Presidency exposes oil marketers

~*~ WHAT a WICKED Country ???

*** Presidency exposes oil marketers

.

* Lists 6 ways they defraud NIGERIA:

*** MORE facts have emerged from the report of the Presidential Task Force on Fuel Subsidy Fund management as a top presidency official has disclosed six ways the marketers defrauded the country as discovered by the Aig Imoukhuede review committee.
Speaking in confidence to the Nigerian Tribune, the official stated that the marketers operated a sophisticated ring, which was only uncovered by forensic experts engaged by the Federal Ministry of Finance, adding we were all shocked with the depth of the scam and the tricks adopted by the perpetrators.
Admitting that he was not authorized to release the details, the official, however, affirmed that disclosing the full details would allow Nigerians to appreciate the level of rot within the society and what he called the passionate struggle of Mr President and the coordinating minister for the economy to sanitize the economy.

# According to the official, the first approach in the defrauding process involved the importation of products to fulfill supply contracts to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and after presentation of documents to NNPC as evidence of supply, the products were then diverted to another vessel by ship to ship transfer.
Fresh Bill of Lading is generated, new Form M established and the same product is supplied to Nigeria a second time under the petroleum subsidy scheme. The products which have already been paid for by NNPC are then used to claim subsidy from the Federal Government. Effectively double dipping into the nation's pocket, he narrated.

# The second, which he called fake or false vessels declaration involved the identification of a dead or decommissioned vessel or using the name of live vessel which was not in Nigerian waters.
This, according to him, would be followed by the creation of Form M containing the fake or false vessel information while a Bill of Lading containing this false information, would also be generated, adding that no product is imported into Nigeria but fake vessel documentation is used to claim subsidy from the Federal Government.

# The third one the official called On-Shore Tank Back-Loading involved a genuine importation and discharge of products into On Shore Tanks in Nigeria while another vessel would berth at the jetty and the products would then be loaded back onto the vessel and exported out of Nigeria with the importer selling the product to recoup their initial funds outlay.
The original documents are then presented to Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and subsidy is claimed for products that were never sold in Nigeria, he said.

# The fourth approach is called the Land Border Smuggling through which a genuine importation of products would take place and the products trucked across a land border for sale outside Nigeria at near international market price while the shipping documents are then used to claim subsidy from Nigeria for products that were never sold in Nigeria.

# The Fifth approach also listed Bills for Collection Round Tripping as a common method adopted by the marketers, which involved the importer claiming that they had access to foreign credit facilities to finance their importation but would proceed to declare the fake vessel on the Form M alongside Bill of Lading containing false vessel information.
The documents are presented to PPPRA and subsidy is collected for products that were never imported into Nigeria.
The subsidy profit is then used to remit scarce foreign exchange out of Nigeria, he stated.

# The last method according to the official is the Rice and Beans method, which is perpetrated using the kerosene subsidy scam.
Because of the excessive profit made on kerosene imports, importers of kerosene illegally mix the kerosene with diesel (what is called Rice and Beans) to create adulterated diesel at a much lower cost than the landed cost of unadulterated diesel.
The adulterated diesel is then sold at slightly below diesel market price, the official narrated.

*** On what is being done to stop a re-occurrence of this scam, the top presidency official noted that President Jonathan had ordered water-tight procedure for verification of subsidy payments and the Finance Minister had got a marching order to scrutinise and closely vet claims.
The administration is putting in place measures that will never allow such practices to occur again.
The Minister of Finance is effecting presidential directive in that direction, the official stated.

SECURITY UPDATE

We will soon put insecurity behind us - IGP

In what look like rebirth of the Nigeria Police, Monday, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar assured Nigerians that the security situation in the country is heading for improvement, just as he charged 41 newly promoted senior officers to

halt the criminals plaguing the country.

Abubakar said In his congratulatory message shortly after he decorated the newly promoted officers with their new ranks at Force Headquarters, Abuja, that they must see their promotion as additional responsibility and impetus to bring the security situation under their control.

The IGP said that they are expected to justifiably account for their new positions, as a mark of appreciation to the Police authority, the government and people of Nigeria. He enjoined them to impart to their subordinates, the qualities of leadership that saw them merit their elevation.

Abubakar challenged the officers to key into the reformatory spirit of the present Police administration in the fight against corruption in all ramifications, the battle against terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery and criminality in all spheres and definitions.

The Nigeria police had suffered several defeats in hands of Boko Haram sect who over ran their stations and killed their personnel including everybody on site. The activities of the rampaging sect led to the removal of the former IGP Hafiz Rigim and the appointment of Abubakar.

Abubakar said that he is optimistic that Nigerians are about to witness “the emergence of a well-motivated and proactive Police Force, with capacity to adequately handle the security challenges of the nation; and that not long from now, the security situation in the country will improve substantially”.

The IGP used the opportunity to thank Nigerians for their cooperation with the Police in recent times, as evidenced in successes recorded in the fight against crime and criminality in different parts of the country. He also expressed his profound gratitude to the Federal and some State governments, for various supports given to spur the Force in the discharge of its responsibility. He assured Nigerians of the willingness of Force to perform even better, its duty of providing security for all, notwithstanding current challenges

The decoration followed the elevation of 41 police officers announced by the Police Service Commission on August 1,including one hundred and thirty-two (132) Senior Officers, ninety-one (91) Assistant Commissioners of Police who were elevated to the rank of Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs).

