Why world leaders boycotted Buhari’s UN address

HOUSTON, Sept 30 (International Guardian) – A conclave of world leaders, international media, and other delegates who thronged the United Nation’s General Assembly’s seventieth session were nowhere to be found when Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria, addressed the general debate on September 28, and the poor outing was conspicuously appalling.

What seemed like a mass boycott of President Buhari’s speech may be associated with his nonchalant attitude and a lack of seriousness in communicating severe security issues related to the Boko Haram killings, it was gathered. International Guardian’s correspondent in New York for the event reported a lonely frazzled speaker, sweltering as he imperceptibly picked his words from a written script. “At some point, I thought he was talking to himself,” said Joel McHenry, another delegate, a  Canadian-based observer who spoke to our newsroom.

Another delegate associated with the United States office of the Secretary of States categorically labelled Buhari’s absence and attitude over issues of security as “utterly dismissive.” “World leaders are so engaged with regions serious about their agenda, and Nigeria has not shown that enthusiasm,” he said.   In July, International Guardian reported how President Muhammad Buhari’s exorbitant visit to the United State emitted some horrible stakes causing  the White House to voice  out complete  disappointed about a total lack of preparedness by the Nigerian contingent to discuss vital issues about both countries. The Obama administration had also decried a poor presentation of policy needs and updates made by the Nigerian leader.

President Buhari’s UN outing has equally been riddled with controversy over poor logistics, lackadaisical preparations, and process incomprehensibility. First, he had missed a United Nation’s meeting in which countries affected by Boko Haram’s violence pleaded for assistance for those displaced by the insurgency. In a region where millions are being displaced by the Islamist outfit, Nigeria’s absence from this meeting was seen as blow to a global collaboration for assistance over war against terrorism. For instance, a few weeks ago, the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration estimated that at least 2.1m Nigerians have been displaced since the group began violence in 2009.

Another embarrassment yet plagued President Buhari’s outing when he was prevented from meeting Pope Francis for arriving late at the facility, and aimlessness using the wrong gate.  As a process, presidents, governmental heads, and delegates are expected to arrive early for UN engagements, and facilitators often brief diplomatic officers ahead of time to avoid process failures. It was not clear what happened in President Buhari’s case as his entourage, handlers, and the Nigerian embassy staff were busy trading blames about the shameful outings.

It may be recalled that in July, the President fired all non-career Nigerian ambassadors in foreign countries in what he called an effort to “reposition the country’s foreign policies.” In September consequently, he announced a proposed shutdown of some Nigerian Embassies and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claiming his actions would cut down costs and wasteful spending. Since these changes, operations at most Nigeria’s foreign offices have been disorderly and structurally unproductive. It was not clear if the prevailing rigid work environment in these offices was the cause of President Buhari’s UN humiliation, but as one  of the Nigerian delegates who anonymously spoke toInternational Guardian in New York put it, “I will not make guesses, but I can assure you that heads will roll.”

Guardian USA

SARAKI RECEIVES THE LIST
About an hour ago, I received the list of President Muhammadu Buhari's ministerial nominees from the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Abba Kyari, and the Special Adviser to Mr. President on National Assembly (Senate) Sen. Ita Enang.

FG to reduce poverty with investments in agric– Osibanjo

As a means to end poverty in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said it was collaborating with seven states for the development of agriculture in the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this at the seventh convocation of Redeemer University, Ede, Osun State.
Though he did not mention the affected poverty dominated states, the Vice President insisted that the Federal Government was committed to improving the economy of Nigeria through development of agriculture.
He added that government was making frank efforts at ensuring the establishment of technology pact with some developed countries on the processes of the agricultural products.
His words: “the technology pact will be designed with power and internet to do business without the cost of petrol or diesel. Over two third of Nigerians are extremely poor.
Agriculture is they key to our economic plan and we are committed to bringing to Nigerians a self sufficient rice, cassava, cashew and several others crops.”
He restated the federal government’s determination to solve the problem of power in Nigeria, stating: “We will ensure regular power supply, open up industries and help the Small and Medium Scale Entreprises to give young people interested in technology and business, to have a platform to operate from.”
The VP, who also insisted that the present administration was committed to defeating the scourge of corruption, added that “with damage and wastage of resources that corruption has done to our nation, we agreed with President Muhammadu Buhari that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us.”
He however urged the graduating students to be creative with continuous learning and personal research, saying: “integrity pays, if your words can not be relied on, you won’t go very far.”
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State charged the graduating students not to relent in pursuing whatever that may bring change.
While speaking on the acronym of Redeemer’s University of Nigeria – RUN, Aregbesola said that the prey and the predator must continue to run in order to achieve their aims noting that the prey must run to escape from the predator while the predator must also run after the prey in order to survive.

Saraki must step aside, TUC insists

The Enugu State chapter of the Trade Union Congress on Monday insisted that Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, should step aside.

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation is prosecuting Saraki for alleged false declaration of assets at the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Saraki had, last Tuesday, stepped into the dock at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, where he was arraigned on charges bordering on false declaration of assets.

He pleaded not guilty to all the 13 charges brought against him by the CCB and his trial would hold on October 21, 22 and 23.

Some organisations, including labour unions, had already called for Saraki’s resignation from office.

Speaking with our correspondent in Enugu, the Chairman of the TUC in Enugu State, Chukwuma Igbokwe, insisted that Saraki should step aside, pending the conclusion of his trial at the CCT.

Igbokwe said Saraki could interfere with the judicial process if he remained in the position.

According to him, any public office holder that has been arraigned before a court on corruption charges should step aside, until the conclusion of trial.

Igbokwe said, “Any public officer that is found to be corrupt should vacate the position, or step aside to allow the judicial process take its course. If he continues to occupy the position, he can subvert the course of justice.

“Now that he (Saraki) has taken his plea, he should step aside, pending when he is found guilty, or acquitted.”

The labour leader added that the rule of law must be allowed to prevail in Saraki’s trial.

Igbokwe said, “Nobody is above the law – he should vacate the office for now and wait for the rule of law to take its course.

Support me to defend National Assembly, Saraki urges senators

Sen. Bukola Saraki

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday sought the support of his colleagues to stand with him against “some powerful individuals” outside the Senate in order to defend the sanctity and independence of the legislative body.
Mr. Saraki, on whom vote of confidence was passed by 83 Senators at the plenary Tuesday, also got subtle solidarity from the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who urged the federal government to ensure that due process was followed in the trial of the senate president.
Mr. Saraki, who strongly believed his trial on a 13-count charge before the Code of Conduct Tribunal was politically motivated, said it was consequent upon his emergence as the senate president “against the wishes of some powerful individuals”.
He reiterated this position in his welcome address, following the Senate’s resumption of plenary after a six-week recess.
“I wish to reiterate my remarks before the tribunal that I have no iota of doubt that I am on trial today because I am the President of the Nigerian Senate against the wishes of some powerful individuals outside this chamber,” Mr. Saraki said.
He continued, “But what is clear to me also is that the laws of Nigeria and the rules of the National Assembly give consideration to the wishes and desires of those of you who are here today, members of the Senate, to elect as you wish, one of your peers as the President of the Senate.  This, in your wisdom, is what you have done by electing me to be first among all of you who are my equals.
“The laws of Nigeria do not give any consideration to any other forces outside the Senate in the election of its leaders. And to yield the ground on this note is to be complicit in the subversion of democracy and principles of separation of powers as enshrined in our constitution.
“This is why we must once again commend President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to interfere in the National Assembly leadership even in the face of enormous pressures on him to do so. He has proved quite concretely that he is indeed a born-again democrat.”
Emphasizing the need to defend Nigeria’s democracy and independence of the legislature, Mr. Saraki expressed his readiness to protect the tenets of democracy and urged his colleagues to stand by him.
He said, “As for me, I am prepared to do my duty in defence of our democracy and in safeguarding the independence of the National Assembly. My duty, as I see it, is to do justice and honour to the memory of those who have paid even higher prices to give us this democracy and this constitution. Primarily as a Senator of the Federal Republic and as Senate President I owe it to this Senate to stand strong in the face of relentless persecution.
“I invite all of you to stand with me to defend this Senate and preserve its sanctity. Ultimately, our legacies would not be defined by how long we stay here and in whatever position; but by what we did with this great opportunity that our people have given us by the grace of Almighty God.”
Messrs. Saraki abnd Dogara emerged leaders of the National Assembly against the wishes of their party, the APC, which supported the duo of Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila for the positions of senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
Mr. Dogara later reached a compromise with the party in respect of the principal positions of the House of Representatives after a meeting with the president.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Saraki made similar overtures to the presidency in order to resolve the crisis amicably, but the president allegedly denied him audience.
Mr. Buhari has not have a private meeting with Mr. Saraki since the latter’s emergence as president of the Senate on June 9.
Against the party’s position, which urged the senate president to fill the principal positions with its nominees, Mr. Saraki insisted on reflecting federal character in the distribution of the principal offices – a move that further made his relationship with the party frosty.
Mr. Saraki’s loyalists later filled the principal positions when the senate zoned the positions and asked the zonal caucuses of the parties to make nominations.
Dogara’s Tacit Support

