AUDIO: Success-K, Don Fiasco & Ozee-Tha-B​oss - Give It To Me

Check out the latest collabo from three (3) Canadian based Nigerian artists [Success-K, Don Fiasco & Ozee-Tha-Boss] titled “Give It To Me”

Watch out for the official video which was done few weeks back in Canada dropping soon.

DOWNLOAD 

 BIO

Success-K

From Italy to Canada is one of the international artists who have revolutionalized music in African Canadian Entertainment. Success Okoro-Adima (otherwise known as Success K) is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist living in the city of Toronto,

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Youth Civil Society Coalition Condemns Jonathan Pardon of Alamieyeseigha

A coalition of youth civil society organizations has joined the condemnation of the pardon granted a number of Nigerians last week by President Goodluck Jonathan.
 In a press statement on Friday, the group said that while the pardon was constitutional, the power to do so in this instance was reckless and contrary to the spirit of the constitution.
“The youth join voices with millions of Nigeria in condemning the presidential pardon granted especially to a former public officer; Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who was convicted for economic and financial crime while serving as the Governor of Bayelsa State, Alhaji Shettima Bulama and ex Major Bello Magaji,” the statement said.   “In light of the Government’s presupposed commitment to anti-corruption fight this grant of pardon is unacceptable, insensitive and dishonorable. The timing of the pardon has weakened the anti-corruption crusade of the government, making a mockery of efforts to curb economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.”
The youths noted that the beauty of law is that it is made for man, but wondered where the people choose when honor and the law no longer stand on the same line.
The group regretted that despite the government's claim to be fighting corruption, there is no evidence of that in terms of a reasonable number of offenders being prosecuted and convicted, adding that the little hope in the system has now been eroded with the pardon of an offender whose conviction was seen as a consolation to many Nigerians whose lives have been turned to hell as a result of outright stealing in high places.
They noted the gradual death of the middle class in Nigeria as the lower class becomes more accommodating to the poor majority, describing the nation as a country where Nigerians live like beggars by a palace struggling for the fallen crumbs of food.
“We make a mockery of the whole concept of democracy if citizens invariably view the government as the mighty oppressor wielding state power to suppress the people,” they said, calling for an amended constitution that would truly promote good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of Freedom, Equality and Justice and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of the people.
And stressing that the nation’s laws are not infallible, the youths demanded an amendment of Section 175 (1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution to include a proviso excluding the power to grant pardon on persons indicted or convicted of economic and financial crime while acting in an official capacity.
They also called for an amendment to section 175 (2) of the 1999 Constitution to include the following paragraphs:
a)      The president shall in consultation with the Council of State forward the list of persons who have applied for pardon to the National Judicial Council and National Assembly for confirmation and approval;
b)      The National Judicial Council shall among other things determine if the applicant has become remorseful and of good conduct; and
c)      Powers of the President to grant pardon shall be exercised on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and confirmation by the National Assembly.
Full text of the statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
DELIVERED BY A COALITION OF YOUTH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AT A YOUTH PRESS CONFERENCE ON CORRUPTION HELD ON
FRIDAY 22ND MARCH 2013

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press
Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of good governance in any society and indispensible in a democracy. Democratic governance abhors a governing structure that either isolates the views and demands of the people or that restricts the participation of the people. The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria therefore places the people as the foundation of sovereignty where the government derives all its power and authority. The Constitution further provides that the welfare and security of the people is the primary purpose of the government. (Section 14(2) (a) (b) respectively).

The recent announcement of a presidential pardon granted to the former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State, the former Managing Direcetor of Bank of the North, Alhaji Shettima Bulama, Maj. Gen Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua; former Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya; former Minister of Works, Late Maj. Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa; ex-major Bello Magaji and Alhaji Mohammed Lima Biyu has raised a lot of controversy especially with the inclusion of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Alhaji Shettima Bulama. The exercise of the power of pardon by the President is stricto senso constitutional under section 175 of the 1999 Constitution as amended but in this instance can be said be exercised recklessly and contrary to the spirit of the constitution.

The youth join voices with millions of Nigeria in condemning the presidential pardon granted especially to a former public officer; Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who was convicted for economic and financial crime while serving as the Governor of Bayelsa State, Alhaji Shettima Bulama and ex Major Bello Magaji . In light of the Government’s presupposed commitment to anti-corruption fight this grant of pardon is unacceptable, insensitive and dishonorable. The timing of the pardon has weakened the anti-corruption crusade of the government, making a mockery of efforts to curb economic and financial crimes inNigeria.
The beauty of law is that law is made for man but when honor and the law no longer stand on the same line, where do the people choose?
In spite of the government's claim to be fighting corruption, Nigerians are yet to pick out a reasonable number of offenders prosecuted and convicted. While we try to nurse our wounds from this glaring sore, the little hope in the system is eroded with the pardon of an offender whose conviction was seen as a consolation to many Nigerians whose lives have been turned to hell as a result of outright stealing in high places. 2012 was a year of revelation of the various levels of corruption, fuel subsidy scams, and economic crimes that have constantly sucked deep into the very soul of the people who painfully live in abject poverty with nothing done so salvage the situation. Although series of financial scams have been exposed in recent times, the slow pace of investigation and prosecution indicate the inability of authorities to deal with corruption. Indeed there are indications that the Nigerian Judicial System could be more porous and lenient towards offenders especially in corruption related cases.

Furthermore, we live in a country where; there is a gradual death of the middle class as the lower class becomes more accommodating to the poor majority; a country where Nigerians live like beggars by a palace struggling for the fallen crumbs of food. We make a mockery of the whole concept of democracy if citizens invariably view the government as the mighty oppressor wielding state power to suppress the people. Therefore, while the Constitution undergoes review, we the people of Nigeria seek for “a constitution that truly promotes good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of Freedom, Equality and Justice and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of the people”.

Considering that our laws are not infallible we therefore demand the following:
·        An amendment of Section 175 (1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended to include a proviso excluding the power to grant pardon on persons indicted or convicted of economic and financial crime while acting in an official capacity.

·        An amendment to section 175 (2) of the 1999 Constitution to include the following paragraphs:
a)      The president shall in consultation with the Council of State forward the list of persons who have applied for pardon to the National Judicial Council and National Assembly for confirmation and approval.

b)      The National Judicial Council shall among other things determine if the applicant has become remorseful and of good conduct.

c)      Powers of the President to grant pardon shall be exercised on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and confirmation by the National Assembly.


The Federal Government should reassure Nigerians of its commitment provided under Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power” by truly taking actions that reflects this commitment.
It should be noted, that this is not a battle against an individual, but a rejuvenation of the voices of Nigerian youth as we perform our highest obligation as patriots to fight corruption in all entirety and reclaim our fatherland. While we are not ignorant of the powers of the President to grant pardon; we are concerned that the pardon recently granted to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is an indirect endorsement of the looting of the public treasury by public officials. We call for restrain in the granting of state pardon in order to prevent corruption with impunity and also to avoid sending the wrong signals to current office holders.

For the future, we urge the President to direct his powers of granting pardon instead to persons who are convicted in questionable circumstances and also to young ex-convicts who have clearly demonstrated their ability to lead crime free lives and also have the potential to contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigeria.

We call on all anti-corruption agencies and all well-meaning Nigerians, especially the youths not to relent in their advocacy against impunity and endemic corruption. In spite of the recent pardon, the fight against corruption in Nigeria can still be won if we remain committed.

