More on Halliburton Scandal:the involvement of Julius Berger.

ABUJA — AS investigations into the $190 million Halliburton bribe money continued, it has emerged that principal character in the saga, Mr. Jeffery Tessler, a lawyer, allegedly used construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to distribute the sum of $11 million to two former Heads of State, a former chairman, Board of Trustees of a political party; a frontline political party and a former Deputy Senate President.

Contacted, spokesman of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Clement Iloba simply said: “We are not involved,” and declined further comments.


The two former Heads of State and a former Vice President benefited to the tune of millions of dollars while a former security helmsman and brother of a head of state were also implicated of having played critical roles in the sharing of the Halliburton bribe money.While one of the former Heads of State allegedly got a total $6 million in three installments through one of his aides who is presently in detention, the former Board of Trustees chairman got $2 million and the former Deputy Senate President got $1 million. The frontline political party was said to have been paid $3 million.Already, it was gathered that following the revelations, two Executive Directors of Julius Berger Nigeria, were invited by the panel and quizzed on the roles the construction company played in the disbursement of the bribe money. They were however left to go after interrogation.

During the interrogation over the Halliburton money, Vanguard was told that more shocking revelations of how Julius Berger had facilitated and assisted many prominent Nigerians including the two former Heads of State, to collect millions of dollars settlement money from abroad, were discovered. The source refused to give further details as the mandate of the panel did not include such.

Meanwhile, former Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki was again invited by the panel last weekend to shed more light on certain distribution of millions of dollars of the Halliburton money which he was said to have facilitated.

When Vanguard ran into him after the interrogation, Gaius-Obaseki told Vanguard not to believe all what the panel was saying about him or alleged roles he played in the scam. He said his spokesman during his tenure at NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, will furnish Vanguard with the true position.

However, our sources disclosed that Obaseki’s confession and those of others earlier interrogated have been found to be true but added that the trip by the panel members to Switzerland and UK will concretize further discoveries that would lead to the invitation and interrogation of the named former Heads of State and other prominent Nigerians.

Vanguard had reported exclusively last month, that two former Heads of State were implicated of partaking and supervising the sharing of the bribe money while new findings have shown that the total bribe money shared was $190 million as against $180 million earlier thought.

The two former Heads of State and a former Vice President benefited to the tune of millions of dollars while a former security helmsman and brother of a head of state were also implicated of having played critical roles in the sharing of the Halliburton bribe money.

On how the former leaders were implicated, a source had told Vanguard that one of the Heads of State whose account was credited severally with various sums of money withdrew $2.9 million in one fell swoop, adding that this was what gave him out.

In the case of the other former Head of State, it was discovered, based on the interrogation of some of those arrested, that he used several companies of his cronies and friends as fronts into whose accounts several millions of dollars were deposited.

Consequently, the source said the panel would invite these prominent Nigerians to answer all they know about the payment and disbursement of the $190million Halliburton bribe money provided Mr. President gave the Okiro panel powers to do so considering their standing in the society.

On how the bribe money initially put at $180million got to $190million, the source said that since the company was desperate to get the contract for the construction of the $1.9 billion Liquefied Natural Gas project, it went about settling all those it thought could stand in its way and that based on a list collated and supplied it by Jeffery Tessler, the British Lawyer who it has been discovered has dealings with most of these persons, the money jacked up to $190million.

A former Inspector-General of Police, the heir to the throne of a Northern emirate and a former MD of a second generation bank had been invited based on evidence before the Okiro panel.
Vanguard online

Madoff sentenced to 150yrs-if he was a Nigerian . .,...

Bernard Madoff who is probably one of the biggest fraudsters in the history of mankind has been sentenced to 150 years in prison. When I read the story, what came to my mind was what if he was a Nigerian in Nigeria?
With the amount of money available to this man to play with, do you think he would have even be convicted let alone being sentenced? I answered myself and my answer to my question was NO and no one will blame me for answering NO.

