Online journalism As Offshoot Of Telecoms Liberalisation, By Benjamin Ezra Dikki

October 27, 2015

For strategic reasons, the Bureau has considered the press as one of its most critical stakeholders in the implementation of economic reforms and the privatization and commercialization program of the Federal Government. This is why the invitation by your association, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), underscores the trust of our fruitful cooperation, and brings to the fore, the remarkable achievements recorded through our collaboration over time.

No doubt, the launch of GOCOP could not have come at a better time than now, given that the world over, online publication has become the vogue; and Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. That is why we commend your bold initiative to inaugurate the Guild which undoubtedly, is made up of reputable media practitioners with several years of experience with the primary objective of ensuring that online publishers in Nigeria uphold the tenets of journalism and to serve as a platform for peer review.

As you are aware, the Bureau is the secretariat and the policy implementation arm of the National Council on Privatization, chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President. In this regard, at the beginning of every year, the Bureau takes its work plan to Council for approval before implementation. It should be noted that in over three decades, reform and privatization have been a key economic policy of successive administrations/regards in Nigeria.

As a result of the reforms, privatisation and commercialization, Nigeria has witnessed tremendous inflow of foreign direct investments in various sectors of the Nigeria economy.

It is worthy to note that the advent of democratic governance since 1999, strong foundation were laid for economic reform and attraction of private capital to the national economy.

The first key foundation was the inauguration of the National Council of Privatization; made up of key ministers and critical private sector players in the economy. The Council began with initiation of reforms in the following key sectors of the economy:

Electric Power Sector;
Oil and Gas Sector;
Telecommunications Sector;
Agriculture and Water Resources Sector;
Hospitality/Tourism Sector;
Industry/Manufacturing Sector;
Insurance Sector;
Transport Sector;
Solid Minerals Sector;
Aviation Sector; and
Basic Metals Sector
the Pension Reforms in Public Enterprises,
the Cross Debt Determination and Resolution; and
the Competition and Anti-Trust Reform.
Government believes that the effective implementation of the proposed reform programmes will:
Attract private capital;
Reduce government and political interference in the running of the economy; and
Clearly define role and functions of participants in the economy.

Recall that the improved telephony which the nation is presently enjoying is a result of such reforms in the sector which produced the Telecom Policy and Legal/Regulatory framework which the NCP/BPE championed in 2000. Through the reforms carried out in the telecommunications sector, Nigeria has moved from about 400,000 telephone lines in 2001 to about 134 million lines in 2015; and the teledensity has increased from estimated 2.5% to 95 percent in a space of 12 years.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it is gratifying to note that the inauguration of GOCOP today is another eloquent testimony of the successful reform of the telecommunication sector. And the same multiplier effect is expected when the reforms in other sectors of the economy by the federal government are completed.

Once again, on behalf management and staff of the BPE, I congratulate this Guild on this milestone.

* Being the goodwill message of the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Benjamin E. Dikki, at the formal launch of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers on October 22, 2015 in Lagos. [MYAD]

Dangerous Snakes Invade Plateau State, Kill 600 Per Month

Greenbarge Reporters

October 27, 2015

Dangerous snakes are said to have invaded the south and central parts of Plateau state, killing an average of 600 inhabitants per month.
The species of the snakes are given as Black Mamba, Carpet Viper and Puss Adder which are said to be violently attacking and killing the people living in such areas.
The frequency of the snake attacks has made the state government to order the procurement of anti-snake venom as part of the solution to the menace.
Besides, the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health, Habila Gwatau, called on the residents to always clear the bushes around their homes and ensure constant use of boots and industrial hand gloves when going to farm.
“We believe that if the people take some of these tips and measures seriously, the menace will be reduced.”
He confirmed that an average of between 15 and 25 snake bites are reported everyday, with “about 600 persons in a month,” saying that the anti-snake drugs, which would be administered on the victims free, would go a long way to save the victims.
“I can’t tell you the exact amount government is spending, but millions of naira have been voted for a massive quantity of the anti-venom for the treatment of victims of those dangerous snakes.
“We must rise to the challenge to save the lives of our citizens from those dangerous snakes.”
Gwatau said three Hospitals – General Hosptial, Dengi; General Hospital, Shendam; and JUTH Comprehensive Health Centre, Zamko – have been designated for the distribution of the drugs.
He said that the state Governor, Simon Lalong is very worried by the spate of snake attacks and had directed the health ministry to arrest the situation.
The permanent secretary said that the ministry would carry out an assessment of the three designated hospitals next week to ascertain their capacity before the supply of the anti-venom.
According to Gwatau, the ministry has carried out sensitisation campaigns to enlighten people in the affected areas to be more careful and use protective materials while entering bushes around them. (NAN). [myad]

