List of Federal Permanent Secretaries and Ministries

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, announces the posting and redeployment of Federal Permanent Secretaries as approved by the Acting President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. 

See the details:

 

S/N	Ministries/Departments/Agencies	OFFICERS NAME
1.	Interior	Dr. A. J. Awosika
2.	State House	Daudu Ibrahim Jalo
3.	OSGF GSO	S. D. Kassim
4.	Niger Delta	Dr. Yahaya Abdullahi
5.	Agriculture & Water Resources	Aliyu Salihu Gusau
6.	Education	O. A. Afolabi
7.	Transport	Dr. (Mrs) E. A. Abebe
8.	Works, Housing and Urban Development	Dr. T. B. Ingawa
9.	Power	I.B. Sali
10.	Information & Communications	Prof. N. A. Damachi
11.	Aviation	Danladi Kifasi
12.	Petroleum	Mrs. E. B. Emuren
13.	Defence	Dr. E. O. Oyemomi
14.	OSGF-Special Duties	Umar Farouk Baba
15.	Health	Linus Awute
16.	Finance	Dr. Ochi Achinivu
17.	Justice	Abdulahi Yola
18.	Federal Capital Territory	Dr. S. A. Adegoroye
19.	OHCSF-MSO	Mohammed Sambo
20.	OHCSF-MDO	Willougby Kayode
21.	Civil Service Commission	Mr. A. S. Olayisade
22.	Police Affairs	Bukar Goni Aji
23.	Police Service Commission	Esther Gonda
24.	Youth Development	Ms Anne Ene-Ita
25.	Women Affairs	Kuta I. A
26.	Science and Technology	Bamidele F.  B
27.	Environment	Dr B. N. Olorunfemi
28.	Ecological Fund	Odusote I. A.
29.	Mines and Steel	Sheik Goni Musa
30.	Labour	Dr. Alex Anigbo.
31.	OSGF - SSO	Mohammed Sani Lawal
32.	OSGF Political Affairs	Ozodinobi A. Zikora
33.	OHCSF ERO	Charles Bonat
34.	OHCSF CMO	Mahe I Gaya
35.	OHCSF CSO	Pius J. Major
36.	Commerce and Industry	Dr. A.K. Mohammed
37.	Culture and Tourism	S. B. Ozigis
38.	OSGF-Economic Affairs	Dr D.B. Ibe
39.	Bureau of Public Service Reform	Kigbu Dauda
40.	Foreign Affairs	Martins Uhomoibhi

The Head of Service also directed that all handing and taking over formalities are to be completed on or before Wednesday, February 17, 2010.

SIGNED

Tope Ajakaiye

Assistant Director (Press & Public Relations)

62- Year Old Fraudster Jailed over N17.5m Fraud

Monday, 08 February 2010

A 62 -year old woman, Grace Iroro has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for conspiring with others to dupe a banker, Wale Bolorunduro to the tune of N17.5million. She was found guilty by Justice Morenike Obadina of Ikeja High Court on all 3 count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and attempt to obtain by false pretences preferred against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The 62 year old woman, Grace Iroro sentenced to 12 months imprisonment by an Ikeja High Court In 2006, the convict and her accomplices, namely Ayo Disu and Udoh Nnaji who are still at large, approached Mr. Bolorunduro, who was then a manager with the Zenith Bank and offered to sell to him a plot of land at Lekki Phase 2 for the sum of N17.5mllion.To make the phony deal appear as genuine, they presented a forged Certificate of Occupancy of the land bearing the name of the real owner of the property, Mr. Samuel Sosanya. The victim was invited to the ‘office’ of the fraudsters on Lagos Island where Iroro posed as Mrs. Sosanya, the wife of the owner of the land while Ayo Disu assumed the identity of Mr. Sosanya, the owner of the land. Udoh Nnaji played the part of the agent to the land owner in this brazen scam. To further convince the victim, they asked him to feel free to verify the authenticity of the Certificate of Occupancy with the relevant authorities. The banker did and truly Sosanya was on the title document at the registry. Believing that it was a genuine transaction, he gave them a date to come to his office to collect the cheque. But just before D-day, in excitement, he decided to inform his friend who is also a Manager with Guaranty Trust Bank. Unknown to the victim, his friend had been duped by the same syndicate over the same plot of land. When the victim gave the description and location of the land, his friend told him his experience and warned against making the payment. On the appointed date, the fraudsters went to the bank ostensibly to collect the cheque but, instead Iroro who is the leader of the gang was arrested and her accomplices took to their heels. The convict has since last Thursday  begun her jail term.

