₦airaland Forum

Beaf:
@OP

Crap.

Transport fares have gone up, but it is bearable and increases are marginal compared to the predictions of the failed politicians that sponsored people to die needlessly.

Are Nigerians in Nigeria up in arms? Why should it be those living abroad spreading bad blood, hatred and bitterness? Some gullible people were taken in and some have died as a result. Life is not cheap, it is a very precious thing, so please stop the hate mongering.

Occupy Nigeria http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kwei-quartey/occupy-nigeria_b_1219798.html

Posted: 01/23/2012 6:51 pm

On January 1, 2012, Nigeria's fuel regulator announced that the government was immediately discontinuing its fuel subsidy to help cut government spending, causing an overnight spike in fuel prices from $1.70 to $3.50 per gallon. Such a hike would be outrageous even for Americans. But for a drastically poorer country like Nigeria -- where 70 percent of the population of 160 million lives below the poverty line -- it was insufferable. Cheap fuel is one of the few benefits Nigerians enjoy as citizens of Africa's largest (and the world's 10th-largest) oil producer.

Nigerians responded swiftly to the announcement. Demonstrations, protests and violent clashes broke out, followed by a nationwide strike inaugurated on January 8. The strikes were set to go into a second week when they were called off after the president announced an immediate 30-percent drop in gas prices.

Nigerians took their cue from the Arab spring and Occupy Wall Street, establishing Occupy Nigeria in protest against the gas price jump. "Nigerians have been very quiet for so long," commented Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of the "Enough is Enough" coalition, expressing the same sentiment behind much of the worldwide protests of 2011: people are sick and tired and are not going to take it any more.

There are other antigovernment movements in Nigeria -- the radical Islamist Boko Haram and various armed resistance groups in the embattled Niger Delta, for example -- but the protests against fuel prices are a separate phenomenon. As in the Arab spring, social media played a role in allowing Nigerians to convey information and express their feelings. And while there has been some head scratching over exactly what Occupy Wall Street wants, Occupy Nigeria expressed clear grievances from the very start, including the demand that the government tackle corruption.

At the time of the 2011 Arab uprisings, I suggested to a fellow Ghanaian that perhaps the same phenomenon could take place in Ghana when people finally get fed up with how the nation's new oil industry is creating a Ghanaian 1 percent. I was surprised by his reply that a "Ghanaian spring" was well nigh impossible because Ghanaians don't know any better. But I disagree. I believe that Nigeria's demonstrations today could be a Ghanaian uprising tomorrow. West Africans -- Nigerians, Ghanaians or otherwise -- can engage in expression of widespread discontent. They, too, can force the hand of government. President Jonathan didn't restore gas prices to pre-2012 levels, but he did climb down from $3.50 a gallon to $2.27 -- despite the the New York Times' assessment that "any retreat now on the subsidy could be interpreted as a sign of weakness, which would be harmful for a leader dealing with internal unrest on many fronts."

Nigeria is no newcomer to protest. Additionally, it has a strong history of protest movements led by women. The Igbo Women's War of November 1929 began when thousands of Igbo women vociferously protested a crippling tax on market women by the ruling British colonials, who had set up an undemocratic system of appointing "warrant chiefs" to rule locally. Traditionally the Igbo people had elected their chiefs.

The dynamic Madam Alimotu Pelewura led anti-tax revolts in the late 1930s and 1940s. During World War II, when the colonial government sought to control the pricing and selling of food, Pelewura led women against what became known as the Pullen Price Control Scheme after A. P. Pullen, the government official who proposed it. Nigerian women led many other movements as well, including the Oil Mill Protests of the 1940s and the Tax Revolt in Aba and Onitsha in 1956. Although instigated by harsh economic conditions, these revolts were ultimately uprisings against the impositions of colonial, imperialist rule.

The film Sweet Crude, directed by Sandi Cioffi, tells of a more recent women-led protest against Chevron Oil in 2002, when massive, peaceful sit-ins staged by women prevented oil workers from leaving their worksite.

