₦airaland Forum

simonlee:
Small boy wey get mind!
Ordinary socket spark for room... for 2 days now,fear dey catch me to remove my phone from there.

President Explains Why FG Negotiated With B’Haram

In another development, President Buhari said yesterday that Nigeria prefers having the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok and Dapchi communities back alive.

This, he said, was the reason why the federal government chose negotiation with the sect rather than military option.

Speaking when he received the American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in audience at the presidential villa, Abuja, President Buhari added that Nigeria is working in concert with international organizations and negotiators to ensure that the girls are released unharmed by their captors.

“We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive,” a statement by his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, quoted the president as saying.

He thanked the United States government for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good, “but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.”

President Buhari promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, from where Dapchi schoolgirls were abducted later this week “as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.”

The president pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that the then American Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls.

“He (Kerry) told the party in government then and those of us in opposition to behave ourselves and we did”, he noted.

The visiting Secretary of State commended President Buhari on his strides in the anti-corruption war, to which the Nigerian leader responded that moneys recovered are being invested on development of infrastructure.

Mr Tillerson said Nigeria was a very important country to the U.S, stressing: “You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments, and peaceful polls in 2019.”

US Pledges To Assist In Rescue Of Dapchi Schoolgirls

Also, in a press briefing after meeting the president, the American Secretary of State said his country will assist Nigeria in the rescue of the remaining Dapchi and Chibok girls.

He said the United States government will provide assistance in terms of equipment, sharing of intelligence and training of the personnel of special operations.

Tillerson said, “First, we respect the responsibilities of the government of Nigeria and the territorial integrity of Nigeria. But the way we support is in providing them capability capacity with equipment and also training of the personnel of special operations and sharing intelligence to ensure that they have all the information available to carry out the recovery effort.

“But I think it is also important to put this in a broad regional context as well, Boko Haram is a threat to other region and this has been the subject of my meetings elsewhere and in Africa as well.

“In my discussion with President Derby in Chad earlier today, we spoke about the threat of Boko Haram and I think it is important and it’s really been powerful, the collaboration between the joint task force which Nigeria is a part and Chad is a part, to respond to this threat of terrorism which Boko Haram is one of the organizations. There are other threats that the leadership of this country has to deal with.

“So, the United States is ready to engage and coordinate efforts as well. But we have been supporting, equipping, training and when we can provide information. I think that is the best way we have been helping the government of Nigeria secure the release of the girls, which we hope will be done in a peaceful manner. We hope that something can be worked out and they can secure the release of these girls quickly”.

On his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Goffery Onyeama maintained that as a conventional military threat, Boko Haram has been completely degraded.

He also dismissed insinuations that the federal government took a week to acknowledge the abduction of the Dapchi girls.

He said, “With regards to the kidnap of the girls in Dapchi, it is incorrect to say we too a week to acknowledge. It was acknowledged immediately everything was being done and we were strategizing.

“Other people might have made comments but those comments do not represent any government coming out with the acknowledgment. Fighting terrorism is a new challenge globally. When we talked of having degrading Boko Haram, we were referring specifically to the situation that we were confronted with when the government took over.

“That was a situation where you have a classical military confrontation and Boko Haram were capturing territories, holding unto territories and hoisting flags. So, as a conventional military threat, Boko Haram has been completely degraded.

“Now, there is a challenge with regards to sporadic suicides and bombings and of course largely, there is kidnapping of the girls.

“We don’t by any stretch of imagination minimize those but it’s really a different kind of warfare as it is and the government is sparing no effort in addressing that”.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday replied critics accusing him of apathy towards the wanton killings in the country, saying there is no way he could overlook the carnages in Benue State or any other part of Nigeria.

Buhari who spoke while on an official visit to Benue State noted that his government is deeply disturbed about the incessant massacres on rural communities in the state.

At a meeting with stakeholders, including farmers, herdsmen and government officials in Makurdi, Buhari vowed to end the menace “very soon”.

The president spurned insinuations that he is not interested in what has been happening to the North-central state.

“I cannot overlook the killings in Benue or any other part of Nigeria. I cannot do that. I am genuinely worried about the attacks in Benue and we are doing everything to end them,” he declared.

He said that the insecurity in some states was a major concern to his government, adding that concerted efforts were being made to restore normalcy to every part of the country.

