The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Urhobo group urges Fed Govt to withdraw soldiers from Kokori

    Prominent Urhobo indigenes have embarked on a peace shuttle to restore peace and sanity to strife-torn Kokori community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

    The town has been thrown into strife following the arrest of Niger Delta most wanted alleged kidnap and armed robbery kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State last month.

    Troubled engulfed the Urhobo community shortly after Kelvin Oniarah, led armed youths under the auspices of Liberation Movement of Urhobo People (LiMUP) in Kokori, on Wednesday, September 18.

    The alleged formation of the group followed the declaration of the alleged crime lord wanted by the Delta State Command of the Nigerian Police. He was arrested seven days later in an undisclosed hotel in Port Harcourt.

    Arising from a meeting in Warri during the week, the Urhobo Peace Initiative, an association of Urhobo Indigenes, has called on the Federal Government to direct the soldiers to adhere strictly to the role of maintaining peace and order in the community.

    The troops were deployed into Kokori after some armed youths in the town engaged security operatives in a fierce shootout when soldiers moved in to arrest some of his alleged gang members and the spiritual head of the Egba cult.

    Speaking with Newsmen, Mr. Igho Osiebe and Okiemute Kent, Chairman and Secretary of the group respectively, urged troops in the town to focus on the primary task of restoring sanity in Kokori community,

    They disclosed that efforts were on to reach out to stakeholders of the community, government and members of the LiMUP in order to ensure lasting peace in the troubled town.

    Osiebe remarked that Kokori community is a peaceful and oil mineral producing community reputed as producing the second best grade of crude oil in the world, adding that since the commencement of oil exploration and exploitation activities in the community in 1959 there have been no case of pipeline vandalization or criminal related activities to oil theft by the people of the community. He described Kokori people as “hard-working, industrious, versatile in all profession of human endeavor and generous.” He said the generosity of the people have attracted non-indigenes like the Ibos, Yoruba, Hausa and others to settle in the community to carry out their business that made the town today to be commercial nexus of the LGA

    He said, ‘I am calling on our brothers and sisters and all aggrieved parties to sheathe their swords because it is only in a peaceful atmosphere that development and progress can take place”.

    Speaking on the peaceful protest by the women over deprivation of human rights of the people of the community, the chairman called on the soldiers to put halt to complain of torture, destruction of properties and arrest of innocent people as well as attack on Egba shrine.

    He told the law enforcement agents to allow the people go about their normal business without hindrance or molestation.

    Osiebe said that the rule of law should be allow to take its course, advising that the people who are arrested should be investigated and that those who are not found wanting should be release while those ones that are suspected should be prosecuted in the law court.

  • Church woos converts with concert

    Hundred of persons were last weekend converted to the Christian faith during the Reachout Nigeria musical concert organised by the Believers Love World popularly known as Christ Embassy in Benin City.

    The event which held at the main bowl of the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City saw a large crowd confessing to the Christian faith after performance by renowned artistes.

    Top gospel artists that performed at the event included Buchi, Sinach, Frank Edwards, Ada, T-sharp, Joe praise, Jahdiel, Chikancy, Eben, Angels, Excellent and Psalm, Atose Samuel amongst others.

    Zonal Pastor of Christ Embassy, Pastor Mary Owase said the “Reach-out Nigeria campaign was part of the church ways to celebrate Nigeria independence which is geared towards raising men and women, youths who are committed to building a strong and better nation, communities and cities.

    Pastor Mary said the event was birthed to revive the patriotic spirit of Nigerians, at a time when many were angry and displeased about the state of the nation”.

    She charged Nigerian leaders both in public and private sector to invest in education, create opportunities for young people to excel as well as support justice and truth at all times.

    The Zonal pastor observed that Nigeria was on a journey of greatness but that Nigerians must realigned their values to reflect the greater value of love, honesty, diligent and selflessness.

    She disclosed that the church has empowered thousands of youths with various skills to enable them began their entrepreneurship journey.

    According to him, “Many of you here are seeking for a change, you must first become that change. If the government has not created enough jobs, make one, create work for yourself. Anything you do that is good for God and good for men would be blessed.”

    “Don’ join yourself to criminals, kidnappers, vandals and people of corrupt and reprobate minds. There is no wisdom in turning against our collective assets, preserve them and use them rightly.”

    “We have not come merely to entertain you, but to deliver to you a clear and precise message that Nigeria is indeed a great nation, her people are her greatest resources and her possibilities are boundless”.

     

  • ‘You don’t need to be a Niger Deltan to see injustice here’

    ‘You don’t need to be a Niger Deltan to see injustice here’

    What is your assessment of the development of the Niger Delta?

    I must tell you, from my research round the Niger Delta communities and as far as I am concerned, there is no development in the Niger Delta. When I came here in the late 70s, I went round to what used to be called the old Rivers State and I was shocked to my marrow by what I saw. You don’t need to be from the region to see the injustice. I was in Lagos and I used to see the Third Mainland Bridge, then I asked myself what if one-third of this bridge was constructed here, then you could drive to Nembe and Bonny. You could drive to Ogbakiri, Buguma, Degama. The bridge they are constructing linking Adoni to Opobo is yet to be completed.

    So, I can tell you there is no development yet because the riverine areas of this region have not been opened to link upland. One major road that links the Niger Delta states, which I see as a beautiful concept, is the East-West Road; that was one major idea though they made mistake because they didn’t dualise the road. It links the commercial zone of the region. It was a good idea but totally inadequate. Beyond this road, I don’t see anything, maybe Rivers, Calabar, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Bayalsa have all expanded, including other Niger Delta states and may have been beautiful. And some of the states today have airports but that is not what I called development. This is because the masses benefit nothing from it. What I am saying is that if a fisherman in Ogbia and other communities in the region has no access to link up the major cities to sell what they have produced, then we are not there yet. And if this set of people cannot sell what they have because of lack of infrastructure, then it added nothing to the economy. We have not reached where we ought to have reached as far as I am concerned.

    What do you think is the prospect for lasting peace in the region?

