₦airaland Forum

The Niger and Chadian borders should be closed indefinitely.The President should appoint a counter terrorism adviser(an expert in dealing with terrorism).He should also establish a special department specialized in dealing with terrorism cos SSS and NIA are useless.He should immediately fire Aziza as d NSA and appoint somebody who actually has d intellect on how do deal with d security of d nation.

Supported but it seems we are giving in to boko haram.I will go to church on sunday.We must not let boko haram win

Nice statement.

By Wasiu Raji
What is being presidential? Being presidential is to act, to reason, to behave, to talk, to laugh like a president. It does not matter if you are a president or not, if you can do all these like a president, you are presidential. But is our Jonathan Goodluck presidential?


I will leave that for the public to judge. During the 2011 UN summit held between 19th and 20th September this year, judging by the body language of President (?) Jonathan, when Hilary Clinton, the number 4 person in the US government, was talking to him, GEJ's body spoke a lot, his body language spoke inferiority complex, cluelessness, incompetency, opportunistic, inability, weakness, mediocrity, abasement, immorality, meanness and many more I could not remember for now. What about our dear Patience who jumped protocol by jumping in front of her mediocre Goodluck when they were coming out of the plane, I do not think madame is helping the image of her husband, as both are accidentally in Aso Rock, if it were a country walking on its legs, these mediocres do not have any business in government, they would be better as fisherman and fish seller. With these, is the president presidential?

I am not much surprise, when an African man does not expect to get to a level, and he accidentally gets there, he'd be acting in a funny way as the Jonathans are doing now. Jonathan Goodluck was voted for by the masses believing he is the messiah they have been expecting. He did not only disappoint them, he told them to their face that there life is worthless. But my Nigerians fellow could not read between lines, if not, they would have known long time ago that this man does not care for them. He was called to debate his opponents, he disappointed the masses who have been expecting their messiah to come and finish his opponents, and later went to debate himself. But my people could not discern this attitude, that it is that of a mediocre. Today some families are grieving for their lost ones since the beginning of this administration and during the spate of bombing on christmas day. There was no reaction from the president, after waiting for more than 10 hours, all he could console them with is this is a burden we should learn how to live with, about two days or a day later, the supreme court gave a verdict on the election that was rigged and bought by the PDP cum Jonathan, all this mediocre president could do in public was to jubilate, and never minding that some people just lost their lives few days ago. What this means is that even if all of you die, provided I remain in the seat of power, all the rest na una sabi. This is the trasfornmation messiah we have been expecting. I don't know that presidential election has turn to the annual Inter-House Sport where kids jubilate when their Houses (Red, Blue, Yellow or Green) has won in any of the events of the competition. Is he presidential?

May be we should help this man and his family to understand their responsibilities to the nation. Mr President, if there is national tragedy like the christmas day bombing, if as a country we are serious, other countries will be sending you (us) condolence message because you are the chief mourner. But how could this happen when you the chief mourner is publicly jubilating over the verdict of your election never minding the ongoing national tragedies? How could it happen when all you could come out to say is that we should brace up for more bombing to happen, and that we should learn how to live with it? All these are making us a laughing stock in the comity of Nations. Your house is burning all you could do is to warn Guinea-Bissau dissidents that you received the reports of their attacks with grave concern, ask yourself, is this presidential? Does this means you are less concern with what is happening in your own country but very concern with what is happening in other country? My President, you are our tragedy, you are highly disappointing us as a nation. Is this kind of attitude presidential? Mr President, is it true that in the budget you presented to the National Assembly for the year 2012, Almost N1Billion is budgeted for the food, and entertainments of your guest and that of your vice president? If this is true, then any future presidential candidate must get their head examined medically so that this tragedy befalling us today will no longer befall us. Is it also true that N1 trillion is budgeted for Security in the budget? If this is true, then I think we should take it that you and your cabal are behind all these spate of bombings here and there to justify your security vote of N1 trillion. Mr President, I bet it, those that voted for you not for PDP are cursing you now, they are lamenting they made the greatest mistake of their lifetime. You campaigned that you did not have shoes when you were growing up, does this mean you want to take shoes from the legs of those that already have, and you want those that do not have to remain like that for ever so that your story is unique and never happen again-may be this is a punishment you want to mete out for making you shoeless during those time. Mr President, there is something called POSTERITY, you might not have come across that from your primary school up to the time you finished your Ph.d. But please do me a favour by checking your dictionary for the meaning, may be this would gear you up a bit.

