₦airaland Forum

News Sunday, September 18, 2011


SIMON EBEGBULEM,

BENIN CITY



Nigerian returnees from Libya

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Solomon Okoduwa is the National secretary of Nigeria community in Libya and President of United Returnees Foundation. Last Wednesday, he led over 2000 Edo state indigenes who just returned from Libya to the Edo state Government House to solicit the support of the state government.

He gave horrible account of the sufferings of Nigerians in Libya since the commencement of the civil war and stressed the need for the returnees to be inculcated into the society so as to avoid crime. He disclosed that thousands of Nigerians were massacred in the war- torn country, just as he pleaded with the Federal Government to also make effort to bring some of the Nigerians stranded in the southern part of Niger home so that they will not starve to death.

According to him, "I stayed in the city of Tripoli, about 15 kilometers away from the Nigerian Embassy. I worked with the Nigerian Embassy, not as a staff but we liaised between Nigerians living in Libya and the Libyan government. We have four different regions in Libya, we have the Midwestern region, we have the Odua region, we have the Arewa and the Ohanaeze region. The crisis actually started on the 15th of February 2011 and it was inspired by some Arab countries.


What happened was that some people protested in the city of Benghazi and Gaddafi invited them for a meeting to solve the problem. They demanded that they wanted the sanction on the banned Islamic groups in the country who were imprisoned without trial to be lifted. These imprisoned people are seen as radicals and Gaddafi believed that if he allowed them to operate, they would definitely work with Al-Qaida and that would be a big problem for Libya. So, what he did was to arrest these people and dump them in prison. So the people of Benghazi demanded that these people must be released, that they are not criminals. Based on that, the people of Benghazi threatened to cause problem unless those 100 people were released from prison. Due to the pressure, Gaddafi now freed thousands of prisoners including the 100 Islamic scholars in prison. So a lot of Nigerians who were in prison benefited from that gesture. We have had over 4000 Nigerians in Libyan prisons. Some of them were drug peddlers, illegal immigrants and things like that. Some of them were imprisoned for 20-25 years. But after that, they told Gaddafi that releasing those people would not end the problem and that they wanted salary increase. So, he doubled their salary thinking he would use the money to buy their conscience.

Even after increasing their salaries, he told every family to go to the bank and collect the equivalent of $500. But the people of Benghazi refused to collect the money and Gaddafi now said that since they refused the money, even when he had released members of the Islamic group , it means they are now rebels. So he sent some fighters from Tripoli to go and bomb these protesters in Benghazi but when the soldiers got there ,they could not. They informed the people of what they came for and escaped to Malta.

Why Nigerians were massacred

So Gaddafi deployed black soldiers in the Southern part of Libya. Most of them were foreigners and when they got to Benghazi, they started killing people. Because of that, Benghazi people declared war on blacks accusing them of working for Gaddafi. That was how they started killing any blackman they saw in Libya. Most of our people were butchered like animals. That was how the massacre started. Unfortunately, no Nigerian was among those who killed people on the orders of Gaddafi in Benghazi. We only had some Chadian soldiers, Niger and Burkina Faso soldiers. This particular squad were specially trained to defend Gaddafi and that was the first people he used to attack the city of Benghazi. That was how Nigerians started having problem in Libya. We have about 80-90,000 Nigerians in Libya.

"The Nigerians who were in prison were innocent. Some of our people because of lack of jobs became informants to the Libyan police and they are paid for it. But the truth is that this crisis helped Nigerians a lot in Libya because all the prisons were opened and that was how they escaped. There are some Nigerians in Libya who want fast money and as a result, would not want to get themselves involved in legitimate businesses and these are the people that were in prison. We also had many of them who were innocent but were roped- in one way or the other.


Okoduwa

Those of them who escaped from the prison when it was opened during this crisis came to the Embassy and said they want to come back to Nigeria that very night. So we started looking for how to get them tickets to come back and we succeeded before the Airport was shut down," he stated.

