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Tag: Nigeria

  • Nigeria: Which way forward?

    Nigeria: Which way forward?

    Title: Nigeria is Negotiable

    Author: Chido Onumah

    Publishers: African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Abuja

    Year of Publication: 2013

    No of Pages: 460

    Reviewer: Edozie Udeze

    There is this statement that is often reiterated by people who feel that the entity called Nigeria is a cosmetic configuration. Nigeria is a society with unity with cracks. It is like a marriage that is not working but the couple still insist on being together in order to avoid the ire of their relations or what the society may say if they eventually kiss the union goodbye. But the truth of the matter is that if a union is not working or is seen to be predicated upon a lot of loose ends, the wisest thing to do is find a way to make it work or otherwise.

    No relationship is expected to function well when the principal actors in it do not trust one another. This is part of what Chido Onumah, a journalist, writer, activist and essayist is saying in this book: Nigeria is Negotiable – essays on Nigeria’s tortures road to democracy and nationhood. To him, nation building is not a project for the faint-hearted or for those with short memory. For a nation to be solidly built to cater for its teeming population, it needs statesmen and women, thinkers and active citizens, people who believe in the reason why the society has to move forward; why the society has to function well for its people.

    Anchoring his essays on the socio-political and economic issues that have been shaping Nigeria’s affairs in the past 20 years, Onumah draws attention to leadership as the core problem area of Nigeria. The intention of the book is to remind Nigerians about where the rain started to beat them so as to know how to avoid a repeat. This is why the title of the book is crystal clear, lampooning the people who have been holding the society in the jugular and refusing good and sound reasoning to hold sway.

    Most of his attention in the book is focused on the June 12, 1993 election in which the Late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won a landslide presidential election which was nonetheless nullified by General Ibrahim Babangida. Onumah does not only use this incident as a benchmark to dissect the level of abnormality in the Nigerian polity, but he equally reasons that such an action shows a society where injustice is carried out with impunity.

    He said: “That election was a golden opportunity to set the country on the path of genuine democratic reconstruction, but IBB squandered it. Expectedly, our politicians moved on. They were co-opted into Abacha’s transition and for them June 12 became history. Abacha’s Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, was one of the earliest people to sing the dirge of June 12″. And so began the genesis of the political headache of a nation.

    The author contends, however, that it was a costly mistake that cost lives and even threatened the very corporate existence of the country. On June 11, 1994, the president-elect, Abiola, declared himself president, a move he took to ensure that he got back what belonged to him. Unfortunately, Abacha and his henchmen hounded him down. He was arrested and imprisoned. He was to die in that prison on July 7, 1998, a month after Abacha himself took his own exit from this world.

    The core essence of this book, in the reckoning of the author, is to set history right and also ensure that this memory does not die.

    On the whole, there are 24 essays in this book, divided into five sections and covering different events and periods in Nigeria in the last twenty years. The topics are hot and engaging. The ideas focus extensively on the need to reappraise the basis for unity; the reasons why the country is stunted in all facets of its development, its progress, its infrastructural provisions and so on. All the issues raised are haunting.

    Starting with the title: Thoughts on Political Class, September 1993, the author is emphatic that the cancellation of the June 12 election has revealed the greedy side of the amorphous conglomeration called the political class.

    In other words, the political class has not contributed meaningfully to the enhancement of the nation-state. “It is instructive to note that our political class lacks political will; that the only thing in its political arsenal is rabid opportunism and consummate greed. Therefore, it quavers and totters any time its interests appear to be threatened. This may sound scathing, but it is the true position of things.” So, squarely and pointedly, the problem of Nigeria is basically that of leadership, mistrust, selfishness and greed according to the author.

    The articles move from the very beginning of military leadership led by IBB to the chronology of Nigeria from 1960 to 2013. At the moment, what is the true condition of Nigeria? Is the country actually on the threshold of progress or retrogression? Where is Nigeria headed? Are we fit to still remain a nation where no one is discussing the basis of that togetherness?

