Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has asked president Muhammadu Buhari to stop the donation of the sum of $500,000 to Guinea Bissau, saying that it is part of the waste of the nation’s scarce fund.
In a statement today, Sunday by the presidential campaign organization, Atiku described the financial assistance to another country as “financial profligacy that has seen the Buhari administration destroy a once thriving economy.
“In the latest instance, the Buhari government has announced that it is making a $500,000 donation to Guinea Bissau, along with other material donations.
“Our response is to ask why a nation that has been officially named as the world headquarters for extreme poverty, will donate her resources to others instead of using them to solve pressing domestic problems?
“This is the same government that is so cash strapped that it has so far borrowed ₦13 trillion in 3 years putting our economy in even greater peril. How prudent is it to go about taking loans from whomsoever cares to lend you money and then turn around to give out those same monies even when your own people are suffering the worst forms of poverty they have ever endured?”
The PDP flagbearer called on the Buhari administration to cut it’s coat according to its cloth, adding that the huge loans his government is collecting, “only to squander it, will be repaid by future generations and limit the nation’s ability to invest in projects that will Get Nigeria Working Again.
“There are over a million Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria. If you cannot adequately support your own people in dire need, what is the wisdom in crossing borders to support others?
“We have the moral authority to question this administration’s profligacy and imprudence, because Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP was part of an administration that paid off Nigeria’s entire foreign debt. We are therefore concerned to see this government piling on debt and then squandering it away without any consideration for the needs of her own people.”
Dr Babatunde Okewale, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (O&G) and a fertility expert is the Chairman and Chief Medical Director of St Ives Specialist Hospital with branches in Lagos and Abeokuta, Ogun State. In this interview by TAYO GESINDE, he speaks on the reason for the increase in infertility in the world today, why Invitro Fertilisation (IVF) is expensive and how to prevent infertility.
What are the causes of infertility in men and women?
I think one of the best ways to understand the cause of infertility is first to know how conception occurs. There are basically five criteria for anyone who is trying to conceive. The first thing is that the husband’s sperm must be of good quality and quantity. The second requirement is that the woman herself must know her fertile period; when she is ovulating because it is only when they make love at that time that pregnancy can occur. The third one is that the inside of the womb of the woman must be able to accept and keep a pregnancy. So, there shouldn’t be anything in the womb that can disrupt pregnancy whether it is fibroid, adhesions or polyps. The fourth requirement is that the fallopian tube of the woman must be opened so that the eggs that are formed in the ovary can enter the tube and mix with the sperm that are coming so that fertilisation can occur. Finally, the woman must be producing quality eggs. If you see anybody that got pregnant naturally, what it meant was that those five requirements were fulfilled. Conversely, if there is a problem with any of those five things, it could cause infertility; if there is problem with the sperm, a woman has problem with her menstrual period, if the inside of the womb cannot accept pregnancy, if her fallopian tubes are blocked or she doesn’t produce quality eggs every month.
It seems cases of infertility are on the increase these days. What is responsible for that?
That is very true and it is not only in Nigeria, it is a worldwide phenomenon. And part of the reasons are these; as industrialisation increases worldwide, pollution increases, especially in the third world countries and there are quite a lot of pollutants that affect men’s sperm and sometimes affect women’s fertility. Some of the industries that have been implicated are industries such as plastic industry, industry that produce paints because you have heavy metals in paint production. Pollution generally affects the sperm count of men unknowingly because of the industrial pollution that goes into the water system of the populace, water gets contaminated. People are digging borehole and don’t know where the water they are getting is coming from. The second thing is that women are not getting married early again unlike in the past. The older a woman gets the more difficult it is to achieve a pregnancy. In fact, the best time, for any woman to achieve a pregnancy is between age 20 and 30. Once you are hitting 35, the ability to achieve a pregnancy starts decreasing at a very fast rate such that by 40, for most women, they find it extremely difficult to achieve a pregnancy. The other things are infections. The kind of infection that affect fertility has changed over the years. In the 70s, we were talking about Gonorrhoea which could be easily detected but the kind of s3xually transmitted disease that causes blocked tubes and affect sperms now are different. These ones are in the group of Chlamydia, they don’t show any sign and would have done their damage before you know it. So, indiscriminate unprotected s3x too can cause infertility. Also, excessive smoking and alcohol intake affect sperm but they are minor. Pollution, industrialisation and infections are playing a big role in infertility.
