The immediate former Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly Hon. Momoh Jimoh who tendered his resignation letter yesterday on the floor of the house has described his resignation as a very difficult decision to make as he believed his earlier refusal to resign is to uphold the sanctity of the legislature and entrench democratic values in the state.
In his words he said those who were frustrated and angered with his forceful exit are those who believed in legislative democracy. He thank the judiciary for believing in the tenets of democratic values by delivering a judgement in his favor and also plead for the mercy of his constituents over the frustrations he might have caused them.
Recalled that Hon. Momoh Jimoh was unlawfully removed as speaker of the house by five(5) members of the house against fifteen other members(G15). The impeachment which sparked off a legal tussle between the two factions lasted for months.
However while the unlawful impeachment was still been challenged in the court of law by the G15 the other five member sat and were allowed to pass the budget and screen political appointees made by the Yahaya Bello led Government.
Meanwhile despite judgement given by the court and the national assembly intervention in the matter the G15 members tactically gave in and called for a truce between the two factions which had led to the official resignation of the Hon. Momoh Jimoh as the speaker of the house.
Tuesday 26 July 2016
Saturday 23 July 2016
Tribunal Affirmed Ahmed Ogembe Electoral Victory.
Mohammed Ohiare who after the rerun election which was won by Ahmed Ogembe approached the tribunal challenging the victory of the Ahmed Ogembe and his exclusion from the election.
The judgement delivered yesterday affirmed Ahmed Ogembe Victory at the poll and Ohiare disqualification from the election.
Senator Ahmed Ogembe dedicate victory to God and his constituents.
Wednesday 20 July 2016
Some APC senators are asking to join PDP – Ekweremadu
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| Chief Ike Ekweremadu |
Ekweremadu stated this on Wednesday when a delegation of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, led by its Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, paid a solidarity visit to the party’s Senate Caucus at the National Assembly Complex.
His words, “Today, I believe and I am speaking the minds of my colleagues, that so many members of the National Assembly from the other parties are prepared to return to the PDP because they have seen that they made a mistake in the last election by voting APC and they are also seeing that PDP remains the biggest, greatest and the most focused party in Nigeria.”
The Deputy President of the Senate expressed gratitude to the BoT members for its show of solidarity and support to the opposition party lawmakers, which he said showed that it was not only the conscience of the PDP, but that of the country as well.
Speaking earlier, the BoT Chairman, Jibril, averred that the alleged forgery of Senate Rules as a frame-up, stressing that it was a deliberate plot to tarnish the person of Ekweremadu.He added that as fathers and conscience of the party, the BoT could not sit and watch the framing-up of Ekweremadu on trumped-up charges of forgery, apparently for political reasons.
According to him, “We are here to show solidarity and recognise the leadership of Senator Ekweremadu, especially when we hear stories of what is happening to him. We are here to give our total support to him over the recent framing of him in an alleged forgery case, because we cannot, as fathers and conscience of the party, sit down and just watch.
“Senator Ekweremadu is a man of integrity with a high record of performance. We want to advise strongly that nobody should try to tarnish his personality and we are strongly calling for fair hearing and justice in the attempt to rope-in Senator Ekweremadu for political reasons.
“He was elected Deputy President of Senate by 48 PDP senators with the suppo
rt of APC Senators, which is a good ingredient of our democracy. No attempt should be made to rope him in. He should be left alone to continue the good service to the country.”
rt of APC Senators, which is a good ingredient of our democracy. No attempt should be made to rope him in. He should be left alone to continue the good service to the country.”
2019: Atiku, SGF, Bindow on collision course over Ribadu
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| Mallam Nuhu Ribadu |
The planned return of the pioneer Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), has set former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir David Lawal and Governor of Adamawa state, Senator Mohammed Bindow Jibrilla on collision course, revealed a party source.
It was gathered that the SGF, who is also from Adamawa state as Ribadu and Atiku, is believed to be spearheading the latest move to get back the politician.
The revelation is coming to fore some 48 hours after Atiku led some party chieftains on a visit to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, “to appraise challenges within the party’s structures.”
Ribadu’s return bid is flowing from the numerous calls by some stakeholders within APC, urging the party to lobby for return of its members “who left in anger or were misled in the runoff to the election.”
