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Nigeria’s Security Challenges: The Way Forward

A cursory examination of the topic evidently indicates that there is no better time to dwell on the security challenges we are facing today given the internal security challenges confronting Nigeria presently. Considering the contemporary nature of this lecture, I shall attempt to sensitize or arouse our curiosity on the dimensions and dynamics of the topic for a more general discussion during the interactive session. In Nigeria today, there are contentions as to whether our system of national security is functioning effectively. A number of public analysts freely opine that not much is being done to combat crime in the face of our resources being continually expended on International Peace Keeping Operations (PKOs) and commitments. Of course, most of these opinions emanate from lack of understanding and appreciation of the dimension of national security and its challenges, the threats to it and its management in a dynamic environment. Security is an encompassing phenomenon that is paramount to individuals, entities, communities and even nations. Security has to do with self-preservation which is the first law of existence. Security implies a stable, relatively predicable environment in which an individual or group may pursue its ends or objectives without disruption, harm, danger and without fear of disturbance or injury. In the Grand Strategy for National Security, security was defined as: the aggregation of the security interest of all individuals, communities, ethnic groups, political entities and institutions which inhabit the territory of Nigeria”. The Grand Strategy specifically states that paramount importance is attached to safety, security and the prosperity of individuals and institutions within Nigeria and what belongs to Nigeria and Nigerians abroad. A country’s national security therefore is concerned with the well-being, welfare and interest of her citizens, preservation of her sovereignty and territorial integrity against external aggression. The importance of security to economic well-being of a country and her citizens was amply highlighted by a former American Secretary of Defence, Robert McNamara when he stated that security is development and development is security. This means without security there cannot be any development. The importance attached to security was well captured in the Nigerian constitution of 1999: Section 14 (2) (b) of the constitution state that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. Invariably therefore the Constitution has saddled the Government with the responsibility of safeguarding lives, property, welfare of Nigerians against both internal and external threats including other forms of danger. Thus it is incumbent on the Government to monitor public order and safety, including law and order. It has however been observed that no matter how endowed and organized a country ~is, it can hardly be totally free/devoid of security challenges. The security challenges nations contend with are inextricably linked with their history, culture, social structure and economic conditions. In order to tackle security challenges nations established the armed forces, police, security agencies and other Para-military forces. It is however to be noted that given the broader perspective of national security, government security agencies alone cannot provide the desired peaceful environment. Therefore, everybody has a role to play at enhancing our national security and security is and should be everybody’s business. The purpose of this paper therefore is to discuss Nigeria’s Security Challenges and suggest ways forward. In order to achieve this, I will like to give a conceptual framework of national security, Nigeria’s security challenges and the way forward. Conceptual Framework Of National Security In all academic circles, no definition is ever all embracing and perfect. Bearing this in mind, I shall attempt to give a simple definition of national security which will guide our focus in the examination of the topic before us. Until the recent past, security was understood broadly as absence of insecurity as a result of actions of law enforcement agencies. More appropriately it was misunderstood to be the job of the defence force on the national frontiers and of the police inside the country. This perception sums up security to equal a system of law and order maintenance. The dynamics of our society have since altered that configuration of security to now include consideration for societally generated crises such as riots, demonstrations, secret cult-related criminal acts, terrorism, drug-trafficking, intra and interethnic strife, religious intolerance, advance fee fraud, anti-government campaigns, armed robberies, hijacks and a host of others that threaten lives and property and indeed the peace and tranquility in the society. Even activities of some foreigners in collaboration with their Nigerian hosts often add to the complexity and intensity of security challenges we may have in our great country. Given the foregoing scenario, security can be said to be a state of being or existence that is free from danger, fear, threat, anxiety and uncertainty. From this simple explanation, security apparently transcends every facet of human endeavour. By implication therefore, security embraces the establishment of proactive and defensive measures to safeguard all persons, materials and information from every form of danger. On a wider scale, national security exists in two domains and these are the internal and the external. The security of a country is affected from within by a considerable number of political, economic and social factors. Political strife, the state of the economy, intra and inter-ethnic animosities, the conduct of government affairs, the issue of resource allocation and management, all acts on the equilibrium of the state. The external domain has to do with how the country’s security is affected by its foreign policy and the nature of the geopolitical circumstances surrounding it. For example, Nigeria was sometime at cross-roads and daggers drawn with Cameroun over the Bakassi Peninsula. The details of the disagreement were too clear to be recounted here. However, relative peace can be said to have been restored with the ceding of Bakassi. Both internal and external security linkages play complementary roles to affect the capacity and capability of Nigeria to independently pursue a course of action best suited ~ to promote her national interests in the overall achievement of her national objectives. This is precisely what national security is all about. It is therefore common practice to see countries constantly weighing and adjusting the internal or domestic and external factors affecting their .entire security architecture with a view to promoting their unity and survivability. It is only through such a coordinated system of assessments and readjustments that a country’s human and material resources can be directed towards meaningful and positive ends. A nation with an insecure environment is doomed to distractions and possible disintegration. It is only imperative, therefore, that Nigeria enhances her security and intelligence organization to contain the myriad of challenges and threats facing her. It would be recalled that during the administration