What a horrible way to die. R. I. P

Thank God no life was lost

How?Government must have a hand in it.

Wasted souls. R.I.P

Photos of recent cult clashes in Calabar, Cross River State.
Viewers Discretion is Strongly Advised.

It's a very big fraud. He is trying to create additional problems for the incoming government knowing fully well that his party might not win the up coming election.

R. I. P Will Smith

Nomadic President

Rest in peace Colonel.

Zombies should be able to give us an ideal answer to that question.
APC is a total failure.

Magnificent creatures

Good one, the best form of defense is to attack.

APC need serious prayers.
R. I. P

Ah God have Mercy. Thank God they survived it.

Arebe shd start paying oustanding salaries. There is no nid fixin de moni bc d entire state is aware of de bailout.

Am happy der is no Jonathan 2 point accussing fingers at.

DESTINY CAN ONLY BE DELAYED BUT CAN NEVER BE DENIED.

WHOM GOD HAS BLESSED, NO MAN CAN CURSE.

I will say a very big NO.
Well meaning Nigerians are highly disapointed de way PMB is handling dis anti corruption issue.

To me, he is not fighting corruption but enemies and perceived enemies.

I will take him serious wen de likes of Ameachi, Fashola et al av ben brought 2 book.

RIP man, if u eva av d opportunity 2 come back, don't take part in any SCAM.

Buhari’s govt, most unprepared in history —PDP
October 11, 2015: Our Correspondents
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The Peoples Democratic Party has berated the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as lacking in capacity and worsening the country’s economy.
The major opposition party in the country said there was widespread disenchantment being expressed by Nigerians over the inept handling of governance and insincerity by the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, the PDP said Buhari’s government had become a huge source of worry for the health of the nation.
The party noted that the attitude of the APC administration to governance in the last five months and the feelings of a cross section of Nigerians underscored the fact that the PDP, notwithstanding the setback of the last general elections, remained the only true pan-Nigeria vehicle that guarantees the unity, stability and prosperity of the nation as well as the welfare of individual Nigerians, irrespective of class, creed and tribe.
The statement read in parts, “It is now manifest to all that the APC administration is completely bereft of ideas needed to effectively manage the nation, a consequence of which is the sudden decline in the economy, general anxiety and prevailing unhappiness and grumbling among the citizens across board.
“The apparent lack of capacity and ingenuity by this APC government to run the affairs of our dear nation has become evident in the myriads of political and economic glitches that have bedevilled the polity since it took office on May 29.
“Nigerians, going by their comments, are deeply disturbed that instead of focusing on issues that directly touch on their lives, especially given its long list of campaign promises, the APC administration has remained high on propaganda, violating the constitution for partisan capital, hounding perceived political enemies; while at the same time continuing in their trick of hoodwinking the populace, using their so-called body language theory in the attempt to appropriate achievements of the previous PDP administration.”
The PDP said the fact that the Buhari-led government had been unable to pursue any investment in any of the critical sectors, eliciting public fears of serious economic crisis in the coming years.

The party added that the APC was not the desirable alternative to the PDP, but a band of “power grabbers, who swindled the electorate to get into office using false promises and propaganda.”
In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, asked what the PDP actually wanted.
While promising a comprehensive reply to the statement by the main opposition party, he said Nigerians know whether they Buhari government was working or not.
“They said we are not working, yet light has improved. They said we are not working, yet we are stamping out corruption and the PDP is not happy. They will bellyache for long,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the PDP has dismissed the Lagos State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal’s judgment upholding the declaration of Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila as winner of the March 28, 2015, House of Representatives election in the Surulere Federal Constituency 1.
Gbajabiamila is the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
The candidate of the PDP, Tony Ashikodi, who polled 14, 550 votes against Gbajabiamila’s 21, 715 votes, had headed for the tribunal to challenge Gbajabiamila’s victory.
The Justice C.U Anwuka-led three-man tribunal, on Friday, however, rejected the petition challenging the victory of Gbajabiamila and his party, the APC, in the said election.