One of such calls was made by an APC support group, National Coalition for Peace and Mobilisation (NACOPEAM).
National President of the group, Comrade Ahmed Saleh, told newsmen that the party was in need of “the likes of Nuhu Ribadu and many others to re-join the party and support this government to fight corruption and help Mr. President address the multifaceted problems we have been facing since independence”.
Ribadu, it would be recalled, contested the presidential election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011.
And upon the party’s merger with some others to form APC, the retired police officer dumped the new mega party in 2014 to contest the 2015 governorship election on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform, but lost to the incumbent.
Since then, there had been pressure on the erstwhile anti-graft boss to rejoin the APC.
And to realise this, Ribadu was said to have held talks with the national leadership of the APC and other party chieftains, including former Governor Murtala Nyako, who are believed to be engaging Ribadu on the need for him to reunite with his old party.
It was also gathered that the state chapter of the party, last month, wrote a letter to Ribadu,
urging him to return to its fold. The missive was dated June 22 and signed by its acting secretary, Saidu Naira.
urging him to return to its fold. The missive was dated June 22 and signed by its acting secretary, Saidu Naira.
“We, the entire APC Adamawa state chapter, wish to invite you back to your “Home party” APC. Given your track records and progressives nature, we strongly believe APC is where you belong to.
“We are also mindful of the efforts and contributions you made during the merger without which the merger would have been difficult. To this end, we reaffirm our request for you to come home to APC and assist and contribute to the success of the APC government both at state and national level,” Naira pleaded.
But former Vice President Abubakar and Governor Bindow, our reporter gathered, are frantically kicking against the move, a development many believe, might not be unconnected with the 2019 race.
“Atiku, it is generally believed, has his eyes on the presidency, as many are of the view that President Muhammadu Buhari might not be favoured by age to fly the party’s flag, hence his (Atiku) perceived discomfort with Ribadu’s return. Although, no pronouncement by the party to the effect on whether Buhari would re-contest or not.
“For whatever reason, Turaki (Atiku) is not comfortable with Ribadu and that was what he came to tell the party leadership. You know he was the main reason Ribadu left the party in the first place when Nyako was impeached and Atiku took over the party in Adamawa,” said a source at the APC national secretariat who pleaded anonymity.
In February this year, a move by some governors of the PDP to make Ribadu the party’s national chairman was out rightly resisted by the politician, who, sources said, went into hiding at the time. They later settled for the former Borno state Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
“It is like a done deal. He (Ribadu) and Oga (SGF) have met many times and I think all arrangements have been concluded for his return to the party. It is not only the SGF, some other party chieftains have also been talking to him (Ribadu) and by now, I think his disposition to the calls is positive.
“The feeling around here is that no matter what happens, people like Ribadu are still needed in the party and around the government, given his experience and credibility as an accomplished individual. It is for this that he and some other politicians in Adamawa are being wooed back to the party by the SGF,” added the source.
The overture was further confirmed by an official of the state APC (names withheld), who said plans are on to receive Ribadu and his followers “any time, they are ready.”
But asked what his mission was at the party secretariat on Monday during which he parleyed with the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, Atiku said, it was a normal routine expected of party chieftain.
Atiku clarified that his visit to the party secretariat was not a response to summon by the leadership of the party as widely reported.
“As a party chieftain, I owe it a duty to my party to appraise challenges within the structures of the party and also proffer suggestions on how to manage those challenges. I urge you all to discountenance any malicious insinuations about my visit to the party secretariat.
“My visit to the national secretariat of our great party was to rub minds with the party hierarchy, and it was of a routine kind as a chieftain of the party. I was neither summoned nor queried by the party on any issue as being speculated. Rather, my visit was at my own behest,” explained the former VP.
Ohanaeze’s Owerri meeting, a stage-managed jamboree – IPOB
Authorities of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has described weekend’s meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo held in Owerri, the Imo state capital as a mere jamboree and insignificant.
IPOB alleged that the meeting convened by Governor Rochas Okorocha, was stage-managed by his political masters in Aso Rock, Abuja, for the purpose of finding a lasting solution to the agitation for Biafra by nailing the remaining IPOB members and other agitators.
In a press statement issued yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra state, by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB said it wondered why stooges to those in Abuja would come out to be deceiving our people by calling them out on such an insignificant meeting to discuss their secret agenda.