Nigeria may be geographically far from the United States, but we live in an interconnected world. Because Nigeria is a major U.S. oil supplier, political unrest in Africa's most populous nation could result in price increases at American gas pumps, which would be at best an annoyance and at worst a hardship. There's another way to look at it, however: Maybe a few cents rise in the cost of gas is a small price for Americans to pay for economic and social justice in Nigeria.

ndu_chucks:
If the above is the implied solution in Soyinka's beautiful article, then it falls short of our current needs and it is woefully inadequate. The solutions you itemized may have been enough if implemented back in 2007, but they are not sufficient to deal with the problem at hand. May I remind you that BH has declared a war and fighting that war. Nigerians, Christians, Moslems, Ifa practitioners, and others, are being killed in a guerilla war??

The solutions would have been deemed reasonable if they contained suggestions for GEJ on how to fight and win this war. Anything short of full fledged military operations including covert and overt actions will not defeat BH. GEJ needs to grow some balls, purge the government of traitors and BH sympathizers (afterall he appointed most of them politically), close the borders, declare state of emergency in appropriate states, and put the squeeze on these terrorists. I maintain that all Soyinka has done is written a beautiful article which unfortunately is devoid of real solutions to our current problems with BH.

To the bolded I say   

If I didn't know that you have a weird and wild imagination, I would have concluded that you attended some BH executive meetings. BH is a terrorist group which was not dealt with promptly by GEJ and which can be defeated in less than a month if our C in C can muster the courage to do so.

BTW, I accept your show of submission which you displayed by truncating my NL userid. Keep it up, I accept the honour.

Beaf:
The best help you can offer is phucking off into the sunset, so we "ingrates" have less of a burden and fewer beggarly mouths to feed. I am quite sure that we ingrates would rather protest for the sanctity of human life than for the right to indolence, fuckry, stup!dity and greed.
Another type of help would be to stop following lovers of boko haram and Ojota hypocrites who do not care one bit about the lives of their fellow citizens (or think they are ingrates who are better off dead, anyway).

Beaf:
Come to whose help? Is the bolded sentence the encapsulation of the ethnic bigotry that makes you and those like you to side with boko haram? Is that why deaths of the innocent do not bother you enough to protest for the sancity of life? Is that why you are wicked and comparable to boko haram with your intent to destabilise the country?

Lastly, who are ingrates? Phucking parasites who wouldn't lift a finger to do an honest days job, or those from whose lands your lazy arses are fed and clothed? Who is the ingrate, the beggar or the benefactor? Who needs help, the layabout or the one whose lands bear gold?

Look in the mirror and think hard, because you will soon realise that you are seeing the reflection of an ingrate.

Negro_Ntns:
precisely!  

Gej is sitting on the Presidency as a billboard and not as a stalwart of government.  The message he carries is that Nigeria's glory is in oil and if you take that oil away then Nigeria falls.  So the voices of Ijaws is congregated in his Presidency. . . . they dont care if he is successful or not, their belief is that if we endured the misgivings from a President whose homeland did not produce oil, then how can we be intolerant of one who hails from the oil producing creeks.  Hence they swore by their politics and their bombs to die for him against what they wrongly perceive as enemy action to kick him out.  

The best case scenario for them is one in which Nigeria dissintegrates and thereby freeing them to use oil to solicit international alliance to their side and cause.  Their confidence is motivated in that possible outcome.  Therefore since boko is not a threat to oil, they see no justification in curtailing its influence.  Gej observes a wait and see attitude and he wants rest of Nigeria to do same as typified in his remark of "it will fizzle out"!  However, they are determined to cut off and curtail anyone perceived as threat to the oil interest. . . . hence the deployment of army to Lagos and not to Kano, even though there is no violence or carnage in Lagos.

hercules07:
@Koruji and Negro

You guys should know beaf by now, he is gradually adding SW to BH supporters, he will start with the elites, then insidiously add the yorubas, you know he has his SE goons in Nchara and others to connect the imaginary dots.

