₦airaland Forum

Abuja - The first lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan, has called on Nigerian children
to be alert to their environment in the face
of security challenges in the country.
She made the call at the 2014
Independence Day Children`s party in
Abuja, saying that the children should
learn to live in love always.
"Nigeria belongs to me and you, even if we
go West, East or North, we will also come
back home because we do not have
anywhere else to go.
"Let us leave in love and work together to
build this country for the benefit of us all,’’
she said.
Also ready: Independence Anniversary:
NSCDC boss assures of adequate
The first lady decried the rate of recent
suicide bombings in the country,
particularly in the North-East, and urged
children across the country to be alert to
their environment.
She also urged children to ensure that they
report suspicious movements in their
environment to their parents and to
security operatives when necessary.
Jonathan said that it was unfortunate that
Boko Haram was recruiting innocent
children to carry out their nefarious
activities.
The first lady urged children across the
country to remain focused in their studies
and avail themselves of the numerous
opportunities the Federal Government was
creating for them.
She said the Federal Government was
doing everything possible to ensure a
secure future for children by providing the
necessary infrastructure.
Jonathan also said that the Federal
Government was improving on the
country`s education system, maternal
child care and other amenities.
The first lady said that President Goodluck
Jonathan was working hard to ensure that
children across the country realised their
potential.
She urged the children to continue to pray
for the country’s unity, development and
progress, and expressed optimism that the
country would emerge stronger from its
present challenges.
The wife of the president also tasked
children across the country to pray to God
to touch the hearts of the abductors of the
Chibok schoolgirls so that they would
release the girls.
Those present at the party were the Wife of
South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Wife
of the Deputy Senate President and the
Minister of Women Affairs, among others.
m.news24.com/nigeria/National/News/First-lady-wants-children-to-be-security-consicious-20141001

Former military Head of State, Major-
General Muhammadu Buhari, appears to
have ignored entreaties from advocates of a
generational shift to step aside and anoint a
younger aspirant to carry the flag of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s
presidential contest.
Apart from going ahead to put finishing
touches to his October 8 formal declaration
of his bid for the presidency, Buhari’s
loyalists have continued to mobilise support
from every segment of the party towards
the realisation of his ambition.
One of such moves is today’s plan by the
former head of state to address a collection
of several youth support groups from
various parts of Abuja
However, one of the groups working
towards the realisation of Kano State
Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s
presidential bid, the Kwakwasiyya Forum,
has remained unrelenting in its call on
Buhari to forgo his fourth attempt to
become Nigeria’s president.
The group has again appealed to Buhari to
set aside his ambition and back their
younger aspirant (Kwankwaso) for the
presidency.
Kwakwasiyya also believes that the fierce
contest that is certain to ensue between the
duo of Buhari and former Vice-President
Atiku Abubakar may tear APC apart if they
insist on fighting for the ticket of the party.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday
through its Edo State coordinator, Mr.
Francis Ikonomwan, the pro-Kwankwaso
group said it had started working round the
clock to reach out to the delegates and
ensure that Kwankwaso emerge as APC’s
presidential standard bearer.
“We want a paradigm shift; we want a
change from the old order and this is why
people are clamouring for a realistic
change. We have looked at the track record
and Kwankwaso is the man that actually
meets the demands of the people.
“As for Alhaji Atiku, he has lost integrity,
you may see people around him, they are
hired crowds. Nigerians don’t want him. On
General Buhari, he is a man we used to
respect, he is a man Nigerians hold in high
esteem, but we are surprised that he will be
declaring next week.
“Remember he told us after the 2011
elections that he will not contest again and
we expect him to stick to his words as a
man of integrity. If he contests again, that
shows that he is no longer a man of
integrity.
“I want to say that the ambitions of Atiku
and General Buhari will tear APC apart.
What is best for them is to come behind a
younger person and no other person than
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” he said.
The group also asked the leaders of APC not
to give room for the imposition of
candidates at all levels, adding that this was
capable of undermining the fortunes of the
party.
www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-resists-pressure-to-drop-presidential-bid/190237/