The Publicity Secretary of Lagos PDP, Mr. Taofik Gani, in an interview with one of our correspondents, expressed disapproval of the verdict, stating that the party would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, as well as petition the National Judiciary Council.
He said, “The popular opinion is that the PDP candidate, Mr. Tony Ashikodi, won that election. We are surprised that despite the array of evidence and the facts being so obvious to the tribunal, as put forward by our lawyers, the tribunal still went further to give judgment to Gbajabiamila.
“Again, on technical grounds, the tribunal in Lagos has not been delivering justice and we make bold to say that at the end of all, we will approach the National Judicial Council to probe the manner which this tribunal delivers judgment on the petitions in Lagos State.”

According to the party spokesperson, Gbajabiamila’s victory is momentary.
He added that the tribunal is under watch and expressed conviction that the NJC would investigate why “in Lagos, despite numerous petitions, all the tribunals are doing is delivering judgment in favour of the APC.”

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PDP blames DSS for Abuja bombings
October 6, 2015: Olusola Fabiyi

The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the Department of State Services is weak in intelligence gathering.
It said this was what led to the two simultaneous bombings recorded at two satellite towns within the Federal Capital Territory on Friday.

The bombings led to the death of 20 persons while 41 others were seriously injured.
The Acting National Chairman of the opposition party, Prince Uche Secondus, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said the agency should not be seen to be political in its activities.
Secondus therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the agency and other security outfits in the country.
He said his party noted with deep sadness and concern, the resurgence of terrorism and renewed attacks on the nation’s capital.

He said that the Abuja coordinated attacks came just as the nation was already celebrating the success of its security forces in their efforts to overrun the terrorists.
The renewed attacks, he noted, was an indication of either a fact of dereliction of duty or sabotage against the anti-terrorism fight.
Secondus added that his party had remained steadfast in its commitment to support every policy adopted by the government of President Buhari aimed at ending terrorism, especially knowing the importance of a secured environment in achieving peaceful co-existence and development.

He said, “We are aware that a bomb is an ill wind that blows no good to anybody in the community. It scares away potential investors.
“We are therefore duty-bound to draw attention to certain grave factors, possibly leading to the unfortunate resurgence, which, if unchecked, could worsen the ugly situation.
“Our checks revealed that poor intelligence gathering by the Department of State Services and other relevant intelligence group is largely, if not directly, responsible for the resurgence of terrorists, who had earlier been pushed to the precipices in the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, to the extent that they have slipped back into other cities, including the nation’s capital.
“From all indications, the DSS under the watch of the current Director-General, Alhaji Lawal Daura, does not seem to be in full grip of the intelligence situation.”
Secondus added that the alleged dereliction of duty was occasioned by the alleged use of the agency for political assignments since the emergence of the new Director-General of the DSS.
Apart from this, he said he also noticed an alleged apparent administrative disharmony within the service, which he said, had led to the erosion of professionalism, harmony and loyalty among the agency’s personnel.

Secondus said, “In the last few months, the DSS, instead of concentrating on its primary statutory duties of providing domestic intelligence, security service and criminal investigations for the state, has, under the new Director-General, directed all its energies on political matters; chasing after opposition elements, interfering in election tribunal activities, intimidating and hounding tribunal witnesses while terrorists resurge and combatant security forces left with scanty intelligence.
“The situation with the DSS has become so pathetic that it could not even effectively analyse reported suspicious tweets ‘predicting the attacks’ as a clue to forestall last Friday’s attack in Abuja and other parts of the country.”

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Oyegun, Audu, Melaye meet over ministerial screening
October 6, 2015: John Alechenu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party’s candidate in the Kogi State governorship election, Abubakar Audu, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Dino Melaye, on Monday met behind closed doors.
The agenda of the meeting which was held at the party’s headquarters, in Abuja, was not made public.

However, it was learnt that the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election and the screening of ministerial nominees scheduled to commence this week were discussed at the meeting.
It was also gathered that Audu who came moments after Dino, was in addition to seeking for the party’s support for his campaign efforts, also put in a word for the lawmaker who was his campaign manager, in 2011.
Melaye, a vocal supporter of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had in his interaction with the media last week, assured Nigerians that the screening of ministerial nominees sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari, would be “rigorous” adding that the era of “take a bow and go” was gone.
Some of the party leaders had interpreted this to mean that the Senate is preparing to either humiliate some of the nominees or make things difficult for them during the exercise.
In the light of the development, it was further learnt that Dino’s presence at the meeting was to further assure the party leadership that nothing of that sort was in the offing.