ARIK AIR LARGEST OPERATOR,BIGGEST DEBTOR

 *OWE GOVT., AGENCIES&FUEL MARKETERS N10Billion


Arik Air, the airline that prides itself as the largest operator in the country has now been discovered to be the biggest detor airline in Nigeria as it is indebted to various agecies in the industry to the tune of about N10billion.

Out of this amount, the regulatory agency-Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) confirmed yesterday that Arik is indebted to it to the sum of N1.1billion.

This was disclosed today by the Director General of NCAA,Dr Harold Demuren while fielding questions from journalists at the opening of a three-day workshop on the new nigerian civil aviation regulations organised for airline operators and all other stakeholders at Tamarin Hotel,Ikeja, Lagos

According to him,series of meetings were held with the management of the airline with the aim of persuading the debtor airline to pay but theyalways raise issues of errors in billing which the Authority is looking into.

Further checks in the industry indicated that Arik is also owing the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) N1.66billion that is $1million and N155million in unpaid navigational charges for over two years.

It was earlier reported by this medium that a meeting was called twice in January 2010 by the management of NAMA aimed at reaching an agreement on how the airline would start payment of the debt instalmentally but twice the airline management turned down the invitation.

Arik is also discovered to owe vrious Oil Marketers over N3billion for the fuelling of its aircraft over the past 12months.Lately, some of the markekters now operate on cash-and-carry basis with the airline while waiting for their various accumulated bills to be settled.

In the same vein, the airline is said to be owing both the newly privatised ground handling company-Skyway Aviation Handling Company(SAHCOL) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) N1.3billion and close to N1billion respectively.

Almost all the officials of the aforementioned government agencies refused to be quoted on the debt situation claiming that the owner of the airline is so powerful that he could get the Presidency to deal with them if they dare talk to the press on his airline's indebtedness despite the fact that these agencies provided the airline services and they needed this money to ensure continued service provision to the industry and maintenance of facilities. 

NEW CIVIL AVIATION REGULATIONs:

 NCAA TASKS OPERATORS ON 100 PERCENT
COMPLIANCE OR GET PENALISED

By Lateef Lawal,Lagos

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) organized a three-day workshop on the New Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations(NCARs) 2009 which began in Lagos today.

It was specifically targeted at all airline operators, parastatals in the industry and other stakeholders to get them to understand the rational behind the revised NCARs such as the general policies, procedures and definitions of aspects of the new regulations.

The new regulations covers among others-General Licensing Requirements, ATC License, Flight Crew Licensing, Aero Medical, Cabin Crew Licensing, Approved Training Organisations(ATOs),Aircraft Registration and Marking, Approved Maintenance Organisation(AMO),Operations and Air Operator Certification and Administration among others.

The Director General of NCAA, Dr Harold Demuren after the opening session early today spoke with aviation journalists on the workshop and other industry issues. Below is the excerpt of the interview:

What informed the workshop?

Aviation is changing everyday and the requirements for safety have become paramount to all of us. As we move higher to achieve our safety standard and make sure we can have a safe operation, we need an enduring safety regulations.

 This safety regulation, is asking for 100 percent compliance. Things have changed in the industry. In the last two years now, you find out that we have not actually failed.

That is the way to do it and that is the way we are going to meet up. We will be looking at various regulations. You must train your people do maintenance.

Expectation at the end of the workshop
At the end of this conference, the entire industry will be aware exactly what the new regulations are as regards compliance and enforcement.