Recalling his Civil War era memories with military officers from Benue State, he noted that his nostalgic experience with such persons would never allow him to do harm to the state.

President Buhari said he was shocked at the disclosure that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, did not spend 24 hours in Benue when he directed him to relocate to the state and remain there till peace was restored.

“I am getting to know this in this meeting. I am quite surprised,” he said, adding however that the meeting was not the best place to expose the inefficiency of his appointees.

Noting that he is not in the habit of publicly rebuking his appointees as many would desire, Buhari said that he preferred to quietly “read the riot act” as he did to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) when the Benue attacks began.

The president disclosed that he even shared the IGP’s security report on the Benue crisis with Senators George Akume and Barnabas Gemade from the state.

The president appealed to Benue people to exercise restraint and live in peace with their neighbours.

“The governor and I, and others here know that we will leave one day, but the relationship between farmers and herders will continue. I urge you to keep in touch with them and advise them to live peacefully. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups with different cultures and nobody can question God for putting us together”, he stated.

Imploring the people to pay more attention to farming, especially rice cultivation, he noted that rice importation had dropped by 90 per cent since some states embarked on massive production of the commodity.

President Buhari, while thanking God for the good rains, the successful efforts of the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, an indigene of Benue State, whom he described as “a great asset in my government,” said his administration would continue to empower farmers with loans by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Expressing delight that the agricultural policy of his administration has led to 90 per cent reduction in rice importation, he commended Ebonyi, Lagos, Kebbi, Jigawa and Benue States for “doing extremely well.”

Reacting to what he called a “shopping list” by some stakeholders, the President enjoined them to pray for the economy to improve, noting that he would not make any promises during this trip. He, however, stressed that, “When coming back on campaign, if coming back on campaign, I may promise.”

Earlier, Governor Samuel Ortom appealed to the president to upgrade the ongoing military exercise in the state tagged “Ayem Akpatema”, to a wider operation to effectively curb herdsmen attacks.

“If the exercise is upgraded to a wider operation, it will assist greatly in ending the incessant attacks and senseless killings by herdsmen,” he said

He urged Benue people to learn to live in peace with other people.

The governor reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, alleging that the body is responsible for the killings in Benue.

Ortom maintained that ranching remains the best option for cattle breeding in Nigeria, and advised herdsmen to embrace it so as to minimise the clashes caused by open grazing.

He also called on the federal government to take over the management of the Benue University Teaching Hospital, College of Education, Katsina-Ala and Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.

Malam Shetima Mohammed, a representative of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue Chapter, however, denied responsibility for the Benue attacks.

“Our association is a peace loving one and the exact opposite of what is being portrayed,” he declared.

Also speaking, retired Army General, Atom Opera, who described the president as a man of his words advised him to replicate what he did in other states like Zamfara when cattle were rustled to Benue and faulted the IGP who was earlier deployed to the state for performing below expectations.

President of peasant farmers in Nigeria, Chief Terlumun Akputu disclosed that over 160,000 famers were displaced, attributing the inability of farmers to defend themselves during the attack by herdsmen to the amnesty progrmme of the governor.

Akputu appealed to the president to compensate and rebuild the homes of the displaced farmers to enable them go back to farming, now that the rain is approaching.

Also speaking, the Tor Tiv Ochivirigh, Professor James Ayatse, called for the re-designing of security architecture in the country, such that will involve state and traditional rulers who are more closer to the people.

He expressed dismay over responses of some service chiefs in the country on security issues, saying people in such position should restrain from making statements that can trigger crises, especially as it relates to security.

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberate plot to disfranchise Igbo people in the 2019 general elections. President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, made the allegation in Enugu yesterday when the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Emeka Ononamadu, paid him a visit.

Nwodo alleged shortage of registration materials in virtually all the states in the South-East in the on-going Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. Nwodo said he had visited many of the registration centres and had come to the conclusion that the South- East is shortchanged.

“I am of the conclusion that INEC has deliberately denied this area of registration materials in order to ensure that we are under- registered. I say this not because I am the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, but I say this as a lawyer who respects evidence.” Nwodo, who said that the machines deployed to South-East for the CRV exercise were slow and not enough, noted that machines he saw INEC deployed in the Northern Nigeria for the same exercise were modern and efficient.

His words: “Let me use my home as example: I come from Ukehe in Igbo- Etiti Local Government Area. Last week, I went home to check what was going on; first I went to confirm whether my own voter’s card was valid and I was told that it is valid.

But my local government area had the presence of INEC in less than three polling units. In my ward, INEC was present in only one polling unit in my village and luckily it was my polling booth. “That booth has between 18 and 20 polling booths which are registration booths.

Now, there was only one machine in my ward; that one machine is in my registration area and unlike the machines I saw in the North when I went to the North which captures five fingers instantaneously. The machine in my registration area can only capture one finger at a time and it is two polling booths in one side and, therefore, it should be two registration centres, but there was only one registration machine.

“They had run out of laminating sheet and therefore everyone given a temporary voter’s card didn’t have it laminated and villagers who deal with palm oil and all sources of charcoal and firewood would have tendencies to mutilate the temporary voters’ cards before the election; if they don’t get a permanent one before the election. It may even be difficult to recognize their face or their thumbprint or signatures.

“Second, your staff were very hardworking, but the maximum registration they can achieve in a day was 48 people and there were twice the number waiting who were not registered. My projection is that in two days, they were able to register 96 voters against over 500.

“If you want us to pay to hire more machines, we are ready to do so. If you want us to pay for staff that you may not have enough to deploy to our places, we are prepared to raise money from Igbo but we feel shortchanged. “And information from the chairman of my local government is that this kind of thing is happening in other places where there are skeletal registrations. My question is, if there are enough machines to deploy to all the polling booths on the day of election, why is it difficult to deploy many for the registration? If you have logistic problems, we are prepared to help.

The local government is prepared to help; the state government is prepared to help.” The President General equally lamented that while Igbo were being disenfranchised in the South-East; over 11.6 million Igbo in Northern Nigeria are equally being discriminated from registration of voters, which he said is an inalienable constitutional right of all Nigerians.

Earlier, the REC, Ononamadu, said the visit was part of INEC’s outreach to critical stake holders in election process which Ohanaeze Ndigbo was one of. “We need a lot of opportunities to do more before 2019 elections.

One of our major objectives is to begin to build trust among critical stakeholders and also to create that openness of sharing of information so that every stakeholder can be on the same page before, during and after election.

“This we have tried to do using the party structures, the traditional leadership, and others of which we held numerous meetings before now to enable us understand what the key problems are, and the challenges that will confront us now and in 2019 so that we begin to work on them as early as possible,” the REC said.

Ibadan—Chief Magistrate N. A. J. Ogunbona of the Ibadan Magistrate’s Court, Iyaganku- Ibadan, Oyo State capital, Monday, rained curses on those who take pleasure in raping minors, as a 52-year-old man, Mr. Gabriel Olaniyan, was brought before her over allegation of raping a nine-year-old girl.

The accused, arraigned on a count charge of having carnal knowledge of the minor, told the court how he lured the girl into a secluded place with N10 biscuit before raping her.

The accused, however, dismissed the insinuation that he actually defiled the girl for ritual purpose.

In the charge sheet signed by Fawole Funke, the accused was alleged to have committed the act on March 1 at Alapafon Area of Ibadan.

According to the charge sheet, “you Gabriel Olaniyan male, on the March 1, at about 5p.m., at Alapafon area, Ibadan, in the Ibadan magisterial district, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl (name withheld) aged nine, without her consent and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. 11 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.”

The Chief Magistrate advised parents to always monitor their children and take good care of them to prevent their wards from being molested by people with unwholesome behaviour.

After ordering that the accused be remanded in Agodi Prison pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, she adjourned the case till April 5.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

AreaFada2:
By the time the girl grows up, they will have brainwashed her. She might never know how her dad died. Nor be 9ja. Some will say to protect her better not to tell her.
In 9ja too many bad things happen and thousands died needlessly daily that we soon forget.

Ibinabo Fiberesima recklessly killed a doctor and got away with it. Hardly anyone remembers now.

bewla:
Snail

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has frowned against the tribal profiling of violent criminals on rampage across central Nigeria.

The former vice president emphasised that people should be held responsible for their conducts as individuals and not on the basis of their ethnic affiliation.

“It is a misnomer to use the term ‘killer herdsmen of Fulani extraction’ or ‘killer Fulani herdsmen’,” Mr. Atiku told THISDAY in an interview.

Specifically, the paper asked the former vice president: “As a Fulani yourself, how do you feel about ongoing security crisis largely caused in many parts of the country by killer herdsmen of Fulani extraction? ”

After giving his response by listing a litany of issues, which included blaming leadership crisis, rising population and climate change, Mr. Atiku wrapped up by reminding his interviewer that the Fulani are a predominantly good tribe.

“The vast majority of Fulani people are peaceful and live in harmony with other ethnicities,” Mr. Atiku said.

“When kidnappers kidnap, we do not identify them by their ethnicity. We identify them as kidnappers, pure and simple.

“There may be fringe elements with criminal tendencies. Some may be Fulani. Some may not even be. Let us identify them by their activities and not by their ethnicity,” he added.
Mr. Atiku’s comments echoed the position of the Buhari administration on the reporting of herdsmen crisis.

In February, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, slammed a section of the media for displaying an alarming “lack of respect for journalism ethics and press laws in the Nigerian media”

“We want to state emphatically that a segment of the Nigerian media is sinking deeper and deeper into the mesh of hate speech in spite of repeated appeals by recognised and reputable media bodies, the Government and concerned Nigerians,” Mr. Shehu said in a February 8 statement.

The interview comes amidst rising tension over attacks linked to herdsmen, especially across the north-central.

Dozens of deadly attacks carried out this year alone have left more than 500 people dead across the region.

While reported attacks are mostly against farming communities of other tribes, predominantly Fulani settlements have also come under deadly assaults.

Over the past week, dozens were killed in attacks on Fulani communities in Gembu and other communities around the Mambila plateau, Taraba State.

But social commentators are criticising the media for either underreporting attacks on the Fulani or reporting most attacks, including those against Fulani communities, as being carried out by ‘Fulani herdsmen.’

“Some journalists are guided by their ignorance of the ethnic terrain of northern Nigeria,” said Aliyu Tilde, a retired university lecturer in Bauchi, “The Nigerian media is dominated by southerners and they have little to no knowledge about the north.”

He traced the misconception and stereotypes that southerners hold against northerners to Nigeria’s post independent conflict when one of the country’s earliest coup plotters wrote a book.

“It started with Adewale Ademoyega’s book titled ‘Why We Struck,’ he used the book to paint the Fulani as bad even from the first chapters,” Mr. Tilde said.

“The media in the south jumped on that book and have passed its inaccurate content to new generations,” he added.

Mr. Tilde, now a farmer, said journalists must first understand the dimensions of the frequent killings in the north before filing reports.

“There are at least three key dimensions to the crisis. First is the farmers-herders clashes which are usually due to encroachment on farmlands.

”The second is tribal where you have some tribes wanting to be left alone to dominate their own region forever.

“The third involves criminal elements who are exploiting the porous security situation to perpetrate attacks. Sometimes, the attackers are Fulani. But definitely not always,” he said.

Mr. Tilde said the media could help reduce violent clashes, especially those with ethnic or religious undertone, if reports are disseminated to the public with professionalism.

He cited an early February incidence in which about eight Fulani travelers were burnt in Gboko, Benue State, saying the media downplayed the attack by initially withholding the identities of the victims.

Ibrahim79mantu:
Useless boy. You wan kee me wit laffta this morning. Cósplay,Ipfréely oya make una come do una work

Skepticus:


The guy on the lower right, though.

He looks like a cross between Obasanjo, Taribo West and an Orangutan.

A social political group, Movement for New Nigeria has slammed the Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, Senator Ademola Adeleke over incessant display of dancing skill wherever he goes.

The group made the assertion in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sunday Kelani, a copy which was sent to DAILY POST on Friday.

The statement noted that the senator has taken it as a tradition to dance at any event he attends instead of contributing meaningfully to National issues as a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It chided him for, “taking the dignity of legislature for granted” adding that he is no more a private person, but a public office holder of high echelon in Nigeria.

“The routine dance of the Senator representing Osun West senatorial district is becoming a big embarrassment for people of his constituency and Nigerians as a whole.

“Instead of making appreciable contribution constructively to nation-building, Senator Adekeke is busy dancing across the country rather unabatedly.

“The place of legislature in a democracy is too important and serious for any of its member to resort to a mere entertainer and official dancer.

“This attitude of the lawmaker is highly unbecoming of a man with that political stature, this must stop as a matter of importance and exigency.

“There is a limit to how a politician could go to impress the people outside the specified statutory obligation through performance; the earlier the senator knows that his dancing step is no more catching the fancy of anyone the better for him, ” the statement said.

The House of Representatives on Thursday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies to immediately begin the enforcement of the Open Grazing (Prohibition) Law in Benue State and halt the killings by herdsmen.

The House passed the resolution in Abuja as lawmakers again condemned the latest attacks on villagers in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state where 26 more lives were lost on Monday.

The session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, stated that the government must recognise the fact that as a state, Benue was covered by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to make laws for the good governance of its existence.

It stressed that there were no alternatives to enforcing a law duly passed by a state assembly and called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, and heads of other security agencies to implement the anti-open grazing law.

An All Progressives Congress member from Benue State, Mr. Hassan Saleh, had drawn the attention of the House to the latest killings, blaming the actions of the herdsmen on the “refusal of the police and other security services” to enforce the law.

The development came as another APC member from Edo State, Mr. Johnson Egwakhide-Oghuma, faulted the use of quota system in recruitment into the country’s security agencies.

“Security is a specialised issue. You don’t recruit people into security services on the basis of quota system.

“Security is not necessarily a matter you use for the mere sake of providing employment.

“It is a specialised duty where you do not compromise merit, education and the willingness to do the right thing,” Egwakhide-Oghuma stated.

Leading the debate on the killings, Saleh, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, told his colleagues that the police and other security services simply turned their backs while the herdsmen continued to hack down defenceless citizens.

He said, “The government has not restricted the herdsmen. These same herdsmen and their cultural organisation, Miyetti Cattle Breeders, have vowed to continue the killings until the anti-open grazing law is reversed.

“The IG and other security services must arrest these killers and prosecute them. We are playing with the future of this country.

“I have received about 700 calls since Monday alone; people are telling me that they are willing to defend themselves. I have to keep pleading with them.

“We must be careful. Mr. Speaker, if we don’t arrest this situation of insecurity all over the country, one day it will consume all of us.

“Mr. Speaker, when it starts, you and I will not be able to sit here in Abuja.”

Dogara did not allow further debate on the motion. He quickly referred it to the ad hoc committee already set up by the House to look into insecurity cases in the country.

However, on his part, Egwakhide-Oghuma called for a review of the recruitment process into security services to play up merit, intelligence and the ability to respond to training.

The lawmaker argued that a government that used job creation as a criterion for recruitment into its security agencies was not prepared to combat crime.

Though, he commended Buhari for the efforts of his administration to recover all territories hitherto occupied by Boko Haram insurgents, Egwakhide-Oghuma insisted that the government must do more.

The House also passed a separate resolution calling for adequate security cover for international aid agencies working in the North-East, particularly Borno State.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said residents of parts of the country where members of the Boko Haram sect were operating before he assumed office in 2015 were in the best position to disclose the change that had taken place under his watch.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke while receiving a delegation from King Salman of Saudi Arabia at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja said Nigerians in the areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency are in the best position to provide correct assessments of the changes that have taken place since he assumed office in 2015,” the statement.

Shehu quoted the President Buhari as saying that his administration was mindful of the three-pronged promises made to Nigerians before the 2015 elections.

He said he remained undeterred and focused on securing the lives and properties of Nigerians.

Buhari told the Saudi Arabian delegation that the priority of his administration had so far been on securing the country, buoying the economy and curbing corruption so that Nigerians would start benefitting from the rich natural and human resources of the country.

In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said the delegation from Saudi Arabia had already visited the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters and taken a tour of IDP camps in Maiduguri as part of their schedule.

The Leader of the Saudi Arabian delegation from King Salman, Nasser Bin Mutlaq, said the visit and the donation of materials was an extension of the good relations both countries had shared over the years.

“We are directed to offer materials and food for the displaced persons in the North- East worth $10m. We have had a field visit to the places and seen the humanitarian situation ourselves,” he added.

Fresh crisis may be looming in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the national leadership is alleged to have perfected plans to amend the party’s constitution at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for this month, in order to validate the tenure extension of its principal officers at all levels.

Consequently, some concerned leaders of the ruling party have vowed to reject the planned amendment, which according to them violates Article 13(3-4) of the APC Constitution and Section 223(1-2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

APC, at its last NEC meeting on February 27, had announced a 12-month extension for its elected and appointed executives at all levels of the party.

Citing Article 13 of the APC constitution, which empowers the NEC to carry out the functions of the convention, the party said NEC decided to extend the tenure of the current NWC members and other executive committees at various levels for another twelve months, starting from June 30, 2018.

It said the extension was done to prevent the likelihood of discord that might arise from a convention of the party in the run up to the 2019 elections.

But this was immediately challenged by the Zamfara State governor and other leaders of the party, who said the decision taken at the last NEC meeting was only a “mere expression of interest”.

He had cautioned that the tenure extension could only be achieved through an amendment of the party’s constitution by the National Convention of the APC.

However, one of the concerned leaders yesterday disclosed the plan to amend the party’s constitution at the next NEC meeting in an interview he granted THISDAY in confidence, warning against the decision, which he said will promote the reign of illegality and impunity in the ranks of the APC.

He also faulted the process by which the National Working Committee (NWC) under the chairmanship of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had set up the Constitution Amendment Committee led by the National Legal Adviser of the APC, Mr. Muiz Banire on January 25, 2017, noting that the process did not comply with Article 13(3-4) of the party’s constitution.

Article 13(4) of the APC Constitution empowers the NWC “to establish ad-hoc and/or standing committees of the party and appoint members to such committees”.

While Article 13(3) empowers the NEC “to ratify the type, nature and membership of the ad-hoc and/or standing committees to be set up by the National Working Committee”, a condition the source said the party leadership did not comply with.

Contingent on these provisions, the APC leader faulted the process that set up the constitution amendment committee in January last year, noting that the NWC constituted the committee without NEC’s ratification as provided in Article 13(3).

The APC leader further disclosed that the constitution amendment committee was meant to have submitted its report to the NEC meeting slated for October 31, 2017 but the meeting was postponed.

As a result, the same constitution amendment report was slated for presentation at the February 27 NEC meeting of the party, but it was not considered. Instead, the party went ahead to announce the tenure extension for all its executives.

He also pointed out that it was after the presidency had realised the illegality of the tenure extension that the NEC had granted the national and state officials, that a plan was hatched to table the report at the next meeting slated for this month.

The goal, he said, is to allow the NEC exercise the power of National Convention and amend the APC Constitution to validate the tenure extension.

He noted that the rationale behind the constitution amendment is to correct the flawed decision of the NEC “to extend the tenure of the APC national chairman and other national and state executives by 12 months”.

After President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the APC leadership to start preparing for the convention and congresses at the last National Caucus meeting of the party, the APC source alleged that it was the Ondo State governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu who had misadvised the presidency, informing it that the NEC could exercise the power of the convention to extend the tenure of the principal officers.

Already, he noted that the presidency “has realised the illegality of the tenure extension”.

“That is why the national leadership is planning to convene another NEC meeting. The meeting may hold between 10 and 15 days from now. The national officials want to use the meeting to correct their errors,” he added.

He also disclosed that the agenda of the meeting is first to tell the world that the tenure of the APC national chairman and other executives was not extended as reported in the media.

“The plan is to tell the world that the NEC only issued a notice of extension and not an extension,” he explained

He also warned that the move by the national leadership of the party would be at variance with Section 223(1-2) of the 1999 Constitution, which according to him, states clearly the processes, procedures and requirements for the emergence of political party officials.

Section 223(1) states that the constitution and rules of a political party “shall provide for a periodical election on a democratic basis of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party…”

Section 223(2) further states: “The election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party shall be deemed to be periodical only if it is made at regular intervals not exceeding four years.”

Based on these provisions, the APC leader argued that the NEC lacks the power to amend the APC Constitution.

“The power to amend the party’s constitution can only be exercised by the National Convention. Even if the NEC can exercise the party’s constitution, it cannot amend it to deviate from the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

“Section 223(1-2) of the 1999 Constitution is clear about the conduct of national conventions and congresses. The section states clearly how the officials of parties at all levels can emerge at the end of their tenure.

“It never made provisions for tenure extension. Also, it does not give any organ of the party – except at the National Convention – the power to amend the constitution,” he said,

He also recalled that it was this kind of impunity and lawlessness that destroyed the People Democratic Party (PDP). “We are all witness to the fall of the PDP,” he said, warning that some APC leaders were already walking on the path of destruction.

“The implication is huge for the future of the APC. First, it is a dangerous precedent for a party that promised change. Second, any person produced from that process can be removed if challenged at the court.

“Besides, opposition parties can take advantage of this to challenge the APC in court after the general election. So, the mandate of any political official produced from this process will be under threat,” he warned.

Another party source who spoke on the issue also confirmed that there was a plan to amend the party’s constitution at the next NEC meeting, but said should the national leadership of the party go ahead with the plan, the Lagos chapter of the APC was prepared to go to court to challenge the validity of the decision.

According to him, “The move to amend the constitution at the NEC meeting can lead to a series of litigations and crises. I am aware that the Lagos APC is ready to go to court should the NEC amend the constitution and not the National Convention of the party.”

When he was reminded that Article 13 of the APC Constitution empowers the NEC to carry out the functions of the convention, he said: “Even if we have to consider Article 13 of the constitution, it is still debatable if NEC can assume the power of the National Convention or whether it can legally carry out an amendment of the constitution.”

Abuja – Parents of the girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists, from Secondary School, in Dapchi, Yobe state, on Thursday, protested to National Assembly, demanding a total probe into the incident and actions that would lead to the quick recovery of their daughters.

The parents, both mothers and fathers, who wore black shirts with inscription, “We are Dapchi People”, said that they had come into Abuja on Wednesday night, to tell their stories to the seat of power and demand for action.

Some of the parents, who were practically weeping, recounted their ordeals since the abduction of their daughters, saying that it has been a nightmare.

Yahaya Taributu, a father of one of the abducted girls, told INDEPENDENT that three of his daughters were among the girls taken into captivity by the terrorists.

“Government should go and bring back our daughters”, Taributu demanded, blaming the abduction on the negligence of security forces.

Yobe state is in the war theatre in the North East and is within the Area of Responsibility of Operation Lafiya Dole, of the Nigerian military, but Taributu said that the military was withdrawn from Dapchi 21 days before the sad incident of their daughters’ abduction.

“We don’t know why government had to withdraw the army, but we believe that government knows better.

“We cannot, and will not rest over this matter, until we meet four eyes with our daughters,” he said looking very troubled.

On her part, Aisha Alhaji Bukar, a mother whose one daughter was also abducted, was weeping profusely, as she said that since the incidence, she has not being sleeping or eating well.

She said that the abduction of her daughter has turned her to a sorrowful mother, as she has remained very unhappy.

Adamu Gashuama, was another father to one of the abductees, whose daughter also suffered abduction, and Aisha Kundili Bukar, whose daughter was also kidnapped.

The parents were unanimous that the security of their town had been very porous, indicating that they were not surprised that their daughters were carted away cheaply.

One of them averred that as it were, it was very possible for the terrorists to take even mothers, fathers and all their children from Dapchi into captivity unchallenged, because of the poor state of security in the town.

The protest was supported by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, advocating for women and the girl-child.

Bukola Saraki, senate president, has appeared at the code of conduct tribunal (CCT) for the resumption of his trial.

The former Kwara state governor was accompanied to the court on Thursday by not less than 20 senators.

Back at the red chamber, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, is presiding over the plenary. Only a few senators are present at the sitting.

Saraki is being tried on three of the 18 counts of false assets declaration filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the last sitting, the case was adjourned after Kanu Agabi, counsel to Saraki, asked the court for more time to respond to the “elaborate” written address of the prosecution.

In December, the court of appeal affirmed the conclusion of the tribunal on all but the three counts.

Counts 4 and 5 border on an alleged false declaration of his assets at the end of his tenure as governor of Kwara state.

Count 6 borders on the failure to declare his outstanding loan liabilities of N315, 054, 355.92 out of the loan of N380, 000, 000 he obtained from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has accused the federal government of fueling the menace of insurgency in the country with its interest to pay ransom to insurgents rather than killing or arresting them.

