Niger Delta: Surrendered weapons destroyed

The federal government has destroyed the arms and ammunitions that were surrendered by former militants of the Niger Delta as part of the amnesty deal brokered by the late president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in late 2009.

The weapons were destroyed at a public destruction ceremony in the Lokpanta, a border town on the outskirts of Enugu State in the southeast. The president's special adviser on Niger Delta affairs, Kingsley Kuku, explained that the federal government's decision to publicly destroy the weapons was informed by the realisation that the continued existence of such weapons acted as a destabilising in?uence, especially since the potential for illicit trade was still quite high.

Henry Ugbolue, of the Amnesty Of?ce, who was one of the of?cers presiding over the destruction of the weapons revealed that about 3,779 weapons in all were recovered from militants from Imo, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Ondo states. The weapons included various ?rearms, ri?es, rocket propelled grenades, and spears.

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© 2011 Menas Associates

Nigeria: Jonathan accused of seeking to buy support

The Save Nigeria Group (SNG) has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of offering it US$50,000 as a bribe during its visit to the president over the weekend, where it presented its position paper opposing his 2011 presidential ambition. The allegation was made by Lagos pastor Tunde Bakare – one of the promoters of the pro-democracy group that led the protests during the protracted leave of absence of late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The allegation by Bakare has been supported by another member of the SNG delegation, Yinka Odumakin. According to Odumakin, as the delegation made for their cars after the meeting, Godsday Orubebe, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, who also attended, asked them to wait for him and – when he returned – he offered a “brown envelope” containing US$50,000 in five bundles of US$100 bills.

The SNG says it initially refused the money. However, when Orubebe persisted, SNG members took the money to avoid a public scene at the presidential villa, subsequently returning the money through Tony Uranta, an aide to the presidency. The SNG claims also to have called Oronto Douglas, a senior aide to the president, informing him that they had returned the money.

Orubebe denies the allegations, saying he is distressed by them and that it is unreasonable for him to have offered a bribe to the SNG because there was nothing at stake to warrant such an action.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida set to run against President Goodluck Jonathan

Former military president of Nigeria General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has stated that he will definitely contest the 2011 presidential elections. In a press conference at his Minna (Niger State) home, he declared that he would indeed run and contest against President Goodluck Jonathan, if need be, though both men are members of the PDP.

Babangida branded the decision of the PDP's National Executive Council (NEC) on zoning as ambiguous and “intellectual dishonesty”. The PDP's NEC recently stated that it was not jettisoning its zoning policy but that the President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua/Jonathan ticket in 2007 was an inseparable, joint ticket; as President Yar'Adua is dead, President Jonathan could legitimately contest the presidential election on the basis of the joint ticket with the late president Yar'Adua.

Babangida, who did not outline what his policy objectives would be if he becomes president, admitted that policy-making was not his strongest point and he would engage a team of experts to formulate policies for him. Babangida stated that he had decided to run for president because he felt that Nigeria needed an experienced and tested leader with a rich knowledge of the socio-economic and political dynamics of Nigeria - a role he feels he fits into perfectly.

On his role in the annulment of the12th June 1993 elections - deemed to be the most free and fair elections conducted in Nigeria, and which were allegedly won by the late M.K.O Abiola - Babangida said that he has asked Nigerians to forgive him and his regime. He expressed his view that Nigerians, being a “Godly nation” which embraces forgiveness, will also forgive the annulment.

Many political observers believe that Babangida has a Herculean task in turning the tide of public opinion in his favour. Babangida's military administration is smeared with allegations of high-level corruption, treasury looting, human rights breaches and even murder. Babangida has been accused of complicity in the murder of outspoken journalist and editor of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, who was killed by a letter bomb in 1986.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates