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Group Demands Details Of Security Contracts From NSA

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Group Demands Details Of Security Contracts From NSA

A civil society group, the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC, has applied for leave from a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to release documents relating to contracts executed by his office, including details of Closed Circuit Television, CCTV cameras installed in Abuja in 2013.

In a motion ex parte filed by its lawyer, Godwin N. Chigbu, on Thursday, the PPDC sought leave from the court to apply for an order compelling the office of NSA to disclose the names of each project for which capital warrants were approved in the 2013 fiscal year, the dates payment approvals and releases were made, the amount utilized for each of the listed projects and the level of completion of each project.

The PPDC also sought leave to compel the office of the NSA to disclose the names of companies to which the contracts of procuring the CCTV cameras were awarded in 2013, the number of units of the camera involved and the plan for their installation.

The centre also wants to know the locations where the cameras were installed or are to be installed, the current status of implementation of the contracts, a copy of the each contract document executed by the parties in respect of these contracts and records showing the procurement method adopted in the selection of the contracts.

It stated that the NSA’s budget in 2013 covered the procurement and installation of CCTVs in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and the sum of N 105 million was approved for that purpose.

The PPDC stressed that the funds used in the execution of these projects are public funds and that the NSA, Sambo Dasuki, is responsible for the actions and inaction of the office including the failure to furnish PPDC with the information and documents requested for.

The centre said it was drawing authority from Section 2(1) and Section 9 of the Freedom of Information Act to demand the information and that the NSA was duty bound as a public institution by virtue of Sections 2(7) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to comply.

Military Shies Away From Adopting Sri Lanka Anti Insurgency Model

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Military Shies Away From Adopting Sri Lanka Anti Insurgency Model

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, DHQ, has said that a report published by the Human Rights Watch, HRW, on Monday criticizing plans by the military to adopt the Sri Lanka approach in stemming terrorism in the country was maliciously twisted to discredit Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations.

The article titled “40,000 Reasons Why Sri-Lanka Is No Model For Nigeria”, expressed worry about the implication for the country if the military should adopt the Sri Lanka counterterrorism model as declared by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, last Thursday.

Badeh told a visiting delegation of Sri Lanka’s military at the Defence Headquarters that the Nigerian Military was seriously considering their counter insurgency experience with a view to identifying those areas that could be operationally beneficial to Nigeria in its battle to defeat terrorism.

The HRW article said Sri Lanka’s war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who were responsible for numerous horrific abuses particularly in its final stages in 2009, led to the death of over 40,000 civilians, quoting the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts report and caused tremendous and unnecessary human suffering.

It said the Sri Lanka military repeatedly and indiscriminately shelled the area, including a government-declared “no-fire zone” and hospitals trying to care for the sick and wounded, adding that since the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009, serious abuses against ethnic Tamils by the military, including systematic rape of suspected LTTE supporters, have continued to the present.

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The article called for a careful study of the “careless” Sri Lanka approach and its consequences, which includes human rights abuses, before adoption.

But the defence spokesman Chris Olukolade, a major general, said the army’s genuine intention was misconstrued and presented in false light; reiterating that “the Nigerian military does not have the knack neither has it been duly indicted of human rights abuses as mischievously narrated by Stroehlein in his article.”

Olukolade stressed the army is duly disposed to partnering with every well-meaning country especially those who demonstrate genuine goodwill and respect towards Nigeria in her effort to secure her territory and people.

“Nevertheless, the military remains very conscious of Nigeria’s international commitment especially in the observance of human rights obligations while defending the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. As a responsible and professional force, the Nigerian military will continue to defend the Nigerian people with all the resources at her disposal and will never adopt any approach or model that might compromise that obligation,” he said.

FG Offers Hope To Victims Of Insurgency In North East

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The federal government has assured that it will assist victims of insurgency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to recover from their losses and start a new life.

Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, gave the assurance when she visited Maiduguri with a team of experts sent by the former British Prime Minister and United Nations Special Envoy on Special Education, Gordon Brown, on Wednesday.