Okoduwa further narrated that, "We also had this problem with those who decided to go into prostitution and that was what led us to present our case before the Libyan government that we wanted a body that will assist us fight human trafficking. So, the Embassy gave us a car for the work and we started arresting those involved in prostitution. But we found out that when the Libyan government officials arrested them, they were not giving them jobs. They rather repatriated them to Nigeria. And the Nigerian government has no job to give these people when they are brought back home. However, we started searching for the sponsors of these people and when we got them, we arrested them."

We suffered humiliation

"It has not been easy for us since the commencement of the war. We suffered humiliation because one, we are Christians, secondly the National Transition Council (NTC) accused us of being used by Gaddafi to fight them. The very day Gaddafi distributed guns to Libyans to go and defend Libya, from that moment, we knew we were in trouble. They would come to your house and request for euro or dollars and if you failed to give them, they would machete you. There were four Nigerian guys who were mechanics there. These people arrested them and recruited them to fight the rebels. But when these Nigerians who were forced to fight the rebels saw the rebels coming, they immediately surrendered and informed the rebels that they were forced to fight them by Gaddafi. And apart from the intimidation, there was serious hunger. These people ensured that goods were not getting to us, so we were starving. The only way some of us were eating was through may be your landlord who you would beg to shop for you in the market because we couldn't come out. And those who were not in good terms with their landlords found it very difficult to feed. Thousands of Nigerians died in Libya during this crisis. We also thank God for the quick response of the Nigerian government which brought an aircraft to come and pick some of us. We were always in touch with the Nigerian Ambassador in Libya. The Nigerian government brought two airlines to come and evacuate about 7000 Nigerians from Tripoli Airport before the airport was shut. The flights came thrice to move people back home. In fact, I was among the last people that came back because we had to supervise things there, though we have so many stranded Nigerians still there now. I got information that some even fled to Italy which is also dangerous. The problem our people are facing there now is that the rebels said Nigerian government did not support them early enough in the struggle. Though the Nigerian government has recognized the interim government in Libya but their fighters are still not comfortable with Nigerians. So their lives over there now are being threatened. And now the Interim Government is saying that if you don't have permit issued by this present government, then you don't have any business in Libya. That is the biggest challenge our people are facing now which the Federal Government needs to look into urgently before they will massacre Nigerians again. As a matter of fact, the present regime now is not friendly with Nigerians at all. No matter how our people got there, either legally or illegally, it is the duty of the Nigerian government to protect them. Many of our women are being raped and if you don't agree, you are killed. The situation there is very scary. I will appeal to the government and even well meaning Nigerians to help reintegrate these Nigerians that came back from Libya so that they will not turn to criminals. And right now, we have stranded Nigerians in three cities in Niger. Nigeria is far from them and Libya is also far from them. These people now are finding it difficult to feed. They had to run to this area due to the war," he stated.

Other returnees who also spoke with Saturday Vanguard expressed similar opinions. According to Mike Obiahor, "Libya is a good place .When you go there with genuine documents, you will be recognized. Unless you go there illegally, you will not have problems. They respect Nigerians a lot. I was working in one of the oil companies as a welder, I was doing iron bending and welding. I have been working there for over four years and had no problem. I was working with a British company. It is because of the war that we ran back home. It has not been so easy since I came back as a family man with a wife and two kids. Before I left Nigeria, I sold my welding equipment. We are not asking the Governor to render us financial assistance but since we came back, we saw that the Governor is working hard for the people. There were so many Nigerians that were killed. As we are talking now, some Nigerians there are stranded in the desert in Niger called Agadex and Duruku. Most of our brothers are stranded there now. In that very place, there is no job. Most of our brothers said they are killing them now because they said Gaddafi is using the blacks to fight him. We are appealing to the Federal Government to assist our brothers. Edo people are more in that place than any other tribe in Nigeria."

