Emir’s murder, a declaration of war – Governors

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) on Friday described the killing of Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta, as irresponsible, callous and a declaration of war on the traditional institution.

It also expressed shock and disbelief at the assassination attempt on the lives of Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ismaila Mamza and Emir of Askira,  Alhaji Mai Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama by gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

The Borno State first class traditional rulers were abducted on Friday while travelling to Gombe State for the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe, Shehu Abubakar, who died earlier in the week.

The condemnation of the dastardly act was contained in a statement issued in Minna by Israel Ebije, the Chief Press Secretary to the Forum’s Chairman Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.

Aliyu, who described the killing as “irresponsible, callous and an affront on the traditional institution and collective heritage of Nigerians” lamented that the attack came at a time federal government has concluded plans to grant the sect amnesty.

The Forum said, “This is indeed a sad development for us as a region and the nation at large. This is happening at a time we are all doing our very best to rescue our over 200 secondary school girls abducted by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram, from their school in Chibok, Borno State last month.

“We are particularly sad and worried about these ugly developments. We are indeed sad over the killing of the Emir of Gwoza in the recent attack.

The Forum urged the sect members to embrace the amnesty offer promised by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying “dialogue remains the best option for resolving issues.”

Source: The Nation

Emir’s murder, a declaration of war – Governors

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) on Friday described the killing of Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta, as irresponsible, callous and a declaration of war on the traditional institution.

It also expressed shock and disbelief at the assassination attempt on the lives of Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ismaila Mamza and Emir of Askira,  Alhaji Mai Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama by gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

The Borno State first class traditional rulers were abducted on Friday while travelling to Gombe State for the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe, Shehu Abubakar, who died earlier in the week.

The condemnation of the dastardly act was contained in a statement issued in Minna by Israel Ebije, the Chief Press Secretary to the Forum’s Chairman Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.

Aliyu, who described the killing as “irresponsible, callous and an affront on the traditional institution and collective heritage of Nigerians” lamented that the attack came at a time federal government has concluded plans to grant the sect amnesty.

The Forum said, “This is indeed a sad development for us as a region and the nation at large. This is happening at a time we are all doing our very best to rescue our over 200 secondary school girls abducted by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram, from their school in Chibok, Borno State last month.

“We are particularly sad and worried about these ugly developments. We are indeed sad over the killing of the Emir of Gwoza in the recent attack.

The Forum urged the sect members to embrace the amnesty offer promised by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying “dialogue remains the best option for resolving issues.”

Source: The Nation

Boko Haram runs out of food supply

There are indications that the need to feed the over 200 students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 has put pressure on the Islamic terrorist group to steal food items and loot communities close to Sambisa Forest in the North East.

Investigations revealed that the violent Islamic sect had in the past week stepped up the looting of villages, markets and food stores in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states for food items including grains and bread.

Residents of these communities said that the rate at which the insurgents stole their foodstuffs was unprecedented, noting that the pressure to feed the abducted girls might have contributed to the desperation of the insurgents to steal and kill the villagers in the process.

One of the villagers, Bukar Umar, who resides in Kamuyya village in Borno State, told one of our correspondents that though it was normal for the insurgents to ask communities to contribute money towards “God’s work,’’ they were usually satisfied when communities raised money for them.

He, however, said the insurgents in recent times had stepped up their activities by invading their communities and carting away food items.

With the pressure on Nigerian soldiers to clamp down on the Islamic sect, it was learnt that the insurgents no longer felt safe to go to markets to buy food items for fear of being arrested.

Some of the insurgents recently met their waterloo in Madagali, Adamawa State, where they were given up by a local food vendor from whom they had planned to buy foodstuffs.

Consequently, members of a vigilance group pounced on them and killed over 70 of them while seven others were reportedly handed over to the police.

The vigilantes acted after they were tipped by the local food vendor that the insurgents were coming to get food before going for a major operation in a   neighbouring village.

A Madagali resident, who did not want his name mentioned, had said, “The vigilance group mobilised, laid ambush and waited patiently for the insurgents.

“As soon as the insurgents, numbering over 100, showed up in the village to pick up their favourite meals, the vigilantes attacked them, killing most of them in a hail of bullets.”

Security personnel, during the week, also repelled attacks by the terrorists on Kubla, a border town between Adamawa and Borno states.

A security source said, “The heavily armed terrorists arrived in Kubla and started burning houses and stealing foodstuff, until a contingent of the military was mobilised to confront them.

