₦airaland Forum

Nigerian soldiers afraid of recaptured Boko Haram towns —Chad
MARCH 22, 2015 : LEKE BAIYEWU WITH AGENCY REPORT


Chadian and Nigerien troops fighting Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East are reportedly begging their Nigerian counterparts to take over towns recaptured from the sect.

Nigerian authorities had announced that troops had recaptured all towns occupied by members of the terrorist group in Adamawa and Yobe states, remaining Borno, the last of the three north-eastern states mostly affected by the insurgency.

A report by The New York Times on Friday, entitled ‘Foreign troops beg Nigerian soldiers to occupy recaptured towns,’ said foreign troops had led journalists on a tour of the liberated towns without Nigerian troops on the ground.

Chadian authorities were reported to be angered by “the near-total absence of cooperation from the Nigerians in a crucial regional battle.”

The report said Chadian soldiers were wondering why they, and not the Nigerians, were holding towns like Damasak, several days after the last Boko Haram fighter has fled or been killed.

The Chadian Foreign Minister, Moussa Faki Mahamat, was quoted as saying, “The Nigerian Army has not succeeded in facing Boko Haram. The occupation of these towns, this is up to Nigeria. My fondest wish is that they assume their responsibilities.

“Our biggest wish is that the Nigerian Army pulls itself together — that it takes responsibility in the towns. We are ready to disengage, right away.”

Second Lieutenant Hassan of the Chadian Army was quoted to have berated the Nigerian troops as failing in their responsibilities.

He said, “We asked them (Nigerian Army) to come, to receive this town from us, but they have not come. It is because they are afraid.

“We fought on the night of the 14th, and the last attack was on the 15th. We called them on the 16th and told them to come; they didn’t believe we were here.

“It is up to them (Nigeria) to hold the town, not us,” said Lieutenant Hassan, referring to the Nigerians. “Our role is offensive. Our mission is to chase the terrorists.”

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, however, told our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday that it was not true that Nigerian troops were not willing to take over such territories.

He said there was no town liberated by the Nigerian troops in the ongoing offensive against the insurgents that was not effectively cleared of terrorists’ presence and was not being well patrolled.

He added that the collaborating nations had warned against “irresponsible” comments involving the operation, stressing that the military would not join issues with anyone.

Olukolade said, “It is not true that our soldiers are not willing to take over such communities. There is no town that our soldiers have liberated that is not being well secured and well patrolled at the moment.

“We have always warned against irresponsible comments in this collaboration and we are not ready to join issues with anybody.

“We will do everything to sustain this collaboration.

http://www.punchng.com/news/nigerian-soldiers-afraid-of-recaptured-boko-haram-towns-chad/

OBJ sponsored GEJ in 2011 but Nigerians never campaigned against GEJ on the basis of OBJ's sins.

Yomieluv:
Why the attack on the person of Tinubu?

Is he contesting for a public post?

When there was nothing to say on Buhari,attention is shifted to Tinubu.

It shows AIT is as confused,and clueless as its paymaster..

In other words,Sai Buhari

How Jonathan, IBB, Are Plotting Interim Govt Instead Of Presidential Polls

David Mark, Gusau, Abdusalami, are the top contenders to head the Interim Government. Former Lagos Governor Tinubu rejects offer of Interim Government Vice-Presidency

BY EMPOWERED NEWSWIRE, NEW YORKMAR 03, 2015

More details are emerging on the plot to install an undemocratic Interim National Government (ING) and pre-empt Nigeria’s presidential election scheduled for later this month.

Informed sources disclosed over the weekend that a key element in the plot is the need to forestall a Buhari presidency, for which reason the schemers of the plot have tried to woo the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, now a chieftain of the opposing All Progressives Congress (APC) with the offer of being the Vice President in the interim structure.

Even though there are now major obstacles to the plan, it is yet unclear if the schemers have completely set the idea aside.

If Tinubu accepts, then he will be expected to rally the South-West, while IBB would rally the North, and Jonathan the South-East and South-South to accept the idea of an interim administration. They will use the excuse that the present times are not good to hold elections in the country, especially because of what David Mark had already called a state of war with Boko Haram.

