₦airaland Forum

Our football is like our country - no message.
With seconds to go a ball comes near your foot near the goal, not knowing who is behind you, you kick it away from the goal - period!
Why try to control a fast moving ball like that - it was like he placed it for the scorer!

How do you dialogue with people whose request is to put your head on a platter before they sit at the table.
All I know is the any southerner without an arsenal fit for a small army to defend his house/household needs to get out of the north, especially before the 2015 elections.

supereagle: FORMER military president, General Ibrahim Babangida has called on the Federal Government to take the weekend attack on the Emir of Kano by a gang of gunmen as a wake-up call on the need to beef up security across the country. He also called on the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to dialogue with those behind the spate of terrorist attacks in the country.

Babangida said the attempt on the life of the emir by gunmen was frightening, while indicating that Nigeria was already undergoing serious security threats on a regular and unbroken basis.

In a press statement signed on his behalf by Kaseem Afegbua, his media aide, Babangida said: “The reported cases of terrorist attacks are becoming frightening and seriously call for security alert by all and sundry. Despite spirited efforts by government, it is disturbing that this ugly trend has refused to depart from us, reason why government must change tactics and methods in handling this security challenge.

“The attack on the emir of Kano which reportedly left four people dead is a wake-up call to all of us. What could be the motive? What does anyone stand to gain by attempting to kill an emir that is nearing 80? The Emir of Kano stands out as one traditional ruler who does not seek favours from those in government and outside it, and who over the years has been able to live an exemplary life to the admiration of all.

“His record of achievements, the stability and candour he has brought to bear on the throne, are virtues that will live for posterity. May Allah continue to grant him good health for today and the future.”

Babangida, however, advised the government of President Jonathan to start exploiting the option of dialogue with members of the insurgent groups in order to arrest what he described as the prevailing drift in Nigeria’s national security.

He said the use of force by the security agencies has proved to be inadequate and ineffective to checkmate the ugly trend, adding, “we must put hands together to ensure the means of ending the acts of terrorism in Nigeria.”

Babangida added: “Dialogue is my number one preference in this regard. Government must also encourage positive discourses among its political appointees delivered with respect and rendered in temperate language to soothe the mood of the nation. Language of force will not help us in our strong determination to address this insecurity problem.”

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Christians in Kano abandoned worship services and refused to turn up at various churches for worship, just as many churches observed remembrance services for those who lost their lives during last January 20, 2012 attack.

It is recalled that gunmen raided Kano in a coordinated attack, burnt various police stations and killed over 200 people last January.

In view of the fear of an alleged rumour doing the rounds, coupled with fear created by the attack on the Emir of Kano, many Christians decided to stay away from attending church services.

Fierce-looking security operatives were seen checking motor vehicles.

Few people that attended Sunday service were prevented from parking their vehicles inside church compounds.

Christian worshippers interviewed by Nigerian Tribune confirmed that they were afraid of the current situation.

However, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Bayero and two of his sons may have left the country on Sunday in order to have adequate rest, as well as to receive proper care following the attack on their lives on Saturday when gunmen struck at a Quranic recitation graduation ceremony held at Macalazi Murtala, Zoo Road, Kano.

The report said Dr Bayero and his two sons, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, Turakin Kano and Sanusi Ado Bayero checked out in a chartered plane.

It is recalled that the emir’s convoy was attacked on Saturday at a Quranic recitation graduation ceremony
No fewer than five people lost their lives in the attack carried out by people suspected to be terrorists

http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/3536-kano-attack-ibb-begs-jonathan-to-dialogue-with-boko-haram-%E2%80%A2emir-of-kano-2-sons-travel-abroad

Go your way in peace, if you don't understand a statement that basically says "Prevention is better than cure".

What good does it do someone, if instead of preventing a drunk driver from killing a child, kept encouraging him to take the driver's seat, and then showed up at the funeral all broken up. That is the point you need to understand rather than make things up as you go.

Saying prevention is better than cure doesn't mean that cure should not be attempted, but even such cure would be viewed with disdain if the curer is the one responsible for the the ailment. Hence, you cannot line up behind BH and then call other people callous because they point out that it is more important that you condemn BH rather than look for condolences about BH's evils. GEJ will certainly sympathize with Emir Bayero, as many Nigerians are already doing, he is not that foolish - but we know that it will all be for naught if Gumi keeps sitting over there supporting terrorists with his words and authority.

What I would like to see is people like you come out strongly against BH instead of throwing out accusations. I understand how that might be difficult to do since BH has permeated the entire fabric of the region and looking to expand. This might be why Gumi is saying things like this. Emir Bayero spoke out strongly against BH after their last evil bombings in Kano, hence he became their target - instead of facing up to the reality of the creeping evil of BH someone came up with a cock-and-bull story about "Children of the Dead" trying to kill the emir.

nagoma: I conclude that you are not worth discussing with.. Your statement above is most insensitive, callous and cruel, that pretending to fight BH can stop a leader from sympathizing with his bereaved citizens and community. A community that he failed to protect. I would rather talk to animals. They have more compassion than you and your clueless President. So long! :

All these issues have histories, and those histories and each development over time must be recognized when the Palestine issue is being discussed.
It is just not as simple as you put it, and that simple view is part of the problem.

It is interesting that if we have perfect knowledge of history that some of these Palestinians would probably be descendants of ancient Israelites, but time and religion have separated them, and now they are killing each other off.

The basic fact is that most of the national groups on the planet today were not originally from where they are now located - and it is not even out of the mouth of Arabs that we should hear such things as "who owns the land". They "took over" other people's lands with the islamic conquest, imposing Arab nationalism in the guise of religion - and are still trying to do it till today. So, how many land disputes are we going to settle if everyone were to return to the original land space to which no people living today can lay a claim of first possession. History is history, what could be done is to learn from it and take proactive steps to prevent re-occurrence, but to try to reverse history by violence can only produce violence, blood-letting and all manner of injustice.

