Sharing centenary award with Abacha, an insult — Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Saturday said he rejected the centenary award to be conferred on him by the Federal Government because the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, was included in the list of awardees.

In a statement entitled, ‘The canonisation of terror,’ Soyinka said it was an insult for him to be listed alongside Abacha for the award, more so when killings of innocent citizens by the Boko Haram sect was ongoing in the North-East.

Soyinka recalled the state-sponsored assassinations and abuse of human rights that occurred during Abacha’s reign as military Head of State, and asked why the Federal Government had not changed the names of roads, hospitals and other public facilities that were named after Abacha.

He said, “Under that ruler, torture and other forms of barbarism were enthroned as the norm of governance. Nine Nigerian citizens, including the writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro-wiwa, were hanged after a trial that was stomach-churning even by the most primitive standards of judicial trial, and in defiance of the intervention of world leadership.

“We are speaking of a man who placed this nation under siege during an unrelenting reign of terror that is barely different from the current rampage of Boko Haram. It is this very psychopath that was recently canonised by the government of Goodluck Jonathan in commemoration of one hundred years of Nigerian trauma.”

How I escaped death from Boko Haram, by Gov Nyako

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, who survived a gun attack, on Friday, in Shuwa, yesterday, narrated his narrow escape.

Nyako defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, last December along with four other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors. He said it was by the grace of God that he escaped the bullets fired by some men close to a military checkpoint.

Speaking through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Sajoh, the governor said he was convinced the assailants wanted to eliminate him given that the attack happened in broad daylight.

Sajoh said the governor and his entourage were about to depart Shuwa at about 12:33pm after addressing some  victims of a terror attack when Nyako noticed some people across the road close to a military checkpoint.

The aide explained that as Nyako made to cross the road and greet some  men and women, who had gathered to receive him, some unknown gunmen started firing at him.

”Before the gunshots started, we heard, “Ga su nan, ga su nan”, as soldiers at the checkpoint ran menacingly towards a stationary armoured vehicle.

”The gunfire came  from the direction of the soldiers, “ Nyako’s spokesman claimed.
”The sporadic shooting created so much tension and confusion that everyone made spirited attempts to board his vehicle.

”The courageous and gallant security details around the governor pulled him off his official car into one of their vehicles.
”As an ex-military man, Nyako was trying to identify the source of  the fire and he was unperturbed.
”The top military officers accompanying the governor on the visit  were also protected by their security details.

It was an interesting scenario. Other people around  made spirited efforts to board their vehicles while others just jumped into the back of any vehicle especially pick up vans, to escape being hit by bullets.

”The governor was forced by the gun attack to cut short his sympathy visit to the terror  victims and returned to Yola, the state capital, at about 1.00pm.

Although it was a Friday when the governor and other Muslim faithful would have stopped to observe their prayers in accordance with Islamic injunctions, the bullets forced everyone to scamper for his life and nothing of such was remembered.

The governor’s spokesman said before the gunfire erupted, his principal was received at the border of Michika Local Government Area by a large number of people including community leaders and traditional rulers.

Members of the community were said to have lined the street waving at the governor. The damage recorded in the town was reportedly monumental.

A  journalist resident in Michika, Mr. Emmanuel Kwache, told Nyako he was a victim and that he lost five rooms in their family compound, seven bags of maize, two bags of beans, two bags of groundnuts, one pick-up van loaded with soft drinks and personal effects. Others had far greater losses.

How I escaped death from Boko Haram, by Gov Nyako

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, who survived a gun attack, on Friday, in Shuwa, yesterday, narrated his narrow escape.

Nyako defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, last December along with four other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors. He said it was by the grace of God that he escaped the bullets fired by some men close to a military checkpoint.

Speaking through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Sajoh, the governor said he was convinced the assailants wanted to eliminate him given that the attack happened in broad daylight.

Sajoh said the governor and his entourage were about to depart Shuwa at about 12:33pm after addressing some  victims of a terror attack when Nyako noticed some people across the road close to a military checkpoint.