Nollywood’s Stephanie Smiles Home With New Baby

Greenbarge Reporters

October 27, 2015

A veteran Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okereke-Linus, has announced her delivery of a baby boy.
The actress who got married to Linus a few years ago in an old castle in Paris, France, took to her Instagram page to announce the news of her delivery to her fans today.
It is learnt that a few hours after such announcement, her numerous fans and associates across Nigeria and the globe have been inundating her with congratulatory messages.
The actress was however not forthcoming as to the place where she delivered the baby, though she and the baby are said to be in good condition. [myad]

45 In Custody Over ‘Boko Haram Plot’ In Lagos

Greenbarge Reporters

October 27, 2015

Report reaching us has indicated that no fewer than 45 suspects have been charged over an alleged Boko Haram plot to attack the country’s financial hub, Lagos.

Sources with knowledge of the matter told AFP: “about 60 suspects were picked up from different locations in Lagos by the Department of State Services (DSS), acting on intelligence information that they were planning to attack Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi last month.”

A source who referred to an upscale area of Lagos but asked not to be identified for security reasons, said some of the suspects were released after preliminary investigations, while 45 others were taken to a magistrate court on Friday.

“They were arraigned on holding charges. The DSS urged the court to remand them in prison pending further investigation and their eventual arraignment before a high court,” said a source.

Dolphin Estate is a gated community on the Ikoyi island, which is home to wealthy Nigerians as well as expatriate workers, many of them in the oil and gas industry.

Lagos State Information Commissioner Steve Ayorinde had already called for the public’s help in ensuring the safety of the megacity’s 20 million-strong population.

“Our appeal goes to every school, housing estates, religious houses, markets and shopping complexes, hotels and restaurants and sporting arenas to take issues of security and personal safety more seriously these days and to work with both the government and security agencies in promptly reporting any persons with suspicious activities or unusual gatherings that may compromise security,” he said.

“Care must also be taken in how domestic servants and house aides are also employed,” he added in a statement.

Security analysts said that at the time, the Lagos bombing was likely to have been carried out by a small group of Boko Haram sympathisers, with no direct link to the group’s high command. [myad]

Again, Wike Loses All, Supreme Court Throws Out His Appeal

Greenbarge Reporters

October 27, 2015

The sacked Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has lost again at the Supreme Court in his bid to convince the court that the sitting of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja was null and void.
The Supreme Court, this morning, threw out his argument that the Tribunal went against the law by conducting its sitting in Abuja.
The court disagreed with him, saying that the President of the Court of Appeal acted in line with the ‎law, adding that the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja was to safeguard the lives of the tribunal chairman and members.
Wike had challenged the sitting of the tribunal in Abuja instead of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital at the apex court.
The court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier okayed the decision of the Tribunal to assume jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has lauded the Nigerian Supreme Court on its decision to throw out the bid by Wike to declare the sitting of the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja as being against the law.
“As a party, the APC is grateful that all seven eminent jurists of the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that there was sufficient violence before; during and after the elections to justify the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja and that the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja was to safeguard the lives of the tribunal chairman, members and witnesses. The apex court likened the violence in Rivers to that of a theatre of war such as is prevailing in the North-East.”
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone in Port Harcourt today, APC noted with delight that Justice Okoro from Akwa Ibom State not only concurred but went further to say that Rivers State was a theatre of war and as such protection of life and limbs of members of the panel and interested parties was paramount and thus relocation of the Panel imperative.
“The APC also commended the eminent Supreme Court Justices for once again re-affirming that they always dispense justice without fear or favour despite the frequent boasts by Nyesom Wike that he has all the Justices of the Supreme Court in his pocket, whatever that means.
“The significance of all seven eminent Justices of the Supreme Court speaking in one voice in today’s judgment according to the APC, is that the faith, hope and confidence of the ordinary Nigerian to get justice is assured in the Nigerian judicial system.” [myad]

Tribunal Sacks Rivers Assembly Speaker, 20 PDP State Lawmakers

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2015

The elections petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has nullified the election of the Speaker, Owaji Ibani, from Andoni Constituency and 20 lawmakers in Rivers State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on April 11, 2015.

