₦airaland Forum

This Nigerian multi-headed ABOVE needs to loose a few heads

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=18433
There was a mild drama at the premises of the Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Osogbo on Friday, as a forensic expert witness called at the instance of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Usman Agboh, a Superintendent of Police was arrested, based on an alleged order of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders.
The witness was subpoenaed by the tribunal to come and testify in the petition filed by the PDP House of Representatives’ candidate in Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Mr Oluwole Oke against the election of the lawmaker representing the constituency, Honourable Nathaniel Agunbiade on the ground that the invalid votes were counted for the lawmaker.
The witness, who carried out the inspection of the election materials used in the constituency during the poll, had already filed his statement on oath before the tribunal, where he revealed how the PDP allegedly connived with some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officers and voided the votes of the lawmaker at the commission’s office, with a view to securing victory for the PDP candidate.
Agboh, a forensic expert at the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Force CID, Alagbon, Lagos was billed to appear before the tribunal on Friday and when he was about to enter the court premises in compliance with the court order, he met a legion of police officers from the state Criminal Investigation Department, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) at the gate, who bundled and took him away in their waiting vehicle.
All efforts to secure the bail of the witness by counsel to the lawmaker and the ACN proved abortive, as the ACP in-charge of the state CID gave no reason for the arrest of the witness, but only told the counsel that “we arrested him based on order from above and we don’t have any order for his release. So, we can’t release him now”.
The tribunal chairman frowned at the action of the police and upbraided the petitioners over the arrest of the witness, wondering why any of the parties in the matter could be so desperate to resort to the arrest of any witness, saying; “I don’t see any reason why any of the parties would result to such things for an office that will be occupied for just four years”.
Meanwhile, before the arrest of the witness, Oke and the PDP through their counsel have approached the Federal High Court in Osogbo, asking for an injunction restraining the Commissioner of Police or his representatives from giving evidence before the court, but the case was yet to be heard as at the time the arrest of the witness was made.
However, it was gathered that the PDP leaders in the federal constituency have been boasting around that they would use “Abuja power” to get rid of the lawmaker, who was elected under the platform of the ACN out of the National Assembly.
Speaking on the development, the ACN lawyer, Barrister Ibrahim Lawal, said that his client had sought and got an order of the court for the inspection of the election materials, the report of which the witness was coming to present to the court when he was arrested.
He said: “Their own expert had come and we have been able to deal with his case through cross-examination and showed that what he had done was nothing, but fingerprint inspection.
“The evidence that our expert witness was coming to give was to the effect that when you talk about voided votes, the finger impression of the ballot papers must be the same, if there are two fingerprints, but that what he had found in the acclaimed voided votes was that the fingerprint of the said voided votes were not the same with the fingerprints of the original votes; while the voided vote fingerprints matched other voided votes on other ballot papers. The implication is that the voided votes were thumb-printed by the same person. These were what they had seen and they became jittery.
“These were the revelations the witness was coming to make, when he was arrested by the police, led by ACP of the State CID. These are vital evidence that would have thrown light on this issue. These are evidence that would have exposed to the tribunal, the criminal approach of the petitioners in voiding our votes and bringing undeserved victory to themselves through the backdoor”, he explained.
Lawal, who dressed down the police authority for allowing itself to be used as agents of evil, expressed dismay that the police that should uphold the law was the one being used to violate the same law and prevented the court from doing justice to the matter.
However, the ACN counsel brought an application before the court, asking the tribunal to order that the witness be reproduced by the police to come and give evidence before the court, but the application was dismissed.
The court claimed that though, it was the court that summoned the Commissioner of Police through subpoena and whoever the CP sent to represent him was his business, saying that since the subpoena was not directed at the proposed witness, an order for his release could not be given, just as it noted that the police was not a party in the matter.
The matter was then adjourned till Monday, July 18, 2010 for the respondents to have time to secure the bail of the witness, if possible

Since you are so familiar with the US and its going ons:

1. Can you tell us how many cities have had severe flooding this year alone?
2. And how many times the governors of those states have been asked to resign?
3. Can you also tell anyone how Obama reacted to those floods?

The answers will be educative for you. Nobody is saying Fashola has done all that can be done, but Lagos is the outcome of decades of bad policy especially as the Federal Capital for a long time. The fact is people have built their houses below the water level, and there is no one that can save them when the heavens open up - even when your house is not below the water table, the amount of rain Lagos got would wreck havoc anywhere.

iragbijile:
Are we comparing Katrina to Lagos?
Are we comparing a category 3 hurricane to what happened in Lagos? Ok oooooooooo
I dey lafffffffoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Some people are just stupiddddddddddd

Since you are in love with Ezeuche's ill-conceived post, why don't you tell us what he was thinking when he gave the "perfect" excuse for GEJ's shameful tardy response to Boko Haram in Borno: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-712228.0.html

Sure you have right to complain - you have right to swing your hand. . .

iragbijile:
Well said Ezeuche.
Don't let these goons intimidate you.
Contrary to Aigbofa's reasoning, you have every right to complain.
Fashola should resign. The flood was unavoidable. They are still giving the same excuse BAT gave in 2000. To them, it is always our fault, never theirs.

It is either you are a David Mark apologist or you are the kind of slow people that these guys think they are dealing with when they open their mouths to yarn rubbish.

1. First state of emergency has been used by the FG in Nigeria to kick out state governors (doesn't matter to them what the constitution says).

2. Lagos is a state that PDP has being trying to capture by hook or crook.

3. Combine (1) & (2) and it is clear where a state of emergency in Lagos will end up. The useless PDP government in Abuja will use it to remove Fashola. To buttress the point, they did not think about state of emergency first. No, since all they were looking for is political gain they immediately called for Fashola's resignation.

