COVER STORY
Avian Flu Pandemic: Imminent?
by Dan E. Austin

ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY

SOUTH SOUTH NIGER DELTA GETS SUPPORT FROM NIGERIAN GROUPS IN USA

By:Dr. O. Igho Natufe, Canada

On behalf of the SSPA of North America (SSPA-NA) we hereby register our deepest concern about the escalating tension and unnecessary bloodshed in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.  While we recognize the legitimate and persisting protests of the Niger Deltans against the federal government of Nigeria, we however condemn the resulting violence in the region.  While we condemn the taking of hostages, we must, however, equally condemn the policies of the federal government of Nigeria that compelled the unfortunate use of this tactic in the Niger Delta.

We are also concerned about recent press reports linking militants in our Niger Delta to a notorious terrorist organization, the Al Qaeda. We hope that this linkage is a false statement calculated to undermine the legitimate struggle of the Niger Delta.  Thus, we call upon the leaders of the Niger Delta militant groups to dissociate themselves from Al Qaeda.  It is our view that the just and legitimate struggle of the Niger Delta for exclusive jurisdictions over its natural resources does not need the involvement nor the support of any terrorist organization.

While it is regretted that the use of excessive force has been introduced into the clamor for justice and equity due the people of the region, it must be stressed that the federal government of Nigeria is the primary cause of the problems in the Niger Delta as exemplified by the following:

The denial by the federal government of Nigeria of the exclusive jurisdiction of states over the natural resources in their respective territories, including the Niger Delta. The continued environmental degradation of the ecosystem of the Niger Delta through the non sustainable exploitation and exploration of oil and gas in the Niger Delta.  The unholy alliance between the federal government of Nigeria and the multinational oil corporations whose policies have caused poverty and undue hardship in the Niger Delta. The systematic militarization of the Niger Delta by the federal government of Nigeria.

The refusal of the federal government of Nigeria to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflict that will accord the people of the Niger Delta exclusive jurisdictions over their natural resources in accordance with the tenets of federalism.   We also protest against excessive corruption reported against some state governors in the region, noting that bad governance is indeed a bane against judicious use of revenue accruing from statutory and derivation funds to states in the Niger Delta. We encourage all people of the Niger Delta to watch keenly while demanding both transparency and accountability from elected or appointed public officials entrusted with their overall economy. Therefore, we invite citizens of the respective states in the Niger Delta to demand transparency and accountability from their elected officials (local government chairmen; legislators; and governors), leaders of the various ethnic nationalities and traditional rulers, as many of these are equally responsible for the degrading plight of the Niger Delta.

While we decry the resort to any type of violence by any group of persons, we encourage the people of the Niger Delta region to resist the bad policies of either level of government that perpetuate gross violations of their sacred human, spiritual, constitutional, resource and environmental rights. We also encourage increased levels of dialogue involving all the stakeholders in the Niger Delta crisis. While we appeal to the youth and militants in the Niger Delta to refrain from violence, we must simultaneously advise the federal government of Nigeria to desist from the use of violence or force as a way of resolving the crisis in the Niger Delta. Long live the people of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria!

IMPROVED OIL REVENUE AND GOOD GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT IS KEEPING NIGERIA ON THE RIGHT TRACK