“The soldiers engaged the militants in a fierce exchange of gunfire to repel them,” the source said.

The source, who did not disclose his name because he was not authorised to provide details of the attacks, added that the insurgent had set to extend their stealing spree to Taraba State.

Residents of Limankara, Kamuyya, Kirenowa, Kimba and Makor communities in Borno State said the insurgents usually carte away food items and livestock after killing people in their areas in recent attacks.

In Limankara, a Borno border village with Adamawa State, the insurgents who killed many persons and carted away property worth several millions of Naira were said to have particularly gone for the available food items in the village.

In Kamuyya village, a resident, Bukar Umar, said over 20 insurgents, who must have emerged from the bush, stormed the Kamuyya weekly market when traders were conducting their businesses and opened fire into the crowd before setting shops and vehicles on fire.

According to him, the hoodlums were well armed with sophisticated weapons, and after raiding the area, they went to the major market and shot sporadically and indiscriminately into the crowd, killing 20 persons on the spot and burning most of the shops in the market.

He said the attack lasted for over two hours last Sunday. “The invaders had a field day wreaking havoc on us. They snatched several vehicles and loaded them with bags of assorted foodstuff, before fleeing the area.”

In Kirenowa town, where 20 persons were killed last week Thursday by the insurgents, they were said to have ransacked the town for food items, which they subsequently packed away in stolen vehicles.

The insurgents on Sunday intercepted a vehicle loaded with bread, killed the four occupants and drove the vehicles towards Sambisa Forest. The vehicle, which was on its way to Polka from Gwoza, was attacked at Waraba village.

Some of those who spoke to our correspondents appealed to both the state and the Federal Government to immediately come to their rescue by giving them food and rebuilding their burnt houses.

One of them, Modu Kaka, said: “It has been difficult for our people to feed because our food items have been carted away and we are left with little to share among ourselves.

“To even get another supply is a problem, if you get that, you are only inviting them to come back and that makes it necessary for security personnel to be deployed here.”

The village District Head of Limankara, Alhaji AbdulKareem Wahab, claimed that 1,750 bags of assorted grains were loaded in seven stolen vehicles that were taken away by the insurgents during the week.

He said, “The invaders had a field day wreaking havoc on us. They snatched several vehicles and loaded them with bags of assorted foodstuffs, before fleeing our area.”

Security experts said the growing focus on the Sambisa forest must have disrupted the routine of the helicopters, thus putting pressure on the group’s supply chain and fueling more attacks on villagers in the North-East.

Source: Punch

Boko Haram runs out of food supply

There are indications that the need to feed the over 200 students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 has put pressure on the Islamic terrorist group to steal food items and loot communities close to Sambisa Forest in the North East.

Investigations revealed that the violent Islamic sect had in the past week stepped up the looting of villages, markets and food stores in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states for food items including grains and bread.

Residents of these communities said that the rate at which the insurgents stole their foodstuffs was unprecedented, noting that the pressure to feed the abducted girls might have contributed to the desperation of the insurgents to steal and kill the villagers in the process.

One of the villagers, Bukar Umar, who resides in Kamuyya village in Borno State, told one of our correspondents that though it was normal for the insurgents to ask communities to contribute money towards “God’s work,’’ they were usually satisfied when communities raised money for them.

He, however, said the insurgents in recent times had stepped up their activities by invading their communities and carting away food items.

With the pressure on Nigerian soldiers to clamp down on the Islamic sect, it was learnt that the insurgents no longer felt safe to go to markets to buy food items for fear of being arrested.

Some of the insurgents recently met their waterloo in Madagali, Adamawa State, where they were given up by a local food vendor from whom they had planned to buy foodstuffs.

Consequently, members of a vigilance group pounced on them and killed over 70 of them while seven others were reportedly handed over to the police.

Emir of Uba escapes from Boko Haram’s den

News reaching us from Borno indicates that the Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza has narrowly escaped from his kidnappers’ den.

One of his in-laws told Daily Trust that he spoke with the Emir on the phone and he confirmed to him that he escaped unhurt.

However, he could not disclosed the whereabouts of the Emir of Gwoza, Ahaji Idrissa Timta.

“The vehicle was repeatedly shot at while the driver was making endless efforts to flee. When the vehicle could no longer move, the two monarchs opened the doors and fled into the bush,” a palace source in Uba, said.

But a source in Gwoza said “We are yet to hear much information on the state of our Emir…we are confused,” he said.

