‘Investigate Ejigbo oil leakage’

Following the discovery of ‘oil wells’ in the compounds of some residents of Alimatu Ilo Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps recently, the Director at Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Nigeria, and Coordinator, Oilwatch International, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, has called for a national study of the entire Nigerian environment and a master plan for remediation to be put in place.

Speaking to our correspondent on the phone on Thursday, Bassey, who described the Ejigbo incident as a national disaster, called for an independent investigation to ascertain the extent of the oil leakage and how much it had spilled into the environment.

“The entire Nigerian environment is comatose, whether it is solid waste disposal, which is the easiest, or other forms of waste, medical, chemical, electronic or crude oil waste, artificial mining or deforestation. We should be having a state of environmental emergency across the nation.

“From the recent findings, it shows that the oil leakage has been going on for some time now, so there should be a proper research or study to assess the cause of the leakage or loss of crude.

“The most potent thing to do is to find the cause and stop it. Just blaming one another will leave the pollution there, which will still be contaminating the ground water and the entire area. This is not good for the people or the environment,” he said.

Bassey also compared the current oil spill in Ejigbo to what happened in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

“Two years ago, the United Nations Environment Programme showed that all the surface and ground water were polluted with layers of oil up to 8cm thick, so much so that you’d be wasting your time if you dug a borehole in Ogoniland,” he added.

Registration policy: Private jet owners defy FG

Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah
| credits: File copy

Owners and operators of foreign-registered private jets in the country are not ready to de-register them to enable their planes become Nigeria-registered in line with the new National Civil Aviation Policy 2013 unveiled by the Federal Government in May, investigations by our correspondent have shown.

On May 3, 2013, the government unveiled the policy, called NCAP, which among other things, states that no foreign-registered private jets will be allowed to fly continuously in the country for more than 15 days.

The policy says foreign-registered private jets on special mission in Nigeria will be allowed to stay for only 60 days, following a special approval from the office of the minister.

Part VII of the NCAP 2013, which deals with general aviation (private jets), reads in part, “Retention of foreign registered aircraft in Nigeria will not be permitted beyond a period of 15 days from date of entry. However, the Minister of Aviation may, in certain circumstances, grant the extension of this period for up to 60 days.”

However, investigations by our correspondent showed that scores of foreign-registered private jets are still flying across the country’s airspace and overseas, thereby defying the policy, over four months after its introduction.

An official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak on the matter, said “All the foreign-registered private jets are still here in the country, flying everywhere; flying the length and breadth of our airspace, and overseas. The point is that these foreign-registered private jet owners and operators are still contending the policy with the Federal Government and the Ministry of Aviation. They said the policy has not been taken to the National Assembly, and that it was introduced when the NCAA did not have a substantive director-general.

“They also said some of the requirements are not line in with global aviation regulations. So they are still contending it. Until they resolve these issues with the government, I don’t think anybody will comply.”

Over 70 per cent of private jets in the country are carrying foreign registration, a former Managing Director of Aerocontractors Airlines, Capt. Akin George, has said.

The development was expected to affect some pastors, business moguls, governors and politicians, whose private jets are carrying registration of countries like the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa, among others.

But government officials have said the NCAP was aimed at stopping foreign companies, which fly their private jets into the country from doing chartered business after coming into the country under guise of private visit.

Some state government have their private jets registered in foreign countries.

Meanwhile, the new policy, NCAP, also bars individuals with private jets from carrying their friends and business associates on board the aircraft, stating that only members of their families are allowed aboard.

The Ministry of Aviation however said this aspect was not meant to stop private jet owners from carrying their friends and associates.

The policy also states that companies with private jets are permitted to carry only their employees or members of the Boards of Directors.

The NCAP also directs that the identities of all passengers onboard any private jet must be made known through a manifest before air traffic control clearance will be sought.

Industry experts, however, opposed this aspect, saying it was purely against global regulations and practice.

Students don’t want us to end strike – ASUU

ASUU president, Fagge

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said it is continuing its nationwide strike on the advice of university students.

In a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, the President of the union, Dr. Isa Fagge, said  students were tired of the incessant industrial actions by the university lecturers due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement the agreement it had with ASUU since 2009.

Fagge said the union had decided to heed the advice of the students to continue the strike until the Federal Government fully implemented the agreement.

“Our students have come out to say they don’t want us to call off the strike until the Federal Government answers us, because they don’t want us to call off now and later we go back to strike again. So, we are heeding the advice of our students,” he said.

On the complaint by the Federal Government that it lacked the funds to implement the agreement, Fagge said it was not all about money, noting that government did not need funds to start implementing some parts of the agreement.

“There are issues and agreement they can implement without money. Why don’t they begin with those ones?” he asked.

He added that it was unfortunate that the government had pulled out of dialogue with ASUU, stating that the union would not be intimidated.

He said, “Now, government has pulled out of the dialogue. We thought we were the ones going on strike, but now government has also gone on strike.”