Powerful said IPOB worldwide under Nnamdi Kanu is worried that those elders and some governors who attended the meeting convened by Okorocha who they alleged destroyed the South-East governors forum, because of his selfish interest, would call a meeting in Owerri instead of Enugu which is the headquarters of the old Eastern region and they attended.
Tuesday 19 July 2016
NANS National Convention in Gombe ended in Stalemate and inconclusive
Monday 18 July 2016
Turkey detains ‘coup plotters’ at base used by US – reports
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| One of the coup plotters |
Turkish authorities have reportedly detained a senior air force general and other officers accused of backing the failed coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a key air base used by US forces for raids in Syria.
Brigadier air force general Bekir Ercan Van was detained along with over a dozen lower ranking officers on Saturday at the air force base of Incirlik in Turkey’s southern Adana province, newspapers including the Hurriyet daily said.
They were now being interrogated by investigators, the reports added.
A Turkish official told AFP on Saturday that Ankara suspected Incirlik was used to refuel military aircraft “hijacked” by the coup plotters on Friday night.
The base has become a key hub for US forces after Turkey last year agreed to allow the United States to use Incirlik to carry out lethal raids against jihadists in Syria.
But the Turkish authorities imposed a security lockdown on the base in the wake of the coup, allowing no movement in or out, the US consulate in Adana said.
Meanwhile, operations from the Incirlik air base were suspended because of the closure of the airspace used for the missions, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.
PDP condemns attempted coup in Turkey
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday, condemned in strong terms, the attempted Coup in Turkey, describing it as an unpopular channel of ascending to power.
The Party while reacting to the Coup attempt in Turkey said military take-over of government is no longer a popular and acceptable venture and therefore advised those still nurturing the idea to desist from it forthwith.
Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the Chief Spokesman of the Party in a statement on behalf of the Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and the party, extended condolences to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the entire people of the Country for the loss of lives during the botched Coup d’état.
The statement read: “On behalf of the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, H.E. Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, CON, and all members of our Party, we wish to commiserate with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the entire Turkish people for the ugly incident that led to several losses of lives and properties. It’s very sad and unacceptable. We condemn it and thanked the people of the Country for risen in defense of Democracy”.
The party further declared that there is no alternative to democracy anywhere in the world and prayed the Almighty God for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the event as necessary sacrifice for long term freedom of the people of Turkey and other parts of the world.
Arms scandal: Panel probes Buhari’s minister, ex-service chiefs
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| Abdulrahman Dambazau |
The 13-man Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP) set up to probe arms procurement contracts between 2007 and 2015, is now set to quiz the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdurahman Dambazau (rtd), according to reports.
The panel will, today, begin sitting to scrutinise procurement papers in the Nigerian Navy between 2007 and 2015, as well as probe arms purchase in the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) between 2007 and 2010.
There have been strident calls from individuals and groups for the probe of Dambazau, who served as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) between August 2008 and September 2010.
In fact, it was alleged that the Interior Minister had been working tooth and nail to suppress the arms panel report, before its release last week Thursday.
Also to appear before the Air Vice Marshal Jon Ode (rtd)-led panel, are three former Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) – Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin (rtd), Admiral Ola S. Ibrahim and Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike (rtd). All the former Chiefs of Naval Staff from 2007 to 2015 – Vice Admirals G.T.A. Adekeye, I.I. Ibrahim, D.J. Ezeoba and U.O. Jibrin – are also to appear before the panel. Dambazau, Petinrin, Ibrahim, Dike, Ezeoba and others will be asked to explain contracts awarded during their respective tenures as COAS and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).
It was gathered from highly placed military sources that General Owoye Azazi (rtd) and Lt-Gen. Luka Yusuf (rtd), who had served as CDS and COAS, respectively, would have appeared before the panel, were they not late.
“I can confirm to you that the Audit Panel, which had been on a 10-day break, will reconvene this week, to commence work with immediate effect.”
Among those to appear in this final batch are Dambazau, Air Force chiefs between 2007 and 2011, and Naval chiefs from 2007 to 2015.
“They will all be confronted with documents regarding contracts and procurement transactions during their tenures,” the source said.
This is as it was further learnt that an ex-COAS, Lt-Gen. Azubike Ihejirika (rtd) and his predecessor, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (rtd), may be interrogated by a special team of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) this week.