    What I have always talked about is that if you are taking oil from under somebody’s building or land, it is not a crime because the person has no equipment or grantee by law to tap the oil by himself. But, what is crime is when we forget that there should be certain recognition that this oil was taking from his land. Treat the person in a way that he will feel comfortable like the man who ends up making enough profit from the same oil. That is what I called justice and equity.

    Don’t forget during the Peace Project, I told those who came to the training that you cannot talk about peace without talking about justice. There must be justice and equity to get peace. Anybody who comes to Niger Delta will arrive at the same conclusion: you don’t show wickedness to people because you are interested in profit. There was a time I challenged them and I told them that since they are always talking about profit without the concern for the people, suppose they exchange profit with the people. The people are dying, the people are suffering and you are talking about profit, and then replace a dying Niger Delta man with profit since you are interested in profit. And what these people do in Niger Delta is that if a particular people are shouting for injustice, they will use another group of people in the same community to shout them down; that is the politics. But, the truth is that you cannot have peace without justice.

    As far as there is unjust system, it will be very difficult to achieve peace. The British were the ones that colonised us and they were also the people that are talking about human rights. First, our right ab initio has been taken away to govern and to look after ourselves. But, it didn’t work because it didn’t stop attack on British establishment. It is not a verbal issue; the African nation kept on fighting until they became independent. You are creating a situation that creates conflict and you are verbally talking of peace. It cannot work until you match your verbal theory with action.

    What do you think we have achieved in our 53 years of nationhood?

    Over the years, the only thing one can say Nigeria has achieved is by remaining as one indivisible country, whether that is by design or accident, especially after the civil war. But, Nigeria, somehow after that war, still remains one country. Then, one should also look at the various aspects of the economy. We are also very lucky that oil has been flowing. And we are also deriving major aspects of our economic to this great commodity. We have been able to keep that despite all kinds of hiccups and turbulence in the economic system. Again, Nigeria was able to project themselves in another ways like sports and the rest of them. The only thing that tends to cloud the entire system is politics. When you look at what politicians are doing, you will say nothing has happened and when you look at the violence that often erupts like the issue of Boko Harem, kidnapping, militancy and the rest of them, it creates the impression that we have not achieved anything. But, we are trying and we have achieved something since Nigeria got independence. All we need now is to reinvest the money looted in the system back to the system.

    How do you think the challenge of unemployment can be tackled?

    For you to do anything in an environment that is called a nation, there must be certain structures that will be provided by the government; that is why we elected them to represent us. The provision of infrastructure and other basic necessities of life which include water, electricity, hospital, market and school are not being targeted.

    When government provides infrastructure, the people now function on the context. It is necessary that government or somebody must provide a starting point for you. Someone must give you a little push to begin life. There is no way you can start with nothing to become something. In life, there must be an initial push. If the government provides infrastructure, even if they don’t provide direct employment, a number of people will provide job for themselves. It has happened in my community. The first time we got electricity, some of the members of the community who were living in the town, such as welders, electricians, plumbers and so on, decided to relocate to the community. Those who relocated had apprentices working with them and people began to send their children to acquire skills.

    So, youths will find it extremely difficult, if not impossible to survive without an initial push from your parents or the government. It costs the government nothing to provide a little allowance for out-of-school youths. When the government does this, their input will galvanise the system and make them productive to the society. Instead of vandalising the pipeline, kidnapping, stealing and all the rest of things that frustration pushes them to do. It is not a matter of minimum wage. I know people that if you give them N10, 000 every month, they will start life with it.

     

     

  • Dickson: I won’t borrow to run Bayelsa

    Dickson: I won’t borrow to run Bayelsa

    The Transparency Law appears to be working only in the level of the state government. Are the local government areas exempted from it?

    The Transparency Law requires chairmen of the various local government councils to give account of their income and expenditure. I hope they are doing that faithfully. Well, the leaders and other stakeholders of the various local government areas should rise to the occasion because they all need to do that.Our people at all levels need to know how we are exercising public power and expending public resources. The way we have restructured our affairs at this level, it is difficult for anybody from me to the least appointee in government to be a millionaire or billionaire from your resources. It is not possible at all.

    Every time, before we make approvals or anything, the finance team comes to me. The chairman of that finance team is the Commissioner for Finance not the Accountant General. The Director Treasury after the three of them, I even have another appointee, Special Adviser on Treasury and Accounts, Mr. Timipre Seipulo who is not a civil servant. He is a professional accountant.So they all come and scrutinize it and there is no one instruction that I have given one day other than what is regular and in the course of running your government, we would like stakeholders in the local government areas to rise to the occasion. I am really surprised if the level of compliance is not very good.

    Despite reforms you embarked upon to professionalise the civil service, the civil servants in the state always sound unhappy and disenchanted. Don’t you think their happiness is key to your restoration agenda?

    The conduct of our civil servants is a concern that a lot of stakeholders in this state have.For example, we are spending as much as N3.962bn for payment of salaries. Where are these people? Just this morning, I gave instructions for the apprehension of some civil servants; I directed that they be arrested and investigations be carried out.

    Unknown to them, I have different layers of surveillance set up by which we monitor what goes on. I have told everybody that government is not a place where you come and become a millionaire or billionaire because there is not enough for that. There is not enough for stealing and certainly not enough to do the peoples work.If you want to live a flamboyant lifestyle, take a facility then go and be a businessman and I will support you to be a billionaire but the management of the resources of our people can not be left like that and I will like to be understood because this is a revolution.

    We have to all change the mentality of our people to work, which happily, is changing. Now with the measures we have taken, civil servants now go to work. I had to call out our leaders, Senator Rufus Inatimi Spiff led the verification team in his Brass Local Government; Senator John Braimbaifa led the team for Sagbama, my local government.You need to see the reports that they turned in. There are people on the state’s payroll who have no business being there. When Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha established the Development.

    But the civil service especially in the local government areas is still fraught with payroll fraud?

    Let me tell you about the local government areas, the whole idea was to move government closer to our people.We are grateful to the military and Gen. Sani Abacha, you know, we always honour his memory for creating this state but he did not create more local government areas and people who are afar think that Bayelsa is one state with eight local government areas.

    They do not know that in my local government for example, when I was campaigning, it would take me three days to go round; it will take me another three days to cover Ekeremor. It will take four or five days to cover Southern Ijaw. If you go to Nembe and Brass, it is the same story and that is the story all over.