For those that keep on following Mr President dogmatically, I have a word for you. May your entire life be ruled the way Jonathan is ruling Nigeria now, if you can say "Amen" to this, I will believe you are following Jonathan with good faith and you need deliverance, the type Bishop David Oyedepo gave a girl that claimed she is a witch for Jesus Christ. To some people Jonathan cannot be wrong, to some they are trying to destabilise his government, to some, he inherited a decadence that all he is doing will not show for now until in future, to some let us continue to pray to God. To all of you, I have advices, being president is not by force, if the burden is too much for him, he should honorably resign and give chance to those that would not complain of the heat while in the kitchen. And to the believers in God like myself, God will not come down to do it for us, we'd by ourselves with help from the Almighty. To those that never see anything wrong in Jonathan government and mediocrity, you all need to go back to school, to learn what is expected from government and governance, may be that would help you to understand and differentiate between a performing government and non performing one. For me Jonathan has tried his best, but unfortunately his best is not enough for us, we salute his courage for giving presidency a shot, his name will not be judged wrongly by posterity if he throws in the towel now, but if he continues like this for the remainder of the time, then I have no doubt that one day his entire family would be wiped out by Niger Deltans he claimed he is representing. Because as Nigeria is going on under him, the Niger Deltans and their militants will one day realised that he is just not their friend but their avowed enemy. Mr President, ask yourself if you are highly presidential or unpresidential. Why on earth would you be jubilating when you are supposed to be mourning. There is time for everything, a time to jubilate, a time to mourn, a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to be inactive, a time to be active, a time to sleep, a time to be awake, a time to continue and a time to give up. My President, this is a time to mourn, to cry, to be active, to be awake and finally a time to give up the presidency, if you can do this, you will forever remain my HERO and the hero of majority of Nigerians including those that voted for you not for PDP.

Finally, my fellow Nigerians, I do not ask us to abuse ourselves based on our region or religion, all I am asking is a question whether or not our president is presidential.

http://saharareporters.com/article/our-president-presidential

Jews, Muslims team up on Christmas

Associated Press

The Detroit area's Jewish community is continuing a tradition of working with Muslims to serve their Christian neighbors while they celebrate Christmas.

About 125 Muslims are expected to join about 800 Jewish volunteers Sunday for Mitzvah Day, the single largest day of volunteering by the Jewish community. It's the third year for the team-up between Jews and Muslims.

The volunteers will be helping 40 Detroit-area social service agencies at sites throughout the day.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit has sponsored Mitzvah Day for more than 20 years. This will be the third year that Muslims have joined the effort

Mitzvah means "commandment" in Hebrew and is generally translated as a good deed.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4166077,00.html

Only if boko haram could emulate this instead of bombing churches and murdering innocent people.

By Vincent Ikuomola

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered security chiefs to go after Boko Haram sponsors.

Dr Jonathan, according to State House sources, gave the directive at an emergency security meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President specifically instructed his security team to fish out the sponsors of Boko Haram (Western Education is a sin), the group that has claimed responsibility for the series of bombings across the North.

The President was quoted as telling the security chiefs: “Go after those involved in his heinous act. We must stop this Boko Haram madness.”

The President’s action followed his promise to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at a meeting on Wednesday night, that he will step up action against the Boko Haram menace

Yesterday’s meeting was attended by National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Andrew Azazi (rtd); Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Azubike Ihejirika; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim; Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Umar; Director General State Security Service (SSS), Ita Ekpenyong and Director-General, Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Olaniyi Oladeji.

The President also reportedly directed the NSA and the other security chiefs to embark on a thorough overhaul of their operational strategies in dealing with the Boko Haram violence, the State House source added.

He said Jonathan warned that the government will not spare any security officer who fails to act promptly on any information concerning the activities of the sect.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/31629-jonathan-to-security-chiefs-go-after-boko-haram-sponsors.html

By SaharaReporters, New York/NAN

No fewer than 15 people were injured in an explosion that occurred at a hotel located on the outskirts of Gombe township in northeastern Nigeria .

The manager of the hotel, Mr Ojiego Nelson,told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Thursday that three persons came to the hotel at about 10.13 PM on Wednesday to explode a device.

Nelson said that he was at the gate of the hotel when the men, who were carrying guns, started “manhandling” the security man and when he asked what was happening, they started shooting sporadically.


``Our customers and everybody started running helter-skelter and the one with two gas cylinders in his hands threw them into our reception area." ``He threw one into the reception and threw the other one under the cars parked by our guests in the hotel. The one thrown into the reception exploded and damaged the building, so we just managed to escape through the back fence,'' he said.

The manager said that as soon as the incident happened, all the customers vacated their rooms in the hotel and left. He said the incident was immediately reported to the Divisional Police Officer in Tumfure, Mr Hassan Bappa, who came to the scene with his men. Bappa later claimed he deployed his men to the scene of the incident when the matter was reported to him, but that it was unfortunate that the gun men had escaped before police arrived. Bappa said that there was no fatalities and nothing was stolen from the hotel. ``We are waiting for bomb experts to come and remove the relics at the scene of the incident,” he said.

He said there was no arrest made so far but investigations were continuing.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/hotel-explosion-15-persons-injured-gunmen-invade-hotel-gombe

By Dr. C. Kingston Ekeke

Sunday December 25, 2011, will be the deadliest, dastardly, and despicable terrorist assault on innocent Nigerian Christians by Boko-Haram jihadist sect. The Christmas Day bomb blasts at the Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger state and other coordinated bombings of churches in Jos, Plateau State and Damaturu, Yobe State, that killed many parishioners and injured hundreds beyond recognition is an outrage and a provocation. Boko-Haram chose the most Holy Day of Christianity to inflict the worst evil, vile, barbaric, and satanic massacre of innocent church worshippers.

