (six miles) from Namur.

"I just saw a plane lose its right wing in mid-flight and crash. I heard a massive 'bang' towards the south of Marchovelette," one witness told Belgian television.

"I didn't see anyone escape with a parachute," the witness added.

EFCC broke, can’t pay lawyers

OCTOBER 16, 2013 BY OLUSOLA FABIYI, ABUJA  

EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde

The Federal Government’s anti-graft war, which many have dismissed as below average, may collapse as  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, one of the agencies saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting  the  campaign,  is said to be broke.

Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday revealed that the  EFCC  had been finding it difficult to meet its obligations to the  lawyers handling cases on its behalf.

The most affected are senior lawyers in charge of cases against  influential politicians/ suspects who are either involved in high profile money laundering or outright stealing.

One of the lawyers, who disclosed this to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said  he and some of his colleagues, were not happy with the turn of events.

He said that some of them had not been paid their professional fees for long, adding that this was capable of affecting their performance in court.

The lawyer said, “It may interest you to know that we have not been paid for long. I believe that  the commission is broke.”

It was also gathered that the cash crunch had seriously affected the commission to the extent that its enlightenment programmes  on radio and television stations had been suspended.

The programmes called Zero Tolerance, is used to educate Nigerians on the  evils of corruption in the society.

Apart from that, the commission needed for also uses the   programmes  to inform Nigerians about its activities and ongoing cases in court.

The presenters of the programmes, especially those on television,  interview notable people in the society on the evils of corruption.

But the inability of the commission to pay the affected stations, our correspondent gathered, made it to suspend the programmes.

A top source in the commission said, “It is painful that we could be in this mess. Imagine an agency fighting corruption to be financially incapacitated? It  is  bad.

“The programmes  we suspended were designed to project the commission and also keep Nigerians abreast of  the activities of the commission.

“But now, they are dead because we can’t pay the affected stations. We could have suspended the publication of our in-house magazine as well, but the Chairman resisted it and vowed to make sure that it  is not suspended.”

In the last edition of the magazine, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had berated those running the commission, saying  there were areas they were not doing well.

He said because of this, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Obasanjo said in the interview, which was published in the magazine, “I feel concerned about Nigeria and I will never stop feeling concerned and that’s why occasionally, I speak up.

“Even now, I am speaking up to say that all of you in EFCC, there are areas where you should be ashamed of yourselves.

“If you take an organisation which took Nigeria from level 2 to level 43 and then it starts coming down to level 34, then,  something is wrong.”

The Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, had while addressing the House of Representatives earlier this year said,“It is important to note that for 2012, we requested N21.8bn from the Budget Office of the Federation out of which only N10.9bn was allocated, representing 51 per cent of our requirement.”

He further revealed that of the N300m and N700m for Legal Services and Staff/Office Equipment Insurance Premium respectively for 2012, not a kobo was allocated.

Also, the total budget estimate of N10, 97bn  for 2012 represents a decrease of N2.87bn from that of 2011 appropriation figure of N13 85bn  or 21 per cent  thereof.

Of the N10bn acquired for the construction of the Head office in the 2012 budget, only N3bn was appropriated and as of November 21, 2012, only N1.39bn  was released.

Attempts to get an official response from  the Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, were unsuccessful as he  did not pick  calls to his mobile telephone.

Uwujaren  also did not  respond to a text message sent to him on the subject as of9pm on Tuesday.

Lord’s Chosen Church HQ sealed over dirty environment

OCTOBER 9, 2013 BY COMFORT OSEGHALE 

The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Church Headquarters, at Odofin Park Lane, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway shut by the Lagos State Government ...on Monday.

The headquarters of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, along the Apapa – Oshodi Expressway in Lagos has been sealed off by the Lagos State Government for gross environmental abuse.

A statement by the state’s Ministry of the Environment, made available to The PUNCH on Tuesday, said the church was sealed off in order to prevent an outbreak of epidemic, as well as protect the lives of its worshippers.

It read, “An inspection of the church’s environment revealed that solid waste generated was not properly disposed of.

“It was openly burning waste on the church premises, exposing the lives of its worshipers to health hazards.”

A substantial part of the one kilometre church auditorium was also alleged to have been built on the Odo Asimawu drainage channel, which the ministry claimed impeded the flow of flood water as well as inhibiting effective performance of the channel.

“All the church toilets were built on the canal, thereby enabling the deliberate discharge of raw human wastes into it,” the statement added

The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, was said to have directed that the church could only be reopened after all nuisances had been abated and encumbrances along the drainage channel, removed.

“There must be complete sanitisation of the entire church environment; a proper facility for the disposal of solid waste must be put in place; new toilet facilities built and proper evacuation of the human and solid wastes dumped into the canal ensured ,” the statement said.