The UN had the most reasonable solution to the Palestinian conflict 60+ years ago (see below) - a solution Israel accepted and Palestine rejected. Why did Palestine reject the 1948 agreement? That solution remains the only reasonable one, and until that is recognized we can talk until we are blue in the face about which party is doing wrong this age-old blood-letting will not cease and could ultimately lead to the destruction of our planet. Note the statement by Abbas at the end - as long as Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran and all the other groups, committed to Israel's elimination, remain a threat it is not going to be possible. It is not about christian or muslim - Israelis are neither. Many christians support the Palestinian cause so long as the groups mentioned above are done away with.

Counting on terrorism to take a different dimension is merely dooming our planet - it as simple as that. The threat of terrorism is never going to solve any problem other than cause more bloodshed - that lesson needs to be learnt on all sides. Many of the conflicts on this planet today can be resolved by reason, but BOTH parties must be reasonable.

You talk about Iran. Don't you understand that when push comes to shove Israel will have nothing to lose from an Iranian nuclear arsenal? What is at stake is Iran starting a nuclear arms race in the region. Since Iran hates most of the countries around it those countries will have no choice but to acquire nuclear weapons, and with Hamas, Hezbollah and the like lurking in the shadow it won't be too long before one of those weapons get into their hands. For those who don't mind blowing themselves up it is a short stop to see the blowing up of the planet as the prelude to the arrival of their last prophet. If Israel or the others with a nuclear arsenal smells it or retaliate, whichever comes first, we all go kaboom in a nuclear mushroom!!!

Israel and the rest of the world are not interested in collective suicide which these groups certainly don't mind!!! Hence the need to stop the crazies in Iran that want a nuclear arsenal. Shouldn't the case of Pakistan be a lesson? That country is never going to ever develop because guarding its nuclear arsenal from terrorists will remain an enduring excuse for misrule. Iranian leaders are already known for hailing Hitler and wishing they could do what he did to Israel, so a world not interested in collective suicide must stop them.

The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a plan for the future government of Palestine. The Plan was described as a Plan of Partition with Economic Union which, after the termination of the British Mandate, would lead to the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem. On 29 November 1947, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the adoption and implementation of the Plan as Resolution 181(II).[2]
Part I of the Plan contained provisions dealing with the Termination of the Mandate, Partition and Independence. The Mandate would be terminated as soon as possible and the United Kingdom would withdraw from Palestine no later than the previously announced date of 1 August 1948. The new states would come into existence two months after the withdrawal, but no later than 1 October 1948. The Plan sought to address the conflicting objectives and claims of two competing movements: Arab nationalism and Jewish nationalism (Zionism). Part II of the Plan included a detailed description of the proposed boundaries for each state.[3] The Plan also called for Economic Union between the proposed states, and for the protection of religious and minority rights.
The Plan was accepted by the leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine, through the Jewish Agency.[4][5] The Plan was rejected by leaders of the Arab community, including the Palestinian Arab Higher Committee,[4][6] who were supported in their rejection by the states of the Arab League. The Arab leadership (in and out of Palestine) opposed partition and claimed all of Palestine.[7] The Arabs argued that it violated the rights of the majority of the people in Palestine, which at the time was 65% non-Jewish (1,200,000), and 35% Jewish (650,000),[8] most of them European born,[9] who immigrated in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries as a result of the Zionist movement (see Zionism).
Immediately after adoption of the Resolution by the General Assembly, the Civil War broke out.[10] The partition plan was not implemented.[11]
In 2011, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas stated that the Arab rejection of the partition plan was a mistake he hoped to correct.

seanet01: On the issue of this Palestine, You are simply biased.
While would you send over 700,000 out of their land, establish a state on same land, and yet refuse to let this people be. On daily basis, Israel is evicting this people from their land and you expect them to stand still?
Doesn't it occur to you that It is only In Hamaz's Gaza strip and Hezebolla's Southern Lebanon where Israel have been faced with bloody Repulsion that you will never hear of Settlement? The foolish Fatah that was actually more moderate have their territory, the west bank being sliced away by Israel on daily basis.
Then how do you convince this Hamaz and Hezebolla people that Israel is not actually after their extinction and that they should disarm and embrace peace?
You talked about forgetting the root of this problem or so?
The fact is Israel refuse to yield to the 1948 borderline which is even a an Injustice on this people.
You Christians need to drop your hypocrisy on this issue of Palestine/Israeli crisis, you probably have forgotten that Palestine have more Christians than Israel?
If you people have not been blindly supporting Israel, you will have seen that The Palestinian Christians are also Part and Parcel of Hamaz military wing, they have been part of it since It was founded and have never sabotaged the group. Almost all spies caught by Hamaz have all been Muslims meaning that Palestinian Christians are even much more Determined to protect Gaza strip from Israeli hijacking than The Muslims, the Muslims only provide the necessary Quantity of manpower needed for the group.
The fact is the basis of Israel establishment was wrong, unfair, barbaric, oppressive and highly insulting on the Palestinians and the Whole World need to realize this and apologize to this people. The whole world need to sink it into Israel's head that they were done a favour by their establishment.
Israel want the Palestinian to come over to the negotiating table without any Pre-Demand? What Nonsense?
The hypocrisy in this world have shown the Iranians that they needed a Nuclear weapon.
With the way You christians normally support any Western Oppression of Palestine because of your phantom verses in the bible, the world will never know peace. And there is going to be a time the terrorism issue will reach new dimensions.
What we need is Sincerity.
To my believe Iran is doing well rejecting western countries inspecting their Nuclear facilities.
While has Israel never allowed anybody to inspect their nuclear facilities?
Yet Iran should open up its own facilities?
What hypocrisy?
Israel have nuclear weapons but Iran must not have
What hypocrisy?
I pray that Iran develops a nuclear weapon and balance of power happens in the Middle east.
This World really thrives on Hypocrisy.

The Palestine issue has gone past what is right or wrong.
At this point both sides are engaging in wrongful acts.

What is important is which party has a baseline solution of killing off the other?
When one party's main objective is to kill off the other it that starts a race to the bottom.
An orgy of senseless bloodletting and all manner of injustice.
As long as one party has such a baseline, the other party is in a no choice situation.
Let Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and all the other vested interests take a more moderate position then this issue will be resolved quickly.
Israel attempt to test the waters in the past has been met by even more extreme acts and rhetoric - hence Israel is unlikely to yield first.