4. Put the competency level of Abuja against Fashola's, and most of the people in Lagos would prefer Fashola to be in charge of responding to the floods any day of the week. I guess the FG will deploy its longthroat for our resources to suck the flood waters up and empty it in the ocean. Or may be they have a lord of the waters in their employ who will make all things whole. Otherwise, I do not see the competencies that Abuja has to want to take over the handling of Lagos floods.

5. You will further understand the hypocrisy and the barefaced attempt to achieve political aims when you consider that the same David Mark was and is Senate President as Boko Haram took over a state capital and even brought bombs to ABUJA. Yet, silent as a mute he had no state of emergency words for Borno.

6. David Mark needs to learn that he is supposed to be in care of the people's trust. Did the FG offer Lagos assistance that Fashola prevented? In fact, Lagos representatives were appealing for the FG's help through the senate - which they refused, talking jsome azz about applying to the "Ecological Fund". During a disaster is not the time for a responsible FG to tell a state governor to apply to the ecological fund. Besides, I am sure that the "Ecological Fund" is empty - what with the gagantum pay the NA members have being awarding themselves. This is the same Senate President and his cohorts that were talking about capturing more of state's internally generated revenue for the indolent FG a couple of months ago.

6. [size=14pt]The people of Lagos must not forget the callousness of the PDP government in Abuja. PDP had a chance to show that its leaders are human too, but they blew it. With our resources soothing their over-extended stomachs they invoked official-dom on the people of Lagos.[/size]

Mpoku: People should stop exhibiting their ignorance on this thread. David Mark's call for a declaration of state of emergency in flooded areas in Lagos, does not mean the Governor will be removed. A state of emergency in this situation means that an urgent and focused attention should be given to those areas in Lagos by the Federal Government in order to avert similar occurrence.

Just like GEJ announced on assumption of office last year that he is declaring a state of emergency on power sector, though after all said and done not much was achieved.

You would think bmbs are bread to be bought in the market and handed to "cult boys" to distribute around town.

FYI cult boys are usually the sons of the rich and connected and they are never, ever going to start a war that will destroy the source of their "enjoyment".

Whoever is counting on cult boys to do this for them will have himself to blame when they lead the SSS to his door.

kpogede77:
Information reaching us from the underworld shows that MEND has embarked on massive recruitment of cult groups across southern Nigeria particularly the south-south. The new recruits are said to be going into the camps located in the riverine areas for training in batches in preparation for the final show down that will paralize this country and lead to division.
The report shows that the attack this time around will not be limited to the riverine areas and oil installation but will be so polarized that JTF will be too confused to tackle the situation. It will be recalled that AYES have warned the FG over the activities of Sanusi Lamido and Boko Haram recently and 30 % of[b] MEND[/b] members are AYES, 10% High Landers, 15% Vickings(Baggar), 5%KK and others.
Targets of the attacks according to the report shall be oil installations, Mosque, Federal government properties, northerners & their settlement, properties & companies of northerners and Bridges  that link major cities in the north to the south.
It may not be a surprise if MEND carry out attacks in Lagos, Kogi, Ondo and even FCT because the cult boys are everywhere and they will be placed on salary from oil loot that will follow the process.
Just imagine if a student cultist put a bomb inside his school bag at night and place it by the side of admin building in the university of Abuja. Note that there are so many group and people out there who are angry with BH who are sympathetic to these planned attack by MEND just the way the Almajiris are supporting Boko Haram. Note that the John Togo group(NDPLF) is also preparing for the attack. How can JTF cope with what is coming? Only time will tell.

All these are legitimate complaints, but are issues for the Nigerian Consumer protection agency, the ministry of communications, etc.

This is not the job of the NA

If the NA wants to get involved it may call on any of the above agencies to deliver a probe report to it by so and so date, and then hold hearings at the NA. It doesn't have to involve any travelling alowances and the hoodwinking of us into parting with more resources for their insatiable appetites.

Relixy2k:
In Alagbado area of Lagos state, which include U turn, Ahmadiya, Ijaiye, Kola, Mosalashi, Alakuko and Ajegunle, MTN GPRS/EDGE has been suspended since wednesday 13th july 2011.NO prior notice and several calls has been made to them with no result till this moment.They are yet to give us 3G and the EDGE/GPRS we are managing has been taken since 2 days ago.Help us tell them to please restore their data service.

andyanders:
Sometimes you see MTN debiting when you send message and it came back as failure delivery. They still debit your account.

Multilinks will collect your money N526. Naira on 24hr internet service and will not get you connect. When you call them, they will tell you their systems broke down. I keep asking, why must you debit someone for the services not rendered just like PHCN. Is that a Nigerian factor? Multilinks will collect your money and not provide you with the service. When their system brake down, why not reprogram your debit system for people not to  be able to recharge until they rectify their system? I think they deliberately do this to collect people's money. Debiting someone’s account and not providing the service if COMPLET FRAUD. In civilized society, they will make refund and also be penalized. Their system broke down sometime ago and they kept debiting my account. This is complete fraud.

Probe my bottom. Anybody that allows himself to be decieved by this was either not here for the last Assembly or has a short memory.

The question we need to ask is what happened to all the previous probes our impotent NA has ever conducted.

I'll tell you:
1. They constitute a probe committee whose job is to collect travel allowances travelling all over the country looking at things they know absolutely zero about.
2. They start soliciting and receiving bribes from the affected companies.
3. Zero report, nobody gets punished.
4. If we are lucky the EFCC will start an endless case of corruption against members of the probe panel - 4 years hence, while they enjoy their carefully orchestrated looting.

Remember you heard it here first - it is a prophecy.

Wonders shall never end - Mr. David Mark has a voice afterall. Now he can bark at Fashola for an act of God, while hiding in his "closet" from Boko Haram.

I guess the state of emergency will enable our esteemed Senate President to go down to Lagos, fill his pot belly with flood waters and then release it in the ocean in one go.

I hope Abuja gets one month's rain in one day and flood all of them away (seriously). Then the people of this country can finally declare a state of emergency on bad administrators.

A state of emergency only happens when the capacity of a state governor to handle the situation is demolished, but only if Federal intervention would be any better. A Federal Government that cannot construct a single dual carrage road in 12 years is trying to take over from the best governor in Nigeria today. Fashola is probably doing more work than GEJ, his Ministers, and the useless & impotent parliament combined. Selling our resources and dividing the loot is not work - FYI Mr. David Mark.

Obviously, the Borno governor has lost control of his state and needs a state of emergency, but dear comrade David Mark is too scared - I suppose.

Please drop the sir

Both Japan and Norway are democracies. Sure, they preserve their traditional institutions by operating constitutional monarchies. Their monarchs, like the queen of England, have very little real power although they supposedly retain "executive power". Their real leaders are elected every four years but parliament can be dissolved by the king (at least in Japan) - much like early elections can be called in the UK. I suspect that the day these monarchs attempt to exercise real power would be their last on the "throne". Still these are stricter democracies than Nigeria, but perhaps less so than the US. As I said before, Nigeria is not yet a democracy, and the direction we need to move is towards more democracy, not less.

You do have a point that Nigeria's system of government needs to be re-structured, but like the best governments around the world it has to remain a democracy. We have no hope with a monarchy given the diversity of our constituent nation groups - and the tendency to dictatorship. A confederation of states to be the best for Nigeria's situation.

At any rate your title doesn't allow for compromise as it says "without democracy".

0lumide:
Sir, isn't Norway practicing a constitutional monarchy? A unitary one too am I right. Though I don't know if it is Absolute unitary monarchy or not but I think Norway is a constitutional monarchy. Whether the Monarch is ceremonial or has power is what I don't know but I will like to believe the Monarch has power. But the possibility is high if it is a unitary constitutional monarchy,

Koruji, as you can see, they are not the type going to the polls every four years!!! And I have Norway as one of my must see nation because it is a naturally beautiful nation like Nigeria!!,

So do you agree with me that Norway is not an absolute democracy like the US and Nigeria? 

Norway is probably better than Saudi and Libya.

But Norway is a hybrid nation (government wise) with some of their ideologies contradicting that of US democracy which Nigeria is hell bent on emulating or imitating!!

Japan is not an absolute Democracy but up till the tsunami, it was ranked as one of the best places to live better than the US.

Japanese ruling party has been there as much as the communist party in China has been (Citation from a book sir),

Now, Japanese population is 129mill (hear say).

Remember I'm not saying we eradicate Democracy totally. However, system of government that promotes freedom of choice is usually seen as democracy by English speaking people but the people practicing it have a name that doesn't mean democracy in English,

Imagine if Nigeria has a Monarch either absolute or ceremonial,  Many won't consider it democratic will they?

Now people have been free before Democracy ever existed am I right sir? Why should we define freedom solely in Democratic context?

I see - without that qualification the title is the date one would use as reference.

Dis Guy:
I meant 1 year after the Big Roadmap announced Aug 2010

There is nothing like freedom without democracy that is why I called it "lazy thinking" - not that you are lazy, far from it. Our solutions to issues in Nigeria are based on "lazy thinking" so I am not trying to make any personal judgments.

Look at the examples you gave. Libya and Saudi Arabia - all they have is oil and a relatively small population (Saudi - <28million/Libya -<7 million ). They have no freedom nor good leaders. I think you are making incomparable comparisons - you are comparing a Libya/Saudi Arabia to a Nigeria in judging democracy. The appropriate comparisions are a Libya/Saudi Arabia w/o & w/democracy. Or a Norway with a Saudi Arabia. Nigeria is not yet a "democracy" - 50 years of existence with more than half of it under military dictators is not one.

Hitler turned into a dictator - when he was elected he wasn't one. He was a people's man until he developed a messianic complex.

And in the Nigerian context the evil of a dictatorship has being proven beyond any doubt. That our democracy is not effective is a sign that most of our administrators are by default dictators. What we need to do is enhance our democracy, not reduce it.

Bottom line is if a people cannot control their leaders in a democracy they have no hope in a dictatorship.

0lumide:
Also I'm not saying we do away with everything democratic but the aspect of dummies voting is worse than having a dictator,

Hitler to name a few are examples of leader who were elected!

A power hungry man will get power drunk! A good leader put there for as long as he is good is what we need not a different leader every four or 8years!!,

Gaddafi maybe ideologically/diplomatically irrational but to his people, let's be honest, he served their purpose though at the cost of their freedom which he infringed not take away entirely,

If you have ever been to Libya before the war sir, you will know he fought to protect the dignity of his people and provided for them too.


No system of government is universal for humanity sir, freedom should be!!!!!!!

More like 2 months later BTW. Look at the date again it was May 26 2011 not 2010.

Nevertheless it is still late - it is more than a month already. Let's pray your "prophecy" doesn't come to pass.

Dis Guy:
C. 1 year later


3200MW as at July 12

Instead of solving the remaining problems with Nigeria you want to revert to a system where you have no hope or chance in the world of solving anything.

It is a lazy mind's propostion as it provides a convenient excuse - the illusion of of a benevolent dictator. You cite Hitler as if people elected him to become a mass killer. It was in fact the lack of regard for the boundaries of democracy & the desire to be "king of the world" that led him down the abyss.

A well-run democracy is the only known form of government for containing absolute power - it is not 100% foolproof, but all other forms of government produce absolute rulers as the default.

So drop the pen of lazy thinking and let us figure out ways to make our democracy an effective one.

0lumide:
Democracy means millions of dummies can vote too.

We can't keep sending 70million dummies to the polls every four years,

Democracy is a fallacy that has been countered since the B.C era! Many philosophers debated democracy as a tool for instability!!

So a leader will come in 4years and will transform the nation? That was only possible if we were living in clans. What has been done by one administration can be undone by the next.