The church is also expected to remove all structures built on the drainage channel.

Mob lynches three Nigerians for kidnapping in Bissau

OCTOBER 9, 2013 BY AGENCY REPORTER Three Nigerians accused of kidnapping a child were lynched on Tuesday by an angry mob of young rioters in Bissau, according to a hospital source. The AFP reported that the trio was killed after the disappearance of a young boy on Tuesday morning in the capital of Guinea-Bissau. A rumour quickly spread across the city that the child had been taken by a group of Nigerians, prompting an angry crowd to gather which security forces were unable to control. An AFP journalist saw two of the Nigerian bodies in the morgue. Hundreds of angry rioters, mostly young and armed with stones and bottles, managed to grab one of the suspected kidnappers from a police car as officers stood by powerless, according to the AFP journalist. “Death to Nigerians! Enough is enough, stop! The Nigerians must leave,” chanted the crowd. Police fired warning shots and tear gas in an effort to disperse the mob, but they were unsuccessful. The police called for reinforcements and soldiers from the Economic Community of West African States currently in the country were deployed in the town and managed to restore some sense of calm in the afternoon. Nigeria’s embassy in Bissau, where many Nigerians sought refuge, was surrounded by security forces for protection. Many shop-owners in the city closed because of the violence. The latest abduction came at a tense time in Bissau, as in the past fortnight several kidnappings have been reported to the police. Abductions are currently an explosive topic, among the general population and on radio shows in Guinea-Bissau, prompting a number of rumours about who has been responsible for the disappearances. The authorities have enforced a travel ban on unaccompanied children and any adults travelling with infants who they cannot prove are relations are immediately arrested.

Fani-Kayode should hide himself in shame – Aviation minister

OCTOBER 9, 2013 BY OKECHUKWU NNODIM, ABUJA 76 COMMENTS The Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, on Tuesday hit back at Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, describing him as an ignorant individual, who “should hide his head in shame.” Fani-Kayode, a former minister of Aviation, had criticised the Peoples Democratic Party for expressing confidence in Oduah despite the air crashes that had happened during her tenure as minister. “How many more people have to be killed in air crashes before our President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) realises that he needs a new Minister of Aviation?” Fani-Kayode had asked. But Oduah said in Abuja that Fani-Kayode was misleading innocent Nigerians and needed sympathy. She spoke at an aviation safety event organised by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation and hosted by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. Oduah said, “I have huge sympathy for them, the ignorant people in particular. Because when you speak out of context, when you speak under the influence of whatever it is you are under, you speak incorrectly and you mislead innocent Nigerians and that is what he has done. And he really should hide his head in shame.” Fani-Kayode, while reacting to Oduah’s comments about him, asked the minister to grow up and stop being petty. He said, “My advice and counsel to her is to grow up and stop being petty. She is meant to talk like someone who befits her office and not like a market woman or a fish wife. “I do not like joining issues with women publicly which is why I was very gentle with her in my essay though I made my point. “But this particular woman is endangering the lives of our people with her incompetence and insensitivity and we cannot just keep quiet. “This is a woman under whose watch almost 200 people have been killed as Aviation Minister and instead of focusing on how to save lives her obsession has become smearing and abusing Femi Fani-Kayode.” He said it was wrong for the minister to tell Nigerians that ‘’accidents are inevitable’’ and that they were ‘’acts of God.” “This is a woman who thinks more about how her headscarf looks, her jewelry and the jewelry of others more than she does about protecting Nigerian air travellers,” he added. He said if anyone should bury her head in shame it should be the minister and not him.

Ondo govt denies hiring crashed Associated Airline plane

OCTOBER 9, 2013 BY OLUWOLE JOSIAH 

Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko

Ondo State Government on Tuesday said it was not involved in the hiring of Associated Airline plane,  which crashed in Lagos last Thursday while conveying the body of the late former Governor Olusegun Agagu to Akure.

The state also said that the airline was not on the list of airlines earlier listed and presented to the burial committee set up by the government to organise a befitting burial for the deceased.

These clarifications were contained in a statement by the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade.

A spokesman for the Agagu family, Femi Agagu, had reportedly said in a statement on Monday that the family did not hire the crashed plane.

Akinmade said the clarification became necessary in order to correct erroneous representations in media reports.

The statement read in part,  “The Ondo state Government has clarified that it did not hire the aircraft of Associated Airline, which crash-landed last Thursday in Lagos, while conveying the body of former Governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, to Akure for the commencement of the burial rites.

“Its determination to give the former governor a befitting state burial made it set up a burial committee, which met regularly with the family of the deceased to arrive at a burial programme agreeable to the family. At one of the meetings, the issue of the transportation of the body from Lagos to Akure was discussed.