Palestine actually has the sympathy of a lot of the world, but as long as their one and only solution involves destroying Israel the latter will continue to do whatever is in its power, no matter how unjust, to protect itself.
Let's not forget that the same types of extremists exist inside Israel, and that if those people had absolute control of the situation it would not be a pretty sight for all involved.
Religions, nations, and any other organizations cannot afford to let itself be led by its most extremist component.
Eye-for-an-eye - soon everybody will be left sightless!!!

seanet01: So Israel is right to destroy people's homes and build its own on it?
In what way is Israel is different from the Apartheid regime of South Africa?

What has this got to do with anything we were talking about?
Are you in support of Boko Haram who attacked Emir Bayero or not?
That was the question, not whether somebody paid a condolence visit or not.
Which is more important? Putting down Boko Haram or paying condolence visits to victims of their craziness?

yasaa: More thatn 24hrs after the kano deadly attack that claims 3 and injure many on Emir of kano's convoy, neither Jonathan nor his deputy condemned the attack, it can be recalled that when the civil war veteran late General Shuwa was killed in maiduguri last year Jonathan didn't send his condolence to the family though Jonathan honour late Dim Ojukwu with state burial and full military honour, he also attended Ojukwu's burial. Late shuwa fought for the unity of this country while Ojukwu fought against the unity". Source ~Daily Scoop.

May be I didn't see others, but I acknowledged seanet01's condemnation of Gumi in an earlier post.
The fact remains that most of you have lined up behind Gumi, even as BH may have eliminated one of the most important muslim personalities in northern Nigeria.

Akanbi_edu: I believe this is called confirmation bias. Even if we check this thread, we are going to find muslims for/against Sheik Gumi but you have managed to see only the ones supporting.

People just don't wake up and start killing people, everybody is going to justify his/hers with reasons. Some kill for their country, some kill for their religion etc. Now my question is why should religion should be seen as more dangerous if killing is the basis, knowing that killing for country has recorded more deaths? I need you to think deeply about this, don't be conditioned to think the way media wants you.

It is not biased - what Iran says and does are open to all.
When Hitler started his plans people did not pay attention till it was too late.
It may appear like empty rhetoric to some, but a serious matter to those on the receiving end.

Israel does has its own share of blame for what is going on in the ME, but on balance (which is no consolation to those suffering) Israel has to take a firm stance.

The problem between Israel and Palestine could be solved easily but for vested interests that keep stoking the flames for their own ends & in the name of religion. Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and others whose baseline is the removal of Israel from the ME are just as guilty for the suffering of the Palestinians as Israel.

seanet01: @Koruji,
Almost everything you said against Iran is Biased.
All those Western propaganda that were first thrown across the world before they Attacked Iraq holds no water anymore.
If there is any nation with reckless brutalism in the World, it is Israel, do you know the number of United Nation Resolutions it is violating on daily basis?

There is no point killing in the name of religion.
Everybody should be able to hold their own view and belief about God or no God.

And when someone attacks you because you disagree with their religious views then you will be justified defending yourself.
However, you cannot incite violence, bomb, kill and maim innocent people in the name of religion and then when you are visited with the same violence start talking like Gumi. Were Malians not already muslim enough that they needed to be converted? Were northern Nigerians not muslim enough for BH to want to establish a Taliban state? You have to begin asking yourself these critical questions. BH aims to not only impose a radical form of islam, but wants no non-muslims. What do you think their objective will be if they get their way in northern Nigeria?

Akanbi_edu: I believe this is called confirmation bias. Even if we check this thread, we are going to find muslims for/against Sheik Gumi but you have managed to see only the ones supporting.

People just don't wake up and start killing people, everybody is going to justify his/hers with reasons. Some kill for their country, some kill for their religion etc. Now my question is why should religion should be seen as more dangerous if killing is the basis, knowing that killing for country has recorded more deaths? I need you to think deeply about this, don't be conditioned to think the way media wants you.

Everything would not be about religion, if religious people learn to contain their excitement.
The Saudis rely on the same America, and yet habor the holiest shrine in islam.
Their government is just as draconian, or even more, than the Iranians in its implementation of strict sharia.
Government is just as corrupt as the Iranians, and the Iranians even manage to operate some form of theocratic-democracy, whatever that boils down to.

Iran is under siege, and SHOULD BE UNDER SIEGE, not because it is islamic per se, but because its leaders are drunk with religion and promoting terrorism.
Amusingly, Hitler (a supposed christian) is the archetype of the behavior of the Iranian regime today.
Certainly, this is not about Iran being islamic, but the fact that Iran is openly promoting the eradication of a people.
Iran has not hidden its intentions to replicate what Hitler attempted.
Imagine how different the world would be if Hitler got the nuclear weapon before the US during WWII.
Iran, like Hitler's Germany, simply cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapon capabilities - it is a point of no return for the Middle East and the world.
So be prepared for another war over there in a few months, not even years, if Iran doesn't come clean.

nagoma: Mr. Bush said the CRUSADE will take a long time and the whole world knows that the next target in this crusade is Iran . The Iranian skies at the moment are filled with American drones , I am sure you have seen the picture of the latest one brought down. Taking Iraq before Iran must be part of the strategy of the President and Christian war General Bush. Doesn't indicate anything. My guess is making sure their are no nuclear or chemical weapons - hence the prolonged inspection.. Lack of this safety assurance is what is delaying the Christian forces from taking Iran.In relation to Gummi, we are disputing the report alleging those remarks. Such reports are full of the press sympathetic to Christian hegemony. When it is proved that the report is authentic then the Nigerian legal system and therefore all of us will condemn him. Not before- as if condemning him will change your hostile views on Islam .nonsense! Everybody knows that there is a Crusade vicious and violent going on against Islam right now. You want Muslims who are witnesses to it to just read about it history books many years later? ( those who survive that is).

