₦airaland Forum

obuksjr: @Op,from your untainted and unbiased opinion and analysis,it shows you are a grassroot follower of the political events and drama in Delta state.But if you want to delve further into the political arithmetics in Delta state,it will interest you to know that ethnicity play a major factor in chosing the governor.And for the time being,the ruling party,PDP has been favored because their candidates have always come from the region/regions that has/have the political wherewithal,will and war chest to decide who becomes the governor of the state.The Delta north,the Aniomas are agitating that it is their turn but feelers from the governor's camp shows that their 'anointed son' and favorite,Senator Ifeanyi okowa might be denied the ticket in the eleventh hour because PDP,wouldn't want to start political experiment by staking their victory.The Urhobos,the acclaimed most populated part of the state wouldn't hesitate or blink an eye to throw their weight behind any of their own especially Chief Great Ogboru from the opposition if PDP fails to present a candidate from that region ,and considering their cultural and political affiliations to the Delta south they can easily reach an agreement to vote their son.So a PDP ticket to Delta north would be a true test to determine how popular the party is by leveraging ethnic back ups it has been enjoying,that is 'election magic' apart.Constructive and critical analyses are welcome from Big hearts as events towards 2015 election unfold,cheers.

I understand the points you're making bro but I tell you, the PDP will field an anioma candidate just that it might not be Okowa,the only potent Urhobo force was Sen Pius Ewherido who sadly passed on and no one seems ready to fill in his shoes, as a compensation for the Delta Central victory, jonathan will likely make one of kenneth gbagi or ovie omo agege a minister when he recomposes his cabinet,this means there will be hardly any viable Urhobo challenger even though urhobos have the largest political bloc, I make bold to say however that Ogboru is dead in delta politics, the last delta polls ws very clear, he even lost in abraka his hometown and since the PDP will likely pick a Delta South person, either Ovuosorie Macauley Or Funkekeme Solomon both of isoko and ijaw ethnic nationality as running mate to whoever emerges as the anioma candidate, this will surely secure the delta south support coupled with uduaghan also coming from there, 2015 will be full of intrigues but I still place my bet on okowa emerging,tnks for ur contribution bro

Oh common you pervs, what did you expect to see,hopeless wanksters, don't you dare go ballistic on me..I didn't ask you to open the thread you sex starved teenagers, don't blame me,blame ASUU
(In Yuzedo's voice)Mod bro,pls don't ban me or hide my 'poast', just a little bored

[size=14pt]Calls for 'total' Sharia in Nigeria[/size]
2001-08-27 21:32

Lagos - A former military ruler of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has called for the introduction of 'total' Islamic law across the country, reports said on Monday.

Buhari, who ruled Nigeria from a coup in December 1983 to his ouster in 1985, told a seminar in Kaduna, northern Nigeria, at the weekend that the strict Islamic law code known as the Sharia should be introduced in full across Nigeria.

"I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria," Buhari said, quoted in press reports.

"God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country," Buhari said.

Northern Nigeria is mainly Muslim but southern Nigeria is mainly Christian and has led criticism of the introduction of Islamic law in a dozen northern states in the past 18 months.

Africa's most populous country has been shaken repeatedly in the past by religious unrest. In February 2000 between 2 000 and 3 000 people were killed by Christian-Muslim riots in Kaduna over the introduction of Sharia.

Call for Sharia across the country

Buhari's comments were interpreted by the southern-based papers as a call for the imposition of Sharia all across the country, even in the mainly Christian south.

"Buhari calls for Sharia in all states," was the headline of the respected newspaper The Guardian.

Buhari's comments were defended by supporters as simply a call for the full implementation of Sharia in areas where Muslims predominated.

But the comments are the second by Buhari that have courted controversy after he called earlier this year for Muslims to vote at the next presidential elections only for someone who would defend their faith.

This was criticised by the press as a call for voting along religious lines, as well as an attack on the current president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who is a Christian.

Buhari made the latest comments at a seminar organised by the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, a newly set up body attended by northern state governments and Islamic scholars.

"It is a legal responsibility which God has given us, within the context of one Nigeria, to continue to uphold the practice of Sharia wholeheartedly ,  and to educate non-Muslims that they have nothing to fear," he said.