Why, you do not need to think much to remember that Lucky Igbinedion the former governor of Edo State was convicted of misappropriation of funds and money laundering etc. The court even agreed that he stole billions of naira meant for Edo people. With such knowledge of how much he stole from the poor masses, all the just judge could do was to fine Igbinedion N3million. Wouldn't he pay that from his bedroom? After all recently a governors butler was reported to have been able to steal as much as N400m from his Oga's bed room without his oga noticing. you can imagine how much is inside the house. Therefore I think a fine of meagre 3 million naira is an insult to the masses whose wealth has been looted.

Madoff had all the money to buy the judges like Igbinedion but the judges in the US are not for sale. He has to face the punishment due to him. A good case of the law is no respecter of persons.

And who does not know James Ibori and how much he has stolen. But Jamie walks in and out of Aso Rock like a man walks in and out of his toilet. His name has been struck out of the list of corrupt past governors. And you would not expect Uncle Musa to do otherwise when Jamie bankrolled his election. Sam Egwu and most other governors who were in the corruption list have been elevated as ministers and various other public positions. Which other better way can someone glorify more than what Uncle Musa is doing? These are people who have made more people poor than maddoff did to Americans. These governors stole from the public where which 70% live below poverty line. Do they not deserve more than 150 years sentence. Maddoff victims were mostly the rich. If Madoff were to be a Nigerian, I bet he would not even pay a dime, he have been rewarded with encomiums and public appointments. In some parts of the country, he would get chieftancy titles from the traditional ruler if only he will part with N50 000 or even less.
How long will it take before we rescue ourselves? Nigerians rise up to the occasion. Our destiny is in our hands. These cabals are individuals. They cannot defeat 140 million people. It only takes the silence of the righteous to pertuate the injustice of the wicked.

FG plans N50bn amnesty package: Will that solve the problem in Niger Delta?

LAGOS — A TOTAL N50 billion (fifty billion naira) has been proposed by the Presidential Panel on Amnesty and Disarmament of Militants in the Niger Delta to make peace in the Niger delta region, Vanguard can reveal authoritatively.

Of this amount, the sum of N402 million (Four Hundred and Two million Naira) is immediately required as take-off grant, should the proposals of the Presidential Panel be adopted by the National Council of State which meets on Thursday, June 25. The panel submitted its report on Thursday, June 4, 2009.

Thursday, June 4, 2009.


Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe (left); Captain of MV Yenagoa, Mr. Graham Egbegi (middle); Chief Engineer, Mr. Davis Akpoguma (right) and others at a reception organised for the 10 Nigerian Seamen kidnapped in August 2008 by Somali pirates as they arrived at the Ministers' Quarters, Mabushi, Abuja after their release, last weekend. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.
The panel’s 63-page report (with 38 pages of main report and 25 pages of annexure), made it clear that:

“No counter-insurgency effort which culminated in Amnesty anywhere in the world has been a cheap venture.

The Panel is also conscious of the overall desire of the government to channel all financial resources towards the accelerated development of the Niger Delta region. However, some money must be spent in the course of restoration of law and order to give room for construction machines to move in.

“The projected sum of N50,000,000,000 (Fifty billion naira) as envisaged would go a long way in the peace making effort. Future financial challenges will be addressed as they arise.

“The C-in-C is invited to note this modest estimate in the course of deliberations with the governors and other stakeholders.

“In the interim and in order to carry out pre-proclamation activities, the sum of N402,000,000 (four hundred and two million naira) is requested for release to the implementation bodies as a take-off grant”.

The panel also proposed that “for effectiveness, the amnesty proposed by the Federal Government should take the form of a Presidential broadcast whereby details of the reprieve would be proclaimed to the public, including the militants and the international community.”

The Panel further said “due to the complex nature of the Niger Delta militancy, it is recommended that the broadcast/proclamation should give to the militants a period not exceeding seventy-five (75) days but not less than sixty (60) days within which to renounce militancy and subscribe to the oath of renunciation. The renunciation and subscription to the oath should be done publicly at designated centres.”

