₦airaland Forum

DUTSE—Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has denied stories making the rounds that he had been appointed as President Goodluck Jonathan North-West Campaign Coordinator for 2015 general election.
Lamido spoke yesterday in Dutse while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the PDP state caucus meeting, saying that as I am talking to you right now there is no official letter from the presidency or president himself appointing me as his campaign coordinator or what so ever.
He further explained that, ‘’as you heard it, so I did but nobody has contact me. As far as I am concerned I am not appointed into the position of Jonathan Campaign Coordinator at any level either through the party or the president personally.
“I am not President Jonathan Campaign Coordinator. I saw it on the pages of newspapers; this does not mean I was appointed since nobody contacted me personally or officially.”
However, speaking on why President Jonathan posters were not seen on the party’s campaign vehicles, the acting Chairman of the PDP in state, who is also the Vice Chairman, Jigawa Central, Alhaji Aminu Jahun said, every candidate had his campaign strategy and committee.
Also commenting on the essence of the party stakeholders meeting the campaign director of the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state, Alhaji Isa Duniya Bahutu said, it was to map out campaign strategies would ensure victory in the forthcoming general elections.
Said he: “You know there are some party stakeholders who were not entitled to participate in the election of the party’s candidates but they are entitled to know how we arrived at having them at all levels, so we used this meeting to inform them.”

The United States has announced the cancellation of the training of a battalion of the Nigeria Army, at the request of the Federal Government.
It said that the first two phases of the training were conducted between April and August, 2014, noting that it had provided untrained civilian personnel with basic soldiering skills.
A statement from the Information Office of the US Embassy in Abuja, on Monday, regretted what it described as the premature termination of the exercise programme, which it said would have trained the Nigerian soldiers to build their capacity to counter the Boko Haram terrorists.
The US government, however, said it would continue other aspects of the extensive bilateral security relationship, as well as all other assistance programmes.
The statement read, “At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army battalion. The first two phases of training were conducted between April and August 2014, and had provided previously untrained civilian personnel with basic soldiering skills.
“Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and U.S. trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intent of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills.
“We regret the premature termination of this training, as it was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian Army build capacity to counter Boko Haram.”
But a source in a strategic office close to the Federal Government operations, said Nigeria had more pressing problems to deal with than the training of military personnel, noting that members of the Nigeria Army “are well trained already and they don’t need any further training from the Americans.”
The source said, “Nigeria is facing a more pressing problems now; we need weapons to combat Boko Haram and not training. The Americans are supplying weapons and assisting Iraq to fight ISIS, but they are talking of training here. Is Nigeria not facing the same threat as Iraq that they are assisting? What we need are weapons and not training, our security personnel have all the training they required.”
The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, could not be reached for comment as calls to his line failed to connect.
When contacted, the Director, Public Affairs Division, Foreign Ministry, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, said he had no information on why the training was terminated by the Federal Government.

Source
http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-cancels-training-of-nigerian-soldiers-by-us/

Fighting between Nigerian troops and Boko Haram insurgents escalated in Mubi, Mararaba Mubi and Uba in Adamawa State on Wednesday.
Casualty figures could not be obtained as of 8pm but the development forced the state government to impose 24-hour curfew on the affected communities.
Our correspondents gathered that Mubi, the second largest town in the state and host of two high institutions, was the worst hit.
A parent, Ahmad Sajoh, whose daughter is studying at the Adamawa State University, said that as of 2pm on Wednesday, the police barracks in the Government Reservation Area was overrun by the insurgents while the prison in the town was blown open.
He added that fighting which was ongoing at the army barracks caused confusion at the IDP camp in the Lamorde area of the town.
However, an online newspaper,SaharaReportersreported that Boko Haram insurgents took over the headquarters of the 234 battalion in the town.
Our correspondents gathered that the development made banks to move their cash to Yola, the state capital.
Sources toldThe PUNCHthat insurgents launched an attack on Uba in the Michika-Madagali area of the state in response to sustained aerial bombardment of their hideouts by security forces.
Residents said they saw a large number of insurgents at Mararaba, a town about seven kilometres from Mubi.
Sajoh told one of our correspondents that his daughter called to inform him about the development in Mubi.
He said, “This morning, I got a call from my daughter who is a 200-level student. She was hysterical. I was in Abuja for a meeting, but her information forced me to head back to Yola immediately.
“I ordered her to leave the hostel and join her cousins to escape the town. I called my father who confirmed the story. By the time I arrived at Yola airport, the town had fallen to the insurgents.
“My parents are trapped while my daughter and her cousins are missing. We have lost contact for six hours.”
Sajoh, who is the director of Press and Public Affairs to the former Governor Murtala Nyako, added, “Mallam Iliyasu of the Bursary Department of the state university, who is trapped in the town said by 2pm, the Police Barracks in the GRA was overrun by the insurgents, the prison was blown open while fighting was going on at the army barracks. The IDP camp at Lamorde area was thrown into confusion.
“The new rulers of the town had issued a decree banning entry and exit to the town. Students who trooped to the motor park were stranded with most taking refuge in any house that could welcome them.
“The barracks are the least safe locations in the town. So far, there are no reported cases of killings or abductions. But fear and apprehension have taken over.”
Another source said that Mubi was currently deserted by residents after the incident, the second in three months.
The higher institutions in the town were forced to close down again.
There are fears of humanitarian crisis should the town fall into the hands of the insurgents.
A fleeing resident, Joshua Gajere, said several people might have been killed during the shootings that lasted for almost two hours in Uba and other villages.
He said, ‘‘We are in serious trouble as these boys (Boko Haram) have taken over our towns, splitting into groups and advancing towards Mararaba, Mubi and Vintim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh. They made the Nigerian troops to retreat to Mubi’’.
Gajere added, “As I am talking to you now, residents are scampering for safety.
‘‘Mubi has now become a ghost of itself as people in their hundreds are fleeing for their lives.
‘‘Even here in Maiha, we saw military vehicles zooming off towards Yola, the state capital.’’
However, a resident from Michika, Mr. Siva Zira, told one of our correspondents that the military was having an upper hand as they were able to dislodge the insurgents in Michika and Uba.
Meanwhile, Governor James Ngillari has asked the people of the state, particularly those in the affected areas to remain calm as security agents were on the top of the situation.
His Director of Press and Public Affairs, P.P. Elisha, said the governor met with security heads in the state to assess the situation.
He said, “It’s unfortunate with this development, His Excellency, has met with security chiefs in the state on Wednesday to assess the situation.
“People should remain calm, security agents are on the top of situation.’’
It was further gathered banks in Mubi have taken the pre-emptive steps to move out large volume of cash to the Central Bank of Nigeria in Yola.
Our correspondents could not get the Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, to comment on the hostilities as the calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect.
The government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Mubi, Mararaba Mubi and Uba...
Source: punch

i strongly dont bliv ASUU is d cause bur anyway, ASUU shuld in a matter of haste suspend d strike considering the students. If not, d support 4rm students and family will be lost. Lets give the govt a chance as d rot as been ova d years.

Guess she should go and see Toolz stylist...