The Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has laughed off speculatations and insinuating reports of his appointment as replacement for late Mallam Abba Kyari, the former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the trending report on social media as mere imagination of idle minds.

His longstanding confidant from Bauchi State, who did not want to be named, spoke while responding to enquiries by newsmen on the matter.

The source, who has been in close contact with the Minister in the last few weeks, stated categorically that he (Adamu Adamu) was not desperate for any appointment as he is currently preoccupied with his efforts to reform the education sector in the country.

"Unknown to many, education is very dear to the heart of Mr. President and the Honourable Minister of Education is aware of that and has been fully preoccupied with the task of restoring the lost glory of the sector.

"So, the story making the rounds, insinuating that the Honourable Minister has been appointed as the new Chief of Staff to the President, is obviously the handiwork of mischief makers and idle minds who seem to have nothing serious they are doing", he said.

The source added that power comes from God and He alone decides the fate of every of His creation.

"Therefore, as someone very close to the Honourable Minister, I know that the Minister is not desperate for any position.

"For now, God has placed Mallam Adamu Adamu in a position to execute the lofty vision of Mr. President in the education sector.

"He is supervising, on behalf of Mr. President, an all-important ministry in terms of human capital development and has not shown any desperation for any other office", the Minister's ally disclosed.

[b]Source: [/b]StreetReporters.ng

Source:
https://streetreporters.ng/2020/04/07/clo-evacuation-300-nigerians-china

Some of of us comment without reading. Makes no sense.

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order immediate evacuation of over 300 Nigerian Business men and women with valid returning tickets to Nigeria but were locked down in China as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The trapped Nigerians had travelled to China for business activities before the coronavirus pandemic caused a global shut down national borders globally and are currently restrained to the city of Guangzhou.

In a statement issued by the Executive Director of the CLO, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike and made available to The Street Reporters Newspaper, the CLO explained that the stranded Nigerian nationals sent a save our soul (SoS) request to the human rights body from China to help them appeal to President Buhari "to use his offices to send urgent diplomatic request to the Chinese Government urging it to allow them to return to Nigeria immediately".

"In several distress phone communications to the CLO on Monday night, the Nigerians said that they have been disallowed to return back to Nigeria after they had completed their business activities in China" the international human rights body noted.

The CLO added that they "have been subjected to various inhuman and degrading treatments including repeated tests, being quarantined in hotels, denial of access to Nigerian foods and serial taking away of their colleagues from their hotel rooms to unknown places.

"The Nigerians prayed the CLO to appeal to President Muhammad Buhari and the United Nations to come to their aid and save them from avoidable hardship and death.

"They said that the Nigerian Embassy in China had failed woefully to intervene in their interest.

"However, CLO findings indicate that other countries of the world are sending chartered flights to evacuate their nationals from China.

"The countries include but not limited to Canada which has evacuated 137 citizens and the United States of America which had evacuated 392 of their people in that country.

"Similarly, smaller African countries like Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo have sent aircraft to take away their citizens from China to their respective countries", the statement read.

The stranded Nigerians also complain that the worst scenario is that while other countries of the world have not closed their Borders against their returning citizens, Nigeria has blocked her borders against Nigerian returnees to their country.

They insisted that they have been tested severally and their results prove that they were negative to the dreaded disease.

The CLO added that "In view of the foregoing, CLO appeals to the Nigerian Authorities to, as soon as practicable, take very emergency steps to ensure that these Nigerians who are trapped in China and any other part of the world are peacefully evacuated from those countries to Nigeria.

"While we take sides with most of the preventive measures being taken by our government to secure our country and her citizens from contacting the disease, we frown at the act of locking out our citizens who are returning from other countries of the World.

"Rather, we request that these nationals be flown from China, etc, to Abuja or Lagos where necessary medical examinations would be made on them before they are allowed to mix with their families", the statement added.

Signed:
Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike,
Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO)
08037875414

Source: https://streetreporters.ng/2020/04/07/clo-evacuation-300-nigerians-china

By Celestine Nwakoro

Enugu is the capital old Eastern Region and still capital of the present Southeast region. Virtually everyone from Southeast has a home, relation or link with and in Enugu.

With this, one can confidently say that Enugu is home for all Igbos and Nigerians at large. It remains the biggest city in the Southeast region both in development and size.


When the menace of Covid-19 pandemic hit Nigeria, my greatest worry was how would Enugu be safeguarded. This is because of its prime place in the affairs of the Southeast region and the country at large. It has always been a destination point for the majority Igbos. 


A friend of mine was quick to remind me that Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu has not been reopened, having been shut down for resconstruction since last year. 

But I replied him that even at that, the coal city state will always witness influx of people by roads and through the Owerri and Asaba airports. 

So unless the Enugu State Government put proactive and preventive measures in place and in time, the State is vulnerable to Covid-19 pandemic, just like Lagos that has become the centre of it.


Thus, I kept tab on Enugu State Government's preventive measures against covid-19 in the state. So far, Enugu state government has demonstrated readiness and commitment to combating the scourge with its series of laudable and commendable proactive measures and pragmatic steps that can only be compared with that of Lagos State Government.

If not better than that of Lagos Government, if one considers the fact that Lagos received N10b from Federal Government as support in time.


Even before the two confirmed cases in Enugu, Enugu State Government has apart from approving and releasing N330m to procure neccessary medical logistics needed to augment the available ones to be used in curbing the spread and handle the treatment of victims of the virus, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi approved the provision of Group Life/ Group Personal Accident Assurance Policy for all medical doctors of the Enugu State Teaching Hospital, Parklane Enugu, doctors in the Health Ministry and other health workers.

Other beneficiaries of the insurance cover include fire fighters, staff of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency and all those involved in essential services.


The State Government subsequently approved the use of the ultra-modern Enugu State Medical Diagnostic Centre as additional Covid-19 Isolation and Treatment Centre alongside the newly-built one in Nsukka, ESUT Hospital Parklane Enugu and the Colliery Hospital Enugu that is presently undergoing reconstruction.


Unfortunately and typical of their professional antics, some nurses of the ESUT Hospital Parklane Enugu, chose to protest recently against Enugu State Government, using lack of protective materials as an excuse for their action.

But if one may ask, how can a government that has put all these proactive measures in place even ahead of the two confirmed covid-19 cases in the state fail to provide ordinary protective materials like face masks, hand gloves sanitizers and others for her medical personnel to work?
This is unbelievable and tales by the moonlight. 

The disclosure that the nurses' grievances was because the Enugu State Government approved 100% Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CNMESS) for the doctors at the ESUT Hospital Parklane Enugu to get them suspend their strike in the midst of the threat being posed by covid-19 pandemic globally is not far from the truth.

Why such protest in time of this covid-19 pandemic crisis? Is medical practice all about making money or saving lives first?

What happened to Hippocrates oath taken by medical doctors upon graduation from school?

This is same medical personnel who are warning and threatening Federal Government against inviting Chinese medical experts to assist in handling the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. 

The layman arguement that medical personnel should be paid well like politicians is not tenable. This is because everyone cannot be a politician or political office holder.


The right thing is for medical personnel who are tired of practising to call it a quit and join politics or at worst migrate to overseas for greener pastures as once canvassed by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, who happens to be a medical doctor too.


It is hoped that these ESUTH Nurses who mischievously protested to blackmail the state government, knew that their counterparts in other states were not provided with any Group Life/ Group Personal Accident Assurance Policy, which Enugu State Government has provided for them at this critical period?

Not even Lagos State Government with all the billions of Naira at her disposal did so for their medical personnel.

But since the outbreak of the pandemic and increasing confirmed cases in Lagos almost on daily basis, their health personnel have niether protested nor embarked on any strike for anything.

This is because they know the implications and consequences on the pandemic fight and health of the citizens. It was just recently that consortium of Insurance companies in solidarity and support of the Lagos State Government's effort in the fight against the pandemic arranged N5b insurance cover for the health workers in the state. 


Meanwhile, apart from the Isolation and Treatment Centres in Yaba and Onikan Staduim, the Federal Government-owned University of Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi Araba, Mushin has been of immense assistance in the battle against the deadly virus in Lagos.

This is unlike the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku Ozalla, Enugu that one cannot fathom or understand their readiness and contributions to the treatment and prevention of the scourge and its spread in Enugu.


Why is it that all attentions, talks and issues about the fight against the pandemic in Enugu are centred on Enugu State Government and its health institutions alone?

Some may argue that the pandemic is not prevalent in Enugu like Lagos to warrant Federal Government's intervention, by getting UNTH battle ready to assist the state government.

But must Federal Government wait for more cases to be confirmed in Enugu and others states, apart from Lagos before intervening? If that is the case, where is the proactiveness in the fight against the pandemic?


It is quite instructive for one to know that the fight against the global pandemic is money spinning and that the Federal Government corners 52 percent share of the country's total revenue, leaving states and local governments with 48% to manage with.


Meanwhile the same Federal Government that has not deemed it fit to activate UNTH Enugu for any role in the Covid-19 pandemic fight has through the National Centre For Disease and Control (NCDC) gone to Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakalki, Ebonyi State and established a virology laboratory for Covid-19 diagnosis, instead of the UNTH Enugu that is at the centre of the Southeast region and more equipped medically and otherwise.


One cannot reason what informed such decision by the Federal Government, but it obvious that whatever informed it is more political than reasonable, conducive and suitable.

Well, there is no cause for alarm. What is of utmost importance now is that there is a virology laboratory in Southeast region for diagnosis of Covid-19 cases.

Not minding, there is need for UNTH to be equipped and activated by the Federal Government to enable it play complementary role to Enugu State Government's efforts in the battle against the spread of virus and its treatment in the state. 


Everything about the proactive measures to contain and control the spread of the disease should not be left completely for the state governments to cater for alongside the local governments. This is because of the greater effects such will have on them in terms of meeting up with their financial obligations. 


There is urgent need for the Federal Government to lend financial support to state governments at this critical period of global pandemic crisis. If possible, state governments should be refunded their expenses so far and be given additional financial support to continue with measures to tackle the scourge.

If the sit-at-home or lockdown continues after two weeks without headway, many state and local governments may not meet up with their financial obligations and this might lead to collapse of governance in the country.

Even developed countries with strong and sound economy are facing economic and financial crises over the ravaging global pandemic, let alone developing economy like that of Nigeria with weak footing.

Celestine Nwakoro writes from Opebi, Ikeja Lagos. I can be reached on celenwa@gmail.com

Worried by the increasing cases of the dreaded Coronavirus disease ravaging nations of the world and in efforts to contain the pandemic, the Council of Ohafia Monarchs (Onoko Nde Ezieogo Ohafia) in Abia State of Nigeria has ordered their sons and daughters residing outside their communities to remain abroad and should not return until the end of April 2020. By implication, they have been retrained from returning home for Easter celebration.

The Ohafia monarchs who commended the efforts of both the federal and state governments aimed at containing the spread of Coronavirus, urged governments at all levels "to quickly put in place further mechanisms and enforceable laws that will secure and keep the rural communities (our food baskets) safe from the virus."

The directive and commendation were contained in a communiqué issued by the monarchs after their monthly meeting, which was held at the Palace of His Royal Paramountcy, Ezieogo Prof. EUL Imaga.

The communiqué, which was signed by His Royal Majesty, Ezieogo Mba Odo Okereke, the Secretary General of the council, equally advised the people to keep safe and free from COVID-19.

To contain and stop the spread of the deadly virus, the council banned all social gathering in their respective domain in line with the standard protocol for prevention of Coronavirus disease.

Parts of the communique reads: "The Council have carefully studied the press releases, activities and plans of the Abia State Government aimed at achieving a secure, safe and virus free environment in the State and commends the State Governor, urging him and the task force set up to be more proactive.

"The Council in pursuit of this onerous goal, hereby bans with immediate effect all social activities, burials, send off, traditional marriages, weddings etc involving more than 50 persons in Ohafia until further notice.

"Also suspended until further notice with immediate effect are all meetings, including the Council of Monarchs, Community/Town Development Union , Age Grades, etc, involving more than 30 persons.

"All Churches in Ohafia are to hold services in streams of not more than 50 members observing the recommended social distancing of 1.5m in seating arrangement.

"All burials, traditional marriages and other ceremonies already scheduled for and up to Sunday 29th March are to be drastically scaled down or reduced to in-house family affair, observing all the recommended safe practices.

"Where such an event cannot be cancelled outright, the use of Sanitizers, hand washing and social distancing must be strictly observed", the monarchs stated.

The Council urged governments to followed procure and immediately distribute to the rural communities "agricultural and farm inputs/incentives to avert a famine arising from sustained shutdown globally."

The monarchs vowed to "use "Akpan" authority, Town Criers to begin the Publicity of this directives/orders", "teaching and demonstrating self hygiene, constant hand washing, clean environment, etc to keep the virus out of the community."




The Council then mandated the Ohafia Improvement Union (OIU inc) and Town Unions to equally "issue complimentary directives to all our sons and daughters living in the Cities outside Ohafia and in the Diaspora to keep safe, self-isolate where necessary and applicable.
"No one will hold it against anyone for not coming home until further notice as all compulsory activities have been put on hold.
"Where anyone must come home he/she should ascertain his status and be subjected to the State's and local laws in place."

The Council also urged the Chairman, Transition Committee of Ohafia Local Government Area, Chief Fred Eke "to swing into immediate action and implement the directives of the state government in Ohafia."

Thanking everyone, indigenes and residents alike, the monarchs request for full compliance and urged everyone to As play his or her role, praying for God's mercies and quick intervention.

The Council suspended the Ohafia Monarchs meetings temporarily and appointed a committee to "meet with The Udumeze, Prof EUL Imaga to take immediate and necessary action as the need arises".

By Comrade Mathew Nwaiyike

Since our civil society group, Anti-Corruption Champions of Nigeria (ACON) blew whistle and petitioned the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Enugu State Government on the fraudulent and corrupt activities of the outgoing Vice Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT ) Prof. Luke Anike and its management team, Anike has continued with impudence, impunity and audacity to plunge the university into mess as clock ticks for his exit.

Our investigations revealed that from the recent happenings in the university point to the fact that there is a deliberate and calculated attempt by Prof. Anike and his management team to run the university aground and thus make it ungovernable, not only to the newly inaugurated Governing Council, but also to the soon to be constituted management.

To achieve this, Prof. Anike has been massively recruiting his cronies and allies as staff. At the last count, more than 250 academic and non-academic staff have been recruited in the last six months without any recourse to due process. None of the recruitments was authorised by the outgone Governing Council of the university.

In carrying out the massive recruitments, Prof. Anike is not unaware of the fact that he has always found it very difficult paying staff salaries towards the end of every academic session, when students have all paid their school fees. Now that Prof. Anike has almost doubled the university workforce at the twilight of his administration, one wonders how the university will survive up to third quarter of this year, when its Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) would have been depleted totally as a result of increased wage bill.

It is obvious that Prof. Anike, behaving like a loose canon is not bothered about the impending or looming financial crisis and the concomitant labour unrest that may result from irregular and non-payment of worker's emoluments, since he would have served out his tenure as VC then. Also in an attempt to lend credence and legitimacy to the illegal, fraudulent and tainted recruitments he did, Prof. Anike is presently conducting regularisation interviews for all the newly recruited staff including those he employed in March 2020.

Ideally, legally and procedurally, regularisation for staff offered temporary appointments should be carried out when such staff have worked for at least 12 months. Prof. Anike and his management team are aware of this policy, but blatantly and criminally they don't want to observe, adhere or abide by it.

It is unfortunate that Prof. Anike has been allowed by the Council to entrench the most morbid cronyism in ESUT through the retention of incompetent hands in various post in the past five years. These same set of people have remained in their positions as Deans, Directors and Heads of Departments for the past four and half years under Anike's watch, protection and cover. Statutorily, Deanship election should be conducted every two years, Heads of Departments should be changed every two years, while those in acting capacity (Acting HODs) should serve one year, and renewable not more than a year. That is the standard practice in universities including Nnamdi Azikiwe University, where Prof. Anike came from. Why won't Prof. Anike do the right thing or the needful for once, knowing the adverse and negative effects of concentrating power in the hands of a few academics at the detriment and expense of other competent academics and personnel in the faculties and departments.

The worst and most disturbing is the fact that Prof. Anike has fraudulently introduced new and illegal dimension to the practice of conversion of non-academic staff to academic staff, simply asking such persons to voluntarily resign their appointments and be immediately offered new appointments as academic staff.

A case in point is that of his Personal Assistant, Mr. Chibuike Nwatu, who recently resigned his appointment as Administrative Officer and was immediately employed by Prof. Anike as lecturer 2 in the Department of Marketing when he does not possess a Ph.D or any tertiary teaching experience. There are several other cases. This practice is as crude as it is fraudulent, strange and unorthodox.

Prof.Anike's rush to regularise these fraudulent and illegal appointments since the reconstitution of the new Governing Council clearly showed that he has sinister and ulterior motive, which if the members of the new Governing Council are genuine and sincere should not allow to stand without investigating and reviewing it. This is considering that these were recruitments Prof. Anike could not do in the last five years of his tenure as VC, ESUT. Why is he hurriedly recruiting now that his tenure is about to end?

The newly constituted Governing Council should not pretend to be passive or be overtaken by inertia, which had previously resulted in the near collapse of ESUT under Prof. Anike's watch. To say the least, it is a public knowledge that most members of the last Governing Council were compromised, having benefitted immensely from Prof. Anike's corrupt activities and ineptitude.

This is time for the Governing Council, Enugu State Government and EFCC to move in take urgent action. Prof. Anike should be probed and made to account for his stewardship in ESUT. This should not be politicised or swept under the carpet by relevant authorities and agencies.

