FIFA lifts Nigeria's suspension

Nigerian fans can now look forward to Sunday's game Nigeria will play Guinea this weekend after Fifa 'provisionally lifted' its suspension of the Nigerians. The Nigerian Football Federation was banned on Monday for various reasons, including political interference. This threw Sunday's Nations Cup qualifier in Conakry into doubt but the game will now take place. "The game will go ahead because the suspension on Nigeria has been provisionally lifted," Caf Media Director Suleiman Habuba told the BBC

Aircraft Carrier Orders Likely To Survive

David Cameron,  the British Prime Minister is likely to go ahead with a £5.2bn order for two new aircraft carriers, in spite of defence chiefs      recommending that one should be scrapped.

The prime minister is expected to spare the second 65,000-tonne carrier, according to senior Whitehall figures, because to cancel the contract would cost more than to build both during the next four years.

Such a decision runs counter to Ministry of Defence proposals put to the National Security Council on Thursday, which endorsed maintaining an operational carrier but concluded that the military requirement was satisfied by a single vessel.

Mr Cameron had pressed Liam Fox, defence secretary, to recheck costs of the programme after expressing bafflement about one carrier being more expensive than two. 

The anomaly is caused by a “terms of business agreement” with BAE Systems that requires substitute work to be provided if the second carrier were to be cancelled.

Officials examined fast-tracking production of Type-26 frigates or lightly armed corvettes as an alternative that satisfied contractual obligations and provided the navy with more warships.

Defence figures said this was unlikely to be satisfactory. The navy does not want the corvettes – warships they deride as “snatch frigates” – and the Type-26 cannot be designed in time to avoid shipyards closing for lack of work. 

It leaves Mr Cameron and George Osborne, chancellor, facing an unpalatable set of options. “If you’re determined to get rid of the second one, it certainly makes the spending review a great deal harder,” said one senior defence figure.

If the second carrier were to be built it would not be equipped with fighter jets and would instead be put on “extended readiness” or used as a platform for amphibious warfare. 

But since the vessel would not come into service before the next defence review in 2015, its future is likely to be open for debate.It is poised to be one of the most difficult decisions in an NSC meeting that will reshape the armed forces for the next decade. 

Senior figures expect the fast-jet fleet to be dramatically scaled back, including big reductions in Tornados, the backbone of the air force.If the NSC were to back keeping an operational carrier, the Harrier would probably be retained and its lifespan extended. 

Some Tornados might also be kept in service to fulfil tasks the Harrier was unable to complete, particularly in Afghanistan. 

The third main question for the NSC will be the shape, forms of armour and size of “multi-role brigades” envisaged by the army. Mr Cameron has ruled out big cuts to army numbers before leaving Afghanistan but Mr Fox is pressing to announce manpower reductions after 2015 of up to 20,000.

The Treasury wants real-terms cuts of 10 per cent but military advice is that would require axing a range of capabilities. “Sensitive decisions” outlined to the NSC include loss of amphibious warfare capability and deep cuts to frigate and destroyer numbers.Senior defence figures expect stark choices will convince the Treasury to impose single-figures cuts.