Terms of reference

The Presidential Panel on Amnesty and Disarmament of Militants in the Niger Delta had a three-pronged term of reference. In the panel’s report, letters from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), with ref numbers SGF.

19/S.105/9 of 4 May, 2009 and SGF.19/S.105/15 of 5 May conveyed the approval of Mr. President in constituting the Panel, which was tasked to address the following as its Terms of reference:

*To prepare a step-by-step framework for amnesty and complete Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration in Niger Delta with appropriate time-lines.

*To ensure that those with criminal records do not take advantage of the amnesty;
*To work out the cost to Government of disarmament, demobilisation and re-integration of the militants”.

The Panel’s report concludes with a ten-point recommendation thus:
“The grant of Amnesty to Niger Delta militants is perhaps the boldest decision the Federal Government has taken towards resolving the intractable problems of the region.

This golden opportunity must be seized and maximized. Government must act fast to enhance the minimum of confidence already being engendered by the initiative.”

Summary of Major Recommendations

The summary of the major recommendations are as follows:
“That the declaration of the Amnesty should be by a Presidential Proclamation;
“That all militants who respond positively to the Amnesty should by that act receive presidential pardon and thus become immune from criminal prosecution on account of any acts they might have committed as militants;

“That all those who thus become free and blameless citizens should be fully integrated and rehabilitated at Government expense;

“That the entire programme should be driven by massive multi-media publicity blitz before, during and after the proclamation of Amnesty;

“All tiers of government, security agencies civil society groups and other stakeholders should fully participate in achieving the goal of general amnesty and integration for the ex-militants and the establishment of a lasting peace in the Niger Delta region;

“Amnesty should be pursued pari-passu with effective anti-bunkering measures because of the close correlation between illegal oil bunkering and armed conflict in the Niger delta region;

“The local population, the nation at large and the international community should be carried along through appropriate perception management strategies both to win their support and to counter any negative propaganda that may be mounted by renegades;

“The economic aspects of re-integrating the ex-militants in terms of job creation, professional development and micro-credit facilities, would require appropriate collaboration with NDE, NAPEP, NDDC, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, PTDF as well as the oil majors;

“Qualified ex-militants could be considered for employment by Private security firms (in) the Niger Delta region to perform surveillance duties on oil pipelines and installations; and

“A take-off grant of N402 million would be required for the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration (DDR) programme”

Panel members and sub-committees

The Presidential Panel, which initially had 18 original members, with Minister of Interior, Major-General Godwin O. Abbe (rtd) CFR, as Chairman, co-opted seven other members into the panel, because the “panel was allowed to invite any person or group of persons that could assist in the execution of its mandate.”

Therefore, the report discloses, “the panel invited representatives of the Governors of Edo and Cross River states and co-opted a retired military officer with requisite experience and expertise in Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration matters in the capacity of Staff Adviser.

The membership of the panel is as follows:

Maj-Gen G. O. Abbe (rtd) Chairman; Elder G. Orubebe, member; Air Chief Marshal P. Dike, Chief of defence Staff, member; Mr. Mike Okiro, Inspector-general of Police, member; Mr. Azubuko Udah, AIG, member; Mrs. G. E. Odegbaro, member; Alhaji Mustapha Sani, member; Alhaji Y.M. Bichi, member; Dr. Bukhari Bello, member; Dr. T. Koripamo-Agary, member; Barr. M. J. Eyo (Akwa Ibom) member; Barr. O.J. Oworibo (Bayelsa) member; Mr. Bassey Okim (Cross River) member; Hon. Dafe Akpedeye (SAN) (Delta) member; Mr. E.O. Odiai (Edo), member; Mr. W.R. Olamide (Ondo) member; Barr. Bestman Nnwoka (Rivers) member; Alhaji B.U. Maitambari, member/Secretary.