Another party source who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the forthcoming Tribunal judgment over the Kogi West Senatorial District election was also discussed.
Melaye, who arrived at the party secretariat at about 3.10pm, was later joined by Abubakar Audu at Odigie-Oyegun’s office about an hour later. The meeting lasted for close to two hours.
It was gathered that the meeting was convened at the behest of the former Kogi State governor, who felt the need to reconcile his ally with the party leadership, against the backdrop of mutual suspicion among the party leadership.

The party source said, “The former governor was here to put in a word for Melaye, you know the tribunal matter is still there and judgment is only a few days away.
“Also note that some of our leaders are not taking the “threat” to make things difficult for our nominees lightly. For now, the party leadership cannot meet with the Senate President for obvious reasons.”
In response to reporters’ inquiries about the meeting, Melaye said it had nothing to do with his case at the tribunal.

He said, “What has the party got to go with the tribunal case? This is my party’s national secretariat and I can come here anytime. As for the election petition,Godgo win.”
He declined to respond to further questions before entering his waiting vehicle. Odigie-Oyegun also did not entertain questions from reporters as his security details shielded reporters away from him.

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Britain right to demand Alamieyeseigha’s extradition – Sagay

October 5, 2015: Eniola Akinkuotu

The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, says the United Kingdom has every legal right to demand for the extradition of a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to London.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, had said Alamieyeseigha, who was pardoned by former President Goodlcuk Jonathan, has an outstanding case of money laundering to answer in the UK and that the UK government will not give up until Alamieyeseigha is brought to justice.
Pocock had said, “The former governor skipped bail in the UK on a charge of money laundering and returned to Nigeria. So, he has an outstanding charge in the UK, which is there for him to answer.
“We have already discussed it and the Nigerian government knows our views. But we would like to see him return and answer the charge in the UK.”

However, former President Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, had said there was no need for Nigeria to send Alamieyeseigha to the UK since he had been punished and pardoned by the President.
Okupe argued that the offence was committed against the people of Nigeria and the UK had no business with Alamieyeseigha.
However, Sagay told our correspondent on Sunday that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government would do well by extraditing the former governor to the UK.
He said, “Alamieyeseigha allegedly committed a separate crime by laundering money in Britain and that is not a crime in Nigeria but a crime against British Criminal Law and so, Goodluck Jonathan cannot pardon him for that.”
When asked if the absence of an Attorney General could stall the case of extradition of Alamieyeseigha, Sagay said there was no rush as the country’s new ministers would soon emerge.

He said, “Certainly, the case can be stalled but there is a pact between Britain and Nigeria which obliges us to extradite offenders who they are looking for. There is a process. A judge will give consent once there is evidence that there is a prima facie case against him in England.”
When asked if the case would not be seen as political prosecution or a witch-hunt, Sagay dismissed such claims as balderdash.

He said, “This is the new defence for criminal prosecution which is being drummed up in Nigeria. It does not exist in law. Witch-hunt has never been a defence in court. The plea is guilty or not guilty. You are a real witch if you are guilty and should be hunted.”

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Mad man

Students storm Osun street over schools’ merger

October 5, 2015: Femi Makinde, Osogbo
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Students of Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun on Monday staged a fresh protest over the alleged planned merger of the college with another state owned College of Education in Ilesa.
The students, who were armed with placards with various inscriptions stormed the palace of the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun, where people of the community were holding a meeting to deliberate on the alleged plan by Governor Rauf Aregbesola to merge the college with the one in Ilesa.

The students stormed the venue of the meeting where chiefs and other leaders of the town had gathered. It took the organizers some minutes before they were able to calm down the protesting students.
The students warned the governor against going ahead with the plan, saying they would resist the policy with everything they had.
The Secretary of Ila Orangun Community, Mr. Yemi Adeoye, who addressed journalists said the people of the town had resolved that the status of the college should be allowed to remain the way it is.
They said the restructuring would lead to reduction of academic programmes and population of the institution which was established in 1979.

