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Norway regrets selling warships to ex-Niger Delta militant, Tompolo

Norwegian Defence Chief, Haakon Bruun-Hansen, an admiral, has apologised to the country’s lawmakers for the sale of a fleet of a decommissioned naval battleships and combats boats to a former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.

Mr. Ekpemupolo was the leader of one of the several militias in the Niger Delta region that led a devastating campaign of violence against the Nigerian state for several years until he was awarded a multi-billion pipeline protection contract by the out-going Goodluck Jonathan administration as part of an amnesty deal with ex-combatants.

After giving up fighting, surrendering his arms, and leading his men to hand over their weapons, Tompolo in 2012 received at least six decommissioned Norwegian battleships, a Norwegian newspaper, Daglabet, found in December.

Among them were six fast-speed Hauk-class guided missile boats, now re-armed with new weapons.

The most recent hardware was the KNM Horten, a fast-attack craft allegedly used for anti-piracy patrol in the Nigerian waters.

Daglabet reported that the sale was implemented through a shell maritime Security Company based in the United Kingdom, CAS Global.

CAS Global was used to evade a requirement by Norway that arms dealers obtain export license from their country’s foreign affairs ministry, the report adds.

Mr. Ekpemupolo runs Global West Vessel Service, which handles maritime security issues for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

After the deal became public in December, the Director General of NIMASA, Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, claimed the vessels were purchased as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy. He said the Navy has rearmed the vessels to enable it effectively carried out its anti-piracy patrol.

“As an arm of the government responsible for maritime safety, security and regulations amongst others, we work in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant security agencies to use their men and arms to patrol and provide safety of the country’s water ways, as mandated by the global body, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

“It is the Navy that has fitted their guns on the vessels to aid their policing of the maritime domain,” he said.

The Norwegian government also, at the time, defended the transaction, according to Daglabet newspaper, saying the export “followed correct procedure and terms of export to Great Britain. The re-export from Great Britain to Nigeria is a question to be handled solely by British export control authorities”.

But the report that Norway sold such military hardware to an individual with a history of violence angered the country’s lawmakers and triggered an investigation leading to the arrest of three Norwegian civil servants, now being charged for corruption.

Speaking during a parliamentary disciplinary committee enquiry into the sale of the battleships this week, the defence chief, Mr. Bruun-Hansen, admitted that military officials did not do proper due diligence before selling the decommissioned ships.

“The fact that the vessels have landed in Nigeria under Nigerian flag reflects a breakdown in our systems, and I apologize for that,” Mr. Bruun-Hansen said during Thursday’s hearing.

Mr. Bruun-Hansen was not the Chief of Defence at the time when the battle ship were sold to CAS Global.

News bureau NTB reported that Mr. Bruun-Hansen’s predecessor, Harald Sunde, who was in-charge when the deal was struck, also apologised saying he was disappointed over all the mistakes made.

He however blamed the breakdown of due diligence in the sale of the vessel to a reorganisation at the defence department’s logistics organization (FLO), at the time the sales was made.

Also speaking during the hearing, Norwegian Foreign Minister, Børge Brende, said a lot about the sale and export of the vessels are still not known and the state prosecutor has been ordered to seek possible criminal violations.

Dagbladet, which uncovered the shady deal, reported that a simple google search would have revealed that CAS Global only had a post office address, yet the military went ahead and allowed Nigerian representatives of the firm, probably handpicked by Mr. Ekpemupolo, to inspect the vessels before they were sold.

“Does this mean that anybody can buy these boats, as long as they sign a declaration?” asked an irate Member of Parliament, Erik Skutle. “Even terrorists? How on earth could this happen?” he added.

During the hearing, Petter Jansen, the head of FLO also tried unsuccessfully to answer questions about another revelation by Dagbladet that Norwegian military had another former Norwegian Coast Guard vessel, the KV Titran, through a South African brokerage company, Nautic Africa, which in turn sold the vessel to an unnamed Nigerian company.

Mr. Jansen admitted that that transaction didn’t also follow due diligence.

Fashion University named after president Jonathan

The World Fashion Organisation (WFO) has named the proposed World Fashion University which is to be sited in Bayelsa State after President Goodluck Jonathan.

A statement signed on Sunday by Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor Seriake Dickson, said WFO took

the decision in recognition of Jonathan’s achievements despite security

challenges.