"What remains for Muslims in Nigeria is for them to redouble their efforts, educate Muslims on the need to promote the full implementation of Sharia law," he went on. - AFP

- SAPA

http://www.news24.com/xArchive/Archive/Calls-for-total-Sharia-in-Nigeria-20010827
Can a leopard change its spots

[quote author=primus_maximus]Bro don't waste your time on Agbameta[/quote]Exactly,that dude lives to bash GEJ or looks for any opportunity to exhibit his blatant foolery

ballabriggs: Another empty junket in the name of searching for investors. MNCs are not daft. They have a risk profile which they seek to match with host country risk. Nigeria remains a high risk country that does not match the profile of most of these MNCs.

Granted you may see one or two with less than significant impact on growth. However, what we know is that MNCs have a 'herding' behaviour such that they move en masse to host countries as can be seen in the experience of South East Asia.

Solution is genuine reforms and not these empty trips in the name of searching for investors.

You obviously are misinformed, nigeria had the highest FDI inflow in sub- saharan africa in the last year ahead of SA , with the gradual slowdown of growth in the asian tigers and brazil, MNCs are begin to face newer frontier emerging markets and Nigeria,Kenya,Indonesia,Malaysia And Mexico are increasingly the targets with their burgeoning middle class and reformist govts....and these are not empty trips, the HICC is a body established by OBJ during the mid 2000s which solicits for investment in nigeria, it is chaired by Baroness Lynda Chalker and a host of other top global business leaders and every year they meet either in Abuja Or London with mandatory attendance from the nigerian president and his economic team, its an opportunity for them to appraise the investment gains of the last year and look ahead, don't let your hate blind your objective judgment

This is my own personal analysis and opinion on the likely persons who might succeed Gov Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015,
There appears to be a general consensus among the state's political establishment to transfer power to the Aniomas/Delta Igbos from the Delta North Senatorial District hence the frontrunners all hail from there , Delta is predominantly a PDP state so whosoever emerges the PDP Candidate will almost certainly be the next occupant of the Asaba Government House..the main contenders are:
Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa]
Sen Okowa who currently represents the Delta North Senatorial District in the Senate is widely viewed as the FrontRunner, a medical doctor by profession, Okowa hails from Agbor and is considered the one of the most powerful forces in Delta politics, having served as a 2 time commisioner under James Ibori and SSG under Uduaghan.
He was the runner up to the current governor in the 2007 PDP governorship primaries,His strength lies in his impressive Political Structure but his primary weakness is the fact he is from a non oil producing area.
Victor Onyedikachukwu Ochei]
Current Speaker Of the State House Of Assembly Who Hails From Aniocha South, He is Very Young and a relatively new entrant but he has been gaining a lot of ground lately touring huge parts of the state, said to be immensely rich with a huge campaign war chest,he remains a candidate to watch,
]Omordi George Okwudili Ugbomah
He is widely regarded as a dark horse and could shock the others to pick the ticket, A 3 time Commisioner , Ugbomah hails from Aboh In Ndokwa East and this appears to be his strong point, many of the state's power brokers are not so comfortable with Okowa Or Ochei who are from core Anioma areas and are instead more amenable to a Candidate from the Ndokwa/Ukwuani tribe which is much closer to the Urhobos/Isokos/Ijaws and is also a major oil producing area.
]Godsday Orubebe]
Current Minister Of the Niger Delta who is of the Ijaw personality from Burutu LG, considered one of the closest people to President Jonathan which is the only thing he has going for him at present, a long time player in Delta Politics however,many feel he has little chance since he comes from the same senatorial district as outgoing gov uduaghan, even his mentor Chief Edwin Clark came out strongly against him contesting.
One other person who cannot be ruled out is Chief Great Ogboru who would most likely lead the opposition's charge on the DPP platform, however his fortunes have declined massively with many of his supporters including his brother decamping to the PDP, this was apparent in the last Delta Central Bye Elections(his home district) where his party, the DPP could barely muster 5% of the votes cast while the PDP scored over 90%,
Overall , if I was to place a bet on who the next governor of my darling state would be, Ifeany Okowa would seem the likeliest
NB Purely My Own Opinion as someone who's quite active in the Delta Political Scene,
Fellow Deltans should make their own contributions as they deem fit

I thought SR said he was suffering from hangover..I.diots, they also said Uduaghan couldn't enter the UK yet I can see him clearly in one of the pictures,their hate has blinded their sense of reasoning,only f,ools would believe the gibberish that discredited wannabe gossip site spews

