A collection of perspectives from Ahmadu Bello. Ladoke Akintola. Odumegwu Ojukwu. Mr ‘OkoroMan” of Voice of Biafra. Pastor David Oyedepo and Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu on Nigeria’s fragile foundation.
"I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." - Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Monday, 27 February 2012
Photo Speak! Mug Shot of James Onanefe Ibori (born 4 August 1958) High C(T)hief
Photo Speak! Mug Shot of James Onanefe Ibori (born 4 August 1958) Former Nigerian State Governor. Ibori Admited being guilty of embezzling US$250 million belonging to the people of Nigeriai's oil rich Delta State in the Niger Delta Region. Ibori remains a PDP elder and godfather to selected militants in Nigeria. He is currently being held in a UK Prison awaiting sentencing.
Friday, 24 February 2012
Rochas Okorocha of Imo State. Is he for real?
Rochas Okorocha does not collect his Salary as Imo State governor. What is baffling? I've been trying to fault him & its been difficult. People who say its a gimmick, should visit Babatunde Raji Fashola's Lagos and get the definition of gimmick in action.
Even if na show towards 2015. Imo state people should enjoy the show and count themselves blessed. It should not also stop people from scrutinising Rochas Okorochas every move, that was the mistake we made in my Lagos, everyone turned praise singers that you dare not question the Alausa folks without you being accused of being an agent of imaginary 'enemies'.
"Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State took to the state’s official website to list his administration’s accomplishments since he was sworn into office on May 29."
Here’s a look at Gov. Okorocha’s first 100 days in office: PUBLIC UTILITIES Rehabilitation of Water Schemes in Imo State, namely: 1. Otamiri Head –Works 2. Egbu Water Scheme 3. Orji Water Scheme 4. Umuoba Water Scheme 5. Ubachima Water Scheme 6. Mgbidi Water Scheme 7. Umuowa Water Scheme 8. Osuama Water Scheme 9. Nsu Water Scheme COMMERCE & INDUSTRY Adoption of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the execution of some projects, namely: 10. International Electrical, Electronics and Auto-Parts Market, Naze 11. Central Market for general goods, New Owerri 12. Imo Free Trade Zone, Ngor Okpala 13. Development of Industrial Clusters, Phase 2-4, Naze 14. International Trade Fair Complex/Exhibition Center, New Owerri 15. Transformation of Okigwe Regional Cattle market into Okigwe International Market [The projects mentioned above are starting points, as the present government in Imo State has entered into agreements with their developers who are expected to commence work on the sites between September and October 2011, while Phase 1 of the Industrial Cluster has been completed.]
Adoption of Private Public Partnership in the re-activation of some moribund industries, namely:
16. Owerri Shoe Industry 17. Nsu Tiles and Ceramics Industry, Mbano 18. Ezinnachi Clay Products Industry EDUCATION 19. Establishment of the Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies 20. Secured approval of 922 million(Nine hundred and twenty two million) naira from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) to be used for projects in Educational Institutions in Imo State 21. Commissioning of a well equipped Information Communication Technology (ICT) Laboratory at Girls Secondary School, Ikenegbu, Owerri 22. Secured approval for the establishment of National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) Study Center in Imo State 23. Release of 138 (one hundred and thirty-eight) million naira for payment of arrears of CONTISS/CONUAS (Academic & Non-academic) staff entitlements in Imo State University, Owerri 24. Provision of 100 (one hundred) million naira for the accreditation of courses in the Faculty of Engineering and Nursing Science in Imo State University 25. Reversal of the proposed 150,000(one hundred and fifty thousand ) naira school fees for students of Imo State University by the past administration 26. Increased subvention to the Imo State University from 57.56 million(fifty-seven million, five hundred and sixty thousand naira) to 100million(one hundred million) naira monthly 27. Commencement of the building of the Young Scientists’ College in Owerri 28. Declaration of free and compulsory primary and secondary school education in Imo State HEALTH 29. Upgrading of General Hospital Owerri to a Specialist Hospital. 30. Connection of the Owerri Specialist Hospital to the National electricity grid 31. Provision of Solar energy as well as Solar-Powered borehole in the Owerri Specialist Hospital 32. Constitution of a Task-Force group on counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome food items 33. Purchase and distribution of medical equipments worth 90,000,000(ninety million) naira to health institutions in Imo State. 34. Approval of the payment of 100% CONMESS/CONHESS (salary structure) for all doctors and health workers in Imo State University Teaching Hospital. 35. Facilitating the return of some specialist doctors who left Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) before May 29th 2011
36. Reviving the Academic Curriculum of the Imo State University Medical School by ensuring the graduation of the 3rd set of medical doctors from the school in August 2011. It will be recalled that IMSU/IMSUTH have not graduated medical doctors in the last 2 (two) years owing to protracted industrial strikes by staffs of the institution 37. Purchase of 2 new ECG machines as well as 2 new Anaesthetic machines for use by IMSUTH 38. Successful implementation of 89%DPT3, 107%OPV3, 80%BCG,77%HBV and 96% anti-measles vaccination coverage of targeted children during the first round of the 2011 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week held from 28th June2011 to 3rd July 2011 FINANCE 39. Payment of 12 years arrears of pension owed retired staffs of Imo State government
40. Release of 2.7 billion (two billion, seven hundred thousand) naira into the State and Local Government Joint Revenue Mission Bank Account for the development of Imo State rural schools and infrastructure LOCAL GOVERNMENT 41. Implementation of the outstanding 2008 Local Government Staff conversion exercise in the various cadres 42. Actualizing the 2008 Local Government Junior staff promotion exercise URBAN PLANNING 43. Commencement of negotiations with Messrs Roche Group from Ireland with a view to creating a demonstration layout which will pilot the provision of modular mass houses in Imo State
44. Commencement of negotiations with Hewlett- Packard Corporation, USA with a view to actualizing the computerization of the Imo State Land Registry 45. Commencement of negotiations with a Brazillian firm who is willing to partner with the Imo State government in providing power supply using natural gas 46. Commencement of discussions with Tummy Tummy Foods Industries Limited to facilitate their building a factory in Imo State, which upon completion, will provide employment for over 3000 youths 47. Commencement of discussions with TTI with a view to re-invigorating the IGIS Project SPORTS 48. Imo State representatives at the just concluded Hockey Premier League championship held between 14th and 21st August 2011, came 3rd, thereby qualifying to represent Nigeria in India for the next World Hockey Championship 49. Renovation of the Indoor Sports Hall at Dan Anyiam Stadium.
50. Revisiting the contract for the construction of the Orlu Township Stadium 51. Imo State Weight lifting Team participated in the competition for junior and senior categories at Lagos State and won 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze 52. Imo State Amateur Wrestlers won 1 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals at the Continental Championship which ended on 30th May 2011 53. Imo contingents in the Karate Championship held in Ghana in August 2011 won a total of 3 gold and 1 bronze medals 54. Imo contingent that took part in the 17th National Sports Festival held in Rivers State in July 2011 came 14th on the medals table, having won a total of 61 medals, including 8 gold, 16 silver and 37 bronze. 55. Through sponsorship by the Imo State Government, the Heartland Football Club, Owerri recently qualified for the Finals of the 2011 Federation Cup. HOUSING
56. Conversion of the Parliamentarian quarters to Concord Hotel Annex 57. Conversion of Banquet Hall to Government House Chapel 58. Design and construction of Heroes Square 59. Design and construction of Ikemba Ojukwu Convention Center, Owerri 60. Renovation of Commissioners’ Quarters 61. Reconstruction of Multi-Purpose Hall and V.I.P Lounge, Government House 62. Reconstruction of Imo State House of Assembly 63. Reconstruction of the Exco Chambers Building 64. Renovation of the Imo Concorde Hotel 65. Reconstruction of the Abuja Laison Office of the Imo State Government 66. Reconstruction of the Brigade Commander’s Guest House 67. Renovation of the Imo State Police Commissioner’s Guest House 68. Renovation of the abandoned Governor’s Lounge, near Concorde Hotel 69. Design and construction of Multi-purpose Hall at Oguta Motel 70. Reconstruction of the Customary Court, Owerri Completion of some Housing Estates, namely:
71. Nekede Exclusive Garden Phase 11, Area ‘H’ New Owerri 72. Okporo Housing Estate , Okporo, Orlu 73. Obinze-Avu Lay out 74. Egbu Market, (Somachi)Lay- out 75. Acquisition of Iwuanyanwu Holdings Landed Property at Naze 76. Acquisition of land for Mass Housing at Azara Obiato SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 77. Seventy-five matrimonial cases have been treated and the couples re-united 78. On August 23rd 2011, Operators of “Hope House Child Center, Ngugo”,received one million naira, while Green Health Care Services received four million naira as their subvention from the Imo State Government 79. Installation of twenty-seven 40KVA Generator sets in the 27 Special Health Centers 80. Commencement of the procurement of customized Identity cards for all the Traditional Rulers in Imo State SECURITY 81. Procurement of one hundred Hilux Vans manned by a combined team of Police, Army and State Security Service for the effective policing of the Local Government Areas 82. Empowerment of Local Vigilante groups to complement the efforts of the Police in combating crime in Imo State 83. Patrol of the newly acquired Security vehicles within and around the 27 Local Governments for sensitization AGRICULTURE Restructuring and revitalizing of the Assets of the Imo State Government-owned Companies that have been moribund or performing at a very low capacity, namely: 84. Imo Palm Plantation limited ( a.k.a Adapalm Ltd, Ohaji) 85. Imo Modern Poultry, Avutu, Obowo Local Government Area 86. Imo Rubber Estate limited, Obiti, Emeabiam and Umuekwunne 87. Development of cassava farms in all the 27 local Government Areas in Imo State 88. Commencement of the replication of Imo Palm Plantation project in the 3 zones that make up Imo State 89. Commencement of the replication of Imo Modern Poultry in the 3 geo-political zones that make up Imo State 90. Empowerment of over 100 FUGs & FCAs under the FADAMA 111 projects to increase food production in Imo State 91. Increasing the volume of fish production in Imo State through the Agro-Nova project of the Imo State Ministry of Agriculture
92. Improvement of the Oguta Fish Hatchery to produce about 50,000 fingerlings per year 93. Stocking of the Nekede Poultry section of the Agronova with birds 94. Delivering Agricultural Extension Services to the farmers in the Local Government Areas 95. Distribution of sufficient quantity of fertilizer to the farmers in Imo State during the last planting season
CAPITAL PROJECTS 96. Release of 180 million naira for development projects in Orlu and Okigwe zones in Imo State Asphalting of some major roads within Owerri Municipal, including: 97. Assumpta Road, 98. Bank Road, 99. MCC Road through School Road 100. Restoring peace and confidence in the entire people of Imo State to the nation’s democratic process.
Even if na show towards 2015. Imo state people should enjoy the show and count themselves blessed. It should not also stop people from scrutinising Rochas Okorochas every move, that was the mistake we made in my Lagos, everyone turned praise singers that you dare not question the Alausa folks without you being accused of being an agent of imaginary 'enemies'.
"Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State took to the state’s official website to list his administration’s accomplishments since he was sworn into office on May 29."
Here’s a look at Gov. Okorocha’s first 100 days in office: PUBLIC UTILITIES Rehabilitation of Water Schemes in Imo State, namely: 1. Otamiri Head –Works 2. Egbu Water Scheme 3. Orji Water Scheme 4. Umuoba Water Scheme 5. Ubachima Water Scheme 6. Mgbidi Water Scheme 7. Umuowa Water Scheme 8. Osuama Water Scheme 9. Nsu Water Scheme COMMERCE & INDUSTRY Adoption of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the execution of some projects, namely: 10. International Electrical, Electronics and Auto-Parts Market, Naze 11. Central Market for general goods, New Owerri 12. Imo Free Trade Zone, Ngor Okpala 13. Development of Industrial Clusters, Phase 2-4, Naze 14. International Trade Fair Complex/Exhibition Center, New Owerri 15. Transformation of Okigwe Regional Cattle market into Okigwe International Market [The projects mentioned above are starting points, as the present government in Imo State has entered into agreements with their developers who are expected to commence work on the sites between September and October 2011, while Phase 1 of the Industrial Cluster has been completed.]
