Boko Haram suspends talks with government

Boko Haram yesterday said they would no longer accept overtures for dialogue with the Federal Government because the botched efforts through Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad confirmed government's lack of sincerity.

A purported spokesman for the group who goes by the nom de guerre Abul Qaqa told journalists in Maiduguri in a teleconference that the collapse of Dr. Ahmad's efforts was a vindication of their long-held belief that government was never sincere in its offer for talks with the sect.

Datti, who is president of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, issued a statement on Saturday, saying he was pulling out of efforts to broker a truce with Boko Haram because of alleged insincerity of the government, citing leakage of the talks.

Yesterday, Abul Qaqa confirmed that Dr. Datti had approached them through freelance journalist Ahmad Salkida, who on Sunday denied being part of any "imaginary" talks with Boko Haram.

Abul Qaqa said the sect, which calls itself Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda'awati Wal Jihad, was sceptical of the Datti overtures because of previous disappointments.

"We have said it severally that the Federal Government is deceiving Nigerians and the world and we know that they will never be ready for dialogue," he said.

"Almighty God has told us repeatedly that the unbelievers will never respect the promises they made. As such, henceforth, we would never respect any proposal for dialogue. In fact, we have closed all possible doors of negotiation. We would never listen to any call to lay down our arms."

He added: "The truth is that we have been doubtful on the seriousness and purposeful commitment of the government. It was the Datti group that thought the Federal Government could be trusted. They approached us and said we should give them a chance and we did, unfortunately, they have been disappointed."

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for wave of deadly attacks in the North, including suicide bombings in Abuja, Jos, Maiduguri, Madalla and Kano.

Its deadliest strike was in Kano on January 20, but security sources claimed that series of top-level arrests has considerably weakened the sect.

Abul Qaqa said yesterday the sect would continue its campaign until it achieves an Islamic state.

"We are calling on all Muslims in this part of the world to accept the clarion call and fight for the restoration of the Caliphate of Usman Danfodio which the white man fought and fragmented.

"The white man killed prominent northern Islamic clerics and emirs and also replaced the white Islamic flag with the Union Jack. We want all our people to come together and restore our lost glory," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the Federal Government over the latest statement by Boko Haram.

Daily Trust

Related stories: Nigerian government begins talks with Boko Haram 

Video - President Goodluck Jonathan wants dialogue with Boko Haram

Foreign oil workers in Nigeria highest paid in the world

A typical oil and gas executive in Nigeria earns nearly half a million dollars (about N80 million) a year, chalking up the biggest premium for working abroad over salary levels in Britain, research released yesterday showed. Those who have watched developments in the country with keen interest said the high pay is possibly responsible for risk appetite of foreigners who prefer to work in the creeks during the days of militancy in the Niger Delta.

According to George Olodo, a social commentator in Lagos, such a pay could make anyone defy the high level of risk to work in a very risky area.

But Oteme Uzeme, a retired oil worker, wondered why the pay for expatriate should be that high in Nigeria, which is relatively less risky than Iraq and even Libya.

A typical senior oil and gas employee in Nigeria will receive a supplementary country premium worth 45 per cent of base pay, taking the total salary of $454,400 a year, a study by the Curzon Partnership recruitment consultants showed.

This trumps packages for executives working in Libya or Iraq, who could expect a total salary of around $354,900, the research found, said Reuters.

Oil and gas workers from developed nations working in Nigeria are paid well because of the number of projects that need international staff, local skills shortages and big cultural differences, the firm said.

"Whilst Lagos is an exciting and well established place to work for expats, oil and gas companies recognise that the incentives have to be high, because life as an expat in Nigeria is so different from countries with broader industries and higher standards of living," Helen Di Mauro, a partner at the Curzon Partnership, said.

Oil industry executives in Indonesia can expect a premium of 40 per cent in Indonesia, 35 per cent in Ghana and 30 per cent in Libya, Kurdistan or Egypt, the research found.

Leadership

Related stories: MEND kidnap crew from oil tanker 

Three French nationals kidnapped off Nigerian coast 

Canadian based Cable network to broadcast Nollywood content

Hollywood has officially lost its title as second largest film industry in the world after Mumbai, India's Bollywood to Nigeria, West Africa's Nollywood, according to a survey taken by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) in 2009.

The growing global popularity of African films around the world has created a demand for African content on television.

In April 2012, for the first time on Canadian cable television, Canadians will be able to access and watch African movies, drama-series and entertainment programming on African Movies and Entertainment Television (AMET TV) in partnership with independent Canadian broadcaster, Channel Zero.