By Ochereome Nnanna

A national newspaper over the past
weekend carried a bold headline: “North
Vows To Stop Jonathan”, with riders: “We
will ensure PDP loses” – Ango Abdullahi;
Arewa Chair Commassie: “We are keeping
Plan B to our chest”.
Professor Ango Abdullahi is the spokesman
of the reactionary Northern Elders Forum,
NEF, which is overpopulated with former
holders of prominent offices at the federal
level. They were the people that the late
leader of Northern Nigeria, Alhaji Ahmadu
Bello, slaved throughout his life to educate
and pump into prominent positions during
the years that the region exclusively
dominated the Nigerian political sphere.
Ango Abdullahi and his cohorts were given
free education and pampered like princes
while at school because they were just a
handful when compared with their teeming
colleagues from the former Eastern and
Western Regions.
When they graduated, their classmates at
Barewa and other colleges in the North who
were sent to the military had occupied
prominent positions in the Federal Military
Government. They enjoyed all the plum
postings between 1966 and 1999. At a point
they believed that Nigeria was a colony of
Arewa because apart from Olusegun
Obasanjo, their surrogate who succeeded
Gen Murtala Mohammed when he was
killed in a power struggle between Northern
factions in 1976 to 1979, the North reigned
for 39 years.
It was this class of Northern elite that
wrecked the country, its economy and
institutions set up by the colonial masters
and post-independence leaders. Like
parasitic cankerworms, they ate down
federal parastatals such as the Railways,
Shipping Line, Nigeria Airways, Ajaokuta
Steel, Alscon, NITEL, NIPOST, among others,
until they were either scrapped or sold off
for pennies under questionable
privatisation programmes.
Back home in the North, they appropriated
all the money and power they derived from
their dominance of the Federal Government
to themselves, friends and family members
and produced a tiny core of super-
billionaires, with their children attending
the best schools in the world.
On the other hand, the children of the
talakawa – the poor and downtrodden –
were rendered into fly-infested al majiri;
street urchins who live with exploitative
koranic mallams. They frequently deploy
them to kill non-Muslims and non-indigenes
in the North. The youth have now
channelled their anger into Boko Haram
insurgency to overthrow the ruling class of
the North for which Ango Abdullahi is a
noisy spokesman.
These system wreckers want to gate-crash
back into power by all means. These were
the people who threatened that if Jonathan
was allowed to enjoy his inalienable
constitutional rights to vie for presidency of
the country, they would make Nigeria
ungovernable for him.
Their argument is that after the death of
President Umaru Yar’Adua, his Deputy, Dr
Goodluck Jonathan should have forfeited
his constitutional rights to succeed his boss.
He should have given up his inalienable
rights to vie for the presidency because of
the rotational principle of the PDP.
They call it a fight for justice. Where was
equity when Ango Abdullahi and other
Arewa freeloaders exclusively called the
shots for 39 years, reducing the South to
mere spectators? Is it now that a president
from the South-South in the former Eastern
Region is presiding over Nigeria and
gradually restoring the broken institutions
of state that Abdullahi attaches a
sanctimonious meaning to “equity”?
The truth of the matter is that Ango
Abdullahi and the NEF are in no position to
carry out the threat they have issued. They
cannot stop Nigerians from voting for
Jonathan or the PDP if that is what
Nigerians want. Also, they have no power to
facilitate the victory of the All Progressives
Congress, APC. APC victory will happen in
spite of the NEF if that is the wish of the
Nigerian electorate.
The Northern Region that the British
colonial master created and made a
monster to rule Nigeria either through
ballot or bullet is no more. The three old
regions are dead.
The old Northern region was the last to die.
It was the inheritors of Ahmadu Bello’s
largesse like Ango Abdullahi who killed the
North through religious extremism and
oppression of Minorities and non-Muslims
who helped them and the Yorubas in the
war against Igbos during 1966 to 1970. At
the just-concluded National Conference,
the Middle Belt separated themselves
cleanly from Arewa Muslim North and sided
with the combined South to create a new
political possibility which potentially
renders Arewa to an underdog.
Even at that, Arewa North does not dance to
the political tune dictated by the faction
that Ango speaks for. Ango Abdullahi, Lawal
Kaita and Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, who
boasted that the North would release “Plan
B”, are agents of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s
faction of the APC. They used their
Northern posturing to vie against Jonathan
in 2011.
Northern presidential aspirants closed ranks
against Jonathan and Atiku emerged as
consensus candidate. Jonathan still
thrashed Atiku at the PDP primaries by
scoring 2,736 against Atiku’s 805. Jonathan
went ahead to beat Muhammadu Buhari at
the presidential election of 2011, scoring
59% to Buhari’s 32%. Using the ogre of
North to frighten political opponents no
longer works.
Nigerians still vote along ethnic and
religious lines to some extent, but that is
not the deciding factor. The deciding factor
is where the various political leaders belong.
The North is a major stakeholder in both
APC and PDP.
The North (both Arewa and Middle Belt) is a
major stakeholder in the Jonathan
presidency. The choice before these leaders
in 2015 is whether their interests are better
served with theincumbent, President
Jonathan, or whoever emerges as the APC
flag bearer. They will direct their loyalists at
the localities to vote accordingly. Ango
Abdullahi is just letting off empty, hot air.
As for Coomassie’s Plan B, it no longer
exists. North used to bring in the army
whenever their civilian wing in power was
no longer sure-footed. They used to change
even military regimes whenever the one on
ground was no longer acceptable to them.
Those days are over. If Boko Haram was
Plan B, it is failing. It will not affect the
eventual outcome of the 2015 elections.
www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/norths-plan-b/