The arms panel had in a report on the procurement of the Nigerian Army released last week Thursday, indicted 54 individuals and companies.
One of the sources, who spoke in confidence, said palpable tension may have gripped senior military officers, who held some strategic positions during the tenures of the former Service Chiefs scheduled to face the panel this week, all things being equal.
Investigation revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had met with members of the panel, where he extended the period of their assignment, gave them a new terms of reference, and charged them to remain firm and focused in the audit task.
Also to face scrutiny, are former officials in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Ministry of Defence (MOD), as well as the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Giving some details, the source disclosed that one of the service chiefs was fingered in the construction of a military hospital in a Northern state. The hospital was said to have served as a conduit through which billions of naira was allegedly syphoned.
The current COAS, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, was quizzed by the panel, though nothing was said to have been established against him.
Speaking against the backdrop of Ihejirika and Minimah’s indictment, another source hinted that: ”Both former Army Chiefs, including 52 others, have had their international passports impounded.
“I also heard that both men are under surveillance, as the EFCC sets out on a further investigation.” Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the 13-man panel may be confronted with challenges of gathering documents and information, owing to the arrest and detention of Air Commodore Muhammed Umar (rtd).
“The arrest of retired Air Commodore Umar, may pose some challenge to information gathering. He was largely responsible for gathering of information, considering his vast networks and connections during the probe of procurements in the Army and Air Force,” the source hinted.
Umar, who is a member of the Ode Committee, was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) recently.
The newspaper was also told of a businessman, who had offered to return a huge sum of money he received from a former Naval chief, without commensurate execution of contracts.
It was learnt from informed sources that the man, who is said to be a close friend of the former Naval chief, had approached the panel, with a view to returning the said money, which he said he neither worked nor asked for.
One of the sources said that the panel, conscious of its terms of reference, which did not include receiving of funds, directed him to the EFCC.
“You know interesting discoveries were made by the panel. Do you know that in the course of our sittings, a civilian, who is a friend of a former Chief of Naval Staff, walked into the committee that he wanted to refund money the ex- Naval chief paid into his company’s account?
“The man said he did not do any work, but that the money was paid into his account on the instruction of his friend, the Naval chief.
“The committee said there was a procedure to follow, which required him to go and make the refund at the EFCC,” the source said.
A source close to the panel said that the panel is billed to invite the businessman to testify against the former naval chief.
Already, the 13-man panel has released reports on the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army, wherein it indicted top senior serving and retired military officers, politicians, and firms.
We’ll die with Biafra – Uwazuruike
The Leader of the Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has attributed the successes recorded by the movement to God, saying that when MASSOB started in 1999, nobody gave the Africa’s leading non-violent group any chance of survival as people felt that the clamour for the resuscitation of new Biafra would fizzle out the next day.
He stated this while addressing members of the movement on the preparation for the 17th anniversary of MASSOB, which comes up on September 13, 2016.
In a press statement issued to newsmen, yesterday and signed by the movement’s Director of Information, on his behalf, Mazi Chris Mocha, Uwazuruike lamented the killing of members from May 23, 2000 after the declaration of Biafra by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, at Aba, Abia State.
The leader of the Biafra Movement recalled that from May 23, 2000 to May 22, 2013 the groups have lost about 3,006 of her members even as unrecorded causality figures may be close to recorded number, yet the struggle has refused to die.
He said they also destroyed his cars in Lagos and confiscated his three SUV jeeps, BMW motorcycle out rider machine and a Yamaha generator, all in a bid for the former Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa to win the hearts of his Abuja political masters for a second term.
Explaining further, Uwazuruike said that the group’s national headquarters at Okigwe, Imo State, was razed on December 21, 2001 yet the struggle has refused to die.
He recalled that so many attempts on his life were made in order to truncate the struggle, but rather the struggle dying, the movement has continued to wax from strength to strength each day.
The BIM Leader disclosed that because of his refusal to pay the sum of N5million police protection fee to the former Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Imo State, Mr Alex O Amechina (now retired) he was advised to leave the country and go on exile.
When he refused to go in to exile, there were regular invasions of his residence and MASSOB secretariat by security agencies.
Chief Uwazuruike also decried the unprofessional conduct of Nigerian security agencies in managing separatist agitations, claiming that the blood of the dead activists who died in active service have promoted the Biafra struggle.