We urge youths all over the country to keep watch over use of resources in their communities; to name and shame corrupt public officials and to utilise social media to mobilize and demand public accountability and transparency. In our commitment to the fight against corruption we will join forces with other civil society organizations to mobilize Nigerians through civil and peaceful public demonstrations to condemn corrupt practices and entrenched impunity in the country.

We also call on the international community not to relent in supporting the fight against corruption in Nigeria. We demand the imposition of visa ban on corrupt public officials who have siphoned the commonwealth of our country. We also request the international community especially countries like America, Britain, Switzerland, Russia, France and the middle-east, to withdraw the children of corrupt public officials currently schooling abroad and deport them back to Nigeria.

The fight against corruption and impunity must not end!

Thank you

Signed

Barr. Cynthia Mbamalu                                                            Bukhari Mohammed Bello Jega

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Most Nigerians In America Want To Come Home – Busola Balogun, Social Worker

Every year Nigeria tops the list of countries whose nationals apply for the United States Diversity Visa. Practically every Nigerian youth is crazy about America. Even adults are not left out in this ambition to relocate to ‘God’s own country’ as as people refer to the US.
But Olubusola Balogun, a Nigerian lady and social worker reveals that she would rather relocate to Nigeria with the next available flight if she could get a good job in the country. In this interview, she peels back the cover on the pains of her work, giving an insight on risks involved and the toll it takes on her personal social life. Excerpts…
What do you do?
I am a social worker and I live in The Bronx, New York City. My job entails helping parents meet the needs of children with respect to their education. I have to ensure that parents send their children to school by making them understand the underlying reasons why they should do so. It is not getting up in the morning and telling the child to go to school. If a child under 18 fails to go to school, the parents are held accountable. For such children too, the parents are expected to meet their basic needs that include food, clothing, shelter and of course educational needs.
Please paint a picture of life as social worker.
It is now challenging to be a social worker because of new legislation. No matter how well you do your job, if something happens to a child under your watch, you the social worker could go to jail. Let me give an example: let’s assume that you have a case and you visited the family without seeing the parents, you would not be able to prove that the children are not being properly cared for; you could close the case with the hope that somebody else would call and file a report against the family if anything wrong happens.
But with the new law, once a social worker has become involved with a particular case and something drastic happened to a child in that home, for instance, if the child died, the social worker would go to jail for not being alert to recognize the early warning signs of abuse, maltreatment or poor care. That would mean that you didn’t do your job well. When it comes to handling issues concerning other people’s children, you just have to be on your toes all the time. This new law even makes you more cautious in the way you treat your own children too because you want to make sure they are not lacking anything you ought to have provided to them.
Tell me more about the pains of being a social worker.
As in every professional calling, social work throws up some challenges though this depends one’s level. I am currently a supervisor. I could have moved higher to managerial level, but the snag is that social work is unionized. Supervisors are the link between the managerial executives and the frontline workers. You don’t have a friend because the frontline workers would assume you are not helping them.
The management on the other hand believes you can’t tell them what to do. The advantage of being a supervisor is that you have the support of the union. I decided to play safe and remain a supervisor because the managerial position is political. In other words, if a new boss takes over and he does not like me, he could call me into his office, have a handshake and say, “Thank you for your services” and that’s all.
What attracted you to social work?
I got into social work because of the opportunity it offers one to reach out to people, communicate and help them move on in life. As a supervisor, I still meet with families and have conferences with them though I may not be the person that would go directly to their homes to knock on their doors. The job comes with a lot of stress and racial discrimination.
We Africans are trained to respect our elders. Even if your supervisor is a 20-year-old, you must still say ‘Yes sir, Yes Maam’ to the person. When they say you should jump, you must jump very high – that is how you show that you are not lazy, that you are doing your job. Of as African, taking others from a 20-year-old is not pleasant.
But given the overzealous attitude of the average African working in America, these people tend to take advantage of us, whether they are Whites, African-Americans or Hispanics. job they take advantage of it, everybody white, black, Spanish, they take advantage of it. Even if we have headache we will show up at work; we are committed. But the Americans, Hispanics and people from other cultures will not show up on time. The commitment of the average African is our pride as a people.
People from the other cultures we work with always take advantage of this. They will say things like: “Oh, Olu is always consistent, don’t worry; Olu will be there, I don’t have to go to work today, don’t worry; she will case handle. Even when we are going home late and vent our anger on our family we will still do it. We won’t complain that the load is too much or too heavy for us to carry.
Are you saying that the system discriminates against Africans?
Africans are at the bottom rack when it comes to strata – at least 2when it comes to my kind of job. If you want to rise up in the hierarchy they don’t want you to grow because who is going to clean what they have messed up. Don’t get me wrong – one or two Africans do get to the top to become a director. I have been in the agency where I work for 12 years, and I have seen somebody become a manager on Friday and by Monday, the same person was demoted. I cannot remember any African has reached the level of a commissioner. It is not that we are not qualified for these positions; the fact is that we don’t even get the opportunity. Even if we go for the interview, nobody calls you back.
All you get is a letter thanking you for your interest. If you see an African at the managerial level, its because somebody appreciates what he does, however, if the next person that comes along the line finds one fault in that person, he will demote him so fast. I have seen many Africans demoted for doing things that others could do and get away it; but if an African does the same thing, he gets the boot. I’m not a unionist but if I am one it will be my cause to fight because I have noticed the trend that we do not get fair treatment though its not openly reflective for all to see but there is discrimination going.
Don’t forget that we Africans don’t have uniformity; even when Nigerians from the different tribes work together in the same place, they find it difficult band together and write a petition to express dissatisfaction with the treatment they get. Instead they are so scared and would rather tolerate the rubbish. Even when we are being stepped on, we will complain to ourselves and not take it to the level where something can be done about it.
Would you want to come home someday to work in Nigeria as a social worker?
Everybody wants to come back home, especially if you were born and bred in Nigeria or spent your youthful years in the country before going to the United States. The culture is in you and anytime you come home you will relive those sweet Nigerian lifestyle, which we miss terribly in the United States. Yes, it’s basically different. We do go to parties over there but it’s not the same. If I find a job that is appropriate and fulfilling I would love to be back in this country this very minute.
I read Mass Communication at the University of Lagos before I traveled abroad; I also studied at Times Journalism Institute. After living overseas for so long, it’s a challenge for you to come back home and meet up with colleagues one left behind. You are coming from two different cultures now. Like the Yoruba say, the farm is different from the home. When you finish farming, you come back home. Ajo ni, ko si eni to fe gbe sajo. Everybody wants to come home.
What do you miss the most about home?
I have lost a lot of friends, connections and enjoyment because when you are overseas, you are really not living; you are just working, trying to satisfy the basic needs of your family. This is not the same. Here at home we have this luxury of human relations where we go to gathering, have people visiting and you also visit friends. Don’t get me wrong people do visit their friends over there, but it is structured in a way that you have to get an appointment first, you don’t see people as much as you see people them back here in Africa.
In the United States, you do most of talking on the phone or by emails – what I call computer talk and the people that are supposed to be your friends might be far from you like in another state but in Lagos, before you walk for five hours you have somebody to say hello to, even if it’s your mere neighbor. I go to work, sometimes I leave home at 6am and don’t get back sometimes till 9.pm. It all depends on the shift am doing, and I hardly see the sun. Leaving the office at 9pm and driving back home all I want is my bed.
But back here in Nigeria, there’s always something happening or somebody is visiting; there’s always something that makes you feel alive. In America, that thing that makes you feel alive in Africa is rare. You hardly have a good life in America where we are coming from. I spoke to my daughter and she said mom, you hardly go anywhere here all you do is am out, mum what are you doing outside, do you go visiting the zoo, do you go visiting amusement park, she’s a child and she feels the only reason you go out is to see these recreational stuff not knowing that you need to go see people you haven’t seen for a long time, reminisce on what you did when you were young. It gives you this feeling of being alive which you hardly get when you are abroad, all you do is work and go home to sleep.
Most Nigerian couples in the United States face marital challenges. But you look like your home front is rock steady. What is the secret?
I love my husband. They always say behind a successful man is a woman. My husband is the pillar behind my success. His name is Akinyemi Akinduro; I met him in the US and he is like God’s gift to me. If I am the right hand, you can say that he is the left hand. You know that both hands have to work together to wash each other clean. He’s a very supportive, loving and dedicated father to his children.
He is a social worker too. In fact, he recruited me for the job. He is so dedicated, encouraging and helpful, and that’s why you will see him helping families to move from depressive stage into a blossoming environment. This fires my passion to do the same. Incidentally, we have told our children that we have given enough to society – they should do something different and get into another career.
My husband kind of recruited me for the job because he’s so dedicated, encouraging and helpful, that you see how he helps families from depressive stage into a blossoming environment that he would want you to do the same. I went to school to get a degree in psychology and later studied for a Master’s degree in social work. Simply, My husband is very loving and I love him. I also have a license from the State of New York to practice as a social worker. What this means is that I can do therapy for people in New York State.

