The Federal Government has threatened that it would suspend indefinitely any airline, whether foreign or local, that flouts the maximum security situation introduced after the failed attempt of a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to blow up the Northwest Airline Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan on Christmas day.
The warning came as the Nigerian government ordered a 100 per cent screening of passengers at the airports, especially those on international destinations.
This was part of the decision reached at an emergency security meeting held yesterday at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) headquarters, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The meeting attended by all the 24 foreign airlines operating in the country, except Egypt Air, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, and all government agencies, including security operatives and ground handling companies, lasted many hours. Although, no official statement was issued at the end of the meeting, THISDAY learnt that government has insisted that every airline, no matter the situation, must abide by the 100 per cent screening of passengers.
Beefing up of security at the airports became necessary when it was learnt that the suspect passed through Nigeria with the substance suspected to be a bomb without being detected by the security operatives .
Although operators believe that 100 per cent screening of passengers would cause a lot of delays, inside source from one of the aviation agencies noted that such sacrifice is worth it because “the ultimate is the safety and security of passengers and other airport users.”
A senior security official had told THISDAY earlier that all the security agencies at the airports in the country, especially the international airports, had stepped up all security measures by 100 per cent.
Also the Federal Government has threatened to severely punish any security official at the airport or any aviation agency workers who flouts the strict security measures that have been introduced at the airports.
Abdulmutallab was said to have passed through the airport screening machines like any other passenger during the out-bound journey from Nigeria to Amsterdam on December 24 and that according to close circuit television (CCTV) footage at the screening section of the airport, “the suspect followed the instruction, just like other passengers and passed through the screening machine.”
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Nigerian First Ladies of Blessed Memory
Mrs Maryam Babangida was arguably the most popular first lady this country has had in its 49 years of existence as an independent country. It is not surprising therefore that news of her death was received with so much anguish and sadness. But Mrs Babangida is not the first “First Lady” (former or incumbent) to have died in Nigeria’s chequered history. There were others before her.
Stella Obasanjo
The news of her death in the early hours of Sunday, October 23, 2005 was received with shock and disbelief. She had travelled to Spain on a private visit for what was described as a simple cosmetic surgical procedure. Unfortunately, there were unexpected complications and the First Lady literally died on the operating table. She died a month to her 60th birthday. From a privileged background, late Mrs Obasanjo was born on November 14, 1945 into the family of Chief Christopher Abebe. She married General Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978 and became Nigeria’s First Lady in 1999 following Obasanjo’s election as the country’s President. She is mostly remembered for her elegant dress sense and pet project, the Child Care Trust, which she established for the care of the underprivileged and disabled children.
Safinatu Buhari
As Nigeria’s First Lady for the 20 months or so that her husband presided over the affairs of the nation as military head of state, Safinatu Buhari remained almost entirely in the background. But the few times she made brief public appearances and attended official functions, she came across as a shy but likeable woman. Her husband, General Muhammadu Buhari, was overthrown on August 27, 1985 in a palace coup and he was detained for nearly four years. His marriage to Safinatu seemed to suffer greatly as a result and when he was eventually released, the couple divorced. After the divorce, Safinatu chose a quiet life in the family house at Inuwa Wada Road, Ungwar Rimi in Kaduna. It was in this house that she took ill and breathed her last on January 15, 2006. She was 53.
Hajia Zainab Abubakar
She was the first of late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s wives and was therefore the First Lady in more than just the political sense. Between 1960 and 1966, Tafawa Balewa ruled Nigeria as the Prime Minister. And in that capacity, he was the chief executive officer of the country. This in turn, made Hajia Zainab the country’s First Lady. In those days however, prominence was not given to the role and Hajia spent what would have been her tenure completely in the background. After her husband was executed in the bloody coup of 1966, she retired to Bauchi with the rest of the family and lived an almost completely anonymous life. Very little was heard of her until Saturday, December 17, 2009 when the Tafawa Balewa family announced her passing away. She died after a protracted illness. She was 97.