In his address today, Mr. Dogara urged the Federal Government to ensure the pursuit of “common good” be the focus of Mr. Saraki’s trial.
“[The] barometer of the polity has been on the rise of late because of certain developments concerning the arraignment of the President of the Senate.
“While commending the President of the Senate for submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in the recognition that no person is above the law, I wish to caution that there is need for great circumspection in times such as this in order to maintain proper focus in pursuit of the common good,” the Speaker said.
He commended his colleagues for “the maturity of avoiding further escalation [of the crisis] through media commentaries.

ISIS: Buhari urges world leaders to look beyond military solution

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, said that better results would be achieved in the global war against Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and violent extremism if the threat was addressed from the source.
Accordingly, he posited that the fundamentals of good governance and stoppage of illicit financial flow from countries with weak anti-theft structures to others parts should not be ignored.
Buhari made this assertion while addressing a forum of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the theme: “Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism.”
According to the Nigerian leader, anything that would constitute any form of attraction for young people to join such nihilistic organisations should be utterly discouraged by leaders, so that their recruitment source could easily be cut off.
He said: “Nigeria notes with satisfaction the efforts of the United Nations and the rest of the international community to contain ISIL. We certainly need to do more. We need to take military action combined with effective border security, intelligence collection and sharing, and vigorous policing action.
“These alone may not suffice, but they can certainly stem the tide and reverse the process of recruitment, movement and effective operation of foreign terrorist fighters and their associated radical extremists. In order to put in place the critical components of an effective approach to countering ISIL and eventually defeating it, we must address the threat from the source.
“We must find a way to prevent young people from turning to terror in the first place. And the young people that turn to violent extremism do not exist in a vacuum; they are often part of the communities and families and are lured into the fold of barbaric and nihilistic organisations, somehow, through a misguided appeal to their worst fears, expectations and apparent frustrations.
“While addressing the causes of this attraction and how to deal with them, we should pay close attention to other manifest factors that may not be tangible but can be crucial. Good governance, which entails transparency, accountability and rule of law, remains the basis on which we should kick-start the process of ridding the world of the menace of terrorism and violent extremism.
“The international community will be required to work together to deter and disrupt illicit financial flows from nations with weak anti-theft structures to other parts of the world.
“Where such funds are identified, the victim state should be assisted to recover them fast.
President Buhari also noted that “groups like al-Qa’ida and ISIL exploit the anger that festers when people feel that injustice and corruption leave them with no chance of improving their lives. Member states need to address local socio-economic grievances by formulating policies that would ensure broad-based transformation through job creation, equalisation of opportunities and expanding access to social services.”
He said African leaders needed to also rededicate ourselves to uphold the mandate of the African Union Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and other good governance initiatives that they had adopted in the region, to encourage conformity with political, economic and corporate governance values.
Buhari equally pointed out that the increase in violence and terrorism by ISIL and other groups had enticed and emboldened insurgent groups in Africa.
He recalled that the Boko Haram terrorist group, operating in the Lake Chad Basin area, which is currently on the Al-Qaida sanctions list, pledged its allegiance to ISIL in March 2015, as a ploy to gain support and assistance from foreign groups and fighters.
“While we believe that Boko Haram action is an indication of the weakening operational capability of the group, it could also suggest that it was a strategic move to attract foreign fighters into its fold, and obtain assistance from ISIL. Certainly, whatever the reason was for the declaration of allegiance, one thing is certain: Boko Haram terrorist group wants to be drawn into the centre stage of global terrorism.
“This development has led not only to a shift in strategy, but also to changes in ideology, recruitment and propaganda methods by Boko Haram. Its recourse to mass executions and public beheadings in the style of ISIL became notoriously widespread after its declaration of allegiance,” the President pointed out.
Wondering why the rigorous enlistment process coupled with the UN legal framework had not stemmed the tide of their flow, the Nigerian leaders asserted that “ISIL is a serious threat to international peace and security and should be treated as such.”

