₦airaland Forum

Tinubu Support Group (TSG), a Political Group rallying support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s Presidential ambition on Wednesday said it is confident that the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not back out from the 2023 Presidential election race because of his good intentions.

UMAR IBRAHIM MUHAMMED , Director General of the group said even though Tinubu has not formally informed them of his desire to contest, they are confident that he will not reject the offer when the time comes.

While dismissing The National Coordinator for Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), Barrister Olusegun Bamgbose claims that the National Leader for the All Progressive Congress (APC) Party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is considering withdrawing from the 2023 Presidential race, Umar said Asiwaju is determined by his good intentions for Nigeria rather than dwelling on who support him or not.

“We are confident that he will contest. He will not back out from the Presidential race. He cannot back out because of his good intentions for Nigeria and upport accross the country, that will not make it possible for him to back out.

“What we need in Nigeria is someone like Asiwaju Tinubu, who knows everybody. Someone with large network, who has supported and nurtured people across all the zones, someone, who believes in making stars to unite Nigeria and a man with blue print of development for the country". Umar concluded

The Forum of Former Federal Lawmakers in Nigeria has decried the current state of insecurity in the country urging government to end the menace immediately.
The forum in a public notice suggested ways out of the logjam.
It said government must first correct perceived areas of injustice, exclusion, and economic alienation in the country as part of a robust solution to end insecurity.
The former federal lawmakers also advised that government must intensify dialogue with non-state actors in order to assuage frayed nerves across the nation and succeed in containing agitations, conflicts and insurgencies benefiting the society.
The former lawmakers said they were worried about the menace of farmers/herders clash and proffered ranching as the best solution to sedentary pastoralism.
Against the backdrop of the porousness of the nation's borders, the former federal lawmakers urged governments at all levels to scale up land border control measures.
It called on the Federal Government to issue a timeline during which to vanquish the Boko Haram insurgency amongst others, while also calling for an end to bloody secessionist agitations.

Nigeria's Ambassador to Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. T.Y Buratai (rtd), has been appointed as the Patron of the National Forum of Ex-Councillors of Nigeria.

The group made this known on Tuesday after paying a visit to the former Army Chief in Damaturu, Yobe State.

According to a statement by the chairman of the State chapter, Abdulganiyu Mohammed, the ex-councillors choose Buratai due to his effort in restoring peace, security and development to communities in the state as well as the nation in general.

The group commended the former COAS for establishing many strategic military units and institutions in the northeast that further deter terrorist activities.

"Today, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, the Yobe State chapter of the National Forum of Ex-Councillors of Nigeria call on former Chief of Army Staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Benin, His Excellency, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai (rtd), at the Government Lodge Damaturu. The team was led by the Chapter’s Chairman, Honourable Abdulganiyu Mohammed," the statement reads.

"In his remarks, the Chairman briefed H.E. about the aims and objectives of the association, adding that they are closer to the people. He also said they were there to show appreciation and gratitude to Lieutenant General Buratai (rtd) for his efforts as Chief of Army Staff from July 2015 to January 2021, which brought peace, security and development to their communities in Yobe State and Nigeria at large.

"They commended him for establishing many strategic military units and institutions in the northeast that further deter terrorist activities. The team further stated that they were to congratulate him for his well-deserved appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin and presented him with a letter of appointment and honour as Patron of the Forum".

Responding, Ambassador Buratai thanked them for a visit and accepted to serve as Patron of the Forum.

He also commended the delegation and members of the Forum for their continued commitment to peace and development in their wards, Yobe State and the nation.

He said that as grassroots people, Ward Councillors have a strategic role in supporting the Federal and State Governments in fostering peace and security in their respective wards.

By Kolawole Anthony

The latest confirmation of Lt. General Tukur Buratai (rtd) as a non-career ambassador to the Benin Republic has sent great shivers down the spines of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their splinter groups in the South-Eastern part of the country.

Against IPOB's belief, Buratai has proven himself qualified with unique skills. His vast wealth of experience as a war veteran, peacekeeper, administrator with efficiency in maintaining order and stability in conflict-ridden areas around the country, along with his untainted outstanding records set him apart in the eye of The National Parliament Screening and confirmation, Security Agency's check on personalities, and the Final Senate screening.

As part of the process before his confirmation, the members of the public were invited to submit petitions which would be either considered on the provision of worthy evidence or discarded when considered substantial. If culpable of the evidence, the particular nominee would eventually be disqualified.

All these formalities were satisfied, yet the IPOB and it's over 22 nebulous CSOs kept quiet. They neither wrote any petition against Buratai, nor showed their grievances in writing before his appointment, but now want to tarnish the image of the former Army Chief as one who supervised genocide in Nigeria is unfortunate and smacks of mischief.

The efforts made by malcontent members of the proscribed sect to degrade Buratai's image is a shameless act and goes against every principle of decency. It shows that the group is clueless and they are only out there to cause havoc and disorder under the disguise of having the interests of the Igbo people at heart.

In the third paragraph of their senseless letter, reference was made to the summary and links of what they termed "grave human rights violations and other conduct-atrocities" of T.Y Buratai when he served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff all of which are unverified accounts of allegations tabled against the ambassador. It is witless of them to have used such baseless links and unverified summaries of what they claim are Buratai’s sins as support to their false claims.

The efforts and struggles of the Nigerian Army should not be demeaned and denigrated by disgruntled members of this group. Most of their efforts have been tailored towards scandalizing several members of the Buhari-led administration including the president himself all in the name of fighting for a just cause.

All movement of calumny by this group against the ambassador will not be accepted. Their futile cries for justice against Buratai is foolish as it is condemnable.

It has been proven that Buratai’s tenure as the Chief of Army Staff is one earmarked by several victories against insurgency and the protection of human rights. The group is quick to forget that this same man who they have so shamelessly slandered for the violation of several human rights instituted an office in the Nigerian Army dedicated to the protection of human rights by the soldiers.

Most of their claims in the letter were unsubstantial and controversial in all regards. All those who signed such an appalling letter must be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to individuals who would like to try such in the future. Everyone has his or her right to express opinions, but accusing an individual without substantial proof is a hatchet job.

The IPOB have yet again proven itself to be an organization full of dishonesty, unclear practices and violence. It is this very group that accused the ambassador of violating human rights that were also responsible for several attacks on innocent citizens and government properties earlier this year. It is thus ridiculous to see such an organization accuse someone of crimes they are clearly guilty of.

The Report of April 27 concerning the spate of attacks on security forces in the southeastern part of Nigeria by the so-called harmless peaceful protesters as claimed by IPOB, had it that, there was a gun exchange by IPOB with the police before they were subdued by the intervention of troops, which later resulted in the killing of five security officers including two soldiers.

_"Unidentified men attacked the police station in the southern part of Okigwe town," Imo State police spokesman Orlando Ikokwu confirmed to AFP that, "Five policemen were killed while another is missing," he said. Residents of Okigwe, however, claimed to have seen the bodies of six slain policemen._

From evidence and eyewitnesses, authorities attributed this spiteful attack to the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group campaigning for Biafran independence.

The ambassador was also blamed for the EndSars protest which saw the shooting of some of the protesters at Lekki toll gate sometime in October last year. Such an accusation is baseless. It is an effort by IPOB to corner the purpose of the protest into their selfish gain and therefore uses it as a weapon to attack the Nigerian military and haul them in a negative light.

The actions of the IPOB are a clear example of rewarding good and selfless service with chagrin and ignominy. Buratai’s excellent career record is enough evidence to prove to the world that this was a man who served his country to the best of his abilities. During his tenure, he was at the forefront of protecting human rights that he instituted a human rights desk to ensure that his men comply with set rules of engagement to protect the human rights of individuals.

This same man carried out a campaign to improve civil-military relations between the Nigerian Army and host communities which saw to the provision of basic and social amenities in such communities some of which include a massive water project in Abakpa and the provision of farming implements to farmers in such communities. This campaign also saw the provision of free medical outreaches in several communities around the country. All these helped to improve the overall living standards of people in such communities and helped alleviate poverty to a great extent in such communities.

It is therefore obvious that their vile agitation for freedom and their spurious attack on the personality of our dear Ambassador Buratai is borne out of the fear of blocking their core source of weaponry and ammunition supplies, which have been through borders that stood as a channel of support from their members in other countries.

Being befuddled and knowing how he had curbed their nefarious activities on many occasions in the past, the Indigenous People of Biafra had foreseen greater destruction lying ahead for them. Therefore, they resolved to use evil strategies, and different means to pull the Nigerian Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Buratai, out of that sensitive position.

What is best befitting for Ambassador TY Buratai is a Nobel peace prize, a great honour of service to his country and mankind, a peacemaker, and a great icon.

This is a man that deserves every accolade for a job well done in saving lives and properties. A selfless patriot that took an uncountable risk by endangering his life just to secure peace and unity in Nigeria.

He has earned great recognition and should be inducted into the country's HALL OF FAME. All these, we believe he would get someday.

Kolawole PhD wrote this piece from Keffi.

*Seme Border: Group charges Amb Buratai to facilitate healthy trade relations, national security between Nigeria/Benin Republic*

... passes vote of confidence on Nigeria’s envoy to the Benin Republic

Nigeria's Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Amb Tukur Buratai, has been tasked to swiftly hit the ground running, enhancing trade relations and trans-border security between both nations, especially around the Seme Border.

Passing a vote of confidence on the former Chief of Army Staff, the Nigeria First movement said Amb Buratai is tailor-made for the job owing to his vast experience in military and diplomacy.

Lt. Gen Buratai (rtd) and immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olanisakin (rtd) were on Tuesday presented with letters of credence as envoys to Benin and Cameroon respectively.

And according to Nigeria First, Buratai's confirmation shows that President Muhammadu Buhari was satisfied with his performance as COAS, having effectively flushed out insurgents and other criminal elements from the North-East and other parts of the country.

Speaking on behalf of the group at a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Secretary-General, Comrade Augustine Richard Adie, noted that Buratai's appointment is a welcome development at a time the nation's border is under several threats.

Adie added that with Buratai, trade relations between the two countries will be strengthened more than ever, leading to more foreign exchange for Nigeria.

Recalling his stint as Army chief, Adie hailed Buratai for a successful campaign against insurgency in the country which has translated to peace and security to several parts especially in the once-troubled North-East

He, however, advised members of the opposition party and other disgruntled individuals to stop the campaign aimed to malign Buratai’s image.

Expressing total confidence in his ability, the group called on all Nigerians to extend support for the country's new Ambassador to the Benin Republic.

Read the full statement below:

Nigeria First, heartily congratulates Ambassador, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd) on his recent appointment. We are happy to finally acknowledged that "the Best man for the job has finally arrived".

Knowing about the way Nigerians have continuously expressed their enraged feelings about the matters of insecurity in the country, ever since when Boko Haram insurgency has taken the country unaware since 2009 when they began a violent campaign in North-East Nigeria, everyone now believes in every reason to tighten up our security portals.

Having fought a good fight to subdue and weaken internal terrorism and banditry in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari took a great strategic move on this appointment because he was satisfied with your performance and your great knowledge of international diplomacy.

Therefore, Mr President saw the need to expand frontiers in the war against insurgency in the country, which in our opinion culminated in the appointment of the former service chiefs as non-career ambassadors to galvanize the much needed regional support at addressing the threat posed by the Boko Haram insurgents.

For the record, Nigeria has never experienced a much peaceful time as compare to when Buratai was Chief of Army Staff since the rampage of Book Haram had begun.

Nigeria is still battling insurgency even with the change of Service Chiefs that most Nigerians had clamoured for. And was that the solution? Has that changed anything?

Instead, the situation has remained stagnant and getting worse as some stipulated by many.

The appointment of Ty Buratai is a welcome development in terms of the development of diplomacy and national security.

His appointment at a time when Nigeria’s border is under several threats is a wise decision made by the administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari. This move is vital and strengthens trade relations between the two countries.

Buratai is the ideal candidate for this position owing to his vast intellect and diplomatic skills. The current position to which he has been recently appointed must be handled delicately. It requires someone with profound intellect and experience. We are happy that Buratai has been chosen as the man for the job.

This is a man that served the country as a military leader without a blemish on his entire career. This is the right reward for a man who has served his country diligently and to the best of his abilities. This is a man who has given his all to the nation and we have no doubt that he will do the same in his current position.

However, despite the flawless record of this man, his appointment has been bathed with opprobrium by several individuals who believe that he is not fit for the job for several reasons best known to them. There have also been several claims that his appointment is all in a bid to protect him from prosecution for crimes wrongfully alleged against him. These, we believe are the evil efforts of several members of the opposition party and other disgruntled individuals to sully Buratai’s image. These individuals have failed to see the bigger picture but have instead chosen to allow politics and senseless sentiments to blindfold them. These individuals are only after their interest instead of national interest. Nigeria is currently in a delicate situation presently. The country has been plagued by insecurity and corruption amongst others and senseless political propaganda should not be added to the list.