Julius Agbator, another returnee also said, " The truth is that Libya is not an easy place now. Edo state has the highest number of people. We were running helter skelter for our lives and abandoned our properties. Nigerians are in trouble there because the new regime does not want them. They said Gaddafi is using them to fight and so they are killing our people now. Government must go and help please."http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/18/302.html

« on: Today at 08:50:58 AM »


« posted : September 19, 2011, 05:54:47 PM (14 hrs ago) »

Another Nigerian about to be "Slaughtered" in Libya, the rebels kill any black man they see and often assault the women, they claim all black people are supporting Gadhafi. This is pure Genocide.

Libya fighters arrest a man from Nigeria, who they allege is a Gadhafi loyalist, as they take control of Moammar Gadhafi loyalists villages in the desert some 730 km south of Tripoli, at Mahruga, 50 km north of the southern city of Sebbah, Libya, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. via (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

All the black men & their family are trapped indoors, they can't even risk trying to cross the border to return home or even going to look for food. Jonathan please help.

The East becos we don suffer reach to the point of getting some kind of a break to reassess ourselves and culture distinctively from Nigeria and Secularism. We need it not only to sought ourselves out but in so doing sought Nigeria out.

« posted : September 19, 2011, 05:54:47 PM (14 hrs ago) »

Another Nigerian about to be "Slaughtered" in Libya, the rebels kill any black man they see and often assault the women, they claim all black people are supporting Gadhafi. This is pure Genocide.

Libya fighters arrest a man from Nigeria, who they allege is a Gadhafi loyalist, as they take control of Moammar Gadhafi loyalists villages in the desert some 730 km south of Tripoli, at Mahruga, 50 km north of the southern city of Sebbah, Libya, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. via (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

All the black men & their family are trapped indoors, they can't even risk trying to cross the border to return home or even going to look for food. Jonathan please help.

ACN won't make it dat far, so no need for questions on Fashola and Presidency.

@ T8ksy, exactly wat it says. There is no hiding place for a golden fish and u know dat. 

[size=18pt]Guy, (OP) u missed David Mark. lol [/size]

^^David Mark is 'LORD OF THE RINGS' AND NOBODIES BOY.

May God punish all those bastards. The sad thing is that at all level in Nigeria, violation is Norm. God have CAUGHT THIS ONES IN THE ACT today, otherwise we will be here arguing whether or not they did it and some sick court will even dismiss the case saying: 'wat the girl went to do in their room if not to Be Intimate'.

The Nigeria Police and Judiciary now has the eye of the world on them and we are waiting for those bastards to be prosecuted, locked away never to be seen in this Life. R.A.P.I.S.T

The US news cable published by Whistleblower,Wikileaks,has revealed a high profile arrangement that will prop up the Senate President,Sen.David Mark as Nigerian president in 2015. The report,which quoted a group of prominent Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones telling the U S Secretary of state,Hilary Clinton at a meeting in New York in 2010 that the choice of David Mark,a Christian minority from the North Central zone to take over from Goodluck Jonathan 'who will be elected president next year',is to balance the political equation that has favoured only the Muslim majority in the far north since Independence. Mrs Clinton was said to have adviced the group to ensure that David Mark becomes the popular choice of Nigerians,stating that America would not impose any person on any country no matter how competent such a person can be. The Nigerian delegation was however optimistic and assured Mrs Clinton that David Mark would be accepted by Nigerians considering the 'sterling leadership qualities he has so far exhibited piloting the affairs of the National Assembly'. Source:gamji.com

[size=18pt]See the vultures gathering. Una go wait tire for this one becos, It is exactly wat the title says RUMOR. [/size]

^^ Which land?? U carry am for head?

[size=18pt]Sanusi the tribalist/islamist. No Thank you.[/size]

Ibime:
Ndokiari (we have found what we're looking for) are our brothers and we will rescue them from any Ngwa or Asa miscreants who try to destabilize them!

ChinenyeN:
Alj_Harem you are gravely mistaken. That is not Ngwa.

