Apple vulnerability could allow firmware modifications, researcher says

Jeremy Kirk

IDG News Service

• A zero-day software vulnerability in the firmware of older Apple computers could be used to slip hard-to-remove malware onto a computer, according to a security researcher.

Pedro Vilaca, who studies Mac security, wrote on his blog that the flaw he found builds on previous ones but this one could be far more dangerous. Apple officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Vilaca found it was possible to tamper with an Apple computer’s UEFI (unified extensible firmware interface). UEFI is firmware designed to improve upon BIOS, which is low-level code that bridges a computer’s hardware and operating system at startup.
The UEFI code is typically sealed off from users. But Vilaca wrote that he found the code is unlocked after a computer goes to sleep and reawakens, allowing it to be modified. Apple computers made before mid-2014 appear to be vulnerable.
Vilaca wrote it is then possible to install a rootkit, a type of malware that is hard to remove and nearly undetectable by security products. The only defense is to not let the computer sleep and always shut it down, Vilaca wrote.
Apple released patches earlier this year for a similar type of attack called Thunderstrike, which allowed modification of the UEFI by accessing a Mac’s Thunderbolt interface. Thunderstrike was presented by researcher Trammell Hudson at the Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg last December.
But Thunderstrike required an attacker to have physical access to the computer. Vilaca thinks it may be possible to remotely exploit the bug he found, making it potentially a whole lot more dangerous.
He tested the attack on a MacBook Pro Retina, a MacBook Pro 8.2 and a MacBook Air, all running the latest EFI firmware available. Newer machines, however, were not vulnerable, which Vilaca wrote led him to suspect that Apple fixed the problem in later models but didn’t patch older computers.
It appears that Vilaca did not notify Apple before disclosing the bug, something that causes many technology companies to bristle. Most companies advocate that independent researchers notify them before going public so attackers cannot take advantage of software problems before a patch is ready.
Vilaca wrote, however, that he has no beef with Apple. “My goal is to make OS X better and more secure,” he wrote.
Vilaca isn’t the only researcher looking closely at Apple’s firmware. Hudson, who found the Thunderstrike bug, is scheduled to give a talk with Xeno Kovah and Corey Kallenberg at the Defcon security conference in August.
The presentation will show that Apple computers are vulnerable to many firmware attacks that affect PCs and demonstrate Mac malware in firmware, according to a description on the 

Jeremy Kirk

IDG News Service

• Jun 1, 2015 12:05 AM
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CBN records N35.4b income in 2014

