chesterlee:


Shut up!!! Islam is the problem.....

nd christian are what?
i see truth is bitter

eskober:

ur father must be very proud of u. u r a very good example of a nigerian citizen God bless u

amen sir.
nd i dnt knw why dis topic didnt make front page cos i create the topic

midolian:
Thirty two-year old Lawal Ahmed is a Corporal in 115 Battalion of the Nigerian Army. The Funtua, Katsina State-born soldier enlisted in the Nigerian Army on 27 August, 2003, and served in 6 Battalion, Akwa-Ibom State, 1 Brigade Garrison, Sokoto, as well as State Task Force (STF) Jos. His service number is 03/54/5867.   On 22 April, 2014, Lawal said he applied to the Chief of Army Staff for voluntary discharge to enable him contest a seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly, but that the army turned down the application. He claims the working conditions in the army is terrible, and has therefore decided to take his case to the media, since, according to him, his employers won’t listen. He spoke with Chuks Akunna

Can you please start by introducing yourself and why you are here?

My name is Corporal Lawal Ahmed of 115 battalion, Northeast. I am 32 years from Funtua, Katsina State, and attended Government Science Secondary School, Paskari, Katsina State. I joined Nigerian Army on 27th August 2003. I was posted to 6 battalion Nigerian Army, Ibawa, Abak, Akwa Ibom State and served from December 2003 to 2006. In 2007, I was promoted Lance Corporal and posted to 1 Brigade Garrison, Sokoto. From there I was taken to STF in Jos. Before STF, I received training at 1 Div, Kaduna. In 2011, I was promoted to the rank of Corporal.

Can you recall the names of some persons who joined the army with you?

We were 30 boys, one girl - Ajaiyi Kemisola, she was the only female among us, as private.

Why are you here?

I decided to come to THISDAY to speak on the terrible working conditions in the army.

Are there no ways of channeling your grievances in the army?


None. We are discouraged from asking questions. Twice, I applied to leave the army to continue my life as a normal human being, with dignity. On both occasions they rejected my application. That is why I left.

Isn’t that AWOL or desertion?

Call it anything. I am ready to sacrifice my life for the betterment of the army. The conditions are terrible.

How?

Let me give one example. When we were taken to STF, according to the brief of former Chief of Army Staff- General (Azubuike) Ihejirika, we were to spend six months. We ended up spending close to four years without being changed and without explanations. You needed to see how tattered our uniforms are, not to talk of the weapons. This is not how armies operate in other countries.

Like?

I was in Sudan in 2005, under the African Mission in Darfur. I went there for peace keeping, as protection force.

How many of you went from Nigeria?

Actually, army headquarters garrison provided one company, six batallion provided another company. A company is made up of betweem 100 - 250 soldiers. My commander was Major H. M. Labo, I don’t know his rank now in the army. My commander in the STF was S. A. Sangonuga, a Yoruba. I don’t know his present rank.

Which other officers did you remember?

We had Lt. Col. Olakola Micheal and Lt.Col. Rasheedudin, my battalion commander.

Why did you join the Army?

I joined the army  to  contribute to the growth of my country.

Not because you were looking for work?

No. However, sadly,  right from the time I joined the army, I began to see many wrong things. There I saw people who served the Nigerian Army for 35 years and retired at a rank of Lance Corporal. This is bad.

You saw them where?

I saw them in 6 Battalion, I worked with them.

How did they feel?

They felt terrible because their juniors, are always ahead of them. Imagine someone that entered the army in 1980 remaining a Lance Corporal and someone who joined 20 years later rising to the rank of Staff Sergent. How do you expect the Lance Corporal to feel!
From that moment, I began taking notes on the bad things I felt should be addressed in the army. I consider myself lucky to have reached the rank of Corporal in about 13 years. Several soldiers in my units had spent more years than me, and did not commit any offence, yet are Privates.

What is your status? Are you still in the Nigerian Army?

I am still in the service. I wrote on the 23 April, 2014, for voluntary discharge but the Army refused to release me.

What reason did they give?

None

Who did you write to?