Nusdog, Ndoki was never Ijo. It's always been Ngwa mixed with Asa, with Ijo immigrants showing up much later on.

Hey guys, can u tell me wat all the Ndoki, ijaw, ngwa or Asa has to do with Benin. Ijaws have never fought against their big brothers from the east and won't dare.

[quote author=okada_man link=topic=760170.msg9154370#msg9154370 date=1316107699]I hope Ijaws won't wake a sleeping giant they can't deal with. Benin's can be brutal and daring when they want. Their long history confirms it.[/quote]All that i will say is dat, the Ijaws are no easy bone to chew, if u get my drift. They are naturally combat built and highly volatile once in the zone.

Thursday, 15 September 2011 00:00 By Taiwo Hassan Business Services - Business News

PoorBest
David-Cameron

BRITAIN has urged the Federal Government to initiate plans to access part of the United Kingdom’s 90 billion pounds investment funds to boost the country’s infrastructure and economy.

The offer came barely over a month after the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited Nigeria.

Stating this was the Lord Mayor of the City of London; Alderman Michael Bear, when he led a trade delegation to the country this week.

Bear said for Nigeria to play important global economic role, the country need to have pursue the three Cs approaches: Commodity-which the oil represent, Capital leverage and Creativity that will enable the country diversify the economy.

The London Mayor, who was hosted by the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) in Lagos, said Nigeria has the potential to attract part of the 90 billion pounds earmarked by the British government for investment in any part of the world that it sees as good opportunity.

According to him, since capital has a choice, Nigeria was among the countries chosen to attract part of the funds, adding that it is now left for government to access the investment fund.

Speaking at the September breakfast forum of the chamber, Michael Bear, said one of the major criteria for a major capital city to attract foreign direct investment is openness to other people and countries.

“We have something we will like to share with Nigeria and so do others,” he said.

The mayor also added that a country must possess a business-friendly environment based on transparency.

“What you need”, according to him, “is predictability, stability and transparency within the business and financial environment.”

He explained that transparency was very important in global business, stressing that Nigeria should entrench a level of predictability in policy, dispute resolution and common law.

Another criterion for making Nigeria a global finance and business centre, the Mayor added, was business infrastructure.

“Every business needs power and communication. People need to get to work without wasting time. Infrastructure pays for itself and creates good jobs. In the city of London, we have realised that one British pound spent on infrastructure generates about two and a half British pounds,” Bear said.

He maintained that the fourth prerequisite for a mega city was good communication, which opens the way for global attention. There should be electronic and physical information communication because businesses can only thrive where business risks, financing risks and sovereign risks are reduced to barest minimum.

“The fifth, according to the Mayor, is a business cluster, stressing that “those are the five reasons that make the city of London a world business hub, and we love to share with you a roadmap on how you can achieve your aspirations towards being a world business centre. If you follow our example, your GDP will increase to about $60 billion.”

Bear however, stressed that the five major criteria were what make the city of London a number one choice as a global centre for finance and business, adding that these could be replicated not only in Lagos State, but Nigeria as a whole to make the country a choice destination for more British investmentYou need to create jobs. You need to create exports and diversify away from a single commodity economy,” he said.

Earlier in his presentation, the NBCC President, Thomas Awagu, while welcoming the Mayor and his trade team, said Nigeria was willing and ready to have more British investments spread into various areas of the country’s economy that are yet to be fully tapped into.

“We are seeking to establish new business partnerships in London,” Awagu said.

The NBCC President however, called for greater support from the British High Commission, various government agencies in Nigeria and Britain as well as viable private sector leaders willing to have business ties with the British business community.http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61114:uk-offers-nigeria-access-to-90-billion-pounds-fund-to-boost-infrastructure-&catid=31:business&Itemid=562

Ijaws did not fall from the skies but migrated to the sea shores from an inland territory. Not everybody likes the bush life u know.  I strongly suspect Ebo or Bini like they claim, ain't no smoke without fire. Besides, certain Ijaw tribes share a lot of similarity and culture with bini, whilst the eastern ijaws have igbo influence.