It was not just an attack on Nigerian Christians but an assault on Christianity in general. This assault is the deadliest terrorist atrocity by Boko-Haram on innocent Nigerian worshippers. The Christmas Day killings is reminiscent and worse than the October Independence Day bomb explosion, Police headquarters bomb explosion, and the United Nation’s headquarters bombing in Abuja, all this year, among others. This is an insult, an outrage and a colossal provocation.

Since the return to democratic government in 1999, there have been ethnic, religious, economic, and political motivated violence and conflicts that have decimated thousands of lives in Nigeria. Since the last decade, we have witnessed rash of rampage and despicable acts of violence, looting, killings and wanton massacre of innocent Nigerians by Boko-Haram sect in many cities and states in the North. This ignorant, intolerable, irrational rampage and despicable acts of killings and massacre are getting worse each day. From 2007 till date, an estimated 2,000 or more Nigerians have been killed and more thousands displaced with their means of livelihood shattered. Since 1999, an estimated 12,000 innocent Nigerians have been massacred while the Federal Government, State, Local and Security agencies remain indulgent and incapable of stopping the murderous sect. The government and security agencies –especially the police have failed in their basic duty to provide security and protection of innocent human lives. They all should resign and give way to competent and capable hands – including international community to handle the security and terrorist challenges that are confronting the nation.

I am outraged to read and see the brains of a two-year blown out like that. I am outraged to read about Mrs. Dike who lost her entire family – husband and five children to an irrational and senseless bomb blasts. I am outraged about Sir Emmanuel Obiukwu, who lost his four daughters in the Christmas Day bomb blasts at the Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger state, after running from the Kano religious violence years ago. The nation ought to be outraged. The citizens of Nigeria ought to be outraged. Enough is enough. This is a bloody country, a bloody leadership, a bloody Boko-Haram and a bloody Christmas. The Nigerian nation has become a den of death, of sorrow, sadness, pain, suffering and hopelessness – a lawless and a degenerate society.

When will this despicable and wanton killings of innocent Nigerians stop? When will the Federal Government do something about these lecherous killings of innocent Nigerian citizens in the North? When will the Federal government bring to justice the perpetrators and the sponsors of these heinous killings and cowardice acts against innocent Nigerians? When will this foolishness stop in our nation? When will all Nigerians stand together, unite, and condemn this immoral massacre of innocent citizens? When will Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) engage in serious Ecumenical and interfaith dialogue with Islam and Muslim leaders not just a council meeting with Catholics, Protestants and Pentecostal but ecumenical –interfaith dialogue with Islam and the Imams? The leadership at CAN – especially the Pentecostal pastors and bishops have failed woefully in their calling and divine mandate to build the kingdom of God. For decades, they had focused on prosperity and materialistic message rather than preaching the adulterated gospel of Jesus Christ – the gospel of the kingdom. For years, they had been after their own selfish and worldly interests while their sheep and flocks of God are dying and perishing everyday. Excuse, the essay on CAN and State of Christianity in Nigeria will be for another time. By the way, Christian Association of Nigeria should be renamed to Christian Council of Nigerian (CCN).

Enough is enough. How long more will Nigerians watch and endure this evil from ignorant and uneducated Boko-Haram followers rampage businesses, destroy places of worship and take human lives in the name of Allah. Which God are they fighting for? How long will the international community look away at a religious terrorism that is capable of hampering trade, investment and business opportunities? Where are the so-called Nigerian leaders and those who claim to govern? When will this foolishness and these kinds of dastardly acts stop in our nation?

I am not tribalistic and I still believe Nigerians can co-exist but I do not know how long anymore the various groups that make –up the Nigerian nation will continue to tolerate this foolishness and nonsense from these radicals and murderous sect in this 21st century world. I think it is time that the various groups that make-up the Nigerian nation seriously come together for a dialogue about their co-existence and future. I have no doubt in my mind that if oil and petroleum resources were located in other regions other than the South-south and Southeast; Nigeria as we know it would have been a forgone word. If the major tribes of Nigeria hate each other so much like this, why continue to live together. By the way, petroleum resources should not be the reason to keep people that do not love each other to stay together. Further in this century and even beyond, oil and petroleum resources may be not critical resources anymore as technology and innovators work to find solution to reduce heavy dependence on oil. Today China and China – the most populous nations on earth with 1.2 to 1.5 billion people do not have any oil, yet they are among the richest economies today because of their entrepreneurial and technology skills to create wealth rather than depend on oil revenue.

Shame on the perpetrators of the Christmas bomb blasts that killed many and injured hundreds of parishioners at the church premises. Frankly speaking, I do no longer blame Boko Haram and their sponsors, because Boko-Haram want to opt out of the chaotic nation called Nigeria. I blame Britain, former USSR, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries that supported Hausa/Fulani to kill Biafrans. I also blame the rest of Nigeria – Igbos, Yorubas and tribes that continue to sing unity and co-existence. I hope they are seeing the consequences of their forced union. Shame on them all!

When I write or talk about the fact that Christians and Muslims cannot co-exist, because of their population in Nigeria, people disagree and call me a Zionist and all sorts of names. There is no nation on the face of this earth that has 50% Christians and 50% Muslims that lives in peace. It is not so in any nation in this world. Southern Sudan was only about 13% Christian and yet they fought their way for a separate country. The Christian population in North – whom are mostly Southerners, will continue to perish until people finally realize that Christianity and Islam cannot co-exist. This is not an issue of tolerance or love, which is the pinnacle of both faiths as often said. This is an issue that deeply rooted in the biblical history.

