Who doesn't know Emeka Ike? The Nollywood lover boy/badboy is one of the stars you must have missed on your TV screen for quite a while due to the alleged lull in the industry. Morakinyo Olugbiji had a chat with the father of three in Lagos on Sallah Day.
It's been quite a while I saw u feature in a new movie,
No body is making any movie in Nigeria at the moment and that's why you have not seen me featured in any lately. I'm trying to re-strategize. Part's of the problem has to do with the problem in AGN and I'm hoping that once the court delivers its judgment, I will take back my position in AGN as President. Then, we will restructure everything in order to restore the industry back to its rightful place.
So you are still in the AGN struggle?
Yes, the struggle is not over until it's over. I and my team are a law abiding people and for us the only way to go about issues that bother around legality and illegality is to go to court. any other measure you take is illegal and criminal and not acceptable. And as we speak now, there is Status Quo the court has ordered that nobody should do business with anybody parading himself as AGN's president. So, having anything to do with anyone claiming to be the president of AGN is doing so at his or her own risk pending when the court will determine the right president of AGN.
What i hear every now and then is that the movie industry is undergoing a lull, what's your opinion?
One can not underestimate that fact. Nollywood is not undergoing a lull as a matter of fact, the industry is dead right now. if you know how much Nollywood has been trampled upon you will know that there is no movie made right now that is structured on the Nollywood you and i use to know. What you see going on right now are perhaps the small boys around the industry in those days making some of the few movies you have around now. They love the art and since they have not been given any chance decide to call their friends together to do some low budget films. They try to feature a couple of known faces. They are just trying to sustain the business that has been crippled, bastardized, trampled upon and hijacked.
You have been known to always play a bad boy or lover boy role, but i think you are getting more matured even though the look is still there, will your roles in movie change now should a script come your way?
Well like you said, it's true that I'm looking more matured. I will also want you to know that I have now broken into Hollywood too. Talking about the roles I use to play, if i still look the role why then can't I play the role? I just came back from one of the sets of a movie which i did in Hollywood with Hakeem Kazeem who starred in Hotel Rwanda, Jimmy Lewis of PHAT Girls and a host of other top Hollywood personalities. It's titled "Feat of Destiny." It also featured Kera O'Brian of Law and Order. She was my girlfriend and manager in the movie...
You said that Nollywood is dead; don't you think that is too much of a conclusion?
It is dead! By every instrument of measurement Nollywood is dead. If you are an industry that produced a hundred movies monthly in the past and now you don't make seven movies in a month then you have a problem; that's 7/100. That's a failure. Forget the fact that a few like Desmond Elliot, Uche Jumbo, Monalisa Chinda, Stephanie Okereke, Emem Isong and a few others are trying to release movies. Theirs is just a solo struggle of some artistes who love what they do. You see, those are not even producers; they are the talents. So at the end of the day, the real producers themselves are not making movies any more. Where are the likes of Chico Ejiro, Zeb Ejiro, Fred Amata, Paul Obasele, Jetta Amata, Teco Benson, Fidelis Duker and others? I heard the other day where Chico Ejiro was saying 'people are now going to the Cinemas and the industry is churning out good films', but ask him, which movie has he taken to Cinema in 10 years? They said Paul Obasele is doing Eko Festival or whatever, what film has he produced in the last ten years? These people are no longer making any input to the industry and that's negatively affecting the industry, yet they are the producers. The industry is being manipulated by a few who know how the industry works and have decided to joined forces to go to the government in the name of representing Nollywood without even letting others know about their acts. That's criminal. So by now you should know that Nollywood has stopped making movies in Lagos . That's basically why we've not heard Idumota or Ebinpejo Lane on your TV in a long time. So that's how long it was for Lagos . Equally, Onitsha ; Iweka Road , Pound Road and others. That's how long it was for that area. The only few people in business now are the Yoruba film makers. And they need to really watch it before they start to face the same problem the Igbo movie makers are facing. Also government was part of the killing. When the existing Nigerian Film Censorship Board Chairman rose up one day and say that if you are a distributor of movies, stop distributing until you pay me 5million Naira. That was a red alert. He scared them away. Now, what you have now are people watching DSTV Africa Magic yet everyone was watching, no body talked. The movie industry Emeka Mba met in its buoyancy; he came in as the DG of film censorship board and killed it. Do you know that Emeka Mba was the content provider for Africa Magic?
So I guess it's no longer accurate to say Nollywood is the second largest producers of movies as UNESCO positioned it?
We are number two because at the time UNESCO gave us that recognition and that was exactly the time the industry was about going down. You know, we started dying when Africa Magic entered the business. My colleagues were not in the know of what was going on; they kept wearing dark shades and blowing big grammars on the pages of newspapers.' Africa Magic is wonderful, it's this, it's that, blah, blah, blah.' but today, Africa Magic has taken their product to their end users. Do you get the logic? The man that buys the 'Akara' (bean cake) doesn't come to buy from you again, he goes to somebody else to buy the Akara which you produce yet you don't get the money. That's how the death of Nollywood started. Now, Africa Magic's networking has gone round the whole of Africa and beyond. And because the film censors board helmsman is getting returns from Africa Magic, there is no way the exploitation can stop. How can HiTV pay royalty when Emeka Mba is perhaps a friend of HiTV? Almost everybody handling the regulation of the Nigerian film industry is there to play politics and embezzled as much as they can.
Now the image of the country which we've managed all these years has been rubbished, misconstrued, maligned, disgraced and tarnished. What do i mean by that? Now, they make movies on Africa Magic where you have South-Africans answering Nigeria names and acting the roles. And the sad thing about it is that they are treating Nigeria 's core Niger Delta Issues. You hear them using their South-Africa accent to say that Nigerian leaders are corrupt. And I'm asking, what's the DG of the Nigerian censorship board doing? There is a movie on MNET called Jacob's, Trouble or what do they call it where they discussed the Niger Delta issues and I'm wondering who vetted that script. What's the rebranding Nigerian message in that script? An Emeka Ike or any other major Nigerian actor will avoid rubbish the image laundering effort of the government but the country is the case in this movies i just mentioned. Dora Akunyili or Goodluck Jonathan cannot see everything, but he has placed somebody there who has refused to do is job. And the likes of us are not involved in the politics going on so there is little or nothing we can do. We don't even get royalties but go to Ghana, there people are being paid their royalties.
Talking about the 200million dollars promise from Jonathan, what do you think?
Talking about that promise being relistic, i don't want to argue it now. I want to believe that the president did what he did in good faith. In every country of the world there is money set aside for the entertainment industry. Now when you have a movie project that we further contribute to the development of the country, the government we assist you with part of the budget already set aside. They do that in South-Africa. if the same thing is what is going to happen , beautiful! but my only grouse about it is that i don't know if President Goodluck Jonathan gave that money to his brother Ben Bruce because he kept saying 'my brother Ben Bruce.' Also my question is who and who represented Nollywood that day? Even if there is a crisis in Nollywood letters should be sent to some core Nollywood stakeholders so we will know who is collecting the money on behalf of the industry
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“He who comes into equity must come with clean hands”. But it appears Nigeria`s former attorney general; Michael Kasse Aondoakaa assumed office with unclean hands and while in office, he entangled himself in unethical practices, thus prompting the world largest drug manufacturing company Pfizer, to blackmail him into settling lawsuits brought against Pfizer, stemming from medical tests with the oral antibiotic Trovan conducted on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996 or risk exposure.
According to Pfizer Country Manager Enrico Liggeri,
“Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to Federal Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa to expose him and put pressure on him to drop the federal cases”. ...
‘Pfizer's investigators were passing this information to local media, XXXXXXXXXXXX”.
“A series of damaging articles detailing Aondoakaa's "alleged" corruption ties were published in February and March”.