    Everybody kept putting his or her relation and friends on the payroll from that time till now. The same with the local government areas and civil service to the extent that people who were even in an acting capacity will approve hundreds of people to be employed and then the propaganda will be that Hon. Seriake Dickson is sacking people; he is not civil service friendly.

    My dear people, this is not just for me alone, we have to save our state. If this state sinks, the Ijaw Nation sinks. This state must stand out as a beacon of hope.It is when we are able to eliminate these things that we can now have enough resources to build the schools that we are building.

    We are building so many you all know. We are building roads. We are thinking of how to get partners to work with us to build roads and bridges in our difficult terrain; a road from Nembe to Brass will cost us almost N90 billion; that of Ekeremor to Agge is estimated at N120billion but we will not be deterred because we are determined to open up our state.

    So we must all key into this vision. When I exercise restraint in the recurrent approvals, people misunderstand it because people find it difficult to change.

    Are you saying there are no dedicated civil servants in the state?

    Talking about civil servants, I know that we have hard working, dedicated crop of civil servants. And what I have always said is that, for the majority of you who are dedicated to the cause of development of your only state, please do not allow the antics of the fraudulent ones in your midst to destroy your service. I have always told civil servants that, those of us who are in government are temporary occupants of the house. As political office holders, we have a fixed tenure – four years and if God and the people permit, another four years renewable and no more.

    Some appointees in the cabinet have no tenure but the real stakeholders are the civil servants because they have 60 years or 35 years, whichever comes first. But we know a great majority of you are upright and doing a great job in our state, which is the right thing to do and we are grateful but please be more vigilant.

    I saw from the report I always get from my sources how people are still trying to beat our system. For instance, if a person’s salary is supposed to be N200,000, they will add over a hundred thousand naira. And what they record for their payment is different; the actual thing they send to the bank to pay is different.

    I have directed the Commissioner of Police to beam his searchlight on them, and I am happy he is saying work in that regard has started. I have no apologies to make to any civil servant for doing the right thing for our people. This state is bigger than me, this state is bigger than any civil servant and I am not going to be blackmailed.

    They will say ah, he is not civil servant friendly, go and bring those crooks that will wreck this state again if you do not want to do what is right but God will not allow it. This state has risen up, and we are not prepared to go back to where we are coming from again. We are addressing the issue of civil servants because the finance team is deploying a technology and my expectation is that with the report it has given, by the end of this year, that system should kick in where we will be able to track everybody.

    I also want to call on all the political leaders in all the various ministries to also ‘shine your eyes’. As commissioners, you must take responsibility for what your permanent secretaries and directors are doing particularly in this area. I believe that we can still reduce the wage bill, I do not feel comfortable anytime I see it because I know that there are states in this same country older than Bayelsa with a larger population paying salaries with their entire state allocation that is not even up to N3.9billion that we are spending on civil servants and everyday, the complaint is, “you are not civil service friendly.”

    The civil servants are complaining about the new tax regime in the state. Dont you think the taxes are outrageous?

    They want more and more instead of rendering service; it is either this allowance is not paid or that one is not done and payment of tax has been an issue; tax that I did not impose. We did not impose any new tax; it is an existing law of this country and every state is complying with it. When I set up a committee, chaired by one of our best, Chief Francis Doukpola, and said look we have to work hard to increase our tax strength. I said go ahead and make recommendations. He said look, there is a tax law called, Personal Income Tax Act (PITA).It is a federal law and it is only the National Assembly that can repeal it and states are complying with it. Our honest advice to you is to implement that law as others are doing and that is what we have done.

    My appointees are even paying more than civil servants because it is based on the principle of ‘the more you earn, the more you pay’. That is why in our financial report, the Deputy Governor read that our Internally Generated Revenue has risen from about N60million to N833million every month.

    So that is the sacrifice all of us must make. The finance team is working with consultants to see how we will even broaden our tax net in this state. Go to states like Lagos and see what they do. You open a shop and you pay your tax. We must do that in this state. Particularly when we are using your tax judiciously because you are seeing it.

    The children that we are sending on scholarships are our children; the money we are spending to make Bayelsa one of the safest states in this country is for all of us. And when we start our compulsory boarding system, we will be feeding boarders in this state. When the secondary schools we are building all over the state are completed, particularly the constituency secondary schools, those who will be there will become state responsibility.

    I have heard that I am communalizing governance. In my view, government exists for the people and not the other way round. We have a duty to educate our children, incubate them and train them well. They are our future. We cannot claim we are making progress, if they are not better than us.

    Why have you shied away from talking about the liabilities and debts inherited by your administration?

    When we first came in, we took some decisions in the overall interest of our state.We want to move forward. When we see Bayelsa mentioned in a negative light, we feel bad because we are actually out to rebrand Bayelsa everyday and everywhere we go to (even outside this country) in a positive light.

    We want to be known and respected for the decent human beings that we are. We did not want to raise issues with the lenders because we felt the state should move forward. That is what we have done but we have taken your advice and the finance team will consider that while preparing the report because the liabilities are two-fold; you have the bond liabilities, which are taken at source and the bank facilities which were there before we came in.

    The news making the rounds is that despite your earlier promise not to take loan, you have taken 60 million Euros loan from Poland. What is your position on this?

    The point you raised is what the Deputy Governor wanted to address when he was giving the financial breakdown. I made the Deputy Governor to chair the committee that I set up because of his military background. Of course, you know he is a retired Rear Admiral. I sent him to Poland where he had a useful meeting with the Polish government.

    Because of the new image our state enjoy now investors within this country and outside are willing to come in; the Polish government offered to work with us to build our Maritime Academy which is like a university. We wanted to start a small academy in Okpoama in Brass Island so that we can have this major facility there. This state has potentials because of our maritime nature. We are all water people and so we want to dominate the maritime industry going forward.

    Today, there are countries like the Philippine whose Gross Domestic Product mainly comes from sea-farers. Why can’t Bayelsa aspire to that?

    We want the best for our people; we dream big dreams for our people and we need your support and cooperation to actualise it.