244 Nigerians missing as Hajj death toll hits 64

The grim reality of the Mina, Saudi Arabia stampede was further highlighted yesterday with the news that Nigeria’s death toll had hit 64.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said in Makkah that 10 more bodies were identified, raising the toll from 54 to 64.
The commission’s Public Affairs Director, Uba Mana, said 244 pilgrims were missing.
The figure of the injured also jumped to 71 from 61 previously announced.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered NAHCON to account for every Nigerian in Saudi for Hajj.
Mana said of the 64 dead pilgrims, 46 were transported to Saudi Arabia by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies and 18 by private tour operators.
Mana also said 12 of the 71 injured pilgrims were transported to Saudi Arabia by tour operators and 59 by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies.
He said the deceased were from Adamawa,Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, Jigawa, FCT, Cross River, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers Sokoto, Yobe, Taraba, and Zamfara.
Last Thursday’s stampede occurred on the way to the Jamrat complex (stoning site) in Mina.
The Saudi authorities have declared that no fewer than 749 pilgrims died; 805 others were injured.
Mana said: “We cannot declare missing Nigerians dead because you cannot confirm someone dead without the corpse.
“And because during the stampede, helicopters came around picking victims and taking them to hospitals, we have decided to extend our search to all hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Kaduna all along said they had no missing pilgrims. But by yesterday, they called and said they cannot find six of their pilgrims.
“So the figure keeps changing; it may increase or decrease. Some of the injured have been treated and discharged.”
But a former Governor of Nasarawa State and Amirul Hajj (head of delegation) of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, yesterday denied that some pilgrims from the state died in the  stampede in Mina.
Abdullahi, who spoke with reporters in Makkah, said contrary to reports, the state recorded two deaths from natural causes.
He said: “We mourn the deaths and injuries of our brothers and sisters in the stampede and commiserate with their families, Nigerians and the Muslim world. We did not lose any pilgrims in the unfortunate incident, so the reports to that effect is misleading and should be ignored.
“We actually lost two pilgrims, one died in his sleep two weeks before the stampede and the other was due to ailment on which Nigerian and Saudi medical personnel tried their best on the pilgrim but he died. There were no other deaths.”
The Ondo State Government said it lost three persons.
A statement by Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade also said the whereabouts of seven others remained  unknown.
But the government did not disclose names of the victims.
The statement said: “Of the 312 members of the state’s contingent to the 2015 hajj, three have been confirmed dead in the unfortunate accident in Saudi Arabia while seven are still missing. We note that many other Nigerians across the country also lost their lives in the sad occurrence.
“Government is saddened by these unfortunate losses. We can only send words of condolence to families of the dead across the country.
“While we pray for the safety of those still missing, we commiserate with the Muslim Ummah in Ondo State and Nigeria at large. We pray that the deceased find rest with their maker.”
Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board also declared that five pilgrims from the state were missing.
Executive Secretary Aliyu Suleman said: “Officials of the Board have visited hospitals in Mina and Mecca in search of the missing pilgrims.
“The officials have visited hospital mortuaries and hospital beds, but so far, there is no news of the five,” Suleiman said.
He added: “So far, only one pilgrim from Darazo Local Government, Alhaji Sule Ibrahim, has been confirmed dead.”
Apart from those who died in the stampede, 19 other Nigerians died of illnesses.
The head of the Medical Data Unit, Dr Jibrin Suleman, said the centre confirmed the figure.
The centre has five clinics, two in Madinah and three in Mecca to cater for Nigerian pilgrims.
Briefing the leader, Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Hajj, Sen. Ali Wakili, during a visit to the centre in Mecca, Suleman said most of the dead are aged between 65 years and above.
He said most of the deceased had died of heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes and other related ailments.
Suleman said the centre, which was limited to the provision of basic treatment only, recorded two miscarriages and referred 50 cases to hospitals within the period.
He said more than 10,000 pilgrims visited the centre for cold, malaria, body pains and other simple and non-complicated cases.
Also briefing the committee, the Head, Medical Team of the centre, Dr Muhammad Bello Abdulkadir, said the clinics had drugs.
“We brought some of the drugs from Nigeria, while others were procured in Saudi Arabia,’’ he stressed.
Abdulkadir also said that NAHCON recruited 232 medical staff, including doctors, nurses and others, to man the clinics.
He, however, complained that the centre had no ambulance to move to the pilgrims’ hostels during emergencies.
Wakili said members of the ad hoc committee were going round NAHCON facilities in Saudi Arabia to record some of their problems and present them to the Senate for redressing.
He praised members of the medical team for their dedication and hard work and urged them to use the limited facilities for the benefit of the pilgrim.

PMB seeks Senate’s confirmation for Fowler, Danbatta, Kuru

•President  asks Assembly to okay $200m World Bank loan for Lagos
The Senate yesterday received communications from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting confirmation of the appointments of Mr. Babatunde Fowler as Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Also, the President sent a request for approval of Alhaji Umaru Danbata as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Similarly, the name of Alhaji Ahmed Kuru was  sent to the upper legislative body for confirmation as the Managing Director of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
The names of Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze and Aminu Ismail were also forwarded for approval as Executive Directors.
Also yesterday, the President asked the Senate to approve a Development Policy Operation (DPO) loan (budget support) of $200 million to Lagos State from the World Bank.
Buhari, in a letter entitled: “Request for special approval of Lagos State DPO 11 under the Federal Government external borrowing rolling plan 2015 to 2017,” the President requested the Senate to endorse the loan expeditiously.
The letter reads in part: “I refer to the above subject and request approval for Development Policy Operation (DPO) loan (Budget Support) of US$200 million to Lagos State from the World Bank.
“You may wish to know that the World Bank approved a DPO loan for a total sum of US$600 million to Lagos State Government in 2010 to be implemented in three tranches of US$200 million per annum.
“The first tranche was approved by the National Assembly in the 2010-2012 Federal Government External (Rolling) Borrowing Plan and the second tranche was in the 2012-2014 plan.
“The DPO 1has been successfully implemented as adjudged by the World Bank, the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved the second tranche of the DPO on April 29, 2015.
“The DPO 111 was captured in the Federal Government External (Rolling) Borrowing Plan of 2014-2016 which was discussed with the National Assembly, but was not concluded.
“Pursuant to the above, therefore I seek for your support to facilitate the consideration and approval of the DPO 111 loan of US$200million to enable the state to consolidate on the gains of the second tranche of the DPO 11.
‘It is instructive to note that key programme objectives of the DPO are already beginning to show in terms of increased inflow of private investment to the state, increased private sector employment opportunities and increased internally generated revenues.

Police not aware of ransom payment by Falae family, says IGP

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, said, on Tuesday, that the Nigeria Police was unaware that Chief Olu Falae, who was released by his abductors last week paid a ransom.
Chief said on Monday that his family paid ransom.
A statement issued by the Force headquarters, on Tuesday, said that the office of the Inspector-General of Police had been inundated with enquires on claim by Falae and his family that a ransom was paid to his abductors, who eventually released him on September 24 after he spent three in captive.
Denouncing Falae claim the statement said that “as a law enforcement agency guided by rule of law and professional ethics, we do, not under any circumstance, encourage the payment of ransom to kidnappers or other criminals as it is tantamount to rewarding crime and motivating other criminals to follow that path.
“The Police was not in any way privy to any arrangement that would have led to payment of ransom by the elder statesman or his family. For the respected Chief to declare that he paid a ransom for his release is therefore, a demotivating news.”
It said that their approach was a professional response to what they saw as a crime against a respected national personality known to embrace peace and who had dedicated most of his valuable life to selfless service of our nation.
“The Police, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, deployed a unique intelligence and operational capabilities including Police helicopters for aerial surveillance. Our intelligence and operational teams comprising Intelligence Response Team (a special anti-kidnapping unit), Conventional and Mobile Policemen were deployed for rescue operation,” the Police said.
They followed the path from the point of kidnapping at his farm at Ilado, along Igbatoro Road in Akure, Ondo State and trailed the hoodlums through bushes to Owo in Ondo State.
“In the process, we were able to identify the major actors and currently high level Police activities are being emplaced to apprehend and bring them to justice. As professionals, it is our conviction that the unprecedented and massive deployment of Police resources and men to support search and rescue operations put pressure on the criminals to release the elder statesman. This is much so that history has shown that even where ransom is proven to have been paid the life or safe return of a kidnap victim may not be guaranteed,” the Police said.
“Whatever the family did as regards payment of ransom was outside the knowledge and consent of the Police and at this point we wish to advice that in future families who fall victims of such acts should rather work closely with the Police component of the rescue initiative so that we can achieve the primary purpose of rescuing the victim alive instead of wittingly or unwittingly giving the impression of encouraging criminal activity by rewarding criminals with payment of ransom,” the Police stated.

Buhari asks House of Representatives to approve $200m loan for Lagos State

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, sought the approval of the House of Representatives to obtain $200 million loan from the World Bank for Lagos State.


This was contained in a letter to the House of Representatives written by the president and read by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, during plenary.



According to Dogara, the loan, which is for Development Policy Operation (DPOII), was approved in 2010 by the World Bank and is expected to be implemented in three tranches per annum.



He said that the first tranche was approved by the National Assembly in the 2010 to 2012 Federal Government external borrowing plan while the second tranche was approved in the 2012 to 2014 plan.



He said that the letter stated that DPO 1 was successfully implemented by Lagos State government in 2014.



“Following the successful implementation as adjudged by the World Bank, the bank’s Board of Directors approved the second tranche of the DPO on April 29, 2015.



“DPO 111 was captured in the Federal Government external (rolling) borrowing plan of 2014 to 2016 which was discussed with the National Assembly, but was not concluded,” Dogara said.



He solicited the support of the members to facilitate the consideration and early approval of DPO 11.



“This is to enable the state to consolidate on the gains of the second tranche of the operation (DPO 11),” he added.