Beaf:
^
Phuck the crap about SNG protesting to make GEJ President. Their protests did not acheive 1% of the actions Dora Akunyi single-handedly executed.
Yet, Dora Akunyi doesn't wake up and talk specious nonsense of how she made GEJ President. The SNG story is foolish at best.

Does the fact that SNG held a few limp demonstrations give them the right to partner with boko haram?

Beaf:
@koruji

You are only confirming the hypocrisy of Ojota that the Seriki is bitter about.

Boko haram had been killing long before the subsidy was removed, so why did you hypocrites not protest if you value human lives? That is the simple question the Seriki is asking.

What were the real motives of that protest? Why did the hypocrites not protest after the numerous Jos massacres, the various boko haram bombings; why are those phuckers not protesting now after Kano? WHY?

Why are El-Rufai and Tunde Bakare all fevered up about inanimate subsidies, but can't give a phuck about precious human life?
They are simply "occupying" the civilian wing of boko haram.

Nchara:
But when hundreds of people were killed by sects using bombs, nobody stages protest or condemned it because it didn't happen in their vicinity, none of their relatives are affected or because they are afraid to speak and get bombed too,” the monarch queried.
He asked rhetorically further: “Where is Occupy Nigeria? Where is El-Rufai? Where is Pastor Tunde Bakare? Where are the Celebrities, artistes and musicians?

Where are the Opposition Parties? Where are Nigerians? Were they all in the blast that rocked Kano city? Why is everyone keeping mute now? Or is Kano State not part of Nigeria? Is this not a more serious issue for all Nigerians to wear black rags and truly ‘occupy Nigeria’ with peaceful protest against mass killings of innocent ones?

stayreal:
Nchara, watch how people will continue to disagree with what was said in this article. Innocent people being killed or fuel sibsidy? Which is more important?

Beaf:
They are busy "occupying subsidies" in support of boko haram. Too busy occupying Ojota with creeps and hypocrites to do anything worthwhile for the lives of their fellow citizens.
They are in the same bracket as boko haram. Shame.

Negro_Ntns:
Many of the victims of the recent boko outlash in Kano were Hausas serving in different capacity of community policing and law enforcement. So far about two or three governors in North have been attacked by boko and many more are on alert.

Judging by your response I guess it can be said that boko is not supported by the Northerners, since the same people fall victim to boko terror. If Gej's house was burnt in 2007 then that absolves him of any charge of tacit support for MEND in 2010 and beyond. If Hausa people are loosing lives and their states is being turned to warzone, then we should not demand that they speak up against boko because they are on the receiving end of boko madness. Is that correct? I disagree with your reasoning.

I once wrote here, I think a few days ago, that the story will change if prominent northerners become targets. Now the Emir has promised to help track down BH seeing that the chiecken is roosting nearer home. What were they doing before now?

Nchara:
I and other Nigerians here have protested (and still protest) BH activities on the the streets. I have already been interviewed by MSNBC to that effect. Don't be fooled that others are not doing something like you. The Hausa man asked a pertinent question. Can you answer it?

Nchara:
This is the same thing [b]I HAVE ASKED [/b]over and over here.

Beaf:
^
Dude, I never said section of the country are supporting boko haram, rather "elite" from sections of the country are in support of boko haram. Two very different things with clear meanings.
I am wondering why some of you reply to my posts without first reading them. Its annoying.

Those who sponsored the subsidy protests are also covert supporters of boko haram (in fact boko haram actually released a statement in their support).

Anyways, reread my post and take what I said to heart, because that is the perception and it is backed by observation.