The Federal Government has declared
Monday 6th and Tuesday, 7th of
October, 2014 as public holidays for the
Id-el-Kabir Celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, made
the declaration in a statement today, Friday
26th September on behalf of the Federal
Government of Nigeria, felicitating with all
muslim faithfuls in the country.

He further urged them to support, co-
operate and join hands with President
Goodluck Jonathan, in his sustained efforts
to building a peaceful, united and virile
nation. He enjoined all Nigerians to use
this occasion to pray for peace and unity
across the nation.
The minister while rounding up his speech
wished all Nigerians a most rewarding and
happy id-el-Kabir celebration.
www.naij.com/297366-fg-declares-dates-id-el-kabir-holiday.html

I think this is a welcome development

About 1,200 Nigerian security personnel
including members of the Armed Forces,
the police and members of the Department
of State Services, DSS, have so far left Abuja
for anti-insurgent training in Russia.
Their departure for training as Special
Forces, security sources said, followed
alleged snub or nonchalant attitude of both
the United Kingdom and United States
towards Nigeria in her fight against Boko
Harm terrorists.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that 400
security personnel left the Nnamdi Azikiwe
Airport in a chattered aircraft at about 5pm
weekend, accompanied by top security
officers as well as Russian instructors who
had been in the country to part of the initial
selection process for the officers and men
that would take part in the training.
It
was
further revealed that two other batches of
400 troops each had earlier departed for
the training, bringing the total number of
officers so far to about 1,200.
Saturday Vanguard had exclusively reported
that following the dithering of the some
western nations especially, notably Britain
and the United States of America over the
training of Nigerian security personnel to
confront the Boko Haram insurgents, the
Federal Government had decided to turn to
Russia to meet some of its immediate
security needs pending the resolution of the
diplomatic difference between Nigeria and
the two Western countries.
According to sources the latest batch of
Nigerian security personnel are joining
three batches of their colleagues who had
left for training in Russia earlier this year.
The last group would be in Russia for four
months before returning to the
countryearly next year to form a nucleus of
the Special Forces Brigade to be set up by
the country.
A similar scenerio played out when Nigeria
faced sanctions following the annulment of
the June 12, 1993 presidential elections
won by the late Moshood Abiola by the then
Military government led by late General
Sani Abacha as the Federal Government
turned to China and India for its miltary
needs.
The emerging scenario in the fight against
terror and the steps Nigeria’s government
has taken would have resulted in global
sensation during the cold war as the West
would have fought to keep her allies to the
then Soviet Union as now represented by
Russia which has, although, embraced free
market economy.
Nigeria, for years, enjoyed close ties with
the West and was seen as a US ally. But the
seeming nonchalant attitude towards it by
its traditional allies has reportedly
compelled the country to turn to Russia and
China for the training of its military as well
as acquisition of military hardware to fight
Boko Haram.
However, highly placed military and
intelligence sources told Saturday Vanguard
in Abuja that the decision to turn to the
other two world military powers was an
interim measure to roll back the advances
made by the Boko Haram insurgents who
have gained some grounds in seizing and
controlling some towns and villages in the
north eastern states of Borno and Adamawa
before the latest defeat suffered by the
insurgents in the last two weeks due to the
increased performance of Nigerian troops,
leading to the killing of the insurgents
leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Following the increasing sophistication of
the tactics employed by the Boko Haram
terrorists, the Nigerian government had
reportedly approached both the US and
British governments to procure arms for its
armed forces in order to effectively counter
the insurgents but the two governments
continued to dither, a situation that might
have been responsible for some of the gains
recorded by terrorists in recent times.
A senior security official told Saturday
Vanguard: “the United States and Britain
appear unwilling to provide arms to our
armed forces. It is surprising because these
are two friendly countries to Nigeria which
is under threat from terrorists. We have no
option but to look somewhere else for our
needs pending when the issues are resolved
at the diplomatic level by our government.”
However, Russia which has always been
willing to supply weapons and some other
logistics to Nigeria when other western
countries are not forthcoming readily
accepted the Nigerian proposal as the
Nigeria Air Force, NAF, has several Russian
fighter jets in its fleet.
Already, Nigeria has entered into contract
with Russian arms manufacturers for the
supply of high calibre weapons to the
Nigerian Army to combat the insurgents in
the North east and has also begun
discussion with the Israeli government on
possible supply of military hardware.
“When the Chief of Army staff said recently
that the Nigerian army would soon take
possession of weapons that would reverse
the trend in the North east, he was
referring to the deal between Nigeria and
some Russian arms manufacturers. We are
also in discussion with Israeli companies.
We don’t want to be held ransom by our
traditional allies. That is why we are
expanding our sources of supply,” the
source said.
www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/terrorism-1200-nigerian-security-personnel-leave-russia/

After an intense exercise which saw them
overcoming several obstacles when other
hopefuls fell by the wayside; and after a
suspense-filled final selection party, which
coincided with the launch of a new Gulder
bottle, the contestants for this year’s Gulder
Ultimate Search have finally proceeded to
the Aguleri forest.
Their search for this year’s hidden treasure
has commenced in earnest.
The lucky contestants for this year’s search,
tagged ‘The Mission’ are: Iwuoha Ikenna,
Nwagboso, Joshua, EmedikeIkenna, Nne
Cosy Joe, Ubachukwu, Chinedu, Otto,
Canon Chimenem, Afolabi Emmanuel
Olusegun, IrohNoela and Appi Samantha.
ErijakporLoretta, Robinson Sharon, Eriata
Blessing Ese, AddohEvi and Nwagbagiro
Sandra.
Prior to their entry into the jungle, the
contestants paid a courtesy call on the
Executive Governor of Anambra State, Chief
Willie Obiano, at the State Government
House in Awka Anambra State.
The delegation from Nigerian Breweries
Plc., manufacturers of Gulder lager beer,
which led the contestants to the Anambra
State Government House included Kufre
Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser,
Emmanuel Agu, Marketing Manager,
Gulder, Legend and Life, OnyekaOkoli,
Senior Brand Manager, Gulder and Seun
Lawal, Brand Manager, Gulder.
In his remarks, Gov. Willie Obiano
expressed satisfaction that the Gulder
brand deemed the Aguleri jungle of
Anambra State, fit enough to host the 11th
edition of Gulder Ultimate Search.
He said: “I’m very happy to receive all of you
here in Anambra and I commend your
wisdom in choosing Anambra for the
Ultimate Search. The choice of Aguleri is
commendable. You are going to find very
interesting places in our State.”
www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/gulder-ultimate-begins-drill-aguleri-jungle/