Associated Press
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Either they’re geniuses … or about to look foolish.
An Associated Press panel of reporters who have
covered 28 World Cups among them peer into a
crystal ball and take a stab at predicting who will
shine or flop among the 32 teams next June in
Brazil.
The AP also got second opinions from Raymond
Domenech, who coached 1998 world champion
France at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and from
a global panel of 14 non-AP journalists who vote in
the weekly AP soccer poll. Their thoughts about our
predictions are also published.
Of course, the Dec. 6 draw could blow some
predictions off course. But if history proves our
fortune-tellers right, then don’t forget: you read it
here first!
If not, well, hmmm. Better luck next time?
___
WILL BRAZIL WIN? Yes. Brazil’s team, although
average by its standards, will transcend itself
thanks to the expertise of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari,
Neymar’s gift for scoring and creating goals and the
added zest of playing for home crowds. Scolari is
adept at getting teams and players to peak on
schedule, essential for the monthlong World Cup.
After winning the 2002 edition with Brazil and then
managing Portugal, Scolari returned to club
football. Brazil’s football federation brought him
back after firing much-criticized manager Mano
Menezes in 2012. Scolari proved he hasn’t lost his
touch by leading Brazil to victory at the 2013
Confederations Cup. Neymar was MVP of that
World Cup warm-up tournament, silencing critics’
claims that the 21-year-old striker doesn’t shine for
Brazil in big games. Usually intolerant of
imperfection, home fans threw themselves behind
the team and will do so again in 2014, helping to
carry Neymar and Co. to the final, which they’ll win.
By Tales Azzoni in Brazil.
PANEL SAYS: Evenly split, 7 of 14 panelists agree
Brazil will win. “Historically, Brazil has benefited
from refereeing decisions at WCs, a factor that
might be even bigger at home” _ Leonardo Bertozzi,
ESPN Brazil .
DOMENECH: Agrees. “The Confederations Cup
confirmed they’ll be tough to beat.”
___
OR WILL IT BE SPAIN? Yes. Spain will become the
first team to win four major championships in
succession. The World Cup winner in South Africa
and two-time defending European champion has the
necessaries to repeat: Quality, experience, youth
and master coach Vicente del Bosque. It will likely
be the last World Cup for midfielder Xavi
Hernandez, who could have less of an impact. But
Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Sergio Ramos are in
their prime. Del Bosque has top goalkeepers, with
Iker Casillas likely to start despite becoming second
choice at Real Madrid. Striker Diego Costa’s
decision to play for Spain, his naturalized country,
instead of his native Brazil could tip the balance. He
gives Spain presence and a scoring threat with both
feet. With the extra motivation of making history,
Spain will become the first team since Brazil in
1962 to defend the world title. By Paul Logothetis in
Spain.
PANEL: Overwhelming majority _ 12 of 14 _ say
Spain will lose. “Teams will play counter-attack
against them and when that happens they are
beatable” _ Mike McGrath, The Sun.
DOMENECH: Says Spain’s “players are getting a
bit old. It’s the end of a cycle. I even see them being
knocked out quite quickly.”
___
WHICH TEAM WILL BE THE BIGGEST FLOP?
Spain’s cycle of dominance will abruptly end in
Brazil. Signs were there in qualifying that La Roja
are no longer the menace they once were. Although
undefeated in 30 straight matches at home, points
were dropped to visiting France and, more
surprisingly, Finland. In both games, Spain needed
a goal from defender Sergio Ramos, highlighting
how Spain’s once free-flowing attack has grown
wheezy. In only one of eight qualifiers did a forward
score more than once _ Pedro’s hat-trick against
Belarus. Teams are figuring out how to frustrate
Spain, which needed late goals to beat Georgia
away and in a scrappy win in Finland. Playmaker
Xavi will be 34 and overworked trying to unpick
packed defenses. A good counter-attacking team
will send Spain home well before the final. By
Jerome Pugmire in France.
PANEL: Just 3 of 14 agree.
DOMENECH: Agrees with Jerome. “They should get
through their group but risk quick elimination in a
knockout game.”
___
WHO WILL WIN THE GOLDEN BOOT? Lionel Messi
is going to correct the major blemish on his hugely
prolific career scoring record and take home the
Golden Boot. Heading to his third World Cup, the
four-time world player of the year has scored _
you’ll have trouble believing this _ just once at the
World Cup: in his first match in 2006. Messi played
well but got no goals in 2010 for an Argentina team
coached quixotically by Diego Maradona. Under
coach Alejandro Sabella, Messi’s genius will finally
shine in Brazil. Even his time sidelined by early
season injuries will keep him fresher for national
duty in June when he should be reaching his career
peak at 27. Messi scored 10 times in 14 qualifying
matches. If the Dec. 6 draw groups Argentina with
the Netherlands and Ivory Coast, just like 2006, the
team will need Messi scoring. Just a single game
against weaker defenses could see sufficient Messi
goals for the Golden Boot, especially since he is also
Argentina’s designated penalty-taker. In 2010,
Germany’s Thomas Mueller high-scored with five
goals. By Graham Dunbar in Switzerland.
PANEL: Just under half _ 6 of 14 _ agree.
DOMENECH: Disagrees. “I think it will be a
Brazilian.”
___
WILL LIONEL MESSI SHINE? No. Messi won’t be
healthy enough. He’s running out of gas, picking up
injuries with alarming regularity, the latest a left-
leg muscle tear. He appears to be paying for his
keenness to play every match and for rough tackles
he’s endured over the years from opponents he