Local militia can stop Boko Haram — Atiku

EX VP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said everybody should be blamed for the activities of the dreaded members of the Boko Haram sect.

Abubakar, who was reacting to the killings of schoolchildren by members of the sect in Yobe State, stated that instead of looking for solutions, many Nigerians were trading blames on the issue.

The former Vice-President said in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, that as a grandfather, he was sad about the killing of innocent children.

He said, “Boko Haram continues to leave a trail of blood and tears in its wake. In the early hours of Tuesday, February 25, barely six months after a similar attack, a band of murderers invaded the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, wielding explosives, guns and machetes, slaughtering more than 40 boys in cold blood.

“As a father and grandfather, I am deeply saddened, not just by the latest murders, but by every single life that has been lost to the activities of these murderers. Every life lost is one life too many.

“It then occurred to me that as a country, we are not doing enough about focusing on and implementing solutions.

“We are all guilty of expending endless energy on trading of blames, none of which is able to save lives or change the status quo.”

Abubakar, however, said there  was the need to encourage the use of local militia to curb the activities of the sect.

He said the military and the government must make use of members of the “Civilian Joint Task Force” in the affected areas.

Abubakar said, “When the President, in his most recent media chat, spoke about the government’s successes at pushing Boko Haram to the ‘fringes’ of the North East, it immediately occurred to me that some of the credit for that should go to the ‘civilian JTF’ — the band of youths in and around Maiduguri who have taken it upon themselves to act as a vigilante force to fight Boko Haram.

He said, “I acknowledge that the talk of a government-backed civilian militia is a controversial matter, but I do not think that should stop us from debating and seriously considering the matter, including it in our list of possible measures.

“No doubt, the military is operating in very unfamiliar terrain, and needs all the local support it can get. There’s a lot that both parties — the military and the civilian JTF — can gain from collaborating.”

He hinged his suggestion on what he said was done in January 2012, at the American University of Nigeria, which he founded.

Source: PUNCH.

Local militia can stop Boko Haram — Atiku

EX VP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said everybody should be blamed for the activities of the dreaded members of the Boko Haram sect.

Abubakar, who was reacting to the killings of schoolchildren by members of the sect in Yobe State, stated that instead of looking for solutions, many Nigerians were trading blames on the issue.

The former Vice-President said in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, that as a grandfather, he was sad about the killing of innocent children.

He said, “Boko Haram continues to leave a trail of blood and tears in its wake. In the early hours of Tuesday, February 25, barely six months after a similar attack, a band of murderers invaded the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, wielding explosives, guns and machetes, slaughtering more than 40 boys in cold blood.

Lagosians groan as fuel scarcity bites harder

Some Lagos residents on Saturday urged the Federal Government to address the lingering fuel scarcity in the state, to make life more meaningful for the people.

The residents said in Lagos that commuters now wasted a lot of time at bus stops as the fuel crisis takes a turn for the worse.

Fuel queues were long at some filling stations, slowing down traffic on major highways.

An artisan, Mr Yusuf Ismaila, said  he was at a filling station for over two hours and was not been able to buy fuel.

“I do not know why we suffer for basically everything in this country.

“There is no frequent power supply and now that we have a generator to use, getting fuel is also a problem.

“I have been on the queue for over two hours,” he said.

Ismaila advised government to tackle the fuel shortage and to also address the epileptic power supply in the country.

A commercial bus driver, Mr Jare Olawale, said it was unfortunate that Nigerians were experiencing fuel shortage at this point in time.

Olawale said the scarcity had encouraged sharp practices by filling station attendants, who now made brisk business.

He said that a litre of petrol now attracts over N100 at some filling stations against the official price of N97.

“I have been on this queue for about an hour before I was able to buy petrol. This is very bad,’’ Olawale said.

A businessman, Wale Shogeyinbo, said he was not happy with the fuel scarcity as it had disrupted his business.

“As a businessman, I operate a viewing centre, where you can watch football and play games but now, the business is affected because of scarcity of fuel,” he lamented.

A lawyer, Mr Andrew Rotimi, expressed disappointment over the lingering fuel shortage in the country.