The Financial Times 

JONATHAN'S WIFE NOT IMPLICATED IN MONEY LAUNDERING-Ribadu

Nuhu Ribadu The former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has indicated his interest to contest for the Presidency in 2011. The Economic Confidential was represented at some of his media interactions with selected media in Abuja where he also disclosed all he knew about the case involving the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan Goodluck on alleged money laundering. Excerpts: As a former EFCC chairman, won’t those corrupt elements fight you back and prevent you from becoming the nation’s President? I have always been fighting in my life. When I was in the Police Force, I fought armed robbers, I survived. I fought gangsters, I fought 419 fraudsters, big time corrupt people and I have survived. I am still standing as Nuhu Ribadu; I believe I will also survive this. Can you confirm or deny that you have written to the Labour Party to be its presidential candidate? No. Are you planning to be President in 2011 or 2015? For God’s sake, what is the issue about 2015? Are we yet there? Have we conducted the 2011 elections? How can you talk about 2015? You think the country should continue sleeping till 2015. You think that you are comfortable with the situation today. I love my country; Nigeria has no time to wait anymore. Are you saying the old brigade politicians should give way? My coming is going to be like the best Nigerian should come forward whether you are old or new or woman or man. It has to be all of us and I want to be part of that team that would certainly save our country and give it a new lease of life. I won’t want to categorize it as a generational thing. But certainly, you know what I am now, and if you want to judge it on the basis of that. I want to see the possibility of capturing the vision of majority of Nigerians who today are the young ones. And I certainly belong to that. Aren’t you afraid of political Goliaths like President Jonathan, ex-president IBB, ex-Head of State Muhammadu Buhari and ex-VP Atiku Abubakar? But David won goliath eventually. Pray that I will be the David. Can you be more forthcoming on the elective post you are vying for in 2011? Ribadu: What do you think I am fit for? I have always been a Federal person. I have experience in public service. I had put 25 years of my life into the service of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Executive capacity. After that, of course, I served outside Nigeria . I have worked and acquired international experience. It is for you to decide where I fit in best. I have given it to the nation. I had the chance to set up an agency (EFCC); I ran it for five years. I was in an Economic Team. I was a Federal Prosecutor, probably more than any other person in that capacity. I was a police officer, a community worker, I put all my life into public service at the Federal Government level. It is only natural for you to really put that into where the experience can best count. How far have you gone on your campaign? We just wrote a letter to Nigerians; very important letter explaining and then introducing ourselves to Nigerians and also appealing to our countrymen and women to come along to help us save our own country. We had a very important event with Nigerian youths. They put themselves together and they also called me to be part of it and we had a very good interaction with them. I have had also wide consultations around and across the country to afford time and chance for me to look at the political parties critically. I have decided as a starting point to go with a new party called ACN. Of course it is the first vehicle and I believe it’s surely going to be bigger than that. Can you elaborate? Today, I am comfortable with what is happening in Lagos, Edo, Ondo and Anambra states. The leadership there have shown that the possibility of good governance are there. I want to see the possibility of bringing good governance to the Federal Government of Nigeria. And the examples of these gentlemen encouraged me to go the direction and the platform like I said is ACN. My intention is if the registration of new members of the new party starts, I do intent to go to my own ward in Yola and pick the ticket and get registered as a member of the political party. But my prayer, my hope is that all the progressives; all those who are doing well for our own country; all those with this massive dream of a better Nigeria will come together and stand as one to move forward with the intention of saving our own country. What gives you that confidence that the progressives can… I believe it is possible. I believe it can work. I believe change is in the air in Nigeria today. It’s not that the progressives have not worked before but they were robbed of the victory. This time Nigerians are going to say “no”, time has come for us to change. Nigeria is changing. People are waking up; people are saying that it is time for us to have free and fair elections; it is time for our votes to count. This time I can assure you it will work. It did not work before because of stealing of elections, rigging. These people were victims of stolen elections. Now there is change, now Nigerians are saying that we are tired of this horrible way of stealing governments. Now it is old-fashioned, this crude way has to stop. If Zimbabwe would organize free and fair elections, why not Nigeria ? If Ghana would organize a free and fair elections, why not Nigeria ? If Sierra-Leone , Liberia , countries that are coming out of civil war can organize free and fair elections, why not Nigeria ? If Guinea just coming out of trouble now could organize a free and fair election, why not Nigeria ? The time has come for free and fair elections in Nigeria and if free and fair election is going to be the case I can assure you the progressives would take it. This is what I believe is happening and what is going to happen and what is encouraging all of us to come together to give our country a chance, a new lease of life, a new hope. It will work and I am sure you also would like the same conclusion based on what is happening today.                             Which of the elections the progressives have been denied victory before? Most parts of the elections we had in our country. What of the elections that they themselves accepted and agreed that it was not right. Are you not a Nigerian? What did you hear in 2007? The president came out publicly and said that the election that brought him was wrong, was rigged and we took it. So, it may be your own judgment and conclusion on that. And not only that, I mean you can see what happened in all the Republics that we have had in this country; first, second, third Republic. So, to be honest we have had elections where people won and they were never allowed to rule. It is glaring. I am sure this time it is going to change because simply Nigerians are saying no. Why are you so much optimistic about the sanctity of the electoral processs in 2011? Simply because the world has changed; the world has changed. We cannot be left just behind for this too long. Things are taking place in the world and in Africa . It must come to our own country because we deserve it, because we are entitled to it too. Time for you to win an election and they say “no, they cannot give you” is over. Let it be a reality. I mean in this country we have had individuals who won elections and they said ‘you cannot rule, you cannot take over’. It was a coalition of progressives who when they came together, they said they were not going to be deterred and issues like religion, ethnicity could not come and did not come. We had a state that was even Muslim/Muslim that won an election in this country. What a progressive change? We want to re-enact it. But not necessarily we are going to do exactly, no. We are going to say that progressives would come together, this time they will work hard and that this time their votes would count and let’s pray to Almighty God to support us in this noble course. What will be your number one priority if you become the President? Or, what are your priorities? I want to remake Nigeria. The point is: Remake means a new thing, a fresh thing, a fresh hub, a chance for us to love ourselves to build a nation out of our own country. I want to