frustrates. Under ex-coach Pep Guardiola at
Barcelona, Messi enjoyed long spells without injury.
But Guardiola moved on and Messi broke down with
a hamstring problem at the end of last season. At
the World Cup, stars have little time to shine _ a
maximum of seven matches in one month if they
make the final. Messi needs to be fully fit and that
looks unlikely. By Stephen Wade in Brazil.
PANEL: Only 5 of 14 agree Messi will flop.
DOMENECH: Disagrees. “He has time to get better,
because he’s getting injured now and the World
Cup is in more than six months.”
___
WHICH AFRICAN TEAM WILL FARE BEST? Didier
Drogba will inspire Ivory Coast to the quarterfinals,
matching the best ever performance by an African
team. True, Drogba will be 36 and the Ivorians
didn’t escape the group stage at their two previous
World Cups. But in the Champions League, playing
for Turkish club Galatasaray, Drogba is proving he
can still score against top opposition. This being his
last World Cup and probably his last major
tournament will motivate the striker and the team
he captains. With a decent draw, and Yaya Toure in
midfield, Ivory Coast will go furthest of the 5 African
teams. By Gerald Imray in South Africa.
PANEL: 5 of 14 agree.
DOMENECH: No. “I think it will be Nigeria.”
___
GERMANY’S “GOLDEN GENERATION” FINALLY
WINS? No. Germany will start as always with a big
victory and breeze through the rest of the
tournament _ until the semifinals. There, Joachim
Loew’s men will again fall short despite playing
sparkling football, especially if the Dec. 6 draw
throws up Italy as a likely semifinal opponent.
Germany has never beaten Italy at a major
tournament. Other teams are beginning to read
Germany’s game and won’t give so much space to
midfielder Mesut Ozil. Germany will have one of the
youngest teams and will lack experience _ except in
attack, where Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez are
aging and aching. Germany’s defense is its biggest
weakness. Loew’s philosophy is to score more than
concede, but squandering a 4-0 lead against
Sweden for a 4-4 draw in World Cup qualifying
exposed Germany’s lack of a world-class defender,
except Philipp Lahm. By Nesha Starcevic in
Germany.
PANEL: Even split _ 7 of 14 agree. “It’s time for
them to win it all. Bayern and Dortmund discovered
the path in the last Champions League” _ Ubiratan
Leal, trivela.com, Brazil.
DOMENECH: “Completely agree. They’ve always
been short of that extra something and they’re not
going to do better as they get older. Semifinals, yes.
They’ll lose against Brazil.”
___
WHICH TEAMS WILL SPRING THE BIGGEST
SURPRISE? It used to be that surprise teams could
lay low until the World Cup. FIFA’s rankings
changed that. Belgium hasn’t played a World Cup
since 2002. It’s been even longer for Colombia:
1998. Both might be considered dark horses in
Brazil were it not for FIFA rankings giving their
game away. Based on their results against other
teams, they’re now among the top 5 football
nations. Despite lacking experience, they’ll advance
easily from group play. From there, a piece of
individual brilliance or luck often decides games. In
Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez, Colombia
has a game-changing duo. Behind the playmaking of
Eden Hazard, Belgium is a challenger. One or both
will reach the semifinals. By Raf Casert in Belgium.
PANEL: Majority _ 10 of 14 _ agree. “Belgium will
have a magnificent team ready for the World Cup _
look out for Vertonghen, Hazard and Lukaku!” _
Soren-Mikael Hansen, Politiken, Denmark.
DOMENECH: No. Expects Argentina, Brazil and
Germany in the semifinals and “for the surprise, I’d
always say Italy, my intimate friends.” (Domenech’s
France team lost the 2006 World Cup final to Italy)
___
WILL ENGLAND REPEAT 1966? No. The nation
with the world’s No. 1 football league still won’t
have international success. Fans who long
struggled to accept the diminished status of the
1966 world champion now realize that Roy
Hodgson’s side won’t repeat that feat in Brazil or
get to the semifinals like Bobby Robson’s team in
1990. Even the English Football Association’s
chairman, Greg Dyke, only set England a target of
winning the World Cup … in 2022. The youthful
energy of Jack Wilshere and Andros Townsend will
unsettle teams. The matured Wayne Rooney will
score his first World Cup goal. But off-field
distractions and difficulty with relentless media
attention have a habit of derailing England at major
tournaments. England won’t go further than the last
16. By Rob Harris in England.
PANEL: 10 of 14 agree.
DOMENECH: Agrees. Not getting beyond the last
16 “is their habit.”
___
WILL THE UNITED STATES REACH THE
QUARTERS? No. That’s happened just once, in
2002. The U.S. team got no further than the group
stage in 1990, 1998 and 2006 and the last 16 in
1994 and 2010. Notwithstanding the improving
quality of Major League Soccer, players of fine
ability including midfielder Landon Donovan and
forward Clint Dempsey and the leadership of former
Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the US team
won’t get beyond the last 16, or before that if the
draw is unfavorable. Despite qualifying top from
North and Central America and the Caribbean, the
U.S. isn’t seeded for Dec. 6. That means it is bound
to draw host Brazil or another top-ranked team and
possibly other difficult opponents, too. By columnist
John Leicester.
PANEL: Large majority _ 11 of 14 _ agree. “The U.S.
don’t have the talent or the stability/continuity to
get that far” _ Sam Tighe, Bleacher Report, United
States.
DOMENECH: Disagrees. Believes United States will
reach the quarterfinals. “I’ve always found them to
be well organized at the World Cup. Their matches
are generally tight. I would have liked them to beat
the Italians in 2006, that would have helped me
out.” (The two sides drew 1-1 in the group stage).