Commuters now pay more with a trip from Ikotun to CMS on Lagos Island, which used to cost N300 now attracting between N350 and N400.

Some attendants at the stations said on condition of anonymity that they were selling at the price they got the new stock, which they said, was now higher. (NAN)

Lagosians groan as fuel scarcity bites harder

Some Lagos residents on Saturday urged the Federal Government to address the lingering fuel scarcity in the state, to make life more meaningful for the people.

The residents said in Lagos that commuters now wasted a lot of time at bus stops as the fuel crisis takes a turn for the worse.

Fuel queues were long at some filling stations, slowing down traffic on major highways.

An artisan, Mr Yusuf Ismaila, said  he was at a filling station for over two hours and was not been able to buy fuel.

“I do not know why we suffer for basically everything in this country.

“There is no frequent power supply and now that we have a generator to use, getting fuel is also a problem.

Bomb blast tears Borno Apart

Twin bomb blast have occurred in a densely populated area in Maiduguri, Borno State on Saturday evening.  An unspecified number of people have been killed and several injured.

The blasts were said to have set off heavy dust and smoke in the area. Though no casualty figure has been given, the incident reportedly triggered panic, as residents were seen scampering for safety.

This attack is coming just days after the terrorists raided Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State and some villages in Adamawa State.

The attack on the college, which has attracted condemnation both in Nigeria and abroad, left 59 students dead.

Bomb blast tears Borno Apart

Twin bomb blast have occurred in a densely populated area in Maiduguri, Borno State on Saturday evening.  An unspecified number of people have been killed and several injured.

The blasts were said to have set off heavy dust and smoke in the area. Though no casualty figure has been given, the incident reportedly triggered panic, as residents were seen scampering for safety.

This attack is coming just days after the terrorists raided Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State and some villages in Adamawa State.

The attack on the college, which has attracted condemnation both in Nigeria and abroad, left 59 students dead.

US Report Classifies 'Nigeria as a Corrupt Nation'

US Secretary of State, Sen, John Kerry

Nigeria has been classified as a corrupt country with a poor governance record, while discrimination against women, the less privileged, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is common place.

This is coming on the heels of the disclosure by the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr. Emeka Ezeh that N95.79 billion was saved through the implementation of due diligence in public contracting and procurement in the fourth quarter of last year.

United States Secretary of State, John Kerry made the corruption allegations on Thursday in his well- advertised “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” which he presented at the Press Briefing Room of the State Department in Washington.
Kerry warned that the US was not acting out of arrogance but to plug the pitfalls arising from its experiment at home and help the human race against making avoidable mistakes.

“Even as we come together today to issue a report on other nations, we hold ourselves to a high standard and we expect accountability here at home too.  And we know that we’re not perfect. We don’t speak with any arrogance whatsoever, but with a concern for the human condition,” the Secretary of State said.

This year’s report, he stressed, “is especially timely coming on the heels of one of the most momentous years in the struggle for greater rights and freedoms in modern history.”

Confirming an earlier report by THISDAY that the US would give Nigeria a minus in its country report on gay rights and extra-judicial killings, Kerry said: “From Nigeria to Russia to Iran, indeed in some 80 countries the world over, LGBT communities face discriminatory laws and practices that attack their basic human dignity and undermine their safety.

“We are seeing new laws like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill enacted by Uganda and signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni earlier this week, which not only makes criminals of people for who they are, but punishes those who defend the human rights that are our universal birthright,” Kerry said

The more than 20,000 words document  touched on virtually every aspect of Nigeria’s constitution while most of the time scoring the country poorly for its performance, taking a huge swipe on the anti-corruption agencies-the EFCC, ICPC and the Police.
The report which ranked the EFCC’s commitment to the anti-corruption war higher than that of the ICPC said Ibrahim Lamorde’s efforts at prosecuting offenders were frustrated along the way.

“The anticorruption efforts of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and EFCC remained largely ineffectual. The ICPC holds broad authorities to prosecute all forms of corruption, whereas the EFCC is tasked with handling only financial crimes. Despite this wider mandate, the ICPC had achieved only 68 convictions since its inauguration in 2000.”