of President Obasanjo, the Grand Strategy for National Security was evolved. In this document, national security was described as the aggregation of the security interest of the individuals, political entities, human associations and ethnic groups which make up the nation. The security interest includes safety of life and property, economic, physiological, mental well-being and the freedom to pursue the attainment of legitimate objectives without hindrance. This definition is holistic and most relevant to us as it sees the objective of national security as elimination of all distractions in other to bring about growth and development of the society and its constituents. In other words, every national security structure must be seen in the light of its two core obligations of preserving the safety of its citizens at home and abroad, and preserving the integrity of the borders and assets of the country. The assets of the country include physical objects such as the infrastructure and other tangible assets that support the economy. Intangible things such as national values, the political ability to project power and authority, including national cohesion of citizens, are treasured assets any country would desire to have. Nigeria’s Security Challenges No nation is free of security challenges. These challenges also vary from one country to the other. Thus, Nigeria’s security challenges would definitely differ from those in Egypt, USA or Russia. For instance, in US today, the dangers posed by” weapon possession are perhaps the greatest security challenges confronting the country. Threats/challenges to a country’s security may range from low level civil disorder, large scale violence, even armed insurgency or terrorism. These threats may be directed against citizens or the organs and infrastructure of the state itself. Foreign powers may also act as a threat to a country’s security by either committing or sponsoring terrorism or rebellion without actually declaring war. Terrorism Perhaps the greatest and predominant security challenge in Nigeria today is terrorism or terrorism related. The Jarna’atu Ahlis Sunnah Ladda’awatih wal- Jihad, a religious based Islamic fundamentalist group, popularly known as Boko-Haram is the harbinger of terrorism in Nigeria today. The sect, which is predominately based in the’ North Eastern part of the country, has an ideology that is averse to western education and anything it represents. The sect also seeks an enthronement of Islamic (Sharia) government in the whole of Northern Nigeria. Adherents of Boko Haram attack government institutions, such as the police, and military through armed attacks, suicide bombing or lED. Notable attacks carried out by the sect with concomitant loss of lives and property include: the Mogadishu Barracks bombing in Abuja in December 2010, the Police Headquarters in Abuja in June 2011, and the UN bombing in Abuja in August 2011 to mention a few. The sect seeks to erode the credibility and legitimacy of the government by making it appear incapable of protecting lives and property of the citizenry. Mr. President’s strategy for dealing with the Boko Haram threat is based on a multi-dimensional approach involving all elements of national power. While security forces operations dominate the media headlines, government has also embarked on other activities spanning across legal reforms, de-radicalization programme and strategic public communications. Additionally, the Federal Government, in conjunction with State Governments, is making efforts to tackle the issue of unemployment in the affected states as joblessness has been. identified as one of the drivers fuelling terrorism in the country. The Boko Haram has international links with other terrorist groups such as the AI-Qaeda in the Magherb (AQIM), AI-qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and al-Shabab in Somalia. The sect has been getting tremendous support from these groups. The participation of Nigeria forces in the Malian crisis is bound to open another flank of vulnerability to the Nigerian interest worldwide because the Malian terrorists have vowed to retaliate against any country that participates in the operation. They have. demonstrated capability by taking people of different countries hostage. The recent incident at the Algeria’s oil and gas facility is instructive. It thus behoves Nigeria to take additional security measures to protect her interest worldwide and also heighten security at KPs and VPs within the country. Maritime Security The insecurity in Nigeria’s maritime environment is a major challenge to our national security. These occur in many forms, such as, piracy, illegal oil bunkering, oil theft” illegal fishing and hijacking. It has caused the Government loss of revenue and making our ports unattractive to foreign shipping lines. Efforts are being made by government to put a stop to various maritime security challenges. The Nigerian Navy has statutory responsibility for security in Nigeria’s maritime environment. Interestingly, the Navy is being strengthened through training, capacity building and purchase of new platforms to adequately cope with the tasks of policing Nigeria’s maritime environment. The Nigerian Maritime Security and Safety Administration (NIMASA) is another body set up by the government to deal with problems of safety and security in Nigeria’s harbours and coastal area. Recently, NIMASA entered into agreement with Global West, a private security company to ensure security of Nigeria’s coastal waters and prevent piracy and illegal oil bunkering. At the sub-regional level, Nigeria is partnering with other countries in the West African sub-region, through the auspices of ECOWAS to forge collaboration, security and legislative efforts to combat piracy and other illegal maritime activities. As you all are aware the Nigerian Navy and Beninese Navy are currently involved in a combined operation code name OPERATION PROSPERITY aimed at enhancing maritime security between the 2 countries. The same is being done through the Gulf of Guinea Commission, which has 8 countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea from Angola to Nigeria. Niger Delta Militancy At the peak of the militancy in the Niger Delta, crude oil production which is the mainstay of the country went as low as 700,000 bpd against over 2million bpd, This adversely affected Nigeria’s economy as the revenue accruable from oil dwindled. However, with the granting of amnesty to the Niger Delta militants, threats posed by the militants to oil production and oil facilities have virtually disappeared. However, there are still some residual threats being posed by those claiming to be remnants of the Niger Delta militants seeking to benefit from the FG Amnesty Programme. They seek to be included in the third phase Amnesty Programme. On a number of times they disrupted peace and tranquility in Abuja and other cities in the Niger Delta. The security challenges in the Niger Delta area may not be attributed entirely to the remnants of the Niger Delta militants, as the government has commenced moves to inaugurate the third phase of the Amnesty Programme. It is suspected that criminal gangs may be responsible, in their effort to make a living from all sorts of illegal activities in the Niger Delta. Kidnapping Kidnapping started initially as part of methods used by Niger Delta