Christianity and Islam do have major fundamental differences and tenet of beliefs. The Muslim concept of sin and salvation is radically different from Christianity. The two biggest faiths in the world cannot be both right. It is either one is right or the other is wrong or vice-versa. Both cannot be right and wrong at the same time. Muslims want to make Islam a worldwide religion with the highest number of adherents. And Saudi Arabia and other rich Arab nations are giving millions of dollars to promote Islam worldwide. Islam today has spread to about 60 countries with well over one billion adherents. They assert that Christianity is Western religion and claim that Islam is the true religion and the only religion with a message of peace and preserver of human civilization. They feel that Christians have been deceived and that they have an obligation to lead them into the truth of Islam. Mostly importantly Moslems claim that Allah is the only one true God. They want to achieve their claims through violence, terrorism, jihad and war without giving any room for reasoning and dialogue.

What is it that makes Muslim Jihadists tick, boast in the name of Allah and rejoice when they kill Christians? Dr. Anis A. Shorrosh, a Palestine Arab Christian, an expert of Islamic and Christian theology, in his book: “Islam Revealed,” brilliantly explained the driving force behind the fanatical as well as the moderate and conservative sects of Islam. He argued that one cannot understand the tensions, attacks, and killings and continuing explosion of Islamic fundamentalist until; one understands the contradictions and intricacies that form the basis for Muslims' beliefs. The book was a product of series of debates he had in 1980's with Ahmed Deedat, considered the foremost Islamic scholar and great orator in the world. These debates took place mostly in the prestigious Royal Albert hall in England and thousand of Muslims and Christians flocked to attend these debates. In that book, Dr. Shorrosh brilliantly compared the God of Heaven and Allah, Christianity with Islam, The Holy Bible with Koran (Quran), the fundamental teachings of Christianity and Islam and most importantly the turbulent life of Islam's sixth-century prophet Muhammad with the holy, virtuous life of the first century Jewish Messiah - Jesus Christ. In a nutshell, he traced the root cause of these despicable, irrational and senseless killings to religious hypocrisy, intolerance, ignorance and bigotry.

However, the major root cause of Islamic fundamentalism is not found in their claims but in the pages of Holy Scriptures - The Bible. In Genesis 16:11, 12; "The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

The biblical account of Genesis 16 - 21 details the impatience of Abraham and Sarah and the sad mistake they made which explains the reason why we have such a religious paradox and conflict today between two brothers - Christianity and Islam. If you recall, in Genesis 12:1-3, The LORD called Abraham to leave his pagan country, his people and his household to go to an un-known land - a land flowing with milk and honey. God promised to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. He promised to bless him and make him into a great nation and through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed. At that time, Abraham was 75 years and his wife Sarah was 64. In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant with Abraham and reconfirms His promises to him. At that time, Abraham believed and God credited it t him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).

In Genesis 16, Sarah became very impatient; she gave her Egyptian maidservant Hagar to Abraham. Abraham went into her and she became pregnant and bore Abraham a son and they named him Ishmael which means God hears. However, Ishmael was not the child that God had promised Abraham. Abraham was 86 years at this time. And so Sarah began to despise Hagar her Egyptian maidservant because she has bore Abraham, her husband a son. Eventually, Abraham listened to his wife Sarah and sent Hager away. The Angel of the LORD appeared to Hagar at a well near Kadesh and Bered and then spoke these words to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers" (Genesis 16:11, 12).

In Genesis 17, God makes another covenant of circumcision with Abraham and this time reminds him that He will make a father of many nations. At this time Abraham was 99 years old and Sara was 90. In Genesis 18, Sarah laughed at the discussion between Abraham and three visitors who came to visits Abraham to give the news of the birth of his son. To make this story short, In Genesis 21, Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son and they him named Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah his wife 90 years. Isaac was the son of the promise. Through Isaac, God would continue His covenant promises to Abraham. Isaac became the father of Jacob who becomes the father of the twelve tribes of Israel and great grandfather of Jesus, the founder of Christianity. God knew what was best for the Egyptian maidservant Hagar and her son Ishmael. God did not forsake them but rather He blessed them. Ishmael and his children became the originator of Islamic faith. As you can see Christianity and Islam were brothers – sons of Abraham but their mothers were different. God's covenant promises and purposes were made with Abraham through Isaac his son and not Ishmael. This is without doubt the root cause of religious squabble and conflict between the adherents of Islam and Christianity.

This religious fanaticism and terrorism is a huge leadership challenge and a major threat to the security, unity and national progress of Nigeria. Religious ignorance and intolerance breed violence and religious violence and war have decimated more lives in Nigeria and around the world in the last fifty years than hunger, disease, and accidents combined together. Northern Nigeria especially has been a battleground between Islam and Christianity. Since 1960, Nigeria has had countless incidents of religious extremism and Islamic fundamentalism in its attempt to Islamize the nation. Islamic fundamentalism, fanaticism, terrorism and jihads are a big threat and enormous challenge for our nations’ leaders.