Evidences are abound to easily bring Prof. Anike to book. The dossiers on Prof. Anike, which our group have made available to the anti-graft agencies and Enugu State Government is enough to compel him to account for his stewardship in ESUT. Failure to do so under any guise will simply means that the State Government and anti-graft agencies have been compromised by Prof. Anike and his benefactors. This might be what has emboldened him to carry on as if nothing has, will and is happening. His last minute impunity and temerity is frightening and suspicious. Enough is enough.

Comrade Mathew Nwaiyike, National Coordinator, Anti-Corruption Champions of Nigeria (ACON) wrote from Abuja[i][/i]

By Samson Ezea

Call him a man of peace or peacemaker, describe him as humility personified. Call him voice of the voiceless, address him as the father of the oppressed and downtrodden, call him a man of many parts; prudent and astute leader. Call him water because he has no enemy.

You are absolutely correct and right, because by his antecedents and trackrecord, he perfectly fits into these names and attributes.

He is indeed an enigma of sort; grassroots leader and a selfless politician with a difference. A bridge builder and humanist, who never looked back catering for the people, especially the needy.


Born fifty-six years ago, precisely March 20, 1965, into the modest and cultured family of Mr David and Mrs Veronica Ugwuanyi, of Ohom Orba in the present Udenu Local Council Area of Enugu State during the lenten period.


He was christened Lawrence and was also given Igbo name-Ifeanyichukwu, meaning that nothing is impossible with God.

A name that is meaningful, philosophical and symbolic and spiritual in all ramifications. A name that has lived with him and has continued to manifest in all his endeavours till date.


Who is this unique personality? He is no other person than Rt. Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Lawrence Ugwuanyi, the workaholic, accessible, pacific and people's governor of Enugu State who clocked 56 years today.

Ugwuanyi just like his siblings, was brought up in a God fearing way. He is clothed with humility, taciturnity, intelligence, honesty and diligence.These virtues remain his greatest assets and strengths. Growing among his peers, he shone like a star both in academic and extra-curricular activities during his primary, secondary and tertiary education pursuit. 

His exemplary leadership quality began to manifest early in his life as a secondary school student at the prestigious St. Theresa College, Nsukka, where he was outstanding in character and learning.

After his secondary education, he secured admission into the Nigeria’s foremost university, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and M.Sc. degree in Marketing majoring in Public Relations. In his quest for deep and wider knowledge, he moved further to acquire MBA degree in Finance and Accountancy from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). 

While his colleagues scrambled for white collar jobs, within and outside the country upon graduation, Ugwuanyi, who had always believed and preferred working for and with his people for the common good of all, picked a job at Premier Brokers Limited, a prime insurance broking firm in the Southeast zone owned by the five states of the zone and African Continental Bank (ACB) now defunct.

After many years of excellent performance, he rose to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Premier Broking Firm.

In 2002, he became the 16th president of the Rotary Club of Emene, Enugu. It was at this point that his leadership qualities and exceptional philanthropy, especially to the downtrodden and the less privileged in the society came to public fore.

Without hesitation and in appreciation of his rare philanthropy, the people of his town, Orba, in an elaborate traditional ceremony conferred on him the title of Dunu Gburugburu 1 of Orba, meaning the man of the people.

Satisfied with his exploits and track record in public and community service, Ugwuanyi’s people beckoned on him to offer himself for political office. His foray into the murky water of Nigerian politics commenced with his quest to serve as chairman of his local council area, Udenu.

Despite losing the opportunity to political intrigues and backbitting, Ugwuanyi remained undaunted and focused in his political pursuits, banking on God and his people’s support and prayers.

In 2003, true to Ugwuanyi’s belief, expectation and hope, the political opportunity came calling.

He won the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest for Igbo-Eze North/ Udenu Federal Constituency seat. He overwhelmingly won the election and his constituents enjoyed his quality representation.

He was rewarded and appreciated by his people with reelection in 2007 and 2011, making him the longest serving House of Representatives member in Enugu State before 2015 general elections.

While in the House of Representatives, he moved so many motions and initiated some people-oriented bills. He also chaired and co-chaired some many committees, including Marine Transport committee which he chaired for eight consecutive years. 

Following his philanthropy, performance and antecedent, while in the House of Representatives for more than a decade, Ugwuanyi’s desire to contest for Enugu State governorship seat on PDP platform in 2015 received massive support and accolades across the state.

He won the PDP governorship ticket, contested and won the governorship election in Enugu State in 2015.

Unfortunately and for the first time since 1999, his party PDP lost the presidency to the All Progressives Congress APC in the same election.

On assumption of office, Ugwuanyi was not perturbed by the change in the political equation at the centre.

In the face of the obvious daunting financial challenges occasioned by the country's recessed economy in 2015, Ugwuanyi first sought the face of God and handed over the affairs of the state to Him. He faced his job with utmost diligence, equanimity and fear of God.

Knowing that nothing could be achieved in an atmosphere of crisis and insecurity, Ugwuanyi's administration aggressively embarked on peace and security initiatives.

First, he reached out to Enugu people, which include the opposition members, youths, elders, religious leaders, women and politicians, asking them to join hands with him in moving the state forward.

He reminded them that elections were over and the wellbeing and peace of Ndi Enugu remains paramount.

Initially, not many believed and took him serious until he convinced by his actions and inactions that is sincere and genuine in his approach.

With this, people's support for his administration increased tremendously because they saw in him a man who can sacrifice anything for peace to reign. Ndi Enugu, irrespective of status, tribe, religious or party affiliation, had wholeheartedly joined hands with his government to move the state forward.

That was how and why Ugwuanyi was able to reconcile the political heavyweights in the state, who have been at each other's throats over age-long political differences. That is why once estranged political allies, enemies and friends are talking to each other in Enugu today.

This was not possible before Ugwuanyi assumed office in 2015. Ugwuanyi is an apostle of peace and peace has continued to reign in Enugu under his watch like never before.

In the area of infrastructural development and appointments, Ugwuanyi's administration has equitably and sincerely distributed and allocated them without minding whose ox is gored or compromising quality, competence or standard.

His penchant for youth inclusion in governance is unparalleled. This, he has demonstrated by the number and quality of youths he has appointed into his government.

Many youths were also elected chairmen and councillors in the recently concluded local government election in the state.

Across the 450 autonomous communities, three senatorial zones, 17 local government areas and 260 electoral wards in the state have felt the impact of Ugwuanyi's administration one way or the other. If it is not by appointment, it is by development project and others.

No group or individual or community is excluded in the business of governance in the state especially at the grassroots level.

Even with the heightened insecurity across the country, Enugu has remained one of the most peaceful states in the country. This is because of the people's support and Ugwuanyi government's massive investments in the area of security.

Apart from rejigging and repositioning the state security apparatus for optimal performance, it was Ugwuanyi's government that first introduced and commenced the Forest Guard model in the country with the recruitment and equipping of 1700 personnel to work as Forest Guards in the sttate.

Other states across the country are implementing the same model today.

The state, despite not being an oil producing state or ranks high in the monthly federation allocation has become a reference point in financial and human resources management, courtesy of Ugwuanyi’s prudence, fiscal discipline and transparency. 

Massive infrastructural development have been taken to the rural areas where people have been neglected and abandoned for years. 

That was how people of Amuri, a sleepy town close to Agbani in Nkanu West Council Area saw and are enjoying for the first time an asphalt road in more than100 years of their existence. Also ongoing now is 26.6 km Ukpabi-Nimbo-Ugbene Ajima- Eziani road in Uzo-Uwani Council Area. 

The road is the second asphalt road in the entire council area since its creation. Today, the list of rural and urban roads constructed and being constructed by Ugwuanyi's administration is endless. 

Ugwuanyi administration has continued to maintain the basic infrastructure it met on ground and has at the same time built so many new ones to complement them. His government employed more street sweepers which has helped Enugu to remain the cleanest state in the country. 

Under Ugwuanyi's government, Enugu
State's Internally Generated Revenues has improved significantly and the state has performed creditably well in the Ease of Doing Business. 

While some of Ugwuanyi's colleagues often globetrot in search of foreign investors that never come, Ugwuanyi has only travelled to overseas twice since he became governor in 2015. 

He is always around in the state, doing his work diligently. Despite this, investors have been coming to invest in the state because of its peacefulness, Ugwuanyi's remarkable achievements and good economic policies. 

Ugwuanyi by his leadership style which is result-driven has proven that leading a state without much resources is not a rocket science as some of his colleagues have always made Nigerians to believe. 

He is a governor of many feats and firsts. His popularity has soared and still soaring high within and outside the state, testimonies of his goodness and startling performance abound. 

Among the workers, pensioners, security agents, religious leaders, artisans, downtrodden, majority residents, visitors and others, Ugwuanyi’s government is popular and acceptable, because of its good governance and people-oriented programmes. 

Apart from paying workers salary every 23rd of the month and 13 month in December, his government has promoted workers as at when due. 

His government has rebuilt, built and equipped more 500 schools, recruited more than 4000 teachers and provided conducive environment for teaching and learning especially in rural areas that have been abandoned for too long. 

It was for this reason and others that four national dailies-The Sun, Independent, Vanguard and Leadership, independently found Ugwuanyi worthy of honour in 2018 with different and unprecedented awards at the same time, after painstaking assessments of his steady and sterling performance. 

These awards were first of its kind to any governor in the southeast region, if not the entire country since 1999.

Even in the face of his remarkable performance in office and the myriad of accolades that have continued to pour in and trail it, Ugwuanyi is not resting on his oars or being carried away. 

He has remained humble and focused on his job.

In his humble nature, Ugwuanyi at the peak of his reelection campaign in 2019, he personally went to the grassroots to solicit for votes from traders in markets, artisans on the streets, and residents at their homes. 

He was massively and overwhelmingly reelected with 95 plus votes which many saw as a referendum on his first term performance. After his reelection for second term on March 9, many had thought that he will change his style or slow down his performance rate, but reverse is the case. 

Just few months to his one year in office in his second term, it is the same Ugwuanyi of 2015, the same work rate, commitment and sincerity. Nothing has changed. 

The ease, peacefulness and massive votes of which Ugwuanyi was reelected for second term speak volume of his performance, popularity and acceptance by the people in the state. It is a clear indicator of the renewed confidence and trust the people had in him to steer the ship of the state in next four years. 

It has also shown that Ugwuanyi is not only at home with his people, he is accessible by them and of assistance to them in time of needs and wants. 

The coincidence of Ugwuanyi’s reelection last year with that of his birthday and the Lenten period was an eloquent testimony of God’s presence in his life and plans for higher leadership responsibility in the years ahead. It is divine and a continuous fulfilment of God’s agenda in a good man’s life which no man or evil can stop.

While it is expected that his family members, friends and well-wishers will roll out drums today to celebrate him amidst fanfare and razzmatazz, Ugwuanyi will in his usual manner, philanthropy and religious belief celebrate his birthday in a low key at the orphanage homes and homes of the elderly and the less privileged. 

Adding value to this year celebration, the pet project of Ugwuanyi's amiable wife, Mrs Monica Ugwuanyi, Ugo's Touch of Life Foundation has collaborated with Dr. Chukwudi Abraham Nneji Hospital Organisation, Germany to offer one week free medical outreach across the 17 council areas in the state. 

The free medical mission which commenced on March 16 lasted between 8am- 4pm daily.

His Excellency, birthday is a new start, a fresh beginning and a time to pursue new endeavours with new goals. Trudge on with confidence and confidence, you are a very special person to your people. 

May today and all your days be amazing, prosperous and fulfilling as you sincerely and selflessly serve humanity.

True to your name Ifeanyichukwu, Nothing Will Pass God in your life.

Hurray and many more rewarding years ahead, the indefatigable leader at 56.

Ezea, writes from Independence Layout Enugu

By AGBA JALINGO


Till today, married women in Nigeria are indigenes of their husband's homeplace. Even if you are a couple from the same village, the clan the woman marries into automatically becomes her indigeneship. If you marry from a nearby or far flung village, the woman becomes an indigene of the husband's village. Same for LGA and even States.


The House of Representatives expanded this right by passing a bill in January 2018 enabling married Nigerian women to choose their state of origin.


The “Bill for an act to amend the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc) Act, 2010, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, Cap F7 to give married women the option of indigeneship and for related matters” was passed at plenary session.


It was a bold attempt at giving married women the option of choosing the indigeneship of either their father or husband. Prior to the amendment, married women have always been considered indigenes of their husband’s place.


Therefore, I am wondering where this silly argument about the indigeneship of Justice Akon Ikpeme is gathering storm from.


Justice Akon Ikpeme is from Cross River state. She is the most senior after Justice Michael Edem who has retired and following the judicial tradition, she is the most deserving to be elevated to the position of Chief Judge of Cross River state. Every other attempt to twist this long established succession plan is a deliberate effort to create unwarranted confusion.


Obudu born writer and columnist, Elias Ozikpu in one of his recent articles, referred to the 25 members of the State House of Assembly as "25 Rubber Stamps." That apt capturation of the spineless assembly is exactly manifested in their perpetual olive branch to truancy and executive recklessness.


What does the Cross River House of Assembly mean exactly when they say Justice Akon Ikpeme is not from Cross River?


Someone married to a man from Cross River and a mother from Cross River?


What do they mean when they call her a security threat?


The most senior judge in Cross River a security threat? How did she rise to that point without constituting a threat? At what point did she become a threat?


So once Governor Ayade doesn't like anyone, he or she becomes a security threat?


What dangerous precedence is this that the House of Assembly is setting?


Why is the Assembly lending a hand to spitting the judiciary to satiate the dictatorial yearnings of one man?


What is the social implication of the message that this ethnic coloured decision of the Assembly is sending to young ones who are building relationships?


Are the 25 rubber stamps in the Cross River House of Assembly striving to strengthen and harmonize our social fabric or are they crafting a future that is hiding with a knife?


Even if Justice Akon Ikpeme were to be disqualified, there should have been better reasons to adduce by the Assembly other than that insult that she is not from Cross River state.


Instead of working to curb executive high handedness, the Cross River House of Assembly has remained nestled under the whims of a domineering governor who relishes his control over them.


But this shameless collaboration between the Governor and the Assembly to foul the air in the Judiciary must be resisted by peace loving Cross Riverians, the NBA and the NJC.


Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.


#1181DaysToGo
#HoldYourLeadersAccountable
#FollowOurMoney
#LeadersAreServantsNotMasters
#NoToUncompletedProjects
#AyadeMustWork
#AyadeMustSucceed
#AyadeLegacy

Source: www.AbujaBizReports.com

By James Ezema

The Society for West African Internal Audit Practitioners (SWAIAP) is set to hold its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) ahead of the society’s 2020 inaugural induction and investiture. The investiture tagged “Operation 1,000 inductees” and other internal audit matters, including the Society’s 2020 budget are expected to top the agenda at the AGM.

President/CEO of SWAIAP, Patrick O. Nzechukwu, in a statement issued on Friday noted that the AGM holds in Lagos on Saturday, February 29, 2020.

The statement noted that “SWAIAP was incorporated to arouse the consciousness and relevance of internal auditing in West African States, principally to institutionalize internal auditing as a foremost tool for anti-corruption, anti-wastes, inefficiencies, ineffectiveness and other forms of financial and non-financial risks through evidential assurance of effective corporate governance, risk management and internal control processes.”

According to him, the society was born to train and equip internal auditors, encourage the publishing of internal audit textbooks, both study and practice manuals, to encourage tertiary institutions and professional training institutions, including practitioners in West Africa to incorporate internal auditing in their syllabuses as it is done in other developed economies, among others.

Meanwhile, the first Executive President and pioneer of the society has drafted a bill titled: Nigerian Internal Audit Practice, Regulation and Administration Agency and Other Related Matters Bill 2013.

The bill, if promulgated into law, will empower the internal auditors to perform their watchdog and assurance services with greater independence and has great potential to enhance the knowledge and practice of internal auditing in Nigeria and enthrone sanity and stewardship decorum in our systems.

The Chief Executive of SWAIAP hopes that the bill becomes a prototype to be adopted across West African sub-region.

Culled from AbujaBizReports.com

Your Excellency, Your Government Should Start Filling Potholes

By Agba Jalingo

In a recent interview with NTA International which I watched, Governor Ayade said his government is not to fill potholes. He said his tenure was focused on turning Cross River state into a mega economy through industrialization.


In the governor's words: 'If the Cross River people need a governor that wants to do potholes and those small things, they should wait till that governor comes.'


The interesting thing is that this was a response to public outcry over the preponderance of craters on roads across the State including the State capital.


Apart from the fact that the response is typical of governor Ayade, it is also worrisome because the incessant refusal of our governor to pay attention to the small things, those potholes in his government, is what has messed his tenure.


His failure to make tangible progress with his signature projects is tied to his refusal to pay attention to the potholes that needed to be filled. Even little things like Environmental Impact Assessment EIA, became contentious. Rather more attention was given to the intention to grab land via 10km on both sides as set back for the road, which was resisted to a stand still.


Very little potholes that require only the attention of other competent professionals in the government were all muddled up by a man who is doing everything to prove he is the only one that knows how to run the State.


These potholes are in the management of our finances in the State. They are staring at us in the budgeting process in the State. The potholes permeate the effort to industrialize the State. They are obvious in the endless list of appointments. The potholes are plain white in the run up to the LG elections. These potholes have emerged on the new road in Obudu which is still under construction. In fact, they are everywhere and it is time for Your Excellency to start fixing potholes.


In 1186 days, Your Excellency will go and I won't fail to continue to remind us. Those grandiose "wannado" projects may only end up standing as bizarre as the memories of Tinapa, Songhai, and their kindred after these remaining days are waited out, because there is no sustainable management plan.