Buratai’s appointment is a promising development as it has a lot of potential advantages, one of which is the fact that the former chief of Army Staff has a vast network of friends and acquaintances globally. This is a great boost in terms of diplomacy and will be very beneficial in his current position.

Buratai has a lot of unique skills in his arsenals such as his vast wealth of experience as a war veteran, a peacekeeper, an administrator and his efficiency in maintaining order and stability in conflict-ridden areas around the country. These skills will be very vital when it comes to his orchestration of diplomatic relationships and strategy.

Let us all not be quick to forget his successful campaign against insurgency in the country and how he managed to bring peace and security to several parts of the country especially in the northeast. During his reign as the chief of army staff, he moved his base to the forefront of the war where he managed to defeat and wipe out many terrorists especially the one hidden in the enclaves of the Sambisa forest.

Instead of the fight against insecurity, those of us familiar with the dynamics and state of play in the international arena will see the wisdom behind his appointment. It is a wise move to involve the international community in the fight against terrorism and banditry by appointing an individual who is conversant with the necessities of Nigeria and the various areas in which support is needed.

It is well known that the trans-border security between Nigeria and the Benin Republic is quite low and has been plagued by smugglers and bandits. Buratai’s experience when it comes to tackling insecurity is thus priceless in dealing with border security between Nigeria and the Benin Republic. His diplomatic skills are also sure to improve trade relations between the two countries.

Several businessmen and women have been clamouring over the closure of the Nigeria-Benin Republic border and have explained how the border closure has affected their business. We can boldly say to you all that have faith in Buratai as all issues regarding the Border closure and trade relations will soon be resolved.

Nigeria’s lost revenue to the Benin Republic has been a troubling issue to the country. It goes without saying that no nation can survive without its foreign exchange earnings and Nigeria is in no way an exception. We are certain that the ambassador will employ his sagacity and diplomatic skills to see to the re-opening of the Nigerian-Benin Republic border as soon as possible.

Buratai has been a loyal and patriotic servant to the people of Nigeria. His records and portfolio are excellent. He boasts a lot of skills, expertise and experience. He made incredible contributions towards the establishment of the Nigerian Amry University which greatly improved pedagogic approaches towards tackling insurgency in the country. His leadership boosted the morale of the Nigerian army and greatly influenced the war against insurgency. The time he served as a service chief has been widely regarded as one of the most productive in the annals of the Nigerian army. Under his leadership, the Nigerian army was rated high as regards human rights compliance by various international bodies. This was achieved as a result of his establishment of human rights offices to address issues regarding human rights violations by officers. This is another example of the insight the man portrays.

Nigeria plays a strategic leadership role in Africa and the appointment of a man as sagacious and experienced as TY Buratai ensures that Nigeria cements its place as the giants and leaders in the African continent. It is well known to all that Nigeria is a country looked up to owing to its portfolio, thus, the appointment of Buratai as a representative in the Republic of Benin is a step in the right direction.

It makes much strategic sense because we would be sure that Buratai would put his wealth of knowledge to bear, especially in addressing some of the issues of concern for the country regarding Boko Haram getting logistics support outside the country.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai remains a great asset to our country because of his deep foresight on national security. He is also a military historian, and thus good that he has offered himself once again in service to the country.

Nigeria First expresses total confidence in Buratai as a model of patriotism and chauvinism. His many accomplishments are a testament to the fact that his appointment was the right decision by the current administration. We call on all Nigerians to extend their support to the newly appointed ambassador rather than greet his appointment with baseless criticisms. Let us also continue to provide our endless support to the current President of this great nation and his administration as they work tirelessly for the growth and development of Nigeria.

God Bless President Buhari, God Bless Nigeria.

Football is a game that brings people of all race and colours of life coming together to not only play for a goal but as a form of entertainment and exercise. This is totally not different from the crop of personalities in the Abuja9800 Sports Club who weekly come out to exercise, bond, network and entertain themselves in different sporting activities.

Abuja9800 Sports Club is an organization that has been in existence for over eight years in the city of Abuja participating in football activities, social activities and most especially organizing Corporate Social Responsibilities in FCT.

Going from all of these the club is now set to flag off the maiden edition of its football league competition which promises to be competitive, exciting and a refreshing moment. The league will begin on Saturday the 26th of June 2021 and will be played every last Saturday of every month until December 2021 where the final match will be played to wrap up the clubs' activities for the year 2021 coupled with a CSR event and Family Party.

Speaking to newsmen after the final meeting with the League Management Committee is the Chairman of the Club Mr Inem Uwah who expressed his satisfaction with the plans; Mr Uwah echoed " I am super excited about the plans so far and the league in itself which we as management of the club together with the League Management Committee have taken time to draw out modalities for the league. I also want to use the opportunity to thank our partners for supporting our club and ensuring that the league comes to reality. Let me also invite our friends and lovers of football to join us every last Saturday of the month for our league matches or every Saturday and Tuesday for our regular training"

In the same vein, the Special Assistant on youth and sports to the interim Administrator/CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Engr Udengs Eradiri whose office is a proud sponsor of the Abuja9800 Football League also addressed newsmen after the meeting; Engr Eradiri said " This is another opportunity for us at the NDDC to support laudable football events like this because we believe it is an opportunity to give young people from the Niger Delta region who reside in the Federal Capital Territory to showcase their football talents to scouts who will be a part of the audience at the event. We are in full support of the success of this event and we will ensure that more Niger Deltans participate in footballing events"

The league will have some Ex Internationals and Abuja scrabble lords who will be playing scrabble on the side as side attractions. A trophy, medal and cash prize of N500,000 will go to the league winners, golden boot to the highest goal scorer and some other prizes will be won in the course of the league.

By Mark Bonaventure

Nigeria is somewhat experiencing security challenges that are not surprising because there are various factors responsible for it. In this case, I would say the Boko Haram insurgency took the country unaware since 2009 when the Boko Haram group began a violent campaign in North-East Nigeria.

The Nigerian Military has been actively involved, recording gains and setbacks simultaneously because it's asymmetric warfare and not the conventional. The implication of this is that there has to be a constant review of operational strategies because insurgencies worldwide are dynamic and evolve every passing day.

I recall that insurgent activities were aimed at security agencies from the onset of the Boko Haram insurgency. From there, it metamorphosed into hostage-taking. It further transformed into targeting women and children and establishing a caliphate. And today, one cannot point to the actual aim of the insurgents because they have continually engaged the Military in fierce battles.

This fact was corroborated by the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, when he stated that the Boko Haram insurgency might not end in 20 years. I recall when he made that statement; most Nigerians didn't comprehend the import of his message because they were not knowledgeable of the dynamics in asymmetric warfare.

He said the terrorists had indoctrinated the people for a long time, making it difficult to defeat them within a short period. He also stated that political and socio-economic factors need to be addressed, adding that many communities in northern Nigeria lacked basic amenities.

With the benefit of hindsight, he was right because Nigeria is still battling insurgency even with the change of Service Chiefs that most Nigerians had clamoured. And was that the solution? Has that changed anything? I still believe that the change of service chiefs was meant to rejig the operational strategies and not because of non-performance as some section of the country would want us to believe.

It could thus be argued that it was a strategic move by the President because there was a need to expand frontiers in the war against insurgency in the country, which in my opinion culminated in the appointment of the former service chiefs as non-career ambassadors to galvanize the much needed regional support at addressing the threat posed by the Boko Haram insurgents.

It was thus speculated that Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has been posted to the Benin Republic to galvanize support from the West African country. If that news is eventually accurate, it makes much strategic sense because we would be sure that Buratai would put his wealth of knowledge to bear, especially in addressing some of the issues of concern for the country regarding Boko Haram getting logistics support outside the country.

I also wish to emphasize that Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai remain an asset to the county because of his deep foresight on national security. I am sure many do not know. He is also a military historian. It is thus good that he has offered himself once again in service to the country. I dare say that not many would be readily available because he just left one of the most daunting offices in the country in retirement.

It was expected that he would devout his retirement time with his family, but that is not the case, as he has continued in service to the country. I think it high time the country celebrates such individuals. His records in the Nigerian Army are exceptional. Under his tenure, substantial gains were recorded in the war against insurgency and other forms of criminalities.

This act is what I would call patriotism, and I believe with time, all those that saw him in a different light would come around to appreciate him for his display of love for the country. The example of Buratai is one in many cases of Nigerians that have been committed to the growth and development of the country, but he stands out hence this article.

I also need to remind us that such practices are prevalent in developed nations, where individuals with outstanding public records remain helpful to the country even in retirement. And Nigeria should not be left out because the security challenges in the country require that we explore all available avenues towards the restoration of peace and stability.

This, in my opinion, would significantly provide answers to the national security question in the country when we realize that times have changed and there is the need for regional and international collaboration in addressing security challenges.

To put it simply, the involvement of the likes of Buratai with years of experience would assist in no small measure in ensuring that the question of galvanizing regional support for Nigeria in the war against insurgency at the diplomatic level is achieved.

At this point, Nigerians must come to terms with the reality that guns and tanks are not the only potent weapon of war. Diplomacy also plays a critical role. Diplomacy translates military triumph into new arrangements. It implies war planning and the conduct of war in accordance with a strategy that unites political, economic, informational, and intelligence measures with military actions and a well-crafted plan for war termination.

Diplomacy is also the art of pursuing internationally possible. It involves the unpleasant task of interacting persuasively with usually disagreeable adversaries and sometimes tedious friends. I am reminded of the story of a former US ambassador to the Soviet Union, Mac Toon, who went aboard an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean for a meeting with the admiral who commanded its battle group. At the end of their discussion, the admiral leaned over to ask, "What’s it like being an ambassador? I've always thought that after I retire, I might want to try it." Ambassador Toon replied, "that's funny. I've always thought that, when I retire, I might try my hand at running a carrier battle group." The admiral said, "That's ridiculous. A naval command requires years of training and experience." But so do the management of foreign policy and diplomacy if the ship of state is not to be sailed onto the rocks or beached in the desert.

In the case of Nigeria, if we build a diplomatic capability with our neighbours to match our military prowess, we will gain a fundamental building block of national strategy towards addressing the Boko Haram insurgency in the country. And this, in my considered opinion, represents what the ambassadorial appointments of the likes of Buratai would avail the country.

Therefore the time to act is now in our quest towards bringing the Boko Haram insurgency to an end. I can vouch that we are on the right course with a man like Buratai and his wealth of experience. Needless I say more.

Bonaventure is a public affairs analyst and wrote from Badagry.

On Thursday 17th June 2021, the FCT Tax Practitioners Association elected a new executive members that will lead the association for the next two years.


The immediate past Chairman of the association Dr Kennedy Iwundu while handing over to the new Chairman of the association, Mr Joseph Odua urged the new exco to continue on the fight of ensuring that tax payers and tax consultants rights and privileges are protected in line with the provisions of the tax laws.


It could be recalled that Dr Kennedy Iwundu was elected on June 2017 and was re-elected in June 2019. His tenure came to an end June 2021.

FCT Tax Practitioners Association is made up of ICAN, ANAN and,CITN members who are tax consultants in FCT, Abuja.


The association has been very proactive especially under the leadership of Dr Kennedy Iwundu in ensuring that relevant tax authorities carry out tax administration in line with the provisions of tax laws and policies.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement (INM) has called on the Chief of Army Staff, Major Gen Farouk Yahaya to reintroduce special operations towards curbing the escalating rate of crime and criminalities experienced in the South-East.

The group made the call on Wednesday at a press conference comprising of stakeholders from each state in the region.

In his address titled 'The Call for Special Operations in South-East Nigeria by the Nigerian Army', Secretary-General, JohnBosco Ike, said this is necessary to curtail the worrisome rise in insecurity in the zone by various secessionist agitations.

Ike said they can no longer watch in silence as innocent lives are truncated for selfish reasons by a group whose agenda promotes their selfish interest to the detriment of all Igbos in Nigeria.

He noted that the urgent intervention of the Nigerian Army is necessary to restore law and order.

The group recalled the impact of army operations such as Operations Crocodile Smile and Python Dance that successfully addressed security challenges such as kidnappings, ritual killings, and other criminalities in the region.

While commending troops for previous interventions, the group vowed to stage a peaceful protest to the National Assembly and the Army headquarters in the full glare of the public if the Army fail to rescue its people.

Read the full address below:

We welcome you all to this press conference with all protocols duly observed. We recognize the presence of critical stakeholders in this press conference with gratitude given the short notice.

We must agree that events in South-East Nigeria are indeed worrisome given the acts of criminality that have gained prominence in recent times. Therefore, as concerned stakeholders in the South East region, with members representing every state in the region, called this press conference to press home demand for the immediate intervention of the Nigerian Army towards curtailing the declining state of security perpetuated by some groups and individuals whose motives remain suspect and from all indications meant to distort the socio-economic development of the South East region.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement would not watch in silence as innocent lives are truncated for selfish reasons by a group whose agenda promotes their selfish interest to the detriment of all Igbos in Nigeria.

We are worried and therefore left with no option to seek the urgent intervention of the Nigerian Army in the restoration of law and order in the South East region of Nigeria. However, we have consulted widely with our members from wide and far and conclude that there is an urgent need for the intervention of the Nigerian Army through the reintroduction of special operations.

Our considered opinion is that the reintroduction of special operations as in times past would go a long way in addressing the various secessionist agitations that are being propagated by a group of opportunists who do not mean well for the South East region.

We recall the impact of army operations such as Operations Crocodile Smile and Python Dance that successfully addresses security challenges such as kidnappings, ritual killings, and other criminalities in the South East region.

We must admit that the success of the various operations cannot be overemphasized, and the relative peace and tranquillity that pervaded the South East region as a result of the intervention was indeed welcomed by critical stakeholders, including the Igbos in Nigeria Movement.

It is, therefore, on the strength of the success of previous operations that the leadership of the Igbos in Nigeria Movement is making this passionate appeal to the leadership of the Nigerian Army to see to the reintroduction of army operations in South-East Nigeria.

This is cognizant that the South East region is presently under siege. Therefore, it will be a great disservice to the peaceful and loving people of the South East region if the leadership of the Nigerian Army does not introduce once again special operations in these trying times.

The leadership of the Nigerian Army must also realize that its previous special operations had brought about peace and stability in the region, which the people of the South East region were appreciative of.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement wish to state that should the leadership of the Nigerian Army fail to act on our request in reintroducing special operations to curb the growing tension in the South East region, we shall be left with no choice but to stage a peaceful protest to the National Assembly and the Army headquarters in the full glare of the public.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement wishes to remind the leadership of the Nigerian Army that the South East region is a part of Nigeria. As such, there should be efforts at deploying strategies towards addressing the security challenges in the region by the Nigerian Army through special operations.

The leadership of the Nigerian Army cannot feign ignorance of the security challenges in the South East region. Consequently, the leadership of the Nigerian Army cannot state that it can't make interventions towards addressing the security challenges in the region.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement, in the light of the above, stated is making this passionate plea to the leadership of the Nigerian Army to come to the rescue of the South East region by reintroducing special operations in fairness to the people of the South East region.

Our plea is hinged on the necessity to see to the restoration of peace, which would go a long way in the socio-economic well-being of the South East region. Our faith and belief in the Nigerian Army remain sacrosanct.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement is using this medium to appreciate the leadership of the Nigerian Army for its various interventions in times past that has resulted in peace and tranquillity in the South East region.

We desire that in the coming weeks and months, the leadership of the Nigerian Army shall deem it necessary and urgent to see to the reintroduction of special operations to address the security challenges in the South East region.

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement remains supportive of the operations of the Nigerian Army over the years. Consequently, our appreciation knows no bound in this regard.

At this point, we also solicit the support of other critical stakeholders to see to the materialization of this request in the interest of peace and tranquillity.

We thank you all for your time and attention.

The National Anti- Corruption Watch (NACW) has urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami not to interfere in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's probe of Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed, the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Following Mohammed's petition to the AGF, the group urged Malami against using his office to shield persons of interest in corruption probes from being investigated.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Aboki Sulyman, on Tuesday, the NACW said Mohammed must be accountable, especially for industrial-scale looting of the money meant for purchasing arms and military hardware under the National Security Adviser.

Rather than hamper investigation, the group urged the AGF to prevail on Jafaru Mohammed to cooperate with investigators so that he can speed up his appearance in court if indicted.

The group, however, vowed to follow up the probe, adding that it would recourse to all available legal means to ensure that justice must prevail.

Read the full statement below:

The National Anti- Corruption Watch (NACW) is concerned to learn about the petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by one Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed, the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

We are worried that, of all possible defences, Jafaru Mohammed alleged “witch-hunt and personal vendetta” as a reason for the EFCC investigation. This is nothing but a shallow attempt at turning the truth on its head.

NACW appeals to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to whom Jafaru Mohammed’s petition was addressed, not to lend his office out for shielding persons of interest in corruption probes from being investigated.

We expect the Minister of Justice and Nigerians at large to note that the kind of blackmail contained in the said petition is a staple of those that once looted this country to the point of bankruptcy. While not advocating for the rights and freedom of citizens to be arbitrarily abridged, it is pertinent to also insist that those found to have been tainted with corruption in the course of serving the country are properly investigated and tried when indicted.

Nigerians must not forget too soon that the industrial-scale looting of the money meant for purchasing arms and military hardware under the National Security Adviser, whom Jafaru Mohammed served, was responsible in large part for the security challenges facing the country today. It is therefore a travesty that the person who held the purse while our commonwealth was looted can now be alleging witch-hunt and vendetta.

NACW, therefore, calls on the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to allow the investigation of Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed to continue without distractions as this is what his petition amounts to.

Nigeria wants Malami to allow EFCC to function without Interference as this is the only approach that will enable to the country rout corruption, which has remained the greatest problem facing the country. Rather than hampering investigation into the activities of the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Attorney-General should rather prevail on Jafaru Mohammed to cooperate with investigators so that he can speed up his appearance in court if indicted.

NACW consequently puts the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice on notice that we would be closely watching the handling of Jafaru Mohammed’s petition to ensure that is it not used as smokescreen for eroding the independence of EFCC and cripple its ability to thoroughly investigate corruption. If Nigerians can establish interference on the part of the AGF, NACW will recourse to all available legal means to ensure that such unacceptable behaviour is halted before it does damage the credibility of the anti-corruption agency.

By Tommy Oshie
 
A driver took his passengers on a journey. He actually bragged that it would be a fun-filled pleasurable ride. But in no long time into the journey the vehicle was lurching on the hills and falling steeply on the slopes without control; the vehicle got to a point of no movement. The passengers got disturbed how the vehicle finally got stuck in the mud and could not maneuver nor even rev. It became more disappointing how the passengers discovered that the driver had long fallen asleep and his assistants not even knowing what to do. Trust passengers and how they can start spewing expletives more so as they just alighted from a previous vehicle of a certain good driver on the propaganda that this present driver would solve their eagerness and take them to the New Jerusalem. Unfortunately, they have found themselves in Gehenna. The passengers are looking downcast particularly as they look from the rear mirror viewing where they are coming from and how they can get out of the present perdition. The quest for a skillful driver to take them out of the quagmire is now on the lips of everyone. They now recall that the driver whose vehicle they alighted from was actually the person who knows the route.
The message is that you should be careful not to lose a good man because another person promised to be better.
The above allegory points out the present situation of Nigeria. There came a time in Nigeria when the only panacea to the country’s problems was in the hands of the 2015 elections. Nigerians were made to understand that they were in needless sufferings. Nigerians were brainwashed to become self sorry and that an incoming messiah tincture against the sitting president was difficult to diffuse. By then there was a strong fiat that the sitting President must not be re-elected. The opportunity cost of his re-election was that Nigeria must be divided between those who wanted him and those who did not. Decorum was actually flung away to the winds. Incidentally, Boko Haram bombings were given media amplifiers. Instead of partnering with the system the opposition saw that it was mission accomplished.
They celebrated the collective pain and presented themselves as the best alternative. Lest it is forgotten, the kidnapping of Chibok girls personally rested squarely on someone’s head rather than a national calamity. The opposition even made mouth-watering promises to those helping them to give the system a bad name and would obliterate them within six months once they come to power. What a strange team of mutual benefit!
And that was how he was battered in the media; maltreated by those he treated well; betrayed by those he thought actually loved him. To cut a long story short, that was how Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was voted out as the President of Nigeria in 2015. And all he could say was ‘Peace be with you’.
The fulcrum of this piece does not bother on the inexhaustible achievements of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan nor does it dwell on how to compare or contrast with this present government even though at times there is need to look at the rear mirror to know where we are coming from. Let us look at one of his monumental policies that would have made Nigeria great again. Early in his government, Goodluck wanted to vitiate the oil industry to market determinants. That move almost brought his government down. That move provoked a sponsored industrial strike action which success can only be akin to that of the colonial days. The said industrial action was actually spearheaded by the people in power today. They goaded us to do more about the strike. They analysed, and gave talks on how Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was impoverishing Nigerians. The message then was that subsidy was actually a fraud and that the price of fuel was supposed to be ordinarily cheap.
Today the table has turned. They did not even have to refer to any document to adopt his policy on the petroleum industry, even though they do not know how to go about it.
ASUU could be judged to be one of the best discordant agents in Goodluck’s government, accusing it of not doing well in education. Six years gone after Goodluck, the 2020 ASUU strike is unprecedented. Is that Goodluck’s government too? Has education been fixed?
Nepotism! The present government is characterized with nepotism. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan never had such characteristics. As a matter of fact, when he went back home after he lost the 2015 elections, his people almost hurled stones at him. What was his sin? He did not give them juicy positions. The northerners benefited from Goodluck more than his own region. His educational programmes and investments in the north can only be compared to that of Sir Ahmadu Bello of blessed memory.
The freedom of speech in pre-2015 is now hate speech. Should we talk about the consumer price index? Has banditry not dwarfed Boko Harm? While Boko Harm holds a particular area as their stronghold, kidnappers and bandits have unlimited territories. Even with your spare parts in your trunk, you don’t wish your car to break down on the highway. Even with your fence twice as high you still live in grip of fear in your house. You cannot even look out from your windows. ICPC is investigating missing 50 billion dollars and 500 billion naira from the TSA without a trace. This is not happening in Goodluck’s government. The list is inexhaustible abeg.
That same Goodluck was almost not bold enough to enter certain states in the north despite his huge security, but today he makes triumphant entries into same states with chants of hossanah. There are cries of Ka dawo! Ka dawo! everywhere, meaning just come back. This is evident in Sokoto, Kano, Bauchi, Maiduguri, you name them. Apologies drench the air wherever he goes today in the north. It could be recalled how Governor Ganduje mentioned that Sanusi Lamido was appointed the Emir of Kano just to embarrass Goodluck. Today, same Ganduje is screaming out his own apologies. Senator Ali Ndume has sent his apologies. Kawu Baraje made an open act of contrition on how he drove away Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
This is not a cheap drive to remind Nigerians of the present socio-economic calamities and to dangle alternatives. But truth be told, he is presently the most welcomed visitor to the State House. That is the good spirit that has endeared Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to the generality of Nigerians and the reason Ka dawo rents the air when he visits the north.
Right now, the country is in some dire straits. It is boxed to a corner. There is a serious political fog on who to bell the cat. All the passengers on the vehicle are now looking at the rear mirror. Questions are being thrown at one another: how did we get here? Where did we miss it? Why did we reject a good driver for a wrong choice? How can we get someone to maneuvre this vehicle away from here? Where can we get that very good driver we rejected, apologize to him so that he comes back to help us out?
The person to emerge as a President cone 2023 has become a delicate national discourse that goes to touch on the corporate existence of Nigeria. This serious debate has placed Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at an indispensable pedestal. No need to grope. Him becoming President would usher in an interregnum for Nigeria to gasp a breath and reboot a new national issue. His coming back would have curried an effortless national reconciliation. It is very important at this stage particularly now that the Buhari government has killed the communia, the fellowship of this country as it is now a laissez-faire leadership.
Truth be told, the Nigeria populace is having venerational memories of the person of Goodluck Jonathan. With his status now, he needs no godfather outside the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) 1999. As a matter of fact, the godfathers are also on that vehicle begging him for mercy. The other passengers on the vehicles that are looking behind to Goodluck are the military, civil servants, agberos, contactors, housewives, ASUU, ASUP, civil societies, banks, IDPs, farmers, members of the intelligentsia, judges, etc. The list is endless abeg.
 
Oshie Tom is a legal practitioner, researcher and public affairs analyst.

Tinubu support group have described Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as fit as a fiddle while debunking the rumour on the internet that Tinubu is seriously ill.

Speaking in a press release, the group's Head of Media and Publicity, Oluwatosin Johnson said Asiwaju was never sick but on a trip abroad. He added that he was asking God to forgive those who enjoy to wish people bad.

“ Asiwaju is as fit as a fiddle,” He added: “There was nothing wrong before he left the country.

" It's very shocking and sad that there are people with speculations about Asiwaju's health. This is a sign of the lack of trust people have for leadership in the country.

“We find the idle chatter on some online sites about the alleged ill-health of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu amusing. That some idle minds have continued to perpetuate this absolute falsehoold to the point of the ridiculous is disgusting. They deserve our prayers for wishing what is not for someone else.

