₦airaland Forum

As an Igbo proverb says, the death that will take the life of a dog does not allow it to perceive the smell of faeces. In like manner, this is no less the case with the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan vis-à-vis its seemingly crass attempt at toying with the obviously unnecessary question of amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect. Unfortunately, the members of Boko Haram have not only wasted innocent lives but also have destroyed properties worth billions of naira, and have continued to progress in the same direction with reckless abandon. In defence of all these calamities, as we are made to understand, they desperately desire the imposition of an Islamic system on the Nigerian state or, at the minimum, a full Islamisation of Northern region. And if not for anything, at least so far, the Boko Haram members have repeatedly professed and reiterated their Jihad mission without pretence. Of course, there is nobody in Nigeria who does not clearly know that this is where we are, which accounts for why the sect’s operations have been so far limited to the Northern region. With all the foregoing in mind, one wonders what else the government of President Jonathan wants to find out or invent as consisting in the grievances of the sect. Or, worse still, what else do the government and the sympathisers of the Boko Haram members want to formulate and use as a basis for compensating or thanking them with the equivalent of the Niger Delta amnesty treat for perpetrating, after all these years, a series of crimes against humanity.

Curiously, advocates of amnesty for the Boko Haram are wont to tell those who care to listen that the government would do well by considering this option as a viable strategy for brining to an end the violence in the North, yet they neither told us nor emphasised what would become the fate of all the innocent people who had been killed and maimed by the sect, aside from properties worth billions of naira and other valuables that had got lost in the orgy of violence.

Indeed, the loss is monumental. From the magnitude of the loss of human and material resources recorded in the wake of the bombings of churches, schools, United Nations’ building, motor parks, police stations, military and prison facilities to the image crisis and international embarrassment created for and suffered by Nigeria and Nigerians all because of the activities of Boko Haram, there can hardly be little to worry about. Yet, in the face of all this, the Northern leaders and Boko Haram sympathisers are averse to recount and reckon with the agonies of many families and/or bring good judgment to bear on the sensibilities of the public while clamouring that their children be considered for special pardon and possibly be showered with a treat for killing and maiming people anyhow as well as destroying both privately and publicly-owned properties without giving a tinker’s damn.

While it is quite ironical that at a time the South African court has convicted and sentenced Henry Okah, the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta to 24 years of imprisonment over his alleged role in the October 1, 2010 bombing near the Eagle Square in Abuja, the same government of President Jonathan that gave its imprimatur for the successful prosecution of Okah is here setting up an amnesty committee for Boko Haram. It is quite a pity that whereas other serious nations of the world are busy striving to help Nigeria discourage her citizenry onshore and off-shore from having anything to do with both the actus reus and mens rea of terrorism as evidenced in the sentencing of Abdul Mutallab and Okah by the US and South African courts respectively, the Nigerian government itself is apparently pursuing and/or attempting to test run policies that will definitely breed more diehard terrorists and encourage their exportation to countries and peoples of high frustration potential. Indeed, like Chinua Achebe would reason in his treatise – The Trouble with Nigeria — Nigeria is a nation for adventurers.

Onyiorah Chiduluemije Paschal



http://www.punchng.com/opinion/letters/no-to-amnesty-for-boko-haram/

They will pay from the proceeds of the tint permit law they are terrorizing civilians with ...crooks~! 33rd to comment...see position!

ighoosagie: Sharp guy, see u dey use punctuation dey reserve space

HAHAHAHAHAHA
!!!!!

In what observers have described as “portents of a dangerous phase,” President Goodluck Jonathan has bared his fangs against the media by unleashing the police on LEADERSHIP over a recent exclusive story on a “presidential directive” targeting the opposition and containing plans to raise petrol prices, among other things.

Between Wednesday when the newspaper first published the story and yesterday, police officers have visited the newspaper’s head office in Abuja three times, demanding to see the journalists who wrote the story.

The psychological siege climaxed yesterday with a summons to the newspaper to appear at Force Headquarters in Abuja this morning.

“It is an irony that Jonathan who, as vice president, benefitted from this newspaper’s principled stand when the cabal under President Umaru Yar’Adua tried to block him from assuming power, is now using the same discredited rulebook to intimidate the press. This strong arm tactics will not work,” a media observer said yesterday.

In a letter dated April 7, 2013 of CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.49/34 and signed by one Danlami Mohammed, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Administration, entitled: “Investigation Activities Police Invitation”, the police authorities summoned the trio of our group news editor Tony Amokeodo and two correspondents, Chibuzor Ukaibe and Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department today over the said story.

The letter was addressed to the chairman, LEADERSHIP Group Limited.

