Who Truly is the FOOL, IBB or Obasanjo? Only the masses can say

Obasanjo and Babangida

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday responded to the recent criticisms of his administration by a former military dictator, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, dismissing Babangida’s assessment as the “ranting of a foolish man”.

The former President, in an interview with selected reporters at his Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said that his achievements as a two-term civilian head of state towered above the legacies of Babangida’s eight-year rule.

He said, “Normally when I read these things I don’t believe them. Yesterday (Wednesday), when somebody phoned me and said this was what he (Babangida) said, I said, ‘Don’t believe it.’ They got me the newspapers and I read them. It’s a bit unlike Babangida. But if Babangida has decided, on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs Chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him.

“When you go to the same Proverbs Chapter 26 verse 5, it says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect.”

Babangida, however, reacted to Obasanjo’s remarks on Thursday, calling Obasanjo “a greater fool.” “We do not want to believe that he (Obasanjo) truly said that, but if it is true that he did say that, Nigerians know who the greatest (sic) fool is,” Babangida said in a statement by his spokesperson, Prince Kassim Afegbua.

“In terms of decency, finesse, class, distinction and general conduct, IBB could be described in the superlatives but for Obasanjo, God bless Nigeria.

“For a man who cannot possibly tell his true age, one may excuse his present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian trying effortlessly to impress his select audience.

Obasanjo, himself a military dictator between 1976 and 1979, was elected president between 1999 and 2007. Babangida seized power in a military coup in 1985 and ruled till 1993 when he “stepped aside” in the aftermath of the crisis that greeted the annulment of the 1993 presidential election.

The spat between the two former heads of state began on Wednesday when Babangida, in an interview to mark his 70 birthday, berated the ex-president for lacking in vision and said his eight years in government had been a failure.

But Obasanjo argued that the premise on which IBB based his assessment exposed the former military dictator’s “ignorance”.

He said, “Unfortunately, some of the things he said were not well thought-out. For instance, he talked about our energy sector. When I was the military head of state, I built Jebba Dam; built Shiroro Dam; and I prepared the foundation of Egbin Power Plant, which President (Shehu) Shagari completed and inaugurated. That time, the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years. Yet, we built two dams, because it was important.

“You know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999, there was no generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody. I think that is unfortunate.

“Then, as elected president, I built Papalanto, Omotosho and others. I started five Independent Power Stations which were stopped for two-and-a-half years. As a country, Nigeria should be adding nothing less than 1,500 megawatts annually. South Africa with a population of 50 million generates 50,000 mega watts.

“As at 1999, we met 1,500 mega watts before we took it up to 4,000 mega watts. What we started they are now allowing it to go on. I believe if they continue with the programme that we left, in another two years, we will get to 10,000.”

Obasanjo added that the ex-dictator deserved pity as a result of the “inherent contradictions” in his comments.

He said, “I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.”

Former Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had claimed that Obasanjo blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways while testifying before the Senate Committee probing the sale of public enterprises from 1999 to date.

Obasanjo admitted that he blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways under the privatisation programme but explained that he did so because the organisation was not viable for sale.

Obasanjo said, “I blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways; not that I attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways. When I was the military head of state, Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft. By the time I came back as elected president of Nigeria in 1999, Nigeria Airways had only one aircraft. One of the 32 was wide bodied; they had all gone. The report on which we worked is here and the amount of money we would have had to pay if Nigeria Airways was sold. What we would have got out of it was less than 10 per cent of the debt we had to pay. That will be the debt Nigeria taxpayers would have had to pay. I won’t run my own affairs that way, so I opted for liquidation.

“So, it was bankrupted, it was liquidated. In which case, whatever you gain from liquidation, which is also a form of sale, (it) means the burden will be shared by all the creditors and everybody. So, I did not allow normal privatisation or sale because it would have put a very heavy burden on Nigeria. In fact my administration should be commended for that,” he added.

However, Babangida, in the statement, alluded to the widely held belief that he was one of the powerbrokers who engineered Obasanjo’s ascension to power after his prison term.

The statement reads, “When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then.

