Buhari’s Chad Basin wild goose chase

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

THE plan by President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to commit resources to a renewed search for crude oil in the Chad Basin is a terribly bad idea and should be dropped. At a time of dramatic changes in the global oil and gas sector, featuring oversupply, falling prices and the emergence of many more producers, it is retrogressive to consider resuming the 40-year-old waste of public funds in a venture of uncertain benefits. Instead, Buhari should prepare a reconstruction plan for the North-East zone that would harness its untapped agricultural and solid minerals potential.

Buhari is reaching back into a time long gone and thinking of solutions that have no place in today’s globalised era. Receiving a delegation of notables from Borno State in Kaduna, he promised that his administration would reactivate the fast-receding Lake Chad and deploy “enormous resources to resume a vigorous search” for oil in the Chad Basin. We fully back his plan to replenish the vanishing Lake Chad to boost farming, irrigation and fishing which, back in 2001, provided food and income for over 10 million people in the basin area reaching seven countries, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

But it is politics and not economics that has been driving the search for crude in the Chad Basin area. Begun in 1978 when Buhari was the Federal Commissioner (minister) for Petroleum, successive governments have committed funds, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, to prospecting for oil in the area with only little results. Buhari, especially, appears to have taken it up as a personal crusade as he resumed the search when he rode to power as head of state in 1984 on the back of a coup. It would be short-sighted and out of tune with today’s reality if he once more sees economic salvation in Chad Basin oil.

When he left office as military head of state in 1985, crude oil politics and revenues were of more paramount global importance. Today, the capacity of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to solely determine crude prices has been smashed with the emergence of many more producers, reduced dependence of the United States and the West on OPEC member countries following America’s resurgence as a major producer, fuelled by its robust shale oil output and increased use of alternative energy sources. The International Energy Agency’s authoritative Oil Market Report on April 15 said global supply rose to 95.2 million barrels per day in March while demand was 93.6mpd. In 1985, the US bought over 40 per cent of Nigerian crude, but this declined progressively until it reached zero last year. Not only had the US become the world’s third largest producer by this year with 9mpd, after Russia (10.59mpd) and Saudi Arabia (9.69mpd), new entrants like Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and a clutch of former Soviet republics in the Caucasus have since gained importance as producers and exporters with the IEA listing 115 countries as producers by March 2015.

The prospect of finding oil in the Chad Basin was brightened by oil finds in Niger Republic and Chad. In 2012, the then NNPC Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu, said an integrated team put together by a consortium of consultants set up by the Federal Government to study the possibility of exploring oil (in Lake Chad Basin) had identified an area of 3,350 square metres indicating the presence of oil. Before then, the NNPC had claimed that there was a possibility that oil could be found in commercial quantity in the Chad Basin because of the discoveries of commercial hydrocarbon deposits in neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Sudan, which have similar structural settings with the Chad Basin. Other areas of interest in the oil hunt include the Anambra, Bida, Gongola/Yola and the Sokoto basins alongside the Middle/Lower Benue Trough.

But how did Chad go about its oil search? A “Convention Agreement” signed in 1988 granted a consortium of petroleum companies a long term concession of 30 years to develop the oilfields in the Doba Basin, in southern Chad and to produce and transport oil to the market. Under the 1988 convention, the consortium was granted an initial exploration permit to 2004. By 1993, oil resources had been confirmed in the Doba Basin, within the original exploration territory designated in the 1988 convention agreement. The consortium, according to United Hydroncarbon, an international oil corporation, consists of ExxonMobil (the operator of the project), Petronas, Chevron and Esso Exploration and Production.

This is the way to go. Buhari should leave the private sector, which will be guided by profitability, to prospect for oil in the Chad Basin or anywhere else in Nigeria. We recommend that the state-owned oil prospecting firm be immediately privatised to avoid the kind of political influence that motivates the desperate quest by some elite faction to find oil, using common resources when proven oil finds in Anambra, Imo and Abia and others are kept in reserve.