Following Black History Month's celebrations, and being reminded of the crucial contributions to society by African descendants in Canada, it would appear as though the great honour would be reflected with positive images on television.

Unfortunately, Canada has lagged in representing programming that showcases and targets its African, Caribbean population on television.

The need for presenting African culture is evident with the approval for a second Afrocentric school in Toronto.

Whether in cultural appreciation, education or entertainment, AMET TV's main mission is to make African content accessible to Canadians who have been neglected as consumer audiences.

Starting on April 29, 2012, AMET TV will broadcast African Movies and Drama Series on Cable Networks: Rogers Channel 122, Bell Canada Channel 207, Videotron Channel 614. AMET TV programming line up is as follows: Every Saturdays; African Music Videos Show between 6pm to 7pm, African Drama Series between 7pm to 8pm, African Movies between 8pm to 10pm and every Sundays, African Gospel Vibes between 2pm to 3pm.

The Moment

Related stories: Video - ZR-7 theatrical trailer is here

How Nollywood Could Thrive More With Online Video Streaming 

 

Video - Saheed Adepajo launches tablet computer to rival the ipad in Nigeria

A Nigerian company introduces Africa's answer to the iPad, the Inye.

Related stories: Tech expert Saheed Adepoju featured in WIRED 

Video - Building broadband in Nigeria

Arik Air suspends stops Abuja-London flights

Arik Air said it is suspending its daily service between the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and London Heathrow Terminal 4 effective from March 25. This follows the inability of the airline to secure slot allocation.

It is the availability of slots that empowers an airline to undertake flights at a particular time and land at a particular time. Arik Air has been battling with this issue since it commenced service from Abuja to London Heathrow Airport.

Nigeria and Britain had been renegotiating the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to ensure reciprocity on the route.

Arik Air said it was compelled to suspend its services on the route following the inability of the UK and Nigerian governments to come to agreeable terms on the BASA. Under the terms of the BASA, Arik Air was allocated seven frequencies per week in respect of the Lagos/ London, Heathrow service and seven per week for the Abuja/ London, Heathrow service. That is a total of 14 frequencies out of 21 available for Nigerian carriers under the BASA.

However, an anomaly exists between access to slots in the respective countries with the Nigerian government matching the allocation of slots with frequencies, thereby giving UK carriers unfettered access to its full complement of 21 slots at Abuja and Lagos airports.

However, this is not reciprocated in the UK with the authorities drawing a distinction between allocation of frequencies and access to slots, claiming that an application for landing slots at UK airports is a process separate from the BASA entitlement.

From the inception of the route in November 2009, Arik Air has been in a slot-lease agreement with a UK carrier, leasing arrival/departure slots on the Abuja-London route at Heathrow.

At the end of the summer schedule (October 2011), the UK carrier that Arik Air was in the slot-lease agreement with for this route advised the airline of its intention to sell the company and began to wind down its contractual arrangements with Arik Air. Without these commercially arranged slots Arik Air was forced to suspend operations at the start of the winter schedule.

Immediate discussions were held by the respective governments to resolve the long-existing and underlying anomaly in the BASA. As an abridgement, the UK authorities facilitated the temporary continuation of the commercial lease of these slots in support of Arik Air's Abuja-London, Heathrow operation. This interim solution was only available up until March 25, (2012).

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of both governments, no solution has been found. The situation remains as it was at the end of October 2011 with Arik Air having no landing/arrival slots after March 2012, thus forcing it to suspend the route.

Dr. Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, group CEO/president of Arik Air, commented on the suspension of the Abuja-London route: "Whilst it is regrettable to have to suspend our services between Abuja and London, we simply could not continue with the route due to the restrictions placed upon us in accessing arrival/departure slots in to UK airports.

It is an unfortunate situation and one that we felt was being resolved at government level and we hoped that an agreement would have been reached before the start of the summer schedule. Due to the stalemate we are therefore forced to suspend this route.

"We support any dialogue that will take place in the future between the governments on this issue and we stand ready and waiting to commence when asked to and when we feel that the imbalance had been satisfactorily redressed. Our main priority is our passengers and it is disappointing to discontinue such a critical route and reduce capacity between the countries which gives less availability to the Nigerian traveller.

However, we would like to assure our customers that we are fully committed to the UK market and will continue as normal on the Lagos-London Heathrow route with our flagship A340.

When contacted, the SA, media, to the minister of aviation, Mr. Joe Obi, said that the ministry is studying the development and would issue a statement in due course.

Leadership

Related stories: Arik Air hostess arrested for smuggling cocaine

Nigerian government moves to restrict British airways flights to Lagos