Remember Hitler was democratically elected too,


My best philosopher which is also the most unpopular intelligent philosopher who you won't find google searching except you go to libraries said (Shin Tsao): THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE ADORES THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE BUT THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE GOOD/BAD!

What I pick from this is that we enjoy both the good and bad things in democracy but fail to notice that the bad outweighs the good.


The best leaders in the world aren't elected.

Democracy allows so many crazy things that in the end, we will be doomed.

Democracy which many automatically likes to relate with freedom actually promotes more horror than some other forms of government,

Freedom has been hijacked by elite and corrupt philosophers paid by corps who ascribe freedom to also mean allowing companies to decide the profit margin of commodities,


Democracy is not the answer!!

[size=14pt]When a group of people are blowing things up all over the place you have no choice than to take police/military action against them.[/size]

I don't know why our administrators like to talk about dire national issues like they are living in another world. "Intelligence gathering" is what you do when a group is still developing and planning, not when they have built bmbs and marked out targets.

If our lawmakers are not focused on dividing the loot in Abuja they would have given this advice, and in fact see that it was implemented, before Boko Haram developed into a malignant cancer.

At this point, intelligence gathering or "deep intelligence" (according to OBJ - whatever that means) is yesterday's solution. Once BH's deadly violence is contained this time around our security system needs to undergo a serious overhaul - including an emphasis on intelligence gatering. Intelligence gathering is not SSS looking on the pages of newspapers and arresting journalists or opinion writers

I hope someone doesn't suggest the FG apologizes to BH.

Last year and this year have been terrible wrt to floods worldwide.

This is going to require long-term shifts in how we plan and build.

Really!!!

Why? Because you people have being building below the water-table for ages?

Does everything have to be used for an ethnic agenda?

Sun of god:
Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

You actually believe that Anyim is "deciding" the ministries.
Shocked doesn't describe the feeling of realizing how conceited u really are - it knows no bounds. Not even the courtesy of not embarrasing your president.
Interesting!!!

Chyz*:
GEJ is really hooking the SE up. The SGF position is really coming in handy. If I were him, assuming that the former minister of agriculture was not returned, i'd assign the portfolio to a southerner, any region in the south would be fine.

You are something else!

Rossikk:
koruji said
Yeah,  probably because THEY are behind the whole damn thing.
Remote Control level.

Like a slow cooking volcano, racism boils under the surface and pops up with dire consequences every once in a while.

They almost ruined the guys life because of racism/incompetence.

They are his ignorant foot soldiers - they don't understand that rules are made for a purpose.

Even when there are no rules common sense should still be one's advisor.

manny4life:
lol, our dear Sanusi is really confused.
Those in support of this nonsense, under what guidelines or job functions requires the CBN to trade commodities?

I agree this is a bit irrational, but worth paying attention to.

Nigerians are fond of translating common thought processes, especially fearful thoughts, into the voice of God.

Still. . .
What is Ringim still doing as IG?
Why is GEJ not putting his transformation agenda into motion? - it must necessarily include overhauling this trash we call "Nigerian security apparatus"

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201107091173575
…wants President’s team overhauled

By Friday Olokor, Abuja
Saturday, 9 Jul 2011

Even the President himself is not safe. One day, Aso Rock Villa would be bombed. The President should be very careful about the security situation in Nigeria. Whenever the Boko Haram people are brought to judgement, President Goodluck Jonathan would be shocked that the security network around him is working with them.”

These were the words of caution from the general overseer of Elyon International Ministry, Alagbado, Lagos, Babatunde Oyidi.

He implored the President to see to the security situation and put people that were capable in positions to deal with the security threat to the country.

In an interview with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, he called on Jonathan to do something about his security which, he claimed, had a leakage.

He said, “God told me that whenever the perpetrators of the Boko Haram menace are brought to justice, the President would be shocked at the revelation that would come. The President should know that some members of his security team are Boko Haram members.

“I am not talking of Aso Rock security, but the security men that surround him, who know the secret of Boko Haram. So, President Jonathan has to be very careful. He is like John the Baptist, who was brought by God to clear the road for Jesus Christ.

“God is going to use him to perfect the goodness in Nigeria. We are not safe: if you go to the nation’s international airports, people are flying out of Nigeria on a daily basis. The President has a lot of work to do on the nation’s security apparatus. It is like somebody trying to avoid death while death is lurking around the corner.

“What is happening is coming from the territory of Aso Rock Villa, from the security. There is a powerful figure in the President’s security team, who knows about Boko Haram. He should be brought to book.

“I am calling on the President to see to his personal security. The President has to look into his personal security because there is a problem there. There is a leakage there; if care is not taken, there will be doom that will shake this country.”

On how he came about many of his predictions, Oyidi said it was by the grace of God.

He said, “When God speaks, He stands by His words. When God says a word, He stands on it. It is the Lord’s doing, not by man. I want people to know that the word of God is perfect. There is nothing that can be done beside God.

“You are a President, governor, senator or whatever position you find yourself, you are under the umbrella of God. Talking about how I got the predictions, it is a calling and when a calling comes in somebody’s life, it will be established. It is God that does it; it’s not the doing of man.”

While expressing disappointment in the nation’s security agencies, he called for the sacking of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, for failing to stop the recent Boko Haram onslaught at the Force Headquarters.

He said, “If Boko Haram could penetrate the police headquarters and wreak havoc, then Nigeria is in a mess. The IG is unfit and should, therefore, be fired.”