The Guardian Nigeria|Chijioke Nelson

Appraises 200 applications for N300b real sector fund 
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has posted a net income N35.4 billion for its 2014 financial year, compared to N209.6 billion recorded in 2013.
The development, which represented an 83.1 per cent fall in apex bank’s net income in the period under review, was however, not attributed to any development at the moment, but may not be totally unconnected to the nation’s economic challenges in the last one year.
CBN, in the audited financial statements for 2013 and 2014, said it fully adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the report and already approved by its noard in accordance with the provisions of the CBN Act 2007.
The IFRS is one of the frameworks internationally recognized and accepted, which mandates its adopters to prepare consolidated financial statements.
The IFRS requirement implies that the financial statement of the CBN be consolidated with those of its investee entities- Nigeria Export-Import Bank, Abuja Securities and Commodities Exchange, Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Nigeria Interbank Settlement System, National Economic Reconstruction Fund, Financial Markets Dealers Quotation, African Finance Corporation and Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund.
The development also showed that CBN has full IFRS-compliant financial statements now and going forward, which hitherto, had been prepared under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) framework.
Already, 80 per cent of the two net income of the bank has been remitted to the Federal Government, according to a statement from the bank, in accordance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, while the balance of 20 per cent has been transferred to the Reserves within the bank.
Explaining the challenges associated with the framework for central Banks all over the world, the bank in a note to The Guardian, listed the non-profit-oriented mandates of central banks in their roles of price and financial system stability and economic growth that could be contradicted by the application of some of these IFRS standards, which are for direct profit-motivated commercial entities.
Another challenge, it noted, is the statutory constraints on the central banks, which have inhibited seamless adoption, while on the other hand, some central banks which claim IFRS adoption did so partially within statutory constraints.
CBN pointed out that it was however, able to conclude IFRS adoption within a period of two years, against global experience that indicated that many of the IFRS adopting central or reserve banks took longer periods of time to do so.
Meanwhile, the apex bank said it is still processing the applications of over 200 persons, who have indicated interest in raising investible fund trough its N300 billion Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF).
Explaining that it is yet to disburse any fund to any real sector operator or entrepreneur, a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Communications, CBN, Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu, noted that it is imperative to clear the air, given speculations making the rounds.
RSSF was scripted to provide long-term and low-interest financing intervention as a support to the real sector of the Nigerian economy, as well as increase output, create jobs and conserve the country’s foreign exchange.
“The appraisal of the applications of the Small and Medium Enterprises for the N300 billion Real Sector Support Facility is still in progress and in strict compliance with the eligibility criteria of the facility,” he said.
Assuring that recommendations would be made to management of the bank for approval and subsequent disbursement that as soon as the appraisals are concluded, he appealed for a little patience to enable a thorough work.
CBN had in March this year, announced the establishment of the RSSF, which would be administered at an all-interest rate charge of nine per cent per yearly, payable on a quarterly basis, with the central entitled to earn three per cent, while commercial banks take the remaining six per cent spread.
The guidelines for accessing the fund also noted that large enterprises are to entitled to support as well as start-ups with expansion financing needs of N500 million up, to a maximum of N10 billion.

FIFA Crisis: S’ Africa paid $10m to Warner, others, but it was no bribe, says Jordaan

The Guardian Nigeria|EDITOR

Danny JordaanSouth African Football Association (Safa) president, Danny Jordaan, has confirmed that the 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) paid $10 million after South Africa won the bid to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup but insists it was not a bribe.
This is the first time that South Africa has confirmed to paying money to a football association then led by former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, the man at the centre of the bribery claims that have rocked the soccer governing body.
Warner is one of the officials arrested and indicted last week by the FBI in connection with alleged corruption and bribery at Fifa. The admission follows a week of denials from local football authorities and the government, that South Africa had paid a $10 million bribe to secure the hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
Jordaan, who was the 2010 LOC Chief Executive, said the $10m was paid to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) in 2008 as South Africa’s contribution towards their football development fund. Warner was at the time president of Concacaf. Last week several high-ranking officials were arrested in Zurich.
Warner was arrested in Trinidad. South Africa is alleged to have promised to pay Warner $10m for his support for the 2010 bid.
After South Africa won the vote‚ football officials allegedly said it was not possible to pay him out of South African government funds. Instead‚ the money was deducted directly from a payment Fifa made to South Africa to help finance the hosting of the tournament, thereby concealing the alleged bribe. It is alleged that Warner, in return, paid two other Fifa executives.
Of the $100m (about R1.2 billion), which Fifa had to pay Safa for hosting the 2010 World Cup, The Sunday Independent reported that Safa only received $80m. Fifa had deducted $20m ($10m for the building of Safa House and the other $10m was for the “Concacaf development fund”). Jordaan said the money was directly paid over to them by Fifa.
The Sunday Independent has discovered that no other football association under Fifa received a similar cash injection during 2008.
And the reason why the Concacaf was chosen above any other members, including those from Africa, was that “it regarded itself as part of the African diaspora”, according to a Safa official. A damning indictment by US authorities alleged bundles of cash stuffed in a briefcase were handed over at a Paris hotel as a bribe by a “high-ranking South African bid committee official”.
It is not clear if this $10m is the same amount that the FBI is investigating. The name of the South African official has not been revealed. Jordaan said the 2010 Bid Committee concluded its business with the awarding of the World Cup on May 15, 2004.
“I haven’t paid a bribe or taken a bribe from anybody in my life. We don’t know who is mentioned there (in the indictment). And I don’t want to assume that I am mentioned.
“They can ask all the executives of Fifa that I have engaged with,” said Jordaan, adding: “During my tenure as CEO at the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee, I was bound by regulations set out in the Schedule of Delegated Authority (Soda).
“Under that authority, I could authorise payments of a maximum of R1 million.” Jordaan said South Africa won the 2010 World Soccer Cup bid on May 15, 2004 and the $10m was only paid by Fifa to Concacaf in 2008. “How could we have paid a bribe for votes four years after we had won the bid?”