My point is not about the number of dead, but the inability to perceive situations and events properly once people are drunk on religion - that is the tunnel vision
As it happened with Bush, so with Gumi and all those in the world that are drunk on religion.
In some cases, this tunnel vision keeps people from simply facing the truth, but in the case of islamic terrorists now ravaging the planet it becomes a serious threat to life and liberty.
The death of even one innocent for ill-conceived religious aims is too much!!!

BTW our planet is filled with bloodshed often motivated by extreme nationalism.
However, religion was supposed to be a means to temper such wicked behavior, but has proven to be even a worse offender than nationalism.

Hitler's action was a terrible mixture of nationalism and religious madness.
The difference is that he was brought down by what you would like to call christian-led nations because they recognize that what he was promoting was not christianity.
Instead, you guys are lining up behind Gumi with reckless abandon even as he makes statements that are almost guaranteed to lead to even more bloodshed.

Akanbi_edu: @ the bolded.
According to you, Bush's action was not religious but resulted in death of millions
Osama's action was religious but how many deaths were recorded as a result of his actions?
According to some of you Hitler's action was not religious but he ended up killing millions

So, which one deserve that bolded statement, shouldn't that statement read something like

"I will keep emphasizing my point that there is a terrible tunnel vision associated with State".

If your judgemnet of religion is based on the number of deaths associated with it, shouldn't you be condemning states rather than religion since states are known to have killed more people in history?

Seanet, you are not being fair to the sheik here. He made an allegation, shouldn't you be interested in the truth of the matter? If his statement is a threat to Nigeria, why is nobody arresting him?

There is a serious problem of vision here - I will continue to say.
All the massive & open evidence of Islamic terrorism are overshadowed in your world by the "evidence" you gather from the rumour mill.
Children of the dead? How about children of the dying?

This children of the dead you speak of just woke up in 2009 after one muslim returned from Afghanistan and founded his movement with a location he renamed Afghanistan? It is really sad for people to be so deep into self-deceit.

Emir Bayero had come out strongly to contain Boko Haram and their backers in Kano state, hence the reason BH now targets him - end of story.

I have not seen one of you come out to condemn Boko Haram for attacking Emir Bayero!!!
Instead you come out with another silly excuse, but so eager to stand behind Gumi's dangerous statements.
It is either you guys are too scared, or even more scary, you actually believe this kind of nonsense that come out of your mouth!!!

Was it the children of the dead that went after Nigerian soldiers on their way to Mali?

yasaa: ***EXPOSED***
Following yesterdays attack on the emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, intelligence gathering reveal that the attack was carried on by members of an Underground Movement: CHILDREN OF THE DEAD- a group of sons and daughters of the soldiers who had died during the Civil War. This group are strongly believe to be the ones behind the bombings in Nothern Nigeria.
This is not a theory and the brutal killing of General Shuwa the Civil war veteran is no doubt a strong evidence.

The congregation of redundants are simply having a friendly banter. The really insightful aspects of the whole thing are below:

Qrous: Tukur in his speech said the crisis-ridden PDP was undergoing a surgery in which pains must be felt for the ruling party to get over its current unhealthy state. He said, “Let us fight and win unity, peace, development for our dear nation. The surgery we have started in our party, the PDP is in line with our vision for a better society and the aspiration of all Nigerians. In this surgery we are aware we must lose some blood, undergo some pains and challenges but surely the result will eventually be one sacrifice that we made for ourselves.”

After 16 years, PDP is performing surgery on the party. As Yorubas would say, "If you plan madness for 20 years, how many years do you plan to spend biting trees". 16 years, awash with oil money, we are still generating 4.5 GW of electricity.

Qrous: Vice-President Namadi Sambo who used the occasion to talk about the achievements of the Jonathan-led administration, described Obasanjo as a true nationalist.

Vice-President Sambo talked about the achievements of the Jonathan-led administration, which are? Is the answer in the footnote to the newspaper somewhere or simply not worth writing about because they are "TOO MUCH" to describe?


www.punchng.com/news/youre-a-failure-obasanjo-tells-okorocha/[/quote]

Well, to be fair, the condition of the Nigerian police has always been like this...
...But, but it is absolutely untenable for PDP to rule this country for going on 16 years now and provide no solutions - absolutely nothing.
...Instead, the money meant for police affairs gets passed around among PDP politicians and police officials
...Yet, Mr. Transformation has no plans other than exposing these squalid conditions of our police force being "aimed at embarrassing him"!!!

seanet01: Speechless.
PDP actually ruined this country.

Somebody said June and you are here talking nonsense after 3 days.
Sorry for your jobless life.

hischoice: Many of us had to dodge our heads on Tuesday here on Nairaland going by the amount of curses and name callings flying over the thread which supposedly was to report the ceremony marking the commencement of rail track construction on the Lagos-Badagry expressway. Everything looked new, CCECC workers (both Nigerians and Chinese) looked serious and ready to "explode" into action once the Governor said START!

It's however not to be as 72 hours after Fashola left, not only has CCECC not started anything yet, they have covered that fine blue light train with tarpaulin. That place is back to default.

Heard the Governor said June. Lagos waits.

Sorry o, nobody is blaming GEJ for secondary school failure but the unheard of level of secondary school failure Nigeria shows that doesn't know what it means to be developed.
That was my point.
GEJ and his transformation agenda are riding on high oil prices at this point but that's not how development occurs, especially when the majority of that fund ends up in personal pockets.
Go and check the correlation between education performance and development, and you will clearly see that GEJ is merely talking in his sleep!!!

REMMEI: so what's with jonathan and secondary school failure?..if anyone still blames jonathan for his/her failure it means that person is never a success right from the beginning..

Alpha jets are sub-sonic, and there are no MiGs in use anymore.
The MiGs were retired and replaced with the Chinese made versions of the MiGs a few years ago - these are supersonic jets, but don't compare them with modern jet-fighters.
Still, Nigeria is doing well with the intervention in Mali.

stagger: Most fighter planes including the old-fashioned MiGs and Alpha jets that NAF has are supersonic. So what is the big deal?

When you don't know what it means to be "developed" this is the kind things that come out of your mouth.
Secondary school students are failing their certificate exams at an alarming rate, and GEJ is talking about transforming Nigeria into a developed nation.
Our president seems to enjoy his own comedy.