“Now that he is at the extreme of his thoughts and engagements, he can decide to dress IBB in borrowed robes. But the histories of both of them, when put to public scrutiny comparatively, IBB is far glowing and instructively stands poles apart from Obasanjo.

“On the issue of performance, Obasanjo cannot contemplate a comparison of his largely acquisitive regime that plundered our hard-earned state resources, with that of the IBB government with a verifiable record of achievements.

“Despite the fact that he carried out a clinical investigation of IBB’s regime, what did he establish against him? Nothing! We wish to refer Obasanjo to the National Assembly to give his own side of the story to the several revelations that have become the themes of his orchestra when he held sway as President of Nigeria. Perhaps, he would be able to tell the world how he managed Nigeria’s resources during his regime.”

Lagos State Government orders demolition of 500 illegal structures in Ilaje Bariga

The Lagos State Government has ordered the demolition of 500 structures and immediate eviction of the 2,000 inhabitants, who are mostly fishermen, at Ilaje in Bariga Local Government Area, Lagos State.

The government said the move had become necessary in to ensure the security of the state and to enhance the beauty of its beaches.

The state Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure Development, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, who led a team of government officials to Ilaje Bariga, said the movement would affect those living on the water body from Bariga up to Lagoon Front at the University of Lagos.

He added that the government would dislodge other illegal occupants along all the beaches in the state.

Oniru, who later addressed the leaders of the inhabitants of the area, said government could no longer fold its arms and watch the nuisance posed by the illegal structures on its waterfronts.

He added that the structures in Bariga, which are largely shanties, were visible from the Third Mainland Bridge. He noted that the structures had become an eyesore.

The commissioner said, “We have come here to warn you to leave this place; we will not come back here to warn you again. The bridge you see there is an international link bridge, and we do not like the nuisance these shanties are creating here, we do not want them near the bridge anymore. We also feel that they (shanties) are creating a security problem.

“We urged a fast and immediate movement because we will soon come back and when we do, the government will clear this area itself.”

Oniru said the state had earlier served the dwellers a notice to quit the area. He lamented that their continued stay in the place had also been posing an environmental threat to the state.

The commissioner also insisted that there was no plan to compensate those that would be affected by the ejection order.

He said, “Why will you relocate or compensate someone that is not supposed to be in this area in the first place? There are people here along the waterfront, they are not supposed to be here, they should move away from there and I don’t believe that a plan should be put in place to relocate them.”

Oniru added that the government would dredge and deepen the water to prevent other people from relocating to the area after ejecting the residents.

EXPOSED! EX-GOVERNOR BOLA AHMED TINUBU BUYS 3 PLANES FOR 40 BILLION

   Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu allegedly acquires First Nation Airways (formerly Bellview Airlines).

According to source, shortly after Tinubu completed the takeover of the airline in 2010, he ordered for three new aeroplanes from the United States of America to beef up the fleet of the airline.

The planes were delivered in early April 2011 and are at the Murtala Mohamed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos already painted with the airline’s name and logo.

The Airbus A320 is assembled in Europe and has sitting capacity of 220 passengers.

It can travel at a range of 3,100 to 12,000 KM.

The cost of one aircraft is put at $85 million (N13.6 billion).Our checks revealed that the aircraft is the very first on Nigerian soil, only few airlines in Europe and America have this type of aircraft.

The former Governor, who served the people of Lagos from 1999-2007 reportedly has other business interests in the Lekki Toll Services, Eko Atlantic City.

He is also the promoter of The Nation Newspapers.

Mikel father’s car found, kidnappers contact family

Mikel Obi

The kidnappers of Mr. Michael Obi, father of Chelsea star Mikel Obi, have made contact with the family. Mr Obi, a retired civil servant, who runs a transport company in the city of Jos was abducted on Friday evening, and has not been seen since.

On Tuesday the police made a general appeal to the public for information that could help solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance. But later on Tuesday it was alleged that the family had received two calls from the kidnappers, who first warned them that Obi senior had been taken out of Jos.

“They called mummy (Mikel’s mother) and told her that we should not bother looking for Daddy in Jos because he had been taken to Lagos,” a family source informed KickOffNigeria.com.

