Sola Ogundeko's Blog: December 2013

Tuesday 31 December 2013

Nigerian lady excretes hard drugs inside aircraft

chizobar anya vivian with wraps of drugs

Chizoba Anya

Chizoba Anya, a Nigerian lady, has excreted wraps of substance that tested positive for methamphetamine on-board a Qatar Airline Flight from Malaysia to Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said on Monday.

NDLEA said the 32-year old suspect was said to have aroused suspicion following her frequent visits to the toilet.

“On arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, three wraps of methamphetamine were found in her possession,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, NDLEA spokesperson.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the suspect while under observation excreted two additional wraps.

“The suspect was found with three wraps which she excreted in the aircraft. While she was under observation at the Lagos airport, she excreted two additional wraps of drugs. The five wraps which tested positive for methamphetamine weighed 80 grammes,” Umar said.

Preliminary investigation also revealed that the suspect left Ghana where she ingested the drugs to Malaysia.

“In Malaysia, she was denied entry and made to board another flight back to Nigeria. She started excreting the drugs at the airport in Malaysia,” NDLEA said.

The agency quoted the suspect as saying in her statement that she was offered half a million naira to smuggle the drugs to Malaysia.

“I was promised the sum of half a million naira but my problem started when I had immigration problem in Malaysia. I was denied entry and made to return to Nigeria after two days. While in the aircraft, I excreted three wraps and two other wraps in the NDLEA office,” Vivian stated.

Vivian, who hails from Onitsha, said that she just completed her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State.

“I just completed my HND programme and I am from a very poor family. I wanted to use the money they promised me to assist my siblings by smuggling the drug to Malaysia,” she added.

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Soldier kills driver over N100 fare

Obalende Motor Park where the incident happened

There was pandemonium on Monday morning at the Obalende bus terminus at the Obalende, Ikoyi area of Lagos State after a yet-to-be-identified soldier killed a commercial bus driver, Bashiru Adebayo.

Eyewitnesses say the soldier killed the 34-year-old over an argument on N100 transport fare.

An eyewitness, Abdulrasheed Ajagun, said the soldier had accompanied a woman to the bus park and had left when the argument started.

He said, “The soldier was in mufti, so nobody knew he was a soldier. He came to the park with the woman and she boarded one of the buses going to Yaba.

“The bus conductor told the woman she would pay N150 for the normal fare and N100 for the three bags she had in the boot.

“After arguing that she would not pay, she decided to call her soldier friend on the telephone. He came back to the park and started querying the conductor over the N100.

“The driver, who was calling passengers into the bus, heard their argument and went to intervene.

“Before anyone knew what was happening, the soldier had held him (driver) by his shirt and started slapping him. As we all begged him to leave him alone, he gave the driver a blow in the neck. He slumped.

“Not satisfied, he stamped his foot on him. The danfo driver died right there.”

A mob was said to have quickly gathered around the area, while the soldier was seized and beaten up.

Some policemen monitoring traffic within the vicinity were said to have rescued the soldier from the irate mob.

However, another eye witness, Christian Chukwu who is also a driver, said the woman, who started the incident, ran to Dodan Barracks and mobilised other soldiers who descended on the people in the park.

He said, “The soldiers beat up everyone without asking any question.

“A policeman, who wore the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police was also beaten up. The policeman was the one that held the soldier after he was rescued from the mob. They wanted to collect his gun, he refused and insisted the soldier must follow him to the station. They tore his clothes and removed his cap.

A reporter with Radio Nigeria, who was filming the scene, was also beaten up. His phones and gadgets were destroyed. The brother of the deceased, who held the corpse in his arms, was equally assaulted.”

Our correspondent learnt that some other soldiers later arrived at the scene and took away the killer soldier in an Audi car.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the corpse of the Oyo State indigene was taken to the General Hospital mortuary.

A friend of the late driver, who identified himself simply as Baba Ijebu, described the deceased as a gentle and peaceful man who in his 15 years in the park had never fought with anybody.