Repeating its earlier disapproval of President Goodluck Jonathan’s pardon of former Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, it noted that Police corruption remained rampant. “In January, the police released a new code of conduct, which includes provisions on officer integrity. The police did not report any enforcement actions related to the code of conduct.”

It condemned the impunity with which officials of the Nigerian government allegedly frequently engaged in corrupt practices at all levels with the police and security forces factored in, wondering why the constitution provides immunity from civil and criminal prosecution for the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.

On the issue of declaration of assets, the country report did not spare President Goodluck Jonathan for not disclosing his assets.

Financial disclosure law, it said, requires public officials, including the president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, cabinet ministers, and legislators (at both federal and state levels), to declare their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau before assuming and after leaving office with violators risking prosecution. However, it lamented, cases rarely came to conclusion.

“The president had not published information on his assets as of year’s end,” insisting the law required declaration of assets but not publication of the report.

The report listed an array of cases left hanging including that of former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva for allegedly laundering over N5 billion; the yet to be tried John Yakubu Yusuf who is alleged to have embezzled N2 billion from the Police Pension Fund; Farouk Lawan who was also alleged to have solicited bribe from Zenon boss Femi Otedola.

Lamorde, according to the report, seemed to have been constrained “by the fact he is being tele-guided by those that put him in office, on who to arrest and prosecute while his efforts at trying 12 prominent public officials met a brick wall with several frustrating setbacks during the year.”

The report continued: “Despite the arrest of several high-ranking officials by the EFCC, including Dimeji Bankole and Hassan Lawal, who have been left off the hook, allegations continued that agency investigations targeted individuals who had fallen out of favour with the government, while those who were in favour continued their activities with impunity.”

In conclusion, Kerry summarised once more the reason for his country report exercise: “This is about accountability.  It’s about ending impunity.  And it’s about a fight that has gone on for centuries, as long as human beings have been able to think and write and speak and act on their own.

“And so, the United States of America will continue to speak out, without a hint of arrogance or apology, on behalf of people who stand up for their universal rights.  And we will stand up in many cases for those who are deprived of the opportunity to be able to stand up for themselves.”

The Director-General of BPP was speaking in Abuja yesterday while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said the amount saved could boost the provision of critical infrastructure in sectors including education, energy and health amid high expectations for quality service delivery in the country.

Eze further explained that the money was generated through the discharge of the agency's responsibility of regulating the process of public procurement to ensure contract awards were transparent and competitive.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr. Tommy Odemwing, President of NIESV, Mr. Emeka Eleh, however, commended Eze for transforming the public procurement process in the country.

He also urged the BPP to ensure that non-registered estate surveyors and valuers were excluded from functioning as facility managers and estate agents.

He further urged the procurement agency to demand personal income tax certificates from surveyors and valuers in place of company tax clearance certificates for procurement of contracts.

Meanwhile, Ezeh had in May last  revealed that a total of N572 billion was saved through due diligence in public contracting system since it was established in 2007.
He had told journalists that about N122 billion was realised in 2012 while about N450 billion was saved between 2007 and 2011.

He said: “We are gratified as a nation that we have embraced the path of procurement for our socio-economic and political development. More than 10 years after the commencement of the reform, and barely five years after the public procurement Act, 2007, we have continued to consolidate on our gains, while charting new paths to the institutionalisation of methods in the public contracting process.

According to him: "As stakeholders in the implementation of the Act, we have to establish a synergy so that we can properly ensure that all hands are on deck in our bid to stamp out corruption through best procurement practices."

“This responsibility enshrined in section 5(h) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, expects the bureau to maintain a national database of the particulars of federal contractors and service providers for ease of information sourcing and analysis and in conformity with the needs of the new Information Age," he added.

Sourrce: Thisday

US Report Classifies 'Nigeria as a Corrupt Nation'

US Secretary of State, Sen, John Kerry

Nigeria has been classified as a corrupt country with a poor governance record, while discrimination against women, the less privileged, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is common place.