    The Polish ambassador came here, I did not go to Poland; he came and said governor, we are seeing what you are doing, we are a big maritime nation, we can work with you to develop your maritime potentials. It was thereafter I sent the Deputy Governor to lead a delegation to Poland and they were given a red carpet reception.

    And then they came back.The President of Poland visited President Goodluck Jonathan, our dear president and brother. They raised in their bilateral meeting, the discussions they had with us. “Look, your Governor and people of Bayelsa are working hard; we want to support them. And what do they want to do? They wrote to us saying that, we have free funds.”

    This is the Government of Poland, a sovereign nation and not a state. So we should consider ourselves privileged that a sovereign nation wants to support us. They said to me, “look, we want to work with you to build your maritime academy, we have funds; we have the expertise; we are actually going to affiliate it with our own maritime academy or university.

    We will build and run it and train people in that place, get them certified and they would be marketable all over the world. We will allow you in such a way that the operations of that university become commercial in this country and in West Africa. And because the business is international and highly regulated, people who do not have sufficient training cannot get employment.

    That is why other countries like the Philippines, who position themselves, excel. I confirmed with them that Bayelsa will not pay one naira back and they said no problem. They will bring the fund and then when the institute is set, they would also admit students from all over Africa and other places for training. Then they will now service it and get it right. It is a “Tied Direct Aid (TDA).”

    So the financial aid is tied to a project, we are not going to receive their money and spend it. They will supply the manpower and the ships. Then when they finish with the admissions and training, they will now recoup their initial investment in the Maritime Academy. We are not taking that as a bank facility as was done before; get that clearly. It is not a bank facility with interest; no I will not go near that.

    I have been in office for 16 months, you should know that I would not go for any loan, particularly money matters.

    In fact, I am calling for investors to come everyday. They should come because we do not have the money to turn this place to the Dubai of our dreams.

    The President of Poland raised it in his bilateral talks with our president, the Deputy Governor led a team to Poland again to represent me and they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Poland.This is an investment of confidence in what we are doing.

    The Executive Council and State House of Assembly must pass a resolution and now the assembly is considering it and when they are through, we are to send it to the federal authorities that will now join it with the requests from all other states and discuss it at the Federal Executive Council level. The Federal Executive Council will now send it to the National Assembly, which must authorize it. The Government of Poland will in turn send it to their parliament.

    Remember that the money they want to bring to invest here must be budgeted for in their country; so, it is a government-to-government arrangement. And the amount is 60 million Euros and not 60 billion Euros and it is not a loan.

    I will not authorise that kind of thing where money that we do not even have is involved; I will not sign that kind of an obligation and be paying back. It is not possible.

     

     

     

     

    If we put our boys and girls there for two or three years, and at the end of it they get a diploma we have given them a meal ticket for life. Bayelsa youths in the school will receive training to enable the state dominate the provision of sea fearers and other maritime specialists in the maritime industry in Nigeria, West Africa and participate actively in the international maritime arena.

    The state will pay commercial rates for its students in the school, and we are hopeful that our youths on graduation will find employment in shipping companies and other marine related institutions worldwide and thus generate foreign remittances into Bayelsa State. This is the only way we believe, the school can generate commercial fees to repay the Tied Aid Credit from the Polish Government.

    Due to the importance of the school, we are very optimistic that the school will be greatly utilized by students from the state, the country and the West African region and beyond. This will generate foreign exchange earnings for the country as well. So that is the way your government thinks.Next year, we will launch the New Yenagoa City Project. It will be from Tombia down to Igbogene and down to Yenaka. We have concluded surveys; it is not just talk. We talk and do. And now you answer me, is it Bayelsa Government money that we will use in developing that place that is going to run into billions of dollars.

    We are going to attract investors; we will go on a roadshow to all the major city capitals, sell our aspirations, that is why the investment we are making in the area of peace is very critical. I want to congratulate all of us for achieving that.

    So if we market that place and somebody says, he wants some hectares to build high rise buildings and he wants me to sign land for him and build 200 roads and so on and that he wants to collect his money in 25 years time from the rent of that place, will I not sign? Of course, I will sign. Because development is here with us; that is the way we are thinking and we need to broaden our perspectives. We may take decisions that people may not understand but we mean well for this state and we love this state and we will do everything to protect your interest.

     

     

  • Julius Berger lifts Bayelsa schools, hospitals

    Julius Berger lifts Bayelsa schools, hospitals

    Pupils, teachers and administrators of the Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Elebele, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State were thrown into jubilation last Monday when representatives of construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, visited them.

    It was not a mere courtesy visit but a type that they wished other companies working in the state would emulate. Julius Berger came to identify with educational challenges facing them.

    The company drove into their premises on a truck and rolled out 1000 packs of instructional and learning materials. When representatives of Julius Berger unwrapped each of the pack, it consisted of a dictionary, mathematical set, textbooks, notebooks and branded pens for the pupils.

    The company’s Public Affairs Manager, Mr. Clement Iloba, described the gesture as part of the company’s’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He said Julius Berger discharges such responsibilities in the areas of education, health and culture.

    He emphasised the importance of hard work to nation building and advised the pupils to be committed in their studies so as to become part of the building blocks for greater Nigeria.

    He said Julius Berger was not only known for construction of roads, bridges and houses, was also partnering with the government and many non-governmental organisations to help students achieve their aims.

    He said: “We are here to assist you to live your dreams. We are here to aid your learning towards becoming professionals. We believe that you can also become good leaders of this country, and that is why we are shaping your aspirations by this token.”

    The pupils of the school only had kind words for the company. Appreciating the donation on behalf of his junior colleagues, Obina Sunday said: “On behalf of my classmates I thank the company for remembering us in this village. We are very grateful for these learning materials. May God continue to bless you”.

    Also Evrada Bernice who represented her senior colleagues could not contain her joy. She paid glowing tributes to the company.

    She said: “Julius Berger is a company known for doing roads and bridges. But now seeing and enjoying them helping students with books is a wonderful thing. We are very happy. We will ensure that we use these learning materials very well. We will not disappoint Julius Berger”.

    The school’s Vice-Principal, Mr.John Izibefin, thanked the company for the donation. He however advised Julius Berger to do more in Bayelsa State in the areas of environment.

