Ganduspot: January 2012

Saturday, January 21, 2012

JEWISH AMERICA NEWSPAPER WANTS PRESIDENT OBAMA ASSASSINATED

NEW YORK - The owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, Andrew Adler, has suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu consider ordering a Mossad hit team to assassinate U.S. President Barack Obama so that his successor will defend Israel against Iran.

Adler, who has since apologized for his article, listed three options for Israel to counter Iran’s nuclear weapons in an article published in his newspaper last Friday. The first is to launch a pre-emptive strike against Hamas and Hezbollah, the second is to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and the third is to “give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place and forcefully dictate that the United States’ policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies.”
Adler goes on to write: “Yes, you read “three correctly.” Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel’s existence. Think about it. If have thought of this Tom-Clancy-type scenario, don’t you think that this almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel’s most inner circles?”
Adler apologized yesterday for the article, saying “I very much regret it; I wish I hadn’t made reference to it at all,” Adler told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. And in an interview with Gawker.com, Adler denied that he was advocating an assassination of Obama.

The American Jewish Committee in Atlanta last night issued a harsh condemnation of Adler’s article, saying that his proposals are “shocking beyond belief.”

"While we acknowledge Mr. Adler's apology, we are flabbergasted that he could ever say such a thing in the first place. How could he even conceive of such a twisted idea?" said Dov Wilker, director of AJC Atlanta. "Mr. Adler surely owes immediate apologies to President Obama, as well as to the State of Israel and his readership, the Atlanta Jewish community."

Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, also blasted Adler on Friday, saying "There is absolutely no excuse, no justification, no rationalization for this kind of rhetoric. It doesn't even belong in fiction. These are irresponsible and extremist words. It is outrageous and beyond the pale. An apology cannot possibly repair the damage. Irresponsible rhetoric metastasizes into more dangerous rhetoric. The ideas expressed in Mr. Adler's column reflect some of the extremist rhetoric that unfortunately exists -- even in some segments of our community -- that maliciously labels President Obama as an 'enemy of the Jewish people.' Mr. Adler's lack of judgment as a publisher, editor and columnist raises serious questions as to whether he's fit to run a newspaper."

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Hold security chiefs responsible for Boko Haram – Sheikh Zakzaky

Sheikh Ibraheem ZaKzakY, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, alias Brothers or Shiites, says in this interview with Sunday Trust that the Boko Haram of today is not a group of Muslims but mischievous people perpetuating destructive agenda to give Islam a bad name, and that security details have the responsibility to track down the real Boko Haram if government is not itself masquerading as the sect to raise and squander security votes.

As an Islamic scholar, how do you expect the crisis of Boko Haram to be tackiled?

This issue of Boko Haram is a mockery on Islam. Some people are just killing innocent lives in the name of Boko Haram which does not exist. They want to ridicule Islam. It is disheartening especially how some top government officials who are Muslims are allowing some people to dent the name of their religion. Islam has a history. Emergence of groups or organisations within Islam fighting for a course has history. There is no way some people would be killing innocent lives because they want to justify their spending on security and push the blame on Islam. There is conspiracy in this issue, especially how the government fails to hold its security chiefs responsible, having failed to handle this perceived issue of Boko Haram.

When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent by Allah (sw), he started with preaching. His objectives were known and his goals were clear. Despite the challenges which the Prophet faced, he did not hide his ideology nor hid what he wanted to achieve. Therefore, no movement in Islam would engage killing people and detonating bombs in places of worship. The most surprising aspect of the whole drama is the invisibility of these Boko Haram people. Nobody knows where they are. They don’t have organs nor have any traceable locations or structure. They don’t have a defined ideology which they propagate. It is claimed that they want to establish Islamic ideology in Nigeria yet they kill the people. Just ponder on these issues, may be you would have a rethink on the actual people committing these atrocities in the name of Boko Haram.

In this part of the world, for example, when Shehu Uthman Bn Fodio came to establish Islamic way of life, did he start by killing people? He started with preaching. He propagated his objectives and aims. He established the platform upon which he used in establishing Shari’a where he found himself. This is the tradition of Islam. No Muslim can go and set bombs and kill innocent people just like that without any course or objective. When you take Hamas and Huzbullah for example, we all know who they are. They have organs; they have leaders; they have objectives; they have structures; their leaders are known and people can talk or communicate with them. When you take the case of Imam Khomeine as another example, he did not just come to Iran and start detonating bombs and killing people without objectives. Islam has guidelines and principles. We have our way of doing things.

