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Tag: planned

  • Planned NLNG Act’s amendment causes stir

    Planned NLNG Act’s amendment causes stir

    It was time to debate the proposed bill for an amendment of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Act before the National Assembly at a forum organised by energy reporters in Lagos. The bill seeks to compel the NLNG to pay three per cent of its yearly budget to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Will the amendment be carried? EMEKA UGWUANYI, AKINOLA AJIBADE and AMBROSE NNAJI report.

    It was a no-holds-barred argument involving oil and gas industry stakeholders and a member of the House of Representatives, Simon Yakubu Arobo, on the proposed amendment to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Act. A bill, which is before the National Assembly, was on whether the amendment would be in the interest of Nigerians, or it would strangle the goose that lays the golden egg.

    It all happened at a forum organised by the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria. The controversy over the amendment started in  February, last year, when Senator Patrick Nwaoboshi alleged that the NLNG had refused to pay its NDDC levy since it started commercial operation 16 years ago.  By that action, he claimed, the company had broken the law.

    Not long after Nwaoboshi’s statement, the House of Representatives backed his proposal for the NLNG’s (fiscal incentives, guaranteed and assurances) Act, Cap N87 of 2004 amendment. The 2004 Act exempts the NLNG from paying the NDDC levy.

    To the lawmakers, the NLNG has continued to hide under the pretext that the NLNG (Fiscal incentives, Guarantees and Assurances) Act exempted it from such contributions or payments.

    Discussing the implications of the amendment, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mentor Energy Consulting Limited, Mr. Victor Eromosele, said efforts to compel the NLNG to start paying the NDDC levy does not speak well of the country. According to him, the agreement between the Federal Government and NLNG must stand. To rescind on agreement as being planned by the National Assembly will not portray Nigeria as a dependable country to investors. He noted that the idea to have the LNG project by Nigeria was on the table for 30 years before the NLNG agreed to take the risk. Besides, the NLNG, according to him, is only a gas processing company and not gas producing company, adding that the NDDC Act stipulates that a gas producing company, like the NLNG, is not supposed to pay the NDDC levy.

    “The action of the legislators on the issue of amending the NLNG Act was wrong. It sends wrong signal to investors. Investors would be wondering why the country is changing its laws. Issues relating to contracts between the NLNG and its foreign investors would be adversely affected by the planned amendment,” he said.

    Former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji,  said as a country, Nigeria’s yes must always remain so. Not yes at a point and no at the other. According to him, it kills investment and investors’ appetite to invest, adding that Nigeria should be a country that respects sanctity of agreement.

    To the Head, Energy Research Desk of Ecobank, Mr. Dalapo Oni, to compel the NLNG to pay the NDDC levy amounts to double taxation because the gas producer has already paid the levy. Besides, the timing of the proposed amendment is wrong. To him, considering the state of the economy, the lawmakers ought to be concerned about how to grow the economy, create more jobs, and build more LNG companies and plants. “We need to monetise our gas. We need to build more LNG firms,” he said.

    He asked the National Assembly which option was better, to support  investments’ inflow to develop more LNG plants and monetise gas or force a gas processing company  to pay NDDC levy?

    According to him, the National Assembly ought to be more concerned with reviving the OKLNG and Brass LNG as well as new LNG companies, adding that the lawmakers should be supporting the actualisation of the NLNG’s Trains 7&8, which will create 18,000 jobs and attract billions of dollars in investments.

    Oni, however, assumed that the current fight to force the NLNG to pay the NDDC levy was not a colouration from the past battle between the NDDC and the NLNG on the same issue of paying the levy. He noted that there are several gas processing companies that are not paying the NDDC levy and they are not being pursued as they have done to NLNG. “Instead of stifling companies that are doing well, we should focus on creating more viable firms,” he added.

    He continued: “The NLNG is proudly the country’s biggest and most successful indigenous company, run by 100 per cent Nigerian management and over 95 per cent Nigerian staff, yet competing effectively globally. Till today, it is the country’s highest tax payer and the fourth largest supplier of LNG in the world.