Eko Ile: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111005:pdp-will-transform-nigeria-to-developed-nation--jonathan&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

This is quite amusing.
I guess the FG should simply let Boko Haram continue on the loose in the north so they don't fight muslims.
Otherwise, I don't understand what status you are talking about.
Gumi may have a status in your eyes, but none in the eyes of the people that his unreasonable words affect.

These religious leaders are funny and reason like elementary school kids.
Fight against Islam caused Soviet collapse, and also the recession in the USA?
I guess fight against Islam caused all the other recessions and collapse of empires in history too.

The people that have taken northern Mali and are already doing worse things than the Taliban of Afghanistan and Boko Haram of Nigeria are the islam that must not be fought?
They are even destroying monuments that the ancient muslim empire in Mali left behind hundreds of years ago.
The same crazies want to destroy the Egyptian monuments - these drug induced crazies are giving your religion a terrible name.

I cannot but think that Gumi has to speak like this because he is moving in some very dangerous circles - a no choice situation for him.

aurenflani: With these words coming from your mouth you must quickly write your will. People who have allowed hatred to weigh them down always fell to reason using common sense. His words might have sounded harsh but for someone of his status, you should just sit there and wait for the consequences when the result of his fear for the country and her peoples face your evil face.

@seanet01: I feel your pain. You are of course right, the only problem is that it is this people and their leaders that tend to speak for and represent islam to the world.
Take a secular example, it is the same reason that Nigerians no matter how well-to-do, highly placed, completely honest they may be find it hard to be rid of suspicions of 419 any time they announce themselves as a Nigerian to foreigners. Of course, those who think all Nigerians are 419ers are wrong, but it is difficult to blame them when a lot of our government officials, who represent us to the world, are the biggest 419er of them all. It is the same problem, in a different setting, that face many muslims today.

seanet01: Exactly my point, people need to separate religion from this terrorism. I will never blame the present christians for the crusades, nor will i blame innocent muslims for the crimes of Boko haram or terrorism.
Sincerity and Objectivity is all this world needed for peace to permeate us.
Isn't it a suprise that THE ROOT OF ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY SAUDI ARABIA AND ISRAEL ARE NOW THE MOST BRUTAL, OPPRESSIVE AND DICTATORIAL REGIME IN THE WORLD.
We know Saudi is doing to the Minority Shites and what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.
Nuff said.

I will keep emphasizing my point that there is a terrible tunnel vision associated with religion.

It is amazing that you listen to the words of Bush (another guy with religion-induced tunnel vision), but forgot how most of his countrymen, even some who supported the war, descended on him.
Yes, Bush had his co-conspirators but the fact remains that if Bush were actually after religious aims he would have landed in Iran, not Iraq.
Isn't it a little odd that people are claiming Bush went into Iraq for religious ends, when in reality Sadam was quite secular & more moderate than all those around him?

That brings me to my main point. On this discussion, Gumi has shown a religious face that promotes terror and then there are two sides to be taken.
The example of seanet01's comment on Gumi is what you would expect from muslims who can clearly see that Gumi and the kind of behavior he encourages does not do you any favors.
But, most of you that have commented here have not condemned Gumi's words, rather you have turned it into a muslim versus christian thing, as if Gumi's words should be taken as coming from a true muslim. Even if you were disappointed by the name calling of islam that ensued you would first condemn Gumi in strong terms, and immediately follow that with a condemnation of those calling islam names.

Whatever religion we profess, at the end of the day it comes down to a choice of whether we prefer to land on the side of truth, human compassion or barbaric behavior in a modern age.

And before you take that as a condemnation of your religion, note that the Bible contains similar things as in the Koran. What has happened with christianity and judaism (at least those who claim those as religions) is that the majority have now moved away from those things - and that is the difference from the stage of evolution in islam. There are many muslims that will not think of even judging anyone according to some of the rules of sharia today. This people would like to think of themselves as the true muslims, but the fact is that those rules remain the basic mode of justice in muslim-dominated nations of the world, and those that do not follow along to the letter are the ones seen as false muslims.

Like christianity experienced after years of the inquisition, what needs to happen in islam is for those who can recognize that the age for some of the existing practices is long gone to lead a "reformation" that will preserve the many great aspects of the religion and throw away many condemn-able traditions. That "reformation" will come one way or the other, the worst thing that can happen is for excesses to lead to the eradication of "collective" religion, and this is where we are headed if this kind of stuff does not stop.

Religion has a great role to play in the life of the individual, but its hijack by wolves-in-sheep-clothing will eventually lead to its decimation in all forms.

aurenflani: But the same Bush called his "mother of all smokescreen" (apologies to George Galloway)CRUSADE. Tell us if this is a secular term or if Bush and Blair are not christians ruling christian nations and christian peoples?

You can continue to deceive yourselves as you like but only your gullible fellow christians will continue to have their minds twisted with lies and hypocrisy and not us.

nagoma: George bush may be less articulate than some of the US presidents but he could speak for himself without your help. He said he was going on a crusade in Iraq. That was clear and that crusade is still ongoing. No one is deceived. His exact words " This Crusade, this war on terror is going to take a While". You can also read Bob Woodward's book- "Plan of attack"

Again, there is a tunnel vision. You talk about America as a christian led nation lying about Iraqi WMD.
This is actually a good example of my point - Bush did what he did but it had nothing to do with religion.
This inability to separate religion from events is the cause of the tunnel vision I speak of.

There is no basis for Gumi to bring any form of religion into what happened to Azazi, unless he infact knows something we don't.
However, since he has not provided any information along those lines we cannot but attribute his outburst to that religious tunnel vision.
Many on NL condemn statements by people like Beaf about northerners, but who can blame him after you hear a "religious leader" gloat and incite his followers over the death of two of his countrymen!!!

There is one and only one reason why Bush went into Iraq - to complete the job his dad left unfinished/avenge the audacity of Sadam to attempt an assassination of his dad. It has absolutely nothing to do with religion but power, but the religiously motivated act of Osama Bin Laden provided the perfect excuse.
In addition, while Bush was going into this misadventure most Americans opposed it, so people need to get their facts right.