He likened the struggle for the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra to the struggle of the late South African President Nelson Mandela, recalling that Mandela’s mother died while her son, Mandela, was in prison like his (Uwazuruike’s) mother Ezinne Monica, also died while her son, Ralph Lebeanya was in Keffi Prison in Nassarewa State.
The BIM Leader lauded the efforts of his members for their commitment and consistency to the Biafra struggle, pointing out that if they were wrong persons, God would not have used them to achieve these successes recorded so far.
Sunday 17 July 2016
I remain PDP Chairman, no agreement with Makarfi – Sheriff
Sheriff also said he was not perturbed by crossing of his key supporters to the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee.
Speaking through his faction’s deputy national chairman, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh, Sheriff said he had not entered into agreement with any one to relinquish his position.
Ojuogboh told newsmen in Abuja Saturday that the battle for the control of PDP leadership was not over.
He said: “I have the express permission of Sheriff to inform our teeming supporters and PDP faithful nationwide that he has not reached agreement with anybody, neither has he permitted anybody to conclude on any processes on his behalf.
”We are continuing with our cases in court, we respect the rule of law. Sheriff will address a press conference on Monday on the state of our party, PDP. Our goal remains to return the party to the people and stamp out impunity.”
“Why I appointed more Northerners” – Buhari finally opens up
President Muhammadu Buhari has broken his silence on his appointments, which many Nigerians have described as “lopsided”.
Buhari in an interview with BBC Hausa on Tuesday said the Constitution allowed him full control over the choice of his closest officials.
The president assured that he was not ignoring some section of his society in his appointments, explaining that those he appointed were some of his most trusted associates.
Responding to the interviewer’s question on the controversy generated by the appointments, Buhari said “This is the nature of Nigerian politics”.
“If they will do justice to me, as an elected Nigerian president, let them look at the Constitution a Nigerian president works with, there are people who will closely work with me that don’t need to be taken to the Senate.
“If I select people whom I know quite well in my political party, whom we came all the way right from the APP, CPC and APC, and have remained together in good or bad situation, the people I have confidence in and I can trust them with any post, will that amount to anything wrong?
“I have been with them throughout our trying times, what then is the reward of such dedication and suffering?
“They did not defect because of positions, they did not involve themselves in the pursuit of personal gains, and they accepted their fate throughout our trying moments.
“What is wrong if I make you the secretary (of the federal government) because I have confidence that things will go normal?”
On the abducted Chibok girls missing since April 2014, Buhari said the Boko Haram sect had “have scattered them, and are being guarded at dispersed locations.
“Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. And the sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained.
“Both ground and air security personnel in the Sambisa forest could spot where the girls are, but since the insurgents have also kidnapped housewives and other women, no one could say whether they mixed them or how they dispersed them.”
I will win again if presidential election holds today – Buhari boasts
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| President Buhari |
President Muhammadu Buhari has boasted that he is still as popular as he was during the 2015 presidential election.
Buhari said this in an interview with the magazine, African Leadership.
His words: “Yes, I was elected by an overwhelming majority of Nigerians, and I am ever grateful for the opportunity I have been given to serve.“However, I don’t consider the result of the so-called survey a slip in my public rating and acceptance. I appreciate the high expectations of Nigerians and as an administration we are working assiduously to deliver.
“We came in with a mantra of Change and the zeal to give a new lease of life to governance. Our zeal has remained the same and we are always prepared to make the difference.
“You will recall that when I was being sworn in, I emphasized that as a government, three key areas will be the priorities. The first is the need to rebuild the economy. I also pledged to fight insecurity while the third and equally important area is the fight against corruption.
“Nigeria will soon be back on track. Before now, we have been having sleepless nights in Nigeria with Boko Haram having field days in tormenting people, most especially in the North-Eastern part of the country. So far, we have shown resilience in stopping these people and yet many criticize the approach we are using.
“What I think our people should know is that a process of change is difficult as it requires endurance and patience. China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and other great Asian countries had at different times passed through processes of change. They are far better off today.
“And some of these countries were at par with Nigeria in terms of development some five decades ago. We are attempting to do the same here to say let us stop building individuals, let us stop making those who serve in government get stupendously wealthy at the expense of ordinary Nigerians they had sworn to serve.
