War in the Niger Delta will be Disastrous - Col. Umar

A Former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar(retd), has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to shelve all plans of deploying troops and military hardware to the Niger Delta, adding that dialogue remains the best option.

The former governor in a statement entitled, ‘War in the Niger Delta: A most dangerous option,’ opined that the militants could not be treated like Boko Haram terrorists.

“I am really frightened by the sudden escalation in the Niger Delta Region from where there are some reports of skirmishes between our security forces and the Niger Delta militants. This is happening after the President was quoted as vowing to deal with the militants as he did to Boko Haram.
“All factors considered, the use of military force in an attempt to resolve the lingering crisis is not a good option and must therefore be discarded.

“As a retired general, Mr. President is well aware of the serious and daunting challenges any military will face in its operations in the most difficult and densely populated Niger Delta region.

“The creeks are so heavily polluted with oil, rendering them highly inflammable. It will take the firing of a few high explosive shells to set the whole area on fire, resulting in the inestimable collateral damage among innocent civilians.

“It is also difficult to see how an armed conflict can secure our oil and gas assets in the region. Instead, it will aid the destructive activities of the militants and lead to the total shutdown of all oil and gas operations in the area.”

“Besides, the Niger Delta militants cannot be said to be terrorists in the real sense of the word. I believe they are amenable to meaningful dialogue.

“I need not to remind the President that a war in the Niger Delta will be opposed by most objective Nigerians and the international community as unjust and merely aimed at the control and exploitation of the region’s oil and gas resources.

“I therefore beseech you, Mr. President, in the name of all that is good, to continue to explore peaceful means of resolving the Niger Delta crisis as painful as you may find this. May God direct and guide you on the path of justice.”

Anambra community cries out to FG, Obiano, World Bank due to "Erosion, flood menace"

The members of Ihuaku kindred in Ebenato Okpala community, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State have been sacked by flood and erosion, which destroyed their economic trees, farm lands, as well as killing their domestic animals.
Members of the community who are already relocating to other safe neighbourhoods raised the alarm with an appeal to Anambra State and Federal governments to come to their rescue before the ecological problem removes them from the map of the state.
Heavy rains this year, according to the residents, continued to aggravate the situation to the extent that all the roads leading to the community are now waterlogged, making it impossible for people to pass even on foot.
Lamenting on the deplorable condition of the community’s environment, Chairman of the Ihuaku kindred, Ebenato, Mr Chinedu Muonago, said the community had spent millions of naira on their own to check the menace to no avail.
He explained that the more the community made efforts to stop the surging erosion caused by flood, the more the situation became worse.
He regretted that whatever materials used to wage the flood were always swept away by the uncontrollable heavy flooding that gather from the adjoining communities, including Igbo-Ukwu, Isuofia and some other parts of Aguata Local Government Area.
Muonago told Oriental News that his community had in the past appealed to individuals and corporate organizations for help, but could not get any hence the decision to run to governments and international agencies to intervene in order to save their souls.
He said that children from the community could not go to school each time it rained, adding that “even adults are always incapacitated in terms of movement whenever there is a rainfall.
“Efforts have been made on several occasions to see if we can control it and members of the community have tasked themselves heavily, contributing huge amounts of money.
“But we can now see that the size of the problem is beyond our control. We have been battling this flood and erosion menace here for the past 10 years. If we can articulate our losses since then, it runs into millions of naira even though no life has been lost. And that is why we are crying before it degenerates to loss of lives which we fear will soon happen, if nothing is done urgently.”
Also the Secretary to the community’s town union, Chief Michael Obiekezie said the ecological problem could only be solved, if the floods from neighbourhoods could be properly channelled so that the erosion there would not continue to deepen.
He said that since the community members could not do it by themselves because of the level the menace had reached, an international agency like the World Bank in addition to Federal and State governments could please respond to their distress call to avert imminent loss of lives and property in the community.
He said that from the look of things, many houses in the community would soon be eroded by the flood and others swallowed by erosion.

12 injured in U.S plane emergency landing

At least 12 people, including three children, have been injured on a transatlantic flight after it encountered “severe and unexpected turbulence.”

The incident prompted the United Airlines flight to make an emergency landing in the Republic of Ireland, the BBC reports.

10 passengers and two crew members were taken to hospital from Shannon Airport shortly before 06:00 BST.

All have now been discharged with the exception of one flight attendant.

The United Airlines flight was travelling from Houston, Texas, to London Heathrow when it diverted to the airport in County Clare.

The injured were taken to University Hospital, Limerick, with cuts, bruises and minor head injuries.

“As of 10:30, one patient was still being assessed and the remaining 11 were discharged,” said the hospital.

Buhari signs N241.5b FCT budget

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2016 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja Appropriation Act, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, has said.

Enang said President Buhari assented to N241.5 billion 2016 FCT budget as passed by the National Assembly.

A statement issued by the presidential aide did not however say when the fiscal document was signed.

Enang said “The legal implantation of the budget, therefore comes into effect, which will result in employment in the formal sectors and informal sectors through projects implementation and employment there from arising.”

On budget of statutory corporations and agencies, Enang said some Nigerians have asked questions on the legal and legislative grounds for laying of the budget of statutory corporations before the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

As Ogun APC swims in muddy waters

In this piece, SAMUEL AWOYINFA, writes on the various intrigues that may shape moves by the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress to produce Governor Ibukunle Amosun’s successor in 2019

When the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and some other leaders of the party visited the former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, in his Ikoyi, Lagos home, on Sunday April 3, 2016, not many knew that it was a sort of political calculation toward the 2019 governorship election in Ogun State.

