What do you want from the bank?

Titus is a young rich bachelor who is known for being a very cheerful giver. He is at present courting three beautiful girls and he believes it's high time for him to settle down and get married. After listening to the song Eminado by Tiwa Savage and Don Jazzy he came up with a test that would help him determine which of his three prospects would be the best marriage material.  His favourite part of the song is when Don Jazzy asks “what do you want from the bank?”. An idea came to him that this will be a good criteria to help him in making a decision. He decides to put a phone call to each of the girls, telling them that he just arrived at the banking hall and asks them what they wanted from the bank. The answer to this question should tell Oga Titus a lot about the suitability of the girlfriend for marriage. Or would it?

Prospect number one called Charity did not even wait for him to finish the question before asking whether the amount is in Naira, Pounds or Dollars.  When he said Naira, she boldly replied she can manage anything from 50 million. From her reply he perceives this one is not here for the long term, she only wants to bleed him dry at the earliest opportunity and definitely not marriage material. She is not thinking of him as a partner and is only in the relationship for what she can get for herself. He believes she views this as her one opportunity to “hammer” and is grabbing it with both hands. Then again she has shown that she can be bold and aggressive and an ambitious go-getter, qualities a lot of people expect in the modern wife. He is also flattered that she thinks he is worth in excess of the amount she has quoted. On second thought, was she just joking or pulling his legs? which reasonable person would ask for such an amount even if it is Dangote that asked you?

Prospect number two called Faith is quite excited and feels over the moon at being asked. She requested for a very specific 1.5 million Naira. She is definitely a reasonable person who although wants the good things of life is not with him just for the money or material gains. She sees a future with him and would want something for herself now but also leave enough for them to share in the future. However, he is puzzled she gave him what he thought was a well rehearsed and specific amount. Does she have a pressing issue that this amount will solve?  If that is the case he wondered why she is not sharing her issues with him. On the other hand, if she was so good why did she even ask for any money? What she may deem as reasonable may be excessive after all she does not know the size of his bank account.

Prospect number three called Hope was totally non-committal. Though grateful for being asked, blatantly refused to give an amount and told him to use his "church mind". He tried to push her into saying an amount but the lady wasn’t one for pushing. This one sent his mind into overdrive. Is she for real? who in Nigeria does not like awoof?  This one looks like a keeper, she will do whatever he pleases and leaves the decision making to him. She is not extravagant or materialistic and will make do with whatever she is given. She also seems to be well brought up and not too forward. Then again, is it just a ploy? when someone tell you to use your “church mind” it's almost like saying “give me what you think I’m worth”. In most cases, people who leave you to your own discretion seem to get more. So is she playing a very tactical game? Is she showing him her good side while they are courting only for her to show the real her when he puts a ring on it? Maybe this shows she lacks ambition and would be docile and show too much deference in a marriage. If the going gets tough will she be able to hustle or will she always look to him to provide the daily bread whatever the weather.

A harmless question can tell you a lot about the thinking of people however what we make of their responses should tell us much more about ourselves.

New day, New week

It's a new day today and also the beginning of a new week. I am determined to make this week better than last week. Last week was a bit disappointing, received some setback but I will not let it demoralise me. I will rise above any disappointment and use it to my advantage. I am using it as the tonic and springboard to make this week a fruitful one. I Have started the week on a good note. Highly motivated to make a significant difference. In life the only person that can defeat you is yourself, within reason. I am inspired to excel myself and the bring out the exceptional qualities I believe I possess.

It's always good to start the day with prayers. Even if you are not religious or believe in the efficacy of prayers, it always works as a good motivational vehicle for us. You pray for what you wish and you put yourself in action to achieve this. It's almost like setting yourself objectives, you believe God will grant you your wishes but you also have to do your part. As they say heaven helps those who helps themselves. God will only assist you if you are willing to play a part in achieving what you pray for.

Procrastination is indeed the thief of time. It is also my greatest weakness. I have spent many a valuable time doing more pleasurable things at the expense of what is important and indeed less pleasurable. It is difficult to break the habit of a lifetime but I believe the way to tackle this is to set yourself small but achievable targets that you can meet relatively easy and boost your confidence.