Very, very detailed report by The Tribune

http://tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/front-page-articles/4650-slain-leaders-anniversary-boko-haram-plans-massive-attacks-as-more-residents-flee-maiduguri-houses-now-sell-for-n200000-each-tight-security-around-nysc-camps-scarcity-of-funds-grounds-police.html
-As More Residents Flee Maiduguri
-Houses Now Sell For N200,000 Each
-Tight Security Around NYSC Camps
-Scarcity Of Funds Grounds Police

Written by Taiwo Adisa, James Bwala, Bode Adewumi and Uchechukwu Olisah Saturday, 09 July 2011

The menace of Boko Haram insurgency currently ravaging parts of the North and Abuja is far from being over following indications that the sect has concluded

arrangements to orchestrate massive bomb blasts on specific targets across states of the North at the end of July.

Sources close to the administration confirmed to the Saturday Tribune that Boko Haram members have planned to mark the one year anniversary of the slain leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in a “big way.”

It was gathered that members of the sect have received a number of trainees from Sudan and Somalia who are to join the massive operations planned to celebrate the one year anniversary of the sect leader.

Sources further confirmed that some of the trainees who completed a three-month training in Sudan and Somalia under the watchful eyes of a subsidiary of the Al-Qaeda, which coordinates African operations, are to be deployed for the planned attacks.

Government sources confirmed that the attacks are being targeted at a number of states including Borno, the capital of the Boko Haram operations, Katsina, Kaduna and Yobe states.

“Because of the series of operations around Abuja and the demystification of the police, operatives of the Boko Haram sect have decided to relocate to some northern states. They are said to be planning big ahead of the anniversary of the death of the leader, Yusuf.

“The constant security checks in Abuja seems to have forced them to change their focus from Abuja to other states,” a source said, adding that the sect is also relying on its newly returned trainees for some operations.

The over 100 youths who were said to have been trained in Sudan and Somalia in the acts of bombing and terrorism were said to be awaiting orders from their commanders.

“The operations of this sect is getting deeper than many people know. The international dimensions are overwhelming. It is a challenge across the world and those behind it are trying to make the porous African borders their new posts after the heat has been unleashed on the Middle East states by Western powers.

“In their attempt to strengthen their operations, some 100 youths sent on terrorism training abroad have returned ahead of the July 31 anniversary of the death of Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, the Boko Haram founder,” a source stated.

Sources added that the government is studying a number of steps aimed at curtailing operations of the sect and making them responsible members of the society.

Residents Flee, Houses Sold Off
For fear that the military may flex its muscles as demonstrated in Odi in Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam in Benue State, dozens of people are already fleeing Maiduguri, the Borno State capital to find peace and shelter elsewhere following continued failure in the peace process between government and Islamic militants, the Boko Haram.

Saturday Tribune observed that many people are already selling their properties, including houses at give away price owing to the crises.

For instance, a bungalow is being sold for as low as N200, 000, Saturday Tribune gathered from a resident, Hamisu Lawal.

“Even at that price nobody is willing to buy because nobody wants to continue to witness what has been happening in Maiduguri in the past few days. I am leaving the state for Yobe, it is much safer even though it is also a time bomb but for now, Yobe is better.” Lawal explained.

Also speaking, Mallam Modu Aisami told Saturday Tribune that in London Ciki, some of the houses that ordinarily should be sold for N1 million is now going for even less than N200, 000.

According to him, women are selling their jewelry and other valuables received from their suitors as part of those things typical Kanuri man gives out when asking for a woman’s hand in marriage.

“Earlier this year when the Boko Haram threw bomb at soldiers in London Chiki where I used to live, I knew people that sold their houses for N500, 000. Other people sold their houses for as low as N150,000, but now I learnt that houses are sold for even N100, 000 especially those that were destroyed as a result of bomb blasts,” he said.

Another resident, Hussaini Amma, also confirmed that in Abaganram, a lot of people have abandoned their home and returned to their native town having sold their properties at give away price.

According to him, some could not even sell anything because what they had had been destroyed.

“I don’t know how much a lot of people sold their properties, but I know that they were sold at give away prices because they have to leave. I know somebody who sold his farm just yesterday, it was a farm he inherited. That farm was more than 300 plots and he sold it for N1.4 million. You can imagine how much that would have cost even last year. It would have been over N10 million last year,” he said.

Tight Security Around Camps
At the NYSC orientation camp, soldiers and police were seen battle- ready to ensure that no youth corps member is killed.

According to a source, about 40 soldiers and 20 policemen fully equipped were attached to the camp to ensure the safety of all corps members posted to Borno State.

“We were expecting 2,700 corps members for the Batch “B”, however, we now have about 1,200 owing to the security situation,” he explained.

He said “Our problem now is that most of them who are still coming did not know Borno State and it was this Okada riders that they usually depend on to carry them to the camp. With the ban on motorcycles, it would be difficult for many of them that are coming to really find their ways here because we understand that a lot of them who did not show up are in Abuja trying to get redeployment, but if it fails they have to come down.”

He also said that, if government did not put in place alternative means before the end of the orientation camp, it would be difficult for youth corps members to go about in the state as a result of the ban. He, however, hopes that the situation may improve before the end of the orientation camp.

Speaking to Saturday Tribune in Maiduguri, Mallam Umar Yahaya, a businessman, said that, “In asmuch as we appreciate government concern in this situation, I personally think that government should have provided means of transportation before enforcing a ban.”

But state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said government was not unmindful of the sufferings of the people of Borno State.

According to him, “We are compelled by the situation on ground to enforce complete ban on the use of both commercial and private motorcycles, because it was what the Boko Haram use mostly to wreck havoc and in a situation like this, we all have to come together to find solutions to our problems. The ban is for our own good. We have already purchased Keke Napep and they are already being assembled and would be ready for distribution as we already have about 1,608 on ground and our target is 5,000.”

He said the total registered commercial motorcycles in the state stands at 7,000 as such the introduction of Keke Napep will cater for more than the motorcycles.

He therefore urged people to be patient as their suffering will soon be over.

