FG, Swiss govt vow action against terrorists’ financiers

The governments of Nigeria and Switzerland, Tuesday, reiterated their commitment to denying sources of financing for terrorists activities in Nigeria and West Africa in general.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Martins Uhomoibhi  and Ambassador of Switzerland in Nigeria, Hans-Rudolf Hodel,  made the commitment during the opening of  the training workshop  on “Countering the Financing of Terrorism” in Abuja.
The workshop organised by the West African anti-money laundering group, GIABA, with support from the Swiss Confederation and Nigerian government, brought together West African  anti-money laundering agencies, governors of central bank of West African states as well as experts in countering terrorists financing.
Ambassador Uhomoibhi reiterated Nigeria’s commitment take all necessary steps to choke off any avenue of financial life line to terrorist activities, as one of the tools of dealing with the menace.
He noted that the preponderance of cash economies, couples with weak financial control amongst other variables makes collaboration with major global financial centres to counter terrorist financiers inevitable.
“As you are aware, countering the financing of terrorism is one of the major tools  in curbing or even eliminating acts of terrorism.  Terrorist groups need money to operate. By denying them sources of funding, the prospect of winning the fight against terrorism becomes brighter”
“Given the preponderance of cash economies, weak financial control, ineffective collaboration of national law enforcement agencies as well as international co-operation , it is obvious that the challenge in our region is daunting” he said.
Ambassador Uhomoihbi  said Nigeria is determined to improve its national response to acts of terrorism within the country, adding that, besides collaborating with sister countries, as well as multilateral organizations, it has also introduced legislative initiatives, with the signing into law of the  Terrorism Prevention and Money Laundering Bills by President Good luck Jonathan.
In his remarks, Ambassador  Hodel  condemned all acts of terrorism, assuring that the Swiss government has since 1998, through it due diligence law removed the veil from  its banking secrecy as part of measures to expose politically exposed persons who brings questionable monies into the country’s  banking system.
He said, “It is a core interest of the Swiss financial sector that financial hubs are not misused  to launder money and to finance terrorism. Swiss laws and procedures to combat money laundering, corruption and the financing of terrorism are effective means of keeping out illicit funds of politically exposed person.

Boko Haram Denies Dialogue With Gov’t-PREMIUM TIMES

Abubakar Shekau

 The leadership of Jamaatu ahlis sunnah lil daawati wal jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, has again, denied engaging in talks with the Nigerian government, contrary to widespread reports that the sect had re- entered into dialogue with the government.
The group made this denial in an email to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday evening.
The sect not only denied talks with the government, but also described the purported press statement by one Abu Muhammad, who claimed to be the second in Command to the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, as the creation of the media.
The sect said its position on dialogue was made clear in a recent video address by its leader, where Mr. Shekau foreclosed any possibility of dialogue with the government, but which it said many media houses ignored, but were quick to publicise the “purported Meccah meeting”.
The sect recalled that it was because of such misrepresentations by the media that it attacked Thisday Newspaper, adding that as far as it is concerned, “those who fight us with guns and those who use pen are one and the same”.
The sect also said it is aware that many people were using its name to get huge sums of money under the pretext that they would “arrange dialogue with us”.
It called on such fake intermediaries to “fear Allah before they get into the hands of Allah’s army”.
In the statement, the sect said since the Federal Government “lured and arrested one of our leaders, Abu Darda who was sent to dialogue on our behalf and also frustrated the one facilitated by a journalist, Ahmad Salkida and headed by Dr. Ibrahim Datti, we have foreclosed any possibility of talks with the government”.
The group says it is aware Mr. Datti had entered into a fresh round of talks with the government.
It therefore warned Mr. Datti to “respect his age and desist forth with”.
The sect added that the only guarantee to peace is the full implementation of Sharia in Nigeria.
“As long as the government has not put aside the constitution and embrace the Holy Quran as the final law in the land, government should stop dreaming of peace because we will never stop fighting,” it said.