immediately, instantly provide those basic things. They are so important to us. I must insist that we must have security immediately, instantly there is no time to waste on that. I want to see that we can immediately solve the problem of power. How can you address power problem? I will do it; I will come out with my programme and policy. It is not something you can give in one word. I want to make a full stop to corruption finally. I want to ensure from now on that Nigerians are going to enjoy free and fair Education. I want to ensure that we will have good and decent hospitals. We will have hospitals, we don’t have to go out of the country and spend our money to build others like in India , Egypt and Ghana . Time has come for us to build our own. I want to make sure that this money that goes out as school fees that we go to pay in the UK , Ghana , and everywhere is going to stop immediately. We must have the schools that will give us the best in our own country. I want to see that Nigeria will be able to give jobs to its young ones. I want to see a Nigeria that probably will have the chance to industrialize. I want to see a Nigeria that will give justice to its own people; justice across; justice that can give a chance to us to have peace and stability for us to grow. I want to see the possibility of giving our country opportunity of equal treatment, fairness, respect to people. I want to see if it is possible for us to give a leadership that can listen; leadership that can take advice; leadership that is going to be collective. What are your programmes?Like I said the detailed programmes will come out. We are going to be precise and very clear programmes and policies on how to go about it. But the intention is there. We want to bring out the energy in all of us and see if we can make a country that all of us will be proud of, a Nigeria that will be respected by the world, a Nigeria that will have a voice, a Nigeria that will play its own role assigned to it by God and destiny. What of Nigerians in the Diaspora? They must come in and participate fully because they constitute some of our best. Nigeria educated them, spent money on them. They must be given opportunity to come and contribute and it has to start from now. Let them get in; let them participate in this process, this most important process, i.e. this transition, this democracy that we are about to experience. How could they be involved? Let there be free and fair election; they must come and play a role in that regard. And if that succeeds we are likely going to have a new Nigeria. But for them to come, some of them you know have some fears or reservations. It is understandable because if you come there is no job for you to do here, if you come, in fact it’s so insecure. In your own country, you would not be safe. If you come you would be kidnapped. Those are the issues that we want to come and solve and stop immediately. I am so much particular about security and luckily I am from that sector, I am a professional. I will bring security, I will bring peace, I will stop these conflicts; continuously people killing each other wrongly. It will stop. We will stop it. We will stop it in a way that we are going to bring love among our people and respect. How long do you think it would take you to achieve this if you are elected? The point is that it would not require too much time for you to achieve this. My experience in the EFCC showed me that it could be done within a short period of time whatever we want to do. At the time when they said that we were not going to confront corruption; nobody gave us chance. But in two years it was introduced, Nigeria started changing and we started giving convictions; we started recovering huge amount of money. In two years time, Nigeria would be a different country altogether; a new country that everybody is going to be proud of. You are only known as the boss of EFCC for five years. Suddenly you want to be the President of Nigeria. How would you introduce yourself to an average Nigerians on your aspiration? I have been in public service all my life for 25 years. Tell me one president in the country who has ever had that experience in public office, one single person. Obasanjo became President in 1976. When did he join the military? He did not get 25 years for your information. And for your information that is not only that, before 25 years I was a Graduate of Law. In the police I was a senior police officer. I was a prosecutor. I did so many jobs; lawyer, police officer, prosecutor, Interpol crime officer. And then after that I got a chance to set up an agency; government agency that delivered administration. Already, number one agency that people talk about today is EFCC. It is my own work. I was opportune to be a member of an economic team that managed the economy of Nigeria for four years. I was a member of the management team and participated in every single leading thing that took place in the economic management of our country. I was a fellow of St. Anthony College, Oxford University. I was a Senior Fellow at Centre for Global Development in Washington D.C. Tell me one single person whoever became a President would line up these as his own qualifications. But this is real politics. Do you think you’ve made adequate preparations that would fetch you the presidency? My belief is that we belong to a group of disenfranchised Nigerians and we are in the majority. We want to see if we can mobilize ourselves and bring a change to our own country. Where would you get money to prosecute your election? Partly, it’s going to come a lot from contribution of ordinary Nigerians. But any person who wants to support and assist, please he is welcome. We are going to rely heavily on individual contributions. Before you left EFCC, you were said to have filed a case against the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan and it was pending. How would you end the case? Never. I never handled a case against Patience Jonathan; never, it’s a lie. You know it is so sad because in our country this is how we go about maligning people and has nothing to benefit from it absolutely. But today thank God I am not in his government. So, I can open up and say. If I were to say it earlier people would have thought that maybe I was looking for job from President Goodluck Jonathan. I am not looking for anything. But the truth must be told. At the time when this thing came we were investigating. It was a case involving one Ibo Lady who was reported by a bank through suspicious transaction report. You know we have existing relationship with banks. If any suspicious transaction takes place in a bank, the bank would report to the EFCC and then we would investigate. I think there was a lodgment of about N70million into a bank and then they reported. Of course we do investigate such thing and then the woman was invited and while we were investigating, of course we found out that she did a contract in Bayelsa State and then we followed it. If we are investigating, we always follow up and if we end up getting anything that is criminal, we charge the person. If there is nothing criminal, we do not do anything about it. Was the case thoroughly investigated? We did a thorough investigation involving that woman and we found out that there was another man also like a partner. But they were all money that they earned from contract which we did not have any difficulty or have issues with. While they were doing that, I don’t know from nowhere somebody went and said that (leveled allegation against Patience Jonathan). I think it was the time of 2007 transition when I think Jonathan was a governor and those opponents who were contesting with him I believed went to the media that his wife was invited or questioned or arrested with some money. But it was total lies, some rubbish. And from N70million, it became $13million. Okay, while we were doing that we were told that the woman knew or the man (her partner) knew the wife of the governor. If you know somebody it does not necessarily mean that it is a criminal offence. Were these people cleared by the EFCC? Of course, completely. Never, never. It is so sad how people go about destroying the names of some people simply because they want to take advantage of it. I am not the type who does that. Next >