militants to attract attention of oil companies and the government to their struggle for resource control. However, with the FG Amnesty Programme in place, Niger Delta militants have abandoned the crime but criminal elements, especially in the South-Eastern part- of the -country, have adopted the kidnapping strategy, .believing that kidnapping is a less risky and more lucrative venture than armed robbery. Currently, cases of kidnapping that are concentrated and frequent in the South-East, have gradually spread to other parts of the country and the phenomenon is now regarded as one of the main security challenges confronting the country. Prominent Nigerians, lawmakers and traditional rulers have fallen victims. Kidnapping gives the impression that lives of oil workers, prominent citizens and ordinary Nigerians are not safe and consequently portrays Nigeria as insecure, with attendant consequences. Illegal Bunkering Nigeria has long been confronted with challenges of illegal bunkering and oil theft during which both crude and refined products are stolen on a regular basis. This development not only creates serious economic problems for the country in terms of loss of revenue, it also gives the impression that the main foreign exchange earner on which the country depends cannot be effectively secured. The President while decorating the recently appointed Services Chiefs had to task them to stop the threat of oil theft. Efforts are currently on-going by the Government through the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA to bring the problem under control. Pipeline Vandalisation Pipeline vandalisation is closely related to illegal bunkering, though not the same. Nigeria loses about N105 billion (one hundred and five billion naira) to pipeline vandalisation annually. Most of the vandals puncture or blow up pipelines to siphon crude or finished products while some others cause damage so as to get oil companies to engage them in the repairs of such damaged pipelines or engage them for the security of the pipelines. Whatever maybe the case, this is a serious security challenge for the country. They both constitute a big drain to the country’s revenue. Huge sums of money are also spent in repairing damaged pipelines. Loss of lives and environmental degradation are other negative impacts. The Arepo pipeline vandalisation which has become a constant phenomenon is instructive. Armed Robbery Armed robbery has been a long standing security issue in Nigeria, especially after the 1967-70 Civil War, when arms became widely available in the country. For a very long time it was the number one security challenge confronting the nation until the Niger Delta militancy and later Boko Haram activities pushed the ‘problem to the back burner. It has persisted despite many efforts to tackle the root causes of this particular security challenge. It is generally believed that youth unemployment, and the culture of get-rich-quick based on greed, which pervades our society today are responsible. Proliferation of small arms and light weapons as well as inadequate policing of our borders and maritime environment are other inducing factors. YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment is one socio-security challenge that successive governments over the years have identified and acknowledged. Unfortunately, government’s efforts appear not to be making the desired positive impact. The engagement of these unemployed into criminality is a matter of concern for the government. In Nigeria, on many occasions many youths have been used as thugs during political campaigns and in time of crisis. Government is very concerned about this problem and had taken several steps in the past, and currently, to train youths in relevant skills in order to generate employment. To solve the youth unemployment issue, the FG has initiated the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (You WIN) programme. The programme is a collaboration of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communications Technology, the Ministry of Youth Development and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development that will launch an annual Business Plan Competition for aspiring young entrepreneurs in Nigeria. This is in line with the FG drive to create more jobs for the Nigerian youths particularly. The programme will be implemented in partnership with Nigeria’s private sector, who will be requested to provide funding, support and mentoring for the aspiring young entrepreneurs. CLIMATE CHANGE The recent heavy rains and associated flooding in many parts of the country has brought the issue of climate change as a security threat to the fore. Efforts are being made to study the pattern of climate change in a comprehensive way so as to predict weather patterns. This will allow government to provide early warning to farmers and those living in flood-prone areas. With the depletion of the ozone layer and the resultant consequences of global warming, there has been significant climate change, which is now a major problem for many parts of the world. The recent “Sandy” storm disaster in the United States and flooding of many parts of Asia and Africa are urgent reminders that climate change is a serious security problem that needs to be properly addressed. All the relevant security and environmental agencies have been summoned for a comprehensive assessment of the problem, as it pertains to Nigeria, towards advising the government on the best approach at minimizing the effect of climate change and other natural disasters. POROUS BORDERS One of the main security challenges in the country is the wide expanse of Nigeria’s porous borders with contiguous countries. Many border communities have over time, out of practice, come to depend on the proceeds of smuggling and consequently, have come to see such practices as a way of life. Porosity of the borders has many implications, apart from revenue lost to smuggling, small arms and light weapons are brought into the country in large numbers. This has led to a situation where the country is awash with all sorts of weapons which find their way into the hands of criminal gangs. With the recent collapse of the Ghadafi regime in Libya, heavy weapons from Ghadaffi’s arsenal, such as the ones with the Islamists in Northern Mali, could be smuggled into the country and used to deadly effects by armed gangs and members of the Boko Haram sect. To avoid this frightening possibility, the government has taken steps to firm up border security, by opening up more border posts and increasing the manpower of the various security agencies at the borders. Nigeria has also signed joint border patrol agreements with some of the contiguous countries having land borders with Nigeria. There is now provision for aerial surveillance of the border with helicopters and planes, as well as electronically aided security checkpoints to capture biometric data of those coming in and exiting the country through the land borders. These measures when firmly in place will go a long way to help secure Nigeria’s land borders. THE WAY FORWARD The way to overcome many of the security challenges is for Nigeria to re-double its efforts at nation-building, take a hard look at the root causes of the current problems highlighted in order to find lasting solutions, I will at this point briefly highlight some mitigable measures Nigeria