Rivers State Governor Arrested

Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi has been arrested in Ondo state by soldiers.

The Rivers State Government issued a statement saying its governor, Amaechi has been arrested and being held hostage by security operatives in Odudu, Ondo state.

Amaechi was arrested as he made his way to Ado-Ekiti for the political rally of Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi.

According to a statement by Ibim Semenitari, Commissioner of Information and Communications stated that the Rivers state Government is concerned about the safety of Governor Amaechi.

“The safety of Governor Amaechi who is right now being held hostage commando style by soldiers and federal government security agents in Odudu, Ondo state.

“Governor Amaechi as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ forum and as an APC governor and chieftain had left Port Harcourt this morning for Ekiti state where he was to join his brother governor in his last mega rally before the elections.

“Governor Amaechi was ambushed and refused entry into Ekiti by military personnel acting on orders from above. He made to turn back and return to Akure where his chattered aircraft was parked but was chased and rounded by armed soldiers and security personnel in Odudu, Ondo state.

The statement said: “According to the captain who led the operation, he had orders not to allow the governor entry or exit. In the meantime, the chattered aircraft that conveyed he governor has been grounded while the minsters of Defence, police Affairs and Minister of state for Defence have landed the Akure airport.

“The Rivers State government is especially worried that Federal government and President Jonathan have singled out Governor Amaechi for harassment and attack.

“While we hold the person and office of the President in utmost regards, we believe that it is unacceptable that the presidency would disrespect the person and office of an elected governor of a federating unit and consistently hound him.

“The Rivers state government is all more worried as Ondo saga is coming on the heels of a plot by six PDP lawmakers this morning to carry out a kangaroo impeachment of the duly elected governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, con first at Krisdara hotels and later Bauchi street, Port Harcourt.

“Ordinarily such banality should be ignored as it neither is legal nor constitutional. However in the light of the recent attempts to hoist a Chief Judge on Rivers people through the back door and the attendant rumours that the reason for that desperate act was to make it easier for the PDP to actualize its sinister daydream of ousting Governor Amaechi before May 29, 2015, we believe that it has become necessary to draw the attention of Rivers people, Nigerians and the international community to the situation in Rivers State.

“Only yesterday, in preparation for this tragicomedy, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused Governor Amaechi of importing terrorists into the state and the region. They continued their diatribe by demanding that the governor of Rivers State be put under surveillance.

“The State Government wouldn’t have dignified the PDP’s display of ignorance with a response but for the fact that these accusations coupled with today’s actions are omniuos signs of how far the PDP is willing to go in its quest to cling onto power by all means.

“The antecedents of impunity on the part of the leadership of the PDP are instructive and the party’s desperation to harm and stop anyone they perceive as major threat to their crumpling electoral fortunes next year is no longer news. The detention attempt and incident at the Kano International Airport last week are still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.

“Also, the call to put Gov Amaechi under surveillance (or is it house arrest?) on the same day that PDP started effort to unseat the Governor of Adamawa State, His Excellency, Murtala Nyako, is enough indication of the script already written by a jittery PDP
It is sad that the insane minds of the authors of the PDP accusation are jeopardizing police investigations of the 486 travellers who were intercepted in Aba, Abia State, and who are still being screened. One only wishes that the PDP would address the issues of the insecurity in the country with as much fervor and vigour as it deploys towards witch hunting its political opponents.

“The River Government wishes to state that the world knows those who feather the nest of cultists and militants and for whom they are canon fodder. Governor Amaechi’s position on cultisim, violence and insecurity are clear as is his commitment to fighting poverty and improving the lives of our present and future generations.
The Rivers State Government will not be deterred in its efforts to deliver good governance and ddemocratic dividends to our people.
We appeal to all Rivers people appeals to all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and citizens in the state to remain calm in the face of these provocations.

“We call on the Security Agencies to exhibit professionalism in their conduct of affairs. We appeal to all well meaning people in Nigeria and around the world to please call the PDP to order before they truncate our democracy.

“It appears to us that the PDP clearly have no interest in the peace and stability either Rivers state.

“We are mindful of these mischievous elements but continue to call for tolerance and eternal vigilance. We are certain that the God who reigns in the affairs of Rivers people will again deliver us from this evil and terror that stalks us at noon day.