    “As one of the shareholders, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) gets dividends from the NLNG and the government also gets taxes from the NLNG, and when it has to part with that percentage of its budget for the NDDC, the amount they can share as dividends will also reduce because that will come from their profit.

    “We lose gas export window because right now, different LNG plants are being developed around the world including Mozambique, Tanzania, Cameron, Angola, and the Equatorial Guinea, and eventually the demand for our gas will be less, and normally, supply will affect the pricing of the LNG.”

    NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke said the National Assembly is established to legislate for the country, urging the lawmakers to exercise restraints on issues affecting the existence of the country. He said the revenue the firm generates annually for the government is huge, adding that it is the country’s major revenue earner next to crude oil.

    “We cannot say that the National Assembly should not do its job, especially as regards making and amending law, but should tread softly on issues that can affect the earnings of the country.  The country’s interest should be paramount above other interests. The power the National Assembly has is our (Nigerians) power, and it should be used in our interest.”

    Arobo, a member of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Gas, had a different view. He said the NLNG cannot tie Nigeria’s hands forever.  “As a sovereign nation, we can review laws. We are not driving investors, we just want the NLNG to comply with the laws of the land. We now know that it is right and just for it to make such payment, especially when they have enjoyed these incentives for more than 27 years,” he said.

    He continued: “Senate will not renege on its promise to amend the Act that is guiding the operation of the NLNG. The National Assembly can amend the Constitution of Nigeria. The legislative arm has the power to amend the Act that is guiding the existence or operation of an entity including the NLNG.

    “The National Assembly  has been empowered by Section 4 of the Constitution to legislate on issues affecting the existence of a corporate entity called Nigeria and the Senate is working in accordance with the interest of Nigerians.

    “There is no law in perpetuity. There is no law anywhere in the world that says that an Act cannot be amended or touched by a legally constituted authority like the Senate. Nigeria is a sovereign nation and has the duty to review an Act that shortchanged its patrimony. Now, what is wrong in asking the NLNG  that is a gas processing company, to make contributions regarding its operation, as provided by the constitution. Those people that have been saying that the Senate should not tamper with the Act that sets up NLNG are basically saying the law guiding the operation of the company should be there forever. We at the National Assembly cannot do that. We are a sovereign nation and there is nowhere in the world where an Act cannot be reviewed or amended.”

  • ‘Planned 20,000 Mw of power is inadequate’

    ‘Planned 20,000 Mw of power is inadequate’

    The Federal Government‘s  20,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity target is too small for the country, Green Elec Chief Executive Officer,  Mr. Marcel Hochet, has  said.

    He said the government should rather focus on achieving 40,000Mw to meet its energy need.

    Green Elec is a solar energy solution firm with offices in Nigeria and France.

    In an interview in Lagos, he urged the government to address the problems in the sector.

    He said gas, hydro and renewable energy are the most feasible sources of power generation, asking the government to leverage them for growth.

    According to him, poor infrastructure had hindered past administrations’ plan to provide regular power supply. He added that the government should solve the problems in the sector to encourage growth.

    Hochet said: “The country’s population is growing at a geometrical progression of 3,6, 10 and 14. By this, the population is growing faster than the available resources in Nigeria. Because of this problem, the government needs to harness potential in the country to stabilise power supply.”

    According to him, countries, which boast of huge megawatts of electricity, combine gas, hydro, sun, wind and other sources of generating power to achieve growth.

    “France was able to generate its  65,000 mw by combining different methods of power generation. The same applies to South Africa, which generates 40,000Mw of power for its population of 45 million. But in Nigeria, we are finding it difficult to deliver 10,000Mw. The highest megawatts of electricity so far generated were 5,000 Mw. That was achieved in the first quarter of 2016.  Nigeria should follow the footsteps of developed economies to achieve that goal,” he added.

    He said though solar and other renewable energy sources generate fewer megawatts of electricity, they help in boosting power supply.  He said if the government was desirous of meeting energy needs of its people, it should  explore opportunities at its disposal to achieve it.

