₦airaland Forum

Perhaps another emergency landing!

May Allah guide him aright. Amin

A storm is building over the absence of a place
of worship for Muslims at the Rivers State
University.
In the Rivers State University of Science and
Technology, for hundreds of Muslim students
freedom of worship and lawful assembly have
taken on the character of an illusion.
There is mounting disquiet in the university
community. The Muslim community has
accused the management of religious
intolerance, following the demolition of a
makeshift Mosque where some students and
staff of the university worship. Daily Trust
investigations revealed that the Mosque was
acquired about eleven years ago, but there was
no structure built there. The worshippers used
to observe their prayers on the floor.
However, eight years later when the population
of the students increased, the local chapter of
the Muslim students society of Nigeria put
resources together to erect a tent on the site.
“But the management of the university used
security operatives to remove the tent’’ said
Sulaiman Abdul Awwal, an executive member
of the Muslim students society of Nigeria,
MSSN. According to him “thereafter, notable
people from the state gave us money to
construct another makeshift shelter. But we
decided to lay a few blocks to separate the site
from other facilities.” After the structure was
raised, the management was said to have told
the students that the Mosque was built on an
unapproved site. “This prompted us to apply
for a piece of land to build the Mosque,”
Sulaiman added.
Daily Trust obtained a series of letters written
to the management of the university to
allocate a permanent site for the construction
of a new Mosque, but their efforts met a brick
wall as none of the letters were acknowledged
by the university authority. When the structure
was renovated on December 3 2011 to make
the Mosque more conducive for worshippers,
the university authority, through its director of
works, directed that the work should stop. The
works director argued that the Mosque was the
only illegal structure that was erected in the
campus, and threatened to demolish the
structures two days after. A threat he carried
out to the letter. However, the works director
on January 25, 2012, brought in a bulldozer to
flatten the structures. Despite pleas by the
students to the demolition team, their
properties were thrown away as the building
was reduced to a rubble. Since then hundreds
of Muslims in the university have had no place
of worship.
Daily Trust investigation revealed that Christian
faithful such as the Anglican, Roman Catholic
and Pentecostal worshippers have befitting
places of worship in the university campus,
which was constructed by the university
authority. There were a series of letters written
by the Students and addressed to the National
Universities Commission, Rivers State
governor, the office of the Vice Chancellor, as
well as the Supreme Council for Islamic affairs
to intervene in the matter. Despite all these
letters no action was taken to remedy the
situation. One of the letters addressed to the
National Universities Commission and dated
7th March, 2012, reads in part “On behalf of
the Muslim students, Muslim community and
other affected and concerned Muslims of
Rivers State University of science and
technology, we wish to express our grievances
over the manifest intolerance and continued
discrimination against Muslims, which resulted
in the demolition of the only Mosque of the
University of Science and Technology, and the
eventual arrest and detention of law abiding
Muslim students by the authority of University
of science and technology.”
“It is worthy that we bring to your attention
that since the year 2000, the Muslim students
and Muslim community of the school, as well
as some Muslim organizations in the state,
have made repeated demands, and numerous
letters have been written to the school
authority for the allocation of a parcel of land
for the erection of Mosque in the School
premises, as enjoyed by other organization
especially our Christians counterparts of
different denominations.”
Another letter dated 11th April 2008 and
addressed to the Rivers State Governor
Chibuike Amaechi on the same issue, did not
yield any result. The letter signed by the
Muslim Students Society of Nigeria reminded
the Governor of the need to provide an all
round development and transformation of
youths into individuals that are reformed, and
positioned to contribute positively to the
growth of the society.
Part of the letter reads “the development
includes the integrate areas of academics,
social and religion. On the area of religious
development the authorities of the University
have done well in providing and aiding in the
provision of mega structures for the Christian
students. It is however sad to note that the
Muslim faithful have not been catered for in
