FG launches offensive against new terror sect, Jambs

The Federal Government has launched an offensive against a little known terror group, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan, which roughly translates as Vanguards for the Aid of Muslims in Black Africa.


Saturday PUNCH’s investigations showed that security agents had intensified their investigation of the brains behind the new group.

It was learnt that security agents were banking on detained members of Boko Haram and JAMBS to unmask the people behind the new sect.

JAMBS is said to be in its embryonic stage, though deadly like any other terror group.

Security sources told our correspondent that intelligence reports indicated that JAMBS is an offshoot of Boko Haram – the result of the fragmentation of the deadly sect.

It was learnt that JAMBS was created by Boko Haram commanders who were disenchanted with the leadership style of the extremist group’s spiritual leader, Mohammed Shekau.

The new sect, which had claimed responsibility for various acts of hostage-taking and the November 26, 2012 attack on the Special Anti-robbery Squad detention centre in Abuja, has been under security watch, findings by Saturday PUNCH have shown.

The group, which is believed to be affiliated to the Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, said it was behind the recent kidnap of a French engineer, Francis Colump, in Katsina, citing France’s push for military intervention in Mali as justification.

The sect stressed in a statement that it would continue to launch attacks on the French government and its citizens as long as the government maintained its alleged hostile stance against veiled women in France as well as the European country’s support for military intervention in Mali.

It was gathered that the new group is engaged in low level insurgence against security agencies and the civil populace in parts of the country, but security operatives would not want to give it publicity by acknowledging its existence and capability.

“We are not closing our eyes to the activities of the new sect; in fact, they have been under our radar for sometime, but we don’t want to give them legitimacy by acknowledging them. That is why it seems as if security agencies are ignorant of their antics, but that is far from the truth,” a security source stated.

Findings indicated that while security agencies were seriously focused on rooting out Boko Haram, the new sect was not seen as a major problem because it is believed to be “a mere branch of the Boko Haram tree and once the tree is felled, the branches will wither,” a source said.

When contacted, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said the police were determined to tackle terror groups and sundry criminals in the country.

“Our mission is to fight crime and fight it effectively; our approach is a holistic one and I think its high time Nigerians appreciated that our strategies are working. Our determination to fight crime headlong is unshakeable and we will continue to record success against crime and criminality in this year,” Mba said.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria has described the emergence of JAMBS as “the same finger of a leprous hand.”

According to the association, the change in name from Boko Haram to another group is to elicit attention and pave way for negotiation.

The Public Relations Officer of the 19 Northern States of CAN and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, said in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the Federal Government should not enter into dialogue with them because they are “criminals.”

He said, “Whether you call them a new Islamic group or Boko Haram, it is the same finger of a leprous hand; all of them are the same and their agenda is one. The Islamisation of this country and intimidation of Christians so that there won’t be Christianity in the Northern part of the country is part of their agenda. It is just changing from Boko Haram to another group for them to get attention.

“The emergence of the new group is to get attention and our position is that there should be no dialogue with criminals. You cannot use your left hand to point fingers in your father’s eyes and such intimidation is not acceptable.”



source:punchng

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Oritsejafor backs Jonathan on crash probe

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has said the association is in support of the probe panel to unravel what led to the helicopter crash that killed late Kaduna State governor, Patrick Yakowa, and ex-National Security Adviser, Owoye Azazi, and others.

He however charged that the probe should not be treated like others before it, where actions were not taken.

Represented by National General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on condolence visit to Kaduna Government House, Oritsejafor said: “We support the Federal Government for setting up a panel of investigation.

“We support it and we are looking forward to the report. But we have heard of panels of investigation being set up and reports submitted in the country; we hope and that pray that the Federal Government releases the report of this one and take action”.

Oritsejafor said: “It is not just setting up the panel, we want an outcome of the panel.

“So, CAN is solidly behind the Federal Government in doing this, and we are calling on the Federal Government that if the report is submitted, it should please act on the report”.

He continued: “We were shocked; if there is anything more than shock, we will use that word. We were not prepared for it.