    “On behalf of the students, the teaching and non-teaching staff and even the entire people of Elebelle community,I appreciate your gesture and action today towards the development of our children and our community”, he said.

    Iloba said company has been donating school items to other states in the country including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

    He said: “What we have just done at Elebelle Community Comprehensive School is part of what we have done in other states to impact on lives positively. We have been donating books to schools in Abuja, Lagos and Uyo.

    “Julius Berger will always perform corporate social responsibility functions in Bayelsa state in the area of education, health and sports.

    “The donation of supplies is one component of the company’s CSR-driven Literacy Campaign which was launched in 2012 and included the initiation of Julius Berger Book Club and the distribution of over 5000 copies of the book ‘The Great Fall’ by Nigerian author, Chinyere Obi-Obasi to schools across Abuja, Lagos and Uyo.

    “The Literacy Campaign was established with the goal of reinvigorating the reading culture in Nigeria’s youth and further in luded writing workshops, tailored to improve the reading and writing skills of participating students.

    The company also took their CSR campaign to the Community Health Centre, Agudiama and the Diete-Koki Memorial Hospital, Opolo in Yenagoa.

    The distributed 700 long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs) approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Iloba said the company would continue to combat malaria through bed nets.

    He said since the malaria-prevention campaign started, the company had so far distributed 7000 nets to pregnant and nursing women as well as students.

    “LLINs is an effective means to prevent malaria infection because they create a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night when the vast majority of transmissions occur,” he said.

  • ‘Speak out against oppression in Rivers’

    ‘Speak out against oppression in Rivers’

    A former Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Rivers State, Apostle Eugene Ogu, has advised Nigerians to speak out against the injustice and oppression in the state.

    Ogu, founder of Abundant Life Evangelic Mission (ALEM), spoke with Niger Delta Report against the backdrop of the alleged face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    He said prominent indigenes of Rivers and Bayelsa states have failed to speak up against perceived injustice meted on the state because of tension between Jonathan and Amaechi.

    Jonathan hails from Bayelsa State, which was part of the old Rivers before it was exorcise in 1996. His 2015 ambition and Amaechi’s rumoured vice presidential ambition is blamed for the crisis in the Rivers.

    Apostle Ogu said: “People know the truth, you and I know the truth but nobody is willing to speak out because they are afraid of being reprimanded for speaking the truth. Yes, we have a constitution that guarantees freedom of speech, expression but people are not speaking because of fear.

    “We have a situation where you hear oil blocks from Rivers

    are taken and given to Bayelsa state; we never heard that until Jonathan became president. Now we are heard that and nobody is speaking about it.

    “What is the problem? Is it that there are no leaders in Bayelsa or Rivers who could sit down both men and tell them the truth not minding the consequence? I think the leaders, elders in the two states should tell Mr President or whoever is bringing the confusion that we never had this confusion before.”

     

     

     

    “People should tell them not to bring out this confusion because Rivers and Bayelsa states are brothers. They were one before Bayelsa was created out of Rivers in 1996.”

    Apostle Ogu, who is the President of Arm of Hope World Outreach, expressed concerns that while politics and perceived ambitions are

    allowed to take the centre stage in the controversy, common people of the state are bearing the brunt and suffering unnecessarily.

    He also flays the role of the Rivers State Police Command in the crisis.

    He said the controversy is more than the alleged vice president ambition of the Rivers State governor, adding that “allowing the situation to degenerate to the level where the police becomes irresponsible is ‘unacceptable’.

    “Wherever the problem is, it is politics and intrigues.

    The players played it to get to where they are; it should be allowed. What cannot be allowed is a situation it degenerates to the police holding a state to ransom, where the courts are undermined, where lives and properties are under threat, where people, who could until now not open their mouth to speak because of criminal records, now come to the television parade themselves as whatever and people cannot speak! We now become cowards,” he lamented.

     

  • Big battle for the soul of ALSCON

    Big battle for the soul of ALSCON

    The statement said BFI Group Corporation was unable to pay the agreed 10 per cent of the offer price as directed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court directed that the 10 per cent must be paid within 15 working days of the execution of the Share/Sales Purchase Agreement (SPA).

    The deadline for the execution of the SPA and payment of the 10 per cent of the offer price elapsed on March 18.

    “As at that deadline date, BFI Group had neither executed the SPA nor made the initial mandatory 10 per cent of the bid amount,’’ the statement said.

    The statement added that BFI Group Corporation was expected to execute the SPA and pay the agreed 10 per cent of the offer price of 410 million dollars within 15 days of the execution of the SPA.

    It added that “BFI Group Corporation, in total disregard of the apex court, drafted and executed an agreement that was different from the one ordered by the Supreme Court.”

    The BFIG has returned to the Supreme Court pleading the apex court to compel the BPE to get to RUSAL comply with the order dismissing it from the plant.

    While the apex court’s decision is being awaited, brickbats are flying about. BFIGroup Corporation is accusing RUSAL of looting the assets of the firm in order to stifle its operations.

    A 50,000-litre oil tank belonging to the company was recently discovered in nearby Ibom Power Company, which is owned by Akwa Ibom State Government. RUSAL said it loaned it out. BFIG believes it buttresses its allegation of assets looting.

    Executive Vice President (Media Relations) of BFIG, Frank Scherer, said it was unclear under what condition RUSAL transferred the oil tank to Ibom Power and asked the Federal Government to take action against such atrocity.

    Scherer said: “Even after the Supreme Court, the highest court in Nigeria, in its ruling of July 6, 2012 ordered the BPE to take over the plant and prepare to hand over to the preferred bidder that emerged at the end of the bid exercise in 2004,the privatisation agency has always neglected to do its job.

    “Reports of massive asset striping and illegal removal of critical assets of ALSCON have always been reported to BPE against UC RUSAL. But, it is a shame that BPE has always shown that it has other selfish interests to protect over this national asset.

    “This is a disturbing development when BPE keeps denying and deceiving Nigerians and the Presidency about the serial pillage at the company.”

    The Chief Executive Officer of BFIG, Dr. Reuben Jaja, wrote to the Managing Director of Ibom Power, Gareth Wilcox, to demand some explanations over the transaction.