I call upon Nigerian government, political leaders, religious and civil leaders, Imams, clerics, Islamic scholars, moderate, modern and conservatives Muslims and business leaders, to work together in resolving the imminent threat to Nigeria’s unity. Nigerian religious leaders must work together to ensure that Christians, Moslems and, Atheists become partners in this 21st century Nigeria rather than enemies in solving the social, economic and political obstacles facing our nation. They must work together to hold the politicians and government leaders accountable to the promises and principles of fairness, justice and equity. Christians, Muslims, Animists, Atheists, and others must be involved in shaping public policies, laws and decisions that will promote unity and progress for all. The religious leaders must work together to educate their followers about tolerance and peaceful cohabitation.

Despite the Christmas Day massacre at the Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger state and other places of worship, Christmas season, which is the day chosen by Christians to celebrate the Lord’s birthday, still remains the greatest event in all of human history. This season of the year is the most wonderful time of the year as written by Eddie Pola and George Wyle in 1963. Why, because it is the most holy, gracious and loving season of the year because of Jesus Christ – the Lord of Lords and Kings of Kings, the Prince of Peace, our Savior was born on during this season. May God give mankind the wisdom to live in peace and harmonious existence until He fixes this evil and wicked world through the return of Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace, Son of the living God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords – and the coming King, Savior, and Messiah of the whole world.

Oscar Wilde, a novelist and poet, once wrote, “Life is terribly deficient in form. Its catastrophes happen in the wrong way and to the wrong people.” May God grant the families that lost their sons, daughters and even few cases entire family in the worst vile and evil atrocity on a Christmas Day, God’s peace over these sudden and unexpected deaths and destruction of places of worship! Our hearts, sympathy and condolences are with you and your loved ones over these incalculable losses. May God will dry your tears and fill you with joy knowing that your sons, daughters, husbands, mothers, etc have entered into everlasting glory, where there is no more pain, sorrow, injustice, evil, and wickedness.

Happy New Year!

Dr. C. Kingston Ekeke is a theologian, author, consultant and leadership scholar. He is the president of Leadership Wisdom Institute.

http://saharareporters.com/article/bloody-christmas-bloody-boko-haram-and-bloody-country

Posted: December 28, 2011 - 17:16

By Olusegun Fakoya
To say the least, the submissive and tepid reaction of the Nigerian President to the latest round of violence unleashed on the citizenry by Boko Haram was irksome and left a sour taste in the mouth.

This belated reaction of Goodluck Jonathan, coming several hours after many world leaders had condemned the attack, was most un-reassuring and spoke volumes about the hopelessness of the current state of insecurity in Nigeria. Confusion and disarray had been the official response to the growing calamity. Whether any nation has ever survived two civil wars is something that only time would tell.

The latest in the series of Boko Haram atrocities was wrought on the Nigerian people on Christmas Day. I write with a heavy heart. I write this as a memoriam to those who have lost their lives to the dastardly acts of this group. I write this in sympathy with the numerous families who have lost dear ones and bread winners as a result of the deficiencies of the Nigerian state. A state despoiled by its rulers and one that nurtured the birth and growth of terrorism. Nigeria is a nation in bondage. I write to express my horror and anger with the continued state of anarchy reigning in our land.

The signs are ominous and the message frightening. Nigeria is at war. The much dreaded Nigerian second civil war has commenced. A nation at war is a nation in turmoil; it is one reeling from one catastrophe to another. A nation at war is a nation that knows no peace, one in confusion. Such is the sad tale of present day Nigeria.

The second Nigerian civil war commenced on the day Boko Haram was formed. Nigeria has been in denial of the reality of this second civil war. However, the Nigerian people would benefit better from accepting the fact of our second odyssey with war.

In 2002, Maiduguri became the arrowhead of what the combustive process threatening to tear Nigeria apart. Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf started Boko Haram, an organization formed principally to maim, destroy or conquer the Nigerian nation. Mohammed Yusuf was an avowed enemy of democracy and Western education who promised that his war would continue for long “if the political and educational system in Nigeria was not changed”. His group sought to implement Islamic type of education and political order in Nigeria, akin to what was obtained in Afghanistan during the Taliban era. The seed laid by Yusuf in Maiduguri about nine years ago has become a festering sore that has devoured many innocent souls and one that is promising to bring an end to the entity called Nigeria. Whilst the growing legion of unemployed youths has made the possibility of Arab spring type of social disorder a possibility in our dear country, Boko Haram has exposed the hypocrisy in the underbelly of our sociopolitical order.

The Biafra war was fought along a mostly conventional line with standing armed forces. However, the Boko Haram war has been completely non-conventional and barbaric, borrowing in the psychotic principles of war made popular by the brainwashed fanatics of the monolithic era of the Taliban in Afghanistan. By its very modus operandi, Boko Haram has thrown Nigeria into the league of nations reeling under the turbulence wreaked by frenzied religious psychotics. In this infamous roll call are countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and now Nigeria.

Though Boko Haram strategy has been unconventional, yet the stigmata of war abounds. Families are mourning and licking wounds, infrastructures are paralyzed, children made orphans and wives made widows. Generally, citizens are living under an atmosphere of fear and apprehension. The land is filled with destructions, agonies and sorrows. How did we get to this stage? What really went wrong?