Director, Army Public Relations Office, 81 Division, Lt. Col Omale Ochuagwuba, told PUNCH Metro that the suspect had been arrested and investigations had begun.

The army spokesman promised that the matter would not be swept under the carpet.

He said, “The soldier (suspect) said he was in mufti and was seeing his wife off at Obalende. His wife was billed to travel to the village and was boarding a commercial bus. His wife’s belongings had been put into the bus but an argument ensued over the cost of transportation.

“The soldier told the driver that the price was too high and the driver threw the soldier’s wife’s bags out of the vehicle and he pushed the soldier and the two of them started fighting. The driver’s colleagues joined hands and started beating up the soldier.

“The soldier’s wife ran down to Dodan Barracks to report the matter, but by the time the soldiers got there, the bus driver was already dead.”

Islamic teacher arraigned for raping two pupils

Mohammed Ibrahim

A 27-year-old man, Mohammed Ibrahim, has been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping two female pupils of Al Adab Nursery and Primary School.

The incident was said to have happened in the Surulere area of Lagos and on the school’s premises.

Ibrahim, an indigene of Niger State, was said to have raped the six and seven year olds in the toilet during school hours.

It was learnt that the defendant had only been appointed to teach primary three pupil Islamic Studies in the Muslim school in August 2013.

It was said that he was placed on a salary of N10,000 per month which he accepted to take.

However, on December 18, 2013 he allegedly asked the victims (names withheld) to help him fetch water and take it to the toilet.

He was said to have followed them there, undressed them and had carnal knowledge of them.

The victims were said to have cried while the act was on, which attracted the attention of other kids.

Ibrahim allegedly pushed them out and pretended as if nothing had happened.

The victims were said to have been invited and interrogated by another teacher, who then related their confession to the school management.

The defendant was subsequently arrested and he allegedly confessed to the crime.

The police arraigned him on Monday on two counts of rape.

The charge read, “That you, Mohammed Ibrahim, on December 18, 2013, at 11am at Al Adab Nursery and Primary School, Abalti Barracks Surulere, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, did forcefully have unlawful sexual intercourse with a child named (name withheld) aged six years, which caused her harm.

“That you on the same date, time and place, did unlawfully have sexual intercourse with a child (name withheld) aged 7 years, which caused her harm.”

The prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odige, said the offence was punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria 2011.

Ibrahim said he was not guilty of the offence.

The affected kids were also in court with their parents.

The defence counsel, Melda Bambo, appealed to the court to grant Ibrahim bail in liberal terms.

The magistrate, Mrs Demi Ajayi, admitted him to bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties each in like sum. The matter was adjourned till January 29, 2014.

PDP members defect to APC in Lagos

Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria,
Lagos State chapter, Mr. Joe Igbokwe

About 1000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, on Saturday defected to the All Progressives Congress, a statement said on Monday.

The defectors were said to have been received by the former State Commissioner of Health in the state, Mr. Leke Pitan; former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Joko Pelumi; and APC Chairman in the LCDA, Mr. Lateef Sangosanya.

One of the defectors, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, who was the PDP flag bearer in the council in the 2011 election, described their decision to leave the PDP as “the best thing to do following developmental strides” embarked upon by the incumbent chairman.

He added that the defectors were led by the former chairman of PDP in the LCDA.

Admonishing the new members to join hands to move the party forward, Vice Chairman of APC in Lagos State, Alhaji Akanni Bamu, urged them to ensure that the expected dividend of democracy is enjoyed by the people.

Bamu, while presenting the APC flag to the new members, promised that the party would not discriminate among the new entrants and old party stalwarts.

The statement added, “It would be recalled that the latest movement is the third time politicians from other parties will be decamping to All Progressives Congress in Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area and identifying with the progressive moves of the incumbent Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Ejinrin LCDA, Mr. Olusegun Adetola.”

Gunmen abduct pastor, six children

A 27-man gang on Friday abducted a pastor, Mr. Godson Akubiro, and six of his children from their Adeosun Street residence, Koya Estate, Igbo Olomu, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Akubiro is said to be the founder of Mountain of Breakthrough Church in the area. The incident was said to have occurred about 1.30am.