Source: Dailypost

Emir of Uba escapes from Boko Haram’s den

News reaching us from Borno indicates that the Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza has narrowly escaped from his kidnappers’ den.

One of his in-laws told Daily Trust that he spoke with the Emir on the phone and he confirmed to him that he escaped unhurt.

However, he could not disclosed the whereabouts of the Emir of Gwoza, Ahaji Idrissa Timta.

“The vehicle was repeatedly shot at while the driver was making endless efforts to flee. When the vehicle could no longer move, the two monarchs opened the doors and fled into the bush,” a palace source in Uba, said.

But a source in Gwoza said “We are yet to hear much information on the state of our Emir…we are confused,” he said.

Source: Dailypost

Boko Haram kills Gwoza emir, attacks others in Borno

Suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect on Thursday ambushed three traditional rulers between the Biu –Azare-Garkida Road in Borno State.

The royal fathers are the Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Timta, and his counterparts from Askira Abdullahi Askirama, and the Emir of Uba, Ismaila Manza.

A security source said on Friday that the Gwoza Emir was killed by the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and Uba were missing as at the time of filing the reports.

The Defence Headquarters however said the Emirs of Askira and Uba were rescued by Special Forces who were deployed in Garkida.

It was learnt that the Emirs were travelling to Gombe State to attend the burial ceremony of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, when they ran into the suspected Boko Haram gunmen.

The source said the security escorts of the three emirs were also missing.

It was not clear whether they were abducted or killed by the attackers or they escaped.

However, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, confirmed that the Emir of Gwoza died in the attack while Special Forces on deployment in Garkida rescued the Emirs of Askira and Uba.

“A band of terrorists today attacked the emirs of Gwoza, Uba & Askira who were travelling to Gombe for the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe.

“Troops deployed in Garkida responded to the attack. The emirs of Uba and Askira were secured, while the body of Emir Gwoza who died in the attack has been recovered. Any other detail later please,” he said in a text message.

Source: Punchng

Boko Haram kills Gwoza emir, attacks others in Borno

Suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect on Thursday ambushed three traditional rulers between the Biu –Azare-Garkida Road in Borno State.

The royal fathers are the Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Timta, and his counterparts from Askira Abdullahi Askirama, and the Emir of Uba, Ismaila Manza.

A security source said on Friday that the Gwoza Emir was killed by the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and Uba were missing as at the time of filing the reports.

The Defence Headquarters however said the Emirs of Askira and Uba were rescued by Special Forces who were deployed in Garkida.

It was learnt that the Emirs were travelling to Gombe State to attend the burial ceremony of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, when they ran into the suspected Boko Haram gunmen.

The source said the security escorts of the three emirs were also missing.

It was not clear whether they were abducted or killed by the attackers or they escaped.

However, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, confirmed that the Emir of Gwoza died in the attack while Special Forces on deployment in Garkida rescued the Emirs of Askira and Uba.

Our democracy at 15: The pains, the gains - Sun News

15 years ago, Nigerians heartily welcomed the restoration of democracy in the country, as the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo regime was inaugurated at a colourful ceremony in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The euphoria that greeted the return to democratic rule in the country after 16 years of military rule was palpable.

The government formed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 was widely Our democracy at 15: The pains, the gains wounds and soothe the frayed nerves of the Nigerian people that had been badly jarred in the years under military jackboots.

The principle of government of the people, by the people and for the people, which democracy encapsulates, was expected to bring about a renewed commitment by the expectations for good governance. The Obasanjo government thereafter declared the May 29 inaugural date the nation’s Democracy Day, which has been celebrated as such since 1999.

Fifteen years have gone full circle since the return of democracy to Nigeria. It is, and the three PDP governments that have been at the helm of our ship of state between 1999 and today. To put it simply, it is necessary to ask if Nigerians are better off today than they were at the outset of this democratic journey on May 29, 1999. We also need to determine if our democracy is on the right track, and if it has all the hallmarks of a system of government that is truly representative of the voice and interests of the people.

To begin with, there are, indeed, a few things to celebrate concerning our democracy. For one, we have managed to sustain democratic governance in the country till this moment, and kept our hitherto restive, power-loving and adventurous military chiefs within their barracks.                                                         

Even though  three states in the North-East geo-political zone of the country are under emergency rule  on account of the Boko Haram insurgency, the states still have their democratic structures in place. Nigeria has had successful transitions from one democratic government to another, as Obasanjo handed over power to the now deceased Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua following his election as president in 2007, while Goodluck Jonathan was sworn into office after winning the 2011 presidential poll.