Financial stocks lift NSE’s turnover by N22billion

The Guardian Nigeria|Helen Oji

DESPITE the one-day holiday declared on Friday to commemorate ‘Democracy Day’, heavy transactions in the shares of some banks and insurance companies lifted the volume of shares traded, as a turnover of 1.799 billion shares worth N22.105 billion changed hands in 17,337 deals last week.
This volume of shares traded, was higher than a total of 2.943 billion units, valued at N16.045 billion, exchanged in 21,306 deals during the preceding week.
Specifically, at the close of transactions last week on the trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) , the financial services industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.546 billion shares valued at N8.895 billion traded in 10,394 deals; thus contributing 85.93per cent and 40.24 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
The services industry followed with a turnover of 84.137 million shares worth N120.575 million in 497 deals. The consumer goods industry occupied the third place with 76.868 million shares worth N9.362 billion in 2,899 deals.
Trading in the top three equities namely – United Bank for Africa Plc., West African Provincial Insurance Plc. and Access Bank Plc, (measured by volume) accounted for 904.390 million shares worth N3.345 billion in 1,705 deals, contributing 50.27per cent and 15.13per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
Also traded during the week were a total of 3,474 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N1.003 million executed in 19 deals compared with a total of 25,211 units valued at N990,777.65 transacted last week in 23 deals.
A total of 64,465 units of Federal Government and State Bonds valued at N69.372 million were traded this week in 7 deals compared with a total of 10,333 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N11.795 million traded in 2 deals in the previous week.
The NSE All-share index and market capitalization appreciated by 0.11per cent and 0.12 per cent to close on Friday at 34,310.37 and N11.659 trillion respectively.
Similarly, four indices finished higher during the week, including the NSE ASeM index, while four others finished lower. 38 equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than 39 equities of the preceding week. 31 equities depreciated in price, lower than 32 equities of the preceding week, while 124 equities remained unchanged, higher than 122 equities recorded in the preceding week.
Meanwhile, additional ordinary shares of 3,009,978,524 units of Prestige assurance Plc were admitted last week to trading as a result of concluded rights issue, bringing the total outstanding shares of the company to 5,518,293,960 units.
Also, additional ordinary shares of 629,496,464 units, which arose as a result of the placing exercise by Champion Breweries Plc to two of its major shareholders, were admitted to trading last week, thus, bringing the total outstanding shares of the company to 7,829.496,464 units.

Lagos, haven for investors, says Ambode

The Punch - Nigeria

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State says the state is a natural first place of call for investors in the country.
The governor spoke on Saturday during a visit of the President of Namibia, Dr. Hage Geingob, to the Lagos House, Ikeja.
The President and his wife, Monica Geingob, were in the country for the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ambode said the economy of Lagos had capacity for expansion.
He said, “I am a firm believer in African renaissance and that African countries should have a meeting point to relate and explore the economic potential of one another.”
The governor, who noted that the Namibian President was the first president he received since he became the governor, reiterated his plans to create an office of Overseas Affairs and Investment (LAGOS GLOBAL) in the state.
According to him, the office will render assistance to people from distant places, who may require it.
He said the initiative would attract direct foreign investments into the state.
“My administration is also interested in tourism, entertainment and arts and we can collaborate with the Republic of Namibia which is a hub for tourism and entertainment in Africa,” he added.
In his remarks, the Namibian President congratulated Lagos State for the successful transfer of power.
He stated that a similar transition also took place in Namibia recently which brought him to power.
He called for greater collaboration between Lagos State and Namibia.
While describing Nigeria as the power house of Africa, the Namibian President said African focus was on Lagos because of its potential, size and long history of commerce.