Adeoye said the restructuring would leave the college with just two academic programmes adding that this would affect the economy of the town whose residents depended on the college with 15,000 students for their source of income.
He said, ” It is our humble submission that the present state government is being requested not to change the College of Education at Ila to that of primary and technical education and continuous education centre.
“The status quo should please be allowed to remain. This is very important because of posterity and the generation yet unborn. The blood of Marty, Adepeju Oyedotun whose untimely death precipitated the birth of the college is crying in support of Ila Orangun community.”

Residents of Ila Orangun and Ila Orangun Students Association led by its president, Mr. Rilwan Sulaiman and the Student Union President of the COE, Ila Orangun, Julius Akinleyin, had on Saturday marched round major streets in the town singing anti-government songs based on the rumour that the government had given a directive to governing councils of the colleges to work out the merger of the institutions.

Indeed, we r winning the war (PMB)

‘No Biafra rift between Obasanjo, Adekunle’
October 5, 2015: Olufemi Atoyebi
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| credits: mydailynewswatchng

BUSOLA Olagunju, daughter of the late Brig. Benjamin Adekunle, has said her father never quarrelled with former president Olusegun Obasanjo over their roles in the Nigerian Civil War.
Obasanjo took over the control of the 3rd Marine Commando at Escravos from Adekunle who was popularly called Black Scorpion.
The former president then ended the war shortly after taking over, with the same marine commando.
During the one-year remembrance of Adekunle in Ogbomoso, Oyo State on Saturday, Olagunju, who is a legal practitioner based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, acknowledged that there was a divided opinion over who actually won the war between her father and Obasanjo.
She, however, added that it was never an issue between the two.
Busola said that behind the scene, Obasanjo and her father were the best of friends.
She said, “There is a historical fact about who ended the Civil War.

There is no rift or debate about that. The debate is about who contributed the most between my father and Obasanjo. That is however subjective. Some say my father had already conquered the whole of Biafra and that Biafra was already like a tablet of soap when Obasanjo took over from him. But even if it was a size of a postage stamp, the truth is that Obasanjo took over when the war was still on.
“This is another example of a public and private matter. When my father died, Obasanjo was the person I called in Nigeria. People can say what they want in public but privately, Obasanjo and my father were friends. He (Obasanjo) calls my mother his wife. My father and Obasanjo quarreled but they easily resolved it without making a noise about it. I have a lot of respect for both of them and I have my reasons.”
Adekunle, who died on September 13, 2014 at the age of 78, retired from the Nigerian Army in 1974 after 16 years in service.

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Ministerial list: Submission of petitions against nominees begins Tuesday
October 3, 2015: Sunday Aborisade and Success Nwogu
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The Senate will start receiving petitions against President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees on Tuesday.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, told one of our correspondents on Friday in Abuja that the committee would give the petitions prompt attention once they were presented.
He said as of Friday, no member of the public had formally submitted any petition against any of the ministerial nominees.
Buhari sent the list containing the names of the ministerial nominees to the senate on Wednesday for screening.
But Anyanwu noted that the committee might start receiving petitions as from Tuesday when the list would have been officially unveiled by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
He said, “We have not been receiving petitions from members of the public obviously because the list of ministerial nominees has not been officially unveiled by the senate president.
“I think the petitions will start coming in as from next Tuesday after Nigerians would have known the nominees.”
Meanwhile, investigations bySaturday PUNCHrevealed that some Peoples Democratic Party-controlled states have been warming up to oppose the clearance of any All Progressives Congress member that would make the list from their states.
Apart from this, some aggrieved members of the APC in some states were also said to have threatened to write petitions against any nominee that is not confirmed by the state chapter of the party as a member.
It was gathered that the Rivers State Government and the state chapter of the party had concluded plans to oppose a former governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, if he was nominated.
It was learnt that the state government might instruct senators from the state to oppose Amaechi’s nomination.
But when contacted, the state government and the PDP said they would prefer to keep mum on the report that Amaechi’s name was on the ministerial list.
The Media Assistant to the State Governor, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, said the state government would take a position after the senate must have read out the list on Tuesday.
Nwakaudu explained that everything about the content of the ministerial list would be mere speculation until it is read out by the National Assembly.
“Let the list be read first; if the list comes out, we will formerly take a position,” he said.
Similarly, the State PDP Deputy Publicity Secretary, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, said the party would be thorough in its position on whether Amaechi’s name appeared on the list or not, but would have to wait until the Senate read out the list on Tuesday.
“When the Senate reads out the list, we will react. We are always thorough when we take a position on an issue. They said it is the Senate that will disclose the content of the list and that will be on Tuesday. We are waiting for them to do that,” Nwanosike added.
Besides Amaechi, those who were reported to be on the ministerial list included a former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; a former Governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige; and a one-time Governor of Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu and an ex- former finance commissioner in Ogun State, Kunle Adeosun.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, Malami Abubakar; a former governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba State, Aisha Alhassan; and a special adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, also made the ministerial list.
However, the founder, Engineer Sunday Adebayo Babalola Foundation, Mr. Sunday Babalola, and the Director of International Women Communication, Hajia Goroso Limota, urged the senate to thoroughly screen the nominees.
While Babalola spoke at Omu Aran, Kwara State on Friday during the inauguration of N2m scholarship to some students in secondary and tertiary institutions from Omu-Aran, Limota spoke in an interview with one of our correspondents in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during the inauguration of the sustainable development goals among grassroots women.
Babalola cautioned against using religion, gender, tribe and other sentiments, instead of competence and merit, as yardstick for screening the nominees.
Limota urged the senate to reject the list if it did not contain at least 35 per cent of women.