The letter reads in part: “This office is investigating the circumstances leading to your Front Page publication entitled, “Outrage Trails Presidential Directive On Tinubu, APC” and a sub-title captioned

‘Bromide of the Presidential Directive.’ Based on our fact finding efforts, you are hereby requested to release the above mentioned reporters to interview the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘D’ Department (FCID) on Monday, 8th April, 2013 at 1000hours.”

In the presidential directive, dated March 26, 2013, and exclusively published by LEADERSHIP, Jonathan had hinted at plans to target the business interests of the ACN national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to frustrate the merger of the opposition parties at all costs.

He had said in the directive that petrol prices would be increased from the present N97 per litre to between N130 and N140, but that public opinion should first be gauged on the matter.

In response to rapid-fire denials by presidential spokesmen, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Dr. Reuben Abati, LEADERSHIP said it stood by its story and would not be intimidated by Jonathan’s attempt to curb press freedom.

http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/51638/2013/04/08/jonathan_unleashes_police_leadership.html

4th!

THE Federal Government will do all that is necessary to check the security challenges brought by the activities of Boko Haram in the country and ensure the safety of the lives of Nigerians and foreigners alike.

This assurance was given to the United States government by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, when he hosted the United States Political Counsellor in Nigeria, Mr Gregory Lawless, who paid him a visit in his office in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Okupe observed that the Nigerian government and the government of the United States had no major disagreement on issues of bilateral relationship and would continue to work together to strengthen its co-operation, especially on the operations of the Bi-National Commission.

He explained that the ties between the United States government and Nigeria had been built around issues of mutual interests and cooperation on economy, security and good governance and could not be destroyed by disagreement on one or two issues.

He added that the present administration would continue to partner with the international community on ways of guaranteeing regional security.

On the fight against corruption, the presidential spokesman said the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration had ensured that anti-graft agencies operated without any form of manipulations from government, in order to entrench the principles of separation of powers, as provided in the 1999 Constitution.

http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/8822-boko-haram-will-be-tackled-presidency-tells-us

Create jobs that are colonized by PDP stalwarts,make electricity constant and work on reducing fuel price... Once this is done most things will fall in place but that seem to be a tall order why? Uncle corruption is gud at wat he does!!!

These days e be like say... Sack letters dey fly reach pple wey dey on strike at dem door step... No be small thing.

Bad Attitude: From the rank of DCP to the IGP shuld be flushed down the suck-away! and Replace the head with another person from a disciplined agency or even the military before sanity can be restored to the NPF. Bunch of dumb buffons!

@Bad Attitude... Not a bad idea cos anything to remedy the present state of decay in the police wuld be highly embraced esp if i was in a position to make dat decision....Na Military Police i go use sef.

ilugunboy: I don't trust the Nigeria police on this one....they look like the aggressor here and trying to cover their track...

Thats their trade craft! Aggressor & covering of tracks! And they aint even good at it...Can u imagine??

The Job of the Current Nig.Police is currently being done by the DSS and soldiers cos they cannot measure up... So wats d point wasting tax payers money on these crop of inefficiency and dormancy? This IG seem like the worst so far...cos i hav not heard of him enforcing any disciplinary measure on erring officers instead he is campaigning for more cash. Smh.

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
ABUJA—THE Presidency, yesterday, urged Northern leaders to prevail on the Boko Haram Sect to embrace dialogue.

A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said: “There is no need for over-politicization of the demand for Amnesty, or to blackmail the President for taking strong, patriotic views that are contrary to those of some of our respected elders.

Such, sometimes is the nature of statecraft and in many parts of the civilized world, situations like this are handled with equanimity and further deepening of consultation, certainly not acrimonious misunderstanding or open hatred.
“The true expectation is that our respected leaders will go back to the drawing board and increase internal consultation and networking with the aim of reaching out to the leadership of the insurgents and convincing them to do the needful and step out to be counted.”

Niger Delta leaders helped Yar’Adua’s Amnesty programme

The president’s aide recalled that prominent leaders of the Niger Delta such as former Information Minister, Edwin Clark; former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; former Minister for Culture, Alabo Graham Douglas and a few others co-operated fully with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua by visiting militant camps and persuading them to lay down their arms and allow government address their grievances in a civilized manner.

“This was the way and manner a successful amnesty programme was hatched and effected. Many local leaders and stakeholders bought into the government’s amnesty programme. It was carefully planned, properly structured and effectively implemented with co-operation and willing support of elders, stakeholders and well known and nationally acknowledged open leadership of the militants.

These include: Asari Dokubo, Boyloaf, Tompolo, Atake Tom, Tamuno George, and Soboma George to mention a few. They were clearly identified and they negotiated openly and transparently with the government.”

He continued: “It is for these reasons that there is need for a great restraint when we advocate for Amnesty for those amongst us, who have actually, through criminality engaged in wanton destruction of innocent lives, public and private property; especially when their activities are based on ethnic and religious ideologies that actually strike at the foundation of our mutual co-existence. We also need to be mindful that we have other ethnic militias in the country who have remained essentially peaceful, and who may by these calls for amnesty be encouraged to now pursue violence.