Not an email: Ex-Nigerian dictator's assets frozen - MiamiHerald.com

BY KEVIN G. HALL

MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU - MIAMI HERALD

Gen Sani Abacha

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department said Wednesday it has frozen $458 million in corruption-derived assets from  accounts belonging to Nigerian dictator Gen. Sani Abacha and sought forfeiture of more than $550 million stashed across the globe.

The complaint in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia was based on an FBI investigation and also names the general’s son Mohammed Sani Abacha and associate Abubaker Atiku Bagudu. The three are accused of embezzling public funds amounting to billions of dollars from the oil-rich country, in three different criminal schemes.

Justice officials described Wednesday’s move as the “largest kleptocracy forfeiture action brought in the department’s history.” The action was part of a broader initiative to discourage corruption proceeds from being laundered in the United States. Why the complaint comes now wasn’t immediately clear.

U.S. bank operations listed in the complaint, all in New York but not the subject of the complaint, include: ANZ Banking Group; Bankers Trust Company; Barclays Bank; Citibank ; Chase Manhattan Bank; Chemical Bank;  AG; Marine Midland Bank; HSBC USA; and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, which later became JP Morgan Chase.

Abacha is a controversial figure in Nigeria, where he led a military regime that ruled from his coup 1993 until his death in office in 1998. He presided during a time of low oil prices, so the country’s economic growth came from a wider opening to private investment and market forces. He also used Nigeria’s military to help quell unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

But the dark side of the Abacha regime was revealed in the complaint for forfeiture of funds

Under one scheme, Gen. Abacha allegedly got Nigeria’s central bank to disperse what are called security votes, essentially funds to be used for purposes of national security. Instead, those funds were moved overseas to accounts in Switzerland, Great Britain and through banks in the United States.

Another alleged scheme involved the general and his finance minister, Anthony Ani, buying back distressed Nigerian government debt at inflated prices from a company controlled by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha. The windfall was more than $282 million, the Justice Department said.

The third alleged criminal effort involved extortion of more than $11 million from a French company with a Nigerian affiliate involved in government contracting.

Proceeds from the alleged national security funds fraud were pooled into bank accounts in London, then used to purchase dollar-denominated Nigerian bonds, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in interest payments.

U.S. banking behemoth Citibank administered the interest rate payments, which amounted to lending stolen money to generate huge profits.

Most of the money sought by the Justice Department belongs to entities registered in the British Virgin Islands, Great Britain, France and the Bailiwick of Jersey. About $287 million is being held by Deutsche Bank International Ltd. in Jersey; another $12 million is accounts administered by HSBC Fund Administration in Jersey; and another $144 million is located at Banque SBA in Paris.

Some of the fictitious companies the group established outside Nigeria had accounts with Goldman Sachs in Zurich, Switzerland.

Edo politics and tale of the three Tonys

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/02/edo-politics-tale-three-tonys/

EDO  STATE  is unique in many ways, one of which is that it is the only state in the country whose governor is addressed as the Comrade Governor, drawing from his past as the number one Labour leader in the country.

The Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led many strikes against bad policies of the Federal Government and was in the forefront to picket many employers of labour, including banks, who were out to make life unbearable for their employees. Oshiomhole is clearly a man who has attacked and of course is used to being attacked.

Since becoming Governor of Edo State, Oshiomhole has demystified one Chief Tony Anenih, an old war-horse, a man who in his eighties should be basking in retirement in his country home at Uromi; a man who is better known among his acolytes and hangers-on as Mr. Fix-it; a man who keeps recycling his political life like a bad coin, thereby keeping younger, fitter and more intelligent people on the sidelines; a man who in retirement, closer to 100 than 40 years is Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority; a man who has been demystified in his domain, Uromi in several elections held in the state and only depends on political oxygen from Abuja for his survival.

The interesting thing, however, is that since the demystification of Tony Anenih, two other Tonys, one Tonnie Iredia, the other Tony Afejuku have found space in the media to defend their namesake, hurl unbridled, and most times senseless, attacks on Oshiomhole to the consternation of many.

Many know that while Tony Anenih lives on political oxygen in Abuja and has lost his political value in Edo State and in his Uromi backyard, the other Tonys: Tonnie Iredia, a Benin man who was Director-General of the NTA not because of his ethnicity and who was unable to make effective changes to reposition that medium, and Tony Afejuku, a Delta man and classroom teacher with no political clout.