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UniAbuja Is A Shame Not Befitting Of The FCT – Minister

The University of Abuja has been described as a shame not befitting of a tertiary institution in the nation’s capital, Minister of Education Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmad Rufa’i has said.

Speaking at a public hearing on a bill to provide for the establishment of the Federal University of Petroleum, Effurun; a bill to amend the Federal Polytechnic Act and a motion on the incessant students’ protest in the university at the National Assembly complex, the minister blamed the governing council of the institution for the crisis rocking the varsity.
“University of Abuja is supposed to be a pride to all of us but unfortunately, it is a shame! The university, since inception, there has been so much problems,” Professor Rufai said.
“The university has a governing council comprising of the president, representatives of the ministry of education, representatives of the regulatory agencies and the National Universities Commission that is supposed to be the eye of the visitor from the ministry of education.
If you have an effective one in place, then everything goes well but if you have the type that we had in the University of Abuja, then you will understand how we got to this crisis,” she said.
She said the report of the visitation panel that conducted an investigation into the activities of the school exposed rot that is “deeper than what we are seeing now.”
She said that the report of the panel has been concluded, a white paper drawn and submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan for approval via the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

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21 PDP Governors Boycott Party’s Grand Reconciliation Gathering

Twenty-one governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today boycotted what was billed as a grand reconciliation to bring together disaffected members of the party. In addition, the Senate President, Speaker and several prominent members of the party failed to turn up, making the event “a woeful failure” in the words of one of the party’s prominent members.

The planned reconciliation took place at the International Conference Center in Abuja. It was also planned to celebrate the first anniversary of the party's National Working Committee headed by Mr. Bamanga Tukur.

The event started at 3 p.m. with only a single governor, Idris Wada of Kogi, in attendance. Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, the embattled chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, later arrived late. Speaking at the event, Mr. Akpabio said he wished to debunk newspaper reports that eight PDP governors were planning to leave the party to join the newly formed coalition of opposition parties.

Several PDP members in attendance at the event told a correspondent of SaharaReporters that they were shocked that the reconciliation failed to attract more than two of the party’s governors. Several of the governors sent their deputies to represent them, underscoring that the event was low on their priority list. SaharaReporters could not immediately ascertain whether Senate President David Mark and House Speaker Tambuwal sent any representatives.

The event was chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

A little drama ensued at the venue when the Deputy Governor of Niger State was introduced as acting governor.

A party member told our correspondent that he was unable to say why President Goodluck Jonathan failed to attend the event which ended at 6 p.m. (Nigerian time).

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US Consulate: Foreigner Kidnapped In Lagos PM News, Lagos

A foreigner has been kidnapped in Nigeria’s largest city of Lagos, the US consulate said on Sunday, in an alert to American citizens in the city.
The Consulate however did not provide the identity of the foreigner kidnapped and his nationality.

“The US Consulate General in Lagos received a report that an expatriate was kidnapped on Victoria Island on Saturday, March 23 at approximately 11 pm,” the consulate spokeswoman said in a message to US citizens, referring to an upscale area of Lagos.

“Local Nigerian law enforcement confirmed this incident.”

Police in Lagos, the economic capital of some 15 million people located in the country’s southwest, could not be reached for comment.
Kidnapping of foreigners are rare in Lagos, but occasionally there have been reports of isolated cases of kidnapping, usually involving an insider or a collaborator close to the victim.

Kidnappings for ransom occur regularly in the southern oil-producing Niger Delta region and Islamist extremists have carried out abductions in the country’s north.

Victims of kidnappings in the Niger Delta and other areas of the south are usually released unharmed after payment of ransoms.
Abductions in Nigeria’s north have however had deadly results.

Islamist extremist group Ansaru recently claimed to have executed seven foreign hostages.

In addition, a British national and an Italian were killed during a botched 2012 rescue operation, as was a German the same year.
Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram is believed to currently be holding seven members of a French family abducted over the border in Cameroon.

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Benue Boils Again As Renewed Clash Claims Three Policemen, Two Farmers

At least three mobile policemen including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, Mr. Azare Adamu and a police driver (names withheld) were at the weekend killed in a renewed crisis that erupted between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers in Naka town of Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue state.
A police sergeant identified as Mr. Mutari Ibrahim is currently missing and two farmers of the villagers were also murdered, just as five houses were set ablaze by the Fulani herdsmen.
The renewed feud, which occurred in Angwuhagh village in Naka town began at about 12 pm when a Fulani herdsman had reportedly gone to pilfer a honey heave belonging to a Tiv farmer in his farm.
The council chairman of Gwer East, Mrs. Eunice Mbajwa said unknown to the Fulani man, one of the children of the Bee farmer was watching him evacuating the honey from the pot and immediately alerted his father who was said to have questioned the action by the Fulani herdsman.
Mbajwa said “some mobile policemen were on their way to the village in an Hillux vehicle been accompanied by security officer of the council and they were ambushed by Fulani men and killed the unit commander, a driver and another policeman.”

 

She added that some villagers had intervened and rescued the Fulani cattle rearer but said that it was unexpected when few hours later, a group of Fulani herdsmen ganged up and burnt the houses of the Tiv farmers in the area.
The Police Public Relation Officer PPRO, DSP Daniel Ezeala wile confirming the bloofy incident said that the two murdered police men were ambushed by the Fulani herdsmen and that their vehicle was shot at before they were finally killed. He said the chief security officer of the local government was also killed and added that the commissioner of police in the state, Mr. Chris Katso has commenced full investigation into the crisis.

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Truly, Jonathan Should Resign By Taopheeq Bamidele Rabiu

Although I am a regular follower of news and events in and about Nigeria on many fora including online social media, I seldom found any subject that warrant my comment as most issues and comments in recent times are all and about the same, even though they come in different fashions and from different and sometimes apparently conflicting avenues. Most events, news and comments/commentaries indicate that Nigeria is rapidly becoming (if indeed it has not!) a failed state with directionless and incompetent leadership.
However I am constrained to make these comments in the light of recent events in Nigeria and other parts of the world. After reading your report of today (January 24, 2013) on Sheikh Gumi's sermon titled "Repent And Resign, Gumi Tells ‘Evil’ Jonathan;Says IBB, Obasanjo, Buhari, Atiku, Must Be Banned To Cleanse Nigerian Politics", I cannot but agree with the cleric on his assessment of Mr President. Perhaps, for the first time, I sincerely align with his views about the president.
Misleading a nation is a serious crime against the nation and calls for the highest reprimand.It is obvious that Mr President knowingly misled us on the October 1, 2010 bombing at Eagle Square, Abuja if not on any other occasion (although there are so many examples!). All commentators have hailed the South African judiciary on the conviction of Henry Okah for the 2010 Abuja bombings without remembering that he was convicted not only as himself but as the leader of MEND (clearly stated by the judge; see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_jeXTpmqzE). This is the same group that Mr President had exonerated from the act by a presidential pronouncement hours after the attacks (see videos at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6xTHEgEInU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk7HmSf9hhk). Whatever was/were Mr President's motive(s) is/are irrelevant.
I, and I believe many Nigerians, followed the recent and on-going process of nominating the next US Secretary of State with keen interests as we do for most issues about the world's greatest model of (?)democracy. President Barack Obama had to drop Susan Rice as his preferred nominee following allegations by congress that she misled the nation about the Benghazi attacks that claimed the lives of Ambassador Chris Stevens and 3 other Americans. What was her crime? She, allegedly acting on talking points prepared by the intelligence communities, stated at the UN that the attacks were carried out by people protesting the anti-Islamic videos. Later findings have largely pointed out that the attacks were coordinated and carried out by terrorist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
I passionately watched American congressmen and women as they also grilled Madam Secretary Hillary Clinton on the issue yesterday. It was clear that the offence of misleading the country, whether it was intentional or not, is certainly a crime of the highest order in a nation where the elected representatives of the people are up to their callings. Where are the members of our national assembly? No where!!!
Given the status of Mr President and the intelligence reports that would have been provided at that highest level (including the fact that the government and its intelligence apparati were allegedly warned of the planned bombings {see again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6xTHEgEInU}), one is left without any other option than to conclude that Mr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,Ph.D, GCFR, knowingly misled the nation on the issue of the October 1, 2010 bombings. The President need to tell us, as has been done in the US, what his sources of intelligence information on that issue were. Also the intelligence Chiefs, who are being paid to guarantee our safety, the DG-SSS, IGP, NSA, CDS, COAS, CAS and the CNS, all need to give information about what they know before, during and after the events. Such information need to be de-classified (in case they are said to be classified; they should take a cue from the praises heaped on Mrs Clinton yesterday for her openness regarding the questions asked at the US congress).
The Okah case (unless our national assembly plans to appeal against the judgement of the South African court!) is enough ground to impeach the president in the event that he fails to willingly resign from office and restore the dignity of the exalted position. God save our country.
Taopheeq Bamidele Rabiu
Leiden, The Netherlands
January 24, 2013

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Boko Haram Have Limited Knowledge Of Islam – Soyinka

Noble laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has lashed at members of Boko Haram, saying they have limited knowledge of Islamic religion.

Speaking Monady in Port Harcourt at the opening of this year’s Rivers state education summit, organised by the state government Professor Soyinka said poor knowledge of the Koran was largely responsible for why Boko Haram should despise western education.
According to him some of the greatest philosophers in history were Muslims, adding that there was need for members of Boko Haram to be retrained on the content of the religion.
“Boko Haram are not educated enough about their religion to know that some of the greatest philosophers came from the religion. They have been taught one track line (Monorail) about the religion. They need to be re educated about the religion”, he said.
Soyinka who was Chairman of the opening session said government should take urgent steps to redress the decay in the nation’s university system, stressing that he was happy to be invited to the summit to be part of a move to rebuild the educational system.
Professor Emeritus, Ayo Banjo who gave the key note address called for steps to improve on the quality of education at the primary level, stressing that it was the foundation of the educational system.
He traced the high percentage failure recorded in the past at the West Africa School Certificate Examination to a weak foundation at the primary level, adding also that the shaky foundation was also behind poor quality graduates being shunned out by universities in the country.
Professor Banjo further called for a total overhaul of the educational system from the secondary to tertiary level to achieve the best for the nation.
Earlier in his welcome address, governor Chibuike Amaechi said the government was set to engage thirteen thousand teachers to provide the needed manpower to achieve quality education in the state.
He said the newly built modern schools would be managed by private hands for the state. The governor who spoke extensively on some of the challenges militating against quality education in the state said his government had to institute a Quality Assurance Board to check the problems.

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Alamieyeseigha’s Pardon: Jonathan’s Contempt For Anti-Corruption Norms By Clement Nwankwo

Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) condemns the grant of Presidential pardon to ex-Bayelsa governor, D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha. While section 175(1) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, gives the President unlimited powers to grant pardon to convicted persons, PLAC believes that this power must be exercised responsibly and in the national interest. In the immediate case of Alamieyeseigha, this power has been blatantly and arrogantly abused and raises serious questions about the President’s ability to govern in the larger Nigerian national interest.
The power of pardon appears to have been exercised for primordial and personal reasons by a President acting only to please a benefactor and kinsman whose actions as governor brought Nigeria into national and international ridicule and odium. The pardon rubbishes Nigeria’s international treaty and other obligations and its standing in the comity of Nations.
It should be noted that in addition to being convicted in Nigeria, Alamieyeseigha also has an international warrant of arrest issued by the UK authorities around the world for his arrest and extradition to face trial for charges that are still pending in the UK. In other words, Alamieyeseigha is an international fugitive from justice.  The Nigerian authorities needed to have taken into account that the case against Alamieyeseigha is an extra-territorial and internationalised issue exceeding just Nigeria’s legal territorial boundaries and cutting across the world.
The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) imposes on Nigeria and the 165 state parties to it, a duty to cooperate and assist in apprehending and bringing to account all persons charged with corruption. The Convention further requires in Article 43 that domestic legal systems including Constitutions must be consistent with the international requirement of countries working together and assisting each other in the investigations of and proceedings in bringing to account all corrupt persons.
Nigeria is a part of the international community and has obligations to join the rest of the world to fight official corruption. As well, President Jonathan continues to mouth his government’s fight against corruption. The pardon of Alamieyeseigha is a major failing in this obligation.  It shows a lack of moral courage and indeed portrays this government as encouraging corruption. Most Nigerians are of the view that corruption levels in this government are unprecedented. Only a few months ago, an unprecedented publication by the Malaysian High Commissioner to Nigeria had accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of demanding bribes from a Malaysian investment project in Nigeria. This cross-border international allegation was never rebutted nor investigated at the Presidential level and this particular Minister continues to sit pretty in the Jonathan administration.
Other allegations too numerous to recite here including the oil subsidy scam report, by the National Assembly which businessmen friends of these administration tried to discredit, as well as massive looting of pension funds whose main perpetrator remains unapprehended continue to be a sore and rallying point for millions of critics who cite this government as unprecedentedly corrupt.
PLAC calls on President Jonathan to take the following immediate steps to address the anger of Nigerians over the high levels of corruption in Nigeria, sparked more recently by Alamieyeseigha’s pardon:
1.    Extradite Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha to the UK to face pending charges of corruption in the UK courts in line with Nigeria’s international treaty obligations as he is a fugitive from justice;
2.    Implement National Assembly probe reports indicting his ministers and officials of government for corruption and abuse of office;
3.    Sack ministers and officials indicted and/or cited for various acts of corruption;
4.    Ensure that no public fund is expended in payment to Alamieyeseigha in consequence of the pardon issued;
5.    Implement practical steps to convince Nigerians and the international community that this administration is genuinely willing and able to tackle the multifarious levels of corruption in Nigeria.
Clement Nwankwo
Executive Director,
Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC)
Abuja