Okonjo-Iweala said the federal government has earmarked $100 for the Save School Initiative programme which would see school facilities that have been destroyed, restored and even upgraded.

She said she was happy to find pupils in school taking their exams even though most schools in Borno have been closed down in view of the security challenge in the state and assured that the federal government would collaborate with the affected states to see that schools are reopened.

Okonjo – Iweala explained that the initiative would be a wholistic programme to include community participation and schools.

The minister and her team distributed relief materials to over 4,000 people displaced through Boko Haram attacks at a camp for internally displaced persons at Yerwa Practice Primary School within the Maiduguri metropolis.

Representatives of Gordon Brown, Robert Quick and Dala Masson, said the former UK Prime Minister was determined to make a contribution toward ensuring people in the area return to normal life.

An elated governor Kashim Shettima, thanked the minister and the Gordon Brown team for the visit, saying it had further proved the unity and togetherness in Nigeria to address the common enemies of people including poverty, unemployment and insecurity.

Shettima said he was impressed by the minister’s disposition for accepting the invitation to join the Gordon Brown team in spite of the fact that it came on Tuesday, a day before the trip.

The governments and residents of the three affected states had often accused the federal government of doing little or nothing to assist them get back on their feet since the insurgency started five years ago.

Fellowship Opens For Reporting African Land Grab

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Fellowship Opens For Reporting African Land Grab
The Gravitazz Continental Initiative, GCI, and the Forum For African Investigative Reporters, FAIR, are offering fellowships to journalists across Africa who wish to undertake in-depth investigations on land transactions.
Interested reporters are invited to propose an investigation into any important but underreported land deals affecting communities, referred to as ‘land grabbing’, that will expand the knowledge and understanding of the chosen investigative area and stir public debate.
The successful applicants will receive a stipend of $500 USD over 4 months to cover research expenses for three articles each.
Successful reporters will be supported by an advisory team with knowledge in the area of the investigation and may choose to work in any medium or language but articles may be submitted in English.
The deadline for application is June 24th. All entries should be forwarded to media@africalandgrabs.co.za

Adamawa Assembly Serves Impeachment Notice On Gov Nyako, Deputy

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Adamawa Assembly Serves Impeachment Notice On Gov Nyako, Deputy

The Speaker of Adamawa House of Assembly, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Wednesday directed the Clerk of the House to serve governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, notice of impeachment for “gross misconduct”.

The development followed a motion on constitutional matter raised by the deputy speaker, Laori Kwamoti (PDP-Numan).

Kwamoti cited Section 188 of the constitution and presented a document containing allegations of gross misconduct against the governor, which he said was signed by 19 of the 25 members of the Assembly.

Shortly after the consideration and endorsement of Kwamoti’s document, Usman Abdulkareem (PDP- Nasarawo/Binyeri) also said he had received allegation of gross misconduct against the deputy governor signed by eight members of the Assembly.

The Speaker, who perused the two notices, said they had complied with the provision of the constitution having met the one-third requirement for an impeachment of any of the two officers to commence.

The Speaker subsequently directed the Clerk of the house to serve separate notices to the affected Nyako and his deputy and all the 25 members of the state Assembly.

Speaking to newsmen on the development, the chairman of the Assembly’s committee on Information, Adamu Kamale (PDP-Michika), said the governor and his deputy would be served the notices.

“Whether they reply or not, the House would sit on the matter after two weeks,” Kamale said.

Reacting to the impeachment threat, governor Nyako, through his director of press and public affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, described the move as “selfish”.

“Members of the House are planning something that will end up making them the sole beneficiaries, where the Speaker will be the acting governor and the deputy speaker becomes the deputy governor,” Sajoh said.

In 2008, Nyako was served with a similar impeachment notice on allegations of fictitious, frivolous, fraudulent and inflated contracts and spending of public funds not covered by the budget besides the alleged payment of N45 million as contributions to a non-existent body.