“We are here representing our National President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who is out of the country at this very moment.

“He has asked to come to greet the family and the people of Kaduna State, to tell them that it is only God who can comport us.

“So, to the family, we want to say, our God is able and He will comfort them. To the people of Kaduna State, the Lord gave us Yakowa, the Lord has taken Yakowa.

“We welcome the new governor and promise to pray with him, so that the Lord will give him success.

“We are so happy to hear that he is going follow the footsteps of the late governor. We pray that the Lord will help him to do exactly what he has said.

“We enjoyed a lot of cooperation with Yakowa, we enjoyed watching him doing what he did during the short time he was governor of Kaduna State.

“We pray that the same relationship will be extended to the new governor”.



source:daily independent

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Yakowa/Azazi : Publish air crash reports, Senate tells Jonathan

FOLLOWING last Saturday’s helicopter crash in Bayelsa State which claimed the lives of former Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa and erstwhile National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi and the setting up of an investigative team to probe the incident, the Senate, yesterday, urged the executive to publish reports of previous investigations into air crashes before any new probe could attract the confidence of Nigerians.

Condemning the resurgence of air mishaps in Nigeria, the Senate said it had become obvious that the Federal Government was no longer capable of coming up with solutions to causes of air crashes.

The Senate also vowed to carry out what it described as a holistic probe into the remote and immediate causes of last Saturday’s air mishap involving a military aircraft.

The Senate decisions followed deliberation on a motion moved by Senator Chris Anyanwu, APGA, Imo East for an investigation into the  crash of the Naval Augusta 109 Helicopter in Bayelsa State last Saturday.

Moving the motion yesterday, Senator Anyanwu who is also Chairperson of the Senate Commitee on Navy, said: “Senate notes that in 2007 and 2011, there had been two crashes of similar Augusta helicopters owned by the Navy; worried at the seeming recurrence of air mishaps not just in civil aviation, but also in the Nigerian Military, despite public outcry; aware that between March and October 2011, there were three reported cases of air mishaps by the Airforce at different locations in the country, and that the causes of these crashes remain unknown.

“Further aware that on March 21, 2011, one F7-NI fighter jet, belonging to the Nigerian Airforce that was on a routine training programme, crashed in Kano, killing the flight instructor. The F7 fighter jet, which was reported to have come from Makurdi for two weeks training exercise was delivered to the Airforce by the manufacturers in China only a few days before the incident.

“Recalls that on September 17, 2006, in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, an 18-Seater Dornier 228 Airforce transport plane carrying senior army officers and  three crew members crashed, leaving only three survivors. The victims were members of a committee set up by the government to reposition the Nigerian Army and were enroute Obudu Cattle Ranch where the officers were to hold the retreat.”

Presiding Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, overruled a motion for the three committees to carry out a joint independent investigation on the crash.

Senator Abaribe had told his colleagues that the three committees could only assist whatever committee the Executive would set up to investigate the crash, adding that the committees which were saddled with responsibilities of investigating similar air crashes in the past, never came out with any reasonable results as findings.

About 15,000 lives lost in two years

Following deliberation on the motion, the Senate resolved as follows:
“That the Senate condemns the resurgence of air mishaps in Nigerioa and the seeming inability of government to unravel the causes of the incidents.

“That the Senate do mandate the Committees on Navy, Airforce and Aviation to investigate the frequency of these mishaps with a view to finding a permanent solution.

“That Senate observes a one minute silence in honour of the victims of Saturday’s air crash in Tombi, Bayelsa state.

“The federal Government should publish past reports of investigations into Air mishaps.
Summarising the debate, the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who presided said: “I think we have recorded too many deaths in this country in the last two years, from 2010 when terrorism reared its ugly head in Nigeria. And since then, we have had too many deaths in Nigeria, some arising from terrorism, some arising from kidnapping, some from armed robbery, and some from ritual killings, accidents, road mishaps, air disasters, boat mishaps and all kinds of incidents that have visited us over the years.