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I’m sad I don’t have a Ph.D –Aki
October 3, 2015: ’Nonye Ben-Nwankwo and Ademola Olonilua

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Aki
Actor Chinedu Ikedieze, popularly known as Aki, has done well for himself in the Nigerian movie scene. Not only has he become a household name in Africa, he is also a national award recipient.
Even with his success, the actor is still not fulfilled because he believes that by this time in his life, he should have bagged a Ph.D degree.
He said, “Aside obtaining my first degree in mass communication at The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, I had the opportunity to go to New York Film Academy in 2004. I did film acting, it is like a certificate programme and I have learnt over the years on the job too. By now, the way I had it in mind when I finished school, I should have had my second Master’s degree if not Ph.D. Each time I think along that line, other things come to mind and I am not happy about that. When you see me again, I might just be finishing a particular course.”
The actor also attributed his success to his caring grandmother who allowed him to play freely as a kid. Aki said, “My background contributed a lot to who I am today and it is still contributing. I grew up with my grandmother in Abia State and I learnt a lot from her. She probably just gave me a free hand to operate as a little boy and that gave me the opportunity to know how to set traps, play pranks on people and to know other little things that children usually do. The experience really influenced what I do today because most of the films I do are children- friendly. You will always see me playing one mischievous role or the other; I learnt these things while I was a little boy. Also, every child has a story; you know I was a street boy, so to speak. All those little things I gathered on the streets. Aki is the character that everybody knows me for, though Chinedu Ikedieze is not a mischievous person.”

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We won’t rush to rescue Chibok girls ─Army
October 2, 2015: Olaleye Aluko
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Acting Director, Defence Information, Military Headquarters, Abuja, Col. Rabe Abubakar
The Nigerian Military says it will not be in a hurry to rescue the secondary schoolgirls in Chibok who were abducted in April 2014.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Military Headquarters, Abuja, Col. Rabe Abubakar, who said this at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, noted that while it was of utmost concern to the military to rescue the girls, the operation required demanded adequate patience and planning.
Abubakar added that recent efforts by the military in the rescue of over 200 women and children held captive by Boko Haram proved that the military was on course in recovering the girls.
He said, “The issue of the low morale of the Nigerian military men has now become a thing of the past. The operation to recover the Chibok girls is alive and still ongoing. We have continued to make rescue efforts, and we will do all within our powers to bring the girls.
“However, we will not rush to do this. It requires diligent intervention and a high-level operation to rescue the girls. In due time, every captive of Boko Haram will be released. A lot of achievements have been recorded recently, and this cannot be disconnected from the high morale of the army.
“We want to assure our citizens that soon, insurgency will be a thing of the past. But, it is not only about the military or the North-Eastern region. It is our collective duty to ensure that there is peace in the country.
“The Nigerian army has put together a multilateral cooperation. Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon are partnering to ensure we win the terrorism war.”
The director, who noted that terror groups only thrived on information, said the military would forgive and rehabilitate insurgents who willingly surrendered to the army.
He said, “The Defence Headquarters has brought out a committee to work out modalities to set up a safe horizon. This is a place where terrorists who decide to surrender will go. Once they are there, they will be spared of any molestation and given treatments conforming to international best practices.
“A terror group can only survive on information. Information has been identified as one of the key elements relied on by terrorist groups to perpetrate their heinous crimes. It is for this reason that we seek collaboration with the media. We are not sleeping. We are cooperating with the relevant agencies in the fight against the terrorists.”

