₦airaland Forum

HopeAtHand:
Thats how you know an unserious people .

They are putting hope on Ikwerre.....mtcheeew

Okay na..When they are ready to go about their biafra, we shall know.

barcanista:
The NSA is an acronym of National Security Adviser, one of the powerful and influential offices in government. Its role is very strategic and cannot be over-emphasized.

Buhari’s appointment of General Babangana Moguno as the National Security Adviser left one wondering whether the NSA is specially reserved for the northern part of the country just like its erstwhile predecessor the National Security Organization (NSO).

Decree number 27 of 1976 established the NSO by the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, and was dissolved in July 1986 by the General Ibrahim Babangida regime. It had four Director-Generals throughout the 10years it existed. All four DGs were Northerners.

They were Abdulahi Muhammed (1976-79), Umaru Shinkafi (1979-83), Muhammed Rafindadi (1983-85) and Aliyu Gusau (1985-86). Technically the NSO was more or less Northern Security Organization.

Before Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of power from Dr.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a total of five appointments and four people were made to occupy the office National Security Adviser since the return of civil rule in 1999. Three of the four were from the North with just one from the Southern part of the country.

They are…

1. Gen Aliyu Gusau (rtd) from Zamfara state (1999-June 2006)

2. Gen Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (rtd) from Kano state (June 2006-March 2010)

3. Gen Aliyu Gusau (rtd) from Zamfara state (March 2010-September 2010)

4. Gen Iwoye Azazi(rtd) from Bayelsa state (2010-2012)

5. Col Sambo Dasuki rtd from Sokoto state (2012-July 2015)

The naming of Borno state born Brig-Gen Babangana Moguno by President Muhammadu Buhari brings to question whether the office is specially reserved for Northerners or Northern Muslims? The question that bug my mind, is it wrong if President Buhari appoints a southerner into the office of the NSA?

Over the years, the south has produced fine and respectable men who by any standard are more than qualified to be appointed into that office. We have Rtd Colonel Kayode Are a former DG DSS under President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, who also served as “Deputy” NSA between April 2010 and October 2010 under Dr.Goodluck Jonathan.

There arre ex-Chief of Defense Staff Paul Dike and Oluseyi Pintirin. Ex-Chief of Army Staff Alexander Ogbemudia and Azubuike Ihejirika. We also have Ex-IGPs Musliu Smith, Ogbonaya Onovo and Mike Mbama Okiro from among the pool of brilliant retired military and police officers from the South.

Would it be a sin for any of these men to be appointed NSA? Even if the position is the exclusive of the north, must the candidate be a Northern Muslim? What happens to Non-Muslim northerners like the distinguished and globally celebrated Gen Martin Luthar Agwai?

Personally, I don’t believe in tribalizing or “regionalizing” political offices and I won’t indulge in that. But I believe that it is fair for the present government and succeeding ones to seriously look at the northernised office of the National Security Adviser so that Nigerians will not mistake the office to be “Northern Security Adviser”. Nigeria must get things right so as to give everyone a sense of belonging.

gratiaeo:
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari sacked service chiefs inherited from the former President Goodluck Jonathan ad­ministration last Monday, and replaced them with new ones. The new appointees, who are coming on board in acting capac­ity until they are confirmed by the Senate are: Major-Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olon­ishakin, Chief of Defence (Staff); Major- Gen. Tukur Y. Buratai, Chief of Army Staff and Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff. Others are Air- Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan, Chief of Defence Intelligence and Maj.- Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) as National Security Adviser.


The appointments, which are expected to rev up the war against terrorism and possibly reform the military, have been received with mixed feelings by Nigeri­ans, especially the Igbo nation, which is not represented in the appointments.


While the appointment of service chiefs is well within the rights of the president, the absence of any officer of Igbo extraction among the appointees is generating consternation in Igbo land. Although the president alluded to the fact that the appointments are based on merit, this exclusion of the Igbo indicates that they are not representative of the ethnic composition of Nigeria. In the appointments and others made by the president since he assumed office on May 29, there is a glaring distancing of the Igbo ethnic group, either from the South-East or South-South.