Is IVF the only solution to infertility?
No. In fact, IVF is just one of the solutions in infertility. It is not all the infertility causes that you need IVF for. If you have menstrual disorder, all you just need is an ovulation drug that would correct the problem, or if the problem is fibroid that is blocking some passage ways that will allow sperm to meet with eggs; if you remove the fibroid that should sort out the problem. IVF is however the first treatment option in women that have blocked tube. What it does is that it bypasses the tube and makes fertilisation occur outside of the womb.
Some women have done IVF four, five times without it resulting in pregnancy and some of them later conceive naturally. What is responsible for that?
The truth of the matter is; before you embark on IVF you must be sure that that is what is needed. It is not a situation of let me try IVF then try other things. There are some indications for IVF that lent themselves into the fact that after having an IVF, you can still conceive naturally. For example in cases of unexplained infertility (when all examination had been done and there is no reason for why pregnancy has not occurred), we advice IVF because what it does is to ensure that both the egg and the sperm meet. In such couples, they had IVF, got pregnant and have a baby. Subsequent conception does not have to be IVF. The drugs used in the IVF have made some correction in their reproductive hormones. It does happen but it is very rare. So, the reason IVF fails is that people don’t go for test to find out whether that is what they really need. Another reason IVF fails is either because the quality of the woman’s egg is low or the quality of the womb is not fertile or okay. But if the womb is very fertile, if you put an embryo there, it will grow. The problem in women is that as a woman grows older, the quality of the egg and the quality of the womb start deteriorating. IVF is usually very successful in women below the age of thirty. As a woman grows older, the failure rate of IVF starts increasing. In fact, let me give you some statistics; if a woman is below 30, her chances of getting pregnant in a cycle of IVF is 60 per cent, while in a woman who is 40 years old, her chances of getting pregnant in more than one cycle is not more than 25 per cent. What have made the differences are the age and the quality of the egg and the inside of the womb. The best time for pregnancy in women either naturally or IVF is below the age of 35. Most failures in IVF are in women who are using their own eggs above 35 years old. The converse again is if a woman is 60 and wants to get pregnant by IVF and decides to use the egg of a younger person, the chance that she will get pregnant with the egg of a 3o-year-old is high.
Talking about pregnancies, why do women have miscarriages?
Generally speaking, the incidence of miscarriages in natural conception is about one in four. Most people might not know that. In fact, most people have miscarriages even before they missed their periods. What causes miscarriage in the early stage of pregnancy mostly is abnormality in the formation of the embryo. Again, if people get married late, the incidence of abnormality increases. Any woman who gets pregnant above the age of 35 should ideally be screened for Down syndrome. For most abnormal pregnancies, the way the body deals with them is to let them go (miscarriage) before 12 weeks.
IVF is on the high side for many Nigerians, especially in the rural areas. What are you doing to ensure that they too can benefit from this procedure?
What we have been doing for the past 10 years is that we work closely with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that twice in a year our patients pay only 50 per cent while it pays us the balance. So, we do a promo twice a year courtesy the NGO. Ideally, the government should step in, in such situation. In UK and some other socially responsible societies, the government steps in. In UK for instance, the government ensures that you have free IVF for the first three cycles it is only if nothing happens after three cycles, that you start paying. And people that can’t afford it, it is highly subsidised because infertility is a social problem. Although our governments don’t see it that way, they are more interested in population control so more money is being put into contraception. But for a couple trying to conceive, infertility is a social problem and government should be able to help. Having said that, IVF is an expensive procedure all over the world not only in Nigeria. Part of the reason is that an IVF laboratory is a high tech lab. There must be light 24 hours and there is a level of sanitation that must be present in the lab. Though it is not as expensive as heart or kidney transplant. The only problem is that people don’t see infertility as a diseased process, they only see it as a lifestyle issue.
