An Advice To Niger Delta Avengers, By Nasiru Abdu Maikwano

June 13, 2016

Keep on keeping on. Please don’t listen to anybody advising you against pipeline vandalization. Keep it up. Deal with Buharin (Pharaoh), APC and northern hegemony. Destroy your land so that the people of Katsina will suffer.

Before you detonate the next bomb and blow up the next pipeline, think again. The Ogoni land is getting
cleaned up and soon, commercial fishing will commence. Your friend in Enugu that is urging you on is
going back to farm. Enugu will soon be one of the leading producers of banana and pineapple in the world, in collaboration with a Mexican company.

Your friend in Lagos is urging you on to destroy your land but he is going to Kebbi to get farmlands for rice farming. Wait, Kebbi will soon feed the whole country and even export. Tuta absoluta attacked Kano, Jigawa and some northern states and you catch cold in your Creek.

Your brother in Edo will soon be supplying the whole country with tomatoes due to Igbinedion
University. Are you thinking already?

Norway wants to eliminate all cars using fossil fuel by 2025. The world is moving on my brothers.

You think you are sabotaging Buhari, but he is gradually settling down into government. Boko Haram has
been largely decapitated and the world recognizes that. Anti corruption fight is progressing. About N3 trillion was announced as been recovered, excluding frozen loots. That is the money stolen by the love of your life: money that could have been used to develop the Creek; money that would have connected you with roads, bridges and other amenities. They stole it and gave you guns to go into the Creeks. How many among the love your life can spend a night with you where you are right now? Where are their children?

I heard that your beloved PDP has zoned the presidency to the north for 2019 elections; the same north you so much hate; the same north that is dominating you.

Can’t you see that they are just deceiving you? You are not their concern. Their concern are the loots from the oil produced on your land. They don’t care if you destroy the land. They have no plan to live there. How many refineries have they built for you with all the looting?

They love you so much to keep you on N65,000 per month but cannot give you basic education to emancipate you. Please don’t drop your arms. Destroy your environment to get at Buhari. But
when you are alone please read this over again. [myad]

Fayose Describes Federal Govt. Free School Feeding Scheme As Fraud

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has described the school free feeding scheme proposed by the Federal Government as fraud, saying that he will not contribute the 40 percent counterpart funding for the scheme

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka on Sunday, Fayose said that the scheme was purely a contract between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government and Nigerians.

“Were the States consulted before the APC made the promise during the presidential campaign? How can you make a promise and win election on the basis of that promise and now expect States to help you to fulfill the promise? That to me is fraud.

“Apart from the fact that Ekiti State lacked the financial wherewithal to provide counterpart fund for such a programme, it is the duty of President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC that won election on the basis of their promise to give free meal to school pupils to fulfil the promise without placing any burden on other tiers of government.”

He berated the ruling party for not carrying out proper feasibility studies before promising the scheme to Nigerians.

“The federal government knows that 80 per cent of the states lack the financial will to be able to contribute the 40 per cent counterpart fund for the programme and the time the programme eventually fails, Nigerians will be told that it failed because States did not key in to it.

“As for us in Ekiti, we are interested in the programme because Nigeria belongs to all of us. But we won’t contribute any counterpart fund because the programme is solely an electoral promise of the APC and we were never consulted before the promise was made.

“We don’t even have the capability to make any financial contribution even if it is 10 per cent because our financial condition is such that we can’t even pay workers salary.” [myad]