If Boko Haram is just a tag used by some people to commit crime, who are those behind the incessant bomb blasts for which Boko Haram claims responsibility?

In a nutshell, I would want to believe that it is government and security agents that are just killing people in Abuja and some parts of the Northeast as well as other parts of the country. They just want to justify their security vote. They are creating fear in the minds of the people so that they can use their security money without any question and they found the Boko Haram platform the best way of achieving that.

Since you believe that Boko Haram does not exist the way the public knows it, would the issue of dialogue with them arise?

You shouldn’t get me wrong. I know there are some people who claim that Boko is Haram but are they behind all these bombings? No, they are not. Some people are behind it. If you talk about dialogue, whom are you going to dialogue with? What we are seeing as signs of Boko Haram are only bombs. Are you going to dialogue with bombs? The only solution to this problem is for all of us to continue praying for Allah to expose those behind these bombings and killings in the name of Boko Haram; but honestly, it is disheartening how those Muslims in top government positions are allowing some people use certain tricks for certain goals and be ridiculing Islam. I always feel sad to hear all these things being linked with Islam while in the real sense they do not exist. They can steal their money without necessarily ridiculing our religion.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Iranian Submarines' Ambush for US Aircraft Carriers in Persian Gulf:

A senior Iranian military commander underlined that the Iranian Navy's subsurface vessels enjoy a high capability to confront enemies' threats, and stated that Iran's submarines are able to ambush and hit enemy vessels specially US Aircraft carriers from the seabed throughout the Persian Gulf.
Speaking to FNA on Wednesday, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self-Sufficiency Jihad Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri said that Iran has the best electronic diesel submarines of the world, adding that enemies, the US in particular, are most focused on Iran's astonishing subsurface capabilities.

Amiri underlined that significance of submarines are not just indebted to their arms and equipment, "rather the tactical issues are very important", given the geographical specifications of the waters surrounding the county.

"For example," he stated, "if an ordinary submarines can sit in the Persian Gulf's bed it would be the worst threat to the enemy."

"That is one of the US concerns since Iranian submarines are noiseless and can easily evade detection as they are equipped with the sonar-evading technology" and can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously, he added.

"When the submarine sits on the seabed it can easily target and hit an aircraft carrier traversing in the nearby regions," Amiri reiterated.

Earlier this month, Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi called on the US to avoid sending back its military ships and aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf after Iran's naval drills forced Washington to bring one of its carriers out of the strategic region.

Speaking on the sidelines of the naval parades in the Sea of Oman at the end of Velayat 90 massive naval drills, Salehi said that the US brought the aircraft carrier out of the Persian Gulf and the vessel passed through the Strait of Hormoz and stationed in the Sea of Oman before the start of Iran's naval drills.

As regards Iran's reaction to the vessel's redeployment, Salehi stated, "We advise, warn and recommend them (US Navy) not to return this carrier to its previous location in the Persian Gulf."

"We are not in the habit of repeating the warning and we warn only once," Salehi reiterated, without mentioning the name of the US aircraft carrier.

The aircraft carrier Salehi was referring to was the USS John C. Stennis, one of the US navy's biggest vessels.

Later, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Martin Dempsey acknowledged that Iran is able to close the Strait of Hormoz.

"They've invested in capabilities that could, in fact, for a period of time block the Strait of Hormoz," Dempsey said in an interview aired on the CBS "Face the Nation" program.

Late in November, the Iranian Navy expanded the fleet of its submarines after it received three more Ghadir-class submarines.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference at the time, Iranian Army's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that all parts of the submarines have been designed and manufactured by Iranian experts.

Iranian commanders had earlier said that Ghadir-class submarines boosted the Navy's capability in defending the country's territorial waters.

The submarine has been designed and manufactured according to the geographical and climate conditions and specifications of Iranian waters, according to military experts.