    Jaja said: “On Wednesday, September 18, 2013, or thereabouts, a 50,000 Transformer Oil Tank and other equipment were illegally stripped and removed from the ALSCON’s premises and discreetly transferred to Ibom Power.

    “As you may be aware, the legal proceedings, with regard to the transfer of ALSCON ownership to BFIGroup Corporation USA, are now before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

    “Despite the order of injunction placed by the apex court, we have received information from the public and media with regards to the widespread asset striping, criminal vandalisation and outright sale of ALSCON property. Consequently, I urge you to secure the property as our legal counsel will be contacting you shortly.”

    But, UC RUSAL Director, Communication Tatyana Smirnova said the missing oil tank was not illegally transferred to Ibom Power.

    Smirnova said in a newspaper interview: “No illegal stripping or removal of 50,000 litres transformer oil drain tank from the ALSCON’s premise has occurred. ALSCON is the owner of the 50,000-litres cylinder steel tank (Transformer oil Drain Tank).

    “In compliance with the request for assistance from Ibom Power Company, ALSCON has allowed Ibom Power Company to temporarily borrow the Steel Tank in accordance with the terms and conditions of Guarantee Letter signed by both parties.

    “Additionally, Ibom Power Company is responsible for the loading and transportation of the Steel Tank to and from Ibom Power site at Ikot Abasi under the strict supervision of ALSCON personnel.”

    Workers of the ALSCON and Ikot Abasi community youth group have also accused UC RUSAL of stripping the plant of core components to cripple its operations.

    The workers, under the aegis of the Metal Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (MPSSAN), said: “The Russians have put everything in place to siphon the remaining coke and alumina from the silos for sale. When they took over the plant in 2007, they inherited over 8,000 metric tonnes of alumina; 5,200 pieces of Anode Blocks; 5,820 pieces of cathode blocks; over 8,000 Anode Stems; over 200 tonnes of cryolite and over 170,000 tonnes of cast iron. Why they now want to sell even cast iron blocks, together with the pots, is mind boggling.”

    Smirnova described the allegation as “misleading and does not correspond to reality”.

    “Presently, ALSCON is cleaning its territory from unrealisable assets, obsolete and not suitable for use equipment, which cannot be utilized for production of aluminum,” she said.

    She added: “In addition, I would like to emphasize that the acquired equipment is the property of RUSAL and makes a part of modernisation programme that was implemented from 2007 till 2012. RUSAL has put around $US159.4 million of its own investments into the plant.”

    The BPE believes BFIG has not been fair to it on the ALSCON matter. Its Director-General Benjamin Dikki was quoted in an interview as saying the agency would not take BFIG seriously. He accused the American firm of instigating reports about ALSCON in the media and causing the BPE troubles.

    As the battle for the firm rages, a lot of things are suffering. One is the electricity the national grid could have benefitted from the company’s gas-fired plant. The power plant is capable of satisfying the electricity needs of the company and also supplying the excess power to the national grid. Annually, 360mw can be supplied to the national power grid after the company has taken its own need. The plant has a capacity for 540mw.

    A monitoring committee set up by the Ministry of Power to address the national grid problem has yielded no good result.

    Smirnova said: “This is because there is no infrastructure available, the 330/132/33kv Ikot Abasi substation, the Ikot Abasi-Ikot Ekpene NIPP line, and other infrastructure are unavailable. Besides, the acquisition of the licence for operation needed for connection by ALSCON and PPA are deliberately delayed, although all needed steps and procedures have been accomplished by ALSCON.”

    Gas has also been a challenge to the company. Smirnova explained that a key precondition for ALSCON’s successful operation was an uninterrupted supply of natural gas at reasonable prices.

    She said: “ALSCON has suffered six lengthy disruptions in gas supply which resulted in complete stoppage of aluminium production, losses of about $60 million, and long rehabilitation periods.

    “On June 21 to 23, the gas pressure in the pipeline reduced to zero level, resulting in more losses of over N11million. A possible solution to ALSCON’s gas problem would be the speedy completion of the Esit Eket-Ikot Abasi pipeline by the Federal Government.

    “When RUSAL was considering acquiring its stake in ALSCON, the promised availability of this crucial resource made RUSAL take decision to invest in Nigeria. RUSAL invested around USD160 million between 2007 and 2012 in the modernisation and development of the smelter.

    “Until the power supply issue is resolved, there will be no chance for ALSCON to resume its primary aluminium production. Moreover, further delays in connecting the smelter’s power to the national grid expose the smelter to the risk of existence, as RUSAL actually has depleted all resources in its efforts to subsidise the smelter.”

    Despite the tussle, the Russian firm in the name of ALSCON just commissioned a water project at Ediduo community in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

    The project was inaugurated at Edemaya Clan. The inauguration of the project brings to 15 of such water projects implementation by the company as part of its commitment to the development of the communities through investment in life-enhancing programmes aim at addressing, the social and economic well-being of the people in the region.

    Smirnova, who spoke while inaugurating the water facility, said: “The project we are commissioning today is the second water project our company has provided for the people of Edemaya clan. It is also the 15th project the company has undertaken in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area since the programme was initiated in 2010.

    “Indeed, the event is a fulfillment of the assurance the management of ALSCON gave recently that, despite the challenges facing the company, ALSCON will continue to implement projects, which help to improve the well-being of the people of Ikot Abasi and the neighbouring communities.

    She said UC RUSAL has continued to fully meet its social obligations to the staff. According to her, salaries are paid on time and in full, the members of staff continue to live in comfortable estates with 24 hours free electricity, water supply and health care.

    A statement in Uyo said ALSCON has not suspended any of its social programme aimed at improving the well-being of the residents of local communities such as free electricity to communities, the annual scholarship program from 2009 to 2013, where over 200 indigent students have benefited in addition to N720,000 monthly support to three schools in Ikot Abasi.

    She said the water programme is to compliment the Federal Government’s effort at ensuring that, 75 per cent of the citizenry have access to safe drinking water by 2015 in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and World Health Organisation’s safe water scheme.

    But, in all these, the alluminium for which the company was founded is not being produced. The dispute has ensured that and from the look of things, until the dispute is resolved, things will continue to fall apart at the multi-million dollar empire.