Nigeria was a tumescent conflagration that was just waiting to get to a boiling point. It is tempting to say that Boko Haram stemmed from entrenched sociopolitical inequalities and iniquities borne out of insincerity in the acts of governance. Nigeria has been besotted with incorrigible and ignominious leaders’ right from independence. The focus of leadership has been despoliation and pillaging of the land. Our leaders neglected the basic ethics of governance and showed monumental disdain for the needs of the governed. The end result was the poverty and ignorance that pervaded the land. In this festering mess, Usaz Yusuf found a comfortable bed. He exploited the existing mess to provide a false solace to a people disenchanted with the status quo. He clothed his sick ideology in the guise of a much-abused and exploited religion (Islam) to foment anguish on Nigeria. Yusuf needed Islam to convince ignorant and hungry Northerners. We are all living witnesses to the consequences of the staggering failure of the Nigerian state today.

Boko Haram as a by-product of bad governance is perhaps true, but the decisive factor in the emergence of our present day socio-political instability stemmed from the election of Goodluck Jonathan as President. Many of us foresaw this a long time ago. We warned Nigerians. In particular, I wrote an article that was widely published online and even by some Nigerian newspapers in December 2010. The article was titled: “Anarchy as a Weapon of Power”.

In the said article, I attempted to raise public consciousness about the impending state of anarchy that was about to descend on our land as voiced by the Northern Oligarchy. I quote:

“I have never been a Jonathan supporter, nevertheless, I remain convinced that another dimension was introduced into the concept of political misadventure and unabashed hooliganism in Nigeria with the recent pronouncements of the duo of Atiku Abubakar and Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the two leprous arms of the same diseased body. The diseased body being Northern Nigeria. That these unapologetic Northerners could use brazen blackmail and intimidation in their desperation to cling to power is most shameful and a situation that should not be condoned. The pervading Northern madness was further confirmed by the haste with which CANSU (Coalition of Atiku Northern Supporters) endorsed and magnified the insane threats of the duo. CANSU under the leadership of a sick Islamic scholar, by name Dr Yakubu Ahmed, glorified the barbarity of Boko Haram and threatened a magnificent showpiece of this brutality on the rest of Nigerians in the event that the Northern birthright is denied. The ordinarily treasonable statement by this non-descriptive and criminal organization called CANSU has only confirmed the suspicion of madness with which the other parts of the country view certain segments of the North. It is also significant to state that Atiku Abubakar and Ibrahim Babangida have so far refused to condemn the pronouncement of CANSU.”

The cycle predicted has now come to full maturation. The threats of the Northern Oligarchy are now being implemented with unimaginable ferocity. They felt cheated in the power game and would do anything to make Nigeria ungovernable for Goodluck Jonathan. Chillingly, it appears as if they have succeeded so far and may continue to do so for a long time, if Nigeria still remains as one.

To an average Southern Nigerian, Boko Haram connotes terror and anguish only possible in the far Northern states. However, this myth is being gradually destroyed as the reality of a boundary-less conflagration is beginning to dawn. The Boko Haram activists have successfully terrorized most Northern states and have gained a strong foothold in the Federal Capital Territory. It is forlorn to attribute an artificial boundary to their dastardly activities. It is perhaps more realistic for all Nigerians to accept the burden of this national shame and the severity of its dimensions.

Between July and December 2011, Boko Haram has killed over 250 Nigerians. And at the last count, over 40 people have died from multiple explosions which rocked different parts of Nigeria on Christmas Day. On this day, five deadly attacks were recorded and two were on Christmas church services. The first explosion tore a church in Madalla, near Abuja, into pieces killing about 27 worshippers. The St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla still bear holes in its roof and blood stains on its walls. Two men on motorcycles also threw bombs into a church compound in the city of Jos. This second attack elicited gunfire from policemen who were passing by but the chaps still threw their bombs and escaped in a hurry. Police sources confirmed that a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden car in Northeast Nigeria with two other bomb attacks in other parts of Northern Nigeria. The last three attacks led to un-quantified loss of lives and damages to structures. Boko Haram seemed capable of attacking and has actually attacked whatever caught its attention.

Sadly, there has been almost no response on the part of the Nigerian government. We have been fed with rhetoric, denials and falsehood. We have been inundated on several occasions with assurances about our safety. All these fly through the window each time Bako Haram unleashes its arsenal of terror. The latest in the embarrassing attitude of government was the denial credited to General Owoye Azazi who claimed “successes” on the part of the Nigerian government despite the ongoing carnage in the land. This gaffe was topped by the tepid and timid response of President Jonathan.

In my article, I concluded thus:

“Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has succeeded in making himself the focus of Northern hatred by his discreetly manipulative political style and his opportunistic fascination with power. In his unbridled desire to ensure the perpetuation of his presidency beyond May 2011, Jonathan may be the catalyst that would test the much dreaded Northern political and military stranglehold of Nigeria. He may yet turn out to be the nemesis that the North should have left in peace. He could as well turn out to be the panacea for ridding our body polity of the nuisance of PDP. Only time would tell.”

For once in the annals of this country, the government should admit that it is faced with something beyond its control. Boko Haram is a different ball game from harassing and victimizing political opponents. Indeed, it may still turn out to be the nemesis that may yet liberate the Nigerian nation.

