Abacha

Abacha secured 60 false security vote letters to loot CBN —US

The United States Government has given more insights into the looting of over $2billion from the CentralBank of Nigeria (CBN) by a former Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, and some of his children.

The US said Abacha secured 60 false security votes letters to draw money from the CBN.

More than $700million of the money was delivered to Mohammed Abacha in bags or boxes full of cash.

Some of the cash transferred from the CBN, under the guise of security votes, to foreign accounts included $1.1billion and £413 million (GBP) in cash; $50,465,450; £3,500,000 GBP in traveller’s cheques; and $386, 290, 169

In a document filed by the United States Department in the District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia, the US court document, which was exclusively obtained by our correspondent, said in part: “Abacha together with Mohammed Sani Abacha, Bagudu and others, systematically embezzled public funds worth billions of dollars from the CBN on the pretext that the funds were necessary for national security.

“After causing the CBN to release the funds, often in cash, Gen. Abacha and Bagudu then moved the funds overseas, including through US financial institutions (the Security Votes Fraud).

“Over 60 false security votes letters were addressed to and endorsed by Gen. Abacha, each of which resulted in the withdrawal of Nigeria’s public funds from the CBN.

“Subsequently, the funds were deposited into accounts controlled by, or used to purchase assets for the benefit of, Gen. Abacha, Bagudu or other members of the conspiracy.”

The document quoted samples of some of the false security votes letters raised by a former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Ismaila Gwarzo.

The document said: “By letter, dated June 2, 1994, Gwarzo falsely stated: “In view of the ongoing negative campaign against this country, a small international operation has been mounted to cover it. Please approve as a matter of urgency, the sum of $5million for this operation

“By letter dated November 30, 1994, Gwarzo falsely stated:$100m requested to combat an economy that was deflected and distorted through the black market.

“By letter, dated August 20, 1996, Gwarzo falsely stated: “In light of the current political situation in the country, coupled with the increase in security operations, there is need for a lot of funds to handle the challenges outlined above such that I require N350million plus $30million and 15million pounds. Please consider the desperate need and approve.

“Each of these letters and others like them were endorsed by Gen. Abacha.”

The document also gave insights into how the embezzled funds were looted from the CBN and transferred out of the country through United States.

The document added: “Shortly after Gen. Abacha’s death, the government of Nigeria established a Special Investigation Panel(SIP), which found that Gen. Abacha and his co-conspirators had used false security votes letters to steal and defraud more than $2billion in public funds, including: (1) at least $1.1billion and £ 413 million (GBP) in cash(2) at least $50,465,450 and £ 3,500,000 GBP in traveller’s cheques; and (3) at least $386, 290, 169 through wire transfers.

“The conspirators transported the proceeds of the Security Votes Fraud out of Nigeria to accounts in Europe that were under the conspirators’ private control, including the Rayville and Standard Alliance accounts at Banque SBA, the Eagle Alliance and Mecosta accounts at ANZ (London) and the Mecosta account at Standard Bank as described below.

“The CBN staff and other individuals known and unknown to the United States generally would deliver the currency stolen with the security votes letters to Gwarzo at his residence.

“Gwarzo and others acting at his discretion would repackage the currency in secure bags and then deliver it to Gen. Abacha at his residence in Abuja, Nigeria.

“Gen. Abacha or those acting at his direction, delivered more than $700million of these funds to Mohammed Abacha in bags or boxes full of cash.

“Mohammed Abacha gave the cash he received to Bagudu, who later arranged for the money to be transferred to accounts controlled by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha in foreign countries.

“Transfers included deposits into accounts in the name of defendants Mecosta, Doraville, Standard Alliance, and Rayville, as well as Eagle Alliance and Harbour Engineering.

“In order to move the money overseas, Bagudu deposited the cash proceeds of the Security Votes Fraud into at least one of two Nigerian commercial banks, Union Bank of Nigeria and/ or Inland Bank of Nigeria.”

Bagudu referred to the money deposited into Union Bank and Inland Bank as his “cash swaps.”

“Bagudu and/or Mohammed Abacha then instructed Union Bank or Inland Bank to transfer the stolen funds to other accounts under Bagudu or Mohammed Abacha’s control, such as accounts in the name of Mecosta, Rayville and Eagle Alliance.

“Inland Bank or Union Bank made the necessary arrangements to transfer the money overseas. The funds were transferred from Union Bank or Inland Bank back to the CBN to an account held by Union Bank or Inland Bank at the CBN.

“The CBN then transferred the funds from the account of Union Bank or Inland Bank to their respective overseas domiciliary accounts held at banks in either London or New York.

“The specific London or New York account varied depending on which Nigerian commercial bank had been used in the first instance.