This unsalutory development will not augur well for an administration that was voted in on its mantra of change. The ex­clusion of the South East in the president’s appointments, so far, is also contrary to Section 14 (3) of the Nigerian Constitu­tion, which provides that “the composi­tion of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote na­tional unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sec­tional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”

The composition of the new service chiefs cannot be said to reflect adherence to federal character, as stipulated in the Constitution. The poor representation of the Igbo at the upper echelons of the Nigerian military has, for decades, sign­posted their continuing marginalisation in many areas of national life.

Since the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, very few Igbo citizens have been appointed as service chiefs in the country. Vice Admiral Alison- Madueke briefly held the position of Chief of Naval Staff, while Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika also only served as Chief of Army Staff in Good­luck Jonathan’s government for a short period before he was relieved of the ap­pointment. Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo was ap­pointed Inspector General of Police for a brief period during Umaru Yar’Adua re­gime, while Ambassador Thomas Aguiyi- Ironsi was the Minister of Defence for a short time during the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Aside these tokens, the Igbo have not really been taken into the mainstream of Nigerian military in terms of appoint­ments since the end of the civil war. Po­litically, the South East appears to have been emasculated to the extent that no­body from the area has been considered capable of being trusted with the leader­ship of any of the arms of the military for a reasonable period.

This tends to suggest that Igbo are not considered worthy of being entrusted with military power, or trusted by Nige­ria’s leaders, past and present. But, we know that this is not the case with Presi­dent Buhari. He is a well known lover of the Igbo ethnic group and the absence of the Igbo in the recent appointments is more likely to be an oversight on the part of his administration, and should be cor­rected in his future appointments.

Naturally, all major appointments ought to take cognizance of our ethnic diversity and ensure some measure of balance and sensitivity in ethnic representation. We say this considering the fact that the Igbo is one of the major ethnic groups in the country like the Hausa and the Yoruba. Short-changing the ethnic group in these appointments does not bode well for Ni­geria’s unity.

With these appointments, there is no doubt that most Igbo will rightly feel that the tribe has not been forgiven for tak­ing part in the Nigerian-Biafran war, over four decades after the end of hostilities. The earlier gains made through the ap­pointment of Madueke, Onovo and Ihe­jirika now seem to have been reversed. The continued distancing of the Igbo in the nation’s top security composition is not only symptomatic of marginalisation, it may be interpreted as an unconsciona­ble orchestrated alienation.

The exclusion of this major ethnic na­tionality from the national power equa­tion will not augur well for a government that has equity and fairness to all parts of the country as part of its mantra.

This inexcusable oversight should be corrected in subsequent appointments by the president. As a friend of the Igbos and somebody that has had a good relation­ship with notable Igbo leaders, we believe that it is not too late to make amends in future appointments.

All the same, we congratulate the new service chiefs and urge them to discharge their duties with utmost dedication. No, doubt, the war on terrorism is still on course and the results so far show that there is still much to be done. With the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Intelligence, there is no doubt that the war on terrorism will naturally assume a new dimension, with more verve and im­petus. Those involved in the war against the insurgents must of necessity up their game on intelligence, which to a large ex­tent has not been sufficiently deployed.


http://sunnewsonline.com/new/service-chiefs-the-igbo-and-case-for-fairness-equity/

