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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012
NEWS Naira falls to two-month low on dollar demand
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•From left: ACF Chairman Gen. Useni speaking with reporters at the Presidential Villa...last night.
PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN
AIRA fell to its lowest level in two months against the U.S dollar on the interbank market yesterday, on strong dollar demand from investors repatriating their dividends abroad, traders said. The naira closed at 158.90 to the dollar on the interbank market, the lowest since the middle of February, compared with the 158.03 naira it closed at on Tuesday, according to Reuters. “The market was hit by large demand for the dollar with which it could not cope with due to lack of dollar
NJC to stand by decision on Salami I’ve not been briefed on PCA, says Adoke
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storing him. Three options are being weighed on Justice Salami’s fate, it was learnt last night. These are: •upholding the NJC recommendation to end the crisis, in spite of the bitterness of some members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); •using a matter filed in court on Tuesday by Noah Adejare as a subjudice alibi to delay Justice Salami’s reinstatement; and •rejecting the recommendation of the NJC by the government and a demand for a review of the decision. It was gathered that some anti-Salami forces prefer a review of the NJC’s decision to enable a fresh lobbying against the judge. President Goodluck Jonathan can reject the NJC recommendation based on legal grounds, security reports, and alleged ambiguity in the recommendation because the Council had earlier
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INISTER of Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation Mohammed Adoke said yesterday that he had not been briefed on the National Judicial Council’s (NJC’s) recommendation to President Goodluck Jonathan to reinstate Justice Ayo Salami. Adoke said he returned to the country from a trip on Tuesday night. He said: “I have not been briefed. I just recommended the retirement of Salami. But The Nation learnt last night that influential NJC members plan to resist the review option. Some NJC members, who spoke in confidence, confirmed that they will resist any plot to review their recommendation. One said: “The truth is that we will not accept any excuse to review our position on the reinstatement of Justice Salami. We have had enough of this crisis; we want to move forward. “I can tell you that if the government brings such a re-
From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
returned to the country from Addis Ababa last night (Tuesday). Attorney-Generals don’t just talk. Until when I am briefed and I see the letter, I can’t be reacting to a mob action. “Believe me; honestly, I can’t mislead you. I think Reuben Abati (presidential spokesman) has told you that the President has not received the letter. I am waiting to be briefed.”
quest, it will not fly because it will amount to dragging the judiciary into the abyss.” Another said: “The mood of the NJC members does not favour any review of our decision. I think we are resolute this time around to assert the independence of the Judiciary. “We also want to put the past behind us because the crisis is attracting international odium.” Yet another source added: “Ordinarily, the President has not much business with the reinstatement of Justice Salami since the NJC has spoken. The Council’s decision
should have been sufficient for Salami to take over from the acting PCA. “But the constitutional complications surrounding NJC abracadabra on Salami dragged Jonathan into the matter. The President got involved in the first instance when the NJC recommended to him to retire Justice Salami and appoint an acting PCA (Justice Dalhatu Adamu). “Constitutionally, the President or the government is only expected to act on the recommendation of the NJC. The consultations going on are certainly unnecessary.
“We will also resist any attempt to politically hijack the NJC.” As at press time last night, neither Justice Salami nor the acting PCA had been notified of the NJC’s resolution to reinstate Justice Salami. A Court of Appeal source said: “The development has shown that there is much to this crisis. When Justice Salami was suspended, he was immediately served a letter and the acting PCA instantly got a letter from the NJC to assume duties. “Almost a week after this decision was taken; neither of the parties has been told. I think some forces are looking for loopholes in NJC’s recommendation to hang Justice Salami.” But a Presidency source indicated last night that President Jonathan might bow to the rule of law instead of political sentiments. The source said: “The President is likely to allow the rule of law to have its way Continued on page 61
flow, putting pressure on the naira,” one dealer said. Dealers said several foreign investors are taking profit on their investments, increasing pressure on the local currency. The naira had traded around the 157.10-157.90 naira to the dollar band for the better part of the last two months on the impact of dollar sales by oil companies and offshore investors who are investing in Nigeria’s short-dated debt notes. “We see the naira depreciating further in the coming days unless the central bank intervenes to calm the market,” another dealer said. The local unit remains within the central bank’s 150-160 target band. On the official window, the central bank raised its supply to $200 million and sold at 155.70 to the dollar, compared with $150 million sold at 155.70 to the dollar on Monday.
•CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi
2015: ACN joins Buhari’s CPC to attack Presidency ACF on row: power belongs to God
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naturally, people will react, and in doing so it is impossible for anyone to predict how far things can go. This is what, in our opinion, Gen. Buhari warned against. If the Presidency and the PDP have no intention to rig in 2015, why are they so worried about the consequences of such action?’’ ACN queried. The party said “the 2011 general elections remain the most systematically-rigged polls in Nigeria’s history, irrespective of the so-called endorsement by some visceral foreign election monitors. ‘’The 2011 elections also left Nigeria divided along ethnic and religious lines, more than at any other time in the history of Nigeria, hence no one should tell us about the polls being the best since Nigeria returned to civil rule, just because some self-acclaimed monitors said so.’’ The party also expressed concern at the growing propensity of the Presidency, in particular, to use intemperate language in its response to any statement it perceives to be critical of its principal. ‘’We have said it before and we will like to repeat it: any statement emanating from the Presidency must be pres-
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OWER belongs to God, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) chairman Gen. Jeremiah Useni said last night, in reaction to the war of words between the Presidency and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Gen. Useni said nothing showed that a war; going on but only disagreement. “I don’t think there is any war going on; if you say anything and I disagree with you, it does not mean we are fighting, we are not fighting anybody. “I cannot speak for them. I don’t know why they said so. God determines everything. God determines our tomorrow, even our tonight.” Gen. Useni spoke at House 7, a Presidenidential through the use of civilised and elevating language, rather than beer parlour and unguarded phrases. This is because such statements are read all over the world, and provide a window into the minds of those overseeing the affairs of state. ‘’The voice of the presidential spokesman is the voice of his principal, the President. That is why his statements must be sober and guarded, in addition to reflecting deep introspection. The insults heaped on Gen. Buhari, a former Head of State - for merely exercising his right to
From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
tial Guest House at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He led a delegation of ACF leaders to a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan after which he pledged Arewa’s support for the government’s action against the Boko Haram insurgency. “We came here to advise the government. We always advise the government, we represent the North, we are a very strong group,” he said. Gen. Useni expressed happiness with government’s willingness to dialogue with Boko Haram. “The happiness is that the Federal Government has agreed
freedom of speech is totally unacceptable and run against the tenets of decorum and mature political discourse,’’ it said. ACN said, however, that it is not surprised at the response of the PDP, since it is becoming increasingly clear to all that nothing good can come out of a party that has wasted all the opportunities that could have made Nigeria a proud member of the international community in the past 13 years. The CPC yesterday vowed to ensure that the Federal Government come to terms
to dialogue with the group. It is not a new thing even when you are fighting somebody, you have to sit down one day to talk.” The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, also said the ACF pledged to back the Federal Government against Boko Haram. He said ACF elders informed President Jonathan that they had already taken action by setting up a committee. The report will be given to the government. He said the government team led by President Jonathan, promised that their doors were always open for consultation. They are ready to work with them to stem insecurity and other issues affecting the country.
with the fact that the PDP administration is linked with the Boko Haram sect. Listing the events and accusations from various quarters, it said: “General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) was quoted as saying that the Jonathan-led Federal Government is the greatest BokoHaram. Understandably, this elicited awful response from the President. In a jejune, puerile, and very pedestrian communication, the presidential spokesman defined Boko-Haram as “Western education is sin” and went on to posit the administration’s
investment in Education. How awkwardly inane could that be?! “It is common knowledge that Boko-Haram has become the euphemism for subtlety in devious schemes that cause mass killings of the innocents! As GMB aptly stated, Boko Haram has three variants, with varying degrees of severity and murderous content: the original Boko-Haram that seeks to avenge the extra-judicial killing of its Leader by the Nigeria Police; the Boko Haram that pursues criminality for monetary gains and, of
course, the Political Boko Haram that is bent on setting the stage for ethno-religious pogrom in the Nigerian nation. It is the Political Boko Haram, with its extremely lethal content, that the Jonathan-led Federal Government represents! “In January 2012, Dr Goodluck Jonathan told a bewildered nation, still smarting from murderous bombings, that his government has been infiltrated by Boko Haram. In February 2012, a serving PDP senator from Borno South (Mohammed Ali Ndume) was arrested for being a member of Boko Haram. “In March 2012, Ndume deposed to an affidavit before a Federal High Court wherein he stated that VicePresident Namadi Sambo was aware of his activities with Boko Haram. In April 2012, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi , the National Security Adviser, averred that there was indisputable proof that Boko Haram is PDP. As things stand, President Goodluck Jonathan is the national leader of PDP. “In April 2012, Henry Okah (while standing trial on terrorism charges) deposed to Continued on page 61
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