From Chuks Akunna, Kunle Aderinokun in Abuja, Nigeria

Buoyed by high prices in the international crude market, Nigeria earned $2.92 billion (N376.7 billion) from oil in January this year, representing about 64 percent of the total foreign inflow of $4.58bn netted by the country during the month.
The Federal Government has also begun a massive deployment of troops in the troubled oil-rich city of Warri, suggesting that negotiations between the government and the Niger Delta militants, holding three foreign oil workers hostage in the creeks, may have broken down.
The oil income, which showed a 33 percent increase over the receipts for the preceding month, also bolstered Nigeria's gross external rese-rves to $31.32 billion at the end of January 2006, representing an increase of 10.7 per cent over $28.28 billion accumulated as at December 2005.
Making these disclosures in its monthly report for January, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the level of reserves in the month under review could finance about 32.3 months of foreign exchange disbursements compared with 18.4 months in December 2005.
In the same month also, the total assets/liabilities of the 25 deposit money banks (DMBs) that emerged at the end of first phase of consolidation exercise amounted to N4.694 trillion in the review month.
The apex bank explained that "foreign exchange inflow and outflow through the CBN in January 2006 amounted to $3.1 billion and $0.92 billion respectively, representing a net inflow of $2.18 billion."
When compared with the levels of $2.7 billion and $1.49 billion in the preceding month, the bank added, inflow rose by 14.7 per cent, while outflow declined significantly by 38.2 per cent.
"Provisional data on aggregate foreign exchange flows through the economy in January 2006 indicated that total inflow increased by 9.4 per cent to $4.58 billion. Oil sector receipts, which accounted for 63.9 per cent of the total, increased by 33 per cent over the preceding month's level to $2.92 billion," said the CBN
Non-oil public sector inflows, according to the CBN report, however, fell by 65.1 percent to $0.2 billion and accounted for 3.8 per cent of the total, while autonomous inflow declined by $2.93 or 0.2 per cent to N1.48 billion from the level in the preceding and accounted for 32.3 per cent of the total.
It attributed the decline in autonomous inflow to the "reduction in the non-oil export earnings during the month under review."
The banking watchdog noted that at $0.97 billion, aggregate foreign exchange outflow from the economy fell by 36.8 per cent and attributed the "sharp fall" largely to the decline in the funding of the Dutch Auction System (DAS), drawing on letters of credits and other official payments by 75.9, 89.4 and 11.6 per cent respectively during the review month.
Analysis of non-oil export proceeds by top 100 exporters, according to the CBN, revealed that, their earnings in January slumped to $42.07 million, indicating a significant decline of 29.40 per cent from the preceding month's level.
"A breakdown of the proceeds by the top 100 exporters in January 2006 showed that non-oil export proceeds in respect of the agricultural, manufacturing sub-sector and others fell from $33 million, $20.85 million and $5.73 million in the preceding month to $20.26 million, $20.35 million and $1.46 million respectively.
"The decline was attributable largely to variations in the prices of some of the goods traded at the international commodities market during the review month. The shares of agricultural, manufacturing and others sub-sectors in total non-oil export proceeds were 48.1, 48.4 and 3.5 per cent compared with 55.4, 35 and 9.6 per cent respectively, in December 2005. The top of the 100 exporters accounted for 100 per cent of all the non-oil export proceeds in January 2006," the CBN said.
On sectoral utilization of foreign exchange, the Central Bank stated that the industrial sector accounted for the bulk (47.7 per cent) of total foreign exchange disbursed in January 2006, followed by general merchandise (16.7 per cent).
Other beneficiary sectors, in a descending order of importance included invisible (15.1 per cent), transport (10 per cent), food (15.1 per cent), agricultural products (0.4 per cent).
The CBN noted that at the foreign exchange market, the demand pressure moderated further in the review month as foreign exchange sales by the CBN to the end- users, through the authorized dealers, fell by 62.5 per cent.
According to the bank, under the DAS, the weighted exchange rate of the naira vis-a-vis the US dollar appreciated by 0.02 per cent to N129.06 per dollar in January 2006.
In the bureaux de change segment of the market, the rate depreciated from N141.73 per dollar in December 2005 to N144.09 per dollar in January 2006. Consequently, the premium between the official and bureaux de change rates widened from 9.9 per cent in December 2005 to 11.7 per cent in the month under review.
However, the CBN said the total assets/liabilities of the DMBs will be N5.029 trillion when the 14 banks in liquidation were included using their statutory returns rendered to the apex bank.
According to the apex bank, "both foreign assets and claims on private and Federal Government rose during the period which was sourced mainly from the increase in demand, time, savings and foreign currency deposits invested in the Federal Government securities, acquisition of unclassified assets as well as extension credit to the private sector."
It noted that at N2.135 trillion, credit to the domestic economy rose by N143.5 billion or 7.2 per cent over the preceding month's level, attributing the rise to the increase in claims on both public and private sectors during the period.
"Central Bank's credit to the DMBs, however, declined substantially by 56.8 per cent to N18.4 billion in January 2006 reflecting the decline in loans and advances from the CBN.
"Total specified liquid assets of the DMBs stood at N1.353 trillion representing 50.9 per cent of their total deposit liabilities. The level of assets was 10.1 percentage points above the stipulated minimum ratio of 40 per cent for fiscal 2006, the bank said.
For the discount houses, the CBN said their total assets/liabilities stood at N101.9 billion in January representing an increase of N2.5 billion or 2.6 per cent over the level in the preceding month. The increase in assets, the apex bank said was attributable largely to the "255.7 per cent increase in balances with other banks. On the other hand, the increase in was attributable to the increase in money at call and amount owing by N125.9 billion or 0.4 per cent and N5.2 billion or 13 per cent respectively, during the review month."