Buhari should rather key in to the Borno Agricultural Transformation Plan under which Governor Ibrahim Shettima plans to plough in N30 billion “for economic rebirth and rehabilitation” of the insurgency-devastated state and create thousands of jobs. Oil resources have done more damage than good to Chadians. A report says the exploitation of oil has destroyed the local farmers’ production system, depriving them of their livelihood; it is polluting the water, soil and air; it is dividing the people and sowing despair. The stark reality is that since the first oil boom of 1973, our per capita income of $2,700, despite our enormous oil earnings, ranks far below Singapore’s $36,897.87 and Botswana’s $7,704, which have much less resources.

A well-thought-out programme on agriculture that provides 80 per cent employment, and exploitation of its proven mineral deposits – gypsum, feldspar, topaz, potash, iron ore, kaolin among others – to create processing industries, will cost far less, create mass employment and be less ecologically disruptive, is more desirable. Accompanied by an efficient programme of land reclamation from desertification and the reclamation of Lake Chad, should be the programme; not wasting taxpayers’ funds on a sectional venture of scanty prospect and dubious benefit to country.

Rescued women narrate ordeal in B’Haram captivity

Some of the women and children... on Saturday

Boko Haram fighters killed older boys and men in front of their families before taking women and children into the forest where many died of hunger and disease, freed captives told Reuters on Sunday after they were brought to a refugee camp in Yola, Adamawa State.

The Nigerian army rescued hundreds of women and children last week from the Islamist fighters in Sambisa Forest in a major operation that has turned international attention to the plight of hostages.

After days on the road in pickup trucks, hundreds were released on Sunday into the care of authorities at a refugee camp in Yola, to be fed and treated for injuries. They spoke to reporters for the first time.

“They didn’t allow us to move an inch,” said one of the freed women, Asabe Umaru, describing her captivity. “If you needed the toilet, they followed you. We were kept in one place. We were under bondage.

“We thank God to be alive today. We thank the Nigerian army for saving our lives,” she added.

Two hundred and seventy-five women and children, some with heads or limbs in bandages, arrived in the camp late on Saturday.

Nearly 700 kidnap victims have been freed from the Islamist group’s forest stronghold since Tuesday, with the latest group of 234 women and children liberated on Friday.

“When we saw the soldiers we raised our hands and shouted for help. Boko Haram who were guarding us started stoning us so we would follow them to another hideout, but we refused because we were sure the soldiers would rescue us,” Umaru, a 24 year-old mother of two, told Reuters.

The prisoners suffered malnutrition and disease, she said. “Every day we witnessed the death of one of us and waited for our turn,” Mrs. Umaru added.

Another freed captive, Cecilia Abel, said her husband and first son had been killed in her presence before the militia forced her and her remaining eight children into the forest.

For two weeks before the military arrived she had barely eaten.

“We were fed only ground dry maize in the afternoons. It was not good for human consumption,” she said. “Many of us that were captured died in Sambisa Forest. Even after our rescue about 10 died on our way to this place.”

Amnesty International estimates the insurgents, who are intent on bringing West Africa under Islamist rule, have taken more than 2,000 women and girls captive since the start of 2014. Many have been used as cooks, sex slaves or human shields.

The prisoners freed so far do not appear to include any of more than 200 schoolgirls snatched from school dormitories in Chibok town a year ago, an incident that drew global attention to the six-year-old insurgency.

Umaru said her group of prisoners never came in contact with the missing Chibok girls.

Meanwhile, the 23 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army based in Yola, Adamawa State, has handed over 275 women and children rescued from insurgents in Sambisa Forest to the National Emergency Management Agency for rehabilitation.

The statement quoted the Commander, 23 Armoured Brigade, Col. Aba Popoola, as saying that “on behalf of the Nigerian Army, I want to hand over 275 rescued women and children that we rescued from Sambisa Forest to the National Emergency Management Agency for care and welfare.”