In addition to the newly promoted DCPs, is a list of 41 other newly promoted senior Police officers. A break-drown of the list showed that 1 Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) was promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), while 8 Commissioners of Police are elevated to the rank of Assistant-Inspectors General of Police (AIGs). Also promoted are 32 Deputy Commissioners of Police, to the substantive rank of Commissioners of Police.

The newly promoted DIG, Philemon I. Leha, MILR, psc+ was born on 14th January, 1954 at Numan, Adamawa State. He began the pursuit of his education at Bille Primary School in 1959 and thereafter proceeded to Bronnum Secondary School, Numan, in 1967. At the end of his Secondary School career in 1971, he gained admission into Bauchi Teachers’ College, Bauchi and obtained his Grade II Teachers’ Certificate in 1973. Philemon I. Leha proceeded to Federal School of Arts and Science, Mubi in 1975, where he obtained his Higher School certificate (HSC) in 1977 and went to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, to bag his B.A. (Hons) in History. Young Philemon Leha did his National Youth Service at Ijesa-Isu-Ekiti Community Secondary School in 1980/81. After a break, he returned to the academia in 1991 to obtain a Masters Degree in Industrial and Labour Relations from the University of Ibadan.

In pursuit of his strong desire to serve his fatherland, DIG Philemon I. Leha enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police on 1st December, 1981 and has continued in the service of the Force, in different parts of the country, in various capacities and responsibilities, till this memorable day of his decoration as a DIG. He ran through the ranks to attain his present rank. He was promoted to Commissioner of Police while serving in acting capacity in the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Police Mobile Force (PMF) in Force Headquarters, Abuja and was shortly after, deployed as CP to the Anambra State Police Command. Leha was redeployed to the Office of Commissioner of Police in-charge PMF, in FHQ-Abuja, where fortune smiled on him with promotion to the rank of AIG. This resulted in his redeployment to Kano as the AIG in-charge of Zone 1 of the Nigeria Police Force (comprising Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States), where he served until his present elevation to the exalted rank of DIG.

DIG Philemon I. Leha has attended several professional Courses in various Institutions, including the prestigious Police Staff College, Jos where he had his Cadet ASP Course and several other courses, including Senior Command Course, in 2001. His commitment to duties, diligence, dedication and hard-work earned him several Awards and Commendation in the Force, including Peace Ambassador by World Peace Federation, among others. His promotion to DIG, it needs be said, is a product of divine destiny.

Among the eight newly promoted and decorated AIGs, are two specialists. The first is AIG Alex E. Okeke, a pharmacist who currently heads the Police Medical Services. He is first Police Pharmacist to rise to the rank of AIG. He is also the first Police Pharmacist to head the Police Medical Services. The second officer is AIG Julius A. Ishola, a Veterinary Doctor who heads the Police Animal Section. The remaining six AIGs are General Duty officers who before now were Commissioners of Police in-charge of various Police Commands across the federation.

London Olympic Flop; Lagos ACN Demands For Immediate Probe Of Sport Ministry And Other Public Sectors

London Olympic Flop; Lagos ACN Demands For Immediate Probe Of Sport Ministry And Other Public Sectors

NIGERIA ETHNIC GROUPS

NIGERIA ETHNIC GROUPS

The ethnicity of Nigeria is so varied that there is no definition of a Nigerian beyond that of someone who lives within the borders of the country.
The boundaries of the formerly English colony were drawn to serve commercial interests, largely without regard for the territorial claims of the indigenous peoples. As a result, about three hundred ethnic groups comprise the population of Nigeria, and the country's unity has been consistently under siege: eight attempts at secession threatened national unity between 1914 and 1977. The Biafran War was the last of the secessionist movements within this period.

The concept of ethnicity requires definition. Ukpo calls an "ethnic group" a "group of people having a common language and cultural values". These common factors are emphasized by frequent interaction between the people in the group. In Nigeria, the ethnic groups are occasionally fusions created by intermarriage, intermingling and/or assimilation. In such fusions, the groups of which they are composed maintain a limited individual identity. The groups are thus composed of smaller groups, but there is as much difference between even the small groups; as Chief Obafemi Awolowo put it, as much "as there is between Germans, English, Russians and Turks".

The count of three hundred ethnic groups cited above overwhelmingly enumerates ethnic minority groups, those which do not comprise a majority in the region in which they live. These groups usually do not have a political voice, nor do they have access to resources or the technology needed to develop and modernize economically. They therefore often consider themselves discriminated against, neglected, or oppressed. There are only three ethnic groups which have attained "ethnic majority" status in their respective regions: the Hausa-Fulani in the north, the Ibo in the southeast, and the Yoruba (Soyinka's group) in the southwest.

We must be very careful to avoid the use of the term "tribe" to describe these ethnic groups. "Tribe," Ukpo points out, is largely a racist term. The Ibo and Hausa-Fulani of Nigeria are each made up of five to ten million people, a figure comparable to the number of, say, Scots, Welsh, Armenians, Serbs or Croats. Yet we do not refer to the latter groups as "tribes." The term "tribe" is almost exclusively, and very indifferently, applied to peoples of Native American or African origin. It is a label which emerged with imperialism in its application to those who were non-European and lived in a "colonial or semi-colonial dependency...in Asia, Africa and Latin America". As we are attempting to discard the prejudices of imperialism it is in our best interests to discard the use of the term "tribe" when referring to the ethnic groups of Nigeria.

With that in mind, we should dabble in brief definitions of the major ethnic groups of Nigeria. The majority groups, as stated above, are the Hausa-Fulani, Ibo and Yoruba.