– Boko Haram Kills Six in Gombe Church
– Individuals benefiting from Fuel and Boko Haram Crises
Friday’s Jumat prayers and weekend holidays that Nigerians always relish have not deterred the intensity and
spread of the peaceful protests aimed at putting preasure on President Goodluck Jonathan, who is being parodied in denunciatory songs as “bad luck” to rescind the removal of subsidies on petroleum.
From Abeokuta, Benin City, Makurdi, Kaduna to ABija, it is becoming a nightmarish weekend for Nigeria’s insensitive administration.
In an age where digital technology promptly delivers facts of humanity from all nations, many of the professionals and leaders of thought who are amongst the anti-subsidy removal march, want Jonathan to borrow the example of President Barack Obama of the United States and embrace a leaner budget and slash unnecessary military expenditure along with jumbo-pay for elected officials and their aides.
In several neighborhoods in Nigeria, the cost services as a decent haircut that used to cost about N200 in Ado-Ekiti is now about N400. In Magodo, Shangisha Estates in Lagos, considered a neighborhood for the nouveaux-rich where it used to cost N400 to get a haircut, it now costs between N1,000 and N1,500 for individual cuts.
The protesters are engaging every possible channel to get their views and disapproval across to President Jonathan.
And as many Nigerians continue to reject the yoke of the subsidy removal and its attendant hike in the price of goods and services, the evil Islamic cult, Boko Haram, started giving vent to its three-day ultimatum that Christians must exit northern plains and hills. Boko Haram gunmen attacked worshipers in Gombe and killed six people including the wife of the pastor. For a leader widely regarded as having abdicated his responsibilities and partying while his country is on fire, there is little wonder that Jonathan is being criticized as a commander-in-chief that controls no troop or workable tactical and strategic plans.
Some of the critics of the administration say that Mr. Jonathan is hostage to powerful business individuals named by a Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Appropriation and Finance in the Nigerian Senate.
Oando Oil, CONOIL, African Petroleum and MRS Oil are among the powerful players in the petroleum sector that have shared over N3.655 trillion between 2006 and September 2011 in pursuit of importation of refined petroleum products. They and members of their cartel presented water as petrol, and forged receipts to justify bloated subsidy. It has been revealed that the N1.3 trillion claimed as subsidy by the Federal Government is a bloated figure and a product of endemic corruption among stakeholders in the downstream sector of the oil industry.
Others also listed are: DownStream Energy, N789.648 million; Dosil Oil and Gas, N3.375 billion; Inco Ray, N1.988 billion; Eternal, N5.574 billion; Folawiyo Energy, N113.32 billion; Frado International, N2.63 billion; First Deepwater Oil, N257.396 million; Heden Petrol, N693 million; Honeywell Petrol, N12.2 billion; Integrated oil, N30.777billion; AMP, N11.417 billion; Ascon, N5.271 billion; Channel Oil, N1.308 billion; Fort Oil, N8.582 billion; Enak Oil & Gas, N19.684 billion; IPMAN Investment Limited, N10.9 billion; Atio Oil, N64.4billion; AMP, N11.4billion; and Emac Oil, N19.2billion.
With reference to 2011, the companies named by the Senate and the amount of money they have received this year alone include Otedola’s African Petroleum, N104.58 billion; A.A. Rano, N1.14 billion; A.S.B, N3.16 billion; Arcon Plc, N24.116 billion; Aminu Resources, N2.3 billion; Avante Guard, N1.14 billion; Avido, N3.64 billion; Boffas and Company, N3.67 billion; and Brilla Energy, N960.3 million.
Senator Magnus Ibe, the chairman of the committee, also disclosed that some 100 companies in the downstream sector and in construction, shared over N1.426 trillion between January and August 2011 alone.
Oando Oil is owned by Wale Tinubu’s Oando; Mike Adenuga owns CONOIL, Femi Otedola owns AP, while MRS Oil is run by Aliko Dangote’s brother, Sayyu Dantata. Other key players named today include Pinaccle Construction Ltd, as well as Integrated Oil and Gas, which is owned by a former Minister of the Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho.
The full list, and their individual haul, as read out by Senator Abe, is as follows:
1. Oando Nigerian Plc. – N228.506 billion
2. MRS –N224.818 billion
3. Pinnacle Construction-N300 billion
4. Enak Oil & Gas –N19.684 billion
5. CONOIl – N37.960 billion
6. Bovas & Co. Nig. Ltd. – N5.685 billion,
7. Obat N85 billion and AP; N104.5billion.
8. Folawiyo Oil – N113.3 billion
9. 8.IPMAN Investment Limited- N10.9billion
10. ACON – N24.1billion
11. Atio Oil-N64.4billion
12. AMP- N11.4billion
13. Honeywell-N12.2billion
14. Emac Oil- N19.2billion
15. D.Jones Oil-N14.8billion;
16. Capital Oil – N22.4 billion
17. AZ Oil- N18.613billion
18. Eterna oil- N5.57 billion
19. Dozil oil- N3.375 billion
20. Fort oil-N8.582 billion.
21. Integrated Oil and Gas- N30.777 billion
Whatever the myriad of problems faced by Nigerians, someone or a group gets blamed. An example is the case of some prominent leaders being busted as sponsors of Boko Haram. The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar II, has allegedly popped up on international radar as a leading sympathizer of the murderous cult. The Sultan is being accused of always bailing Boko Haram suspects caught in their acts with huge sums of money, allegedly to forestall his own assassination by members of the outlawed group. One such northern leader is alleged to have given the sect about N500m recently.
Senator Mmohammed Ali Ndume, who was recently arrested and charged as a suspected financier of Boko Haram, was allegedly granted bail through a sum purported footed by the group.
Several “Occupy Nigeria” protest want Jonathan to resign his post as the president. The country’s influential bar association, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Nation Assembly to kick-start an impeachment proceeding against Jonathan and his deputy for gross constitutional violations.
Ibadan remains impassable for travellers as students continue their mass action. Yet the grandmother of all protests us slated for Monday.
In Minna, three prostesters were arrested as the made to enter the Polo Club grounds. The police picked the protesters because it was alleged that they did not identify themselves from Boko Haram attackers since some parts of the state are still under Martial Law.
Some Nigerians led by one Dr. Ajewole said that they would organuize mass pritests in support of President Jonathan. But if such protests ever receive mass support, it would be for the express reason of distributing looted national cake for desperately hungry individuals.
The Nigerian Civil Defense corps told journalists that it would ensure the safety of government facility and installations.
Dr. Ade Abolurin, who heads the Corps, said that the country’s security personnel believe in the right of Nigerians to hold opinion and disagree. “We are not out to kill or harm; we just want to ensure the safety of everyone and the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups held a parley with the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja demanding justice for the youth, Mr. Muyideen Mustapha, who was slain in Ilorun earlier in the week. They want the police officers who fired the fatal shot to face murder charges in order to curb the culture of impunity within the country’s security apparatuses.