Neighbours, who requested anonymity, toldPUNCH Metro that the gunmen arrived at Akubiro residence in three jeeps and a Toyota Tundra vehicle. The number plates of the vehicles were said to have been covered. The gunmen, who wore army camouflage, had allegedly gained entrance into the house with the aid of an iron cutter.

It was learnt that since the abduction, no one had heard from Akubiro and his six children.

The Community Developmen Association Chairman, Mr. Yinka Obasan, said he was alerted about the development about 2am.

“I got a call that night from a resident who was coming from a vigil. He told me that he noticed some military vehicles parked outside Akubiro’s home. He said the vehicles belonged to a high ranking military official because the insignia was covered.

“I told the man to wait for me and together we went to Akubiro’s home. When we got there, I greeted the men I met outside and introduced myself as the CDA chairman. I asked them if there was a problem. Instead of answering me, they turned on my companion and accused him of alerting me.

“After berating both of us for not minding our business, they forced us to sit on the ground and seized our phones. There was another resident sitting on the ground; they had detained him since 12am when they arrived. Then they started beating us.”

It was learnt that inside the Akubiro residence six of Akubiro’s children were in the sitting room watching a movie, when the men, said to be dressed in dark googles, black jeans and heavy bullet proof vests entered.

PUNCH Metro gathered that they told the terrified children that they were policemen and proceeded to drag their father, who was sleeping, from his bedroom into the sitting room. The six children, whose ages ranged between 30 and eight years, were beaten up.

One of them, an eight-year-old named Emeka, was allegedly tied to a tree in the compound. No reason was allegedly given by the gunmen for their actions.

Another 18-year-old boy named Obiora was said to have been tortured with a taser. Akubiro’s wife, Rita, was said to be away on a trip to South Africa at the time.

It was learnt that the gunmen later took Akubiro away along with Ada, his first daughter, Obiora, Oyinyenchi, Felicia,, Nonso and Kingsley. Three person were allegedly left behind – Emeka, Chidera and a baby.

Obasan said, “Around 2.45am, those who were inside came out with Akubiro and his children. They said they were going to the man’s church to burn it down – Akubiro is the founder and head of the Mountain of Breakthrough Church on Breakthrough Street in this estate.

“They put their victims in their vehicles and zoomed off. Before leaving, they threw our phones at us.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that immediately the gunmen left, a report was lodged at the Owutu Police Division.

However, the DPO was said to have denied that the gunmen were policemen.

PUNCH Metro learnt that since the incident, no one had been able to establish contact with Akubiro and his children. His wife Rita, who returned from South Africa the following day, was said to have received no calls concerning their whereabouts.

There was no response from the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Ngozi Braide as she did not respond to calls and text message to her phone.

Obasanjo's Letter: PDP makes U-turn, backs Nwoye’s suit challenging result

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has made a U-turn and decided to challenge the victory of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in the Anambra governorship poll, by supporting its own candidate, Tony Nwoye.

Mr. Nwoye is challenging the victory of Willie Obiano of APGA in the November 16 election.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Sunday said the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, is in support of the suit filed by Mr. Nwoye.

It described the action of the candidate as a “step in the right direction and an acceptance of the directive of the National Working Committee earlier communicated to him to pursue the mandate in accordance with established democratic procedures and rules”.

The PDP headquarters had shortly after the result of the election was announced congratulated Mr. Obiano for the victory. The party had also been accused by its former leader, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of working for the APGA candidate in the election.

The earlier position of the PDP was in contrast with that of Mr. Nwoye who alleged irregularities in the conduct of the poll and therefore refused to congratulate the declared winner and instead challenged the outcome of the election. Mr. Nwoye also boycotted the supplementary election conducted to decide the eventual winner of the governorship poll.

The PDP said its stance so far shows it is “totally committed to democracy and electoral processes as stipulated by the constitution and laws of our land.”