The reason for the defence of Anenih by Afejuku and Iredia is not far-fetched: both are ‘wanna-be’ politicians who think coming to the defence of their namesake will give them the advantage in the political shenanigans and scheming for which their more illustrious Tony is known.

In an article entitled: “One man, One vote: Edo’s futile slogan” published in his “Nigeria Today” column in the Vanguard on Sunday, February 23, 2014, Iredia tried his best to lampoon the “One man, One Vote campaign”, an internationally-accepted democratic principle for free and fair elections which has now been accepted as the model for elections in Edo State.

It is worrisome that a man who has been Director-General of such a television network as the NTA will call the “One man, One vote campaign” which the President and Vice-President bought into and always preached “a scheme”. He wrote: “To start with, even the opposition party adopted it, making it a suspicious device.

For example, although Governors always chorused the slogan, President Goodluck Jonathan gave a solemn assurance at a political rally in Benin City on Saturday June 25, 2012 that the Edo State governorship election would be a ‘one man, one vote affair’. Some two weeks earlier, Vice President Namadi Sambo in a similar rally at the same venue had made same pledge.”

Now, what is Tonnie Iredia’s problem with One man, One Vote? The answer is not far-fetched. He belongs to the old school led by his patron and namesake, Tony Anenih, which believes that things must be done the old way, the way of fixing things whether you vote or not. Now in Edo, one man, one vote has taken its root and he is clearly unhappy about that.

The governorship election in the state held on July 14, 2012 was used to the might of the ballot, and that election which has been adjudged the freest in the history of elections in that state and the best in the country since the June 12, 1993 saw Comrade Oshiomhole winning across the 18 local government areas in the state, in all the wards in Edo North and Edo South and almost all the wards in Edo Central, including the ward of Tony Anenih.

It is understandable that a man who would not give voice to the opposition and the voiceless as NTA DG would be most unhappy to see the ordinary people rub shoulders with him on election day as equals with the same power of one vote.

Tony Afejuku, English teacher, now professes more in hack writing. He has taken it upon himself, like his brother Tony does in Vanguard, to dedicate the back page of Nigerian Tribune of Mondays to Oshiomhole bashing. His recent article published in the Nigerian Tribune of Monday, February 24, 2014 at the back page in his “In & Out” column with the title “Benin Bullies” leaves so much to be desired.

When a man writes fiction as the fact, descending to the level of agberoism and bole-kaja writing because he wants to captivate his audience with the fluidity of his pen, he deserves nothing but pity! Calling properly constituted traffic managers vagabonds and bullies because they enforce the law shows that this classroom teacher still has a lot to learn!

However, he surreptitiously let the cat out of the bag when he wrote: “I requested the driver of my rented car to buy me a carton of Gordon Gin along the famous Mission Road.” He may have been hallucinating in doing the write-up or as they say, under the influence.

For Tony Afejuku and Tonnie Iredia, the people of Edo are not taken-in by their disjointed and incoherent writings which are meant to feather their nests and make them get the ears of their namesake. While they are free to write and publish whatever they want, they should know that the people are not taken-in by their writings meant to launder the faded image of their man as the people of Edo are wiser after the PDP’s 10 years of the locust.

Mr. SAMUEL EGUAIKHIDE, a political analyst,   wrote from Ekpoma, Edo State.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/02/edo-politics-tale-three-tonys/#sthash.xhDb7U9v.dpuf

Misplaced priorities

Misplaced priorities is casting and binding Marine Spirits when we have real evil spirits like Boko Haram. Abi when last did you hear that Bar Beach swallowed 40 students or River Niger was bombing schools?

Jonathan - No Longer Shoeless

President Goodluck Jonathan

I have never been a huge fan of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The first time I heard about him was during the Alamieyeseigha cross-dressing  saga when he was the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state. The next time he was prominently in the news was in 2006 when the EFCC was investigating his wife and now first lady, Dame Patience for alleged involvement in multi million dollar money laundering. It came as a huge surprise when Chief Obasanjo selected him as the running mate of Umaru Musa Yar’adua. GEJ was obscure as a Deputy Governor and rather unremarkable as a Governor. My opinion was that Yar’adua with his rather quiet and retiring personality needed a charismatic and likeable deputy to complement him. Somebody like former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State. Be that as it may, he was chosen and got elected Vice President and by providence (goodluck??) became President.