“Pfizer had much more damaging information on Aondoakaa and that Aondoakaa's cronies were pressuring him to drop the suit for fear of further negative articles”
Entire Text:
Monday, 20 April 2009, 16:00
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000671
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO USTR-AGAMA
DEPT PASS USAID AFR/SD FOR CURTIS AND ATWOOD
BAGHDAD FOR DUNDAS MCCULLOUGH
TREASURY FOR PETERS, IERONIMO AND HALL
DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS AND 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/CREED
EO 12958 DECL: 04/20/2034
TAGS ECON, EINV, EAID, ETRD, PGOV, NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: PFIZER REACHES PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT FOR
A $75 MILLION SETTLEMENT
Classified By: Economic Counselor Robert Tansey for reasons 1.4(B&D)
1.(C) Summary. In an April 2 meeting with the Ambassador, Pfizer lawyers Joe Petrosinelli and Atiba Adams reported that Pfizer and the Kano State government had reached a preliminary settlement on lawsuits arising from medical tests conducted with Trovan (oral antibiotic) on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996. Petrosinelli said Pfizer has agreed to the Kano State Attorney General's (AG) settlement offer of $75 million, including a $10 million payment for legal fees, $30 million to the Kano State government, and $35 million for the participants and families. According to Adams, several final details need to be worked out on the mechanism for payment. Pfizer strongly recommends setting up a $35 million trust fund for the participants to be administered by a neutral third party and for the $30 million for the Kano State government to be used for improving health care in the state. Pfizer underscored that the Nigerian representatives wanted lump sum checks and that Pfizer is concerned with potential transparency issues. The next step is a meeting between high-level Pfizer officials and Nigerian side at a neutral location to work out the final details. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) On April 2 Pfizer lawyers Joe Petrosinelli and Atiba Adams and Pfizer Nigeria Country Director Enrico Liggeri met with the Ambassador and EconDep to discuss the status of settlement negotiations. Four lawsuits were brought against Pfizer stemming from medical tests with the oral antibiotic Trovan conducted on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996. In Kano State Court there is one civil suit and one criminal case and in the Federal High Court there is one civil suit and one criminal case. Since 2006, Petrosinelli and Adams have been briefing the Mission on the status of the cases.
Settlement Reached
3. (C) Petrosinelli reported that Pfizer had tentatively reached "an agreement in principle" on the Kano AG's settlement offer of $75 million. Adams explained that the parties agreed that the $75 million would be broken down as follows - a $10 million payment for legal fees; $30 million to the Kano State government; and $35 million to participants and families. Petrosinelli noted, that Pfizer has worked closely with former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon and that he has played a positive mediation role with Kano State and the federal government. Petrosinelli said Gowon also spoke with Kano State Governor Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who directed the Kano AG to reduce the settlement demand from $150 million to $75 million. Adams reported that Gowon met with President Yar'Adua and convinced him to drop the two federal high court cases against Pfizer. (Comment: In 1966 Gowon became the head of state following a military coup that deposed Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi who had come to power via an earlier military coup. He was head of state from 1966 to 1975. He now plays an elder statesman role in Nigerian politics. End Comment.)
More Discussions Needed
4.(C) According to Adams, details need to be worked out on the mechanism for payments to the Kano State government and participants because Pfizer is unwilling to give a lump sum payment. Pfizer is concerned with transparency issues and is pushing for a $35 million trust fund for the participants to be administered by a neutral third party and the remaining $30 million to be used for improving health care in Kano state. Pfizer underscored that the Nigerian representatives were pushing for lump sum checks and Pfizer will not agree to that. Pfizer is considering rebuilding Kano's Infectious Disease Hospital where the trial was conducted and working with health care nongovernmental organizations. Adams suggested that the trust fund for participants be administered by a neutral third party because he expects "additional" participants to come forward after they hear about the settlement. The Ambassador suggested Pfizer work with NGOs already working in Kano State and for Pfizer to consider working with local NGO implementing partners that the USG has used because of their transparency record.ABUJA 00000671 002 OF 002EconDep provided Pfizer a copy of the U.S.-Nigeria Framework for Partnership document as a guide for existing projects and partners in Kano. Petrosinelli explained that the next step was a meeting at a neutral location between high-level Pfizer officials and the Nigerian side to work out final details and conclude the settlement.
Pfizer Exposes Attorney General
5.(C) In follow up to the April 2 meeting, EconDep met with Pfizer Country Manager Enrico Liggeri in Lagos on April 9. (Note: Liggeri has years of experience in Nigeria because his family operated a business in Lagos from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. He spent most of his childhood in Lagos. End Note.) Liggeri said Pfizer was not happy settling the case, but had come to the conclusion that the $75 million figure was reasonable because the suits had been ongoing for many years costing Pfizer more than $15 million a year in legal and investigative fees. According to Liggeri, Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to Federal Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa to expose him and put pressure on him to drop the federal cases. He said Pfizer's investigators were passing this information to local media, XXXXXXXXXXXX. A series of damaging articles detailing Aondoakaa's "alleged" corruption ties were published in February and March. Liggeri contended that Pfizer had much more damaging information on Aondoakaa and that Aondoakaa's cronies were pressuring him to drop the suit for fear of further negative articles. 6.(C) Liggeri commented that the lawsuits were wholly political in nature because the NGO Doctors Without Borders administered Trovan to other children during the 1996 meningitis epidemic and the Nigerian government has taken no action. He underscored that the suit has had a "chilling effect" on international pharmaceutical companies because companies are no longer willing to conduct clinical testing in Nigeria. Liggeri opined that when another outbreak occurs no company will come to Nigeria's aid.
7.(C) Comment: Pfizer's image in Nigeria has been damaged due to this ongoing case. Pfizer's management considers Nigeria a major growth market for its products and having this case behind it will help in efforts to rebuild its image here. Final discussions on the $30 million and $35 million are likely to be tricky because the Nigerian side wants to control who gets the money, not Pfizer. The U.S. Mission will continue to advocate for transparency in settling the case and also note to GON authorities that Pfizer must abide by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and cannot simple hand over large sums of money to state and local officials. Petrosinelli and Adams will get back to the Mission on what further assistance may be needed. End Comment. 8.(U)
This cable was coordinated with ConGen Lagos. SANDERS
Security agents recover 16 DDC machines – INEC •Police quiz clearing agent •Presidency summons FAAN MD, Aviation Minister, others | Print | E-mail Written by Jacob Segun Olatunji, Shola Adekola and Kolawole Daniel, with Agency Report Friday, 10 December 2010 SECURITY agents have recovered 16 of the stolen Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines reportedly carted away by unknown gunmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while some arrests have been made over the incident. In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the chairman of INEC, Kayode Idowu, the commission declared that adequate security had been made around the remaining DDC machines at the airport to safeguard further stealing of the equipment meant for the compilation of voter register scheduled for next month. The statement revealed that 20 machines were stolen on Tuesday at the airport out of a total of 6,000 brought into the country by Zinox Technologies Ltd., the contractor that handled the procurement of the equipment. It stated that concerted efforts were being made by the appropriate security agents to recover the outstanding four while a manhunt had also been launched for the perpetrators of the crime. The commission, however, assured Nigerians that the voter registration scheduled to be held from January 15 to 29 2011 would go ahead as planned despite the incident while no stone would be left unturned to frustrate the perpetrators and their collaborators from using the stolen DDC machines to cause havoc in the system. The commission, therefore, urged all eligible Nigerians to turn out en masse for the planned voter registration. Meanwhile, the presidency, on Thursday summoned the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Fidelia Njeze and the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Richard Aisuebeogun, and other relevant government bodies to explain how the alleged theft of the DDC machines happened Following the sudden call, the ministerial briefing scheduled to be held on Thursday was postponed. According to information gathered, they were summoned to Aso Rock to explain their roles at the airport. The development came even as the Police Commissioner, Airport Command, Mr Moses Onireti, who said they were informed by FAAN of the incident said that before the incident airport police were not responsible for manning the Gate 3 through which the INEC machines were carted away, blaming FAAN for not allowing the airport police to have access to the gate. According to a police officer who asked not to be named, “the biggest problem is that FAAN would not allow police to be posted to that area, we only received a letter from FAAN on Thursday that some pallets containing INEC materials got missing at the tarmac, it is that bad.” Corroborating this, the airport police commissioner declared: “The police don’t have access to the place, we have just received a letter from Service Solutions, the clearing agent for INEC, that we should send officers to that area at some given dates when those INEC materials would be arriving.” Onireti said a clearing agent had been invited for questining over the missing INEC machines at the airport. Onireti told newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport that the clearing agent, Service Solution, was an agent to Zinox Technology Company, a contractor to the INEC. The police commissioner said the agent was invited along with officials of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Sky Power Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL), to assist the police in their investigation. He explained that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) formally informed the command in a letter on Wednesday that some pallets containing INEC materials were missing. At the Service Solution office at airport on Thursday, there was nobody to talk to the press as the receptionist claimed “they have all gone to the tarmac.” An official of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on the incident, said though NAHCO was not officially contacted to handle the cargo, it handled the aircraft. “ We don’t have anything to do with the cargo, we only unloaded from the aircraft,” the NAHCO official added. Also, The House of Representatives on Thursday ordered the Nigeria Police, the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Customs Service, Technologies Zinox and NAHCO to immediately investigate and recover the alleged stolen imported first batch of the DDC machines. The order came after Honourable John Halims Agoda, (Ethiope Federal Constituency) moved a motion on the stolen DDC machines at the House of Representatives plenary session, telling his colleagues that “the airport incident is an eye opener to INEC on possibilities of man, and a litmus test on its preparedness to protect its integrity built on public trust of its leadership.” Honourable Agoda equally asked his colleagues to be “conscious of the grave implications of the theft of the DDC machines on the new face of the INEC as that which would not accommodate tendencies which could tar its credibility with doubts as to its mission to deliver to Nigerians, a clean and sparkling election.”