    This is why this book is good for people who want to appreciate the role of human rights activists in the struggle to achieve democracy. It is also instructive to point out areas where leaders have squandered the opportunity to make things work. It is within this context too that the article entitled: A tale of two countries, January 1997, one can see why Ghana was on the precipice while Nigeria seemed to be tottering even in the face of the so- called oil money. In fact, “there is a compelling corollary between Ghana and Nigeria. This similarity is noticeable by everyone, even a first time visitor”. This statement was made in the context of Jerry Rawling’s visit to Abacha in 1997. It goes to show the idiocy in the manner of leadership across board in Africa, with Nigeria being the cynosure of all eyes. However, today, Ghana has moved on, leaving Nigeria far behind in all spheres.

    It remains to be seen how a nation can make concerted progress when all you get are people with sinister sentiments who pay lip service to patriotism, to unity, to love for one another. When will ethnic issues, religious bigotry, political and economic hegemony become things of the past? When will the country itself begin to see itself as a place meant to harbour all interests, all dreams and aspirations? There are a thousand and one questions to attend to in this book. These are questions that border on the continued existence of Nigeria and the author shows how in most of the issues raised in the book.

    In 460 pages, the impunity with which the nation is being run and managed is clearly exposed. Deploying his many years in the struggle and involvement in the core issues to get it right, Onumah provides total insight into the nationhood. The stories pierce the mind and set heart racing.

  • A broken country

    A broken country

    The failure of President Jonathan’s government to pay states  their money in the past months is paralysing the country

    We are, as a nation, in a peril. But it appears, from the grandstanding of the Federal Government henchmen, including the president, all is well.

    For at least three months now, the states have not received their constitutional financial allocations. And it has implications for governance. But when the president held his routine chat, which has turned into a charade for presidential defiance and bullying, he became defensive, and took the tack that Nigeria is not broke.

    If Nigeria is not broke, how come it cannot pay its bills? How come the state commissioners for finance all across the country, were unable to return to their states with the cheques due to their states from the national coffers?

    The first loud outcries in this regard came from two governors. The first was the governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, who in a public forum sounded the ominous note that the state may not pay its bills if the Federal Government did not pay. Following that came the umbrage from the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who took on the finance minister over the discrepancy between what the Central Bank received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and what the Federal Government claimed it received. The Federal Government said it received $700m while the CBN claimed it should be $2 billion.

    The consequence of this is deep. In a country where virtually all the states depend on the allocation from the centre for their well being, depriving them of their monthly allocations resembles forcing them outside the oxygen zone. Death pangs precede actual giving up the ghost.

    The Federal Government gave them some money, less about N150b. So the states rejected the cheques because of its shortfall, which was immense. It was disingenuous of the federal authorities not to explain to the states the full financial working of the NNPC, and expect the states to accept that the nation did not have enough money to pay them.

    This is irresponsible. A huge and criminal opacity clouds the finances of the NNPC, and neither the minister of petroleum nor the president has shown any visible concern over this obnoxious trend. The finance minister also acts as though it was a routine matter and the absence of money to pay the states did not mean a disruption in the system. The oil minister simply has shrouded herself in indifferent silence. On his part, the president says the country is not broke.

    This imposes a conundrum. If the country is not broke, we can say the president may be right because the price of oil in the international market is well above $100 per barrel while the bench mark set in the budget is far below that at $75 per barrel. That means that we are nowhere near the danger zone. Yet, the argument has been advanced that we have a high incidence of oil theft, which may have cast a damper on the enthusiasm of abundance. We have always had the high incidence of oil theft though, and there is no data to prove that the volume of theft today so outweighs previous ones as to cancel the advantage of the bench mark vis-à-vis the prevailing oil price.

    Put in balance, we should have enough money to pay the states their entitlements. So, why are we not paying them? One, the NNPC has morphed into a deity in the Nigerian system, an untouchable institution that feels that it is larger than the country that gave birth to it. We cannot understand why the president should allow a minister of petroleum, with her highhandedness fuelled by incompetence, to preside over a ministry that holds the jugular of our economy. Worse still, the president has planted a rampart of defence for this incompetence by explaining away, in terms of politics, the failure of his obligation to pay the states. He said the country is not broke. Mr. President, if the country is not broke, pay the bills!