I spent days in Calabar after my release from incarceration and moving around the capital is becoming increasingly difficult. Apart from the swirling potholes gaping at the vehicles, the palpable state of fear occasioned by gang violence and kidnapping in a place that is purportedly the most peaceful capital in the country, remains a sharp contrast.


I thought the Yuletide and the Carnival Calabar, both of which I celebrated behind the walls of Afokang prison, would as usual, avail the governor a great opportunity to hurriedly fill the potholes around Calabar and also change roofs along the carnival route but even that my expectation turned out an illusion.


Little potholes like background security checks on the names going around as appointees of government have been ignored and known gangsters are being called SPECIAL ASSISTANTS AND ADVISERS to Your Excellency.


Even that little pothole called self restraint is often neglected by this governor to occasions that once he opens his mouth, he forgets that he is a governor and just keeps talking until...


Now, some of these issues are not the actual potholes that the people complained about. They want their government to fill those potholes on Calabar roads. I thought that democracy is about what the people want. Not what you want to force on them. Give to the people what they want. What you want can wait until the people get what they want Sir.


And as you begin to fix the potholes on the roads, kindly pay attention to other potholes in your government for the good of our State. Take every department piece by piece and begin to pay attention to the potholes. Stop trying to impress us. Nobody will remember your sleepless nights after 1186 days from today. Give voters what they want.


And as we move forward Your Excellency, it is these potholes that I will continue to draw your attention to without equivocation. You have more than enough hands that can deal with the smooth patches. Your appointees are the highest in the history of the country. So you have a full basket.

I have chosen to continually draw your attention to the potholes so you can fill them. I refuse to wait for a governor that will come and fill the potholes like you suggested in that NTA interview. You are our governor now. Fix the potholes now. You did not meet those potholes. They met you in power. Fix them sir. When you are done with them, we can then hopefully get good roads to drive to those industries that you are building, we can then have new paths to accountability and openness in your government etc.


I am not oblivious that my continuous calling of your attention to these potholes will also continue to irk you, Your Excellency. I sympathise with you but I'm not about to change my mind. The six months course you sent me to has been taken with gratitude and if need be, I can return for a post graduate.


But the goal of calling your attention to the myriad of holes remains on course until you are able to take care of these potholes.


Citizen Agba Jalingo, recently released journalist on orders of the court, writes from Lagos.

Culled from AbujaBizReports.com

By Comrade Mathew Nwaiyike

I have observed with dismay that since our anti-graft group, Anti-Corruption Champions of Nigeria (ACON) exposed the ongoing rot and corruption in Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu under the watch and involvement of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Luke Anike, Anike, instead of responding to the verifiable allegations against him, has embarked on cheap image laundering and face-saving moves.

Our investigations revealed that Prof. Anike, apart from engaging hatchet writers and his kindred groups to defend him emotionally, primordially and sentimentally, he has also compromised financially some members of Enugu State House of Assembly especially members of Education Committee to protect him.

This is like building castle in the air because as we promised in our earlier press conference, we have more dossiers on Anike's fraudulent activities that we will unveil to the anti-graft agencies and the publics with incontrovertible evidences in the days ahead.


Corruption knows no race, tribe or status. Our main objective is to investigate and expose corruption in public offices, especially in higher institutions. This is because of the fast decline in the quality of education in Nigeria, due to poor management of public schools.

As Anike and his cohorts battle hard to sweep under the carpet, deceive people and divert attention from the damning allegations against him, there are pertinent questions we will like him to answer.

Is not true that Prof. Anike and his management team forcefully withdrew over N500M from staff contributions to ESUT co-operative with no concrete plan to pay?

Is it not that Prof. Anike's Personal Assistant, Chibuike Nwatu collects N180,000 weekly to supply gas to hostels and yet there is never light and water in the hostels. These hostels have remained the worst hostels among university hostels in the country today. This fact is known to Bishop Igwebuike Onah-led Governing Council, who querried why Nwatu should run the hostel. We have the query which Prof. Anike out of obstinacy and arrogance has not answered till date.

Again is it not true that Anike's PA, Chibuike Nwatu spends one million Naira monthly on purchase of drums of diesel for running generating plants in ESUT, instead of spending less than N500, 000 monthly on payment of electricity bills? By the way, is it within his purview as PA to discharge such a function when the Director of Works is there and ready to work?

Is it not true that the Governing Council had for long directed Prof. Anike to conduct interview for promotion of Principal Assistant Registrars (PAR) to Deputy Registrars but for reasons best known to him, the Council's directive is yet to be carried. Is it not true and a public knowledge that Prof. Anike does selective promotion of senior academics to the ranks of Associate Professors and Professors.

Out of a total of not less than 25 senior academics that have been favourably assessed for promotion to the ranks of associate and full Professors, Prof. Anike was only able to send out the papers of 3 of them for assessment, leaving the rest in his office. Presently only the three candidates have been promoted to the rank of Professors. The concerned academics whose promotion have been stalled and withheld are alive gnashing thier teeth and working with low morale in the ESUT.

Is it not true that Deans of Faculties have long overstayed their statutory two years tenure, with some in their fourth year, yet Prof. Anike has not conducted or has plan to conduct elections for new Deans to emerge, instead the VC recently created some new and strange directorates and appointed some Professors into it as if it is a political outfit. Some of such directorates include directorate of urban transportation, Gender Affairs and Centre for Special Education, even when ESUT has no plan to start a programme in special education in the nearest future. Why is Luke Anike hell bent on over bloating the wage bill of ESUT with less than 2 months to go?

It is quite disheartening to note that inspite of the fact that Enugu State Government has doubled the monthly subvention to ESUT from N100m to over N200m over the last two years, there is nothing on ground to reflect the quantum leap in the financial standing of the university.
Rather since then, Prof. Anike had borrowed over N500m from ESUT cooperative society in order to pay salaries. He has failed to remit already deducted check-off dues belonging to the labour unions in the university (ASUU, NASU, SSA, NAT) running into millions of Naira. He has also failed to remit as and when due to the Government, the various taxes already deducted from sundry transactions and staff incomes.

Prof. Anike has failed to offset any part of the over N5b owed to ESUT staff from arrears of allowances (CONTIS, CONMAS and Earned Allowances. The Last VC reduced the the initial outstanding by over 40% and still left over N500M with which Luke commenced his administration. What is Prof. Anike leaving for the incoming VC? Delude of liabilities?

These are posers Prof. Anike and his allies who have ran ESUT aground for selfish and materialistic reasons should provide answers to, instead of spending the little resources in the already looted and depleted ESUT treasury to embark on a vainglory image laundering that will not help him. More details will be provided on the conduit pipes Prof. Anike and his partners in crime are using in laundering ESUT fund since he took over as vice chancellor. Prof. Anike must be made to account for his stewardship as his remains the worst in the history of ESUT.

Comrade Mathew Nwaiyike, National Coordinator, Anti-Corruption Champions of Nigeria (ACON) writes from FCT, Abuja.

By James Ezema

In a bid to reduce unemployment to the bearest minimum in the country, a recruitment firm, Shalom Recruitment Services(SRS) has been launched.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SRS, Ahmed Amoto, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja yesterday being Thursday, January 23, 2020 said many people are unemployed because they lack access to information about available job opportunities hence most job seekers do not even know what they want or where they could appropriately fit in. According to Amoto, many school leavers are unemployable, not because they are not vast in their chosen fields, but simply because of their inability to develop skills after graduation.

He said applicants drop off CVs in companies or government institutions left, right and centre without proper guidance, adding that this scenario brought about the establishment of the recruitment agency.

Amoto further noted that SRS is a leading recruitment agency that is poised to redefine excellence in the manner professional Human Resource (HR) services are provided to different companies in Nigeria.

SRS works extensively with different companies and organisations in the following sectors: Finance, Oil and Gas, Maritime, ICT, NGO, Real Estate, Entertainment, Manufacturing, Education, Tourism and so on.

"This gives us an excellent understanding of their systems, culture and specific requirements that allow us to source the most skilled, qualified and suitable staff available that match both the needs of our clients and the candidates," Amoto said

On the part of clients, the CEO said the need for background checks on prospective employees has become paramount in view of rampant cases of staff kidnapping, murdering and even stealing from their bosses.

"The employers want to know how to track employees in the event of any crimes committed. SRS comes in useful in this area because the firm parades retinue of Private Investigators and Recruitment Officers who go all out to check and document guarantors," he added.

He maintained that with the entry of the agency into the market, clients and applicants in the country can heave a sigh of relief, noting that the agency is not only out to be the best recruitment firm in this country within the next five years but to build careers in a unique and excellent manner.

By GF Majekodunmi

Is he a legend or not? In retrospect of the article written by one Mr. Charles Ogbu,
which to my understanding, he did not only dispute the Legendary status of General Burati but disparage the prevailing circumstances on the ground, the time and the space the author is using to present it particularly to the school children in the form poem/folklore, he deemed improper and a sham.

Nigeria being a Democratic State with freedom of speech, expression and association as entrenched in the constitution afforded Mr. Charles and many of ilks to state their views about the Author Dr. Abubakar Mohd Sanni.

However, having digested Mr Charles write-up, there is a biblical injunction which says that “Only the living can praise God” and it is better to appreciate someone who has done exceedingly well for his country while alive than when in green land and not when such Icon is gone. Of a truth Buratai has performed excellently well in the Nigerian Army and Conquering the insurgency in the Nigeria land territory.

I will like to refresh Mr. Charles Memory that insurgency did not just start up in Nigeria, before the appointment of Buratai, the Boko Haram Insurgency has conquered parts of the North-East, North-West, infiltrating Abuja, Some Military locations, Kano and Jos, even in Lagos thereby causing collateral damages in all these aforementioned locations. Since the appointment of Lt-General Buratai (COAS), we are now witnessing peace in all these locations that have been reclaimed apart from being a soft target that are
being attacked by the insurgents.

Also, it was under the auspices of COAS, that the Nigeria Army witnessed massive renovations and constructions, permit me to mention a few; Creating an overhead corridor connecting Army Head-Quarters to officers and main canteen and other adjoining departments which are annexed to the main Army Head-Quarters. Renovating and Constructions of modern facilities in military hospitals and equipping
them with modern facilities and power generating sets.

It was under COAS watch, modern constructions are being undertaken in Army training schools and establishments, renovation of military cantonments, Barracks and gymnastics for physical exercise, likewise tailoring factories in Nigeria Army division are being established. Officers and soldiers training are being done locally and internationally thereby making them professional and at the same time enhancing professionalism.

The Niger/Delta region of this country before the accession of Buratai, was witnessing murdering, kidnapping, pipeline Vandalism and various militant groups were being formed with a very high level of rapaciousness, so much so that the unity of this country is threatened.

Also, I’d like to digress a little by asking Mr. Charles, what was the intent of the IPOB movement if not to cause disunity in the Country Nigeria, which constitutionally, is a highly treasonous offence, ergo, I will still like to address Mr.Charles Ogbu about what
the constitution says about treason. ''Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the State with the intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to punishment of death”. And hence tell me, which other way are the Military supposed to go about combating War without weapons. Mr.Charles, you may be a learned fellow but when it comes to war strategies and tactics it is best to leave it to the Military who are seasoned in the act.

Moving Forward, COAS has also launched various operations across Niger/Delta area and South-East which degraded all those recalcitrant and belligerents stratum fermenting Anarchy bellicosely in those areas and thereby destroying our economic facilities which affected our economy.

Thank God, Agriculture is now yielding good dividends in Nigeria considering the security apparatus Buratai put in place with regards to Nigeria in Niger/ Delta and parts of South-East, the people of that area are going about their normal duties without fear of harassment and Molestations. Buratai also respected all the traditional institutions across the geopolitical zones especially where we have military establishments by
visiting them when check on military information in their domain.

The peace and tranquility that we have enjoyed during the elections was made possible
with the support of the Nigerian Army under the watch of Buratai. He placed the military on red-Alert before the election with proper deployments of troops and issued stern
warnings to officers who wants to be political, such officers are advised to resign from the army, otherwise , comply with rules and regulations governing the army.

Never the less, it is when you thank and praise the appropriate level that the outpouring of blessing rains down as the proverbial windows of heaven open ("gbalaja"
which simply means very wide open) going by the meaning of a legend which states that someone who has been superb or extraordinary. It is when you realize that the
achievements of Buratai , that you can appreciate the Nigerian Army, the consequence of which can bring spontaneous performance of the Nigerian Army as this will improve their morals because the pat on the back shall be extended to the least rank in the Army
by COAS.

What the present COAS whom I will call EAGLES with vision, courage, boldness and
'‘GENERAL MARSHAL’’ of his own generation did regarding the peace being enjoyed in
Niger/Delta and the South-east likewise North-East and North-West areas affected by
the insurgency apart from Zamfara and Kaduna states which are witnessing prolific murdering activities, kidnapping and likely because of mining activities; Considering
the above background Buratai has performed extraordinarily well and curiously more
than any COAS, since the inception of the Nigeria Army by transforming the Nigerian Army professionally, improving infrastructures and maintaining peace and security in the country through execution of many internal security operations.

Howbeit, in a country where hooligans and political thugs are celebrated on a daily
basis, I think, it will behoove us as individuals, as a community, and as a nation if we failed
to recognize the present achievement of General Buratai COAS as a legend that he is,
we fail to celebrate Justice Oputa, Justice Nasar, Justice Elias, FRA Williams when they
were alive and we witnessed what the negligence has caused, as we are privy to the rot
inherent in the judicial systems in present day. There is a cliché that says” the result of hard work is more work” which invariably points out that when you are recognized for
your and celebrated hard-work the populace, the community receives the impact of
more of your work.

Also, coming from a person of Mr.Charles educational background, I believe it is suffice
to say, ‘ it is advisable for Mr. Charles to stick to the lecture room on studies pertaining
to his discipline as he has no iota of warfare strategies and tactics employed in keeping the peace and security of a nation together.

Ergo, the opprobrious content of his write-up, not only shows how intemperate his choice
of words are , coming from a supposedly learned person is indeed a hurricane of
unchecked obduracy and I can only conclude that like many of his ilk, he can only be
said to be plainly seeking Cheap attention.

Regarding the confrontation with the EL-zakzaky group in Kaduna; Mr. Charles Ogbu, assuming you are a COAS and you are passing a Location designated cleared route
and surprisingly you are ambushed by bandits, please tell me what would you do as a COAS? What will you do to become a Legend? Have you ever done anything remotely
noteworthy aside from disparaging other people’s legacy? And who even informed you that the book has been authorized to become literature books for school pupils?

Majekodunmi is a retired Col and served in the Nigerian Army.

Protesters on Tuesday stormed the United Nations office in Abuja in protest against the alleged alliance between Iranian government and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, INM.

Report had it during the weekend that the El-Zakzaky-led group was getting support from Islamic Republic of Iran to carryout terrorism across Nigeria.

The protest, organised by members of the Agenda for Terrorism-Free Nigeria (ATFN) called on UN to sanction Iran and El-Zakzaky for terrorism.

Danesi Momoh Prince, Convener, while speaking during the protest, urged the United Nations to call the Islamic Republic of Iran to order to desist from sponsoring instability against Nigeria.

His speech below:


The Agenda for Terrorism Free Nigeria (ATFN) found it pertinent to lead this protest march here, to the United Nations (UN) Offices in Nigeria today because of our firm belief that somewhere in the in the chaos that some state sponsors of terrorism are attempting to impose on the world there is order. That order is embodied by the UN, which through its organs is able to prevail on erring country to show respect, not just for the future and safety of the human race but also for the sovereignty of other nations, which is the recipe for peace and the assurance that nations do not embark on mutually guaranteed self-destruction.

From the demographics of those taking part in this march against importation of terrorism and extremism into Nigeria, it is apparent that we comprise of various groups. Many of us had in the past raised alarms about the activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Nigeria as manifested by its puppet group, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN). This is a group that has become the new face of Iranian sponsorship of terrorism abroad.

A further disclaimer we will make from the onset is that our organizations acknowledge and fully commit to Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the UN in 1966. Article 18 clearly states that:

1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. 2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice. 3. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. 4. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.

We therefore affirm that our protest today is not in any way construed to deny Iran and IMN members the right to subscribe to the Shia brand of Islam. We state this clearly because of the misconception that they have come to make the world believe that they are victims of persecution because of their faith, which is not the truth. The reality is that IMN as Iran’s proxy in Nigeria is denying others not just the rights guaranteed in Article 18 but other liberties that the world had agreed to accord humans across the planet. They deprive others of their lives.

Whatever crimes IMN had committed on behalf of Iran in the past have now paled in comparison to the latest coup they plotted against Nigeria. Trying to re-enact the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which transited that country into an Islamic Republic, IMN members on April 24, 2019 forcefully invaded the National Assembly of Nigeria with a view to overthrowing the parliament. It is no coincidence that this happened 40 years from the Iranian Revolution and about in as many years since the IMN leader, Mr. Ibrahim el-Zakyzaky, was first indoctrinated by that country.

This invasion is an affront on the rights of other Nigerians who have no desire to see their parliament overthrown by fanatics and replaced with a sectarian conclave because this was exactly what the IMN members reportedly have in mind even though they hid their attack behind claims that they were agitating for the release of their leader.

It is well known that Nigeria is presently battling Boko Haram terrorists, who sadly have foreign components that are yet to be diffused till date. It is unacceptable for Iran to add another terrorist organization to the list of foreign sponsored criminality that citizens now have to endure.

Concerns had been expressed in the past about how IMN is the Iranian vehicle for radicalizing youths to rise against and undermine the Nigerian state. The radicalized extremists seems to have now received their marching order to openly attack the state in an attempt to cause mayhem in the country. We consequently hold Iran accountable for any breach in security caused by its IMN extremists.