Al Jazeera journalists’ retrial resumes

The Punch - Nigeria

Two Al Jazeera journalists are set to appear in a court in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for their much-delayed retrial, with closing arguments set to begin at 10am local time (08:00 GMT).

Monday’s hearing will be the fifth in the retrial of Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy.

Prosecutors have accused the two of “spreading false news” and having ties to the former president Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group, charges which the journalists and Al Jazeera vigorously reject.

Another Al Jazeera journalist, Peter Greste, also faces the same charges but was deported back to his native Australia in February this year.

Greste was told by the judge that he must appear for the retrial or he will be formally declared on trial in absentia.

“That means I will automatically get a conviction if I don’t appear, but of course I can’t go back because President Sisi deported me, so I’m stuck in this legal limbo,” Greste told Reuters news agency in an interview published on Friday.

Why Buhari didn’t make assets public – Aides

By Abdulwahab Abdulah,Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu, Gbenga Oke & Levinus Nwabughiogu

LAGOS—Aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, explained why the president did not declare his assets publicly. They said he will make his assets known to Nigerians within the first 100 days of his stay in power in line with his assertions before the election.
Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions, yesterday, on the report that the president and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had submitted their assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau without immediately making them public.
A civil rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, argued that it was imperative for the duo to make public their assets. It said the action will indicate “their desire and commitment to ending corruption in the country.”

Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari swears to an oath during his inauguration at the Eagles Square in Abuja, on May 29, 2015. Buhari, 72, defeated Goodluck Jonathan in March 28 elections — the first time in Nigeria’s history that an opposition candidate had beaten a sitting president. AFP PHOTO