CLASSIFIED BY: Robin R. Sanders, Ambassador, STATE, EXEC; REASON: 1.4(A), (B), (D) ------- SUMMARY ------- 1. (C) Ambassador met February 26 with Acting President (AgP) Dr. Goodluck Jonathan at the Vice President's official residence, Aguda House, in Abuja to review the current political situation following the return earlier this week of ailing President Yar'Adua. Moves are afoot, between Jonathan and key northerners in the lead such as former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, to encourage the Yar'Adua family to let go and let the President resign with dignity. This will allow Jonathan to serve as interim President until elections and also allow him to designate a vice president. Given the dysfunctional level of the current Cabinet, Jonathan said that once this happens, he will dissolve the cabinet, after consulting with the Council of State. Both moves, he believes, will appease Northern politicians, as he suspects that more northerners will support the resignation idea. Jonathan claims he wants to do a good job over the next 12 months, and leave a legacy of credible elections, electoral reform, including replacing the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) chairman and all of the commissioners. He promised the Ambassador that he would look at her suggestion of using terminal leave for the INEC chairman, which could have him out earlier than June. The Acting President also agreed to allow U.S.-UK technical assistance to help improve the voter registry and provide for a parallel vote tabulation. He expects things to calm down in the next 10-14 days, will not leave the country until things are resolved, and has opened channels with the military. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was leaving Jonathan's private office when Ambassador was entering. End Summary. ---------------- WHO'S IN CHARGE? ---------------- 2. (C) Jonathan told the Ambassador "everyone's confused" about who is in charge of Nigeria. There has been an increase in the level of uncertainty in the internal political situation following ailing President Yar'Adua's return, which was shrouded in secrecy, during the early hours February 24. The AgP said he was "unhappy" that the first statement issued following Yar'Adua's return referred to Jonathan as "Vice President." The GON issued a second statement February 25 that reversed course and refers to Jonathan as the Acting President. Jonathan said that the Villa received a lot of pressure to correct this error so that the lines of leadership and executive direction were clear. 3. (C) The AgP lamented, "This terrible situation in the country today has been created by four people: Turai Yar'Adua [the ailing President's wife], his Chief Security Officer (CSO) [Yusuf Mohammed Tilde], his Aide-de-Camp (ADC)[Col. Mustapha Onoedieva] and Professor Tanimu Yakubu [Yar'Adua's Chief Economic Advisor]." The AgP said he does not know their motives, but expected it was likely for nefarious purposes. He added Minister of Agriculture Abba Ruma and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Adamu Aliero had provided a second-tier of layering to the bubble surrounding Yar'Adua. The AgP noted that "people are angry," and did not want to allow those surrounding Yar'Adua to replicate the control and access similar to what they had done in Jeddah for the past three months. 4. (C) Jonathan said the CSO and ADC saw him separately to let him know that they did not intend to mistreat the AgP and expressed their willingness to work with him (which the AgP doubts). The AgP said he told them both "then the best thing is to stop the charade." The AgP told the Ambassador he believes Yar'Adua is in a semi-comatose state without an understanding of what is going on around him. ------------- ENCOURAGE PRESIDENT TO RESIGN ------------- 5. (C) The AgP said that Former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who according to Jonathan has become one of his closest advisors, worked out a strategy where he would reach out to other former Nigerian Heads of State, including former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, to approach those closest to Yar'Adua, especially his wife Turai, to try to convince them that the best, and most dignified step to take for the country and for Yar'Adua as a human being would be for the President to resign. This action would constitutionally make Jonathan Nigeria's President. Doing such would also be easier than convincing two-thirds of the 42-member Federal Executive Committee (FEC) to declare the ailing President "physically incapacitated and medically unfit" to continue in the office of the Presidency. Jonathan said he and his wife, Patience, visited Turai as a humanistic gesture to express their best wishes for the recovery of Yar'Adua and out of respect for his ailing boss. The AgP said under no circumstances did he want Turai to come to his official residence. 6. (C) Once Yar'Adua resigns and Jonathan becomes interim President, he said he would choose a Vice President that could appease the Northerners by working with them to identify a candidate. AgP Jonathan also shared that until Yar'Adua resigns, and things come down he would not leave the country. (N.B. This is in reference to the POTUS invitation to attend the April 12-13 Nuclear Security Summit). The issue of identifying a northerner as a vice presidential candidate, Jonathan underscored this appears to be the thing most on the minds of the northerners as they feel cheated out of the Presidency with Yar'Adua's illness. ------------- FEARS ABOUT MILITARY ------------- 7. (C) Jonathan said "everyone, including the Army Chief of Staff (COAS) [LTG Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau] and Chief of the President Guards Brigade [BG Abdul Mustapha]" are concerned about the confusion over who is the executive of the nation. The AgP said the military chiefs are making sure no politicians are reaching out to the rank-and-file, and encouraging the military to stay in the barracks so that the uncertain political situation does not generate coup-like behavior emanating from the mid-ranks because of the confusion. As the Ambassador began her meeting with the Acting President, he had just concluded a meeting with COAS LTG Dambazau (see reftel A for Ambassador's conversation with the COAS February 24). ----------------