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Wow: Governor Godswill Akpabio Admits Rigging Primary Elections in Akwa-Ibom | Watch the Video

In the past few weeks, the Akwa-Ibom state governor,Godswill Akpabio has been trending in the news for some gifts scandals involving state funds. Today, he makes a comeback to the headlines after confessing to manipulating the result of a 2007 Peoples Democratic Party senatorial primary election in the state. He admitted on live television to falsifying a senatorial election result and replacing the winner with the name of his preferred candidate. He made this confession when a delegation of the National Good Governance Tour visited the state on March 9. According to him, his reason for doing so was to be fair to the people of Ini and Ikono.
He said he struck off the name of the winner of the Akwa Ibom North Senatorial elections in his party’s primaries, and replaced it with Aloysius Etok who went on to win the main elections and is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service matters.
“The people of Ikono and Ini (Local Government Areas) from 1960 have never produced a Senator. I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who has won before, and I said it is important for me to give that region a Senator in 2007, and I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you; that’s where he comes from,” the governor said.
He then gestured to Etok, who was at the meeting to “take a bow”.
Although the concluding part of his statement was not recorded in the video, Premium Times reports that shortly after that, someone passed a note to him, probably drawing his attention to the effects of his comment. This made him retract his statement.

“So, I must say that I thank all of you, including the members of the National Assembly led by Senator Aloysius Etok. And when I said that I made Aloy(sius Etok) to become a senator in 2007, I need to explain it so that you don’t think that I wrote his name and he became a senator.
“During the primaries of the PDP, we zoned the Senate seat to his federal constituency. And from the federal constituency, he came first in the primaries. That happened in the PDP. So we said since he was the first among the people who came from his federal constituency for the primaries, then he must be the one to become the senator.”
“I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who has won before” is as bad as it can get for the credibility of our political elections in Nigeria. If well deserving candidates are “struck out” at the primary elections, then it presents a bleak picture as the candidates who really deserve to lead don’t even get a chance to contest the general elections.

Watch Video HERE

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Dear President Obama, Goodluck Jonathan Must Be Invited To Washington! By Pius Adesanmi

Dear President Barack Obama: Greetings. On behalf of the good citizens of the District of Columbia, who, in their infinite wisdom, entrusted me with the Office of the Mayor, I am writing to draw your attention to an issue of urgent municipal importance. Although my aides here in the Mayor’s Office are yet to crosscheck things with Mr. Jay Carney, your Press Secretary, after he issued a curious statement today, I have decided to be proactive by reacting to that extremely disturbing statement.
Mr. President, it would seem that you have convened a prestigious summit between your esteemed self and four Heads of State from the continent of Africa. They have been invited to parley with you in the White House in order to explore avenues of strengthening democracy in Africa. According to the statement released by Mr. Carney, “President Obama looks forward to welcoming President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Joyce Banda of Malawi, and Prime Minister José Maria Pereira Neves of Cape Verde to the White House on Thursday, March 28.” The statement concludes that, “the visit of these four leaders underscores the strategic importance the President places on building partnerships and substantive engagement with sub-Saharan Africa, and our commitment to working with strong and emerging African democracies.”
Mr. President, this is obviously an unmistakable snub of the Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, who leads a country that prides herself as the giant of Africa. While we understand the fact that your administration needs to send a clear message of zero tolerance for corruption to the Nigerian President, who has acquired a reputation for running Africa’s most corruption-friendly government, we at the Washington City Hall would like to register our disagreement with your decision to exclude the Nigerians from next week’s parley in the strongest possible terms.
Mr. President, we believe that you have not been properly served by your advisers in this matter. We believe that the economic implications of excluding the Nigerians from this parley should have been painstakingly explained to you to help you reach an informed judgment. We believe that the economic wellbeing of a major American city should be more important to your administration than helping the people of one far-flung country in Africa deal with their corruption enabler of a president. At a time when most American city administrations are groaning under budget cuts, at a time when the ability of American cities to deliver basic services to residents is being streamlined to reflect the dire economic circumstances of the times, any opportunity for a massive injection of funds into any American city’s economy ought to be seized with both hands. Your administration is about to deny Washington DC one such fantastic opportunity through the hasty and wrong-headed exclusion of the Nigerian president from the forthcoming parley.
Mr. President, we believe that you are aware of the fact that the President of Nigeria does not travel light to foreign destinations. During meetings of the US Conference of Mayors, my brother Mayor Bloomberg of New York never fails to regale us with stories of the economic boom that New York City receives whenever the Nigerian president comes to town for UN functions. He and his wife are said to travel with a harem of presidential jets – some travel as advance delegations. The plane loads of raw cash and aides create an economic ripple effect. They stay in the best hotels, charter limousines, and spend days in shopping malls since they hardly ever attend the functions they came for.
Mr. President, you are perhaps aware of the fact that the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was hosted by our sister city, Québec City, Canada, from October 21-26, 2012. The word on the street is that the South Africans who arrived in Québec City thinking they had a huge delegation were humbled by the benumbing size of the Nigerian delegation. Almost five months after the event, I can tell you authoritatively, Mr. President, that Québec City, Canada, is still reaping the benefits of the economic boom created by the one-week presence of Nigerian parliamentarians in that city. Need one mention what the city of Dubai in the Middle East benefits from weekly injection of funds by Nigerian officials?
Mr. President, we urge you to seriously reconsider your decision to snub Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. It would be a great idea of you could even invite him ahead of the others so that he and his potentially large delegation could get to spend an extra week here in Washington. If he comes here with two or three jumbo jets, as is his wont, this translates to enormous parking fees for Washington Dulles Airport. He, his wife, and their aides are going to take over major hotels in the city and that would be a tremendous boost for our hospitality services. Our limo rental services are going to benefit immensely from the presence of a Nigerian delegation.
In addition, while Dr and Mrs. Jonathan spend time with you at the White House, two or three planeloads of aides are going to spend all that time in our shopping malls. Furthermore, virtually every member of the large delegation would take the opportunity to do a quick medical checkup. Since they have no medical insurance here, they would naturally be paying cash. Imagine, Mr. President, the possible cash inflow to our medical system in these austere times. We understand that Nigerian officials are fond of German hospitals. This could be an opportunity to showcase the superiority of American medical services to these petro-wealthy Africans.
Mr. President, I could go on and on with details of the economic benefits of having the Nigerians here. Please allow me to say, Mr. President, that for the sake of the economy of Washington, DC, the Nigerian president deserves to be pardoned for pardoning corruption. He is of more economic value to us here than the four African presidents you are hosting combined. I therefore look forward to being able to host him and his lovely wife here at City Hall after their White House event.
Yours sincerely,
John-Smith Budweiser
Mayor of the District of Columbia

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Femke Becomes Funke: Celebrating Mediocrity In Nigeria By Femke van Zeijl

"I used to think corruption was Nigeria’s biggest problem, but I’m starting to doubt that. Every time I probe into one of the many issues this country is encountering, at the core I find the same phenomenon: the widespread celebration of mediocrity. Unrebuked underachievement seems to be the rule in all facets of society. A governor building a single road during his entire tenure is revered like the next Messiah; an averagely talented author who writes a colorless book gets sponsored to represent Nigerian literature overseas; and a young woman with no secretarial skills to speak of gets promoted to the oga’s office faster than any of her properly trained colleagues.