A few hours later a second call came in, giving the family the location of the car which Mr Obi was driving when he went missing. Tony, the eldest of the Obi children, allegedly confirmed to KickOffNigeria.com that the car was found in Jos, but declined to say where.

But despite the report, Mikel’s mother denied that the family had received any call from anybody claiming to be the abductor. She, however, confirmed that her husband’s car had been seen but that the discovery was based on a tip-off from an informant.

“Somebody who had an idea of the make of the car contacted us. And based on that information people were sent out to the spot and confirmed the information to be correct. That is the much that has happened and that’s the much we can say for now until tomorrow,” she said.

The car was seen around Kwali Falls in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

After the appeal made by the Plateau State Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni, our correspondent who visited the family home could not obtain any photograph of him for publication. The plea that the picture and more information released to the public as to the make of his car and other details could be of great help was turned down. On Monday, several friends of the family cordoned off the family home, making it impossible for journalists to gain access to the house.

Mikel pleaded on Monday for his father’s kidnappers to free him, begging, “Please just let him go.”

Dora Akunyili Erects N150m Country Home On NAFDAC Land!

Former Minister for Information, Dora Akunyili is surfing her way back to the top of public discourse.

She is attaining this feat on the platform of a grave allegation.

Informants alleged that the personal house the former minister is currently putting finishing touches to in Agulu, Anambra state is located

on a portion of the land the community gave to National agency, NAFDAC (National Agency For Food, Drug Administration Control)

The ‘gift’ was reportedly influenced and made during the tenure of Akunyili as Director General of the agency.

The former NAFDAC boss’ part heritage is from Agulu. Her father is from Nanka, while her mother is from Agulu.

Information pieced together alleged that Akunyili had cornered a portion of the expanse land as the gains of her effort.
The country home, valued at one hundred and Fifty million naira, is said to share a fence with NAFDAC office, Anambra state.

Informants revealed that news of this development floating around has started causing an agitation of sort within and outside official quarters.

Presently sources alleged a movement to correct the alleged anomaly is on.

The growing agitation is said to have the subtle support of current head of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii.

Orhii is said to maintain a low profile in the matter based on his ongoing battle to retain his seat-he fears Dora still has enough clout in government circles to compound his problem if he takes her headlong.

The positioning of Akunyili’s home gives her vantage view of going ons within the NAFDAC compound- a situation many have described as ‘unsettling’ given her pedigree at the agency.

Akunyili had used the agency- her performance there- as a spring board for her political ambition.

The former minister and defeated senatorial aspirant refused to respond to enquiries on the matter when contacted.

FG seals agreement with Labour, pays N18,900

L-R: Omar, Esele

The long drawn battle between the Federal Government and the organised labour on Tuesday both parties signed a final agreement on the implementation of the 2011 minimum wage Act.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Pius Anyim, who led the government team announced to labour leaders the willingness of the Federal Government to pay a minimum wage of N18,900 to federal workers.

Other members of the government delegation included the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, and the Chairman, National Salaries Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule.

The presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar and his counterpart from the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Peter Esele, signed the agreement entitled ‘Final Agreement between the Federal Government and the labour movement represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress on the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage Act 2011’ on behalf of labour.

Anyim said President Goodluck Jonathan had approved an annual release N11bn to take care of the salaries of federal workers in compliance with the agreement reached with workers.

He assured the labour representatives that the government would ensure that all measures required for the implementation of the agreement were put in place.

He commended the leadership of the organised labour for their maturity and show of patriotism which eventually led to the final agreement reached on the protracted labour disagreement.

Anyim said, “So, today we will be finalizing the process that has been on for some time now and I know each would have reviewed the agreement as jointly drafted. So, we will simply sign the agreement and we can assure you that on the side of the Federal government we will certainly put every machinery in motion to implement the agreement as signed.”

In his response, Omar expressed happiness at the resolution of the impasse, urging the Federal Government to adhere strictly to the date of implementation in the agreement.