Receiving the rescued persons, the Director-General, NEMA, Sani Sidi, said the rescued women and children needed special attention and that the agency had made all the necessary arrangements with relevant stakeholders for trauma counselling.

Ghuluze noted that the ministry had ensured regular supply of drugs to the clinics.

PDP crisis: Party secretary attacks Bode George, others

Chief Bode George

There appears to be no end to the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party as its National Secretary, Adewale Oladipo, on Sunday accused the South-West leaders of the PDP of sowing a seed of discord in the party.

Oladipo, who was reacting to a call on Friday by the South-West leaders on the members of the PDP National Working Committee   to resign their positions, said it was unfortunate that they ( the South-West leaders) who should know better had   resorted to divisive politics.

The leaders had   in a statement after their meeting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti hinged their call for   the resignation of the NWC members, including the National Chairman of the PDP, on the party’s poor performance in the just concluded general elections.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Bode George, who read the statement, argued that the resignation of the committee members would pave the way for a smooth restructuring of the party.

But Oladipo, in a statement, said it was unfortunate that George and others who could not deliver their wards during the elections could be seeking their ouster.

He said, “My attention has been drawn to a communiqué purportedly issued by some PDP leaders in the South-West calling on me, the National Secretary Prof. Adewale Oladipo and the National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, to resign from the PDP NWC.

“However, a very careful examination of the inherent breaches in the procedures adopted in the convening of the meeting as well as the content and tone of its resolution shows an orchestration by a few individuals bent on sowing a seed of discord within the PDP fold in the zone.

“This is evident in the fact that the said communiqué in no way reflected the views of majority of those who attended the meeting, neither did it tally with the opinion of the generality of our party members in the region.”

The PDP secretary said the meeting was a clear breach of protocol as those who attended it did not have the authority to discuss issues concerning the party’s presidential campaign because the highest-ranking national officers of the party from the South-West were excluded.

He said this was how the NWC was marginalised during the presidential campaign which also contributed to the party’s defeat.

Oladipo said since members of the NWC were elected, they   would remain in office until March 2016.

He said, “While some of those asking us to resign performed very poorly even in their polling units, it is on record that the national auditor and my humble self performed creditably and delivered our areas in the general elections.

“It is, therefore, disheartening that rather than joining other well-meaning members of our great party in supporting the National Working Committee in the ongoing re-engineering process to rebuild the PDP, some elders from our zone, particularly, a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, who should know better, have instead resorted to divisive politics by attempting to instigate our members against one another.

“What our party needs now in the South-West and indeed across the country is for all hands to be on the deck as we work harmoniously in our determination to reposition the PDP to regain power in 2019.”

However. we learnt on Sunday that President Goodluck Jonathan may have also demanded the resignation of Mu’azu and the   other members of the NWC of the PDP.

A very highly placed source in Abuja said in Abuja that Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson   delivered the President’s message to Mu’azu and his team in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said, “The President sent a message through a South-South governor to Alhaji Muazu and others in the NWC to resign. They cannot continue to run the party. In the past years, the PDP   never lost the presidential election.

“Our defeat by the APC (All Progressives Congress) this time round is embarrassing not only to the President but to us as leaders of the party. I support President Jonathan’s call on them to step aside so that we can reposition of great party ahead of 2019.”

Dickson was seen within the premises of the PDP national headquarters at Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja shortly during the NWC members meeting on Wednesday.

He was among the PDP governors who met last Tuesday at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge at Asokoro, Abuja to analyse the performance of the party at the general elections.

Apart from losing the March 28 president election, the PDP was beaten by the APC in zones where it (PDP) was hitherto strong.

However, some members of the party close to Jonathan attributed his defeat by Muhammadu Buhari of the APC to Mu’azu and the other NWC members. They alleged that the NWC members did not support the President with their whole hearts.

A member of the NWC, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity in Abuja on Sunday, confirmed that   Dickson delivered Jonathan’s message to them.