 If there is anything like violation, there is going to be a very strict penalty. The consequences are very . You may get your licenses suspended, withdrawn or revoked. If we are sure that an airline is no longer in a position to carry out a safe operation, we will revoke the AOC of that airline.

The people are very aware of this and they are doing everything to make sure they comply while airlines that are grounded or suspend operations are doing their best to make sure they come back.

However Arik’s Debt to NCAA is over N1.1BillionWe have held two meetings with their management already and they raised certain questions over billings.We are doing something about it.
Bellview and Afrijet’s AOC
Let me clarify this issue. Afrijet and Bellview AOC’s were not revoked. They have shown interest to start operations and they are talking to us.

They stopped operations and their AOC’s were not revoked. We are looking into that.Our officials are looking into their papers including their finances.

They must comply before they can come back. They must comply with the requirements.
Still On the Conference
This is a safety conference. It is not organized because of what happened in Nigeria. We ought to have done it before the incident of December. It was postponed by ICAO.
Requirements by aviation agencies
There is something about meeting regulatory requirements. There are certain minimum requirements that you must meet.

We bring a lot of people with experience from the industry to come and implement what they have. They are only temporary staff and it does not affect the workers promotion. They are elderly people and they will be there for a while, it is a short time measure.
Nigeria’s pursuit of attaining CAT 1
We are very well. We are very hopeful. Notwithstanding what has happened(Attempted bombing of a Northwest aircraft in Detroit,US by a Nigerian, Abdulmuttalab), we have already done most of the work. Virtually finished before that incident occurred. So we are on course. We just have to tidy up things.
On screening machine
FAAN is doing very well to install those screening machines. The latest is that FAAN is being placed on a priority list. Many nations have ordered but Nigeria is on priority list. We are proud that.

Nigerian Eagle Airlines offers exciting Valentine package for passengers

 As this year’s Valentine’s day approaches, Nigeria Eagle Airlines has launched an awesome package with the theme “Valentine Special Companion fare” that offers a whopping 50% discount on companion tickets purchased which literally means that couples will be buying two tickets at the cost of one.

Announcing the commencement of the offer in Lagos, the Marketing Communications Manager of Nigerian Eagle Airlines, Susan Rotimi said that the airline never misses an opportunity to reward customers.

“Nigerian Eagle Airlines has always stimulated the market with competitive fares especially to commemorate special occasions and this Valentines’ special companion fare offer is part of our commitment and passion to encourage air travel in Nigeria”, said Rotimi while also noting that passengers will get value for money despite the slash in the fares.

Tickets for the valentine’s special fare offering which is only applicable on the domestic routes will go on sale as from 06 February 2010 till 11 February 2010 while travel period is exclusively within the weekend of Valentine.

It will be recalled that Nigerian Eagle Airlines has over time, been in the vanguard of introducing innovative products for the comfort of its teeming passengers.

STATE OF THE NATION-Memo to Federal Executive Council

By Dora Akunyili

Minister of Information

Federal Republic of Nigeria

I want to start my humble submission by stating that I am a 100 per cent loyalist of President Yar’Adua. He appointed all of us because he trusts us and wants us to help him to run government effectively and efficiently. Mr. President has given all of us seated in this chamber the opportunity to serve our nation as members of this council.

I believe that in the choice of all of us, as individuals and group, Mr. President must have considered our ability to guide him aright to serve our people better, promote and protect the constitution in line with the oath of office taken before him in this chamber by each and every one of us. President Yar’Adua is very dear to me just as he is to all of you.

We are all aware of what has been happening in Nigeria, especially as it concerns the issue of making the Vice President an acting President. There have been debates for and against.

Some have argued that there is no vacuum and that it is okay for the Vice President to function as Vice President, not as Acting President pending the return and recovery of Mr. President. 

For the proponents of this theory, I want to remind them that Permanent Secretaries had been waiting to be sworn in for over two months now. Consequently, many ministries are without Permanent Secretaries including my ministry.

As it is today, the Vice President cannot take any document to National Assembly. In a very desperate situation like the recent Jos crisis, the Vice President deployed troops to Plateau, but many have openly said that he does not have the right because there cannot be two Commanders-in-Chief at a time.