In 2011, he contested on his own terms to become president after completing the last one year of the Yar’adua presidency. While I didn’t think he was the best candidate, he was certainly the candidate in the best position to win. Firstly, he was an incumbent and in Africa, incumbents hardly get defeated in elections. Secondly, his party the PDP was head and shoulders above the other parties in terms of personnel, reach and finance. It would take the political equivalent of a tsunami for the PDP ground to shift as it concerns the presidency. The CPC in 2011 was merely a thunderstorm. Thirdly, he was perceived by a good section of the populace as a man of destiny. As “Shoeless Jo”,  he gave the impression of a man of humble beginnings who through sheer good fortune had attained the highest office in Nigeria against all adversity. He was living the Nigerian Dream and attained that breakthrough others have prayed, fasted and tithed for, to no avail. The Yar’adua death and succession saga also played in his favour. Lastly, a lot of Nigerians especially those in the South and Christians wanted to break the Northern Muslim hegemony of Nigerian politics. The election of 2011 was less about Jonathan vs Buhari but more about the South & Christians vs Northern Muslims. Politics being a game of numbers showed that the result will be in his favour. I didn’t vote at the 2011 elections but if I did, Jonathan would have had my vote

The first half of his Presidency has been uninspiring to say the least. I don’t think even the most ardent supporters of GEJ expected any miracles from him. Nothing in his unremarkable past leadership showed he will be an outstanding president. He has never been the most charismatic of people but he totally failed to inspire any confidence in people. He always sounded hesitant and unsure of what was required of him. He never really did look presidential. There is no doubt that he has definitely brought some improvement. You can always point to the airports, the roads, railway, the privatisation of the electricity sector, economic growth amongst his success. However, the security situation got worse under his watch, the education sector is crumbling and he seemingly turns a blind eye to corruption. And yea, there is still the case of the missing NNPC billions.

2014 has brought a step change in the Jonathan presidency. No longer is he “Shoeless”, he has definitely got his boots on. The changing of the Service Chiefs, the sacking of Oghiadomhe as his Chief of Staff, the signing of the anti-gay bill, the removal of Stella Oduah and the suspension of Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi shows a man who has finally realised he is the President of the Federal Republic and the buck stops with him. I am liking this new decisive President Jonathan who is prepared to take the bull by the horn and take the really tough decisions. He is definitely getting battle ready for the 2015 elections. He seemed to have reserved his ammunitions for the last legs of his current Presidency. I believe there are much more surprises to come from President Jonathan in the next few months. This year will be a defining year of his Presidency but I doubt if it will determine the result of the next elections. The 2015 election is Jonathan’s to lose and the man with Goodluck does not do defeats.

Subsidy and the alleged missing billions

By Chinwoke Akoma
The Senate Finance Committee sitting on alleged missing N20billion dollars had a lot of interesting testimonies. From the initial accusations by the suspended CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, to the clarifications by the various government agencies,facts are out in public domain which have enlightened the public on the issue.

For example ,Nigerians now know that the allegation that kerosene subsidy is illegal is  no longer sustainable . This is because the so-called presidential directive stopping subsidy was discovered to be contradictory and unimplementable by the then Petroleum Minister Rilwanu Lukman . It also came to the fore that there is truly subsidy on kerosene but the impact is not  being  felt because of the high demand in the face of low supply. Nigerians also now know that by virtue of the Petroleum Act ,the oil corporation has the power to incur expenditure.

Many more facts came out including the fact that nobody is ready to withdraw subsidy on kerosene as even the Senate Committee asked the executive arm to make request through supplementary appropriation. Even at that, the hearing was confronted with the reality of a provision of the Petroleum Act which empowers the Minister of Petroleum Resources  to fix the prices of petroleum products. The plan for an independent audit was also unimplementable because the responsibility is statutorily that of the Auditor General of the Federation.

The Senate sitting had opened with a  theatrical drama by the suspended CBN Governor. He anchored the missing N20billion on the argument that there is no subsidy. But events have proved that there is indeed subsidy ,leading to the new reality that the so-called missing money was spent on kerosene subsidy. If Sanusi had succeeded in proving that a presidential directive  stopped subsidy,he would have also triumphed in claiming that the N20billion dollars was illegally spent . On both counts,Sanusi failed as several documentary evidence confirmed.