“This explains why we remained steadfast to the processes outlined for the Anambra governorship election and the reason for our earlier stand and directive to our candidate and members to participate in the Supplementary Election as directed by INEC.

“As a party committed to strengthening the institution of democracy, we believe that due process must be followed at all times to allow the laws and electoral rules run their full courses without any interruption.

“It is in this regard that we commend our candidate for conforming with the ideals of our great party in seeking redress at the right time and through the appropriate democratic channel”, the statement said.

Expressing optimism that “justice will prevail at the end of the day”, the statement said the PDP “remains impressed by Nwoye’s credible outing, resilience and grass root appeal which brought him to the forefront in the race despite having only two weeks to campaign”.

It therefore charged all PDP members close ranks and remain focused in supporting the party and the candidate.

The statement also urged the people of Anambra state to “continue to resist attempts by the APC to turn the state into a theatre of violence and bloodshed typical of desperate politicians and bad losers who do not have the interest of the people at heart”.

It further observed that the Anambra election and others so far conducted have shown that the PDP is still the preeminent party with genuine followership across the country irrespective of its challenges and the heinous designs by enemies of democracy to weaken its support base.

Noting that it remains the “only party committed to national interest and unity,” the PDP said it will continue to uphold the principles of justice and equity and ensure good governance for the welfare, prosperity and happiness of all Nigerians across board.

Presidency moves to stop PDP senators’ defection

President of the Senate, David Mark

The Presidency has mounted pressure on the leadership of the Senate to persuade aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party senators not to carry out their plan to dump the ruling party for the All Progressives Congress, investigation by The PUNCH has revealed.

A source close to the Senate leadership said that the Senate President, David Mark, had personally held a series of meetings with some of the aggrieved senators with a view to making them have a rethink.

“Meetings are being held to prevent the PDP senators from going ahead with their planned action. I am sure the peace moves are yielding fruitful results, “ he told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity on Sunday night.

He however did not say when and where the meetings were held and the number of aggrieved lawmakers in attendance.

One of the senators, who also confirmed that the meetings were at the instance of the Presidency, however said most of them had made up their minds to defect to the APC.

The lawmakers, who also did not want his name in print, added that apart from the meetings, Mark had made it a point to contact each of them daily on the telephone, advising them to remain in the PDP.

The senator said, “Already some of us have made up our minds to defect and there is no amount of pressure that would stop us. We will formally write the Senate president when we resume in January.

“However, there are some of us who believe we could still listen to them. They have been discussing. There have been meetings upon meetings which, from all clear indications, are at the instance of the Presidency.”

At the moment, the PDP has 73 senators as against the APC’s 33, Labour Party’s three and one for the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

In the House of Representatives however, members who defected to the APC have vowed not to return to the PDP despite alleged pressure on them to do so.

“No amount of pressure will force us back to PDP. Our decision is a done deal and there is no point crying when the head is already off”, one of the defectors, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, told The PUNCH in Abuja on Monday.

Mohammed, a lawmaker from Kwara State, is the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs.

Thirty seven PDP lawmakers in the House had defected to the APC on December 18, citing “factions” in the ruling party as reason.

The development gave the APC a slim majority advantage over the PDP, with the former controlling 172 members, while the latter dropped to 171.

Findings showed that in a bid to compel them to return to the party, the defectors had been put under pressure by the PDP and the Presidency.

One of them said, “They have used all sorts of tactics, including the carrot, assuring us of return tickets in 2015.

“They have used the political machinery in our states and constituencies to get us to comply, but it is not working.”

The PDP and the Presidency have since asked the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, and the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the seats of the affected lawmakers vacant.

But, the lawmakers stated on Monday that they knew that such a thing was likely to happen, a reason they first obtained a court order stopping it before they defected.

Speaking on the issue, the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Mr. Ali Ahmad, expressed surprise that, in spite of the subsisting court order, the Presidency was still bent on declaring their seats vacant.

Ahmad, a defector, observed that as “recently as just days ago”, the Presidency was still talking of declaring their seats vacant.