He said the organised labour displayed goodwill and put in a lot of sacrifice during the long period of negotiation with the government and expected implementation of the new wage law without further problems.

His TUC counterpart, Esele advised the Federal Government to ensure that the laws of land and agreement reached were respected.

“We must all learn that subsequently, we won’t have to go through this long process of discussing and negotiating laws over and over again.”

The Chairman of Salaries and Wages Commission, Egbule, who was directed by the SGF to read the agreement, said the implementation of the new Act and the issues of salary relativity would be limited to N11bn.

He recalled that the government had implemented an harmonised salary structure for federal workers at 53.4 per cent which made it necessary for both labour and the FG to look into the implication of relativity on the implementation of the new law.

FG promises ‘uninterrupted power supply’ before 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan has again assured Nigerians that his administration is working hard to ensure that the citizens enjoy uninterrupted power supply before the end of his tenure in 2015.

A statement from the office of his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, quoted Jonathan as giving the assurance while receiving members of the board of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company led Vice- President Namadi Sambo, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The President said his administration would do everything possible to ensure that all the plans and projects aimed at guaranteeing stable power supply were implemented successfully.

He said this was informed by the understanding that steady power supply was important to national development.

“We all know the importance of power. We look forward to a time when Nigerians can enjoy uninterrupted power supply from the beginning to the end of a year and we are working hard to ensure that that objective is attained within the life-span of this administration,” he said.

The President urged members of the board and management of the company which was established to oversee the implementation of the National Integrated Power Projects to ensure they contributed effectively to meeting the country’s power needs.

Sambo assured Jonathan that the firm would deliver all the medium-size gas-fired NIPP power generating stations as well as associated transmission projects on schedule.

This, he explained, would go a long way in ensuring that the administration’s promise of steady power supply was fulfilled.

“We will work relentlessly to fulfil our mandate on time,” the Vice-President said.

All S’East govs to foot Ojukwu’s bills –Gov Orji aide

The Special Adviser on Public Relations to Abia State Governor, Mr. James Okpara, has denounced recent newspaper reports, which credited Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State with the payment of the hospital bills for Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in the United Kingdom.

Okpara, in an interview with SATURDAY PUNCH in Lagos on Friday, described the reports, which were published on Thursday, as untrue and mischievous.

He said, “The Ikemba of Nnewi is arguably the greatest Igbo man alive. It is unfortunate that some people have chosen to toy with issues concerning his ill-health. I think this is unfair and extremely disrespectful.

“It is wrong for these people to come out and say that only Governor Peter Obi has been paying the Ikemba’s hospital bills abroad. What about the other state governors in the South-East?”

Okpara said that contrary to the reports, Ojukwu’s welfare and the cost of his treatment in the British hospital had been the collective responsibility of all the governors of the South-Eastern states and not just that of Obi.

He said, “I know, for sure, that all the South-East governors, under the aegis of the South East Governors’ Forum, have been rendering assistance to Ojukwu since his illness began.

“They have been channelling aid to the Ikemba through Governor Obi, who is the chairman of the forum.

“I know how much the Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, has contributed to Ojukwu’s welfare till date. I know, too, that he has always been interested in the welfare of other notable Igbo sons and members of their respective families.

“Even before Ojukwu’s illness became critical, Orji had been doing his best to take care of him. Do you then expect the Abia State governor to start making noise about it?”

Okpara blamed the reports on certain people, whose sole objective was to cause disaffection between the South-East governors and the people.

He said that since no member of Ojukwu’s immediate family had openly accused the South-East governors of neglecting him, nobody else had any right to applaud anybody for doing what they were bound to do under Igbo tradition and custom.

He said that the Abia State government was willing to pay the new minimum wage to workers in the state.

Dismissing insinuations that the government was deliberately foot-dragging on the subject, he noted that the state governor had made the payment of the minimum wage one of his priorities and could not afford to disappoint the workers

Famine: Jonathan pledges support for Somalia

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern at the famine in Somalia, and pledged that Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States would make appropriate responses at the forthcoming pledging conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 25, 2011.