This is coming on the heels of the disclosure by the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr. Emeka Ezeh that N95.79 billion was saved through the implementation of due diligence in public contracting and procurement in the fourth quarter of last year.

United States Secretary of State, John Kerry made the corruption allegations on Thursday in his well- advertised “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” which he presented at the Press Briefing Room of the State Department in Washington.
Kerry warned that the US was not acting out of arrogance but to plug the pitfalls arising from its experiment at home and help the human race against making avoidable mistakes.

“Even as we come together today to issue a report on other nations, we hold ourselves to a high standard and we expect accountability here at home too.  And we know that we’re not perfect. We don’t speak with any arrogance whatsoever, but with a concern for the human condition,” the Secretary of State said.

This year’s report, he stressed, “is especially timely coming on the heels of one of the most momentous years in the struggle for greater rights and freedoms in modern history.”

Confirming an earlier report by THISDAY that the US would give Nigeria a minus in its country report on gay rights and extra-judicial killings, Kerry said: “From Nigeria to Russia to Iran, indeed in some 80 countries the world over, LGBT communities face discriminatory laws and practices that attack their basic human dignity and undermine their safety.

“We are seeing new laws like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill enacted by Uganda and signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni earlier this week, which not only makes criminals of people for who they are, but punishes those who defend the human rights that are our universal birthright,” Kerry said

The more than 20,000 words document  touched on virtually every aspect of Nigeria’s constitution while most of the time scoring the country poorly for its performance, taking a huge swipe on the anti-corruption agencies-the EFCC, ICPC and the Police.
The report which ranked the EFCC’s commitment to the anti-corruption war higher than that of the ICPC said Ibrahim Lamorde’s efforts at prosecuting offenders were frustrated along the way.

“The anticorruption efforts of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and EFCC remained largely ineffectual. The ICPC holds broad authorities to prosecute all forms of corruption, whereas the EFCC is tasked with handling only financial crimes. Despite this wider mandate, the ICPC had achieved only 68 convictions since its inauguration in 2000.”

Repeating its earlier disapproval of President Goodluck Jonathan’s pardon of former Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, it noted that Police corruption remained rampant. “In January, the police released a new code of conduct, which includes provisions on officer integrity. The police did not report any enforcement actions related to the code of conduct.”

It condemned the impunity with which officials of the Nigerian government allegedly frequently engaged in corrupt practices at all levels with the police and security forces factored in, wondering why the constitution provides immunity from civil and criminal prosecution for the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.

On the issue of declaration of assets, the country report did not spare President Goodluck Jonathan for not disclosing his assets.

Financial disclosure law, it said, requires public officials, including the president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, cabinet ministers, and legislators (at both federal and state levels), to declare their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau before assuming and after leaving office with violators risking prosecution. However, it lamented, cases rarely came to conclusion.

“The president had not published information on his assets as of year’s end,” insisting the law required declaration of assets but not publication of the report.

The report listed an array of cases left hanging including that of former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva for allegedly laundering over N5 billion; the yet to be tried John Yakubu Yusuf who is alleged to have embezzled N2 billion from the Police Pension Fund; Farouk Lawan who was also alleged to have solicited bribe from Zenon boss Femi Otedola.

Lamorde, according to the report, seemed to have been constrained “by the fact he is being tele-guided by those that put him in office, on who to arrest and prosecute while his efforts at trying 12 prominent public officials met a brick wall with several frustrating setbacks during the year.”

The report continued: “Despite the arrest of several high-ranking officials by the EFCC, including Dimeji Bankole and Hassan Lawal, who have been left off the hook, allegations continued that agency investigations targeted individuals who had fallen out of favour with the government, while those who were in favour continued their activities with impunity.”

In conclusion, Kerry summarised once more the reason for his country report exercise: “This is about accountability.  It’s about ending impunity.  And it’s about a fight that has gone on for centuries, as long as human beings have been able to think and write and speak and act on their own.

“And so, the United States of America will continue to speak out, without a hint of arrogance or apology, on behalf of people who stand up for their universal rights.  And we will stand up in many cases for those who are deprived of the opportunity to be able to stand up for themselves.”