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Can Nigeria defeat Boko Haram?
October 2, 2015: Our reader
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Buhari promised to “defeat Boko Haram”. Did he think about what brought about the Boko Haram terrorism, and seriously consider the best solution? Was he even disposed to any other option? Did he think that his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was not serious about defeating Boko Haram? Yet, Jonathan was hanging one security chief after another, and kept getting the same result; even when he declared six weeks intensive land, air, and water operations against Boko Haram, he only did his best and left the rest. The Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, asked Buhari: What new things are you doing that Jonathan didn’t do, and what result do you expect? Buhari ignored him.
When, in December 2011, Jonathan promised to eradicate terrorism in six months but failed to do so throughout his tenure, nobody could do anything to him. So, Buhari has taken the same path. He gave a three-month ultimatum to the Nigerian Army to eradicate the Boko Haram insurgency, knowing it is impossible, and that none of his own kith and kin would be affected. The Army is co-operating as in Jonathan’s days, displaying pictures of captured Boko Haram kingpins, but releasing scanty details of loss of soldiers and civilians. That way, government and unaffected Nigerians continue life as usual, while the North-East counts its own losses.
Government is saying Boko Haram is getting defeated when still killing many Nigerians in northeastern Nigeria towns and villages! Does the Army not understand that those who surrender are not die-hard Boko Haram insurgents? The die-hard ones will fight on, even if they remain only one person. A child doesn’t know what is called war, and is asking war to come.
Was Buhari trained in guerrilla warfare/war of attrition or in conventional warfare? War can take any dimension. The Army is said to have reported that Boko Haram has started poisoning water sources: rivers, wells, ponds, etc., due to which many cattle have died; hopefully human beings will not follow suit.
If Jonathan accepted dialogue in December 2011, when Boko Haram proposed it through Mama Sarah Jubril, even the bombed churches wouldn’t have been bombed in 2012. If he accepted dialogue in 2014, when Boko Haram proposed it, the Chibok girls would have returned to their families. If Buhari was not desperate about defeating Boko Haram, but seeking peace, all the bombings rocking the North-East since he took over wouldn’t have happened. After bombarding Sambisa Forest, Buhari is asking for the Chibok girls!
The President’s desperation to fight Boko Haram clearly indicates that he knew about the conspiracy that led the late President Umaru Yar’Adua to attack the Boko Haram community in 2009. Yet, Nigeria’s constitution guarantees religious freedom. War against corruption cannot cover injustice against the Boko Haram community and freedom of religion. Appease Boko Haram to avert further unforeseen measures (like poisoning water) by the group. Without peace, there can’t be progress.
PiusOyeniran Abioje,
PhD, University of Ilorin,
Kwara State