Another leaked cable published by WikiLeaks on its website revealed the web of intrigues that surrounded the rushed return of the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to the country from Saudi Arabia in February and how the US asked then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The cable further revealed how the US requested that Professor Maurice Iwu be asked to proceed on terminal leave as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in return for technical assistance from America for the electoral process in Nigeria.
Shell's top executive in Nigeria told US diplomats that Shell had seconded employees to every relevant department and so knew "everything that was being done in those ministries".
She also reportedly boasted that the government had "forgotten" about the extent of Shell's infiltration and were unaware of how much the company knew about its deliberations.
The cache of secret dispatches from Washington's embassies in Africa also revealed that the Anglo-Dutch oil firm swapped intelligence with the US, in one case providing US diplomats with the names of Nigerian politicians it suspected of supporting militant activity, and requesting information from the US on whether the militants had acquired anti-aircraft missiles...
The revelation about Shell in Nigeria, campaigners believe, demonstrated the tangled links between the oil firm and politicians in the country.
Cables from Nigeria show how Ann Pickard, then Shell's vice-president for sub-Saharan Africa, sought to share intelligence with the US government on militant activity and business competition in the contested Niger Delta - and how, with some prescience, she seemed reluctant to open up because of a suspicion the US government was "leaky".
But that did not prevent Pickard disclosing the company's reach into the Nigerian government when she met US ambassador Robin Renee Sanders, as recorded in a confidential memo from the US embassy in Abuja on 20 October 2009.
At the meeting, Pickard related how the company had obtained a letter showing that the Nigerian government had invited bids for oil concessions from China. She said the minister of state for petroleum resources, Odein Ajumogobia, had denied the letter had been sent but Shell knew similar correspondence had taken place with China and Russia.
According to the British newspaper, the ambassador reported: "She said the GON [government of Nigeria] had forgotten that Shell had seconded people to all the relevant ministries and that Shell consequently had access to everything that was being done in those ministries."
The WikiLeaks disclosure was seized on by campaigners as evidence of Shell's vice-like grip on the country's oil wealth. "Shell and the government of Nigeria are two sides of the same coin," said Celestine AkpoBari, programme officer for Social Action Nigeria.
"Shell is everywhere. They have an eye and an ear in every ministry of Nigeria. They have people on the payroll in every community, which is why they get away with everything. They are more powerful than the Nigerian government."
Dr. Levi Ajuonoma, a spokesman of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said: "Shell does not control the government of Nigeria and has never controlled the government of Nigeria. This cable is the mere interpretation of one individual. It is absolutely untrue, an absolute falsehood and utterly misleading. It is an attempt to demean the government and we will not stand for that. I don't think anybody will lose sleep over it."
Pickard also said Shell had learned from the British government details of Russian energy company Gazprom's ambitions to enter the Nigerian market. In June last year, Gazprom signed a $2.5 billion deal with NNPC to build refineries, pipelines and gas power stations.
Shell put a request to the US consulate for potentially sensitive intelligence about its possible rival, which she said had secured a promise from the Nigerian government of access to 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas - roughly a tenth of Nigeria's entire reserves. "Pickard said that amount of gas was only available if the GON were to take concessions currently assigned to other oil companies and give them to Gazprom. She assumed Shell would be the GON's prime target." Pickard alleged that a conversation with a Nigerian government minister had been secretly recorded by the Russians. Shortly after the meeting in the minister's office she received a verbatim transcript of the meeting "from Russia", according to the memo.
The cable concludes with the observation that the oil executive had tended to be guarded in discussion with US officials. "Pickard has repeatedly told us she does not like to talk to USG [US government] officials because the USG is 'leaky'." She may be concerned that ... bad news about Shell's Nigerian operations will leak out."
The newspaper reported that Shell declined to comment on the allegations, saying: "You are seeking our views on a leaked cable allegedly containing information about a private conversation involving a Shell representative, but have declined to share this cable or to permit us sufficient time to obtain information from the person you say took part in the conversation on the part of Shell. In view of this, we cannot comment on the alleged contents of the cable, including the correctness or incorrectness of any statements you say it contains."
WikiLeaks has also published details of Jonathan's dilemma as Acting President in the last days of the late President Yar'Adua and the roles played by prominent Nigerians, especially former head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, in trying to stabilise the polity following the prolonged ailment of Yar'Adua who eventually died in May 2010.
The leaked cable by the US ambassador to Nigeria at the time, Dr. Robin Sanders, is published in detail below.
SUMMARY
#1. (C) Ambassador met February 26 with Acting President (AgP) Dr. Goodluck Jonathan at the Vice President's official residence, Aguda House, in Abuja to review the current political situation following the return earlier this week of ailing President Yar'Adua. Moves are afoot, between Jonathan and key northerners in the lead such as former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, to encourage the Yar'Adua family to let go and let the President resign with dignity. This will allow Jonathan to serve as interim President until elections and also allow him to designate a vice president. Given the dysfunctional level of the current Cabinet, Jonathan said that once this happens, he will dissolve the cabinet, after consulting with the Council of State. Both moves, he believes, will appease Northern politicians, as he suspects that more northerners will support the resignation idea. Jonathan claims he wants to do a good job over the next 12 months, and leave a legacy of credible elections, electoral reform, including replacing the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) chairman and all of the commissioners. He promised the Ambassador that he would look at her suggestion of using terminal leave for the INEC chairman, which could have him out earlier than June. The Acting President also agreed to allow U.S.-UK technical assistance to help improve the voter registry and provide for a parallel vote tabulation. He expects things to calm down in the next 10-14 days, will not leave the country until things are resolved, and has opened channels with the military. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was leaving Jonathan's private office when Ambassador was entering. End Summary.
WHO'S IN CHARGE?
#2. (C) Jonathan told the Ambassador "everyone's confused" about who is in charge of Nigeria. There has been an increase in the level of uncertainty in the internal political situation following ailing President Yar'Adua's return, which was shrouded in secrecy, during the early hours February 24. The AgP said he was "unhappy" that the first statement issued following Yar'Adua's return referred to Jonathan as "Vice President." The GON issued a second statement February 25 that reversed course and refers to Jonathan as the Acting President. Jonathan said that the Villa received a lot of pressure to correct this error so that the lines of leadership and executive direction were clear.