mrtidier:
Ibo people ask for Biafra, Nigeria refused and said the country must be one.
Dutch man draws cartoon of Mohammed in faraway Denmark, you people go around killing Ibos and destroying their properties in the North.
Philips Emegwali invents a super-fast computer, you say a "Nigerian" invents. Ibo student in diaspora makes good grades, you say a "Nigerian" graduates top of the class. But Ikechukwu Abia is caught trafficking drugs, you say an "Ibo" man is caught with drugs abroad.
Ibo man do his business and prosper, you people say they want to steal your land and rule over you. 90% of oil blocs in the South are owned by Northerners, you people do not say they have stolen someone's land and resources.
Ibos ask for the Presidency, you people laugh at them and say "over your dead body." The North has rule Nigeria for over 38years and they keep threatening everyone else that they are being marginalized, and so they start bombing everywhere, you people say let's negotiate with them.
Ibos vote for Jonathan, you people say they are myopic and tribalistic. The North and the West voted for Buhari, you people say it is called "change" and democracy.
Ibos rally behind Jimi Abaje, you people say they will drown in the lagoon. Ambode won, you people start cursing them.
Adamu Ciroma and co said "The North would make this country ungovernable if a Northerner does not become President" and "They'll be no Nigeria if power does not return to the North". You people call them "Elder Statesmen","Party Stalwart", "Northern leader", etc.
Nnamdi Kanu says the same thing but you people call him "a retard", "treasonable criminal", "war-monger", "evil" and so on.
During the last elections, Radio and TV stations in the North play jihad songs while making anti-GEJ campaigns, say all sorts of things in Hausa, no newspaper headline asked for them to be banned. Of course you people call it politics.
Radio Biafra does same, all hell is let loose. You people say they spreading bigotry and dangerous propaganda.
Do you people have an IBOPHOBIA? Of course not! No one will agree. But do you think the Ibos are problems, everyone will raise their hands. But we ask, why don't you let the Ibos separate and go their way, you people give me that terrorist look.
Dear landlords, just one question:
What do you want the Ibos to do to please you?

-By Imoh David

dearpreye:
Whenever I see those folks, I just accord them silence!

HopeAtHand:
If you're not from Rivers, dnt start Ogoni vs Okrika issue..What do u mean by whole lot in common? Which similar culture and religion..

Regional consciousness.. yea...and thats about it..more like we struggle to get something and then we split it.

HopeAtHand:
If you're not from Rivers, dnt start Ogoni vs Okrika issue..What do u mean by whole lot in common? Which similar culture and religion..

Regional consciousness.. yea...and thats about it..more like we struggle to get something and then we split it.

Super1Star:
Ibos have been bowing like the slaves they are to the north fro time immemorial. Zik bowed down to Balewa, Ekwuemme to Shagari, Nzeribe to IBB, Daniel Kan to Abacha.

You have now taken your slavery too a new low by bowing to the Ijaws.

Ibos hustles and we know that. The hustling of baby factory, kidnapping, armed robbery, okija killings, ezzu river killings, fake drugs, fake products, prostitution, drug trafficking etc readily comes to mind as part of your well documented hustling.

Does Ladipo resemble Ariara market?

HopeAtHand:
Oil politics 101 for you..Who is delaying the cleanup of Ogoniland after the UNEP report adviced same, the Ijaws in Ogu bolo LGA.

Why did the Ikwerre people of Nkpolu-Oroworukwo disagre that RSUST should not be moved to another Ikwerre town of Igwuruta..lolz, this is what it is...u cant blame me for apotting it out, i did not invent anything.

When we are ready for fiscal federalism, you will know..we will start showing ourselves love by not embezzling funds and standing in the way of progress of neighbouring tribes/ethnicities.

HopeAtHand:
If other regions arent alien, give Ogonis the opportunity to leave Nigeria and see if they will invite the Okrika man to join them though they've been neighbours for centuries

Truth be told, the tribalism and sectionalism has gotten deep into the marrow of Nigeria..most tribes/erhnic groups believe that that their destiny isnt attached to another tribe and they will happily go it alone...

Im asking you if not for geographic boundaries thay puts some of us in same state what do we have in common both in language and culture.

Am not 'happy my resources end up in the North', am also not happy it is shared in some part of the south..but i will be most satisfied if i held onto all of it..what is mine is for me alone.

ojdollars:
"The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision"

~Maimonides

I believe every new government deserves a Grace Period. A time frame to overcome inertia, put its house in order, develop a policy statement without undermining prevailing circumstances in the polity. Selecting capable hands to pursue its policies, clean the "mess" of the outgoing administration if any and settle down fully to the business of governance. Within this period, obvious gaffes from the government can be overlooked, they can be spared of strong criticisms and pampered to gain confidence to steer the ship of the nation. These concessions are within the context of "ceteris paribus".