    He urged the Federal Government to improve its efforts of providing stable power, noting that the government has started well by privatising the sector.

  • Planned extradition of senator-elect lawful, says Falana

    Planned extradition of senator-elect lawful, says Falana

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has explained that the planned extradition of senator-elect of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Buruji Kashamu to the United States (U.S.) is in accordant with the rule of law and in line with the provisions of the Extradition Act.

    In a statement in Lagos yesterday, titled: “Legal Implications of Kashamu’s extradition”, Falana advised the senator-elect to surrender himself for trial in the U.S. instead of embarking on a prolonged legal battle in Nigeria.

    The learned silk, who contended that the fundamental right of Kashamu to personal liberty has not been violated in any way so far, added: “But if he insists on his innocence, let the law take its course through the extradition proceedings”.

    The statement reads in part: “The Extradition Treaty between Nigeria and the U.S. was signed on June 24, 1935 while it entered into force on June 24, 1935. The treaty was signed with the U.S. by the British colonial regime, which then exercised dominion over the territory of Nigeria.

    “When Nigeria obtained political independence from the Britannic Majesty in 1960, the treaty was, like several others, adopted by the Federal Government. By virtue of Article 3 of the treaty, extradition shall be reciprocally granted for crimes or offences such as  murder, manslaughter, administering drugs or using instruments with intent to procure the miscarriage of women, rape, threats, by letter or otherwise, with intent to extort money or other things of value, larceny or embezzlement,  fraud or  fraudulent conversion, obtaining money, valuable security, or goods, by false pretences, crimes or offences or attempted crimes or offences in connection with the traffic in dangerous drugs.

    “Under the treaty, extradition shall not take place if the person claimed he has already been tried and discharged or punished, or is still under trial in the territories of the High Contracting Party applied to, for the crime or offence for which his extradition is demanded.

    “If the person claimed should be under examination or under punishment in the territories of the High Contracting Party applied to for any other crime or offence, his extradition shall be deferred until the conclusion of the trial and the full execution of any punishment awarded to him. Even though the treaty is silent on civil proceedings challenging the legal validity of the extradition of any person the exercise may be stayed or suspended if there is a court order to that effect.

    “By virtue of  the Extradition Act Cap E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the Attorney-General or a court shall not surrender a  fugitive criminal, if satisfied that the offence in respect of which his surrender is sought is an offence of a political character or that the request for  surrender, although purporting to be made in respect of an extradition crime, was in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing him on account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions or was otherwise not made in good faith or in the interests of justice; or that, if surrendered, he is likely to be prejudiced at his trial, or to be punished, detained or restricted in his personal liberty, by reason of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions,” he noted.

    Falana explained that in the case of Kashamu, the order of the Federal High Court that he should not be extradited has been set aside by the Court of Appeal.

    “Although the appeal filed against the decision is pending at the Supreme Court, there is no order of execution or interlocutory injunction restraining the Federal Government from extraditing Chief Kashamu to the U.S. to stand trial for drug trafficking. Hence, the PDP chieftain and senator-elect has initiated a fresh suit at the Federal High Court to thwart any move to extradite him to the United States!

    “As the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN has not been legally prohibited on the matter he is reported to have concluded arrangements to commence extradition proceedings on the basis of a request made by the United States pursuant to the Extradition Treaty.”

    He noted that before Kashamu parted ways with President Olusegun Obasanjo in the PDP and before the appointment of Mrs. Roli George as the director-general of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the senator-elect had been on the wanted list of the United States for drug related offences.

    “Therefore, the allegation that Chief Obasanjo and Chief Olabode George are behind the ongoing moves to extradite the senator-elect is illogical, spurious and diversionary,” the Lagos lawyer said.

    Falana advised that instead of politicising the planned extradition proceedings, Kashamu should be prepared for the legal battle ahead, adding: “He is lucky that he is detained in his own house. But for his status as a member of the ruling class, Chief Kashamu would have been bundled to the NDLEA detention facility in Lagos, where he would have been denied access to his phone.”

    He added that the decent treatment being accorded the PDP chieftain was part of the intangible dividends of democracy.