Nigeria has also remained one country, and there are remarkable pockets of good governance and improvement of living standard in some states. There is, in addition, an improvement in the quality of our elections, and it appears that there is a greater commitment to adhering to the rule of law and the rulings of the courts by the Jonathan administration than we had it in the Obasanjo years.

In spite of these gains, however, it is incontrovertible that the state of affairs in most  parts of the country today is several miles apart from what many Nigerians expected from their hard-won democracy of 1999.

Having thrown off the yoke of military hegemonists at that time, the expectation of Nigerians was that we were well on our way to building a stronger, safer, more prosperous and more united country. We had expected remarkable infrastructural development and a greater commitment to the welfare of ordinary Nigerians, especially the youths.

But, at the risk of sounding unduly pessimistic, Nigerians have met with monumental  disappointment on these counts. Nigeria is neither safer, stronger, richer nor more unit- ed than it was in 1999. We have little infra- structural development or other remarkable achievements to point to. And, that is put- ting the situation in the country today rather mildly, and kindly, too. To be frank, security in many parts of the country today has gone to the dogs. Terrorism in the North and growing criminality in other parts of the country are threats to the safety of ordinary Nigerians.

Thousands of lives have been lost to the Boko Haram insurgency.

In spite of the seeming endless optimism of President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic managers, a country that cannot secure its citizens or deal decisively with rampaging killers that are daily questioning its authority in large swathes of the country, cannot be classified as strong.

Nigeria is one country. We cannot have a strong South, a weak North and a North-East  under the jackboots of bloodthirsty insurgents. It will also be foolhardy to continue to celebrate a strong economy in the midst of rampaging poverty and growing unemployment, with corruption walking on all fours.

At no time in our history, except probably during the Civil War between 1967 and 1970, has Nigeria been as disunited as we have it now. Gaping schisms along tribal, regional, economic and religious lines are daily widening in the country. Insurgents in the North-East are insisting on Islamic rule; some interests in the North are demanding the return of the presidency to the region; some Yoruba

interests in the South-West have started beating the drums of regionalism, while some Niger Delta militant groups are saying it is either Jonathan for another term in 2015, or no nation at all. A situation in which different contending interests will not allow for the rule of the majority, or consider the positions of others under our federal system of government, is a recipe for cataclysm and a danger to our democracy.

There is no sign at all that the North/South, Christian/Muslim divides in the country are about to close up. On the socio-economic front, we have growing time bombs of youth unemployment and disenchantment. Fifteen years into our democracy, the promises to stabilize electricity supply and construct the Second Niger Bridge are still in the realm of hope On democracy itself, although our elections are getting better, they are still not always representative of the wishes of the electorate.

The very fact that we still need a N7 billion national conference, when there are supposed

representatives of the people in National Assembly, attests to this fact.

Significantly, today’s Democracy Day is the last that will be celebrated with Goodluck

Jonathan at the helm of the nation’s affairs, unless he wins another term of office in 2015. And, that coming election is the very reason why all Nigerians need to sit up, to put our democracy on a sound footing. This is the time for us to look at democracy ideals and strive to have a true government of the people, by the people and for the people; a government that is run by the wishes of the overwhelming

majority of the people, and not one in which the leaders in both the Executive and the Legislature feed fat on the nation’s resources, leaving the citizens pale, drained and listless.

The 2015 general elections present, for Nigeria, another opportunity to put aside religious,  tribal and regional sentiments to elect leaders who can fulfill the people’s expectations.

There is no arguing the fact that we have not got it right yet on the leadership question. Yet, democracy needs leaders who will shape the aspirations of the people and positively affect the lives of all citizens.

Today’s Democracy Day celebration offers us yet another chance to renew the hope that is fast fading in our democracy. It is not too late to get it right. Let us look inwards and determine where we went off the track. This is the time to have a bi-partisan approach to the problems of the country. It is necessary

that we look at the bigger picture and strive to restore the universal features of democracy, which include a constitution that truly derives from, and serves the best interest of the people; adherence to the constitution and rule of law; respect for the rights of all citizens and the nation’s component parts; and  an unflinching commitment to the welfare of all Nigerians.