“The committee deferred to the family’s insistence that the body be moved to Akure by air. The family thereafter introduced Mr. Tunji Okusanya (now deceased) of MIC Funeral as the official undertaker, who would make necessary arrangements regarding the movement of the body and the funeral.

“Thereafter, the MIC boss forwarded the names of various airlines through an e-mail message to the Committee, namely, Aero Contractor; OAS Helicopters; Chachangi; Arik; Dana; and IRS as the airline operators that have been contacted.”

He said the MIC boss indicated in his message that IRS was not available for transportation of human remains and that Dana aircraft had gone for maintenance while Arik does not fly the Akure route, suggesting that Chachangi was the best offer.

“It was neither the wish nor the prerogative of government to indicate any preference for a particular airline,” Akinmade said, stressing that the interface with MIC, at the instance of the family, was necessary for facilitation of payment.

“At no time was Associated Airline mentioned,” the commissioner stressed.

“This is definitely not the time for this as we are still mourning. It is pathetic losing any soul in the course of paying homage to our former Governor, particularly government officials and other bread winners of their families, including the Managing Director of MIC, his son, and other workers of his company,” he added.

Akinmade’s statement indicated that the state government thanked the Federal Government for ordering a thorough investigation into the crash in order to prevent the occurrence of such tragedy in the future, imploring the team of investigators to leave no stone unturned in the course of their investigation.

ASUU, doctors’ strike ’ll end soon, says Jonathan

OCTOBER 9, 2013 BY OLALEKAN ADETAYO, ABUJA 

 

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday said that because of the importance his administration attached to the medical and educational sectors, he was determined to do all within his powers to resolve all issues that currently lead to labour disputes and strikes in both sectors.

Resident doctors and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities are currently on strike.

Jonathan promised to resolve the labour crises while granting audience to a delegation of the Nigeria Medical Association led by its National President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

His promise was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, at the end of the closed-door session.

“I believe that we must manage both (education and medical) sectors in such a way that nobody engaged in them will think of going on strike again. We will continue to proactively evolve measures that will help us to permanently overcome the problems that lead to strikes by health and education professionals,” the President was quoted as saying at the meeting attended by the Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu, Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu and other top government officials.

Jonathan reportedly assured the delegation that his administration would take necessary actions to ensure that the right conditions were created for Nigerian medical professionals to stay at home and avail Nigerians of their skills and expertise instead of migrating to other countries.

He said his government was determined to correct a situation where about 25,000 Nigerian medical consultants were currently practising in the United States alone as confirmed to him by President Barack Obama.

He described as an anomaly a situation where this huge number of Nigerian medical experts were abroad and yet the nation could not treat its sick people in its own hospitals

He said, “There is clearly a missing link somewhere and we will do everything possible to fix it. We will continue to work with professional bodies and all stakeholders to come up with more policies and actions that will help us overcome current challenges in our medical sector.

“We will work with the National Assembly to ensure the quick passage of the National Health Bill. We will take prompt action to reconstitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. We will also consider recommendations for the establishment of the Office of the Surgeon-General of the Federation.

“I believe that we must always do what is best for our country. We will review all the other issues you have raised and act accordingly. When things are done properly, issues of welfare and remuneration in the health sector will disappear.”

The President also promised that the Federal Government would explore the option of creating a special intervention fund that would facilitate the rapid establishment of more centres of medical excellence across the country.

20 killed in fresh B’Haram attack

OCTOBER 7, 2013 BY AGENCY REPORTER 

Boko Haram members
| credits: File copy

At least 20 people were killed when Islamist group Boko Haram attacked a town in northeast Nigeria, triggering clashes with troops stationed there, the military said on Sunday.

Reuters reported that a spokesman for Nigerian forces in northeastern Borno State, which lies at the heart of a four-year-old Islamist insurgency, said the Islamists crept into the town of Damboa in the early hours of Saturday.

They killed five worshippers at a mosque as they said their morning prayers, he said.

“While they were unleashing their mayhem, troops … engaged the terrorists, killing 15 in the process while others fled,” the military spokesman, Captain Aliyu Danja, said in a statement obtained by Reuters.

The military often gives significantly higher casualty figures for insurgents than for its own men, and it is usually not possible to verify them independently.

Despite a concerted military offensive meant to crush Boko Haram since May, it remains the biggest security threat to Africa’s top energy producer.

Its targets have traditionally been security forces, Christians or Muslim clerics who speak out against it, but its fighters have increasingly turned their sights on civilians in the past few months – massacring hundreds in roadside attacks or assaults on Western-style schools they consider sacrilegious.

Nigerian fighter jets last week bombed camps belonging to suspected Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria in response to a massacre of students at an agricultural college that killed at least 41.