Company Closed Down For Tax Evasion

CULLED FROM PM NEWS

Lagos shuts oil firm over N4.9bn tax evasion  

Sealed

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) on Wednesday sealed an oil and gas consultancy firm, BakLang Allianz International Limited, over N4.9 billion tax evasion.
Folasade Coker-Afolayan, Head, Distrain Unit of LIRS, told NAN that the company defaulted in the remittance of the Personal Income Taxes of their workers.
Coker-Afolayan, who led the team, said that the company’s tax liabilities were between 2004 and 2009.
“We decided to seal Baklang Allianz International Ltd., because it owed the Lagos State Government N4.9 billion. The amount is the unremitted workers’ income tax for six years.
“The company will not be reopened for business until the tax liability is remitted,” she said.
Coker-Afolayan said that the state government had written the management of the firm several times on the need to remit the tax.
According to her, the Distrain Unit of the LIRS had no alternative than to seal the company when the management failed to respond to its request.
She reiterated that payment of tax is the civic responsibility of individuals and corporate organisations that enables government to meet its obligations to the citizens.
The team leader also urged companies to remit their taxes promptly to avoid being sealed.
She said that payment of taxes remained a civic responsibility that must be adhered to by everyone.
Reacting to the development, Keem Bakare, Managing Director of BakLang Allianz International Ltd, said that they had written to LIRS through the company’s legal unit on the need to adjust the alleged tax liability.
Bakare advised the Lagos State Government to review its approach in enforcing tax laws.
NAN recalls that LIRS, which commenced operations in 2007, had so far sealed 97 companies between January and May over alleged tax evasions.
The cumulative worth of the unremitted tax to government, mainly personal income tax deducted from workers salary in Lagos state in the period under review, amounted to N627.2 million.
LIRS had in 2013 shut 250 companies for not remitting N2.7 billion workers’ personal income tax.

Lafarge Group Nigeria &South Africa To Merge

Lafarge Group has announced its intention to transfer all of its shares in its businesses in Nigeria and South Africa into Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria plc to create a mega continental group and a leading sub-Saharan African building materials platform.
Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman, Lafarge WAPCO, announced this in Lagos Tuesday.
He said the company is combining its Nigeria and South Africa businesses with a combined cement capacity around 12mtpa, as well as operations in aggregates, ready mix concrete and fly ash.
When finalised, he disclosed, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria plc will be renamed Lafarge Africa plc.
“I am proud to be part of the creation of this leading African building materials platform. The fusion will provide access to growth in two of the largest economies on the continent,” Osunkeye told P.M.NEWS.
He stated that Lafarge Africa, owned 73 per cent by Lafarge Group, will remain listed on the NSE, and it will be strongly positioned to benefit from growth and development opportunities in the two countries.
Their combined businesses annual sales in 2013 totaled US$1.25bn and EBITDA of US$345mn.
Under the proposed terms, Lafarge Group will transfer its direct and indirect shareholdings in Lafarge South Africa Holdings (Pty) Limited (100.00 per cent-representing 72.4 per cent of underlying companies in South Africa), United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited (35.00per cent), Ashaka Cement Plc (58.61per cent) and Atlas Cement Company Limited (100.00per cent) to Lafarge WAPCO.
Guillaume Roux, Executive Vice President, Operations and Country CEO Nigeria, Lafarge Group, added that the announcement marked a key milestone as it adds momentum to the group’s push for differentiation in order to deliver innovation that will increase and improve the company’s product portfolio.
Roux said the deal, worth $1.35 billion, will see the Lafarge group get $200 million in cash consideration and the issuance of 1,402,575,984 Lafarge Africa new shares to Lafarge Wapco to effect the merger.
The Country CEO said he expected the deal, which is still subject to shareholders’ and regulatory approvals, to close in the second half of the year.
“Our objective is to bring more housing and contribute to building better cities that are more beautiful, more compact, more connected and more durable,” he said.
The combined company would seek to boost cement capacity by 5.5 million tonnes to 17.5 million tonnes after the merger.

“I want to advise the government to withdraw the contracts awarded to Tomplolo and Asari Dokubo because they have failed to stop oil thefts in the country. Instead, youths from areas where oil facilities are located should be given the job,” Edwin Clark

A prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to revoke the multi-billion naira pipeline and maritime protection contracts awarded to two former leaders of the Niger Delta militants, Government Ekpemukpolo (Tompolo) and Asari Dokubo.

The Ijaw leader, who said this while contributing to a debate on the report of the National Conference Committee on Public Finance and Revenue, said government should revoke the contracts because it has not contributed to reducing oil theft as desired by government.

“I want to advise the government to withdraw the contracts awarded to Tomplolo and Asari Dokubo because they have failed to stop oil thefts in the country. Instead, youths from areas where oil facilities are located should be given the job,” said Clark.