But it was Tinubu’s rejection of any form of compromise that now appears to be the greatest obstacle to the ING plot. Sources say this explains the recent outburst of Femi Fani-Kayode, the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign spokesperson alleging that the former Lagos State Governor intends to take over presidential power after the generally-awaited victory of the Buhari-Osinbajo campaign at the polls.

Fani-Kayode wildly alleged that Tinubu has entered into an oath to compel Osinbajo to relinquish the office of VP to him after the election, an allegation and scenario that watchers of the Nigerian polity simply dismiss as both untenable and unrealistic.

Investigations spanning over one week by Empowered Newswire on the interim government plot revealed that the two major schemers in the plot are the President himself, Dr. Jonathan, and former Military president Ibrahim Babangida.

IBB, as he is popularly known, has told close aides that he would have to leave Nigeria the day Buhari is declared winner of the presidential election, a prospect he is working hard to avoid by all means. Jonathan is also said to be under intense pressure to negotiate a soft landing for from power since handing over to Buhari would likely expose the intense corruption that he and the Petroleum Minister Diezani Maduekwe, among others, have perpetrated.

In fact the oil minister is said to be one of the hardest protagonists of a soft landing for the Jonathan presidency, mortally afraid of what a Buhari-Osinbajo ascendancy could mean for her.

Knowledgeable Empowered Newswire sources confirm that IBB held two meetings with Tinubu to discuss the issue of the Interim National Government. The first was held in Lagos before the Council of State meeting the week before the February 14 elections were postponed. The second took place in Abuja home of IBB’s son on the night of the said Council of State meeting.

The sources said that for the first meeting, IBB told Tinubu he had a wedding in Lagos and would like to use that opportunity to greet the former Lagos State Governor. Arriving with his son, he told Tinubu about the need to proceed with an interim government and forget about the election. Tinubu, who was shocked at the proposition, reportedly told IBB to forget the idea.

But on the night after the Council of State meeting in Abuja which considered the subject of the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the election, IBB again invited Tinubu to his son’s house in Abuja. At that meeting, former Head of State General Abdusalami was also present, and to the utter shock and annoyance of the former Lagos State Governor, President Jonathan showed up in a two-car convoy in the thick of the night.

It was at that meeting that IBB and Jonathan promised Tinubu the slot of the Vice President in the Interim government. The sources say Tinubu promptly repeated his rejection of the idea, insisting that the elections are the best and only viable option to choose Nigeria’s next president and vice president.

The interim government plan includes the cancellation of the elections and the imposition of a well-known Northerner as the head of the administration, with Tinubu as VP. The interim government will be put in place for two years, following which new elections would be conducted, with the definite exclusion of Buhari.

Another source revealed to Empowered Newswire that some of the names that have been mentioned as possible heads of the interim government include David Mark, the president of the Senate; General Aliyu Gusau, the current Defence Minister who has always wished to be president “even if for a day”; and Abdusalami Abubakar, also a former head of state.

All three are known allies of IBB. But the name of former president Olusegun Obasanjo was also thrown into the picture when a formal statement from the presidency signed by Dr. Ruben Abati said Obasanjo himself wanted to be head of the Interim govt.

Observers say that formal statement by the president’s spokesperson is the best confirmation that indeed interim governmentG plot is real. Said one source, “If the presidency is saying they know that Obasanjo wanted to be the head of the Interim government, that means the presidency is not only aware of such plans, but is also involved in such a plot.”

There had been previous attempts including monetary and other juicy offers to get Tinubu to prevent the emergence of Buhari in the primaries, and after that, to have Tinubu dump Buhari and enter into a deal with Jonathan to frustrate the potential emergence of Buhari as winner of the presidential polls.

Sources believe that the recent wild allegation from the Jonathan camp that Tinubu was planning to force Osinbajo to relinquish the office of VP after being sworn-in is merely an outcome of the frustration generated first by Tinubu’s insistence that the elections must go on; his rejection of the offer from Jonathan to be VP of an Interim government for two years; and finally his insistence never to dump Buhari.

It is believed that Prof Osinbajo, Buhari’s running mate, has actually never been asked to sign any undertaking or oath of any kind and that he accepted the party and Buhari’s offer to be VP unconditionally. Both he and the APC also over the weekend formally denied any such arrangements.