www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/10ABUJA215_a.html

1. Don't ask for money.
2. Never ask for money.
3. Don't talk about money.
4. Forget anything about money.
5. Don't collect when he offers!.
Yours Sincerely: EVERYONE

ABUJA (Reuters) - In the gloom of a hilltop cave in
Nigeria where she was held captive, Hajja had a
knife pressed to her throat by a man who gave her a
choice - convert to Islam or die.
Two gunmen from Boko Haram had seized the
Christian teenager in July as she picked corn near
her village in the Gwoza hills, a remote part of
northeastern Nigeria where a six-month-old
government offensive is struggling to contain an
insurgency by the al Qaeda-linked Islamist group.
In a new development, Boko Haram is abducting
Christian women whom it converts to Islam on pain of
death and then forces into "marriage" with fighters -
a tactic that recalls Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance
Army in the jungles of Uganda.
The three months Hajja spent as the slave of a 14-
strong guerrilla unit, cooking and cleaning for them
before she escaped, give a rare glimpse into how the
Islamists have changed tack in the face of Nigerian
military pressure.
"I can't sleep when I think of being there," the 19-
year-old told Reuters, recounting forced mountain
marches, rebel intelligence gathering - and watching
her captors slit the throats of prisoners Hajja had
helped lure into a trap.
Nigerian security officials say the Islamists have
pulled back after army assaults since May on their
bases on the semi-desert plain and are now sheltering
in the Mandara mountains, along the Cameroon
border around the city of Gwoza. From the hills they
have been launching increasingly deadly attacks.
The rugged mountain terrain - as fellow al Qaeda
allies found in Afghanistan - has proven an
advantageous base for a movement that once styled
itself the "Nigerian Taliban" and sees all non-Muslims
as infidels who must convert or be killed.
The United States designated Boko Haram a terrorist
group on Wednesday. Western governments are
increasingly concerned about the wider threat posed
by the group, which wants to create an Islamic state
in a religiously mixed country of 170 million and
which has ties with al Qaeda's north African wing.
Hajja's account of how Boko Haram has adapted and
survived in recent months underlines the difficulties
governments in the region face. The spread of the
threat was underscored by the kidnap on Thursday of
a French priest in Cameroon, an attack France
believes may have involved Boko Haram.
The following day, Nigerian troops raided a base for
the group in the Gwoza hills. The army said it killed
29 Boko Haram fighters and was "closing in" on the
rebels.
FORCED TO CONVERT
The group, whose name broadly translates as
"Western education is sinful", has killed thousands
during a four-year insurgency against the Nigerian
state, targeting the police and armed forces as well
as politicians and then turning on Christians in the
predominantly Muslim north of the country.
The military offensive launched in mid-May, and the
fact that large numbers of civilian vigilantes have
supported it, has triggered a fierce backlash against
local people by Boko Haram. The militants have killed
hundreds in the past few weeks, including in
massacres of school children.
The Islamists dragged Hajja along rocky mountain
paths and slept in caves in the hills, a landscape
unfamiliar to most Nigerian soldiers, recruited from
the plains.
She ceremonially converted to Islam, cooked for the
men, carried ammunition during an attack on a police
outpost and was about to be married to one of the
insurgents before she managed to engineer a
dramatic escape. She says she was not raped.
"If I cried, they beat me. If I spoke, they beat me.
They told me I must become a Muslim but I refused
again and again," Hajja told Reuters in an interview.
Her family name is withheld to protect relatives still
living in the Gwoza area.
"They were about to slaughter me and one of them
begged me not to resist and just before I had my
throat slit I relented. They put a veil on me and made
me read from the Koran," she said in the Nigerian
capital, Abuja, where she is now living.
At least a dozen teenagers like her remain in
captivity, Michael Yohanna, a councilor in Gwoza's
local government told Reuters. Some have married
commanders, recalling Kony's LRA, which abducted
thousands of "wives" in a 20-year war in Uganda
before a truce in 1986. Kony remains a fugitive.
A man called Ibrahim Tada Nglayike led the group