The Iranian military officials said that the submarine can easily evade detection as it is equipped with sonar-evading technology and can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Cire tallafin man fetur Gwamnati ba ta wakiltar al�umma: Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky

Mai karatu wannan wata tattaunawa ce da Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky ya yi da gidan talabijin na jihar Kebbi, Kebbi TV, a lokacin da ya je jihar domin rufe taron Mu�utamar Amm da aka gudanar a garin Birnin Kebbi a ranar Asabar da ta gabata. An yi wannan tattauanawa ce a masaukin da Sayyid ya sauka. A cikin wannan tattaunawar, Sayyid Zakzaky ya fara ne da bayyana dalilan zuwansa Birnin Kebbi. Ya kuma yi tilawar abubuwan da suka faru a lokacin batun shari�ar Zamfara da wasu jihohi a shekarun baya. Haka kuma Sayyid Zakzaky ya yi cikakken bayani game da halin da ake ciki na janye tallafin man fetur, matakin da �yan kungiyar kwadago suka dauka da kuma mafita ga wannan al�amari. Kada dai mu cika ku da surutu, Musa Muhammad Awwal na nan a lokacin wannan tattaunawar, kuma ga cikakkiyar hirar nan kamar yadda ya rubuto mana.

KEBBI TV: Ko za mu san abin da ya kawo Malam zuwa jihar Kebbi?

SAYYID IBRAHEEM: Bismillahir rahmanir rahim. Akwai wani taro da ake ce ma na kara ma juna sani wanda su ba�adin �yan uwa suka shirya a nan Birnin Kabbi na kwana uku, wanda ya fara daga Juma�a ya kare a yau Lahadi. To, ni an gayyace ni ne domin in zo in yi jawabin rufe shi taron. Sai su kuma �yan uwa din suka dauki wannan dama ta zuwa rufe wannan taro din suka shirya wadansu abubuwa, wadanda suka hada har da wa�azi da aka yi ma al�umma gaba daya a jiya da daddare, da kuma wadansu �yan ziyarori da za a yi. Muna iya cewa har da wannan inta-biyu taku. Amma makasudin zuwan shi ne wannan rufe taro din.

KEBBI TV: A shekarun baya �yan siysa sun kaddamar da abin da suke ce ma jaddada shari�a a wasu jihohin kasar nan. Allah gafarta Malam, Shari�ar nan ta amfani wadanda aka yi dominsu?

SAYYID ZAKZAKY: To, na farko dai su �yan siyasa din sun sa siyasa a cikin al�amarin. Maimakon in da ikhlasi suka so yin abin, sai su fadi takamaimai abin da suka so su yi. Da sun ce za a kawo gyara a tsarin shari�a na jiha ta yadda za a kara fadin shari�ar Musuluncin daga tsukakken abin, da kula da abin da ya shafi iyali, da rabon gado da aure, a fadada shi ya zuwa sauran laifuffuka masalan, to da mutane sun fahimci abin kuma cikin sauki. To, amma sai suka fadada abin, suka ce za a zo da shari�ar Musulunci, wato jihar ma gaba daya za ta koma ta shari�a ne.

To, su kuma mutane da suka ji wannan sun dauka yanzu kamar za a koma abin da dama aka gada ne, za a kawar da abin da Bature ya kafa mana kenan. Domin Bature ya zo ya same mu muna nizamin shari�a ne. To sai, mutane suka dauka irin wannan za a koma. Har akwai jaridar da ta rubuta bangajeje a shafinta na farko, ta ce �Islamic State of Zamfara�. Haka wannan wata jarida, TRUST ta rubuta. Wato ita abin da ta fahimta za a koma a yi kasar Musulunci ne da tsari irin na Musulunci. To, a karshe sai ta zamana ba wani abu aka yi ba illa shari�ar da dama akwai ta, tana nan, da kotunan da dama suke nan, su ne aka yi masu �yan kwaskwarima, aka gyaggyara kotuna, aka giggina �yan sababbi, aka dan kwakkwafa albashi na ma�aikata, shi kenan. Ka ga da tun farko�tunda a aikace dai abin da muka ga sun yi kenan, an dan yi kwaskwarima ne. To, da tun farko in ka zo ka ce za ka yi kwaskwarima, ai ba wanda zai tsammaci wani abu.