A statement from the State House on Friday quoted Jonathan as speaking when former Ghanaian President, Jerry John Rawlings, who is also the African Union High Representative for Somalia, came to brief him on the situation in Somalia, and seek a response to the conference.

While describing the famine in the Horn of Africa as worrisome, he said African leaders must take action to help the unfortunate situation.

My question is this? are we as a country satisfied and already feed to be thinking of feeding others? a yoruba adage says and i quote 'ile la ti n ko eso ro de'. If  as a country blessed with everything to make life comfortable, majority of her citizens still lives in abject poverty, then the world should be looking for a way to help us and not the other way round

Britain tense as gangs roam , Riot in Britain gets out of hand

Britain tense as gangs roam   
  UPDATED: Aug 9, 2011 18:01 GMT    Some 16,000 police officers will be on the streets of London Tuesday night, after British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed tough action to quell rioting in Britain's cities. He said the extra officers -- more than twice as many as the night before -- would tackle the "criminality, pure and simple" that has shaken the capital. Officers from several other cities were drafted in to help in the effort. "People should be in no doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain's streets and make them safe for the law-abiding," Cameron said. Violence initially sparked by the shooting death of a 29-year-old man in London, Mark Duggan, spread to other parts of the nation Monday night, with dramatic scenes of blazing buildings and confrontations between police and hooded youths. The trouble -- described by police as "'copycat criminal activity" -- takes place against a backdrop of austerity measures and budget cuts. An independent police body reported Tuesday that there was "no evidence" that Duggan had opened fire at officers, a result that may further anger his community. The police appealed for calm in light of the report. The Metropolitan Police in London said Monday night's disturbances were the worst the force "has seen in current memory for unacceptable levels of widespread looting, fires and disorder." Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man who was found with a gunshot wound to the head in Croydon, south London, on Monday night has died, police said Tuesday. His is the first riot-related death since the unrest broke out Saturday night. Rumours swirled Tuesday afternoon of police responding to different areas of London, but the only outbreaks of disorder confirmed by police were in Wolverhampton and West Bromwich, about 100 miles north of London, and the northwestern city of Manchester. Cameron, who cut short his vacation in Italy to hold an emergency meeting Tuesday, has also taken the highly unusual step of recalling lawmakers from their summer break, with Parliament to meet Thursday.

Troubled Banks get New Chairmen, DGs

CBN Governor Mr. Lamido Sanusi

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Sunday approved new management teams for the three nationalised banks-Afribank Plc, Bank PHB Plc and Spring Bank Plc.

The appointment was announced by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.

AMCON in the statement announcing the appointments said “The newly appointed boards are entrusted with the mandate to manage these banks along best commercial practice to compete effectively in the Nigerian banking sector and provide quality service to customers.

“Depositors are again assured that their deposits are safe, and employees are also assured of seamless continuity of business operations and job functions.”

The move followed Friday’s takeover of the three troubled banks by the Federal Government and the decision to inject N678.5bn into the banks by AMCON.

The banks, along with Union Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc; Finbank Plc; and Oceanic International Bank Plc, had been given up to September 30 to recapitalise or face liquidation.

But sources told THE PUNCH that the Federal Government reviewed the situation last week in Abuja and concluded that it would be risky to allow the three banks to operate till September 30.

Already, Afribank Plc, has been renamed Mainstreet Bank Limited; while Bank PHB now bears Keystone Bank Limited Spring Bank Plc is also now Enterprise Bank Limited.

Following the CBN approval, Keystone Bank Limited now has Mr. Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe as Chairman, while Mr. Oti Ikomi would serve as the Managing Director.

Ajekigbe is the former Managing Director of First Bank Plc succeeded by Mr. Lamido Sanusi, the current CBN Governor. The statement further said that Mr. Shehu Abubakar; Mr. Demola Adewale; Mrs. Yvonne Isichei; Dr. Shehu Mohammed; and Mr. Raphael Ereyi would serve as Executive Directors.

For Mainstreet Bank, the statement said that Mr. Falalu Bello would serve as Chairman, while Mrs. Faith Tuedor-Matthews, would now be the bank’s Managing Director. Bello was the Group Managing Director of Unity Bank Plc before he resigned on July 1 this year.