We wish to put the UN on notice that we shall be prevailing on the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to activate Article 18 with particular emphasis on the provision that states that “3. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”

Nigeria faces critical life threatening security breaches from IMN and Iran. It is necessary to protect other citizens from the dangerous activities of the group in order to ensure that Iran does not get away with replacing Nigeria’s secularism with its own brand of theocracy, which is unacceptable in a pluralistic society that our own country is.

We are therefore calling on the United Nations to call the Islamic Republic of Iran to order, it should be given a clear directive to desist from sponsoring instability against Nigeria. The United Nations should also explain to members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria that rights come with responsibility and the freedom of religious belief must not be confused with freedom to engage in lawless acts. They must both stop indoctrinating, radicalizing and inciting youths to become terrorists.

We conclude by telling the world that Nigeria is not helpless in dealing with the menace of IMN even when backed by Iran. There are laws and international instruments that clearly criminalize the extremist and fanaticism that they are propagating. We will demand that the government act in this wise.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria has faulted the recent call by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the release of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria and Sambo Dasuki, embattled former National Security Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from detention.

CCFN described the statement attributed to the CAN President as “inhuman and most uncharitable.”

Recall that CAN President, Rev. Ayokunle Samson had during the weekend called on the Federal Government to release El-Zakzaky and Dasuki from detention.

“Of course, El-Zakzaky, and the former presidential security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who are in the hands of the federal government are also due for release,” Ayokunle was quoted as saying while addressing a press conference in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, at the weekend.

Reacting to Ayokune’s request, the Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria through its president, James Amedu in a statement, called on the CAN president to tender an unreserved apology to members of the Christian faith in Nigeria, as well as the generality of the people who have in one way or the other suffered directly or indirectly from the actions of these two individuals.

The statement read.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria notes with disappointment; the statement credited to Rev. (Dr.) Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), where he called for the release of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim Elzakzaky and the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki by the federal government.

While it is no doubt that the CAN as the umbrella body of Christians in Nigeria represents the interest of Christians in Nigeria, it is, however, inexcusable to delve into partisan politics in exchange for monetary gains as exemplified by Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, the president of CAN.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria, would wish to educate the CAN president on the need to always protect the integrity of the Christian Association of Nigeria by putting the interest of the millions of Christians in Nigeria above personal interest.

It is also worrisome to add that the two individuals in question are standing trial for acts of terrorism and a financial heist that led to the loss of lives of innocent Nigerians, which has been widely condemned by all and sundry in Nigeria. And for the CAN president to call for their release without recourse to the gravity of the crimes they have committed is an indication that either Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle was a beneficiary of the Dasuki loot or he has been co-opted into the plot by Iran to release El-Zakzaky from detention forcefully.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria wishes to state that unless Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle wants to feign ignorance when Boko Haram bombed the St. Theresa Catholic Church Suleja on Christmas day. Is Rev Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle also aware that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has committed various crimes against the state and the people? Is he also aware that members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria have on numerous occasions killed innocent civilians as well as military and police officers going about their legitimate duties?

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria is also concerned about the involvement of CAN president in corruption and terrorism-related offenses, so much so that he openly canvassed for their release on the pages of newspapers.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria views such call and the action of the CAN President as inhuman and most uncharitable and an indication that monies must have exchanged hands hence the selfish and inglorious request for the release of Sambo Dasuki and Ibrahim El-Zakzaky regardless of the crimes they have committed against humanity.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigerian consequently calls on the CAN president to tender an unreserved apology to members of the Christian faith in Nigeria, as well as the generality of the people who have in one way or the other suffered directly or indirectly from the actions of these two individuals, and for the despicable act of insulting our sensibilities on the pages of newspapers.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria is very much concerned about how the once-revered Christian body has been politicized and bought over with an enormous sum of monies by some very powerful elements within the society.

The Concerned Christian Forum of Nigeria consequently advises Rev Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle to desist from his evil ways and retrace his steps back to God, and also to stop using the Christian Association of Nigeria for money making the purpose and at the detriment of the interest of the Christian faith in Nigeria.

The Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Professor Segun Ajiboye Ajiboye has disclosed that some of the school teachers who were sacked by terrorists in the north-eastern part of the country are back to classroom.

He said that the Council had commenced the process of bringing back to the classrooms, teachers who have deserted the northeast zone due to terrorism attacks.

Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, he said that the plan was to re-motivate and change the psyche of the traumatised teachers to return to school.

According to him, some of the teachers lost their certificates to terrorism but have been restored by the intervention of the Council.

The TRCN boss disclosed that bringing back the teachers would improve knowledge impartation on students in North-eastern part of the country.

"Actually it is disheartening we are affected we can't pretend. We have lost so many teachers to insecurity especially in the northeast. It created trauma. Pupils left the schools. They don’t want to come.

"The teachers themselves left because of what has happened to their colleagues. What we are doing is to bring back our teachers especially in the northeast. A lot of interventions are going on to re-motivate the teachers and change their psyche.

"So many of them left the teaching profession they don’t want to come back but now sanity is returning and our teachers are coming back. Some of them lost their certificates to insurgency", he said.

On the deadline to register as professional teacher, Ajiboye disclosed that full enforcement against unregistered and unlicensed teachers would begin in January 2020, adding that any teacher not registered by the Council by December 31, 2019 will not be allowed to practice anymore in Nigeria.

He said letter of reminder was being written to Commissioners of Education and the Education Secretary in Federal Capital Territory on the need to ensure that practising teachers in their states get valid license before the deadline.

"That deadline stands. In fact the Minister of Education has directed that TRCN should do a letter to Commissioners of Education and Education secretary in the FCT to remind them about the deadline. By December 2019 anyone not registered and licensed by TRCN may not allowed in our classrooms. by January 2020 enforcement will begin", he declared.

The National Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROP) in Nigeria has called on religious leaders in the country to be united in prayers to complement the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in taming ethno-political killings and kidnapping in the country.

The interfaith group said fervent prayer and fasting remain the role of religious leaders to the nagging menace in Nigeria.

The group also called on clergymen and women for concerted spiritual efforts towards rendering the evil of kidnapping, ethnic killings and banditry null and void whilst supporting security agencies to carry out their duties towards defeating them.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, the group, through its leader, Bishop Prince Madaki , also warned cmessengers of God who covertly or overtly promote ethnic rife and propagate hate sermons to bolster the activities of killers in the name of politics or religion to desist as it would do the nation no good.

Full text of his speech at the conference below.

Shalom to all brethren in the Name of our Gracious Lord! We have just finished the festivities and celebration of Easter, a prime season in the lives of Christendom all over the world. It reminds us of the death and resurrection of our Lord and personal savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered and was crucified for our sinful souls in order to bestow on us eternal life.

Similarly, we extend the same heart-felt greetings to our Muslim brethren all over Nigeria and indeed, to even traditional or African religion worshippers. We are the same and created in the image of ONE GOD Almighty, whom we worship through different modes, but hope for His salvation on the last day by His mercies. At the National Inter- Faith, there is neither Muslim nor Christians in our midst; but proud citizens of a great nation in search of peace for all of God’s creatures in Nigeria and beyond.

We have summoned our respected congregation of members of the pen profession to this hall for a very special reason. But before we bare out our minds to the Nigerian public, permit us to formally welcome you in our midst. May the peace of our Heavenly Father, the Almighty God be with you all.


4. Let us begin straightaway that by all ramifications, we are the least qualified to invite you to listen to us; but we intend to speak to Nigerians and you are the best instruments of conveying this message to our people.

We understand right from creation that all of us are members of the same family. Though, we may differ in religious sects or worship faiths, creeds or doctrines, but we remain the same brethren.

So, this message is very important and we believe you may understand with us and forgive us for any lapse observed in the course of this presentation or interaction.

Without mincing words, our dear country has been blessed by the Almighty God with abundant natural and Human Resources today. Today we have one of the best Presidents in the world and it is clear that those who fear the prosperity of our nation will never go to bed to sleep.
But today, we are being tormented by evil men and the country is in severe violent conflicts and killings being instigated by some demonic and selfish Nigerians. This is a painful fact known to all of us seated here and the generality of Nigerians in states, communities and homesteads. We cannot pretend about this frustrating reality.

Whether in Southern or Northern Nigeria, there are choking and consuming crises everywhere in the land, as if we are competing in bloodbath and arson against ourselves. These are avoidable crisis but for politics and tribal differences, many have refused to say the truth and by that the blood-flow has continued.

Our country’s map is today redesigned and coloured with blood, anguish, pains and awful destructions. Most touchy is the realization that as Nigerians, we are collectively responsible for the widespread and condemnable bloodshed on the land which have clearly reduced our worth before the Creator. Yesterday, it was Boko Haram and all thanks to our military and the President, that has faded from our country’s history and just a little to totally extinguish them. Though we haven’t given our military all it takes but they have continued to do their best.


God Almighty has reminded us in several Scriptural verses that He shall visit us with pestilence if one hair on the head of any of His beloved son or daughter is removed without His knowledge. But it’s clear we have not heeded to this counsel. And God says, “Peace be unto those who make peace.” Unfortunately, it has never appealed to us, as a people and a nation to be our brothers’ keepers as the Holy Scriptures enjoin us.

We don’t necessarily need to replay to you or Nigerians, the gory images or scenes of violence and deaths to have our point sink. But suffice it to assert again that our country has become one hellish place to dwell. Have we truly lost our sense of godliness and humanity to very dumbfounding levels of killing and kidnapping ourselves like wild animals in the jungle over minor provocations or disagreements?

The soul of mother Nigeria is not at peace; it is in ruins! We have compromised our security everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of us have become refugees in our own country. Meanwhile, Nigeria is not at war with any external aggressor. Evil political lords are at war with the wishes of the masses of our country who expressed same in February and returned President Buhari in a landslide victory.



So, the inspiration and vision we have gotten from God tells us the time has come for all of us to see something greater in the life God has given us freely than the vanities of the earth, we fight and kill ourselves daily to possess or protect. It was through prayers that we first defeated the evil of Boko Haram and God heard our prayers by giving to us President Buhari to donour battle. The Service Chiefs and particularly the Chief of Army Staff who led the war is still around and are working day and night. But they need our prayers and total cooperation to put these evil men to shame.

How can we explain to God Almighty that we have so devalued the gift of the life in us to the point we have raised and sustained armed banditry, killings by ethnic militias, religious zealots, tribal warlords without defined missions, terrorists or insurgents? How do we feel when we take up arms against ourselves in killings and destructions? Why are the clergy promoting violence on the pulpit, worship or in secret places? North or South, it is the same sad tales that have engulfed Nigeria. The war being instigated by men on the pulpit is worse than what armed men are doing. Evil must not be found amongst us.

There are a thousand questions we cannot find earthly answers, outside the explanation that the grace of God has deserted us so shamefully, in spite of our profession of religiosity.

Time has come and is precisely ripe for us to prove to God that His grace has not abandoned us. We do not intend to insult the sensibilities of the followers of any faith; but we have every reason now to believe God’s grace and His special blessings have departed from us. That’s why the land is in turmoil.

And the cankerworm of crises has more gravely affected us because our political leaders at the state or local government levels through actions or inactions have emboldened it. We sympathize with our brethren in most of the federating states, the deliberate refusal of leaders to carter for our welfare, spurring hunger and or, even the failure to erect alternative disputes resolution mechanisms to curtail the activities of crisis entrepreneurs when they come visiting us at the odd hour in evil designs against ourselves.


This is unhealthy for the peace, security, development and progress of any country. We cannot triumph even in the sight of God by creating or promoting violence through inter-faith conflicts, ethnic supremacy and such other motivations for killings of ourselves.

May we seize this opportunity to warn the clergy or messengers of God who covertly or overtly promote ethnic rife or propagate hate sermons to bolster the activities of killers in the name of politics or religion. These acts are not of God and failure to desist, means, they will be randomly exposed and disgraced by Almighty God in no distant time.

Finally, we appeal to all Nigerians to go down on their kneels in ceaseless fasting and prayers for God to rescue Nigeria from bloodsucking vermins. And it is a clarion call to every genuine religious leader irrespective of denomination or creed to pray for Nigeria and also, urge their congregation to do so. It is their responsibility to give the government a guide to lead the nation to peace and prosperity, not violence, killings and destructions or hate sermons on the pulpit, laced in outward piousness.

Please assist us convey this message, loud and clear for the Holy Scriptures admonishes in Gen. 6: 11-13 that “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth”.

Something profound happened in Nigeria in the month of April but it was lost in the hubbub of the socio-political grind of Nigeria. It was the sentencing of IG Wala, a self-style activist to 12 years jail term for criminal defamation. He is meant to spend at least seven years in the slammer.

What is noteworthy is not that Wala got canned. The profound aspect is that he was convicted and sentenced for what he posted on Facebook. The post that sent him to jail claimed that he had documents with which he was blackmailing the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission. Even when faced with the prospect of jail he was never able to tender the said documents because he never had them to start with.

A few of those that have reacted to Wala’s conviction and stiff jail term missed the point though. They failed to see that the courts have transcended the limitations that once made it difficult for electronic evidence to be admitted in the prosecution of cases. What has happened to this pseudo activist is a wake-up call that his co-travellers will ignore at their own peril. The era of unbridled flippancy on social media is over for good.

But it appears one Jackson Ude, an online militant of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), appears to be blissfully unaware of the much that has changed in what is acceptable and what is not when people interact with the rest of the world online. Ude, who continues to throw caution to the wind, is targeting Lt. General Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), for blackmail by claiming about phantom contracts and ghost bureau de change in Abuja. He is also running a campaign of calumny against the wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari and just anyone that is connected to President Muhammadu Buhari in any way.

One amazing thing is that even in the aftermath of IG Wala getting his just dessert, Ude went on a Twitter rant making spurious accusations that are weighty but without proof. While his co-traveller had claimed to have document (that he was later unable to produce), Ude did not as much as mention that he has proof or that his allegations can be substantiated.

This is a long established pattern of Ude, who publishes Pointblank News, which is best known as a platform for publishing tarnishing lies against those that refuse to pay for the owner’s silence. His exploits are well documented when his attempts at blackmailing several politicians of Igbo extraction spectacularly landed him and his “boys” in trouble in 2014. It must be mentioned that even fellow publishers of online news are not safe from Ude’s activities.

Ude is also complicit of deceiving the reading public by failing to disclose that his so called exclusive revelation about General Buratai is in fact part of his brief to demonize the administration of President Buhari for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He was after all an aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, he was responsible for pushing online propaganda to obscure the corruption that went on in that government. Additionally, he is among the online warriors paid to launder the election loss of PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

What is interesting is that Ude is trying to hide behind one finger believing that he can defame others, conceal his sins and shield him from consequences. He is further complicating things for himself by antagonizing those that are enlightened enough to point him to the errors of his way. The comical height of this is Ude blocking those that are critical of his follies from interacting with his social media post. This posture in itself smacks of ignorance of how the law works. Blocking others from viewing his libellous posts will not shield him from legal consequences when his IG Wala moment comes.

Interestingly, the social media posts that will nail Jackson Ude are already written. All that is left is for the subjects of his serial failed blackmail attempts to approach the law courts. Should those targeted by Ude for blackmail decide to take their matters to the court, the hapless fellow will first be tortured by the sheer impracticality of hoping from one courtroom to the other across the country because he has, by virtue of his engagement, written enough defamatory pieces to spend the remainder of his natural life in jail and possible reincarnate to complete the outstanding custodial commitment in his next life.

One must however appeal to General Buratai to put any judicial response to Ude’s puerile behaviour in abeyance. This is because, with the benefit of judicial precedence, Buratai heading to court will earn Ude a one way ticket to jail and swiftly too. While this will serve the interest of justice and deterrence to other blackmailers, the urchin’s impish followers will not be able to distinguish between a conviction for criminal defamation and the suppression of free speech. They will take to town to allege that their warlord is being hounded for being outspoken and sadly there is a way that idiocy appeals to people with limited reasoning faculties.

So, in the interest of the institution of the Nigerian Army, which needs all the focus at the moment because of its responsibility to the nation, General Buratai should allow Ude’s reckoning to come from other quarters, and this is guaranteed to happen being the train wreck that he is. He continues to be an irritant, a minor one. The COAS must also avoid ever responding to Ude, who already has too many people after him, because accusing fingers will point the Army boss’ way if any of those he had scammed or blackmailed decide to take matters into their own hands, like some them tried to do in 2014 when the scammer alleged threats to his life.

However, Ude should not be deluded that the appeal to General Buratai not to waste time on his pettiness means that his day of reckoning is far away. It is here already. Plus, he should be afraid. Very afraid. Unlike his co-traveller, IG Wala, who is wearing prison issued uniform as a consequence of his defamatory shot at blackmail, Ude has strayed sufficiently into judicial perdition. Blackmail and defamation are the least things he has to worry about when he is dragged before the court since some of his posts and publications are directly promoting the ideologies of a terrorist organization, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Murphy wrote this piece from Calabar

The National Inter- Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace ( NIFROP) has rallied together civil society organizations, NGOs, FBOs etc to sign a pact for national cohesion, unity, peace and stability tagged: 'Abuja Accord' to win the war against religious and ethnic bigotry in our national life .

The peace treaty was signed on Thursday after a two-day International Conference held at Abua .

The groups in a communique issued at the end of the programme, urged Nigerians to eschew ethno-religious sentiments and resolve to embrace national cohesion, stability, peace and unity as articulated by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The combined groups mutually reached and endorsed the following resolutions:

It congratulated the President Muhammadu Buhari for supervising the conduct of a successful, free, fair and credible 2019 general elections. He was applauded for disabling the plots and exiting the fears of Nigerians over a possible disruption of 2019 general elections and, seamlessly dislodging the potent phobia of electoral violence during and after the ballots.