Yakowa-azazi-1

“The truth is that people are dying on daily basis in our country, which is very regrettable. I believe within the last one to two years, we have lost over 15,000 people, which is about the population of some countries. Yes, Nigeria is a big country with so much population but this population is depleting by the day by all these incidents, so this calls for all of us and leaders in this country to see what we need to do to halt this trend.

“As we have said here, I think our regulatory agencies need to wake up, to ensure that only airworthy planes take off and land in this country, ensure that the pilots are well trained and where maintenance needs to be done is done. And of course, some of the people have died because of security lapses.

“That is one area that I will emphasise that we should also wake up because the protection of lives and property is the primary purpose of governance. We, as leaders, need to buckle up to ensure that we take care of these problems before we lose our dear population.”

He announced the setting up of two committees, headed by Deputy Senate leader, Abdul Ningi, PDP Bauchi Central, and Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, ACN, Lagos West. Ekweremadu added that members would visit the bereaved families.

Azazi: Family begins burial arrangements

ARRANGEMENTS for the interment of former National Security Adviser, NSA, the late Gen. Owoye Azazi, who died in the ill fated helicopter crash at Tombi, Bayelsa State, last Saturday, alongside Kaduna State governor, Patrick Yakowa and four others, have begun, with burial tentatively fixed for this month by the family.

Family sources hinted, yesterday, that the late General was likely to be buried in his home town, Yenagoa in Bayelsa State. His first son, Owoye Azazi Jnr, however, said the date was subject to change, as plans were just at its preliminary state. Family sources also hinted that they would have loved to bury him next week but were constrained because of the position he held before death came calling unannounced.

Meanwhile, sympathizers, among them dignitaries from all walks of life have continued to throng the Ikoyi home of the late Azazi, to commiserate with his widow and children. Callers, yesterday, were  Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, former Chiefs of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike and General AO Ogomudia.

Meanwhile, the remains of the Warrant officer, Mohammed Kamal, would leave Dodan Barracks today for his home town, Ile Odeshile, Ora town Kwara State for interment.

Governor Amosun while speaking to the bereaved family, described the late Azazi as one who reached the apex of his career in the Military. He said:  “Azazi might not have died in the war front but he died in service to the nation and in a military helicopter. We are here to remind you that we share your pains. In things that belong to the government, there is usually the tendency to wave off things and presume that it is alright. From primary investigations, there is every need to look at our maintenance culture. It is a sad occurrence.”



source: VANGUARDNGR

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we rejects oil Bill - North

The North has rejected the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) – the much vaunted magic pill that is expected to clean up the oil sector.

The bill contains some provisions, which are against the North’s interest, according to the Northern Governors Forum, senators and members of the House of Representatives from the region.

They also protested against the establishment of the Host Community Fund and asked the North to use its majority in the National Assembly to scrutinise the bill and protect the North’s interest.

The planned debate on the bill suffered a setback at the Senate yesterday.

Other key grouses of the North border on the new institutional structure being proposed for the country’s oil and gas industry; the fiscal provisions; divestment of equity and gas supply to the North and alleged arbitrary discretion given to the Minister of Petroleum Resources to determine royalty

The grouses of the North are contained in a document prepared for the Northern Governors Forum, Northern Senators Forum and Northern Caucus in the House of Representatives.

The document, which was obtained by our correspondent, showed that the North is angry that the PIB’s provision for divestment could “lock the people of the region out” of ownership of oil and gas resources.

The North said any plan to divest equity in the new National Oil Company and the National Gas Company may favour the South because most businesses and communities in the North are not active players in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The three key bodies also alleged that the establishment of the Host Community Fund is being skewed to give oil producing states, especially those from the Southsouth, more revenue than all the 19 Northern states.

They added that the PIB does not create a framework for any serious or effective exploration for hydrocarbons in the frontier acreages of the country’s six sedimentary basins, four of which are in the Northern sections of the nation.