The resurgence of Boko Haram activities with its attendant loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties and fear in the populace has altered the status quo and automatically ended the grace period the new government was enjoying. Issues of Insecurity, Economy and Corruptions were the three major points the APC based its campaigns on. The last administration inability to tackle these issues with the urgency it needed led to its ouster. The inauguration of the new government took place on May 29th, 2015.

Nigerians waited with bated breath to see how the new government would tackle these pressing issues. They hope to enjoy true changes for the first time in 16years of its democracy, but events in the last 42 days has started raising question about the direction of the new government. The inability of the new government to form a cabinet has created uncertainty in the polity. Investors are still watching and waiting; a cursory look at the decline in the stock market gives credence to this fact. The Naira to Dollar rate is at its lowest in the Nation's history. Economically, the nation is on standstill.

Some pundits are of the opinion that the government can do without ministers. They base their argument on the fact that even without a cabinet the government has been running, this argument is laughable. The Nigerian polity is tailored in a way that it can even run on autopilot. There will always be motion, but having movement is what matters. Ministers are needed to coordinate activities in the various ministries in order to bring the policies of a government to fruition. There is a limit to what permanent secretaries can do.

Ministerial appointment is also a constitutional requirement. Although, the time frame to make such appointments was not explicitly stated in the Nigerian constitution, but their appointments and importance cannot be undermined. The delay in forming a cabinet has left many in doubt especially political circles; this is also responsible for the many internal wrangling in the polity. Even the secretary to the government of the federation is yet to be named despite its importance.

Today, Boko Haram insurgents who had earlier been routed out of Nigerian territory now carry out simultaneous attacks in the country with impunity leaving death, blood, pains and ruins in its trail, reminisce of the heydays of insurgency. What are the new government security policy and/or marshal plan to end or curtail this resurgence? More often, the presidency releases a statement that the insurgents will be crushed. But then release another statement that they will negotiate with the insurgents.

This flip-flop approach was the path the previous government took and paid dearly for it. The fight against terrorism no doubt requires a multi-disciplinary approach, but without taking a firm decision on how to kill the cancer, we will keep moving in circles. Is the government continuing with the policy of the previous administration? If no, why is the present government retaining the NSA and service chiefs of the previous administration? Suffice to say that the present government criticized their handling of the insurgency? So why still retain them? What has changed? These are the questions in the mind of Nigerians home and abroad.

Other decisions and/or indecision of the present government during the grace period can be excused or rationalized but the security of lives and properties of its citizens, which is its foremost responsibility, can never be overlooked. Boko Haram has ended Buhari's honeymoon. These recent attacks has brought to fore the urgency of having a competent cabinet to pilot the affairs of the nation. Fighting insurgency is not a piece of cake, every hand must be on deck, and every arm and apparatus of governance must function at its highest ebb to achieve meaningful progress.

Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari must realize that he is viewed as the most prepared president in Nigerian's history. Apart from the fact that he has ruled this nation before, he contested for the office of the president four consecutive times. It would have been better if he had lost again and join the league of the "best president Nigeria never had" than to win and fail especially with the huge expectations in the nation. His delayed decisions/indecision is causing a lot of uncertainty in the polity and that is a luxury we cannot afford at this time. We need to know the direction of the new government to guide our expectations and give support where necessary.

May God guide the President

God Bless Nigeria

Source: The FCT Post - http://www.fctpost.com/2015/07/10/mr-president-the-honeymoon-is-over/

CC: Lalasticlala - Front page please

sleemoon:
Av replied u naa.... Same day

superstar1:
President Fulani

VP Yoruba

SP Yoruba Fulani

Speaker Kanuri

CJN Hausa.

#lobatan.com

ZeroTolerance:
Finally the South west loses. Only one inconsequential VP position went to them. After all the noise.

zik4ever:
The election today may not favour Onu again because the South South may be preferred for SGF now. What do you think?

ZeroTolerance:
With what has happened today, I don't think Gbamigijala or whatever will emerge as speaker. Saraki is seen as Yoruba in some angles even though he is from the north west and claims to be Fulani sometimes. The north will want a core northerner to emerge as speaker and they have an overwhelming numerical advantage in the House of Reps.
South west has lost out