Who Is Afraid Of A United Nigeria? By Hafsat Abiola-Costello

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

We have arrived again at the anniversary of June 12 Presidential Election, that event that laid bare the intent of the military dictator, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, to subject Nigerians to an unending farce in the guise of seeking a credible national democratic election.
For a time, the points went to the military leadership who continued the musical chairs started in 1966. But the persistence of pro-democracy resistance was such that in the end, a coup against the movement had to be within the confines of civilian rule. As we bear witness to the reactions of certain parts of the country to the 2015 elections, the most promising since 1993, it shows us that what Nigeria lost in that singular opportunity where a country came together behind one man, we have yet to regain.
Perhaps at this juncture, we might want to ask ourselves, who is afraid of a united Nigeria? In the way that investigators ask, ‘who stands to gain from a murder’ when drawing the list of suspects. Not because of June 12 itself, but because the difficulty we currently face in pulling together is costing us dearly.
Recently, the Minister for Power, Works and Housing said efforts to generate more power were hindered by the continued attacks of gas pipelines by the Niger Delta Avengers, a new militant group in the South-South region. Without power, there won’t be much in the way of economic development given that every industry depends on it. So it seems that the fallout of
President Jonathan’s March 29, 2015 electoral loss is the rise of NDA; similar to the way the loss of political power in the north seemed to have given rise to Boko Haram. But are these splinter groups the natural outcome when the proliferation of small arms and light weapons meets the high proportion of unemployed, idle young people? Or is there an invisible hand disturbing the hornet’s nest?
Elections always produce winners and losers. In multi-ethnic countries like Nigeria though, where ethnic groups have been known to identify with candidates, it is difficult for certain parts of the country not to feel alienated by the results except when a candidate wins in every part of the country. This happened before, on June 12, 1993, thus giving us an unprecedented opportunity to work together to get to higher ground. That landmark poll was annulled for mysterious reasons ‎and that opportunity was wasted.
At the time, our attention was on the leadership of the military, ‎on explanations centred on their unwillingness to lose their hold on power, their lack of patriotism,their
greed. The annulment is now in the past. Here, in the present, we ‎are back to the suboptimal situation we have faced since independence when crisis erupts in
the region that is or feels alienated, weakening the ability of the country to pull ahead. So what can we learn from June 12?
The Yoruba say that a child should not ask to know who killed his father unless he has been able to hold the sword that was used to kill him by the hilt. And if the question was merely about how an elected president died while in the custody of the military government on July 7, 1998, I would abide by the wisdom of the elders and not ask questions. But the fact that the people that find themselves in the territory called Nigeria will continue hustling to make ends meet under impossible odds should the prevailing situation (or arrangement?) continue, forces the question – who or what stands opposed to our coming together?
These continual interventions in our affairs are killing our chances of escaping poverty. But if there is a cabal, however it is constituted, let them be warned: Nigerians also say, every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner. [myad]

Medical Doctor Confesses How He Became Armed Robber, Car Snatcher

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

Richard Macaulay Obafemi, 45, has confessed on how he became armed robber and car snatcher, even after he qualified from a London university and practicing as medical doctor in Nigeria.

Obafemi said that he had his primary and secondary school education at Ipaja, Lagos State before proceeding to the University College London (UCL), where he obtained a degree in Microbiology in 1987 and later studied medicine at UCL, from 1987-1992.

In 1993, he did the housemanship in Hatsfield, London.

In 1996, Obafemi came to Nigeria for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme and was posted to Kwara State. At the end of the service year, Obafemi took up appointment with the College of Medicine, University of Benin, where he worked for two years from 1998 to 2000, before travelling to Saudi Arabia.

“I worked at the Royal Medical Centre, Jeddah, for four years. Subsequently, I got another employment offer from the University of Ghana, in 2006 and worked there till 2015.”

Obafemi who hails from Sagamu Local Government Area, Ogun State said: “In 2015, I came to Nigeria and visited Kaduna State. During that trip, a car I was driving had an accident and the victim died. I was charged to court and remanded at Kaduna Central Prison. But I was later released from prison on April 8, 2016.”

While in prison, Obafemi met and developed friendship with Stephen and Ifeanyi, who were also awaiting trial. After he was released, Obafemi linked up with Stephen and Ifeanyi who had also regained freedom. Within a short time, they convinced him to join their armed robbery and car-snatching gang.

“After I left prison, I had followed Ifeanyi to Asaba and joined their gang, which specialized in snatching cars. We have stolen cars like Lexus, SUV in Lagos State, which I drove to Katsina State to sell to buyers from Niger Republic. I sold one for N450,000.

“I didn’t go back to University of Ghana because when I was in prison in Kaduna, I didn’t communicate with them. When I came out from prison, I found out that there was no going back. I decided to join the armed robbery gang to earn a living. I am married and blessed with three children. I lost my wife, Mary in 2012 while my three children are in Canada.” [myad]

The 3-Tier Of Govt Share N2.8 Trillion In Buhari’s One Year Regime – Agency

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

It has been revealed that the 36 states and the 774 local government councils in Nigeria shared a total sum of N2.8 trillion from the Federation Account in the one year of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

An exclusive report by the Economic Confidential, an intelligence economic magazine, disclosed that the total figure was payment made to the two tiers of government between June 2015 and May 2016 at the monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

In the report, Lagos state is ranked first as the highest recipient of gross allocation with a total sum of N178bn in the twelve months. It is followed by Akwa State N173bn, Delta State N144bn and Kano State N117bn. The five states cornered a quarter (25%) of the total allocation for the States and local government councils in Nigeria within the one year period.

Among the 10 highest recipients from the Federation Account are Bayelsa State which got N95bn; followed by Katsina State N88bn, Oyo State N84bn, Kaduna State N83bn and Borno State N78bn.

The lowest recipients are Gombe and Ebonyi States that got N49bn each followed by Ekiti and Nasarawa States N50bn each and Kwara N52bn.

The report further disclosed that Edo and Ondo which are oil-producing states got N66bn and N71bn respectively while another state in the South-South, Cross River State merely received N59bn.