I wrote through my commanders to the chief of army staff. Till date nothing has been heard of my letter. My sector commander was Col. Olagunju. But one soldier with whom I trained in Jaji told me that the reason may be that the army is under-manned.

You trained in Jaji?

Yes, we were over 800 soldiers. Some were turned back due to medical reasons. Gen. Okoro, who was Commander, Nigerian Army Infantry School, addressed us that we were going to receive new weapon training. I never saw any new weapon, apart from the weapon used in my unit.

What kind of weapons?

A-K47, 60mm Commando Mortar and 10mm mortar, even though nobody ever came to teach me how to operate the mortar guns. The truth is that most soldiers don’t know how to use such weapons because they have never been taught.

Why?

I don’t know. There was this funny incident when I was in 1 Brigade, Sokoto. When our annual range classification was conducted, my commander said soldiers with motorcycles should assist those who didn’t have to the range. Imagine the army didn’t provide a vehicle to take us there. My commander at the time, in 2008, was Lt. Col. O. A. Dada. I don’t know his rank now.

Did you serve in the Northeast?

In 2014, I served in Gombi, Adamawa State. From there we headed for Fella Junction, in the name of going to see new weapon, but there was none. The APCs we used were so old. At some point some were used to tow-start the others. We didn’t have tanks. It was after spending  three days with our advance that we were able to borrow four new APCs from another battalion. We didn’t have communication.

How did you operate without communication?

That was the problem. Something happened in Fellatu Mia. Our soldiers were bringing food to us. We thought they were Boko Haram terrorists and opened fire on them. We had killed and injured many before realising they were our troops. This was very sad.

You mean field officers don’t have radios communication?

Only battalion, company commanders and administrative officers have Motorolla radios.  Company commander, company sergeant supposed to have his own, but I don’t know if Nigerian government cannot provide or whether they provide the money and the top officers divert it.

Couldn’t your people have at least used GSM communication?

There was no GSM network there. I don’t think Nigerian Army do tell the families what happened to their loved ones because if they tell their families, they will take action on it. I have never seen a country that will send soldiers to go and fight without providing communication gadgets, only in Nigeria.

Can you tell us what day this attack occured?

No, I cannot remember the date because I lost my war diary. But from Fella we start advancing  on the Miya -Fella road. At about 6:30pm, we ran into the terrorists around Miya and we fired almost till day break. Luckily, we overpowered them, and came back in the morning. Basically, our prayers served us because with the weapon we used, I don’t think we would have overpowered them.

What weapon did boko haram use?

They were carrying very powerful weapons.  In fact, that was the first time of my seeing such weapons.

What kind of weapon?

Very big anti-aircraft guns. See. When a soldier dies in the army, the family will be in for a very hard life, because after three months, Nigerian army will block their salary.

What happens thereafter?

Some families spend more than two, three years chasing the dead soldier’s benefits. By right, the army is supposed to show love to the deceased soldier’s family to get their benefit. In most cases, the families spend all they have following up. When they run out of cash, they will abandon the money and some people will convert the money to personal use, leaving the families to suffer.

How true is this claim?

If you have any soldier from the rank of warrant officer down to private, call ask them, because if I give you any number, you might think I collaborated with the person. You are a journalist. Go and investigate.

Tell us how Boko Haram usually ambush soldiers.

The usual method is to push cows to us. They get over 100 cows and push them to us. In the confusion, they launch their attack. How they get the cows is what baffles us. Maybe they are stolen cows. And most times, our soldiers abandon their weapons and run. Some get killed. The problem isn’t helped by godfathers in the army. Very often you see soldiers and officers boasting that they are sons or relations of this General, as if Nigerian Army belongs to them. Maybe.

From your presentation, you seem to be very educated. Are you a graduate?

I am a school certificate holder. The army only allow people with godfathers to go for further studies. For people like us with none, you remain a Private all your life. I served twelve years without going for any course. And in Nigerian army, if an officer passes out from NDA, either regular or short service, the army are the one to nominate him to course, but we, other ranks, they think we are slaves to them.  One should think it is in the best interest of the Nigerian Army to train their soldiers, but the Nigerian Army will block you from going on course so that you remain blind, not knowing much about your profession.