File Photo: Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, fmr Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN (right) and fmr CBN Deputy Governor, Serah Alade. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

First, Lukman, in his capacity as Petroleum Minister, was obviously unable  to implement  this directive as the inherent contradiction in the directive was at variance with a fundamental and critical requirement of the Petroleum Act which requires  the issuance of a gazette. Specifically ,the directive contained a clause that said the subsidy removal should not be made public.

For the avoidance of doubt , the letter of the controversial presidential directive is to the effect that commencing from July 2009: “Eliminate existing subsidy on the consumption of kerosene, taking into account that subsidy payments by government, on kerosene do not reach the intended beneficiaries. Public announcement of this measure should be avoided”.Lukman refused to gazette the directive because of the contradiction . So subsidy continues especially after the violent demonstrations of 2012.

The other thing is why the high prices of kerosene despite subsidy? The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN,  Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, said the problem has to do with high demand versus low supply as the quantity  subsidised is not sufficient to meet the needs of kerosene users. Said he: “About 7 to 10 million liters  are supplied  but our national consumption today is about 15 million liters. There is a shortfall in supply, hence people think the subsidy is not reaching the people. There is subsidy”.

The management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation  (NNPC) also said that diversion of kerosene to neighbouring countries, industrial use, aviation fuel, sharp practices by middlemen and pipeline vandalism are reasons kerosene is not readily available for domestic consumption. Group Managing Director of the corporation, Engr. Andrew Yakubu, made this disclosure during the two-day investigative public hearing on supply, distribution, expenditure and subsidy on kerosene.

Yakubu maintained that due to a number of issues ranging from incessant pipeline vandalism and diversion of the product to road construction, the product, meant for the masses, is not readily available. “There are quite a number of competing demands for kerosene and until these are addressed by other relevant agencies, the issue of kerosene not being readily available for domestic use will continue to reoccur every now and then.

The way out is for this committee to collaborate with the NNPC to encourage the sale of liquefied petroleum gas otherwise known as cooking gas,” the NNPC boss  said.

Responding to a question on whether kerosene subsidy is still in place, he said that was exactly what he met when he assumed office in June 2012, adding that kerosene subsidy is funded by unrealizable revenue flow. “The NNPC takes crude at international price and sells it at the domestic market at regulated price of N50 per liter,” he stated.  Answering a question on what the NNPC is doing to stop kerosene diversion, the NNPC helmsman said that the Corporation does not have the power to police marketers and sanction them, adding that there are statutory bodies with the responsibility.

Commenting on the legality of kerosene subsidy, the NNPC Company Secretary, Anthony Madichie, citing Petroleum Act section 6 subsection 1, said only the Minister of Petroleum Resources has the authority to fix petroleum product prices, stressing that if a presidential directive is given and not gazetted, such directive will not be effective.

In his submission to the committee, the Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the NNPC, Prince Haruna Momoh, informed that kerosene is sourced for the Nigerian market through importation and domestic refining, adding that dual purpose kerosene (DPK) is sold to coastal marketers, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA and NNPC Retail.

“I can confirm to this committee the statistics for the supply of DPK is as follows. In 2010, NNPC supplied 2,515,582.44 metric tonnes of DPK, in 2011, NNPC 1,922,263.56 metric tonnes, in 2012, NNPC supplied 2,622,843.20 metric tonnes and in 2013, NNPC supplied 2,671,747.97 metric tonnes making a total of 9,732,437.17 metric tonnes,” Momoh revealed.

Marketers also supplied further statistics on the existence of subsidy.The price regime of DPK ex-refineries/depots in Nigeria is at N40.90k/litre, NNPC sells DPK at its retail outlets for N50/litre. If the PPPRA template is taken into account, DPK is expected to have a landing cost of N130/litre leaving a gap of about N80/litre which is a cost element to NNPC and the tune to which DPK is subsidized for the populace.

Demand versus supply

The question ‘where does the subsidy go?’ then arises. The total demand for DPK across all sectors by far outweighs the supply available nationwide thus leading to a shortage of the product and a resultant increase in the equilibrium price. This is the major reason the subsidy though enormous is not being felt by the populace.