It would be recalled that governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, was sacked on Saturday by a tribunal under the same circumstances.

However, despite the sack of the lawmakers, PDP still has a majority in the house.

There are 32 state lawmakers in Rivers State and with the election of 21 members nullified, the state assembly will no longer form a quorum. [myad]

Jonathan’s Security Adviser, Dasuki, Charged With Laundering $423,000

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2015

Nigerian government has filed charges of money laundering, amounting to a total of 423 US Dollars, against the former national security adviser of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.

Dasuki first appeared before a federal high court in the Nigeria capital territory, Abuja last month on charges of illegal weapons possession but was later released on bail. When his case resumed today, the prosecutors added new charges of “retention” and “concealment” of “funds that form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.”

The prosecutors alleged that a cache of arms and ammunition was found during the raids, along with a total of $210,000 (191,000 euros) and 42.6 million naira ($213,000, 194,000 euros).

Dasuki, who served as national security adviser for three years starting in June 2012, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The case was adjourned to Wednesday. [myad]

MTN In Trouble: NCC Fines It N1.4 Trillion, EFCC Set To Probe It’s Financial Dealings

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2015

The largest GSM service provider in Nigeria, the MTN, has been fined N1.4 trillion by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the nation’s telecommunications regulator, for failing to disconnect subscribers with unregistered SIM cards bought before January 2012.

This is even as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is said to be getting set to investigate its financial dealings following a petition filed by an undisclosed Nigerian government agency.

According to the source close to EFCC, the Commission would be looking into the dealings and the books of the Telco with a view to establishing if it is conforming to financial rules. The investigation would also zero in on whether the non-disconnection of the controversial SIMs gave MTN Nigeria any undue market share advantage over other network operators.

And according to reports, NCC gave all the phone companies to register their existing customers’ SIM cards, but that MTN Nigeria – the biggest telecommunications firm in Nigeria – failed to do.

The N1.4 Trillion fine is the largest in the history of telecom infringements in Nigeria and may redefine the relationships between telecommunications operators and the regulator.

Nigerians continue to complain about poor services from mobile network operators and blame the regulators for not doing enough to solve the problem.

A senior executive at MTN Nigeria said the company will issue a statement on the fine.

Meanwhile, shares in South Africa’s MTN dropped more than 5 per cent today after reports in Nigeria said the mobile phone firm’s Nigerian unit could face a fine of as much as $5.2 billion, traders said. [myad]

Kayode Soyinka Was Chief Suspect In Death Of Dele Giwa, Police Boss Who Investigated it Insists