may adopt to alleviate the effects of-the security challenges we are currently facing. Data Base: One of the fundamental essentials of security is the establishment of a comprehensive data base to capture relevant data which would aid documentation and monitoring of the population. Nigeria, as it obtains in most Western countries, must have a computerized data base, not only of criminals but of everybody within the country, including visiting foreigners. Such data base needs not to be in one single place, it could be established at both the state and federal levels and by each security organization. What is paramount is for such data to be linked together. Many intelligence agencies rely substantially on data bases to do their work and use them to crack crime cases. The data base, ideally, need to capture the date of birth, death certificate, photograph, finger-print, car registration data, travelling passport number, tax identification number, and other important details, such as house address, details of owners of each house located in any local government area, records of building approval, and other details necessary for planning, monitoring and development. But what is of major interest to security agencies is the data base on criminals, those who have been convicted of various crimes in the past, those jailed for offences, as well as those of security interest to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. These data bases must be with or accessible to both the Police and State Security Service, the 2 main agencies responsible for internal security. Availability of a current data base would go a long way in surmounting many of the security challenges confronting the country today. Infrastructure: The level of Nigeria’s infrastructure needs to improve significantly above what it is at present, so also, the quality of education, health services, housing, roads and rail transportation. It is imperative that these infrastructure are not only present but of high quality to ensure adequate welfare, safety and security of the general populace and to give the people the feeling of satisfaction regarding access to the dividends of democracy. Public Enlightenment: Currently, the Nigerian population cannot be described as security conscious. This has to change dramatically and fast, for Nigeria to confront many of the security challenges being experienced at present. There is need for enlightenment of the public to make them aware that security agencies .alone cannot fight crime or terrorism. Security agents all over the world rely on the people for relevant information which provides leads that could solve security related problems. At the same time, the general public must be made to have confidence in the Police and other security agencies, and must be re-assured that the source of information being provided remains confidential and protected. Public awareness of the need to be security conscious and the dangers posed by terrorism to the general wellbeing of the people and the security to the state needs emphasis, until it becomes part of the people. Introducing security awareness curricula from primary to secondary school may be one way to achieve this. Adverts and publications issued in the media on security related issues is another way out. Reorganization of Security Agencies: Another area where government would need to focus on is capacity building among security agencies, especially the police. Professionalism must be improved, recruitment and training need to be overhauled and the curricula reviewed to ensure that policemen and other security agents are in tune with modern technology and devices that can measure up to the standards of their counter-parts in more developed countries. There is need for far-reaching security sector reform within some of the security agencies. The military, and I say this most dispassionately, is the only security organization that would appear to be doing well in this regard and is quite on the right track given its professionalism and regular exposure of officers and men to training and retraining. Intelligence Liaison: Intelligence is crucial in tackling most security related challenges. All the security agencies established by the Government need to observe inter-agency cooperation in their relationship by sharing relevant intelligence amongst them. Similarly some of the security challenges have external dimensions e.g the Boko Haram has links with AQIM, AQIAP and EI-Shabab -from which it receives training and funding. The link between Boko Haram and the external support has to be severed, to deny it weapons, funds, training and other logistics. This is being done through liaison with foreign intelligence and security agencies. In addition, security personnel need to be adequately. trained in counter terrorism and other security related relevant skills in order to be more effective in tackling terrorism and other related security challenges. Job Creation: Job creation is the solution to youth unemployment. The government has’taken many laudable steps to create jobs. Some MDAs, such as the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was created by government to tackle the problem of job creation. But to really achieve an enviable level of job creation, it is necessary for government to provide the enabling environment and infrastructure, such as, stable electricity, good roads and schools amongst others. Power availability in particular is very important to manufacturing and industrial enterprises, as well as small and medium scale businesses. Once power stability is achieved, there is bound to be marked improvement in job creation and the standard of living of the people. From all indications so far, the government is poised to deliver on its promise of marked improvement in availability of power to all and sundry. Poverty Alleviation: Poverty alleviation is being tackled by the government from many angles, this is done through job creation, investment in agriculture, increase in local content of manufactured products, power generation, and improvement in quality of infrastructure. But efforts being made in this area take time to come into fruition, given that many aspects of infrastructure development have been neglected for a considerable period of time in years past. But the foundation for gradual improvement in different areas of the economy, and of our daily lives, is being laid gradually, towards the eventual achievement of a reasonable level of poverty alleviation and attainment of sound economic status. Before I conclude, I will like to further expatiate that the topic of today’s presentation presupposes that the security situation in Nigeria is currently experiencing some hiccups which need to be improved upon in order to attain the desired state needed for economic activities to thrive. As a recap and to give credence to the points I have already mentioned in this presentation, I will like to give a quotation from Mr Kofi Annan’s book titled ‘Interventions: A Life in War and Peace.’ He mentioned that “it is widely recognized today that the 2 principal obstacles to African development are Energy and Infrastructure” Obviously, these 2 principal obstacles are applicable to Nigeria. — Text of the speech delivered by Col Sambo Dasuki at the 3rd seminar held at the National Defence College, Abuja by the Alumni of the institution