#3. (C) The AgP lamented, "This terrible situation in the country today has been created by four people: Turai Yar'Adua [the ailing President's wife], his Chief Security Officer (CSO) [Yusuf Mohammed Tilde], his Aide-de-Camp (ADC)[Col. Mustapha Onoedieva] and Professor Tanimu Yakubu [Yar'Adua's Chief Economic Advisor]." The AgP said he does not know their motives, but expected it was likely for nefarious purposes. He added Minister of Agriculture Abba Ruma and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Adamu Aliero had provided a second-tier of layering to the bubble surrounding Yar'Adua. The AgP noted that "people are angry," and did not want to allow those surrounding Yar'Adua to replicate the control and access similar to what they had done in Jeddah for the past three months.
#4. (C) Jonathan said the CSO and ADC saw him separately to let him know that they did not intend to mistreat the AgP and expressed their willingness to work with him (which the AgP doubts). The AgP said he told them both "then the best thing is to stop the charade." The AgP told the Ambassador he believes Yar'Adua is in a semi-comatose state without an understanding of what is going on around him.
ENCOURAGE PRESIDENT TO RESIGN
#5. (C) The AgP said that Former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who according to Jonathan has become one of his closest advisors, worked out a strategy where he would reach out to other former Nigerian Heads of State, including former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, to approach those closest to Yar'Adua, especially his wife Turai, to try to convince them that the best, and most dignified step to take for the country and for Yar'Adua as a human being would be for the President to resign. This action would constitutionally make Jonathan Nigeria's President. Doing such would also be easier than convincing two-thirds of the 42-member Federal Executive Committee (FEC) to declare the ailing President "physically incapacitated and medically unfit" to continue in the office of the Presidency. Jonathan said he and his wife, Patience, visited Turai as a humanistic gesture to express their best wishes for the recovery of Yar'Adua and out of respect for his ailing boss. The AgP said under no circumstances did he want Turai to come to his official residence.
#6. (C) Once Yar'Adua resigns and Jonathan becomes interim President, he said he would choose a Vice President that could appease the Northerners by working with them to identify a candidate. AgP Jonathan also shared that until Yar'Adua resigns, and things come down he would not leave the country. (N.B. This is in reference to the POTUS invitation to attend the April 12-13 Nuclear Security Summit). The issue of identifying a northerner as a vice presidential candidate, Jonathan underscored this appears to be the thing most on the minds of the northerners as they feel cheated out of the Presidency with Yar'Adua's illness.
FEARS ABOUT MILITARY
#7. (C) Jonathan said "everyone, including the Army Chief of Staff (COAS) [LTG Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau] and Chief of the President Guards Brigade [BG Abdul Mustapha]" are concerned about the confusion over who is the executive of the nation. The AgP said the military chiefs are making sure no politicians are reaching out to the rank-and-file, and encouraging the military to stay in the barracks so that the uncertain political situation does not generate coup-like behavior emanating from the mid-ranks because of the confusion. As the Ambassador began her meeting with the Acting President, he had just concluded a meeting with COAS LTG Dambazau (see reftel A for Ambassador's conversation with the COAS February 24).
USG ADVICE: BECOME A NATIONAL FIGURE
#8. (C) Based on points developed telephonically with Assistant Secretary Carson (ref B), Ambassador encouraged Jonathan to change the perception that he is a regional figure, and be seen, rather, as a national figure who has the best interest of the nation at heart. Ambassador expressed that given that the U.S. and Nigeria are very best friends, we feel the need to share our concerns, as any good friend would do, and that we are counting on him to steer Nigeria through this troubled and uncertain period. At the moment, Jonathan's detractors believe he is a surrogate for former President Obasanjo. Ambassador advised the AgP that he needs to publicly demonstrate that he is the sole executor of national issues, not being directed or serving a political purpose for Obasanjo or others, so that his leadership would not be in question and the polity would accept that he had the best interest of nation at hand. The AgP said he appreciated our advice, including publicly holding Obasanjo at arms length. He said he would consider taking steps, including possibly convoking the entire diplomatic corps to brief them on the current political climate, using this and other events to demonstrate that he is his own man, and diminish the appearance he is a regional leader.
#9. (C) Jonathan noted that the Northern politicians would always be uncomfortable with him as president, and he understood the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) picked him as Yar'Adua's running mate in 2007 because he represented the Niger Delta. Jonathan said he was handling Niger Delta issues until the Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs was created in September 2008, allowing him to distance himself from being viewed as someone who could only work on that issue. "I was not chosen to be Vice President because I had good political experience," he said. "I did not. There were a lot more qualified people around to be Vice President, but that does not mean I am not my own man." However, he said, with the changed circumstances, the AgP said that his sole focus is to leave a legacy of both electoral reform and credible elections, including changing the entire Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The AgP said he was appreciative of the Ambassador's remarks made during the National Day reception February 25 and Assistant Secretary Carson's February 24 statement because both provided him with the courage to press forward.
#10. (C) Jonathan shared initially, he had the intention to dissolve the Cabinet early the week of February 22, and had planned to make that announcement at the February 24 FEC meeting, but found out that Yar'Adua was returning, and thus dissuaded him from acting. He said the last Cabinet meeting was disastrous and included yelling and screaming, and it is totally dysfunctional. He said he is "not a politician" and had very limited experience as an administrator, but concluded, "I will not tolerate a brawl." Jonathan said he will dissolve the Cabinet once he knows people are more comfortable with him being the Acting President or if the current strategy to convince Yar'Adua surrogates and family members to allow the ailing president to resign.
ELECTORAL REFORM AND INEC
#11. (C) Jonathan agreed to the USG offer of technical assistance to review and update Nigeria's national voter registry and funding for a Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT). The AgP asked us for a letter formally offering this assistance (NB: we are providing to him today). The Ambassador noted the technical assistance could begin as early as the end of March with his approval (which he gave) with software installed that can assist with cleaning up the voter registry.
#12. (C) On the INEC Chairman, Ambassador told the AgP that the USG would not continue any election assistance if [Professor Maurice] Iwu remains on seat after June 2010. She described the meeting between A/S Carson and Iwu, noting the latter showed no signs of respect for good governance. The AgP said he understood the USG would not be able to continue providing technical assistance if the current INEC chairman remains beyond his five-year mandate that ends in June 2010. Ambassador raised the issue of using Iwu's terminal leave to get him out sooner. The AgP said he would ask the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to inquire if the current chair could take terminal leave, which could have him out as soon as next month. Jonathan again said that once he solidifies his position as Acting President or President, and that once the political environment is less uncertain, he would begin taking steps to replace all thirteen of INEC's commissioners, and work toward replacing Iwu earlier than June provided he can confirm the amount of terminal leave Iwu has. However, the AgP noted this would not be easy, but he is committed to seeing this through.
#13. (C) Jonathan said he does not anticipate standing for elections in 2011 and that he is not working towards being a presidential candidacy. He wants to put into place an electoral structure that will be ready for national elections. He did, however, note that, "if they want me to run, that will be something to consider at that time." However, he stressed that his focus now and for the next 12 months will be on "doing a good job and witnessing respectable and credible elections in 2011."
FIRM UP THE PARTNERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISM
#14. (S) Ambassador raised with the AgP the case of Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed (aka "Talha"). Talha was indicted earlier this week in New York on terrorism charges. Nigeria's State Security Service (SSS) was about to release Talha onto an international flight before Nigerian police intervened and took him into custody. Ambassador underscored that the SSS' close call in violating an Interpol Red Notice would not be helpful in making the case for Nigeria's removal from the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration List of "Countries of Concern." Ambassador also asked that SSS appear as witnesses when requested to demonstrate Nigeria remains a partner to the U.S. in the international fight against terrorism. She added that at least at the Director level, SSS not only knew about the Interpol notice, but simply said they did not want to hold him any longer. Ambassador added that the GON police forces did the right thing and stepped in to block the suspect from boarding the plane. He is now in police custody. Ambassador officially requested that he be turned over to the FBI agents here to escort him to the U.S. to stand trial.