“Through these “cash swaps,” at least $137million was transported into and out of the United States, and into accounts held in the name of the defendant corporations.”

The document listed 16 accounts and assets to be forfeited by Gen. Abacha and his associates.

The Department of Justice added: “On November 18, 2013, the prosecutor filed a forfeiture action in the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the proceeds of money laundering and corruption offences related to the investigation of General Abacha and his associates.

“The properties sought to be forfeited by U.S. authorities include the following assets (collectively, the Defendant Properties):

•All assets held in account number 80020796, in the name of Doraville Properties Corporation, located at Deutsche Bank International Limited in the Bailwick of Jersey, and all interests, benefits, or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in account number S-104460, in the name of Mohammed Sani, at HSBC Fund Administration (Jersey) Limited in the Bailwick of Jersey, and all interest benefits, or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in account number 223405880IUSD, in the name of Rayville International, S.A, at Banque SBA in Paris, France and all interest benefits or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in account number 223406510PUSD, in the name of Standard Alliance Financial Services Limited located at Banque SBA in Paris, France and all interest benefits, or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in account numbers 10030688 and 100138409, in the name of Mecosta Securities, at Standard Bank in the United Kingdom, and all interests, benefits or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in HSBC Life (Europe) formerly held in account number 37060762 in the name of Mohammed Sani at Midland Life International Limited, and all interests, benefits or asset traceable thereto;

•All assets in account number 38175076, in the name of Mohammed Sani, at HSBC Bank Plc, and all interests, benefits or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in the name of Blue Holding (1) Pte. Ltd., on behalf of or traceable to Ridley Group Limited and/or the Ridley Trust, at J.O Hambro Investment Management Limited in the United Kingdom and all interests, benefits, or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in the name of Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd., on behalf of or traceable to Ridley Group Limited and/or the Ridley Trust, at J.O Hambro Investment Management Limited in the United Kingdom and all interests, benefits or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in the name of Blue Holding (1) Pte. Ltd., on behalf of or traceable to Ridley Group Limited and/or the Ridley Trust, at James Hambro and Partners LLP, in the United Kingdom, and all interests, benefits or assets traceable thereto;

•All assets held in the name of Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd., on behalf of or traceable to Ridley Group Limited and/or the Ridley Trust, at James Hambro and Partners LLP, in the United Kingdom and all interests, benefits or assets traceable thereto;

•Doraville Properties Corporation, a corporate entity registered in the British Virgin Islands, together with all its assets and all property traceable thereto;

•Mecosta Securities, Inc., a corporate entity registered in the British Virgin Islands, together with all its assets and all property traceable thereto;

•Rayville International, S.A, a corporate entity registered in the British Virgin Islands, together with all its assets and all property traceable thereto;

•Ridley Group Limited, a corporate entity registered in the British Virgin Islands, together with all its assets and all property traceable thereto; and

•Standard Alliance Financial Services Limited, a corporate entity registered in the British Virgin Islands, together with all its assets and all property traceable thereto;

“Following the filing of the Verified Complaints, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued sixteen warrants of arrest in rem, ordering the restraint of each of the Defendant Properties.

“The prosecutor has sought the enforcement of the warrants of arrest in rem in France, Jersey, British Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom.

“The prosecutor is now required to provide notice of the U.S. forfeiture proceedings to Mohammed Sani Abacha, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Dumez Nigeria Plc.

“Additionally, in order to enforce the warrants of arrest in rem for property located in the United Kingdom, the prosecutor must provide record of the U.K proceedings to Mohammed Sani Abacha and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.”

Chief Bisi Akande

Boko Haram: APC fires back at PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday dared the PDP to urgently make available to Nigerians evidence of the opposition’s alleged involvement in the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency or forever shut up

”We have absolutely no hand in this insurgency, and we dare anyone with contrary information to publish such today. It is trite that he who alleges must prove,” the party declared in a statement in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

“In the absence of any evidence, Nigerians will have no choice, but to conclude that the relentless finger-pointing by the PDP/Presidency is a ploy to divert attention from those who are actually behind this insurgency, those who see it as a trump card to 2015 and those who have been benefitting massively from the huge funds being allocated to security,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

APC said that the PDP accusation was made within the framework of its plan to frame up the opposition and clamp down on its leaders ahead of the 2015 polls , having realized that it (PDP) cannot possibly win the elections owning to its appalling record of failure.

”Otherwise, how can the PDP-led federal government claim to have ‘evidence of meetings held outside the shores of the country’ to violently overthrow the government of President Jonathan, and yet refuse to make such evidence public or arrest and try those involved? Or is it only the riotous spokesman of the ruling party who has the evidence?” the party queried.