Boko Haram Gives Conditions
In another development, the group under the name Jama’atu ahlus sunnah lid da’awati wal jihad popularly known as Boko Haram has, in a statement issued by spokesman of the group, Abu Zaid, and exclusively obtained by a wire service, www.pointblanknews.com, said that the group would only accept the apologies of former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff only if he dissociates himself from ”anti-Islamic activities.”

Saturday Tribune learnt that, Sheriff who apologised to the group in some national dailies has not stepped into Maiduguri since he left the city a few days after he relinquished power owing to fear of attack by the sect members.

The sect had, in a statement, urged the former government to dissociate himself from democracy and also withdraw his support or contribution to either his cronies or political associates nationwide and also come to join the sect to fight the system he helped built even as an adviser.

The group further said that it was “only in such manner that Allah will forgive him because it was not them that he had wronged but Allah because he is committing shirk (unbelief).”

The sect members warned all Muslims to stay away from Christians, security agents, government institutions and functions or face death, maintaining that, “since the present Federal Government is not Islamic, every of its employee is considered an infidel marked for elimination.”

According to Zaid, “The only dialogue in this crisis is as follows: Stop abiding by the constitution in our land (Dualan Usmaniyya), and government must be sincere and stop terrorising Muslims in Maiduguri and parts of the North. Then there should be a time limit for ceasefire to gauge government commitment in keeping to its promise, which cannot be more than 10 years.”

Zaid further said that, “What is holding us back is the innocent civilian population, but as soon as people stay clear from security agents, we will launch a full-scale attack. Unarmed Muslims were picked up from their homes and from their hospital beds and summarily executed; the world saw it on AlJazeera. Yet, the same government wants to forgive us for the wrongs they meted on us. In actual sense, we are the ones that should give amnesty to the Borno State government.”

According to him, “We as a group don’t kill people who are innocent. What we are trying to tell people is that, in regaining the pride of the people in Islam, people have to endure in losing their properties and sometimes lives are also involved and this can fall on everyone, including us.”

The statement continues, “This is a government that is not Islamic. Therefore, all its employees-Muslims and non-Muslims are infidels. This is a government which naturally fights Islam because Muslims were killed in Zagon Kataf, in Jos and Southern Kaduna but the perpetrators have never been prosecuted based on the so-called existing laws of the land. Mosques were destroyed and punishment for this is death. Therefore, we have the right to kill them all. But if there are people who profess Islam and do not take part in government or western education, their blood and wealth are sacred unless otherwise.”

The statement also explained that, “Nobody is asking the Niger Delta militants where they are getting the weapons, nobody is asking Christians in Jos and Southern Kaduna the source of their funds to buy weaponry, but they are questioning where we are getting ours! It is very easy to get weaponry in this part of the world. Each day we look for money through lawful means. We task ourselves and sell our properties like houses and cars since we are now fugitive and use the proceeds to buy arms.”

Sect Expresses Confidence
It added that “We are not in doubt that we are going to win this war. So far, we have an upper hand. Even if it means bringing external forces, we will fight to win. History has shown that when you are fighting in the cause of Allah, there will be a divine intervention, which we have so far seen with the ongoing war with security agents.”

“Our cause is purely religious. Muslims should try as much as they can to be neutral. And we are aware that traditional rulers, religious leaders and house owners, etc are meeting in different parts of the North on how to undermine our activities and track us down. We urge them to stop; if not, we will turn to their areas and states.”

Saturday Tribune recalls that this same group which have been terrorising Borno

State and creating fear in the mind of the people since the crises of the Boko Haram in 2009 has rejected the call made by the then Borno Governor elect, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, to dialogue and bring to an end the sporadic killings in the state.

In an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa service, the group said there was no way that they could come to term with government which they did not recognise its existence.

The Boko Haram sect has reiterated its determination to establish Sharia Law in Nigeria by waging a jihad in the North, based on the traditions of the Holy Prophet Mohammed, condemning the present system of government that does not conform to Islam.

The statement was contained in a Hausa letter posted on the internet by the leader of the sect, Muhammadu Abubakar Shekau.

The letter reads in part: “We want to reiterate that we are warriors who are carrying out Jihad in Nigeria and our cause is based on the traditions of the Holy Prophet. We would never believe any system of government apart from the one agreed by Islam, because we believe that it is the only way that can liberate the Muslims.

“We do not believe in any system of government, be it traditional or orthodox. That is why we are fighting against democracy, capitalism, socialism and the rest. We would not allow the Nigerian Constitution to replace the provisions of the Holy Qur’an; we would not allow adulterated conventional education (Boko) to replace Islamic teachings.

“We would not respect the Nigerian government because it is illegal. We would continue to fight its military and the police because they are not protecting Islam. We do not believe in the Nigerian judicial system and we would fight anybody who assists the government in perpetrating illegalities.”

On the serial killings of traditional and religious leaders, the police and soldiers by the feared Islamic sect members, Shekau said: “All the people that were killed, including ward heads, politicians, the police and the army have erred, because they are associating themselves with the government in its effort to arrest our Muslim brothers and sabotage Islam.

“We want to make it clear that we are fighting not just because our mosques and centres of learning were destroyed, or because our wealth has been seized, or because we were chased out of our houses. No, that is not the reason. The reason why we are fighting is because our freedom was curtailed.”

Shekau further explained that: “From time immemorial, we have been advocating for freedom of worship and assembly and the need for everybody to believe in Allah. What we have been saying is that people should jettison modern democracy and embrace Islam as their religion.

“It was while we were propagating Islam that the Federal and the state governments connived with some Imams and ward heads and attacked us in many states including Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna and Kano.”

The group maintained that: “We would never be ready to compromise and we don’t need any amnesty. The only solution to what is happening is for the government to repent, jettison democracy and embrace Islam, dropped the constitution and adopt the laws in the holy Qur’an.