Nyako was also alleged to have committed many unconstitutional acts in the discharge of his duties, including illegal establishment of a body not covered by law, referred to as Special Projects Directorate, just as he was accused of appointing his children, namely Rabi Nyako, Maryam Nyako, Hassan Nyako, Murtala Nyabo as coordinators as well as a serving Naval Commander, Abdul-Aziz Nyako, as the general overseer of the directorate, among other allegations.

OAU Shut Indefinitely Over Students Protest

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OAU Shut Indefinitely Over Students Protest

Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, have shut the university indefinitely following sustained protest of students over increase in school fees.

The university management announced the closure of the school on Wednesday due to persistent disruption of normal activities and peace on campus as a result of violent demonstrations by students.

“The university authorities have decided to close down the university indefinitely in order to safeguard life and property on campus. Consequently, all students are directed to vacate their halls of residence and university premises immediately not later than 12 p.m. on Thursday, June 19,” a statement from the school said.

Parents were urged to ensure that their children/wards comply with the directive.

U.S. Announces Reward For Information On Four Designated Terrorists

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U.S. Announces Reward For Information On Four Designated Terrorists

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Programme is offering rewards for information on four terrorists operating in western and northern Africa.

Secretary of State John Kerry has authorized rewards of up to $5 million each for information leading to the location of Khalid al-Barnawi, Hamad el Khairy, and Ahmed el Tilemsi, as well as a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Abu-Yusuf al-Muhajir.

Barnawi is reportedly a leader of the Nigeria-based terrorist group known as Ansaru, and a former senior member of the Boko Haram terrorist organization.

Ansaru, which is said to have originated as a faction of Boko Haram and has close ties to al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, has sought to target westerners, including U.S. citizens.

Barnawi reportedly helped plan the May 2011 kidnapping by Ansaru of a Briton and an Italian engineer, who were both killed 10 months later.

The Department of State named Barnawi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on June 21, 2012.

Khairy and Tilemsi are both founding members of the terrorist group Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, MUJWA, and former members of AQIM.

While a member of AQIM, Khairy planned terrorist operations against Mauritania and participated in planning the December 2008 abduction of UN envoy and Canadian Ambassador Robert Fowler in Niger.

Khairy has appeared in MUJWA videos threatening those who oppose the organization.

In January 2012, he stated that MUJWA’s goal was to “impose sharia law across the whole of West Africa.”

Tilemsi is the military leader of MUJWA. Previously, while a member of AQIM, Tilemsi played a role in the January 2011 kidnapping of two French nationals in Niger.

On December 7, 2012, the U.S. Department of State placed both Khairy and Tilemsi on the U.S. government’s list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

Abu-Yusuf al-Muhajir is an explosives expert. He is a former member of Tawhid w’al Jihad-Egypt (TWJ-Egypt), an extremist group active in the Sinai Peninsula from 2004 to 2006 and whose members re-established it in 2011.

Muhajir was involved in attack planning against a variety of targets in Egypt, including U.S. interests.

The American government said anyone with information on the above named terrorists should contact Rewards for Justice via the website or by e-mail (info@RewardsforJustice.net)
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The Rewards for Justice programme is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid in excess of $125 million to more than 80 people who provided actionable information that put terrorists behind bars or prevented acts of international terrorism.

Sports Commission Debunks Allegation Of Sabotage In Nigeria Vs Iran Match

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Sports Commission Debunks Allegation Of Sabotage In Nigeria Vs Iran Match

The National Sports Commission, NSC, has dismissed the insinuation that the Super Eagles players sabotaged the country by playing a barren draw with Iran to protest their disagreement with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, over unpaid World Cup appearance fee.

Fielding questions from the sporting press in Abuja on Tuesday, director general of the NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye, dismissed any claim of sabotage, arguing that the presidency through the commission had given the players enough motivation to do the country proud in Brazil.