AVIATION IN NIGERIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE: CHEERS OR TEARS?

One hundred years of powered flight was celebrated worldwide some years ago and it is over eighty five since aviation industry made a debut into Nigeria. International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) celebrated her 60^th Anniversary on 7^th December,2004 with full Nigerian participation at her 35^th General Assembly I Montreal, Canada. Weighed against all these landmarks events, aviation in Nigeria is still in a doldrums. Foreign airlines operating in and out of Nigeria are doing very well while the participation of Nigeria indigenous airlines is negligible due to constraints brought about by bad policies of government.

POLICY

A cumulative impact of policies, bad decisions, the market, competition and financing difficulty are destroying the Nigerian Aviation Industry. The economy has so much to do with its strength but obviously the biggest problem seems to be lack of attention placed on whatever is Nigeria’s interest. This is why the airlines from strong and advanced countries of the world continue to be stronger while those owned by Nigerians are denied the much needed goodwill and very strong political base for survival. In an industry which does not allow for any mistake, lack of adequate regulation will result in an attempt to cut corners with possible catastrophic consequences( 2005-2006) are sad memories of this.

AIRLINES

It is pertinent to note that, most of our airlines are characterized by low capitalization, high indebtedness, low capacity utilization, wet and dry leasing of aircraft, unstable manpower retention-high rate of attrition of technical staff- which are symptoms of an economically deficient airline industry. Unfortunately, the dwindling value of the Naira against other foreign currencies has further worsened the situation for Nigerian airline operarors. It is even more disturbing that aviation industrial, commercial and socio-economic development of the nation has no credit agency exclusively put in place to fund aviation unlike in other sectors of the economy. Furthermore, the interest rates being charged by Banks and Financial Institutions on loans are too high for any airline to borrow and operate profitably. To aggravate the situation, the fortunes of some airlines that have gone under or have been distressed consequently stopping operations are not encouraging enough to attract investment in the industry. Among some of the very sore points in the industry in the past 50 years include but not limited to the following:

NEGATIVE IMPACT

< Failed Airlines

Nigeria( now Air Nigeria)

Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos as a hub for West Africa

<$120million Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria’s airspace project

Port Harcourt International Airport

On the whole, activities in the industry were overshadowed by the liquidation of Nigeria Airways Limited.

THE CHEERS

Nigeria has cause to celebrate some landmark events for which aviation stakeholders have cause to be proud of. These include but not limited to the following:

>Nigeria Meteorological Agency(NIMET) emergence into relevance

>Successful privatization of Skypower Aviation Handling Company(SAHCOL)

>Emergence of new Ground Handling services companies

>Completion of Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria project

>Nigeria’s good performance at the 2006 ICAO’s Audit

>Successful International Workshops hosted by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Nigeria Airspace Management Agency

>Public, Private Participation and the Build, Operate and Transfer(BOT) project of the MMA2

>Legislation and Regulations put in place to meet international standards-Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation and the Civil Aviation Act, 2006

Ø  All female crew by aerocontractor Co. Nig Ltd under the command of Capt. Agbelusi.

Ø  Nigeria’s appointment into management positions at ICAO, AFRAA and AFCAC

Ø  Achievement of the FAA CAT 1 certificate of NCAA

Ø  CBN intervention funds for Airline

Ø  AIB efforts at accident prevention and efforts towards an efficient laboratory.

