A-Infos (en) Nigeria Political transition is a fraud

["Lucien W." <029WALT@cosmos.wits.ac.za>]

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>
>Friday 17  April  1998  
>
>ABACHA ENDORSED AS CANDIDATE BY UNCP 
>About  1,500 delegates of the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP),
>Nigeria's  dominant political party, yesterday at its convention in Kaduna,
>unanimously endorsed General Sani Abacha as its presidential candidate in
>elections scheduled for August. In endorsing Abacha, UNCP chairman Alhaji
>Issa Mohammed called Abacha a statesman who was blessed with the dexterity
>to ''pull Nigeria back from the edge of the precipice.'' ''Our decision to
>invite General Sani Abacha to run on our ticket is predicated upon his
>achievements,'' Mohammed said. Abacha has not responded to stage managed
>calls for him to continue in office after October 1, the date he promised
>to hand over power, but he is expected to make a formal announcement soon.
>Local newspapers are full of ''Abacha for President'' campaign mounted by
>politicians, traditional rulers and youth organisations sponsored by the
>government.  Such advertisements have been extended to the state-run
>Nigerian Television Authority. One of the television advertisements reels
>out names of well known figures in Europe and Africa, including President
>Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, who transformed from military to civilian leaders.
>Whilst appearing on CNN's Question and Answer programme last week, Abacha's
>special adviser Alhaji Wada Nas said the military ruler will contest the
>presidential election as a general. 
>
>In order to nominate Abacha, the UNCP, which dominated local  council
>elections  last year,  amended its constitution, which had prohibited
>nonmembers from running for office. Abacha's supporters cast him as
>Nigeria's saviour. ''It will be recalled that the country was on the brink
>of disintegration when Gen. Abacha assumed the country's leadership in
>1993'' Mohammed  told  party members.  But several members of the UNCP
>yesterday  said the only reason Abacha had been chosen as its presidential
>candidate was because the party was under threat from the military regime.
>''As a matter of fact, it was imposed on the party by the government and
>there was absolutely nothing anyone could do about it,'' said UNCP
>senatorial candidate Alhaji Sanusi Batanko. ''They are running the show.
>What could we do?'' Informed sources said the five registered  parties were
>privately told by the government to hold ''emergency'' conventions over the
>next few days. Four of the five political parties have already said they
>would accept Abacha as a consensus candidate.  The UNCP said it would no
>longer need to hold primary elections scheduled for June as it had chosen
>its candidate. Officials in other parties say they are likely to follow
>suit. 
>
>Of three men who have put themselves forward for the Grassroots Democratic
>Movement, which has rejected  Abacha as a consensus candidate, former
>police boss Alhaji Mohammed Yusufu is seen as posing possibly the most
>serious challenge to Abacha. Two of Yusufu's rallies were recently aborted 
>by the police. Opposition groups warned that Abacha's candidacy would spark
>anger and unrest. Prominent politicians whose political groups were not
>among the registered parties, and opposition activists dismiss Abacha's
>transition plan as a farce to keep him in  power.  Abacha's programme to
>handover power also faces scepticism abroad. United States, State
>Department senior official, Susan Rice on Wednesday described Abacha's
>transition as ``flawed and failing.'' ''We would hope that in the brief
>time that remains, steps would be taken that would restore a degree of
>credibility to this process'' Rice said. National assembly  elections are
>due next weekend, but there are  few signs of campaigning, except posters
>advertising horror films. 
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>REACTIONS TO ABACHA'S ADOPTION AS UNCP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
>Nigerians have begun to react to UNCP's adoption of Gen. Abacha as its
>presidential candidate.  Constitutional lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi,
>described the Kaduna convention as a ruse and fluke. "It is an endorsement
>of chaos and instability for the country", he said. Presidential aspirant,
>Alhaji M D Yusufu, in his reaction, said the UNCP's decision had
>automatically deprived all other members of the party the opportunity to
>vie for the post. "It is good for them, but I am looking forward to my own
>nomination by own party" he said. Dr Tunji Braithwaite, another
>presidential aspirant said the UNCP's decision did not come as a surprise.
>"For the past three months, this particular hidden agenda has been
>consistently orchestrated". Leading opposition group, Nadeco in its own
>comment, described the self succession scheme as "immoral, unethical and
>against the principles of rotational presidency as well as the will of the
>majority of Nigerians".
>
>TWELVE ARRESTED OVER IBADAN RALLY, TWO MORE DIE OF INJURIES
>There is an uneasy calm in the city of Ibadan  after Wednesday's clash
>between pro and anti-government campaigners, which  left at least five
>people dead and several others injured. Hospital sources in Ibadan
>confirmed that two of those who received serious injuries have died. The
>body of one of those killed on Wednesday, who was identified only as a
>mechanic, was shown on the independent  "Channels" television last night.