The Director-General of BPP was speaking in Abuja yesterday while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said the amount saved could boost the provision of critical infrastructure in sectors including education, energy and health amid high expectations for quality service delivery in the country.

Eze further explained that the money was generated through the discharge of the agency's responsibility of regulating the process of public procurement to ensure contract awards were transparent and competitive.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr. Tommy Odemwing, President of NIESV, Mr. Emeka Eleh, however, commended Eze for transforming the public procurement process in the country.

He also urged the BPP to ensure that non-registered estate surveyors and valuers were excluded from functioning as facility managers and estate agents.

He further urged the procurement agency to demand personal income tax certificates from surveyors and valuers in place of company tax clearance certificates for procurement of contracts.

Meanwhile, Ezeh had in May last  revealed that a total of N572 billion was saved through due diligence in public contracting system since it was established in 2007.
He had told journalists that about N122 billion was realised in 2012 while about N450 billion was saved between 2007 and 2011.

He said: “We are gratified as a nation that we have embraced the path of procurement for our socio-economic and political development. More than 10 years after the commencement of the reform, and barely five years after the public procurement Act, 2007, we have continued to consolidate on our gains, while charting new paths to the institutionalisation of methods in the public contracting process.

According to him: "As stakeholders in the implementation of the Act, we have to establish a synergy so that we can properly ensure that all hands are on deck in our bid to stamp out corruption through best procurement practices."

“This responsibility enshrined in section 5(h) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, expects the bureau to maintain a national database of the particulars of federal contractors and service providers for ease of information sourcing and analysis and in conformity with the needs of the new Information Age," he added.

Sourrce: Thisday

Boko Haram: Adamawa gov, guards flee and abort trips over threats

Adamawa State Governor, Adm.  Murtala Nyako (retd)

Adamawa State Governor, Admiral  Murtala Nyako (retd), and state officials in his convoy on Friday fled Shuwa in Madagali Local Government Area of the state upon learning of the advancement of Boko Haram members in the area.

Nyako, who was on condolence visits to victims of Boko Haram attacks in Shuwa, Gulak and Michika, was at his first town of call  when he was alerted to the advancement of  insurgents in the area again.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the governor  scampered  to safety upon hearing what was suspected to be an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and  members of the Islamic sect. The governor, it was further learnt,  was immediately whisked into the vehicle by his security details, who advised that all other visits should be cancelled.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, explained that the governor and his entourage were in Shuwa to commiserate with victims of recent attacks by members of the Islamic sect.


One of the aides of the governor, who spoke to journalists, said the incident happened about 12pm when the governor went with his team to visit the victims of the insurgency.

The aides, while disclosing that the plan was to visit all the areas attacked and condole with the victims of Wednesday evening attacks by the insurgents, which left more than 30 persons dead and properties worth several millions of Naira destroyed, said the governor was alerted to the advancement of the insurgents  at Shuwa village  and had to return  to Yola immediately.

He said: “The governor was addressing  the victims at Shuwa when a military truck appeared from the blues and the soldiers started shouting ‘they (insurgents) are coming.’”

He explained that  the soldiers had blocked  the road with a truck and were shooting sporadically into the air and instructed  the security details of the governor, who had approached them, to turn back  because of the advancement of the insurgents.

He said that following the sudden U-turn, some of the vehicles on the governor’s entourage ran into each other, denting some vehicles in the process

He, however, revealed that there was no casualty recorded as there were minor dents on the cars involved, which “were even driven back to Yola.”

Recounting his ordeal to journalists in Yola on Friday afternoon, the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Nyako to have said  that he was in the community to commiserate with the people over gunmen’s attack in the area on Wednesday.

He said, “After addressing the villagers, some soldiers approached me as I was about to enter my car and said that Boko Haram members were coming.

“The soldiers were shouting: ‘they are here, they are here.’ So, I asked them: ‘who?’ They said Boko Haram members are around.

“After that, one of the soldiers started shooting. So, the first thing we need to do, naturally, is to get out of the scene.’’