6.         THE CHALLENGES

This can be summarized thus:

1. Inconsistent Aviation Development Policies to last 20 years or more
2. Inadequate funding of the aviation parastatals by the Federal Government
3. Unreliable Power supply to airports and Air Navigation Services (ANS)
4. Ageing Manpower and shortages unable to cope with 21^st century demands
5. No modern Airport Infrastructure for modern and big aircraft such as A380
6. Lack of Weather Radars to cover Nigerian Airspace
7. Very expensive Aviation Fuel costs
8. Very few flying schools and Aviation Training Organizations (ATOs)
9. Inability of immigration to apply Biometrics Technology fully
10. Dual designations in Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and multiple entry approval to foreign airlines
11. Uncoordinated development of State Airports without adequate resources to sustain them
12. Low passenger traffic volume on Domestic Operations to sustain the Airlines
13. No dominant flag carrier Airlines to compete with foreign Airlines
14. PPP IN Aviation Sector remain controversial.

AVIO- DIPLOMACY

In 1998, Nigeria offered to train 20 Aviators from other needy African countries annually for a five- year period in various disciplines at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology(NCAT), Zaria for reason of Aviation integration and the expected leadership role of Nigeria.

This programme should be expanded and brought to conclusive implementation. As a result of the disadvantaged positions of domestic carriers, the mega carriers from the European block and liberated American domain have continued to weaken them under their individual State positions through multiple designation and “open skies” bilateral arrangements. The resultant effect is the total collapse of National carriers in the Economic Community of West African State(ECOWAS) as well as massive capital flights to Europe and elsewhere with stunted growth for the private operators who could have provided the representation for these countries. Let it be said, No NATIONAL carrier anywhere in Africa can survive it alone in the face of contending global evolutions in the air transport business.

INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY ASSESSMENT(IASA) PROGRAMME

Ø  Prior to 1990, the FAA only questioned foreign regulatory oversight when obvious safety issues were prevalent

Ø  Public concerns grew from safety related problems that came to light with the 1990 Avianca  B707 plane crash

Ø  FAA established the International Aviation Safety Assessment(IASA) progam and rapidly determined that numerous authorities did not meet the ICAO STANDARDS

Ø  FAA appealed to ICAO to accept responsibility for determining adequacy of regulatory oversight

Ø  ICAO, US and some other countries now have audit programmes

(i)                 International Aviation Safety Assessment program

Ø  Today, the FAA assesses the operational safety oversight capability authorities for countries with service to the US

Ø  Two ratings are currently employed

-Category 1, complies with ICAO Standards

            -Category 2, does not comply with ICAO Standards

      > Airlines from countries in Category 2 are either restricted from US operations              or cannot expand services into the US (with limited amount of time to correct      deficiencies

      (ii) Achieving FAA Category 1 status-The FAA’s IASA is based on Civil Aviation Authority’s compliance to international(ICAO) standards.

REQUIREMENTS

Government commitment at highest levels to adhere to ICAO International Safety Standards, to hire qualified personnel and to commit resources and training

ICAO EIGHT (8) CRITICAL ELEMENTS

1. Civil Aviation Law
2. Civil Aviation Regulations
3. Inspector Guidance
4. Inspector Qualifications
5. Authority Structure
6. Certification
7. Surveillance
8. Resolution of Safety Issues/Enforcement, all elements must be continually monitored, up-dated and enforced

This exercise would normally take 4-5 years to achieve, but Nigeria achieved it in a record time for which our commendation goes to all concerned, but our big concern is its “Sustainability”.

CONCLUSION

Nigeria could have achieved full potentials in the air transportation sector if there are: Consistent Policies; Long term coordinated Aviation Planning covering 20 years or more; Adequate funding with low interest rate on bank loans and finally, aggressive manpower development after independence was sustained. The government must support and sustain the aviation sector as a catalyst for economic development to catch up with the Asian Tigers who attained independence also 50 years ago.

This is a position paper on Nigeria’s 50^th Independence Celebration prepared and presented on behalf of members of the Aviation Round Table(ART) jointly by Capt Dele Ore(president) and Mr Sam Akerele (secretary-general). 

ABUJA BOMB BLAST: AIT/RAY POWER CHAIRMAN,DOKPESI ARRESTED

The Director of the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation and promoter of AIT and Ray Power FM, Chief Raymond Dokpesi has been arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja. His his arrest was said to be in connection with the Independence Day blast in Abuja.

It wasgathered that the politician was invited yesterday morning to the headquarters of the SSS and has since been detained.

Security sources informed  that the politician has not been allowed access to his lawyers, the IBB campaign crew or family. 

The SSS has not issued a statement on Dokpesi's arrest but unconfirmed reports later emerging from the media indicated that text messsages exchanges between Dokpesi's phone and some of the militants arrested over payments for an 'assignment' executed had implicated the media mogul.