    Only the rich are detained in their homes as the concept of “house arrest” is unknown to our criminal justice system, Falana said.

    He noted that under the military rule, the embattled PDP leader would have been arrested, handcuffed and handed to American security officials.

    According to the rights activist, “He would have been further manacled and flown to the United States for trial. At the material time, extradition proceedings were not conducted in any court.”

  • How NLC election’s fiasco was planned, by union leader

    Presidentof the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Dr. Ayuba Wabba, has said that plans to frustrate the workers from electing a new leadership was hatched long before the beginning of the delegates’ conference.

    Ayuba, who was one of the presidential candidates in the election, said the plan was put in place early in the year by a group of union leaders who wanted the presidency of the congress ceded to unions in the private sector through undemocratic means.

    Addressing a news conference on the development, Dr. Wabba criticised the system adopted in the printing of the ballot papers.

    The system adopted, he said, was different from what had been used in the past in which names of all candidates for an office were printed on one sheet.

    He denied claims that he was being sponsored by the government for the election, saying: “Those saying that does not know me. If they know me, they will not be saying such things. We know who the real government candidates are.”

    Dr. Wabba also accused members of the credentials committee, who his opponents alleged were planning to rig the election in his favour, as part of those behind the ploy to disrupt the election.

    Opponents of the MHWUN president had accused members of the committee of trying to favour him by printing his name two or more times on the ballot paper booklet.

    “Let me call the attention of the public to the fact that the first attempt to cause confusion began on the second day of the conference when some delegates of NUPENG disrupted the proceedings of the conference by throwing chairs and smashing the head of one of the delegates of the Civil Service Union.

    “All other delegates decided to keep their calm as they have never been part of violence and will want to protect the integrity of NLC,” he stressed.

  • ‘Workers ‘ll resist planned minimum wage removal from Exclusive List’

    ‘Workers ‘ll resist planned minimum wage removal from Exclusive List’

    Nigerian workers have threatened to resist the removal of minimum wage from the Exclusive List to Concurrent List in the new constitution by the National Assembly.

    Dr Ayuba Wabba, President of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), spoke yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    He said the Senate had tinkered with the provision in the constitution amendment in contravention of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) convention in dealing with minimum wage, freedom of association and collective bargaining.

    According to him, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan on the issue.

    The union leader said MHWUN had also informed the Senate and the House of Representatives that the organised labour would mobilise Nigerian workers to resist such exploitative tendencies.

    “You are aware that before now, the 1979, 1999 constitutions and all previous constitutions have captured minimum wage under the Exclusive List.

    He said: “This was taking into cognisance that there is an ILO convention dealing with it.”

    Wabba hailed the House of Representatives for not considering the amendment, as well as seeing reasons that it was a direct contravention of ILO convention, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

    He noted that it was only the senate that had tinkered with the provision, taking the powers and giving it to the State Houses of Assembly to make laws on general wage.

    The union leader described the proposal as “a call for chaos”.

    Wabba added: “The organised labour, in its entirety, will resist any attempt to remove minimum wage from the exclusive list. Any constitutional amendment on it must take into cognisance the yearnings and aspirations of the workers. We went to the collation from local governments to the constituency levels, those issues were never canvassed.

    “In all the states we have visited, there was no voting for the removal of minimum wage from the Exclusive List. The report is there at the National Assembly.”

  • Anxiety over planned retirement of Immigration chiefs

    Palpable fear and tension have gripped the top hierarchy of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) on plans to retire some Deputy Comptroller Generals (DCGs), who should have been elevated.

    According to laid- down civil service regulations, a level 15-17 officer must have spent at least four years as Assistant Comptroller before he can qualify as a Deputy Comptroller.

    In an interview last week by the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Board, eight of the 24 shorlisted Deputy Comptrollers are said to be qualified for the position, while 18 are not qualified since they have spent only more than one year in their current positions.

    Of the lot, the two most senior are due to retire in July and September, which should clear the coast for any of the other most senior officers to be appointed.

    Part of the conditions for promotion is seniority and merit, conditions which had previously been abused.