Adoption of Private Public Partnership in the re-activation of some moribund industries, namely:
16. Owerri Shoe Industry 17. Nsu Tiles and Ceramics Industry, Mbano 18. Ezinnachi Clay Products Industry EDUCATION 19. Establishment of the Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies 20. Secured approval of 922 million(Nine hundred and twenty two million) naira from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) to be used for projects in Educational Institutions in Imo State 21. Commissioning of a well equipped Information Communication Technology (ICT) Laboratory at Girls Secondary School, Ikenegbu, Owerri 22. Secured approval for the establishment of National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) Study Center in Imo State 23. Release of 138 (one hundred and thirty-eight) million naira for payment of arrears of CONTISS/CONUAS (Academic & Non-academic) staff entitlements in Imo State University, Owerri 24. Provision of 100 (one hundred) million naira for the accreditation of courses in the Faculty of Engineering and Nursing Science in Imo State University 25. Reversal of the proposed 150,000(one hundred and fifty thousand ) naira school fees for students of Imo State University by the past administration 26. Increased subvention to the Imo State University from 57.56 million(fifty-seven million, five hundred and sixty thousand naira) to 100million(one hundred million) naira monthly 27. Commencement of the building of the Young Scientists’ College in Owerri 28. Declaration of free and compulsory primary and secondary school education in Imo State HEALTH 29. Upgrading of General Hospital Owerri to a Specialist Hospital. 30. Connection of the Owerri Specialist Hospital to the National electricity grid 31. Provision of Solar energy as well as Solar-Powered borehole in the Owerri Specialist Hospital 32. Constitution of a Task-Force group on counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome food items 33. Purchase and distribution of medical equipments worth 90,000,000(ninety million) naira to health institutions in Imo State. 34. Approval of the payment of 100% CONMESS/CONHESS (salary structure) for all doctors and health workers in Imo State University Teaching Hospital. 35. Facilitating the return of some specialist doctors who left Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) before May 29th 2011
36. Reviving the Academic Curriculum of the Imo State University Medical School by ensuring the graduation of the 3rd set of medical doctors from the school in August 2011. It will be recalled that IMSU/IMSUTH have not graduated medical doctors in the last 2 (two) years owing to protracted industrial strikes by staffs of the institution 37. Purchase of 2 new ECG machines as well as 2 new Anaesthetic machines for use by IMSUTH 38. Successful implementation of 89%DPT3, 107%OPV3, 80%BCG,77%HBV and 96% anti-measles vaccination coverage of targeted children during the first round of the 2011 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week held from 28th June2011 to 3rd July 2011 FINANCE 39. Payment of 12 years arrears of pension owed retired staffs of Imo State government
40. Release of 2.7 billion (two billion, seven hundred thousand) naira into the State and Local Government Joint Revenue Mission Bank Account for the development of Imo State rural schools and infrastructure LOCAL GOVERNMENT 41. Implementation of the outstanding 2008 Local Government Staff conversion exercise in the various cadres 42. Actualizing the 2008 Local Government Junior staff promotion exercise URBAN PLANNING 43. Commencement of negotiations with Messrs Roche Group from Ireland with a view to creating a demonstration layout which will pilot the provision of modular mass houses in Imo State
44. Commencement of negotiations with Hewlett- Packard Corporation, USA with a view to actualizing the computerization of the Imo State Land Registry 45. Commencement of negotiations with a Brazillian firm who is willing to partner with the Imo State government in providing power supply using natural gas 46. Commencement of discussions with Tummy Tummy Foods Industries Limited to facilitate their building a factory in Imo State, which upon completion, will provide employment for over 3000 youths 47. Commencement of discussions with TTI with a view to re-invigorating the IGIS Project SPORTS 48. Imo State representatives at the just concluded Hockey Premier League championship held between 14th and 21st August 2011, came 3rd, thereby qualifying to represent Nigeria in India for the next World Hockey Championship 49. Renovation of the Indoor Sports Hall at Dan Anyiam Stadium.
50. Revisiting the contract for the construction of the Orlu Township Stadium 51. Imo State Weight lifting Team participated in the competition for junior and senior categories at Lagos State and won 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze 52. Imo State Amateur Wrestlers won 1 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals at the Continental Championship which ended on 30th May 2011 53. Imo contingents in the Karate Championship held in Ghana in August 2011 won a total of 3 gold and 1 bronze medals 54. Imo contingent that took part in the 17th National Sports Festival held in Rivers State in July 2011 came 14th on the medals table, having won a total of 61 medals, including 8 gold, 16 silver and 37 bronze. 55. Through sponsorship by the Imo State Government, the Heartland Football Club, Owerri recently qualified for the Finals of the 2011 Federation Cup. HOUSING
56. Conversion of the Parliamentarian quarters to Concord Hotel Annex 57. Conversion of Banquet Hall to Government House Chapel 58. Design and construction of Heroes Square 59. Design and construction of Ikemba Ojukwu Convention Center, Owerri 60. Renovation of Commissioners’ Quarters 61. Reconstruction of Multi-Purpose Hall and V.I.P Lounge, Government House 62. Reconstruction of Imo State House of Assembly 63. Reconstruction of the Exco Chambers Building 64. Renovation of the Imo Concorde Hotel 65. Reconstruction of the Abuja Laison Office of the Imo State Government 66. Reconstruction of the Brigade Commander’s Guest House 67. Renovation of the Imo State Police Commissioner’s Guest House 68. Renovation of the abandoned Governor’s Lounge, near Concorde Hotel 69. Design and construction of Multi-purpose Hall at Oguta Motel 70. Reconstruction of the Customary Court, Owerri Completion of some Housing Estates, namely:
71. Nekede Exclusive Garden Phase 11, Area ‘H’ New Owerri 72. Okporo Housing Estate , Okporo, Orlu 73. Obinze-Avu Lay out 74. Egbu Market, (Somachi)Lay- out 75. Acquisition of Iwuanyanwu Holdings Landed Property at Naze 76. Acquisition of land for Mass Housing at Azara Obiato SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 77. Seventy-five matrimonial cases have been treated and the couples re-united 78. On August 23rd 2011, Operators of “Hope House Child Center, Ngugo”,received one million naira, while Green Health Care Services received four million naira as their subvention from the Imo State Government 79. Installation of twenty-seven 40KVA Generator sets in the 27 Special Health Centers 80. Commencement of the procurement of customized Identity cards for all the Traditional Rulers in Imo State SECURITY 81. Procurement of one hundred Hilux Vans manned by a combined team of Police, Army and State Security Service for the effective policing of the Local Government Areas 82. Empowerment of Local Vigilante groups to complement the efforts of the Police in combating crime in Imo State 83. Patrol of the newly acquired Security vehicles within and around the 27 Local Governments for sensitization AGRICULTURE Restructuring and revitalizing of the Assets of the Imo State Government-owned Companies that have been moribund or performing at a very low capacity, namely: 84. Imo Palm Plantation limited ( a.k.a Adapalm Ltd, Ohaji) 85. Imo Modern Poultry, Avutu, Obowo Local Government Area 86. Imo Rubber Estate limited, Obiti, Emeabiam and Umuekwunne 87. Development of cassava farms in all the 27 local Government Areas in Imo State 88. Commencement of the replication of Imo Palm Plantation project in the 3 zones that make up Imo State 89. Commencement of the replication of Imo Modern Poultry in the 3 geo-political zones that make up Imo State 90. Empowerment of over 100 FUGs & FCAs under the FADAMA 111 projects to increase food production in Imo State 91. Increasing the volume of fish production in Imo State through the Agro-Nova project of the Imo State Ministry of Agriculture
92. Improvement of the Oguta Fish Hatchery to produce about 50,000 fingerlings per year 93. Stocking of the Nekede Poultry section of the Agronova with birds 94. Delivering Agricultural Extension Services to the farmers in the Local Government Areas 95. Distribution of sufficient quantity of fertilizer to the farmers in Imo State during the last planting season
CAPITAL PROJECTS 96. Release of 180 million naira for development projects in Orlu and Okigwe zones in Imo State Asphalting of some major roads within Owerri Municipal, including: 97. Assumpta Road, 98. Bank Road, 99. MCC Road through School Road 100. Restoring peace and confidence in the entire people of Imo State to the nation’s democratic process.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Goodluck Jonathan's London Jamboree.
Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his handlers made a BIG DEAL of British Prime Minister. David Cameron’s “London Conference on Somalia”.
Leaving serious security challenges at home.
Jonathan left Nigeria with two Presidential Jets, his wife and over 47 handlers, arriving in London with fanfare, the Nigerian President did not play any significant role during the entire proceedings, that role was left for President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh who applauded “the unique character and timeliness of this conference on Somalia”.
President of Uganda Museveni who spoke about the importance of controlling the Somali mainland to prevent piracy and advised that international efforts should be focused on securing Somalia.
Kenyan President Kibaki who welcomed the United Nations resolution in support of (amisomsomalia) African Intervention Force on Somalia.
No word from President Goodluck Jonathan, aside his famous handshake with David Cameron. The Nigerian President appear to be on a Jamborree to an event he could have sent delegates or attended only if he had something meaningful to contribute.
As Goodluck Jonathan fête himself and his associates in London, Boko Harram, the irritating Nigerian terrorists group struck in Kano, killing police guards attached to Jonathan’s new inspector general of police Mohammed Dikko Abubakar and some civilians.
The terrorists group also killed two policemen in Minna Niger State. Jonathan promised to cut waste in government and foreign trips but it appears Mr President is not ready to take his own advice. Nigeria had over 50 hangers on in London. The entire Somalian delegate to the same conference was 5 short of 60.
(Photo Goodluck and 'Dame' Jonathan arriving London with Associates)
List of attendees for the London Conference on Somalia: As Provided by British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
(Photo: MISSING IN ACTION. Nigerian President Jonathan's famous Bowler Hat did not get a front row mention.The London Conference on Somalia took place at Lancaster House on 23rd February 2012, attended by fifty-five delegations from Somalia same amount of Delegates from Nigeria who arrived London accompanying President Jonathan)
Country/Organisation
Head of Delegation
African Union
Chairperson of the African Union
African Union Commission
Chair - Mr Jean Ping
ASWJ
Mr Hersi Mohamed Hilol
Australia
Secretary - Dept of Foreign Affairs - Dennis Richardson
Brazil
Vice Minister for Africa and the Middle East - Mr Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto
Burundi
President - Mr Pierre Nkurunziza
Canada
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Minister John Baird
China
Chinese Government Special Representative on Africa - Mr Jianhua Zhong
Denmark
Minister for Foreign Affairs - Mr Villy Søvndal
Djibouti
President of the Republic - Ismail Omar Guelleh
Egypt
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Mohammed Kamel Amr
Ethiopia
Prime Minister - Mr Meles Zenawi Asres
EU
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - Baroness Catherine Ashton
Finland
President of the Republic - Ms Tarja Kaarina Halonen
Minister for International Development - Ms Heidi Anneli Hautala
France
French Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Allan Juppe
Galmudug
President Galmudug State of Somalia - Mr Mohamed Ahmed Alin
Germany
Foreign Minister - Mr Guido Westerwelle
IGAD
Executive Secretary - Mr Mahboob Mohamoud Maalim
India
Minister of State for External Affairs Mr Edappakath Ahamed
Italy
Minister for Foreign Affairs - Mr Guiliomaria Terzi
Japan
Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs - Mr Ryuji Yamane
Kenya
President - Hon. Mwai Kibaki
Kuwait
Ambassador - Khaleed Al Duwisan
League of Arab States
Secretary General of The Arab League - Dr Nabil Elaraby
Luxembourg
Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Jean Asselborn
Mauritius
Prime Minister - Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Mayor of Mogadishu
Governor of Benadir Region and Mayor of Mogadishu - Mr Mohamoud Ahmed Nur
Netherlands
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Uri Rosenthal
Nigeria
President - Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Norway
Minister of Environment and International Development - Erik Solheim
Oman
Foreign Affairs Minister - Mr Yousuf Ibrahim
Organisation of the Islamic Countries
Secretary General - Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Pakistan
Foreign Minister - Ms Hina Rabbani Khar
Puntland
President of Puntland - Abdirahman Mohamud
Qatar
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs - Dr Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah
Russia
Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Cooperation with African Countries, Chairman of the Council of The Federation Of The Federation Committee for Foreign Affairs - Mr Mikhail Margelov
Saudi Arabia
Minister of Foreign Affairs - HRH Prince Saud Al Faisal
Seychelles
President - Mr James Michel
Somaliland
President - Mr Ahmed Silanyo
South Africa
Foreign Minister - Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Spain
Minister - Mr Jose Manuel García-Margallo
Sweden
Prime Minister - Mr Fredrik Reinfeldt
State Secretary Foreign and EU Affairs - Mr Carl Bildt
Switzerland
Federal Councillor - Mr Didier Burkhalter
Tanzania
President - Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
TFG (President)
President - Sharif Sheikh Ahmed
TFG (Prime Minister)
TFG Prime Minister - Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
TFP (Speaker)
Speaker of the TFP - Hassan Sheilk Aden Issak
Turkey
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Ahmet Davutoglu
UAE
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Sheikh Abdulla Alenhayan
Uganda
President - H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
United Nations
UN Secretary General - Ban Ki Moon
United Nations (IMO)
Secretary-General - Mr Koji Sekimizu
US
US Secretary of State - Mrs Hilary Clinton
World Bank
Vice President - Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili
Yemen
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Dr Abu Bakr Al-Qirby
Leaving serious security challenges at home.
Jonathan left Nigeria with two Presidential Jets, his wife and over 47 handlers, arriving in London with fanfare, the Nigerian President did not play any significant role during the entire proceedings, that role was left for President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh who applauded “the unique character and timeliness of this conference on Somalia”.
President of Uganda Museveni who spoke about the importance of controlling the Somali mainland to prevent piracy and advised that international efforts should be focused on securing Somalia.
Kenyan President Kibaki who welcomed the United Nations resolution in support of (amisomsomalia) African Intervention Force on Somalia.
No word from President Goodluck Jonathan, aside his famous handshake with David Cameron. The Nigerian President appear to be on a Jamborree to an event he could have sent delegates or attended only if he had something meaningful to contribute.
As Goodluck Jonathan fête himself and his associates in London, Boko Harram, the irritating Nigerian terrorists group struck in Kano, killing police guards attached to Jonathan’s new inspector general of police Mohammed Dikko Abubakar and some civilians.
The terrorists group also killed two policemen in Minna Niger State. Jonathan promised to cut waste in government and foreign trips but it appears Mr President is not ready to take his own advice. Nigeria had over 50 hangers on in London. The entire Somalian delegate to the same conference was 5 short of 60.