We also commend and congratulate the masses of Nigeria for their steadfastness in Nigeria’s democracy and peaceful conduct throughout the duration and segments of the 2019 general elections.

The parley noted with great delight the slight improvement in voter-turnout, expressed in the enthusiasm of Nigerians to vote leaders of their choice at various levels. It is surely, a step towards dismantling the leech of voter-apathy in the democratic process and urged all Nigerians to intensify efforts to finally bury the ghost of electoral apathy.

The meeting resolved that the President Buhari-led Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) today has demonstrated a clear direction and focus on national re-engineering and recovery of Nigeria in the spheres of social revival, economic prosperity, security and anti-corruption sub-sectors. This deserves encouragement and espousal by all compatriots for him to go the proverbial extra mile.

The Group noted the abundant evidences in the determination and commitment of the present government in its drive for peace, unity, the indissolubility and indivisibility of Nigeria, by fostering dialogue for national cohesion on thorny issues like ethno-religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians of different ethno-religious and political persuasions.

The parley noted with excitement the indelible imprints of the Buhari Presidency in hitherto neglected areas such as his ardent pursuit of food security and diversification of the economy through the promotion of mechanized agriculture and the soft loans to Nigerian farmers to boost robust agricultural engagements all over the county.

The Groups pinpointed to Nigeria’s enlivened redemption journey with the revival of the railways transport; upgrade of national power generation and distribution from 2,300 megawatts of national grid in May 2015 to over 7,100 megawatts by end of 2018. We implored Mr. President to sustain these remedial actions.

The increment in workers’ salaries with the President signing a New Minimum Wage Bill a fortnight ago and the expanding windows of the Social Investment Program (SIP) and the popular N-Power Jobs among many other similar schemes for the poorest of poor Nigerians are silent strategies of the administration in redistributing the country’s commonwealth, to majority of less privileged Nigerians, hitherto hijacked and concentrated in the hands of a few ruling elites.

The Abuja Accord also resolved that for Nigeria as a nation, it is incumbent on her citizens to necessarily embrace the new breeze of “Change,” as spearheaded by President Buhari. Nigerians are invited to boldly make a statement to the entire world by supporting initiatives, policies and programmes which lubricate this “Change,” as it is clear the FGN alone cannot make the desired impact. The cooperation and support of the citizenry is indispensable.

Therefore, Nigerians are challenged to imbibe new thoughts, values, perceptions and interpretations of national issues detached from personal proclivities or mundane contemplations. National interest should henceforth, be elevated above clannish or sectional interests.

To this end, all Nigerians, old or young are prodded to consciously work in the direction of assisting the central and various state governments in implanting a boisterous agenda of national cohesion, stability, peace and unity in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

These are only the firm pillars of a prosperous and burgeoning Nigeria. We cannot wish otherwise because these are the tripods that will foster rapid growth and development; whilst we de-emphasize pushy ethnic and religious sentiments, with the personal idiosyncratic approach to national issues. We are first of all, Nigerians before members of any community in the country.

Consequently, the Abuja Accord intensely and strongly condemned the resurgence of violence and killings in some parts of the country for whatever reasons. No nation attains its height of progress through such beastly manifestations.

It appreciated the inevitability of disputes or disagreements among people and communities. But it advocated for dialogue and amicable settlement as better, decent and more respectful weapon to adopt when such disagreements erupts or in conflict situations. It confers dignity on the feuding parties and the image of the country.


We pray for the souls of our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives in these unfortunate and senseless crises to rest in the bosom of Almighty God. We also wish the wounded quick recovery from their injuries, as we collectively pray for a cessation of the crises and against its resurgence anywhere in the country.

The Abuja Accord found it expedient to call on leaders of Nigeria at the lower rung; whether political, traditional or religious to be more circumspect in their utterances and actions on potentially explosive national issues. They have a moral obligation to support the Buhari Presidency on its path of Nigerian redemption.

Abuja parley extremely frowned at recent comments from religious and traditional leaders which infused ethno-religious sentiments in the lobbying for the constitution of President Buhari’s next cabinet and the emergence of the leadership of the 9th National Assembly (NASS).

The unhealthy informal debate between the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). The two apex religious bodies in Nigeria seem at daggers drawn on a Christian or Muslim Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives, much against the trumpeted dictum of the new order of #NextLevel in Nigeria.

The Abuja Conference expressed extreme displeasure at voicing such sentiments on a Christian or Muslim President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives as a descent into the retrogressive past, which Nigerians are unwilling to romance or accommodate today in any nuance.

It was resolved that all religious leaders in the country should humbly and respectfully abstain from public partisan comments or leadership recommendations on the basis of religion.

Also, the Abuja Accord endorsed the resolution to humbly inform these religious leaders that it is against the spirit of inter-faith and religious harmony and national cohesion among Nigerians to display such abhorrent postures.

More so, as such recommendations are not the direct business of religious leaders, whose recognizable and godly duty is to pray fervently for the emergence of good leaders in the country. They should be concerned more about good leaders who would promote the idea of one Nigeria, as against the subsisting irrational segregation on religious fault lines.

Furthermore, the Abuja Accord also reached a resolution that all ethnic warlords and bigots who have identified the consistent castigation of security agencies as failing in taming insecurity in the country as their only noble duty to give peace a chance. They are counseled to allow security agents do their jobs undistracted by the often influenced dishonest views they propagate to the disservice of Nigeria.

It was acknowledged that traditional rulers and ethnic champions have greater roles to play in quelling crises in their respective domains than mere open rebuke of heads of security agencies over perceived wrongs. The penchant of traditional/ethnic leaders in constant interference with the governance process is also detestable and should be discarded.

And where there are genuine concerns about lapses in the operation of security agencies, these traditional leaders have the onerous responsibility to approach the heads of the security agency concerned to raise his observations and recommendations in a manner that confers dignity on all parties.

Such platforms will not erode the confidence of Nigerians in the job of these security agencies and oddly, ennoble the ethnic warmongers with a false sense of triumph over the Nigerian state as currently obtained. When leaders are disposed to national issues, especially on security in this porous manner, it does not lay the template for building the virile and great nation of our dreams.

Going forward, the Abuja Accord has resolved that President Buhari must necessarily serve Nigerians an all-round hard working cabinet as he takes the oath of office for his second term on May 29, 2019.

Mr. President is encouraged to search deeply and far to engage members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) who are competent, resourceful and committed to his “Change” and #NextLevel” mantra to assist him accomplish his wonderful dreams for Nigeria in the remaining four years.

Therefore, the Groups resolved to impress it on President Buhari to constitute his 2019 cabinet that will only work for Nigeria and not for an ethnic group or religion or section of the country.

The President should disregard ethnicity or religion in the consideration of the formation of his 2019 cabinet. He should shut his doors and ears to all ethnic and religious lobbyists and appoint competent Nigerian men and women, on merit to help him pilot the affairs of the nation.

The President was also advised to apply the same yardstick in the constitution of chairmen and members of boards of federal agencies and parastaltals, which are the major support pillars to ministries in execution of government policies, programmes and projects. This Group is insistent that Nigeria should come first, as against any ethnicity or religion.

Abuja Accord observed with dismay the shameful outings of some MDAs in the preceding years who returned unspent budgetary votes amounting to hundreds of billions of naira to government coffers at the end of fiscal years. This ugly scenario occurred even in MDAs covering sectors with severe developmental challenges; but whose heads were barren of initiatives to utilize the funds released to them to better the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The President must be aware that the years 2019-2023 are the periods of fresh renewed hope as argued by Nigerians with his second mandate. And it behooves on him to shake-off all ungodly and distracting influences to redeem Nigeria from the clutches of people and sentiments which have tethered the country to the strings of servitude for decades.

Third Republic Senate President, Sen. Ameh Ebute, has cautioned the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to forthwith depart the political arena for the main gladiators.

The country's Christian leaders recently delved into partisan politics, abandoning their primary assignment of soul-winning.

After pressure from all and sundry, the religious group sluggishly congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, having previously taking side with the opposition.

Senator Ebute, however, advised CAN to de-robe itself from the garments of partisanship or political parties.

He gave this charge at the opening forum of a two-day international conference on politics, religion and ethnicity in Nigeria organized by the National Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROP).

Senator Ebute was also very critical of Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Prof. Ango Abdullahi, urging him to desist from reducing Nigeria or the geographical North to an ethnic or religious fiefdom.

“ Why do we draw the swords against ourselves for political, ethnic or religious reasons? Where and when did we abandon our cherished traditional norms of hospitality and brotherhood? Why the so much hate and animosities between brothers/sisters and among communities, over such molten factors, which ought to unite, rather than divide us?,” he queried.

“ I regret to say, we have deviated so extraneously from the solid foundations our founding fathers and world-recognized nationalists laid for the future of this great nation, Nigeria.

“ These great Nigerians did great things for Nigeria. Nobody actually heard about their religion, ethnicity or region in the country to the level of interfering with the delicate cords, which bind Nigeria together as one strong and indivisible entity in the resoluteness of unity.

“ In post- independence Nigeria, the Zik of Africa as he was popularly called told us that ‘Each of our three regions is vastly different in many respects, but each has this in common: that, despite variety of languages and custom or difference in climate, all forms part of one country which has existed as a political and social entity for fifty years. That is why we believe that the political union of Nigeria is destined to be perpetual and indestructible.’

“ We must also ponder on the wisdom of Sir Ahmadu Bello on unity and peace of Nigeria. He canvassed a proper understanding of ourselves for the unity of Nigeria in his reply to Zik of Africa thus; ‘… let us understand our differences. I am a Muslim and a Northerner. You are a Christian, an Easterner. By understanding our differences, we can build unity in our country.’

“ And the legendary Chief Obafemi Awolowo reminded us that; ‘Violence never settles anything right: apart from injuring your own soul, it injures the best cause. It lingers on long after the object of hate has disappeared from the scene to plague the lives of those who have employed it against their foes.’

“ This generation of Nigerians today are obliged to listen and reflect on these great wisdom the founding fathers as constant reminders to us about the desirability of peace. I shall indulge in futile deception, if I tell you these men never had disagreements or bruised one another in the course of their sojourn for Nigeria. They had aplenty!

“ But they considered the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians greater and paramount than personal feuds and never spilled blood over disputes. It’s a lesson for us to go back to our homes and reflect. It is the reason I am glad to be part of this momentous ceremony, which is time and essences is very useful to Nigeria.

“If you permit me, I will appeal to this congregation to take the message out loudly and indeed, to all Nigerians to follow your footsteps. I am excited at the fact that you have found in President Buhari a reincarnation of the souls and spirits of our founding fathers.

“ Whatever Nigeria’s forbearers’ wished for our nation, Nigeria, is embodied by President Buhari. He is now the trusted anchorman because we have seen in him the traits of a genuine leader, who does not only regret our shameful departure from the standpoint of this nation, but is also prepared to lead the path for our glorious recovery.

“ President Buhari is a rare leader, gifted to us at this of our political or existence history. And we are elected to rally around him to reclaim Nigeria from all the destructive forces of darkness.

“ May l also seize, this opportunity to appeal to some Northern leaders like Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Prof. Ango Abdullahi to desist from reducing Nigeria or the geographical North to an ethnic or religious fiefdom in the larger equation of Nigeria.

“ Our dear country is home to all Nigerians. It’s pointless talking tough always on our ethnic or religious fault lines, instead of striving to reunify ourselves and a traumatized nation.

“ Similarly, I caution all religious leaders in Nigeria, especially those of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), my primary constituency, as a Christian, to de-robe themselves from the garments of partisanship or political parties. There is no need to heat the polity with inflammable comments at his delicate period of our history.

“ Religious leaders must necessarily leave politics for politicians, if we want this nation to progress in peace and unity. All of you must agree with me that our people have been wrongly indoctrinated to believe religion is something so sensitive enough to spark violence and killings.”

He sauntered on the pulpit with an over bloated ego and image of an emancipator or messiah. He wrapped himself in the toga of the revered Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Odemegwu Ojukwu (of blessed memory) and solicited for red carpet treatments at traditional ceremonies of his kinsmen on the plank of championing the cause of an independent Republic of Biafra from Nigeria. But only outlaws were his companions and adherents.



Controversial leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu cleverly drugged this clan of minions with the infectious pill of marginalization of his people. They accepted it hook and sinker, unknowingly clapping at the face of a new “liberator” of Igbo nation. It was all fake and artificial!



Kanu had ulterior motives and later on, it manifested in his stealthy antics of extorting his people through a canny gimmicks he coated, as donations to the Biafran cause. The IPOB leader dispossessed both the poor and rich in Igboland, at home and in the diaspora.



What he could not extort from them through donations for a phony secessionists struggle, he raised a gang of armed criminals who lay siege on the Southeast, as armed robbers, killers, assassins, kidnappers for ransom and looters of raided shops/homes of their own people. Thus, he is nothing admirable beyond a conman of the finest breed, gatherer of armed criminals and an alarmist. But his palace jesters hailed him; those whose knowledge of freedom and liberation is only defined by a Republic of Biafra, ignored his antics and donated money to him.



Worthlessly, Kanu, within a short time displayed his true colours to Nigerians and his kinsmen. From a presumed separatist fighter, to a political activist to a conman and now a sex maniac and activist. No man worth his esteem, prides in violating the privacy and romantic fortress of his own wife- Uchechi Okwu Kanu in an embarrassing video that has gone viral.



But who has bewitched Kanu or his blind followers? To get a glimpse that Kanu has nothing upstairs, he stood up defending this disgraceful public immorality.



And perhaps, to cover his shame, Kanu tweeted that; “When I repeatedly announced on radio that you are intoxicatingly beautiful, most didn’t quite understand. Now millions can bear me witness. Even after childbirth, as adorably divine as ever. In the end we always win. #Biafra rocks!” It smacks more like yahoo boys hangout chats.



Nothing can demean a people and ridicule a cause like this latest outing of Kanu. It beats the imagination that some of his cultic followers have seen no wrong with it and in fact, are defending this sacrilege. They have narrowed it down to a personalized Kanu and his lifestyle, instead of looking at the broader picture of the damage to the cause he symbolizes.



IPOB chieftain, Uche Okafor-Mefor so brainlessly argued that “The video making rounds about the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not new, it has been in circulation since 2013/2014 and as such nothing to be surprised about.”



But Kanu himself has not claimed it’s an old sex video. This was after Okafor-Mefor fruitlessly attempted to blame the current occupants of Aso Rock for sponsoring hackers to invade Kanu and Wife’s romantic session. If this account has any substance, was President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock by 2013/2014 when Okafor-Mefor claimed the video was in circulation?



And anyone who stands logic on its head spews jaundiced thoughts like; “We note that employing of this cowardly conduct remains in the circumstances the only response-and-panic-control strategy from the already destabilized, panicky Aso Rock cabals and their e-rats to try to regain their battered and tattered image.”



Another IPOB fanatic also defended it by insisting there is nothing wrong with Kanu having sex with wife, which is very agreeable. However, to blind himself to the consciousness of personally or consenting to recording of MouthAction session of Kanu with his wife is the height of hypocrisy and downright carelessness by the IPOB leader. Cellphones could be misplaced, stolen or get into wrong hands for whatever reason and the videos could leak.



And insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians, this IPOB enthusiast attempted to liken Kanu to great warlords and averred so ghoulishly that “And one of the trademarks of this class of people from Hannibal, Caesar, Che, Ojukwu, Musaveni et al, is beautiful women. So, it even falls in on a good ground to depict Kanu as a woman's man, except that in this case, the said tape involves him and his wife.”



There is scant evidence that that Nnamdi Kanu’s personality is anywhere near any famed warlord, anywhere in the world. He came on stage when he formed IPOB and flaunted himself pretentiously as leader of a separatist movement. Initially, some gullible and unsuspecting Southeasterners believed his sermons. They thought a support to the cause was necessary and they did.



Shockingly, Kanu squandered this goodwill in a short time. What sold him out as a merchant of violence and extortion was the quality of those he assembled as foot soldiers. They were crooks, killers, assassins, criminals and the likes. That’s why it was easy for IPOB to callously execute extra-judicially those who opposed his brand of secession agitations.

Kanu’s close adherents were on a familiar terrain and an imposed sit-home order by IPOB on the Southeast was enough excuse for his armies to invade, kill and loot the people of their properties. No secession agitation anywhere in the world is anchored on such template or convention.



Armed robberies and kidnappings in the region exacerbated because of the armed miscreants in IPOB’s Biafra Secret Service (BSS) and the Biafra National Guard (BNG) who stepped up such criminal activities. It was the intervention of the Presidency through the Nigerian Army with the launch of “Operation Python Dance I, which flushed out the armed gangs that saved the entrapped people in the Southeast.





Sensing the realization of his dubiousness, Kanu and IPOB dabbled into political affairs by issuing reckless orders for Ndi’gbo to boycott governorship elections in Anambra and threatened to visit violence on those who would violate the order. IPOB initially adopted same posture on the 2019 general elections, but was only forced to backpedal when it became apparent, the federal government was not ready to tolerate any act that would lead to disruption of elections or prevent people from exercising their civic franchise.



The “Operation Python Dance II episode in 2017 at Kanu’s country home, Afaraukwu, Umuahia Abia state demonstrated the extent enemies of Nigeria hired and backed Kanu to destabilized Nigeria. His armed criminals went on the offensive against patrolling soldiers, in unprovoked attacks with dangerous weapons and some soldiers were wounded.



The alarmist Kanu disappeared and went underground, possibly outside the country. His supporters who sought to twist the narrative claimed he was murdered by state forces. Sensational tales were contrived about his alleged assassination by Nigerian troops to attract sympathy.



Months later, the IPOB leader ‘reincarnated” and was first spotted in public praying at City of David in Jerusalem, Israel. Thereafter, Kanu went into prolonged hiding, only for him to now appear in a scandalous MouthAction video with his wife.