The Economic Confidential gathered that factors that influence allocation to states and local government councils from the Federation Account include: Population, Derivation, Landmass, Terrain, Revenue Effort, School Enrollments, Health Facilities, Water Supply and Equality of the beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the Economic Confidential which has been publishing the monthly Federation Account Allocation figures in the print edition of the magazine since January 2007 has commenced the publication of the monthly allocation in its online version. [myad]

Blood Flows In Orlando, The US, 50 Killed, 53 Injured

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

Blood of Americans were shed on Sunday in Orlando, the United States of America, by a gunman, identified as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, Fla, who opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub. No fewer than 50 people were killed even as about 53 others were injured.

The rampage that turned into a deadly hostage situation, according Washington Post, was described as an act of domestic terrorism.

Police had initially thought that about 20 people were killed in the attack, but authorities said later on Sunday morning that the toll was significantly higher.

Officials said the attacker was shot and killed by police officers in a shootout. It was not immediately clear if the 50 people killed included the gunman.

The suspected gunman was identified by relatives and law enforcement officials. One relative said that Mateen’s family was in shock after being told on Sunday morning about his involvement. This relative said Mateen’s family was very sorry about what had happened.

Police have not identified a possible motive, and details about Mateen’s background were scarce on Sunday morning. His family is from Afghanistan, while Mateen is believed to have been born in the United States.

“It appears he was organized and well-prepared,” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said at a Sunday-morning news conference, adding that the attacker had an “assault-type” weapon and a handgun.

At least 42 people were transported to various hospitals, Mina said, adding that one officer was wounded.

Orange County Sheriff, Jerry Demings said at the news conference: “this is an incident … that we certainly classify as a domestic terror incident.”

The FBI is involved in the investigation, authorities said.

“We had a crime that will have a lasting effect on our community,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said, adding: “We need to stand strong; we need to be supportive of the victims and their families.”

Officials said on Sunday that they found “an assault-type rifle and a handgun” at the scene. In addition, a law enforcement official said Mateen was previously known to authorities, but said he was not under investigation.

The White House said President Obama was briefed on the incident Sunday

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack on jihadi forums, but ISIS sympathizers have reacted by praising the attack on pro-Islamic State forums.

“We know enough to say this was an act of terror and act of hate,” President Obama said in an address to the nation from the White House.

While the violence could have hit any American community, “this is an especially heartbreaking day for our friends who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” he said.

Omar Mir Seddique Mateen was born in 1986 in New York City. Most recently he lived in Fort Pierce, about 120 miles southeast of Orlando. He had worked since 2007 as security officer at G4S Secure Solutions, one of the world’s largest private security companies.

Mateen’s parents, who are from Afghanistan, said he’d expressed outrage after seeing two men kiss in Miami, but didn’t consider him particularly religious.

Mateen was interviewed by the FBI in 2013 and 2014 after he expressed sympathy for a suicide bomber, FBI Assistant Special Agent Ronald Hopper told reporters Sunday.

“Those interviews turned out to be inconclusive, so there was nothing to keep the investigation going,” Hopper said. [myad]

How Faleke Threw APC Into Confusion In Kogi – Governor Yahaya Bello

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has expressed worry over how the running mate to late Abubakar Audu, James Faleke threw the All Progressives Congress (APC) into confusion in the state.
Governor Yahaya Bello, in his address to Kogi people after emerging triumphant in all the petitions against him, said: “Honorable James Abiodun Faleke’s was a Petition that greatly polarized our Party at a time when we really needed to act as one in order to survive the heavy blow dealt the APC in Kogi State by the sudden and painful death of our leader, Prince Abubakar Audu. However it has also served the purpose of giving every loyal member of our Party who may have had concerns about the legality of the events that brought us into Office a definite answer from the Judiciary itself.
“The Petition by Honourable James Abiodun Faleke was a bit harder to come to terms with because it came from within the ranks of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is never an easy task when a Leader finds himself in conflict with elements of his own support group and I found it particularly hard to face off with fellow partymen in the Press and in Court.”
Both Governor Yahaya Bello and Faleke belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress. Faleke however disagreed with the party which nominated Bello as the candidate to run for supplementary election after Abubakar Audu the original candidate died suddenly.Faleke felt he, being Audu’s running mate should have been made the APC candidate, which was why he challenged Governor Yahaya Bello’s emergence in court. [myad]

How Thugs Attacked El-Zakzaky People Distributing Foods To Fasting Muslims – Shiite Leader