    In March, two most Senior Deputy Comptrollers were nominated to act as DG in contravention of the Federal Character Commission regulation.

    The retirement of the former Comptroller Rose Uzouma has led to a long drawn battle of succession.

    Of the 36 state commands, five comptrollers are said to be from Benue State. Seven vacancies exist in

    the position under dispute with even those not qualified pulling political strings to get the position.

    According to the provisions of the board’s scheme of service, for candidates to be eligible for promotion to the post of Deputy Comptroller, they must have spent four years in the post of Assistant Comptroller- General.

  • Planned amnesty for Boko Haram

    Planned amnesty for Boko Haram

    If all goes well, President Goodluck Jonathan will shortly grant the Boko Haram insurgents a general amnesty. That is the gist of press speculation on the insurgents in recent weeks. The federal authorities have neither denied nor confirmed these press reports. The Federal Government was even reported as setting up a technical committee to work out the legal modalities for the planned amnesty, and that it expected that within weeks an agreement on amnesty could be reached with the Boko Haram insurgents. But there are still some hurdles to clear before any amnesty can be granted the insurgents. President Jonathan will need to be satisfied that this is not a hoax, and that the insurgents are serious this time about laying down their arms after nearly ten years of a bloody insurgency that has led to heavy civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict

    It should not come as a surprise that the Federal Government is considering a general amnesty for the insurgents. Such a possibility was never ruled out in the first place by President Jonathan. The Federal Government had always made it clear that it was ready to engage the Boko Haram leaders in a dialogue to end the bloody violence in some parts of the North that has claimed hundreds of lives. Some contacts were in fact made last year with the leaders of the sect, but these preliminary talks to end the conflict were abruptly cut off by the insurgents which may have broken into factions. If, collectively, they are now willing to embrace dialogue with the federal authorities and stop the bloody conflict, then there is a compelling need for the Federal Government to seriously consider this alternative to a military option that has simply not worked. Though battered and mostly on the run, the insurgents have stood their ground and have continued to maim and kill innocent civilians, including women and children in the North. Most of these casualties are Christians who are increasingly being prevented from going to their churches.

    A broad consensus in support of a possible peaceful option to the lingering conflict through dialogue between the insurgents and the federal authorities has been building up ever since the Sultan of Sokoto, the leader of the Moslem community in Nigeria, called on the Federal Government to consider a general amnesty for the insurgents. Virtually all Northern leaders, including the Northern Governors’ Forum and the Arewa Consultative Assembly, have joined the Sultan in calling for a general amnesty for the insurgents. It is believed that the National Security Adviser recently advised President Jonathan that a military solution to the conflict is no longer feasible. The insurgency has hurt the North very badly. It has more or less paralysed economic activities in the major commercial centres of Kano and Kaduna. No new investments can be expected in the North for some time on account of the ongoing conflict there. Northern leaders acknowledge this and want an end to the bloody conflict. There is also some concern among Southern leaders about the insurgency. Recently, the leader of the ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, lent his voice in support of the call for a general amnesty for the insurgents if they agree to lay down their arms.

    For the Christian community in Nigeria, the call for amnesty must be painful as the majority of victims of the Boko Haram terror are Christians for whom the state is not able to provide any security. The state is supposed to protect religious freedom, the right to practice one’s religion freely. But that is no longer the case in most parts of the North where churches are frequently attacked by Boko Haram insurgents. Majority of Christians in the country will find it difficult to understand or accept the planned amnesty for the insurgents. But some Christian leaders, including the head of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, Cardinal Onayeikan, say they are willing to support the planned amnesty under suitable conditions. The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oritsejafor, has expressed some reservations about the planned amnesty, insisting that the insurgents who have unleashed such terror and death on Christians in the North should not go unpunished. His views more accurately reflect the anger and dismay felt by the Christian community in Nigeria about the violence in the North targeted largely at Christians. These people do not understand or accept the immunity for the insurgents implied in the planned amnesty.