Similarly, Buhari also requested approval for increase in the amount to be raised through the Diaspora bond from the international capital market.



“This is in line with the Federal Government’s effort to mobilise capital to finance critical infrastructure in the country,” the letter stated.



The letter stated that the request was crucial in diversifying Federal Government’s sources of funding and encouraging Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute to the development of the economy.



It added that the reason for the request to increase the issuance amount to $300 million was to meet the huge capital needed to bridge the infrastructure gap and ensure growth and development

Nursing students rape 6-yr-old pupil in Edo

BENIN—SIX-YEAR-OLD  Miss Sharon Eghobamien, a pupil of Eriya Group of Schools, Ihogbe, Benin-City, Edo State, was playing in her mother’s shop when three randy male students of the School of Nursing, Benin, swooped on her, whisked her  away to a hideout where they defiled her.
6-yr-old pupil raped by 3 Nursing students in Edo
6-yr-old pupil raped by three Nursing students in Edo
That was on the    May 25, 2015.When she was questioned by her mother, Mrs. Rachel Eghobamien, a petty trader, who observed that her daughter was always complaining of abdominal pains, frequent urinating and defecating, she opened up on how the three  students usually whisk her through the window, take her to their hostel and rape her.
She gave the names of the suspected rapists as Kennedy, Paul Aghama and Jeffery, saying they carried out the escapades whenever she (Mrs Eghobamien) was not around. Suspicion: Mrs. Eghobamien told  Niger Delta Voice  that she became apprehensive that something grave might have happened to her daughter when she noticed that she was not walking normally and always complained of abdominal pains, urinating frequently and defecating.
Charge ofdefilement
“I begin to question her and she then told me that whenever I am not in the shop, these boys always took her away through the window to their hostels to defile her” “I took her to the Central Hospital Benin where she was examined by a doctor and it was discovered that she had been defiled and her hymen was already broken. I then reported the case at the Aideyan Police Station, Benin City and from there it was transferred to Esigie Police Station, the section in charge of defilement cases in Benin.”
Strange development
She disclosed that while the matter was still with the Edo State Police Command, where the suspected students were detained pending police investigation, something curious happened.
Her words, “While police officers at Esigie Police Station were carrying out discreet investigation to unravel the intrigues behind the defilement as instructed by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. James Ezike, the suspects and their cohorts concocted a frivolous petition to the office of the AIG, Zone 5

Buhari appoints self as petroleum minister.

Mr. Buhari said he would personally head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the new cabinet.

Addressing some select reporters in New York on Tuesday, after addressing a Global Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism, the President said: “I wil remain Minister of Petroleum.

“I will appoint a minister of State for Petroleum”.

According to him, this step is being taken as part of efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry, which is said to be plagued by corruption, massive fraud, and crude oil theft.

Mr. Buhari restated his determination to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry and free it from corruption and shady deals.

He said that the first step in this direction had already been taken with the appointment of a new management for the NNPC and its subsequent reorganisation.

The President said the prosecution of those who misappropriated NNPC’s revenue under past administrations would soon commence.

On Corruption, he pledged that the federal government will fight corruption, because it has been identified as the root of all problems hindering Nigeria as a nation.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for most part of his tenure, was also the minister of petroleum.

Mr. Buhari had promised to name his cabinet before the end of September.

Since Wednesday is the last day of the month, the President is widely expected to forward names of his minister to the National Assembly today.

Names forwarded to the National Assembly would be screened and approved by the Senate before they are sworn in.

Already, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has indicated that the screening of the ministers would be thorough and comprehensive.

Mr. Saraki gave the hint while welcoming senators to plenary in Abuja after a long recess.

He said that screening of the nominees would be in-depth to ensure that only competent and qualified individuals only occupied the positions.

“As we await the list of ministerial nominees this week, we are prepared to treat the screening with dispatch but with thoroughness,” the Senate President said.

“I believe the presence of ministers will create the space for greater policy engagement with the executive arm of government.

“I want to urge you all my colleagues to ensure that what is uppermost in our minds as we begin the constitutional task of screening of ministerial nominees is the overall interest of our country.”

He added, “Once the list is submitted, let us ensure that we treat it with dispatch and thoroughness. We must not be held down by unnecessary politicking.

“The enormity of our national challenges at this time does not give room for pettiness or politics of vendetta.”

UN counters Nigeria, says country properly invited to missed Boko Haram meeting

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (UNOCHA), has told PREMIUM TIMES that Nigeria was officially informed and properly invited to a high-level event in New York where the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin was discussed.
This is contrary to the claims by the Nigerian presidency that the country was neither informed nor invited to the meeting where Nigeria’s neighbours and key humanitarian agencies brainstormed on how to tackle the refugee crisis caused by the conflict.
The event was organised by UN Under-Secretary-General, Stephen O’Brien, but Nigeria, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, was absent.
Reuters news agency reported last week that U.S. and European Union diplomats were disappointed that Nigeria was not represented at the meeting.
The news of the absence of the Nigerian delegation at the meeting attracted condemnation back home with many blaming it on the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint ministers.
They argued that a competent minister of foreign affairs would have ensured that the country was represented at the meeting where such an important issue was discussed.
In an email to PREMIUM TIMES, on Sunday, backed up with a list of events the President’s delegation was invited to participate, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, insisted the presidency did not get an invite to attend the meeting.
“There is no record of any invitation to the Nigerian Mission as confirmed by the Permanent Representative, Prof Joy Ogwu,” he said.
But a spokesperson for UNOCHA, Jens Laerke, who is based in Geneva, told PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone that not only was the office of the Permanent Representative of the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations officially informed and invited for the event, an invite was in fact sent to the office of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, prior to the departure of the Nigerian delegation to the UNGA.
“I’m almost 100 per cent sure that Nigeria was invited. One of the reasons was that I read the original speech by O’Brien in which he acknowledged the presence of the Nigerian government,” he said.
Mr Laerke, however, asked to be allowed to double-check with his colleague in New York, who was in charge of inviting participants for the meeting. He called back four hours later after checking with his organisation’s New York office.
“I’ve just been in contact with my colleague in New York and we can assure you that the government of Nigeria was invited to the event and my colleagues in New York did what they could to ensure that they were provided with the invitation,” he said.
When asked which organ of the Nigerian government the invite was sent to, Mr Laerke responded: “Actually, the government was invited both by direct communication to the Vice President and then subsequently through the permanent representation in New York.
“My colleague told me he actually went there personally to hand over the invitation to make sure they receive the invitation. We really made an effort to make sure the government was aware of the invitation because we really want them to come.”
When asked to for documentary evidence that the Nigerian mission was actually informed, and indeed received and acknowledged the invitation, Mr Laerke demanded an official letter before that could be made available.
PREMIUM TIMES did exactly as he requested.
In an email to this newspaper on Tuesday, Mr Laerke said the New York office of UNOCHA was yet to revert to him.
“I have not obtained any reply regarding your request for access to written documentation. In the meantime, however, I have double checked the matter and I can assure you that Nigeria was invited to the event. We don’t know why they didn’t come.
“You may want to raise this with the Permanent Mission of Nigeria at the UN in New York.
Allow me to add that the Nigerian Government is a valued partner of the UN and UNOCHA,” he wrote.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations but its spokesperson, Tope Elias-Fatile, declined to provide  categorical answer when asked if the Mission received an invite for the Boko Haram event.
This newspaper sent Mr. Elias-Fatile an email on Monday asking him five questions, including two dealing with Nigeria’s invitation to and representation at the Boko Haram event.
Other questions dealt with President Buhari’s attendance at the session where Pope Francis addressed the UN.
But in his response, the spokesperson gave a blanket answer which did not categorically answer any of the questions.
He merely said, “Only one answer with brief explanation will suffice to all the questions:
“Mr. President arrived promptly to all events in which he was scheduled to attend, including Pope Francis’ address to the United Nations.
“Specifically, Mr. President arrived promptly at the General Assembly well ahead of Pope’s address and he listened to the address. You can verify this by any video coverage of the event.”
Efforts to seek clarification from Permanent Representative Joy Ogwu by telephone was unsuccessful.
Since Saturday, multiple calls to the Mission’s telephone numbers were answered by an automated voice prompt that kept linking the calls to what appeared a dead extension.
A separate email to the official address of the permanent mission, sent Saturday, has also not been replied.
When contacted on the insistence by the UN that Nigeria was invited to the event, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said, “Ask them to give you evidence that the invitation was delivered, and the name of the staff who received it. Prof. Joy Ogwu said there was no invitation. We need evidence before anyone can say what she said is inaccurate.”
Laolu Akande, the spokesperson for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, whose office UNOCHA said it also informed of the event, could not be reached to comment for this story. His telephone was switched off the several times PREMIUM TIMES called.