    The states have a lot of obligations to the average Nigerian. The most important and urgent one is the payment of salaries. This threat also overhangs the federal ministries. The majority of our work force are government workers. President Jonathan should ensure that this dire peril is handled quickly and effectively.

    If the ministries stop receiving their salaries, we can be sure that we are moving gradually into a breakdown of the whole society. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has grounded the universities for over three months across the country, and the Federal Government under President Jonathan has shown neither imagination nor resolution to resolve the crisis. Yet, another one looms, and if state after state downs tools and cripples essential services, we may be veering towards paralysis, if not anarchy.

    The other consequence is the inability of the states to execute projects. Whether it is infrastructure, hospitals, education or even power, the contractors will stop to pay their workers and the governments cannot deliver on their promises. Governor Amaechi made this point in his outcry less than a month ago.

    What we shall have is not just a broke but a broken country where nothing works. The United States shut down its government over a debacle between the Obama administration and the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives over debt ceiling and the president’s health care programme. A sense of urgency has pervaded the country, and a mere 10 days of shutdown has generated disquiet among workers, even as urgent entitlements have not been paid. Now sanity has returned to the political arena and negotiations have resumed to stave off a major financial meltdown, not only in the U.S but around the world.

    It is that sense of urgency we need, not some bluster by a defiant president or the vacuous rancour from a finance minister or a corrosive indifference from the petroleum minister. The nation is in bad enough shape as it is. Those in charge owe it to those who put them in power not to make it worse.

  • Nigeria, Kuwait to sign two agreements

    Nigeria, Kuwait to sign two agreements

    Kuwait new Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Abdulaziz Ahmad Al-Sharrah, has said his responsibility is to enhance the bilateral relationship between his country and Nigeria.

    He also said both countries are set to sign two bilateral agreements.

    Dr. Al-Sharrah, who recently presented his credential to President Goodluck Jonathan, said his ultimate goal is to contribute to enhancing the brotherly relationship between our friendly countries, and to multiply efforts as to deepening it in all fields, be it political, economical, social, cultural and touristic.

    He said the two bilateral agreements between the State of Kuwait and the Federal Republic of Nigeria are to be signed, while four more agreements are undergoing study and amendments, making the total of six bilateral agreements.

    Besides, the Ambassador said the State of Kuwait ready to host the 3rd Arab-African Summit within the period 18-20/11/2013 Captioned “Partners in Development and Investment”.

  • Jega seeks establishment of election offences tribunal

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has renewed the call for the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal before the 2015 general elections.

    Jega made the call during a debate on ethics and elections organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation on Tuesday night in Abuja.

    The chairman said the tribunal would help to restore sanity to the country’s electoral process and deter people from committing electoral offences.

    “I was privileged to serve in the Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais-led Committee and I know we made a recommendation for the establishment of a tribunal to deal with the impunity in the way electoral offences are being committed in Nigeria.

    “We need to do something unique and that is to establish an electoral offences tribunal which will be saddled with the responsibility of arresting, investigating and prosecuting offenders,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the INEC chairman as saying at the forum.

    Jega said that in the 2011 general elections, the commission detected 870,000 cases of multiple registrations out of the 73.5 million voters registered.

    He, however, expressed regrets that only 270 offenders had been prosecuted by the body till date.

    The chairman blamed poor funding and inadequate staff for the commission’s low performance in the prosecution of electoral offenders.

     

  • Nigerian for global youth summit

    AMANAGER with the world’s largest shipping company, Maersk Line, Mr Olawunmi Akinyemi, has been selected to attend this year’s One Young World Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    The event draws notable professionals from other parts of the world with 13 other Maersk Group employees attending.

    This year’s is the fourth in the yearly event, where people such as Kofi Annan and Sir Bob Geldof are expected to inspire the youth.

    On his expectations at the event, Akinyemi, 30, said: “I want to network with people of similar passions and interests; that is, driving change in our sphere of influence; understand what is important to other young people from other parts of the world and get key insights from the major speakers at the summit.”