The organisation was said to have announced the development at the

closing ceremony and Gala Night of the Africa Fashion Reception, held at

the Banquet Hall of Government House in Yenagoa.

According to the statement, the Goodluck Jonathan World Fashion

University will be equipped with a research centre, amphitheatre, faculty

of social sciences, conference centre, textile plant building and sports

complex, among other facilities.

President Jonathan who was represented at the event by the Minister of

Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, expressed

gratitude for the honour.

He noted that, Africa has produced notable designers in the creative

industry and must be given its pride of place in the world.

He said the industry contributes 40 per cent of the Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) across the continent.

Jonathan sacks Education minister, Eight others

President Goodluck Jonathan this morning fired nine ministers from his cabinet. Among the ministers relieved of their duties are Education Minister, Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufai and Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru.Others shown the way out are Ministers of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman; Land and Urban Development, Ama Pepple; Environment, Hadiza Mailafia; Science and Technology, Ita Ewa; Defence (State), Olusola Obada; Power (State), Zainab Kuchi; and Agriculture (State), Tijani Bukar.

The sack of the ministers was announced by the Minister for Environment, Mailafia while speaking to state house correspondents after the federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock villa today

Scores escape death in LAGBUS crash

Some LAGBUS

| credits: File copy

Scores of people escaped death in Lagos State when a LAGBUS with number plate, XU 998 AAA, rammed into four stationary vehicles.

The incident was said to have occurred under the Carter Bridge at the Ebute-Ero area.

The LAGBUS was said to have been headed for Leventis, Lagos Island.

 Eyewitnesses told our correspondent on Thursday that the bus, which was filled to capacity with some passengers standing, was on top speed before suddenly skidding off the road due to brake failure. A bystander, identified as Francis, was allegedly hit in the process.

It was said that the impact threw Francis under one of the cars parked by the road. The driver of the LAGBUS eventually crashed into four stationary vehicles as he struggled to control the vehicle.

A bystander who identified himself as Momoh said, “We were standing by our car at the Carter Bridge when a LAGBUS lost control and skidded off the road.

“The driver tried to control the bus but it rammed into the pavement and hit a man who was walking along the road at the time. It seemed the man was walking towards his car that he had parked under the bridge.”

As of press time, Francis who was rushed to the Island General Hospital, was said to be in critical condition.

It was after the bus had rammed into a Volvo 740, two Sienna LE cars and a Hyundai bus that it eventually came to a halt. The frightened passengers were said to have frantically exited the bus.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the yet-to-be identified driver of the vehicle fled the scene when he saw the extent of the damage caused by his recklessness.

To ease tensions and prevent the bus from being set ablaze, the LAGBUS was said to have been towed by the Ebute Ero Police Division.

A dealer in DMT mobile toilets, Olasunkanmi Babalola, told PUNCH Metro that two of the toilets were destroyed in the crash.

Lamenting the loss, he said, “A customer of mine was actually using one of the four toilets when the accident happened. I was lucky that that particular toilet was not involved. Each of the toilets which was destroyed goes for N95,000. This is a loss to me.”

The owner of the Volvo,who identified himself as Mr. Saka Owoyale, said he was alerted to the incident via a phone call .

He said, “I always park my car under the bridge whenever I have things to do here. I was shocked when I got a phone call that my car had been damaged in an accident. I ran down to see things for myself; it was truly damaged beyond repair.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngosi Braide, said the driver had been arrested.

She said, “The driver is currently at Ebute Ero Divison, while those injured are receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.”

Reverend Father accidentally kills self while cleaning own gun

St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church, Sobe, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, was thrown into mourning on Sunday morning, when Rev. Father Peter Ayala was found dead in his home.

The unfortunate incident took place before he was due to conduct the 7a.m mass, even as worshippers were said to be gathering for the service.

According to Vanguard, the cleric was said to be cleaning his double-barrelled gun inside his apartment within the church premises, when the gun reportedly went off and killed him.

The mass servers it was learnt became suspicious when the mass did not begin at the scheduled time.

The Elders were said have later reported the incident to the Bishop of the Auchi Diocese, Dr Gabriel Duniya, who immediately contacted security agents.

A preliminary investigation later confirmed that the priest died when the rifle he was cleaning went off.

Ayala’s death has thrown the Parish and the community into bereavement.

Edo State Police Public Relations, DSP Moses Eguavoen, confirmed the incident but said that he was yet to get full details of how the incident happened.