83 SENATORS WHO VOTED FOR SARAKI
83 Senators came by way of Vote of Confidence to declare their support for Senate President, Bukola Saraki in his fight with President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu who distributed cash gifts to Senators before the Sallah holiday.
The proposal titled: “Vote of Confidence on Principal Officers of the Senate,” in pursuant to Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Order 2015, had the names of 48 Senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 35 from the majority All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senator David Umaru (APC-Niger East), was the one who read the Vote Of Confidence motion on the floor of the Red Chamber.
The list:
1. Sen. David Umaru
2. Sen. Mohammed A. Ndume
3. Sen. Godswill Akpabio
4. Sen. Biodun Olujimi
5. Sen. Malam A. Wakil
6. Sen. Isah Hamma Misau
7. Sen. Emmanuel I. Paulker
8. Sen. Ogola Foster
9. Sen. Gershom H. Bassey
10. Sen. James Manager
11. Sen. Babajide Omowarare (Cancelled)
12. Sen. Ahmadu Abubakar M.
13. Sen. Joshua M. Lidani
14. Sen. Achonu A. Nneji
15. Sen. Shehu Sanni
16. Sen. Salihu H. Egye
17. Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa
18. Sen. Mohammed S. Ohiare
19. Sen. Philip Aruwa Gyunka
20. Sen. Abdullahi Adamu
21. Sen. Samuel N. Anyanwu
22. Sen. George T. Sekibo
23. Sen. Monsurat J.A. Sunmonu
24. Sen. Jeremiah T. Useni
25. Sen. Ogba Joseph Obinna
26. Sen. Aliyu S. Abdullahi
27. Sen. Sunny Ogbuoji
28. Sen. Gilbert Nnaji
29. Sen. Bala IBN Na’allah
30. Sen. Philip Tanimu Aduda
31. Sen. Duro Samuel Faseyi
32. Sen. Kabiru Gaya
33. Sen. Muhammad Aliero
34. Sen. Bukar A. Ibrahim, CON
35. Sen. Abubakar Kyari
36. Sen. Rose Okoji Oko
37. Sen. Osinachukwu I. Ideozu
38. Sen. Matthew A. Urhoghide
39. Sen. Fatimat O Raji-Rasaki
40. Sen. Tijani Yahaya Kaura
41. Sen. Sabo Mohammed
42. Sen. Danjuma Laáh
43. Sen. Mohammed S. Lafiagi
44. Sen. Dino Melaye
45. Sen. Abdulrahman Abubakar
46. Sen. Bassey A. Akpan
47. Sen. Olanrewaju A. Tejuoso
48. Sen. Buruji Kashamu
49. Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe
50. Sen. Samuel O. Egwu
51. Sen. David A.B. Mark\
52. Sen. Aliyu M. Wamakko.
53. Sen. Marafa Bachir Abba
54. Sen. Mohammed Hassan
55. Sen. Utazi G. Chukwuka
56. Sen. Francis Alimikhena
57. Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha
58. Sen. Joshua Chibi Dariye
59. Sen. Uche L. Ekwunife
60. Sen. Murray-Bruce Ben
61. Sen. Binta Masi Garba
62. Sen. Jang Jonah David
63. Sen. Ighoyota Amori
64. Sen. Ibrahim A. Gobir
65. Sen. Mohammed Goje, CON
66. Sen. Ahmed Rufa’i Sani
67. Sen. Ibrahim Abdullahi
68. Sen. Muhammad U. Shitu
69. Sen. Andy E. Ubah
70. Sen. Nelson A. Effiong
71. Sen. Rafiu Adedayo Ibrahim
72. Sen. Abdul A.M. Nyako
73. Sen. Theodore A. Orji
74. Sen. Olaka Johnson Nwogu
75. Sen. Abubakar S. Danladi
76. Sen. Yele Omogunwa
77. Sen. Stella Adaeze Oduah
78. Sen. Hope O. Uzodinma
79. Sen. John Owah Enoh
80. Sen. Peter Nwaboshi
81. Sen. Clifford A. Ordia
82. Sen. Donald Alasoadura
83. Sen. Mustapha Sani
84. Sen. Gbolahan Dada

The Nigerian senate on resumption of plenary after its annual recess on Tuesday 29th September, 2015 passed a Vote on Confidence on its incumbent leadership as led by the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

The Senators had in a motion moved by Senator David Umaru who represents Niger East Senatorial District, seconded by former governor of Zamfara State and Senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Senator Ahmed Sani and overwhelmingly supported by 82 others passed the Vote of Confidence.
It however did not go without a little hitch as a Senator from Osun East, Babajide Omoworare who chairs the Senate Committee on Rules and Business raised that he would like to withdraw his name from the list and Senator Kabiru Marafa disrupting proceeedings till he walked out of the Floor while Senators debated the motion which was subsequently passed with the overwhelming support of Senators present.
This is an improvement in the performance ratings of the Senate leadership as about 81 Senators had earlier done such a few months ago with Senators rising beyond their political affiliations to support the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki without a dissenting voice.  

Falae: ‘I was let go day after ransom was collected’

A former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, said yesterday that he paid ransom to his abductors before his release last week.

He provided shocking details of how he was starved, made to trek kilometres and forced to sleep on leaves while it rained.

The former presidential candidate said he was kidnapped on his birthday by six Fulani herdsmen last Monday at his Ilado farm on the outskirts of Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Speaking to reporters at his home in Akure, Falae said the armed hoodlums threatened to kill him every 30 minutes, until they received information that the ransom had been paid. He did not state how much was paid to the abductors, who initially asked for N100 million, which they reduced to N90 million. A family member said they could raise only N2 million.

Falae, 77, said: “There were six of them with three or four guns and every half an hour or so they will say, ‘Baba we are going to kill you, if you don’t give us money we are going to kill you.

“On Wednesday, one of them said we are leaving here on Thursday morning. Since we cannot leave you here alone, if we don’t get what we want we are going to kill you.

“And they said they gave me until 3pm. I thank God that at 21 minutes before 3pm, one of them came and said ‘the money don complete’.”

Reliving his ordeal, he said: “When the hoodlums came, they slashed me with their cutlasses, they said I was not cooperating. And they dragged me barefooted into the bush.

“After dragging me around for about two hours, they stopped somewhere for us to rest and there they asked me to phone my wife and tell her that I have been kidnapped and taken out of Ondo State, which was a lie.

“About 2.30pm on Monday, we started walking with very few stops until 2am the following morning. I guess I must have covered a minimum of 15 kilometers.

“That morning, I did not take anything. So all day, I had no food, no water and I walked close to 15km. How I survived I cannot really remember. I had no food in my stomach, I had no shoes, my clothes were torn.