Another  major development is a submission which went a long way to settle many contentious issues affecting a subsidiary of the oil corporation.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, said the  NNPC can legitimately transfer its participating interest in oil mining leases (OML) to its wholly owned subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company,NPDC.

The AGF provided the legal position during the investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the alleged unremitted $49.8bn oil revenue in respect of the status of $6bn NPDC gross revenue which Sanusi  had alleged should have been remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC.

Adoke informed  that by virtue of paragraph 14 to 16 of the First Schedule of the Petroleum Act, CAP.P.10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN, 2004 (NNPC Act) and Regulation 4 of the Petroleum (Drilling and Productions) Regulations 1969 as amended, a holder of an OML or Oil Prospecting License (OPL) can assign its interest provided the consent of the minister of petroleum resources is obtained.

On whether all revenues derived by the NNPC from upstream operations including those under which OMLs in the JV operations are payable to the Federation Account, the minister posited that NNPC is generally under an obligation to remit its revenue from the upstream petroleum operations into the Federation Account.

According to him, this is, however, dependent on the definition of ‘revenue’ within the meaning and intendment of section 162 (10) (c) of the constitution of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Constitution) saying that the NNPC can by virtue of section 7(4) of the NNPC Act defray all expenses incurred in the course of its business in the upstream operations.

The AGF stated that the NNPC is required to pay into the Federation Account the ‘net revenue’ as opposed to the ‘gross revenue’.

Meanwhile, IPMAN has warned that kerosene subsidy removal was capable of bringing down government even as it denied reports that it bribed officials of the petroleum ministry and the oil corporation on  allocations.

Speaking in Abuja ,the National President of IPMAN, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, said the bribery allegation  was part of  the plot to politicise the oil sector ,stressing that “any removal of subsidy is a ploy to instigate  uprising against government as kerosene subsdised the cost of living for the poor.

The IPMAN leader said those plotting to derail the Jonathan presidency are the ones behind the push to withdraw kerosene subsidy which he said would impose further hardship on the poor,canvassing that “subsidy should remain until LPG supply is sufficient to fill the gap.

”Until LPG is widely available,you cannot remove subsidy. If you do,it will bring social unrest. I strongly advise that subsidy should remain. I also call on the minister to call industry operators to order to put in more efforts into the provision of LPG. Part of the subsidy should be used to fund facilities for LPG”,he said .

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/02/subsidy-alleged-missing-billions/#sthash.MFA3hicB.dpuf

Nigeria military closes state border with Cameroon

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

YOLA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's military says it has closed hundreds of miles (kilometers) of its northeastern border with Cameroon to stop Islamic extremists using the country as a haven and launch pad for attacks.

Brig. Gen. Rogers Nicholas of the 23rd Armored Brigade told reporters Saturday he was exercising emergency powers because it is "imperative" to seal the border between Cameroon and Nigeria's Adamawa state against illegal crossings.

He said customs and immigration officials are working with soldiers and police "to ensure that nothing crosses into Nigeria." Large stretches of that porous border are generally left unpatrolled.

The border between Borno state and Cameroon, which Nigerian troops and a jet bomber crossed last month in pursuit of extremists, apparently remains open.

The move will affect hundreds of traders who routinely cross the border.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/22/3952987/nigeria-military-closes-state.html#storylink=cpy

Funny Vanguard Cartoons

Interview With Ousted Nigerian CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

This man makes so much sense. Guess he upset a few powerful people that why he was sacrificed. Didn't help matters by being to close to the opposition

Former congressman denies pornography charge in Zimbabwe

BY MACDONALD DZIRUTWE

HARARE Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:23am EST

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Former U.S. congressman Mel Reynolds (front) arrives at the Harare Magistrates court, February 19, 2014.

Reynolds, 62, a convicted sex offender in the United States, will also face charges on Thursday of staying in the southern African country without a valid visa.

Lawyer Arthur Gurira entered a 'not guilty' plea on behalf of Reynolds, who sat motionless in the dock. The former Illinois congressman, who wore a creased grey suit, faces a maximum two-year jail term or a fine if convicted on the pornography charge.

Gurira asked the magistrate court to allow his client to seek medical attention for an unspecified illness and said he would apply on Thursday for his release from detention.

Gurira said he was also trying to convince Reynolds to plead guilty to all the charges.