  • HOMEF brings livelihood college to UNIPORT

    HOMEF brings livelihood college to UNIPORT

    The University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) is to host the Rights Livelihood Campus (RLC) of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the Right Livelihood Award Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden.

    The RLC will be hosted in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Uniport.

    The campus is the fifth of such in the world and the second in Africa.

    The college is a capacity building initiative, which awards annually the “Alternative Nobel Prize”. It is an opportunity for the awardees of the prestigious prize to impact their knowledge on young people.

    The RLC has its global secretariat at the Universiti Sains in Penang, Malaysia.

    Dr. Monika Griefahn, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Right Livelihood Award Foundation and a former German minister of Environment, welcomes the new development.

    She said: “We are very pleased that a Right Livelihood College campus is being established at the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria. The College continues to make positive impact in the lives of young scholars and continues to build direct links between academics, laureates and the wider community. We commend the University of Port Harcourt and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation for engaging in this partnership.”

    Also, speaking on behalf of the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Fidelis Allen, said: “The University of Port Harcourt has remained a citadel of learning and in the best traditions of scholarship we see the opportunity to host the RLC campus as one that will challenge our scholars as well as connect them with their peers around the world. We are equally pleased with HOMEF for making this partnership possible.”

    Nnimmo Bassey, Director of HOMEF, who won the Rights Livelihood Award in

    2010, is excited at the prospects.

    He said: “The Niger Delta has brought so much petroleum-dollar to Nigeria. Sadly, the extraction of the petroleum resources has brought devastation to the environment and livelihoods of the people. We believe that targeted researches here will generate tools for tackling these problems which will in turn find application in other challenged territories beyond the Niger Delta. HOMEF is proud to collaborate with Uniport in hosting the RLC campus in Nigeria.”

    The RLC is the global capacity building initiative of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, based in Stockholm, Sweden. Since inception in 1980, the Right Livelihood Award, popularly known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”, has been bestowed on 153 laureates from 64 countries. It highlights and supports stellar achievements in the fields of peace and justice, the environment and for the awardee’s endeavours to eliminate material and spiritual poverty.

    Some of the RLC campuses across the world include the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia; Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Germany, and Lund University Center for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Lund University, Sweden.

    Besides Bassey, the only other Nigerian to have won the award is the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, together with his organisation, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), in 1994.

    Uniport will be formally unveiled as the Nigerian chapter of the RLA Campus during the Sustainability Academy (aka Home School) in Port Harcourt scheduled for November 25 and 26. The event will witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). It will be signed by Monika Griefahn, Uniport’s Vice Chancellor Prof Joseph Ajienka and Bassey, coordinator of the Academy.

    The new partnership will enable Uniport’s Post-Graduate scholars to have access to the corp of Right Livelihood laureates as well as exchange opportunities with four other existing campuses across the globe.

  • Communities rue abandoned road project

    The people of Etomi and Abgokim communities in Etung Local Government Areas of Cross River State have decried the abandonment of the construction of the 27km road linking both of them.

    Some of the community members who were piqued by about the development stormed the palace of the clan head of Etomi community calling on relevant authorities to intervene urgently in the situation.

    They lamented that due to the deplorable condition as a result of the abandonment the people have faced hardships.

    “We wonder why they would abandon the road without consideration for the people, whereas they have been paid to carry out this job,” one, of them said.

    Another resident of the area a commercial motorcyclist, Chijioke Cletus said, “Since wey I started okada I don fall for this road tire. Last week we don carry two people go bury. I de vex. Don’t know if they chop the money or government no send money. I de beg make dem change copnay. We that cannot live in the city at least if we don’t have light let them give us road.

    Raphael Akpan another protester said, “Master we don suffer well well for this road tire. Uptil now. Everywhere is gallop, and water. The people just came here and dig gutter and left the road. I don’t know whether it is the gutter we are going to ply or the road. When we told them them no answer us. They are no longer working, they left. Government should do something.”

    Investigations revealed the road was awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to a contractor and was expected to have been completed by March this year.

    The coordinator of Rebuild Nigeria Initiative, a nongovernmental organization, Mr Castro Ezama said it was regrettable that the contractor who had received mobilization could abandon the project thereby causing problems for the community members and other road users.

    He charged the NDDC to order the contractor to return to site or refund the amount paid to him for another to take over the project.

     

     

  • $600m Tinapa under threat

    $600m Tinapa under threat

    The $600 million worth Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort has not had it smooth since it was inaugurated six years ago. Though a state project, the Federal Government encouraged it. But, policy inconsistency is working against it. Now, some investors are threatening to pull out, writes Nicholas Kalu (Calabar).

    In the beginning there was no Tinapa. It was all 265 hectares of ‘virgin’ land until Donald Duke, as governor of Cross River State, had a dream to make the state capital, Calabar, the hub of business and leisure in the West African sub-region. Its ground-breaking ceremony was performed in Adiabo, on the outskirts of Calabar, in 2005. And on August 15, 2006, the Federal Government declared the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort a Free Trade Zone pursuant to the provisions of Section 1(1) of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act No. 63 of 1992. Investors saw this declaration as the tonic needed to realis7e Duke’s vision. The excitement was palpable.

    Facilities available at the Tinapa Resort include a pre-built retail and wholesale accommodation on an excess of 65,000m2 lettable area composed of Four Emporia of 10,000m2 each, several line shops, warehouses; an open exhibition area for trade exhibitions and other events; an entertainment strip with spaces for a casino, an eight-screen digital cinema, international standard restaurants, a night club and pubs; an entertainment Centre with a functional Games Arcade and a mini amphitheatre.

    Others include the Tinapa Lake, an artificial tidal lake, which feeds from the Calabar River, where water sport activities including fishing, can be undertaken; a man-made beach where leisure events can be held, a 243-room international three star hotel christened Tinapa Lakeside Hotel built in 2008; and a movie production studio known as Studio Tinapa. It is said to be the most modern film production studio in Nigeria.