    Akinyemi, who was employed in 2005, has gone through the Maersk International Shipping Education (MISE) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The One Young World summit is a valuable opportunity for Maersk to develop and inspire would-be leaders, especially in growth market countries where competition for the business, and for the talented people needed to drive it, is strong. In Africa alone, the Group employs more than 10,000 people – and would want to attract even more.

    “The Maersk Group has been doing business in Africa for more than a century, and has operations in almost every country across the continent. We aim to reflect the communities in which we operate and attract talent from the broadest pool possible. We would like to build our diversity further,” said Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Deniz Kirdar True.

    The Maersk Group likewise sees value in exposing the talent to One Young World as a way to further broaden their horizon:

    “We encourage our aspiring leaders to be curious about how things are done in other companies, industries and markets. As a Group, we can benefit by seeking out other perspectives and being open to challenging traditional approaches – and I believe that Young One World offers such an opportunity,” True said.

    The additional thirteen Maersk participants represent several different Maersk businesses and countries, including India, Brazil, South Africa, Guinea, Morocco, Philippines, China, Pakistan and Jordan

    This year’s One Young World summit, held from 2nd to 5th October 2013, and focused on issues including education, youth unemployment, human rights, global business, leadership & government, and sustainable development.

  • Nigeria re-elected member of ICAO’s Council

    Nigeria has been re-elected to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council. Nigeria won with 149 out of 172 votes cast, representing 86 per cent of the total votes cast at the 38th Assembly of the organisation in Montreal, Canada.

    The majority vote garnered by Nigeria according to the General Manager,Corporate Communication, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, is indicative of how highly Nigeria is regarded in the commity of world air transport sector.

    He said it is such high regard that will provide a strong platform for the election of the Nigerian representative in ICAO, Dr Olumuyiwa Babatunde Aliu who will be standing for election for the President of ICAO Council on October 28.

    Nigeria’s presence, Dati said, was strongly felt as the Federal Government sent a delegation led by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.

    Aliu’s quest received full support from the Federal Government and Nigerians, both at home and in Diaspora as the Ms Oduah has continued to support Aliu who has built invaluable goodwill among ICAO member countries’ representatives.

    Princess Oduah last Thursday addressed the Assembly, reinforcing the commitment of the Nigerian government to meet all ICAO standards and requirements in safety, security, aerodrome facility and regulation, giving details of how far Nigeria has gone in actualising some of these objectives, including the efforts in infrastructural renewal at the nation’s airports.

    She assured that all the goals set out would be accomplished in the nation’s aviation sector within the framework of the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    The media coordinator of the aviation agencies and the General Manager, Corporate Communication of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, observed that the massive support for Nigeria as membership of ICAO Council by the international aviation community is an acknowledgement of the tremendous efforts the present administration is making to improve the sector.

    “Nigeria’s election also confirms therecognition of the increasing strength of Nigerian aviation industry and the m inister’s campaign for his election as President of ICAO Council showed that our country is making significant progress to take its rightful position as West African hub,” Dati said.

    The Minister also paid a courtesy call on the out-going President of the Council in his office as part of the strategy to secure his continuous support for Nigeria and also hosted several bilateral meetings with delegates of United States, the European Union and several others.

    Accompanied by Director Generals and CEOs of Nigerian aviation parastatals, the Minister garnered support and pledges from many countries and regional groups, as well as international aviation stakeholders, such as Airport Council International (ACI), International Air Transport Association (IATA).

    There was also a robust exchange of ideas on initiatives and programmes for the development of the aviation industry in Nigeria.

    Dati said the campaign for Aliu to become the President of ICAO Council will be sustained until the election scheduled forOctober 28, 2013.

    The 36 members of the ICAO Council would constitute the Electoral College for the election of the President of the Council.

    “So far, based on the responses from member states, we are optimistic that Dr. Aliu will ultimately emerge as the next President of ICAO Council, but we are not relenting on our efforts,” said Oduah.

    Nigeria joined ICAO in 1960 and was elected into the Council of ICAO in 1962 as a Part II member State and the country has since remained on the Council and has continued to promote the interest of Nigeria and Africa on the Council as well as contribute to the sustainable development and growth of civil aviation in the region.

    Dati remarked that the ultimate election of Dr. Aliu as President of ICAO Council will be historic.