In the absence of a key figure in the South-West to support and sell the idea of an Interim government, sources said options left on the table is to ensure the elections are “decently rigged” in favor of Jonathan or a crisis precipitated that will lead to Jonathan handing over power to David Mark as the Senate President, as was the case in the First Republic when power devolved to Senator Nwafor Orizu in the absence of the then President Nnamdi Azikiwe. In that scenario, in 1966, the elected civilian leaders had to voluntarily hand over power to the military.

Speculations, backed by a comment by the Supervising Minister of Information Edem Duke, are rife that the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, may be asked to proceed on terminal leave sometime this month in line with civil service rules. This option, sources say, would boost the plan to “decently rig the election” in the incumbent president’s favor.

But several legal opinions have been articulated that not only will such a move by the federal government to remove Jega be unconstitutional, it would also rubbish the credibility of the entire electoral process and will result in a definite tailspin into national and international crisis.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/03/how-jonathan-ibb-are-plotting-interim-govt-instead-presidential-polls

QED: Pica (/ˈpaɪkə/ py-kə) is characterized by an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive, such as paper, clay, metal, chalk, soil, glass, or sand.[1] According to DSM-IV criteria, for these actions to be considered pica, they must persist for more than one month at an age where eating such objects is considered developmentally inappropriate, not part of culturally sanctioned practice and sufficiently severe to warrant clinical attention. There are different variations of pica, as it can be from a cultural tradition, acquired taste, or a neurological mechanism such as an iron deficiency or a chemical imbalance. It can lead to intoxication in children, which can result in an impairment in both physical and mental development.[2] In addition, it can also lead to surgical emergencies due to an intestinal obstruction as well as more subtle symptoms such as nutritional deficiencies and parasitosis.[2] Pica has been linked to mental disorders and they often have psychotic comorbidity. Stressors such as maternal deprivation, family issues, parental neglect, pregnancy, poverty, and a disorganized family structure are strongly linked to pica.[citation needed]
Pica is more commonly seen in women and children, and in areas of low socioeconomic status.[3] Particularly it is seen in pregnant women, small children, and those with developmental disabilities such as autism. Children eating painted plaster containing lead may suffer brain damage from lead poisoning. There is a similar risk from eating soil near roads that existed before tetraethyllead in petrol was phased out (in some countries) or before people stopped using contaminated oil (containing toxic PCBs or dioxin) to settle dust. In addition to poisoning, there is also a much greater risk of gastro-intestinal obstruction or tearing in the stomach.[4][unreliable medical source?] Another risk of eating soil is the ingestion of animal feces and accompanying parasites. Pica can also be found in other animals and is commonly found in dogs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_(disorder)

Those are the boko haram in the church yet one of them was shouting that he would behead any boko haram on the pulpit the other day. No difference in the ruthlessness with which 'MOGs' defend their illicit tithes and the way BH kills its victims.

kayce911:
I got an interview invitation last Friday with one newly established company around Airport road, Rukpoku, Port Harcourt(name withheld). I was over-qualified, and I answered their questions perfectly, but what shocked me was when the interviewer asked me what church i attended.

I proudly answered "Catholic". His facial expression changed and he said "whoever doesn't pay tithe can hinder the growth of a company."

He even tried backing his statement with biblical quotations.I was very shocked so I can't even remember all the crap he said.

I brought this here to tell Nairalanders what religion has turned our people into.

Exercise that 'freedom of choice' and don't be bound by the trauma of a decades old tragedy. Believe it or not there were victims on all sides. It took the Germans and French less than 20 years after WW2 to start what is today the EU. Now THAT was a war! Watch the firebombing of Dresden some day or the horrors of Dachau and see what real genocide looks like. Did Hiroshima and Nagasaki or Pearl Harbour stop the Yanks and Japs from becoming best buddies with the Yanks today protecting the Japs from a still vengeful China?

sultan003:
@author/Op, what are suggestions according to the theory you just presented here, having in mind that there is freedom of choice?

Mods: can we have this on front page so this important issue can be properly dealt with? Thanks.

Truth is bitter? The guy is saying nothing new but most of us, Igbos and non Igbos alike, are too scared to touch the 3rd rail of naija politics - the ongoing impact of the civil war in the minds of our people and critical decisions we take as individuals or tribes.