Beaf:
The subsidy faction was never really separate from the boko haram faction, and the sudden removal of the subsidy helped to show who was where in very glaring light; the tanks in Lagos seem to be playing several tactical roles.
GEJ has been able to form his own solid power block, although it took him longer because the elite of two ethnic majority groups have sided with the boko haram faction.

Nigeria's biggest problem is ethnic bigotry. The future portends a breakup if the boko haram faction persists, because even a toddler knows that the battle is all about control of Nigeria's oil resources by wicked people who do not care for the average person and see the ND person, in the bowels of whose Earth the oil sits, as an impediment.

I am afraid we are seeing a situation where each region will have to source for income outside oil and for territory outside the Niger Delta and South East. There will not be a united army to fight a civil war against these two sections of the country; indeed, we will likely see a splintering into core-North, South West and the rest.

The only reason Nigeria would remain together is if predominantly, the US wants the core-North to remain in the country for two reasons; to be subjugated as a bulwark against radical extremists threatening the lifting of oil and to stop Nigeria's massive population from distabilising new US oil interests in Ghana and the bight of Guinea. The interests of America do not bode well for none SE/SS and Middle Belt regions.

diluminati:
bundle all of them them and fling them into the atlantic ocean.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/34210-efcc-invites-38-oil-marketers-over-n1-3tr-subsidy-cash.html
By Yusuf Alli1 hour ago

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited 38 oil marketers who allegedly benefited from the controversial N1.3trillion subsidy incurred last year by the Federal Government.

The interrogation of the marketers will begin today in Abuja in batches.

The invitation of the marketers has caused anxiety among some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chiefs who are ex-board members of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The invitation of the marketers followed preliminary screening of oil import records retrieved from the PPPRA last week by the EFCC.

A source in the anti-graft agency, who spoke in confidence, said: “Those invited are all those on the list released by the Senate Committee probing the management of oil subsidy cash.

“All the marketers were served letters of invitation on Friday. They are expected to come with records of their oil imports and the amount of subsidy cash they enjoyed.

“Once we get their records, we will compare these with those of the PPPRA before we engage international security agencies in verifying where they bought products and how they shipped the refined oil.”

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the invitation.

He said: “We will start interacting with the marketers from Monday (today) but it might be in batches.

“They are to appear with documentation and supporting evidence in respect of all transactions.”

Findings however confirmed that relevant desk officers in PPPRA will be part of the interrogation process to corroborate the veracity of the marketers or claim otherwise.

As of press time, the probe has caused anxiety for some stalwarts of the PDP who had served on the board of the PPPRA at one time or the order.

A source added: “The EFCC probe may go beyond 2011. That is why some PDP members, who were once on the board of the PPPRA, are worried about the ongoing investigation.

“In fact, some members of the National Assembly in the Sixth Senate, who had link with the PPPRA, might also be invited at a later date. Some people benefited from subsidy without importing products.

“Some marketers were also allegedly used to raise subsidy invoice for products that were not shipped to Nigeria .”

It could not be ascertained in what order the marketers will be quizzed by the commission.

The Chairman of the Senate ad-hoc Committee looking into fuel subsidy regime, Senator Magnus Abe, had recently released the list of the affected 38 companies.

The firms and the amount of money they received last year alone are as follows: Oando Nigeria Plc, N228.506billion; Integrated Oil and Gas Plc, N30billion; MRS, 224.818 billion; A.A. Rano, N1.14 billion; A-Z Petroleum, N18.61 billion; A.S.B, N3.16 billion; Arcon Plc, N24.116 billion; African Petroleum, N104.58 billion; Aminu Resources, N2.3 billion; Capital Oil, N22.4 billion; Con Oil, N37.96 billion; Avante Guard, N1.14 billion; Avido, N3.64 billion; Boffas and Company, N3.67 billion; and Brilla Energy, N960.3 million.