this regard.”
“We have been observing our religious rights
from a makeshift tent, susceptible to harsh
climatic conditions, which itself is constantly
under demolition threats from the school
authority as of the case of 19th March 2005
when the tent was demolished and our
properties carted away.”
The student’s appeal to the governor to come
to their aid and ensured that a befitting
Mosque was constructed for them as was done
for their Christian counterparts, did not
receive any positive response. The appeal did
not see the light of the day as the Students
were again ignored.
In pressing further their demand for equal
treatment, the students sent several delegates
to well meaning Nigerians, prominent among
them were Jamaatu Nasril Islam under the
leadership of late Sultan M. Maccido, who sent
the Emir of Illorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari to
plead and request on behalf of the Muslim
community in RSUST, that the school should
consider the interest of the Muslim students,
by allocating land for them for the building of
their Mosque, which also failed.
The recent in the illegal acts of the authorities
of the University occurred on 25th of January
2012. While the Muslim students were
observing their morning prayers, some officials
of the university came and forced their way
into the makeshift Mosque that was erected by
the Muslim students, and in a gestapo manner
these officials started demolishing the
structures. The makeshift structure was
brought down and some Muslim Students were
arrested and handed over to the Police.
Ustaz Oloyede, the Imam of Muslim
Community and chairman of welfare, League of
Imams and scholars, Rivers State chapter told
Daily Trust in Port Harcourt that the Muslim
community in the State have explored all the
avenue for dialogue to ensure that the Muslims
in the university are carried along in the
scheme of things. He said that having failed to
achieve that through dialogue, the Students
decided to seek legal action in the matter.
A legal action was instituted by the Students
against the university authorities in the Federal
High Court Port Harcourt, presided over by
Justice Lambo Akanbi. The applicants which
included the ninety eight Muslim students in
the university in a suit no FHC/PHC/
CS150/2012 asked the court to declare that
the failure and the refusal of the respondent
[university authority] to allocate a portion of
land to the applicants for a construction of
Mosque to be used as a prayer house amounts
to a flagrant breach of the applicants
fundamental rights to freedom of thought and
religion.
The applicant therefore sought the order of the
court to compel the respondent to allocate a
parcel of land within the university premises
suitable for the construction of a Mosque
“required for the congregation of the
applicants and the observance of their daily
worship.”
The court thereafter granted the applicants
prayer and in a Judgment delivered on 19th
February 2013 by Justice Akanbe ordered the
university authority to allocate a piece of land
to the Muslim students for the purpose of
construction of their Mosque. Since the
judgment was delivered the university
authority has refused to comply with the
judgment, as the students are yet to secure a
place of worship in the university.
Counsel to the Students Oloriegbe and co. in a
letter dated 7th may 2013 and addressed to
the Vice Chancellor of the university reminded
the university authority of the need for
immediate compliance with the 19th February
Federal High Court judgment, which directed
them to provide a parcel of land suitable for
the construction of a Mosque for the Muslim
students of the University. The counsel in the
letter stated “we have noticed with very much
concern, the continued disobedience of your
person and office to the clear mandatory and
validly given orders of the Federal High Court
sitting in Port Harcourt in the above matter,
and which disrespect obviously persist even as
we have patiently waited and observed the
cynical disposition of the school authority to
the said judgment, three months on.”
While waiting for the university authority to
comply with the court order, the counsel said
“Please be informed that we have advised more
patience on the part of our clients and assured
them that in the event of your continued
failure to comply accordingly, we shall be left
with the inevitable option of returning to the
court in furtherance of our complaint of your
continued belligerence, while the famous form
48 and 49 shall be employed to compel your
good self and all persons defying the
authority.”
Desmond Wosu, the university’s Public
Relations Officer, ignored several telephone
calls made by our reporter to get the reaction
of the university on the issue. He did not also
reply to three separate text messages sent to
him concerning the matter.