#15. (S) The AgP said he would call in SSS Director General Gadzama to clarify the security agency's role in Talha's near-release and that if the three SSS officers implicated had taken such action without authorization, they would face serious implications, including termination. Ambassador also took the opportunity to request Jonathan stop repeating that the December 25 attempting bombing case involving Nigerian Abdulmutallab was an "one-off aberration" and that Nigeria indeed does have foreign terrorist links and elements operating in country, as exemplified by Talha.
COMMENT
#16. (C) After two days of uncertainty, that included signals of competing heads of state emanating from the dueling titular references within a Villa press release, it appears that Jonathan has plans to firmly take the reigns of the presidency, with the support from key northerners and the senior leadership of the military. As the Ambassador stepped out of her meeting, at least two Ministers and a Governor were waiting to consult with the Acting President. The Acting President's bottom line is that he would do his best in the job in the next twelve months. He also wanted to ensure we understood he would "not be manipulated by anyone." We believe the USG is firmly placed to advance our bilateral agenda, including the creation of an environment conducive to free, fair, and credible elections with the approval and assistance of Nigeria's de facto head of state. Even if he decides to contest for the presidency, Jonathan seems sincere in wanting to leave a lasting legacy of electoral reform for Africa's most populous nation. It is always hard to judge how some will behave (or surprise you) when leadership is unexpectedly thrown in their lap. The verdict is out on Jonathan and his previously underwhelming personality and performance needs to keep us in the cautious lane, but so far, so good. Things are quiet. The COAS is doing the right things. Jonathan is reaching out to key respected northerners, like Abdulsalami, which we see as a good thing. Our next steps should be to continue to encourage the AgP on the right path; help on the push back on Obasanjo through former and current USG officials; and, if the drum beat calling for the ailing President to resign picks up speed, we should ensure that we indicate our support for this given that it probably the best thing for the country. End Comment. SANDERS
SHELL LEAKS
Royal Dutch Shell had infiltrated key Nigerian ministries, giving it access to politicians' every move in the oil-rich nation, the Guardian said, citing U.S.
diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.
The oil giant's top executive in Nigeria, Ann Pickard, told U.S. diplomats
in Abuja in October 2009 that Shell had obtained secret information,
including a letter showing Nigeria had invited bids for oil concessions
from China.
"She said the GON (government of Nigeria) had forgotten that Shell had seconded people to all the relevant ministries
and that Shell consequently had access to everything that was being done
in those ministries," U.S. Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders was quoted by
the Guardian as saying in a cable to Washington...
Nigeria is Africa's top oil exporter, and its energy industry has been dominated
for decades by international oil firms such as Exxon Mobil, Total and
Shell.
But oil production has been plagued by years of attacks on vulnerable pipelines and platforms by militant groups in the Niger
Delta, which increased in intensity from mid-2006 until an amnesty last
year brought a halt to sabotage attacks.
The Guardian said Pickard, according to a September 2008 cable from the U.S. consulate in
Lagos, had sought to share intelligence with the U.S. government on
militant activity, which at its peak shut down a quarter of Nigeria's
oil output.
"She claimed Shell has 'intelligence' that one to three surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) may have been shipped to Nigerian
militant groups, although she seemed somewhat sceptical of that
information and wondered if such sensitive systems would last long in
the harsh environment of the Niger Delta."
Ironically, the Shell executive expressed wariness about discussing sensitive issues with U.S. officials.
"Picard has repeatedly told us she does not like to talk to U.S. government
(USG) officials because the USG is 'leaky'," the leaked memo said.
No one at Royal Dutch Shell was available for comment early on Thursday.
By Oyetunji Abioye
Thursday, 9 Dec 2010
The porous nature of the nation’s airports has again been laid bare as some of the Direct Data Capture machines for the registration of voters for the 2011 elections were allegedly stolen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Sources at the airport, who made this known to our correspondent on Wednesday, did not give the number of units that was stolen. But they said the incident took place on Monday night at the Cargo Terminal of MMIA.
They also claimed that the machines were awaiting clearance by Independent National Electoral Commission agent when the theft took place.
The Spokesman for the Airport Command of the Nigerian Police Force, Mr. Benedict Ifeanyi, confirmed the incident.
He said the police and other security agencies had commenced an investigation into the matter.
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, the ground handling firm which offloaded the cargo, was yet to make official report on the incident as at 10pm on Wednesday.
He said, “As at now, I can’t tell you the quantity that was stolen, neither will I be able to tell you who was and who was not on duty and not on duty when the incident happened.
“We can’t tell now whose fault it is whether it was the Nigeria Customs Service or the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria or the airline or the ground handling firm. All that will be determined when NAHCO makes an official report.”
Our correspondent gathered that the Nigerian Customs Service Area Comptroller, Military Airport Commandant and the Director of the State Security Service were at the Cargo Terminal on Wednesday to examine the remaining machines at the ramp.
An indigenous Information Technology company, Zinox Technologies Limited, had brought in 14,000 units of the DDC machines from China and Dubai, on Sunday.
The quantity is part of the 80,000 units of the electronic equipment the company was given contract to supply by INEC.
Two other companies— Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation of China and Avante of United States— also won contracts to supply 30,000 and 22,000 units respectively .
Efforts by our correspondent to get the clearing agent, identified as Services Solutions Limited, to comment on the alleged theft of the machines were not successful.
An official at the Cargo Terminal of the MMIA, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, also confirmed that some of the DDC machines had been stolen.
He said, “Three shipments have arrived so far. The first one arrived earlier. The second one arrived on Sunday evening while the third one came in at about 5:10am on Monday morning.
“We arrived office on Tuesday morning and discovered that some parts of the last two shipments had been removed.”
It was gathered that the equipment were offloaded by NAHCO Plc and that Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited was to warehouse them pending their clearance.
The NAHCO spokesperson , Ms Bekky IJyuse, who also confirmed the incident , said that although the company (NAHCO) offloaded the DDC machines, the agent decided to give it to SAHCOL to warehouse.
She said it was the responsibility of SAHCOL to liaise with the NCS on what happened to the cargo after they were cleared.
SAHCOL’s spokesman, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, however, said that the company (SAHCOL) did not take possession of the two shipments that were tampered with.
According to him, the first set of DDC machines that came in were still safe in the warehouse of the company.
He added, “Whatever happened, happened at the ramp.The first shipment that came in was brought into our warehouse, and nothing happened to it.
“But the other two shipments which were said to have been poached from the ramp ‘happened’ at the ramp, which is not our jurisdiction. That is the jurisdiction of FAAN. We don’t know anything about that.”
It was gathered that Customs officials at the airport said that their Area Comptroller had to give clearance before sensitive goods like the DDC machines could be cleared.
The NCS spokesman at the MMIA, Mr. Saturday Odum, said that the Customs was always interested in any goods coming into the country.
“The goods in questions are at the tarmac, and if anything had happened to them, they happened at the ramp,” he said.
Airline and ground handling officials at the terminal, however, said the problem was caused by the porous nature of security at the airport in general.
One of them said, “There is no control at the ramp there. Anything can happen. It is like the case of a market square. People steal things here any how. It is because this one has to do with election materials that it raising dust.”
When our correspondent contacted the General Manager, Public Affairs, FAAN, Mr, Akin Olukunle, over the theft, he said he would get back. As at the time 10.30pm he was yet to do so.
President Obama, long criticized by many in his own party for lacking appropriate passion, delivered a blunt and confrontational message to his liberal critics during a press conference today.Faced with increasing criticism from liberals over his decision to compromise with Republicans on a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts, Obama openly chastised the party's base -- warning them of being "sanctimonious" and reminding them that "this country was founded on compromise"...
He also rejected the idea that he had failed to make good on a series of promises he made to the left (and the country) during the 2008 campaign. "There is not a single thing that I said I would do that I have not done or tried to do," Obama asserted.
Obama, to be fair, didn't only single out Democrats for criticism. He compared negotiating with Republicans to negotiating with hostage takers and said he only did so because of the danger that the hostage -- aka the American public -- would be harmed.
(You can check out the full press conference and our live blog of the proceedings if you missed a moment.)