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on its part, said it would allow Buhari to settle down for governance before taking him to task on his campaign promises.
However, some notable Nigerians disagreed over call for the public declaration of assets by the president and his vice president.
Among those who expressed divergent views were constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN; Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN; rights crusader, Mr Femi Falana, SAN; Mr Kayode Ajulo; Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and rights activist, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi.
A close associate of the president, however, debunked criticisms on the issue saying, yesterday, that the president still has 97 days within which to make his assets public as he promised during the campaigns.
President Buhari had in a document on his plan of action within the first 100 days of assumption of office as president promised to make his assets declaration public and influence his appointees to do the same.
“In the document the president said what he would do within the first 100 days and among them was that he would declare his assets publicly in the first 100 days. How many hours has he been in office? How many days after his inauguration?
“I think that the president should be given the benefit of the doubt. It is only three days since he came to office. Does he not deserve the benefit of the balance of the 96 remaining days? I think he deserves commendations”, the source close to the president said on the basis of anonymity.
He should declare assets publicly now— SERAP
Reacting to the development, yesterday, SERAP, in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr Tokunbo Mumuni, said: “We recall that the President had said before the election that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, and encourage all his appointees to publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. We now expect the President to fulfil this promise to the Nigerian people. SERAP trusts that the President and Vice President will move swiftly to publicly declare their assets and to publish widely the information on a dedicated website.
“Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a true picture of the assets of the President and Vice President and will send a powerful message that it is not going to be business as usual with this government. This will also follow the best practice set by former President Umaru Yar’Adua, boost this government’s fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators, and fully comply with the provisions of chapter two of the dealing with Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which among others require the government to take steps to eradicate corrupt practices and the abuse of power”, SERAP stated.
We’ll answer him later —PDP
In its reaction, the PDP said that it would respond to the issue in due season. Speaking with Vanguard, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said that the party would allow Buhari settle down for governance, and then come up with very strong opposition.
Metuh said: “We will allow President Muhammadu Buhari to settle down and address the promises made to Nigerians; we will talk on asset declaration later.”
That is where credibility starts—Sagay
Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, said it was compulsory for the president and his vice to declare their assets publicly saying, “that is where credibility starts”.
Sagay said: “I have no doubt that he will make it public because that is where credibility starts. That is where Jonathan started losing credibility. The late Umar Yar’Adua forced him to declare his assets in 2007, reluctantly, he did it. But when he was his own man, he said he does not give a damn and that is where he started sliding down. So, Buhari has no choice, it is absolute for himself and Osinbajo if change and credibility are going to be sustained. There is no other way out, so I expect in the next 24 hours or so that we would know what their assets are. He should apply it to every other appointee of his regime, not just himself and Osinbajo, it is compulsory and absolute.”
President and his vice didn’t err—Ngige
Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, argued that the president and his vice did not err in the declaration of their assets. Ngige said: “There is nothing wrong in what the President and his vice have done. Anyone who is not satisfied with that should go to the Code of Conduct Bureau to get the information they need on the declaration. If the Code of Conduct refuses, they can invoke the Freedom of Information Act. When President Yar’Adua did his declaration, he asked the code of conduct to make it public.
“Yar’Adua did not make his declaration public. People should desist from making noise about it because the President and his vice did the right thing. Getting information about the contents of the declaration should be done accordingly through the code of conduct and if it refuses, people can approach the court and the court can order the code of conduct to make it public.”
Let’s wait for the 100 days—Falana
On his part, rights crusader, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, opined that “these men just took oath of office two days ago and they declared their assets officially as required by law which stipulates 90 days. Meanwhile, they’ve promised to declare their assets publicly within 100 days. I hope it is better we wait for the 100 days.”
The courts should decide—Ajulo
A lawyer, Mr Kayode Ajulo said the courts should be allowed to make a pronouncement on the matter. Ajulo said: “All I know is that we Nigerians just want to be intellectually lazy. It is so clear that Buhari declared his assets, there is no fuzz about anyone declaring his assets or not. When it comes to the declaration of assets under Code of Conduct law, you have to swear to an affidavit, that affidavit is pursuant to an old act, it is called the law of federation. In that act, any oath you are making in Nigeria, it is a public declaration.
Buhari should not be stampeded— Mohammed
Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed maintained that Nigerians should not blackmail or stampede President Buhari into declaring his assets publicly.
His words: “Nigerians must learn to live by what our rules and regulations say when issues like this come up. No democracy without rule of law and Buhari has done what he is supposed to do within the confines of the law”.
Mohammed added that “without sounding irrational, I can personally state everything owned by Buhari. We have to be realistic and it is sheer nonsense when you are trying to tell a man what he already knows or what he is supposed to do. But no one should stampede him in publicly doing it the Yar’Adua way. I don’t mind him declaring publicly but I will oppose anybody trying to stampede him into doing what our law clearly states which he had already done”.
Code of Conduct should make it public—Fawehinmi
IN his remarks, rights activist, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi, said it was the duty of the Code of Conduct Bureau to make the declaration public.
Fawehinmi said: “They have done what is required by law by declaring their assets officially; it is now the duty of the Code of Conduct to make it open or published it. However, it becomes an obligation on Buhari and Osinbajo to publish their assets publicly as contained in their electoral promises. This will be the beginning of the fulfilment of their promises to Nigerians.”
Human rights activist, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome in his reaction, urged Buhari to declare his assets publicly in conformity with his campaign promises of breaking away from the old order. Ozekhome in a telephone chat with Vanguard in Abuja reminded Buhari that Nigerians now have a long memory and would watch him closely.
He said: “I think President Buhari should realize that all the promises he made with his party, the APC constitute a check list that Nigerians are keeping closely with a biro at hand ready to tick either performed or not performed. I wouldn’t want to believe that some of the promises he made were empty words customized to get votes from Nigerians and then refrains from them later.