Welcome to Nigeria,Dr Zakir Naik

usayab: This is a slap on our faces (we muslim). Must we import everything, even a preacher to our country! Don't we know that we have more than three(3) Naik in each state in Nigeria. I'll ranther listing to Gombe ,Gero or Maiguduma than listining to Naik.

So you xpect a preacher to stay only in his country to preach God's word?

The authorities of Usman Dan Fodio
University (UDUS) have ordered the
immediate and indefinite closure of
the university. The decision followed
demonstrations staged last night by
students at the university’s permanent
campus in Dundaye. The students were
protesting against incessant electric
power outages at the institution. “We
can’t study, we can’t rest, we relax, we
can’t do anything when there is no
light,” a second year political student
of the university told
SaharaReporters.”
Hundreds of irate students demanded
that the management of the university
restore electricity or face widespread
destruction of buildings and other
assets of the institution.
Sokoto state is one of the areas in the
northern part of Nigeria hit by acute
shortage of electricity for more than
one week. The lack of electricity has
crippled economic and social
activities, said our correspondent.
The management of the university
ordered all students to vacate the
institution by noon today.

UP TECNO!UP TECNO!!

Niger Delta militants will take
up arms again and throw the country into
chaos if President Jonathan is not re-
elected for a second term in 2015, former
militant leader Mujahid Asari Dokubo has
said.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja at
the weekend, Dokubo, who led an arms
struggle against the Federal Government
for years in the past, said the peace in
the Niger Delta at present is because
Jonathan is president and that chaos will
return if he is denied re-election.
“The day Goodluck is no longer the
President all of us who are on sabbatical
will come back. There will be no peace
not only in the Niger Delta but
everywhere. If they say it is an empty
boast let them wait and see,” said
Dokubo, who as leader of the Niger Delta
Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF)
coordinated a campaign of violence in the
oil producing areas.
Militant activities disrupted oil production
in the Niger Delta for years until a
Federal Government amnesty programme
was instituted in 2009 by then-President
Umaru Yar’Adua. Of recent, Nigeria’s oil
production is falling again because of
large-scale crude theft.
Dokubo, who is also former President of
the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), said the
relative peace in the Niger Delta is
because Jonathan is president and not
because of the amnesty programme,
which he said he had rejected because he
committed no crime.
He said Jonathan has performed better
than previous governments, and that he is
holding the post of president for the
Niger Delta region which should have an
uninterrupted eight years before power
would shift to another zone.
Dokubo also said he was opposed to the
reported plans by the Senate to introduce
a six-year single term for president and
preclude Jonathan from running in 2015.
On the feud between President Jonathan
and Rivers State Governor Chibuike
Amaechi, Dokubo described the governor
as a traitor who has chosen to return the
people of the region to years of slavery.
Dokubo spoke just a week after President
Jonathan’s adviser on amnesty, Mr.
Kingsley Kuku, was reported to have said
in the United States that chaos would set
in unless Jonathan is re-elected.
He said he was reiterating Kuku’s
prediction of “dire consequences” should
the President fail to be re-elected in
2015.
Dokubo’s latest stance on Jonathan is a
departure from his comments in
December when he criticised the
president for allowing “greedy” and
“corrupt” people to hijack his
government. Dokubo had said Jonathan
will not win re-election unless he got rid
of those people, but none of them has
been removed from the government yet.
“The President has allowed himself to be
imprisoned by some greedy individuals.
His goodwill will soon go and that will
affect his second term chances,” he had
said.
The story of Dokubo
Last August, American newspaper Wall
Street Journal reported that Dokubo was
one of the beneficiaries of multi-billion
naira oil pipeline protection contracts, for
which the Federal Government is paying
him N1.44 billion a year.
While not all of his account of life in the
mangrove swamps could be verified, 49-
year-old Dokubo was one of Nigeria’s
best-known oil marauders.
About 26 years ago, the Journal said,
Dokubo went to study guerrilla warfare in
Libya during the time of the late Col.
Muammar Gaddafi. He said he was given
$100,000 to stir up trouble back in
Nigeria, an oil competitor to Libya.
Fomenting conflict proved easy in the
restive Niger Delta he returned to in the
early 1990s. From a local governor, Mr.
Dokubo said, he procured weapons and
money to build a militia that ultimately
was several thousand strong. For years,
they broke open pipelines, filling canisters
with crude oil and refining some of it
through timeworn techniques used by
locals to boil palm-tree sap into wine.
The government struggled to lure him out
of the mangroves. Dokubo responded to
one amnesty offer that he considered
meager by announcing a death threat
against petroleum workers. Shell
evacuated hundreds of expatriates and oil
derricks briefly slowed to a stop. The next
day, oil prices hit $50 a barrel for the first
time.
The Federal Government offered Dokubo
a truce and $1,000 apiece for his AK-47
rifles, numbering 3,182, the Journal
reported. He said he took the deal and
used the profits to purchase more
weapons and return to the swamp.
There, he was finally arrested and coerced
into another round of negotiations.
Fearing assassination, he fled to Cotonou,
Benin, where he said he founded a school
for Niger Delta children. He showed a
video of him teaching kids kung fu at the
school, the Wall Street Journal reported.
New warlords quickly took Dokubo’s
place. Marauding under noms de guerre
like Gen. Shoot-at-Sight, Gen. Africa and
Gen. Young Shall Grow, they formed a
loose confederation of gunmen calling
itself the Movement for the Emancipation
of the Niger Delta, or MEND, and crippled
enough oil infrastructure to bring Nigeria’s
production on some days to a near-halt.
That was when Nigeria announced the
2009 amnesty.