Besides,the APC slammed the PDP for suffering from selective amnesia by its warped interpretation of APC’s statement, which pointed out to the ruling party that President Jonathan is not the first minority Nigerian leader, hence the people should be spared the boring reference to his ethnic origin.

It said:”It is a reflection of PDP’s diabolical mind that it only picked out the former minority leaders who are soldiers and left out the name of a former civilian leader. We mentioned three former leaders who are of minority ethnic stock: Tafawa Balewa (Sayewa), Yakubu Gowon (Angas) and Sani Abacha (Kanuri).

“Curiously but not unfathomably, the PDP dropped the name of Balewa and then extrapolated from the fact that we mentioned two former military leaders that we are comparing a democratically-elected President with defunct military dictatorships. This can only be the product of a contorted mind. Good a thing, Nigerians understand better and will not be fooled by such a sickening stretch!” APC said.

The party reiterated its earlier statement that the only reason this insurgency has persisted is the incompetence, cluelessness, inferiority complex and collusion of the presidency.

”First, we heard from no other personality than President Jonathan himself that his cabinet is infested with Boko Haram. Then the PDP started pointing fingers at some imaginary opposition leaders as being behind the insurgency, and now the President has openly admitted his own incompetence by saying his administration has been treating terrorism with kid gloves.

”Pray, where in the world can any battle against terrorism be won when the government is treating such with kid gloves? Need we ask why the government has failed woefully to tackle terrorism in Nigeria? Need we ask why the government has patently ignored all suggestions from us and many Nigerians on how to tackle the terrorists rampaging in the North-east?” it asked.

APC said that the best way to tackle the insurgency in the North lies in developing a discernible counter-terrorism strategy that will clearly identify the multiple means for preventing, responding and defeating terrorist groups, including the alignment of political, military, social and economic instruments and objectives; improving intelligence gathering; de-radicalizing the affected areas; and investing in research that will give more insight into the different aspects of Boko Haram, including its ideology, leadership structure, profile of members, internal organization, sources of funding and weapons and links to diaspora.

It also stressed the need to widen the scope of Nigeria’s response to include the sub-regional bloc ECOWAS and the continental body African Union, especially since Boko Haram has assumed a regional dimension; the need for a Marshall Plan of sorts for the North-east, “not the paltry 2 billion Naira which the FG provided as recovery fund to the six North-east states, at least four of which are worse-hit by the insurgency.”

Our credibility level is nose diving,NNPC boss cries out

The authorities  of the  Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)   are  greatly disturbed by the public perception  of the organization .

Group Managing Director of the corporation,Engineer Andrew Yakubu, says public perception of the organization may affect its ability to attract  Foreign Direct Investment.

Yakubu spoke  to reporters in Abuja  during a dinner.

“We cannot do this business without Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) , without foreign participation. Our credibility level is going down very fast. And unfortunately, it is based on perception,” he said.

He added: “ If we continue at this rate, I am going to tell you something that is very bad. I will ask all of you that if you continue to destroy our economy this way, then pray never to give birth to children because those children are coming to suffer the outcome of our terrible destructive attitudes.

“Because it will be difficult for anybody to invest in this country if we continue to destroy our country’s perception. If you are talking of corruption, mention anywhere you don’t have any iota of corruption. But what they do, is that you do it but the law will catch up you one.”

He described corruption as endemic in the country and  recalled that when he decided not to influence  his daughter’s employment in NNPC his kinsmen said it was a ploy to refuse to assist them.

Yakubu noted that “if that is the situation, if you are there and you are not celebrated back home and you don’t do it, is it NNPC that is corrupt? Then we may need to go for a total national cleansing and deliverance.”

He  challenged   Nigerians to  point out specific cases of corruption for the NNPC to correct.

Asked  why the corporation is perceived as corrupt, the NNPC Group MD absolved his team of sharp  practices, stressing that oil production and revenue remittance are monitored by different agencies such as the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Customs Service, Department of Petroleum Resources and Weight & Measure of Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria and others.

He claimed that sadly, NNPC bears the blame in all Nigerian petroleum related matters.

“So I would appeal that if you have any specific case, bring it out, then we will be able to correct it. But we cannot continue when we build you destroy and we will start building. I think we will not be fair.

Troops capture Mandara Mountain

The Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has lost one of its major enclaves –the famous Mandara Mountain – in Borno State  to soldiers as the   assault on the insurgents  intensifies across the Northeast.

An unspecified number of  insurgents  were  killed in sustained raids in and around the mountain while about 60 were arrested.

The troops are  still  combing  the mountain to fish out Boko Haram leaders and fighters believed to be hiding there.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, both of whom have temporarily relocated to Borno State,  are personally leading   land and air assaults against the sect  in Borno .