Needless to say the politician is probably hailed by those awaiting part of the loot he is stealing; the writer might have got his sponsorship from buddies he has been sucking up to in hagiographies paid for by the subjects; and the young woman’s promotion is likely to be an exchange for sex or the expectancy of it. So some form of corruption plays a role in all of these examples.

But corruption per se does not necessarily stand in the way of development. Otherwise a country like Indonesia—number 118 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, not that far removed from Nigeria’s 139—would never have made it to the G-20 group of major economies. An even more serious obstacle to development is the lack of repercussions for underachievement. Who in Nigeria is ever held accountable for substandard performance?

Since I came here, I have been on a futile search for a stable internet connection that does what it promises. I started with an MTN FastLink modem (I consider the name a cruel joke), and then I moved on to an Etisalat MiFi connection (I regularly had to keep myself from throwing the bloody thing against the wall), and now I am trying out Cobranet’s U-Go. I shouldn’t have bothered: equally crap. And everyone knows this. They groan and mutter and tweet about it. But still, to my surprise, no one calls for a class-action suit against those deceitful providers.

A one-day conference I attended last year left me equally puzzled. Organization, attendance and outcome left a lot to be desired, if you ask me. But over cocktails, after the closing ceremony, everyone congratulated each other over the wonderful conference—that started two hours late, of which the most animated part was undeniably lunch, and in which not a single tangible decision had been made. This left me wondering whether we had attended the same event.

I thought these issues to be unrelated at first, but gradually I came to see the connection. Nigeria is the opposite of a meritocracy: you do not earn by achieving. You get to be who and where you are by knowing the right people. Whether you work in an office, for an enterprise or an NGO, at a construction site or in government, your abilities hardly ever are the reason you got there. Performing well, let alone with excellence, is not a requirement, in fact, it is discouraged. It would be too threatening: showing you’re more intelligent, capable or competent than the ‘oga at the top’ (who, as a rule, is not an overachiever either) is career suicide.

It is an attitude that trickles down from the very top, its symptoms eventually showing up in all of society, from bad governance to bad service to bad craftsmanship.

Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is underachievement. That is why it is not uncommon to find Nigerians congratulating each other with substandard results. It is safer to cuddle up comfortably in shared mediocrity than to question it, since the latter might also expose your own less than exceptional performance. Add to this the taboo of criticizing anyone senior or higher up and it explains why so many join in the admiration of the emperor’s new clothes.

I have been writing this column for the last year, and after ten months I realized my angles were getting more predictable and my pieces less edgy. I figured newcomers do not remain newcomers forever and therefore decided to round up the ‘Femke Becomes Funke’ series this month, a year after it started. Ever since I announced the ending, tweeps have been asking me to change my mind and in comments on the columns and through my website I get songs of praise that make me feel my analyses of Nigerian society are indispensable. If I had no sense of self-criticism, I might be tempted to reconsider my decision to discontinue the series and start producing second-rate articles. Who would point this out to me if I did?

The hardest thing to do in Nigeria is to continue to realize there is honor in achievement and pride in perfection. I imagine the frustration of the many Nigerians who do care for their work, who take pride in their outcomes and who feel the award is in a job well done. When you know beforehand that excellence will not be rewarded, you are bound to do the economically sane thing and limit your investments to accomplishing the bare minimum. This makes Nigeria a pretty cumbersome place for anyone striving for perfection".
Talk to Femke on Twitter: @femkevanzeijl

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Nigeria's Squandered Opportunity By Joel Brinkley-LA Times

Just outside President Goodluck Jonathan's office sat 17 ambulances, just in case he or one of his aides fell ill. They were seldom if ever used.

No actual health-care facility nationwide had as many, and in fact a few still have none at all. But as soon as a Nigerian newspaper took a photo of the ambulances and published a story about them, they suddenly disappeared -- probably to an underground garage.

Jonathan is president of Nigeria, which should be among the world's most prosperous nations. After all, it produces an estimated 2.4 million barrels of oil each and every day. With oil now selling at $93.61 a barrel, that's $224 million in income daily. And yet many hospitals can't afford to buy an ambulance. The reason, in my view: Nigeria is the most corrupt nation on earth.

Sure, Transparency International lists almost three dozen states as more corrupt -- Chad, Haiti, Laos, Yemen, Cambodia and the like. But are any of those nations as wealthy as Nigeria -- taking in $81 billion annually, just from the sale of oil? No, not even one of them. So Nigeria steals and squanders more money than any other nation, making it the world's most corrupt, by that measure.

Nigerian journalist Musikilu Mojeed finds all this so discouraging.

"With its geopolitical power, economic resources and middle class," he laments, "no country (with the possible exception of Saudi Arabia and Egypt) has the power to change the course of black/African civilization like Nigeria." After all, Nigeria is Africa's most populous state -- and large, twice the size of California.

So Nigerians are living an opportunity squandered -- particularly now. Egypt is in turmoil. In just the last few days, in fact, many Egyptians have been calling for a military coup -- anything to rid the state of its widely despised Muslim Brotherhood government. And a new report by the World Economic Forum ranked Egypt the least safe and secure tourist destination among 140 tourist nations evaluated.

Egypt has lost its place as the Arab/African worlds' leader, and Saudi Arabia never had it. So for Nigeria, the time is ripe. But its leaders seem interested only in stealing the state's money to make themselves rich beyond imaging. Think about it: $81 billion a year just from the oil, while most every local government official still tells his people the nation just doesn't have enough money to fix the roads, schools or hospitals. (Roads are in such terrible shape that government officials generally travel any distance by helicopter.)

And Nigeria's people -- well, they are as mistreated as any on earth. In only nine nations -- among them Liberia, Sierra Leone and Somalia -- do more mothers die during childbirth. And in only 10 states, including Chad, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, is the average life expectancy lower. Right now the average Nigerian's average life span ends at 52. That may be why the median age of Nigerians is just 18.

A few months ago, the Economist Intelligence Unit published an evaluation of the best places for babies to born in 2013, given their probable welfare as children and the chance for a safe, comfortable, prosperous life. Switzerland, Australia and Norway were the top three. The United States came in at 16th, largely because "babies will inherit the large debts of the boomer generation."

Dead last: Nigeria. "It is the worst place for a baby to enter the world in 2013," the report said.