I can see that some pple r hell bent on causing mischief in the land.Is ur source a reliable source?When did kwankwaso donate 100 mil naira to Baga victims?Was it only the Igbo that were killed in the blast?Is it d responsibility of the Emir to provide security 4 ur Ohaneze?

I dont know whose fault is this,OP or MOD. I think the topic shld have been 'World leaders explain .............' but not 'explains' for concord to exist btw the 2.

Yah its Fed Govt Coll,Kano.A true gem in the heart of 9ja I thee revere

CBN To Change N5, N10, N20 and N50 From Polymer To Paper

CBN is poised to stop the printing of small denomination Naira in polymer notes because they fade quickly.

Its Deputy Governor, Mr Tunde Lemo, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Washington on the sideline of the ongoing Spring Meeting of the World Bank and the IMF.

``By the middle of the year, we will start to produce the second generation of lower denomination notes, now in paper not in polymer.’’

``My plea is that Nigerians should exercise patience with us; it wasn’t the fault of the CBN, it was just because we had to go back to the drawing board to rethink `Project Cure’ in the light of the wish of the public that we should not go ahead with the N5000 notes and lower denomination.

``We will correct that in the course of the year. Polymer certainly will be phased out. In fact, we are phasing out polymer. No new note is being printed in polymer now.’’

Lemo told NAN that when the CBN was going to introduce the polymer currencies, its search showed that they could last longer than ordinary paper notes.

``However, with the benefit of hindsight, we probably should not have dumped polymer because, yes, the substrate lasts longer, but the in-consubstrate began to fade; we didn’t realise that at the time of introduction.

`` So, part of `Project cure’ actually was actually to move away from polymer substrate to paper, unfortunately we had a push-back because of the issues around N5000 note and coins.

``The entire program was put in abeyance, otherwise by now we should have stopped producing polymer.’’

He said that the CBN had awarded a contract for the printing of the higher denomination notes to a foreign company because of low capacity at the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company.

He said the CBN would begin to receive the fresh notes from June.

On the campaign on the careful handling of the naira, Lemo said that it was unfortunate that the campaign was not successful, but noted that it was a criminal act to abuse the naira going by the CBN Act.

``Unfortunately, CBN is not a law enforcement institution; we left that in the hands of the law enforcement institutions and that has not kicked in.’’

I still go to parties and see people spraying money, stepping on money, I see touts distributing mint-fresh money that should go to customers.’’

Lemo also told NAN that the CBN had talked to the police to step up its surveillance to reduce the abuse of the naira adding that the bank had no right to arrest people who sold the naira on the streets.