The bank added that discount houses investments in Federal Government securities of less than 91 days maturity amounted to N46.9 billion or 59.4 per cent of their total deposit liabilities. This level of investment was 3.5 and 0.6 per cent below the level in the preceding month and the prescribed minimum of 60 per cent for fiscal 2006 respectively.
"Total borrowing by discount houses was N45 billion, while their capital and reserves amounted to N13 billion resulting in a gearing ratio of 3:5:1 compared with the prescribed maximum target of 50:1 for the year.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government yesterday began a massive deployment of troops in the troubled oil-rich city of Warri, suggesting that negotiations between the government and the Niger Delta youth militants, holding three foreign oil workers hostage in the creeks, may have broken down.
The deployment of troops coincided with a visit by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, to the Warri naval base, NNS Delta.
The number of troops now being deployed could, however, not be ascertained as the military did not use the Warri naval base which is in the town to make the deployment for security reasons.
But the President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Ledum Mitee, said yesterday in Abuja that war was not the answer and urged the Federal Government to be cautious.
Speaking with THISDAY, the Ogoni activist said the most enduring response would be a massive deployment of funds to the region for its rapid development in such a way that plenty of jobs that would take the militants off the gun would be created.
The Federal Government, however, appeared to have a different think as Adekeye on arriving Warri in a naval helicopter proceeded to address Naval officers an exercise which took several hours.
At the end of the briefing, Adekeye was evasive in his response to questions asked by newsmen and left hurriedly after answering only three queries.
Adekeye, who was accompanied by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral John Kpokpogri, and the Commanding Officer, Warri Naval Base, Captain Mufutau Ajibade, told newsmen that a military option could not be ruled out in deciding the situation in the creeks, but made it clear that it would be the last option if all others fail.
THISDAY gathered, however, that the Chief of Naval staff might have decided to personally witness the deployment of the troops to the creeks, hence his presence in Warri at the Sunday deployment.
It was reliably gathered from impeccable security sources that there might be an ultimate show down at Okorenkoko between the military and the militants within the next few days, unless the hostages still in captivity were released. But Mitee said as long as the Federal Government continues to shy away from addressing the genuine agitations of the people of the Niger Delta, the killing of soldiers, taking of  foreign oil workers hostage and bombing of oil installations by militia groups in the Niger Delta will not end. Apart from the killing of 13 Nigerian soldiers by militants last week, and the kidnap of nine expatriate oil workers last month, the activities of the militants have over the past months cut Nigeria's crude oil exports by as much as 458,000 barrels per day.
The MOSOP president blamed the activities of the militants on the failure of the Federal Government and oil companies to respond to the genuine agitations of the people of the region.
These are things we all warned of before; that if  we do not give peaceful advocacy a chance to succeed, then this sort of situation becomes inevitable, said Mitee, declaring, it is unacceptable for communities to live in abject poverty and next door are oil  workers living in opulence in these days of the Internet and GSM.
He identified the frustration suffered by the army of unemployed youths in the Niger Delta, government rhetoric on developing the region, and its failure to implement any of its white papers on the numerous crises in the region, as largely contributory to the current wave of militancy in the region.
He regretted that the Federal Government was spending so much to secure national security without realising that injustice was the greatest threat to national security.
According to him, people are already getting a little bit frustrated and I think that the reactions of government have not helped matters. People feel as if government is not responding to their agitations. After almost every serious crisis in the Niger Delta, one committee is set up, after that, people go to sleep. They keep harping on national security perhaps without realising that the injustice remains the greatest threat to national security.
Tere needs to be a dividing line between criminal elements and genuine agitations. Government has always treated both issues as if they are the same. Once you now move in and take the thing as a purely law and order thing, without dealing with the communities, then the communities now sit back and feel that government is actually not after the criminals, but after the champions of their agitations,  he stated
The activist said apart from the creation of at least 20, 000 jobs as a shock measure in each of the Niger Delta states, oil companies should also embark on the provision of social amenities such as electricity and potable water to the host communities, since, in his words no flow station that has extended light to the villages has ever been reported shut because if you shut it you will be plunged into darkness.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Reformation Council (IRC) has condemned the 10 point demand made by the captors of the hostages as ridiculous and amounted to asking for a break up of Nigeria.
The IRC at a press conference addressed by its President, Mr. Lucky Izoukumor, said the Niger Delta struggle could not be achieved by criminality.
Izoukumor said that from all indication, no government could fully implement the demands made by the captors, hence the need to be more realistic.
Besides, he regretted that religious dimension was being brought into the struggle following a claim by some persons that all those released were Muslims.
He said the time had come for the militants to release the hostages unconditionally in the interest of the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta, as the people would bear the brunt of any military action taken by the Federal Government.