While explaining  that his convoy was  not attacked, the governor said he had to return to Yola   on learning that the sect was advancing towards some of the areas he had scheduled to visit.

NAN said  that four shots were fired by the soldier, prompting the security personnel to take position while others drove off with the governor. It added   that the villagers also ran to different directions for safety.

On the entourage of the governor were the Speaker of the state House of Assembly,  Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Abakasangha, Secretary to the Government, Chief Kobis Thimnu, and some commissioners.

Another eyewitness,  who was part of the convoy, narrated the governor’s  ordeal to Saturday PUNCH.

He said, “We went to Shuwa with the governor to commiserate with the victims with the intention of going to Michika to do same.

“However, the situation took another turn when, just before we left the venue of the first attack in Shuwa, we heard a staccato of gunfire.

“We had to scamper into our cars and the brave security details took the governor to their car leaving the staff car empty.

“We left the place in confusion and proceeded to Yola without stopping at Michika.”

Another source explained that the gunfire followed an attempt by gunmen to infiltrate the town but their efforts were thwarted by soldiers who were on patrol.

However, a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, denied some media accounts of the incident.

He said the claims that the governor’s convoy came under attack were untrue.

The statement partly read: “The truth is that the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, visited Michika and Shuwa areas of the state to sympathise with the communities that were attacked by terrorists recently.

“While returning, the convoy came across a noticeable pandemonium which resulted from the alarm raised by some people who had mistaken a convoy movement of troops on patrol at Kirchinga village, for another impending attack by terrorists.

“In the ensuing stampede and confusion, people scampered into the bush ostensibly to escape from those mistaken for terrorists.”

The military high command said it was constrained to “set the records straight” because earlier reports about the incident were capable of causing unnecessary anxiety and heighten tension.  It called on residents to go about their activities while remaining vigilant.

The statement also said the operations in the North-East were being consolidated and every effort was being made to stop the terrorists from continuing their atrocities in that part of the country.

Source: PUNCH.

Boko Haram: Adamawa gov, guards flee and abort trips over threats

Adamawa State Governor, Adm.  Murtala Nyako (retd)

Adamawa State Governor, Admiral  Murtala Nyako (retd), and state officials in his convoy on Friday fled Shuwa in Madagali Local Government Area of the state upon learning of the advancement of Boko Haram members in the area.

Nyako, who was on condolence visits to victims of Boko Haram attacks in Shuwa, Gulak and Michika, was at his first town of call  when he was alerted to the advancement of  insurgents in the area again.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the governor  scampered  to safety upon hearing what was suspected to be an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and  members of the Islamic sect. The governor, it was further learnt,  was immediately whisked into the vehicle by his security details, who advised that all other visits should be cancelled.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, explained that the governor and his entourage were in Shuwa to commiserate with victims of recent attacks by members of the Islamic sect.

National confab a sham for Jonathan’s re-election – Northern elders

Northern Elders Forum, NEF, yesterday, decried the rising wave of clashes between Fulani herdsmen and the Tiv in Nasarawa State and blamed unnamed top government officials for the mayhem.

According the NEF, the premeditated violence was to create tension in the state and pave the way for the Presidency to unseat Governor Tanko Al Makura through the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Deputy Leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, who made the claim at the media briefing in Abuja, also accused the President of selecting his friends to be the sole delegates for the impending National Conference.

The NEF said it would have nothing to do with the confab as it would not produce any tangible result for the country.

According to the forum, the confab had been primed to advance the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The elders, who met in Abuja to review the state of the nation, also lamented the seeming inability of the Federal Government to tackle rising menace of terrorism in the North, which they noted, had caused a lot of havoc and dislocation in the region.

Unongo pointed out that the impending conference would not be able to solve any problem for Nigeria because the delegates were selected by the President instead of allowing Nigerians to elect them as proposed by the Committee raised by the government.

Unongo pointed out: “What they are going to do is not a national conference but a Jonathan conference because almost all the delegates are selected by him and his friends instead of an open election that was adopted for the previous exercises even during the military era.

“This is not fair. The manner of selecting only the friends and associates of the President for the conference does not represent the generality of Nigerians and we cannot be part of such a sham,” the former minister said.

