U.S.A. disappointed with pardon of Alamieyesaigha

The United States said yesterday that it was "deeply disappointed" over the pardon granted former governor of Bayelsa State Diepreye Alamieyesaigha who was impeached and later convicted of corruption in Nigeria.

In messages Friday on Twitter, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, through its handle @USEmbassyAbuja, said "The #USG is deeply disappointed over the recent pardons of corrupt officials by the GON. #Nigeria." It was followed by another which states: "We see this as a setback in the fight against corruption. #Nigeria"

The pardon to Alamieyeseigha, who is a political confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan, has continued to attract wide condemnation. Jonathan once served as Alamieyeseigha's deputy. His impeachment marked the start of Jonathan's rise in Nigerian politics.

Embassy spokeswoman Deb MacLean told the Associated Press yesterday that officials had no further immediate comment.

Meanwhile, Nigeria's foreign ministry has summoned a top U.S. diplomat to explain why its embassy posted critical comments on Twitter over a presidential pardon given to a former governor convicted on corruption charges.

A statement issued yesterday night said Nigerian officials filed an urgent request to speak to the U.S. deputy chief of mission over what it described as "meddlesomeness."

Daily Trust

Related story: Outrage over pardon for Alamieyeseigha

America concerned with rising crime rate in Nigeria

The United States of America, USA, has expressed concern at the rate crime is spreading in Nigeria.

The American government lamented the worsening crime rate in coastal areas and the free movement of Islamic extremists between Mali and Nigeria.

The US ambassador to Nigeria, Terence McCulley, and his Consul-General,Mr Jeffrey Hawkins, spoke at different fora.

The US ambassador said Islamic extremists have continued to move freely between Nigeria and northern Mali, despite the ongoing French military operation there against them.

The Consul-General on his part said his government was concerned with the growing incidence of criminal activities off Nigeria’s coast. Hawkins, who said this at the closing ceremony of the 2013 Nigeria Maritime Expo, NIMAREX 2013, yesterday, in Lagos, said there seemed to be ineffectual security response to the growing criminal activities.

The ambassador, speaking in Abuja, said as extremists’ shootings, bombings and kidnappings of foreigners continued unstopped across northern Nigeria, halting the violence remained a top priority of the Washington government.

He, however, declined to answer questions about alleged US plans to operate a drone base in neighbouring Niger.

“Officials have seen reports for years” about fighters from the radical Islamic extremist network, Boko Haram, travelling to Mali to receive training there, said McCulley, speaking to journalists on a telephone conference call.

Boko Haram, the main force behind the continuing guerrilla attacks against the Federal Government, is believed by analysts and officials to have ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in Mali, and likely received training and weapons from them.

Nigeria needed to attack the group on multiple fronts

“Nigerians feel that there is a link between extremist activity in the Sahel and their internal extremist insurgency,” McCulley said. The ambassador said Nigeria needed to attack the group on multiple fronts, both militarily and by alleviating northern Nigeria’s crushing poverty and lack of opportunities for its growing, young population.

Respect for human rights

McCulley also said Nigeria needed to “respect human rights” while fighting extremists. Human rights officials have long accused the country security forces of illegally detaining people for months without charges, using torture and even summarily killing suspects.

French troops, with the help of Malian soldiers, have been fighting Islamic extremists who took over the main towns in northern Mali in the weeks after a coup toppled the nation’s government last year. Despite their efforts, it appears extremists continue to be able to simply disappear into local populations and move freely across the region, where desert borders remain loosely patrolled.

Plan by Obama to establish military base in Niger

In his bid to stop that flow, US President Barack Obama announced plans in February to establish a military base in neighbouring Niger to stage drone flights across the Sahel region. While US plans initially called for the drones to be used to gather information about Islamic extremists in Mali, the drones could be used elsewhere in the region.

In the northern states, there has been growing concern and suspicion about the US intentions in the region, despite the ongoing violence.

When asked about the drones, McCulley largely declined to comment, though he said Nigeria’s government had not posed any questions to the US regarding the drone programme.

Crime situation is worsening — US Consul-General

US Consul-General said “both the available data and the anecdotal evidence suggest that the crime situation is only worsening.

“We have difficulty seeing how it is going to get better in the near-term without major improvements in institutional collaboration and a marked increase in political will,” Hawkins said.

The Consul-General said that the bodies expected to protect and defend the maritime commerce were instead perceived to be undermining it. Hawkins said that indeed it could be agreed that there was a huge problem. He said Nigeria had a lot of potential, but the challenge was realising the potential.

He said more than anything else there must be an increase in the political will to effect substantial and sustainable positive change in Nigeria’s maritime environment.

Impetus to do things transparentlyhas been lacking

“Many interlocutors have asserted to us that this is the biggest hurdle. The impetus to do things differently, transparently, effectively and in line with global best practices has been lacking,” he said.

Hawkins said Nigeria should emulate other countries that had the same problem in the past and had successfully tackled it.

Vanguard

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11 percent of maternal deaths in Nigeria caused by malaria

Malaria is responsible for 11 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria, Jhpiego, a non-governmental agency and an affiliate of John Hopkins University, said on Thursday.

The Country Director of the organization, Emmanuel Otolorin, said in Abuja that about 20 per cent of children who die before the age of five die of malaria.

"Eleven per cent of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth, die because of malaria, about 20 per cent of children who die before the age of 5 die because of malaria, so malaria is a big problem; in fact, there are more deaths from malaria in Nigeria than deaths from HIV, leprosy, tuberculosis all put together.

Mr. Otolorin said that there is the need to create awareness so that more pregnant women and children can gain access to malaria commodities.

"As you know, malaria is a major cause of maternal mortality, and newborn mortality globally and particularly in Africa and more specifically in Nigeria.

"There are very simple interventions that have been identified by WHO and in the global bodies for controlling malaria in pregnancy, but the problem is that in this country, a very low percentage of pregnant women access such interventions," he said.

Mr. Otolorin said there should be a strict adherence to twice dosage of malaria treatment for all pregnant women to reduce maternal mortality from malaria.

"Every pregnant woman should take an anti-malaria drug at least twice in pregnancy, whether or not she has symptoms of malaria, because we know that when they don't have symptoms of malaria, they have malaria parasite in their blood.

He said malaria parasite can cause anaemia, can damage the placenta and reduce the exchange of food and oxygen between the mother and baby so that the baby is starved while in the stomach.

The Jhpiego Country Director said pregnant women must take anti malaria drugs once they start to feel the baby moving.

Prevention of deaths from malaria

The country director said that early recognition of persons who have clinical malaria is possible with the use of rapid diagnosis tests so as to prevent deaths from malaria.



He said about 50 per cent of persons being treated for malaria actually suffered from symptoms of fever, and that treatment should begin with artemisine combination therapy.

Mr. Otolorin also spoke on the importance of sanitation, stressing that water-logged areas is a breeding ground for malaria.

"Sanitation is key because breeding ground for mosquitoes needs to be eradicated, swampy areas, anywhere water can collect, especially during the raining seasons; collection of water in bottles, plastic bottles, pots and pans, and so on.

"Once you have stagnant water, the mosquitoes can lay their eggs there and they grow, and then you have mosquitoes coming out of breeding ground very close to our houses.

"So you need to clear the surroundings, you need to make sure that you don't have containers that harbour stagnant waters around; these are part of the environmental control for preventing malaria," Mr. Otolorin said.

Premium Times

100,000 babies born annually in Nigeria are HIV positive

A recent report has shown that between 50,000 and 100,000 of babies born in the country yearly are carriers of HIV.

The report was released on Tuesday in Abuja, when the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, hosted the National Steering Group of the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive.

The group was constituted by President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2012 to help mobilise national leadership for global plan on eliminating mother-to-child transmission, implementation and keeping their mothers alive.

The NSG has since been working across states of the federation, seeking to end transmission of the scourge.

In her presentation, entitled, ‘Update on eMTCT in Nigeria,’ the National Coordinator (HIV/AIDS Division) in the Federal Ministry of Health, and member of the group, Dr. Evelyn Ngige, said global target was to reduce the number of new HIV infections among children by 90 per cent and reduce the number of AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50 percent.

According to the report, while the current population of HIV positive persons in Nigeria stands at 3.1million, the number of births in the country annually is six million.

Besides, while HIV prevalence remains 4.1 per cent, the population of HIV positive pregnant women annually in the country is put at 229,480.

The report said, “Fifty-eight per cent of women attend Ante Natal Care, at least once; 45 per cent attend, at least, four times; 35 per cent of births occur in health facilities; 39 per cent deliveries by skilled birth attendants, while HIV babies born annually are between 50,000 and 100, 000.”

The report also indicated three bottlenecks, which it attempted to address.

They are strengthening human resources for health; improving efficiencies in the HIV commodities; and supply chain management and improving early infant diagnosis.

PUNCH

Outrage over pardon for Alamieyeseigha

President Goodluck Jonathan came under heavy criticism yesterday over his granting of state pardon to convicted former Governor of Bayelsa State Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Jonathan presented a request for approval of the pardon to the Council of State which held a meeting at the State House in Abuja yesterday.

Although there was no official announcement on the outcome of the meeting, a member of the council who attended confirmed to Daily Trust last night that the pardon was granted to Alamieyeseigha and six others.

The others were the late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, former Bank of the North managing director Mohammed Bulama, retired General Oladipo Diya, the late General Abdulkareem Adisa, Major Bello Magaji and Muhammad Biu.