The Ijaws are amongst the aboriginal native; indigenous to the South South central region of nigeria.

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lollz. The way dat case was dealt with by the ICJ was just unfair. Absolutely, no consideration was given to the indigence whom had made clear they were Nigerians. Just how do u rule a land to a country and not the people that have resided on the land for generations. Dat is unfair and a great injustice.

this certainly is injustice, that people should be removed from their land only for oil companies to exploit their resources without landed right claims from the community. obj is an ARSE for allowing this to happen on his watch.

The Bakassi people clearly are not happy about losing their land to Cameroon, maybe it is time the case was appealed in the ICJ.

This is very Sad news for Africa leading oil producing nation. Child and Mother medical facility are given priority in any country developing or developed but it would seem that Nigeria's case is different.

Very good. We need neighboring countries to respect our sovereignty and not see our country as an extension of their territory.(Niger, Chad,Burkina faso, benin and cameroon)

The Born to Rule are at it again. For god sake, dey should be informed that Nigeria is not their property.

2015: North plans strategic meeting with Jonathan, OBJ

Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Monday, September 12, 2011

AS part of its strategic moves ahead of the 2015 election, the northern political establishment is contemplating some meetings with President Goodluck Jonathan and former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the issue.

Sources close to the political structures in the northern geopolitical zones confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that the planned meetings are being organised separately but with a view to achieving the same purpose.

It was gathered that the North was leaving no stone unturned in the bid to ensure that a candidate from the core North emerges the president in 2015.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune that while the meeting being planned with Obasanjo is at the instance of some of those regarded as "friends of Obasanjo" in the North, with a view to seeking his backing for power shift to the core North in 2015, the planned meeting with President Jonathan is expected to be at the instance of the Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF), which is spearheaduing the 2015 arrangements of the North.

It was also learnt that the strategic meetings on the 2015 agenda held in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, recently also concluded on the need for the separate meetings to further boost the confidence of the northern political establishment.

A source stated that some friends of Obasanjo in the North would meet with him on the need to prevail on President Jonathan to yield the presidency to the North in 2015, while another team would meet with President Jonathan to further seek assurance from him besides a promised northern backing for his government.

"One issue of paramount importance to all the northern state governors and the political elite is the need to return political power to the zone in 2015. In that regard, all hands are on deck for the same purpose," a source said.

Another source stated that a decision had been reached for some strategic meetings to be held separately with the duo of Jonathan and Obasanjo, where the issue of 2015 presidency would be discussed.

It was gathered that a team has been put together for that purpose. While some sources said it might be early to start the 2015 battle, others believed that the governors of the region should take up the issue squarely.

It was learnt that three issues would form the basis of the strategic meetings and these are the leadership of the PDP, the 2015 presidency and security.

Sources, however, confirmed that the governors already in the know of the agenda have ruled out the possibility of a consensus option applied by the Northern Political Leaders Forum(NPLF), headed by Alhaji Adamu Ciroma in the 2011 presidential battle.

One of the governors reiterated at a recent meeting where the northern leaders were present that the northern governors would not accept the attitude of some former heads of state/president as witnessed during the 2011 presidential election, especially the use of the idea of a consensus candidate.http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/12/618.html

'nigeria Has Second Highest Child, Maternal Mortality Rates'


James Azania, Benin

With an estimated 608 deaths per 100,000 deliveries, Nigeria ranks second only to India in the list of nations with the worst child mortality.


Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwucrackcrackcrackcrack

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According to Women Health and Action Research Centre, an organisation committed to the promotion of intimate and reproductive health and social well-being of women and adolescents, out of 100,000 women that enter labour rooms, 50 of them do not come out alive.

With the figure (death of 50 women), the group said Nigeria also ranked second in the global number of maternal deaths.