“Rather, we should concentrate on building strong institutions. Let us introduce economic prosperity by bringing in more investors to catalyze a sense of competition to grow our economy. Let there be law and order in our ways.”
He urged Nigerians to “continue to exercise patience and let them know that we will not rest on our oars until we bring succour back to them and to the country. From our efforts so far.
Muslim Youths destroy Catholic Church in Niger
A group of Muslim youths yesterday attacked St. Philip’s Catholic Parish, Baki Iku, close to Zuma Rock in Niger State, destroying properties worth thousands of naira.
The Vicar-General of Parish, Revered-Father Gobep Luka Sylvester, who confirmed the news last night, said about 200 Muslim youths stormed the Church premises yesterday and destroyed properties of the church.
It was gathered that some Catholics had gone to the church to pray and were attacked by the Muslims who claimed that Friday was their day of prayer and that the Church only had right to worship on Sundays.
Revered Father Sylvester said last night that although he was not around when the incident happened, he was told that some Muslim youths numbering about 200 came to the Church and started destroying the church’s properties, saying the security men in the church premises were seriously injured.
According to him, ‘’Sometime around 2pm, some Muslim youths in numbering 200 left their Mosque after their Friday Jumat prayer and rushed to the Church premises, climbed the wall and destroyed everything in the Church: the windows, the alter, musical instruments, the chapel.
’The security man in the church premises was beaten to pulp. Some women who were holding a prayer meeting were chased away. The seminarian who is resident in the premises was also beaten up and chased away.”
He said the incident had been reported to the police and they claimed to have made some arrest and promised to investigate the matter.
In 2012, Alhaji Kabiru Sokoto — suspected member of terrorist group, Boko Haram, on Christmas day, detonated bomb that killed several Catholics and passers-by at St Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, close to St. Philips that was destroyed yesterday.
The Revered Father added, “Just last week, Mrs. Eunice Olawale, a mobile preacher of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was killed by some fanatical Muslims in Kubwa, FCT. How long are we going to continue like this?”
PSC approves promotion, appointment of 18 new AIGs, 37 CPs
The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of 18 Commissioners of Police to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and the appointment of 37 Commissioners of Police including nine Deputy Commissioners of Police.
The commission redeployed four AIGs and deployed 12 others to man Police Zonal Commands while the remaining 10 will head special formations such as Operations, Training, Police Academy, Info-Tech, Investment, Maritime, and so on.
A statement by the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani on Saturday in Abuja, said the CP, Kaduna State, Ibrahim Adamu, is now AIG, Zone 1; Abdulmajid Ali, CP, Ogun State, AIG, Zone 2 and Usman Tilli, AIG Border is now AIG zone 3.
It further said that AIG Dorathy Gimba retained her Command of the Investment Formation, AIG Mohammed Mohammed, Special Protection Unit while Mohammed Katsina was moved from Maritime to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Jos.
AIG Katsina will be replaced at the Maritime Desk by Paul Okafor, CP Benue State, the statement noted, adding that 16 CPS were retained their commands.
They include, CP Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, Ebonyi;Emmanuel Ojukwu, Enugu; Frederick Lakanu, Imo; Adeleye Oyebade, Oyo; Basen Gwana, Abia;Yunana Babas, Taraba; Austin Iwar, Gombe; Murtala Mani, Akwa Ibom and Fatai Owoseni, Lagos.
CP Henry Fadairo was also moved from Research and Planning department to Jigawa State.
The statement said the PSC Chairman, Mike Okiro, a retired Inspector General of Police, stated that the promotions and postings were in line with the commission’s resolve to reposition the Nigeria Police Force for better performance.
“Okiro congratulated the officers and demanded from them hard work and dedication to duty; He said the commission will hold any of them personally responsible for any failure in the discharge of their duties,” it stated, adding that they should rededicate themselves to the service of their nation and abide by the rules and regulations guiding police work.
Militants threaten to bomb Nigeria’s largest gas plant
Militancy in the Niger-Delta is spreading like wild fire across most of the oil producing areas in the region. Presently, the media has lost count of the number of militant groups that have threatened to attack oil installations and it’s obvious that more groups are coming up to draw attention to their plight and make their demands known.