The Executive Directors are Mr. Kola Ayeye, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq Bello, Mr. Bolaji Shenjobi, Mr. Anogwi Anyanwu and Mr. Roger Woodbridge. The statement also named Mr. Emeka Onwuka as Chairman of Enterprise Bank Limited, while Mr. Ahmed Kuru was appointed the bank’s Managing Director.

Onwuka was the Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc before he retired on April 1 after serving the bank for 19 years. For the position of Executive Directors, the apex bank appointed Mrs. Louisa Olalokun, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Mr. Aminu Ismail, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, and Mr. Audu Kazir.

Other members of the board, according to the statement, will soon be announced.

It said, “The CBN has granted the same interbank guarantee as it did to the banks that have signed Transaction Implementation Agreements, until December 31 2011.

“The banks are therefore fully capitalised, strengthened and well positioned for future growth.”

AMCON on Saturday at a press conference in Lagos had said that by Monday (today), it would take over Spring Bank Plc, Afribank Plc and Bank PHB Plc and recapitalise them to the tune of N110.5bn, N285bn and N283bn respectively through the issuance of bonds in order to raise their capital adequacy ratio to 15 per cent.

The fresh N678.5bn brings to N1.298.5tn the total amount injected into the eight rescued banks after the CBN had earlier bailed them out with N620bn in 2009.

The CBN had said that the move was to ensure that the eight rescued banks were fully recapitalised by September 30, in order to end the crisis plaguing the Deposit Money Banks operating in the country.

It added that AMCON would recapitalise the nationalised banks before sourcing for new investors, an exercise that might take up to two or three years, and that all deposits with the bridge banks had been guaranteed by the apex bank.

Meanwhile, findings by one of our correspondents revealed that the revocation of the licences of the three banks was done by the Federal Government as a pre-emptive measure to prevent other banks that had inter-bank deposits with the nationalised banks from withdrawing their funds before September 30.

It was also learnt that the move was also a technical way of solving the crisis in the affected banks by ensuring that the banks continued in operation but in a different form.

Illegal refining: JTF intensifies patrol of N’Delta waterways

There were indications on Sunday that the military might have intensified its patrol of the waterways in the Niger Delta following the recent discovery of illegal oil refineries in the region.

The military Joint Task Force had in March, destroyed over 500 illegal oil refineries in the region in a move to curtail the destruction of oil pipelines and wellheads by oil thieves.

The JTF also destroyed over 600 illegal refineries in the region last December, an illegal business which industry experts say costs the country a loss of about 100,000 of crude oil per day.

The JTF spokesman, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha, who confirmed the renewed onslaught on the illegal oil business, noted that at least four suspects had been arrested in connection with the crime.

The military, he said, had considerably reduced the activities of the militants noting, however, that its major challenge was how to curb the illegal activities of the bunkerers who had resorted to local refining.

Antigha also refuted reports that there was a lull in its efforts to curb militancy in the area because some of the military officers had been moved to fight Boko Haram in the north.

He said, “Last month, we (the military) raided many illegal oil refineries because that seems to be the major challenge now since militancy has significantly receded. We have also redirected our energies to the patrol of central areas in the Niger Delta and we will continue to chase the criminals.

“These products are poorly refined and this is added to the issue of environmental pollution when they break crude oil pipes because they don’t have the technology to seal them back. Even their illegally refined products damage car engines and cause kerosene explosions.

“We have raided them several times and we will continue to intensify the raids until we chase them out and stop their nefarious activities. The JTF is confronting them frontally because this is pure economic sabotage.

“They steal oil; they damage pipelines and in the course of that they pollute the environment because they do not meet industry standards.”

The military, he added, was on the trail of the sponsors of those involved, adding that all the states in the region were involved in the illegal business.

He said the four arrested persons were already helping in unmasking the sponsors of oil bunkering.

He also called on all concerned agencies to support the JTF in advocacy and public enlightenment in their efforts.

“The JTF calls on all concerned agencies of government to key into our activities by way of advocacy, prosecution and public enlightenment because this is a very dangerous business and we need their support,” he added