”Grandstanding, undue politicization, blackmail and insincerity will not help us as a nation. We are a nation of strong-willed, socio-culturally well-differentiated societies, with long standing historical ties, and we are one people with a clear destiny to lead Africa and the world. We must at times like this show exemplary mutual respect, affinity and cohesion strong enough to lift us together as one strong and united people, out of this quagmire and National misadventure.”

The Road to dialogue

The issue of dialoguing with the sect and granting the members amnesty have been on and off.

At a time, the sect declared its readiness to dialogue with the government provided the parley was held in Saudi Arabia. It named prominent Nigerians such as former Head of State, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to represent it in the talks. Buhari later distanced himself from the dialogue.

Recently, a faction of the group declared cease-fire in Maiduguri, BornoState after series of parley with the state government. The move was recanted by another faction and the violence has continued.

Thereafter, there were calls for the government to grant the sect amnesty as was done in the Niger Delta to militants. During a visit to Yobe and Borno states recently, President Jonathan punctured calls for amnesty for the group saying he could not grant amnesty to ghosts. The president’s stance was flayed in some quarters and recent waves of sustained Boko Haram attacks have been attributed to it.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/presidency-to-northern-elders-tell-boko-haram-to-accept-dialogue/

Johannesburg - Nigerian Henry Okah was jailed for 24 years by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

"Effectively, the accused [Okah] is therefore sentenced to 24 years imprisonment," Judge Neels Claassen said as he handed down sentence.

On 21 January, Okah was found guilty on 13 counts of terrorism, including engaging in terrorist activities, conspiracy to engage in terrorist activities, and delivering, placing, and detonating an explosive device.

Car bombs

The charges related to two car bombs in Abuja, Nigeria, in which 12 people were killed and 36 injured on 1 October 2010, the anniversary of the country's independence.

The second bombing took place in Warri on 15 March 2010 at a post amnesty dialogue meeting. One person was killed and 11 seriously injured.

In both bombings, two car bombs went off minutes apart in both places. The cars were parked in close proximity to each other.

Claassen sentenced Okah to 12 years imprisonment for each of the bombings and 13 years for the threats made to the South African government after his arrest in October 2010.

The 13 years would run concurrently with the 24 years.

In January, during judgment Claassen said the State had proved Okah's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and his failure to testify meant the evidence against him remained uncontested.

Okah has denied any involvement, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated.


http://saharareporters.com/news-page/independence-day-bombing-henry-okah-jailed-24-years-news24

hahaha! He is finally awake! I wont be surprised if he defects to PDP...

EL RUFAI AGAIN?? This certified rattler is at it again? Must you say something stupid to take out all reasonable doubt that you are a f**l? you shoulda just kept quite and be thought wise na...haba!

Hmmn...90 percent politician of the north BH guys? I can say they are BH apologists and have something they are not saying....they know something

Pope Francis has eschewed tradition and chosen a silver Fisherman’s Ring rather than a gold one — and one designed decades ago rather than created specifically for him, the Vatican said Monday.

The gold-plated silver ring, one of the papal symbols that the new pope will receive during the inauguration mass on Tuesday, is modelled on a ring designed by Italian sculptor Enrico Manfrini, who died in 2004, for Paul VI.

“The ring is designed by Manfrini, who created several religious works and it was presented to the pope by the master of ceremonies who had received the model from one of Paul VI’s secretaries,” said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.

Nicknamed “the popes’ sculptor”, Manfrini designed religious objects for several pontiffs, including Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II.

The simple ring, customarily worn on the pontiff’s right hand, depicts a bearded and haloed St Peter holding a pair of keys — an emblem of the papacy which captures the moment Peter was given the keys to heaven.

It was chosen by Francis out of three ring models presented to him, Lombardi said.

“I don’t know if the ring was used by Paul VI. The design stems from that period but it is not physically the same ring. The original ring was melted down but this a ring based on the same design,” he added.”

The Fisherman’s Ring originally served as both a symbol of the papacy and a seal, but these days the pope has a separate seal with which to mark documents.

There had been a lot of speculation over what sort of ring Francis would choose, following his decision to reject the papal gold cross necklace for his own simpler one at his first appearance after his election.

http://www.punchng.com/news/world/pope-francis-eschews-tradition-with-silver-ring/

If el-rufai and Pat Utomi was placed on a pedestal to be voted for ...would you rather vote for el-rufai? if no, why?

This political quagmire in which the first APC have found themselves is quite a slippery one and come to think of it...I love this country!!! you can reach me at ww.nscdc while i contact my Oga at the top. datz all!

oh....i see. did my oga at the top complain about it? if not, datz all!

yeah...prove it. kill shekau and come back to us for negotiations.