“For the records, Tinubu is in great shape and his associates who see him and speak with him know this. He traveled abroad will return to the country any moment and those that wish him dead will be put to shame.” the group concluded.

No Nigerian persecuted over religion, group replies ex-US Secretary of State

The Young Christian Forum of Nigeria (YCFN) has rubbished a report by the former United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, wherein he alleged that 1,500 Christians was killed in the last six months.

The group, in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Roland Effah, on Tuesday said no Nigerian was persecuted for their religious belief as claimed by Pompeo.

Describing the report as misleading, the YCN noted that the motive is to cause religious disharmony in the country, pitting Christians against other groups.

Effah said by this action, Pompeo has displayed his bias and irritability with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in its efforts so far at ensuring religious harmony in Nigeria.

According to the Christian forum, Mike Pompeo is out on a slander campaign, given that any empirical evidence cannot back his position.

The group, therefore, advised Pompeo to consult religious stakeholders in the country whenever he feels the urge to contribute to the discourse about Nigeria and desist from illogical conclusions.

It warned the ex-US Secretary of State and his co-travellers to desist from their despicable plot as Nigerians are not that gullible not to see the handwriting on the wall.

The group, however, urged Nigerians to rise in defence of their county in these trying times and not allow despicable elements to succeed in sowing the seed of discord amongst them.

Read the full statement below:

The leadership of the Young Christian Forum of Nigeria warmly welcome all and sundry to this press conference converged in light of the recent report released by Mike Pompeo, a former secretary of state of the United States of America, wherein he mischievously alleged that Christians in Nigeria had been targeted for extinction, adding that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, is not doing enough to protect religious freedom.

The Young Christian Forum of Nigeria views such allegations as a collective insult of the sensibilities of the various religious groups in Nigeria because the report is laced with mischief and a well-orchestrated attempt at puncturing religious harmony in Nigeria.

A critical look at the report reveals that Mike Pompeo ventured into an area he lacked adequate knowledge. It is, therefore, bemusing that a former high ranking official of the United States of America could issue such a misleading report without minding the consequences of his actions on the psyche of the adherents of various religious groups in Nigeria.

Thus, our considered opinion that Mike Pompeo has, by his action, displayed his bias and irritability with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in its efforts so far at ensuring religious harmony in Nigeria.

The Young Christian Forum of Nigeria also frowns at the deliberate attack on the Muhammadu Buhari led administration, where he alleged that the Buhari administration had suppressed the news of the killings of Christians by masking it as a farmer-herder crisis. This is unfortunate.

Our position remains that Mike Pompeo is out on a slander campaign, given that any empirical evidence cannot back his position. Instead, a display of ignorance and playing to the gallery with an issue of such sensitivity.

Mike Pompeo is hell-bent on sowing the seed of discord amongst the various religious groups in the country for reasons best known to him and his paymasters for whatever it is worth.

The Young Christian Forum of Nigeria uses this medium to send a message to Mike Pompeo that he can't be more Nigerian than Nigerians. He should do well to cross-check information gleaned from blogs and his paid foot soldiers to preserve whatever is left of his reputation.

The Young Christian Forum of Nigeria wishes to advise Mike Pompeo to devout more time and energy in studying the history of the farmers-herder conflict in Nigeria to realise that it predates the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He must also do well to recognise that the press in Nigeria is vibrant, and there is no way such killings can go unreported, as he has alluded in his mischief laced report.

Consequently, the Young Christain Forum of Nigeria wishes to state unequivocal terms that no Nigerian has been denied their rights to religious beliefs or practice, nor are Nigerians persecuted because of their faith.

As members of that critical constituency, it is vital to remind Mike Pompeo to consult religious stakeholders in the country whenever he feels the urge to contribute to the discourse about Nigeria. He should desist from illogical conclusions and outright insinuations as in this case.

The Young Christian Forum states that from all indications, the overarching objective of Mike Pompeo is causing religious disharmony in Nigeria, which in our considered opinion has been on the cards since his stint as the Secretary of State in the former administration in the United States of America.

We, therefore, wish to warn Mike Pompeo and his co-travellers to desist from their despicable plot as Nigerians are not that gullible not to see the handwriting on the wall. We also advise that they channel their energies and resources towards more charitable ventures that would impact positively rather than negatively.

As critical stakeholders in Nigeria, the Young Christian Forum of Nigeria debunks the allusions made by Mike Pompeo in his report as there is no iota of truth in it. It, therefore, remains a figment of his imagination.

We, therefore, urge all religious groups in Nigeria to continue to have religious tolerance as the watchword in our quest for sustainable growth and development. We must resist the urge to fall for the disjointed narrative pushed forward by the likes of Mike Pompeo, who are ignorant and mischievous in their public posturing.

We as Nigerians must rise in defence of our county in these trying times. And never shall we allow despicable elements to succeed in sowing the seed of discord amongst us.

We thank you for your time and attention and urge you all to take this message of hope to your various constituencies. May God continue to bless Nigeria and protect us from our adversaries from near and far.

This is indeed a deliberate attempt at causing religious disharmony in Nigeria

Thank you.

By Ernest Adadu

While taking a vivid look at the article being published on the spiteful statements made by the immediate past United States Secretary of State and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency , Mike Pompeo, all I saw was nothing but a tool (Pompeo) that is craving for relevance, and being used by the news agency to propagate pernicious propaganda aimed at the heart of Nigeria's unity by creating extreme religious bigotry among the peaceful citizens, and to also disrupt President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The article written by Mike Pompeo on the 10th of June is nothing but a tool aimed at breeding discord and blindly criticizing the patriotic leaders of our dear country Nigeria. It is nothing but false political propaganda created to serve no good deed.

He stated that at least 1,500 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in the last six months. This is an awful fabrication of facts. Yes, there are several issues of insecurity rocking the nation, but it is not nearly as bad as Mike Pompeo paints it to be. It is shameful for him to have stated such false facts without providing proof or a source of reference.

I was perplexed to my very core when I read what was written in the fallacious article, as it was obvious that Mike Pompeo wished to blindly attack the Nigerian Government without cause or reason, and I asked myself, "WHY?".

It is remarkable to know that the level of insecurity in Nigeria has drastically reduced overtime. The alarming Boko haram insurgency has been dealt with in a pragmatic approach taken by President Muhammadu Buhari. Many successes have been recorded under his leadership as he has been steadfast in the discharge of his duty, and providing aid to civil authority.

The issue of Muslims fighting Christians is a matter that has been present throughout history from the 7th century. The matter has encouraged a variety of views throughout history, but greeting the matter with the idiosyncrasy of condemning one party over the other is one that breeds hatred and hostility. Owing to the delicate nature of such a matter, it would have been wise for Pompeo to guard his statements regarding the killings of Christians in Nigeria.

Nigeria is on the edge presently, and statements that would further encourage discord and hostility between the two major religions in the country should be avoided.

It was myopic of Mike Pompeo not to have pointed out the fact that Christians are not the only ones being slaughtered in the country. Several faithful Muslims have also been killed in various parts of the country. It is obvious that his intents are born out of mischief.

He also failed to point out the fact that these acts were carried out by terrorists and bandits who do not discriminate when they kill. They do not care about what group or religion their victims belong to. They carry out their acts without mercy, no matter who you are.

I strongly admit and concur that any government that cannot discharge this basic obligation of Protecting Lives and Property, losses any iota of legitimacy. President Muhammadu Buhari has been fervent in his handling of security issues in Nigeria that has led to massive killing and wanton destruction of property across the country, and making every region habitable to everyone irrespective of their religious view as opposed to what Pompeo insinuated.

In addressing the challenge to the survival of religion tolerance in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari made it pertinent to consider, and also worked on security issues and problems that have affected or capable of affecting the attitude, confidence and cooperation of all groups and segments that make up the Nigerian federation, without leaving out the necessity to explore the gaps and gray areas in the national constitution that are responsible for various religion problems and crises.


However, knowing that sensitive issues like that of religion intolerance is a weaponry that has fostered National and International Terrorist attacks on many Nations, Pompeo should have known better to verify every information gotten, or seen on the internet before relying on a creek in-house media as a source of verifiable information. This act makes a man like him reeks of low intelligence.

He also accused the Nigerian government of “downplaying the attacks and characterizing them as conflicts between herders and farmers rather than as religiously motivated acts of terror.” One can never call a spade a bucket. We have all seen that there is no religious motivation behind the killings in Nigeria. These killings are merely carried out by merciless bandits and terrorists who know nothing about Islam or Christianity.


Pompeo cited the case of Leah Sharibu who has remained in captivity in the hands of the Boko Haram sect due to the fact that she refused to convert to Islam. He claimed that the young lady has remained in captivity over three years without consequence. By this, he insinuates that the Nigerian government failed to act merely because she is a Christian who refused to convert to Islam. This is an odoriferous innuendo that Mike Pompeo has so witlessly expressed.

He also made other claims about the matter, one of which he gave a self-declared statistic stating that Christians murdered in the country had risen to 60 percent in 2020 and was most likely going to get worse in recent times. This he stated without providing concrete evidence to his claim.

We should educate Pompeo and help his amnesia about his statement on the presence of radical Islamic jihadist groups in northern Nigeria.
Firstly, he should know that radical Islamic jihadist groups are all over the world. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is all over African countries and have registered their presence through different attacks.

Has he forgotten so soon?
The memorable 9/11 attack on the twin tower by Alqueada, that was masterminded and executed on American soil?

The numerous attacks by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Daesh, which is detailed as follows:

A car bomb in Iraq that killed 28 Shia pilgrims and injured 60 others as they were returning from Karbala, while in the capital Baghdad a roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing four pilgrims and wounding 15.

A suicide bomber exploded targeting civilians in a commercial shop on a busy tourist destination and business center in Turkey, March 2016.

ISIL took responsibility for a stabbing that killed a French police officer and his companion in France, June 2016.

29-year-old Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a mass shooting inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida in United State, June 2016.

Between November 2–3, five were killed in Stadttempel , Vienna , including the perpetrator. The Vienna Police Department confirmed that the attacker was an Islamic State sympathizer, and that the attack was motivated by Islamic extremism. This happened in Austria, November 2020.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targeted Shia Muslims on 21 January 2021 in a clothing market in Tayaran Square, Baghdad. US, UN, EU and the Pope condemn the attack calling it a senseless act of violence. Iraq, January 2021


Attacks where everywhere, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Canada, etc which were dated to 2021.
However, with the above references and many more, should we now conclude just like Mr Mike, that all these attacks are on Christians, and every President in the attacked country supports religion intolerance?

It is obvious that Mike Pompeo’s statements were borne out of hatred for the Islamic religion. It is important for him to realize that words are powerful. If he has any problem with the Islamic religion, he should keep it to himself and not sow seeds of discord in other countries. If he has nothing good to say about the country, it will be in his best interest to keep silent on the matter and focus on his own country.

At the end of his article, Mike Pompeo issued several lame threats to the federal government of the country. He stated that if the Nigerian government failed to carry out swift actions to put an end to the persecution of Christians, there would be consequences in the form of sanctions and increased diplomatic pressure.

The Buhari led administration has been working tirelessly to safeguard the lives and properties of all Nigerian citizens no matter the religion you practice. It is an insult on Mike Pompeo’s part to disregard the efforts put in by the current administration and try to create unnecessary agitation in the country.

At this point, sanctions and diplomatic pressure isn’t what Nigeria needs. What the country needs is support from other countries. Mike Pompeo would do well to call for support in the country rather that criticize its leaders and proclaim unnecessary threats.

President Muhammadu Buhari is efficiently leading the fight against insecurity in Nigeria along with the service chiefs and the Nigerian Military. Let us all join hands to support them rather than throw incessant criticisms at them.

Adadu is a student of peace and conflict resolution and wrote from Gwarimpa.

TSG Hails APC Caretaker Committee For Releasing Congresses Time Table, Demand date for National Convention

The Tinubu Support Group(TSG) has hailed the the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Caretaker Committee for the release of time table for congresses.

The group through its Director General, Umar Ibrahim Muhammed in a statement on Sunday said the decision of the Committee to release the time table for the congresses at this time is commendable.

“We as a Pro-Tinubu 2023 group wish to sincerely commend the National Caretaker Committee for the decision to release the time table for congresses from ward level to the Zonal levels at this time".

“We are glad and we must affirm our deep satisfaction with the decision of the leadership of our great party to finally set procedures for the National Congresses that will produce new leaders of our great party from the Ward level to state and to the National level",

While urging party members, stakeholders on the need to keep the flag of the party flying, the group said: “ We restate that APC is the best for Nigerians. At this moment, we should be expanding our energies in positioning our party and gearing up for continuous leadership at the national level. We must show Nigerians that we are the real deal.