Wow

Madu Jacquelyn (@MaduMadujackie) tweeted at 0:05 PM on Sun, Jun 09, 2013: Thousands of naked cyclists bring Mexico City streets to standstill http://t.co/bb1yYWOjxC http://t.co/sYAUgZzzIR @kendoug5 @Gidi_Traffic (https://twitter.com/MaduMadujackie/status/343685184396357635) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

David Adeniyi (@realmyunicy) tweeted at 8:51 AM on Thu, Jun 06, 2013: @omojuwa: The 6 year single tenure is just a recommendation by the Senate. It still requires the approval of State Houses of Assembly & HoR (https://twitter.com/realmyunicy/status/342549302922579968) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

Apparently the White House referred to Christmas Trees as “Holiday Trees” for the first time this year which prompted CBS presenter, Ben Stein, to present this piece which I would like to share with you. I think it applies just as much to many countries as it does to America . . . The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejewelled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, “Merry Christmas” to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crib, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her: “How could God let something like this happen?” (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said: “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?” In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbour as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

Announcement

Announcement: President Goodluck Jonathan, former US President, Bill Clinton and several governors are expected to arrive Lagos tomorrow, February 21st, 2013, for the opening of Eko Atlantic City. Lagosians, prepare for possible road closures.

N13.5bn debt: Babalakin, AMCON to settle out-of-court

Roygate Properties Limited and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) have commenced talks aimed at ensuring an out-of-court settlement of dispute between them over N13.5 billion debt allegedly owed by the former. Roygate is owned by businessman-lawyer, Wale Babalakin. Officials of the Federal High Court in Lagos had, in execution of an order by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the court, sealed off a property located on 43A, Afribank Street, Victoria Island on February 8. The property was said to have been pledged by the company in tripartite legal mortgage registered on October 14, 2010 between Roygate (the borower), Stabilini Visioni Limited (surety/mortgagor) and Guaranty Trust Bank (the lender). AMCON later acquired the loan. In the order made exparte on February 5, Justice restrained Roygate, its directors, subsidiaries and sister companies from transferring or dealing with any of its funds in 20 banks listed in the application, or anywhere else up to the N13.5bn allegedly owed by the company. He also restrained the banks from allowing Roygate to operate any bank accounts held by it in the banks and fixed yesterday as the return date. When parties and the affected banks returned to court yesterday, lawyers to Roygate and AMCON, Olawale Akoni (SAN) and Adebola Sobowale told the court that talks were on to ensure amicable settlement of the dispute. Akoni told the court that he received a call from his client, before entering the court, to the effect that talk is going on between parties. He said he had told AMCON’s lawyer about the development and sought an adjournment. Sobowale confirmed the development. He told the court that he has equally confirmed that information about the ongoing talks by parties from his client and agreed to a short adjournment. The court refused request by lawyers representing the banks to be excused from further proceedings. They had sought to be excused on the ground that having filed reruns, as ordered by the court, those without banking relationship with Roygate should be allowed to go. But AMCON’s Head, Corporate Communication, Kayode Lambo, said Roygate may have approached the corporation, indicating its willingness to commence settlement negotiation. He however, said negotiations are yet to commence. Justice Aneke has however adjourned to February 28 for parties to either report settlement or argue on which of the pending applications should be heard first.

PHCN sets up monitoring team to check abuse of meters

The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has set up a market monitoring team to check customers who are bypassing pre-paid and analogue meters, Pekun Adeyanju, Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs Division of PHCN, said on Tuesday in Lagos. He said that some consumers were bypassing their meters. ``They will not connect electrical appliances that consume more power like pumping machine, pressing iron and air-condition to pre-paid meters. At the end of the month, such a customer will pay less because the pre-paid meter has been tampered with,” he said. According to him, each monitoring team is set up to check pre-paid meters in the zone and is directly under the supervision of the business unit in the different units. ``Any customer found guilty of bypassing pre-paid meter or adjusting the analogue meter will be invited to the business unit. If found guilty of this offence, the customer will be asked to pay N50, 000 fine within three days. Failure to pay the fine, the customer will be charged to court,’’ he said. Adeyanju urged consumers to always report any staff of PHCN who demanded money from them to write-off their bills to the business manager of their unit. He advised them to allow officials of PHCN to do their lawful duties anytime they visited their compound. Adeyanju promised that PHCN would continue to serve them better and stressed the need for consumers to always pay their bills promptly

Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove donates incubator, waterbeds to LUTH

IN continuation of its humanitarian services, the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate on Tuesday donated an incubator and five waterbeds to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos. Delivering the items to the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Chris Bode, who represented the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Akin Osibogun, past President, Rotary Club of Palmgrove Estate, Dr. Alex Thomopulos, prayed that the incubators would help in saving the lives of babies who otherwise would have been at grave risk. “This institution has a very bright future and we would like to associate with you. However, we would also like to raise the issue of maintenance culture, which will strengthen our relationship and enable us to bring in more items in future. “I am hoping that this would be the beginning of our assisting the hospital with necessary equipment as the way this incubator is handled, will determine our bringing in more incubators and other needed items,” he said. Receiving the items, Bode thanked the club and assured the members that the incubator would be well-preserved according to the hospital’s maintenance programme. “LUTH, as the largest serving hospital, attends to about 20 million people from all over the country. “Compared with the number of people we attend to, the incubators we have at present, are quite inadequate. “I was in a small hospital in Boston not long ago and was surprised to see that the hospital, with its size, had 60 incubators. “We are the largest hospital but the incubators we have are not enough. “We assure you of our maintenance programme and expect more incubators to meet our needs. “On behalf of the CMD, management and staffers, we express our profound gratitude for the gifts and assure you that they are on record,” he said. The Chairman, LUTH at 50 Anniversary Committee/Past Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunlewe, said the gift was premised on the 50th Anniversary of LUTH. “Last year, LUTH clocked 50 and as part of the ceremony, we decided to write to different organizations, including the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove, to support the institution. “Two days ago, I got the message that Rotary would be coming today with its promise of incubator and water- beds” and we quite appreciate the fulfillment its promise,” she said. The District Governor, Dr. Kamoru Omotosho, Assistant District Governor, Ayo Onafuwa, lauded the activities of Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove, especially in the area of health care. “The club has been bringing in experts from India to remove cataracts and treated other problems affecting eyes and has also given out artificial limbs and are here again to donate incubator and five water beds. “We hope you will have a committee to look after the incubator with a view to sustaining it for long and if there is any need, you can call on us and we will be happy to come. “With this, you may be preserving the lives of future leaders because 10 years ago, this type of privilege was not there and a lot of lives had been lost. “If you collaborate with the club, I believe you have a lot more to benefit,” he said”. The Chartered President, Dr. Deep Mirani, described the gift of the incubator and waterbeds as what the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove, loved to do to show its appreciation to the government and people of Nigeria. “We have given out 46,000 limbs to different people in this country and have carried out 13,000 free eye surgeries in Lagos, Abeokuta, Kano, Kaduna and Yola. I can remember that the Governor of Ogun State had promised to support our cause, which the Lagos State Governor has also been doing. “We are putting up a hospital along Airport Road very soon to attend to people with eye problems,” he said. The Director, Administration, Mr. Ayo Olagunju and Retired Deputy Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs. Phebian Adedeji, were present at the event. < Prev Next > Author of this article: By Isaac Taiwo

FRSC boss for ABC 20th Anniversary

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka, OFR, will deliver the keynote address at ABC Transport’s 20th Anniversary event scheduled for March 1, 2013, at the Sheraton Hotels, Lagos. ABC Transport recently unveiled 7 new coaches equipped with enhanced onboard security features and also announced a donation of 3 demonstration buses to the automobile/mechanical engineering departments of Lagos State University, Imo State University, and Federal Polytechnic, Nekede. ABC Transport plc commenced operations on February 13, 1993 as Associated Bus Company Limited, with 6 mini buses. Since then ABC Transport has grown to become West Africa’s leading coach operators pioneering many groundbreaking innovations in the road transport industry and g’arnering many awards and accolades. It remains the only road transport company listed on Nigerian Stock Exchange after its successful initial public offer in 2006. The company has also diversified its scope to include Cargo, haulage, Hospitality and tourism. Chidoka, a graduate of Business Management from the University of Nigeria (1995) holds a Master’s degree in Transport Policy and Logistics from the George Mason University, USA, a graduate Diploma in Maritime and Ports Management from the University of Singapore (2002) and a certificate in Global Strategy and Political Economy from Mansfield College, Oxford University in 2004. His experience spans areas of public policy, economy and politics. Under his leadership the FRSC has evolved into a dynamic government institution applying the best internationally recognised practices as well as introducing many innovative safety policies and practices that have drastically reduced the number of road traffic accidents on Nigerian highways.

Veteran Nollywood actor Justus Esiri is dead.