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Days after she came out of the rubbles of
the Synagogue Church of All Nations
(SCOAN), South African Lindiwe Ndwandwe
finally recounted her five-day ordeal,
revealing that she survived on her urine.
In a 20-minute video made available to
THISDAY yesterday by Adaure Achumba, the
West African correspondent of eNews
Channel Africa (eNCA), Ndwandwe
attributed her rescue to her faith in God.
According to her, she survived by drinking
her urine after she got dehydrated.
She said: “I was trapped in the toilet for five
days. I was hungry and thirsty throughout
my stay there. I couldn’t even move so I was
just lying down because there was no leg or
headroom to move around."
Rescue operations had been ongoing for
four days when she walked out unaided on
the fifth day at about 2 am last week
Tuesday after excavation had been done in
the section where she was trapped.
She said: “I was about to eat when I decided
to visit the restroom. When I was there, I
heard this noise and then the ceiling of the
toilet came crumbling down.
“I heard people praying but I was alone in
that place. I tried to sleep but it was
difficult. It was through a hole that I knew
whether it was day or night.
“On the third day, I knew they were
rescuing people because I stopped hearing
the voices of my neighbours.”
On how she survived, she said: “Remember
I was about to eat when I decided to visit
the rest room. When I was hungry, it was
then I started having a conversation with
God. Anytime I was hungry or thirsty and I
told God, I will just fall asleep. On the
fourth day, I was becoming weaker.
“And I was more thirsty. It then occurred to
me that the only thing to do was to drink
my urine. But I couldn’t even do that
because I was lying on my side and the
ceiling was hanging over me.
“So I removed my vest from my neck, put it
round my legs and urinated on it. The same
urine-soaked vest was what I sucked on
anytime I got thirsty.”
On how she was rescued, she said she
heard two men arguing on whether to dig
where she was or not and when they did,
she came out alive with a few bruises on
her arms.
She said: “When I was rescued and I called
my husband, the only thing he could say
was thank God. I could hear the loud shouts
of my family rejoicing in the background.”
After the interview, she was again led to the
site of the collapsed building, where she
broke down upon sighting the wreckage
from where she crawled out, muttering that
it was God that saved her.
www.thisdaylive.com/articles/synagogue-tragedy-how-s-african-survived-by-drinking-her-urine/189635/