He said, “The governor, who was a former policeman and a defector from the defunct Alliance for Democracy came to the party’s headquarters asking the chairman and the NWC members to resign.

“He claimed that he was speaking on behalf of the President. But we asked him whether the President couldn’t speak with us directly but he remained silent.

“Why should the NWC members resign? Over what? Just because we lost election? No, we won’t”

He said the message was the reason why the party issued a statement on Saturday, warning those close to the President to stay away from the running of the party.

Apart from Dickson, the NWC member mentioned Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and a   former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Olabode George,   as among those spearheading   the calls for their sacking.

“We know that Dickson and Fayose spearheaded the call for the NWC members to resign at the PDP governors’ meeting. We are waiting for them to speak out openly and we would reply them accordingly,” he said.

It is however not clear if the NWC members, whose tenure is expected to end in March 2016, will call for the meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee before May 29.

The constitution of the PDP saddles the NWC, which is responsible only to the NEC, with the responsibility of running the party.

It was gathered that the NWC members were waiting for the expiration of the tenure of the President and majority of the PDP governors on May 29 before deciding on when to hold NEC.

It is the belief of the NWC members that the President and the governors who are also members of the NEC could influence the outcome of the meeting.

While the President will remain a member of NEC even after the end of his tenure, the governors cease from being members afterwards.

Efforts by our correspondent   to speak to the Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs,   Rufai Alkali and the Special Assistant on Public Affairs,   Doyin Okupe, on Jonathan’s alleged call for the resignation of the NWC members   were not successful.

Calls made to Dickson’s mobile telephone as of 7.10pm on Sunday rang out.

Also, text message sent to his telephone was not responded to as of the time of going to press.

Before our correspondent in Yenagoa resorted to calling the governor,   he had made futile attempts to speak to his Chief Press Secretary,   Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on his cell telephone.

When contacted, the PDP   National Publicity Secretary,   Olisa Metuh, stated that   the decision to call a NEC meeting remained the prerogative of the national chairman of the party and the NWC members.

He said, “We are in charge of the running of the party and as far as we are concerned, we have no crisis.

“Concerning the date of NEC, the party’s constitution is very clear on this and if anyone is in doubt, let him go and check.

“It is bad that those who have benefitted from the party immensely are the ones stoking fire and causing confusion. We won’t allow them.

“Those who do not like us should wait till the national convention and decide whether to vote for us or against us, if we decide to rein again.

“You can’t continue to claim that there is a quarrel in a house when the occupiers are saying there is no acrimony.”

When asked pointedly to confirm or deny that Dickson came with a message from Jonathan asking them to resign, Metuh replied, “The President didn’t call us to resign. I’m not aware of such directive or call’’

On the alleged secret account operated by the NWC, he said, “Yes, delegates account was opened for the purpose of selling forms and we have since closed it down and collapsed the money there into the party’s account.

“We have not been sharing money as being alleged and I was not at the last NWC meeting on Wednesday and since I returned, I have not been giving any money.”

NWC raises post-election assessment committee

Meanwhile, the NWC said on Sunday that it had constituted a post-election assessment committee to review and evaluate the performance of the PDP in the general elections and make recommendations for the repositioning of the party.

The membership of the committee are: Ike Ekweremadu (Chairman), Governor Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Governor Theodore. Orji(Abia), Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo(Gombe), Governor-elect of Rivers State, Nyeson Wike, and   Ibrahim Shekarau.

Others are   Abdulkadir Kure, Emeka Ihedioha, Abba Moro, Adamu Waziri,   Ahmed Makarfi, Makanjuola Ogundipe,   Pegba Otemolu, Funmi Ayoola and Walid Jibril (Secretary).

The committee is to be inaugurated on Tuesday.

Buhari will shock critics –APC chief

President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and the party’s senatorial candidate for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district, Chief Inibehe Okori, has said that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, will shock critics with his pronouncements on May 29.

Speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Sunday, Okori stated that Buhari would prove to Nigerians and the international community that corruption would be checked as soon as the president-elect settled down to work.