The Chief Executive Officer of the centre, Prof. Friday Okonofua, said at a dissemination workshop on 'Assessment of Infection Control Practices in Delivery Care Units in Edo State,' that three major factors were responsible for the high maternal mortality in Nigeria.

They are bleeding after birth, pregnancy hypertension and post-delivery infections.

He said, "Studies, including data from Edo State have shown that up to four out of 10 Nigerian women experiencing puerperal infections die from the complication.

"Besides, maternal mortality in Edo State reflects the national average. Maternal health is presently not prioritised by the state government."

According to Okonofua the "results demonstrate the lack of appropriate policies and practices relating to infection control in maternal units in Edo State, given that puerperal sepsis is the third leading cause of maternal mortality in the country."

Worried by the lack of data on maternity care and puerperal sepsis in health facilities, the centre recommended that record keeping be prioritised as an important strategy to monitor the outcomes of infection control measures.

The workshop, which had in attendance officials from the state ministry of health, women affairs, health workers from public and private health institutions, accused governments of insensitivity to the problems of women. http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/13/824.html

From JUDEX OKORO, Calabar

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

In this interview with DAILY SUN, the Leader of Greater calabar Community, Dr John Henry Bassey, said Bakassi natives must be allowed to decide where they want to live, because ICJ judgement on Bakassi is not enforceable.


Chief James Henry


The Leader of the Socio-cultural group, who spoke on other issues, advocated for the return of police services on Universities to forestall further student’s demonstration and destruction of public property.

Excerpts:

There has been criticsms over the ceding of Bakassi.What do you think should be done?

The issue of Bakassi is not over. It cannot be over until we the people who own Bakassi are allowed to take our destinies in our own hands except of course, the Federal Government through the National Assembly hears the case of Bakassi.

For instance, there was a senate committee on the Bakassi before the implementation of the Green Tree agreement but the senate has still not received the committee report and Nigerian government hurried the handing over of Bakassi.

We still have some of the years to regularize and complete the handing over, after which we have no room to raise objections. But now, we know that there is a fraud element in the issue of Bakassi.

So when the court ruled that Cameroon has sovereignty over Bakassi it means it is going to administer that land and it is up to the people of that land to decide whether they love to be administered by Cameroon or they ought to be a nation of their own. They are not even bound to be Nigerians.

That opportunity for the people to decide what they want has not been given by Nigeria because Nigeria government fraudulently kept telling the people to evacuate the place and come for resettlement because money would flow into the pockets of many people.

So that is the problem and we are well aware of it and we know that the Security Council of the UN still has an opportunity to hear this case and they still have the opportunity to hear the kind of things people like this presented to the senate committee, alleging the underlying intrigues by highly placed Nigerians and even UN operatives in the mix-up of the Bakassi case. So that is the problem. The Bakassi case is not yet over.

We are all aware of the fact that before the ICJ ruling between Nigeria and Cameroon over the Bakassi, they had been various judgements which were never implemented or enforced. We all know that ICJ judgements are never binding on any nation and they are not enforceable. For instance, ICJ ruling between USA vs Cuba over Guantanamo Bay and till date USA is still occupying Guantanamo Bay; in Britain vs Argentina over the Faulkland Islands, Britain is still occupying the Faulkland Islands; ICJ adjudicated in the case of India vs Pakistan over Cashmere Province, but till today India is still occupying it; ICJ has ruled in the case of Israel vs Palestine over Gaza, West Bank and East Jerulsaelm, but till today Israel is still occupying Palestinian territory.

Even the ICJ ruling in the case of Morrocco vs Western Sahara over Harawi Arab Republic, Morrocco is still occupying Harawi Arab Republic and nothing has happened. ICJ has ruled even in the case of Ethiopia vs Eritrea, but Ethiopia is still occupying Eritrean territory and nothing has happened. In the Nigerian case, why the sudden and hasty hand over when previous judgments had not been implemented.