Even with all that wealth, only just over half the population has access to clean drinking water, and one-third to a toilet, UNICEF says. Two-thirds live below the poverty line. Only one child in four who contracts pneumonia is given antibiotics, and only about half the population is literate.

The CIA also cites endemic "soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution." All this in a county whose gross domestic product stands at $236 billion a year, in the same league as Denmark, Chile, Israel and the United Arab Emirates -- prosperous, successful states to be envied.

Goodluck Jonathan is certainly aware of all of this. After all, taking the oath of office, he swore to "devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of Nigeria. So help me God."

Well, just last week he demonstrated who he really is and what he stands for when he pardoned a former state governor who'd been convicted of embezzling state funds and laundering the money. That pardon triggered a broad, angry uproar.

Good luck, Mr. Jonathan. It's time you were impeached.

(Joel Brinkley is the Hearst professional in residence at Stanford University and a Pulitzer Prize-winning former correspondent for The New York Times.)

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Suspected Boko Haram members arrested in Lagos with explosives

There was confusion in Lagos yesterday as men of the State Security Services, SSS, and operatives of the Operation Mesa (OP Mesa), a joint armed forces and police security unit, arrested two suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect with explosives at Ijora Badia area of the state.

One of the suspects is from the North while other is a Chadian. Both were whisked away to Abuja by the SSS.

When contacted, spokesperson for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Colonel Kingsley Umoh confirmed the raid although he refrained from confirming if the suspects were Boko Haram members. Umoh said the raid was a routine exercise on black spots within the metropolis similar to those carried out intermittently in Mushin, Agege and other parts of the state.

He added that yesterday’s raid was based on a tip off from credible sources. He said: “The Op Mesa as you know is a joint security body and they carried out  

their routine raids today (yesterday) and made some arrests.

The raids are simply a part of those that are carried out everyday based on information at our disposal. “The raids give the public a sense of confidence that we security bodies are working.

“It is the way the OP Mesa was designed and once our sources tip us off, we swing into action and our source has proven to be credible.” However, efforts at contacting the SSS officials in Lagos to comment on the matter proved abortive.

National Mirror gathered that the arrested suspects had packed an unspecified number of explosives in bags, which were hidden in the ceiling of the house in which they were arrested. A resident, who did not want his name mentioned, said: “Some SSS men and policemen came to our area early this morning and recovered some bombs. Those who are close to the house said that the bombs were packed in some bags and kept in the ceiling.”

The security officials also reportedly recovered two AK 47 riffles from the building, which were also taken to Abuja It was gathered that the suspected owner of the house had just about one month ago let out the apartment to the suspects.

The recovery of the explosives created panic among residents of the area, with most of them apprehensive of the fact that there could be more bombs in the community When contacted , the Lagos State Police Public Relatiosn Officer, Ms Ngozi Braide, said she was not aware of any explosives being recovered in Lagos

The traditional ruler of the area, Oba Fatai Ojora, while speaking with National Mirror said that he had begun investigations into the incident and that efforts were on to identify the owner of the house.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that his government would no longer tolerate wanton destruction of lives and property as witnessed on Monday in Kano. He challenged the state government to deploy the resources and any other means available in dealing with the situation.

The President, who spoke through the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who led a Federal Government delegation to Kano, lamented the effect of the rising conflict in the state and other parts of the North and declared that this situation would no longer be accepted, especially the destruction of human lives. The minister met with Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at the Government House, Kano to deliver the President’s message.

He said: “We are here as a delegation of the Federal Government at the instance of President Jonathan to commiserate with you, the government and people of Kano State over the unfortunate bomb blast that shook the foundation of this state and claimed so many lives and property.

“I am to convey to you the heartfelt condolences of Mr. President and the people of Nigeria over this unfortunate incident and to say that Mr. President is saddened by the fact that in spite of spirited and determined efforts by government to contend the security challenges, this conflict continues to rear its ugly head occasionally.

“The President particularly has asked me to request that that this singular incident should still be resolved by the Nigerian people to ensure that we mitigate the consequences of this crisis and take steps to stamp them out.”

He added that cases of wanton destruction of lives and properties which took years to put in place would no longer be acceptable and called on all Nigerians, government at all tiers and levels, and friends of Nigeria to accept the reality that security is a joint responsibility of everybody.

“The President also noted that the destruction of valuable and critical infrastructure in recent times in the state has depleted Kano, known for its huge commerce and to say that the great danger of continued conflict in this ancient city portends that investors that ordinarily would want to come to Kano to do business would be so scared that they would no longer want to patronise Kano and this would do an incalculable damage to the economy of Kano and indeed Nigeria.”

“Mr. President has asked therefore that everybody should be involved in necessary sensitisation to enable us as a government contend the security situation we have on hand and that I should give you the assurances of the Federal Government of its support to assist the state government to unravel the mystery surrounding these occasional attacks on the lives of our people.”

In his remark, Kwankwaso expressed gratitude to the president for raising the delegation to assess the situation, adding that the state government has been doing its best in protecting lives and property of residents.

He said that before the devastating Monday attack on the motor park, there had been several attacks in the state

The governor also frowned at the tribal sentiment being attached to the incident, saying that from the list of 25 victims at the hospitals, majority were natives.

Kwankwaso said both Christians and Muslims have been praying for the return of peace and unity in the state.

“We would continue to partner with the Federal Government and local government to find lasting solution to the conflict,” he said.

He said it is regrettable that politicians in Abuja have started politicising the issue for cheap political gains, adding that it is a wrong thing to do.

“We were already collecting names of those who died in the attack and from what we see they are composed mostly of natives and people from this part of the country,” he said.

Minster of Police Affairs, Mr. Caleb Olabode, Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar among others were on the entourage However, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has said that President Jonathan and other stakeholders should take decisive action on the issue of incessant bombings in the country just as it strongly condemned Monday’s suicide bombing in Kano. ACN made this call in a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The party said that it is sad and very unfortunate that the Federal Government is helpless on the matter, noting that it has demonstrated that it lacks the capacity to confront the worsening acts of terrorism in the country.

The party explained that all religious, ethnic and political leaders must start by preaching restraint in their domains, “since it is now clear that the end-gamers behind these senseless killings are bent on setting Nigerians against themselves.”

ACN pointed out, that the recent escalation in the attacks in the north follows the belated visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to the states that have now become the epicentre of the Boko Haram crisis. The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, also yesterday described the Kano bombing as shameful and cowardly.

This is even as the union called on the Federal Government to strengthen the security forces in the country to forestall further attacks on defenseless citizens.

The NLC, in a statement by the acting President, Comrade Promise Adewusi, urged Nigerians to remain united with a view to defeating the orchestrated plan of the perpetrators of the heinous crimes, which is meant to destabilise the country.

While calling on the people to remain calm in the face of intimidation, the Congress advised the people against carrying out reprisals. Adewusi urged the people to forge a sense of community with their neighbours to overcome the temporary challenge foisted on the country by a group of disenchanted renegades.

“We also call on our law enforcement agents to rise to the challenge of combating terror and to especially focus on protecting defenseless and vulnerable people. To be able to do this successfully, our intelligence and security agencies need all the support they can get from government.

“In furtherance of the above, we wish to invite the government to, as a matter of urgency, do all that is necessary and explore all legitimate avenues to bring to an end this insurgency.