Leaders of liberation movements do not play the game by tricks; they do not abandon supporters and the cause in the heat of tribulations. So, Nnamdi Kanu is undeserving of the veneration of warlord by every gage. He is just a gold digger, exploiting the wealth and passion of his people for a Biafran state in the guise of separatism struggles.



At least, the FGN has established that IPOB’s leader Nnamdi Kanu is funded from home, by diasporaens and some foreign countries through donations in an account domiciled in France. He’s being feeding fat on it.

But those who are paying Kanu and funding the aberrational activities of IPOB to discredit the Buhari Presidency have been shamed. The IPOB leader has fallen from grace to grass and Buhari, the leader Kanu was paid to hate so much is having the last laugh.



First, Nigeria has remained one indivisible and united entity in the comity of nations. And the IPOB leader has ended up publicizing himself as a debauch, conman and spineless porn star, who has no value even for the unclothedness of his own wife.


Ugo is a development expert and wrote this piece from London, United Kingdom.

The Coalition of Minority Tribes in Nigeria has called on the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to apologise to Nigerians and return to Cameroon or seek naturalization.

The group made this demand following the recent revelation by the All Progressives Congress that Atiku is a nationality of Cameroon and not a Nigerian.

The group said what Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has done by concealing his identity is tantamount to crimes against humanity and must tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians.

Addressing a news conference on Monday, Abdulmuminu Hassan, Secretary-General of the group said former head of state, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida must have realized the true nationality of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, hence, the reason why he refused to appoint him as the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service.


It further gave him a 21-day ultimatum to return to Cameroon to reunite with his family members.

Full text of his speech below.

This same scenario could also be the reason why former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to allow him to succeed him as President of Nigeria in 2007. This much was stated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in his autobiography “My Watch” where he stated in unequivocal terms that the paternity of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was “shadowy.”

We are therefore constrained to state that it is such a shame that the Nigerian authorities have allowed such a sham fester for decades without detecting, and thereby causing Nigeria and Nigerians the opportunity to develop her country the way Nigerians would do.

The Conference of Minority Tribes in Nigeria is indeed alarmed that the paternity of Alhaji Atiku was unlet undetected and he aspired and held the number two position of Vice President in Nigeria.

His consequent actions while he was Vice President of Nigeria tells of a man who was hell-bent on destroying the country.

His relationship with Simon Ateba, a Nigerian based Cameroonian journalist that was arrested in Cameroon for being a spy is also suspect and leaves more to be imagined.

Consequently, the Conference of Minority Tribes in Nigeria wishes to use this medium to issue a 21-day ultimatum to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar return to Cameroon to reunite with his family members. This is important to save Nigerians the trauma of having to deal with his nationality.

The Conference of Minority also wishes to advise Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to in an alternative solution seek naturalization as a Nigerian by applying to the Federal Ministry of Interior in Nigeria. This way Nigerians would forgive him for his sins and show him understanding since he has lived the better part of his life in Nigeria. Though at great disservice to Nigeria.

The Conference of Minority Tribes in Nigeria shall not hesitate to mobilize its members across the nook and crannies in Nigeria to a street protest should Alhaji Atiku Abubakar fail to tender unreserved apologies to Nigerians, and also return to Cameroon or seek naturalisation in Nigeria.

Source: http://www.streetreporters.ng/atiku-gets-21-day-ultimatum-to-return-to-cameroon-apologise-to-nigerians/

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has been warned against shifting attention from his failed government by casting aspersions on the person President Muhammdu Buhari.

Benue Peace and Development Crusade, a civil society group, which gave this warning on Saturday, said Ortom was still using mushroom agents to fool Benue in the aftermath of the anti-open grazing law.

Comrade Dan Ochobo, President of the group, at a press conference on Saturday, warned Ortom to stop using his groups to make disparaging remarks about President Buhari.

His speech below;

It is nice meeting you again on this interactive platform. May we seize this opportunity to welcome you and also, wish you happy Easter celebration just days ahead.

The attention of BPDC was attracted to some infantile, baseless, provocatively twisted and self-condemning comments on social and traditional media platforms attributed to a character by the identity, Mr. Timothy Hembaor.

He parades the tag of President General, Tiv Youth Organization (TYO) and had the effrontery to ridicule President Muhammedu Buhari’s recent comments over the now partisan, lopsided and nectar of deceptive leadership in Benue state called “Anti-open grazing Law.”

The TYO President General was quoted as faulting President Buhari’s assertion while interacting with the Nigerian community in Dubai that Benue state Governor, Hon. Samuel Ortom left the APC for the PDP “…owing to unresolved issues concerning open-grazing of cattle in Benue State.”

From the outset, this insinuation by TYO is wrong and is in no way linked to what President Buhari uttered in Dubai. Rather, the President said Gov. Ortom dumped the APC for PDP because he accused him (Buhari) of doing nothing about the herders/farmers crisis in Benue and he disputed the Governor by confronting him with an unassailable truth.

President Buhari was meticulous that Gov. Ortom could not stand it and left the APC. The President’s words “…. but I was accused of not doing anything about those operating locally, but I took the Governor on this and this is one of the reasons he left our party for another party.”

TYO proceeded to mouth very dishonestly that the President’s comments amounted to “…. a confirmation of Buhari’s anti-Benue posturing and… Ortom’s lack of confidence in federal authorities to protect his people has been confirmed.”

Hembaor and his co-travellers of political gatekeepers at Government House Makurdi, masquerading as leaders of Tiv youths must be more circumspect in public comments.

We know Tiv youths as people of diverse beliefs and persuasions. Their genuine or committed leaders cannot lie against the President on his expositions in Dubai that those perpetrating the killings in Benue were not Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria, as claimed by TYO.

But the unalterable truth is that these band of favour seekers and unfocused leaders, perhaps for a morsel of food, twisted President Buhari’s actual comments which were accurately replayed by a dozen media publications all over the world.

Nothing in the President’s speech made a direct or tacit allusion to the exoneration of “Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria,” as TYO recaptures it; or any other group from the killings in Benue or elsewhere in Nigeria. There is no definiteness in his conclusions and for TYO to ascribe it to him is unconscionable.

In factuality, what Buhari said in Dubai as replicated in the media was thus; “But those of you who are neighbours to cattle rearers, Nigerian cattle rearers use to carry only sticks and their machetes to cut foliage for the cattles. But these are cattle rearers with weapons like AK47.” He has repeated this a thousand times elsewhere, a feeling of exasperation and awe.

The President explained further that; “But the problem is that you can hardly identify the difference between cattle rearers from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and other cattle herders. They look the same.”

There is nowhere in the President’s comments where what TYO credited to him can be traced. It is poor mischief and an attempt to cast aspersions on the person and office of Mr. President to taint his hard earned reputation and integrity in the eyes of Nigerians.

However, Nigerians are not fooled by the deliberate attempts by TYO to denigrate President Buhari. It is a futile attempt and no amount of propaganda can rubbish President Buhari as TYO has been contracted to do, probably sponsored by the same Gov. Ortom.

Gov. Ortom has severally in the past, glowingly commended the President for his interventions into the herdsmen/farmers skirmishes in Benue state.

For instance, during a press conference in Makurdi in June 2018, Gov. Ortom through his then Commissioner of Information, Mr. Lawrence Onoja (Jnr) commended President Muhammadu Buhari for responding to pleas for the upgrade of “Exercise Ayem A Kpatuma” to “Operation Whirl Stroke,” noting that it has assisted tremendously to curtail the excesses of herdsmen militia in the state.

And recently, Gov. Ortom again reminded Benue people and Nigerians about the integrity and goodness in President Buhari when he said, “I Thank Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering in Benue election. Mr. President is a peaceful and good man.” It is untenable to decorate a man with such accolades and again, secretly sponsor your minions to belittle him.

Therefore, Gov. Ortom has fooled TYO nd indeed, Benue people enough. If the Governor confessed after his election that Buhari is a good man, its direct implication is that the pre-election vitriol on Mr. President which was laced in the farmers/herders clashes and the anti-open grazing law were Ortom’s personal pursuit of reelection agenda.

Sensible Tiv youths should be knowledgeable amply to discern now that Gov. Ortom went to such extremity at the expense of development of the state and refusal to even fulfill basic state obligations such as payment of salaries and pensions to Benue people.

No one has stopped the so-called leaders of TYO of playing the yeomen in Ortom’s palace. But may they be reminded that the office of the President of Nigeria is too exalted for them to pollute with twisted and disgustful lies, in a manner portraying them as imbeciles clapping at their despoiled future.

On reliable information, Gov. Ortom allegedly relishes instigating crises in the state. He profits from it in two folds; first, he uses it as an excuse to siphon public funds for his personal businesses in the guise of battling insecurity. But what is the use of monthly state security votes? Has TYO leaders ever paused to ask themselves this fundamental question?

And secondly, he purposely allows the crisis to escalate to a terrible dimension and cause large displacement of people, in the same manner he has abandoned the ongoing Jukun/Tiv Crisis to proceed on annual leave to probably China.

Soit attracts national attention to the level of sympathizing with victims by support-relief materials, a greater percentage of donations by governments, organizations and corporate bodies for upkeep of IDPs ends up diverted by him through his agents supervising the camps.

TYO must look beyond the veneer and think more about their future that is been wasted or its fortunes fretted away by Gov. Ortom and desist from this meaningless noise they are sponsored to make against the President for a pot of porridge.

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement has strongly frowned at the recent call by the House of Representatives on President Muhammadu Buhari to appear before it over the security situation in the country.

The coalition instead said the President and security agencies should be given a pat on the back over recent success recorded over bandits and extremists in Zamfara and Yobe States.

High Chief Peremobowei Success, BoT Chairman of the group while addressing newsmen on Thursday, saluted President Buhari and the Nigerian military for the renewed vigor and recent outings against the Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers in the north western part of the country.

Peremobowei said the group find the call by the House of Representatives for President Buhari to address the nation over the incidents in Zamfara and other parts of the country very distracting, evil and politically motivated by enemies of Nigeria to derail the ongoing efforts

Full text of hiss speech below.

There has been a lot of unapprised and malicious criticism of the president and our security agencies with regards to the handling of issues around security in the country. We said unapprised and malicious because you all know and can attest to the fact that the president has done tremendously well in handling insecurity in the country and has also boosted the fighting capacity and morale of the Nigerian security forces as exemplified in the various exploits of the military in routing out terrorists disturbing the peace of the Nation.


We hereby salute and commend His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces for his effort in tackling and confronting security issues, especially in Zamfara State and other places nationwide.


Ladies and gentlemen, it is on record that this government inherited myriads of security challenges and this president has since been to the rescue. In the Northeast of Nigeria, internally displaced persons are now returning to their communities in droves and humanitarian agencies are now gaining more access to previously hard to reach communities to offer humanitarian supports, thanks to the effort of the Buhari administration in ensuring that Boko Haram no longer controls any territory in the Northeast. Full Life is now returning to communities once on the brink even as security and surveillance around these areas have continued to increase tremendously .


The renewed strategy the government is adopting to address all the issues including kidnapping, banditry and other allied issues confronting the nation is quite commendable as you can see from the reports coming in from the various theatre of operation. The president has constantly supported the military. This has resulted in the renewed vigor, gallantry and doggedness we are currently seeing in the fight against insurgency and terrorism in the theatre. we urge the president to maintain the temple as he commands the nation’s security forces to nip the raging insecurity in the bud.


We are aware that the president after cutting shot his trip to Dubai, held a meeting with all the security chiefs and in the end charging our security agencies to put their acts together and deal ruthlessly with bandits, kidnappers and other security challenges in the country. This alone has shown that these dark forces are in for a hell of a time.


We also commend the president for his recent response to the situation in Zamfara and Kaduna States . The way and manner he has motivated and equipped the military to respond effectively to the challenges in Zamfara and other states in the Northwest has won our heart. Operation Sharan Daji, Operation Harbin Kurnama (III) and the newly-launched Operation Puff Adder are focused on Zamfara, Kaduna (including the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway), Katsina, Kogi, and Niger States. These are all multi-agency operations, bringing together the Military, Police, the DSS, and others. The results have been incredible, marvelous and fantastic as can be seen clearly by all Nigerians.

Clearly, the frequent kidnapping on the Abuja-Kaduna road is being tackled and the route is now safe. Many kidnappers have been arrested with some fatally injured in confrontation with security agencies. Our on the spot assessment indicates that the combined security services that are patrolling the road are constantly there, 24 hours to forestall any breach of law and sundry criminal activities. This is also praiseworthy. Mr. President is clearly on track.


In the light of these, we find the call by the House of Representatives for President Buhari to address the nation over the incidents in Zamfara and other parts of the country very distracting, evil and politically motivated by enemies of Nigeria to derail the ongoing efforts. This demand on President Buhari coming at a time there are glaring evidences that much is being done, with visible impact, is an unneeded distraction. Nigerians unequivocally see it as a distraction from the pit of hell and must be halted with immediate effect.


President Buhari has demonstrated that he is fully determined to tackle these security problems fiercely until these callous killers are crushed and completely conquered. The president has seen to the deployment of security agents to all the areas currently under attack, and the way and manner in which this administration is always tweaking its security strategies to meet the demands of the time has not escaped our notice. We therefore wish to call on this segment of parliament to as a matter of national concern put the nation first and at all times.

Gentlemen, we are all in this together, this is our country and we must support Mr. President to succeed irrespective of our political and sundry differences. Events of the last few days have shown that the President and Commander -In-Chief of our Armed Forces is determined to rid this country of dangerous marauders and brigands who have constituted threat to our common humanity. Security is everybody’s business. As critical stake holders in the process, we must adopt some kind of early warning mechanisms to provide the government/security agencies with all the relevant information regarding any suspicious personality or movement in our communities.


We call on all Nigerians to take it as a solemn responsibility to complement the efforts of our president and security agencies in their respective ways. Security is key and as such the responsibility of all. Instead of politicizing security issues, we should form a coalition with the government of the day to deal with these evil and dark forces threatening our corporate existence. We strongly state that anything short of this on the part of citizens is a travesty.


As the current effort put in place to address insecurity across the country is yielding positive results, we salute President Muhammadu Buhari and also extend our commendations to our security agencies for their services and sacrifices to the nation. We urge all our fellow states men to join forces lets fight the enemies of our Nation.

Source: https://abujabizreports.com/2019/04/12/coalition-lauds-buhari-security-agencies-over-zamfara-yobe/

Somewhere, within Damaturu, Yobe state, Maisandari, a suburb of the state capital, sitting on the eastern flank of Damaturu, some natives in the environs spotted strange visitors. Insurgents were already set out to unleash a horrendous attack on a defenceless population.

The locals sighted unusual racing Hilux vans in a convoy on nearby labyrinthine routes, with armed men. It was the evening of a Tuesday in April at about 5pm. the community as preparing to wind up for the day to retire home for a night rest.

The evil visitors announced themselves with the loud sounds of yelping tyres, which raised a maze of dust as they sped past localities. In their barely visible sight covered by dust, the natives could still spot the occupants wielding heavy guns in the air and the trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.

Danlami a farmer tending to his vegetable farm sensed trouble. He quickly drew the attention of Usman who was on a nearby farm to the gang he has sighted. Both were house neighbours in Maisandari.

Usman agreed seeing them too. The two farmers all concluded that they were “Mai Boko Haram,” a local coinage referring to Boko Haram insurgents.

Instantly, Danlami grabbed his cellphone and put a call to troops of Sector 2, Operation LAFIYA DOLE and alerted them of the strange movement. They averred soldiers with detailed description of the exact location the terrorists’ invaders on evil mission to attack Damaturu were spotted.

Shortly after, residents heard sporadic gunshots. The assailants announced their presence in the community in this manner. Perhaps, the insurgents were eager to celebrate a penetration of the localities or nearness to their target, Damaturu and to scare off Naija troops in order to freely kill and abduct people.

Loud chants of the familiar slogan, “Allah Akbar,” (God is Great) was heard as gunshots rented the air. It confirmed the identity of the assailants as Boko Haram terrorists.

Residents scurried for safety as people locked themselves into living rooms scared to the pants, as town criers hastily went round announcing immediate retreat into houses by civilians. Similarly, vehicular entry and departure from Maisandari was also restricted and the entire village cordoned.

The Commander Sector 2, Col “Sting” instantly swung into action, after Danlami’s distress call, by signaling his troops already on red alert to advance towards the vicinity of the enemy forces.

Within the shortest time, troops laid ambush for the Mallam Abubakar Shekau’s foot soldiers a few metres head of Maisandari village where the messengers of death in numbers were racing towards Damaturu.

Back home Danlami and Usman also kept vigil together around their houses quietly. Danlami first broke the silence; “The planned attack now was auspicious for two reasons,” and “what are the reasons,” inquired Usman.

“Insurgents are excited to launch a successful operation during religious festive seasons like Christmas and Sallah celebrations,” Danlami replied to Usman, while reflecting on the fresh trouble.

“I know the intended attack on Damaturu was to put people in pains and agonies for the Easter season,” retorted Usman.

News of the presence of insurgents circulated rapidly among the locals like whirlwind. A police officer, Sgt. Atiku attached to the police Outpost in Maisandari engaged his office colleagues in a conversation on the Boko Haram raid.

“You know, our leader, Sai Baba is in Dubai on an official visit?” Yes, replied a female Cop.

Atiku continued, “Sai Baba informed the Nigerian community in Dubai during a parlay that Boko Haram was occupying 17 Local governments in the Northeast before he came to power. But they have been routed out and the areas reclaimed under his administration.”

“But that’s the truth,” the female Cop admitted. “But terrorists and their agents hate to hear anything about them losing the war,” the female Cop stressed.