Why do you say that?

The officers love the status quo. They are afraid of you challenging them on what you might end up learning from the courses, so they rather you remained with zero knowledge.‎ Our officers drum it in our ears that, as human beings, we have no rights, only privileges. And many soldiers have come to believe this. I disagree with them because I know that I am first a human being before becoming a soldier. Since I joined army, nobody ever showed me the terms and conditions of service, to read, to know what and what and where I will find my right. We don’t know what the Armed Forces Act says. All we know is when you commit, your superior will give directive to the clerk to prepare your charge.

This is serious.

It is more serious than you think. When I was at Eket, Exxon Mobil, the company trained us directly. mobile trained us directly. I was an orderly to a white man, and there was this day in 2005 I asked him, “why are you paying your staff overtime and leaving us with just N15,000 each month?’ Apparently, my question jolted him. He told me he was paying my Commander N90,000 for me and that I should not ask for any other over time. Imagine! Means my Commander had been pocketing N75,000 in my name. Multiply that times the number of soldiers under him and get an idea of how much he was making in our names. When I complained, my Commander responded by withdrawing me. Other soldiers accused me of ‘sabi-sabi”. They don’t care if their rights are trampled on, they just want to get by.  As a Corporal, my monthly pay is N57,000, that is less than N2,000 a day.  On the other hand, a Cadet, Termer 1, what you call Year 1 in the university collects N60,000 a month.  He is collecting more salary than me. A Termer 5 or final year student in NDA earns almost twice what a Warrant Officer, who has put in more than 25 years in service earns. Don’t forget that the WO has a family and children in higher institutions. This is a very unjust system.

Now, we have a new Commander-In-Chief, who happens to be from Katsina, your home  state. Since Buhari took office, Boko Haram appear to have stepped up its activities. What is your recipe for ending insurgency in Nigeria?

My advice to Mr. President is to retire all officers from the rank of Brigadier General. They have no use in Nigerian Army, because all of them have been feeding fat from the insurgency and it won’t be in their best interest to end it. If President Buhari will take my advice, let him look for a very capable Lieutenant Colonel and appoint Chief of Army Staff. Afterall, Gowon, I think, became Chief of Army Staff as Lt. Colonel. Several officers- Usman Katsina, Obasanjo, Benjamin Adekunle and others- were GOCS as Lt. Colonels and performed excellently well. What rank was Ojukwu when he led Biafra to war? Most of the Generals we have today have so politicized the military that there is little room for professionalism. They are businessmen and want to compete with the Dangotes and Ibrus. Let Buhari begin by flushing them out.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-buhari-should-retire-all-generals-/211952/

Cc: Lalasticlala, ishilove, obinoscopy

ok

ArcBoB:
Salam,
Even some ignorant muslim condemn fellow brother practising sunnah. Here in my area they see beard and trouser above ankle as being misguided. They indirectly help those stereotyping islam
May Allah subhana wata'lla Guide us Ameen

amen o bro

LET US CALL A SPEAR, A SPEAR
Their are bad Muslims just as their bad Christians. A bad muslim does not make Islam a bad religion terrorism does not have religion. Come to think of it. In the HISTORY of the world, who has KILLED
maximum INNOCENT
human beings
1) "Hitler"
Do you know who he was
He was a Christian, but media will never call
Christians terrorists.
2) "Joseph Stalin called as Uncle Joe".
He has killed 20 million human beings including
14.5 million were starved to death.
Was he a Muslim
3) "Mao Tse Tsung (China)"
He has killed 14 to 20 million human beings.
Was he a Muslim
4) "Benito Mussolini (Italy)"
He has killed 400 thousand human beings.
Was he a Muslim
5) "Ashoka" In Kalinga Battle
He has killed 100 thousand human beings.
Was he a Muslim
6) Embargo put by George Bush in Iraq,
1/2 million children
has been killed in Iraq alone!!! Imagine these
people are never called terrorists by the media.
Why
Today the majority of the non-muslims are
afraid
by hearing the words "JIHAD".
Jihad is an Arabic word which comes from root
Arabic word "JAHADA" which means "TO STRIVE"
or "TO STRUGGLE" against evil and for justice. It
does not
mean killing innocents.
The difference is we stand against evil, not with
evil".
You still think that ISLAM is the problem
1. The First World War, 17 million dead
(caused by non-Muslim).
2. The Second World War, 50-55 million dead
(caused by non-Muslim).
3. Nagasaki atomic bombs 200000 dead
(caused by non-Muslim).
4. The War in Vietnam, over 5 million dead
(caused by non-Muslim).
5. The War in Bosnia/Kosovo, over 5,00,000 dead
(caused by non-Muslim).
6. The War in Iraq (so far) 12,000,000 deaths
(caused by non-Muslim).
7. Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Burma etc
(caused
by non-Muslim).
8. In Cambodia 1975-1979, almost 3 million
deaths (caused by non-Muslim).
"MUSLIMS ARE NOT TERRORISTS