The document reads in part: “On top of the 13.5 per cent statutory derivation from the Federation Account, the mandatory Federal budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) levy of 3 per cent of oil operations and the massive amount of Federal funds being spent on the Niger Delta Amnesty programme, the new PIB is adding 10 per cent of the profit of all oil and gas companies to the Niger Delta States and Communities.

“Currently, without this new addition, four states (Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers) earn more than the 19 Northern states combined. One wonders what kind of federation we would end up with, if this situation is escalated by the new PIB. In any case, what really is the constitutional standing of this particular provision in the Bill?

“These and many other issues in the Petroleum Industry Bill need very close scrutiny by the Northern Governors Forum. Without this exercise, it is very possible for the states in the region to be legally short-changed through the process of legislation despite having the majority membership in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

On plans to divest equity in the proposed new National Oil Company and the National Gas Company, the Northern leaders said there is no provision for safety net to protect the interest of the region.”

They said the PIB ought to protect the North’s right to invest in these two companies because of its low participation in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The document said: “The plan to divest equity in the new National Oil Company and the National Gas Company is not in itself an issue, the problem is to implement this provision of the law without any safeguards for equity and national spread.

“The communities and businesses in the Northern States are not very active players on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. In this regard, simply off loading the equity of these national assets on the stock market could lock the people of the region out of ownership of these critical resources.

“The region must, therefore, insist on legislating guarantees for equity and national spread on whatever divestment plans there are for oil and gas assets.

“The new institutional structure being proposed for country’s oil and gas industry does not create a framework for any serious or effective exploration for hydrocarbons in the frontier acreages of the country’s six sedimentary basins, four of which are in the Northern sections of the nation.

“The New Petroleum Technical Bureau to be located in office of the Minister of Petroleum, which takes over the responsibilities of NNPC’s Frontier Exploration Services, cannot really be a substitute for the National Frontier Exploration Services (NFES) that was earlier proposed in the version of the Bill sent to the National Assembly by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

“While the need to attract the required investment into the sector through the fiscal device must be recognised, it should not be at the expense of an appropriate and legitimate Government take of the total petroleum income.

“The scaling down of the Hydrocarbon Tax and the reinstatement of many incentives and allowances, among other things, would certainly impact negatively on the inflow into the Federation Account and further stress the already overburdened treasuries of the State Governments.”

The North also faulted the PIB for leaving the issue of royalty to the discretion of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

They said such a discretionary power will breed corruption.

The document said: “Of great concern, however, is the issue of royalty or lack of it in the Bill. Leaving the question of the determination of royalties to the regulatory discretion of the Minister of Petroleum is not only dangerous for the nation, but also an open invitation for phenomenal corruption in the future.

“One of key challenges in the management of the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria is the consistent inability to prioritize gas supply to the North. While many of the other sections of the region enjoy the benefits of cheap, clean and effective energy source, the North continues to wallow in extreme energy poverty.

“For instance, out of the sixteen thermal power stations in the country only one (Geregu) is located in the region. The Ajaokuta – Kano gas pipeline has consistently remained in the back burner of all gas utilisation plans in the country.

“The only way to ensure that gas supply to the North is prioritized over more export oriented gas projects by operators in the industry is ensure that the terms of the Domestic Supply Obligations and Pricing Regulations signed by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua administration are incorporated in the new Petroleum Industry legislation.”

They queried why all the states were not consulted for broader input before the bill was drafted.

The document said: “The new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that was recently forwarded to the National Assembly by the Presidency is one piece of legislation that would impact on the constituents’ part of the federation in a very profound manner. It is, in fact, truly remarkable that a key legislation that only affects assets of the whole federation, but would also seriously impact on the inflow of revenue into the Federation Account could be drafted and forwarded to the National Assembly without the input of, or due consultations with, the federating states.

“More specifically, there are many provisions and issues in the document that should be of serious concern for the Northern States in particular.”



source: THE NATION

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Federal Government would not increase the price of petrol in the New Year -Abdulwahed Omar

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulwahed Omar, on Tuesday assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would not increase the price of petrol in the New Year.