“At a point, one of them gave me a pair of slippers. Later, they called for a motorcycle. The motorcyclist took me away. I had no clue where we were going. Finally, they dumped me somewhere, where I was, until I was released on Thursday.

“In that place, we all slept on leaves. Unfortunately, it rained in the night and I was drenched. One of them brought a small umbrella to cover my head, but the rest of my body was not.

“They offered me bread, but I told them I could not eat it. I demanded for a bottle of coke, which was what I drank every day to have energy and to continue with the march, because we were always moving.

“They were changing locations two to three times a day. I suspect it was to prevent the police from tracing them.”

The ex-finance minister said although the confirmation of the payment of ransom was made on Wednesday afternoon, he was not allowed to go until Thursday morning.

“So the following morning, they said I should go. One of them took ropes to stitch my buba, which was tattered.

“So when I came out of the bush, I found a motorcyclist, who gave me a lift to Owo.

“The place was about 10km from Owo town. The place was between Owo and Ifon. And I walked to that place. I guess we must have trekked about 25km.

“Miraculously, I was not tired, I was not hungry and I was not afraid of them at all. Each time they said, ‘Baba we will kill you,’ I will tell them, ‘no, insha Allah, you will not kill me’.

“I did not break down, but I want to tell you that when I got back home I became completely exhausted.

“But I am now 80 per cent fit and I know in the next few days I will be 100 per cent again.”

The 77-year-old warned that such attack should not be allowed to happen again as it could result to even graver consequences.

“It is not because of me. As for me, I am a very humble person, but by virtue of what God has made me and the status He has given me, it is an insult to our race that a man like me could be abducted by a bunch of hoodlums.”

He added: “By the way, one of them told me ‘Baba, if after you leave us you talk nonsense I will come and catch you again’. That is the kind of insult I received.”

Asked if the kidnappers were illiterates, Falae replied: “Only two of them could speak some English. They were between 25 and 35. They were Fulani but they spoke Hausa.”

Falae said it was likely his ordeal was closely connected to his conflict with Fulani herdsmen, who consistently grazed on his farm.

“The cattle rearers have been giving me a hard time for the past two or three years. Because I have a dam on the farm, so they like to bring their cattle there to drink water, then they eat my crops.

“This time they ate up my maize farm. We took pictures, and it was videoed, the police went there. They were asked to pay compensation, they begged and paid half and we accepted it.

“That was about two months ago. Whether it was one of them who went to bring his brothers to come and deal ‘with this wicked man’, I don’t know. It is plausible.

“My view is that this is my home. I have not gone to farm on anyone’s territory. This is my home where I was born. I have every right to farm here and live in peace here. So, this is totally unacceptable.

“I once told the commissioner of police that if he cannot protect us and protect my farm, then I will protect myself. There will be self-help, if government fails to protect its citizens.

“It would have been unfortunate if that were to happen. The IG met me and assured me that they will give us protection.

“I hope that we  in Ondo State and in Yoruba land would consult to ensure that we enhance our protection. We cannot be slaves in our own territory.”

The former SGF said he was not surprised that the police could not trace and arrest the kidnappers because of the manner of their movement and operation.

“These fellows were permanently on the move. Day and night they were walking. Through farm lands, through water, through swamps…they were scared, they knew they could be traced with GPS, that was why they were running around all the time.

Falae: ‘I was let go day after ransom was collected’

A former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, said yesterday that he paid ransom to his abductors before his release last week.

He provided shocking details of how he was starved, made to trek kilometres and forced to sleep on leaves while it rained.

The former presidential candidate said he was kidnapped on his birthday by six Fulani herdsmen last Monday at his Ilado farm on the outskirts of Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Speaking to reporters at his home in Akure, Falae said the armed hoodlums threatened to kill him every 30 minutes, until they received information that the ransom had been paid. He did not state how much was paid to the abductors, who initially asked for N100 million, which they reduced to N90 million. A family member said they could raise only N2 million.

Falae, 77, said: “There were six of them with three or four guns and every half an hour or so they will say, ‘Baba we are going to kill you, if you don’t give us money we are going to kill you.

“On Wednesday, one of them said we are leaving here on Thursday morning. Since we cannot leave you here alone, if we don’t get what we want we are going to kill you.

“And they said they gave me until 3pm. I thank God that at 21 minutes before 3pm, one of them came and said ‘the money don complete’.”

Reliving his ordeal, he said: “When the hoodlums came, they slashed me with their cutlasses, they said I was not cooperating. And they dragged me barefooted into the bush.

“After dragging me around for about two hours, they stopped somewhere for us to rest and there they asked me to phone my wife and tell her that I have been kidnapped and taken out of Ondo State, which was a lie.

“About 2.30pm on Monday, we started walking with very few stops until 2am the following morning. I guess I must have covered a minimum of 15 kilometers.

“That morning, I did not take anything. So all day, I had no food, no water and I walked close to 15km. How I survived I cannot really remember. I had no food in my stomach, I had no shoes, my clothes were torn.

“At a point, one of them gave me a pair of slippers. Later, they called for a motorcycle. The motorcyclist took me away. I had no clue where we were going. Finally, they dumped me somewhere, where I was, until I was released on Thursday.

“In that place, we all slept on leaves. Unfortunately, it rained in the night and I was drenched. One of them brought a small umbrella to cover my head, but the rest of my body was not.

“They offered me bread, but I told them I could not eat it. I demanded for a bottle of coke, which was what I drank every day to have energy and to continue with the march, because we were always moving.

“They were changing locations two to three times a day. I suspect it was to prevent the police from tracing them.”

The ex-finance minister said although the confirmation of the payment of ransom was made on Wednesday afternoon, he was not allowed to go until Thursday morning.

“So the following morning, they said I should go. One of them took ropes to stitch my buba, which was tattered.

“So when I came out of the bush, I found a motorcyclist, who gave me a lift to Owo.

“The place was about 10km from Owo town. The place was between Owo and Ifon. And I walked to that place. I guess we must have trekked about 25km.

“Miraculously, I was not tired, I was not hungry and I was not afraid of them at all. Each time they said, ‘Baba we will kill you,’ I will tell them, ‘no, insha Allah, you will not kill me’.

“I did not break down, but I want to tell you that when I got back home I became completely exhausted.

“But I am now 80 per cent fit and I know in the next few days I will be 100 per cent again.”

The 77-year-old warned that such attack should not be allowed to happen again as it could result to even graver consequences.

“It is not because of me. As for me, I am a very humble person, but by virtue of what God has made me and the status He has given me, it is an insult to our race that a man like me could be abducted by a bunch of hoodlums.”

He added: “By the way, one of them told me ‘Baba, if after you leave us you talk nonsense I will come and catch you again’. That is the kind of insult I received.”

Asked if the kidnappers were illiterates, Falae replied: “Only two of them could speak some English. They were between 25 and 35. They were Fulani but they spoke Hausa.”

Falae said it was likely his ordeal was closely connected to his conflict with Fulani herdsmen, who consistently grazed on his farm.

“The cattle rearers have been giving me a hard time for the past two or three years. Because I have a dam on the farm, so they like to bring their cattle there to drink water, then they eat my crops.

“This time they ate up my maize farm. We took pictures, and it was videoed, the police went there. They were asked to pay compensation, they begged and paid half and we accepted it.

“That was about two months ago. Whether it was one of them who went to bring his brothers to come and deal ‘with this wicked man’, I don’t know. It is plausible.

“My view is that this is my home. I have not gone to farm on anyone’s territory. This is my home where I was born. I have every right to farm here and live in peace here. So, this is totally unacceptable.