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2015

“My conclusion was that Kayode Soyinka knew what was coming and he left the room to hide behind the wall. Soyinka ran away to London. That was my principal suspect! ”
This was the conclusion by the retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Chris Omeben, who conducted the investigation into the death, by parcel bomb, of Dele Giwa about 29 years ago.
Soyinka was the London editor of the Newswatch then.
Omeben who was in charge of the research department of the police CID when Giwa was killed, spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The former police chief turns 80 on October 27.
He said that the setback he got in the investigation on who killed Dele Giwa, did not in any way deter him from using the evidence he had to follow the lead on Soyinka and that he called on the Newswatch authorities to produce Soyinka.
“I have enough evidence to quiz Soyinka now. Please, Ray Ekpu, can I have Soyinka now?
“They resisted up till today. Up till today, Soyinka never appeared before the police.
“They started to insinuate that the assassination was masterminded by (the then President Ibrahim) Babangida, (General Ali) Akilu, etc. They said that Akilu ought to have been investigated.
“As a matter of fact, I had interrogated Akilu and he told me that yes, they had invited Dele Giwa some few days before the assassination over a negative statement he made about Nigeria in a New York newspaper.
“He said that they had to invite him to tell him that he was wrong for portraying the country in bad light in the international press.
“Akilu insisted that the invitation was not enough to accuse the government of complicity in the assassination of Dele Giwa.
“He satisfied me with his explanation.
“Togun also absolved himself with his own explanation.
“The parcel bomb was said to have the Federal Government logo on it, which to me was not enough evidence. It was more of a circumstantial evidence. I can prove it!
“Go to any printing press if you are a “good” criminal and you are planning well, they can print it for you and place it on the parcel, and it will look as if it came from the government.
“But for me to satisfy myself, I said please gentlemen, can I have Soyinka? Nobody! Soyinka ran away to London. That was my principal suspect!
“He did not appear until eventually I left the CID.
“I was retired from the police in 1989 and what happened after that I don’t know.”
Omeben who is now an Archbishop of the Jesus Families Ministries at Iyana Ipaja, near Lagos said however that Giwa was also careless in maintaining a relationship with his estranged wife.
The former police boss also talked about the high profile investigation that was marred by interferences from “high places,” adding that when he had narrowed in on the principal suspect, who could have thrown more light on the riddle, the suspect was allowed to escape from Nigeria.
“We had an identification parade and got people of different physical attributes to be identified by the day watch.
“Eventually, when one of those paraded was said to bear a resemblance to the person that delivered the bomb, in spite of my insistence to have the man quizzed, we could not, because interference now came from high places to protect the man.
“The man was said to be related to the wife of a governor at that time and as a result of his connection, we came to a dead end on that lead.”
Omeben narrated how Giwa died, saying: “they said somebody brought a parcel and his son, Billy, received the parcel and took it to his father (Dele Giwa), who was having his breakfast that morning.
“On the breakfast table was a man called Kayode Soyinka. He was there. Dele was there and then the son Billy handed over the parcel.
“And as he did so, I heard that Soyinka left the table and went to the adjacent room. It was while he was there that the parcel detonated. Dele was injured and eventually died.
“The metal partition separating the dining room and the kitchen was destroyed. Beyond that, everything in the kitchen was destroyed. If metal could be mangled this way by the bomb, what of human flesh?
“What happened to Soyinka? Nobody could give me an answer.”
Giwa was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine and was killed through a parcel bomb at his Ikeja, Lagos State residence on October 19, 1986. [myad]

Rivers APC Challenges Wike To Submit To Fresh Polls If He Is Indeed Popular

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2015

Rivers State APC Chairman Davies Ibiamu Ikanya

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has challenged Chief Nyeson Wike, whose election as Rivers state governor was quashed by the governorship tribunal on Saturday to submit to fresh poll if he is thinks he is popular.
“If Wike and PDP are convinced that they truly won any election in Rivers State, we challenge them not to appeal the Tribunal judgement and let the people of Rivers State decide their in a free and fair election.”
In a statement, the Rivers State chairman of APC, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya insisted that Wike is aware that in a free and fair election in Rivers State, the APC gubernatorial candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside, will beat him so mercilessly that he will lose his deposit.
Ikanya lamented the madness being displayed by Wike and the PDP leadership both at the State and the National levels since the Tribunal nullified the election, even as he said that the three-man tribunal could not have done otherwise.
“While these lamentations are understandable, we strongly condemn the reckless utterances of Wike and Rivers PDP that tend to impugn the integrity of the Tribunal. Wike’s loss seems to have affected his sense of reasoning; if not, how could he open his mouth and accuse APC of bribing Tribunals to rule against PDP candidates in the South-South?”
He reminded Wike and PDP that both local and international observers, including the European Community, condemned the Rivers gubernatorial and other elections as a sham and an exercise in impunity, lawlessness and criminality which can only be applauded by mindless and demented persons.
“The truth is that the verdict of the Justice Mohammed Ambrusa-led Tribunal was very much in order and consistent with the facts presented before it by APC and other bodies that participated in that election. We, therefore, wish to appeal to the Tribunal to ignore the ranting and insults being thrown at it by the drowning PDP and her misguided actors.” [myad]

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