Just recently, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, has opted out of the amnesty and resumed hostility. They argued that they have been kept in limbo since the President took ill and they appeared to have been abandoned since nobody could talk to them or keep the promise made to them. Our economy is once more being threatened.

The past Chief Justice of the Federation swore in his successor for the first time in the history of our nation. The power vacuum at that level has also compounded our ‘poor image’ at the international level because of our failure to rise to international expectations, commitments and engagements that require the presence of our President.

Many of those opportunities have existed in the past 70 days that I do not need to recount. I do not need to repeat the uncomplimentary statements made by United States, United Kingdom and EU concerning the current state of affairs in Nigeria.

There has been persistent agitation by the public for members of the Federal Executive Council to do something. Nigerians expect us to rise to this challenge on behalf of our President as the leader of this administration. Some eminent citizens have spoken. They include former Heads of State and others who have served our nation in various capacities.

The Senate has also taken a position of which we are all aware. The looming crisis in the system is over boiling. Our hard earned democracy is being threatened by the day.

What went wrong? We love our President but we should remember that he is not infallible. Before he left Nigeria he had a moral and constitutional obligation to officially inform the Senate and hand over the mantle of leadership to the Vice President pending his return and recovery. That did not happen. Yes, the mistake has been made by our Boss and our brother.

Mr. President is ill and did not choose to be sick. But while we continue to pray for his recovery, we should try to right the wrong.

Some have argued that he left the country in a hurry. This argument has been punctured by the fact that he signed the Appropriation Bill for National Assembly. If he could sign the Bill, why did he not sign a letter for Vice President to act on his behalf until he is well enough?

We have a local proverb that says that “A goat does not get strangulated by the rope used in tying it when an adult is present.” We are all in a better position to know that the polity is overheated to a frightening level. Posterity will judge us harshly if we do not positively intervene to resolve this logjam.

I wish to call on the Federal Executive Council to act now in the best interest of our dear President and our dear Nation.

We also need to save ourselves from shame because our stand is becoming very embarrassing. He has been away for about 70 days now, even if he returns tomorrow, is it not better for him to rest and recover before taking over from the Vice President?

We need to do what is morally right and constitutional for the President to officially hand over to the Vice President to function as Acting President. If he does not, we can evoke whichever aspect of the constitution that should make the Vice President an Acting President.

On the other hand we can take advantage of the 14 days ultimatum by the court, which will expire on Friday. When the President resumes duty as soon as he recovers, by the grace of God, he takes over his position.

I am not saying that President Yar’Adua should resign or condemn him for being sick. He did not choose to be sick. We will continue to pray for him, but all I am saying is, let us encourage him do the right thing so that our hard earned democracy will not be truncated. Anybody who feels otherwise is unfair to our President (who has been preaching the rule of law), and utterly unfair to our country.

The name of our President and all his achievements are being rubbished by this unfortunate debacle. The President and his family are also being put under undue pressure, which will not help his recovery.If we fail to act now, history will not forgive us. I rest my case.