Security in the country has since been beefed up especially around the Federal Capital Territory, even as the site of the explosion is still been cordoned off by the security agencies.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has named a new National Security Adviser (NSA). General Andrew Owoye Azasi has been appointed to replace General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, who resigned his appointment to contest in the 2011 presidential race.

It has been suggested that the appointment of a substantive NSA yesterday by President Jonathan was not unconnected with the Friday bomb explosions in Abuja that killed several persons and injured others.

A militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta [MEND] is said to have claimed responsibility for the explosions.

FIFA BANS NIGERIA

FIFA has suspended Nigeria from international competition because of government interference in the sport.

The decision was taken on Monday after several members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were hauled before the law courts.

Fifa rules prohibit any government intervention with its members.

"The Fifa Emergency Committee decided today...to suspend the NFF with immediate effect on account of government interference," Fifa said.

"During the period of suspension, the NFF will not be able to be represented in any regional, continental or international competitions, including at club level, and also not in friendly matches," the Fifa statement added.

Nigeria's ban from international football leaves their weekend's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea in Conakry in doubt.

The world governing body said the ban follows a bid by Nigeria's Minister of Sports to restart the league without relegations from the previous season.

The decision by the Nigeria Sports Commission to force the NFF's secretary-general Musa Amadu to stand down from his position did not go down well with Fifa.

A court action barring the newly-elected members of the NFF also drew the ire of the world governing body.

The NFF board led by Aminu Maigari has not been able to operate because a Lagos High Court ruled that the elections that brought him to power in August were null and void.

A group known as the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) dragged the newly-elected board of the NFF to court for allegedly defying a court not to proceed with the polls of 26 August.

Subsequently, Nigerian Fifa committee member executive Amos Adamu, NFF president Maigari, his vice-president, Mike Umeh as well as acting secretary-general of the NFF, Musa Amadu were hauled before the court.

The NFF has been dogged by controversies since the team's elimination in the first round of the World Cup in South Africa in June.

Explosions kill at least 15 near Nigeria 50th Independence Festival

Two car bombs blew up on Friday as Nigeria celebrated its 50th independence anniversary, killing at least fifteen people and wounding over 20  in an unprecedented attack on the capital by militants from the country's oil region.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the main militant group in the country's oil-rich southern delta, had threatened to attack the festivities and warned people to stay away.

"For 50 years, the people of the Niger Delta have had their land and resources stolen from them," the group said in a statement. While Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is oil rich, most people live on less than $1 a day. The delta is very impoverished and polluted from spills.

A third and smaller explosion hit a venue at Eagle Square where President Goodluck Jonathan stood with other dignitaries, about a 10-minute walk from where the car bombs detonated. A security agent was apparently injured in that blast heard though the militant group later denied placing any explosives in the venue.

Friday's attacks were the militants' boldest yet, striking in Nigeria's capital during an event with heavy security held hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the delta.

The car bombings seemed designed to lure first-responders and then kill them with a second blast. Five minutes after the first vehicle exploded, the second went off, killing at least fifteen people. At least one of the dead was a policeman.The anniversary ceremony continued without interruption.

In a statement Friday afternoon, the militant group acknowledged that it knew allowing the second car bomb to detonate would put passers-by at risk.

We "warned the authorities ahead of time who decided to ignore the warning and alert the public," the group said. It added: "The blame goes to the Nigerian authorities and our message to the families of those who may have been affected is that we deeply regret any loss of life."

Upset by oil spills and the region's unceasing poverty, militants in the delta have targeted pipelines, kidnapped petroleum company workers and fought government troops since 2006. That violence drastically subsided after a government-sponsored amnesty deal last year provided cash for fighters and the promise of job training. However, many ex-fighters now complain that the government has failed to fulfill its promises.

In March, MEND detonated two car bombs near a government building in the Niger Delta where officials were discussing the amnesty deal, wounding two people in an attack heard live on television.

In April 2006, MEND claimed responsibility for attacks on an army barracks and an oil refinery during which two people were killed. It also detonated a car bomb outside a state governor's office in December 2006.

The attacks Friday come a day after it says security agencies in South Africa raided the home of its former leader Henry Okah. Okah was freed from a Nigerian jail in July 2009 after the nation's attorney general dropped the treason and gun running charges he was facing. He later moved to Johannesburg.

The militant group said Okah's house was raided after the Nigerian government "sent a false petition claiming Okah planned to overthrow the government and other claims." Police in South Africa could not confirm any raid took place at Okah's home.

Nigeria, which has had only a decade of continuous democracy since it gained its independence from Britain in 1960, is one of the top crude oil suppliers to the U.S. Last year, attacks by militants led to a sharp drop in oil production, allowing Angola to replace Nigeria as Africa's No. 1 exporter.