He added that Buhari’s proclamation, dedication and discipline will go a long way in restoring hope, faith and confidence of the citizens in the country.

He said, “Unlike other presidents who were not prepared for leadership but foisted on the country by individuals and interest groups, the President-elect has consistently presented himself to the electorate to lead the country on four occasions and had his visions well enunciated.

“Buhari is taking over government on May 29 and from that day, I expect that he will make major pronouncements that will position Nigeria for greatness. This country must have a direction and move in the way it should. We don’t have any reason to be poor. We have no reason to remain the way we are – not after earning more than $50bn annually from oil and gas.”

Explaining that the expectations of the people from the incoming administration were high, he noted that there was the need for Nigerians to be patient with Buhari’s administration because “Rome was not built in a day.”

He said that within the period of one year of Buhari’s presidency, the international perception about the country would change and Nigeria would regain her rightful place in the comity of nations.

Okori lamented the poor state of the Uyo-Afaha-Nkan-Nkwot- Nnung-Ukum Road which had remained motorists’ nightmare, regretting that the people of Ikono were made to suffer untold hardship from “a government that claimed it had already completed the road at the cost of N26.4bn in the 2014 budget.”

APC govs meet Buhari on ministerial nominees Tuesday

President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari

Governors of the All Progressives Congress are meeting with the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The meeting, it was gathered, would be the first to be attended by the governors jointly since the conduct of the March 28 presidential election which Buhari won.

One of the governors, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, said that the meeting would also be attended by all the APC governors-elect.

He said, “The APC governors, serving and incoming, are to meet GMB (Buhari) on Tuesday morning in Abuja to pay a courtesy call on him, formally congratulate him on his electoral victory and make input into the policy direction of the administration ahead of the May 29 inauguration of the new government.

“Ahead of the Tuesday meeting, the governors would hold a meeting on Monday evening in Abuja where we would firm up our presentation to the President-elect.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who said he was not aware of the meeting, however, stated that it was possible.

He said he had been busy with the work of the transition committee set up by Buhari.

Mohammed said, “Yes, the meeting is possible but I have been busy with the committee’s work.”

It was learnt that the governors might demand that they be allowed to nominate those to be appointed ministers in their states.

Apart from this, the governors are also expected to make their position known on which zone to be supported for the office of the Senate President.

It was gathered that the governors would demand that they be allowed to nominate who should become the Senate President.

Despite the fact that two of the governors contested the presidential primaries against Buhari, majority of the governors supported his candidacy.

After Buhari’s emergence as the party’s standard bearer, the governors wanted one of them as his running mate, but when the lot fell on Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), they bowed to party supremacy and supported the GMB/PYO ticket.

It was gathered that the governors felt that they should be allowed to present the next Senate President since they had not collectively got anything since the formation of the APC.

Buhari emerged from the old All Nigeria Peoples Party and the defunct Congress for Progressives Change block while Osinbajo emerged from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria block.

The governors believed that they played a prominent role in the merger that led to the formation of the APC.

Happy birthday to Genevieve Nnaji as she turns a year older today

The gorgeous actress is a year older today May 3rd. Happy birthday to her and wishing her many more successful years ahead!

Selena Gomez Sizzles At 2015 WE Day Chicago

She’s been on the receiving end of some nasty weight-shaming comments as of late and Selena Gomez got instant revenge by looking super-hot at the 2015 WE Day Chicago event at Allstate Arena on Thursday (April 30).

The “Wizards of Waverly Place” starlet took the stage to give a riveting speech, encouraging young people to stop finding their value in their appearance.

Selena stated, “I know what it’s like to be judged and to be put down. I know what it’s like to have other people form opinions about you without even knowing you, trying to dim your light. I know what you guys go through because I go through it every single day. But I don’t let it get to me. You are not defined by an Instagram photo, by a Like, by a comment. That does not define you.”