Veteran Nollywood actor Justus Esiri is dead. The legendary actor, who had acted in many blockbusters, passed away Tuesday night. He was aged 70. Secretary-General of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, Abubakar Yakub, confirmed the death of Esiri to our reporter. According to him, the popular actor died of complications from diabetes in a Lagos hospital. “This is a very sad one. I don’t know why death seems to have focussed on our industry for some time now. We have lost four members already this year. Uncle Justus was like a father to all of us, and we will miss him greatly,” Abubakar added. When P.M.NEWS called Ibinabo Fiberesima, the National President of AGN this morning, she was still in shock to make comments. “My brother, na so we see am o. Honestly, I’m not in the right mood to make any official statement right now. I will do that later. May his soul rest in peace.” Two years ago, the late Esiri was one of the actors who ran to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye for a special prayer session against consistent deaths and sicknesses in the industry. The event was held at the church’s headquarters in Ebute-Metta, Lagos. Esiri, Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, is famous for his role as the village headmaster in the then popular television series of the same name. Born on 20 November 1942 in Oria-Abraka, Delta State, Esiri attended Urhobo College, Effurun, Warri in the then Bendel State. Warri is now part of Delta state. He was at the Maximillan University, Munich, Germany, 1964, Prof. Weners Institute of Engineering, West Berlin, 1967 and the Ahrens School of Performing Arts, 1968. Esiri started his acting career in Germany. He was the only Nigerian male performing on stage between 1968 and 1969. He also worked for Voice of Nigeria, German Service as a translator. He was performing on stage when in Germany when a delegation from Nigeria invited him home to perform in a governmentt sponsored programme. He never returned to Germany. Justus Esiri: passes on Justus Esiri: passes on The veteran actor had won several awards including THEMA Awards, NTA Honours Awards and AMAA Awards. He was also the star actor in acclaimed productions such as Wasted Years, Forever, The Prize, Six Demons, Corridors of Power, Last Knight, The Tyrant, The investigation, The Ghost . He was also reputed to have performed on more TV Network drama programmes than any Nigerian actor. Esiri is the father of Nigerian fast-rising musician, Dr. Sid. Asked in an interview how he felt about his son becoming a musician, he said; “I just called him and told him both the negative and positive aspects of the entertainment industry and he has to be focused. I scolded but gave him my blessing and he picked up.” Assasin’s Practice, one of the most recent movies where he featured, was produced last year.

Nigerian Pop Singer Susan 'Goldie' Harvey Died Of Stroke-Pathologists

Medical sources at the Lagos State  University Teaching Hospital have revealed that Big Brother Africa singing sensation Oluwabimpe Susan Harvey aka "Goldie" died of Intracranial hemorrhage as a result of hypertension. Several of the sources told Saharareporters exclusively that Mrs. Harvey had bleeding in her brain which could be attributed to hypertension. The confirmation put to rest earlier speculation by her managers and fans that she died of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) as a result of her long journey  from the Grammy's Award in the US. One of our sources said that they could not immediately determine if drugs consumption triggered the excessive amount of bleeding that killed her as it was rare for someone her age to die of stroke.   The medical source stated that a toxicology test would be required to find out if her death was caused by drugs, a process that would likely take months as conclusive  tests could only be conducted outside Nigeria. The pop singer died on Valentine day shortly after returning from the US. The cause of death has been a source of speculation and resentment as her fans, and friends objected to suggestions that she might have died due to drug addiction.

Friday, 22 February, 2013 sees the official launch of yet another classy and hot new joint in the city of Lagos, Nigeria.

Friday, 22 February, 2013 sees the official launch of yet another classy and hot new joint in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. Murphis Plaza, 27 Sanusi Fafunwa Street in Victoria Island is definitely the place to be on the night as the Shaunz Club Nite Launch Party takes centre stage with a promise of a memorable and highly exciting time for all in attendance. Proudly supported by premium brands Remy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac and Cointreau, the launch party is poised to rock all night with two exciting DJs – Triple A & Steve and Dspin Club Nites – on the wheels of steel guaranteeing a ceaseless flow of quality music and hits. Come party with your favourite brands as we celebrate this landmark achievement together in grand style.

Gunmen kill security officers, kidnap six workers in Bauchi

Gunmen on Sunday invaded a Lebanese-owned construction company in Bauchi, killing a security guard and a police officer on duty. The gunmen also abducted six workers including two foreigners.

The State police chief, Mohammed Ladan while confirming the incident said: “There was an attack on the Setraco construction company site in Jama’are town (in Bauchi State) by unknown gunmen. Six company staff, including two expatriates, were kidnapped,”

“They killed the security guard at the site. We are still working to establish the nationalities of the two expatriates,” he told AFP.

The same gunmen had earlier attacked the prison and a police station in Jama’are, which lies about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital, Bauchi, but were repelled, Ladan added.

There was a similar attack on Saturday by gunmen on a police station in Kafin Madaki town, about 40 kilometres from Bauchi city, triggering a shootout.

Setraco Nigeria, a construction and civil engineering company, is a subsidiary of Setraco International Holding group.

The Nigerian company, which was established in 1977, is currently working on expanding a major road in the Northern part of the country.