In the midst of the gains, the Defence Headquarters  confirmed yesterday its  arrest of a suspected terrorist who claims to be a Cameroonian and an arms courier for Boko Haram.

The arrest of the suspect has led to the discovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition hidden in the premises of a burnt church.

Some of the recovered arms were anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled guns, General Purpose and other brands of machine guns

A top military source,shedding light on the capture of Mandara Mountain said :”As I talk to you, our troops have captured Mandara Mountain and they are combing the caves in the place to smoke out the terrorists.

“During the encounters, many insurgents were killed and an appreciable number of them arrested.

“Since Tuesday, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu have  been directly in charge of the operation. While the Air Chief is guiding the air operation, the chief of army staff is leading the land campaign.

“So, you can see that these service chiefs are providing leadership for the troops in order to ensure that we win the war against the insurgents.”

Asked about a letter purportedly  written by Boko Haram to the military threatening to attack Maimalari Barracks, the source said: “The military authorities have not been informed of that but it won’t be strange if they do so because that is their pattern.

“They are certainly frustrated because as the operation is continuing their fighters are dying and many members of the Boko Haram have been arrested.

“So far, more than 60 insurgents have been arrested in the last five days. We are still on the trail of more  of them.”

The Defence Headquarters yesterday confirmed the arrest of a Cameroonian who is said to be central to the operation and management of Boko Haram armoury.

Spokesman  for   DHQ, Gen. Chris Olukolade, said: “The arrest of a terrorist who claims to be a Cameroonian and an arms courier for the group has led to the discovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition hidden in the premises of a burnt church.

“The weapons, which have now been recovered by troops include anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled guns as well as the General Purpose and other brands of machine guns , were found buried in the premises of one of the churches earlier burnt by terrorists in Kalabalge Local Government Area of Borno state.

“Also recovered from the location were thousands of ammunition and links.

“The middle aged man who led troops on the cordon and search operation towards the recovery was one of the terrorists captured in recent raids”.

Olukolade said that the  weapons were stockpiled to be used in a pending attack on some communities around Nigeria- Cameroon border.

The weapons have all been evacuated while Guard locations and patrols are being maintained in the general area and the surrounding localities.

The military claims could not be independently verified.

On the operation in Borno State, the DHQ said: “ troops have continued with various operations assigned to the formations involved in the counter terrorist campaign.

“The caves of a particular mountain captured overnight are  undergoing a thorough search for terrorists who are believed to have fled there in the wake of the ongoing offensive on various terrorist enclaves. Arms are also the object of the cordon and search.

“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Kenneth Minima has been checking on deployment and troops disposition in various locations of the theatre of the counter terrorist campaign in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

“The army chief who is in company of his Air Force counterpart, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, also visited troops who were wounded in the course of the operation so far, in the Military Hospital in Maiduguri.

“The Chiefs were assured by the commander of the Hospital, Brig-Gen Okeke that most of the wounded soldiers were in stable condition and that some who have recovered very well, expressed their desire to rejoin their units and colleagues in the operation.

“The army chief however directed that the hospital should not hesitate to let him know the requirement for any case requiring referral or further treatment anywhere.

“The service chiefs are also undertaking a comprehensive air surveillance of the entire mission area in addition to the direct inspection of some key locations where operations are being conducted.”

Jonathan

Immigration job stampede: Jonathan under pressure to save Interior Minister

President Goodluck Jonathan has come under severe pressure from groups and individuals to save Interior Minister Abba Moro from being axed following last weekend’s stampede at the Immigration Service’s recruitment centres across the country.

About 19 job seekers died in the stampede which the minister blamed on the applicants.

He said they were impatient during the exercise, sparking outrage from many Nigerians.

President Jonathan, earlier in the week, summoned and queried Moro and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. David Parradang, on the development.

Moro is said to have been shattered by the situation.

Some ministers and notable leaders from the Middle Belt, especially Plateau and Benue, have been contacted to reach out to the President’s friends with a view to pleading his case.

A source from Middle Belt said: “Some emissaries from the Middle Belt have even trailed the President abroad to discuss Moro’s issue with him.

“They are demanding fair hearing for Moro before any action is taken. They are also pressurizing Moro to open up and release relevant information to the public.

“They said they want the President to give Moro a second chance because the minister’s recourse to a transparent process backfired last Saturday.

It was gathered yesterday that the President was awaiting the return of Senate President David Mark from abroad before deciding Moro’s fate.

The minister is believed to have been nominated by Mark.

The President wants to make security reports on the job stampede available to Mark in deference to his office before wielding the big stick,sources said.

The minister was said to be in “bad shape”, battling for survival.