List of attendees for the London Conference on Somalia: As Provided by British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
(Photo: MISSING IN ACTION. Nigerian President Jonathan's famous Bowler Hat did not get a front row mention.The London Conference on Somalia took place at Lancaster House on 23rd February 2012, attended by fifty-five delegations from Somalia same amount of Delegates from Nigeria who arrived London accompanying President Jonathan)
Country/Organisation
Head of Delegation
African Union
Chairperson of the African Union
African Union Commission
Chair - Mr Jean Ping
ASWJ
Mr Hersi Mohamed Hilol
Australia
Secretary - Dept of Foreign Affairs - Dennis Richardson
Brazil
Vice Minister for Africa and the Middle East - Mr Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto
Burundi
President - Mr Pierre Nkurunziza
Canada
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Minister John Baird
China
Chinese Government Special Representative on Africa - Mr Jianhua Zhong
Denmark
Minister for Foreign Affairs - Mr Villy Søvndal
Djibouti
President of the Republic - Ismail Omar Guelleh
Egypt
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Mohammed Kamel Amr
Ethiopia
Prime Minister - Mr Meles Zenawi Asres
EU
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - Baroness Catherine Ashton
Finland
President of the Republic - Ms Tarja Kaarina Halonen
Minister for International Development - Ms Heidi Anneli Hautala
France
French Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Allan Juppe
Galmudug
President Galmudug State of Somalia - Mr Mohamed Ahmed Alin
Germany
Foreign Minister - Mr Guido Westerwelle
IGAD
Executive Secretary - Mr Mahboob Mohamoud Maalim
India
Minister of State for External Affairs Mr Edappakath Ahamed
Italy
Minister for Foreign Affairs - Mr Guiliomaria Terzi
Japan
Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs - Mr Ryuji Yamane
Kenya
President - Hon. Mwai Kibaki
Kuwait
Ambassador - Khaleed Al Duwisan
League of Arab States
Secretary General of The Arab League - Dr Nabil Elaraby
Luxembourg
Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Jean Asselborn
Mauritius
Prime Minister - Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Mayor of Mogadishu
Governor of Benadir Region and Mayor of Mogadishu - Mr Mohamoud Ahmed Nur
Netherlands
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Uri Rosenthal
Nigeria
President - Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Norway
Minister of Environment and International Development - Erik Solheim
Oman
Foreign Affairs Minister - Mr Yousuf Ibrahim
Organisation of the Islamic Countries
Secretary General - Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Pakistan
Foreign Minister - Ms Hina Rabbani Khar
Puntland
President of Puntland - Abdirahman Mohamud
Qatar
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs - Dr Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah
Russia
Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Cooperation with African Countries, Chairman of the Council of The Federation Of The Federation Committee for Foreign Affairs - Mr Mikhail Margelov
Saudi Arabia
Minister of Foreign Affairs - HRH Prince Saud Al Faisal
Seychelles
President - Mr James Michel
Somaliland
President - Mr Ahmed Silanyo
South Africa
Foreign Minister - Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Spain
Minister - Mr Jose Manuel García-Margallo
Sweden
Prime Minister - Mr Fredrik Reinfeldt
State Secretary Foreign and EU Affairs - Mr Carl Bildt
Switzerland
Federal Councillor - Mr Didier Burkhalter
Tanzania
President - Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
TFG (President)
President - Sharif Sheikh Ahmed
TFG (Prime Minister)
TFG Prime Minister - Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
TFP (Speaker)
Speaker of the TFP - Hassan Sheilk Aden Issak
Turkey
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr Ahmet Davutoglu
UAE
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Sheikh Abdulla Alenhayan
Uganda
President - H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
United Nations
UN Secretary General - Ban Ki Moon
United Nations (IMO)
Secretary-General - Mr Koji Sekimizu
US
US Secretary of State - Mrs Hilary Clinton
World Bank
Vice President - Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili
Yemen
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Dr Abu Bakr Al-Qirby
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Asari Dokubo Issues Warning to Ndi-Igbo over Biafra Abandoned Property
"It is better for our Igbo brothers to learn humility and stop this nonsense....many members of my family were killed for their support for Biafra.My grand uncle King Fredrick Princewill,Amachree X111,Amanyanabo of Kalabari abdicated the Kalabari throne because of his support for Biafra.
My grandmother Princess Okukuba W.D.Goodhead...immediate senior sister to His Majesty The King...was almost executed by firing squad by the invading Nigerian Military led by her Nephew Capt. Erasmus J.T.Princewill son of her elder brother King J.T.Princewill,Amachree X11....on her support for Biafra.
My grand Aunty who was nickname Madam Biafra....grand mother of a former Foreign Minister of Nigeria was taking through very painful torture before execution.
My maternal uncle one of the first lawyers in the Eastern Region never return home till his death because of his support for Biafra.
My father was a Biafran officer in the medical Corp.
My statement is recorded on tape....I never said we were taught....I said we were told many stories by our elders which we now discovered to be false.
On abandon property.....my Father or Mother did not benefit from properties left behind by Igbos....infact my family lost a lot of properties at Iguta.
All my great grand Mothers except one were Igbos.
The ancestral stool I occupy today...Edi Abali was founded by an Igboman from Abom in Abam in 1782.
I am an Igbo man because Allah gracious allowed Ijaw, Igbo and Bini blood to flow in mine veins......I am not begging to be Igbo.As I will not beg to be Gambari,Yoruba or Efik .
Please please stop this nonsense it will not help you....We the Ijaws have been fighting our wars without your assistance...but it will be better for all of us to work together for our common purpose." Asari Dokubo
My grandmother Princess Okukuba W.D.Goodhead...immediate senior sister to His Majesty The King...was almost executed by firing squad by the invading Nigerian Military led by her Nephew Capt. Erasmus J.T.Princewill son of her elder brother King J.T.Princewill,Amachree X11....on her support for Biafra.
My grand Aunty who was nickname Madam Biafra....grand mother of a former Foreign Minister of Nigeria was taking through very painful torture before execution.
My maternal uncle one of the first lawyers in the Eastern Region never return home till his death because of his support for Biafra.
My father was a Biafran officer in the medical Corp.
My statement is recorded on tape....I never said we were taught....I said we were told many stories by our elders which we now discovered to be false.
On abandon property.....my Father or Mother did not benefit from properties left behind by Igbos....infact my family lost a lot of properties at Iguta.
All my great grand Mothers except one were Igbos.
The ancestral stool I occupy today...Edi Abali was founded by an Igboman from Abom in Abam in 1782.
I am an Igbo man because Allah gracious allowed Ijaw, Igbo and Bini blood to flow in mine veins......I am not begging to be Igbo.As I will not beg to be Gambari,Yoruba or Efik .
Please please stop this nonsense it will not help you....We the Ijaws have been fighting our wars without your assistance...but it will be better for all of us to work together for our common purpose." Asari Dokubo
Friday, 17 February 2012
I cringe when people tell me to "sit at home and look after the home-front” Bisi Fayemi. Ekiti "First Lady"
Three weeks ago I was at a meeting in Accra, Ghana, in preparation for the biennial African Feminist Forum, which is convened by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), an Africa-wide grant-making foundation for African women which I co-founded twelve years ago.
I was told at the meeting that someone had made comments on Facebook during the fuel subsidy crisis, asking, ‘Where are the Nigerian feminists? Where are the voices of activists like Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi’? The Facebook comments implied that I had stopped being a feminist because I am now the Wife of a Governor.
Soon after I returned home, there was an article in the Sunday edition of one of the national newspapers that was serialised over a two week period. It was a blistering attack on First Ladies, and how they constitute a drain on resources while they conduct themselves in ways which raise questions about credibility and probity.
In the article, the writer also made reference to the fuel subsidy crisis and the fact that nothing was heard from any of the First Ladies in the country. The writer then went on to say, ‘anyway, such issues are probably beyond them’.
A third, and this time, more direct attack on my activities in Ekiti came from Steve Osuji, a columnist with The Nation newspaper unequivocally that my job as the wife of Ekiti Governor, was to look “after the home-front” rather than meddle in the affairs of state. I cringed reading through these articles.
Shortly after my husband became Governor of Ekiti State in October 2010, I spoke to Mrs Kemi Mimiko, Wife of the Governor of Ondo State. She said something to me which I have never forgotten. She said ‘My sister, whatever happens, never take anything personally. It is never about you, it is about the position you are in’.
Reflecting on the discussion with my colleagues in Accra about the Facebook comments and the articles I referred to above, I knew that the advice I had received would come in handy. I however confess, with all sincerity, it is hard.
I have often spoken and written about the fluidity of identities, and how important it is for us to invest in managing our various transitions from one identity to another, whether these identities are claimed by us or thrust upon us. From being a women’s rights activist, gender specialist and social change philanthropy advocate, on October 16th 2010, I became the Wife of a Governor. My own understanding of what happened to me did not translate into abandoning all the things that are important to me – my world view, values, affiliations and principles. I was aware that to make this work, I would need to strike a balance between the things I truly care about, and the expectations of the position I found myself in. I also knew that I would have to work hard at ensuring that my theoretical understanding of power and transformational leadership would be matched by sound, ethical practices.
For many years I have engaged in debates about the role of First Ladies and the pros and cons of the use of informal power structures. The historical use and abuse of non-accountable, unconstitutional power has fuelled suspicion and hostility towards First Ladies, and rightfully so. As a feminist activist, I have been very critical of the ways in which women married to men in power hijack the spaces, voices and resources of others, particularly civil society, and use this as a platform to dispense political favours and elevate other elite women. The abuse of the Office of the First Lady and the questions about its legitimacy are not a solely Nigerian phenomenon. These debates continue to take place elsewhere.
The problem we have in Nigeria is the unique ways in which this position has been so grossly abused that people find it hard to be objective or flexible in their assessments of either the position or the occupants. I have also always known that it is precisely because First Ladies wield so much power and influence that it is very dangerous for such power to fall into the hands of ignorant, uninformed and unethical persons. I have had the opportunity of working closely with such great role models as Graca Machel Mandela, who taught me that it does not matter if people are suspicious of you or your intentions just because of who you are married to – if there are things you feel strongly about go out there and get the job done. Till this moment, Mama Graca as some of us fondly call her, remains one of the most credible and consistent advocates of gender equality, children’s rights and good governance that we have on the continent.
I accept that because I am the Wife of a Governor, I can no longer go to Aleshinloye market in Ibadan (a favourite place of mine) or Balogun market in Lagos without causing a stir. I agree that it is not appropriate to stop the convoy just because I want to buy Gala. I however do not agree with the assumption that because I am the Wife of a Governor, my IQ has dropped to single digits. I do not agree that I cannot find a way of working with government officials without making them feel that I am bossing them around. I do not agree that working collaboratively and respectfully with people in government amounts to meddling. I do not agree that I cannot do things different from the norm. I find it hard to understand why people will believe that because my husband is Governor of a State, my only role now is to make his bed, wash his clothes, take care of the children, cook his food and rub his feet when he comes home. This is what is called ‘looking after the home front’, and it seems to be the preferred and only role for First Ladies. This is fine by me, as long as we can also accept the fact that ‘looking after’ and ‘home front’ means different things to different people.
Since October 2010, I have been spending my time ‘looking after the home front’ in my own way. I resigned from my full-time, extremely well remunerated position as Executive Director of AWDF in Ghana and moved back to Nigeria to be with my husband. I figured out how to run our own homes in Ibadan and Isan-Ekiti, as well as living in State House. My husband is adequately fed, healthy, well groomed, and on top of his game. I am involved with government agencies such as the Ekiti State Agency for AIDS Control which I Chair, as well as the Ekiti State Consultative Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism. I also do a lot of work with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health to mention a few. My involvement with these agencies is mainly advisory and based on tremendous mutual respect. In addition, I have commitments to national and international organisations such as the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (as Chair), the African Women’s Development Fund and the African Grantmakers Network.
Over the past sixteen months, I have worked with various stakeholders to ensure that we have more women in decision making at all levels in the State. Before the April 2011 elections we had no women in the Ekiti State House of Assembly. Now we have four. Again, in June 2011, Ekiti State became the first state in Nigeria to domesticate the National Gender Policy. After being faced with a wave of violent attacks on young girls and women in the State, I pushed for the Gender Based Violence Prohibition Bill which was signed into law on November 25th 2011. I advocated for the establishment of the Multiple Births Trust Fund which is managed by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In order to bring back to Ekiti what I have done in the field of social change philanthropy, I launched the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF) on June 10th 2011. Since then we have supported a range of women’s organisations across the state, reaching out to hundreds of women in remote places. We have also supported several government projects with funding we have raised from donors. The funding for EDF comes from collaborations with various institutions, corporate sponsorship, wealthy philanthropists and support in kind.
I have been involved in all these things because I want to remain true to who and what I am. I am acutely aware of the dreadful baggage my position carries, and how easy it is for people to cast aspersion on the motives of people such as myself, based on the experiences they have had with many spouses of occupants of State Houses at the national and state levels. I however know that I am in a position where I can make a difference in the lives of people and for once, allow myself to be held accountable, the same way in which as a member of many social justice movements over the years, I have demanded accountability from leaders across the African continent.
My main responsibility as the Wife of a Governor is to support my husband. The husband I have been married to for over twenty-two years needs me to work with him and his team to help build our beloved Ekiti State, the Land of Honour, and to make good on all the promises he made to the electorate who stood by us all through our legal battles to reclaim his mandate. That is the ‘home front’ support my husband needs from me right now. My husband will be very disappointed in me if I opt to spend most of my time sitting at home and attending social functions to show off my latest lace and head-ties. He will consider it a terrible waste of my experience, skills and talents.