The governor alleged that the continued insurgents’ activities in the country is a manifestation of internal aggression and not external one as the people were made to believe.

Speaking at a press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Fayose said the government’s alleged failure to tackle the challenge of insecurity over the time and adoption of an option of paying ransom are indications that insecurity challenge has become an internal problem caused by those who are allegedly profiting from it.

According to him, “We don’t have external aggression but an internal one. We are calling on the international community to look beyond Boko Haram or herdsmen. The international community should come for a fact finding as well as dig deeper into the killings in Nigeria.

“This is beyond what Boko Haram or herdsmen are doing. It is more of what the government has failed to do on time. Nigerians are becoming helpless. Benue State people need international intervention; they need support. We want to believe that the president has lost it. His approach has been a cosmetic.

“How would you want us to believe that the Nigerian army cannot engage herdsmen or Boko Haram? It seems that the reason for the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari to secure Nigeria has been defeated in all areas, including corruption and fight against Boko Haram to secure Nigeria among others.

“You can all see the situation, Nigerians are angry and hungry on a daily basis as they are being killed by their own brothers.

“I can’t understand why the federal government cannot take a stand to engage the so called herdsmen. They flaunt their weapons on the social media and the government looks away. Currently, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of President Buhari is paying lip service to the challenges of security of Boko Haram and herdsmen.”
Fayose urged Nigerians to challenge the President to act decisively, saying: “Steps must be taken; Nigeria must realise that if we fail to challenge the government on this, it would be a sad story for the coming generation.
“Personally, I am worried as a Nigerian that we are no longer safe in our fatherland.

“The president’s visit to Taraba State is simply political. After the president left, Taraba people were also killed. I can’t believe that after three months of the killings, the president only went to the troubled part and spent only one or two hours and left. It is unfortunate.”

Asked if the governors’ forum has advised President Buhari on what to do, he said: “The Governors’ Forum is not the Commander in Chief of the country. The present government is not taking advice. How do you explain a situation where our president is saying governors should tell their people not to block cattle route in this 21st century?
“When we are faced with the challenge of people carrying AK 47 in the name of rearing cows, we are talking of cattle routes in the 21st century! The defence for cows has become more important than that of human beings.”

Meanwhile, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Mr. Reno Omokri, has faulted the federal government’s negotiation with terrorists, saying that the group cannot be trusted.

Omokri said in a statement wednesday that it is a mistake for the country to negotiate with terrorists, adding that any negotiation or ransom payments will only come back to haunt the country as evidenced in a recent video by Shuaibu Moni, a Boko Haram commander.

He said he watched a video by Shuaibu Moni, who was reported by the media to have been freed in exchange for some 82 kidnapped Chibok girls in a deal allegedly brokered by the Swedish government.

According to him, the fact that a Boko Haram commander released by the Buhari government can threaten Nigeria proves that the government should not negotiate with terrorists or pay ransoms to them.

“By doing so, you become the major financier of terrorism knowingly or unknowingly. In this video, Mr. Moni threatened Nigeria and vowed to show the country that Boko Haram is still fully in control of Sambisa Forest, contrary to claims made by the military and President Buhari. This latest video proves the futility of negotiating with terrorists. Terrorists cannot be trusted and any negotiation or ransom payments will only come back to haunt you as we have seen in Mr. Moni’s latest video,” Omokri added.

Omokri alleged that under the Buhari administration, nearly a thousand so called ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members have been freed.

“How many of them were truly repentant? How does a government justify releasing hardened criminals who by the principle of Taqiyya, are permitted by their extremist interpretation of their religion, to deceive their enemies in order to undermine them? Has the Buhari government offered the same liberty to repentant IPOB members, Shiites and other minority/religious activists? What is so special to the Buhari administration about Boko Haram that this government keeps on releasing members of one of the most deadly terrorists in the world?” he queried.

Omokri called on the Buhari administration to put a stop to this unusual practice of releasing deadly terrorists.
“I also call on the government to halt any payments to Boko Haram or any other terrorist group if they have been making such payments.Who knows whether it was moneys paid as ransom to Boko Haram or individuals freed by the government that were used to facilitate the kidnap of the Dapchi Girls and the recent killings of United Nations staff in Rann. Again, I urge the federal government not to unwittingly become a lifeline to Boko Haram,” he added.