JTF Warns
Meanwhile, the Joint Task Force “Operation Restore Order” in Borno in a statement signed by Col. Victor Ebehaleme and made available to Saturday Tribune has said that the behaviours of some residents in Maiduguri was unacceptable as some residents willingly allow their surroundings or the frontages of their houses or purported business places for nefarious activities by people of questionable character.

“Such residents are strongly advised to desist from such acts as the JTF will henceforth take appropriate actions to protect the general public from such wrongful use. It is to be noted that persons who allow the use of their surroundings or frontages will be treated as criminals.” JTF warns.

According to the statement, owners of makeshift kiosks who allow their kiosks to be used to attack members of the public or security agencies would be considered as collaborators and treated appropriately.

Meanwhile, a Second Republic Senator, Chief Joe Funso Obasaju, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sit up and address the insecurity situation in the country before the country sinks further.

Senator Obasaju told Saturday Tribune that it was unfortunate that President Jonathan is the only person who does not know that Nigeria is on fire, saying the country is burning why the president is gyrating.

He urged the president to stop all the niceties of smiling about and think seriously about the destiny of the country.

He pointed out that all the unrest, like Boko Haram, Niger Delta militancy, labour imbroglio and spate of bombings are the fallout of unemployment situation in the country, which he should hurriedly address.

Senator Obasaju advised the president to increase allocation to the state and local governments by at least 3 to 5 per cent, adding that this would go a long way in settling some problems in the country.

He further councelled the president not to in anyway allow the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to go on strike, noting that this would spell doom for the country at this particular time.

South-South Meets
Disturbed by the spectre of violence in some parts of Nigeria and other myriads of problems confronting the nation, elders and leaders of the South-South, under the auspices of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA) gathered in Benin City on Friday with a view to finding solutions to the challenges.

The SSPA led by its chairman and first civilian governor of Edo state, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, expressed their support for the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, and stressed the need to tackle the insecurity, particularly the issue of Boko Haram in the interest of the unity of the nation.

Other leaders of the zone at the one day workshop with the theme, “Towards Building a New Nigeria”, included the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee; former Inspector General of the Police, Mike Okiro; Air Commodore Ndongesit Nkanga (rtd), Alabo Graham-Douglas and a host of others.

Chief Oyegun, in his address, said the workshop was informed by the need for the leaders of the zone to generate workable ideas that will guide “ our interaction with the new federal administration headed by our son, President Goodluck Jonathan.”

According to him, “This becomes imperative when we discover that whereas four years is like four weeks in the life of a nation. Strictly speaking, our son has only three effective years to impact on the lives of Nigerians and leave behind indelible positive footprints in the sand of time.

“Consequently, there is a critical need for the selective prioritisation of the myriad of challenges facing government such that meaningful accomplishment in line with the administration’s transformation agenda can be achieved. While addressing the national question for national integration, development and transformation, it may be pertinent to state that the satisfaction of the aspiration of the people of the South-South remains fundamental and relevant to our quest for national rebirth.”

Oyegun added that, “Whereas this administration has no doubt made very bold strides in making real the peace that was somewhat elusive in the Niger-Delta region, however, the success the amnesty programme has so far achieve could become mere palliative without addressing the fundamental concerns that ignited the crisis in the first place. Therefore, to make the peace sustainable and enduring should also be a cardinal preoccupation this workshop should address.”

A communiqué is expected at the end of the meeting.

These are not the kind of statements a right-thinking person should make.

You are projecting your fears and suspicions onto people you know nothing about.

The corollary is, if you believe this then you have to believe that every Nigerian is a potential fraudster - and unless you are on drugs you know that is a complete generalization and outright lie.

seanet02:
I repeat every Northerners is a potential terrorist.

naijaking1:
^^^^
Modify to say" every northern muslim" is a potential terrorist.

Another hare-brained thread for self-aggrandizement.

If you cannot look in the mirror here is what it will show you if you ever dare: this thread started by you is the exact definition of tribalism.

farous:
Even if Aganga and Akunyili is removed,the botton line is tribalism cannot allow we Nigerians to choose the right people whether they are from same ethinic group or not and thats Nigeria problem.

They probably have more information than the entire SSS can dream of. And why should anybody in his right mind think of negotiating with Boko Haram? They have a death-wish, and that's all they are interested in - k-illing and being k-illed.

Look at what they did to those  former governors. BH asked them to apologise, and like mumu they did. Only for their apologies to be rejected. You know what, BH did not in their dreams expect governors to tender an apologies to their satanic sect, but lo and behold this is Nigeria.

BH will do what it will do - any talk of negotiations is sleeping with fire on the roof.

Or even worse, may be a mirror for corrupt government officials.

Ibime:
Perhaps Zambeef got away with paying $1m for something worth $50m. More info needed.

How many years does Sanusi have left in his tenure again?

This man is turning the CBN into a commercial bank - he doesn't seem to understand this job well enough.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Money/Finance/5727537-146/central_bank_bids_to_take_over.csp

By Bassey Udo
July 6, 2011 12:39AM

Concerned about the negative impact the absence of an active commodity exchange is having on agricultural commodities trading in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday asked the federal government to allow it take over the Abuja Securities and Commodities Exchange (ASCE) to help it deliver on its mandate.

CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who was speaking at the opening of a two-day stakeholders’ conference on Nigeria’s Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) in Abuja, said if properly positioned through adequate funding and clarification of its corporate governance policies, the Exchange could provide the platform for trading in agricultural commodities.

According to Mr Sanusi, following the dissolution of the country’s commodity marketing boards in 1986, commodity merchants had exploited the dearth in the coordination of the small holder farmers’ produce, thus creating a disconnection between primary producers, processors and marketers operating in silos.

He said the break in the commodity value chain among these stakeholders has to be bridged through the establishment of vibrant and viral producers, processors and marketers commodity associations along each value chain, to boost their incomes.