>He has been identified as Tunji Olaleye. A similar coverage  on the front
>page of the Ibadan-based Nigerian Tribune newspaper  also had the gory
>picture under the headline "Mayhem in Ibadan." At least four vehicles
>belonging to pro-Abacha campaigners were set alight. The police in Ibadan
>said they are holding no fewer than a dozen persons, but unofficial sources
>say about 100 persons were bundled into police vans and driven to unknown
>locations.  Police spokesman, Lanre Ogunlowo, denied that some persons were
>killed by security agents.  He also denied the breaking up of the
>anti-Abacha march. Reacting to the carnage, Chief Afe Babalola condemned
>police the brutality during the riot and called for a tribunal to be set up
>to probe the shooting of the demonstrators.  A message signed by Comrade
>Ola Oni, Southwest Co-ordinator of UAD said the uprising in Ibadan should
>serve as a warning signal to the regime and reiterated that Nigerians would
>resist the imposition of Abacha as a civilian ruler.
>
>UAD RESTATES OPPOSITION TO ABACHA
>Lagos lawyer and leader of United Action for Democracy (UAD), Olisah
>Agbakoba, has said his group is  determined to resist General Abacha's
>self-succession bid by all peaceful means necessary. He also cautioned the
>political class against moves to encourage Abacha's transformation from a
>military ruler to a civilian despot, saying, "they would regret it". UAD, a
>coalition of some 26 pro-democracy and human rights groups praised the
>residents of Ibadan for the courage they displayed on Wednesday and
>commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives. "They did not
>die in vain. The battle between Nigerians and their oppressors has just
>begun and there is no going back" the UAD leaders said in a statement. UAD
>also criticised police action on the unarmed protesters and called for a
>judicial inquiry into "the slaughter of defenceless people".
>
>BARTOM MITEE IS DYING - MOSOP
>Bartom Mitee, member of the  Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
>and younger brother of the acting MOSOP President Mr. Ledum Mitee is
>critically ill in his cell at the Delta Rubber Plantation, Odogwa in Etche
>local government of Rivers State. A release signed by the pro-democracy,
>human and environmental rights movement in Rivers and Bayelsa States
>disclosed that the detainee is "showing  symptoms of joint pains, high
>blood pressure, cardiac problem and related diseases linked to the
>brutality he is suffering in the hands of the Rivers State Internal
>Security Task Force (RSISTF)''.  Mitee was arrested in  January. He was
>physically assaulted and detained at a secret location in Bori before being
>transferred to the Zamani Lekwot Military Cantonment, Bori Camp, Port
>Harcourt. He was later removed  to  his present location. No formal charges
>have been brought against him. MOSOP suggests that Major Obi Umahi, head of
>the RSISTF was "overheard vowing to a senior security officer at Bori to
>deal with the Mitee family". Umahi was quoted as saying the military
>regretted  sparing the life of Ledum Mitee who stood trial along with Ken
>Saro-Wiwa in 1995. The Mitees lost their mother last Saturday. 
>
>KIDNAP ATTEMPT ON ABAYOMI
>For the second time in two months, Human Rights Africa (HRA), has raised an
>alarm over attempts by unidentified persons to kidnap its leader, Dr Tunji
>Abayomi. According to a fresh statement by the group's Research Officer,
>Bunmi Ojo, "after an intense chase, of Dr Abayomi's car on Ikorodu Road at
>11.30am, his car was finally and forcefully halted by three men in dark
>glasses in an ash coloured 504 car, whilst a fourth man kept the car engine
>running. The men surrounded Dr Abayomi's car, took out a picture to compare
>with the driver's face and exhibited much disappointment that the driver
>was not the same face in the picture. They drove off in an intimidating
>manner". The group said it would continue to hold security operatives
>responsible for Abayomi's life and safety. "He [Abayomi] will not give up
>on the struggle", they stressed.
>
>ABACHA PLEASED WITH TRANSITION PROGRAMME
>General Sani Abacha has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of his
>transition programme. He re-affirmed his administration's resolve to see
>the transition to its logical conclusion at the opening of a seminar on
>democracy and democratisation in Africa, which was organised by the Sani
>Abacha Foundation for Peace and Unity. In a statement read on his behalf by
>the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, he said those
>who hold contrary views to his transition to civil rule programme "are
>saboteurs". 
>
>COUP TRIAL IN PROGRESS - GOVERNMENT
>The trial of 26 alleged coup plotters, including former deputy head of
>state, Lt. General Oladipo Diya, before a special military tribunal is
>still in progress, defence ministry spokesman Colonel Godwin Ugbo has said 
>Ugbo blamed the tribunal's failure to submit its findings by the original
>30 March deadline on the  need to "do a thorough job, taking in
>consideration that human lives were involved". 