EUROBOMBER:
How much was this cretin paid for this job

[b]'It is disheartening that Ndigbo have become politically irrelevant and directionless. No one is interested in articulating an agenda that will move the zone forward. No one is interested to review why someone as comfortable as Eze Festus Odimegwu will throw his support behind Buhari or why President Jonathan’s kinsmen are beginning to reconsider their support for their son. What you hear when you travel around “Ala Igbo” are unsubstantiated rumours and unjustifiable fixation over the history of yesteryears. I will not join my dear uncle to continue to bemoan the past. I have chosen to engage the present and project, positively, for the future.
The civil war, regrettable as it was, is in the past, a past that even Nigeria has chosen to feign never existed; a past that our national educational curricula have refused to recognise and teach officially. There is a new war in town; it is a political war. I am struggling to find the position of Ndigbo in the new war and it makes one miserable. The civil war ended 45 years ago and if care is not taken, we may lose out in this current political war. We are losing it already unless we redefine our current priorities from an individual to a group survival and sustaining agenda. For a people so talented and resourceful, this will be nothing but tragic.'[/b]

[b]'While in the village, one of my uncles called me and abused me thoroughly for expressing views that he termed “anti-Igbo.” Which Igbo was he referring to? It is obvious that he is still fixated about the civil war and the roles of some northerners in it. I was shocked that more than 45 years after the civil war, many people are still passionately talking about it. True, it is an important part of our national history but is it not time to move on? Could it be the main reason to like or hate Buhari and the northerners? So, what about Olusegun Obasanjo? What about the Ijaw who took over our abandoned properties in Port Harcourt? To my mind, and the minds of many young Igbo men, the Ijaw, who colluded with other majority tribes and benefitted mostly in the acquisition of properties and wealth in Port Harcourt from a tribe lying helplessly prostrate from a civil war, committed greater atrocity towards the Igbo. Have Ndigbo asked for all of these, especially, since a continued support for the South-South, if it spirals out of country, may be jeopardisingNdigbo’s fresh investments in wealth acquisition in places like Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Jos, Bauchi, Zaria, Ibadan, Lagos, Abeokuta and Lokoja just to mention but a few. You will recall that Ndigbosubconsciously redirected their business investments to these new territories as a result of the sense of insecurity following the abandoned property saga. Will they now jeopardise all of these new investments and wealth accumulation in support of the kinsman of the same tribe that stripped them of their old wealth?'[/b]

Why Ndigbo may remain politically irrelevant

FEBRUARY 25, 2015 BY UCHE IGWE 17 COMMENTS

I took advantage of the break caused by the postponement of the elections to visit a few places in the South-East and South-South zones and directly gauge the perception of the people about the current political developments in the country. The first place was my village in Mbaise, then my mother’s village, both in Imo State. After going to my state, I joined one of my close friends to pay a courtesy visit to one of the riverine villages near Yenagoa in Bayelsa State. Interestingly, some grass-roots politicians showed up during both visits and I took the liberty of the two visits to discuss Nigerian politics with both sets of people – my kinsmen and the kinsmen of President Goodluck Jonathan. During my discussions, it was obvious that President Jonathan has more supporters in Imo and other Igbo-speaking states than even in his home state, Bayelsa. Surprised?

Let me state two things upfront. The first is that contrary to the views expressed in some quarters, I do not dislike President Jonathan, at least not his person. My concern is about his style of politics and governance and his performance as President and how these two factors affect me and my generation. As a southerner and an academic, I should connect with him. If he performs brilliantly as President, I will share in his success and such performance will brighten my chances and those of other members of my generation to one day decide to lead our country. The same way today I am sharing in his mistakes. So, the stakes before us are clearly beyond whatever thing I feel about his person.

The second is that if I am given an opportunity to nominate who will become the President of Nigeria under normal circumstances, my first choice will not be General Muhammadu Buhari. I am just 40 and so you can begin to guess why. However, in the circumstances that we have found ourselves as a nation, Buhari is potentially a better choice than Jonathan. It is very obvious that our President has run out of ideas. The country is deeply divided and the citizens are so highly disillusioned such that it will only take a trigger for the country to go up in flames. The current insecurity, unemployment, poverty and economic uncertainty in the country have reached frightening dimensions in our villages.