Nigeria First Lady Patience Jonathan Admits Undergoing Nine Surgeries In One Month As Lavish Thanksgiving Party Shuts Down Abuja

About 5000 guests, including 18 state governors, have overrun Abuja for a lavish thanksgiving party thrown for Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, at a cost of N500 million. Although she had previously denied being in hospital in Germany, Mrs. Jonathan opened up today at a special service at the Aso Rock Chapel, stunning worshippers with the admission her medical condition had been very serious. “I actually died,” Premium Times quoted her as testifying. “I passed out for more than a week. My intestine and tummy were opened.” She said her doctors had actually given up hope, although she did not specify her diagnosis. “It was God himself in His infinite mercy that said I will return to Nigeria. God woke me up after seven days.” During her six weeks away from Nigeria last year, the presidency refused to say anything to the country about her condition. Upon her return to Abuja on October 17, Mrs. Jonathan denied having been in any hospital. “I don’t even know that hospital they are talking about…” she said on that occasion. “I do not have any terminal illness or cosmetic surgery.” For today’s thanksgiving merriment, an organising committee chaired by Mr. John Kennedy Okpara raised over N500m, which would most likely be presented to Mrs. Jonathan as a gift, as the presidency is bankrolling the event. The thanksgiving, which is being broadcast live on the National Television Authority’s (NTA) local and international channels, has such dignitaries as President Goodluck Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo and his wife, Haj Amina; former Ghana President John Agyekum Kufour; former Nigeria Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon; and Aisha Babangida, who is representing her ailing father and former military president, General Ibrahim Bademasi Babangida. Also in attendance are members of the Federal Executive Council; wives of state governors; the wife of Senate President; the Deputy Senate President; Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha; members of the National Assembly; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; the Head of the Federal Civil Service, Alhaji Bello Sali; the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria; and several members of the international community. The function, which commenced at 3p.m. Nigerian time, is expected to go on into the late evening. There were early invitations for 3,000 people, but the Banquet Hall of State House was quickly filled to capacity, with several guests unable to find a place to sit down. Several trucks bearing gifts from government officials and contractors lined the streets of the presidential villa waiting to deliver gifts to the First Lady. Our reporter saw luxury official cars parked everywhere around the Presidential Villa, from the Supreme Court to the Villa in Asokoro area of Abuja. Many of the guests parked their cars at the Eagle Square, where buses were provided to convey them to the venue of the event. In 2012, Mrs. Jonathan suddenly became ill and was evacuated in a medical emergency to Germany. SaharaReporters was informed by well-placed sources that her medical troubles had begun earlier in Dubai, where she was then treated because her hands were twitching. It was upon her return to Abuja following that experience that she was rushed in an air ambulance to Wiesbaden, Germany, where she reportedly underwent surgery to remove uterine fibroids. One of our sources said her condition was exacerbated by Parkinson’s disease, while the Lagos-based PM News reported that Mrs. Jonathan was being treated for uterine cancer. The presidency neither confirmed nor denied any of the reports, until Mrs. Jonathan, upon her return, issued her own denial. In a November 2012 Media Chat, President Jonathan contradicted her account, telling reporters his wife had been ill and needed treatment. Four weeks ago, on January 14, Mrs. Jonathan was again flown out to Germany on another emergency, less than 24 hours after SaharaReporters revealed that she was billed for another health-related trip to Spain. A scheduled appearance at a presidential event for foreign ambassadors was cancelled. In her church testimony today, an apparently humbled Mrs. Jonathan revealed the extent of her suffering, including having “eight or nine operations” within a period of one month. Of the future, she said, “I will be doing things that will touch the lives of the less privileged. God gave me a second chance because I reached there. He knew I had not completed the assignments He gave me that was why I was sent back.” Observers said this afternoon it will be curious to see how she implements that agenda, given her track record as well the massive “celebration” that is costing Nigerian taxpayers a ton of money on top of her humongous medical expenses so far.

Welcome To Ladun Liadi's Blog: Photo: Is Kim K Short? Take a Closer Look

Welcome To Ladun Liadi's Blog: Photo: Is Kim K Short? Take a Closer Look: As you read this, Kim Kardashian is on her way back to the US. She only did the red carpet stuff and left the venue. She even tweeted it. ...

Welcome to Peter Enekhu's blog, a home of inspirational comments, current news and entertainments.: maestro's media: WELCOME TO SHAUNZ BAR & KARAOKE L...

Welcome to Peter Enekhu's blog, a home of inspirational comments, current news and entertainments.: maestro's media: WELCOME TO SHAUNZ BAR & KARAOKE L...: maestro's media: WELCOME TO SHAUNZ BAR & KARAOKE LOUNGE

Goldie died as a result of drug use.???????

It was gathered this evening from pm news that Goldie died as a results Of drug use, if this is true that means she killed herself o...... More info coming soon...

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: Shocking sad news! Singer Goldie Harvey dies...

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: Shocking sad news! Singer Goldie Harvey dies...

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: "TB Joshua rescued me from alcohol, drugs and mental issues' - actor Hanks Anuku

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: "TB Joshua rescued me from alcohol, drugs and mental issues' - actor Hanks Anuku

maestro's media: OUR VERY OWN ADAORA AKUBILO

maestro's media: OUR VERY OWN ADAORA AKUBILO

maestro's media: WELCOME TO SHAUNZ BAR & KARAOKE LOUNGE

maestro's media: WELCOME TO SHAUNZ BAR & KARAOKE LOUNGE