He said that the act of abuse and sale of the naira by touts had defeated the clean note policy of the bank, but assured that efforts were being made to tackle the problem. (NAN)

http://leadership.ng/nga/news/210413/cbn-change-n5-n10-n20-and-n50-polymer-paper

I'm deeply touched by Tarek's story.It is this type of stories that you rarely hear being broadcast by the western media.May Allah free him from the shackles of opressors.Amin

A Lagos lawmaker representing Ifako-
Ijaiye Constituency 2, Hon Ipoola
Omisore, has been directed by the
Speaker of the House, Hon Adeyemi
Ikuforiji to pay three of his colleagues
a sum of N100,000 each with a threat
to withdraw the money from his
imprest if he failed to pay.
Omisore during plenary session
yesterday pledged to pay N100, 000 to
any member who could recite the
Yoruba alphabets without blabbing.
Omisore’s made the pledge when the
member representing Shomolu
Constituency 1, Rotimi Olowo, blabbed
while trying to point out an error in
the votes and proceedings paper of the
last sitting, which was written in
Yoruba Language.
Olowo’s error got Omisore bothered as
he stood up to inform the Speaker that
such an act should not be condoned.
According to him, lawmakers should
be able to recite alphabets in Yoruba
language. I want to throw this
challenge that I will give a N100, 000
to any member who can recite the
alphabet without blabbing.”
The Deputy Leader of the House, Lola
Akande, took up the challenge and
recited the alphabets from the
beginning to the end without
committing any error.
The speaker also called on members
representing Ikorodu Constituency 2
and Badagry Constituency 2, Adebimpe
Akinsola and Suuru Avoseh
respectively,who also recited the
alphabets perfectly.
The Speaker, therefore, ruled that
Omisore should pay the three
members a sum of N100,000 each, and
should he fail to do so by today, the
money would be deducted from his
imprest.
Though, Omisore later protested that
he only offered to pay just a member,
the Speaker insisted that he would pay
the three members who recited the
alphabets perfectly, and ordered the
Clerk of the House, Segun Abiru to
deduct the money from Omisore’s
imprest if he failed to pay the
lawmakers involved.

I pray she sustains it till her death

Following the recommendations of the
presidential committee on the
rationalisation and restructuring of its
parastatals, headed by Mr. Stephen
Oronsaye, the federal government has
finally approved the scrapping of some
of its agencies.
LEADERSHIP can authoritatively
reveal that the agencies pencilled
down to be scrapped include the
Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UMTE), National
Examinations Council (NECO), Public
Complaints Commission, and National
Poverty Eradication Programme
(NAPEP), among others.
Dependable sources close to the
committee confirmed that the decision
was taken at a meeting between
President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice
President Namadi Sambo and some
presidential aides, who met twice at
the presidential villa. They were said
to have acted based on the advice of
the White Paper Committee set up by
the president to look into the report.
The Orosanye-led committee had in its
recommendation, which it presented
to the president in April last year,
asked Jonathan to scrap 38 agencies,
merge 52 and the revert 14 others to
departments in the ministries from
which they were created.
It said this was in response for calls by
Nigerians to cut cost of governance as
it will save the country over
N862billion between 2012 and 2015
and eliminate duplication of functions.
Also, the Public Complaints
Commission, it was learnt, is to be
merged with the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC) , while
NAPEP will also be scrapped and be
replaced the National Agency for Job
Creation and Empowerment.
One of the sources who spoke to
LEADERSHIP on condition of
anonymity last night revealed that
Jonathan had also, at the meeting,
approved that the West African
Examinations Council (WAEC) should
take over the functions, including all
infrastructure, of NECO which ceases
to exist henceforth.
The source said, “WAEC would now
conduct two external examinations in
a year, with one done in January while
the second would be conducted in
November of every year.”
The scrapping of the UTME, he added,
would entail that every university in
the country would now conduct their
own admission examinations for
students, while the Joint Admissions
and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will
act as regulating body and the clearing
house in ensuring compliance to
standards.
The source said: “The process will be
modelled along the line of Universities
and Colleges Admission Service
(UCAS), the central organisation
through which applications are
processed for entry to higher
education in the United Kingdom.
“Individual university will now do its
own examinations and admissions. If
you want to apply to a university, you
do so but in order not to have a
situation where one person gets
multiple admissions, JAMB acts a
clearing house to free up spaces. All
the universities are free now to admit
students.”
LEADERSHIP also gathered that,
worried over the system’s inability to
promote merit when admitting
applicants into the universities in the
country, government had no choice
but to take the action with a view to
“ensure that the best students go to the
best universities.”