A source in the presidency, however, said it is difficult to “overlook” Moro’s costly mistake irrespective of political pressure.

According to findings, the President would have sanctioned the minister and others connected with the tragic recruitment exercise, but chose to respect the office of the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, by making all security reports available to him on Moro.

It was also gathered that the President wanted due process followed before asking Moro to quit.

There were indications that the President had been expecting a comprehensive brief from Moro on the incidents in various venues nationwide; how the recruitment was outsourced to a consulting firm; and the true position on the alleged non-involvement of some critical stakeholders in the exercise.

A source in the presidency said: “The President believes that he should lay all the facts and security on the table for Mark, who nominated Moro into the cabinet.

“The President of the Senate is away to Geneva for the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting. In apolitical environment like this, the President does not want to remove Moro without ‘adequate’ briefing.

“The worst scenario is to give the President of the Senate another opportunity to nominate a fresh candidate.

“The truth is that the President has made up his mind to sanction those behind the job stampede and deaths. There are governance standards all over the world. Overlooking such a matter will not help the image of the administration.

Asked why the President has not acted, the source added: “If you look at the President’s style, he does not go by the mob or the spur of the moment; he takes his time to act. This case will not be an exception.

“Moro has the choice of toeing the honourable path of resigning or remaining in the cabinet to be sacked.

“But definitely, the game is up for Moro from whatever perspective you think of it. He is the accounting officer of the Ministry of Interior.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “There have been overtures from some governors and leaders from the Middle Belt to the President to give Moro a soft-landing or a second chance.

“There is no way the President will gloss over such a costly mistake which led to the death of about 20 applicants.

“Politics aside, there is moral code all over the world guiding public officers.”

Moro and Parradang are preparing for their appearance before the Senate and House of Representatives next week.

Another source said: “Moro appears to be central to the issue at stake having been fingered in the recruitment crisis by other stakeholders. That is why the minister has been digging up all necessary files to absolve himself of blame.

“The minister has the last chance at the National Assembly next week to clear the air on this job stampede.

“Some people have been trying to ask Moro and the Immigration Service to close ranks on this probe, but there is no sign that all is well.”

Political Will To Implement Confab Outcome Will Make A Difference, Says Adediji

BODE Adediji, a former President of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers(NIESV), is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bode Adediji Partnership- a frontline property consultant company in Nigeria. Adediji spoke with LAOLU ADEYEMI on the ongoing National Conference and why Gov. Rauf Aregbesola deserves second term in office. 

  Do you think that the ongoing national conference can come out with resolutions that would solve Nigeria’s problems?

  FROM all the conferences I have attended in the past, the import of it all to me is that a smaller, but strong centre, is preferable than an ominous centre that is distant from the constituents. However, the mechanics of such an emerging regional devolution of power will still have to be articulated and crafted in such a way that will not undertake any adventure that will specifically lead to the disintegration of this potentially greatest country in Africa. It is good to dialogue, and I look forward to see a good and robust outcome from the gathering. But what is important is the political will to implement whatever the outcome is at the end of the day.

  Under a democratic system, dialogue is always the best option to resolve challenges. So, I think we have mature people who have the interest of the nation at heart to discuss at the confab. Let us wait and see where it will lead us.

  Is the NIESV well represented at the Confab?

  I am no longer the president of my institution. But I doubt if the people behind the implementation of this confab have reached out to all necessary and appropriate quarters that should participate in the conference.

 Should we really go into another election with the much criticised 1999 Constitution?

My answer is an emphatic no. Next year election is coming; a lot can still be done. Having in mind that this is a great country that must not be allowed to waste either by way of disintegration or perpetual retrogression, we must not go there with the aim of playing game. We must all go with oneness of mind, having in mind that we are not where we ought to be, but we cannot afford to throw away the baby with the bath water.

Looking at the governors on the platform of the APC in the

Southwest, will you say they have performed?

The leadership of the APC in the Southwest is a respite to the general atmosphere of retrogression that we have witnessed over the past decades. However, we still must know that they have not been found wanting.

What is your assessment of his administration Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State?

 With what he has done so far and with the public perception of his energies, when he clinches thesecond term tenure, he can only improve on the marvelous job he has been doing in his first tenure in office.

  I will not limit myself to assessing Aregbesola, or any governor in this country, on the basis of my area of specialisation. Every aspect of life, including economy and politics, affects every Nigerians. The summary of my assessment of Aregbesola is that he has performed beyond anybody’s imagination. During his short period, he has been in the saddle of authority. 

 I was born in Osun, and grew up there and schooled there up to my university level. The sector of development and awareness that has been ushered in by this current regime has been unprecedented. But I must add a rider that every regime that had governed Osun must have done its best within the limit of knowledge, capacity and available resources. But in fairness, whether in the area of social mobilisation, education, infrastructure and others, the incumbent government has performed very well.