>
>FEAP  BOARD THREATENED
>Mrs Maryam Abacha has threatened to sack the board of the Family Economic
>Advancement Programme (FEAP) for its failure to alleviate the sufferings of
>Nigerians. She reportedly summoned them to Aso Rock where she lambasted
>them for non- performance. Mrs Abacha was quoted as saying  FEAP had only
>approved loans of only N260 million out of the N7 billion in the kitty. 
>
>MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION  SAYS 1998 BUDGET IS FAILING
>Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Ikeja Branch, yesterday
>expressed disappointment that the 1998 budget was failing. MAN said
>capacity utilisation in the first quarter (Jan-Mar) had crashed to below
>25% and stocks of unsold goods are piling up in warehouses. Speaking at the
>annual business luncheon, Chief Ralph Alabi, Chairman of Guinness Nigeria
>Plc and Vice Chairman of  the Ikeja branch of MAN, also revealed that goods
>worth millions of naira were piling up at the air and sea ports. 
>
>NIGERIAN MILITARY OFFICER TAKES CHARGE OF SIERRA LEONE SECURITY
>Nigeria's Ecomog senior officer, Colonel Maxwell Khobe has been appointed
>by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone to oversee that country's 
>internal security. Kabbah told his ministers that Nigeria had assigned
>Khobe to train the new Sierra Leone army. Khobe will continue to head the
>ECOMOG force in Sierra Leone,  and will be in charge of the country's
>security "until ECOMOG Field Commander General Timothy Shelpidi relocates
>his base (from Monrovia) in Sierra Leone." Meanwhile, Ecomog troops
>continue to meet fierce resistance from members of Sierra Leone's ousted
>Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) as they advanced on the former
>military government's last strongholds in the east of the country. ECOMOG
>sources  said the force had exchanged heavy fire with the AFRC around the
>diamond-mining town of Koidu in Kono district. There have been reports of 
>several ambushes by AFRC troops in the area this week killing a BBC
>reporter, 27 ECOMOG soldiers and five members of Sierra Leone's Kamajor
>hunter militia. ECOMOG said the AFRC in east Sierra Leone had also been
>targeting civilians in the area, cutting off  hands, feet and ears of some
>20 villagers they had captured. Khobe, vowed to eradicate all AFRC
>resistance."We shall bring these heartless people to justice", Khobe was
>quoted as saying.
>
>UGBO SAYS LIBERIA IS TRAINING SIERRA LEONE REBELS
>Defence spokesman Colonel Godwin Ugbo has accused the Liberian government
>of training Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front (RUF) fighters in
>northern Liberia.  Ugbo said it had "just been established" that Liberia's
>President Charles Taylor was helping to train some 3,000 RUF soldiers. He
>said that deposed AFRC chairman Major Johnny Paul Koroma was also still
>hiding at an undisclosed border crossing between Liberia and Sierra Leone.
>Earlier this week, the Liberian government rejected accusations by ECOMOG
>commanders in Liberia that it was training members of the AFRC in northern
>Liberia. It said an international delegation visiting Camp Naama military
>base in northern Nimba County had found no evidence of illicit training
>programmes.
>
>ADMINISTRATOR MAKES CASE FOR DELTA COAST GUARD
>Delta State Military Administrator, Colonel John Dungs has made a case for
>the establishment of a national coast guard, comprising the Army, Navy, Air
>Force, Police, Customs and other related agencies to police the Niger
>Delta, especially economic activities. He said  under colonial rule, a
>similar force patrolled the area, protecting trade vessels. Nigerian
>environmentalists and human rights activists have dismissed the call,
>saying  it is yet another attempt at militarisation  the oil delta and an
>erosion of the country's federal status.
>
>ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIAL ARRESTED
>Bayelsa  State Environmental Protection and Development Authority Chairman,
>Dom  Aboro  has been arrested by  security agents acting on the orders of 
>the State Military Administrator, Navy Capt Omoniyi Olubolade. Aboro was
>picked in his hotel room at Grand House, Yenagoa and moved to the
>Government House where he is currently being held. No reason has been
>offered by his captors for the arrest. Sources said after his arrest ,
>security agents ransacked  his room and removed several documents,
>including a petition written against the military administrator by the
>Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta
>(MOSIEND). In the petition, MOSIEND was said to have accused the
>administrator of incompetence. 
>
>EYADEMA, KEREKOU MEET ABACHA OVER ENERGY CRISIS
>President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo  was in  Nigeria yesterday for a
>mini-summit devoted to an energy crisis gripping his country.  Eyadema's
>plane headed first for neighbouring Benin to pick up President Mathieu
>Kerekou, the other head of state who attended the one-day meeting with 
>General Sani Abacha. Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, is  also  plagued
>by even more severe fuel and electricity shortages due to long-running
>problems with its refineries. Yesterday's  summit in Abuja followed one
>between Eyadema and Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore in northern
>Togo on April 11-12 on the same subject.