Others are: D. Jones Petroleum, N14.86 billion; Downstream Energy, N789.648 million; Dosil Oil and Gas, N3.375 billion; Inco ray, N1.988 billion; Eternal, N5.574 billion; Folawiyo Energy, N113.32 billion; Frado International, N2.63 billion; First Deepwater Oil, N257.396 million; Heden Petrol, N693 million; Honeywell Petrol, N12.2 billion; AMP, N11.417 billion; Ascon, N5.271 billion; Channel Oil, N1.308 billion; Fort Oil, N8.582 billion; Enak Oil & Gas, N19.684 billion; Bovas & Co. Nig Ltd, N5.685billion; and Obat Oil N85billion.

Abe also named AP, N104.5billion; IPMAN Investment Limited, N10.9billion; ACON, N24.1billion; Atio Oil, N64.4billion; AMP, N11.4billion; and Emac Oil, N19.2billion.

In 2006, only MRS, Total and Oando were listed as beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy cash recognised by the Federal Government.

The three companies were said to have been listed as “major marketers.”

But in 2007, AP and Mobil joined and were listed under the category of majors.

The same year, NIPCO was introduced and listed under the category of petrol depot owners.

A new category of “independents” included some marketers who had no depots.

AITEO Energy Resources and Triquest Energy were added in 2007, bringing the total to eight beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy.

The list of subsidy beneficiaries increased sharply in 2008 to 23, made up of six majors.

In 2008, Conoil joined, and NIPCO was joined by Capital Oil and Folawiyo Energy, under the category of depot owners.

The list of “independents” also increased from two in 2007 to 14 in 2008 as AITEO and Triquest were said to have been joined by Triquest Oil services, IMAD Oil & Gas, Integrated Oil and Gas, Rahamaniyya, AMG Petro Energy, Brittania, ACORN, A-Z Petroleum, SHIELD Petroleum and MAJOPE Investment Limited.

And in 2010, the beneficiaries of the subsidy payment under the category of major marketers remained six, the depot owners remained two. But the list of independent marketers went up to 28 with the inclusion of many relatively known companies.

http://www.punchng.com/news/ringim-to-retain-job-till-retirement-in-march/

January 23, 2012 by Olusola Fabiyi, Fidelis Soriwei and Adelani Adepegba, Abuja 8 Comments

President Goodluck Jonathan may have decided not to relieve the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, of his appointment, despite widespread speculation, last week, that the IGP was on his way out.

Speculation that Ringim might be sacked heightened after the IG was issued a query asking him to explain the escape of Boko Haram suspect, Mr. Kabir Sokoto.

Sokoto, suspected to have masterminded the Christmas Day bombing at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, escaped from Police custody last Monday, 24 hours after his arrest.

Ringim enjoys a very close personal relationship with the President as he was the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State  at a time the President was the Governor of the state. The President has always resisted calls for his sacking.

Critics have said that insecurity has worsened under the IGP and the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has largely operated unchecked.

THE PUNCH learnt over the weekend that there was strong pressure on Jonathan to sack Ringim, under whose tenure the Boko Haram had bombed a string of high profile targets including the Force Headquarters in Abuja and the United Nations Office complex.

However, a source in government, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the Presidency had decided that Ringim should keep his job as he was bound to retire in March. The Presidency is believed to be working on a plan for a ‘dignified’ exit for the IGP.

Some of those who lobbied for Ringim to be retained reportedly told the President to allow him to finish his term in March. The lobbyists, who also copmprised some aides of the President, claimed that the saking of the IGP could  create problems for the President with the “North”.

The source said, “There is pressure everywhere to relieve the IG of his job. But for now, no decision has been taken on the man.

“His reply to the query is being looked into. The argument of some people is that he should be allowed to go quietly in March, which is just two months away.

“Already, January is gone; February is already here and it is the shortest month. So, he may be allowed to finish his tenure.”

The source, however, said the President was not happy that Ringim handed over the suspect to Mr. Zakari Biu, when he knew that both the officer and the suspect were from the same town. Sokoto and Zakare Biu are from Biu in Borno State.