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

Spokesman for the IMN, known as Shiite group,Ibrahim Musa has said that thugs attacked a team distributing food items to the needy in and around Gyellesu residence in particular and Zaria in general at the start of the Holy month of Ramadan
He said that the distribution of food was done on behalf of the leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, as has been his practice for several years.
“Being detained this year, it was his wish that the humanitarian assistance provided by him must be continued irrespective of whether or not the government releases him. To fulfil this wish, on Monday 6th June, assorted food items were distributed as was the practice, with families happily collecting with so much gratitude.
“Though the event went on well on its first day, hell was let loose the next day.
“The following day however, certain thugs sponsored by Kaduna state government appeared in the Gyellesu neighbourhood, wielding machetes and sticks and pelting stones at both those who carried out the distribution as well as the beneficiaries. They forcefully confiscated the food items and littered the streets with them in a manner that only vandals would do.” [myad]

Oil Companies Dare Niger Delta Avengers

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

International oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region have vowed not to leave Nigeria even as the Niger Delta Avengers launched sustained bombing of their installations and asked them to leave the country.
Though, some of the companies are said to be planing to reduce production shut-ins, particularly in areas that are worst hit by the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).
On Friday, the NDA bombed a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The group had carried out series of bombings that had reduced Nigeria’s crude oil production by close to one million barrels per day, and had rebuffed any discussion with the Federal Government on ways to address its grievances.
A senior official of one of the affected oil majors operating in the Niger Delta said that although the bombings have shown no sign of stopping, his firm had yet to consider pulling out of Nigeria, although it had scaled down its operations in the area.
“We are not thinking of pulling out of Nigeria for I’ve never heard it and I don’t have an answer to say that we are pulling out from the country. “However, this does not mean that we won’t shut operations in areas where explosions and destruction are high.”
The Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and Country Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, had said last month; “Shell is not leaving Nigeria. Our strategy in Nigeria is to optimise our onshore oil footprint, while making further investments in other growth areas, particularly in deep water and the gas value chain, including domestic gas.”
That is even as Chevron’s General Manager, Policies, Government and Public Affairs, Deji Haastrup, said: “we will not be making any comment at this time.”
In its latest financial and operations report, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said that the recent upsurge in vandalism had negatively impacted on the country’s crude oil production output, making it to lose its African top crude oil producer status to Angola.
According to the corporation, about 380,000 barrels of crude oil per day remained shut-in due to vandalism of the 48-inch sub-sea export line on February 15, 2016.
“Also, the nation has lost over 1,500 megawatts of power supply to the damage as gas supply from Forcados, which is Nigeria’s major artery, accounts for 40 to 50 per cent of gas production. Incessant pipeline vandalism poses the greatest threat to the industry,” the NNPC said.
Chevron, Shell and Eni, the parent company of Nigeria Agip Oil Company, have been hard hit by the attacks by militants in the Niger Delta, home to most of the nation’s oil and gas production.
Currently, three of the nation’s five largest export streams, Forcados, Bonny Light and Brass River, have been totally suspended as a result of the attacks.
On Wednesday, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited shut the Trans Niger Pipeline, which transports around 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day to the Bonny Export Terminal, after a leak was found.
Crude oil production in the country has dropped to about 1.4 million barrels per day from 2.2 million bpd, upon which the Federal Government assumed an oil revenue of N820bn at $38 per barrel benchmark price.
The sabotage of oil and gas infrastructure in recent months has contributed to a significant decline in production levels, and loss of revenue by government and oil companies.

Source: Punch. [myad]

NGO Offers Advice On How To End Niger Delta Militants’ Attacks

Greenbarge Reporters

June 12, 2016

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Federal Government an advice on what to do to end the activities of the militants in the Niger Delta region.
In a statement by the None Governmental Organization (NGO), the executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni said that, “An important part of the solution to the human rights crisis is for President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the ECOWAS Court judgment which ordered the Nigerian government to punish oil companies over oil pollution and devastation in the region.”
The government, it said should “stand up to powerful oil companies that have continued to abuse the human rights of the people of the Niger Delta with impunity for decades if it is to satisfactorily resolve the crisis in the region.”
The Niger Delta crisis is being fuelled by the activities of the ‘Niger Delta Avengers’ who are relentlessly bombing the country’s oil infrastructure, resulting in slashing its crude output,
The statement reads in part: “This government should make sure that the activities of oil companies in Nigeria bring development to the people, rather than a string of needless human rights tragedies.”
“The government of former President Goodluck Jonathan ignored the judgment and showed no political will to hold to account oil companies that have for many years continued to destroy the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people with almost absolute impunity. President Buhari shouldn’t repeat Jonathan’s mistake. He should make sure that his government adheres to this judgment without further delay.
“Oil companies, particularly Shell, have managed to evade responsibility for far too long. And successive governments have allowed them to do so, putting profits before people. As a result, communities badly affected by oil pollution are sinking further into poverty, unable to eat the contaminated fish or drink the water, stained black from the pollution.”

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