There are conflicts in the world that have nothing to do with religion, but the infusion of these conflicts with religion leads to even more deadly results.
Religion is supposed to be the way to God, but the truth is really what Blaise Pascal observed that "Wicked Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

The things people do in the name of God probably makes him want to shield himself from observing it.

seanet01: Egbon stop supporting what is not just and fair.
In this same world where hypocrisy rules, we have seen christian led nations lied about Weapons of mass destruction in iraq just because of oil and ended up murdering over a million iraqis.
You people keep blowing this propaganda as if the whole world did not know about the CRUSADES conducted by christians in which Several hundreds of thousands of people if not millions were massacred in the name of CRUSADE.
We genuine and strict Muslims knew very well how the christian dominated West is supporting Dictatorial, barbaric and highly oppressive Saudi Regime which is ruling against the dictates of Islam. FYI, monarchy is anti Islam.
We know the christian dominated countries that are supplying weapons to the brutal Bahrain regime to suppress its people.
By the way, where in the bible was Christianity mentioned?
All those pictures of Mary you are showing around, whom does it resembles between a Muslim and a Christian.
FYI, am not a religious bigot and am currently engaged to a DEVOUT Christian(Catholic)
i just hate the hypocrisy of some bigots (are you one?)

And mind you the Koran was not written in the lifetime of your prophet either, and if you are not to continue covering yourself with the veil of ignorance much of that book were stories lifted from the bible, and modified to fit a new location and time. Religious texts were written as a guidance for the followers of religions at particular points in time, and thus reflect the state of that society's evolution at the time of writing. That is why the old testament has a deeply different temperament from the new testament.

The real issue is not that these religious texts recorded things as they were done in their age and time, but that people who live in the 21st century continue to adhere to things written for the situation of in 1500 BC. It is truly sad, because those guys back then were revolutionaries of thought and national organization and they would be amazed, if they found themselves in the 21st century, to learn that people would want to do things the way they were done 4000 years ago. They would surely tell you how crazy it would be for them to be expected to follow rules from 6000 BC when they were alive in 1500BC.

We truly need to start thinking in these terms. The people who gave us the rules we are killing and maiming over in the 21st century would have thrown them away long ago - they were revolutionaries who changed the way things were done in their time, and hence threw away old "useless" traditions.

Examples of what I mean:
1) The story of Abraham refusing to sacrifice Isaac was a revolution in religious worship because it demonstrated how human sacrifice became a thing of the past, marking the birth of what is now known as Judaism. If human sacrifice was not an integral part of the religion that Abraham use to know it would have been an absurd thing for him to be "tested" this way by his God. That same human-sacrificing religion dominated most of the rest of the world for ages.

2) The era of Jesus marked another revolution in religious worship where much of the capital punishment underlying the administration of justice in Judaism were thrown away. Yet, paying attention to the story-line, it is easy to see one last, special, human sacrifice in the death of Jesus Christ to appease the great God for our original sin - except that Jesus was no ordinary human and was raised back to life and heavenly kingship after 3 days. Not only did Jesus' last sacrifice end all need for human sacrifices to appease for our original sin, but all the hand-cutting, eye-for-for an eye, and death for insults that characterized Judaism till the 1st century. Unfortunately these things that Jesus eradicated got incorporated into the new religion that took root around the 7th century.

3) Mohammed's era marked the introduction of monotheism in his part of the world. This same people that Mohammed changed likely took the religion they had from those same people from whom Abraham had separated himself about 2500 years or so earlier. You should note that he was not the first to try to impose monotheism on his society - check out Akhenaten of ancient Egypt.

Of course, those who claim to follow in the steps of these revolutionaries bring back some, or even all, of what was changed - bad habits they say die hard!!!

In any case, the next evolution in religious worship will be the end of "collective" religion due to their excesses, even as their gross hypocrisy and barbarism are glaring to all in the age of reason. And by that last statement I meant all religions, not just some!!! Religious books and authorities will eventually become a thing of the past. It is a matter of time!

aurenflani: Who were the eye witnesses that wrote the account of the crufixificion?
The disciples that " all forsake him and fled"?
The ones that were terrified upon his appearance before them after the "crucifixion"? Or the doctor (Luke) who wrote his account after donkey years.

Jesus did not volunteer for any so called sacrifice. The bible lied and contradicted itself because "he" was head asking why God forsook him "while on the cross".
As a matter of fact non of the personalities who are credited with writing the biblical books are the true authors of the books credited o their names. Even Mathew did not write the gospel according to his name. Just go true how Mathew and Jesus were supposed to have met and you see a different person giving account.

The bible is not the gospel(injil) of Jesus. Because in all the new testament we hear of Jesus travelling to various places and preaching the gospel. So do tell me, where is the gospel according to st. Jesus?

Confused bible and it's confused followers.

As I said in my earlier post, you compared Allah fighting for himself to those two men fighting for themselves, not their God. You actually said that the two should be allowed to fight for themselves just like people call on Allah to fight for himself, if I remember correctly.

Now in your reply you again confirmed my warning that a lot of the issues that come up around here are due to a terrible tunnel vision among adherents of some religions. It is this vision of "if you are not of my religion you are condemned, if you speak against my prophet you are condemned, most of the time to death" that prevents such people from seeing that even the great God is disgusted by the behavior of those supposedly doing his bidding. Many would be surprised at the summary judgement they will receive from their God on that judgement day they so look forward to - "I did not command or send you to kill people on my behalf" would be his reply.

Lastly, below you compare the outrage expressed by the all too common gloating over the death of people of other religions to what you call "overworked" and "overreact", but these are not the same thing. Have you seen any christians burn and pillage because someone said the most evil thing possible over one of their own? They have used words, and even thrown insults back, but I am yet to see any fire burning, anybody killed or maimed over such a statement, but this is the reaction we get from many of your fellow religonists all the time. Stop comparing sleep to death!!!

aurenflani: What do you mean? Aren't christians the ones who kept telling us that statement, that we get worked out and overreact because one of their own either insults the Blessed Prophet, Al-Qur'an or Allah?

My point was all about reminding them to practice what they preach and allow their gods to fight for his two sons. That's all. Nothing blasphemous.

Are you a fool or that massive tunnel vision is keeping your from seeing even what you are saying against your beloved religion?
How else does one explain your comparison of two dead men, and their power to fight for themselves, to Almighty Allah?
By your own words you reveal the blackness of your heart.
Blasphemy!!!

aurenflani: All I see here is jungle justice due to hatred against Islam and Muslims. If a man made an allegation for which you do not agree, why not investigate first. By the way aren't the pentacostal wannabe rich hypocrites? Do I need to remind you of your claims that Muslims must not fight for Allah, that He will fight for Himself?

Why are you now fighting for azazi and yakowa if you are not bunch of hypocrites?

You won't hear pip from Aso Rock when this same people that laid the groundwork for Boko Haram are preparing the way for the successor(s) to Boko Haram.
But let OBJ give advise - reasonable advise, you will see Aso Rock lap dogs running crazy.

If GEJ doesn't understand the meaning of this vomit, then nothing will ever bring him understanding!!!

Wasn't this Osama wannabe detained in Saudi - the holy land of muslims - for involvement with the underwear bomber case?

This same guy and other mullas caused an uproar at the wedding of the VP's daughter a month or so ago.

chosen04: Police detectives are studying audio and video tapes of the sermons in which Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, asserted that the late governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa perished along with former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi while strategizing against Northern Nigerian Muslims, a top security operative has told SaharaReporters.

Gumi allegedly affirmed that Yakowa had been engaging in an anti-Muslim agenda, and that it was therefore necessary to avoid the emergence of non-Muslims as governor of Kaduna State in the future, a point that some senior citizens of Kaduna State raised in a detailed memo in which they expressed concern that Gumi’s weekly sermon was likely to cause serious ethno-religious crisis in Kaduna town.

According to the source, the eminent personalities from Kaduna are of the view in view of the volatile nature of Kaduna State, urgent intervention and consultation has become necessary.

“The prominent people from Kaduna State wrote the memo, and included it with audio and video tapes of Gumi’s preaching,” the source continued. Gumi in one of the tapes, which I will give you the Internet link, indeed said that Yakowa and Azazi died while meeting on anti-Muslim issues. He was also heard in the tape saying that, it was a plan with General Gowon using the burial in Bayelsa as a cover up for them to meet and that is why Yakowa followed Azazi alone without his ADC. Gumi in the audio tape also said that the Muslims of Kaduna State should never allow a situation that will bring about a non-Muslim to be governor, alluding to the fact that it was Allah that did this (crash) for the impending danger being planned against Muslims.”

He said the Kaduna personalities who wrote the petition want action to be taken against any clerics, Muslim or Christian, who preach incitement and hate.

Below is the audio link of the preaching in Hausa: http://dandalinsunnah.com/siyasa5.mp3

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/police-detectives-studying-sheik-gumi%E2%80%99s-allegations-yakowa-and-azazi-perished-while-planni

Sometimes when you think about what Nigeria does for Africa you cannot but thank our forces and their families.
However, these efforts are mis-managed by incompetent leaders at the top and our retinue of militaricians.
As such, at the end of the day the countries we help out come out speaking evil of Nigerians.
Sometimes they rejoice when bad things happen to us.
We need new leaders, truly patriotic leaders.
But most importantly leaders competent and knowledgeable.
Who appreciate the world as it is and the true leadership role Nigeria can play if we get our act together.
Still, I say Up Naija.

And where does it say "each state" in the question?
It says Lagos or am I missing something?
UNsincere9gerian is well know hack whose objective is to attack Fashola, so stop helping him out!!!

talktimi: its obvious most people here didn't read & understand the OP's article completely.
He's simply asking how much each state govt budgeted for feeding, the presidency's budget is roughly over N200 million this year. This is a straight foward question and doesn't entail hurling of insults or tribalistic comments as is being done now by some people on this thread.

A tale of two Goodlucks from Bayelsa.

The first Goodluck:
Goodluck wakes up in a mansion in the heart of Abuja, walks into the madam's room and finds that she is still snoring away at 7 am! He walks over to the side of the bed and shakes her awake, then reminds her of the quick trip to Germany today. Afterwards, he walks into his executive dining room, sits and feeds on his N1 billion a year food budget attended by four servants. After breakfast, Russian Vodka in hand, he walks a short few meters to his cabinet full of foreign currencies, and smiles to himself. He mutters, "it is mine, all mine". Then he recalls that those elders from the setting of the sun are coming to border him about some yeye projects and appointments today, and calls on his aides to prepare an agenda.

The other Goodluck:
Goodluck gets up at dawn in the traffic-choked city of Yenagoa, in Bayelsa state, a humid labyrinth of creeks, swaps and mangrove forests that is home to two million people, mostly subsistence fishermen. Little of this fragile wetland environment has been untainted by oil. Blackened mangroves that died slurping spilled crude from polluted waters blight the landscape. Local women dry out cassava on hot orange gas flares. After breakfast Goodluck makes for the jetty where his boat is tied. On his way to his secret refinery, he also uses the boat to run a part-time paid ferry service. The plumes of dark smoke rising from sites dotted along the riverbank for miles around show he is not alone in depending on illegal refining, an activity in which he sees no wrong. “Though it is illegal, the oil belongs to all of us. This is our own share,” he said.

You know the story of the first Goodluck so well, below is some detail on the other Goodluck. Enjoy!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/african-and-mideast-business/as-oil-bunkering-rises-in-nigeria-thieves-say-they-have-no-choice/article7435665/
AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE
RIVER NUN, NIGERIA — Reuters
Published Wednesday, Jan. 16 2013, 4:17 PM EST
The wooden fishing boat navigating Nigeria’s mangrove swamps is powered by a generator balanced above its volatile cargo.

Shimmering crude oil fills its hull, almost indistinguishable from the polluted water in the creek.

Here and there on the banks, people coated in oil wade through greasy mud in patches of landscape blackened and stripped of the thick vegetation that makes Nigeria’s oil-producing delta so hard to police.