Taken broadly, this press conference was a true rarity for Obama: the president as populist -- and an angry one at that.
The president repeatedly sought to frame the compromise on tax cuts as a choice between playing politics and looking out for the American people. "My number one priority is to do what's right for the American people," Obama said at the start of the press conference.
The image of a visibly irritated -- if not outright angry -- Obama was a stunning contrast to cool, calm and collected persona that he has long cultivated.
Allies of the president insisted his tone was justified and winning -- that he was channeling the frustration of the American people with a government unable to solve big problems.
But, anger is a dangerous emotion in politics.
Used tactically, it can help convey a sense of shared concern/upset with the American people. Used less skillfully, it can make a politician look small and petty.
The best -- and the worst -- of the anger equation can be found in former president Bill Clinton.
At his best, Clinton used his anger to channel the best of the best southern populist politicians -- turning an issue into an "us versus them" argument that he almost always won.
At his worst, Clinton would turn his fire onto the process itself -- the media, the rules of Congress etc. -- which almost invariably ensured political defeat either of the temporary or permanent variety.
Ladies PLEASE your Lives are literally in your HANDS ! USE Them, BREAST CANCER IS NOT A RESPECTER OF PERSONS !
The Comrade Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomole has reportedly lost his wife of many years, Mrs. Clara Oshiomole to breast Cancer. the woman
who was last seen in public
some months back, died of the disease according to a source.
.Mrs. Clara Oshiomole, the wife of GovernorAdams Oshiomhole of Edo State has passed on. Vanguard uncovered that the deceased died after a battle with breast cancer.
Further inquest divulged that she died this morning, in Abuja with only about some days to her daughter’s wedding.
The 54 year old Edo First Lady had abstained from public functions because she was receiving treatment overseas and only returned to Nigeria some days ago for the daughter’s wedding slated for 19th of December .
Sadly as Liz Edwards below there are rumours of separation with the Comrade Governor before her passing.May her Soul Rest in Peace .
Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate, succumbs to cancer at 61
Elizabeth Edwards, who as the wife of former Sen. John Edwards gave America an intimate look at a candidate's marriage by sharing his quest for the 2008 presidential nomination as she struggled with incurable cancer and, secretly, with his infidelity, died Tuesday. She was 61.
Her family confirmed the death, saying Mrs. Edwards was surrounded by relatives when she died at her Chapel Hill, N.C., home. A family friend said John Edwards was present. Two family friends said Monday that Mrs. Edwards' cancer had spread to her liver and that doctors had advised against further medical treatment.
She posted a Facebook message to friends the same day, saying, "I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope."
"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that," she added.
Mrs. Edwards spent much of her life as a little-known lawyer and mother. That changed when her husband became a U.S. senator, presidential candidate and Democratic nominee for vice president, propelling her into the spotlight as a smart, plain-spoken wife and key adviser to her husband.
She later became a figure of sympathy as she battled breast cancer and dealt with her husband's infidelity. Her public image shifted again in recent years: the scorned woman whose husband fathered a child with another woman.
She and John Edwards separated early this year but remained close.
Nominees announced for FIFA Ballon d’Or gala 2010
The contenders for this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the best player of 2010 and for the FIFA Women’s WorldPlayer of the Year 2010 award were announced on Monday during a pressconference held at the headquarters of the sports daily L’Equipe in Paris, inwhich Jérôme Valcke, FIFA Secretary General, François Morinière, CEO of FranceFootball, Jean-Pierre Papin, a former winner of the Ballon d’Or, and ChristianKarembeu, a member of FIFA’s Football Committee, took part.
In alphabetical order, the male nominees are Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Xavi (Spain), whileFatmire Bajramaj (Germany), Marta (Brazil) and Birgit Prinz (Germany) willcontest the women’s award.
The candidates for the newly created FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award and the FIFA World Coachof the Year for Women’s Football award were also announced. The contenders arethe following: Vicente del Bosque (Spain/Spanish national team), Pep Guardiola(Spain/FC Barcelona) and José Mourinho (Portugal/FC Internazionale and RealMadrid CF) in the men’s category, and Maren Meinert (Germany/German U-20national team) Silvia Neid (Germany/German national team) and Pia Sundhage(Sweden/USA national team) in the women’s category...
All of these nominees were confirmed after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s and women’snational teams as well as international media representatives selected byFrance Football voted for candidates. The votes from each of the three groupscounted for one-third to obtain the final result.
The winners will be revealed at the first FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised ceremony at the ZurichKongresshaus on 10 January 2011, during which the FIFA FIFPro World XI and theFIFA Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal of the year will also beannounced for the second year running. The online vote for fans on FIFA.com forthe FIFA Puskás Award has now reached the 1 million vote landmark, with oneweek to go until the poll closes at noon CET on 13 December. The FIFAPresidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented duringthe gala.
FIFA.COM
John Godson, who represents the governing Civic Platform party, will take up his seat in the Polish lower house of parliament following the resignation of a party colleague.
The 40-year-old university lecturer said he wants to "ensure Poland had found a place in Africa" and that he hopes to promote race relations in a country that is overwhelmingly white and monocultural.
Mr Godson moved to Poland in the early 1990s from his native Nigeria, and but since taking citizenship in 2000 he has put down roots in the central city of Lodz, marrying a local girl and serving on the city council for a number of years.
"I am from Lodz, I will live here, I want to die here and I want to be buried here," he said in a newspaper interview. ...
His arrival in the Polish parliament is remarkable given that Poland only has a tiny number of ethnic minorities, with the country's 2002 census putting the number of people of a non-European origin at little more than a couple of thousand.
Although racism still occurs in Poland, and occasionally blights football matches involving coloured players, it has dropped significantly since the early 1990s when far-right groups flourished in the years following the collapse of communism.
Mr Godson will also become one of just a handful of black politicians in central Europe.
In an earlier Twist .Next said the DPO is Kayode Ojaleponwa Vanguard Newspapers claimed it was Mohammed Babamala
Story:
A middle-aged man, Femi Best, was on Sunday morning, allegedly shot dead by the Divisional Police Officer of the Olosan Police Station, Mushin, Kayode Ojaleponwa.
According to an eye witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident happened about 5.30am when Mr Best, who was driving his light blue Nissan Odyssey SUV, ran into the car conveying the police boss and his team at the Fadeyi Bus Stop. Mr Ojaleponwa, dressed in plain clothes, and driving his tinted Honda Accord car, pursued Mr Best as he drove away. Two other plain clothes police officers were also in the car with the police boss. Mr Best, also known as Femi Yahoo, was said to have driven to Onipanu and parked in front of the Onipanu Police Station. Persons at the scene allege that the police boss, on reaching there, brought out his gun and shot Mr Best in the head several times.
Mob reaction
Mr Best’s death caused pandemonium at the police station as heavily armed youth from the Agunbiade area of Shomolu invaded the station in protest of the murder. They also unleashed terror on commuters and other business owners in the area and held police officers hostage for close to one hour before the Rapid Response Squad, from the Alade and Bariga Police Stations, mobilised and disarmed the youth. “About 6.00am, we heard gun shots and the youth, numbering about one thousand, were moving from Agunbiade to Onipanu,” said Tokyo Jide, a resident of Shomulu. “They were chanting war songs that the DPO of the Olosan Police Station had killed Femi Yahoozee. Femi is a well known ‘Yahoo Man’ (Internet scammer) in Shomolu and he also belongs to the Eiye Cult (a secret confraternity). Femi’s girlfriend, who was with him in his jeep when the DPO shot him, said the police car chased them from Mushin down to Onipanu Police Station. She said it was the DPO that shot Femi several times.”
According to Mr Jide, the victim’s girl friend informed his friends and the cultists mobilised and come to the police station. “When the youth came, they saw Femi in a pool of his own blood and the police officers at the station tried to calm the youth that they were not the ones who shot Femi, but the youth will not be calmed,” he said. “They wanted to burn down the station, but the RRS police men arrived the scene and started shooting and throwing [tear gas] canisters into the air. They were able to free the hostage but peace is yet to be restored to Onipanu because the youth said they must revenge the death of their friend.”