AP

Flood Displaces 2 million in Nigeria

Nigerian authorities opened the gates at two swollen dams in the country's rain-soaked north, sending a flood into a neighboring state that has displaced 2 million people, on Friday. 

Water from the Challawa and Tiga dams has swept through rural Jigawa state, bordering the nation of Niger, said Umar Kyari, a spokesman for the state governor. Kyari said the rising waters have affected about 5,000 villages in the typically arid region approaching the Sahara Desert.
"They released water indiscriminately," Kyari said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether residents received a warning or if anyone was injured or went missing in the flooding. Officials typically open dams seasonally in the region, but it appears far more water flowed out than residents expected.
Jigawa is home to 4 million people, so half of the state's population has been displaced by the flooding.
Nigeria, an oil-rich nation of 150 million in West Africa, has strong seasonal rains that wash through the country. However, this year has seen particularly strong rains in the north that already have broken a dam and flowed over levees in another northern state.
Local officials had begun putting displaced families in rural schoolhouses and other government buildings out of the reach of the floodwaters, Jigawa state information commissioner Aminu Mohammed said. However, Mohammed said the water had reached the border with neighboring Yobe state.
"The flood has washed away all the farms and houses," Mohammed said.
Officials with the agency in charge of the dams in neighboring Kano state could not be immediately reached for comment Friday night.
Jigawa state sits about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) from Lagos in Nigeria's Muslim north.
Mohammed said the flooding has grown progressively worse since August, reaching its height Friday. He said more than 34 square miles (88 square kilometers) of farmland have been washed away by the flooding, as well as millions of dollars worth of cattle.
The commissioner said the state has yet to receive significant aid from the federal government
Typically, the water released yearly from the dams flows into farm fields across the region known as the Sahel, a band of semi-arid land stretching across Africa south of the Sahara. There, farmers use the water in the region's brief fertile season to grow corn, rice and a variety of vegetables. However, rains this year have been unusually strong, putting pressure on the reservoirs and dams in the area.
In Nigeria's northwest state of Sokoto, floodwater topped levees and a dam failed during recent flooding, spilling water into surrounding villages. Local newspapers reported as many as 40 people died.
Seyi Soremekun, a spokesman for the Nigerian Red Cross, said officials were working on casualty figures from the flooding. He said volunteers already reached Jigawa and Sokoto states to offer assistance.
"I think the most pressing need is how to put the victims, those affected, in shelter from the harsh weather," Soremekun said. "They need blankets; they need some personal effects to at least deal with or absorb the shock of displacement."
The rains come as neighboring Niger faces what international aid experts warn is the worst hunger crisis in its history following a prolonged drought and poor growing season last year. One of the poorest countries in Africa, Niger now has more than 7 million people — almost 50 percent of the population — suffering from a lack of food, officials say.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, last saw serious flooding in 2007, when 68 people died and 50,000 were affected.




AP

BRITON ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH TERRORIST PLOT

A British man of Somali origin has been arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on suspicion of involvement with a foreign terrorist organization.
The man -- who was traveling from the English city of Liverpool to Entebbe in Uganda via the Netherlands -- was arrested by Dutch military police just as his flight was about to take off Sunday, according to Radio Netherlands. Evert Boerstra, a spokesman for the Dutch prosecutor's office, told the radio station that the arrest was made after Dutch officers received a tipoff from British security services.
The al-Qaida-inspired militia -- which wants to kick foreign peacekeepers out of Somalia and to implement Sharia law across the East African country -- claimed responsibility for the July bombings in Kampala, the capital of neighboring Uganda, which killed 76 people -- including one American. Many victims were killed while watching the World Cup championship match."We are just investigating his possible involvement in a terrorist organization," a Dutch police spokesman toldReuters. "There was no explosive material found in his luggage." Under Dutch law, the alleged terror suspect can be held for up to three days without charge.

*Passengers and airline staff stand near closed 
check-in counters at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport
on April 16. Dutch military police arrested a British
man of Somali origin at the request of the U.K. 
government just before his plane took off.
The arrest marks the third terror scare at Schiphol -- Europe's fifth-largest passenger airport -- in less than a year. On Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab got on a plane there and allegedly attempted to blow up the jetliner upon arrival in Detroit with an explosive device sewn into his underwear. The Nigerian is thought to have smuggled the explosives through Amsterdam airport, leading Schiphol's operator to step up security measures and install full-body scanners.
And late last month, two Yemeni men who had flown in from Chicago were arrested at the airport after U.S. authorities discovered suspicious items in their luggage. They were held for several days, and released without charge after an investigation found no evidence to link them to a terrorist plot.