“Was his action deliberate in order to facilitate the escape of the suspect? Or did he do it, thinking that the CP was the best officer to handle the investigation?

“If he feels that he is capable, is he the only officer that could do such a job? He needs to explain and convince the investigating panel about his action.”

The source said that apart from the above, the panel would also look at the fact, merit and demerit of his reply to the query.

But a source in one of the security agencies said the President was waiting for the findings of the security committee constituted by the office of the National Security Adviser, to probe the circumstances leading to the escape of Sokoto.

The source said that the security committee would interrogate the IG, the Commissioner of Police under whose care the suspect escaped from detention.

The source said, “You know that the Federal Government has set up a committee to look into this whole thing and the government is serious about it.

“You cannot just fire top officers of the IGP status when you are not very convinced and you don’t have hard facts to support your action; you must investigate such issues to arrive at decision.

“The Federal Government has set up a committee and the committee has commenced work since, and I think we should wait for the committee to submit its report.”

Critics of the government have however contended that the panel, the investigations and the search for a new IG, were parts of a plan to waste time so that the IGP could serve out his term.

Meanwhile, preparatory to Ringim’s eventual exit from the force, the President has commenced a search for a new Inspector-General of Police.

A source in the Presidency told our correspondent that some Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and Assistant Inspectors-General of Police had been invited for screening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The DIGs were screened by senior government officials at the Presidential Villa last Thursday, while the AIGs are expected to come for interviews this week.

“The President is considering the performance and competence of the DIGs and AIGs and he has requested for their files to know who is best suited for the position,” a source said.

The DIGs were said to have been conducted to the office of the Chief of Staff from where they were taken before a panel to answer questions on their career and performance as police officers.

The DIGs included Mrs. Ivy Okoronkwo,   Mr. Azubuko Udah, (both representing South East geo-political zone); Alhaji Sardauna Abubakar, (from the North West zone); Audu Abubakar, (North East); Mohammed Yesufu, (South-South); and Saleh Abubakar (North Central).

The AIGs are Mohammed Zarewa-Force Secretary; Abubakar Mohammed, Zone 1, Kano; Suleiman Fakai- Zone 2, Lagos; AIG Ibrahim Madu, Zone 3, Yola; and AIG Aloysius Okorie -Zone 4, Makurdi.

Others are AIG Ibrahim Ahmed-Zone 5 Benin; Mohammed D. Abubakar, Zone 6, Calabar; Felix Ogbandu-Zone 7, Abuja;  Donald Irohan, Zone 8 Lokoja;  Mohammed M. Abass-Zone 9, Umuahia;  Sokoto Atiku Kafur,  Zone 10, Sokoto.

The list also include Saidu Daya-Zone 11 Osogbo;  Johnson Egbunam, Zone 12, Bauchi; Christopher Ola, Command Police Staff College, Jos; Bukar Maina, Police Intelligence FHQ, Abuja; Danlami Yar’adua-Command Police Academy, Kano.

The rest are Shehu Babalola, Border Patrol; Madueke Dax Uzu, Medical FHQ; Charles A. Cole, Air Wing FHQ; Idris Hadeja, Works; Jingi Misau Mohammed, Police Veterinary.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/gunmen-attack-ex-militant-country-home-in-bayelsa/
On January 23, 2012 · In News

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA
YENAGOA—The riverine settlement of Olugbobiri in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was yesterday, invaded by unknown gunmen, who attacked the country home of ex-militant leader, Mr. Africa Ukpariasa.

A section of Ukpariasa country home, it was learnt, was being used as a base by BAJERO, an outfit owned by ex-militant which was recently awarded surveillance job by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to secure pipelines in the mangrove swamp of central Niger Delta. Policemen were at the premises when the gunmen struck, which led to a fierce gunfight.

Four policemen and a gateman sustained serious injuries in the attack and are currently hospitalized.