Daily Trust learnt that Jonathan told the council members that the Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council on Monday submitted a request to him for a state pardon to Alamieyeseigha.

Alamieyeseigha, who served as governor of Bayelsa State with Jonathan as his deputy from 1999 to 2005, was impeached and later convicted for corruption. With the state pardon, he is now freed of the constitutional ban from holding public office in the future.

Yar'Adua, Diya and Adisa were convicted of plotting a coup against then Head of State General Sani Abacha in 1995. Yar'Adua died in prison in December 1997, while Adisa died several years after he was released from detention.

Under section 175 of the constitution, a state pardon is granted by the president after consultation with the Council of State.

It says: "(1) The President may -(a) grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions; (b) grant to any person a respite, either for an indefinite or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; (c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; or (d) remit the whole or any part of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence or of any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to the State on account of such an offence.

"(2) The powers of the President under subsection (1) of this section shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Council of State."

'Encouraging corruption'

Senior lawyers, politicians and activists yesterday condemned the grant of pardon to Alamieyeseigha, saying it was an indication that Jonathan was not serious about the fight against corruption. They said also the inclusion of six others in the pardon list was a mere smokescreen.

Former Kaduna State Governor Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa said the pardon has shown that Jonathan has abandoned the fight against corruption.

"What is the justification for the pardon? Are they too old to stay in the prison where they belong? This is unfortunate particularly at this period when the government is talking about the fight against corruption," he said.

"This simply means that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has abandoned his anti corruption crusade. It has a political manoeuvring."

President of the Civil Rights Congress, Comrade Shehu Sani, said he was in support of the pardon for Yar'Adua and the others but that it appeared they were on the list as a smokescreen to re-launch Alamieyeseigha into politics.

"I'm in support of pardon for Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Oladipo Diya and co but I know they were simply used as a smokescreen. They were given pardon in order to give credibility to the pardon but the exercise was done because of Alamieyeseigha," he said.

Lawyer Festus Keyamo, in a statement last night, said the pardon for Alamieyeseigha "typifies the height of insensitivity of this government to the feelings of Nigerians about the war against corruption."

He added: "This pardon by the President teaches no bitter lesson to thieving and corrupt public officers. It encourages corruption at the highest and the lowest levels of public office and the decision itself is corruption per excellence."

Another lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, said if the pardon is truly granted, it "will signal the end of the existing phony war against corruption."

Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association Rotimi Akeredolu said the pardon does not rule out the fact that Alamieyeseigha has committed a crime which would still hold against him.

But lawyer Mike Ozekhome said the pardon "cleansed" the ex-convict of any "sin."

He said, "The stigma of being an ex-convict has just been totally washed away and such a person can contest elections. He is taken in the eye of the law that he has never committed any offence.

"Anyone who will blame President Jonathan for giving Presidential pardon to his former boss, who brought him out of the classroom, such will be living in a dream world of unreality. It is only natural that the President will want to pardon his former boss who has always been there for him."

In his own reaction, Barrister Yahaya Mahmud (SAN), said Jonathan has the constitutional power to pardon anybody in consultation with the council of state, as provided by section 175 of the constitution.

Constitutional lawyer Fred Agbaje said the pardon would promote integration and unity among diverse groups.

In its reaction, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) last night said the presidential pardon for Alamieyeseigha was "laughable and tribalistic."

CPC spokesman Rotimi Fashakin said the decision was akin to granting posthumous pardon to the likes of notorious armed robber Lawrence Anini.

"There is a better way to show solidarity with one's boss than this utterly reprehensible action.... This is another proof that the Jonathan regime is not averse to corruption," Fashakin said.

Secretary General of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Willy Ezugwu, said, "This is saddening.... This has also confirmed that the president is hobnobbing with corruption and that Nigerians should not put their hope on him to move the nation forward."

Confusion

There was confusion earlier yesterday as to whether the pardon was granted. News filtered early in the day that the council of state was meeting to ratify a memo by Jonathan in which he was seeking to grant a pardon for Alamieyeseigha.

At about 7.50pm, the Federal Government-owned News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) sent out a news alert, saying the Federal Government had granted "state pardon" to Alamieyeseigha and the six others.

But 17 minutes after, NAN issued another alert saying: "Kindly disregard earlier SMS on state pardon for Alamieyeseigha and six others. Thanks."

A member of the Council of State, who confirmed that the pardon was granted, said the council also discussed and approved two new nominees for two Federal executive bodies.

The council meeting was attended by former leaders Yakubu Gowon, Shehu Shagari and Ernest Shonekan, as well as many state governors. But former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Ibrahim Babangida and former head of state Muhammadu Buhari did not attend the meeting.

Daily Trust