But do we blame all of these on Jonathan? Definitely no. Does he have a large chunk of the blame as our leader at this time? Of course, yes. The incestuous levels of corruption and blatant looting going on under Jonathan are part of the reasons that have led to widespread disenchantment and loss of confidence among the citizenry. Does my support for Buhari mean that he will do any magic? No. These things will take time to fix but we need another style. There is hardly any new approach the current President can bring on the table after trying for almost six years. Change has become long overdue. It will have a psychological soothing on Nigeria and Nigerians.

Now back to my main subject. My discussions revealed that unlike me, many people from my village neither support Buhari nor the All Progressives Congress. I could not but ask the following questions: What is the Igbo agenda in the current political dispensation? Who are those articulating it? What is their reason for the fixation with the status quo? Why are Ndigbo reluctant to engage the wind of change currently blowing in the country? Many of the people masquerading as Igbo leaders are individuals of questionable character preoccupied with only pecuniary objectives. In my village for instance, a school drop-out is now in charge. He feeds the kinsmen with falsehood and takes regular advantage of their ignorance to enrich himself.

While in the village, one of my uncles called me and abused me thoroughly for expressing views that he termed “anti-Igbo.” Which Igbo was he referring to? It is obvious that he is still fixated about the civil war and the roles of some northerners in it. I was shocked that more than 45 years after the civil war, many people are still passionately talking about it. True, it is an important part of our national history but is it not time to move on? Could it be the main reason to like or hate Buhari and the northerners? So, what about Olusegun Obasanjo? What about the Ijaw who took over our abandoned properties in Port Harcourt? To my mind, and the minds of many young Igbo men, the Ijaw, who colluded with other majority tribes and benefitted mostly in the acquisition of properties and wealth in Port Harcourt from a tribe lying helplessly prostrate from a civil war, committed greater atrocity towards the Igbo. The Yoruba recently came out to declare that they would not waste their votes for anyone without demanding something in return. Have the Igbo made any similar declaration? What are they getting from Jonathan and his kinsmen in return for Ndigbo support in 2015? Will the Ijaw presidency (no matter how hard we try, this is what our brothers in the Niger Delta have reduced the Presidency to) guarantee a national redress on the injustices of the civil war and the abandoned property saga? Will President Jonathan, as an Ijaw, who majorly orchestrated and benefitted from the abandoned property saga compensate the Igbo the same way he has guaranteed amnesty to the Niger Delta militants? Have Ndigbo asked for all of these, especially, since a continued support for the South-South, if it spirals out of country, may be jeopardising Ndigbo’s fresh investments in wealth acquisition in places like Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Jos, Bauchi, Zaria, Ibadan, Lagos, Abeokuta and Lokoja just to mention but a few. You will recall that Ndigbo subconsciously redirected their business investments to these new territories as a result of the sense of insecurity following the abandoned property saga. Will they now jeopardise all of these new investments and wealth accumulation in support of the kinsman of the same tribe that stripped them of their old wealth?

Why are we not engaging candidates on what they can offer the nation? What are their plans for the textile industry, shoe industry, commerce and other areas of comparative advantage of Ndigbo? What plans do they have to develop Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi where our industry and entrepreneurship are defined daily? How can we expand the infrastructure and capabilities in these cities and expand opportunities for our creative youth population? Does a leader have to be a Christian or a Muslim to attend to these needs? How come Igbo leaders have been unable to demand and extract some of these promises from our politicians? Must we continue to play the second fiddle in this country?

It is disheartening that Ndigbo have become politically irrelevant and directionless. No one is interested in articulating an agenda that will move the zone forward. No one is interested to review why someone as comfortable as Eze Festus Odimegwu will throw his support behind Buhari or why President Jonathan’s kinsmen are beginning to reconsider their support for their son. What you hear when you travel around “Ala Igbo” are unsubstantiated rumours and unjustifiable fixation over the history of yesteryears. I will not join my dear uncle to continue to bemoan the past. I have chosen to engage the present and project, positively, for the future.