    The fact of the matter which President Jonathan has to consider is that the military option adopted to tackle the insurgency has simply not worked. The insurgency is getting stronger and better organised. It has free access to funds and weapons, and its adherents are becoming increasingly fanatical and unbending. If the security forces were winning the war, an amnesty for the insurgents would be uncalled for. Despite their brave and best efforts, the security agencies have had little or no success in tackling the terror being unleashed in Northern Nigeria by the insurgents. There is some evidence that these insurgents are getting substantial assistance, including funds and weapons, from Al Qaeda, among other foreign collaborators. They have some local support as well.

    Altogether, it is a conflict that our security forces cannot win as the enemy is evasive and illusive. It is difficult to defeat an invisible enemy that is constantly on the move. There must be a lot of frustration in our security forces that they are unable to really defeat the insurgents. But we cannot allow the carnage to continue without seeking an alternative to the use of force as a means of solving the problem. This is the cruel dilemma that President Jonathan has to face.

    In taking a decision whether or not to engage the insurgents President Jonathan will be guided by the thought of what effect an amnesty will have on his electoral chances in 2015. He needs the support of the North if he is going to get the PDP nomination and win the presidential elections. Even without the problem of Boko Haram he is by no means certain that he can clear the hurdle of northern opposition to his re-election in 2015. This is why an amnesty, being demanded by Northern leaders, is of critical importance to the political equation and President Jonathan’s bid for re-election in 2015. The problem is that the talks with Boko Haram may break down and scuttle the whole idea of an amnesty. Boko Haram has become factional and there is no guarantee that, collectively, it will agree to lay down its arms and end the conflict in the North. An amnesty for the group should not be granted unless there is reasonable assurance that it will bring the conflict to an end. Northern and Christian leaders must be brought into the dialogue with Boko Haram. Northern leaders should be made to provide reasonable guarantees that Boko Haram will honour the terms of the amnesty. The leaders of Boko Haram must be identified and should be made to offer guarantees that the insurgency by Boko Haram will not be resumed after the amnesty.

    On the part of the victims of the Boko Haram violence, it is necessary that they be offered some form of compensation by the state for its failure to offer them any protection. It is the least the state can do to show its concern and sympathy for the victims of the mindless violence being inflicted on the country. But the medium to long term solution to the religious violence in the North is for the state and federal governments to invest more in the enlightenment and education of the youths in Northern Nigeria. They must be given skills that will enable them to be gainfully employed.

  • NFF: We never planned to sack Keshi

    NFF: We never planned to sack Keshi

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed insinuations and dark innuendoes in sections of the media that it had planned to sack Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Emeka Inyama said at the weekend that the Federation had not bothered to dignify the insinuations with any response before now as it considered those rumours to be of such low quality undeserving of any attention.

    “If an employer sits down with an employee to review performance, with focus on better output, that does not amount to threat of sack. In the civilised world, that happens every other day.

    “The NFF never planned to sack Keshi as the Head Coach or the technical crew in its entirety. The Executive Committee is made up of decent and responsible Nigerians and we have respect for our employees and their contracts.”

    Inyama lamented the desperation by some persons to discredit the NFF after the team had emerged triumphant in South Africa.

    “We do not have anything against people jumping on the train of success after the Super Eagles became champions of Africa. Success has many fathers (and mothers). But it is uncharitable to try and take anything away from the Federation that worked day and night to achieve the success.

    “The NFF employed Stephen Keshi in the first place, gave him the motivation and incentives, and arranged friendly matches against Botswana, Zambia, Angola, Liberia, Egypt, Peru, Niger, Venezuela, Catalonia, Cape Verde and some European clubs to give the boys necessary exposure and tough courage. We got the team to Portugal for final training camp before receiving part of the money approved for the competition.

    “We paid the coaches the salaries owed them before the tournament, and till end of January. That does not show an employer that wants to dispense with an employee.”

    Inyama wondered why some persons are suddenly desperate to take some credit away from the NFF for the triumph.

    “The truth is that if the team had failed, it would have been the NFF’s neck on the chopping block. Now that it has succeeded, people are clawing at just anything to try and discredit the NFF. This is not only unfair, it is unacceptable.”