The seven co-opted members include Col. O. Majoyeogbe (rtd), member/staff adviser to the panel; Cdre T.O. Awoyemi; Brig-Gen F.U. Atele; Col. S. Abdulkadir; Capt (NN) A. Akirinade; Mr. Godwin Igbinosa and Mr. P. K. Emefiele.

Sub-committees and costs

An authoritative source in the Presidency disclosed to Vanguard that the committee divided itself into four sub-committees with respective terms of reference.

The sub-committees are Amnesty, headed by Mr. Mike Okiro, IGP; Disarmament and Demobilisation, headed by Air Chief Marshal P. Dike; Publicity and Liaison, headed by Dr. T. Koripamo-Agary; and Rehabilitation and Reintegration, headed by Chief G. Orubebe.

The work of the Amnesty sub-committee, headed by Okiro, according to the report is to cost “N966,000,000:00, after the deduction of the proposed take-off grant.”

The financial requirement for the Disarmament and Demobilisation is estimated to cost N19,109,746,700: 00 (Nineteen Billion, One Hundred and Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira) and is further broken into 16 sub-components as follows:

*Requirement for Establishing Coordinating Centres — N48,520,000:00
*Vehicle and Generator Requirement for Coordinating Centres — N6,987,787,500:00
*Security for Coordinating Centre — N1,500,000:00

*Sanitation, Medical and Recreational Facilities — N517,343,100:00
*Operational Allowance for

*Troops at Collection Point — N242,550,000:00
*Operational Allowance for Troops at Screening Point — N242,550,000:00
*Operational Allowance for Trrops at Holding Camp — N242,550,000:00
*Feeding Arrangements, Reception Centre — N93,712,500:00
* Feeding Arrangement Screening Centre/Feeding Arrangement Holding Centre — N281,137,500:00

*Medical Care and Feeding for Each ex-militant for 75 Days — N189,500: 00 multiplied by number of militants.

*Subsistence Allowance for Each Ex-militant for 75 Days — N37,500:00 multiplied by number of militants.
*Other Requirements for the Holding Camps, Collection and Screening Points — N197,020,000:00

*Running of the Secretariat — N822,000:00
*Provision of Accommodation for Troops — N290,276,000:00
*Communication Equipment — N737,107,500:00
T O T A L: N 19,109,746,700: 00

According to the report, “the projected cost of the Publicity and Liaison sub-committee is N1,040,200,000:00 (One billion, forty million, two hundred thousand naira) having taken into consideration the intended release of the sum of N75,000,000:00 (seventy five million naira) as take-off grant”. For the Re-integration sub-committee, the report states:

“In view of the massive activities of the sub-committee, it is projected that the sum of N3,833,500.00 (three million, eight hundred and thirty-three thousand, five hundred naira) will be required having been given a take-off grant of N109, 000,000:00 (one hundred and nine million naira)”.

It is expected that the National Council of State would deliberate on the proposals in the report of the Presidential Panel on Amnesty and Disarmanent of Militants in the Niger Delta on Thursday.
Vanguard Nigeria.

Andy Uba: Supreme court throws out a re-appeal!

The Supreme Court on Thursday nailed the coffin on the fresh moves by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 2007 election in Anambra State, Chief Andy Uba to unseat Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State by throwing out his appeal, which was described as a thorough abuse of the court process.

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Idris Kutigi who delivered the unanimous ruling of the court lashed out at Uba for attempting to drag the integrity of the judiciary into the mud to satisfy his unquenchable political ambition.

Specifically, the apex court was irked by the conduct of the appellant who was shuttling from one court to another to achieve his political ambition.

Describing the conduct as an abuse of the court process, Justice Kutigi said there must be an end to litigation.
Kutigi who condemned the desperate moves by politicians to get into power also lamented that very senior members of the legal profession allowed themselves to be used as tools in the hands of those politicians.Complete artricle ---> Update column


An Igbo adage says 'if an old woman falls twice, the content of her basket will be enumerated
Andy has fallen more than four times. That's enough to know the content of his brain, heart and intestine put together. I can confidently enumerate his content. They include: mischief, avarice, greed, evil, lust for money and power, self contempt,violence, thuggery, selfishness. ... you fit add your own put. Also, I can enumerate what is not there- intelligence, service, desire to serve, selflessness, self respect, integrity and respect for rule of law.