This smacks of double standard because if previous judgments had not been implemented, then why the hasty hand over? We want these issues addressed. Because we cannot send Nigerians in Bakassi to go and be slaves in a foreign country. Even the people of southern Cameroon are fighting to separate from Cameroon because of injustice and oppression, marginalization.

We are calling on the UN to do a referendum on Bakassi that would lead to its independence.

We are also asking the FG to review this gestation period which is supposed to be from November 27 next year. We don’t want the gestation period. We are not at war. Why cede Bakassi? The question was asked that if it was Ogun State, would it have been ceded. We went to the ICJ, there were nine French judges there and nobody asked anybody any question from this community. Is it because we always want to follow the rules? We call representatives in the National Assembly to speak up. The time to speak up is now.

Abuja bomb attack

We frown at, and condemn in very strong terms the bomb attack on the United Nations Building at Abuja which smacks of a declaration of war against the unanimous will of the civilized nations of the world to promote peace and prosperity, the world over. We are ashamed that this has happened on the Nigerian soil. Whether propelled by Boko Haram or by Al’Qaeda, the terrorists are the same and the message is the same!

It is our belief that the Nigerian Nation will rise to stamp out the challenge from the roots. The Nation has been bleeding under the siege of gangsterism and under the citizens who derive enormous benefits from its operation. It is a business enterprise!

Recently,UNICAL students went on rampage destroying property. As a community leader, what is your reaction on such considering that for quite some time now there has been relative peace on campus?

To me, the demonstration is simply a “terror attack” on the University of Calabar which started on the same day as the bombing of the United Nations Building at Abuja evokes great concern. Forward-looking students who would become “Leaders of tomorrow” would have been numbed by the news and the significance of the bombing of the United Nations Building in Abuja, and would have called off any planned demonstration over increase in school fees, let alone embark on the unprecedented scale of destruction witnessed at the University. The sight was that of a war theatre.

We condemn in the strongest of terms this spectacle of brutality and vandalism on their soil. The students’ claim of the killing of their fellow student by Armed Robbers would easily be dismissed because any robbery found within Campus is easily the handiwork of students, most of whom have no business with University Education. The students who destroy everything including the Medical Centre and Ambulance vehicles that cater for their health are the students who would destroy United Nations Buildings and Red Cross Facilities.

The students who have no respect for the name of Calabar, and what it conjures in Nigeria in terms of peace and decorum are the students who would have no respect for Nigeria and good world order anytime, anywhere. For some decades now, these are the characters we have been breeding and releasing in the name of graduates into public institutions and establishments which they serve to wreck.

A lot of them have become teachers and politicians-we dare say leaders-in high places. Under them are to be found enthronement of ineptitude, the decay of infrastructure exemplified by the desolation on our roads, the collapse of the Educational Systems, the near abandonment of Agriculture, the collapse of Industries, the epileptic electricity supply in spite of colossal funding and defrauding of customers, the appalling state of health Care Delivery, and unending bazaar of pubic enquiries without implementation of reports and, above all, the never-workable reform programmes in the midst of unbridled corruption that have characterized our National out-look for decades.

It is only those who are not ashamed of destruction and desolation under their feet that can afford to live and watch their homeland slide into this God-forsaken and unpardonable squalor, albeit, in the midst of plenty.

We cannot pretend to be unfamiliar with the ominous imperative of the vicious circle. The circle must be broken somewhere. The university community is part of the civil population of this country. At one time it suited this country to abolish police stations in universities “simply” because the police opened fire on students during riot. At that time students were not known to open fire on fellow students, to kill them, or to inflict cuts on them and drink their blood. Today killing in campus it is “simply a normal exercise” not worrisome and receives very insignificant attention by the university community.

We are aware of the commission of inquiry, set up to investigate the recent destruction of the University of Calabar. It is our hope that the matter will not be treated as exclusive to the University. What we have witnessed is a national calamity and a monster that is ready to devour the nation.

Do you subscribe to return of police services to university campuses.