"I am still trying to persuade him to plead guilty to all the charges, they are not that serious. I believe he will get a fine on the pornography charge because he never caused them (the pictures and videos) to be published," said Gurira.

State prosecutors accuse Reynolds of possessing "nude pictures and videos of naked women and men having sexual intercourse" on his mobile phone, according to the copy of the charge sheet seen by Reuters.

Possession of pornography is illegal in Zimbabwe.

Reynolds arrived at the courthouse in a police truck and when asked by reporters how he had been treated in custody, he replied: "Fine".

If Reynolds is convicted of violating Zimbabwe's immigration laws, he could be deported, his lawyer said.

The state-owned Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday that Reynolds had run up $24,500 in unpaid hotel bills.

Reynolds, a former Rhodes scholar, was a fast-rising star in the U.S. Democratic party when he was forced to resign in 1995 after being convicted of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography.

In recent years Reynolds had recast himself as a champion of U.S. investment in Africa.

(Editing by Gareth Jones)

Nigeria's bad luck party? By Sola Odunfa via BBC

Continue reading the main story

Letter from Africa

• Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
• Farai Sevenzo: Rock 'n' roll politics
• Joseph Warungu: 2014 predictions
• Komla Dumor: Highs and lows

In our series of letters from African journalists, Sola Odunfa in Lagos looks at how Nigeria's political elite already have their gaze firmly fixed on 2015.

Being the incumbent should, ordinarily, stand President Goodluck Jonathan in good stead in the run-up to next year's presidential election but at the moment he is not even sure of having a strong, united party behind him.

At the president's inauguration three years ago, the governing People's Democratic Party (PDP), which he heads, had a comfortable majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.

He could have any bill passed into law, notwithstanding opposition parties' views. That is no longer the situation.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

It seems the president has dumped Mr Tukur in the hope this can save the party”

Floor-crossing by its legislators has wiped out the PDP's majority in one chamber - the House of Representatives.

Although the party retains its dominance in the other chamber - the Senate - the president cannot pass any bill into law without co-operation by opposition party members.

This is one reason why this year's federal budget is sitting unattended in the assembly.

This time last year the ruling party had 19 of the 36 state governors.

By the end of the year, five of them had formally defected to the main opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), and more may be waiting to do so.

This means that, because the governors control their legislatures, President Jonathan cannot get through any amendments to the constitution - under Nigeria's federal system, two-thirds of state parliaments must approve any such changes.

It also mean the president will have to work harder for votes in those states next year, should he run for president.

Political bombshell

This leads on to why the ruling party is now in a crisis situation.

The major cause is the president's undeclared intention to run for another term in office next year.

This is why the tenure of the party's national chairman, Bamanga Tukur, became a problem for many party leaders, who accused him of arrogance and failure to consult.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not hold back in his criticism of Goodluck Jonathan last month

He has now resigned after months of pressure; his opponents, angered by his perceived support for President Jonathan's re-nomination, had been demanding his removal.

While the storm within the party was gaining momentum, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, political benefactor of Mr Jonathan and a strong influence within the party, wrote a damning letter last monthcataloguing alleged personal shortcomings of the president and his style of governance.

The letter was more devastating than if it had been written by the leader of the main opposition party.

President Jonathan replied, denying all the allegations.

He said that the former president had done him "grave injustice" with the public letter.

He accused Mr Obasanjo of trying to incite the populace against him.

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It is not only raining over President Jonathan, it is like a deluge falling on him”

His supporters within the PDP leadership and his political aides fired a barrage of denunciations against Mr Obasanjo but the resultant controversy has not helped the president.

Yet another political bombshell was delivered by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He alleged that nearly $50bn (£30bn) was unaccounted for from crude oil receipts taken by the national petroleum corporation.

Official denials followed shortly afterwards but in the end it was admitted that about $10bn was yet to be accounted for.

There was a report last week that the president directed the central bank governor to resign because his letter had been leaked, but that the governor refused, apparently calculating that it would be difficult for the president to muster the two-thirds majority in the Senate needed to sack him.

It seems the president has dumped Mr Tukur in the hope this can save the party, which has won every election since the end of military rule in 1999.

His own political future remains uncertain.

It is not only raining over President Jonathan, it is like a deluge falling on him.

He may have to draw on all the luck of his first name to sail through.