Nduka Nwosu in New York and Jaiyeola
Andrews in Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday
departed Abuja for New York to participate
in the 69th session of the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA), during which
Jonathan would attend receptions hosted
by United States President Barack Obama
and UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki
Moon.
He would also have a private audience with
Obama in a bid to fix cooling relations
between Nigeria and the US over America’s
apparent reluctance to extend genuine
assistance to tackle the Boko Haram
insurgency, which has grown in magnitude
in recent months.
Presidency sources told THISDAY that
relations between both countries had
cooled off so much so, to the extent that
Nigeria did not get the right recognition she
deserves during the US-African Leaders
Summit in Washington DC last month.
According to the sources, Jonathan will
table Nigeria’s position on critical issues and
assure Obama of improved governance with
the aim of restoring the cordial relationship
that has existed between both countries for
decades.
The meeting, the sources explained, will be
a follow up to the back channels Nigeria
had already opened up to reach out to the
White House preparatory to the meeting on
improving ties between both countries.
One source in the presidency further
disclosed that the meeting had become
imperative for Jonathan, as it would provide
him the opportunity to neutralise powerful
US lobbies used by the leadership of the
opposition All Progressives Congress (APC)
to project his administration in the worst
possible bad light.
The meeting would also provide Jonathan
the opportunity to get the commitment of
the US government to provide proper and
genuine support in the war against
terrorism; shared intelligence between the
US and Nigeria to counter the insurgency in
the North-east; and the supply of arms,
equipment and training for the Nigerian
military.
In return, Obama will ask for respect for
human rights in Nigeria’s prosecution of the
war against terrorism, stronger
commitment to the fight against
corruption, and free and fair elections in
2015.
During the General Assembly, however,
Jonathan would address the United Nations
Security Council high-level session on
threats to international peace and security
caused by terrorist acts, and Nigeria’s
containment of the Ebola Virus Disease
(EVD).
In a statement yesterday by the president’s
spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan
who would stop over in London for a brief
private visit before proceeding to New York,
will also be expected to participate at the
Climate Summit 2014.
The president will join visiting Heads of
State and Government for a dinner
reception and is expected to pay a private
visit to both UN General Assembly
President, Sam Kutesa, and later attend a
luncheon to be hosted by UN Secretary-
General.
On Wednesday, the president will address
the General Assembly and take part in the
UN Security Council Summit on foreign
terrorist fighters, chaired by Obama.
He will also attend the meeting on Open
Government Partnership.
Proving more insight into Nigeria’s
participation at the General Assembly,
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Professor
Ade Adefuye, told THISDAY that it was
unlikely Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Patience
Jonathan, would be accompanying her
husband to New York but Michelle Obama
who will be in attendance on Wednesday
will deliver the special keynote address at
the UN’s Global Education First Initiative’s
(GEFI) high-level event at the UN
headquarters.
The US Secretary-General launched this
initiative in September 2012, with the UN
Special Envoy on Education and former
British Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown,
and the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO).
GEFI aims to accelerate progress towards
quality education for all children and young
people.
With the 2015 deadline for the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) approaching
and discussions on the next set of
development goals underway, this event is
an important opportunity for leaders
around the world to advocate their
ambitious visions for quality education for
all.
The event will feature a conversation
among world leaders, highlighting why
quality education should be at the heart of
global discussion.
On Thursday, Adefuye said Jonathan will
speak at a United Nations meeting on the
Ebola virus.
Jonathan is also scheduled to hold bilateral
talks with Moon and the British Prime
Minister, Mr. David Cameron.
www.thisdaylive.com/articles/in-unga-jonathan-obama-meet-may-fix-nigeria-us-ties/189639/