Just got the news from online sources that gunmen in Kaduna have killed 20 persons, injured
10 In 2 separate
attacks .Details still remain sketchy.
http://www.leadership.ng/nga/alerts/51264/breaking_news_gunmen_kill_20_injure_10_2_separate_attacks_kaduna

A popular Mass
Communication professor
of the University of
Maiduguri, Murtala
Mohammed, has been
killed by yet-to-be
identified gunmen in
Maiduguri today.
Mr. Mohammed who once
served as the chief of staff
to late Nigerian first lady,
Stella Obasanjo was killed
in front of his house in the
troubled city of
Mauduguri.
The motive for his killing
remains unknown. Murtala
had recently returned to
Maiduguri to resume
classes at the University of
Maiduguri.
Before his death, Mr.
Murtala was living in
Jigawa with his wife and
two kids.
Murtala was 56 years old. -CULLED FROM
SAHARA REPORTERS

Anyone with her photo pls?

Astonishing!

ifeduba1988: every igbo man should be ready lets teach this hausas a good lesson

So you think u can teach the Hausas a lesson?May be u r the one to be taught lessons.May God forbid bad thing

The six foreign sailors abducted by
unknown gunmen along Koluama
waterways in Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area in Bayelsa State,
yesterday, regained their freedom.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the two
Indians, one Russian and three
Ukrainians were freed on Monday
night after the leader of the gang
identified as Ngopi settled for N1m
ransom.
A security source told our
correspondent that the Azuzuama
community in Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area of the state
facilitated the release of the
expatriates. It was gathered that the
expatriates were set free from the
creeks of the community.
“The government through the
community prevailed on the
kidnappers to release their victims.
But the ringleader of the kidnappers
said that since they had fed the
expatriates for some days, they
needed some money to set them free.
He later collected N1m”, the source
who pleaded anonymity said.
But the State Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Kingsley Omire, who confirmed
the development to our correspondent
in a telephone interview, said no
ransom was paid to secure the
freedom of the expatriates.
“The expatriates have been released.
They were released in good condition
and no ransom was paid to secure
their freedom”, he said.
The foreigners were abducted on
January 17 when the bandits attacked
an oil vessel christened Armada Tuah
101.The kidnappers had contacted the
company and demanded N200m as
ransom to free their victims.
Though about 15 crew members were
on board the vessel at the time of the
incident, the bandits took the six
foreigners hostage.
The attacked vessel belonged to the
Century Group of Companies, an oil
servicing and marine company based
in Lagos State.
A Security Supervisor attached to the
company and identified as Perekeni
Emmanuel reported the matter to the
police in Yenagoa.

Jazakallahu khayran

Where is Kumbwada in Kano state?Which LGA? Dont know why so many pple r against the north.Any thing abt the north is being criticized without any proof to back it.How can the north nd south co-exist peacefully this way?

The truth is that d old engrs,though wit their experience,do not give to young engrs to make it.I think it also starts 4rm skul esp. the fed. Unis, where there is shortage of modern equipment,dearth of experienced lctrs nd others.

This is sheer wickedness by govt officials.The future of this nation is nothin but bleak,the status quo is nothin 2 write home abt, d past has been full of hardship 4 citizens.If some of us were such an opportunity,they ll execute the same tin or even worse.The bitter truth is that crrptn has eaten deep into our flesh .May God deliver us

Bolan123: Rubbish old report dug out to stop Azazi by the northern born to rule propagandist. Who doesn't know

Mr man, why r u bringing 4wd dis accusation.Since Azazi is already dead,what do u mean by 'the northerners r trying to stop him'