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SAUDIA BLAMES AVIATION AUTHORITY FOR CHAOS DURING UMRAH

Officials from Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) have blamed the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) for the poor organization and breakdown of systems at the Jeddah airport that has recently caused widespread chaos and lengthy delays of flights for Umrah pilgrims and visitors. They accused GACA, which is responsible for infrastructure at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, of projecting a poor image of the country's aviation sector with the ways airline operation and passengers facilitation are being handled. They therefore called for government's urgent intervention  to prevent a "complete collapse" of systems for passengers, including luggage transportation, security and issuing of air tickets. They said if the systems fail then all air traffic at the airport could come to a standstill. The officials also raised concerns about cargo, reservations, air-conditioning at the terminals and employees' offices, cleaning, plane parking and sound systems for announcing the arrival and departure of flights. In response, Khaled Al-Khabiri, GACA's Spokesman, said he needed more time to reply to the allegations. Officials of SAA  said nearly 240 international and local flights are affected or disrupted on a daily basis. The officials accused GACA of not responding to their demands to provide the necessary mechanisms and machinery and the suitable infrastructure to operate the airport effectively. They drew attention to the poor conveyor belt system for carrying luggage from inside the terminals to the security zones. They claimed that the authority imported these machines from an Asian country because of the low cost, without any quality considerations. The conveyor machines have weak internal generators, they claimed. According to them the conveyor belts break down so often that SAA has to provide 45 workers to intervene in case of any sudden breakdown, which happens on a daily basis, alleging that these machines cannot be maintained properly because spare parts are difficult to find and takes weeks to source from overseas. They claimed that the security machines at the airport, the metal detectors, work slowly and imprecisely because they are based on old technology which often result in officials inspecting nine out of 10 items, causing further delays. Other world class airports have sophisticated machinery, they said. They said about 100 passengers miss their flights on a daily basis because of the poor security system, resulting in great financial losses that have to be borne by GACA. Passengers plight and Regular breakdown of conveyer belt. They listed the shortfall in the operations of GACA Iin the following order: Poor air-conditioining at the terminals,Security check system not proper,Unclean lounges and toilets,Mismanagement in tackling rush fallout,Passengers missing their flights and Late departure of flights. By Saud Al-Barakati

IATA CALLS FOR GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT FOR AVIATION

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) calls on world governments to unite in support of the aviation industry’s ambitious targets to combat climate change and agree to a global approach at the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Triennial Assembly in Montreal.

“The past 18 months have been the worst financial times in modern aviation history. But even in these harsh times, airlines’ budgets earmarked for environment projects were not cut,” said IATA director general and chief executive officer Giovanni Bisignani at the Aviation and Environment Summit held in Geneva by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).

“In the next 10 years, the industry will spend US$1.3 trillion for 12,000 new aircraft. Each of these will be 20-25 per cent more fuel efficient than their predecessors,” he added.

The global aviation industry was united behind three targets to address climate change, a 1.5 per cent average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, capping net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth, and cutting net emissions in

half by 2050 compared with 2005.

Bisignani highlighted that sustainable biofuels were making great progress and moving closer to certification for commercial use. Five airlines had already tested flights using sustainable biofuels and four more tests were expected before the end of the year.

“With certification expected within months, distribution and commercialisation were the challenges. It is in the self-interest of every government to get much more involved and support the commercialisation of biofuels with incentives to facilitate the needed investments,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani made special note of the critical timing of the 37th ICAO Assembly which opens on September 28.

“We cannot meet our ambitious targets without the support and cooperation of governments. Aviation is a global industry. We need a global framework under ICAO to guide our efforts. The ICAO Assembly is our best opportunity to achieve this in time for COP-16 in Cancun,” he said.

“Political obstacles being removed, the industry is committed to aggressive targets and our track record demonstrates that we will achieve them. Supporting aviation’s efforts should be an easy decision for governments to make in Montreal.”

Bisignani noted that the significant changes seen at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since the Copenhagen meeting would help facilitate an agreement at ICAO. Christiana Figueres, the new executive secretary of the UNFCCC who took charge in May, was currently working with the industry to achieve solutions.

“The willingness of the UNFCCC to constructively engage and challenge the industry is a new and much welcomed approach. Clearing the CBDR issue removes a major political obstacle. With ICAO, a global framework can accommodate the special needs of developing nations. A decade ago, governments agreed to a global solution on noise through ICAO that included extended timelines for developing nations,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani also encouraged governments to speak out against uncoordinated economic measures that would not be effective in reducing emissions.

“We must continue to oppose regional and national emissions trading schemes and taxes that take billions from the industry but do nothing to improve environmental performance.”

“We are building critical momentum. More and more governments are showing their political will to match the industry’s ambitious commitments by supporting the global framework needed to achieve them.

“There is still some ground left to cover, but I am confident that we are moving in the right direction to reduce emissions while protecting the social and economic benefits of aviation,” he concluded.