Andy Uba thinks he can always have his way or may be he has forgotten that Uncle shege is no longer calling the shots.

Few weeks ago I was jubilant that Andy withdrew his appeal at the supreme court. I ran an article praising him for doing the right thing for once. I believed that he might have been advised correctly by some who actually loved him. However to my utter dismay, Andy was in court the following day to file a new appeal. I lost it and I forgot to update you guys. I am sorry about that. Well I guess it is all good though assuming you did not read it elsewhere. Forward ever!

I hope by this final verdict, Andy Uba would know that the Supreme court is not Andy Uba's errand boy. The justices are respectable individuals who would not want their legacies tarnished for crying out loud. To the justices, I say well done for doing the right thing.

What is best for Andy now is to rally up his support base if he feels that he has anything for the people of Anambra. There is still enough time between now and 2010 if he must be in Awka. But I am afraid Andy knows he has problem with popularity. In fact he is even afraid that he is no longer popular with the rigger. The master riggers have probably lost faith in him. This could be why he has been trying to enter through the other back door. Unfortunately, the judges have plugged the holes.
But if I were him, I would give this a break. But trust Andy, he would come up with another stunt soon.

The judgement is once again good for democracy. However, the problem with Anambra state is hydra headed if the rumours dripping through is true. Some Internet reporter has accused the cat with 9 lives , Mr Peter Obi of money laundering. The story has it that his boys were caught with a whooping sum of N250m by the lagos police. Is that true? I do not know. But anything is possible with the present crop of politicians. However, I do find it hard to believe that Obi who claims to be totally against fraud should be wearing a big shoe. One of his mantras whenever he had problem with the house was always' the problem is that they want the state money to be shared'

If Obi wears a big shoe, he is playing into the hands of his 'enemies' and he will be promptly thrown away as he will not be able to maintain his ground.

Having said that, I would not be surprised if Andy or any other person who wants to run for office against him has sponsored this show of shame. I hope the police could let us know the truth.

Shell pays $16m to settle Nigeria rights case

Oil giant Shell has agreed to pay a $15.5 million (£9.6m) settlement to end a lawsuit alleging the firm was complicit in the execution of civilians by Nigeria's former military regime. But Europe's largest oil company has acknowledged no wrongdoing and said it agreed to the payment to aid the "process of reconciliation".

The lawsuit claimed that in the 1990s, Shell officials helped provide Nigerian police with weapons, participated in security sweeps of the oil-rich Niger Delta, and asked government troops to shoot villagers protesting against a new pipeline.

The plaintiffs also alleged that Shell helped the government capture and hang six civilians in 1995, including the poet Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Mr Saro-Wiwa, leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, led rallies against Shell and blamed the company for oil spills and gas fires in the Ogoni region.

Shell has consistently maintained it never advocated violence and even lobbied Nigerian officials to grant Saro-Wiwa clemency.

In a written statement, Shell's executive director of exploration and production Malcolm Brinded said the gesture acknowledged that "even though Shell had no part in the violence that took place, the plaintiffs and others have suffered."

The settlement will have a negligible affect on Shell's shareholders, amounting to less than one-hundredth of a percent of Shell's annual revenue.
The lawsuit, brought by the relatives of the hanged men, was heard in the US District Court in New York under a federal law which lets US courts hear human rights cases brought by foreign nationals over actions that take place overseas.

As well as compensating the families, the money from Shell will pay for years of legal fees.

Mr Saro-Wiwa's 40-year-old son, Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr, said he thought his father would be happy with the settlement and said it sent a strong message to multinationals operating in developing countries.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090609/twl-shell-pays-16m-to-settle-nigeria-rig-41f21e0.html

Halliburton Bribery Scandal: Names have been Named.