President Jonathan at the Interdenominational Church Service to mark the 2014 Democracy talked about plans by evil forces to bring down his government, and by implication this democracy. We must not allow that to happen. It is necessary that we sustain our democracy to consolidate its benefits. Let us share the president’s optimism that the Boko Haram insurgency will soon be behind us. But, we must urge necessary action to make this happen. We wish all Nigerians a Happy Democracy Day. The commitment of all of us to keeping our democracy on track to ensure that it yields the desired dividends to the nation will go a long way in determining if, by May 29, 2015, we  will have occasion to celebrate another Democracy Day.

Our democracy at 15: The pains, the gains - Sun News

15 years ago, Nigerians heartily welcomed the restoration of democracy in the country, as the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo regime was inaugurated at a colourful ceremony in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The euphoria that greeted the return to democratic rule in the country after 16 years of military rule was palpable.

The government formed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 was widely Our democracy at 15: The pains, the gains wounds and soothe the frayed nerves of the Nigerian people that had been badly jarred in the years under military jackboots.

The principle of government of the people, by the people and for the people, which democracy encapsulates, was expected to bring about a renewed commitment by the expectations for good governance. The Obasanjo government thereafter declared the May 29 inaugural date the nation’s Democracy Day, which has been celebrated as such since 1999.

Fifteen years have gone full circle since the return of democracy to Nigeria. It is, and the three PDP governments that have been at the helm of our ship of state between 1999 and today. To put it simply, it is necessary to ask if Nigerians are better off today than they were at the outset of this democratic journey on May 29, 1999. We also need to determine if our democracy is on the right track, and if it has all the hallmarks of a system of government that is truly representative of the voice and interests of the people.

To begin with, there are, indeed, a few things to celebrate concerning our democracy. For one, we have managed to sustain democratic governance in the country till this moment, and kept our hitherto restive, power-loving and adventurous military chiefs within their barracks.                                                         

By the time Akpabio turns 70…by ABIMBOLA ADELAKUN

Swaziland’s King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch is often cited as the most wasteful leader of any country. Mswati III is the leader of a nation that bests only Somalia in terms of economic performance. Two-thirds of his loyal subjects live in chronic poverty, and expectedly, human rights are routinely violated. Yet, this man has no qualms rolling in and exhibiting excess wealth.

When not collecting wives at his dreadful Reed Dances –he has 15 of them presently – he is busy selling food crops donated to his country or, globetrotting. If Mswati’s buffoonery can be excused on the grounds of youthful exuberance –he became King when he was 18 – what excuse can a man almost thrice his age have for being illogical with statecraft?

I speak of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who is going to be 52 in December. In the next 18 years, when he would be 70, Akpabio would have swallowed many hospitals, schools, roads and similar public infrastructure into his protruding stomach.

From the look of things, his esurient throat will not choke on his rapacious tendencies; he has used the instrument of the law to counter this possibility.

You see, a few days ago, Akwa Ibom State lawmakers passed a bill that gives Akpabio and his deputy a generous pension package that will allow them feed fat on the state for the rest of their lives. The bill which is only awaiting the assent of Akpabio himself before it becomes operational, stipulates free medical services for Akpabio and his wife at a sum not exceeding N100 million or an equivalent of $600,000.00. 

His wife is also to enjoy a N12 million medical allowance in case she survives him. It also provides among others a 300 per cent furniture allowance, 300 per cent vehicle maintenance and fuelling, (Both earned severance gratuity of 300 per cent salary), yearly utility of 100 per cent, and entertainment allowance of 100 per cent.

The amount of money that would be paid to Akpabio and his deputy for the next 18 years as medical allowance alone, should be enough to lay the foundations of a 21st century hospital.

But no, Akpabio and his lawmakers are not looking that far enough. As far as they are concerned, there is a feast of fat things available in Akwa Ibom State and they just must gorge on it. A spot calculation of those sums he would be paid shows that funds that should go into building public resources will be expended on serving ex-governors whose tummies are already full of jiggling worms of self-indulgence.

Akpabio should be considered one of the luckiest governors in the history of Akwa Ibom State. His allocation package is bigger than what his predecessors ever received and so he has quite a lot of money at his disposal. As a result, he spends and spends and spends like that activity is the only purpose money is ever meant to fulfill?.

Now that his pension package is enshrined into law, it means other governors will receive the same package after every four or eight years, depending on how long they stay in office. The question of whether these governors justify their pension will not even arise. All they need is to find their way to the Akwa Ibom Government House and their meal ticket for life is guaranteed.