Stella Obasanjo
The news of her death in the early hours of Sunday, October 23, 2005 was received with shock and disbelief. She had travelled to Spain on a private visit for what was described as a simple cosmetic surgical procedure. Unfortunately, there were unexpected complications and the First Lady literally died on the operating table. She died a month to her 60th birthday. From a privileged background, late Mrs Obasanjo was born on November 14, 1945 into the family of Chief Christopher Abebe. She married General Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978 and became Nigeria’s First Lady in 1999 following Obasanjo’s election as the country’s President. She is mostly remembered for her elegant dress sense and pet project, the Child Care Trust, which she established for the care of the underprivileged and disabled children.
Safinatu Buhari
As Nigeria’s First Lady for the 20 months or so that her husband presided over the affairs of the nation as military head of state, Safinatu Buhari remained almost entirely in the background. But the few times she made brief public appearances and attended official functions, she came across as a shy but likeable woman. Her husband, General Muhammadu Buhari, was overthrown on August 27, 1985 in a palace coup and he was detained for nearly four years. His marriage to Safinatu seemed to suffer greatly as a result and when he was eventually released, the couple divorced. After the divorce, Safinatu chose a quiet life in the family house at Inuwa Wada Road, Ungwar Rimi in Kaduna. It was in this house that she took ill and breathed her last on January 15, 2006. She was 53.
Hajia Zainab Abubakar
She was the first of late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s wives and was therefore the First Lady in more than just the political sense. Between 1960 and 1966, Tafawa Balewa ruled Nigeria as the Prime Minister. And in that capacity, he was the chief executive officer of the country. This in turn, made Hajia Zainab the country’s First Lady. In those days however, prominence was not given to the role and Hajia spent what would have been her tenure completely in the background. After her husband was executed in the bloody coup of 1966, she retired to Bauchi with the rest of the family and lived an almost completely anonymous life. Very little was heard of her until Saturday, December 17, 2009 when the Tafawa Balewa family announced her passing away. She died after a protracted illness. She was 97.
At Last, Yar’Adua Signs 2009 Supplementary Budget
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday said that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has signed the N353.60 billion 2009 Supplementary budget into law. THISDAY had exclusively reported yesterday that the President would assent to the bill in Saudi Arabia. The President is currently recuperating from a heart condition at the King Faisal Specialist and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The signing of the budget has prevented a veto override (as prescribed in Section 59(4) of the 1999 Constitution) that would have taken place if the document was not signed within 30 days of transmission to him for assent. The House of Represen-tatives had passed the Supple-mentary Appropriation bill on November 18 while the Senate concurred on November 24. Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Prince Oluyemi Ogunyomi, had transmitted a clean copy of the bill to the Presidency on November 29. But amid the confusion over the budget, December 8 and 10 were bandied around as the transmission dates of the clean copy of the budget.
If the budget had not been signed within 30 days from the date of its transmission to the Presidency for his assent, the National Assembly would have passed the document into law through two-thirds of both chambers in a joint meeting. The budget has become law and extended the capital portion of the N3.1 trillion 2009 main budget as well as the recurrent and capital expenditures of the 2009 Supplementary budget until March 2010, pending the consideration and passage of the N4.079 trillion 2010 budget. Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu, told THISDAY that “the President has signed the budget,” adding, “his Principal Secretary, Mr. David Edevbie, is on his way back to Abuja.
” Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, in a chat with THISDAY yesterday night stated: “What other way is the Senate to relate with this development except to say that we have beaten the deadline and the president has signed the budget into law.” Eze added, “We now wait for the implementation of the Supplementary budget.” President Yar’Adua has been out of the country for more than 30 days because of poor health. He is currently receiving treatment for acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane around the heart.
His absence has generated a lot of controversy with questions being asked why he did not write a letter to the National Assembly before proceeding on medical vacation. The letter would have allowed the Vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, to take over as acting president. The failure to follow the constitution on the issue of handover has resulted in a situation where the Supplementary budget had to be flown to a foreign land for the President’s signature. Yar’Adua has been unable to write the letter to the National Assembly. But the Senate now claims the same president has signed the supplementary budget.