“But, we are also aware, and assured that everything is being done by the leaders of the party, towards ensuring a seamless nomination process that will be credible and accepted by majority of the party members and Nigerians in general.” the group said

The group commended President Buhari's efforts in trying to unite Nigeria and further described Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the best candidate to succeed Him in 2023.

Eventhough the process is beginning after 2 postponement and coming out after president's statement of given them till end of June, 2021 on Arise Television interview.we hope that the process will be seamless and truly reflect the wishes of party members as we equally need a definate date for National Convention proper.

“Asiwaju has done a lot for Nigeria and Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe. He has built bridges across the country which single him out as the best candidate to continue the good work of President Buhari," the group concluded

By: Taiwo Akerele

28 years ago, as a 17 years old boy back then in Igarra Edo state, we saw hundreds of adults peacefully queuing up in an organized manner under a very convivial atmosphere to cast their votes for their choice candidates in a military organized transition in west Africa major economy, Nigeria.

That elections was annulled after a few days when a winner had clearly emerged in the person of Chief MKO Abiola. 28 years after, and 22 years after we returned to full fledged democracy, how has Nigeria fared in entrenching democratic values and ethos? Do we still que up peacefully to cast our votes? Are elections better organized?

Do we now have a better issues based campaign culture? Our elected officials accountable to the people? Is democracy working to grow the economy and improve the quality of lives of the citizens? Are the political parties have agenda that can be measured in terms of output and outcome? What has become of our local government systems across the country today? How has the judiciary fared? How far with their agitation for autonomy? How prepared Is the electoral commission to conduct credible elections similar to what we had in 1993 witnessed and attested by all and sundry as free and fair and credible.

Twenty eight years after June 12, how is the national budget working for the people especially in the area of research and development, innovation science and technology? What percentage of our national budget do we dedicate to basic education as against global recommendation?

For me these are issues that should dominate our reflections as we celebrate the June 12 anniversary in our dear country Nigeria.

Thank you

Taiwo Akerele
Country Reps PolicyHouse international and chairman Association of Nigerian Authors Abuja chapter contributed this from Manhattan New York city.

By: Benedict Aguele

Nigerians woke up to a shocking media statement by the minister of information & culture Lai Mohammed who announced that the federal government of Nigeria had suspended indefinitely the operation of the Twitter social media app in the country citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.


Before the suspension of the platform’s services in Nigeria Twitter had earlier deleted tweets and video from the verified handle of President Muhammad Buhari making threats of punishment to a sect called IPOB in the South-Eastern part of the country after he blamed them for attacks on government buildings.


He then referenced Nigeria’s civil war events in the 1960s, which seemed to offend many Nigerians.


Many Nigerians have since found other means to log on to the platform via VPN because for many of them it is their only source of earnings rather than resulting in criminality.




In a country that has not only failed to provide employment for its youth but has also failed to address the many issues, the country is currently grappling with.


The suspension Is a complete misplaced priority the government should rather focus on making Nigerian work for Nigerians.

The Member representing Ikeja federal constituency, Hon. James Faleke has reacted to a news making the rounds that he was among those sponsoring APC members protesting against nomination of Cardinal Odumbaku son as Chairman in Ojodu LCDA.

In a statement signed by the Lawmaker, Faleke exonerated himself, advising Lagosians to jettison the news.

He reiterated the need to set the facts and record straight for the fact that such a fake story may be taken on its face value by some unwary and gullible persons.

According to the Lawmaker "I am a member of APC, the party that is so precious to me, it is impossible to now turn the mind of our party members against our party leaders.

"I have moved on because Asiwaju has told us to tell our people to let go and calm them down. we've communicated same to our people. though they are bitter about it and that may have led them to express themselves in the manner they did".


The Lagos lawmaker also said he could not have sponsored such a protest where he too has been labeled a target by the organizers and his house was threatened to be razed down on wednesday morning by party members in ojodu.

He further assured his believes in the right of Lagosians to freedom of expression, assembly, and protest where and when necessary, as he has always canvassed the need for people to explore peaceful channels to ventilate their views and demands.

"For the fact that empowerment buses donated to constituents who are transporters are seen during protest does not mean it was done by me, He said.

He urged those spreading rumours to however stop because our leader has assured us he will act.

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE TECHNICAL SESSION OF DIAMOND GROUP HELD ON FRIDAY 25TH MAY, 2021.

Arising from the 2nd Technical Session of Diamond Group on the theme: Restructuring and its Implication to the Nigerian Polity, the group observed that :

• The consistent agitation for restructuring by the citizenry is borne out of the perceived injustice and imbalance that define governance and public service in Nigeria.

• The pervasive insecurity and other ills ravaging the country cannot be disconnected from the extremely poor governance and maladministration that have become synonymous with public service over the years.

After critical examination of the concept of restructuring and the several offshoots of the agitations from all parts of Nigeria including recent political developments in the country, the group resolves as follows:

1. That the concept of restructuring is never a poisoned chalice that some parts of the country made it look like, and that as a matter of fact, it is an integral part of the panacea for the troubles of Nigeria

2. That as beautiful as the concept of restructuring is, without the citizenry internalising the ideals of citizenship, restructuring their mindset by disciplining themselves in accordance with ethical principles and moral conducts, deriving the envisaged benefits from the reworking of the structure of the country will be a mirage

3. That the group supports in totality, the Southern Governors resolutions on true federalism and good governance, ban of open grazing and other fine details of the accord reached by the Governors in Asaba, Delta State

4. Further, that the group considers repulsive the vexatious response of the Federal Government to the Southern Governors resolutions.

5. That the group considers the outburst of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as totally unenlightened, and highly provocative

6. That the group equally condemns in strong terms the attempt by unknown gunmen to destabilize the southeastern part of Nigeria and make it ungovernable.

7. That the Federal Government should desist from chasing shadows, deal decisively with the challenges militating against the peace and prosperity of our dear country by restructuring the country, channeling the energy of the people to nation building, healing the fracture lines in the polity and generally emplace good governance to turn the fortunes of the country around.

Signed:

Toyyib Olaniyi Musa-Omoloja

Archdiamond, Diamond Group, Nigeria.

Exclusive: How Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat Imposed His 2015 Coordinator, PA’s Elder Sister On Eredo, Epe Local Governments


A new twist has been added to the ongoing controversy trailing the outcome of All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government primary election held last Saturday.
The deputy governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat who has been accused of planning his 2023 political ambition of becoming the governor of Lagos state working in cahoot with some politicians to impose some chairmen that will be loyal and do his bidding.

The allegation against the three chairmen in Epe, Eredo and Ikosi-Ejirin was that they worked against his political aspiration in 2015, while he contested the Governorship primary, against former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The modus operandi of Hamzat and his henchmen was to scuttle the process once it’s clear that they won’t win. And this they were able to do successfully in a number of local governments and Local Council Development Areas across the state last Saturday.

According to the results signed by the returning officer, Miss Omowumi Ogbara who covered Epe and sighted by Newsnow, only two wards conducted the primary before It was disrupted. The results shows that the incumbent chairman of Epe local government, Mr. Adesanya Adedoyin, who is also an aspirant won in the two wards by wide margin, scoring 803 votes to defeat his closest rival, Animasaun, who polled 304 votes.
In Eredo and Ikosi-Ejirin, primary election did not hold. It was disrupted by Hon. Dahunsi Ogunkelu, aka ‘Sketel”, representing Epe Constituency 2 at the Lagos House of Assembly. Ogunkelu was on rampage while the primary election lasted and was overheard telling Hamzat after the deed has been done that , “ mission accomplished sir. A ti daru, meaning, we have scuttled everything.”

Now, instead of conducting another primary, Hamzat has gone ahead to Assure his candidates that it was a done deal. In Eredo, his Coordinator for Governorship project in 2015, Ismail Akinloye has received the LASEIC nomination form, without contesting a primary election.
In Epe, his personal assistant’s elder sister, one Suzan Olayemi Animashahun has been imposed as the party's candidate.

In Ikosi-Ejirin, Wale Anamo from Ijebu-Ode is Hamzat’s Candidate. Wale, who has now added ‘Raji’ to his name to conform with Epe’s typical name, is a total stranger in the community, where he is now being imposed as the party's Chairmanship candidate, by Hamzat.

Despite the fact that the local government primary election was disrupted across the three local governments in Epe, Hamzat has been able to use his contact to give the LASIEC nomination forms to some of the aspirants loyal to him. Sources informed Newsnow that there was wild jubilation in the camp of Hamzat yesterday, celebrating that everything has been ‘ signed, sealed and delivered’ with Asiwaju’s imprimatur.

The three chairmen are however undaunted. They have insisted that they would retrieve their mandate from the usurpers. In a Facebook post on behalf of his colleagues, Spokesman of the group, Niyi Saliu , who’s also the incumbent chairman of Eredo and an aspirant said; “ This daylight robbery will not stand. I appeal to all our supporters to remain calm. We will do everything lawful to reclaim our mandates. We are persuaded that all is not lost , especially given the assurance by our leader and national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who hinted recently during the south west meeting with governors that he’s not imposing anybody. We are excited that he has through that pronouncement deflated the ego of those dropping his name to perpetuate illegality in our party. Our leaders have also assured us that everything will be resolved amicably.”. He said.
Saliu maintained that Epe, Eredo and Ikosi-Ejirin performed creditably well during the last Lagos East Senatorial election won by Senator Tokunbo Abiru to lift APC to overwhelming success.

For now, it’s not clear how the APC wants to wriggle out of the logjam it created through the botched local government primary election.

Sources within the party hinted that Tinubu who was not too happy with the way the party officials and electoral officers bungled the process will convene the meeting of the Governors Advisory Council, GAC, tomorrow (Thursday) to resolve the imbroglio.

The CEO Kidiaye Oil and Gas Nigeria Ltd, Kenneth Osadiaye has advised on strategy to mitigate marginal field challenges that investors and operators of marginal oil fields face.

According to Kenneth Osadiaye, the Nigerian oil and gas market is expected to register a CAGR of more than 2% during the forecast period of 2021 – 2026. In addition to the country-wide economic impact of COVID-19, crude producers are faced with a decline in both price and demand for crude, thus, resulting in an oil glut.

In its industry circular as of 30 March 2020, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) stated that it considers the situation occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic a force majeure and has directed all operators to limit the number of personnel at project sites. This has the potential of leading to a breach of specific contract terms.

"However, some of the major factors driving the market include increasing investments in the upstream sector and the development of large-scale and modular refineries in the country. Oil and gas production had been hampered in Nigeria in the past few years due to the attack on oil and gas infrastructure by militants.

"Furthermore, oil theft has been one of the major issues faced by the oil and gas market in Nigeria, which resulted in huge losses to operating companies in the country. Such factors are expected to have a negative impact on the market growth during the forecast period."

The National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN has called on The House of Representatives to
focus more on strategies that would strengthen the legislative framework of the
NYSC and to put in place a better incentives for young Nigerians to maintain the
tradition of exploring the numerous opportunities in the diversity of Nigerian
culture.

This was made known during a press conference held in Abuja to address issue of scrapping the age-long NYSC scheme.

According to the Vice President, Nigeria Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb Akoshile Mukhtar, he said Nigeria is at a critical point in her history and what is most required at this
moment is careful introspection and continuous engagement among the
various component units and stakeholders.

"We were shocked that the hallowed floor of the Federal House ofRepresentatives of Nigeria would be weaponized to further a parochial and divisionist agenda couched in the move to scrap the National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) citing security challenges as the reason.
"The call to scrap the NYSC scheme which serves as a transition year for many
Nigerian youth, with the N33,000 allowance serving as a key financial stabilizer
for many of these poor Nigerians, is a negative message to them that government doesn’t care about them.

"We are well aware that this move has been covertly sponsored by agents of destabilization, who have misguided the respected House of Representatives,
which has in time past and on several occasions taken the side of the Nigerian
masses even at huge political cost.

"We do not deny the fact that there are security challenges in Nigeria , but we would have expected the House to be more engaged in finding solutions to support our troops on the frontlines and boost their morale, rather than using the legislative privilege to declare
victory for enemies of Nigeria by calling for scrapping of a national scheme like
NYSC.
"As representatives of the youth we are bold to say that the NYSC has done far much more good than harm to national development and sustaining the scheme should be the priority of lawmakers rather than calling for it to be
scrapped. Governance is a service to the citizenry and the only presence of government known to many Nigerians in the remote areas of Nigeria is the youth Corp member s posted there as community school teacher or healthcare professional.

"It would be a gross disservice and an inhuman attack on the very fabric of our national unity to move against such a scheme. It is on record that, through all the turbulence that has characterized our country ,the NYSC scheme has continued to run year after year uninterrupted for close to 5-decades. We shouldn’t be debating whether to sustain such a unifying programme that other institutions of government ought to emulate for sustained
progress and deeper penetration for impact on the lives of the average citizen.