He added, “For us, there is no point commenting on this threat other than to wait and watch.

“The matter is in court; the threat by the Presidency to declare our seats vacant is contemptuous of the court decision.

“That is the subject of the matter in court and the court has ruled that our seats should remain intact.

“Therefore, it is the highest level of contempt for the Presidency to be insisting that our seats should be declared vacant in disobedience to the court order.”

Ahmad argued that it would have been better for the Presidency to be “seeking some kind of political solution to the problem, not to continue to insist on declaring our seats vacant as if a court order no longer means anything in this country.”

The lawmaker confirmed that the defectors were being continuously harassed, but he noted that “it will not work because we have passed that stage. Let them go to court.”

Speaking further, Mohammed told The PUNCH that unknown to the PDP and the Presidency, the defectors did their “homework very well” before they left the party.

According to him, the electorate in the lawmakers’ constituencies are in support of the move.

He added, “They (PDP) had all the time to mend the roof when it was leaking but they waited till it collapsed.

“Politics is about consultation. Before we made this move, we consulted widely with our own people who sent us to the National Assembly.

“They wholeheartedly endorsed it. So, when you have the backing of your people, what else?

“Now, they want to use fire brigade approach to ask people to come back.

“It is the same approach to governance that they use, which is why nothing is working in this country.”

Meanwhile, Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State on Monday declared that members of the PDP who defected to the APC made a “foolish mistake.’’

Yero, while swearingin his Special Adviser, Political Matters and two Permanent Secretaries, said it was unwise for anyone to abandon what he had laboured to build for an uncertainty.

“It is a foolish mistake to abandon what one has built in search of something uncertain elsewhere,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying.

He was apparently referring to the defection of PDP governors and some prominent members of the party in the state, including two of its past state chairmen, to the APC.

The five governors are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Murtala Nyako(Adamawa).

Yero told the new appointees that the challenges in the PDP were not insurmountable but required continued engagement of all stakeholders for it to be settled amicably.

He said, “Let me advise you, especially those holding political offices, to remain in one place and regard your positions today as ordained by God.

“Tomorrow, we will all be forgotten when new people take over leadership; that is part of life.

“So do not allow yourselves to be lured or deceived into abandoning your party to join the opposition.’’

But Amaechi, Nyako and Ahmed dismissed Yero’s statement that they made a ‘foolish mistake’ as illogical.

They said contrary to the Kaduna State governor’s position, they took a wise political decision.

Amaechi, through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, pointed out that those who left the PDP noticed that it was no longer what it used to be.

He said, “When you are in a sinking ship and find an escape route, would you waste a second before deciding to leave? An American philosopher once said, ‘If the kitchen is too hot, the best decision to take is to leave the kitchen’.

“That is exactly what some members of the PDP that moved to the APC did. The defectors took a wise decision. The PDP is dead and as you can see, only the carcass is remaining.

“Very soon, the Kaduna State governor will realise that he is alone in Kaduna PDP. The ominous signs that the PDP is heading for extinction are there for everyone to see and those leaving the party have no reason to regret. They should rest assured that they have not taken any foolish decision.”

Also, Ahmed, who spoke through his spokesperson, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, said there was nothing like a mistake in his decision to abandon the PDP.

He added that he was preoccupied with delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of the state and had therefore put the PDP behind him.

Nyako’s Director of Press, simply asked, “Have governors who defected from other parties into the PDP regretted?”

Two FG ministries to spend N303m on typewriters, PR

Nigeria's Finance Minister, Okonjo Iweala

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The ministries of Information and Interior are to spend N303m on image laundering abroad and typewriters in 2014.

The sum is part of the details of the 2014 budget proposals submitted to the National Assembly by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The Information ministry will spend N300m on external publicity/media insertions in foreign print and electronic media in selected cities.

According the budget, the money will also be spent on engagement with foreign news agencies, and production of specialised publicity materials for foreign audience.

The details also showed that the Interior ministry would spend N3m on the purchase of typewriters during the year.