G

Wow

STPEACE:
They gave us light today, its a good starting point. God be your strenght PMB.

amen bro

I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country.
I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and were counted. I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the social media. At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive.
I thank all of you.
The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we can not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.
This government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory.
Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a reccurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko haram. We shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed Forces.
Boko Haram is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land. We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security architecture.
The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is due to end in December, but the Government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes currently in place. I call on the leadership and people in these areas to cooperate with the State and Federal Government in the rehabilitation programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build prosperity for our people.
No single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians.
Unemployment, notably youth un-employment features strongly in our Party’s Manifesto. We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises. We shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of our railways, roads and general infrastructure.
Your Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a window of opportunity to fulfill our long – standing potential of pulling ourselves together and realizing our mission as a great nation.
Our situation somehow reminds one of a passage in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar
There is a tide in the affairs of men which,
taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life,
Is bound in shallows and miseries.
We have an opportunity. Let us take it.
Thank you
Muhammadu Buhari
President Federal Republic of NIGERIA
and
Commander in-chief-of the Armed forces

Sobbing for shoeless man nd mama p

WE WILL MISS U MAMA PEACE
This woman has increased the life span of an average Nigerian. Few examples of her "Award Winning Speeches" includes;
- Nigeria is a great CONTINENT.
- My husband Jonathan and Sambo IS good people.
- I rather KILL myself than commit SUICIDE.
- My fellow widows.
- My fellow womens.
- I travelled to Abroad to Rest in Peace.
- My husband is the best COUPLE on Earth.
- The Doctors are RESPONDING to treatment.
- For those who said I SPEECH bad English, I left them for God.
- Ojukwu is dead, but his Manhood still lives on.
- Na only you waka come?
- Chei! Chei!! Chei!!! This blood we are "sharing"
- diaris god oooo... hmmmm diaris god.
- On behalf of N2million I donate my family.
- To all those who think Goodluck Jonathan has failed, I have a question for you. When a child fails an exam, isn't the child supposed to be repeated? Lets repeat Goodluck Jonathan.
- Nyeson Wike is the younger brother of my husband. This man I have tasted him and he is very sweet. Support him.
Please, support and honour Nigeria's outgoing First Lady (Dame Faka Patience Goodluck Jonathan) by sharing this with all your contacts. Don't laugh alone.
Chei! Chei!! Chei!!! Dis message "we are reading"
"diaris god o"

See how i dey go my own

Eno concern me
i dey come

This is a picture of A woman riding a bycicle from kontagora part of niger state to abuja just to congratulate our president elect general muhammad buhari,
today i saw her around emir round about suleja,
so i now took her pic!

Dats why i like i naija people
dey no dey carry last

From aso rock to glass house
from glass house to river house
GEJ fisher man otuoke most go

Ok

Dunsin89:
Go near it jor! It is called the sweet plant. It has sweet seeds

sweet ko?

Dunsin89:
Go near it jor! It is called the sweet plant. It has sweet seeds

sweet ke?

Ha
no be karara be dis

Eyyah
hardluck bro

Check dis out

In case of ftc

APC change
niger sai abulolo

K

#Where is our first lady?
#Bring back our first lady.

Yayo

APC change

What is the title of this movie?