    “Nigeria will be the first African country to produce the President of ICAO Council. Through this position, Nigeria can exert influence in international aviation community for the benefit of the country’s aviation industry and the national economy.”

     

  • StanChart targets Nigeria, others for Africa retail growth

    Standard Chartered Plc (StanChart) expects to open 100 new branches in Africa by 2016 to benefit from the continent’s $1 trillion annual retail spending,it has said. The lender will be focusing in key African countries, including Nigeria, where only about 14 to 15 per cent of the population has bank accounts.

    The lender opened 27 new outlets last year and will “invest heavily” in digital technology over the next four years, Raheel Ahmed, the bank’s Dubai-based head of consumer banking for the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, has said. The bank will focus on small and medium-sized companies and private banking, he said.

    “There is so much growth potential, particularly where economies are growing rapidly,” Ahmed said.

    “In Nigeria, only 14 or 15 per cent of the people have bank accounts,” he said.

    StanChart’s operating revenue at its Africa consumer banking unit rose 9.4 per cent in the first half to $257 million. Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa will accelerate to 5.1 per cent this year and 5.9 per cent next year from 4.9 per cent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund.

    The bank posted a 24 per cent drop in first-half profit to $2.18 billion after a $1 billion write-down of its Korean business. Revenue rose 6.6 per cent as growth in Hong Kong and India helped offset declines in Korea, Singapore and China.

    Its income from retail banking in Africa, including credit cards and personal loans, is growing helped by expansion in Kenya and Botswana, Ahmed said. Income in Ghana grew 32 per cent and in Zambia by 45 per cent in the first half, he said. The bank has a “high single digit” market share in consumer banking in most countries on the continent in which it operates and more than 10 per cent in some, he said.

    The bank also expects to benefit from growing trade between Africa and China, which it forecasts to rise to $1.7 trillion by 2030 from $200 billion in 2012. Its presence in Asia, the Middle East and Africa will help it connect companies and help facilitate trade, Ahmed said.

  • Boko Haram: Committee ready to submit report

    The Presidential Committee on Peace and Resolution of Conflict in the Northeast will submit its report to the President anytime from next week.
    The Chairman of the committee and Special Duties Minister, Kabiru Taminu, stated this on Tuesday while briefing the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the activities of his ministry.
    Tanimu said the committee had completed 99 percent of its assignment, assuring that the remaining one percent would be concluded this week, after which a report would be submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan.
    The minister however could not answer a reporter’s question on the whereabouts of the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau.
    He said: “I think I should also ask you where is Shekau. Now with all sense of responsibility, we have been directed by Mr. President to identify key members of the sect and engage them in dialogue.
    “Mr. President did not ask us to look for Shekau and engage him in dialogue. And it is important for Nigerians to appreciate that in matters of this nature, you don’t just wake up one day even as a dialogue committee established by government and say you are discussing with the highest leadership of the insurgents.
    “Usually what happened is that we have been able to establish confidence because it is necessary. Initially, they deployed lower rank of their membership to us, like water testing mechanism.
    “They go back without any molestation. Then at the next meeting, they would deploy a higher set of members. And this is how it has been going to the level where we now. We have started to engage key members of the insurgents.
    “But for us, it does not have to be Shekau. The committee cannot determine for them who should represent them. As far as we know, these are genuine members of the organisation. We deal with them and we have several ways of determining whether they are genuine members or not.
    “In the course of this assignment, we have seen some people who are fake members of the insurgency groups that came for the purpose of getting money.
    “But I want to assure that we have been talking to genuine members of the insurgency and these are members that are key as far as peaceful resolution of this matter is concerned.”
    Tanimu said the committee had laid solid foundation for sustainable peace in the country.
  • Air mishap: Senate summons Aviation Minister, others