Nigeria’s Oil Reserve to Dry in 2040

By Economic Confidential

February 2010

The oil reserves in the Niger Delta currently at 31 billion barrels will dry and disappear by the year 2040. Activities of militant groups in the region, ineptitude leadership and rapid depletion of ore, a major component for the exploration are contributory factors that may see the end of Nigeria’s oil. Regulatory and monitoring organs in the country including the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) are concerned about the development. A very reliable source in one of the agencies meanwhile confirms this development to the Economic Confidential. Some of the agencies especially NNPC and RMAFC have undertaken visitations and mounted various campaigns on need for the diversification of the economy to other sectors and on the necessity for passage of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law. The RMAFC had toured some states to verify existing and abandoned oil wells and other prospective areas for exploration. It also provided each state in the federation with lists of abundant mineral and natural resources in its location which could be tapped for more revenue to their Internally Generated Revenue and the Federation Accounts. The Economic Confidential gathered that minerals and hydrocarbon deposits have life-span and can be negatively affected if there are fewer activities to extend the life indices through intensive exploration to augment the resource base. Members of the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), which comprises commissioners of finance, accountants general of states, NNPC, Customs and Federal Inland Revenue Service are being told on the need for new investment and diversifications of the economy because the would soon run out of oil for export and local consumption. The campaigns have also gone to Governors and federal legislators on the need for early passage of PIB because the future of Nigeria’s oil, according to the campaigners, depends largely on new oil bill that would promote continued investment in new oils and security of facilities in the Niger Delta region. At another forum in Abuja recently, a General Manager, Planning, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) Victor Briggs stated that that Nigeria is not investing in new oil discoveries whereby all the revenues from oil goes to the Federation Account directly without reinvesting into oil fields. The situation is worsen by the fact that Nigeria’s oil production continued to fall due to inadequate explorations and the crises in the Niger Delta region which produces the bulk of crude oil the country exports. A statistics has shown that while the nation was producing 2.3million barrels of crude oil per day in 2005, it went down to as low as 1.1 million barrels a day in 2009. The needless attacks by the militants also pushed up the cost of repairs and replacements of damages facilities from an average of $2.2 million in 1999 to about $400 million last year in 2009. The crisis is not only affecting the quantum of revenue to the national purse but also what oil producing states that usually received huge allocations from the Federation Account due to the derivations principle. Some non-oil producing states are even receiving more in the monthly allocation than those in the Niger Delta. In the disbursement figures made in January 2010 from the Federation Account, exclusively obtained by the Economic Confidential showed that while Bayelsa and Edo States received the sum of N4.29billion and N3.48billion respectively the non-oil states of Lagos and Kano States received N9.16billion and N6.49billion respectively. Going by reported discovery of oil in commercial quantities, in African countries, including Ghana, the government is not only looking towards diversification strategies, it is exploring potentials of Public Private Partnership (PPP) to explore the possibility of oil reserves in each geopolitical zone without its direct involvement. This is to avoid the mistakes of the past when the NNPC undertook oil exploration in the North in the 80s, especially in Bauchi, Borno and Gombe states before it stopped in 1999 for what a source blamed on political exigencies. Few years ago a northern conglomerate, New Nigerian Development Company (NNDC), bid for and won licences for four oil blocks in Northern region's sedimentary basins which comprises the Lake Chad Basin and the Benue Trough.  The company had contacted oil giants in Russia and Australia on the prospect of exploring the large quantity of gas reserve in the areas to power an independent power project (IPP) and fertilize plants. The only Yoruba land that presently has oil wells and a beneficiary of Derivation Fund is Ondo State. Apart from being in contentions with Delta State over 250 oil wells granted to it during Obasanjo’s period, it has substantial oil reserves in Ilaje reverine community. Also in Igbolands a Chinese owned multinational oil company has discovered oil in substantially commercial quantity onshore in Awo Omamma, Oru East local government area of Imo State.  The state also has some abandoned oil wells in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta councils. The crude in the state has remained untapped as a result of kidnapping and criminal activities of some youths similar to the experience in the Niger Delta. Abia State is another Igboland that has gas deposits and oil wells some of them are sources of disputes with neighbouring Rivers State. There is an official report undertaken which will soon be submitted to the Federal Government by a constitutional body mandated to authenticate and verify claims of gas deposits and oil wells. While other oil countries are harnessing and investing their revenues into other sectors within and across their boundaries, the future of Nigeria after its oil might have disappeared, depend on its partnership with a tiny neighbouring country, São Tomé and Principe having signed an agreement to explore and produce oil in the waters between the two countries.  The area known as the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) contains over 15 billion barrels of oil that are yet to be tapped and which would be administered by their established Joint Development Authority (JDA).

 

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Commonwealth Journalists Association condemns treatment of journalists in Sri Lanka

The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) is deeply concerned at the disappearance of Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda and appalled that Sri Lanka's “democratic" government continues to persecute journalists for committing the “sin" of criticizing the ruling party.