The civil war, regrettable as it was, is in the past, a past that even Nigeria has chosen to feign never existed; a past that our national educational curricula have refused to recognise and teach officially. There is a new war in town; it is a political war. I am struggling to find the position of Ndigbo in the new war and it makes one miserable. The civil war ended 45 years ago and if care is not taken, we may lose out in this current political war. We are losing it already unless we redefine our current priorities from an individual to a group survival and sustaining agenda. For a people so talented and resourceful, this will be nothing but tragic.

http://www.punchng.com/opinion/why-ndigbo-may-remain-politically-irrelevant/

A nation of 170m *****! How come no one can see the glaring signs that this is a dubious story? Chisco HQ bombed but SUN could only speak with 'Stanley' and another anonymous source? No MDs, Directors, Managers, Police or any other verifiable sources? And people are here killing themselves and working up their BPs over a blatant lie? Na wa for us. They really got us cheaply this time around. Nairaland, the home of the ****less?

25 'luxury' buses at a bus station and no one was in any bus so no casualty? Naija ronu! Ota ile, ota ode, Olorun gba wa lowo won!

A lie from the pit of hell apparently. This news item was posted by Sun newspaper on the 13th and nobody who lives in Lagos that I have spoken with has heard about it. Not even my Igbo colleagues. I drive on Eko bridge almost daily and am yet to notice any such thing. I don't even know of any Chisco HQ under Eko bridge. as far as I know Chisco is based at Fadeyi and I still did a u turn under the Fadeyi bridge yesterday without seeing anything.

25 buses burnt and no other newspaper carried it, no one I know in Lagos is aware of it, no tv station, not even PDP AIT carried it. I fear Sun newspaper is trying to set this country on fire and we are carelessly walking into their trap.

The pictures might be from the under Ijora bridge fire that happened years ago which compelled the FGN to ban all transport companies from having operations under bridges as a result of the fire damage to the bridge. Bombs don't go off in Lagos without Lagosians noticing as it is still anomalous here. Those who love naija and our peace should learn to check this kind of story well before reacting before they are used by the devil. May God's will be done in naija and may He have mercy on us all.

[b]'However, I have not seen any one that truly captured why the Jonathan Presidency failed the hope of ordinary Nigerians. It is my conviction that all the failings of his Presidency emanated from one mortal leadership sin: the deliberate and sustained replacement of a presidential vision that should be good for Nigeria and Nigerians with a personal vision uncompromisingly focused on re-election! He sacrificed and was ready to sacrifice anything and everything, anyone and every one for re-election! He continuously saw himself as a politician instead of the President of Nigeria! This is really frightening and dangerous when the full ramification is internalised. Anything and everything that can lead to re-election is allowed no matter how wrong or unwholesome, and anything and everything that is good for Nigeria and Nigerians, but that has no immediate direct link to re-election can be traded for re-election! This is not leadership. This led to leadership failure including the Kano Governor taking over our Presidential villa to abort Nigeria having a credible and accurate census!'[/b]

Jonathan afraid of being jailed by Buhari if he loses – Obasanjo

on February 14, 2015 / in News 3:42 pm / Comments


By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta
Former President has unleashed another attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan, acussing him of playing politics of do-or-die like President of Côte d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo and that Jonathan is afraid of being jailed by Buhari if he loses.

Obasanjo said this on Saturday at his hiltop mansion in Abeokuta while speaking with newsmen shortly after he came back to the country from his overseas trips.

Obasanjo while reacting to the postponement of the election said, the postponement of the election was a grand plan by Jonathan and his cronies to perpetuate office till the situation becomes clear that the election would favour him.

He acussed Jonathan of playing a brand of politics played by President Gbagbo who he said had delayed the presidential election of the country and when he eventually conducted the election and lost refused to leave the office.

According to Obasanjo, I was away because I had a number of assignment abroad which took me to Morocco, Munich, Nairobi, London and New Delhi. Exactly a week today, when we were in Munich for what they called Munich security conferences annual event and all people who are in security community normally, you found them there.

“For this year, the Vice President of America was there, the Secretary of State, John Kerry was there, the Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany was there, President of Ukraine was there and many others.

“I was there with Koffie Annan, our side was to talk about peace and security in Africa, I was to handle the African perspective while Koffie Annan was to look at it from the global perspective.

“While I was out, I refused to make any categorical statement on this issue because I wanted to come back home and learn at first hand what actually transpired and what was going on, and it turned out to be a forced decision on the INEC because it was alleged that the Security Chiefs were unable to provide security and as a result the Chairman of INEC had to postpone, in accordance with the dictates of the so called Security Chiefs.