the Adventures of Danny Mccain, an American born missionary in inland tribes in Nigeria.

Greetings from Jos in Nigeria.
As some of you know, I have had a friendly relationship with Nigeria's head of state, President Olusegun Obasanjo, since he was in prison in Jos in 1995. I have had the privilege of being with him four or five times since he became president. I have been much closer to the chaplain of the Aso Rock Villa Chapel, the church inside the presidential villa where the president and other high government officials attend. Rev. Dr. William Okoye was the deputy chaplain to the president for six years or so but has been the substantive chaplain for the last eight months.
A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Okoye called me and asked me if I could come down to Abuja and preach at the Aso Rock Villa on March 5th. It is amazing how you can clear your schedule when you are asked to preach for the president.
I was happy that Mary was free and could go with me to this special occasion. Not only did I have the privilege of preaching in the chapel to the president and so many other top government officials, I also had the privilege of praying the "birthday prayer" for the president. In addition.......

Read the rest HERE

Another Step Towards Peace -
The Truce Foundation Reconnects the World

Article & Pictures by Oyiza Adaba - a U.S-based International Correspondent and a contributor to this service

 TORINO, Italy — The Event was the presentation ceremony of the Truce Ideal Awards by The Truce Foundation of the USA. The setting was at the Baroque-style, 18th-century palace of Stupinigi, built for the Savoy royal family. The recipients of the awards were U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

Receiving the ‘President’s Award’ on behalf of their respective governments, Nigeria’s Minister for Information and National Orientation Frank Nweke and Liberia’s Acting Ambassador to Italy, Musu Ruhle both expressed thanks and pride in the gesture.

The first female African President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia used the opportunity to remind the international community that while recovering from a 14-year civil war, Liberia still needs help in its reconstruction and reform programs.

President Obasnajo’s effort on brokering peace on the African continent had not gone unnoticed. His achievements as Chairman of the Africa Union include keeping peace talks in Dafur prominent in the world’s agenda, quelling an attempted coup in Togo, the resolution of the Liberian Civil War, as well as his tireless campaign for Africa’s debt relief. On the home front, Obasanjo is credited for economic and government reforms, while also fighting corruption.

Peter Ueberroth received the ‘Mitt Romney Truce Ideal Award’ for his exemplary leadership of the U.S. Olympic Committee. As president of the organizing committee for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Ueberroth revived the Olympic spirit while also creating a financially successful competition that resulted in a $250 million surplus.

The other award handed out was the ‘Open Fields Awards’ to the people of Italy. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini received this on behalf of his government.

Founded by American Hugh Dugan, and inspired by the Olympic Truce, the Truce Foundation has made it a mission to teach the world about overcoming international conflicts, setting societal and personal ideals as well as making the world and the Olympics games safer.

In the true Olympic spirit came a show of support from individuals and representatives of various governments and businesses such as co-sponsors Irwin Belk, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), Coltrin & Associates, The Lugano Group, as well as the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO).

Featured prominently at the ceremony were Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts who was the first recipient of the Truce Ideal Award in 2004, IOC Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Greek Minister for Culture Fanny Palli Petria, Pfizer European VP & Chairman BCIU Michael Hodin, official sculptor of the USOC Jon Hair and Sports Artist Mina Papatheodorou-Valyraki whose ‘Olympic Truce’ painting adorned the palace.

ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY
Why We Want Representation In The Senate
– Dan Austin
 
Dan Austin is the chairman, board of trustees of the All Nigeria American Congress (ANAC), a specialist in Internal Medicine and Chief Executive Officer of Cignethealth, which promotes health insurance policy in  Maryland, USA. In this interview with Group Politics Editor Felix Ofou in his office in Temple Hills, Maryland, the physician speaks on the need to have a Nigerian lobby group that would canvass Nigerians’ position on all issues, including their welfare, in the United States as well as back home in Nigeria, providinginsight on that what informed the formation of ANAC. He also speaks on why Nigerians in the Diaspora  must be represented in the Senate, arguing that  the quality of their representation is something that would usher in a new era of robust policy formulation that addresses the needs of all Nigerians. Austin also criticises those clamouring for third term for President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying the country is large enough to groom other leaders to take over from the incumbent President.

Excerpts:  
I want you to tell us how the idea comes about, what is the motive behind the All Nigerian American Congress?
Well, All Nigeria American Congress, I will say I am the principal initiator of that concept, which came about about two and half years ago.  I have been very involved in working with all the different Nigerian groups in America because I am a chief executive officer of a company and many do come to me for financial help and they come for all kinds of socio-economic help. They ask me to share some ideas with them, which I do. I have been very involved in the World Igbo Congress, and particularly their cause in the world because I am an Igbo. In the course of that, I got to connect with all of these people who belong to the World Igbo Congress. There are so many tasks and they sometimes asked me to sponsor their functions and I was always co-operating to sponsor them. There are other Nigerian organisations in the US, and of course different parts and groups from Yoruba: the Ikare Group, the Lagos Eko Club, and of course I am very active with the South-South organizations, especially the Edo Iyene, and the Edo National Association. I sponsor all of their functions and of course let me not forget the Akwa Ibom and a River State group.succeeded in bringing about a new nation of Nigerians in the America.

Read the full interview @ independentng.com