Kamar yadda nake cewa, in da mutum zai zo ya ce zai gyara gari, ya yi sababbin tituna, ya gyaggyara tsofaffi, ya yi hanyoyin ruwa, ya sa fitillu da sauransu, ya ce za mu gyara gari, ka ga za mu san abin da yake nufi, sai ya ce za mu gina sababbin garuruwa. To sai a karshe kawai muka ga ya dan yi �yan gyare-gyare ne. Ka ga in ka ce za ka gina sabon gari, za mu dauka za ka share wani daji ne ka gina gidaje ka fid da komai da komai, ka ce ga sabon gari na gina ko? To haka suka yi mana. Sai suka ce za su yi shari�a ne, sai mutane na tsammanin abin da za a yi kenan, sai suka karata a gyara. To, da sun ce gyaran za mu yi, to da ma ba za a damu ba. Amma muna tsammanin sun fadi wannan ne domin ya amfane su a siyasance, ya ba su farin jini da suna a siyasance, amma karshe dai abin da suka yi kenan.

KEBBI TV: Allah ya gafarta Malam akwai fitintinu da suka kunno mana kai yanzu a wannan kasa. A taka fahimtar, me kake jin ya kawo wannan abu, kuma ina ne mafita?

SAYYID ZAKZAKY: To, shi nizamin da ke iko, shi yana da muradi, yana amfana da wadannan rigingimun, don haka shi ke haddasawa. Wannan wani abu ne wanda wadanda suka yi karatun sha�anin zaman dan Adam suka sani, kamar wadanda suka karanta sha�anin �Sociology� da ma �Political Science� za su iya sanin cewa galiba nizami yakan kirkiro da fitinu don ya amfana da su. Mun ga wannan a zaben da aka yi baya, shi nizamin ya amfana da rigimar da ta biyo bayan zabe din, kuma shi ya haddasa rigimar. Domin sai aka daina maganar sakamakon zabe, aka koma ana kokari a zauna lafiya. Ka ga ko ka ci zabe ko ba ka ci ba, yanzu dai ka ci, tunda yake yanzu ba maganar zaben ake ba, ana batun a zauna lafiya ne. To, ka ga sun amfana da wannan ta wajen an manta da ba su suka ci zabe ba, amma an danna su. Ban ce ba kowa ne bai ci zabe ba, akwai wadanda suka ci, akwai wadanda ba su ci ba, amma wa ke maganar wadanda ba su ci ba? Duk an ci aka zauna, to ka ga rigima ta amfane su. Shi ne nake cewa sun yi siyasa da jinainan mutane. Amma kar su dauka za su wuce da shi, don sakamakon zai biyo baya a nan (duniya) da can (lahira).

Sannan abu na biyu kuma, ka ga kamar wannan rigimar da suke saka mutane a halin zaman dar-dar da zaman tsoro, yadda ya zama yanzu kowa a tsorace yake, a gida yake ko a waje, ana ta ta da bama-bamai. Kuma yanzu ma sai suka yi ta munana, suna nufatar wuraren ibada na mutane, wato suna neman su haddasa fitina tsakanin addinai daban-daban. Ko da gani nizamin su ne da abinsu. Domin ba za mu iya gane wai a ce akwai wasu mutane wai suna da wata da�awa da wata manufa ko ma mecece manufar tasu, amma ya zama ba a ji maganarsu ba, ba a san su ba, ba a ji komai daga gare su ba, sai kawai a ji bom ya tashi. To wace nasara za su cimma wajen kashe mutanen da ba su ji ba, ba su gani ba? Kuma a ce wadannan mutanen sunansu kawai ake ji, an kala masu wani suna, amma ba za ka iya nuna mani ko mutum daya ba, yana wucewa ka ce ka ga wancan, ai dan Boko haram ne. Ko kuma kana tafiya ka ce ka ga masallacin nan na Boko Haram ne, ko ka ce mani ka ga jaridar Boko Haram, ko ka ga adires din Boko Haram, ko ka ga lambar wayar �yan Boko Haram, ba ko guda, sai kawai bom ke tashi.