A note of advice to Nigeria Police
October 2, 2015: Our reader
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| credits: Stanley Ogidi
The news of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, coming home alive was a good one to all of us, as it is not unusual to hear that kidnappers have killed their victims even when ransom was paid.
The act of kidnapping for ransom is now an all-too-common crime in Nigeria and in the case of Falae, as soon as the news of his kidnap reached the authorities, the police under the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, followed with an immediate action. This instant action by the police was reportedly being carried out way before President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Arase to rescue Falae. To his professional credit, Arase remained in the area as the police worked on the case.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Falae showed up and the IG and his officers apparently rushed to the scene where the former was present. Then, something terrible happened—a fat and full blown lie was told about this case by the police, according to the media.
Arase, while with Falae who is a 77-year-old man, already traumatised, in crisis, and very hungry, told the men and women of the press that no ransom had been paid to Falae’s abductors and apparently spoke in a manner as if the police had rescued the victim.
To worsen this painful matter, the police knew nothing about Falae’s kidnap location and time of release until he, who had been a hostage for some days, was dropped off by the kidnappers on his farm. From there, he trekked several kilometres to the street where he met some policemen and introduced himself!
In other words, the police categorically did not rescue this man from the kidnappers and were not armed with details of the release as of the time they went to the press.
This is not the first time the Nigeria Police would twist stories of successful rescues from kidnappers, as in the recent case of Dr. Femi Omisore, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, who was one of several persons kidnapped in Ekiti State. Seyi Olaoluwa, a daughter of Dr. Femi Omisore, reported to the world that the police lied to the public. She stated that ransom was paid for her father’s freedom.
Not long ago, there was the case of the formerly kidnapped Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion, Ignatius Kattey, who, in his own words, said, “The police did not rescue me. They were not the ones who rescued my wife, Beatrice. I saw the police for the first time two days ago since the incident.”
While it remains understandable that Nigeria is still a developing society with an emerging democracy, it is time for our all-too-wide police structure which, in fact, should have long been broken into state police system, to learn to practise common sense procedural behaviours when dealing with the media.
For the purpose of police excellence in communication with the press and the public, the police should learn about press response, emergency media response especially.
They must learn and be ready to react quickly and honestly in terms of handling and adjusting to a hungry media by having a prepared honesty-based, fact-full response before going public, because when media handling goes wrong, the end product is a shame of mockery on the ailing institution, in this case, the Nigeria Police.
No matter how urgently a leader wants to assert himself or herself and gain instant name recognition and popularity, and no matter the nature of the circumstances in terms of emergency or non-crisis dealings, one should always give the facts correctly, learn to review the facts with one’s team and such facts must align fully with the central source, as in this case, Falae.
The media can always wait for a few minutes or hours for a proper and honest briefing by the police but when information is revealed from the points of sentimentality, a popularity contest and selfishness, major mistakes are made that could jeopardise one’s image, as in the case of the police leadership.
Certainly, Arase was attempting to be very proactive when he made statements about the end product of the kidnap matter. However, since he did not show patience to get the real facts, Falae’s later disclosures to the world crushed the police’s story in an overwhelming way.
By the police not understanding how to go about dealing with crisis communication in terms of responding to a hungry media, they ended up hammering more devastating blows on a man who was already exhausted physically, emotionally and even financially, as money was paid to the kidnappers.
*.Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi is a Florida-based forensic/clinical psychologist, Jos5930458@ aol.com
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Buyers of preregistered SIM cards face jail term
October 1, 2015: Everest Amaefule
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Acting Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umaru Danbatta
The Nigerian Communications Commission on Wednesday warned telecommunication subscribers against buying preregistered Subscriber Identification Module cards.
The Acting Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umaru Danbatta, who spoke at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair, said selling, buying and using preregistered SIM cards was punishable by imprisonment.
The NCC boss, who was represented at the event by the Assistant Director, Public Relations, Mr. Reuben Muoka, said the use of preregistered SIM cards by criminal elements to perpetuate crimes in the country was unacceptable.
Danbatta said, “We must speak to you about the issue of preregistered SIM cards. This is where criminally-minded people have utilised other peoples’ identities or fraudulent information to register and distribute SIM cards that are bought by innocent subscribers and criminally-minded ones for the purpose of committing fraud without being traced as the number they use do not bear their identities.
“We request you to avoid buying or distributing preregistered SIM cards as this is a criminal act punishable by imprisonment. Anybody involved in the sale, distribution or use of preregistered SIM card is considered a threat to national security, and if caught, will face the ugly consequences.
“The service providers have already been directed to disconnect any of these cards as no active SIM card is expected to be functional after 48 hours on the network.”
Danbatta said the decision to undertake drastic deactivation of SIM cards that were not properly registered during the SIM card registration exercise was to ensure the collective and individual security of Nigerians.
“The security of lives and properties of this nation far outweighs our individual conveniences, hence, our apologies for all the inconveniences as we urge you to support the commission to achieve this successfully,” he added.
According to him, the commission has stepped up its efforts to monitor and improve the quality of service in the industry.
Danbatta said a quality of service task force had been inaugurated to identify and recommend appropriate solutions to the endemic problem of poor quality of service being rendered by telecommunications operators.
He also said that the commission was on a two-pronged approach to tackle the problem of unsolicited text messages.
These are a stakeholders’ meeting that will bring together Value Added Service providers and service providers, and a new regulation to tackle the menace.
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