Plumes of grey or yellow smoke fill the air as men who will give only their first names go to work in an illegal industry that the government says steals a fifth of the Nigeria’s output of two million barrels a day.

Oil “bunkering” – hacking into pipelines to steal crude then refining it or selling it abroad – has become a major cost to Nigeria’s treasury, which depends on oil for 80 per cent of its earnings.

Major General Johnson Ochoga, who leads a military campaign against bunkering that was stepped up last year under orders from President Goodluck Jonathan, told Reuters nearly 2,000 suspects had been arrested and 4,000 refineries, 30,000 drums of products and hundreds of bunkering boats destroyed in 2012.

Yet the complicity of security officials and politicians who profit from the practice, and the lack of alternatives for those who undertake it, cast doubt on the likelihood of success.

Forty-year-old Goodluck, who shares his name and tribe with the president, says he would much rather have got a respectable job, except that, despite the billions of petrodollars coursing through the region’s creeks over decades, there aren’t any.

“This refinery is the only thing I know that can ensure my survival, at least for now,” he told Reuters, sitting under a small makeshift iron roof shelter from the boiling sun, his hands sticky with crude.

“Doing this you can make up to $60 in a day,” he said, gesturing with a nod towards oil drums full of homemade diesel shaded by smoked-blackened palm trees.

Most of the stolen crude is shipped offshore, with the remaining 10 per cent refined locally. There is plenty of demand for the diesel, kerosene and gasoline Goodluck makes by boiling up stolen crude in a steel drum over a wood fire.

Nigeria’s legal refineries have been left largely defunct by decades of mismanagement and corruption, with the result that fuel stations in the world’s 12th largest oil producing country often run out of supplies.

‘PUSHED TO THE WALL’

Goodluck gets up at dawn in the traffic-choked city of Yenagoa, in Bayelsa state, a humid labyrinth of creeks, swaps and mangrove forests that is home to two million people, mostly subsistence fishermen.

Little of this fragile wetland environment has been untainted by oil. Blackened mangroves that died slurping spilled crude from polluted waters blight the landscape. Local women dry out cassava on hot orange gas flares.

After breakfast Goodluck makes for the jetty where his boat is tied. On his way to his secret refinery, he also uses the boat to run a part-time paid ferry service.

The plumes of dark smoke rising from sites dotted along the riverbank for miles around show he is not alone in depending on illegal refining, an activity in which he sees no wrong.

“Though it is illegal, the oil belongs to all of us. This is our own share,” he said, echoing the justification given by many locals who feel they have been left out of the oil riches flowing from underneath them.

Thieves often tap unguarded pipelines in broad daylight, hacking into them and connecting a hose to pump the oil onto a barge. They then sell it either to international criminal networks or to local refiners like Goodluck.

An amnesty for some 26,000 militants in the Niger Delta in 2009 ended an overt campaign of violence and sabotage against the oil industry that at one stage shut down nearly half of its production. But attacks on pipelines for theft have increased.

The environmental devastation wrought is huge, as damaged pipelines spew oil for days afterward. The waters of bunkering sites visited by Reuters were coated in a thick film of crude.

Decades of oil production have poisoned the waters of the delta, driving fishermen deeper into poverty and leaving some with few options for making a living.

“We know the crude oil theft is bad but we have been pushed to the wall to do it … if not for the oil bunkering, we would have no shelter in this community,” said Sudouwei Eris, 51, adding that the government had not even provided a school to his village of Baberagbeme.

While many senior militants have received lavish payouts to end rebellions aimed at securing a fairer sharing of the delta’s oil wealth, many youths face long-term unemployment and poverty.

Chisco, 35, stands ankle deep in a polluted swamp, boiling up crude over a fire. He employs three people.

“I was jobless, but I have a younger brother who read geology at university and he taught me the process,” he told Reuters, adding that it was hazardous work – “you can easily burn the whole refinery to the ground.”

Godswill, who also declined to give his surname, teamed up with two of his friends to start a refinery site two years ago. His main job is maintaining a depot where crude oil is stored in a large hole that he dug in the ground.

Whenever police or military discover the site, he says, he simply pays them off.

“Sometimes we have to run away and they burn down the site,” he said. “Then we just make a new one.”

One of these days when the crocodile bites off his head I don't want to hear about that the crocodile has gone crazy.
What is crazy is a crocodile not eating you up when you put yourself in its mouth!!!

Don't mind the jingoist!!!
Our resources are virtually inexhaustible, but our management and acumen invisible.
China and fair deal is like pepper and the eye.
China received Western investment, stole & still stealing the technology behind it and then accumulated enough dollars to almost collapse the world economy.
I laugh at China though - they have to be able to sell what they produce. Globalization built their economy and they can't withdraw from it now.
This is the only reason they are so eager to cooperate with the rest of the world - but they have unusual mumus in African leaders.
Leaders who, even if the Chinese put the technology behind what they do inside their brains, would still not help their people to learn to produce.
As a group, African leaders are imbeciles but there are a couple of good ones though we are yet to see there end.
OBJ was a good African leader in the 1970s!!!

Rossik, better go thank your stars that the West remains a counterbalance to China's growing power.
With mumus like African leaders China may finally become the world superpower, and then Rossik and the gang will really understand the true meaning of "Chinese rule".

birdman: Reminds me of Gowon claiming our problem was not money. It was how to spend it. No resource is inexhaustible. We act like it though and unless we stop depending on others to develop us, we will remain at the bottom of the barrel permanently. We arent getting a fair deal from China right now, so whats all the celebration about

No, these would be actual electronic toxic wastes not your pressing iron.
Unscrupulous individuals have made this into an illegal business, but the CBS News service in the USA have been on their trail for years.
We had incidences of nuclear waste in Edo years ago, children are dying from lead in the north and we need to clean up not add even more toxic stuff.

Watch the videos below:
[flash]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd_ZttK3PuM[/flash]
[flash]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGEvOmKo98[/flash]

berem: so fairly used electronics have become toxic wastes? meanwhile loads of containers of the so called toxic wastes find their way into Alaba? infact i bought a toxic waste pressing iron and DVD for 1000naira and 800naira respectively and they are both working fine.GOD PUNISH POVERTY!