"We stand firmly in support of President Muhammadu Buhari, a President who has
given more institutional and practical s upport to the Nigerian youth through
programmes such as the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund and the numerous
social investment programmes. All stakeholders should support in ensuring that
his vision for a crop of independent youth is realized.
"Finally, the NYCN Passes a vote of Credence in the continuous existence of the
NYSC, its Management and urge that all stakeholders should support in
ensuring that his vision for a crop of independent youth is realized.
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he concluded.

NANS ZONE B LEADERSHIP SUMMIT; Redefining the Modules Integrating the Paradigm.


Franklin Benjamin, A United states polymath, leading writer, political philosopher, humorist and civic activist once asserted that
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”.
This is true because ignorance is a bane for development and a path to destruction.

The knowledge of “Education according to without values, C. S. Lewis which as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” formed the crux that necessitated the convergence of Students Leaders, SU Presidents of Tertiary Institutions across the 11 states of South-south and South East, Nigeria at University of Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

The Conference which had the theme - EDUCATION; THE PATHWAY TO REDEFINING LEADERSHIP was graced by notable speakers including the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva, Acting Vice chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Stephen Okodudu, Chairman Enforcement and Recovery, Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Leo Leo Umanah who spoke indepthly on creating Right values, and the need for mental calibration.

In his opening remarks, the Coordinator of NANS ZONE B, Comr. Etinyene Offongekpe expressed appreciation to the students for coming together to seek possible ways to addressing the country’s challenges, this he said will redefine leadership on the right perspective.

The Minister of State for petroleum resources, Chief Timipre Sylva during his keynote presentation noted that Nigerians are the solution to the problem facing the country and once we come to the realization of that established fact, change our mindsets and actions, integrate new modules and activate new strategies, Nigeria will be better than what it is today.

He commended the leadership of NANS Zone B ably led by Comr. Etinyene Friday Offongekpe for having the best interest of the country at heart and for putting up such event.
This he said will go a long way to repositioning leadership as the new generation prepares to take over.

In his goodwill message, the Revolutionary president of NANS, Comr. Asefon Sunday Dayo appreciated the Minister for playing fatherly roles and for always finding time to interact and seek ways to improve our nation.

Highpoint of the event include the official induction of the Honorable Minister of State for petroleum resources into the prestigious NANS Hall of Fame, first ever to be inducted.

By EMMANUEL ANI

The recent appointment of the Chief of Army Staff has generated reactions in the polity regarding the suitability of Major General Farouk Yahaya for the plum but demanding job. The interesting part is that some that are ignorant of the dynamics involved in such appointments have taken centre stage with insinuations and illogical conclusions so much so that it defeats common sense.

I had initially refrained from commenting on this contentious issue. However, I had a change of mind when the mischief became heightened with the tendency to mislead members of the unsuspecting general public.

I recall that upon the death of the former Chief of Army Staff and ten others in the unfortunate air crash in Kaduna, some persons, instead of respecting the sensibilities of families and relatives of the deceased officers that died in the line of duty, elected to scorn and curse. This is most unfortunate. This is how bad things have turned in our dear country.

These individuals didn’t stop there. They took their diatribe further by whipping ethnic and religious sentiments on who the next Chief of Army Staff should be. They consequently pushed forward names along ethnic lines like they are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

President Muhammadu Buhari eventually announced a new Chief of Army Staff. They went berserk, throwing all manner of diatribes on why the new man should have been from a particular part of the country. Even those that know nothing about the Nigerian Army suddenly became experts and analysts on how the President deliberately refused to appoint a certain officer as Chief of Army Staff. This is sad.

From all intents and purpose, the mischief gained traction in the public space because they succeeded in assuming that membership of the Security Council in Nigeria should be based on ethnicity and religion and not competence. I hate to do this, but I have to do it to put issues in proper perspective as someone knowledgeable in the security architecture in the country.

Before now, we have had instances where a former president appointed a certain officer to head the Nigerian Army. Suffice to add that the officer wasn’t from the infantry or armoured corps as the prerequisite for heading the Nigerian Army. Was hell let loose? The same former President made another appointment that also forced over 50 senior officers to proceed on retirement. Was hell let loose? The point I am trying to make here is that the President and Commander-in-Chief has the prerogative to choose whomever he deems suitable for the job. That is his constitutional duty, and I don't see any reason why ethnic and religious sentiments should be put forward in the first instance.
Back to the crux of the matter, the present security challenges in the country require that utmost care is taken into consideration when sensitive appointments are made, especially in the Armed Forces. And the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff is one instance where the President has demonstrated his uncommon neutrality and hunger for the best hand at all times .

I can only wish that these religious and ethnic agitators would take out time to read the profile of Major General Farouk Yahaya. I also hope they can also take out time to digest his exploits in the course of his illustrious carrier in the Nigerian Army. When that is done, would they realize that the President was not guided by ethnic or religious sentiments as mischievously propagated.

A fine officer and a gentleman, no doubt. A former Garrison Commander Headquarters Guards Brigade, former Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), a former Deputy Director Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary, a former Deputy Director Army Research and Development and the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield. A former General Officer Commanding 1 Div of the Nigerian Army and former Commander Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism in North-East Nigeria, amongst others too numerous to mention.

Having all of this in mind, would it be appropriate to state that the President was not meticulous in choosing the Chief of Army Staff? Would the President have sacrificed competence on the altar of religion and ethnicity? I dare say that if only they knew who Major General Farouk Yahaya is, they would bury their heads in shame. Also, if only they are privy to the widespread jubilation across all army formations in the country with the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff.

What does this tell us? It tells us that President Muhammadu Buhari has once again displayed an uncommon commitment to addressing the security challenges in the country. And it would have been a topic for discussion if the new Chief of Army Staff does not possess the qualifications and experience to lead the charge against insurgency in North-East Nigeria and other acts of criminalities across Nigeria. But that is not the case and a reason why we must commend the President once again.

I must also emphasize that Major General Farouk Yahaya is not just from Sokoto State; he is one of the A list officers in the Nigerian Army that commands tremendous respect across the board for his work ethic and dedication in service to the country. He is a fine officer that serves as a role model to young officers and one that has left indelible marks in the sands of time in all task assigned to him.

Let me also add here for our reading pleasure that data obtained from the Council on Foreign Relations shows that from April 1, when he took charge of the war against Boko Haram, till when he was appointed as Chief of Army Staff, the number of civilians killed by insurgents dropped by 17 percent, while the number of Boko Haram terrorist killed shot up by 46 percent. What does this tell us? It simply tells us that here is an officer that understands what it means to lead. And his appointment to lead the prestigious Nigerian Army is a step in the right direction.

At this point, those trying to stain his lofty credentials because he is from a particular part of the country should have a rethink and give peace a chance. Needless I mention that he is one of the finest officers in the Nigerian Army, and his appointment is a challenge rather than filling a slot.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the new Chief of Army Staff would hit the ground running because he understands the enormity of the task at hand. And he will deliver in record time; I can bet. So, therefore, let us learn to call a spade a spade. I believe time shall tell, and Nigerians would be grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for his choice of Major General Farouq Yahaya to lead the Nigerian Army.

My charge to the new kid on the block is to remain apolitical, strengthen institutions and lead with the fear of God.

Ani is a security analyst and wrote this piece from UNN, Enugu Campus.

By Philip Agbese

The appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Farouk Yahaya on May 27, 2021, has generally elicited loud endorsements from Nigerians. His appointment followed the sudden demise of his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a plane crash, along with 10 other Army personnel in Kaduna a week ago. (May their souls rest in perfect peace).

Gen. Yahaya, one of Nigeria’s finest breed of trained infantry combatants has a rich profile and experience in counter-terrorism combats. A member of the 37 Regular Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Gen. Yahaya was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on September 22nd 1990. Over the decades, Gen. Yahaya has held numerous Staff, Instructional and Command appointments in the Nigerian Army.

But briefly, Gen. Yahaya was a Garrison Commander, Headquarters Guards Brigade, Deputy Director Army Research and Development, Military Secretary, the Chief of Staff, Headquarters of Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield, and the General Officer Commanding, (GoC), 1 Division of the Nigerian Army among multiple others.

Until his elevation in appointment as COAS, Gen. Yahaya’s service records were synonymous with military excellence globally. He was deep into the forests of the theatre of war in the Northeast, functioning in the capacity of Theatre Commander of the renamed Counterterrorism and Counter-Insurgency military outfit code-named “Operation Hadin Kai” (OPHK), literally meaning “cooperation” in Hausa vernacular.

It is indubitable that in the last six years, the Nigerian Army has dealt a fatal blow on incensed Boko Haram insurgents, ISWAP terrorists, armed bandits and other allied cross border armed criminal gangs who have delighted in terrorising parts of the country. And with the confusion and infighting in the camps of Boko Haram and ISWAP, coupled with the assured sustained pressures mounted on these terrorists by troops, the coming of Gen. Yahaya as the new COAS holds every significance in finally blighting the menace of all forms of terrorism in the country.

Gen. Yahaya parades many meritorious service medals and awards. He is definitely a shining Army star in warfare. Farouk Yahaya is an Army General generally honed and polished by the finest of senior Military officers, home and abroad, who are experts in anti-terrorism warfares. Prominently, Gen. Yahaya is an ardent adherent of the leadership school of thought of His Excellency, Ambassador TY Buratai, the retired Army General, who served Nigeria as COAS and leader of the counter-insurgency operations from 2015-2021.

Nigerians have recognized Gen. Buratai as a courageous, fearless, determined, patriotic and loyal professional soldier, who broke the many jinks of terrorists when he served the country. He made them breathless at all times and even military experts have seen his fearless shadows in Gen. Yahaya. There is no gain contradicting the reality that the new COAS is a tested hand in the theatre of war.

President Buhari is famed for the knack of going for the best brains in appointments, especially in sensitive areas. The choice of Gen. Farouk Yahaya as the COAS has also confirmed the President’s principle and doctrine of impeccable credentials, merit and excellent performance above any other consideration.

Apparently, there is no disputation that Gen. Yahaya would not only excel in his new assignment, as an officer who has been part and parcel of the anti-insurgency campaigns in Nigeria. But also, security experts have vouched on his competence to surpass the excellence of his mentor, Gen. Buratai by breaking new records in the prosecution of Nigeria’s renamed counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

However, and observably, the appointment of Gen. Yahaya means many things to different Nigerians and spurted varying dimensions of national discourse. But the dormant and inescapable feature of these perceptions in the public psyche is the trust and convictions in the professional competence and dexterity of the new COAS to finally blight the fires of terrorism in Nigeria.

However, there are a few leftists in Nigeria, who have never failed in the “patriotic” duty to themselves of rubbishing any policy or decision pronounced by the Buhari Presidency. These minority discordant voices are habituated to faulting every decision and at every time, not necessarily based on sound reasons, but from selfish, unpatriotic and self-satisfying prisms. But again, it is the beauty of democracy. So, this clan of Nigerians are blindfolded to the anticipated leadership impacts of Gen. Yahaya in Nigeria’s anti-insurgency campaigns.

To these ethnoreligious bigots and naked campaigners of regionalism, President Buhari has not pleased them in the choice of Gen. Yahaya simply because the tested Army General is not from their part of the country. The expressed sentiment is that Buhari would have attracted their eulogies had he appointed someone from their part of the country, even if he is glaringly incompetent or unqualified.

So, the sabs are massively wailing, lamenting and mouthing foolishly. But it is the normal hypocritic trait in most Nigerians, which has held back the progress of the country for decades. Those wailing loudest and feeling alienated from Buhari’s choice of Gen. Yahaya as COAS on such simplistic grounds of regionality do not respect the same posture when hiring personal security guards. Why do almost all of these ethnic bigots outrightly shirk from hiring personal security guards who are people from their villages?

Many of the bigoted ethnic campaigners who are on a deliberate smear campaign to stain the credentials of excellence of Gen. Farouq Yahaya are laughably questioning President Buhari on why he again failed to appoint an Igbo man into the National Security Council. But the competence of Gen. Yahaya was the compelling reasons Mr. President considered choosing Gen. Yahaya.

Let the truth be told! The National Security Council is neither an arena for ethnic groups nor campaigners, but a serious national security platform for tested and trusted senior Military officers. It is easy to notice the confusion in the camps of these disguised saboteurs. It’s not surprising that none of them is faulting the appointment of Gen. Yahaya based on competence or previously poor service records, but they are rather concerned that he would have been an Igbo, Yoruba or Ijaw Army General. So, they are free to lick their wounds and trumpet louder, the ethnic sentiments against merit and competence.

For those versatile in security issues, Gen. Yahaya’s emergence is one of the best appointments that Mr. President has made since the beginning of the year. Anyone who thinks otherwise should contest this assertion. As someone who has served as GoC and later, Theatre Commander in the Northeast, mandating Gen. Yahaya now to lead the war against the insurgents in Nigeria justifies and fills any imagined vacuum in the anti-terrorism combats.