“We dare say this includes addressing the remote and immediate causes of this phenomenon, reequipping our intelligence and security forces to be proactive and also be able to cope with new challenges.”

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Boko Haram Violence in Maiduguri: School Teacher, Three Terrorists, Killed

Malam Kachalla, a school teacher at, Ruwan Zafi in Maiduguri, was shot dead this morning in the school by Boko Haram terrorists, the Joint Task Force (JTF), has said.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, JTF said that three female students were also critically injured by bullets and were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital by a JTF patrol which was attracted to the scene by the panicky behavior of people from the area.

An attack on a secondary school in Mafoni and Galadima areas of the city by the militants was averted by the intervention of JTF troops, Musa said.

Three terrorists were killed in that incident, while two AK 47 rifles, 200 rounds of ammunition, two video recorders, a laptop computer and two tricycles were recovered.

SOURCE 

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First Lady Money Launderer By Bayo Oluwasanmi

First Lady Dame Jonathan’s Naira spraying story sticks in my throat from trying to swallow the news of her money laundering at the Nigerian Law School, Bwari Campus, Abuja.
According to Soni Akoji’s story in Saharareporters March 6, Mrs. Jonathan had made unscheduled visit to the Nigerian Law School, Bwari to see two adopted daughters.
Mrs. Jonathan officially had gone to attend the convocation of graduates of her NGO, A. Arueba Foundation for the less privileged at Bwari.
First Lady’s family visit soon turned to ATM affair. She reached to her mobile ATM vault and began dispensing cash in different amounts.
She gave N300, 000 to her daughters’ roommate and N2500 each to two flat mates, and N100, 000 to the chief porter.
Mrs. Jonathan reached deeper. This time, she called out: “Who wants to be a millionaire?” The jackpot fell on the student body via Franc Utoo.
Franc Utoo, President Student Representative Council received N1million on behalf of his colleagues. The students went bananas!
Utoo, taking his cue from the corruption script written by Aso Rock, the money was halved. He told the students that Mrs. Jonathan gave them N500, 000.
The students refused to accept his voodoo mathematics.  A recount was called – by hand. Naira by Naira the money was counted. They came up with N1million.
Meanwhile, Utoo’s impeachment for fraud is underway. However, Ope Owotumi PRO for the Students Representative Council denied that the free money from Mrs. Jonathan ATM didn’t cause any fracas.
Owotumi’s counter attack to Akoji’s claims appeared in Saharareporters, March 9.
“Before the First lady doled out the said sum, Mr. Franc had already approached her and intimated her of plans to celebrate Law School’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary in grand style to which the First lady graciously pledged to support,” said Owotumi.
“When she eventually gave out the money,” continued Owotumi, “she delivered it with two intents – to fulfill her pledge and to generously gift the cheering students at the hostel,” said Owotumi.
“As President with the discretion to allot and appropriate, Mr. Franc Utoo separated N500, 000 for the Golden Jubilee and the balance for sharing to the students, said Owotumi.
“Students in the heat of passion demanded the impeachment of Chairman and threatened their representatives with recall if such a resolution wasn’t met.”
The question of fraud on the part of Utoo was not adequately addressed in Owotumi’s rejoinder. What caused “the heat of the passion?” Can Owotumi explain what he meant by the “heat of the passion” as it relates to the money and the students’ reaction?
Owotumi further said that “In a bid to satisfy the demands of said students while committed to fairness, the Students’ Representative Council passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman that night and asked the Chairman to step aside …”
What were the demands of the students? Why was vote of no confidence passed on the chairman? By the way, why was the money counted by the students? .
Owotumi’s version of the story is an argument based on persecution of Akoji rather than reason. His response is full of stunting and distorting the kernel of Akoji’s story – the unbecoming spending recklessness of a First Lady.
As future lawyers charged with interpreting and defending the constitution, Owotumi and his colleagues should be troubled by the unrestrained squandering of tax payers’ money by Mrs. Jonathan.
Thinking along this line, the cheering of Mrs. Jonathan by the students should have been replaced with deafening jeering with placard messages of reprimand on how the country is being run by Mr. Jonathan.
What part of the corruption equation do the law students not understand? The crumbs the students fought over were part of the money that would have gone into job creation and other essential services of lasting value.
The students should be worried of gainful employment after graduation instead of being foolishly hypnotized by the temporary sharing of state looted funds from First Lady Jonathan.
The education of a deaf colleague subsidized by the students should have been paid for by a responsible government under the special education for mentally challenged and physically handicapped students. But then, the students display no flashes of wit.  
All future stake holders of Nigeria should agonize on the type of education being served to the law students: a sterile education devoid of logic and wisdom.
There is need for more desirable values of education in our law school. The developing of scientific attitudes and forming of mental habits will lead to sound judgments.
The students’ open embrace of laundered money is a proof that stereotyped mind and unenlightened education are culturally alive at the law school.
What moral and leadership example can the students learn from Mrs. Jonathan? None.
Mrs. Jonathan’s spending spree is dangerously alarming. It’s a frightening reality that the Jonathans publicly advertised corruption, greed, and fraud among students who are deemed the “future leaders” of Nigeria.
History has shown that human beings continuously evolved from self respecting into debasing individuals fueled by ethical leprosy.
The First Lady’s ethical delinquency shaved the nonsense from varieties of myths and propaganda that describe her husband as a corruption fighter.
The latest moral lapse displayed by Dame Jonathan left naked the defenders of her husband claiming that he’s really fighting corruption.
I have always argued in my writings that President Jonathan is the wrong man to fight corruption.  I believe the problems we have will not be solved by the minds that created them.
As governor of Bayelsa, he was one of the governors on the wanted list of the moribund EFCC. Like all other EFCC publicized suspects, GEJ’s citation went the way of the wind.
His wife’s unrestrained auction of Naira in Bwari flea market as it were, convinced me that President Jonathan is the biggest obstacle to fighting corruption.
The latest naked display of Naira give away by Dame Jonathan reminds Nigerians of the first couples’ follies much as a mirror reminds people of the way they really look. Indeed, the Jonathans are enemies of reason and morality.
Her visit to the law school under the pretense of seeing her adopted daughters is ostentatious boredom and a poison of pleasure. Hers is an act of barbarity a cosmic enlargement of Jonathan’s administration morbid moral turpitude.
If there was any doubt before that the First Couple is an undesirable hybrid blocking the way to a corrupt free Nigeria, the Bwari event finally put it to rest.
This is peculiarly dastardly because the action of the Jonathans takes advantage of the defenselessness of morbidly coerced Nigerians to confront their oppressors.
I’m perplexed by the morality of the Jonathan administration that finds little difficulty in spending money on frivolities but find it impossible to appropriate pinhead sums for solving Nigeria’s open sore needs.
What’s the source of Mrs. Jonathan’s money? What’s the budget of the office of the First Lady? How much money does she carry aboard her jet each time she goes on a trip?
In a civilized democracy, Mrs. Jonathan’s action would have attracted the attention of the criminal enforcement agents and possible prosecution.  But who cares? After all, this is Nigeria where anything goes!
We wish Mrs. Jonathan who came back to life few weeks ago having been sent back to complete “her assignment” happy spraying as she continues her “resurrection” thank you visit nationwide.
*** We cannot drive a car forward by looking at the rear view mirror. We cannot use shoes for hammers, newspapers for umbrellas, and finger nail to tight screw!

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