    Tinapa also boasts of a water park/ leisure land comprising a collection of children and adult size pools, water slides, a wave pool-surfers delight, a lazy river as well as a bar and restaurant; a parking space for about 4,000 cars; a truck terminal; a helipad; an independent power plant that ensures adequate and uninterrupted power supply to the zone; over 6 kilometres of perimeter fencing with a good security network; over 15 kilometers of underground piping for sewage and storm water; a sewage treatment plant; and a dedicated Police Post that provides security for the Zone along with a team of private security organisations.

    On April 2, 2007, the resort was commissioned amid high hopes of rapidly transforming the economic fortunes of the state. Calabar, it seemed, was ready for business. But, this was not to be as in the first couple of years, the resort seemed inactive. Criticism trailed the $600 million investment. Proponents of the project attributed the lull to the lack of a gazette on the operational regulations, policy and guidelines of the zone. According to an official of the resort, “Tinapa started well with lots of big brands and investors taking shops, but Customs were all over us and everybody closed shop. The issue was a gazette. Eventually, we got it.”

    The said gazette was ratified by the National Assembly after political horse-trading in 2009 and after a brief lull, things began to look up for the resort. T-Mart, Woodin, Tradewinds, Vlisco, Bio-Energy, BNL Engineering, Wiskam International, Courtney Michaels, among a host of others, took shops in the zone.

    Leisure activities in the resort also witnessed an explosion, with the water park, arcade others getting an unprecedented number of customers.

    Managing Director of the Resort, Bassey Ndem said they were witnessing high volume of trade and investment.

    Ndem said the Tinapa Lakeside Hotel, formerly known as Amber Tinapa Hotel, was adjudged as the best in the city by tourists and other Independent assessors who have made use of the facilities in recent time.

    “We are witnessing very fast improvement in the resort. The Tinapa Lakeside Hotel has been adjudged as the best in Calabar by tourists and independent sources,” he said.

    According to him, such commendations put more pressure on the management to maintain the momentum.

    The managing director said the Water Park section of the resort was now a bee-hive of activities with people from all works of life enjoy their leisure time at the park.

    “People come from as far as Lagos and overseas to have nice times in the park and we are working hard to make it one of the best in the World. We are improving facilities in the park and by the time we finished, it will be world class,” he said.

    Public Relations Officer of the Resort, Paul Eko, added: “Tinapa is the place to be. The hotel under the new management was able to hit the N100 million mark in a month. We hosted 9, 000 delegates and we have the only facility that can have 10, 000 people under one roof air-conditioned. Tinapa is doing very well in terms of leisure and trade. The studio too is doing very well.”

    That was until a month ago. Some of the tenants in the zone, who have been using the Onne Port, Rivers State for the transportation of their goods to Tinapa and the Calabar Free Trade Zone ( CFTZ) complained that they have been experiencing unnecessary delays in the clearing of their containers.

    Niger Delta Report gathered that Customs wants duties paid for Tinapa-bound goods, a development which did not go down well with the investors. They say since they operate in a Free Trade Zone, they are not bound to pay such duties. As a result of this, the investors have threatened to close shop.

    The investors, both local and foreign, blamed the Comptroller-General of Customs, who they alleged was illegally imposing import duties on goods coming into Tinapa. The investors claim to have lost millions of naira on demurrage due to the non-clearance of containers coming to Tinapa at Onne Port.

    Nnamso Nyong, who spoke on behalf of the investors, said: “The laws establishing Tinapa Business and Free Zone Resort recognises the fact that Tinapa is the transit hub for goods within the sub-regional Africa and the existing gazette says Tinapa is 100 percent import duty free.

    “Customs has no right to hold any consignment coming to Tinapa. For Customs to come and ask us to pay duties in Onne is a total violation of the law establishing Tinapa. Nigerian Customs is frustrating us.

    “We are indeed shocked and bewildered why customs at Onne command stopped the processing of investors consignments which are on transit to Tinapa Free Trade Zone. This unilateral illegal acts by the Customs at Onne in stopping Tinapa bound consignment is against the spirit and letter of the gazette law that set up Tinapa as a Free Trade Zone.

    “We view this Customs serial impunity with regards to trade transactions in Tinapa as a calculated attempt to truncate business activities within the Free Trade Zone, thus rendering all human, material and financial resources invested in establishing the zone as a total waste.”

    Nyong said the action of the customs have already started having negative effect on their investments and has put at risk the job of about 20,000 employees who are employed directly and indirectly by the affected investors.

    They also accused the custom authorities of imposing duties on their containers deliberately to frustrate investors in the Southsouth and Southeast.

    The investors said “shops are shutting down, people are losing their jobs, demurrage is increasing every hour on these containers at Onne Seaport,” whereas others are busy smuggling rice through the Katsina borders.

    They said the situation has led to “loss of revenue running into millions of naira, loss of confidence from trade partners, inability to honour letters of credit hinged upon receipt of goods, inability to meet financial obligations, loss of supplier’s confidence and closure of shops and loss of employment with its multiplier effect to the host communities and Cross River at large as 20,000 Cross Riverians will become jobless”.

    An investor in the zone, Chris Nedum, said for over four weeks, Customs has not cleared their goods as the process of transfer has not been done and “my company has lost over N50 million and our foreign partners are now seeing us as fraudsters”.

    An Indian investor, who gave his name as Poadeep Kumav, decried the activities of the Customs and blamed the Federal Government for policy inconsistency.

    Eko said: “There seems to be a mix up because the Customs, which was established under a law, the management is acting outside the law. Tinapa has a gazette that was approved and ratified by the National Assembly. The management of Customs seems to be misunderstanding the Free Trade Zone laws. That means that goods coming from any part of the world, bound for Tinapa must get to Tinapa first. There is no rationale whatever to stop those goods at Onne. By that singular action of the hierarchy of Customs, they are automatically telling us that we are no longer a free trade zone by requesting the operators to come to Onne and pay duty for containers. It is unheard of. When you begin to put that vis-à-vis the need for direct foreign investment, the whole world is watching because there are free trade zones all over the world and a lot of investors are interested to come and invest in Nigeria but with this kind of unhealthy climate, I don’t see how that can be achieved.”

    There is a stalemate. The Customs is not changing its stand. The operators are unwilling to pay. And no one seems to be mediating, leaving Tinapa bleeding and gasping for breath. Observers say it must be rescued before things get out of hand.