Atiku said, “Even if you believe Sai Baba, I don’t believe what he said anyway.”

“But what’s a lie or false on what Sai Baba said, we are here together, can you name just one local government still under Boko Haram captivity? ”asked the female Cop. Atiku could not answer; he became speechless and abruptly terminated the discussion.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Dubai where Sai Baba met the Nigerian community, a Boko Haram media officer who lives in the city monitored his speeches. He heard firsthand, Sai Baba’s utterances on the defeat of Boko Haram insurgency.

Minutes later, the Boko Haram media officer was on a telephone chat with Mallam Shekau, who is still recovering from his injuries at a hideout somewhere in the mountainous forests of Cameroun.

The terrorists Media officer bellowed angrily, “You heard what Naija leader is saying boastfully?”

“I have heard him too. But the remnants of our foot soldiers are getting lean by the day. Naija troops have caged us. We can neither recruit or train fighters,” decried Shekau.

“But we’re doing something, we shall release our best squad from the remnants to counter him on the battlefield to regain our lost grounds and put Naija military on tension,” Shekau feebly added with a pained voice.

“I have directed our top commander to respond to Naija on the field, right in the heart of any location in the Northeast,” Shekau added. The terrorists media officer heaved a sigh of relief, and promised Shekau to give it ultimate publicity when the atrocious act of attack is committed. But it turned out the opposite way.

So, the residues of insurgents fleeing the fire of MNJTF from the fringes of Chad, Niger and Cameroun came fully prepared in 14 Hilux vans and armed with anti-aircraft guns to repeal possible air strikes from government forces, gun trucks, 1.60 Millimeter Mortars, General Purpose Guns, AK 47 rifles and assorted ammunitions.

Nonetheless, the terrorists rather met their waterloo. Col. Sting who led the operation positioned his troops strategically on both sides of the road in the bush. When the insurgents got to the spot of the ambush, they were caged by troops and, a fierce gun battle ensued.

The Naija ground troops, assisted by air strikes overpowered the insurgents with superior fire force. A good number of the invading terrorists were killed in the encounter. Only a few insurgents were lucky to escape, as they abandoned weapons.

“Give them a hot chase,” the Commander ordered his troops. Naija troops raced after the terrorists and cordoned the entire Maisandari in a mop-up operation.

Inside Shekau’s camp at the forests, caves and mountains of the Cameroun, news of the defeat of the assailing terrorists by Naija troops hit him hard like a thunderbolt. He was shocked and lost appetite for a whole day. He couldn’t eat.

Cold shivers ran down his spine. Shekau reminisced how in 2013 he personally led his foot soldiers who almost captured Borno and Yobe states Government Houses. He silently marveled at the strength of Naija troops now.

But Shekau’s incarceration since middle of last year from wounds he sustained during an encounter with Naija troops has detached him from reality of terrorism on the field. Today, it is Naija winning the war unstoppably and not insurgents.

When Sai Baba asserted that Boko Haram has been defeated, those abreast with the war never doubted him. But Shekau and his media officer in Dubai, doubted and dared him to their peril.

Shekau misfired! Sai Baba has absolute trust in his troops led by Gen. TY Buratai, unlike the weak and poorly equipped Army Shekau and his men encountered on the battlefield in his heydays. The tale has changed and Sai Baba’s words on Boko Haram can be taken to the bank any day.

Buratai told the Commander-In-Chief that Boko Haram terrorism has ended and he believed him. Those who are still doubting Thomases, the Maisandari incident has cleared all doubts by the massive “waste,” of insurgents on an atrocious voyage in a scenario resplendent of a blockbuster movie.

Shekau should concentrate on nursing his wounds in the hideout of the Camerouns. But the message is clear that Naija troops today are properly trained by Gen. Buratai so amazingly and in top form for any assignment on their hands.

It is evident in the series of frustrations of Boko Haram insurgents in fruitfully executing gruesome attacks on any village in Naija, without meeting stiff resistance and the eventual defeat of the assailants. Maisandari is the latest statement of the practical proof of the worth of Naija troops led by Gen. Buratai.

And elsewhere, in the Northeast Naija troops are warming up for any emergency that may sprout out as Christians look forward to celebrating a blissful Easter. Normal life has since returned to Maisandari.


Okanga wrote from Agila, Benue State.

Source: http://www.streetreporters.ng/damaturu-and-boko-haram-wept/

The embattled former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, is a lucky man. Never in the history of Nigeria has a court case wrongly attracted so much national and international attention in favour of the accused like his case of alleged false assets declaration and the abuse of the code of conduct for public officers.



Following his unexpected and sudden suspension from office by the President, based on the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Onnoghen was given a lot of undeserved honour from members of the Bar and the Bench, his primary constituency. They protested the suspension everywhere, even though some admitted the former CJN was not immune from criminal prosecution.



Against every good conscience, the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) President, Mr. Paul Usoro SAN, directed all lawyers in Nigeria to register presence at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in solidarity with Justice Walter Onnoghen when he appeared for trial. It also ordered a two-day boycott of courts by lawyers. Some lawyers observed it in breach especially in Abuja.



The South-south Governors Forum urged Onnoghen to shun the summons from the CCT, as it was an attempt to humiliate Nigeria’s highest judicial officer. Thus, bolstered by this flurry of support, Onnoghen decided to play the resistance -to -trial game by approaching an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to challenge the jurisdiction of the CCT to adjudicate over the matter.



Therefore, a crack team of 30 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) and 100 junior lawyers appeared before the Justice Danladi Yakubu-led Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to interrogate the legalese of the allegations leveled against Justice Walter Onnoghen. It was an intimidating assemblage of men of the silk. Only the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, enjoyed similar solidarity from his colleagues when he appeared before the same CCT.



Not only lawyers were concerned about the fate of Onnoghen. Several interest groups and opinion leaders pressured and faulted the Presidency. They obstinately declared Onnoghen innocent in public court and even before trial by a competent court, regardless of his admittance of guilt.



And at the peak of his presidential campaigns, the candidate of the main opposition PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, suspended his campaigns for three days, also in solidarity with Onnoghen. He then described Onnohen’s suspension as an attack on the Nigerian judiciary and executive interference with democratic institutions.



But the Presidency was not cowed by the intense pressure. The evidence preferred against Justice Onnoghen were too overwhelming and watered by his own confessions. It needed judicial scrutiny, a wisdom the former CJN’s clan of adherents felt pained to bow to accept.



But it was probable that there was no escape route for Onnoghen now or in the future. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) responded to a petition to it, by Mr. Dennis Aghanya, Executive Secretary, Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARDI).



The organization accused Onnoghen and provided meticulous details of his alleged financial deals and false assets declaration. ARDI provided hard evidence of the allegations it leveled against Onnoghen, leading to a six-count charge slammed on him by the CCB.



Upon Onnoghen’s arraignment before the CCT, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made further discoveries. The anti-graft agency traced a deposit of $30,000 paid into the bank account of the former CJN by Mr. Joe Agi, SAN. Onnoghen also failed to disclose his functional account with Heritage Bank in his asset declaration form.



These fresh discoveries added to the undisclosed sums in hard currency, bank accounts and landed properties estimated in billions of naira as previously revealed by Aghanya’s ARDI.



While the CCT trial progressed, the National Judicial Council (NJC) also investigated the allegations against Onnoghen forwarded to it by the EFCC. The NJC found him aberrant on “financial impropriety, infidelity to the constitution and other economic and financial crimes related laws”. It recommended Onnoghen’s compulsory retirement from service for misconduct.







However, pulling a smart one, Justice Walter Onnoghen resigned as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) before the presidency could act on the report of the NJC.



Before the arguments and counter-arguments on the Onnoghen case, the former CJN had admitted in a written statement to the CCB that the failure to declare his domiciliary accounts with Standard Chartered Bank, but attributed it to a mistake, saying, he “forgot to update his asset declaration, after the expiration of his 2005 declaration.”



Onnoghen was very generous with truth by his exposition that the undeclared foreign currencies in his Standard Chartered Bank account accumulated from his estacodes and medical allowances as well as savings while in private practice between 1979 and 1989.



In the his statement to the CCB dated January 11, 2019, Onnoghen was plain that; “I did not include my standard charted bank account in SCN 000014 because I believed they were not opened. I did not make a fresh declaration of asset after my substantive appointment as CJN because I was under the impression that my SCN 000015 was to cover that period of four years which includes my term as CJN.”



It is bad enough that some Nigerians delight in defending the indefensible. After a man confesses to his sins, yet his colleagues are hell-bent on frustrating his trial in a lawful court. They were talking procedure instead of violation of the law by the highest judicial officer in the country. They wanted him sustained on his position as CJN to preside over the fate of other Nigerians who have committed the same offence. That’s crazy solidarity.



So, Justice Onnoghen is too guilty to be innocent. How can a man with all the overwhelming evidence against him anywhere in the world claim he is being bewitched by his enemies? That he forgot to declare some of his assets implies that there were judgments he could have possibly passed in error.



Why would the former CJN be excited to tell Nigerians that he failed to include his Standard Chartered Bank account in assets declaration forms he "believed they were not opened?” Certainly, Justice Onnoghen had dipped his fingers into red oil and the gods are angry with him. His smart move of resigning his position as CJN when dismissal stared him in the face is altogether unhelpful.

Ugo wrote this piece from the United Kingdom.

Three sentimental and reverting factors have always and obstinately defined the character of Presidential elections in Nigeria. The search for a President by Nigerians in every political dispensation usually throws up mawkish issues like tribe, religion and sectionalism. Nigeria has been saddled with bad leaders in the past because of the passionate and servile attachment to these sentiments in leadership recruitment.



The 2019 presidential elections had its fair share of such campaigns against incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, who was seeking reelection. Every performance indices pointed at him as a leading candidate in the elections. He eventually coasted home to victory in a fiercely contested ballot. But there was an apparent gang-up and conspiracy designed to water down the value of his candidature in the eyes of the Nigerian citizens in order to cause his massive rejection at the polls.





And the conspiracy against President Buhari started with the assemblage of 42 opposition parties under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP); later on, the Civil Society Organizations’ (CSOs), Niger Delta Militant groups and also Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) followed suit in actively positioning themselves to oppose the Buhari candidature.



It was a hellish time for President Buhari in defending the mountain of malicious allegations heaped on his personality and candidature. Various attempts were made to pull apart the cord of unity, togetherness and fraternity in Nigeria. Some of the groups resorted to preaching sermons which questioned their patriotism to the country.



Unfortunately, Nigerians listened to them but never believed the hackneyed tales. The President’s strength of character, uprightness, integrity, incorruptibility and proven performance records spanning decades in public leadership in the end came to fore. These attributes triumphed against all odds as reflected in the final poll results.



The President-elect who contested on the platform of the ruling APC trounced his closest rival, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP with a winning margin of over four million votes. President Buhari won outrightly in 19 states, while Atiku got 17 states and the FCT.



The presidential election results surprised the PDP and the members of the CUPP. The CUPP led by Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who told Nigerians through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that “… the point we are in in the life of our nation and our democracy is the unification of all progressives forces to rescue this country.” But sadly, the coalition had no agenda for the country and Nigerians saw through their shenanigans.



The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Dr. Mrs Oby Ezekwesili joined the fray stylishly. She withdrew from the presidential race, but neither adopted APC nor PDP as an option. She said, “I have decided to step down from the presidential race and focus on helping to build a Coalition for a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the 2019 general elections. This coalition for a viable alternative has now more than ever before become an urgent mission for and on behalf of the citizenry.”



But even in the house of coalition of the opposition, dissenting voices resonated loudly. And many of the 20 opposition political parties the PDP co-opted into the dubious scheme distanced themselves from the said alliance and unholy plot to unseat Buhari. The Peoples Democratic Movement’s (PDM) national Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim said of the CUPP; The only thing in their MoU is to agree to capture power in 2019. Their programme has not been made known to the Nigerian public. We will not be part of a coalition that does not have a programme for Nigeria.”



Unmistakably, the president’s opponents knew far ahead of time that it was impossible to defeat him no matter the array of forces aligned against him. Buhari’s victory at the polls was not attributed to any use of the power of incumbency, but the genuine passion that majority of Nigerians, especially the downtrodden had for his leadership disposition. Most Nigerians wished he continued in office beyond 2019.



However, realizing Buhari was unbeatable, they embarked on plain subterfuge to weaken his candidature. They sought to divide the country by playing the ethnic and religious cards. They possibly instigated crises and killings in parts of the country. It was curious that Boko Haram insurgency resurged in parts of the Northeast to diminish Buhari’s laudable impact on security.



Elsewhere, in the South-South, militant sects were vocal in condemnation of the Buhari Presidency, and intermittently churned out threats to breach of public peace and security. These politicians emboldened fresh militant groups to sprout up in the South-South, scaling up Nigeria’s defence spending to as much as $4 billion annually, the third highest in Africa.



The splinter militant groups included the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force; the Niger Delta Liberation Front; Niger Delta Avengers; Biafra Avengers; Red Egbesu Water Lions; Asawana Deadly Force of the Niger Delta, the Adaka Boro Marine Commandos; the Utorogon Liberation Movement; Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force; and the Joint Revolutionary Council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force.



Others were the Red Scorpion; the Ultimate Warriors of the Niger Delta; the Niger Delta Red Squad; Niger Delta Vigilante; the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate; the Ijaw/Oduduwa Militant Movement (in Ogun and Lagos States) and Benue’s Agatu Warriors.



Also the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous Peoples of Biarfra (IPOB) intensified tension in the Southeast, through violent separatists’ campaigns ‘and killings. Every attempt to checkmate their excesses saw a reciprocal condemnation of the Buhari Presidency by masked masters.



And in scores of places in the Middle Belt region, herdsmen killers were recruited to add to the barrage of subsisting troubles with gruesome killings and perpetration of acts of arson, which pitched ethnic groups against themselves. However, at the commencement of campaigns, the Buhari phenomenon could not be easily quenched as his popularity soared higher and higher.



Meanwhile, CAN was informally enlisted in the opposition campaigns against the candidature of President Buhari to elicit or exacerbate hatred against him. CAN’s National President, Rev. Sampson Ayokunle declared fasting and prayers from the Christian community in Nigeria in favour of Christian presidential candidates in the race.



He said, “We are to pray for all Christians contesting for one post or the other for the will of God to be done concerning their ambition, and that the powerful in our nation will not be able to manipulate the election and edge them out…That God should stop all groups behind the killings in Nigeria and their financiers, and that 2019 should be a new dawn for Nigeria.”



The Nigerian Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), amplified these religious hate messages. Its national secretary, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel persuaded Christians to vote out President Buhari. He claimed the President “is openly pursuing an anti-Christian agenda that has resulted in countless murders of Christians all over the nation and destruction of vulnerable Christian communities”.



But at last, the ballot proved otherwise and through votes dissolved all the hate speeches and campaign messages. The masses spoke defiantly against the conspiracy theories as Buhari won his reelection with a votes difference of a whooping over million, both in Christian and Muslim areas convincingly. Nigerians disappointed CAN, the NCEF, ethnic bigots/warlords and all those who thought religion or tribe could still be a basis to elect a President for Nigeria.





Thus, Buhari’s presidential election victory signals the end of ethnic and religious politics in Nigeria. The result of Buhari’s presidential contest stupefied his opponent and major challenger as well as his clan of power undertakers. It is a new vista for unity in Nigeria.



The re-emergence of President Buhari is a loud statement from Nigerians that the odd things which once held the country back have been flushed out of national psyche and gone forever. Nigerians look forward to a new Nigeria or nation, where a Nigerian performer is seen as a Nigerian and success is celebrated by all and sundry. Religion or ethnicity are no longer the basis for defining national life or leadership.


Madu wrote this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.

SOURCE: http://www.streetreporters.ng/as-buhari-opens-new-vista-for-unity-by-john-uche-madu/

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative has described as an insult to Nigerian the resignation of Justice Walter Onnoghen, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The group said Onnoghen’s infamous resignation was belated because he had succeeded in battering the Nigerian judiciary sector before taking the exit door.

Recall that Onnoghen had on Friday resigned from office following the recommendation by the National Judicial Council.


Speaking on the development, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, National Coordinator of the group in a statement on Monday said the resignation of Justice Onnoghen was indeed shameful as well as infamous because his actions have brought international embarrassment to the country, thus, making Nigeria a laughing stock in the comity of Nations.

His statement below.

We view with grave concern the recent resignation of Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria after a recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to President Muhammadu Buhari for his retirement.

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative frowns at such unwholesome behaviour by a supposed Chief Law Officer of the country in dragging the reputation of the judicial arm of government in the mud for his selfish interest.

By his actions, he has indeed proved to the world that he has never been an honourable Justice, but one that was out to enrich himself at the detriment of dispensing justice and ultimately making a mockery of the revered judicial arm of government.

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative wishes to state in unequivocal terms that the action of Justice Walter Onnoghen is indeed despicable and an indication that he had been frolicking with politicians who attempted to heat the polity unnecessarily on his behalf when he was suspended.

By his resignation, it has indeed become common knowledge that Justice Walter Onnoghen had ulterior motives for his actions and inactions while he held sway as Chief Justice of Nigeria. We are consequently forced to believe that his ultimate aim was to bring great disgrace to the judicial arm of government, and to paint the executive arm of government in bad light.

This much he achieved by refusing to tow the path of honour despite the glaring pieces of evidence that he indeed committed infractions by deliberately refusing to declare his assets as stipulated by the law.

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative is of the opinion that the resignation of Justice Walter Onnoghen is a smokescreen and another attempt by him to fleece the system in retirement benefits to the tune of N2.5 billion, which includes “a house to be built for him in Abuja with a nine-digit sum for furnishing — in addition to a severance gratuity that is 300% of his annual basic salary of N3,363,972.50, as well as pension for life.”