The names of the major players involved in the high profile Halliburton Scandal have been made public. Six men involved in the scandal who have faced interrogation includes a former head of state, general Abdusalami Abubakar. Others are expectedly former individuals who headed the NNPC at various times in the past and they include Chife Gaius Obaseki, Chief Dan Etete, Don Etiebet and Funso Kopolokun. The sixth person who was also interrogated was Alhaji Umaro Shinkafi a former director general of Nigeria Security organisation.

Out of the six people interrogated, only Gaius-Obaseki and Etete were detained after interrogation. The police is supposedly collaborating with the US, the UK and some Asian countries who might have supplied them with the necessary information required to nail the culprits.

If this process is completed and the the culprits brought to book, I think it will be a good step in the right direction assuming this is not just window dressing after all Ibori walks into the Aso Rock at will without harassment.

If they are successfully prosecuted, then it might make us believe that Uncle Musa would have been serious about fighting corruption if not for the manner in which he came into governance that has been hounding him.

No one is above the law. The earlier we know this, the better for us.

Before I forget, tell Okiro that he should not forget the minor players also. The minor players are as important as the major players in any corruption scheme.

It is even possible that some major players will be excluded as minor because some money has exchanged hands. So we wouldn't mind the full list of those indicted Mr IG. Nigerians, abi no be so?
http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jun/4/703.html

Niger Delta: How FG made Tompolo • The OBJ connection • JTF destroys militants’ camp in Rivers

A fresh insight into the reported wealth of the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpomupolo (Tompolo) emerged at the weekend.
Details of the revelations contradict the widely held belief that the wanted militant leader made his fortune from illegal bunkering operations alone. Contents of minutes of meetings between representatives of the militant leader and oil companies as well as working agreements, including those reportedly brokered by the Federal Government, are to the effect that Tompolo indeed had an understanding with the Federal Government prior to 2007.

Nigerian Tribune can report authoritatively that former President Olusegun Obasanjo directed most of such meetings where healthy relationships between Tompolo and oil concerns operating in the region were allegedly consummated. A highly placed security source told the Nigerian Tribune that Tompolo’s source of wealth could not be restricted to illegal oil bunkering.

This development is coming as the South-South Youth Conference has raised a fresh alarm that the elite class in the Niger Delta region, particularly politicians, may take an undue advantage of the current face-off between the JTF and the militants in the region.“At a point the boy was becoming very stubborn and the reason given by his men each time they met with some of us was that the indigenes were left out even in the lowest level of services required by the oil companies.

Read the rest in the update column.
There is an Igbo adage which says' 'onye mu na ya na-chu muo, tughariri si m na ukwu di m ka nke ndi muo' meaning literally someone who I was pursuing a spirit turned and said that my legs are like that of the spirits.
They go behind the door to make the militants, give them all the empowerment to unleash terror then come out to tell us they are criminals. More like the case of Osama bin Laden and the US.
We know that both the FG and the so called freedom fighters are insincere. Both of them are interested in how they will protect the source of their loot. It is no longer news that the federal govt has failed in her responsibility to the Niger delta indigenes. It is only the federal govt of Nigeria that will allow her citizens to be exposed to such toxic atmosphere as they are. They are treated lower than animals because if such happens to animals in any other part of the world, the animal right activists will not sleep until it is sorted out. But in Nigeria, the officials of the government will receive money and look the other while foreign nationals treat their citizens like dirt. They subject the citizens to sub-animal conditions. It is only in Nigeria that human beings are expected to live in an environment where even fishes and snakes find too toxic to live in. The federal government will look the other way. The reps will pocket $314, 000(N20,000, 000) every four months for doing nothing excluding under the table bags of money which come from oil companies that are looking for juicy contracts or from Aso Rock for God knows what. The federal government has failed in her responsibility.