    Air mishap: Senate summons Aviation Minister, others

    …To probe Associated Airline crash
    … Crashed plane engine still in Nigeria – AIPB
    The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, to appear before it to explain the state of the country’s aviation industry.
    The upper chamber also said that Oduah would brief members about the resurgence of air crashes that have claimed hundreds of lives of Nigerians and others.
    It mandated its Committee on Aviation to investigate the October 3 crash of Associated Airline in Lagos while conveying the remains of late former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu to Akure for burial.
    Apart from Oduah, the Senate also invited Chief Executives of aviation paratatals to appear with the minister to answer questions on the state of the nation’s aviation sector.
    The Senate said that it relied on Section 67(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which empowered it to invite any official of the government for questioning on national issues.
    The lawmakers expressed frustration over incessant air disasters in the country.
    Senators specifically took turns to lament the rot in the aviation sector and sought immediate steps to remedy the situation to avoid what they called “avoidable deaths” and destruction of property.
    This followed a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) entitled: “Crash of Associated Airlines airplane.”
    Uzodinma noted “with ultimate sorrow” the unfortunate crash of the Associate Airlines propeller airplane EMB190 from Lagos to Akure on Monday October 3.
    He also noted “with concern” that the plane bearing the remains of Agagu to Akure for burial crashed within the vicinity of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport barely a minute after takeoff from the domestic wing of the airport.
    He observed that the ill- fated plane plunged to the ground shortly after flying over the perimeter fencing of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and moments later busted into flames.
    The lawmaker said that apart from the remains of the former governor, there were 20 passengers on board the crashed plane “16 of whom have been confirmed dead” while four others sustained varying degrees of injury and receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
    Meanwhile, the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau on Tuesday said the engines of the Embraer 120 aircraft have been moved to an undisclosed hangar at the Lagos airport.
    According to the spokesman of the agency, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, the engines are being worked on as part of the ongoing probe into the cause of the crash.
    Oketunbi said the engines may not be moved abroad, if investigations on its parameters are concluded in Nigeria by experts probing the crash.
    He dismissed reports in some quarters that the aircraft engines have been flown to Brazil.
    He said,” We are taking steps to advance the investigations into the crash. As at today we have moved the aircraft engines to an undisclosed hangar in Lagos Airport.
    We are still examining the aircraft engines. The engines have not been flown abroad. It is the intensity of investigations that will determine whether they will be flown abroad.”

  • Arms smuggling: FG drops charges against Russian sailors

    15 Russians accused of unlawfully importing arms and ammunition into Nigeria, were on Tuesday set free by a Federal High Court, Lagos, following an application to withdraw the charges against them by the government.

    The Russian sailors – Zhelyazkov Andrey; Savchenko Sergel; Lopatin Alexey; Baranovskly Nikolay;  Llia Shubov; Dimitry Bannyrh; along with Alexander Tsarikov; Kononov Sergel; Chichkanov Vasily; Varlygin Igor; Komilov Alexander; Mishin Pavel; Korotchenko Andrey; Vorobev Mikhail and Stepan Oleksiuk were arrested by the Nigeria Navy on October 18, last year, onboard a vessel, MV Myre Seadiver, for allegedly carrying cache of arms into the nation’s water without authorisation.

    They were handed over to the prosecuting agencies, who later charged the accused to court on four counts of unlawful importation of firearms and non disclosure of content of vessel.
    The accused were first arraigned on February 19 before Justice Okechukwu Okeke now retired.
    They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on bail to the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, while the vessel was admitted to bail in a bond of $500,000(USD) to be obtained from First Bank Plc.
    Following Okeke’s retirement, the case was transferred to Justice Jame Tsoho.
    They had pleaded not guilty to the offences which were said to have contravened Sections 27 of the Firearms Act, as well as the Provisions of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, 2004.
    At the resumed hearing before Tsoho, prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Usman Hajara informed the court of an amended charge before it.
    She said that all previous charges against the Russians have been dropped while an amended charge against one Stanley Chineye and his firm, Maritime Services Limited was filed.
    Hajara prayed the court to strike out the charges against the Russians, their vessel as well as their company, Moral Security Group Limited, while the amended charge be substituted.
    Tsoho granted the prosecution’s prayer by striking out the charges against the foreigners and fixed November 26 for trial of the new accused.
    According to the amended charge, Chineye allegedly acted as agent to the Russian vessel and had allegedly misguided them that he had obtained permit from the navy for the vessel to enter the nation’s waters, which was false.