Igbo in Lagos present 7-point demand to Ambode

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Ambode:

LAGOS—INDIGENES of the South-east geo-political zone resident in Lagos State, under the aegis of Igbo Progressive Leaders Council, IPLC, yesterday, presented a seven-point demand to the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.
The association particularly demanded an inclusive government. This was disclosed yesterday in Lagos by the Publicity Secretary of IPLC, Dr. Harris Chuma, at a thanksgiving convened by the association.
The group, led by the Publicity Secretary of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, called for continuous cordial relationship between Ndigbo and the state government.
Harris said: “Some of the issues are that the newly inaugurated Lagos State government will continue to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Lagosians, including Ndigbo. That the government will continue to partner Ndigbo in moving the state forward such that Igbo in the state will continue to have a place in the government and civil service.
“That the Lagos State Government will continue to support and maintain profound relationship with the Igbo traditional institution in the state. We propose the establishment of a board that will recognise the Lagos Igbo honorary chieftaincy affairs.”
“The body also asked for sustained improvement of the road network in the state, ensuring that Igbo people get equal treatment as their Yoruba counterparts, compensation for victims of fire disaster in the various markets and an end to the harassment, intimidation and extortion of Igbo by unscrupulous government officials.
“We wish that the newly inaugurated government will not take our people for granted and they will not treat us with impunity or claim that they know what is best for Ndigbo when we do not feel the same way and that the Governor Ambode-led government will listen to the sincere voices of their passionate Igbo followers.’’

Buhari, watch out for the cabals

By Omoh Gabriel

When in 1999 President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office as President of Nigeria, one of his intentions was to create a state-backed Nigeria enterprise that could compete with multinationals anywhere in the globe. So, Mr Obasanjo encouraged what came to be known as Corporate Nigeria.
Many enterprising Nigerian businessmen were brought close to the seat of government. Many used the opportunity to carve for themselves business empires.

Buhari

Instead of seeking sectoral benefits for the organised private sector, they sought concessions and waivers for their businesses and cronies. Down the line, members of Corporate Nigeria floated Transnational Corporation of Nigeria.
Nigerians thought that these men will seek the overall benefit of the nation and make the company work. Rivalries and board squabbles crippled Transcorp and it had to be sold out.
When Yar’adua became president, many of these big boys who are today’s cabal, almost went bankrupt and could not pay their bills. Unfortunately, President Yar’adua took ill and eventually died.
At the death of Yar’adua, these men resurfaced and rallied round President Jonathan. They were not only close to the President, they became members of his economic team. Instead of seeking the welfare and general progress of the nation and the economy, they once again went in for the kill.
This time in the name of membership of Economic Management Team, they shared available positions and took over the commanding heights of the economic sector where they operate. Those in the oil sector became oil merchants. Importation of petroleum products took the place of local refining. They imported and sold to government and fuel subsidy became a racket and jobs for the boys.
The President and the Minister of Petroleum Resources were taken hostage by the selfish and anti-people advice from these self-styled overnight economists. Instead of insisting on reviving the refineries, they saw it better and cheaper to import petroleum products all in an attempt to enrich themselves. Tank farms sprung up here and there. At the last count, over 82 portfolio businesses were importing fuel and claiming subsidy.
President Jonathan at a point not knowing what to do to these men, called them a cabal that has hijacked the fuel importation and distribution process. This cabal last week showed their true colour in the name of oil marketers by holding the nation to ransom. They refused to distribute fuel on the ground that government owed them. What was at stake was the fact that there was an exchange rate differential of about N159 billion.
The same oil marketers and depot owners who are the creation of successive administrations in the country got together to sabotage free flow of fuel in the country. These men who were the principal actors in the fuel scarcity saga were driven by profit and inordinate ambition to unduly benefit from fuel subsidy fund.
In the bid to make money, oil marketers and depot owners threw caution to the wind and stood between the people and free flow of fuel in the country. This explains why the country was enmeshed in scarcity of the product with attendant fuel queues at filling stations few weeks to the crucial inauguration of a new government.
To show the extent this cabal has entrenched themselves in the system, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is now using private depots to store fuel, a development that gives owners of the facilities undue advantage to create scarcity of the product at their whims.
NNPC shamelessly abandoned its own depots and allowed them to rot while patronising depots owned by the cabal. Why did NNPC opt for private depot to store its imported petrol? Besides, the Federal Government ought to have brought back the ailing refineries, by ensuring that their turnaround maintenance was done.
If the refineries were working and all the depots and storage facilities were in order, no cabal could have had the effrontery to hold the nation to ransom. Since the last days of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory, the five-letter word ‘cabal’ has become a popular syllable in our political lexicon. It is a word that connotes a secret intrigue by a group of people engaged in a secret political agenda.
The monstrous group tagged cabal is deep- rooted in government, thus making input into the economic policy of the state through channels camouflaged as Organised Private Sector and Economic Management Team of the Jonathan Administration. This is contrary to the make-believe posturing by government that the groups are faceless.
They are not. They are notable business tycoons in and out of government. As long as the status quo remains, it is doubtful if any government would ever muster enough courage to put a check on the cabal if it continues being errant.
The muscle flexed last week by the group has shown that it has the capacity to cause enormous distortions in the polity if the government of the day decides to show any measure of altruism.
If things ever get out of hand, the cabal which is more of a creation of government, could assume the dimensions of global notorious mafias. It is left for President Mohammadu Buhari to decide how to handle this mafia before they cripple his government also.