Omar, who gave the assurance in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, said that already the masses were facing a lot of hardship, adding that the government would not want to add to their sufferings.

According to him, any further increase in the prices of petroleum products could result in violent protest by the masses, and the government would not want that to happen.

“Generally, Nigerians should expect a good year in 2013. We don’t expect sudden surprises from the government like we had early this year.

“I don’t think government would be disposed to doing that because if you look at it, the hardship Nigerians are enduring now is slightly higher than what they were enduring at the end of last year.

“So, I think it would be unthinkable for government to want to compound the problems of the common man.

“So, let us hope that 2013 is going to come with good hopes and with a lot of prospects for everybody in this country,’’ Omar told NAN.

The union president said Nigerians should not expect anything from the NLC, but should hope for many good things from the government.

He urged the government not to sack any worker, saying that it would not solve Nigeria’s economic problems.



source:thenationonlineng

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Helicopter Crash - ANPP Urges Thorough Probe

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)  has asked the authorities of the Nigerian Navy to carry out a quick and conclusive investigation into last Saturday’s helicopter tragedy that claimed six lives in Bayelsa State including the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.

ANPP’s charge came just as the book launch meant to galvanise the views of opposition political parties on a common manifesto  for the 2015 general election got postponed as a mark of honour to the victims of the plane crash.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the party said investigating the cause of the crash will help to restore confidence in the masses and also blaze the trail for aviation operations’ best practices in the country.

The party said it received the news of the crash of the naval helicopter which killed Yakowa and the former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi (rtd) and four others, with deep shock and concern.

“At this distressing hour for the bereaved families, there could be nothing more comforting to them than a thorough investigation into the cause or causes of the accident, and the unraveling of the mystery behind the Navy Agusta helicopter crash and other plane crashes in the country. As human beings it will go a long way in giving them vent for their pain and a sense of equanimity that such disaster would not happen again,” it said.

The ANPP described the death of the governor and the former NSA as a great loss to the whole nation, and a sad statement on the nation’s air transport.

“We join the good people of Kaduna State, Bayelsa State, andthe family and friends of the deceased to mourn at this hour of sorrow. This is indeed a sad moment for Nigeria,” he added.

Last Saturday’s unfortunate incident has also taken its toll on several important events billed for the week as members of the opposition parties have cancelled two key events that would have brought them together to chat a common cause.

Following the death of the Kaduna State Governor in the helicopter crash, the leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), said he had postponed his birthday anniversary earlier scheduled for yesterday.

In the same vein, organisers of a book launch on  the prospects for  a common manifesto of the Nigerian opposition political parties announced a cancellation of the event in honour of the victims of the crash.

The author of the book whose launch was to have provided an platform for the convergence of the opposition party leaders in Abuja, Mr. Salihu Muhammed Lukman, told THISDAY yesterday that the event has been shift to January 15, 2013 in keeping with the mood of the nation.

“We have to respect the memory of the victims of the last Saturday’s helicopter crash.  On account of the death of Governor Yakowa, we just cannot go on with the event. We have postponed it till January 15, next year,” he said.


source:thisday

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We Won’t Bend Contracting Procedures for IOCs - NNPC

NNPC GMD, Andrew Yakubu

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said it would not compromise on its established processes of awarding contracts for major pending projects in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector to the benefit of International Oil Companies (IOCs).

Apparently raising eyebrows over media reports credited to some IOCs which had accused it of deliberately stalling the execution of some multibillion dollar projects in the petroleum sector, the acting General Manager Public Affairs of NNPC, Mr. Fidel Pepple, said in a statement in Abuja that the corporation will only adhere to established procedures in its contracting cycle than been made to compromise.

Pepple stated that the corporation will not be intimidated to abandon its firmly established process of contract award because of what it termed calculated media blackmail ostensibly by the IOCs and other interested parties.

He said in the statement that while the industry concern is normally expected in the processes leading to the award of major oil and gas projects, the NNPC has an established procedure of contract and project approval which includes conduct of economic analysis to establish project viability as well as the Federal Government’s interests from investments in the upstream.