Three of the injured policemen, said to be in critical condition have been transferred to Port Harcourt, while the fourth policeman and the gateman are on admission at an undisclosed hospital in Yenagoa.

The attack on the home of the ex-militant, which came few hours after the twin bomb blasts that rocked Bayelsa State capital on Friday, was launched at about 1.am according to a source in the riverine community.

Though the motive for the invasion could not be immediately ascertained but informed sources told Vanguard that the gunmen may have attacked the home of the ex-militant leader believing it was stashed with money.

Dynamites were said to have been used to rip apart the bullet proof doors by the invaders, who ransacked the entire building.
Sources within the community told Vanguard that the armed gunmen stormed the community in three double engine speed boats at about 1am, when the entire community had retired to bed.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/emir-of-kano-weeps-as-jonathan-visits/
On January 23, 2012 · In Headlines, News
By AbdulSalam Muhammad & Victoria Ojeme

KANO—The pomp of royalty was set aside, yesterday, as the revered Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero broke down in tears as he recounted the loss of human lives that followed last Friday’s Boko Haram attack on the ancient city before a visiting President Goodluck Jonathan.

Right in front of his subjects while receiving President Goodluck Jonathan, the octogenarian monarch could not hold back his tears, while reflecting on the level of carnage and the hundreds of innocent souls who had been killed from bomb blasts by the Boko Haram sect.

The president’s visit was to commiserate with the Emir over last Friday’s bomb blast in the ancient city that reportedly left about 162 dead and several others injured.

President Goodluck Jonathan signs Condolence Register at the Palace of the Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero (Right) during his visit to Kano State.

It took the monarch almost half an hour to read through a two-page prepared speech in Hausa as he broke down intermittently shedding tears and on each occasion, palace guards had to form a ring around him before wiping off his tears.

In his speech, Alhaji Bayero told the visiting President that the emirate deeply appreciated his visit and complained that Kano, a city of over 9 million people, is under-policed and appealed to the president to beef up security in the city.

Alhaji Ado Bayero told the visiting president that the emirate will support current effort by the federal Government to combat terrorism in all its ramifications, adding that Kano ‘deeply appreciate the courtesy of Mr. President.”

Bayero told the President the need to increase the number of police and other security agents in the state, noting that the current arrangement where 8,000 policemen serve the state of over nine million people calls for urgent review.

“It is a far cry that a city of kano’s size and status is being policed by 8,000 men, and we appeal to the authority concerned to have a rethink on the current situation in the overall peace and stability of the state”, Bayero stressed.

The monarch described the Friday attack as ‘unfortunate, ugly and violent” and tasked people to fear Allah in what ever they do, adding that Kano emirate will intensify prayers for Almighty to intervene in the security challenges.

To underscore the security situation of the period, tanks were deployed around the palace with armed soldiers.

Thousands of residents also lined the streets to welcome the President as crowd of onlookers waved in appreciation of the visit.

This was President Jonathan’s first official visit to the Northern part of the country since the increased activities of the Boko Haram insurgency.

We will not rest until terrorism is wiped out— GEJ

In his speech, the president assured that the Federal Government will not relent until terrorism is wiped out in the country.

Sporting Black caftan (long gown) and black shoes to match President Jonathan stated that those behind the ‘dastardly act are not spirit and they are people that live with us”, stressing that the hallmark of their activities call for increased security consciousness by Nigerians’.

President Jonathan who was accompanied on the visit by the National Security Adviser, General Patrick Azazi; Defense Minister, Dr Bello Halilu; National Chairman of PDP, Kawu Baraje among other top Federal Government functionaries explained that the security challenges call for concern of everyone, saying “we need to know as well that an attack on one is an attack on everyone of us”.

Said he: “Those who perpetrate this dastardly act are not spirit, they live freely with us in the society and the security challenges they pose have now made it incumbent on us to be extra vigilant on what our next door neighbor does and by so doing, we will overcome the evil forces,” he said.