“I once told the commissioner of police that if he cannot protect us and protect my farm, then I will protect myself. There will be self-help, if government fails to protect its citizens.

“It would have been unfortunate if that were to happen. The IG met me and assured me that they will give us protection.

“I hope that we  in Ondo State and in Yoruba land would consult to ensure that we enhance our protection. We cannot be slaves in our own territory.”

The former SGF said he was not surprised that the police could not trace and arrest the kidnappers because of the manner of their movement and operation.

“These fellows were permanently on the move. Day and night they were walking. Through farm lands, through water, through swamps…they were scared, they knew they could be traced with GPS, that was why they were running around all the time.

The Herdsmen From Hell, By Femi Fani-Kayode

The Fulani herdsmen may well believe that they have one of their own in the Villa today but that does not mean that they will get away with their murderous ways or their sheer impunity. It is most unwise for them to continue to test the resolve of the people of the South in this way. I say this because collectively southerners are slow to anger but irresistible in battle. When pushed to the wall they often indulge in what Dr. Amanze Obi, the respected columnist for Nigeria’s Sun newspaper, once described as “southern fury”.

“Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better and the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most that has made it possible for evil to triumph” – His Royal Majesty Haile Selassie 1, Emperor of Ethiopia.
If there was ever a time to remember the words of Haile Selassie and speak out against evil, this is it. With the abduction of the elder statesman and June 12th struggle hero, Chief Olu Falae, from his home by a group of Fulani herdsmen in South-Western Nigeria, it is time for us to seriously consider the expulsion of all Fulani herdsmen from the southern part of our country.
We thank God and commend the efforts of the Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police that Chief Falae was returned home safely after a harrowing three days. Given his status in Yoruba land, had this not been so, there would have been cataclysmic consequences for the unity of our country.
It is because we wish to avoid such a scenario that it is important that we get these marauders and vandals out of our territory as quickly as possible. This is especially so given the fact that, by Falae’s testimony, it is clear that the Fulani herdsmen that abducted him were working in-hand with Boko Haram.
These herdsmen have become the pests of our nation. They are like the east African tsetse fly: wherever they go they suck the life blood out of their hosts and, like the locust, they destroy everything in their path. They are like leeches: they indulge in a parasitic mode of nutrition and they suck the blood of the carcass until their victim is left for dead.
Like the Arab Janjaweed, they are only known for the most hideous of things. This includes terror, intimidation, theft, murder, rape, abduction, mutilation, the violation of the rights of others, the destruction of the land and crops of farmers and the destruction of property.
Anyone that doubts this should ask the people of the North-Central zone what they have been suffering in the hands of these vagabonds and vagrants for the last 50 years. This is especially so in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Nassarawa, Taraba and Adamawa states.
Yet up until 20 years ago, this was essentially a northern problem and it did not affect the south. Sadly that has changed. It has now become a national plague that knows no boundaries and whose poison threatens to consume us all.
In the last few years the Fulani herdsmen have attacked, ravaged and pillaged many rural communities south of the River Niger and they have slaughtered and raped thousands of innocent people in the South-South, the South-East and the South-Western zones of our country.
We recall how, after a violent clash between them and some Yoruba farmers in Oyo State in 2000, General Buhari (as he then was) led a strong delegation of northern leaders to see the late Governor of Oyo state, Governor Lam Adeshina. On arrival Buhari put the following question to him: “why are YOUR people killing MY people?” This was a classic case of a Freudian slip. The Bible says “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. The general had spoken his mind.
Governor Adeshina was shocked with disbelief and he responded by telling Buhari that he was rather surprised that a former Head of State would refer to one ethnic group as “his” people whilst referring to another as someone elses’. He said that this was especially so given the fact that people were killed on both sides of the divide in what was a sad and unfortunate conflict.
The insensitivity of Buhari to the Yoruba farmers and their plight in the hands of the Fulani raiders was noted from that moment on. Ever since that conversation took place the lines have been drawn and the South-West has been on alert.
The abduction of Falae may well have brought things to a head because today virtually every self-respecting Yoruba man is calling for strong resistance to these alien cattle-rearers whose criminal activities have led to nothing but blood, tears and carnage. If the government refuses to stop them then it is very clear that some communities may end up doing so themselves.
Yet, there is an even more sinister dimension to this problem than most people care to admit. That dimension is best illustrated by the following question. Can there be any truth in the assertion that the Fulani herdsmen are nothing less than the vanguard and covert armed wing of the Fulani ruling class, which has managed to infiltrate the south under the ingenious guise of selling cows?
Are they sleeper cells of a much bigger army and a much wider cause? Are they, as Falae has suggested, working in-hand with Boko Haram? If a major conflict were to arise, would those sleeper cells be activated and would they commence the wholesale slaughter of the indigenous population in their host states? As painful as it may appear, these are questions that we must ask.
The fact that the herdsmen demanded for a 100 million naira ransom from Falae speaks volumes. The question is this: what do mere cattle-rearers want with 100 million Naira? Even more instructive is the fact that when they were offered two million Naira they responded by saying that the amount would not be enough for Boko Haram.
Given all this, it is clear to me that we must begin to look at the wider picture. We must accept the ugly reality that there may be more to all this than meets the eye. This is especially so given the fact that up until the time of writing this piece not one of Falae’s captors has been apprehended by the police and they seem to have vanished into thin air. One wonders what transpired. Were they granted amnesty or are they ghosts?
Can there be any truth in the suggestion that there was some kind of official collusion in the abduction? Was it an attempt to put Falae, and by extension the Yoruba, in their place for vigorously supporting the idea of a national conference? Is it an attempt to intimidate those from the South-West that opposed President Buhari in the 2015 presidential elections? If so it will not work.
Afenifere, the leading socio-cultural group of the South-West of which Falae is a leading member, and the Yoruba people generally have a way of rising to the occasion when they are threatened, cheated or persecuted. History proves that. Worthy of note are the words of Dr. Frederick Fasheun and Otunba Gani Adams, both leaders of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in this matter. Only the unwise would ignore their counsel.
Another curious twist to the tale is the fact that it took the Buhari administration two days to make any formal announcement on Falae’s abduction and just the day after they finally did so the elder statesman was suddenly released.
The question is this: who is pulling the strings from behind the scenes and who is attempting to test our resolve and test the waters? Whatever the answer to these questions are, one thing remains clear. The days of killing people with impunity and stripping them of their lands and possessions are long over.
The Fulani herdsmen may well believe that they have one of their own in the Villa today but that does not mean that they will get away with their murderous ways or their sheer impunity. It is most unwise for them to continue to test the resolve of the people of the South in this way. I say this because collectively southerners are slow to anger but irresistible in battle. When pushed to the wall they often indulge in what Dr. Amanze Obi, the respected columnist for Nigeria’s Sun newspaper, once described as “southern fury”.
Permit me to conclude this intervention with an interesting and relevant contribution from the famous British historian, writer and educationalist Dr. T.R. Batten. He wrote:
“The Fulani were at their most influential in Gobir. Then a dispute broke out between their Imam, Usman Dan Fodiyo and Sarkin Gobir Yunfa. The Fulani rallied behind their leader who encouraged them to defy their Hausa Chief. He began a jihad and fighting broke out. Thus the Fulani seized the country by force against the will of those who lived there. The enmity had nothing to do with religion for among those who fought (against the Fulani) were many Muslims. It was about the Fulani’s wish to seize power from the Hausas.”
It follows that the herdsman and those that they represent conquer by infiltration, assimilation and guile. Those who doubt this should find out what became of the ancient Hausa kingdoms. May God deliver us from the vagabonds and vagrants in our midst.