Nigerians, particularly, troops in the frontlines are expecting Gen. Yahaya to immediately restore the suspended Army core values, which sustained counter-insurgency operations. These include the return of all quarterly exercises, development of a versatile Intelligence gathering network/ instruments, sustenance of the apolitical posturing of soldiers and a tough deal and decisive warfare expeditions against all armed criminal elements across the country.

Nigerians are assured that with the known records of professional competence identified with Gen. Yahaya Farouq, the country is on the sure path of the final defeat of terrorists. The Army warmonger would certainly make Nigeria proud because he is sure prepared to deliver on the task which Nigerians have elected him to do. Nigerians wish him and his team good luck, as they anxiously await the victory and trophy of triumph against terrorists.

Agbese is a publisher and human rights law researcher based in the United Kingdom.

Ojodu LCDA: Groups decry campaign of calumny against Layeni, calls for probe of Odunmbaku.


Groups known as the Centre for Public Accountability CPA, and the Ojodu Development Initiative have urged the All Progressives Congress and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission LASIEC, to disregard the call by a self styled Ojodu Collectives Group, demanding for the disqualification of Alhaja Layeni Olufunmilayo Kafayat, from participating in the primary election of the party to decide the candidate of the party for the local government elections in the state over allegations of forged secondary school certificate. According to the groups, in a joint statement issued and signed by Executive Director, Olufemi Lawson and Oluwatobi Johnson on Friday in Lagos, not only is Layeni, a leading candidate for the chairmanship of Ojodu Local Council Development Area, she also possess every qualifications to be elected, as the flagbearer of the party, in the forthcoming local government Election.

The groups said it is worried, about the desperation of those who it described as being behind the campaign of calumny against Layeni. The statement accused the outgoing chairman of the local government, Muyiwa Olori, a Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor Ms Toke Benson, and a chieftain of the APC, Cardinal James Odunmbaku of desperation to impose Odunmbaku's son, David Odunmbaku as the next Chairman, of the LCDA.

"We consider it important, for the sake of unsuspecting members of the public, particularly the electorates in Ojodu, to make this public statement, to dispel the lies being peddled by this individuals, against the candidature of Kafayat Layeni. These persons have not only cross the boundaries of all known civility in their campaign of calumny, but have also resulted into commiting series of forgery and perjury, all in the desperation, to impose David Odunmbaku, on the people of the LCDA, even though against the popular wish of the people."

"In the last few days, this group sponsored by David Odunmbaku and his political merchants have made series of attempt, to compromise the authority of Salvation Army School Ebute Meta Lagos, which is the Alma mater of Layeni, in order to get a disclaimer on her attendance of the school. They also went further, by forging letters purportedly written by the West Africa Examination Council WAEC, denouncing the qualification of Kafayat Layeni. Their failed request, which we have further found out to have been intiated using the company belonging the Odunmbaku's family carried a false claim of Layeni, seeking an employment under the company, an incident, that never was. This is not only treacherous of a group and individual, seeking to occupy public position, but also requires an immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind this act of perjury."

"While restating our believe, in the aspiration of Kafayat Layeni, which represents the aspiration of the majority of inhabitants of the LCDA, we sincerely hope that the APC and the relevant security agencies, will immediately invite for questioning and possible prosecution, all those who are found to be involved in this failed attempt at manipulating the will of the people of Ojodu LCDA." the statement concluded.

The Grand Alliance of Ojodu Conscious Indigenes has demanded the disqualification of Hon. James Faleke's Candidate for the Ojodu LCDA Chairmanship election, Alhaja Layeni Olufunmilayo Kafayat. Most ridiculous is the name dropping and grandstanding by Hon James Faleke, that their illegal action, has the full support of the National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to a press release signed by the group's spokesman, Comrade Kolawole Gbenga, it stated that it's unfortunate that someone aspiring to lead the council could be be parading a fake result.

He further added that the party is a platform which is built on good virtues which must not be exploited by power drunk personalities who will do anything to get political power.

Also, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has clarified the authenticity of the December 1979 result being paraded by Alhaja Layeni Olufunmilayo Kafayat, saying that the certificate is not genuine.

In the said result, Layeni claimed to have made C6 in English Language, C5 in Government, C4 in Economics, C4 in Mathematics, D7 in Biology, C5 in Commerce and C3 in Accounting. The examination body had stated that the said result did not come from them.

Comrade Kolawole Gbenga, has urged the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to disqualify Layeni from participating in thr primary election to decide the candidate of the party for the general election.

The group also called for a proper and thorough investigation into thr case since falsification of result is a serious crime under the Nigerian Legal System.

By: Taiwo Akerele


Today again creates another window for the world and its leaders to reflect on the condition of children across the globe, the fate of their education, the security of the learning environment, the key issue of nutrition and global child rights and freedom of learning and knowledge acquisition.


The global pandemic, COVID-19 has forced millions of children all over the world to learn from home, how conducive these homes are. These bring to the fore the need for concerted efforts to ensure that families are catered for by governments in the area of jobs creation, shelter and adequate feeding which has resultant effect on the condition of the child.


In Nigeria, the conditions are even worse and this day, the 27th of May 2021, is an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on key policies that have direct bearing on learning, literacy development and the rights of the child.

Today, we have an opportunity to review the impact of school feeding and how this program fared in terms of impact and outcome, today we have an opportunity to look at the issue of nutrition and the child rights law already passed by the national assembly and some states across Nigeria. How has the law been implemented and a far reaching impact on the targeted populace.

Today Nigeria is faced with the crisis of out of school children estimated at 10.5 million by the UNICEF (2019/2020) which Policy House International has projected to get to 15million by the end of 2021 if the security challenges in parts of the north are not addressed and if the culture of school closures continues unabated.


Today in Nigeria, the average national budget provisioning for the entire education system accounts for less than 5% of the national budget as against the 26% recommended by UNESCO. Out of this 5%, only 1.5% is provided to basic education, at the state level the situation is not different on the average nationally. This calls for serious concern. So the key question is what quality of children we are grooming in Africa’s biggest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and by population.


Today, Children's Day affords us the opportunity to look at our national basic education curriculum, what does it reflect on for us as a nation? Does our curriculum prepare our children for a digital economy? An artificial intelligence economy, an economy that is ready for production, agri-business and manufacturing or a lazy and unproductive economy full of theory and empty in practical?

As we join millions of children all over the world to celebrate this day, for us in Nigeria, we must reflect on the basket of issues both as government and stakeholders in the educational ecosystem and get our acts together to make life more bearable for our kids, the leaders of tomorrow. Happy International Children's day 2021.


Thank you


Taiwo Akerele is the Country Reps, Policy House Int’l and FCT Chapter Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)

By Thomas Uzah


In 1964, the then American President, Mr. Lyndon B. Johnson in a pithy address to the International Labour Press Association glorified the place of the worker in public life; “You are a part of the conscience of our society. You are always goading. You are never satisfied with the job that is partially done. You are always working and calling for the further advancement of working people, and you speak from a point of view. You speak on behalf of values.”

This position amplifies the dire need to evolve favorable conditions to carter for the welfare of the worker in order to ginger his productivity and excellence in the workplace. But it is often overlooked by employers and leaders in most instances.

However, the leadership of Associate Professor Shuaibu Ibrahim, a serving Brigadier General of the Nigerian Army and the current Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has marketed itself differently.

In appearance, Gen. Ibrahim is unassuming; but his personage is an embodiment of multiple military and administrative talents. He is governed by a doctrine of excellence anywhere he finds his feet and believes in making the best use of all human resources. But good enough, he knows there are unavoidable obligations, any leadership desiring of better results from workers must fulfill.

Therefore, from the outset, Gen. Ibrahim began to tinker with ideas the scheme would adopt to support the Federal Government in funding its operations by thinking outside the box to remain strong and relevant. And to achieve this , the NYSC boss knew, the scheme must inescapably place extra premium on welfare of both staff and corps members. “I appeal to our corps employers to take care of the welfare of members; mentor them,” he appealed soon after his appointment.

Consequently, Gen. Ibrahim deliberately attaches extraordinary premium to all who tastes his leadership anywhere. And in NYSC now, it is an entirely new and exciting experience for staff as well as corps members. As NYSC boss, Gen. Ibrahim has prioritized the welfare of workers and youth corps members to heights hitherto unknown.

The scheme is rated one of the best performing federal government agencies today, because a motivated staff leaves nothing to chance in the performance of their official functions. It is natural that when the worker is motivated to work, he goes the extra mile excitedly.

And Gen. Ibrahim has capitalized on this weapon, by his undiluted and undistracted attention to issues of welfare and remunerations. Timely payment of salaries and legitimate allowances ignite the ambience of a workplace, anywhere in the world. Even the Holy scriptures admonishes that a worker deserve his wages.

Salary payment defines everything in a working environment. It motivates, stimulates, increases productivity and encourages teamwork for excellence. Gen. Ibrahim’s leadership of the NYSC has made it his sacred obligation.

And since, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim is aware of these salient motivational doctrines, which propel productivity and triggers a convivial working environment, he is dispensing a leadership that bows to these demands at all times.

It is unarguable that in Nigeria today, issues of salary payment have been a thorn in the flesh of most government establishments. And the problem seems to exacerbate with the sudden scourge of Covid-19 pandemic, which has dealt a serious blow on global economies.

Even with the increasingly less funds in circulation, Gen. Ibrahim has insulated NYSC staff from this nightmare through prompt payment of basic and lawful entitlements. Quite pleasurably, Gen. Ibrahim has withered the storm in NYSC very conveniently.

By his relentless efforts, the Director General has been able to catapult the NYSC to a comfortable pedestal through investment initiatives. These investments have generated internal revenue for the NYSC, which partly funds the scheme’s operations. The NYSC Director General has registered the strong presence of the scheme in poultry farms; hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice plantations and milling as well as feed mills in different parts of the country are signposts of his remarkable leadership.

Added to it, Gen. Ibrahim has supported the scheme’s funding by resuscitating previously abandoned NYSC water and bakery factories to consolidate on its investment profile. With the returns yielded by these investments, coupled with the federal subventions to the agency, payment of salaries and allowances of staff have been prompt and ceaseless. His favorable disposition to salary payment has earned him the epaulet “Mr. Alert” in all NYSC offices across the nation.

In same manner, the welfare of corps members has been given top priority. Gen. Ibrahim wasted no time in implementing the New National Minimum Wage of N33,000 (thirty-three thousand) as monthly allowance of serving corps members. He boosted the monthly allowance of corps members with an additional N3,000 (three thousand) to serve as incentives to corps members and encourage personal savings. He operates on Lailah Gifty Akita’s the doctrine that “If people are paid well, there should be no poverty.”

To the NYSC boss, it does not matter whether it is staff or corps members, but salary and monthly allowances bank alerts come before the end of every month. Each time he visits NYSC office anywhere in Nigeria or even during media outings, corps members endearingly address hm with the sobriquet “Mr. Welfare,” for his rare and uncommon attention to their comfort.

Gen. Ibrahim has recorded his name as the only Director General of the NYSC who has lobbied State Governments and employers of the services of corps members to pay them additional monthly stipends. He has successful blighted the doctrine of discretionary payment of stipends to serving corps members through gentle persuasion of employers.

And his concentration on the welfare of both staff and corps members goes beyond timely meeting of their financial obligations alone. He has also demonstrated a relentless commitment to their health welfare in same measure. For instance, at the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, Gen. Ibrahim ensured the monthly allowances of corps members were paid without the usual clustering for clearance in order to forestall the spread of the disease.

He stated in a public statement that the; “…payment of monthly stipend for the month of April shall be effected without the usual gathering for clearance, in keeping with the rule of social distancing. It is equally imperative to add that there shall not be clearance for the month of May, 2020. The system shall generate automatic clearance for everyone.”

Conversely, Gen. Ibrahim instantly complied with the directive of the Presidency by enlisting all serving corps members into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He does not hesitate in approving medical bills and has expended huge resources on critical health needs of corps members by footing medical bills where necessary.

Therefore, it is understandable that Gen. Ibrahim is feted with epaulets such as “Mr. Welfare,” or “Mr. Alert.” And it streams from a genuine heart of excitement from those he has the mandate to lead. The unalterable truth is that Gen. Ibrahim has changed the fortunes of the NYSC amazingly. He is indeed, a national asset both in intellect and capacity to do things differently.

Uzah PhD is Head of Department, Mass Communication, Kwararafa University Wukari.