But his educational policy has been causing religious uproar. Is that not a minus? 

I will not dabble ordinarily into any religious matter. What I will like every Nigerian to know is that once you have a revolutionary policy being put in place in any state or nation, there will be some fallout of either unintended action or perception. It is then left for all the stakeholders to sit down and dissect what these perceptions may be and find a mutually agreed solution. As far as I am concerned, unless there is a revolutionary policy change in our educational landscape, Nigeria will not grow; Osun State will not grow. So, if a particular government comes on board to bring a revolutionary change in the educational landscape, whatever might be the unintended fallout, we should apply pragmatism, love, maturity and political unity to resolve the fallout. I don’t think any state in the whole Western region should be a state under which religious reasons should be pursued over development. I urge all the stakeholders to at this time sheath their swords and find a common ground to resolve whatever differences might have rising as a result of the new educational policy in Osun State.

In your assessment, does Aregbesola have a chance of winning second term?

If performance is the basis upon which a government is elected to an office, then certainly Aregbesola deserves to be returned to the office. If, however, under some sentiments, some parties have come up with schemes to get the office, then it is left for the citizens of Osun to sit down, look at the past, assess the present and think of their future.

So you will want Aregbesola to come back?

Yes. I want him to come back based on performance.

 Can he do more, particular now that he is being perceived as religious fanatics?

I will answer that question from the perspective of a farmer, who has performed his duty in planting some trees when the tree germinate, they create nomenclature that he cannot consume more than what we are doing now. I will only urge people to vote in for the second term and that is the only way he could reciprocate is to double his efforts on what he did during the first tenure in the second tenure.

PDP group warns Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

A group within the Osun PeoplesDemocratic Party, Platform for Equity and Justice, has warned President Goodluck Jonathan not to impose any governorship aspirant on the party ahead of the upcoming governorship election in the state.

An email issued by the party on Friday, called on the President to be neutral in the tussle for the party’s governorship ticket, saying that imposition was against the tenets of the party.

An aspirant in the Osun governorship election coming up later in the year, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, said on Thursday that President Goodluck Jonathan asked him to contest the election.

Signed by its coordinator, Mr. Godwin Akesan, the group said imposition of any candidate would destroy the peace and unity currently being enjoyed within the party.

The statement said, “Let all the aspirants participate in a free and fair primary. Imposition will destroy the fragile peace within the party.

“Our President is a respecter of the rule of law. We know he will not be a party to the alleged imposition plot being hatched by some people, who are using the name of the President to authenticate their ambition.”

A statement by the Director, Media and Publicity, Isiaka Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mr. Taiwo Akeju, on Friday said, “Nobody is dropping the name of the President for electoral favour but the truth must be told that Osun people are earnestly yearning for Adeleke. Go to Osun and ask and see things for yourself.

“Adeleke has integrity, credibility, experience and he cuts across all the socio-political strata of the state. This is why concerned stakeholders have decided to draft him to contest. Adeleke is an appealing brand.”

When contacted on Friday, the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, said the party had not received any information from the Presidency signifying that Adeleke had the blessing of the President to contest the election.

Olaoluwa said, “We don’t have such information from the Presidential Villa, Abuja. We don’t have such information from PDP national headquarters in Abuja. If there would be a consensus, all the aspirants and stakeholders would have to agree and have an affirmation.”

Immigration job tragedy: How poor safety measures, planning worsen candidates’ fate

Nineteen Nigerian job seekers who left their homes to sit for the Nigerian Immigration Service  recruitment examination on Saturday, March 15, 2014 died. They were trampled to death. Scores were also seriously injured.

According to investigation, over 560,000 Nigerians who paid an application fee of N1, 000 each applied for about 4,000 NIS vacant positions and were all made to sit for the exams at different venues on the same day.

At the last count, tragedy occurred in the Federal Capital Territory, Port Harcourt, Minna, Gombe and Benin, venues of the examination. In Abuja, over 60,000 applicants turned up for the recruitment test at the National Stadium.

Investigations revealed that despite the huge turnout of candidates for the tests, there were no adequate safety arrangements to cater for emergency.

No adequate safety arrangement at Akure centre

The Nigeria Immigration Service employment examination which was conducted last Saturday in Akure, Ondo State, held without the provision of emergency and safety facilities for the applicants.

About 12,000 applicants thronged the CAC Grammar School field, Ondo Road on Saturday to participate in the exercise.

 Although nobody died at the centre, some candidates’ certificates were destroyed as a result of some pushing and shoving while a few candidates sustained bruises.