FG Worried Over Renewed Onshore/Offshore Dichotomy Debate

Goodluck Jonathan

The Federal Government has expressed worry over the recent debate on onshore/offshore abrogation law, saying that action is mischievous and is aimed at causing disaffection among the people.
"Some of the pronouncements are disruptive, outrightly mischievous, and aimed at causing disaffection,” it said in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.  “The Presidency strongly advises such politicians to desist from playing up sectional and ethnic sentiments, over a matter that was addressed eight years ago to the benefit of all parties concerned.”
The presidency described the situation as an attempt by some politicians to heat up the polity at a time when the government was working hard to resolve security challenges in parts of the country.
"Those who are issuing threats and counter-threats over every issue, are obviously not just re-inventing a controversy, they seem determined to fuel acrimony and needless conflict,” it said.
It would be recalled that governors from the northern states have been complaining about the onshore/offshore dichotomy, saying that matter must be revisited.
Full text of the statement:


"The Presidency views with grave concern the current attempt by some politicians to heat up the polity by seeking to reopen fresh conflict and controversy over the onshore/offshore abrogation law which was enacted by the National Assembly in 2004. 
"Some of the pronouncements are disruptive, outrightly mischievous, and aimed at causing disaffection.
 The Presidency strongly advises such politicians to desist from playing up sectional and ethnic sentiments, over a matter that was addressed eight years ago to the benefit of all parties concerned.
" At a time when the government is working hard to resolve security challenges in parts of the country, the political elite across board is expected to cooperate with the Federal and state governments to promote the cause of peace, stability and national transformation.

" Those who are issuing threats and counter-threats over every issue, are obviously not just re-inventing a controversy, they seem determined to fuel acrimony and needless conflict.
"Government is working tirelessly to ensure the full enjoyment of fundamental rights by all Nigerians, in an atmosphere that is free of rancor and tension. No individual, political interest or group should attempt to violate this, either overtly or covertly.
"
The Federal Government wants to reassure all Nigerians that while it respects every individual’s right to the freedom of expression, it is equally duty bound to forestall any attempt to undermine the peace and security of the country, under whatever guise. "

Pay only genuine subsidy claims, NLC tells FG

Nigeria Labour Congress on Sunday blamed the crisis in the oil sector on the delay in prosecuting subsidy thieves.

It also advised the government to verify all subsibdy claims to ensure that only genuine ones were paid.
The NLC stated these while commenting on the crisis between the Federal Government and oil marketers as well as the strike  by the Petrolum and Natural Gas Workers
Also, the President of the Petroleum of Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, said the government should put in place strict condition on payment of susbsidy claims.
NUPENG is on strike to protest against the non-payment of subsidy claims to fuel importers.
The Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Chris Uyot, called for the prosecution of those indicted by the House of Representatives Committee and other panels set up to look into the disbursement of the subsidy fund.
According to him, the government has a responsibility to pay genuine importers and also commence the process to sanction those who got paid without rendering the services for which they received money.
He said, “This issue; those who have been indicted as a result of the probe committee of the House of Representatives and various investigations by the security agencies should be taken to court and if found guilty given appropriate punishment.
“However, it is apparent that the undue delay in bringing these people to book is causing all kinds of confusion within the oil sector.
“This protest against the fuel subsidy removal started in January and this is August. By now, all the checks and investigations on people’s claim should have been concluded, and those indicted prosecuted and punished. This is August, government does not even seem to know those indicted.”
Ogun said he was shocked by the controversy over the payment of subsidy claims of marketers.
The PENGASSAN President urged the government to put in place strict conditions for the clearance of subsidy payment not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Ogun said, “There will be no tenable reason for any negligence. There is a need too for various association , either union or employers,  to critically analyse all issues before embarking on strike.
“The masses cannot be punished for no reasons of theirs, I know government cannot refuse to pay for verifiable claims. It is also a wake-up call on government to handle domestic refining with speed.”
Meanwhile, the fuel scarcity in Abuja on Sunday took a different dimension as most filling stations in the nation’s capital completely shut down their operations.
The development compounded the woes of motorists who had, for the past five days, been spending a lot of time in fuel queues.
Some of the filling stations shut are Total, Conoil, Oando, African Petroleum, Oando, and the mega station of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The development also caused most residents to cancel their outings as a majority of them could not get fuel, resulting in low turnout at fun spots.
Our correspondent, who went round the city, observed that youths were selling Premium Motor Spirits  (petrol) in jerry cans.
Most of the black marketers sold petrol in 10 litre jerry cans for between N3, 500 and N4, 000.
They were seen in different parts of the city, including Garki, Wuse, Central Area, and in the suburbs such as Kubwa, Nyanya, Dutse, Mararaba, and Zuba.
Amid the crisis,  the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu,  on Friday called on the striking tanker drivers to call off the action and embrace the option of dialogue in the interest of Nigerians.
The Assistant Director in charge of Press in the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Samuel Olowokere, quoted Wogu as having made the comment in a meeting with representatives of the tanker drivers’ branch of NUPENG in Abuja, in a press statement on Saturday.
The Federal Government had last Friday allayed fears of fuel scarcity in the country saying the NNPC had enough fuel in its reserve that would last the country for 45 days.
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke said the nation could not be thrown into another fuel scarcity.