To, muna ganin wannan ba wani aiki ba ne illa aikin nizamin da ke iko, musamman ma da ya gayyato Amerika ya ce ya ba shi tsaro. Tunda yake ya sami kwangila mai tsoka wajen ba da tsaro, to dole kuwa ta haddasa wadansu abubuwan da zai nuna tana aiki, saboda haka ita za ta haddasa fitinar ta ce tana magance shi. Har yanzu ban ji wani wanda ya yi tambaya ba, ya dauko baraguzan bom din da ke tashi ya ce wane irin bom ne, a ina aka yi shi? Ana sayar da shi a kasuwa ne, ko kuwa irin na soja ne? Ba wanda ya tambaya, sai kawai a ce wai wani abu wai shi Boko Haram ne ya yi. Su ne suke sa wa. Na karanta a intanet wani Ba�amerike ya rubuta yake cewa bama-baman da suke tashi, wadanda aka gayyato su yi maganin abin, su suka yi bom din. Wannan Ba�amerike ke fadi. Su suke sa wa, kuma su ba da tsaro. Kuma wannan ba bakon abu bane, sun yi a wasu wurare, sun yi a Irak, sun yi a Afghanistan da Pakistan da kasashe daban-daban. Sun je da manufar mamaye kasar da dibar dukiyar da rarraba su. To, kuma suna da wannan manufar a Nijeriya, na cewa suna so su zo su mamaye wannan kasar, za su zo ne da sunan kawo zaman lafiya, sai su mamaye, su dibi dukiya su raba kasa din, suna da niyyar raba kasar. Sai dai rabuwar, a nasu tunanin sun dauka Nijeriya ta rabu zuwa Kudu da Arewa ne, Arewa Musulmi, Kudu Kirista, haka suka dauka, kuma za su raba ta biyu ne. KEBBI TV: A karshe, akwai batun janye tallafin man fetur da gwamnati ta yi, kuma da shiga yajin aiki da kungiyar kwadago ta yi. A matsayinka na masani, me za ka ce, kuma menene mafita?

SAYYID ZAKZAKY: To, ko ba komai wannan ya nuna maka yanzu muna da gwamnati, wadda ba mu take wakilta ba, ba mu take ma aiki ba, ba ta ma damu da mu ba, domin suna janye tallafin, sai ga gwamnatin Amerika ta taya su murna, to ka ga ita ta sa su kenan. Banda haka ba ya za a yi a ce gwamnatin al�umma ta mutane ta kuntata masu, ta dadada ma wani na waje? Ka ga yanzu wani al�amari ne da ya nuna cewa hukumomin na wasu ne, su suka sa su, kuma suna masu aiki, ba al�umma ta dame su ba. Domin wanda duk ya dage tallafin mai, ba masoyin kasarsa bane, makiyinsu ne, domin in mai ya yi tsada komai zai yi tsada, komai na rayuwar mutane. Kuma a karshe talaka ne zai ci muguwar wahala.

Abin yi, ya kamata al�umma su san cewa wannan ba wani abu ne wanda za su zura ido su ce wata ko kungiyar kwadago za ta yi ba, gaba dayan al�umma ne ya kamata su ce in dai don mu ne ake (cire tallafin), to mu ba mu bukata. Suna kawo hujjar cewa wai kudi za su samu su yi wasu ayyuka, to in da gaske ne suna son yin ayyukan ne, sai a ga sun nemi wadansu dibarori na yin ayyuka, ba dibarar kuntata ma mutane ba. Kamar mutum yana fama da rashin lafiya za ka ba shi magani, ko kuma yana fama da yunwa, za ka ba shi abinci, sai kuma ka ce amma za ka yi hakuri sai na kwakule maka ido kafin in ba ka tuwo, an ba ka tuwo ka ci kuma an cire maka ido, ko hakori. Ai kamata ya yi ya san dibarar da zai yi ya ba ka lafiya ya ba ka abin ci, ba ya zo ya cutar da kai ta wani bangare ya ce ya kyautata maka ta wani bangare ba. Kamata ya yi in da da gaske ne suna so su taimaki al�umma ne, su yi tunanin yadda za su taimaki al�umma din ba yadda za su kuntata masu ba. Amma yanzu fi�ilan sun kuntata ma mutane ne. To, kuma al�umma ne ya kamata su fahimci wannan, kar su saki abin ga kungiyar kwadago kawai, don kungiyar kwadagon ma, mu ba amince masu muka yi ba, ana nan ana iya sayen manyansu, sai daga baya su ce sun yi sassauci, sun janye, shi kenan zance ya kare, bayan abu ya zo. Ya kamata al�umma ne su ce su dai kam in dai su ake yi ma, to ba su bukatar dauke tallafin.