The signing of the budget has prevented a veto override (as prescribed in Section 59(4) of the 1999 Constitution) that would have taken place if the document was not signed within 30 days of transmission to him for assent. The House of Represen-tatives had passed the Supple-mentary Appropriation bill on November 18 while the Senate concurred on November 24. Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Prince Oluyemi Ogunyomi, had transmitted a clean copy of the bill to the Presidency on November 29. But amid the confusion over the budget, December 8 and 10 were bandied around as the transmission dates of the clean copy of the budget.
If the budget had not been signed within 30 days from the date of its transmission to the Presidency for his assent, the National Assembly would have passed the document into law through two-thirds of both chambers in a joint meeting. The budget has become law and extended the capital portion of the N3.1 trillion 2009 main budget as well as the recurrent and capital expenditures of the 2009 Supplementary budget until March 2010, pending the consideration and passage of the N4.079 trillion 2010 budget. Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu, told THISDAY that “the President has signed the budget,” adding, “his Principal Secretary, Mr. David Edevbie, is on his way back to Abuja.
” Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, in a chat with THISDAY yesterday night stated: “What other way is the Senate to relate with this development except to say that we have beaten the deadline and the president has signed the budget into law.” Eze added, “We now wait for the implementation of the Supplementary budget.” President Yar’Adua has been out of the country for more than 30 days because of poor health. He is currently receiving treatment for acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane around the heart.
His absence has generated a lot of controversy with questions being asked why he did not write a letter to the National Assembly before proceeding on medical vacation. The letter would have allowed the Vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, to take over as acting president. The failure to follow the constitution on the issue of handover has resulted in a situation where the Supplementary budget had to be flown to a foreign land for the President’s signature. Yar’Adua has been unable to write the letter to the National Assembly. But the Senate now claims the same president has signed the supplementary budget.
Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility
•US admits security failure
Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the failed bomb attack by 23-year old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab last Friday, saying it was in retaliation for alleged United States strike on Yemeni soil. Also, the US government has admitted that security lapses on its part resulted in the failed terrorist plot. Besides, the family of Abdulmutallab who is currently awaiting trial in the US has pledged to co-operate fully with local and international security agencies.
Abdulmutallab had weekend told security officials in the US that he was acting on instruction from Al-qaeda. And for the first time yesterday, the organization claimed responsibility. US Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano issued a statement saying the system failed on this particular incident to detect the terror suspect. Her admission is coming after she came under heavy attack from top Republicans who faulted an earlier assertion from her that the American system is working. “Our system did not work in this instance. No one is happy or satisfied with that. An extensive review is under way,” said Napolitano in a fresh statement issued Monday. The lawmakers had raised questions on why Abdulmutallab was allowed to fly or was not subjected to more scrutiny upon boarding his flight to Detroit despite his name being on a watch list. Rep.
Peter King of New York, a top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee stated: "It's not reassuring when the secretary of Homeland Security says the system worked. It failed in every respect." The British Home Secretary, Alan Johnson also faced criticism after suggesting such information should have been passed to the US but it is not routine for that to happen if someone is turned down on immigration issues rather than because of suspected links to terrorism. Johnson also said he did not believe that Mutallab was acting alone and that police and security services were examining whether he was radicalised while at University College London (UCL) between 2005 and 2008. US President Barack Obama has spoken for the first time since the alleged bombing attempt calling on Americans to be vigilant but confident. "We will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable,’’ he said from his Hawaii, where he is on holiday.
"This was a serious reminder of the dangers that we face and the nature of those who threaten our homeland." He has ordered a fresh review of screening processes to discover whether the authorities should have taken more heed of warnings about the threat the suspect posed. He also ordered investigation into how travelers are placed on watch lists and how passengers are screened. He said security screening had been increased and federal air marshalls had been deployed on all flights into and out of the US. US Federal authorities met yesterday to reassess the nation's system of terror watch lists to determine how to avoid the type of lapse that allowed a man with explosives to board a flight to the US even though he was on a watch list. Meanwhile, the Mutallab family would co-operate with security officials at home in Nigeria and abroad, according to a statement issued yesterday. “The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigation.
“We, along with the whole world, are thankful to Al-Mighty God that there were no lives lost in the incident. May God continue to protect us all, amen,” part of the statement read. The family went on to explain what had transpired in the past couple of months. “Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home. “We provided them with all the information required of us to enable them do this.