Hajja was with. On one mission, Hajja was sent to
stand in a field near a village to attract the attention
of civilians working with the army. When five men
approached her, they were ambushed.
"They took them back to a cave and tied them up.
They cut their throats, one at a time," Hajja said. "I
thought my heart would burst out of my chest,
because I was the bait."
Among those who did the killing was the Muslim wife
of the leader Nglayike, the only other woman in the
band of fighters.
Reuters verified Hajja's account of having been
abducted with independent figures in the region.
Boko Haram shuns the media and none of its
members could be contacted for comment.
Hajja says the long-bearded insurgents lived a basic
lifestyle, eating corn, millet and occasionally meat
from animals they stole and which she slaughtered.
The group, armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols stolen
from police they killed, moved every day around the
hills to avoid being tracked by the army and slept in
the caves to shelter from the cold and for protection
against air assaults.
"They didn't use phones but they had a radio," Hajja
said.
"They would listen to BBC Hausa or Voice of America
and jump and shout if they heard about Boko Haram
attacks."
"TOOTHPASTE EFFECT"
Forced out of cities and semi-desert bases since
Jonathan declared a state of emergency in May, the
militants have mostly retreated to hills and forests on
the Cameroon border.
"It's the toothpaste effect: squeeze one end and it
comes out the other. They have proven resilient and
are adapting faster than the military," a Nigerian
security source said.
Army commanders denied Boko Haram had any
control over the Gwoza mountains: "We are curtailing
their activities and I can assure you that ... the
insurgency will soon be a thing of the past,"
Lieutenant Colonel Adamu Garba Laka said.
But a Nigerian general asked Cameroon this month
for help in fighting Boko Haram, and the backlash
against civilians has made the conflict deadlier than
ever.
According to one security source, in the five months
after Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the
northeast there were 1,708 deaths in 83 violent
clashes, compared with 667 deaths from 117
incidents in the previous five months.
Pushing the conflict into poor rural regions, like
Gwoza, where Hajja was seized, runs the risk of
radicalizing more disenchanted youths and drawing
more people into the violence.
"Gwoza has disintegrated. We have no schools, no
hospitals, no government offices functioning," said
councilor Yohanna.
"I worry that youths will take the law into their own
hands. It will become a war between Christians and
Muslims."
Insurgents moved freely through the hills and even
into the town of Gwoza, Hajja said. Fighters made
trips to collect cash, ammunition and weapons from
the Sambisa Game Reserve, a forested region where
Boko Haram has established camps.
Informants, mostly farmers, would warn them of
approaching army patrols, Hajja said, adding that the
rebels also appeared to have sympathetic contacts
among the troops - something Nigerian military
commanders deny.
"They know the area very well and many people help
them because they are afraid or support their cause,"
Hajja said.
On once occasion, Boko Haram commanders were
able travel from Maiduguri, the state capital on the
plain north of Gwoza, to meet the guerrilla group in
the hills.
Hajja said her unit carried out dozens of attacks,
killing police and anyone suspected of aiding
authorities.
The longer the insurgency goes on, President
Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, will come
under increasing criticism from his northern
opponents as elections in early 2015 draw closer.
He risks growing resentment from a northern
population who believe he is out of touch with their
troubles.
It is also becoming a drain on Africa's second largest
economy - Nigeria allocates a fifth of its budget for
security.
Hajja eventually escaped by feigning severe stomach
pains. Thinking her too ill to flee, the insurgents sent
her to hospital escorted only by an older woman.
Once she was among other people, Hajja threatened
to denounce the group to police, prompting the
woman to abandon her and flee.
"I finally tore off the veil and I cried," Hajja said.
"So many times I thought I'd die."
(Additional reporting by Isaac Abrak in Abuja and
Ibrahim Mshelizza and Lanre Ola in Maiduguri;
Editing by Tim Cocks and Alastair Macdonald)
mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE9AG04120131117?irpc=932