Many commentators on the First Lady debate raised the issue of the ‘illegality’ of the position, since it does not exist in the Constitution. The fact that it is not written in the constitution does not make the office ‘illegal’. There is nowhere in the constitution where it is written that there shall be an Office of the Chief of Staff, for example. However, it is hard to see how a President or Governor can operate without appointing someone into that position, even if the designation is called something else. One of the problems with the Office of the First Lady is that over the years, we have allowed our experiences with power-hungry, unscrupulous women listening to poor advice to cloud our judgement.
In my own opinion, the question of legitimacy can be addressed if we can engage in conversations devoid of the usual venom, hypocrisy, sexism and ignorance which bubbles to the surface every time the First Lady question comes up. If there is legislation and a budgetary provision recognising the Office of the Spouse either at national or state level, then there will be more transparency and accountability around their activities. I know many people will raise hell at this suggestion of mine. The Office of the First Lady of the United States evolved over time. It is not in the American constitution, and for many years the Office was not funded, except for the use of seconded, temporary staff. All this changed in November 1978 when President Jimmy Carter approved Public Law 95-570 which provided for the First Lady’s budget and staff. Till today, debates still rage in the US about the various occupants of the office, their politics, choices, their value addition or subtraction and so on, but there is consensus that the Office itself has come to stay and it does have a vital role to play.
There are many historical, cultural and social reasons why we might never do this in Nigeria. When I have raised this in private discussions, people ask about those who have more than one wife, and how this will work? My response to this is – let the laws provide for one spouse and let the husband and spouses concerned figure it out amongst themselves! Please note that I am asking for recognition for ‘Spouses’ and not ‘Wives’ in anticipation of when we will have women in these key positions. As I agree that this is not something people are prepared to countenance at a time when we have serious debates around the cost of governance, what I am calling for is for us not to conflate our apprehensions, no matter how legitimate they might be, with the reality that this despised ‘Office’ cannot be wished away. First Ladies are not a homogenous group. We have different contexts, interests and abilities. Just as is done in other places like the US which we are often fond of quoting, why don’t we try separating the Office from the individuals who transit through it and allow for processes of accountability, monitoring and assessment based on individual merit?
I often tell people that we can have lengthy debates about the constitutionality or otherwise of my office but the fact remains that if you have been trying to see my husband for three months and he will not return your calls, I can arrange for you to have breakfast with him tomorrow morning. Now you can debate the constitutionality of that! Just because we have had Presidents who have fallen short of our expectations or Governors who cannot govern does not mean we should stop having them. It means we should ask hard questions about the quality of leadership we need in our country right now and ensure that we stop scratching the bottom of the barrel. It is true that we have experienced First Ladies at all levels with little or no understanding of strategic thinking, good manners, decorum and protocol. This however does not mean that we should not try to learn how to do things differently. We simply need to add this to the long list of good governance issues we have to grapple with. There is no point electing a saint as a leader if he is going home to the warm embrace of a dragon.
I now believe that some of the things expected of people such as myself is silence on things that matter and invisibility in things that can truly make a difference. For those who would like to know, I do have an opinion on the fuel subsidy crisis. I do have an opinion on the gap between the kind of leadership we deserve in Nigeria and the kind we have right now. I have an opinion on the breach of the social contract between the leaders and the people. I have an opinion on the kind of legacy I would like to bequeath my children. I have an opinion on the conduct that is expected of Wives of top government officials, particularly First Ladies. I have strong opinions on our national and human security challenges and the implications for women and children. All my opinions are channelled through my work as a pan-Africanist, political activist, human rights advocate, women’s rights defender, social change philanthropist and being the Wife of a progressive, brilliant, visionary Governor. Every day I work hard at ensuring that I exercise my informal power and authority with the utmost discretion, respect, sensitivity, and integrity. I might not always get it right, but I try.
I did not decide to write this article to appeal for sympathy for First Ladies. I needed to find my voice and speak for myself. I wanted to let people know that things are not always what they seem. The few First Ladies I am close to work extremely hard. People see the glamour, the glitz, the fashion parades, the perks, the gaffes, the slights—both real and imagined. No one ever talks about the loneliness, the vulnerability, the toll on relationships, the hard work, the unbearable pressure from family, friends and political associates, the sacrifices, loss of privacy and the claustrophobia. As a Governor’s wife I don’t have the luxury of thinking or talking about these things. I am too focused on not taking things personally.
. Bisi Fayemi is wife of the Ekiti State Governor.
I was told at the meeting that someone had made comments on Facebook during the fuel subsidy crisis, asking, ‘Where are the Nigerian feminists? Where are the voices of activists like Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi’? The Facebook comments implied that I had stopped being a feminist because I am now the Wife of a Governor.
Soon after I returned home, there was an article in the Sunday edition of one of the national newspapers that was serialised over a two week period. It was a blistering attack on First Ladies, and how they constitute a drain on resources while they conduct themselves in ways which raise questions about credibility and probity.
In the article, the writer also made reference to the fuel subsidy crisis and the fact that nothing was heard from any of the First Ladies in the country. The writer then went on to say, ‘anyway, such issues are probably beyond them’.
A third, and this time, more direct attack on my activities in Ekiti came from Steve Osuji, a columnist with The Nation newspaper unequivocally that my job as the wife of Ekiti Governor, was to look “after the home-front” rather than meddle in the affairs of state. I cringed reading through these articles.
Shortly after my husband became Governor of Ekiti State in October 2010, I spoke to Mrs Kemi Mimiko, Wife of the Governor of Ondo State. She said something to me which I have never forgotten. She said ‘My sister, whatever happens, never take anything personally. It is never about you, it is about the position you are in’.
Reflecting on the discussion with my colleagues in Accra about the Facebook comments and the articles I referred to above, I knew that the advice I had received would come in handy. I however confess, with all sincerity, it is hard.
I have often spoken and written about the fluidity of identities, and how important it is for us to invest in managing our various transitions from one identity to another, whether these identities are claimed by us or thrust upon us. From being a women’s rights activist, gender specialist and social change philanthropy advocate, on October 16th 2010, I became the Wife of a Governor. My own understanding of what happened to me did not translate into abandoning all the things that are important to me – my world view, values, affiliations and principles. I was aware that to make this work, I would need to strike a balance between the things I truly care about, and the expectations of the position I found myself in. I also knew that I would have to work hard at ensuring that my theoretical understanding of power and transformational leadership would be matched by sound, ethical practices.
For many years I have engaged in debates about the role of First Ladies and the pros and cons of the use of informal power structures. The historical use and abuse of non-accountable, unconstitutional power has fuelled suspicion and hostility towards First Ladies, and rightfully so. As a feminist activist, I have been very critical of the ways in which women married to men in power hijack the spaces, voices and resources of others, particularly civil society, and use this as a platform to dispense political favours and elevate other elite women. The abuse of the Office of the First Lady and the questions about its legitimacy are not a solely Nigerian phenomenon. These debates continue to take place elsewhere.
The problem we have in Nigeria is the unique ways in which this position has been so grossly abused that people find it hard to be objective or flexible in their assessments of either the position or the occupants. I have also always known that it is precisely because First Ladies wield so much power and influence that it is very dangerous for such power to fall into the hands of ignorant, uninformed and unethical persons. I have had the opportunity of working closely with such great role models as Graca Machel Mandela, who taught me that it does not matter if people are suspicious of you or your intentions just because of who you are married to – if there are things you feel strongly about go out there and get the job done. Till this moment, Mama Graca as some of us fondly call her, remains one of the most credible and consistent advocates of gender equality, children’s rights and good governance that we have on the continent.
I accept that because I am the Wife of a Governor, I can no longer go to Aleshinloye market in Ibadan (a favourite place of mine) or Balogun market in Lagos without causing a stir. I agree that it is not appropriate to stop the convoy just because I want to buy Gala. I however do not agree with the assumption that because I am the Wife of a Governor, my IQ has dropped to single digits. I do not agree that I cannot find a way of working with government officials without making them feel that I am bossing them around. I do not agree that working collaboratively and respectfully with people in government amounts to meddling. I do not agree that I cannot do things different from the norm. I find it hard to understand why people will believe that because my husband is Governor of a State, my only role now is to make his bed, wash his clothes, take care of the children, cook his food and rub his feet when he comes home. This is what is called ‘looking after the home front’, and it seems to be the preferred and only role for First Ladies. This is fine by me, as long as we can also accept the fact that ‘looking after’ and ‘home front’ means different things to different people.
Since October 2010, I have been spending my time ‘looking after the home front’ in my own way. I resigned from my full-time, extremely well remunerated position as Executive Director of AWDF in Ghana and moved back to Nigeria to be with my husband. I figured out how to run our own homes in Ibadan and Isan-Ekiti, as well as living in State House. My husband is adequately fed, healthy, well groomed, and on top of his game. I am involved with government agencies such as the Ekiti State Agency for AIDS Control which I Chair, as well as the Ekiti State Consultative Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism. I also do a lot of work with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health to mention a few. My involvement with these agencies is mainly advisory and based on tremendous mutual respect. In addition, I have commitments to national and international organisations such as the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (as Chair), the African Women’s Development Fund and the African Grantmakers Network.
Over the past sixteen months, I have worked with various stakeholders to ensure that we have more women in decision making at all levels in the State. Before the April 2011 elections we had no women in the Ekiti State House of Assembly. Now we have four. Again, in June 2011, Ekiti State became the first state in Nigeria to domesticate the National Gender Policy. After being faced with a wave of violent attacks on young girls and women in the State, I pushed for the Gender Based Violence Prohibition Bill which was signed into law on November 25th 2011. I advocated for the establishment of the Multiple Births Trust Fund which is managed by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In order to bring back to Ekiti what I have done in the field of social change philanthropy, I launched the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF) on June 10th 2011. Since then we have supported a range of women’s organisations across the state, reaching out to hundreds of women in remote places. We have also supported several government projects with funding we have raised from donors. The funding for EDF comes from collaborations with various institutions, corporate sponsorship, wealthy philanthropists and support in kind.
I have been involved in all these things because I want to remain true to who and what I am. I am acutely aware of the dreadful baggage my position carries, and how easy it is for people to cast aspersion on the motives of people such as myself, based on the experiences they have had with many spouses of occupants of State Houses at the national and state levels. I however know that I am in a position where I can make a difference in the lives of people and for once, allow myself to be held accountable, the same way in which as a member of many social justice movements over the years, I have demanded accountability from leaders across the African continent.
My main responsibility as the Wife of a Governor is to support my husband. The husband I have been married to for over twenty-two years needs me to work with him and his team to help build our beloved Ekiti State, the Land of Honour, and to make good on all the promises he made to the electorate who stood by us all through our legal battles to reclaim his mandate. That is the ‘home front’ support my husband needs from me right now. My husband will be very disappointed in me if I opt to spend most of my time sitting at home and attending social functions to show off my latest lace and head-ties. He will consider it a terrible waste of my experience, skills and talents.
Many commentators on the First Lady debate raised the issue of the ‘illegality’ of the position, since it does not exist in the Constitution. The fact that it is not written in the constitution does not make the office ‘illegal’. There is nowhere in the constitution where it is written that there shall be an Office of the Chief of Staff, for example. However, it is hard to see how a President or Governor can operate without appointing someone into that position, even if the designation is called something else. One of the problems with the Office of the First Lady is that over the years, we have allowed our experiences with power-hungry, unscrupulous women listening to poor advice to cloud our judgement.
In my own opinion, the question of legitimacy can be addressed if we can engage in conversations devoid of the usual venom, hypocrisy, sexism and ignorance which bubbles to the surface every time the First Lady question comes up. If there is legislation and a budgetary provision recognising the Office of the Spouse either at national or state level, then there will be more transparency and accountability around their activities. I know many people will raise hell at this suggestion of mine. The Office of the First Lady of the United States evolved over time. It is not in the American constitution, and for many years the Office was not funded, except for the use of seconded, temporary staff. All this changed in November 1978 when President Jimmy Carter approved Public Law 95-570 which provided for the First Lady’s budget and staff. Till today, debates still rage in the US about the various occupants of the office, their politics, choices, their value addition or subtraction and so on, but there is consensus that the Office itself has come to stay and it does have a vital role to play.
There are many historical, cultural and social reasons why we might never do this in Nigeria. When I have raised this in private discussions, people ask about those who have more than one wife, and how this will work? My response to this is – let the laws provide for one spouse and let the husband and spouses concerned figure it out amongst themselves! Please note that I am asking for recognition for ‘Spouses’ and not ‘Wives’ in anticipation of when we will have women in these key positions. As I agree that this is not something people are prepared to countenance at a time when we have serious debates around the cost of governance, what I am calling for is for us not to conflate our apprehensions, no matter how legitimate they might be, with the reality that this despised ‘Office’ cannot be wished away. First Ladies are not a homogenous group. We have different contexts, interests and abilities. Just as is done in other places like the US which we are often fond of quoting, why don’t we try separating the Office from the individuals who transit through it and allow for processes of accountability, monitoring and assessment based on individual merit?