Despite his legendary incompetence, Goodluck Jonathan is standing on the threshold of history. It is for him to embrace the opportunity he has to re-work himself into the good books of history. He also has a magnified opportunity to blow everything away.

Perhaps now is the time for the Nigerian nation to take its destiny in its hands. Now is the time to utilise the opportunity created by the madness in the land to find a lasting solution to the Nigerian problem. While Boko Harm has been mindless in its operations, we as the recipients should become focussed and resourceful. Something good can still come out of this whole scenario such that those who lost their lives would not have died in vain. Every day, it becomes evident that the real “haram” is in the atrocities performed by this despicable group.

Nigeria is in a quandary. Attempting a sophisticated solution using advanced technology is simply beyond us as we have never, as a nation, emphasised the importance of technological advancement in our approach to government and community development. Advanced military solution, apart from the fact that it has not proven to work in other climes, is equally beyond us. Even the basic art of effective intelligence gathering is impossible for us. What then are we left with?

The obvious solution seems to be nothing but political. One that has been pursued so far is rallying the top echelon of the religious and political structures in northern Nigeria towards pacifying Boko Haram. While this does not appear to have yielded a meaningful result, yet it represents a state of humiliation for the Nigerian state. It is nothing but capitulation and can only further worsened the socio-political problems of the country. It is not a path to be encouraged.

The second option is that President Jonathan, having demonstrated his inability to curtail the menace of these demons, should urgently hand over to the military. However, this option is filled with so many holes. Which military is he to hand over to? The Northern Military?

The most obvious solution is the reality of the futility of the Nigerian state as presently constituted. Now is the time for Goodluck Joanthan to re-write history, if he chooses to.

Boko Haram is a pointer to the inherent structural imbalances in the Nigerian state. Its solution is political and one that can be achieved only through a sincere approach. The solution appears to be a simple return to basics and granting what Nigerians have been clamouring for. The conveyance of a Sovereign National Conference seems to be the only way out of this imbroglio.

A Sovereign Conference provides the opportunity to jaw-jaw as opposed to the continued state of war-war. It ultimately provides the opportunity for each region of Nigeria to develop the way it wants. This way, Boko Haram can fully implement its Islamic ambitions in the northern hemisphere without the unnecessary task of trying to impose same on the south. Furthermore, such a conference would provide an opportunity to decide on the benefits or futility of Nigeria continuing as a nation. This is an issue we can no longer push under the carpet.

A Sovereign National Conference is not an opportunity to sing a dirge to the nation called Nigeria. However, if this becomes its fall-out, so let it be. In any case, we are already on the steps towards this in a very chaotic manner in the first instance. The conference would only provide an opportunity to salvage, if possible, or resuscitate the moribund Nigerian state. It is the mother of all solutions to the current imbroglio we face in Nigeria. This mess should not be allowed to continue.

Enough is enough.

http://saharareporters.com/article/nation-war-itself-%E2%80%93-dawn-second-nigerian-civil-war

mufc009:
Fellow Nigerians: On behalf of my husband, His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, I want to thank you all for answering my call to please pless ya hands on the umblera everywhere and every time. My fellow widows and fellow shidrens, this has been a long journey.


From the market stalls of Abakaliki to the farmsteads of Zungeru, you listened to my voice and voted massively for my husband irrespective of your nationality. We are truly grateful. God is on the throne and it is well.

Now that we have finish election, I congratulate Professor Attahiru Jega and all the members of INEC for their success. The enemies tried but Nigeria has finally done it. Even all the international people who came to watch the election to make sure we do it properly, I am sure that when they report back to all the people that send them here to come and watch the election, they will say that Nigeria has carry third position in the business of democracy in Africa after South Africa and Ghana. This is a big ashivment my fellow Nigerians because it is not easy to carry third in democracy in the whole of Africa. Irrespective of my nationality, I am proud of Nigeria and Nigerians. If we continue like this, we will carry forst in 2015 by the special grace of God.

As I have told you before, my husband and Sambo is a good people and they will always deliver the dividends of this new democracy that you have awarded them. To all the faithful PDP members who voted umblera irrespective of your political affiliation, I say continue to have faith in our great party. To members of other political parties who did not vote for us irrespective of your political affiliation, we shall try to earn your trust and my husband will try to be the President of all of you. To the millions of youths who answered our call to come under the umblera, God will reward you by making you leaders of tomorrow. And if you have not already done so, please go to Facebook and like your President so as to move Nigeria forward with him. I am pleased to inform you that we are going to do raffle draw on Facebook for young friends of the president. The youth that carry forst will get to stand behind Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Bode George, and Baba Obasanjo on the presidential podium during inauguration ceremony on May 29, 2011.

To all my fellow Senators and Reps who also won election, remember that you were all once a shidren like the President so don’t go to the National Assembly and be making life difficult for him again. We need your cooperation to move Nigeria forward. Sometimes, the National Assembly will always be sitting on the budget for a long time and the president will not be able to do dehvehlopement projects. They will then carry rumour and talk opata that he spent excess crude money if he tries to look for another money to spend for dehvehlopement projects. I appeal to you to cooperate with him in the coming dispensation.