Dismantle Safe Havens For Proceeds Of Corruption, President Buhari Urges World Leaders In Key UN Speech

Observing that corruption, cross-border financial crimes, cyber crimes and human trafficking are major challenges of the 21st century which the international community must work collectively to overcome, the Nigeria leader reaffirmed his administration's determination to frontally confront the twin evils of corruption and illicit financial outflows.

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President Muhammadu buhari and Un Sec general Bank Moon State House Photos President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the international community to urgently redouble its efforts to strengthen mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds of corruption.

Addressing world leaders at the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations, President Buhari also urged his counterparts to do more to return stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.
Observing that corruption, cross-border financial crimes, cyber crimes and human trafficking are major challenges of the 21st century which the international community must work collectively to overcome, the Nigeria leader reaffirmed his administration's determination to frontally confront the twin evils of corruption and illicit financial outflows.
"By any consideration, corruption and cross-border financial crimes are impediments to development, economic growth, and the realization of the well-being of citizens across the globe,” he said, expressing Nigeria’s willingness to partner with international agencies and individual countries on a bilateral basis to confront crimes and corruption.
"In particular, I call upon the global community to urgently redouble efforts towards strengthening the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds of corruption and ensuring the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin," the President said.
President Buhari also proposed the adoption of peace as a seventh essential element of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted last Friday by world leaders in New York.
"The Secretary-General has grouped the SDGs into what he calls six “essential elements” namely: Dignity, Prosperity, Justice, Partnership, Planet and People,” he recalled.
"As a prerequisite to these and as we look at history and remember the terrible events that gave rise to the birth of the United Nations in 1945, I would like to propose a seventh: PEACE.
He asserted that peace  is close to the hearts of Nigerians, as the nation is in the front line in the war on terror. Boko Haram’s war against the people of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon may not attract as much worldwide attention as the wars in the Middle East, he said, but the suffering is just as great and the human cost equally high.
"This is a war between progress and chaos; between democracy and the rule of law. Boko Haram celebrates violence against the weak and the innocent and deplorably, they hide behind their perverted interpretation of Islam. Boko Haram is as far away from Islam as anyone can think of," President Buhari declared.
The President assured the global community that his administration was doing all within its powers to quickly overcome the challenge of terrorism and insecurity.
"The new Nigerian Government which I have the honour to head, moved with dispatch to put in a bold and robust strategy to defeat Boko Haram. Nigeria and her neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger plus Benin are working together to face this common threat within the regional framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
"We have established a multinational joint task force to confront, degrade and defeat Boko Haram. We have driven them away from many of their strongholds, killed or captured many of their operatives or commanders and freed several hundreds of hostages," President Buhari told the General Assembly.
The President reassured the international community that rescuing the Chibok girls remains one of the major objectives of his administration.
"We are working round the clock to ensure their safety and eventual reunion with their families. The girls are constantly on our minds and in our plans," he said.
President Buhari also condemned the new and dangerous dimension which human trafficking has assumed in the world, saying that Africans are grieved to see hundreds of their able bodied men and women dying in the desert or drowning in the Mediterranean.
"We condemn in the strongest terms these people traffickers and will support any measures to apprehend and bring them to justice," the President said.
He also noted that the world was witnessing a dreadful increase in conflicts fuelled by the availability of small arms and light weapons, and called on the international community   to work towards the effective  implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty to ensure that these weapons can only be legally transferred.
Reminding the global assembly that peaceful co-existence and self-determination were among the key principles that led to the establishment of the United Nations, President Buhari called for the urgent resolution of the question of self-determination for the people of Palestine and Western Sahara.
"The international community has come to pin its hopes on resolving the Palestinian issue through the two – states solution which recognizes the legitimate right of each state to exist in peace and security,” the President said.
"The world has no more excuses or reasons to delay the implementation of the long list of Security Council resolutions on this question. Neither do we have the moral right to deny any people their freedom or condemn them indefinitely to occupation and blockade.”

PIC. 4. SENATE PRESIDENT BUKOLA SARAKI AT THE CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL WHERE HE WENT TO TAKE HIS PLEA IN THE 13-COUNT CHARGE SLAMMED ON HIM OVER ALLEGED FALSE DECLARATION OF HIS ASSETS, IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY (22/9/15). 6772/22/9/2015/HF/CH/BJO/NAN

“Senator Saraki has no moral right to preside over the Senate”

The Coalition of Northern Youths Association CNYA has stated that with the the current crisis bedevilling the Senate President which culminated in his arraignment at the Code of Conduct Tribunal last week, he is no longer morally fit to occupy the office if the president and should step down for a more qualified Senator to preside over the affairs of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Senate President, Senator  Bukola Saraki Docked by Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki Docked by Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
At the end of its meeting in Kaduna at the weekend, the group noted that it has
resolved to mobilise its members and senators to rally round Senator Barnabas Gemade to become the next Senate President in view of the corruption charges involving the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.
The statement signed by the national coordinator of the group, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed stated that the current crisis bedevilling the Senate President with his eventual arraignment at the Code of Conduct Tribunal last week has raised a moral issues about his fitness to preside.
According to the group “we strongly believe that Senator Saraki has no moral right to preside over the affairs of the Senate based on the allegations levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau, and he cannot be facing trial and at the same time presiding over the affairs of the Senate. As such the best option left for him now, if he has conscience is to resign honourably and pave way for a new leadership in the senate’.
The group pointed out that the whole world is watching Nigeria over the Sarakigate, “hence we call on the Senate President to do the needful by resigning without delay”
It added added that in order not to create a leadership vacuum in the Senate and allow the opposition party, the PDP to capitalise on this, “we appeal to the previous contenders for the seat of Senate President such as Senators Ahmed Lawan and George Akume to jettison their ambition and support Senator Barnabas Gemade to become the next Senate President.
‘This is the only way out of the quagmire, considering the fact that Senator Gemade has all it takes to superintend over the Senate’.
Justifying it’s choice of Senator Gemade, the group said it believed that Senator Gemade is going to entrench peace, unity and legislative decorum in the senate.
“We make bold to state that as a former minister, former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and a two term Senator now in his third term, he has the capacity to steer the ship of the senate and forge unity among the senators from both the All Progressive Congress APC and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP”.
They called on the National Executives of the All Progressive Congress APC to see reason with their position and commence serious consultations among party stakeholders to ensure that the exit of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President will not spell doom for the party.
‘We call on all APC Senators to throw away any toga of loyalty to any person and go for the best candidate which to us at this particular point in time is Senator Barnabas Gemade’ the group said.

Ogun Police Confirm Arrest Of Blogger by Fynestboi:

ABEOKUTA—The Ogun State Police Command, Monday, confirmed the arrest of a blogger, Emmanuel Ojo for accusing the wife of the state governor, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun of allegedly laundering $300,000 in London.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrest on the telephone, said Ojo is being detained at the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for questioning.
Vanguard gathered that Ojo was arrested for a story exposing the alleged quizzing of Ogun State first lady, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, in London for money laundering.
Ojo was said to have been trailed and arrested on Saturday and detained at Ibara Police Station, Abeokuta for wrongly accusing Mrs. Amosun.
She has since denied being involved in any money laundering saga.
Adejobi said the command received a complaint from the state government about the blogger, which led to his arrest.
Adejobi said investigations on the matter are ongoing.
He said, “We received a complaint from the state government on the suspect, and he was arrested. Presently he is with us at Eleweran, we are still conducting our investigations. If he is found wanting he will be charged to court accordingly.”
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, said governor Amosun, was not connected with the arrest of the blogger as being speculated in some quarters.
He, however, confirmed that the state government made a formal complaint to the police and the director of the State Security Service, about a false allegation that the blogger made against the First lady.