The Commander-in-Chief declared before the Emir and his council of chiefs that in view of Kano’s importance in the region and sub Saharan Africa, the state would not be neglected” and promised increased security to the town and other hot spots in the federation.

The President noted that his visit to Kano was to build the confidence of the people of the state in the ability of the government to tame the Boko Haram insurgency, adding “they will never succeed”.

The President during his two hour visit, also visited the military hospital, Zone 1 Office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police before jetting out to Abuja and said that the Federal Government in concert with the state government will explore ways of assisting victims of the multiple bomb blast.

President Jonathan, while responding to earlier request by the Emir on the completion of three abandoned irrigation projects in the state, River Kano, Bagwai and Kunchi said that such projects have been captured in 2012 appropriation for action in line with his campaign promises.

EU offers to help track culprits

The European Union, yesterday, offered to assist Nigeria in dealing with the challenge of checkmating the Boko Haram sect, after last Friday’s bomb and gun attacks that left over hundreds of people dead and hundreds more injured.

While joining the international community to strongly condemn the attack on the Zonal Headquarters of the Police, three police stations as well as the Kano residence of the Inspector General of Police and Kano Command office of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the EU also disclosed of plans to meet with the Nigerian government in February to discuss possible assistance that would assist in dealing with the Boko Haram menace.

A statement posted on EU media website and obtained by Vanguard in Abuja said High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton spoke in reaction to the deadly attacks.

According to the statement, “We will discuss with the Nigerian government in the coming days, including at our forthcoming Ministerial dialogue in early February, possible ways and concrete actions in support of peace, security and development in the country, particularly for the poorest communities.

“The High Representative is profoundly shocked and saddened by the latest wave of terrorist attacks that appear to have killed more than 150 innocent citizens in Kano, Northern Nigeria, on 20 January. She sends her most sincere condolences to the victims, their families and their communities.

“The EU resolutely rejects terrorism as a means to any end.”

MAYOWAAK:
For me, government cannot take him seriously. He is fighting for his belly; he’s fighting for the theology of his stomach. We should not mix politics with religion. It is very dangerous for our nation. Bakare is mixing politics with religion and I advise that no cleric should mix politics with religion. May God bless our Fatherland. Amen.

Kobojunkie:
Yep! I have read some of the abstracts from some of the research on the effects of social networking and all. I believe this is a link to this particular one.

http://psp.sagepub.com/content/37/1/120.abstract

Kobojunkie:
Well, yahoo and Nairaland do not have 500 million people users, and counting, each, do they now? 

You assumption that the researchers missed some angles is unfounded. All you have read of this particular research is a newspaper piece on it. You have yet to investigate the actual research itself to learn what was considered and what was not. I am willing to state that the researchers took into account most all of what you have there and more as there have been numerous research done on the effect of social networks on individuals, employees, and groups, even relationships .

musKeeto:
Some people here are either brainless or too wicked.

1. Govt can not, will not and is not willing to assure any citizen of their security.
2. SNG is being responsible by calling off the protests. If the protests are held and people are killed, the same moruns here calling them cowards would turn around to call them murderers.
3. The murderers we have in Nigeria are those who have watched as a faceless group has murdered hundreds of its citizens with reckless abandon.
4. The cowards we have in Nigeria are those who choose to call wrong right because their brother's in power.
5. SNG porotests brought GEJ to power. No matter how crooks and benefactors of the current regime try to make us forget that by playing tribalistic cards, we will always remember, at least the few of us left who still have a good reasoning faculty.

Im ashamed this is the first Niger Delta president. The sooner the Niger Deltans realise we are also not benefitting from this regime, the better for us and the best for Nieria.

naijaking1:
It works all the time, because most people come from a tracable locale. If you squeeze the igwes, emirs, or obas hard enough, they will tell you everything you need to know about everybody in their town.

Some of the bulldozed Palestenian houses were under Israeli control.