Akpabio is absolutely not alone in this avaricious act, it must be stated. In 2012, the Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, also used the same route to get himself a mouth-watering pension from 2015. The opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (then the ACN), practically called him a fraud for that behaviour.

Ironically, Amaechi has since joined the opposition party and has been repackaged as a progressive. His pension sins have since been quietly forgiven and he is even allowed to point accusing fingers at others for being “corrupt”. That is Nigeria for you. Things barely make sense here.

Akpabio, a mere rent-collecting state governor, has not only followed Amaechi’s footsteps, he has outdone him. The bill even managed to provide for his death: A lavish burial will be accorded him at the state’s expense while his family still gets a generous package called condolence allowance.

But Akpabio is not alone in this blame; the lawmakers who passed this bill are just as worse. They obviously suffer from sycophantic shortsightedness that they would rubberstamp executive greed.

If they knew their jobs, they would be stopping Akpabio’s excesses on their tracks, not endorsing them with a hurriedly passed bill. There are lots of grievous reasons Akwa Ibom lawmakers need to fire Akpabio.

From his atrocious spending during TuFace’s wedding; to the statement credited to him that he built a flyover in Uyo not because one was really needed but for state citizens who had never seen one to know what it looks like; to giving a N50m award to Nollywood in President Goodluck Jonathan’s name; to tales of his profligate donations that he makes at nearly every occasion he is present without recourse to either the state budget or any channel of accountability; to allegations of inflated contracts and other blatant acts of bizarre spending in his administration, the man is not relenting.

If Nigeria were not what it is and, we were more serious, somebody like Akpabio would be running from Uyo to Eket looking for a lawyer that will keep him from the long arms of the law. He would have at least resigned his governorship position to pursue his various legal cases, not remain in office to continue hoeing everything in his direction as if the world was made for him.

Why, one cannot but wonder, are we blessed with leaders like this who cannot see beyond their feet and are therefore condemned to eating with their 10 fingers?

Akpabio has served a trifle eight years and yet thinks it is right to squeeze such gratitude out of his people at a tremendous cost. You can imagine the kind of desperation that that kind of pension package will create in subsequent elections in Akwa Ibom State.

The people of Akwa Ibom, if they know what is good for them, had better not allow this pension package to stand. They should call their lawmakers to their senses and let them realise that oil money will not flow forever.

Today, Akwa Ibom might be one of the highest earners in the country because of derivation fund allocations that flow into the governor’s hands but who knows what tomorrow will be like? What if the state goes broke in future and Akwa Ibom finds itself stuck with a league of governors whose mouths have been widened –and stomachs distended – by payment worth millions of naira creamed off the lives of people who didn’t even know when the bill was signed? How will they cope then? Is that when they will repeal the law?

Just how did we get to this path to perdiction in this country?

By the time Akpabio turns 70…by ABIMBOLA ADELAKUN

Swaziland’s King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch is often cited as the most wasteful leader of any country. Mswati III is the leader of a nation that bests only Somalia in terms of economic performance. Two-thirds of his loyal subjects live in chronic poverty, and expectedly, human rights are routinely violated. Yet, this man has no qualms rolling in and exhibiting excess wealth.

When not collecting wives at his dreadful Reed Dances –he has 15 of them presently – he is busy selling food crops donated to his country or, globetrotting. If Mswati’s buffoonery can be excused on the grounds of youthful exuberance –he became King when he was 18 – what excuse can a man almost thrice his age have for being illogical with statecraft?

I speak of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who is going to be 52 in December. In the next 18 years, when he would be 70, Akpabio would have swallowed many hospitals, schools, roads and similar public infrastructure into his protruding stomach.

From the look of things, his esurient throat will not choke on his rapacious tendencies; he has used the instrument of the law to counter this possibility.

You see, a few days ago, Akwa Ibom State lawmakers passed a bill that gives Akpabio and his deputy a generous pension package that will allow them feed fat on the state for the rest of their lives. The bill which is only awaiting the assent of Akpabio himself before it becomes operational, stipulates free medical services for Akpabio and his wife at a sum not exceeding N100 million or an equivalent of $600,000.00. 

His wife is also to enjoy a N12 million medical allowance in case she survives him. It also provides among others a 300 per cent furniture allowance, 300 per cent vehicle maintenance and fuelling, (Both earned severance gratuity of 300 per cent salary), yearly utility of 100 per cent, and entertainment allowance of 100 per cent.

The amount of money that would be paid to Akpabio and his deputy for the next 18 years as medical allowance alone, should be enough to lay the foundations of a 21st century hospital.