>
>FOREIGN OIL WORKERS TAKEN HOSTAGE RELEASED
>Police in Warri yesterday said they had freed four British oil workers
>taken hostage by local people demanding money from Shell. Police said the
>hostages were released unharmed  after being held for four days at
>Ekakpamre, where they had been working for the United Geophysical oil
>survey company. Details of the operation to free the men were not given.
>After the hostages were freed, the workers continued to occupy a base used
>by United Geophysical and had threatened to use dynamite to blow up
>vehicles and installations if their demands were not met. ''Any move by the
>police to take the place by force will be unwise'' Thomas Sodimu, assistant
>police commissioner in Warri, told reporters. 
>
>CHEVRON SAYS NEW DRILLING TO BOOST OIL PRODUCTION BY 85,000 BPD
>Chevron yesterday  announced it had begun production from the Gbokoda oil
>field in the western Niger Delta. Start-up of the oil field was achieved
>through the newly installed facilities at Olero Creek only two and a half
>years after the field was discovered. "By the year 2000, Gbokoda's output
>will increase the joint venture's total production by more than 85,000
>barrels of oil per day," said Richard Matzke, a director of Chevron Corp.
>and president of Chevron Overseas Petroleum Inc. "This will be a
>significant contribution towards Chevron's goal of producing an annual
>average of 600,000 barrels of oil per day for the joint venture by the year
>2000," he said.
>
>AIRPORT PASSENGER TRAFFIC DWINDLES FOR SECOND YEAR RUNNING  
>A total of 3.5 million passengers passed through Nigeria's 19 operational
>airports in 1997, according to the statistics from the Federal Airports
>Authority of Nigeria. The figure is about 1.2 million less than the 4.69
>million passengers recorded in 1996. Analysts believe that the sharp
>decline is a reflection of the dismay state of the national economy,
>increased fares and lack of confidence in safety. The statistics also show
>that the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos recorded 1.92 million passengers
>last year, which is the highest among the 19 airports. Of the 1.92 million,
>about 1.16 million were domestic passengers while about 764,000 were
>international passengers. The Mallam Aminu Kano Airport in Kano State
>ranked the second with 287,000 passengers. According to the report, the
>airports in Akure, Ibadan and Minna witnessed the lowest traffic movement
>with only 316, 412 and 523 passengers respectively in 1997.
>
>IN BRIEF
>Mechanical failure caused a 20,000 barrel crude oil spill in a Nigerian
>creek by Shell's local unit, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has said. NAN
>quoted Shell's general manager in its western Nigerian division, Joshua
>Udofia, as saying the equipment failure was discovered by an investigating
>team last  weekend.
>
>Chevron and Sasol, the South African fuels and petrochemicals company,
>announced they have reached agreement to pool their resources to begin
>design and engineering for construction of a 20,000-barrel-per-day
>Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) products plant in Nigeria. 
>
>Environmental Rights Action (ERA) says it turned down an invitation from
>Shell Petroleum Development Company (Nigeria) Limited, SPDC, to participate
>in a two-day environmental workshop which ended yesterday in  Port
>Harcourt. ERA said it rejected  Shell's invitation because: there was  no
>evidence that Shell  was interested in  "a responsible approach to
>community relations and community development" .
>
>The gas fire near Shell's oil field at Obelle in Emohua local government
>council of Rivers State which began in January  is still burning. Shell has
>acquired  the area and finally promised compensation but the company
>continues to deny responsibility for the incident. 
>
>Government says there will be no fuel price increase despite a current
>scarcity.
>
>Nigeria exported 1.22 million tonnes of crude oil worth $173.6 million to
>Morocco last year.
>
>Foreign domination hampers integration of Nigerians into the country's
>shipping industry, says head of Shippers Council, Adebayo Sarunmi.
>
>Facilities at the presidential wing of the international airport in Lagos
>fall into disrepair. 
>
>Federal Environmental Protection Agency plans to review environmental laws.
>
>Super Eagles star, Jonathan Akpoborie will feature in the UEFA football cup
>final next month against Celestine Babayaro's Chelsea Football Club.
>Akpoborie,  who plays for German club Stuttgart  yesterday featured in his
>club's  1-0 win over  Russian side Locomotiv Moscow.
>___________________________________________________________________________
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>Editors: George Noah  &  Richie Dayo Johnson.  Researcher : Abby Lapite
>Copy rights reserved. Reproduction  &  retransmission  prohibited  175/4/98
>ISSN 1358-6718
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