Alleged gay stalker claims he kissed Nollywood actor! Yul Edochie

On Sunday, May 3, 2015, Canadian based nurse and gay, Steven Ugochukwu Nelson Onyebuchi claimed that he once kissed Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie in his car when he went visiting him with his friends.

According to Ugochukwu, "I admit I'm gay but why not tell the world that we kissed in your car."

He said further, 'There is something you are not saying. You always come up with new stories. You admitted that I came to your house with my two friends, yes we did and both of us was in your car. Can you tell the world that I kissed you. THATS ONE TRUTH YOU ARE HIDING AWAY FROM.'

Continuing, he wrote, 'THAT YOU ARE MARRIED DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CANT FUCK GUYS. I DIDNT TOUCH YOUR COCK THAT DAY BECOS I WAS IN A HURRY TO TRAVEL EAST. TELL D WORLD THAT WE KISSED N MY TWO FRIENDS EMEKA N CHUKWUDI WITNESSED IT.'

Lionel Messi: The goal that started the Barcelona legend

A diminutive, floppy haired teenager collects a pass from Brazil superstar Ronaldinho to coolly chip in his first goal for Barcelona.

Ten years on, that same man has scored 402 more goals for the Spanish club, becoming the record scorer in their illustrious 115-year history.

Few inside the Nou Camp on 1 May 2005 - when Barcelona beat Albacete 2-0 - would have realised they were seeing the beginning of a legend.

But that is what Lionel Messi, now 27, has become. Here BBC Sport takes a statistical look at the Argentine's record-breaking scoring feats since that debut goal.

1 May 2005: A star is born as a fresh-faced Messi, aged 17 years, 10 months and seven days, announces himself by collecting Ronaldinho's pass to net his first La Liga goal

10 March 2007: The boy becomes a man as Messi, aged 19, delivers his first La Liga hat-trick... against Real Madrid

5 May 2012: Messi writes his name into La Liga's record books by becoming the first player to score 50 times in a single league season after netting four against Espanyol

27 January 2013: Messi celebrates with team-mates Xavi Hernandez (left) and Carles Puyol after scoring four against Osasuna to pass the 200-goal mark in La Liga

30 March 2013: The man who cannot stop scoring... Messi finds the net for the 19th consecutive La Liga game, against Celta Vigo

Champagne moments: Messi has won six La Liga titles at Barcelona since making his debut in 2004, scoring a combined total of 141 goals in those triumphant campaigns

22 November 2014: Lionel Messi levels, breaks and extends La Liga's scoring record with a hat-trick against Sevilla

18 April 2015: Quadruple century - Messi nets against Valencia to bring up the 400 mark

Messi's records
La Liga top scorer: 281	Barcelona's top goalscorer:403
Champions League top scorer: 75	Most goals in a La Liga season: 50
Most goals in a season: 73	Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 21
Most world footballer of the year awards: 4	Most goals in a single European Cup game: 5 (joint with Luiz Adriano)
Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4 (with Gerd Muller)	Most goals in Barcelona v Real Madrid matches: 21
Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8	Most goals in Club World Cup: 4 (held jointly with Denilson)
Most goals in a calendar year: 91

Rebel Wilson Is Sequin Sexy On Entertainment Weekly Cover!

Her new film “Pitch Perfect” is slated to hit theaters on May 15th, and Rebel Wilson is already hard at work on the promotional trail.

The hilarious Australian actress appears on the front of the May 8th issue ofEntertainment Weekly, explaining one of the crazy stunts she performs in the flick.

 

Rebel ended up having to hang upside down during one of the Barden Bellas gigs, a feat she wasn’t all that thrilled about- “They tested me to see whether I had the ability to do it. I had to hang upside down for at least 30 seconds by my thighs. I was really, really scared. But Fat Amy is super confident. So I was like, ‘Here’s what I’m going to do: I’ll do it three times—that’s it. I won’t look scared in the takes and I’ll crush it.’ I was proud that I pulled it off, and it’s such a good opening.”