Different strokes for different folks. Ever
since some entertainers declared their
intention to seek elective offices, the
decision has been welcomed with mixed
reaction and several controversies.
The likes of Desmond Elliot, 9ice and KSB
are some of the entertainers who have gone
under public scrutiny over their political
ambition.
For popular Nollywood actor, Desmond
Elliot, whose eye is set on the Lagos State
House of Assembly, the bone of contention
has been on the name ‘Olushola’ which he
has adopted.
Until recently, a lot of Nigerians did not
know the actor is a Yoruba man till his
campaign posters surfaced online. In a chat
with Saturday Beats, the actor said that he
has never denied his ethnicity. He said that
while growing up, the name everybody
called him was Shola.
“Where I grew up in Surulere they know me
by the name Shola and that is what they call
me. I use Desmond Elliot which is my first
and last name for my profession basically
because I wanted to remain neutral, you
could not tell where I come from. It is not
because I am ashamed of where I come
from. If I was, I would not be involved in
Yoruba films or any Yoruba events neither
will my kids have Yoruba names,” he said.
For those who still doubt his roots, the dark
skinned movie producer said that his father
is from Lagos Island while his mother is
from Delta State.
Elliot said, “In the interviews that I have
done, I have never denied that I am Yoruba,
I always mentioned my names. People have
always guessed where I come from and I
left it open because truthfully I am a
Nigerian. I am a Yoruba man and I would
never deny other tribes that I have come in
contact with. I am Yoruba by birth, I
schooled in the North, I married someone
from the South and my mother is from
Delta State.
“I am from Olowogbowo in Lagos Island; it
is not something that is hidden. I tell people
that say I don’t identify with the Yoruba
race that I do so because I have done
several Yoruba movies. At what point did
the name become an issue, have I not been
a worthy citizen of Lagos State?”
Although the name Abolore Akande might
not ring a bell, when 9ice is mentioned, the
song Gongo Aso readily comes to mind.
When the singer made public his intention
to contest for a seat in the House of
Representatives, many thought it was
because of his dwindling career.
But the singer told Saturday Beats that he
had not failed in his career having seven
albums under his belt. He also debunked
speculations that his foray into politics is
because he is going broke.
“If my music career failed, I would not have
seven albums under my belt. I am yet to see
any of my colleagues that has seven
albums. If your music is not appealing, you
cannot release seven albums because there
would be no marketer to buy them and
there would not be any demand for them.
When there is no demand, there can be no
supply. I think some people want me to do
what they want but I like doing what I want.
If people in the industry are going right, I
would go left if I believe that is the way to
go. I don’t care if everybody is doing party
songs, let them enjoy their party, I have my
own principle and I know what I want to
become. I am stating for a fact that there
would be some of my colleagues that would
not be remembered 10 years from now
because of the kind of songs they have
released. I don’t want to be like that. I might
not be rich or popular but I would be a
legend and that is my priority. My music
career has not failed and that is not why I
ventured into politics. “For those saying that
I am into politics because I am going broke,
I tell them that I am not a rich man, neither
am I from a rich family; poverty is not far
from me, I am close to it and I am not
afraid of it. I have never been an artiste that
would flaunt wealth, I cannot be who
people want me to be. I would always be
myself. I am neither hungry, rich nor poor,
so that question doesn’t apply to me. It
should be directed at whoever says he is
rich, I have never said something like that. I
am from a poor family,” 9ice said.