Shortly before the 2015 general elections, Osoba had dumped the APC and founded another party, the Social Democratic Party.

The prelude to this could be traced to a split in the Ogun State chapter of the APC.

 A faction of the party then had Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his supporters, while the second faction was led by Osoba.

 Some of the sympathisers of Osoba then accused Amosun of running a one-man government.  They alleged that their principal, Osoba, was sidelined in the scheme of things. They said that members who worked for the enthronement of the party in 2011 were not taken care of by the governor.

These politicians also argued that some sections of the state were more favoured in appointive positions than others.

One of the party supporters and a former deputy governor in the state, Chief Adegbenga Kaka, had painted the grouse of Osoba’s camp against Amosun thus, “While some of the local government areas then were having two or three commissioners in the state executive council, some did not have one.”

But Amosun’s supporters believed that the governor had not done anything wrong. According to them, Amosun has not overreached his brief.

The Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Sola Lawal, had risen stoutly in defence of the appointments. He had said that “merit and qualifications were considered in the appointments and definitely it is not possible to appoint all those who worked for the party during the 2011 elections.”

The face-off between Amosun and Osoba dragged on till the March 2015 general elections. Osoba pulled out of the APC with his team of supporters to the SDP, while Amosun and his men remained in the APC.

Amosun, however, won his re-election for a second term against the SDP’s candidate and that of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Many of the APC’s candidates also won the state’s and National Assembly’s seats.

The SDP did not have any good showing in the general elections, as none of its candidates won any elective positions at both levels.

Though the return of Osoba was well publicised, has that rapprochement move settled the problems of division in the party in Ogun State?

Only the players themselves could answer this question. Observers of unfolding events have concluded that though Osoba is back in the APC, the gulf between him and the governor still subsists.

But some others have equally replied those nursing such a thought as existing only in their imagination and that there is no division of any kind or camps in the party.

Many people have said that the rapprochement may not be sustained till the 2019 general elections. They argued that the Yewa factor or what is called the Ogun West factor may come to play.

 The Yewa/Awori section of Ogun State has not had any of their people elected as governor since the state was created on February 3, 1976.

Both camps had realised this, but would they reach a common stand on a single candidacy?

However, many names have started appearing on the horizon, which are bandied about by their supporters.

Some say the governor has started looking at some names as his possible successors, while the Osoba camp too has its own candidates.

Again, some political watchers in the state had discountenanced this, saying the party would produce an acceptable and credible candidate through the primary.

However, names that have started appearing as possible governor’s successor include the current Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi; the current Chairman of Local Government Service Commission in the state, Rotimi Rahmon; the current Commissioners for Forestry and Agriculture, Kolawole Lawal; the current Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Gbolahan Dada; and Mrs. Kemi Shokefun.

Amosun is believed to be considering many options and not putting all his eggs in one basket.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that he might even be looking to get his successor from Ogun-East Senatorial District. The choices still being toyed with are the current Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Senator Lekan Mustapha and even the governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria in the 2015 governorship election, Prince Rotimi Paseda.

However, topmost on Osoba’s list is Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi. Yayi is currently representing Lagos-West Senatorial District. He had wanted to contest in the Ogun West Senatorial District during t2015 general elections, but Amosun’s camp had the upper hand.

Some still see this as being in the realm of conjectures, as it is rather too early to start such political permutations, as party supremacy may play up when the time comes.

However, the state publicity secretary of the party, Sola Lawal, has said contrary to insinuations or belief that the APC in the state is polarised into two camps, the party is one indivisible entity.

Lawal said, “The APC in Ogun State remains intact such that there are no camps or factions.

“Any thinking about camps or factions only exists in the imagination of the thinker. As far as the APC is concerned, we accommodate all views.”

Talking about names being thrown up as possible successors to the governor and that of Senator Adeola on the other hand, Lawal said the more the merrier for the party.

He noted that there are over 20 aspirants for the APC governorship seat in Ondo State and only one would finally emerge as the candidate, describing the development as the beauty of democracy.

 Lawal said, “The APC is popular and accommodates all political thinking and diverse opinions. When it comes to aspirations, there is usually multiplicity of interests; the party will accommodate as many aspirants as possible.

“For example in Ondo APC, over 20 aspirants are vying for the governorship ticket, and at the end of the day, only one candidate will emerge.

“So, there could be 20 or 30 aspirants for 2019 governorship slot in Ogun State; they will all be welcomed.”

A foundation member of the APC and an opinion leader in the state, who pleaded anonymity, said it was too early to begin to talk about 2019 general elections.

He said that the National Executive Council of the party had yet to convene national congress.

This party leader however argued that it is expected that every incumbent governor may have an “anointed” person, but that party supremacy should also be considered.

He, however, added that so far, the incumbent had yet to anoint any candidate.

He said, “There are different permutations on ground. While it is true that there is party supremacy; governors will normally have their anointed candidates. But it is better for the party to allow all aspirants for the governorship ticket in the state to go for the primary.”

Meanwhile, both camps are not leaving things to chances, as they have continued to oil their political machinery.

The governor is said to have the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari, having been instrumental to the appointments of some ministers from the South-West, most especially the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.

The President and the governor were said to have a relationship that dates back to their days as members of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party.

Both parties are said to be mustering all their political influences in getting the upper hand.

As Sola Lawal said, do we agree there are no two camps but one fold in Ogun APC? Or if at all the two camps exist, would they resolve their differences and come together before the 2019 general elections?

glean: Punch