We are also constrained to ask why it took this long for Justice Walter Onnoghen to tender his resignation? Probably he realized that his political backers have jettisoned him to his fate and hence the hasty decision to tender his resignation after the NJC has recommended his retirement from the Supreme Court.

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative believes that individuals such as Justice Walter Onnoghen who have displayed questionable characters by causing national embarrassment to the Judicial arm of government and the country at large are not deserving of retirement benefits.

Granting such individuals retirements benefits amounts to insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians who have been denied justice and fairness while he held sway as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative rejects the move by Justice Walter Onnoghen to manipulate the system and further insult the sensibilities of Nigerians.


Now that he has tarnished the image of the Judicial Arm of Government, he wants to take the honourable route. This is insensitive and criminal by all ramification.

The Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative wishes to inform the members of the general public that the resignation of Justice Walter Onnoghen at this material time is infamous as well as an insult to the generality of Nigerians.

Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the apex umbrella bodies of Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, have been warned to henceforth stop meddling into political affairs of the country or face public disgrace.

National Democratic Front (NDF), which handed this warning to the religious organsiatons, said it was appalled by activities of the group in the country as they continue to rapidly evolve into political parties.

According to Dr Bolaji Abdulkadir, Secretary General, who gave the warning on behalf of NDF on Monday, the trend is a dangerous slide into chaos, one that must be avoided at any cost.

Speaking at a press conference, Abdulkadir claimed that CAN, NSCIA and other groups that have become cheerleaders for political parties in their own interest.

The group also frowned at the failure of both religious bodies to contribute meaningfully to addressing the security challenge posed by terrorism, separatist agitations and militancy in the country.

His statement reads below.

In the period leading to the General Elections the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) became fully partisan. It started by leaning towards the endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. To drive home the point, many Christian clergy were to later desecrate their altars by going full blown partisan and presented their campaign for PDP as Sunday sermons.

If CAN’s indiscretion is cringe worthy, the decision of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) to join its counterpart in the mud is beyond describable. NSCIA castigated CAN in a way that is capable of triggering a tit-for-tat, which could in the long run escalate into physical face-offs. It is a clear case of two wrongs not making a right.
Ironically, in our view, CAN, NSCIA and other groups that have become cheerleaders for political parties are not even doing so in order for reputable persons to emerge.

They are rather shopping for those that would be pliable thieves that would loot the treasury and remit part of the proceeds of crime to their members. What we find baffling about this dubious mind-set is that it presents God as complicit in money laundry in addition to perpetually keeping the country back from pursuing development agenda. Instead of preaching messages that liberate the minds of their followers, members of these religious organizations continue to promote the myth that poverty is a spiritual condition instead of tracing it to years of bad governance and neglect.
With this kind of attitude, there is no doubt that the Church and the Mosques have refused to take their eyes away from corruption. Their approach to the scourge has made it fashionable in government circle where people steal without mercy and only to pay same back to their paymasters. They have even made it to spread into the private sector whose employ do not want to be left behind in showing off affluence in places of worship so they become desperate to keep up with their counterparts in government. No wonder businesses are collapsing while religious leaders acquire new batches of impoverished people to brainwash.

What we further find confounding is that neither CAN nor NSCIA has productively intervene in areas where they are needed. If we take the scourge of kidnap for ransom for instance, perpetrators are often adherents of Christianity or Islam yet these umbrella religious organizations have not been proactive enough to leverage on their spiritual influence to address the problem and preach against it. They have also failed to contribute meaningfully to addressing the security challenge posed by terrorism, separatist agitations and militancy as it appear they have elected to ignore these issues because contributing to their eradication will not translate into financial gains for them.

The most glaring area of failure on the part of both organizations is their open endorsement of corruption and theft of public funds. Politicians in Nigeria identify either as Christians or Moslems and it is highly unfashionable for those seeking elective offices to identify as skeptics, agnostics or atheists.

But these same politicians get into office to steal money and the clergymen that make up CAN and NSCIA are not known to have ever rejected the tithes, offerings, donations and buildings presented to places of worship by these people. It is not even usual for leaders of these organizations to have ever upbraided their faithful found to have stolen money – they instead organize prayer sessions to deliver them from prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

As they continue making less than responsible comments and interventions in the politics, we wonder if CAN and NSCIA are aware that they are increasingly appearing like the religious wings of the PDP and APC. This is clearly dangerous to democracy more so when APC had been maligned in the past as a party that has an Islamization agenda and the PDP is increasingly appearing like a party favoured in Christian dominated areas. If the leaders of CAN and NSCIA continue to indulge this misconception until it becomes a reality then the blood of those that would die from potential crises from this shall be on their hands.

It is our earnest expectation that both religious organizations will retrace their steps and return to the founding ideals that bought them into existence. They can continue to contribute to the polity by leveraging on their position to discourage the faithful of the religions they represent from engaging in corruption, extremism, terrorism and other acts that are inimical to the wellbeing of Nigeria. They should stay off partisan politics, focus on governance and involve themselves more in community development and service to humanity.

Once they return to doing this, CAN and NSCIA would again find themselves as reputable organizations whose words would be taking as final when they weigh in on national issues.

There are times in our existence where common sense ought to prevail. There are also times where national interest ought to rise above personal interest especially when National Security is at stake.

I have in many forums harped on the role of the media in national security in Nigeria because it is common knowledge that the relationship between terrorism and the media is symbiotic, in that terrorist organizations use the media as a means of expression for their political message to be heard by the targeted audience, while supplying ‘exciting news’ for the media and the media is further seduced into adopting the language that is provided by the terrorist organization.

The problem lies in how the press covers terrorism. It is by and large the case that the media covers terrorist acts by writing sensation-seeking, enlarging anecdotic stories, especially on who is to blame, and repeating the same images over and over again. Thus, repeating the traumatizing scenes and stories may also serve them, as the goal of the terrorists is to be in the news as often and long as possible.

The above can be said to be the case of the Newsexpress online publication that has devoted a substantial part of its time on publishing negatives stories on the activities of the Nigerian Army in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria. Week in week out, there is hardly anytime the Newsexpress online does not publish or republish stories on the activities of Boko Haram insurgents. It has taken the Boko Haram propaganda to an extraordinary height in recent times by dwelling substantially on the actions of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

This has been the case that one is tempted to ask in whose interest does the Newsexpress online aims to serve with its avalanche of news stories promoting the activities of the Boko Haram Insurgents and recently the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP). While it’s evident that monies must have exchanged hands, it is, however, worrisome that such funds no matter the amount does not equal the human lives that have been lost in North East Nigeria since 2009.

It is indeed worrisome that some individuals and organizations have made themselves willing tools for the propagation of terrorist acts in Nigeria. For them, it is called business not minding the effect of their actions on the sanity of others that have been affected by the Boko Haram conflict in Nigeria.

That is not all; the promoters of Newsexpress online have also taken the campaign of castigating the military to a worrisome height. There is hardly any day that passes by that they do not publish negative stories about the Nigerian army, which are in most instances a figment of their imaginations. They have taken the project to rubbish the Nigerian military as a personal one.

The interesting part of the whole scenario is the fact that the bulk of the negative stories published by Newsexpress online are half-truths and conjectures with no facts or data to back them up. As incredible as this sounds, this is what Newsexpress has resulted in recent times. And they forget that they are insulting the sensibilities of their unsuspecting readers and other members of the society.

The promoters of Newsexpress online have thrown decorum into the trash can by engaging in this despicable action that not only promotes terrorist acts, but also using their platform to provide psychological boost to the Boko Haram fighters and at the detriment of officers and soldiers of the Nigerian military who have sacrificed their all to protect the territorial integrity of the country.

And yet, the promoters of Newsexpress online does not see anything good in the efforts of the Nigerian military, but they see great efforts on the part of the Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters because monies have exchanged hands. It is indeed curious as to how much indeed exchanged hands for Newsexpress online to carry out a campaign of defamation against the Nigerian military.

While it has been stated in numerous forums that the Nigerian media must rise to the occasion in this critical point of the existence of Nigeria to avoid been used as a willing tool or platform for the propagation of acts of terrorism, for the promoters of the Newsexpress online, it is not so.

For them, it has to be business as usual, and they have stayed true to this; hence the avalanche of negative stories on the activities’ of the Nigerian military published on its news portal.While this portends danger for Nigeria and its fight against terrorism, it also raises a red flag on the role of some media organizations in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.

This is on the heels that it has been speculated in some quarters that the Boko Haram insurgents have infiltrated most media organization through third-party arrangements to give bite and prominence to their activities in return financial gratificationse.

The activities of Newsexpress online indeed confirms this unholy alliance, hence how does one justify a situation where a news portal would devote substantial time and energy promoting acts of terrorism?

How does one also explain why a news portal would be so reckless in feeding its audience with half-truths? And the list goes on.It is, therefore, my considered opinion that Nigerians must begin to ask questions as regards the activities of some media organizations in the reportage of the war against terrorism in Nigeria. We must question their sources and view with utmost care whatever news items they publish. The case of Newsexpress online is indeed pathetic and against National interest. I am very curious to know how much indeed exchanged hands in the deal.

In all, the promoters of Newsexpress online must realize that the Nigerian military has indeed made substantial progress in the fight against terrorism in the past four years and no amount of propaganda or skewed narrative can change that fact. I think the members of the public are well informed and can see through the mischief in the promoters of Newsexpress online. Enough is indeed enough.

Murphy is a security expert and write from Calabar.

A youth group known as Concerned Northern Youths Against Terrorism said it has uncovered plot sponsor of Deji Adeyanju of the Peoples Democratic[b][/b] Party and Boko Haram to promote terrorism in Nigeria.




The group at a press conference on Wednesday, said it has uncovered renewed push by agents of destabilization to advance Boko Haram objectives in Nigeria using paid activists.



Abubakar Jamilu, President of the group called on security agencies to go after Adeyanju so as to prevent unrest in Nigeria.


His speech below:

Gentlemen of the press, permit us to draw your attention to the social media account of one Comrade Deji Adeyanju. Before we go into details of the concerns we have about his propaganda activities however, we wish to give you a brief background of what we have come to know of this man before the nature of what he engages in first popped up on our radar.


Adeyanju, who identifies as the Convener of Concerned Nigerians, only recently left prison custody in Kano over a culpable homicide case filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force. The defence his team has been peddling in this matter is that it was that have been decided upon by the Kano State High Court in 2009. The dating of the alleged crime itself, over a decade old, is a pointer to how Adeyanju is not new to being inconsiderate for human life for him to have been involved in such controversy in his youth.



We want you to equally know that Adeyanju was the one that suggested to radicalized extremists of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to bring violent protests into Abuja, the nation’s capital. As we all know, the protests, during which IMN members took on security forces turned out to be deadly and costly in terms of the lives lost.


Even though he professes to a different creed, he was on ground with the protesters until funds dried up (before he was arrested and remanded in the prison) and he left them. The so called IMN members were usually sourced from Mararaba, Nyanya, Kubwa, Gwagwalada etc and were all paid for by Deji and his goons which many people have captured on camera before.


The financial nature of his transactional activism is attested to by his falling out with Charles Oputa (Charlie Boy) over disagreement on the remittances of the money made with their activists for hire group, Our Mumu Don Do. In his bid to ensure that he corners the group for himself, he mobilized his followers to announce the sack of Charlie Boy. This action confirms that Adeyanju is not new to treasonous treachery.


To the extent that Adeyanju confines his activities to the sphere of those that are gullible enough to part with their money in exchange for his activist intervention, we have no issues with him. But his most recent foray has attracted our interest and anger because he is on the way to setting our region on fire with his greed. We don’t wish to be reminded of the activities of Boko Haram again in the north or any part of the country.


We have been able to confirm that Deji Adeyanju has been heavily mobilized some undisclosed amount of money running into millions of naira by Iranian authorities to resume his promotion of acts of terrorism in the country. Seeing that IMN has lost steam, Adeyanju has deployed his terrorist propaganda activities in favour of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

He has been replicating primary and secondary terrorist contents on his Twitter handle and other social media accounts. On his Twitter handle, @adeyanjudeji, he has been promoting contents from ISIS owned Amaq News Agency, and in addition uses contents that the terrorists apparently deliver to him directly. He augments these with fake news and analyses to cause the maximum fear among the population.


In specific terms, Adeyanju is sharing videos and pictures that he claims depict Boko Haram making gains against Nigerian forces. He interspersed these media with snide remarks about the government of the day. It is apparent that these pictures and videos are meant to undermine the Nigerian state.


Considering that Adeyanju’s actions contravene the Terrorism (Prohibition) 2011, we have nothing against him adding terrorism charges to the homicide case he already has, but we take strong exceptions to him plying his evil trade in a manner that directly has implications for peace and security in our region. We therefore urge Adeyanju to be concerned about defending himself in the case of murder against him. He should stop feigning unnecessary activism to distract Nigerians from the crime which he has committed against humanity. A murderer is not a responsible person in the society to be taken seriously.


In view of the risk Adeyanju has constituted himself into, we call on law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate his collusion with foreign interests to revive Boko Haram.


These agencies should partner the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to track payments made into Adeyanju’s bank accounts with the objective of identifying those that fall under the Terrorism (Prohibition) Act 2011.


Meanwhile, the security agencies should be at alert as Adeyanju reportedly has a brief to resuscitate IMN protests with a specific goal of making them deadly. They must not allow Adeyanju additional arsenal to turn the people against the government. Operatives must be briefed that there are agents that have been mobilized to produce and manipulate video and photographs that would be used to accuse them of rights abuses.

A youth group known as Concerned Northern Youths Against Terrorism said it has uncovered plot sponsor of Deji Adeyanju of the Peoples Democratic Party and Boko Haram to promote terrorism in Nigeria.


The group at a press conference on Wednesday, said it has uncovered renewed push by agents of destabilization to advance Boko Haram objectives in Nigeria using paid activists.



Abubakar Jamilu, President of the group called on security agencies to go after Adeyanju so as to prevent unrest in Nigeria.


His speech below:

Gentlemen of the press, permit us to draw your attention to the social media account of one Comrade Deji Adeyanju. Before we go into details of the concerns we have about his propaganda activities however, we wish to give you a brief background of what we have come to know of this man before the nature of what he engages in first popped up on our radar.


Adeyanju, who identifies as the Convener of Concerned Nigerians, only recently left prison custody in Kano over a culpable homicide case filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force. The defence his team has been peddling in this matter is that it was that have been decided upon by the Kano State High Court in 2009. The dating of the alleged crime itself, over a decade old, is a pointer to how Adeyanju is not new to being inconsiderate for human life for him to have been involved in such controversy in his youth.



We want you to equally know that Adeyanju was the one that suggested to radicalized extremists of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to bring violent protests into Abuja, the nation’s capital. As we all know, the protests, during which IMN members took on security forces turned out to be deadly and costly in terms of the lives lost.


Even though he professes to a different creed, he was on ground with the protesters until funds dried up (before he was arrested and remanded in the prison) and he left them. The so called IMN members were usually sourced from Mararaba, Nyanya, Kubwa, Gwagwalada etc and were all paid for by Deji and his goons which many people have captured on camera before.


The financial nature of his transactional activism is attested to by his falling out with Charles Oputa (Charlie Boy) over disagreement on the remittances of the money made with their activists for hire group, Our Mumu Don Do. In his bid to ensure that he corners the group for himself, he mobilized his followers to announce the sack of Charlie Boy. This action confirms that Adeyanju is not new to treasonous treachery.


To the extent that Adeyanju confines his activities to the sphere of those that are gullible enough to part with their money in exchange for his activist intervention, we have no issues with him. But his most recent foray has attracted our interest and anger because he is on the way to setting our region on fire with his greed. We don’t wish to be reminded of the activities of Boko Haram again in the north or any part of the country.


We have been able to confirm that Deji Adeyanju has been heavily mobilized some undisclosed amount of money running into millions of naira by Iranian authorities to resume his promotion of acts of terrorism in the country. Seeing that IMN has lost steam, Adeyanju has deployed his terrorist propaganda activities in favour of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

He has been replicating primary and secondary terrorist contents on his Twitter handle and other social media accounts. On his Twitter handle, @adeyanjudeji, he has been promoting contents from ISIS owned Amaq News Agency, and in addition uses contents that the terrorists apparently deliver to him directly. He augments these with fake news and analyses to cause the maximum fear among the population.


In specific terms, Adeyanju is sharing videos and pictures that he claims depict Boko Haram making gains against Nigerian forces. He interspersed these media with snide remarks about the government of the day. It is apparent that these pictures and videos are meant to undermine the Nigerian state.


Considering that Adeyanju’s actions contravene the Terrorism (Prohibition) 2011, we have nothing against him adding terrorism charges to the homicide case he already has, but we take strong exceptions to him plying his evil trade in a manner that directly has implications for peace and security in our region. We therefore urge Adeyanju to be concerned about defending himself in the case of murder against him. He should stop feigning unnecessary activism to distract Nigerians from the crime which he has committed against humanity. A murderer is not a responsible person in the society to be taken seriously.


In view of the risk Adeyanju has constituted himself into, we call on law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate his collusion with foreign interests to revive Boko Haram.


These agencies should partner the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to track payments made into Adeyanju’s bank accounts with the objective of identifying those that fall under the Terrorism (Prohibition) Act 2011.

Meanwhile, the security agencies should be at alert as Adeyanju reportedly has a brief to resuscitate IMN protests with a specific goal of making them deadly. They must not allow Adeyanju additional arsenal to turn the people against the government. Operatives must be briefed that there are agents that have been mobilized to produce and manipulate video and photographs that would be used to accuse them of rights abuses.