KEBBI TV: Akramakallah mun gode.

SAYYID ZAKZAKY: To, masha Allah.

SCANDAL: Israeli agents posed as CIA to recruit Iranian terrorists

The buddy-buddy relationship between American and Israel could falter as it is revealed that Mossad intelligence officers posed as CIA agents in order to recruit and train Iranian terrorists, all unbeknown to US authorities.
American intelligence officials have come clean with details surrounding Israel’s attempt to infiltrate the network of the Iranian terrorist group Jundallah. According to internal memos just released, Washington was initially unaware that agents working for Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, were recruiting Iranian terrorists under the guise that they would be hired and trained by the CIA.
The memos that reveal the CIA’s then discovery of the program come from the last year of the George W Bush administration, and it is unsure if such campaigns still exist overseas today. What is known, however, is that Mossad — who is largely funded by the CIA and typically works hand-in-hand with their American counterpart — did not approach American officials for authorization in fronting as US agents in their attempt to infiltrate Jundallah.
"It's amazing what the Israelis thought they could get away with," an intelligence officer speaking on condition of anonymity tells Foreign Policy’s Mark Perry. "Their recruitment activities were nearly in the open. They apparently didn't give a damn what we thought."
The account has been confirmed to Foreign Policy by four retired intelligence officers who have either worked with the CIA or in conjunction with Mossad.
The attempt to enter the ranks of Jundallah is arguably warranted for the Israelis, but doing so by training terrorists under the supposed name of America — and then sending them off to kill in the name of America — could largely worsen what relationship, if any, exists between Tehran and Washington. Since its inception in 2003, the Jundallah army has been linked to the massacre of at least 150 Iranians and injuring many more. While American officials have distanced themselves to a degree from hostilities in Iran, specifically shrugging off any allegations that the US has ties to the recent assassination of an Iranian scientist, the reality of this discovery is that Mossad might very well be training Iranian terrorists and then sending them back out into the world with the impression that they are new CIA recruits. If captured during a botched intelligence mission for Mossad, those phony CIA agents could be forced into revealing their “true” identity — with only Israel really aware of the operation.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta denied claims that America was linked to the execution of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, the 32-year-old nuclear scientist, saying, “We have some ideas as to who might be involved…. but I can tell you one thing: The United States was not involved in that kind of effort. That's not what the United States does." Speaking for the Israeli Army, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai wrote on Facebook, "I have no idea who targeted the Iranian scientist but I certainly don't shed a tear."
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pinned the blame on both Israel and America, however, and told the state’s IRNA news agency, "We will continue our path with strong will … and certainly we will not neglect punishing those responsible for this act.”

Friday, January 13, 2012

THE REPORT GOVERNMENT DON'T WANT NIGERIAN TO SEE:

Source: PREMIUM TIMES

Since we published our exclusive story on the monumental fraud at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation this morning, concerned Nigerians, and our readers from all over the world have called our editors and reporters requesting us to release the full report in the public and national interest.

Our readers are kings, and we are only here for them. We are hereby acceding to their request

Read our initial story below

The damning KPMG report FG, NNPC do not want Nigerians to see!

On Thursday December 1, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, cringed when the senate joint committee investigating the management of funds set aside for petroleum subsidy handed her a seven-day ultimatum to produce a secret forensic report on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in her custody.

The audit, done for her ministry by renowned audit and advisory consultancy, KPMG, which exposed the massive financial malfeasance and monumental corruption in the NNPC, is one document the federal government, the petroleum ministry and the NNPC have worked hard to conceal for a little over a year now.

The report, which could trigger a fierce face-off between the federal and state governments, is one of the most closely guarded secrets in Nigeria today. It contains shocking details of how the NNPC, and by implication, the federal government has been swindling the states.