The FG apart, what about the leaders from the region who used this boys for their selfish ambition? It is no longer news that the first weapon used by most of this militants were the ones bought for them by politicians who used them to rig elections and later refused to fulfil the terms of their agreement. The militants then being opportunist when they could not get their bargain capitalised on the state of the region to unleash mayhem on the people they claim to fight? Isn't that ridiculous? That is sheer hypocrisy. The so called freedom fighters are only fighting for their pockets. In an interview, Asari ones said that Ateke was tired of fighting; that he wants to come to town and enjoy his money. Which money? How did he make the money? Kidnapping, bunkering ..? Yes they are criminals but they were made by the government. This is one case of lab experiment gone out of control. The monster they created has come out to hunt them. It is pathetic that two elephants are fighting and the grasses are bearing the brunt. We can say no to this injustice. It happens every state in the country. It is only a matter of time before the whole country will be on fire. God forbid you will say? That is only if you forbid!

I know that without proper structure on ground, even the so called resource control will not solve the issue as it will pitch the communities against themselves.
Our leaders have failed us.
Give them what is their due. Use sincere diplomacy and plug all loopholes.
Nigeria will rise some day!

'Reps earn N20m every four months'

SOURCE: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article10//indexn3_html?pdate=010609&ptitle='Reps earn N20m every four months'&cpdate=010609

A FORMER member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Farouk Adamu Aliyu, has queried the rationale for expending over 80 per cent of Nigeria's income on the public service.

Aliyu said if the expenditure is not curtailed, it would be difficult to address the problem of poor infrastructure in the country.

He disclosed that each serving member of the Lower House now collects over N20 million every quarterly as against the N9 million he earned within the same period during his tenure from 2003 to 2007.

This, he said, is a tip of what both elected and top officials of the government receive at the three tiers of the government in the country.

The former lawmaker, who spoke at a forum organised by Kano Youth Movement for Good Governance held at the weekend at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Kano, enjoined Nigerians to explore a viable means of checking the trend.

Agreeing that 10 years of uninterrupted civil rule was worth celebrating, Aliyu however said that it was unfortunate that the basic tenet of democracy to ensure free and fair election was yet to be adhered to by the leaders.

Aliyu, who aspired for the governorship of Jigawa State on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) in the last poll, enjoined the youth to show interest in politics and determine those who represent them at various levels of governance.

He further charged the youth to make leaders render account of their stewardship.

"I am very much aware of the fact that there are members of the House who do not know the difference between a bill and a motion but somehow they managed to get to the House due to undemocratic practices in the country. If a governor says he is constructing a road or borehole for you, don't make him feel he is doing you a favour because he is not doing it with his hard-earned money. Demand for the cost of the project, find out whether it is viable and whether it would be beneficial to you," he said.

Punchonline no longer free

I opened the punch website this morning ready to read some news after doing the same on Thisdayonline. A click on a headline brought me to a surprise message 'Effective from May 29th 2009, access to read news stories on our website will be by subscription. The subscription amount of N1,500 per month gives access to your authoritative news on:


Punch website (www.punchontheweb.com) Punch Mobile (Read news on your mobile phone)ePaper (Your favourite newspaper exactly as it appears in print)

Payment for subscription can be done through

Debit card (Interswitch) Visa card (including Visa electron) Purchase of scratch cards at designated Punch offices nationwideCash at any First Bank Branch

Thank you.

The Punch Online team
That means that punch has little or no online presence. Do I see them succeeding with this? I am not very sure because there are other news websites that carry juicy information. Except other websites decide to restrict viewing to subscribed members, Punch will surely revert back to the free view status they were in. I am sure that the new policy will generate more money than they would have got from increased traffic.
The truth is that most of those who read online news are not ready to subscribe for a view. This is the first news website that I know which has introduced this kind of subscription fee. Do they think Punch is an academic journal.
Mr. Punch, there are many ways to make money from your online presence without having to ask for subscription fee. I hope you will not regret this.
Good luck Mr. Punch but do not say I did not warn you.