Another curious aspect of the ministry’s budget is its plan to spend N3m on Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It also intends to spend N3m on the refurbishment and upgrade of its intercom extension and N5m on letter bomb detectors.

The budget’s details also indicate that the development of social media platforms and networking with other platforms will cost the Information ministry N50m in 2014.

The production of calendars and dairies by the ministry will gulp N201, 347,699 the same year.

Nationwide media tour of Federal Government projects and hosting of town hall meetings by the Minister of Information is billed to cost N241m.

The Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, had towards the end of 2012 initiated the Good Governance Tour which has so far taken selected media professionals, public servants and civil society groups to four out of the six geopolitical zones in the country.

The tour ran into controversy when Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, distanced themselves from it.

Oshiomhole, in particular, contended that he did not need the team to validate that he was working for the people of Edo State.

It was not certain as of press time if the nationwide media tour mentioned in the budget is another initiative of the ministry or a continuation of the Good Governance Tour.

Another N130m will be spent on ministerial platforms and press briefings on national events while the development of a National Policy on Information and the hosting of the National Council on Information are to gulp N30m.

For the production of various publications on government policies and programmes, the ministry plans to spend N65m in 2014 .Public enlightenment and mobilisation on Vision 2020 in collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies and external bodies on the transformation agenda of the government will gulp another N55m.

The ministry plans to spend N80m on human capital development, N10m on the promotion of Made-in-Nigeria products and N35m on ‘capacity building for budget monitoring of projects and financial monitoring in line with transformation agenda’.

Other major expenditures of the ministry include N25m for the production of jingles on progress made on the transformation agenda, N51m for the purchase of digital machines, and N30m on public enlightenment and national security campaigns awareness.

Various sums of money will also be spent by the ministry on the development of web portals and construction of Local Area Networks.

Curiously, the sum of N214, 242,040 is contained in the budget for the rehabilitation of police stations and barracks by the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Namadi Sambo’s furniture, house upgrade gulp N2.1 billion in four years

Vice President Namadi Sambo

Vice President Namadi Sambo is spending a fortune to furnish and upgrade his official residence and guest house, two projects costing N2.1 billion and lingering since his election alongside President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

In three years leading up to 2013, the government has spent a minimum of N300 million annually to furnish and upgrade the vice president’s residence and guest house, according to past and present federal budgets.

The biggest spending -N900 million- for the upgrade and furnishing was done in 2011.

That year alone, N500 million was channelled into acquiring, upgrading and furnishing the vice president’s guest house at Aguda House, while a separate N400 million was spent on purchasing some more furniture and extending the vice president’s lounge there.

In 2012, the government spent additional N437.1 million for the “upgrading and furnishing” of the same guest house, and squandered additional N112 million solely on “household equipment” for Mr. Sambo’s residence.

The installation of Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) facilities at the residence, was completed at a whopping N202 million.

This year, the vice president’s Aguda guest house and his residence were furnished at a relatively modest N75.7 million, while landscaping at the residence alone was done at N26 million.

A new guest house for Mr. Sambo, at Yakubu Gowon crescent, Asokoro, was also given N170.7 million worth of furniture.

It could not be immediately confirmed how much of the proposed works have been implemented after spending more than N2 billion, an amount enough to furnish at least 200 primary schools where pupils attend classes under tree shades and sit on bare floors.

Such school furnishings are estimated at an average N10 million per school in the federal budgets.

Used differently, the amount can provide water in at least 200 Nigerian communities, based on the same budgetary estimates of N10 million community water scheme.

Despite the huge funding already, the government has made new allocations for the project for 2014, with the likelihood of even more spending for the vice president’s furniture and upgrading coming in 2015.

If the National Assembly approves a new budget proposal submitted by President Jonathan, as it likely would since previous furniture allocations for Mr. Sambo were not blocked, then the government will spend an extra N123 million on Mr. Sambo’s new guest house at Yakubu Gowon crescent.

Taxpayers will also buy kitchen utensils worth N8 million for the vice president.