While sympathising with the government over the killings in the North, the NEF official called in the administration to take whatever steps possible to flush out the terrorists, whom he said did not represent any religion in the country, as claimed by some ignorant persons.

Unongo, who advocated the use of what he called “carrot and stick” approach to dislodge the terrorists, warned that the menace could spread to other parts of Nigeria if not checked through a holistic and creative approach.

Turning to the suspension  of the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Northern Elders said they were irked by the action of Mr. President for condoning corruption by removing the whistle blower, who risked his life to dare the forces working against the interest of the generality of Nigerians.

NEF said, “In our judgment, we feel that Sanusi has the right to be genuinely concerned about the non-remittances of over $20 billion of oil revenue into the Federation Account as stipulated by law.

“The President should have commended rather than suspend a man who loves this country and has refused to play along with others who are causing serious havoc to the economy of this nation.

“Why is the President afraid of those who are exposing corruption and playing along with those who are wasting public funds?

“How does Sanusi’s sack or suspension bring about the missing billions of dollars of oil revenue?” the NEF leader asked.

Source: Vanguard

National confab a sham for Jonathan’s re-election – Northern elders

Northern Elders Forum, NEF, yesterday, decried the rising wave of clashes between Fulani herdsmen and the Tiv in Nasarawa State and blamed unnamed top government officials for the mayhem.

According the NEF, the premeditated violence was to create tension in the state and pave the way for the Presidency to unseat Governor Tanko Al Makura through the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Deputy Leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, who made the claim at the media briefing in Abuja, also accused the President of selecting his friends to be the sole delegates for the impending National Conference.

The NEF said it would have nothing to do with the confab as it would not produce any tangible result for the country.

According to the forum, the confab had been primed to advance the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Defence Headquarters raids Boko Haram camp; kills 13 militants, arrest dozens

More terrorists have been arrested while 13 of them died following a raid on their make-shift camp sited between Borno and Adamawa states.

A statement last night signed by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information, said some of those who escaped from a raid carried out by the Military earlier were also picked up in Maiduguri and its environs.

Meanwhile, calm has returned to Shuwa after the pandemonium generated by the panic in the community when people sighted the convoy of troops going after terrorists and mistook it for another round of attack.

The confusion also led to the claim that the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako who had visited the community was attacked by terrorists.

Military authorities in refuting the claim, said the troops were on assignment to block a discovered entry and exit point of terrorists into the country through the state, assuring that the community has been assured of their safety as normalcy has returned.

Olukolade’s statement reads in part: “The alleged attack on the convoy of Governor Nyako as presented in a breaking news report on some television channels this afternoon is not true.

“The truth is that the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako visited Michika and Shuwa areas of the State to sympathise with the communities that were attacked by terrorists recently.

“While returning, the convoy came across a noticeable pandemonium which resulted from the alarm raised by some people who had mistaken a convoy movement of troops on patrol at Kirchinga village, for another impending attack by terrorists.

“In the ensuing stampede and confusion, people scampered into the bush ostensibly to escape from those mistaken for terrorists.

“The incident which was presented as a “Breaking News” and scrolled on TV is therefore not a true reflection of what actually happened. The report is capable of causing unnecessary anxiety and heightening tension.

“The military authorities therefore find it necessary to put the records straight and call on residents to go about their normal activities while remaining vigilant.

“The operations in the North East are being consolidated and every effort is made to stop the terrorists from continuing their atrocities in that part of the country.

Source: Dailypostng

Defence Headquarters raids Boko Haram camp; kills 13 militants, arrest dozens

More terrorists have been arrested while 13 of them died following a raid on their make-shift camp sited between Borno and Adamawa states.

A statement last night signed by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information, said some of those who escaped from a raid carried out by the Military earlier were also picked up in Maiduguri and its environs.

Meanwhile, calm has returned to Shuwa after the pandemonium generated by the panic in the community when people sighted the convoy of troops going after terrorists and mistook it for another round of attack.

The confusion also led to the claim that the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako who had visited the community was attacked by terrorists.