The Octogenarian said the militants were sabotaging the efforts of government to stop oil theft because they want to retain their pipeline contracts.

Tompolo

Dokubo

While noting that oil theft has increased since the pipeline protection and maritime contracts were awarded to the two former Niger Delta warlords, Clark noted that youths of the community where there are oil assets will do better job of protecting them.

“If we allow youths from host communities to protect oil installations, it will be difficult for anybody to break the pipeline and steal our oil,” Clark added.

Other delegates who contributed to the report condemned the lack of transparency in the management of Nigeria’s oil revenue by the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Delegates were sharply divided over the recommendation of the Committee that the Federal Government should stop subsidising petrol yesterday.

In his own contribution to the debate, Professor Femi Mimiko, a delegate from Ondo State, asked the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy.

He added that savings made from the stoppage of fuel subsidy can be deployed for other uses that will be more beneficial to the poor.

“On this, I find it difficult to understand the argument of those who want subsidy to be sustained. It is evident that fuel subsidy in this country is a huge infrastructure of corruption.

“I then wonder why those who in one breadth decry corruption would at another, defend or argue for the retention of a clear infrastructure of corruption.

“As things are now, it is evident that the fuel subsidy regime has failed. It does not favour the poor; constraints development of our oil refining capacity; and promotes corruption. It should be removed and the savings put on the proposed social security regime that one of the Committees has recommended,” said Mimiko.

“Such can also be deployed to support free education  at both primary and secondary levels; and a scholarship fund for students of tertiary educational institutions who cannot afford to pay their way through school, Mimiko, Ondo Delegate and Vice Chancellor of Ondo State University, Akingba-Akoko said of the uses which the funds currently being used to pay subsidy on petroleum products can be deployed to.

MASSOB Leader Predicts Nigeria's Breakup Next Year

The new leader of the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, has delared that Nigeria will cease to exist by December 2015.

Kanu, who spoke at a gathering of members of defunct Biafra, including scores of its aged war veterans, vowed that he would not rest until the republic is realised.

He spoke at the maiden commemoration of Biafran Day at Ngwo Enugu State, in remembrance of the events of 1967 when the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra.

Kanu, the Director of Radio Biafra, used the occasion to unveil a multi- million naira cenotaph in memory of Biafra fallen heroes killed during the civil war.

Uwazuruike national leader, MASSOB

He warned the Nigeria Federal Government not to constitute a cog in the wheel of progress of the proposed republic.

Decrying the situation in the country, he said, “It is the watershed in the history of the geographical expression called Nigeria. It is the aftermath of the mistake of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates by Lord Lugard”.

Kanu further regretted that 47 years after Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra, the reasons that led to his decision were still evident in Nigeria.

He decried the sufferings and agony being faced by common Nigerians as a result of corrupt and bad governance in the country.

He insisted that Nigeria is doomed and driven by world acclaimed selfish and corrupt leaders, who does not believe in the well being of the poor masses.

He pointed out that as long as the intention and purpose of the amalgamation of North and South were designed to cheat the South, the nation would never move forward, “because any country that makes injustice its watch word can never prosper.”

According to him, no amount of National Conference can solve Nigeria’s problem because of deep-rooted hatred among the different nationalities in the country.

Kanu further maintained that the only panacea to Nigeria’s problems is to split it into different regions, calling on Igbos to embrace and keep faith with Biafra, which he assured, will definitely come to reality.

“There is no going back, by December 2015, Nigeria would have ceased to exists; we shall fight until we get Biafra, if they don’t give us Biafra, no human being will remain alive in Nigeria by that time; we shall turn everybody into corpses; you better go and buy your coffin.”

He regretted that despite the declaration of the “no victor, no vanquish” after the Nigeria/Biafra civil war in 1970, successive governments, including the present Goodluck Jonathan’s led administration had continued to deliberately marginalise and make life unbearable for the Igbo nation and its people.

He, therefore, called on all genuine Igbo people across the globe to rise up and join the crusade of putting in place the Biafran Republic, adding that it was time for the Igbos, to pull out of Nigeria, which he described as a failed nation, where nothing works.

Kanu noted that it was unfortunate and painful that 47 years after the civil war, the Nigerian Federal Government had bluntly refused to pay soldiers who fought on the side of Biafra all their benefits and entitlements, whereas, all their counterparts in the North and Western parts of the country had received theirs.

The Radio Biafra boss said despite all odds, they remain eternally grateful to the Biafra leader, late Ojukwu, and others who laid down their lives for the struggle.