Chibok abduction is not aimed at bringing down your government – Obasanjo tells Jonathan

 Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has described as unfortunate a recent claim by President Goodluck Jonathan that the abduction of the Chibok girls was aimed at bringing down his government.

The former leader also warned the Nigerian military against using what he termed “Public Relations propaganda” to secure the release of the Chibok Girls.

Obasanjo handed this warning while speaking with Channels Television in Lagos on Thursday night.

Asked to react to comments made by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, that the Nigerian military knew the whereabouts of the abducted girls, Obasanjo said, “This is not an issue that you will play public relations propaganda with.

“It is a serious issue that is like a spear in the heart of the parents and whatever statement we make and action we take, if it will not really deal with the issue in a way that will bring those girls out safe and secure and make their families happy and will also give every Nigerian a sense of security, then such statements should not be made,” he said.

He said that he would be pleasantly surprised if the Chibok girls were “returned intact.”

On his recent meeting with some top members of the Boko Haram sect, Obasanjo said that he was planning to inform President Goodluck Jonathan before holding talks on the Chibok girls “but was surprised at how certain meetings have turned out.”

“I cannot have a plan without the Presidency being involved,” he said.

He added that he was not “going on a one -man mission,” to rescue the kidnapped girls, insisting that doing so would be “idiotic.”

Obasanjo said he was beaten by Shehu Sani to letting the state and national authorities know the meeting had taken place.

He added, “I have to involve the President and he also tells me this is what we are doing or this is what we are pursuing either in addition or along with what we are doing or not”.

Commenting on the claim by President Jonathan that the abduction of the girls was done to bring down his government, Obasanjo said such thought was “unfortunate.”

“If the Presidency is obsessed with one thing and one thing only and any other thing of concern to Nigeria is secondary, then the Presidency will take that position, then this will be unfortunate,” he said.

Source: Dailypost

Chibok abduction is not aimed at bringing down your government – Obasanjo tells Jonathan

 Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has described as unfortunate a recent claim by President Goodluck Jonathan that the abduction of the Chibok girls was aimed at bringing down his government.

The former leader also warned the Nigerian military against using what he termed “Public Relations propaganda” to secure the release of the Chibok Girls.

Obasanjo handed this warning while speaking with Channels Television in Lagos on Thursday night.

Asked to react to comments made by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, that the Nigerian military knew the whereabouts of the abducted girls, Obasanjo said, “This is not an issue that you will play public relations propaganda with.

“It is a serious issue that is like a spear in the heart of the parents and whatever statement we make and action we take, if it will not really deal with the issue in a way that will bring those girls out safe and secure and make their families happy and will also give every Nigerian a sense of security, then such statements should not be made,” he said.

He said that he would be pleasantly surprised if the Chibok girls were “returned intact.”

On his recent meeting with some top members of the Boko Haram sect, Obasanjo said that he was planning to inform President Goodluck Jonathan before holding talks on the Chibok girls “but was surprised at how certain meetings have turned out.”

“I cannot have a plan without the Presidency being involved,” he said.

He added that he was not “going on a one -man mission,” to rescue the kidnapped girls, insisting that doing so would be “idiotic.”

Obasanjo said he was beaten by Shehu Sani to letting the state and national authorities know the meeting had taken place.

He added, “I have to involve the President and he also tells me this is what we are doing or this is what we are pursuing either in addition or along with what we are doing or not”.

Soldiers Fighting Boko Haram Say Deployment Grossly Inadequate, Allowances For Anti-Terror Unit Unpaid

Nigerian soldiers who are in the frontline of the war against terrorist Islamist sect Boko Haram have decried the low level of deployment and serious operational inefficiency. In addition, the soldiers say that the perennial problem of unpaid allowances has damaged the morale of troops on the battlefield.

Several soldiers deployed to the most dangerous theaters of the war on terror told SaharaReporters that only eight to ten soldiers are stationed to combat heavily armed and vicious members of the Islamist sect in critical areas near Nigeria’s border with Chad and the Sambisa forest.

In addition, the soldiers complained that they are assigned to take on Boko Haram without bombs, battle tanks or personnel carriers. Most of the troops are issued with AK 47 rifles and a few magazines. Several soldiers accused their commanders of spending funds to purchase substandard equipment, including helmets and bulletproof vests.