“I thought for me, that was bad precedent for democracy in Nigeria, it meant it doesn’t matter what preparation or lack of preparation any electoral body could make in Nigeria, the final decision weather election will take place on the day scheduled for it lies in the domains of the security, it is a sad day for democracy in Nigeria.

“And I will say this, we must all feel concern before democracy is killed. The observable and what would appear to be happening is that the president has a grand plan, a grand plan to ensure that by hook or by crook, he wins the election or if it all fails, they scuttles it and create chaos, confusion and unpleasantness in the whole country.

“Because it is the duty and function and responsibility of the security officers to provide security, the President is the Chief Security of the country and he is the Commander in Chief and if security is required anywhere anytime, it is his duty to provide it, failure to provide it is deriliction of duty, pure and simple.

“Either the President following his own grand plan or his aides and associates are working a script, they are playing a script which must not got his endorsement if not initiated from him.

“What again it looks to me is that the President is trying to playing Gbagbo, Gbagbo was the former President of Cote d’Ivoire and Gbagbo made sure he postponed the election in his country until he was sure he would win and then allowed the election to take place, he got an inconclusive election in the first ballot and I believe this is the sort of thing Nigeria may fall into if I am right in what I observed as the grand plan and then in the run-off, Gbgbo lost with 8% behind Ouattara and then refused to hand over. All reasonable persuasion and pleading was rebuffed by him and he unleashed horror in that country until nemesis caught up with him.

“I believe that we may be seeing the repeat of Gbabgo or what I called Gbagbo saga here in Nigeria, I hope not .
More details soon

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/jonathan-afraid-jailed-buhari-loses-obasanjo/#sthash.uzMGh0hC.dpuf

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/jonathan-afraid-jailed-buhari-loses-obasanjo/

Fayemi: more Ekiti rigging audio details coming

Posted by: Odunayo Ogunmola and Miriam Ekene-Okoro in Featured, News 15 hours ago

•APC: we’ve been vindicated •Fashola: Obanikoro, Fayose can’t deny their roles.

More details of how the June 21 , last year, election in Ekiti State was “rigged” are on the way, former Governor Kayode Fayemi said yesterday.

An online news portal, Sahara Reporters, released at the weekend an audio recording, which reportedly captured the voices of Governor Ayo Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan at a meeting where they ordered military officers to rig the poll for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former governor spoke at his 50th birthday thanksgiving service at St. Martin’s Catholic Church, Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area.

Fayemi said: “The news of the audio clip, which was reported yesterday, was not a surprise to me.

“Those who denied that they were not the ones will hear the second part of the recording and they will keep quiet.

“Justice belongs to God. God will vindicate us because we have worked hard for our people.”

The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Rev Felix Ajakaye, urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country.

The cleric urged Fayemi to continue to exhibit the qualities that marked him as a servant of the people during his four-year term, urging the ex-governor not to relent in offering himself for the service of humanity.

Rev Ajakaye, who noted that God has not concluded his work in Fayemi’s life, advised the ‘birthday boy’ to always be good to others, regardless of whether or not they will pay him back.

“Don’t relent in doing good whether or not you are appreciated. Be good to people whether they will pay you back or not”, the bishop tells the former governor.

The service was attended by the wife of the celebrator, Bisi; former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo, former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd); former Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu, husband of the late deputy governor, Mr. Lanre Olayinka, federal and state lawmakers, and other officials, who worked with the governor during his tenure.

Alluding to the postponement of the general elections in his homily, Ajakaye urged Nigerians, whose enthusiasm has been dampened by the shift of the polls, to put the disappointment behind them and still hope for a brighter future.

The bishop said: “The journey continues, don’t lose hope about Nigeria. Don’t be discouraged that we want to vote and they are now shifting the goal post. Some people are somewhere now drinking wine and clinking glasses.

“When we learnt of the plan to postpone the election, we knew it was the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob.

“Nobody can play God, the controversy about whether or not we will vote, all I can say about it is that one day is for the thief, one day is for the owner.

“Failure to tell ourselves the truth is one of the greatest problems of this generation. One of the prayers I have always prayed is that may God shame the shameless.”