Last Thursday, university students under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students reportedly staged a peaceful protest in Ado-Ekiti and flayed the Federal Government for failing to honour the agreement it had with ASUU since 2009.

The students, who were from public universities, threatened to disrupt activities of private universities, adding that the government was not bothered about their plight because children of government officials were studying either in private universities or studying overseas.

The university lecturers began an indefinite strike on July 1 and have been demanding full implementation of the agreement ASUU had with the Federal Government in 2009, which among other things include the UNESCO-recommended 26 per cent budgetary allocation for education. However, the government said it could not implement the agreement, and is seeking re-negotiation.

The Federal Government, last Wednesday, accused ASUU of being unrealistic by continuing its nationwide strike and asked it to rethink its demands, considering other commitments government has.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who gave government’s position on the strike when he briefed journalists at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council, said apart from security, education was one of the sectors the government had expended a lot of money on.

Nigeria beat Malawi 2-0, advance to final round

Two games now stand between Nigeria and qualification for the Brazil 2014 World Cup after the Super Eagles defeated Malawi 2-0 on Saturday at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, to advance to the final play-off round of the African qualifiers.

The Eagles thus finished top of Group F with 12 points from six matches, while Malawi finished in second place with seven points.

The score line could have been higher but for several wasted chances by the African champions.

CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa should have given the home side the lead as early as the third minute, but he shot wide.

The visitors were content to soak the pressure all through the first half but it was evident their defensive formation would crumble as the Nigerians attacked relentlessly with midfielder Mikel Obi the initiator of most of the moves.

Fenerbache striker Emmanuel Emenike, who was returning to the team for the first time since February, grabbed the opener in first half injury time, when he got on the end of a superb long ball from impressive Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi to calmly chip past the diving Malawi goalkeeper Charles Swini.

The Eagles added a second in the 51st minute when Victor Moses fired home from the penalty spot after a goal-bound Nnamdi Oduamadi was adjudged to have been upended inside the box by the Madagascan referee.

The Malawians were reduced to 10 men two minutes later when Lumbukani Mzuva was sent off for a second yellow card for a late tackle on Musa.

But the Eagles failed to make their numerical advantage count afterwards as they wasted begging chances. Again, keeper Swini was outstanding for Malawi as he denied the Nigerians time and time again.

Chelsea midfielder,  Mikel, named TomTom Most Valuable Player of the match, said, “We’ve done 50 per cent of the job and we have to see who we play against in the final round. The most important thing is that we have to keep winning.”

The Eagles will know their opponents when the final play-offs draw is conducted by the Confederation of African Football on September 16.

The first legs of the play-off ties will be played between October 11 and 15, while the return legs are slated for November 15 to 19.

We don’t have godfathers in APC — El-Rufai

Mr. Nasir El-Rufai

The Protem  National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress and former Minister of  FCT, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, said on Saturday  there would  be no  room for godfatherism in the  party.

El-Rufai who represented  the Protem National Chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, at a national conference  organised by the Movement for  a  Better Future in  Kaduna on Saturday, said,  “Nobody will take the APC and put it in his pocket. We will have no godfathers in this party. All those who want to be godfathers should go the PDP.”

He said the leadership of the party had issued  guidelines to  set up  a Harmonisation Committee in the 36 states of the federation to ensure the fusion of the  three parties that make up the APC.

He added that the national leadership of the party would soon conclude work on the committee and appealed to members to desist from making comments or giving the impression that leaders had been selected for the party at various  states “because no leader has emerged yet.”

He also noted that leaders of the APC would  emerge from the Harmonisation Committee, being worked out by the leadership of the party.

”The national executive has issued guidelines for the setting up of harmonisation committees in the various states.

“The harmonisation committees are not caretaker or interim committees, but just harmonisation committee. The objective is to ensure the fusion of the three parties into one political party.

“They are to ensure that meetings take place at all levels. By next week, we hope to finish work on the harmonisation committee for them to start work right away, ” he said

Speaking on the  theme, ‘Nigeria: the new vision,’  a  former governor of Kano State and member of the merger committee of the All Progressive Party, Mr. Ibrahim Shekarau  decried the security situation in the country, saying the PDP-led government was a “total failure.”

He noted that the only answer to the failure of the government was to get the right people  on the front seat of governance in the next political dispensation.

Police seal off New PDP secretariat

The Police, on Saturday,  sealed off the secretariat of the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party located at Plot 4, Oyi River Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.

One of our correspondent, who visited the secretariat on Saturday, reports that riot policemen have taken over the two roads leading to the building.

The riot policemen, who were about 10 in number,  were led by an Inspector, Mr. Luka Dabo.

When our correspondent attempted to gain entrance into the building, he was stopped by Abubakar Binna, a Lance Corporal, who said that they were given an order “from above” not to allow anyone to enter the building.

He, however, declined to state who gave the order.

The riot policemen, who were all armed with guns, were overheard saying they might be at the place for the next few days.