We stand together with Sri Lankan media groups that have justifiably condemned the forced suspension of a pro-opposition newspaper, Lanka, and the arrest of its editor and the apparent shutting down – however temporarily - of lankaenews.com, the website to which Prageeth contributes.

The ugly and oppressive actions make a joke of President Mahinda Rajapaksan's offer to host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting - an offer that was wisely shelved, though not yet rejected, by Commonwealth leaders at their Trinidad and Tobago summit.

“The Sri Lankan leadership appears to have only a slim grasp on the concept of democracy," said CJA President Hassan Shahriar. “So let me, as a representative of journalists across the Commonwealth, state the obvious: any government that subjects its independent news media to such violent and arbitrary actions has no right to call itself democratic.
Sri Lanka doesn't even come close to adhering to the most basic principles of the Commonwealth or, for that matter, of basic human rights."

Shahriar urged Commonwealth leaders to use all the influence at their disposal to reverse this “vicious" trend.

“A government that has zero tolerance for criticism is a government that lusts for power for power's sake," he added. “If Sri Lanka's efforts to ingratiate itself with the Commonwealth are to be taken remotely seriously, then Commonwealth leaders need to speak as one in condemning this appalling state of affairs."

Shahriar also sent heartfelt wishes to Prageeth Eknaligoda's wife Sandhya and the couple's two sons.

“We can only imagine the agony you and your family are suffering," he said. “Everyone in the Commonwealth journalists family are praying for your husband's safe return."

These incidents show clearly that media suppression is on the increase in the post-election period. These developments will hamper any informed discussion on the aftermath of the presidential election and the malpractices reported.
The result will be the violation of people's right to information. This in turn will seriously limit people's ability to make informed judgments on political developments.
We would like to reiterate that in the light of the parliamentary election due in a few months time, it is all the more necessary to re-establish our people's right to information without delay by making the media environment free.

In this context, considering that press freedom as the expression of people's right to information and freedom of speech, we, the five media organizations in Sri Lanka earnestly urge all democratic forces in the country, diplomatic corps in Sri Lanka, United Nations, International human rights, press freedom, and journalists safety organizations to use their good offices to ensure that government of Sri Lanka stop the media suppression and create a free and democratic post election environment.

RE-DIPO DINA WAS MURDERED AT BLACK SPOT

The entire members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government and the Southwest Zone 2 Command have dissociated themselves  from the recent hasty and unguarded, unreasonable and unauthorized statements credited to one Alhaji Adeyemi Ayetoto in the media as regards the cold blooded murder of the frontline politician, Otunba Dipo Dina, Ota, Ogun State.

Alhaji Ayetoto, who is one of the executive members of  the group in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area is not competent to speak to the media on the incident relating to the matter at stake and neither was the murder of Otunba  Dina discussed at any of the group’s executive council meeting.

Members of the Vigilante are of the view that for  Alhaji Ayetoto to have gone out of the laid down procedure to speak on a volatile issue such as the murder of the late Gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress without authorization from the executive council of the group, he(Ayetoto) must have been motivated to thwart the Nigeria Police Force investigation process.

In addition, his claim about the Living Faith World Outreach(Winners Chapel),Cannan Land, Ota, as a notorious hide out of criminals and his description of Police as insensitive are unfounded and aimed at blackmailing the Winners Chapel and the Police for material gain.

The Winners Chapel ,as a matter of fact has been supporting community policing morally with the provision of vehicles for patrol in Ado-Odo/Ota L.G Area of Ogun State by members of the group, while the Area Commander, the DPO and all the policemen in the Command have always been responsive to security needs by  supporting the Vigilante members in community policing.

The group states unequivocally that the issue of investigations into murder cases and in particular the present one is solely that of the Nigerian Police Force. Vigilante Group of Nigeria can only give or offer supportive evidence if there is any through the appropriate channel and not on the pages of newspapers so as not to jeopardize investigations.

SIGNED: Alhaji Abdulahi Toye

                 Zonal Commander

                 Southwest Zone 2                                               30.01.10