I often tell people that we can have lengthy debates about the constitutionality or otherwise of my office but the fact remains that if you have been trying to see my husband for three months and he will not return your calls, I can arrange for you to have breakfast with him tomorrow morning. Now you can debate the constitutionality of that! Just because we have had Presidents who have fallen short of our expectations or Governors who cannot govern does not mean we should stop having them. It means we should ask hard questions about the quality of leadership we need in our country right now and ensure that we stop scratching the bottom of the barrel. It is true that we have experienced First Ladies at all levels with little or no understanding of strategic thinking, good manners, decorum and protocol. This however does not mean that we should not try to learn how to do things differently. We simply need to add this to the long list of good governance issues we have to grapple with. There is no point electing a saint as a leader if he is going home to the warm embrace of a dragon.
I now believe that some of the things expected of people such as myself is silence on things that matter and invisibility in things that can truly make a difference. For those who would like to know, I do have an opinion on the fuel subsidy crisis. I do have an opinion on the gap between the kind of leadership we deserve in Nigeria and the kind we have right now. I have an opinion on the breach of the social contract between the leaders and the people. I have an opinion on the kind of legacy I would like to bequeath my children. I have an opinion on the conduct that is expected of Wives of top government officials, particularly First Ladies. I have strong opinions on our national and human security challenges and the implications for women and children. All my opinions are channelled through my work as a pan-Africanist, political activist, human rights advocate, women’s rights defender, social change philanthropist and being the Wife of a progressive, brilliant, visionary Governor. Every day I work hard at ensuring that I exercise my informal power and authority with the utmost discretion, respect, sensitivity, and integrity. I might not always get it right, but I try.
I did not decide to write this article to appeal for sympathy for First Ladies. I needed to find my voice and speak for myself. I wanted to let people know that things are not always what they seem. The few First Ladies I am close to work extremely hard. People see the glamour, the glitz, the fashion parades, the perks, the gaffes, the slights—both real and imagined. No one ever talks about the loneliness, the vulnerability, the toll on relationships, the hard work, the unbearable pressure from family, friends and political associates, the sacrifices, loss of privacy and the claustrophobia. As a Governor’s wife I don’t have the luxury of thinking or talking about these things. I am too focused on not taking things personally.
. Bisi Fayemi is wife of the Ekiti State Governor.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
VIDEO: A country with 1 TRILLION NAIRA SECURITY BUDGET sent Sergeant Sunday Badang to deactivate bomb with his hands
VIDEO IS AGE RESTRICTED! YOU MAY HAVE TO SIGN ON TO YOU TUBE TO VIEW:
If you have not seen the gruesome video of how a Nigerian policeman-Sergeant Sunday Badang- of the anti-bomb unit approached an undetonated roadside bomb in Kaduna without caution. You sure then need to view it. We just sent a young man to his early grave.
It is inconceivable that the perimeter was not cleared of ‘SPECTATORS’. The crowd cheered on, as if it is a Spanish game of bull fighting, you won’t be wrong to assume you are in Spain and it is the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
Sergeant Badang became the red cloth and Boko-Harram bomb became the bull. We cheered him to his death; he was holding a METAL DETECTOR. What a SICK COUNTRY. A bomb disposal ‘expert’ using a METAL DETECTOR to deactivate a DEADLY IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE?
With his bare hands Crowd cheering no evacuation of perimeter & he gets blown up into pieces, what happened to the ONE TRILLION NAIRA security budget? Can’t we get a motorised Explosive Ordnance Disposal out of the fat security votes? Our security agents are now more like guinea pigs in Boko-Harrams bomb laboratory.
If you have not seen the gruesome video of how a Nigerian policeman-Sergeant Sunday Badang- of the anti-bomb unit approached an undetonated roadside bomb in Kaduna without caution. You sure then need to view it. We just sent a young man to his early grave.
It is inconceivable that the perimeter was not cleared of ‘SPECTATORS’. The crowd cheered on, as if it is a Spanish game of bull fighting, you won’t be wrong to assume you are in Spain and it is the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
Sergeant Badang became the red cloth and Boko-Harram bomb became the bull. We cheered him to his death; he was holding a METAL DETECTOR. What a SICK COUNTRY. A bomb disposal ‘expert’ using a METAL DETECTOR to deactivate a DEADLY IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE?
With his bare hands Crowd cheering no evacuation of perimeter & he gets blown up into pieces, what happened to the ONE TRILLION NAIRA security budget? Can’t we get a motorised Explosive Ordnance Disposal out of the fat security votes? Our security agents are now more like guinea pigs in Boko-Harrams bomb laboratory.
Monday, 13 February 2012
GEJ set to host ‘Yoruba Goodluck Jonathan Solidarity Group” led by Abiola Ogundokun, Ebenezer Babatope & others
‘Yoruba Goodluck Jonathan Solidarity Group” A group termed YGJSG scheduled to meet with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Rock Presidential villa on Tuesday 14th February 2012.
A source close to the group who is also in charge of ‘logistics and consultation’ claimed the YGJSG is meant to, ‘promote the transformation agenda of President Jonathan to the Yoruba people of South West Nigeria and counter the propaganda of South West ‘progressives’. The Aso Rock visit is a calumniation of several ‘consultative meetings’ facilitated by Niger Delta Elder Chief Edwin Clerk.
Leading the group are former Abacha propagandist Chief Abiola Ogundokun, PDP chieftain and former minister Ebenezer Babatope, also included is disgraced former Senator Anthony Adefuye who was beating up by Yoruba activists during the June 12 struggle, former Head of Service in Nigeria Professor Afolabi.
To give the RGJSG some semblance of credibility, pro-Yoruba activists and Afenifere chieftain Bishop Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, factional head of Afenifere Chief Reuben Fasoranti and former presidential candidate Olu Falae are on the list.
The YGJSG ‘Yoruba Leaders’ are set to “assist president Jonathan to determine contracts to be awarded South West Nigeria, supervise projects that would be allocated and take president Jonathans transformation agenda to the Yoruba grassroots.”
President Jonathan is following the template of his former Godfather Olusegun Obasanjo, who raised the Yoruba Councul of Elders (YCE) to counter what he (Obasanjo) described as the stubbornness of main steam Yoruba political elite and break the Afenifere group.
A source close to the group who is also in charge of ‘logistics and consultation’ claimed the YGJSG is meant to, ‘promote the transformation agenda of President Jonathan to the Yoruba people of South West Nigeria and counter the propaganda of South West ‘progressives’. The Aso Rock visit is a calumniation of several ‘consultative meetings’ facilitated by Niger Delta Elder Chief Edwin Clerk.
Leading the group are former Abacha propagandist Chief Abiola Ogundokun, PDP chieftain and former minister Ebenezer Babatope, also included is disgraced former Senator Anthony Adefuye who was beating up by Yoruba activists during the June 12 struggle, former Head of Service in Nigeria Professor Afolabi.
To give the RGJSG some semblance of credibility, pro-Yoruba activists and Afenifere chieftain Bishop Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, factional head of Afenifere Chief Reuben Fasoranti and former presidential candidate Olu Falae are on the list.
The YGJSG ‘Yoruba Leaders’ are set to “assist president Jonathan to determine contracts to be awarded South West Nigeria, supervise projects that would be allocated and take president Jonathans transformation agenda to the Yoruba grassroots.”
President Jonathan is following the template of his former Godfather Olusegun Obasanjo, who raised the Yoruba Councul of Elders (YCE) to counter what he (Obasanjo) described as the stubbornness of main steam Yoruba political elite and break the Afenifere group.
Budum community, Maiduguri Nigerian Army use ARSON as a weapon of war! By Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri
BUDUM UNDER SIEGE
By Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri
Pandemonium, fear, anxiety and bloodshed characterized the Joint Task Force’s (JTF’s) manhunt for members of the Boko Haram sect in Budum community, Maiduguri on Sunday night, February 12, 2012. There are deep concerns that the human rights of local residents may have been threatened or violated in the course of JTF’s anti-insurgency operations.
The first call came in at 9.15 p.m. The Hausa accent was too thick, and I could hardly comprehend the information being conveyed to me. But from the tone of the messenger, there was trouble. Few minutes later, another call came in from a local contact that calls me regularly. Fear, apprehension was clearly evident in his entire narrative. Without the regular exchange of pleasantries, he informed about the heavy presence of soldiers in their community, and some buildings were allegedly being burnt with occupants inside. The caller hung up immediately, giving me no time to interrogate his claims.
Almost immediately, another call came through. “I am very afraid. Villagers and young men are trooping to my house to hide. Deafening gunshots have caused residents, especially our women and children to scamper for safety. Soldiers are moving from house-to-house looking for our men, and burning down some houses. Please come to our help”. That was the local Imam that lives beside a small mosque in Budum community, near the Shehu of Borno’s palace. The news left me speechless and confused for several minutes.
I was jolted back to consciousness by two subsequent calls from unfamiliar numbers and callers. I always pick my calls as long as its work related. Somebody must have spread my number round urging people to call me. Then, the 5th caller or so came through, this time around a woman. I could hear the screams of children in the background. I could hear several voices and jostling feet as though people were running. That call came in exactly at 10.01 p.m. That particular call hit me like a thunderbolt, and I knew right then that it wasn’t a hoax.
Based on my firsthand understanding of JTF’S combat engagement strategy, any area used by the sect to perpetrate their operations is designated as a military target. “Persons who allow their surroundings or frontage to be used by the Boko Haram sect to attack people or security agencies would be considered as collaborators, and will be treated as criminals,” JTF told SERAC last year. During a similar July 2011 reprisal attack by soldiers in Budum community, in Maiduguri, the JTF conducted a house-to-house search specifically in search of men. The unlucky one that were found were shot dead right in front of their homes. Could that be the reason why the men escaped at the sight of the soldiers?
First off, I sent text messages to some senior members of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri. I began to call everyone I knew that had some influence and access to the people “above”, including my contacts and colleagues in the local media, Amnesty International, United Nations and other international organizations. Lucky enough, I was able to speak with the JTF authorities exactly at 10.05 p.m. They confirmed the incident, explaining that some of their men had been attacked and killed by the Boko Haram sect hiding among residents within Budum community in Maiduguri. Two soldiers were allegedly, severely wounded and hospitalized. “Yes, we have launched a house-to-house search, but we are observing the rules of engagement. We are rescuing the women and children first….But they must produce their husbands. We are looking for the men”, said JTF.
For me, the JTF’s statement was a corroboration of the community narratives, or at least, it helped to fill in the blank spaces. At about 1.00 a.m., I got additional information about the chaos in Budum community. I learnt that few hours earlier, Boko Haram members had embarked on a beheading spree, with about 9 victims matcheted to death. Also, some soldiers were allegedly killed and wounded during a bloody counter-attack operation that left additional people dead and severely wounded. The JTF had to launch a house-to-house search to fish out the assailants and rescue some of their men. From the various narratives of the residents, the JTF, and private citizens, it is easy to deduce an extremely violent reprisal attack had taken place. The number of casualties remains unknown but it hovers between 12 and 15.
Something strange happened at about 1.30 p.m: the telephone lines of all the community contacts that I had been communicating regularly with all went dead. They were suddenly switched off. All of them! Up till this time, I have been unable to speak with local community leaders and residents. All desperate attempts to confirm their whereabouts and state of health have been futile. Based on the findings of the July 2011 fact-finding mission to Maiduguri, there are ample reasons to doubt that capacity of security operatives to undertake anti-insurgency operations in ways that minimize risks to civilians.
The Social and Economic Rights Actin Center (SERAC) conducted a fact-finding mission to Maiduguri between July 24-27, 2011 to gain first-hand information into the root causes of the Boko Haram insurgency. As stated in the mission report, the ‘The Killing Fields of Maiduguri”, the Nigerian Government must take urgent and concrete measures towards reviewing and re-directing the operational methods, processes and procedures of the Joint Task Force to be in tune with the democratic environment and attributes of the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights. When the state fails to prevent systematic denials or violations of citizen’s right, and paying due regard to the special needs of women and children especially in periods of emergency, this failure is a fundamental human rights violation.
Absolute mistrust, suspicion, and fear characterize the relationship between the security operatives and the local populations, undermining intelligence undertakings that would lead to the definite identification and extirpation of the sect’s members and activities. Areas lived by the poor are often criminalized and labeled as Boko Haram hideouts to justify the extreme security surveillance and violent incursions by soldiers. Often, these incursions are accompanied by severe violence, with victims on many occasions arrested, detained and in some cases, killed.
Based on the sentiments shared by several persons interviewed in Budum Community in July last year, SERAC found that the greater the force employed by the JTF in the areas designated as military targets, the greater the sympathy those affected communities have for the Boko Haram sect, to the extent that majority of them are hesitant or outrightly unwilling to provide information to the police on the hideouts and activities of the sect members.
While acknowledging the bravery and commitment of the JTF soldiers toward stamping out vicious elements behind the violence, insecurity and fundamentalism witnessed in the northern part of the country, concrete steps must be taken to integrate respect for human rights into their engagement strategies, peacekeeping and peace-building efforts. Most importantly, strengthening respect for human rights is a critical step towards the re-establishment of a climate of peace in the region.
..