An Armoured Personnel Carrier, with registration number NPF 5229C,was also seen parked at the entrance of the road leading to the building.

The Baraje-led New PDP however described the closure of its head office by the police as the height of impunity.

A statement issued by the National Secretary of the faction, Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Abuja on Saturday, said security forces were mobilised to seal off the office on Saturday based on a “non-existent court injunction, which the main PDP faction claimed to have obtained on Friday.

The statement said, “The whole world knows that Justice E. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday refused to grant Bamanga Tukur’s application for an ex parte injunction against our party’s executive.

“The judge asked the parties to maintain the status quo. His judgment was a reinforcement of an earlier order of the Lagos High Court, which also asked parties to maintain the status quo. Now, should Nigerians conclude that Tukur’s interpretation of status quo is this crude display of naked power and undisguised impunity?

“We are not at all surprised at this occurrence, given the fact that Tukur issued a statement on Friday evening deliberately seeking to mislead the media and the public that Justice Chukwu granted him an injunction against us.

“We are happy that the ever vigilant Nigerian press ignored him and his falsehood. Now, he is not only wilfully disobeying the various courts, which have made pronouncements on this matter, he is spicing up his love for impunity with this reckless misuse of state power by misleading the police.

“We call for an immediate removal of the siege to our secretariat. We call on the Inspector-General of Police to order the immediate removal of his men from our office. Doing so, we believe, will serve the interest of justice, rule of law and democracy. Nigeria is a country ruled by law and not by might and force.

“We hasten to say that if this move is aimed at breaking our spirit, that goal is definitely off the mark. We are determined to rescue our party from the lawlessness and crass arrogance that have defined the character of the Tukur leadership since inception. Our party needs that deliverance; its members deserve the change we have brought into it,” the statement said.

But the Bamanga Tukur-led  PDP defended the action, arguing that by ordering that the parties in the dispute maintain status quo ante bellum until the determination of the case, “the court clearly granted the request of the PDP that the group led by Baraje should not operate or be recognised by INEC.”

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, applauded the sealing off of the secretariat opened by the Baraje group, noting that it was in line with the order of the court which held that the splinter group should not operate or parade itself as the leader of the PDP until the hearing of the suit before it.

The statement said, “Our attention has been drawn to reports by a section of the media erroneously suggesting that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja did not accede to our prayer that INEC should not recognise the  so-called new PDP-led by  Baraje.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the position of the Federal High Court is clear. By ordering that the two parties maintain status quo ante bellum, the court has clearly ordered the Baraje group to stop all its activities including operating a secretariat while it affirmed the leadership of the PDP under Tukur.

“By the order of the court, no person is authorised by law to open a secretariat or operate under the name, colour and flag of the PDP other than the one led by Tukur.  The sealing off of the secretariat opened by the Baraje group under the name, colour and flag of the PDP is therefore in order and in line with the law”.

Metuh urged all members “to  close ranks and remain steadfast to the constitution of the party especially as it marches on to victory in the 2015 general elections.”

Similarly, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has defended the action.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Altienne Daniel, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said, “It is true that we deployed policemen to the Maitama office of the PDP and the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party based on a court order which directed the parties to maintain the status quo. The police at the two offices did not prevent anyone from entering or leaving the offices, they were just there to prevent a breach of the peace and to enforce the order of the court.”

In a related development, security aides attached to a former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki  and Baraje have been withdrawn.

Saraki said, “I was surprised because the security aides were supported by law. Even those attached to me in Abuja have also been withdrawn. It is that bad.”

Baraje also said, “Yes, it is true. My security aides have been withdrawn. I don’t know why that was done. So, if anything happens to me, you need not ask where it came from. My life is in danger.”

Meanwhile, the PDP Elders Committee, headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has begun writing its reports based on the meeting the elders had with the different factions of the party in Abuja on Friday.

Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday showed that members of the committee met shortly after they ended their meeting with the two factions on Friday afternoon.

Those at the meeting, apart from Obasanjo, were a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.); former chairmen of the party, Dr. Ahmad’s Ali, Sen. Barnabas Gemade  and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih.

Both chiefs Solomon Lar and Alex Ekwueme were absent at the meeting as they were said to have travelled outside the country.

It was learnt that the committee is under pressure to recommend that President Goodluck Jonathan should drop his second term ambition.

It is, however, not clear if the committee will include it in its report, but a source close to one of the factions said that the committee is under intense pressure to ask the President to sacrifice his second term ambition.

The source said, “The committee is under very serious pressure to recommend that President Jonathan should forget his second term.

“This is because, some people argue that the President would have done six years by 2015 and doing another four years would amount to third term. They are saying that the Constitution stipulates that the President can only be in office for eight years and if he is allowed for another four years, he would have done 10 years, which to them amount to third term.”

President Jonathan is expected to meet with some governors in Abuja on Tuesday.

It is not clear what the agenda of the meeting would be, but our correspondent gathered that the President would have dinner with them on that date.