We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day. “The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents, reported it and sought help.” Reports say Farouk told his parents that he wanted to enroll in a summer course to learn Arabic in Yemen, which was approved by his father. His family was however alarmed when he announced his decision to stay on in that country and abandon his postgraduate course at Dubai University. He subsequently severed contact with his family.
Attempts to re-connect with him failed until the shocking news of his attempt to blow up a Northwest Delta Detroit-bound Airline on Christmas day. He boarded a KLM flight from Lagos to Amsterdam from where he changed to the Delta flight. Abdulmutallab had a multiple-entry visa to the US and had been added to a watch list of 550,000 potential terrorist threats after the information provided by his father was forwarded to the National Counter-Terrorism Center. He has been formally charged in the US. His hearing will take place on January 8, 2010.
Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the failed bomb attack by 23-year old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab last Friday, saying it was in retaliation for alleged United States strike on Yemeni soil. Also, the US government has admitted that security lapses on its part resulted in the failed terrorist plot. Besides, the family of Abdulmutallab who is currently awaiting trial in the US has pledged to co-operate fully with local and international security agencies.
Abdulmutallab had weekend told security officials in the US that he was acting on instruction from Al-qaeda. And for the first time yesterday, the organization claimed responsibility. US Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano issued a statement saying the system failed on this particular incident to detect the terror suspect. Her admission is coming after she came under heavy attack from top Republicans who faulted an earlier assertion from her that the American system is working. “Our system did not work in this instance. No one is happy or satisfied with that. An extensive review is under way,” said Napolitano in a fresh statement issued Monday. The lawmakers had raised questions on why Abdulmutallab was allowed to fly or was not subjected to more scrutiny upon boarding his flight to Detroit despite his name being on a watch list. Rep.
Peter King of New York, a top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee stated: "It's not reassuring when the secretary of Homeland Security says the system worked. It failed in every respect." The British Home Secretary, Alan Johnson also faced criticism after suggesting such information should have been passed to the US but it is not routine for that to happen if someone is turned down on immigration issues rather than because of suspected links to terrorism. Johnson also said he did not believe that Mutallab was acting alone and that police and security services were examining whether he was radicalised while at University College London (UCL) between 2005 and 2008. US President Barack Obama has spoken for the first time since the alleged bombing attempt calling on Americans to be vigilant but confident. "We will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable,’’ he said from his Hawaii, where he is on holiday.
"This was a serious reminder of the dangers that we face and the nature of those who threaten our homeland." He has ordered a fresh review of screening processes to discover whether the authorities should have taken more heed of warnings about the threat the suspect posed. He also ordered investigation into how travelers are placed on watch lists and how passengers are screened. He said security screening had been increased and federal air marshalls had been deployed on all flights into and out of the US. US Federal authorities met yesterday to reassess the nation's system of terror watch lists to determine how to avoid the type of lapse that allowed a man with explosives to board a flight to the US even though he was on a watch list. Meanwhile, the Mutallab family would co-operate with security officials at home in Nigeria and abroad, according to a statement issued yesterday. “The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigation.
“We, along with the whole world, are thankful to Al-Mighty God that there were no lives lost in the incident. May God continue to protect us all, amen,” part of the statement read. The family went on to explain what had transpired in the past couple of months. “Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home. “We provided them with all the information required of us to enable them do this.
We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day. “The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents, reported it and sought help.” Reports say Farouk told his parents that he wanted to enroll in a summer course to learn Arabic in Yemen, which was approved by his father. His family was however alarmed when he announced his decision to stay on in that country and abandon his postgraduate course at Dubai University. He subsequently severed contact with his family.
Attempts to re-connect with him failed until the shocking news of his attempt to blow up a Northwest Delta Detroit-bound Airline on Christmas day. He boarded a KLM flight from Lagos to Amsterdam from where he changed to the Delta flight. Abdulmutallab had a multiple-entry visa to the US and had been added to a watch list of 550,000 potential terrorist threats after the information provided by his father was forwarded to the National Counter-Terrorism Center. He has been formally charged in the US. His hearing will take place on January 8, 2010.
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