    Inyama insisted that the NFF had already put the triumph behind it and is focusing hard on the challenges ahead, including the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in June.

    “We have so much to look forward to and plan for. The match against Kenya is next month and then the other National Teams have continental and global competitions ahead. We have the measure of all these and by God’s grace, we’ll win several more trophies for Nigeria this year and the next.”

  • What al-Qaeda planned for Northern Mali, by report

    What al-Qaeda planned for Northern Mali, by report

    A DOCUMENT left behind in the bombed remains of an al-Qaeda training headquarters in Timbuktu has given a rare insight into the organisation’s thinking, a British newspaper reported yesterday.

    The Daily Telegraph said it had found the Arabic-language document outside a building bombed by French forces, who drove the Islamists from the ancient city.

    The newspaper said the document was the first page of minutes from the 33rd meeting of the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) leadership, held on March 18, 2012.

    According to the document, AQIM chiefs discussed a plan to capitalise on the gains made in northern Mali by the Islamist rebel group Ansar Dine and Tuareg minority rebels.

    It was suggested that AQIM pushed aside the groups and took control.

    At the time of the meeting, those groups had just captured a string of towns in the Sahara Desert on Mali’s Northern border with Algeria.

    Abou Moussab Abdel Wadoud – a 42-year-old Algerian dubbed the “prince” of AQIM, who helped found the group in 2006 – chaired the meeting in which he outlined a “proposal and a vision for the future”.

    He reportedly said: “We have looked carefully into it and have found it interesting and satisfactory for this period of time. Therefore, we thought we would present it for you to discuss and give it careful consideration.”

    The plan was to praise Ansar Dine for its “victories during the latest encounters which have been carried out by our Muslim heroes on this grand desert.”

    But then AQIM intended to move in and take over the cities they had gained.

    “We had to think of the necessity to draw a plan to command and control the jihad activities there at this critical moment and target all efforts to achieve the required goals,” the document allegedly said.

    Within the following two weeks, Ansar Dine and the Tuareg rebels seized Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao, the three main cities in Northern Mali.

    As per the plan in the document, AQIM then muscled in and took de facto control over much of the North, including arms dumps, airports and training facilities. They were dislodged by French forces, who came to the Malian army’s aid.

    Professor Michael Clarke, Director-General of London’s Royal United Services Institute security think-tank, said the document showed a centrally-directed attempt to pull off classic al-Qaeda tactics, piggy-backing other extremists, as witnessed in Afghanistan.

    They are “to ally with other political movements in order to hijack them; to fight guerrilla wars for disputed territory, and to build up a new caliphate that will extend across the Middle East and far beyond,” he wrote in the Telegraph.

    The document came from the old headquarters of the Gendarmerie Nationale para-military unit, which AQIM used as a training centre. Recruits were drilled and indoctrinated there until French forces destroyed the building.

  • We planned to make Kwara aviation hub, says Saraki

    Former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has said his administration planned to make the state an aviation hub following deep and methodic thoughts.

    Saraki is the senator representing Kwara Central at the National Assembly.

    He said: “The vision to make the state an aviation hub was not an overnight thing but a product of deep thinking on how to move the state out of a docile public sector-driven state to a private sector-driven state.”

    Saraki explained that his eight years administration made a deliberate effort to make the state a one-stop aviation destination in Nigeria.

    In a statement by his media aide, Akintoba Fatigun, the senator said: “It was when I was bouncing ideas around on the state’s potentials that the vision came up, that Kwara can be an alternate international cargo airport to Lagos and serve the North.

    “That’s why immediately I assumed office, I awarded the contract for the remodeling, upgrading and rehabilitation of the Ilorin International Airport after I got the permission to do so from the Federal Government.”

    Besides renovating the airport, Saraki also attracted three airlines – Arik, Capital and Overland – to operate from the airport and open it to the world, the statement said.

    It said the former administration “also established the cargo terminal to serve as the first destination of goods going to the North and also enhance the exportation of farm produce from Shonga Farm to the outside world.