The bishop earlier led a song: “Jesus never fails, the man of the world may let you down but Jesus never fails” to drive home the point that human beings are fond of disappointment when much is expected of them.

He continued the song: “Your best friend may let you down, your best politician may let you down, INEC may let you down, Jega may let you down but Jesus never fails.”

The rendition of the song sent everybody in the church reeling in laughter.

The bishop noted that Fayemi served the people to the best of his ability and fulfilled the purpose God sent him to accomplish.

Rev Ajakaye said one of the ways Fayemi demonstrated leadership by example was discouraging people from addressing him as “Your Excellency”.

He urged the governor not to be a professional politician but a statesman, saying “statesmen are better than all these professional politicians, most of them are chop-I-chop, ‘moneticians’ and ‘pocketicians’, who are fond of saying they are not allowing me to eat”.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola said Obanikoro and Fayose could not deny their involvement in the audio clip.

Fashola, in an interview in Surulere, said the audio clip, which has gone viral on social media, smacks of impunity and clearly explains the PDP’s desperation to win elections at all cost.

He said: “Well, I am sure some of those people who spoke in that audio, especially the one who claims that the promotion of security officer is in his hands, and they have drawn the Presidency into it.

“They said they were acting on behalf of the Presidency. I am sure that fellow, even his grandchild, will know that is his voice; so how he wants to deny it I don’t know.

“His grandchildren will recognise his voice as many of us have done. This must open the minds of Nigerians to what it takes to win an election.

“When Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola was celebrating, I know what he went through, because we have been through it, we have been in opposition here, and when we win elections in Lagos as we have always done, we know what it takes to do so, to protect votes that are legitimately cast for us.

“Those people in that audio are the examples of some of the kind of base desperation for power that you will ever see. So, when ordinary Nigerians are struggling in the sun, trying to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), trying to vote, you see what they are doing at night, you see how seriously that party that they represent takes your vote and your effort and your sacrifice for democracy.

“I’m sure now that Nigerians are getting wiser, because all of the things that they thought was done in the dark are now in the open.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it has been vindicated by its claim that photo chromic ballot papers were used to fix the election.

In a statement by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, the party said it was shocking that principal participants did not hide their evil plot as they spoke freely of an elaborate rigging.

“It was shocking that one of the participants spoke of how he must deliver on the assignment given to him by the ‘President’. The fellow said: ‘I am not for a tea party but to deliver on the president’s assignment’.

“Another voice said he had been governor in the last 12 years and should not be toyed with. The voice blamed a major general, who was also heard defending himself, of not cooperating in the assignment.

The voice said the major general nearly sabotaged him in using the soft copy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) papers and computers given to him to ease the assignment.”

Olatubosun said it was clear that Fayemi could not be defeated by Fayose, considering the love Ekiti people had for him based on his integrity and unprecedented development he brought to Ekiti State.

He urged Ekiti people to brace up for the challenge ahead to peacefully and legally retrieve Fayemi’s mandate.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/fayemi-ekiti-rigging-audio-details-coming/

Maybe your guy should try importing phantom petrol or kerosine People Deceiving People party

Lies, lies and lies!

All my SS and SE colleagues here in Lagos have their PVCs unlike me. I didn't bother to go collect because I really don't see GEJ allowing us to vote him out. I suspect this matter will be decided beyond the polling booth. Pls note that this hasn't stopped me from doubling my 2011 donation to GMB and, now that GEJ has forced INEC to postpone the elections, I have a chance to do even more and might even collect the PVC for the heck of it.

Pls tell PDP to stop counting me among those who haven't received PVCs. I have chosen so far not to collect it (my wife saw mine when she collected hers) because I simply don't believe GEJ is clueless enough to let us vote him out.

Only a clueless govt would refuse to ship heavy equipment in for six years but now airlift them with days to an election. Is this how we spend the money we don't have?

So Prof Tam David-West no get BSc? Abi you think virology na the same as that joint 'research' on crayfish that GEJ showed us the other day?

cjrane:
Lol....
Even dunces that never had Bsc talk more of Masters, now want to analyze PhD thesis? Do they even know what thesis mean or what to look for?
Because their terror mentor Buhari was a secondary school drop out?

Ignorance is truly blissful!