Containing the situation
About ten patrol vans, with heavily armed police officers, have been placed at the troubled spot. Police officers have cordoned off the station, while movement in and out of the Onipanu Bus Stop have been restricted. A senior police officer at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mr Ojaleponwa has been detained. “The DPO who shot the man has been arrested but I cannot tell you his name, because the case is under investigation,” he said. “Our concern now is to maintain law and order as the youth have threatened to burn down all the police stations at Shomolu. So we have beefed up security. People should not take the laws into their hands because it will cause more problem for the country.”
Frank Mba, the spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command, said the police is investigating the incident. “An officer attached to the command, accused of being the author of the crime, has been arrested and currently assisting investigators with the on-going investigation,” he said. “The body of the deceased has been deposited in a government morgue for autopsy. A team of senior police officers from the Command, led by the CP (Commissioner of Police), Marvel Akpoyibo, has since visited the scene of the incident. While commiserating with the family of the deceased, the Command wishes to reassure all concerned that the investigation into the incident will be swift, discreet and transparent.”
Mr Best is survived by a wife and kids.
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5650196-146/story.csp
Story Number 2:
He was shot severally at his head and abdomen by the Police officer who have been chasing him from an unknown destination. The officer eventually accosted him at Onipanu Police Station before sending him to the great beyond.
The reasons behind the shooting has remained a puzzle to all, including three occupants of the Honda Odessy space bus both the deceased and his friends were in before the incident took place. Up till the time of filling this report, they could not provide comprehensive reasons why they were being chased by a tinted glassed Toyota Camry car before they approached Onipanu bus stop.
It was gathered that Femi had attended a party late Saturday night, in company of his younger brother and two other women, and on their way back, they lifted two other people whom they later dropped off. They also picked up two other friends whom they dropped at Mushin.
The deceased elder brother, Olawole Olayiwola told Crime Alert that after his brother noticed a Toyota Camry tailing him from Jibowu Bus_stop and the car was also flashing his headlight indicating that he should stop, he couldn’t stop because it was still very early in the morning and they day was dark.
“ The glass of the tailing car was tinted and they could not see the face of the occupant, but Femi and the rest, decided to ignore the sign and they kept on moving.
The pressures were much and they decided to stop at the Onipanu Police Station but, unknown to them, the occupant of that vehicle who happened to be the DPO of Olosho police Station in Mushin, alighted first and ran over my brother who was still inside his car and without any comment, shot him severally from outside and the bullet pierced the drivers door, hit my bother at the left abdomen and on his head.
At that point, other occupants of the car bolted for safety and when they returned, Femi had already passed away. Ever since, I have been trying to decipher the reason behind the shooting. I could not. You can see how terrible policemen could be. I want the authorities to ask him why he killed my brother. I doubt if they knew themselves before now. Often we have seen the police parade suspects of any sort on the television; we want them to ask this DPO to tell us why he shot my brother dead”, he lamented.
The death of Femi Best has sparked off series of violent protests within Shomolu Local Government Area of the State and the State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja. Angry youths in the area are using the opportunity to express their displeasure over the terrible manner at which the police in their area have being treating them.
The youths in their hundreds were said to have barricaded the road and demanded that the killer cop be handed over to them for instant justice.
A resident of the area, Wale Adebola, told Crime Alert that the area have suffered massive police intimidation and killing for too long and nobody is saying anything about it. “ This is one killing too many and we must stand against it. We have suffered too much from this policemen working at Onipanu, Alade and Pedro Stations.
Just two weeks ago, an Okada rider was killed by a drunken police officer from Alade police Station. He and the occupant of his motorcycle were shot , but he died and the occupant survived.
After that, the police attempted labeling them as armed robbers, before their family revolted. You can’t pass through the Onipanu area at night, because the policemen will harass you and some times, they will intimidate you and take all your belongings. If they find laptop or blackberry phone with you, they will seize it and when you go to their DPO’s, they will refer you back to the officer.
It is so painful and the authorities have to checkmate their activities. At present we are more scared of the police than armed robbers, because they are not friendly to us at all.”
We are currently embarking on peaceful protests, in other to draw the attention of the authorities to our plight. Today we were at the State House of Assembly and we have given the police two weeks ultimatum to fish out the killer of Femi or we will be forced to be violent. I learnt the police officer involved have been arrested and I am sure the police might want to treat him fairly. They must understand that we are not kidding. This injustice must stop.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Mr. Marvel Akoyibo, yesterday paid a condolence visit to the deceased family at Alafia lane Shomolu, Lagos and he assured that the command will do its best to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing. He also said that he will not condone any act of indiscipline within its officers and whoever uses the firearm wrongly will be on his own.
Well who killed Femi Best ? Next has finally corrected their statement IT is Mohammad Babamala
DSM Condemns The Killing Of Femi Best , Calls For Prosecution Of DPO
According to him, “I don’t believe the EFCC is an institution meant to harass, intimidate and embarrass opponent. Till date I am not worried about the shenanigans of these people, I don’t believe the releases of the EFCC and whoever is making them.“They might be under political pressure to do what is untold, but they ought to be careful. And if the President is true to his commitment to this country about the rule of law, definitely EFCC is not even the final court if you ask them to manufacture a case, which I believe not.“But a threat to my life as was published; I am not worried about that. This is not the first time I am facing such a threat. I have been on it since 1991, 1993 and 1994 during the military dictatorship and our crusade to bring democracy to the country was worst”, he added. He also explained that the threat level then was worse than as it is now noting that if the fear is eliminated now, “you cannot achieve a progressive democracy that will last longer in our country.
“Therefore, if our institution building, the right to justice, the crusade for our right is dictated by the amount of weapon and intimidation in possession of anybody, that one cannot determine myself and colleagues from pursuing the crusade for a just society in this country.“So God Almighty is the security for every one of us, I will never be afraid; I will continue my struggle in pursuit for liberty; a right to life; right to justice; right to what is the right of all of us in a democratic dispensation. “If those so-called opponents are becoming a danger and we all become afraid to lead the crusade for full democratization; for true federalism; for justice in our society, then we are finished as a nation. I am not afraid about that, let that be clear to all of you and whoever is contemplating whether it is a rumour or real, I don’t even pay attention to it,” Tinubu said...
The former governor also denied the claim that he has anointed who is to be the next governor of the state. He said “I am not into that, I am not a pastor. I don’t have the anointing oil or the spiritual power. I am just a party leader and leadership is about collective decision process.“We will take our time and you will know through the democratic process. You have the right for endorsement; you have the right to be in position of influence, I am just one of the people who will look at all aspects of governance and if you want to provoke a hint, you can’t get that one from me,” he said.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday in Abuja resolved
to formally recognise Alassane Dramane Ouattara as President-elect of
Cote d’Ivoire.
Consequently, the regional body advised the erstwhile President, Laurent Gbagbo, to respect the sovereign wish of his people and abide by the result of the second round of Presidential elections as certified by United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire and yield power without delay in the best interest of the Ivorien people.Photo:From the right, Presidents Adulahi Wade of Senegal, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, John Attah Mills of Ghana and Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso during an emergency ECOWAS Summit of Cote D’voire today Tuesday on Abuja.
In a statement after the meeting, which was summoned by President Goodluck Jonathan, the regional group said, “In order to protect the legitimacy of the electoral process, the Summit endorsed the results declared by the Independent Electoral Commission and certified by the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in the Cote d’Ivoire in accordance with Resolution 1765 of the United Nations Security Council, dated 16 July 2007.”
It added that, “In this regard, the Heads of State and Government recognised Mr Alassane Dramane Ouattara as President-elect of Cote d’Ivoire, and consequently, representative of the freely expressed voice of the Ivorien people.”
Decisive action
During the meeting, members reaffirmed their commitment to the relevant provisions and principles of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and condemned in strong terms the attempt to go against the will of the Ivorien people as freely expressed on November 28, 2010.