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Ribadu Committee & GEJ'S TOR is a DIRECT DUPLICATION OF NEITI ACT 2007
READERS PLEASE COMPARE
Ministry of Petroleum Resources – Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force
Abuja, Nigeria 07. February 2012 -- Consistent with the policies and promises of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s Administration, and underpinned by the yearnings of the people of Nigeria for transparency in the Petroleum Industry, the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources has set up a Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force designed to enhance probity and accountability in operations of the Petroleum Industry. The Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, whose membership is listed below, is charged with the following terms of reference:
Terms of Reference
1. To work with consultants and experts to determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues (taxes, royalties, etc.) due and payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria;
2. To take all necessary steps to collect all debts due and owing; to obtain agreements and enforce payment terms by all oil industry operators;
3. To design a cross debt matrix between all Agencies and Parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
4. To develop an automated platform to enable effective tracking, monitoring, and online validation of income and debt drivers of all Parastatals and Agencies in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
5. To work with world-class consultants to integrate systems and technology across the production chain to determine and monitor crude oil production and exports, ensuring at all times, the integrity of payments to the Federal Government of Nigeria; and,
6. To submit monthly reports for Ministerial review and further action.
Members
1. Mallan Nuhu Ribadu - Chairman
2. Mr. Steve Oronsaye - Dep. Chairman
3. Mallan Abba Kyari - Member
4. Ms. Benedicta Molokwu - Member
5. Mr. Supo Sasore, SAN - Member
6. Mr. Tony Idigbe, SAN - Member
7. Mr. Anthony George-Ikoli, SAN - Member
8. Dr. (Mrs.) Omolara Akanji - Member
9. Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN - Member
10. Mr. Ituah Ighodalo - Member
11. Mr. Bon Otti - Member
12. Mallam Samaila Zubairu - Member
13. Mr. Ignatius Adegunle - Member
14. Mr. Gerald Ilukwe - Member
15. Rep. of FIRS - Ex-Officio
16. Rep. of FMF - Ex-Officio
17. Rep. of HAGF/ HMJ - Ex-Officio
18. Rep. of OAGF - Ex-Officio
19. Rep. of DPR - Ex-Officio
20. Rep. of NNPC - Ex-Officio
Signed
Goni M. Sheikh
Permanent Secretary
Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
With NEITI ACT 2007
1 ANNEX H: NEITI Act (Reproduction)
NIGERIA EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY
INITIATIVE, (NEITI) ACT, 2007
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
This Act provides for the establishment of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (NEITI charged with the responsibility, among other things, for the
development of a framework for transparency and accountability in the reporting and
disclosure by all extractive industry companies of revenue due to or paid to the Federal
Government.
NIGERIA EXTRACTIVE INDUSRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE
(NEITI) ACT, 2007
A BILL
FOR
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NIGERIA
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE (NEITI) AND
FOR RELATED MATTERS.
Enacted by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:
1. (1) There is established a body to be know as the Nigeria Extractive Industries
Transparency initiative, (in this Act referred to as “the NEITI”.)
(2) The NEITI:
(a) shall be an autonomous self-accounting body, which shall report to the
President and the National Assembly,
(b) shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession with a common seal,
and
(c) may:
(i) sue and be sued in its corporate name, and
(ii) acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable properties in
the discharge of its functions under this Act.
2. The primary objectives of the NEITI are:
2
(a) to ensure due process and transparency in the payments made by all
extractive industry companies to the Federal Government and statutory
recipients.
(b) to monitor and ensure accountability in the revenue receipts of the Federal
Government from extractive industry companies.
(c) to eliminate all forms of corrupt practices in the determination, payments,
receipts and posting of revenue accruing to the Federal Government from
extractive industry companies;
(d) to ensure transparency and accountability by government in the
application of resources from payment received from extractive industry
companies, and
(e) to ensure conformity with the principles of Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative
3. For the purpose of realizing its objectives under this Act. The NEITI shall
perform the following functions:
(a) develop a framework for transparency and accountability in the reporting
and disclosure by all extractive industry companies of revenue due to or paid
to the Federal Government;
(b) evaluate without prejudice to any relevant contractual obligations and
sovereign obligations the practices of all extractive industry companies and
government respectively regarding acquisition of acreages, budgeting,
contracting, materials procurement and production cost profile in order to
ensure due process, transparency and accountability.
(c) ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the
investment of the Federal Government in all extractive industry companies,
(d) obtain, as may be deemed necessary, from any extractive industry
company an accurate record of the cost of production and volume of safe of
oil, gas or other minerals extracted by the company at my period, provided
that such information shall not be used in any manner prejudicial to the
contractual obligation or proprietary interests of the extractive industry
company,
(e) request from any company in the extractive industry, or from any relevant
organ of the Federal State or Local Government, an accurate account of
money paid by and received from the company at any period, as revenue
accruing to the Federal Government from such company for that period;
provided that such information shall not be used in a manner prejudicial to
3
contractual obligations or proprietary interest of the extractive industry
company or sovereign obligations of Government,
(f) monitor and ensure that all payments due to the Federal Government from
all extractive industry companies, including taxes, royalties, dividends,
bonuses, penalties, levels and such like are duly made;
(g) identify lapses and undertake measures that shall enhance the capacity of
any relevant organ of the Federal State or Local Government having statutory
responsibility to monitor revenue payments by all extractive industry
companies to the Federal Government,
(h) disseminate by way of publication of records, report or otherwise any
information concerning the revenues received by the Federal Government
from all extractive industry companies as it may consider necessary;
(i) promote or undertake any other activity related to its functions and which
in its opinion, is calculated to help achieve its overall objectives as
enumerated in section 2 of this Act;
(j) ensure that all fiscal allocations and statutory disbursements due from the
Federal Government to statutory recipients are duly made.
4. (1) The NEITI shall in each financial year appoint independent auditors for
the purpose of Appointment auditing the total revenue which accrued to the
Federal Government for that year from extractive industry companies, in order
to determine the accuracy of payments and receipts.
(2) The independent auditors appointed under subsection (1) of this section
shall undertake a physical, process and financial audit on such terms and
conditions as may be approved by the National Stakeholders Working Group
(NSWG).
(3) Upon the completion of an audit, the independent auditors shall submit
the reports together with comments of the Extractive Industries Company to
the NEITI, which shall cause same to be disseminated to the National
Assembly and the Auditor-General of the Federation and also ensure their
publication.
(4) The NEITI shall submit a bi-annual report of its activities to the President
and National Assembly.
(5) An auditor or auditing firm that has audited any extractive industry
company in any given year shall not be appointed in the same year for the
purposes of subsection (2) of this section.
4
(6) An auditor or auditing firm shall not be engaged for more than two years
consecutively for the purposes of subsection (2) of this section.
(7) The Auditor-General of the Federation shall not later than 3 months after
the submission of the audit report to the National Assembly publish any
comment made or action taken by the Government on the audit reports.
5. (1) The governing body of the NEITI shall be the National Stakeholders
Working Group (in this Act referred to as “the NSWG”)
(2) The NSWG shall be responsible for the formulation of policies,
programmes and strategies for the effective implementation of the objectives and
the discharges of the functions of the NEITI.
(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2) of this section, the NSWG shall have
powers to recommend the annual budget and work-plan of the NEITI and ensure
the periodic review of programmes performance by the NEITI.
6. (1) The NSWG shall be constituted by the President and shall consist of a
chairman and no more than 14 other members one of whom shall be an Executive
Secretary.
(2) (a) In making appointment into the NSWG, the President shall
include:
(i) representative of extractive industry companies,
(ii) representative of Civil Society,
(iii) representative of Labour Unions in the extractive Industries,
(iv) experts in the extractive industry, and
(v) one member from each of the six geopolitical zones.
(b) the Chairman and other members of NSWG other than the Executive
Secretary shall serve on part-time basis.
(3) The appointment of Executive Secretary shall be for 5 years and no more.
7. A person appointed as a member of the NSWG shall hold office for 4 years and
no more.
8. The members of the NSWG as well as any person appointed to any of its special
committees under section 2 may be paid such allowances out of the funds of the
5
NEITI as the National Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission may
approve.
9. (1) The NSWG shall ordinarily meet quarterly for the dispatch of business at
such times and places as it may determine, but not less than four times in a year.
(2) At every meeting of the NSWG, the Chairman shall preside and in his
absence, a member of the NSWG appointed by the members from among
themselves shall preside.
(3) Questions proposed at a meeting of NSWG shall be determined by a
simple majority of members present and voting and in the event of an equality of
votes, the person presiding shall have a casting vote.
(4) The NSWG may at any time co-opt any person to act as an adviser at any
of its meetings but no person so co-opted shall be entitled to vote at any meeting.
(5) The validity of the proceedings of the NSWG shall not be affected by the
absence of any member, vacancy among its membership or by any defect in the
appointment of any of the members.
10. The quorum of the NSWG at any meeting shall be 8 members.
11. The NSWG may constitute such special committees as it considers fit to deal
different aspects of its responsibilities.
12. (1) The NSWG may create departments and engage the services of such staff
and consultants as it may consider necessary for the NEITI.
(2) The NEITI shall have an Executive Secretary who shall
(a) be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the NSWG
provided he is a graduate with relevant qualifications and at least 10 years cognate
experience;
(b) be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the NEITI; and
(c) serve as Secretary to NSWG.
(3) The staff and consultants of the NEITI may be engaged on such terms and
conditions as the NSWG may determine.
(4) The NSWG shall fix the remunerations, allowances and benefits of the
staff and consultants of the NEITI.
6
(5) (a) The NSWG shall recommend to the President for appointment,
qualified validator line with NEITI guidelines as contained in second schedule to
this Act; and
(b) NSWG shall fix the remunerations, allowances and benefits for the
validators.
13. (1) The funds of the NEITI shall consist of:
(a) such sums as may be provided by the Federal Government and
appropriated by the National Assembly based on the budget submitted by the
NSWG and which shall be released as and when due; and
(b) such sums as may be paid to the NEITI by way of grants,
donations and gifts provided the sources of such grants, donations and gifts are
properly disclosed and not in conflict with the provisions of this Act.
(2) The NEITI shall apply the proceeds of the funds established under section
13 (1) of this Act to the
(a) cost of administration;
(b) payment of salaries, allowances and benefits to members of the NSWG or any
of its committees;
(c) payment of salaries, remunerations, allowances, pensions benefits to officers
and employees for NEITI;
(d) payment of all purchases;
(e) payment for all contracts, including mobilization, fluctuation, variations, legal
fees and cost of contract-administration; and
(f) carrying out of other activities that would promote its objectives which are
connected to all or any of the functions of NEITI under this Act, and
(g) payment for validators.
(3) The Government body of NEITI, the NSWG, shall not later than 30th
September in each year, submit to the President and the National Assembly an
estimate of the expenditure and income of NEITI during the succeeding year and
the NEITI shall cause to be kept proper accounts in respect of each year and
proper records in relation thereto.
14. (1) the NEITI shall cause the account of total revenue which accrued to the
Federal Government from all extractive industry companies, its receipts,
7
payments, assets and liabilities to be audited not later than 6 months after the end
of each year by independent auditors appointed on such terms and conditions as
the NSWG may approve and on the confirmation of the audit, the independent
auditor shall submit the report with comments of the audited entity to the NEITI
which shall cause same to be published for the information of the public, provided
that the contents of such report shall not be published in a manner prejudicial to
the contractual obligations or proprietary interests of the audited entity.
(2) The NEITI shall have power to borrow money from banks with the approval
of NSWG.
(3) The NEITI shall prepare and submit to the President and the National
Assembly not later that 30th September in each year, a report of its activities
during the immediate preceding year, and shall include in such report the audited
accounts of the NEITI for that year and the auditor’s report thereon.
15. (1) the NEITI shall maintain bank accounts, the signatories of which shall be
determined by the NSWG in accordance with the regulation made pursuant
hereto.
(2) The accounts may be opened in such banks as the NSWG may determine.
16. (1) An extractive industry company which
(a) gives false information or report to the Federal Government or its agency
regarding its volume or production, sales and income; or
(b) renders false statement of account of fails to render a statement of account
required under this Act to the Federal Government or its agencies, resulting in the
underpayment of non-payment of revenue accruable to the Federal Government
or statutory recipients commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not
less than N30,000,000.
(2) Where the Extractive industry has been convicted of an offence under subsection
(1) of this section, the court shall, in addition to the penalty prescribed
there under, order the company to pay the actual amount of revenue due to the
Federal Government.
(3) An extractive industry company which delays or refuses to give information or
report under this Act, or willfully or negligently fails to perform its obligations
under this Act, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not less
than N30,000,000.
(4) Without prejudice to subsections (1), and (2) and (3) of this section, the
President may on the recommendation of the NSWG suspend or revoke the
operational license of any extractive industry company which fails to perform its
obligations under this Act.
8
(5) If any extractive industry company commits an offense against the Act, every
Director or other persons concerned in the management of the company commits
the offense and is liable on conviction to not less than 2 years imprisonment or a
fine not less than N5,000,000 unless that person proves that
(a) the offense was committed without his consent or connivance, and
(b) the person exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of
the offense as ought to have been exercised by that person, having regard
to the nature of his functions in that company and to all the circumstance.
(6) A government official who renders false statement of account or fails to
render a statement of account required under this Act to the Federal Government
or its agencies, resulting in the underpayment or non-payment of revenue
accruable to the Federal Government or statutory recipients, commits an offense
and is liable on conviction to not less than 2 years imprisonment or a fine not less
than N5,000,000, unless that person proves that
(a) the offense was committed without his consent or connivance, and
(b) the person exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of
the offense as ought to have been exercised by that person, having regard
to the nature of his functions in that company and to all the circumstance.
17. The NSWG may make regulations as it may consider expedient for the purpose of
giving effect to the provisions of this Act and for regulating any matter that fails
within the scope of the functions of the NEITI.
18. Subject to the provisions of this Act, no suit shall be commenced against NEITI
before the expiration of 30 days after written notice of an intention to commence
the suit shall have been served upon NEITI as a defendant or its agent, and the
notice shall clearly and explicitly state:
(a) the cause of action,
(b) the particulars of the claim,
(c) the names of the legal practitioners representing the plaintiff and their
addresses, and
(d) the relief sought.