Hamza, one of the applicants who wrote the exam, said there were no ambulances or any first aid facility provided to tackle any emergency.

He said, “Only God exempted us from experiencing what other centres experienced. We managed to survive it.”

 Spokesman for the Nigeria Immigration Service in Ondo, Mr. Salami, said although medical personnel and ambulances were not visible at the venue, they were actually on standby somewhere and would have been deployed if the situation had demanded.

He said, “There were no casualties in Akure. We did all we could to ensure the safety of everyone and that is why we did not have any problem.

 “You may not have seen any ambulance, but if there was a need, we would have been up to the task.”

 Only one ambulance in Minna, no doctor

In Minna, Niger State, only one ambulance was provided at the Girls’ Day Secondary School where the exercise took place.

 Our correspondent gathered at the state command of the NIS that although the Nigerian Red Cross Society was fully present, there were no doctors or medical personnel at the venue of the exercise.

 Ironically, despite the stampede that claimed two lives and left several others injured, some wounded applicants still returned to the venue to write the examination.

It was gathered that the fate of those who could not leave the hospital to write the examination was unknown by the Niger State command of the NIS.

A senior officer of the NIS who pleaded anonymity said, “There was nothing the Service could do because there was no second chance after the set date of examination. Some of those who sustained minor injuries and those who felt they were okay came back and wrote. It was just unfortunate that things went that way.”

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Mallam Umar Nakorji, confirmed that those in the hospital who responded to treatment went back to the venue to write the examinations.

 It was confirmed that 11,200 candidates applied for the recruitment examination in Minna centre but over 20,000 turned up for the tests which eventually hampered the NIS efforts to control and curtail the crowd.

 Nakorji said, “We had the Nigerian Red Cross Society and an ambulance stationed for any eventuality. We tried to protect the applicants but they outnumbered us. Some were threatening that if they didn’t get in, nobody would write the exam.

 “As I am talking to you, we still have so many credentials, documents and identity cards of applicants that are yet to be claimed. It was difficult for us to really say this or that person did not apply because they all came with acknowledgement slips.”

  He added that the fate of those who could not write the examinations would be decided by the National Headquarters, adding “I cannot guarantee anybody because once an examination ends, there is absolutely nothing anyone can do about it. Despite the stampede, the exercise held. We started by checking their physical fitness and other physical challenges before the main examinations. It was at this point that some people started pushing and things got out of hand. Nobody fired tear gas, it is not true. The stampede caused the tragedy.”

 He spoke before President Goodluck Jonathan on ordered the cancellation of the exercise on Wednesday.

Nakorji informed our correspondent that the State Command of the NIS had compiled a comprehensive report on the incident, saying that “we have filed our reports to the headquarters through the Zonal Office. We have taken up the medical bills of the hospitalised; more bills are still coming because there are those we need to capture.”

Meanwhile, the corpses of the two candidates that died at the Minna centre have been released to their families for burial.

In Ilorin, inadequate ambulances for huge crowd

 Candidates that sat for the recruitment test in Kwara State on Saturday expressed divergent opinions on the safety measures, adopted by the NIS command during the test.

According to the Public Relations Officer, NIS, Kwara State Command, Mr. Daniel Adeyemi, about 22,000 candidates sat for the test.

Many of the candidates who spoke with our correspondent in Ilorin on Tuesday lauded the command for its safety arrangements. They maintained that there was no casualty unlike in some other states.

However, other candidates said better arrangements should have been provided by the command.

Some of the candidates said the command provided three ambulances and some medical personnel at the venue. They added that though the large turnout of the candidates appeared difficult to manage, the command was able to manage the crowd.

But other candidates claimed that the number of the ambulances and medical personnel was inadequate for the mammoth crowd that came for the test. They also complained that some of them had no seat and had to stand under the sun while taking the examination.  According to them, they were subjected to unbearable stress.

But the Comptroller, NIS, Kwara State Command, Mr. Ahamefule Nwachukwu, said the exam was well organised and maintained that nobody died in the centre during the exercise.

 “There was no casualty in our centre. We decided that everybody that came for the test could  take the examination. The sports complex of the University of Ilorin was filled up. Those who could not be accommodated inside were outside and we had enough security men that attended to them.

“We had no casualty. We had ambulances from government, from prisons and from the Federal Road Safety Corps. And we never used the three ambulances because there was no casualty. Kwara is one of the best organised centres. In spite of the large turnout of candidates, we effectively managed the crowd.  We had a perfect arrangement.

 Safety measures inadequate in Calabar

In Calabar, Cross River State, candidates who participated in the recruitment exercise last Saturday alleged that there were no enough medical personnel to cater for the exigencies of over 5, 000 persons during the exercise.