As part of its resolutions, the meeting applied the provisions of Article 45 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance relating to the imposition of sanctions and suspended Cote d’Ivoire from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies until further notice.
International community commended
While commending the role of the United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire in the conduct of the elections under democratically acceptable conditions, the group expressed appreciation to the international community for ensuring a rapid and definitive resolution of the crisis. It also urged the Ivorien people, particularly political and administrative bodies, to respect the rights and integrity of the people, including those of the nationals of ECOWAS member states as well as all foreigners within their territory by guaranteeing peace and security.
The Heads of Government at the meeting however did not say what action will be taken should Mr Gbagbo refuse to heed their call for him to quit power.
Two presidents
Last Sunday, Mr Gbagbo, who has the support of the military, was sworn in at the official residence of the President. Hours after, Mr Ouattara was inaugurated in a brief ceremony in a hotel, guided by United Nations troops in Abidjan.
In his inaugural message, Mr Ouattara urged all Ivoriens to remain calm and refrain from any form of violence or intimidation and maintain the confidence reposed in him and his team. He announced that the former Premier, Guillaume Soro, has been re-named to the post.
In addition to the backing of regional leaders, Mr Ouattara has the support of the UN, the European Union, and the United States of America..
The meeting was presided over by Mr Jonathan and attended by Blaise Compaore (Burkina Faso), Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia); Amodou Toure (Mali); Abdoulaye Wade (Senegal) and Faure Gnassingbe (Togo). The Ambassador of Cape Verde in Senegal, Francisco da Veiga represented his president; the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Goude Adadja, represented the President of Benin Republic; the Minister of Fisheries and National Assembly Matter, Lamin Bajo, attended in place of The Gambia’s president; while the High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Nigeria, Henry Macauley, represented his country’s president at the meeting.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Cote d’Ivoire and representative of the president of the African Union Commission (AU), Mahama Ouedraogo, attended as observers.
The Comrade Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomole has reportedly lost his wife of many years, Mrs. Clara Oshiomole to Cancer. the woman who was last seen in public
some months back, died of the disease according to a source.
The medium promises to update later. It would be recalled that Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) , Mrs.Maryam Babangida and several unknown persons have died of the cancer in recent times.
Shortly before now, there was wide spread speculations that the governor and his wife may have gone their separate, thereby resulting in Clara’s absence at public functions...
Sources also say this si coming a few days to her daughters wedding .May her soul rest in peace.
Contrary to speculations in the media that the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission was set to prosecute former
Vice-President of United States, Dick Cheney, over the multi-million
dollar Halliburton bribe scandal, the Commission has said that it is
unlikely that Cheney will be charged.
The Commission’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Monday told THE PUNCH that though the
Commission was investigating the Halliburton scandal, it had not found
any evidence that might warrant charging Cheney for any corruption
offence.
“Yes, we are investigating the Halliburton bribery scandal and I told some foreign media so. But so far we have
not uncovered any evidence of Dick Cheney’s complicity to warrant
bringing charges. In fact, there is a remote chance that we will charge
him,” Babafemi said...
He said whatever the Commission uncovered in its investigations would be made public.
Local and international media had been awashed with reports that the EFCC was
planning to charge Cheney for alleged involvement in the $180m scandal.
The EFCC last week raided Halliburton’s office in Nigeria and invited
several of its senior employees for questioning. One senior employee
each from Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd and Technip Offshore Nigeria
Ltd were also questioned by the EFCC along with the 10 Halliburton staff
arrested during the last week’s raid...
Halliburton is being investigated for allegedly bribing prominent Nigerian officials
with over N27b to facilitate winning of the contract to build the
Nigerian Liquefied Gas plant in Bonny Island, Rivers State by its
consortium, TSKJ. The bribery saga was said to have spanned over 20
years and allegedly involved even some heads of states and their
cronies.
But Halliburton said last year that it had “reason to believe” payments may have been made to Nigerian officials by
agents of its TSKJ consortium, which built the Bonny Island facility.
Albert “Jack” Stanley, a former KBR [Kellog, Brown and Roots] chief executive
officer who had worked under Cheney when he headed Halliburton, pleaded
guilty in 2008 to charges stemming from a scheme to bribe Nigerian
officials for work on the Bonny Island plant.
accreditation of the medical and dental schools in the University of
Benin and Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.
This was announced by the Chairman of MDCN, Dr. Roger Makanjuola, at the
inauguration of the council’s new secretariat building in Abuja on
Monday. Makanjuola said the accreditation was withdrawn because both
universities had inadequate medical facilities and had more students
than they could properly train.
He said, “In recent years, it had been observed that a number of training institutions have failed to
maintain the prescribed standards and many have also admitted numbers
of students far in excess of what they can meaningfully train...
“Recently, the accreditation of two training institutions was withdrawn. More are
to follow. Let me take this opportunity to state that those institutions
whose accreditation was withdrawn must stop admitting students. The
council will also not register purported graduates from these
institutions.”
He also said the council was concerned by unsubstantiated claims by many persons that they could cure different
kinds of ailments. Makanjuola described such claims as ineffective and
dangerous and could harm those patronising the claimants.
The founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been arrested by police in London.
The 39-year-old Australian, who was the subject of a European arrest warrant, denies allegations he sexually assaulted two women in Sweden.
Mr Assange is due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court later.
A Wikileaks spokesman said Mr Assange's arrest was an attack on media freedom but it would not stop the release of more secret files.
Kristinn Hrafnsson told Reuters on Tuesday: "Wikileaks is operational. We are continuing on the same track as laid out before.
"Any development with regards to Julian Assange will not change the plans we have with regards to the releases today and in the coming days."
Secret locations
He said Wikileaks was being operated by a group in London and other secret locations.
Scotland Yard said Mr Assange was arrested by appointment at a London police station at 0930 GMT.
Mr Assange is accused by the Swedish authorities of one count of rape, one of unlawful coercion and two counts of sexual molestation, alleged to have been committed in August 2010.
If the district judge rules the arrest warrant is legally correct, he could be extradited to Sweden.
But the process could take months.
Police contacted his lawyer, Mark Stephens, on Monday night after receiving a European arrest warrant from the Swedish authorities.
An earlier warrant, issued last month, had not been filled in correctly.
Mr Stephens said his client was keen to learn more about the allegations and anxious to clear his name.
He said: "It's about time we got to the end of the day and we got some truth, justice and rule of law.
"Julian Assange has been the one in hot pursuit to vindicate himself to clear his good name."
Mr Stephens said Mr Assange had been trying to meet the Swedish prosecutor in various ways to find out the details about the allegations he faces.
Mr Assange has come in for criticism in the last week for the revelations made on Wikileaks.
On Monday, Foreign Secretary William Hague criticised the website for publishing details of sensitive sites, including some in the UK, saying they could be targeted by terrorists.
Former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has described Mr Assange is "an anti-American operative with blood on his hands".
Wikileaks was forced to switch to a Swiss host server after several US internet service providers refused to handle it.
It has also come under cyber attack and several companies, including PayPal and Amazon, have refused to supply it.
Mr Assange is expected to appear before a district judge at City of Westminster magistrates court before 1230 GMT, unless special permission is given for a later hearing.
City of Westminster deals with most extradition cases but there are huge differences in the time it takes.
Extradition can be extremely swift if the accused waives his legal rights.
But some cases, such as the extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon to the United States, have been going on for years because of legal challenges.
A European arrest warrant is designed to speed up the process but there can be delays.
Last week a district judge finally agreed to extradite British businessman Ian Griffin to France 18 months after he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend in a Paris hotel.
Mr Assange is an Australian citizen and his supporters have written an open letter to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard asking her to protect him..
One of the signatories, prominent barrister, Julian Burnside QC said: "First and foremost Julian Assange is an Australian citizen who is entitled to the protection of his country and does not deserve to be
betrayed by his country.
"Julia Gillard has been making it virtually impossible for Assange to return to Australia where he is entitled to be. And she has even threatened to cancel his passport. That is an outrageous stance to
take."