19. (1) The Executive Secretary of the NEITI, his officers, employees or agents shall
personally be subject to any action, claim or demand by, or liable to any person in
respect anything done or omitted to be done in the exercise of any function or
power conferred by this Act upon the NEITI or member of the NSWG.
9
(2) A member of the NSWG, the Executive Secretary or any officer of the NEITI
shall be indemnified out of the funds of the NEITI against any liability incurred
by him in defending any proceeding, whether civil or criminal, if the proceeding
is brought against him in his capacity as a member of NSWG, Executive
Secretary, officer or any employee of the NEITI.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the provisions of the Public Officers
Protection Act shall apply in relation to any suit instituted against any officer, or
employee of NEITI or member of the NSWG.
20. A notice, summons, other court process, other documents required or authorized
to be served upon the NEITI under the provisions of this Act, any other law or
enactment shall and be served by delivering it to the Executive Secretary or by
sending it by registered post and addressed to the Executive Secretary at the
principal office of the NEITI.
21. In this Act:
“Extractive Industry Company” means any company in Nigeria that is engaged in
the business of prospecting, mining, extracting, processing and distributing
minerals and gas including oil, gold, coal, tin, bitumen, diamonds, precious stones
and such like, includes
any agency or body responsible for the payment of extractive industry proceeds to
the Federal Government or its Statutory Recipient.
“Federal Government” means the Federal government of Nigeria.
“Government” means the three tiers of the government of Nigeria, including
Federal, State and Local Government, and their respective Ministries, agencies
and departments.
“President” means the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of
Federal Republic of Nigeria;
“Statutory Recipient” means any entity to whom by law, extractive industry
companies or Government are obliged to make payments,
“Extractive Industry Expert” means a person who has spent a minimum of ten
(10) years in a management position in the extractive industry.
“NSWG” means National Stakeholders Working Group.
22. This Act may be cited as the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Act 2007.
10
SCHEDULE Section 2(7)
SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE NIGERIA
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE, ETC.
Proceedings of the Governing Body
1-(1) Subject and section 27 of the Interpretation Act, Cap. 192 LFN, 1990 the NSWG
may make standing order to regulate its proceedings for those of any of its
Committee.
(2) The quorum of the NSWG shall be the Chairman or any other person presiding at
a meeting in his absence and 4 other members of the governing body and the
quorum of any Committee shall be as determined by the governing body.
2-(1) The NSWG shall meet whenever it is summoned by the Chairman and if the
Chairman is required to do so by notice given to him by not less than 4 other
members, he shall summon a meeting of the NSWG to be held within 14 days
from the date on which the notice was given.
(2) At any meeting of the NSWG, the Chairman shall preside but if he is absent, the
members present at the meeting shall appoint one of them to preside at the
meeting.
(3) When the NSWG desire to obtain the advice of any person on a particular matter,
it may co-opt him for such period as it deems fit, but a person who is a member
by virtue of this sub-paragraph shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting of the
NSWG and shall not count towards a quorum.
(4) The NSWG shall ordinarily meet at such times and places as it may determine,
and for not less than four times in a year.
(5) Questions proposed at a meeting of the NSWG shall be determined by a simple
majority of members present and voting, and in the event of an equality of votes,
the Chairman or another person shall have a second or casting vote.
Committees
3-(1) The NSWG may appoint one of more Committee to carry out on its behalf such of
the functions of NEITI as it may determine.
(2) A Committee appointed under this paragraph shall consist of such number of
person as may be determined by the NSWG and a person shall hold office on the
Committee in accordance with the terms of his appointment.
11
(3) A decision of a Committee shall not have effect until it is confirmed by the
NSWG.
Miscellaneous
4-(1) The fixing of the seal NEITI shall be authenticated by the signatures of the
Chairman and Secretary of the NSWG generally.
(2) Any contract or instrument which, if made or executed by a person not being a
body corporate could not be required to be under seal, may be made or executed
on behalf of NEITI by the Secretary of the NSWG generally or any other person
specifically authorized by the NSWG to act for that purpose.
(3) A document purporting to be duly executed under the seal of NEITI shall be
received in evidence and shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to be so
executed.
(4) The validity of any proceeding of the NSWG or of a Committee shall not be
adversely affected by
(a) A vacancy in the membership of the NSWG or a Committee, or
(b) A defect in the appointment of a member of the NSWG or Committee, or
(c) Reason that a person not entitled to do so took part in the proceedings or the
NSWG or Committee.
Ministry of Petroleum Resources – Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force
Abuja, Nigeria 07. February 2012 -- Consistent with the policies and promises of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s Administration, and underpinned by the yearnings of the people of Nigeria for transparency in the Petroleum Industry, the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources has set up a Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force designed to enhance probity and accountability in operations of the Petroleum Industry. The Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, whose membership is listed below, is charged with the following terms of reference:
Terms of Reference
1. To work with consultants and experts to determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues (taxes, royalties, etc.) due and payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria;
2. To take all necessary steps to collect all debts due and owing; to obtain agreements and enforce payment terms by all oil industry operators;
3. To design a cross debt matrix between all Agencies and Parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
4. To develop an automated platform to enable effective tracking, monitoring, and online validation of income and debt drivers of all Parastatals and Agencies in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
5. To work with world-class consultants to integrate systems and technology across the production chain to determine and monitor crude oil production and exports, ensuring at all times, the integrity of payments to the Federal Government of Nigeria; and,
6. To submit monthly reports for Ministerial review and further action.
Members
1. Mallan Nuhu Ribadu - Chairman
2. Mr. Steve Oronsaye - Dep. Chairman
3. Mallan Abba Kyari - Member
4. Ms. Benedicta Molokwu - Member
5. Mr. Supo Sasore, SAN - Member
6. Mr. Tony Idigbe, SAN - Member
7. Mr. Anthony George-Ikoli, SAN - Member
8. Dr. (Mrs.) Omolara Akanji - Member
9. Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN - Member
10. Mr. Ituah Ighodalo - Member
11. Mr. Bon Otti - Member
12. Mallam Samaila Zubairu - Member
13. Mr. Ignatius Adegunle - Member
14. Mr. Gerald Ilukwe - Member
15. Rep. of FIRS - Ex-Officio
16. Rep. of FMF - Ex-Officio
17. Rep. of HAGF/ HMJ - Ex-Officio
18. Rep. of OAGF - Ex-Officio
19. Rep. of DPR - Ex-Officio
20. Rep. of NNPC - Ex-Officio
Signed
Goni M. Sheikh
Permanent Secretary
Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
With NEITI ACT 2007
1 ANNEX H: NEITI Act (Reproduction)
NIGERIA EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY
INITIATIVE, (NEITI) ACT, 2007
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
This Act provides for the establishment of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (NEITI charged with the responsibility, among other things, for the
development of a framework for transparency and accountability in the reporting and
disclosure by all extractive industry companies of revenue due to or paid to the Federal
Government.
NIGERIA EXTRACTIVE INDUSRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE
(NEITI) ACT, 2007
A BILL
FOR
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NIGERIA
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE (NEITI) AND
FOR RELATED MATTERS.
Enacted by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:
1. (1) There is established a body to be know as the Nigeria Extractive Industries
Transparency initiative, (in this Act referred to as “the NEITI”.)
(2) The NEITI:
(a) shall be an autonomous self-accounting body, which shall report to the
President and the National Assembly,
(b) shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession with a common seal,
and
(c) may:
(i) sue and be sued in its corporate name, and
(ii) acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable properties in
the discharge of its functions under this Act.
2. The primary objectives of the NEITI are:
2
(a) to ensure due process and transparency in the payments made by all
extractive industry companies to the Federal Government and statutory
recipients.
(b) to monitor and ensure accountability in the revenue receipts of the Federal
Government from extractive industry companies.
(c) to eliminate all forms of corrupt practices in the determination, payments,
receipts and posting of revenue accruing to the Federal Government from
extractive industry companies;
(d) to ensure transparency and accountability by government in the
application of resources from payment received from extractive industry
companies, and
(e) to ensure conformity with the principles of Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative
3. For the purpose of realizing its objectives under this Act. The NEITI shall
perform the following functions:
(a) develop a framework for transparency and accountability in the reporting
and disclosure by all extractive industry companies of revenue due to or paid
to the Federal Government;
(b) evaluate without prejudice to any relevant contractual obligations and
sovereign obligations the practices of all extractive industry companies and
government respectively regarding acquisition of acreages, budgeting,
contracting, materials procurement and production cost profile in order to
ensure due process, transparency and accountability.
(c) ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the
investment of the Federal Government in all extractive industry companies,
(d) obtain, as may be deemed necessary, from any extractive industry
company an accurate record of the cost of production and volume of safe of
oil, gas or other minerals extracted by the company at my period, provided
that such information shall not be used in any manner prejudicial to the
contractual obligation or proprietary interests of the extractive industry
company,
(e) request from any company in the extractive industry, or from any relevant
organ of the Federal State or Local Government, an accurate account of
money paid by and received from the company at any period, as revenue
accruing to the Federal Government from such company for that period;
provided that such information shall not be used in a manner prejudicial to
3
contractual obligations or proprietary interest of the extractive industry
company or sovereign obligations of Government,
(f) monitor and ensure that all payments due to the Federal Government from
all extractive industry companies, including taxes, royalties, dividends,
bonuses, penalties, levels and such like are duly made;
(g) identify lapses and undertake measures that shall enhance the capacity of
any relevant organ of the Federal State or Local Government having statutory
responsibility to monitor revenue payments by all extractive industry
companies to the Federal Government,
(h) disseminate by way of publication of records, report or otherwise any
information concerning the revenues received by the Federal Government
from all extractive industry companies as it may consider necessary;
(i) promote or undertake any other activity related to its functions and which
in its opinion, is calculated to help achieve its overall objectives as
enumerated in section 2 of this Act;
(j) ensure that all fiscal allocations and statutory disbursements due from the
Federal Government to statutory recipients are duly made.
4. (1) The NEITI shall in each financial year appoint independent auditors for
the purpose of Appointment auditing the total revenue which accrued to the
Federal Government for that year from extractive industry companies, in order
to determine the accuracy of payments and receipts.
(2) The independent auditors appointed under subsection (1) of this section
shall undertake a physical, process and financial audit on such terms and
conditions as may be approved by the National Stakeholders Working Group
(NSWG).
(3) Upon the completion of an audit, the independent auditors shall submit
the reports together with comments of the Extractive Industries Company to
the NEITI, which shall cause same to be disseminated to the National
Assembly and the Auditor-General of the Federation and also ensure their
publication.
(4) The NEITI shall submit a bi-annual report of its activities to the President
and National Assembly.
(5) An auditor or auditing firm that has audited any extractive industry
company in any given year shall not be appointed in the same year for the
purposes of subsection (2) of this section.
4
(6) An auditor or auditing firm shall not be engaged for more than two years
consecutively for the purposes of subsection (2) of this section.
(7) The Auditor-General of the Federation shall not later than 3 months after
the submission of the audit report to the National Assembly publish any
comment made or action taken by the Government on the audit reports.
5. (1) The governing body of the NEITI shall be the National Stakeholders
Working Group (in this Act referred to as “the NSWG”)
(2) The NSWG shall be responsible for the formulation of policies,
programmes and strategies for the effective implementation of the objectives and
the discharges of the functions of the NEITI.
(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2) of this section, the NSWG shall have
powers to recommend the annual budget and work-plan of the NEITI and ensure
the periodic review of programmes performance by the NEITI.
6. (1) The NSWG shall be constituted by the President and shall consist of a
chairman and no more than 14 other members one of whom shall be an Executive
Secretary.
(2) (a) In making appointment into the NSWG, the President shall
include:
(i) representative of extractive industry companies,
(ii) representative of Civil Society,
(iii) representative of Labour Unions in the extractive Industries,
(iv) experts in the extractive industry, and
(v) one member from each of the six geopolitical zones.
(b) the Chairman and other members of NSWG other than the Executive
Secretary shall serve on part-time basis.
(3) The appointment of Executive Secretary shall be for 5 years and no more.
7. A person appointed as a member of the NSWG shall hold office for 4 years and
no more.
8. The members of the NSWG as well as any person appointed to any of its special
committees under section 2 may be paid such allowances out of the funds of the
5
NEITI as the National Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission may
approve.
9. (1) The NSWG shall ordinarily meet quarterly for the dispatch of business at
such times and places as it may determine, but not less than four times in a year.
(2) At every meeting of the NSWG, the Chairman shall preside and in his
absence, a member of the NSWG appointed by the members from among
themselves shall preside.
(3) Questions proposed at a meeting of NSWG shall be determined by a
simple majority of members present and voting and in the event of an equality of
votes, the person presiding shall have a casting vote.
(4) The NSWG may at any time co-opt any person to act as an adviser at any
of its meetings but no person so co-opted shall be entitled to vote at any meeting.
(5) The validity of the proceedings of the NSWG shall not be affected by the
absence of any member, vacancy among its membership or by any defect in the
appointment of any of the members.
10. The quorum of the NSWG at any meeting shall be 8 members.
11. The NSWG may constitute such special committees as it considers fit to deal
different aspects of its responsibilities.
12. (1) The NSWG may create departments and engage the services of such staff
and consultants as it may consider necessary for the NEITI.