The way and manner our students are going, I think this is the time for the full return of police services to university campuses across the country to help forestall incessant students’ riots and destruction of public property on campuses.

We in Calabar, therefore, call for the return of police stations to university communities, and this should include all departments of the police adequately equipped for their constitutional duties of protecting life and property. These services are mandatory and are a constitutional requirement for every Nigerian.

The universities have no diplomatic immunity that precludes the function of security operatives and we cannot allow them to be used by the enemies of our country as training grounds or safe havens for gangsters that would network to build monstrous structures that seek to consume the entire country.

Looking from the myopic lens of the present policy, it appears that killing or murder on campus is no longer a national crime for as long as it is carried out students. It will, however, be interesting for university researchers, using a given scale, to publish the murders on campus since the withdrawal of police, juxtaposed with the figures of students, purportedly murdered by police since independence. The figure will speak for itself and will certainly justify the return of the police to campuses.

What is incontrovertible is that there is now the greater and overriding need to prevent students from killing themselves and to prevent students from killing the society, than to present the police from killing the students on campushttp://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/13/512.html

Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja

To arrest the worsening state of insecurity and curtail the activities of the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, the Federal Government has launched a plan to reconstruct and computerise 84 border posts.



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The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who disclosed this in Abuja on Friday, also said that government would initiate a review of the Economic Community of West African States' protocol on movement. The protocol allows citizens of ECOWAS countries to move freely across member states.

Moro said, "Plans are at an advanced level for the Ministry of Interior and the Immigration Service to work in conjunction with the National Boundaries Commission, to identify all our boundaries.

"At the moment, we are aware of 84 border posts in Nigeria. Of course, we have numerous others that are rather irregular. People who perpetrate the acts that are inimical to national security are people who cross to Nigeria through these irregular entry points.

"So, we are trying now to confirm the borders and, as I am talking to you, we have held discussions with foreign organisations and firms who have agreed to install what they call layered surveillance along our borders.

"This layered surveillance has the capacity to detect and identify people who enter Nigeria illegally and people who carry equipment that can compromise our internal security.

"By the time we put this plan in place, it will have a central control, so that even right here in Abuja, you can know what is happening at our borders in Maiduguri, Sokoto or Lagos."

One of the recommendations of the Federal Government Committee on Security Challenges in the North-East set up to proffer solutions to the Boko Haram menace is the mass deportation of illegal aliens. The report is yet to be made public but THE PUNCH obtained a copy last week in Abuja. The committee says its findings show that illegal aliens from Niger Republic, Chad, Benin Republic, Somalia and other neighbouring countries are swelling the rank of the violent Islamic sect.

Our correspondent learnt that members of the committee concluded that similarities in the culture of the illegal aliens and some ethnic groups in the North helped the aliens to move around the country and integrate in communities.

The minister also expressed a similar opinion. He said, "The ECOWAS protocol provides for a relaxed requirement for entering into the country, but today, we have discovered that that protocol is being abused.

"We have also discovered that most of the syndicates that perpetrate fraud and, recently, those involved in suicide bombings are nationals of these other countries that you have mentioned.

"So, what government has put in place is a stricter measure for entering Nigeria. I can tell you that we have had reasons to stop large numbers of nationals of other countries at various points of entry.

"As recent as last week, a truckload of about 150 Nigeriens heading for Nigeria was turned back at the borders. Only recently too, a joint taskforce of the Army, the Police, the State Security Service, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, the and Immigration Service, swooped on the hideout of a syndicate in Lagos, and those that were arrested and identified as foreigners have been repatriated."

The minister also said that the Federal Government had started addressing the challenge posed by the absence of necessary data on Nigerians and non-Nigerians. As a result, he said, plans were underway to establish "a central data for Nigerians and foreigners visiting the country for genuine business activities and even illegal aliens involved in inappropriate business."

The minister explained that the central data base would make it easier to separate people who came to the country for genuine business from those who did not, stressing that the latter category would be blacklisted as threat to national security. http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/12/815.html