So when the committee requested Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to produce it, she became a bit uneasy, knowing that doing so might embarrass the administration and sparked some troubles for the NNPC, a source close to her told the Times. Initially the minister didn’t make any commitment, but when pressed by committee members, she reluctantly acceded to the request.

It is not known at press time whether she has sent the document to the committee. Contacted yesterday, her spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, said he had no information on the matter. Calls to the chairman of the senate joint committee, Magnus Abe (PDP, Rivers), were unanswered. But as at noon today, long after the ultimatum given to Mrs. Okonjo-iweala expired, a source close to the committee said the minister was yet to make the report available. He said there was high-powered lobby by the NNPC not to make the document public.

The damning report

But the Times has scooped the report for you in case the minister fails to produce it or does so to the committee in camera.

As far as the 41-page report is concerned, the NNPC is a cesspool of monumental corruption and fraud. The report detailed the corporation’s sharp business practices, violation of laid down rules and regulations, illegal deductions of funds belonging to the state, and failure to account for several billions of naira that should go to the federation account.

The agency, the report says, has also severely defrauded our country in subsidy claims. Auditors found that between 2007 and 2009 alone, the NNPC over-deducted funds in subsidy claims to the tune of N28.5bn. It has not been able to account for the sum ever since.

The over-deduction from its remittance to the federation account for 2010 and 2011, believed to be in several billions of naira, is not captured in the report.

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Finance, hired KPMG and another Nigerian auditing firm, S.S. Afemikhe & Co., in July 2010, to look into the books of the corporation following allegations of “wrongful deductions at source by the NNPC to fund its operations” by the 36 state governors.

There were also concerns at the time that “the procedures for managing and reporting the country’s crude oil and gas revenues are opaque and characterized by gaps, overlaps and inconsistencies in the role of key parties responsible for the assessment, collection and reporting on these revenue streams.”

Officials of the petroleum ministry and the NNPC, a source at the finance ministry disclosed, developed cold feet after the auditors were sent in, and indeed tried hard to frustrate the representatives of the two audit firms by failing to supply evaluation criteria for commercial bids submitted in respect of petroleum products importation.

Believing that would turn the auditors away, our source further explained, the corporation also failed to provide them with other relevant documents such as the criteria for allocation of products and product volumes to importers/suppliers and periodic prequalification list of approved products importers/suppliers.

But in spite of the difficulty they faced, the auditors were able to determine that the NNPC had been anything but transparent in the management of our country’s oil resources.

The report that emerged from the audit was just too damning that the leadership of the petroleum ministry, the NNPC and some few other elements in the Federal Government have worked hard to keep it away from the 36 state governors and federal lawmakers in particular and Nigerians in general.

Stealing the states blind

In what is likely to anger state governors, the audit established that the corporation was in the habit of arbitrarily estimating subsidy claims and then over-deducting funds from proceeds of domestic crude sales.

“For example,” the report said, N25bn was deducted as subsidy estimate for September 2009 from domestic crude sales proceeds while PPPRA approved a subsidy of N23.8bn. N35bn was also deducted as subsidy estimate fro November 2009 but PPPRA approved of N21.3bn.”

The auditors’ analysis indicates “over-deduction for these two months amounted to N14.9bn. However, only N4.2.bn was swept into the Federation Account by the NNPC as adjustment for subsidy claimable in the two months.” That is beside the N11.8bn subsidy claim the NNPC claimed it paid for imported products that didn’t reach consumers.

State governors have always complained that the NNPC was shortchanging them through illegal deductions from revenues payable to the federation account.

Fraudulent underhand tactics

Over-deduction is however not the only way the corporation is defrauding the federal and state governments. According to laid down regulations, the NNPC is invoiced in dollars for domestic crude allocations but is expected to remit the equivalent naira value to the Federation Account. But auditors found to their chagrin that in doing that, the corporation used exchange rates far lower than those published by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Using this “fraudulent underhand tactics”, the NNPC succeeded in cheating the three levels of government of a whooping N85.2bn in three years – N25.7bn in 2007, N33.8bn in 2008 and N26.7bn in 2009.

When the auditors requested explanations for these exchange rate disparities, the NNPC claimed it obtained the exchange rates it used from the CBN via telephone.