The total N2.1 billion for furnishing and upgrading is far ahead of government’s allocation for some key road projects within the same period.

The obscene allocations for Mr. Sambo’s home and guest houses follows a trend that has seen the government repeatedly channel more funds for the convenience of public office holders while key projects suffer.

While the government claims it was cutting the cost of governance to address dwindling revenues and mounting developmental needs, it has for years continued to direct scarce funds for the luxury of its officials, providing them with exotic cars, homes, and other perks while more than half of Nigerians live on less than a dollar per day.

The presidency is one of the biggest beneficiaries of that anomaly.

In 2012, the presidency budgeted N1 billion for feeding, and half a billion naira for cars for President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo.

The car purchase was suspended after public outrage following media reports.

Mr. Sambo’s office has become notorious for some of the administration’s most outlandish spending. The cars the vice president was to receive would have been his second set in two years, having already spent N323 million on cars in 2011.

Also in 2012, the Federal Capital Territory Administration raised an already outrageous N7 billion for the construction of a home for the vice president by adding extra N9 billion to make it N16 billion.

The National Assembly finally blocked that request.

The furnishing and upgrading for the vice president was also listed in 2010, but under relatively modest subheads. The extension of the VP lounge, proposed for N207 million in 2012, was N30 million in 2010.

	Furniture/household items	Upgrade	Total
2011	Acquisition, upgrading & furnishing of VP’s guest house at AgudaN400 million	Extension of VP lounge at Aguda house + furnishing of Aguda houseN500 million	*N900 million*
2012	1. Purchase of household equipment & materials for VP’s residence *N112 million* 2. Acquisition, upgrading & furnishing of VP’s guest house at Aguda *N230 million* 3. Extension of VP lounge at Aguda house + furnishing of Aguda houseN207.1 million 4. Installation of UPS facilities at the Vice President’s residence *N202 million*		*N751.1 million*
2013	1. Furnishing of the new vice president’s guest house at 41 Yakubu Gowon crescent, AsokoroN170.7 million 2. Furnishing of ancillary offices at Aguda house and new vice president’s residence *N75.7 million* 3. Landscaping of new VP’s residence *N25.9 million*	Remodelling of the new Vice President’s guest house at #41 Yakubu Gowon Crescent AsokoroN120 million	*N392.3 million*
2014		1. Remodelling of the new Vice President’s guest house at #41 Yakubu Gowon Crescent Asokoro N115 million 2. Purchase of household and kitchen equipment for VP’s residenceN8 million	*N123 million*
			*Grand totalN2.17 billion***

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Fuel scarcity looms as oil workers insist on strike

Fuel scarcity looms as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENSASSAN, yesterday insisted on going on strike tomorrow to protest the proposed sale of the nation’s four refineries by the Federal Government next year.

Already, most petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, remained shut to customers in anticipation of the strike.
The two unions had on December 17, 2013, threatened to go on nationwide strike from this week if the Federal Government did not withdraw its plan to privatise the refineries.

Vanguard observed that some filling stations were locked up, though they had fuel in stock, apparently hoping to cash in on the anticipated scarcity.

Even the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, mega station at Kubwa was not left out.
Our correspondent who went round the city reported that most of the filling stations such as the two Total filling stations and Oando at Kubwa were locked.

A manager of a filling station at Kubwa claimed that the station had not been supplied fuel in the last five days
A customer, Mr James Morris, who was apparently angry over the development, told Vanguard that he had been to over four stations at Kubwa without getting fuel to buy.

He said the filling stations were still not awake to the reality that the strike had been called off, believing that the stations had fuel but just refused to sell in anticipation that NUPENG could still go ahead with its threat.

At Karu, Vanguard observed long queues in the few fuel stations that opened as motorists rushed to fill their tanks, while other people rushed in with gallons to get fuel for their generators. Even black marketers too were on queue to stock up.
The black marketers were ready to reap from the intended scarcity as they were seen displaying fuel in gallons in some streets, particularly near the filling stations that shut down.