Shortly after his candidate’s last week, his
ex-wife, Tony Payne, tweeted advising
people to be sure of their candidate and not
to vote based on the candidate popularity.
The message soon went viral with many
people claiming that it was aimed at the
singer.
Reacting to the remarks, 9ice said that as
far as his name was not mentioned in the
message, it was not aimed at him.
“As far as my name, constituency and race
was not mentioned, I don’t believe it has
anything to do with me. It might just be a
coincidence but if someone comes out and
says, ‘People check Akande Abolore very
well before voting for him,’ then I would
know it is directed at me. I don’t take
assumptions for a direct message,” he said.
Also, his colleague in the industry, Kenny
Saint Best, claimed that her venture into
politics is not because of a failing career.
She said, “What is the yardstick for
measuring success? If for 16 years I have
been leading the pack; I have been part of
the revolution in Nigerian music, even in
the gospel sector, where are the people we
started doing music together? You have to
check my contemporaries. The problem
with Nigerians is that they believe when you
are not the rave of the moment, you are not
successful and that is not true. You don’t
have to always lead the pack and also you
don’t have to be at the tail end, it pays to be
in the middle and be consistent. I don’t
have any other business aside doing music;
it is music that has sustained me.
Everything I do revolves round music. They
say all this because I don’t make noise; if I
want to make noise, Baba Keke is there to
make noise for me from now till eternity.
But the kind of platform I have would give
others the opportunity to thrive, so I
intentionally allowed my brother to
downplay me. Jaywon, Tuface have come
and gone but there is still KSB, it was his
responsibility to give them the same
platform he gave his sister at a point in
time. I am still consistent; I won best gospel
artiste of the year in 2010, 2011,2013. I was
able to bring change to gospel music, a lot
of people cannot make such a change, I
brought gospel music to the forefront.”

Every body wants to show theirself.

A former Vice-President of the country,
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said that he is
more experienced than President
Goodluck Jonathan in the field of
running the country.
In an interview with French news agency
(AFP) on Friday, the Adamawa State-born
politician blamed the escalating spate of
insurgency and violence in most parts of
the North-East especially Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa States on Jonathan.
According to Atiku Abubakar,
Jonathan’s administration had done
nothing significant to address the
fundamental issues and to improve the
lives of the populace.
“This insurgency shouldn’t have lasted
even six months. Within weeks, we
(Obasanjo and I) crushed it because we did
not neglect military training and, of course,
we did not lack the leadership and the
capacity to take decisions.
“I told Nigerians that Jonathan did not
have the capacity; he didn’t have the
experience. He didn’t have anything and
yet they gave him the chance, the
opportunity. And they can now see the
chance and the opportunity they gave him.
Of course, I’m more experienced than he
is. I believe my capacity cannot be
compared with his, in all respect,”
Abubakar said.
Atiku continued slamming the
administration for failing to initiate
innovative reforms that would sporadically
transform key sectors of the society.
Earlier this month, Atiku Abubakar revealed
his intention to fight for the presidential
chair after having lost out to Jonathan at
the PDP primaries three years ago.
Though, he is currently with the main
opposition party, the APC (All Progressives
Congress), it is yet unclear if he would be
handed the party’s ticket ahead of the likes
of Muhammadu Buhari, a former Military
Head of State, and Aminu Tambuwal,
incumbent Speaker of the lower legislative
arm of the National Assembly.
www.naij.com/294048-abubakar-has-more-experience-than-jonathan.html