 An applicant, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH under condition of anonymity, alleged that one person fainted during the exercise.

 Another applicant alleged that the brute force applied by the military personnel drafted to maintain orderliness also led to the some applicants sustaining injuries.

 He said at the slightest provocation, the military personnel did not waste time in using their whips on the applicants to enforce discipline.

But officials of the state command of NIS denied the allegations, insisting that enough medical personnel were drafted to ensure that the exercise was hitch free.

The Public Relations Officer of the Cross River Command of the NIS, Mary Abang, said, “We brought in all the medical personnel from our clinic to ensure the exercise went on well. It is not true that someone fainted, otherwise we would have known. We ensured that there was orderliness in all we did.”

 Another top immigration official, who preferred anonymity, confirmed that all the medical paraphernalia were put in place to ensure that there was prompt attention.

 He said the Cross River State command of the NIS should be commended for putting all facilities in place and ensured that there were no cases of casualties.

 No ambulance in Uyo

The Public Relations Officer, NIS, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Effiom Effiom, said the near stampede witnessed at the venue was caused by the applicants who arrived late at the examination venue, though the security men at the gate were asked to relax their stance on locking out applicants.

He said besides the incident at the gate, the exercise was hitch free in the state.

He however stated that there was no ambulance service, but that their vehicles were on standby, as the venue for the test was a few metres away from the Federal Medical Centre, Uyo.

 Four ambulances in Osogbo

  The Osun State Command of the NIS made provision for four ambulances and paramedics obviously in anticipation of emergencies at the venue of the recruitment exercise.

Our correspondent observed that one ambulance from the FRSC was stationed at the venue while Osun State Ambulance Agency sent three ambulances to the place.

Apart from officials of the NIS, there were policemen and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prisons Service at the centre.

But officials of the FRSC and NSCDC had difficulty controlling vehicular traffic at the entrance of St. Charles’ School, the venue of the test.

Four of the applicants slumped at the venue and they were promptly attended to by the paramedics who manned the Osun State ambulances.

 The intervention of the Comptroller of NIS in Osun State, Stella Onwaduegbo, intervention saved a protest by some applicants from degenerating. Some of them were angry that some applicants who came late for the test were given preference over those who came early.

The aggrieved applicants hurled bottles at officials of NSCDC and FRSC but the comptroller immediately pacified them.

Onwaduegbo also ensured that pregnant applicants were not subjected to the hardship which other applicants experienced. She created special points for pregnant and nursing applicants to write their names.

 No proper organisation in Enugu

Most of the candidates who sat for the NIS test told our correspondent that the exercise fell short of proper organisation.

 “Accreditation did not commence by 8am as planned even when the stadium was already filled by 6am on that fateful day,” said one of the candidates, Mr. Emmanuel Ihewunwa.

 “When it eventually started, the immigration officials put up a lackadaisical approach to the whole thing. When the paper eventually came by 6.30 pm, they shared it halfway and threw the rest into the air leaving us to scramble for it,” Ihewunwa said.

He said, “There would have been a stampede, it’s just that we had made up our mind not to get injured or be sacrificed for an exam we knew nothing would come out of.”

He added, “The situation was like that in all parts of the country because we kept calling our friends in Owerri, Benin and other places. I even have the video of the incident on my phone.”

However, officials of the NIS told Saturday PUNCH that there were ambulances on ground when the NIS exam was conducted in the state last Saturday.

 They spoke to our correspondent at the premises of the NIS located at the Federal Secretariat, Enugu.

The NIS personnel, however, declined revealing their identities, saying they were not officially authorised to speak.

 According to them, there were doctors attached to the three ambulances that were stationed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, venue of the exam.

 One of them said, “In the ambulances were first aid kits and drugs. Even when six of the candidates fainted, the doctors had no challenge reviving them. They had the right equipment, the drugs and beverages.”

 She said, “Out of the six that fainted, two were taken to the hospital because their case was quite different. We later heard they were discharged after some hours.”

 On the safety precautions put in place before and during the exercise, she said, “We worked with the police to ensure that they provided security. We also sought the assistance of the National Emergency Management Agency, which deployed its men in the venue of the exam.”

 She said, “NEMA also provided the ambulances and other safety measures and gadgets.”

 She agreed that the police averted a protest, but said the planned protest came from a section of the candidates.

 “The candidates with Ordinary National Diploma and O’Level qualifications were decent and organised, it was the degree holders who frustrated our efforts,” she said.

 She added, “The degree holders were the ones who fought and almost staged a protest.”

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu State, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said that the exercise went on well since there was no report of violence from police officers that mounted guard at the venue that day.

 “None of them reported that a protest was averted, so I don’t know of that,” said Amaraizu.