Japan vigilant for ‘Big One’ after powerful quake

The Guardian Nigeria|AFP

Seismologists Sunday warned Japan to stay vigilant for the next “Big One” after a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the quake-prone nation, injuring a dozen people.
Buildings swayed for around a minute in Tokyo and its vicinity Saturday night as the quake struck at a remote spot in the Pacific Ocean 874 kilometres (542 miles) south of the capital, the US Geological Survey said.
Despite its power, there was no risk of a tsunami as its epicentre was a deep 676 kilometres below the Earth’s surface, the USGS and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
Twelve people were injured, including a 56-year-old man who broke his ribs, but no one was killed, an official of the Tokyo Fire Department and local media said Sunday.
Some 400 people were trapped on the observation decks of Tokyo Tower as its elevators stopped for more than one hour.
Runways at Haneda Airport in Tokyo were closed for about 30 minutes, with trains also temporarily halted, while a football match in the city was briefly suspended.
There were no reported problems at any of the region’s mothballed nuclear power plants.
A separate 6.2-magnitude quake hit Sunday morning off the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, the USGS said, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
A massive undersea quake in March 2011 sent a tsunami barrelling into Japan’s northeast coast, killing thousands of people and sending three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The nuclear disaster, the world’s worst since Chernobyl, displaced tens of thousands of people and rendered tracts of land uninhabitable, possibly for decades.
Saturday’s quake was the second sizeable tremor Tokyo has experienced in a week, after a much less powerful — but far shallower — earthquake close to the capital on Monday.
Some experts warn recent quakes and volcano eruptions may be signs that areas near the country are entering an active phase of crustal changes.
“I can say Japan is in an active stage now,” said Toshiyasu Nagao, head of Earthquake Prediction Research Centre at Tokai University.
“Considering the geographic location of Japan, we can say the current activities are rather normal and it was too quiet” before the 2011 jolt, Nagao told AFP.
“We should be vigilant by knowing that it is no wonder that an earthquake sizeable enough to affect our society can occur anytime in the future,” he said.
Kazuki Koketsu, professor with the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo, said the latest tremor was unlikely to be a sign of a potential big jolt in the capital, which was devastated by an massive earthquake in 1923.
“But it is important to regard it as an opportunity to prepare for a future quake,” Koketsu told TV Asahi.
Japan sits at the meeting place of four tectonic plates and experiences around 20 percent of the world’s most powerful earthquakes every year.
But rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even powerful quakes frequently do little damage.
On Friday a volcano in the far south of Japan erupted, spewing a huge column of ash high into the sky and forcing authorities to evacuate the island on which it sits.
The eruption caused no injuries and no damage was reported, but it was another reminder of the country’s volatile geology.