Pepple explained that: “This procedure must be followed and IOCs cannot stampede the corporation into taking decisions that may be inimical to the nation because of their pecuniary interests.”

Commenting on the claim that the NNPC has not held its periodic Group Executive Committee (GEC) meetings to discuss some major projects like the Total Egina deep offshore project and endorse same to its board for approval, Pepple said: “This claim is untrue as GEC meetings are being held weekly or fortnightly. However, Erha North Phase 2 and Egina project contracts have not been discussed yet at these meetings because NNPC management is critically reviewing the overall economics of the project in view of their high cost estimates in order to establish their validity, maximise Federal Government’s take andensure comparative price competitiveness vis-a-vis benchmarks.”

The corporation also defended its Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production (GED, E&P), Abiye Membere, who was alleged to be behind a phantom contract splitting attempt of the Egina project as he allegedly did with the previous Bonga South-west project, saying that such allegation was totally misplaced and untrue.

Pepple informed that the alleged contract splitting of Bonga South-west was never in the cards as there was never a time that Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) proposed three Floating Production Storage Production Offloading facility (FPSO) for Bonga field development.

“Membere also did not scuttle Bonga Southwest/Aparo Project six years ago. He was the GM, PSC Division of NAPIMS in 2006 and helped to move forward the strategy for a leased FPSO project for Bonga Southwest /Aparo project. He was deployed from this position to another position in NNPC’s Engineering and Technical Directorate in 2007 during a routine management re-organisation exercise,” he added.

NNPC noted that Bonga South/Aparo was recycled for concept re-evaluation in 2009 when dearth of bidders were recorded on the major packages at the technical stage and witha potential of only one bidder emerging to the commercial stage of the FPSO tender.

Pepple said: “This decision to recycle Bonga was taken by NAPIMS top management and not Engr. Membere”

Pepple also described as untrue the report that the NNPC had blamed lack of funding as the reason behind lull in the execution of the project.

He explained that: “This claim is untrue as there is no funding challenge in PSC because operators fund the investment 100 per cent.”

He said that despite the spate of attacks, the NNPC remains focused on its core mandate of ensuring that the Federal Government and the Nigerian people derive maximum benefit from the proceeds of the nation’s hydrocarbon resources.


source:thisday

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Nigeria, Cameroun to Speed up Boundary Demarcation

Nigeria and Cameroun have agreed to expedite the process for the demarcation of land-based areas, which are yet to be identified in the Bakassi Peninsula.

This was after a United Nations-backed meeting between officials of both countries in Abuja ended last weekend. The meeting was the 30th in a series of meetings on the implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgement on the demarcation of the peninsula between the two countries.

According to a statement by the UN headquarters in New York, the joint technical team of surveyors and other experts would be in the peninsula by February 2013 to speed up the process and to commence the pillar emplacement project.

The Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), Ambassador Said Djinnit, at the meeting, said addressing the needs of the affected citizens of both countries should be given priority.

This, he said, would not only give a human face to the technical and political processes of the demarcation but would help to foster lasting peace among the communities in the region.

He called for intensified projects in infrastructure, food security, energy and environment, as well as education and capacity building for employment for the affected population.

“The meeting in Abuja also stressed the importance of the fourth component of the mandate, which is addressing the needs of the population affected by the demarcation through confidence-building initiatives and cross border socio-economic projects,” the statement said.

Djinnit, who is also the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, congratulated Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan and his Camerounian counterpart, President Paul Biya, for their unwavering commitment to the peaceful implementation of the ICJ judgement.

To date, more than 1,845 kilometres out of a total boundary distance believed to exceed 2,000 kilometres, have been located on the ground by the joint technical team.

The demarcation of the land boundary is the third component of the mandate of the commission, UNOWA noted. The two countries agreed on the delimitation of the maritime border in 2007, and the withdrawal and transfer of authority in the Lake Chad area, along the land border and in Bakassi Peninsula, was finalised in 2008.



source:thisday

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