An exagitator and former Commander of Zion Gurrab, a Camp under the Niger-Delta Actualisation Force, General Emma Shobor, has tasked the Federal Government to quickly address the demands made by two militant groups that recently threatened to bomb the Utorogun Gas Plan, Africa’s largest gas plant.
He disclosed in an interview that bombing of oil installations have not spread to Urhoboland and other upland oil bearing communities because of the effort made by him and like minds who have been appealing to the youths to maintain the peace even as they continue to engage government to attend to their demands.
General Shobor, who, since he embraced the Federal Government’s amnesty, has been running the Initiative for the Actualisation of Peace and Development, a non-governmental organization, warned that his group would not guarantee the security of the oil and gas assets in Urhobo Kingdom if government fails to attend to the demands of the militants.
He said, “We have ensured that the uplands remain peaceful, though the boys have threatened to commence bombing because of the marginalisation of the host communities by the oil and gas companies and even the government. It is therefore left to the government to return that good gesture by addressing the issues they raised.”
It will be recalled that the two militant groups that called themselves, Utorogun Liberation Movement and Niger-Delta Black Emancipation Force, had in their separate statements, threatened that they will blow up the Otorogun Gas Plant and other oil and gas facilities in the Urhobo Kingdom, unless the Federal Government attends to their demands.
Though the June 25 ultimatum given to the government by the Utorogun Liberation Movement has elapsed without any incident, General Shobor said he believes that it was due to his interface with the youths and the Urhobo youths meeting called by the Delta State Government that might be responsible for the peace the upland oil producing communities are still enjoying now.
Meanwhile, the Niger-Delta Black Emancipation Force which their threat was only reported by an online news medium, did not give any date when it will attack if government fails to attend to their needs.
The two groups, unlike the Niger-Delta Avengers, made no mention of sovereignty or release of Radio Biafra Director, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, in their statements. But demanded the immediate completion of the Delta Steel Complex, the two service companies at the gas plant (Lee Engineering and Marcon Technical Services Limited), which, according to them, have failed to cater for the host community, to be disengaged immediately and new ones, which will be amenable to the needs of the host communities should be engaged.
Also, they want the Federal Government to extend the Ogoniland cleanup to the entire Niger-Delta region, as well as complete the Ajaokuta-Aladja Standard Gauge Rail line and also provide jobs for the youths.
General Shobor said, “Immediately the militants issued the threat, we swung into action to ensure that such a thing does not take place in the upland. By the special grace of God, nothing like pipeline bombing has taken place in the upland since then.
“I will advise that the Federal Government and the Delta State Government to come up with a blueprint to avert the impending attack on oil facilities in the area.
“If government does not come quickly to attend to the demands of these youths, we will not be able to guarantee the safety of the facilities and the people living in the area will continue to feel unsafe,” he said.
Meanwhile, General Shobor has lamented what he described as the marginalisation of the upland oil communities by the Federal Government and the oil companies, saying even on the amnesty programmes, the ex-agitator leaders from the upland were treated like outcast, while most of their fighters have either not been trained at all or were given poor training without adequate empowerment.
He, therefore, called for a drastic review of the amnesty programme with the view to ensuring that it suceeds at what it set out to achieve.
He said that the Urhoboland, which hosts Africa’s biggest gas plant, a lot more oil assets, is neglected with no infrastructural facility, good water, electricity and human capital.
It is against this backdrop that he said that the threat of the youths is not out of place as it seems to be the only way to attract government attention, warning further that the threat should not be taken as a joke.
Niger Delta Avengers warns ExxonMobil not to repair damaged facility
Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the militant group claiming responsibility for various pipeline bombings in the Niger Delta, has warned ExxonMobil not to repair its vandalised Qua Iboe terminal blasted by its operatives last Monday.
The group warned in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, that if they make any attempt to repair the terminal, something worse will happen.
“We are warning Exxonmobil not to carry out any repair work on the blown pipeline. If they refuse and go ahead with any repair work, something big and worst (sic) will happen”, it warned.
The Niger Delta Avengers had last Monday night claimed that it breached Qua Iboe 48″ crude oil terminal operated by ExxonMobil in Akwa Ibom State.
It claimed in a statement then that the attack was carried out about 7.30 p.m. for alleged refusal to yield to its directive not to effect repairs on any breached facility.
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