I also appeal to my fellow brothers and sisters who have just been elected Governors or declared Governors by tribunal especially in the rascality states of the southwest. Even if you are not umblera Governor, it will be good for you to cooperate with Ebele in the Governor’s foroom so as to move Nigeria forward. Do not do like Bukola Saraki who turn himself to president one time like this just because he was chairman of Governor’s foroom. As for our eminent stakeholders like Dimeji Bankole, Bode George, Iyiola Omisore, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Gbenga Daniel, Bayo Alao Akala, Iyabo Obasanjo and so on and so forth who lost out to the rascals in that part of Nigeria, let me assure you, my brothers and sisters, that Ebele will try to find something for them, maybe Ambassador or Minister or board chairman, so that they can carry their experience back inside government and uphold our beloved Baba Obasanjo’s legacy as the founder of modern Nigeria.

I want to seize this opportunity to appeal to all the people that are fighting and killing in the north to accept the results of this election and let us build Nigeria together. They should remember that the life of every Nigerian is precious and we should not be killing ourselves to become widows. The killers should remember that it was a woman who born them. They were once a shidren and now adult now they are killing women and children and making some children a widow all over the north. I appeal to them to stop the violent.

Finally my fellow Nigerians, I wish to remember you all that we need to start working for 2015 as from today now that you have given my husband his first term so that he can carry second term in 2015. We all know that only one term will not be enough for all the big big dehvehlopement projects that he wants to do for great country.

Pless ya hands for progress!
Pless ya hands for unity!
Pless ya hands for the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Yours Sincerely,
Her Excellency Dr. Dame Patience Jonathan, JP, NTA, CSSP, NGO
First Lady, The Federal Republic of Nigeria

Did you make this thing up?I will love to see the link.It is absolutely shocking.

Patience Jonathan is beginning to make Imelda Marcos look like a saint

@ BEAF,I support what you said.I believe the purge should not be temporary but permanent.Let's not forget that Hausa/Fulani soldiers are active participants in killings going on in Jos and Kaduna.Purge them from the army like beaf suggested.

Jeez!This is ridiculous.Some people are so dumb

maclatunji:
Well, excuse me for thinking that Muslims are the ones that actively practice Polygamy and have more children per capita. You little children having grand thoughts of a large Christian Army are poor strategists because you are going to end-up with the blood of innocent people on your hands. Late Ojukwu found that out the hard way.

The interest of all citizens in this country in terms of security is best served by putting pressure on the man that holds the position of President and Commander-in-Chief to use his powers wisely and effectively to curb this menace of Boko Haram and other negative elements.

The fact that the late Yar'adua did more to destroy Boko Haram than GEJ is doing particularly in the light of their attacks in the last one year speaks volumes of the quality of leadership we have in this country.

To make matters worse, most of the followership is no better- too bad.

You are absolutely making no sense

Who told this foolish sultan that Muslims are in the majority?A recent poll by pew center for research shows that Christians are in the majority.

http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-africa.aspx

Totally incompetent and a coward

nakedall:
OP, how you wan marry with HIV? you wicked pass Boko Haram.

Are u people dumb?He said the girl knows about his HIV status.

Jeez! This man is completely incompetent.Why d hell did i vote for this guy? Is this all he has to say? May God help all of us.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday in Abuja described the bombings in the county as a burden Nigerians must live with until it fizzles out.

Jonathan made the remark when he received in audience a delegation of the Christian Community in FCT led by FCT Minister Bala Mohammed.

Jonathan said there was no justification for the crime and called on Nigerians to continue to pray for peace in the country.

The president was reacting to the bomb blast that occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Madalla, in Niger, shortly after the end of a church service.

“We have challenges as a nation; even this morning, a very ugly incident happened in a Catholic Church. We are yet to get the number of deaths in the incident.

“The issue of bombing is one of the burdens we must live with. It will not last forever; I believe that it will surely be over,’’ he said.

Condoling with the families of those who lost their lives in the incident, Jonathan said that there was no reason for such an act to be carried out on a Christmas day.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/bomb-blast-a-burden-we-must-live-with-%E2%80%93-jonathan/

Negro_Ntns:
@op,

good info, but what do you need. . . . what's the point of your post?   what do you expect of us in response?

Don't take it personal.Just trying to set the record straight.

A recent study published by Pew Research reveals that Africa is home to about 500 million Christians or about 24% of the world’s Christian population. Nigeria is number one within Africa with an estimated 80 million Christians and in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, a whooping 95% of the population is Christian.

According to Pew “The majority of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa are Protestant (57%), as broadly defined in this report; this includes members of African Independent Churches and Anglicans. About one-in-three Christians in the region (34%) are Catholic. Orthodox Christians account for about 8% of the region’s Christians, and other Christians make up the remaining 1%.”

Interestingly, Christianity has declined in the traditional homes of Christianity- Europe and America. The proportion of Europeans and Americans who are Christian has “dropped from 95% in 1910 to 76% in 2010 in Europe as a whole, and from 96% to 86% in the Americas as a whole.”

http://www.cp-africa.com/2011/12/20/24-of-the-worlds-christians-are-africans-with-nigerians-topping-the-list-in-africa/

http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-africa.aspx