looking4job: Hello Nairalanders,

Please save a brother.Save a soul. I'm frustrated and sinking in abject poverty. I need a job urgently and i will sincerely appreciate any form of help rendered to me concerning getting employed. I am open to any job now as i have no choice at the moment. Qualifications are B.Sc Econs (2nd class lower division), Microsoft share point 2010 configuration & Certified Ethical Hacker. If you are in position to help with any information, please don't disregard this. Kindly email me via lookingforjob247@gmail.com. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Go join Nigeria Army or carry farm period.

asadike: Oya,my fellow women,pls join me lets march down 2 maiduguri 2 deliver that once peaceful state from boko haram. Mama peace,are u ready?

NL babes where at thou.

I think the nigeria Army should take a clue from these people in defeating BH.

WASHINGTON — Kurdish fighters battling ISIS desperately want more guns and armor, but they already have a secret weapon: The fanatics they’re
fighting fear that if they get killed in combat by a woman, they won’t go to heaven. “They have many female battalions, as you know
who fought very bravely,” Rep. Ed Royce (R- Calif.), who chairs the House International Relations Committee, told The Post of the Kurds.
Royce, who met this week with the foreign
minister of Kurdistan, cited recent reports of young female Kurdish troops “laughing” at ISIS forces they had turned back.
“These ISIL soldiers apparently believed that if they were killed in battle, they went to paradise as long as they were killed by a man,” Royce explained, using another acronym for the terror group.
“And these female soldiers were communicating
their satisfaction with the fact that they had taken the fight to ISIL and had stopped the advance,
turned back the advance — slayed a number of these fighters, who would then run away,” he added with a chuckle.
Women have long fought in Kurdish peshmerga forces, who have been battling ISIS in northern Iraq and in Kurdish areas of Syria.
A 27-year-old female Kurdish fighter named Tekoshin fighting in northern Iraq recently gloated to AFP: “I think [ISIS] were more afraid of us than of the men.” The Kalashnikov-toting fighter added:
“They believe they’ll go to hell if they die at a woman’s hands.”Some women who have fled the brutal oppression of ISIS have been organized into special Women’s Protection Units in Syria to do battle.
Hend Hasen Ahmed, a 26-year-old female fighter in Syria’s Kurdish region, told Britain’s Telegraph during the ISIS siege of Mt. Sinjar: “We are being trained to use snipers, Kalashnikovs, rocket-
propelled grenades and hand grenades … For myself and for my people, I will go to [Mount] Sinjar to either die or live there freely.”
Radical imams have invoked interpretations of
Koran passages to recruit jihadists, promising them a trip to paradise and 72 brown-eyed virgins if they die in battle or in what’s considered a martyrdom operation.
Seeing a woman staring at them down the barrel of a machine gun apparently isn’t what they had in
mind. Some women joined resistance units after ISIS
brutes slaughtered neighbors and relatives and forced them to flee their homes.
But now, the fighters — and Kurdistan’s
government — are pleading for more help, as the US ramps up aid to the Free Syrian Army and other forces.
Royce said the Kurdish regional foreign minister, Falah Mustafa Bakir, contacted him three weeks ago to complain that 190,000 Kurdish troops still don’t have the anti-tank missiles and long-range mortars that they need to defeat ISIS.
“The point the foreign minister was making to us is that his battalions — male and female — need to be equipped to handle the armor and the artillery” that ISIS has captured, said Royce.
By Geoff Earle
Kurdish female Peshmerga fighters take
part in a military exercise at a base near
Sulaimaniya in northern Iraq.