“Some of our soldiers killed by Boko Haram were wearing new helmets and bullet proof vests, but the bullets fired by Boko Haram scattered everything,” one soldier said. He said the sentiment among soldiers was that President Goodluck Jonathan should order an investigation into the army’s procurement of hardware, weapons, and other military equipment. He wondered whether it made sense that terrorist insurgents are equipped with more firepower and superior equipment, including night vision goggles. 

The soldiers also stated that SaharaReporters’ recent reports focusing on their plight had forced the military authorities and Defense Ministry officials to start paying members of some units their monthly allowance of N30, 000. Even so, they revealed that soldiers attached to several units have not been paid for two months.

SaharaReporters learned that soldiers serving in the Special Operations Battalion (SOB) stationed in Mubi, Adamawa State, have been receiving regular allowances since our last recent reports that highlighted the unimpressive state of soldiers’ quarters, the poor quality of their meals and other supplies, their antiquated as well as inadequate supply of weaponry, and a huge backlog of unpaid allowances.

Despite the army command’s efforts to pay some units, several soldiers disclosed that many of them remained unpaid. Among the worst hit by unpaid allowances are soldiers drafted from the 3rd Armored Division in Plateau State who are currently deployed in Izge Damboa, Gworza local government area in Borno State. “For two months now, they never paid us our operational allowance,” one of the affected soldiers stated.

The affected soldiers were deployed since April 3, 2014 under “Operation Task Force Mike”.

In another fallout from our recent reports on the wretched condition of soldiers, the Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) recently ordered frontline commanders to instruct the troops under their control to desist from divulging information to the media about their woeful condition.

According to a letter from the DMI headquarters and seen by SaharaReporters, the directorate plans to send some of its officials to the various military units to perform troop audit and ascertain soldiers conditions of service on the battlefront.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Soldiers Fighting Boko Haram Say Deployment Grossly Inadequate, Allowances For Anti-Terror Unit Unpaid

Nigerian soldiers who are in the frontline of the war against terrorist Islamist sect Boko Haram have decried the low level of deployment and serious operational inefficiency. In addition, the soldiers say that the perennial problem of unpaid allowances has damaged the morale of troops on the battlefield.

Several soldiers deployed to the most dangerous theaters of the war on terror told SaharaReporters that only eight to ten soldiers are stationed to combat heavily armed and vicious members of the Islamist sect in critical areas near Nigeria’s border with Chad and the Sambisa forest.

In addition, the soldiers complained that they are assigned to take on Boko Haram without bombs, battle tanks or personnel carriers. Most of the troops are issued with AK 47 rifles and a few magazines. Several soldiers accused their commanders of spending funds to purchase substandard equipment, including helmets and bulletproof vests.

“Some of our soldiers killed by Boko Haram were wearing new helmets and bullet proof vests, but the bullets fired by Boko Haram scattered everything,” one soldier said. He said the sentiment among soldiers was that President Goodluck Jonathan should order an investigation into the army’s procurement of hardware, weapons, and other military equipment. He wondered whether it made sense that terrorist insurgents are equipped with more firepower and superior equipment, including night vision goggles. 

The soldiers also stated that SaharaReporters’ recent reports focusing on their plight had forced the military authorities and Defense Ministry officials to start paying members of some units their monthly allowance of N30, 000. Even so, they revealed that soldiers attached to several units have not been paid for two months.

Governor Amosun in tears over conditions of prisoners in Ogun

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on Thursday broke into tears at the pitiable sight of inmates at Oba prison in Abeokuta.

Amosun, who had earlier granted amnesty to 15 inmates at Ibara prison also in Abeokuta, could not hold back his emotions at Oba prison over what he described as the “inhuman condition” to which the inmates were subjected.

The governor was informed that majority of the 492 inmates on awaiting trial list at the prison had spent between four and seven years in jail.

He ordered immediate medical attention for the inmates with critical medical conditions and directed that others should be taken to the hospital.

While conceding that prison services was under the control of the Federal Government, Amosun said it would be irresponsible of any leader to neglect the conditions of prison inmates.

He expressed dismay at the deplorable state of prisons saying it would not enhance rehabilitation of inmates.

“I have come to share today with them and see if I can commit death sentences passed on some of them to life imprisonment based on the recommendations from relevant quarters.

“I think it is a big shame and I feel so ashamed really that I am a governor in this kind of condition that I have seen.

“It is clear that these people are traumatised and dehumanised under this very appalling condition.

“The condition here is like sending someone to an early grave,” he said and promised to pay regular visits to prisons.

Source: NAN