Though Mr Sanusi identified agriculture as the most potent sector with the capacity to help realise Nigeria’s aspiration to emerge as one of the world’s economic giants, he noted that developing farming from the current level of subsistence has remained a challenge that requires a holistic approach to redress.

Agriculture, he pointed out, has suffered from gross under-funding over the years, with less than four percent of the federal budget allocated to the sector since 2006, contrary to the 2003 African Union (AU) Maputo Declaration that requires member countries to raise investments in agriculture to at least 10 percent of national budget by 2008.

Similarly, the governor said private sector investment in the development of the country’s agricultural value chain has remained at the lowest level owing to perceived risks, distortions and uncertainties, adding that though agriculture accounts for about 40 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), lending to the sector hardly rises above 1.4 percent of total banks’ lending capacity.

Other challenges identified include serious fragmentation in the input segment of the sector as a result of poor coordination at state and national level, pointing out that on the average, farmers in sub-Saharan Africa use between 10 and 15 kilogrammes of fertiliser per hectare of arable land compared to only 15 percent of the 144 kg per hectare used by their counterparts in Asia.

Absence of extension workers

Besides, he also identified absence of extension services, ineffective research and development, declining productivity as well as weak backward and forward linkages between agriculture and other sectors as reasons for Nigeria’s poor crop yield being rated among the lowest in the world, with average maize yield put at about 1.4 tons per hectare as against 10 tons per hectare in Asia, America and Europe.

Bemoaning the impact of these challenges on the growth of agriculture in the country, Mr Sanusi said from her pole position occupies in the 1960s in the exportation of key crops, namely cocoa, groundnut, cotton, rubber and palm produce, Nigeria’s records in the decade have declined for over 60 percent in global palm oil exports, 30 percent in groundnut and 15 percent in cocoa.

“Today, the reverse is the case, as Nigeria’s agricultural import bill stands at N630billion annually, with large food products imports including wheat (N165billion), fish (N105billion), rice (75billion) and sugar (N60billion),” he said.

While calling for a reversal of the trend, Mr Sanusi noted that in the last five decades, agricultural financing has not got the desired result due to lack of farm expansion,

lack of assured markets and forward linkages from primary production to processing.

With a projection that the country’s agricultural sector can grow by 160 percent from its current output value of N15.25trillion to 39.4trillion by 2030. He expressed optimism that the NIRSAL initiative, which is designed to de-risk the financing value chain, would help address the gaps in the agricultural and financial sectors, by helping build long-term capacities as well as institutionalise lending incentives.

Under the initiative, N46.5million has been set aside under the risk sharing facility (RSF) to support deployment of different instruments to help reduce risk in agricultural lending; N4.65billion for insurance facility; N9.3billion for technical assistance; N1.55billion for agricultural bank rating system and N15.5billion to build long terms capacities for lending to agriculture.

I hope this guy is not a victim of bad belle, so this had better be based on real evidence.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/24756-taraba-govs-aide-arrested-over-alleged-connection-with-boko-haram
Written by Celestine Ihejirika Friday, 08 July 2011

THE immediate past member of the Taraba State House of Assembly, representing Jalingo II constituency, who was recently appointed as Special Adviser on Special Duties to Governor Danbaba Suntai, Mr Kabiru Dodo, has been arrested by the police, over alleged connection with the Boko Haram.

The governor’s aide was arrested on Thursday on the Government House premises, before he was moved to the police headquarters in the state under tight security.

A top police officer, who was at the scene of the arrest, told the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity that the aide was arrested for his alleged links with activities of the Boko Haram in the country.

According to the  source, the police acted immediately, based on the information gathered from some suspects who were arrested recently, following an attack carried out on a police officer on duty at Unguwan Gadi area of Jalingo recently.

When contacted over the development, the state Commissioner of Police Mrs Chintua Amajor Onu, told newsmen that the issue was still being investigated.

The police boss said she could not make any comment over it for now, but, however, promised to brief the press after the investigation.

According to the Commisioner of Police, the police check point mounted all over the places in the state capital is the normal routine duties perform by the police adding that henceforth the police command is going to release out GSM phone numbers so that the general public may call the police when the need arises.

Mean while, as at time of filling this report, the Nigerian Tribune and other media colleagues had visited the state police command headquarters where the official vehicle of the special Adviser with Reg. No. TRGH 92 was seen parked at the premises of the State police command while other Special advisers from the government house were seen making effort to see the commissioner of police over their colleague who was arrested by the police yesterday.

Even dullard-er than I thought. Still embarrased for you

alex_101:
Oily-soup-eating-mother%$%%er, I guess you're not embarrassed by your criminal-treasury-looting fathers like bankole, obj, bode george, olubumi etteh, diya, mko et.al? How about the drug barron/certificate forger turned your tin god- Tinumbu? Goat!

What ignorance would that be?

Armies are the instruments for confronting terrorists - that is the simple truth. It is destroy or be destroyed.

Sadly the collateral damage is like to be great as well.

Tyche:
The army just showed their ignorance.

It is not a Nigerian soldier thing. Soldiers destroy, they do not build. The US tried to make its army into a nation-buidling force and has paid dearly for that error.

If soldiers are playing the role of soldiers this is what they do - they destroy. They have to receive different orders and be removed from what amounts to existential threat for them to act otherwise.

It is sad, but this is what happens when civilian administrators take months off campaigning and getting elected while a satanic sect arms and infests an entire city.

owobokiri:
You need to ask the people of Sierra Leone and Liberia how our soldiers behave when they loose any of their men in a naighbouhood. Everything walking- man, woman, children become immediate target as grown men start to act like wild dogs. Nigerian soldiers have gotten away with acting like mad dogs for a long time that it has now become the norm to kill anything in sight once they are deployed in troubled spots.

Conceited dullard - Embarrassed for you.

alex_101:
Habuyayayahahya! Na today. It is only Igbo man/woman that can tackle complex issues such as reckless spending as obtainable in the dungeon called nigeria.