By Charles Ibekwe

Nigeria’s national parliament is not expected to function like a house of comedians. It ought to be a serious chamber and a progressive think-tank for Nigerians. It is supposed to be populated by men/ women of integrity, foresight and very knowledgeable legislators mandated to make good legislations for the progress and development of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, and glaringly too, the nation’s parliament has been overrated in recent times. Specifically, the House of Representatives is fast earning for itself a notorious reputation of an assemblage of idle and retrogressive minds. Even street comedians should have a better sense of humour.

The House of Representatives is habituated in doing everything possible to assail and assault the sensibilities of Nigerians they have been elected to serve. About a week ago, an opposition legislator, Hon. Awaji-Inimbel Abiante (PDP Rivers State), proposed and sponsored a bill to repeal the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act. This bill seeks to abrogate Section 315(5)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

The proposed bill has passed the second reading in less than a week, It is an indication of its advanced stages of getting the nod of parliament to proscribe the NYSC, a noble youth scheme, which has been in exsistence since 1973.

The defunct Military regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) was goaded into launching this scheme in 1973 to bridge the schism and pervasive air of distrust and hatred among Nigerians in the aftermath of the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 70. From the intendment of the Gen. Gowon’s military administration, the NYSC initiative was crafted and designed as a significant part of his 3Rs policy of Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction to heal the nation.

Furthermore, the NYSC is structured to foster national unity, integration and a better understanding of the disparate entities of the country’s plurality. It also has the mandate to engender a greater and deeper understanding of the ethnic, linguistic, religious, and socio- cultural compositions of Nigeria in youths, frequently referenced as leaders of tomorrow. Suffice it to say, no positive relic of the Gowon administration has surpassed the reality and goodies of an NYSC scheme.

Ironically today, Hon. Awaji-Inimbel Abiante and his cahoots in the Green Chamber want Nigerians to believe the NYSC scheme has outlived its usefulness. And more offending, these lawmakers have committed scare public funds to sponsor its scrapping in the nation’s life.

But more profoundly senseless are the reasons advanced by the lawmakers for embarking on this unpopular action. Sponsors of the bill for the scrapping of the NYSC are arguing that the scheme deserves a “death sentence” because the objective of the NYSC Act in promoting national unity and integration have been disfigured by compromised national insecurities, in some geopolitical zones in the country, as reflected in the pervasive threats of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and violent clashes among other national malaises.

It sounds hollow! Whilst the national threat of insecurities is real; the most infantile reasoning is what Hon. Awaji-Inimbel Abiante and his clan of cheer clappers, backbenchers and nitwits in the Green Chamber. It is not discernible in any conceivable way how scrapping the NYSC is a substitute or remedy to curing the nation’s insecurity pandemonium and scourge.

And determined to push a self-serving and nonsensical argument beyond the threshold of absurdity, the sponsors of the NYSC repeal Act questioned the rationale for the overdependence of private and public agencies for jobs and roles that these agencies should ordinarily have engaged the serving corps members in gainful employment. The legislators frowned at the poor remuneration, from employers’ who hire the services of corps members, only to discard them after the mandatory one-year service scheme.

From the periphery, one is tempted to believe, the Reps members are truly concerned that Nigerians earn poor wages and remunerations’ which has saliently echoed in the parliamentary discourse on scrapping of the NYSC. Yet, this is the same parliament which turned down President Muhammadu Buhari’s a mere N55,000 (fifty-five thousand) proposal for new minimum wage for Nigerian public servants. Rether, it approved a paltry N33, 000 (thirty-three thousand). There should be a limit to hypocrisy.

However, the national parliament has not told Nigerians the real reasons they want the NYSC scrapped. But it is extremely poor outing for the Green Chambers which has pleasurably declined increasing the budget of Nigerian Military in the age of insurgency and still grappling with approvals for bills to establish community policing to complement conventional security to suddenly turn around to be so concerned by insecurities and feels scrapping NYSC scheme is the antidote to securing the lives of Nigerians.

There can be nothing so farcical than this! The flimsy excuses they have adduced for attempting to scrap the NYSC speak volumes about their incapacity to really comprehend the problems of Nigeria and the best ways to assist the executive arm of government resolve them.

Despite the security threats, to blanketly argue that NYSC members are denied employment by private and public establishments because of the near-free labour they offer while serving the nation is absolutely false. While it is utopian to think every corps member should be reabsorbed by his or her place of primary assignment, many lucky ones have had the opportunity to be returned after service since the inception of the scheme.

There are immutable records that corps members who have performed creditably or excelled in their places of primary assignment have gained employments by various establishments. The NYSC scheme has by far too many benefits to the participating youths and the nation for anybody to think of scrapping it.

These benefits have not faded and cannot be eclipsed in the psyche of Nigerians in the manner contemplated by the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila-led House of Representatives. It is inappropriate now that the country is in dire need of national unity for the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria’s younger generation.

It is fair to assert that the mandate of the NYSC has not been fully utilized over the years. But the NYSC’s current leadership led by Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim is performing wonders with these young Nigerian graduates. His overhaul and repositioning of the scheme which has expanded opportunities of self-reliance and employment for ambitious Nigerian graduates is exceptional.

The incumbent NYSC Director General has either launched or reinvigorated the hitherto dead training and investments ventures of the scheme. The NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme, the one month’s practical skills training in the orientation course content for corps members during camps has assumed a pride of place.

Many young Nigerians have used the skills acquired during the orientation camp and savings in the course of service to establish private businesses or investments. Is this a scheme some Reps members are plotting to scrap at a time the FGN is scouting for every window to tackle the massive youth unemployment?

One of the main focus of the Buhari Presidency now is on diversification into agriculture to guarantee food security. Gen. Ibrahim has not only revamped moribund NYSC farms nationwide, which cultivates tens of thousands of hectares of lands , but has partnered and is still partnering agencies like the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA); Leventis Foundation Nigeria and the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation among hordes of others.

These organizations’ and agencies have offered serving corps members the rare opportunity of trainings as soil doctors and extension services workers; agricultural best practices and agro-allied linked ventures. These have the potential of spiral effects on agricultural activities in various communities across the country.

There are other ways envisaged by Gen. Ibrahim to assist the FGN tackle massive youth unemployment through the NYSC. A parley has reached advanced stages with relevant stakeholders to formally establish a legislation-backed NYSC Trust Fund. It is designed to source its funding from a percentage of profits of mega companies operating in Nigeria to among other things, financially empower passing out corps members for financial independence and private investments to become employers of labour, instead of employment seekers.

Just recently, at the 2018/2019 President’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) honours award ceremony, President Buhari offered automatic employments to ex-corps members in the Federal Civil Service. Others benefitted from scholarships to pursue post-graduate studies up to doctoral level in any university in Nigeria. These were ex-corps members who excelled in the four cardinal training programmes of the Scheme.

These are some of the benefits the Reps who sponsored the repulsive bill seeking to scrap the NYSC are tactically trying to deny Nigerian young graduates. It is sufficiently poor reasoning and an inexplicable daydreaming. Already, patriotic analysts’ are trumpeting that the haters and adversaries of President Buhari in the National Assembly are trying to set another trap for him with the idea of scrapping NYSC. It would generate massive criticisms of his failures again. Mr. President must be wary of the black sheep tacitly, but assiduously working to ruin his administration.

The sponsors of the repugnant bill on NYSC are the undisguised enemies of the Nigerian youths.They are the same parliamentarians who kicked against the idea and funding of President Buhari’s youth and the less privileged empowerment initiatives’ under the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP). They are back again, in another garments and Nigerians must rise up to secure their country from these saboteurs.

Ibekwe is a public affairs analyst and wrote this piece from Enugu.

The bill to amend the 1999 constitution to discontinue the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme is an evil plot against Nigerian youths and not in the interest of the nation, a civil society group has said.

Kicking against the move, the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) said the purveyors of conflict and agents of destabilisation are at work to earnestly set the country up in flames.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, Executive Secretary, Comrade Isaac Ikpa said the relevance of the scheme to contemporary Nigeria can't be overemphasised.

Established on May 22, 1973, by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon under Decree No. 24 of 1973, the
the primary objective was to reconcile and reintegrate Nigerians after the civil war.

But the lawmaker representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, had argued that the scheme has overstayed its usefulness.

In reaction, Comrade Ikpa said that the scheme has instead evolved over the years in fulfilling its mandate of bridging ethnic and religious divisions and fostering the spirit of Nigerian nationalism.

He noted that thousands of young Nigerian graduates still look forward to participating in the one-year mandatory service.

According to Ikpa, the scheme also provides most youths with the opportunity for self-reliance in preparation for life ahead through the allowances paid and the experiences they go through.

Describing the move as "anti-youth, anti-people and misplaced", he added that it is targeted at removing the last institutional framework for national stability and cohesion to satisfy the criminal mindset of a few Nigerians hiding in the National Assembly as lawmakers.

He, therefore, called on all well-meaning Nigerians to "see this attempt as an affront to our sensibilities by a select few that are hell-bent on destabilising the youthful population in Nigeria, which on its own is a recipe for conflict".

The CSO urged all Nigerians to mobilise in their large number to stop the bill as quickly as possible, adding that if there is any crucial moment in history to reinforce the essence of the exercise, it's now.

It, however, called on the leadership of the National Assembly to put the interest of the country at heart and halt further deliberations on the grossly ill-informed bill.

The CSO also urged the Federal Government to do all within its means to ensure that those against the interest of the country do not succeed in disorienting its youthful population.

Read the full statement below:

This is indeed a sad chapter in the book of our dear country in the sense that it has become evident that the purveyors of conflict and the agents of destabilization are at work to earnestly set the country up in flames by muting the idea of scrapping the National Youth Service Scheme.

The relevance of the NYSC in contemporary Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. That the NYSC has evolved over the years in fulfilling its mandate of bridging ethnic and religious divisions in Nigeria and fostering the spirit of Nigerian nationalism is a statement of fact.

It is, therefore, worrisome that some vested interest would attempt to push for the scrapping of such as initiative that is well-grounded to address the various ethnic and religious agitations and tensions in the country.

It is, therefore, the considered view of the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency that the call for the scrapping of the NYSC is not only disjointed, it is also of poor taste and a puerile attempt at plunging the country into a crisis of unimaginable proportion.

It is also our considered view that the selfish proponents of the Bill seeking for the scrapping of the NYSC failed to realize that hundreds of thousands of young Nigerian graduates look forward to participating in the one-year mandatory service.

They also failed to realize that the one year service year provides most youths with the opportunity for self-reliance in preparation for life ahead through the allowances paid to them and the experiences they go through in their service year.

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency is therefore alarmed that the Bill seeking for the scrapping of the NYSC has reached second reading in the House of Representatives. This is indicative that patriotism in Nigeria has been thrown to the dogs.

It is also indicative that some people have sold their souls to the devil in return for a plate of porridge hence the inglorious attempt at seeking for the scrapping of such an initiative that is more needed and relevant in the country now in the critical point of our existence where there have been politically motivated calls for separation in various parts of the country.

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency states unequivocal terms that the Bill is anti-youth, anti-people, misplaced and targeted at removing the last institutional framework for national stability and national cohesion to satisfy the criminal mindset of a few Nigerians hiding in the National Assembly as lawmakers.

As a result of the press conference calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to see this attempt as an affront to our sensibilities by a select few that are hell-bent on destabilizing the youthful population in Nigeria, which on its own is a recipe for conflict.

We strongly believe that the agents seeking to destabilize the country are behind the Bill and call on all Nigerians to mobilize in their large number to stop the Bill as quickly as possible because if there is any crucial moment in history to reinforce the essence of the Scheme, it's now.

It remains our stance that the contributions of the NYSC to the country's socio-economic development remain outstanding. This is also because the NYSC has evolved over the years and well-positioned to give the youths an avenue to realize their potentials through the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme.

We also wish to repeat that the NYSC is set up deliberately to advance national cohesion and unity. And if there's any crucial moment in history to reinforce the essence of the Scheme, it's now. This much all well-meaning Nigerians and relevant stakeholders must come to terms with to see the folly in the call the scrapping of such a laudable initiative.

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency states that scrapping the NYSC would be a fundamental blunder. As such, it must cease to be a topic of discussion. We are calling on the leadership of the National Assembly to put the interest of the country at heart at this critical point of our existence.

The leadership of the National Assembly must halt further deliberations on the grossly ill-informed Bill seeking for the scrapping of the NYSC. They must rise above political considerations as the peculiarities of time require the sincerity of heart and purpose.

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency is also calling on parents and guardians to join their voice in condemning this ignoble call in the national interest. We also call on other concerned stakeholders to lend their voices as well.

We are also calling on the federal government to do all within its means to ensure that those against the interest of the country do not succeed in disorienting the youthful population of Nigeria, as the country cannot stand any youth upheaval that might arise if the NYSC is scrapped.

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency supports the laudable initiatives in the NYSC, and our commitment to the sustenance of the NYSC remains unflinching.
Thank you all for your time and attention.