“I disagree with the claims of sabotage in the match. I do not believe the players used the match to protest their disagreement with NFF over the world cup appearance fee. No footballer could do that especially in the Super Eagles. They have no reason to sabotage the country because they need to look at their career too,” he said.

“Although I won’t know what is happening there right now because I’m not with the team in Brazil, I know that we at the NSC have done our own part. We have fulfilled all our obligations to the team through the NFF. So, I wouldn’t know what is happening in the team now.

We have fully prepared the Super Eagles to go to Brazil and do Nigeria proud,” Elegbeleye insisted.

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The NSC boss said the draw was not good enough but that he was optimistic that the Super Eagles would beat Bosnia Herzegovina in their next outing if they become more aggresive.

“Sincerely speaking, that was not a good result for us but I still see a Super Eagles that could win their next match and qualify from the group. No team is in the World Cup with a mind of not winning their matches, but they need to be more aggressive and score goals that win matches,” he said.

A federation board member, Suleiman Kwande, also told the media that the Super Eagles players deliberately did not give their best in the drab opening group game because they were more concerned in haggling for the monetary reward that would accrue to them.

Access Nigeria Investigative Journalism Training Application Opens

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Access Nigeria Investigative Journalism Training Application Opens

The Institute for War and Peace Reporting, IWPR, is calling for applications from mid-career journalists in print, TV, radio, or electronic media to participate in the Access Nigeria Investigative Reporting Training Program.

The programme aims to improve media’s capacity to produce investigative journalism reports regarding governance, organized crime, and corruption, in order to enhance media’s effectiveness as anti-corruption watchdogs.

Prospective participants must be willing to immerse themselves in an intense, interactive learning environment, and have demonstrated previous experience covering issues of corruption, public finance, justice sector or the security sector.

Training provided will include discussions regarding the code of conduct and international standards of journalism ethics specifically regarding the issues of covering corruption.

Through the Access Nigeria project, journalists in the investigative reporting program will have access to investigative reporting skills-building workshops, eligibility to apply for financial support from an Investigative Reporting Innovation Fund, and a mentoring program that connects journalists with experienced investigative reporters.

The program will also provide targeted support for journalists to investigate and report in restrictive operating environments, access and analyze hard to find documents, and improve interview techniques to get the cooperation of officials and other sources.

Through the Investigative Reporting Innovation Fund, the program will offer pre-publication legal guidance to journalists around legal implications when carrying out investigations.

The IWPR in an international nonprofit organization that gives voice to people at the frontlines of conflict, crisis and change; helps people in the world’s most challenging environments have the information they need to drive positive changes in their lives – holding government to account, demanding constructive solutions, strengthening civil society and securing human rights.

Application Deadline is June 20th, 2014. To apply, click here

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Boko Haram Targets Football Fans, Kills 10 In Yobe Viewing Centre

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Boko Haram Targets Football Fans, Kills 10 In Yobe Viewing Centre

At least seven people are feared dead following an explosion that occurred at a popular viewing centre in Damaturu, Yobe State, late Tuesday night as football fans gathered to watch the match between Brazil and Mexico match in the on-going World Cup games.

Some reports said at least seven persons were killed and 15 others injured, but no official confirmation has emerged.

The Yobe Police Command confirmed the incident. The public relations officer for the command, Nansak Chewang, said he could not ascertain the extent of casualty in the blast.

“You know it happened just this night, we are yet to establish what happened and the details,” the police spokesperson said.

However, giving the population of the centre, the figures are expected to rise.
The Nigeria Police had a week ago advised owners of the centres to take extra security measures as well as to collaborate with security agencies to safeguard their viewers during the World Cup tournament.

“For the safety of your clients and customers, the operators of the centres should carry out a thorough stop and search of viewers before allowing them into the centres”, spokesperson for the Force, Frank Mba, had said in a statement.

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, administration announced a ban on TV viewing centres in the city and warned operators against flouting the order.

Similarly, the Plateau State police command issued a similar directive and advised football fans to stay away from such centres, saying they should rather watch all the matches of their homes.

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