There was a group of women,who gathered at a
seminar on how to live in a loving relationship with
their husbands.
The women were asked, 'How many of you love your
husbands?'
All the women raised their hands.
Then they were asked, 'When was the last time you
told your husband you loved him?'
Some women answered today, some yesterday,
some
didn't remember..
The women were then told to take their cell phones
and send the following text to their husbands: I love
you, sweetheart.
Then the women were told to exchange phones and
read the responses text messages.
Here are some of the replies:
1. Eh, mother of my children, are you sick?
2. What now? Did you crash the car again?
3. I don't understand what you mean?
4. What did you do now? I won't forgive you this
time!!!
5. ?!?
6. Don't beat about the bush, just tell me how much
you need?
7. Am I dreaming? ?
8. If you don't tell me who this message is actually
for,
you will die today...!!!
9. I asked you not to drink anymore!!
and the best one
10. Who is this?

There was a group of women,who gathered at a
seminar on how to live in a loving relationship with
their husbands.
The women were asked, 'How many of you love your
husbands?'
All the women raised their hands.
Then they were asked, 'When was the last time you
told your husband you loved him?'
Some women answered today, some yesterday, some
didn't remember..
The women were then told to take their cell phones
and send the following text to their husbands: I love
you, sweetheart.
Then the women were told to exchange phones and
read the responses text messages.
Here are some of the replies:
1. Eh, mother of my children, are you sick?
2. What now? Did you crash the car again?
3. I don't understand what you mean?
4. What did you do now? I won't forgive you this
time!!!
5. ?!?
6. Don't beat about the bush, just tell me how much
you need?
7. Am I dreaming? ?
8. If you don't tell me who this message is actually for,
you will die today...!!!
9. I asked you not to drink anymore!!
and the best one
10. Who is this?

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has declared Willie M Obiano Of APGA thw winner of the Anambra Guber Election,He polled 171,975 votes and won in 16 LGAs to defeat his closest rival Tony Nwoye of the PDP who polled 93,484 votes and won 2LGAs, Chris Ngige of APC polled 85,165 votes and won 2LGAs, LP's Ifeanyi Uba emerged 4th winning in 1LGA