The report also severely indicted the NNPC over the shoddy and non-transparent manner it renews crude sale contracts every year. The auditors noted that “evaluation criteria for renewal of contracts are not clearly stated in the contract document”, and that the selection exercises were based on individual discretion and wrong assumptions and criteria.”

The NNPC claims that renewal of contract was based on performance of off-takers (buyers). But the auditors observed that the basis and process for determining performance were not clearly defined.

The auditors wondered why in 2007 and 2008, some companies not on the approved list of buyers for that year were allocated crude, a practice the examiners believe had led to crude being sold to non-credible buyers, even with relevant guarantees and safeguards not implemented.

Specifically the auditors queried the allocation of crude to Ovlas Trading (2, 852,316 barrels in 2007 and 906, 269 barrels in 2008) Petrojam (2,818,914 in 2007), Oil Fields (950,166 barrels in 2007) and Zenon (906,000 barrels in 2008) even when they were not on the list of authorized buyers for that year.

Contracts for the importation of products, the auditors wrote, were also routinely awarded without regard for approved guidelines and procedures. “We observed that contracts for the importation of petroleum products were awarded to companies and suppliers not listed in the approved prequalification list used for the fourth quarter 2008 importation,” the report noted.

The auditors specifically queried the award of contracts in that manner to Astana Oil Corporation Limited, Natural Energy and Oando, when they were not prequalified for patronage that year.

Among other forms of misdemeanour, ranging from poor accounting to shoddy record keeping, the auditors also indicted the corporation for leaving its own storage facilities, unused, and then proceeding to incur additional cost from leasing of third party storage facilities.

The auditors reported that DPK tanks (with storage capacity of 18,000 cubic metres) at the PPMC depots within the Mosimi Area had not been used for three years even though there were in good condition. Yet the corporation, the examiners added, had been leasing storage facilities from third parties.

The spokesperson of the NNPC, Levi Ajuonuma, declined to comment on the report, saying he had nothing to say until the government releases it officially.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Saudia Father Auction his son on facebook

A Saudi man is trying to sell his son on Facebook for around $20million to avoid 'living in poverty' after his illegal business was shut down.

Saud bin Nasser Al Shahry claims trafficking his son is the only option to continue providing for his wife and daughter.

He says he is willing to go to court to complete the sale, the only condition of which is to know which city the buyer lives in.

Saud bin Nasser Al Shahry is seeking that amount - or 73 million UAE Dirhams - in exchange for his son because a local court recently shuttered his illegal debt-collection business, VentureBeat.com reports, citing a report by Al Sharq, a news outlet based in Qatar.

Al Shahry reportedly resorted to child trafficking so that he, his wife and daughter could avoid "living in poverty". His only stipulation, according to reports, is that he knows the city in which the buyer resides.

The sale of children is illegal in Saudi Arabia, but the Saudi government does little to stop it, according to the US Department of State. It has been designated as a Tier 3 country for human trafficking, indicating that the government doesn't meet minimum international standards of human trafficking or seek to uphold them.

Al Shahry is now ready to go to court to complete the "sale procedures," Al Sharq reports.

Russia Today, however, suggests the sale is merely a public stunt aimed to attract a rich investor to save Al Shahry from his financial troubles.

WESTERN BACKED TERRORIST KILL ANOTHER IRAN NUCLEAR SCIENTIST

Nuclear Scientist Killed in Terrorist Blast in Tehran
TEHRAN (FNA)- An Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist was killed in a terrorist bomb blast in a Northern neighborhood in Tehran on Wednesday morning.

The magnetic bomb which was planted by an unknown motorcyclist under the car of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a professor at Tehran's technical university, also wounded two other Iranian nationals in Seyed Khandan neighborhood in Northern Tehran.

Ahmadi Roshan, 32, was a graduate of oil industry university and supervised a department at Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan province.

No more details have been revealed about the blast.

The blast took place on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Majid Shahriari, a well-known Iranian nuclear scientist on January 11, 2010.

The today bombing method was similar to the 2010 terrorist bomb attacks against the then university professor, Fereidoun Abbassi Davani - who is now the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization - and his colleague Majid Shahriari who were assassinated in separate terrorist bomb attacks here in Tehran with the latter killed immediately after the blast.

Another Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, was also assassinated in a terrorist bomb attack in Tehran in January 2010.