(2) The NEITI shall have an Executive Secretary who shall
(a) be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the NSWG
provided he is a graduate with relevant qualifications and at least 10 years cognate
experience;
(b) be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the NEITI; and
(c) serve as Secretary to NSWG.
(3) The staff and consultants of the NEITI may be engaged on such terms and
conditions as the NSWG may determine.
(4) The NSWG shall fix the remunerations, allowances and benefits of the
staff and consultants of the NEITI.
6
(5) (a) The NSWG shall recommend to the President for appointment,
qualified validator line with NEITI guidelines as contained in second schedule to
this Act; and
(b) NSWG shall fix the remunerations, allowances and benefits for the
validators.
13. (1) The funds of the NEITI shall consist of:
(a) such sums as may be provided by the Federal Government and
appropriated by the National Assembly based on the budget submitted by the
NSWG and which shall be released as and when due; and
(b) such sums as may be paid to the NEITI by way of grants,
donations and gifts provided the sources of such grants, donations and gifts are
properly disclosed and not in conflict with the provisions of this Act.
(2) The NEITI shall apply the proceeds of the funds established under section
13 (1) of this Act to the
(a) cost of administration;
(b) payment of salaries, allowances and benefits to members of the NSWG or any
of its committees;
(c) payment of salaries, remunerations, allowances, pensions benefits to officers
and employees for NEITI;
(d) payment of all purchases;
(e) payment for all contracts, including mobilization, fluctuation, variations, legal
fees and cost of contract-administration; and
(f) carrying out of other activities that would promote its objectives which are
connected to all or any of the functions of NEITI under this Act, and
(g) payment for validators.
(3) The Government body of NEITI, the NSWG, shall not later than 30th
September in each year, submit to the President and the National Assembly an
estimate of the expenditure and income of NEITI during the succeeding year and
the NEITI shall cause to be kept proper accounts in respect of each year and
proper records in relation thereto.
14. (1) the NEITI shall cause the account of total revenue which accrued to the
Federal Government from all extractive industry companies, its receipts,
7
payments, assets and liabilities to be audited not later than 6 months after the end
of each year by independent auditors appointed on such terms and conditions as
the NSWG may approve and on the confirmation of the audit, the independent
auditor shall submit the report with comments of the audited entity to the NEITI
which shall cause same to be published for the information of the public, provided
that the contents of such report shall not be published in a manner prejudicial to
the contractual obligations or proprietary interests of the audited entity.
(2) The NEITI shall have power to borrow money from banks with the approval
of NSWG.
(3) The NEITI shall prepare and submit to the President and the National
Assembly not later that 30th September in each year, a report of its activities
during the immediate preceding year, and shall include in such report the audited
accounts of the NEITI for that year and the auditor’s report thereon.
15. (1) the NEITI shall maintain bank accounts, the signatories of which shall be
determined by the NSWG in accordance with the regulation made pursuant
hereto.
(2) The accounts may be opened in such banks as the NSWG may determine.
16. (1) An extractive industry company which
(a) gives false information or report to the Federal Government or its agency
regarding its volume or production, sales and income; or
(b) renders false statement of account of fails to render a statement of account
required under this Act to the Federal Government or its agencies, resulting in the
underpayment of non-payment of revenue accruable to the Federal Government
or statutory recipients commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not
less than N30,000,000.
(2) Where the Extractive industry has been convicted of an offence under subsection
(1) of this section, the court shall, in addition to the penalty prescribed
there under, order the company to pay the actual amount of revenue due to the
Federal Government.
(3) An extractive industry company which delays or refuses to give information or
report under this Act, or willfully or negligently fails to perform its obligations
under this Act, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not less
than N30,000,000.
(4) Without prejudice to subsections (1), and (2) and (3) of this section, the
President may on the recommendation of the NSWG suspend or revoke the
operational license of any extractive industry company which fails to perform its
obligations under this Act.
8
(5) If any extractive industry company commits an offense against the Act, every
Director or other persons concerned in the management of the company commits
the offense and is liable on conviction to not less than 2 years imprisonment or a
fine not less than N5,000,000 unless that person proves that
(a) the offense was committed without his consent or connivance, and
(b) the person exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of
the offense as ought to have been exercised by that person, having regard
to the nature of his functions in that company and to all the circumstance.
(6) A government official who renders false statement of account or fails to
render a statement of account required under this Act to the Federal Government
or its agencies, resulting in the underpayment or non-payment of revenue
accruable to the Federal Government or statutory recipients, commits an offense
and is liable on conviction to not less than 2 years imprisonment or a fine not less
than N5,000,000, unless that person proves that
(a) the offense was committed without his consent or connivance, and
(b) the person exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of
the offense as ought to have been exercised by that person, having regard
to the nature of his functions in that company and to all the circumstance.
17. The NSWG may make regulations as it may consider expedient for the purpose of
giving effect to the provisions of this Act and for regulating any matter that fails
within the scope of the functions of the NEITI.
18. Subject to the provisions of this Act, no suit shall be commenced against NEITI
before the expiration of 30 days after written notice of an intention to commence
the suit shall have been served upon NEITI as a defendant or its agent, and the
notice shall clearly and explicitly state:
(a) the cause of action,
(b) the particulars of the claim,
(c) the names of the legal practitioners representing the plaintiff and their
addresses, and
(d) the relief sought.
19. (1) The Executive Secretary of the NEITI, his officers, employees or agents shall
personally be subject to any action, claim or demand by, or liable to any person in
respect anything done or omitted to be done in the exercise of any function or
power conferred by this Act upon the NEITI or member of the NSWG.
9
(2) A member of the NSWG, the Executive Secretary or any officer of the NEITI
shall be indemnified out of the funds of the NEITI against any liability incurred
by him in defending any proceeding, whether civil or criminal, if the proceeding
is brought against him in his capacity as a member of NSWG, Executive
Secretary, officer or any employee of the NEITI.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the provisions of the Public Officers
Protection Act shall apply in relation to any suit instituted against any officer, or
employee of NEITI or member of the NSWG.
20. A notice, summons, other court process, other documents required or authorized
to be served upon the NEITI under the provisions of this Act, any other law or
enactment shall and be served by delivering it to the Executive Secretary or by
sending it by registered post and addressed to the Executive Secretary at the
principal office of the NEITI.
21. In this Act:
“Extractive Industry Company” means any company in Nigeria that is engaged in
the business of prospecting, mining, extracting, processing and distributing
minerals and gas including oil, gold, coal, tin, bitumen, diamonds, precious stones
and such like, includes
any agency or body responsible for the payment of extractive industry proceeds to
the Federal Government or its Statutory Recipient.
“Federal Government” means the Federal government of Nigeria.
“Government” means the three tiers of the government of Nigeria, including
Federal, State and Local Government, and their respective Ministries, agencies
and departments.
“President” means the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of
Federal Republic of Nigeria;
“Statutory Recipient” means any entity to whom by law, extractive industry
companies or Government are obliged to make payments,
“Extractive Industry Expert” means a person who has spent a minimum of ten
(10) years in a management position in the extractive industry.
“NSWG” means National Stakeholders Working Group.
22. This Act may be cited as the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Act 2007.
10
SCHEDULE Section 2(7)
SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE NIGERIA
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE, ETC.
Proceedings of the Governing Body
1-(1) Subject and section 27 of the Interpretation Act, Cap. 192 LFN, 1990 the NSWG
may make standing order to regulate its proceedings for those of any of its
Committee.
(2) The quorum of the NSWG shall be the Chairman or any other person presiding at
a meeting in his absence and 4 other members of the governing body and the
quorum of any Committee shall be as determined by the governing body.
2-(1) The NSWG shall meet whenever it is summoned by the Chairman and if the
Chairman is required to do so by notice given to him by not less than 4 other
members, he shall summon a meeting of the NSWG to be held within 14 days
from the date on which the notice was given.
(2) At any meeting of the NSWG, the Chairman shall preside but if he is absent, the
members present at the meeting shall appoint one of them to preside at the
meeting.
(3) When the NSWG desire to obtain the advice of any person on a particular matter,
it may co-opt him for such period as it deems fit, but a person who is a member
by virtue of this sub-paragraph shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting of the
NSWG and shall not count towards a quorum.
(4) The NSWG shall ordinarily meet at such times and places as it may determine,
and for not less than four times in a year.
(5) Questions proposed at a meeting of the NSWG shall be determined by a simple
majority of members present and voting, and in the event of an equality of votes,
the Chairman or another person shall have a second or casting vote.
Committees
3-(1) The NSWG may appoint one of more Committee to carry out on its behalf such of
the functions of NEITI as it may determine.
(2) A Committee appointed under this paragraph shall consist of such number of
person as may be determined by the NSWG and a person shall hold office on the
Committee in accordance with the terms of his appointment.
11
(3) A decision of a Committee shall not have effect until it is confirmed by the
NSWG.
Miscellaneous
4-(1) The fixing of the seal NEITI shall be authenticated by the signatures of the
Chairman and Secretary of the NSWG generally.
(2) Any contract or instrument which, if made or executed by a person not being a
body corporate could not be required to be under seal, may be made or executed
on behalf of NEITI by the Secretary of the NSWG generally or any other person
specifically authorized by the NSWG to act for that purpose.
(3) A document purporting to be duly executed under the seal of NEITI shall be
received in evidence and shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to be so
executed.
(4) The validity of any proceeding of the NSWG or of a Committee shall not be
adversely affected by
(a) A vacancy in the membership of the NSWG or a Committee, or
(b) A defect in the appointment of a member of the NSWG or Committee, or
(c) Reason that a person not entitled to do so took part in the proceedings or the
NSWG or Committee.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
'When the Nation Calls' Why I decided to serve in GEJ'S Govt. Nuhu Ribadu
I was greeted to numerous calls and mail yesterday when the administration announced my name as Chairman of the 21-man Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force.
Given my recent political pedigree, many inquirers naturally wanted to understand what was happening, and whether it was true that I was consulted and whether I would accept the offer.
The history of my life is a history of public service, and if we cast a honest gaze back to the recent protests in the wake of the oil subsidy removal, it will be clear to all that the biggest single victory Nigerians scored was to put the question of corruption squarely back on the top of our national policy agenda.
Regardless of our affiliations, our differences, and our engagements, it is at least safe to say that we have a national consensus on the deadly impact of corruption on our march to greatness, and on the capacity of our people, particularly the youth, to earn a decent, promising, life.
If we would effectively isolate and defeat this scourge therefore, we must all see it as a preeminent national security threat. We must see it as a war within our borders, a war that has assumed a systemic and endemic character, but to which all must now urgently enlist with our different capacities, or accept to all go down with the ship.
At this point in my life, it is also easy to answer the honest question if it is inappropriate to invest my modest talents and capacities to my country what I have readily offered many foreign communities, from sister nations in Africa to far flung places like Afghanistan. This, if nothing, makes my decision very personal, freeing all affiliations [social and political] of complicity, but investing the decision also with the unique character that when people reach evaluations in favour of their larger communities, it doesn’t necessarily blemish their moral identity.
This therefore is a national call. In answering it, I go back to the template of my own parents who taught me that honest public service is the greatest asset a person can offer his community. It was the same lesson I learnt from his biographical example when my own father returned home as a federal legislator in Lagos to take job as a local council official in Yola—its all about the community, and it is sometimes bigger than our personal egos.
NUHU RIBADU
AFGHANISTAN
Given my recent political pedigree, many inquirers naturally wanted to understand what was happening, and whether it was true that I was consulted and whether I would accept the offer.
The history of my life is a history of public service, and if we cast a honest gaze back to the recent protests in the wake of the oil subsidy removal, it will be clear to all that the biggest single victory Nigerians scored was to put the question of corruption squarely back on the top of our national policy agenda.
Regardless of our affiliations, our differences, and our engagements, it is at least safe to say that we have a national consensus on the deadly impact of corruption on our march to greatness, and on the capacity of our people, particularly the youth, to earn a decent, promising, life.
If we would effectively isolate and defeat this scourge therefore, we must all see it as a preeminent national security threat. We must see it as a war within our borders, a war that has assumed a systemic and endemic character, but to which all must now urgently enlist with our different capacities, or accept to all go down with the ship.
At this point in my life, it is also easy to answer the honest question if it is inappropriate to invest my modest talents and capacities to my country what I have readily offered many foreign communities, from sister nations in Africa to far flung places like Afghanistan. This, if nothing, makes my decision very personal, freeing all affiliations [social and political] of complicity, but investing the decision also with the unique character that when people reach evaluations in favour of their larger communities, it doesn’t necessarily blemish their moral identity.
This therefore is a national call. In answering it, I go back to the template of my own parents who taught me that honest public service is the greatest asset a person can offer his community. It was the same lesson I learnt from his biographical example when my own father returned home as a federal legislator in Lagos to take job as a local council official in Yola—its all about the community, and it is sometimes bigger than our personal egos.
NUHU RIBADU
AFGHANISTAN
Monday, 6 February 2012
The Firing Squad Joke President GEJ must not read. Written by 'UNKNOWN'
OBJ was the second one placed against the wall. The squad was reassembled and Baba pondered what he had just witnessed. Again before the order was given he yelled out, "Boko Haram, Again the squad fell apart and Baba slipped over the wall.
The last person, GEJ was placed against the wall. He was thinking, "I see the pattern here, just scream out something about a disaster and hop over the wall." He confidently refused the blindfold as the firing squad was reassembled. As the rifles were raised in his direction he grinned from ear to ear and yelled, "Fire!"
Thursday, 2 February 2012
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