₦airaland Forum

We have noted with surprise, the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other bigoted critics of the Jonathan Administration over the claim that the President is “hobnobbing” with the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was recently accused by the Australian, Stephen Davis of being one of the chief sponsors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram. Continue...

The totally erroneous basis for that charge was the spurious claim that Senator Sheriff accompanied President Jonathan on his recent trip to Ndjamena as a member of his entourage.

Although Senator Sheriff himself has already given the lie to that claim through his Media Adviser, the Presidency wishes to affirm, for the purpose of emphasis, that the former Borno State governor was not on President Jonathan’s delegation to Chad.
In keeping with          President Jonathan’s commitment to transparency and openness in the conduct of government business, names of the key members of his delegation were announced a day before his trip to Ndjamena.
They included the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed and the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency, Prof. Seidu Mohammed.
As can be easily verified from the complete list of members of the Presidential entourage to Chad which was also circulated on Sunday and never changed, Senator Sheriff’s name was not on it. The only other persons on the list were the President’s aides, security personnel and journalists.
The APC and others who rushed to condemn President Jonathan for a non-existent indiscretion would have found, if they took the least trouble to double-check, that there was absolutely no factual basis for their accusation.
Those who associate with Senator Sheriff know that he has longstanding interests in Chad and often spends a lot of his time there. He happened to be in Ndjamena at the time of President Jonathan’s visit and joined other Nigerian residents of the Chadian capital in coming to the airport to welcome their President.
That was the full extent of his participation in the visit and it was also at Ndjamena Airport that the pictures which formed the basis of the bogus allegation of President Jonathan hobnobbing with an “accused sponsor of terrorism” were taken.
The former Governor’s presence in Chad was certainly not at President Jonathan’s instance and he did not participate in any of the President’s discussions with President Idriss Deby or his other engagements in Ndjamena.
President Jonathan is fully aware of the allegation made against Senator Sheriff by Stephen Davis. That allegation is already being investigated by the security agencies who will make their findings known to the public in due course.
The President assures all Nigerians that he has not willfully taken any action that could prejudice the outcome of that ongoing inquiry.
He seizes this opportunity to reassure the nation once again of his total commitment to doing all within his powers to bring all identified and verified sponsors of terrorism to justice, and ending the menace of violent extremism in the country.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
Media & Publicity
September 11, 2014

tonychristopher: and some stupid idi.ots takes this man serious, a stupid aussie looking for relevance. now they will shut up...but wait a minute, how do logical minded people even think that boko haram will disclose their source of funding...

the aussie went and asked the islamist, abeg who dey give una money, shekau said na ihejrika and ex governor, he left..just like that. i laugh


people can be so daft to believe him, cos he is a white man, i am ashamed of Nigerians


shame on Nigerians that doesnt think

samilo88: All this epistle for Ikimi? APC must b really pained..

emog17: Those of u saying it is bad to hv MasterCard on our national I.D card, i wnt to ask u; why does our naira notes, a symbol of national identity have Arabic inscription on it which no one understands except the Muslims? cos i knw we weren't colonized by d Arabs and neither is Arabic our official language.

Sincere9gerian: I cant believe some APC attack dogs are actually regurgitating the rubbish that Ihejirika is one of the sponsors of Boko Haram.

Where is the connection? Ihejirika is not a northerner, Boko Haram members are northerners. Ihejirika is not a muslim, Boko Haram members are muslims? So where is the connection?

Is Ihejirika also sponsoring other islamic terrorists like ISIS, Al queda, Al Shabab, etc?

Some ediots can actually kiss the devil because of politics. Talk of a fool chasing rats while his house burns.

EasternLeopard: Eh eh

But it was that same outdated weapons Ihejirika used to tame BH

Why couldn't BH capture and occupy one town during Ihejirika's era since you claim the army was using outdated weapons


You wasted Awo's free education

Am sure he is shaking his head in the grave

OtunbaJega: Jonathan

Truckpusher: Not as daft as that man you call father......he can't be a President.

victorazy: Bros! We can't be confused people cuz Jesus never be. U said we'r causing confusion all arouth world?
Check all the Islamic nations if there is peace yet they said "Islam is the religion of peace" check all the Arab world, Northern Nigeria etc.
Until u guys remove the spirit of jealousy in u, the world can never contain u guys.

iluvmoscow: Dear Haters,

She won MBGN and not Miss Big Boobs.

You got the big boobs and ugly face while she's got the good looks and no boobs.

Thank you.

PAGAN9JA: Now is the perfect time to meet the parents. Nonsense!

The question we must ask ova selfs right now is:

-If the doors are closed, is there any emergency exit arrangements in case of fire?

-Is there sufficient ventilation/A.c. or will the parents suffocate due to lack of oxygen behind closed doors ?

-Is the men:women ratio equal or lesser behind closed doors? Because men cannot be trusted these days in the company of women.

-If the doors are closed, then who go make open the doors?


I hope FG tries to solve these pressing questions first instead of wasting times on #BringBAckOurGirls

Elebiju: I don't keep logs on my phone,not even my nairaland history, my messages? empty. I don't stay out later than 7pm except on Saturdays when I go for rehearsals so help me advise my babe how to catch me in the act.