Governor Nasiru El-Rufai poses in a photo with Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe
Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has picked a woman, Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe as running mate for the 2019 elections.
El-Rufai announced his choice on his Twitter handle today.
His present deputy, Architect Barnabas Bala Bantex has opted to contest the Kaduna South senatorial seat.
Hadiza Balarabe, a medical doctor from Sanga council in Kaduna south, was the former executive secretary of Kaduna Primary Health Care Development Agency.
“She will be the first elected female Deputy Governor in Kaduna State”, El-Rufai tweeted.
According to Daily Trust, Hadiza is a Numana by tribe and hails from Gwantu was attending a conference in Kenya when she was summoned home by El-Rufai.
She will be the second female deputy governor of the state after Mrs Pamela Sadauki.
She’s a trained medical consultant on public health and primary health care.
She obtained her MBBS from the University of Maiduguri in 1988. She had worked as a public health consultant, public health physician, Federal Capital Territory Primary Health Care Board, and director public health, Federal Capital Territory Administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari and SGF Boss Mustapha as FG inaugurates panel to investigate NHIS | NAN
Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, on Friday inaugurated a fact-finding committee on National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and advised it to eschew bias in its assignment.
This is coming few days after President Muhammadu Buhari sent the Executive Secretary of the Scheme on administrative leave.
At the ceremony in Abuja, Mustapha told members of the Independent Fact-Finding Panel that NHIS had been involved in various crises, which had led to the suspension of its Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
He said that the crises had also called for the scrapping of the Health Management Organisations (HMO) operating in the scheme.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is passionate about the health of the citizens; so, as part of the crises, it had become necessary to set up a panel that will investigate the infractions in the scheme.
“The panel has two weeks to complete the assignment and all hands must be on deck to ensure that you deliver to the satisfaction of the president,” Mustapha said.
In her remarks, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Iya, assured the panel of her support and guidance in carrying out its assignment.
Oyo-Ita, who was represented by the Director, IPPIS, OHCSF, Mrs Anne Attah, said that all civil servants were enrolled on the NHIS and that its success was important for the progress of the civil service.
She expressed confidence in the Chairman of the panel, Dr Hassan Bukar, stating that as a former permanent secretary, he knew the rules and regulations of the civil service.
On his part, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, commended the SGF for his prompt intervention in the NHIS issue.
Adewole promised to help the panel in speeding up the discharge of the assignment to enable it to deliver on time, adding that the problem of NHIS was deeply rooted.
“I promise to help speed up the process of the panel and once the report is turned in, it will be implemented immediately,” he said.
Accepting the responsibility, Chairman of the panel, Bukar, said that it was a rare privilege to be bestowed with such confidence and responsibility by the government.
He noted that the task was onerous, but assured that the panel would ensure that it delivered on time.
Bukar added that the panel would work assiduously to restore NHIS to its glory.
The panel will investigate alleged infractions listed by the NHIS Governing Council in its letter of Oct. 18, 2018 and determine the extent of culpability or otherwise of the Executive Secretary.
It is mandated to make appropriate recommendations, including on issues that led to the unhealthy relationship between the board and the chief executive officer of the scheme.
It will also investigate and make recommendations on the extent of involvement of staff unions within the organisation to the impasse between the board and executive secretary.
Mrs Jummai Idakwo, OSGF, is Secretary of the panel, which has Dr Emmanuel Meribole , Director, Federal Ministry of Health and Mr Adewale Owolo , Director, Audit, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAGF), as members.
Other are Mr Shamsuddeen Bello, Deputy Director, Expenditure, OSGF; Mr Ishaq Yahaya , Director, Certification and Compliance, Bureau of Public Procurement and Dr Ekanem Udoh, Director, Science, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
Chief Lilian Nma Achumba, runs a charity home in Aba where babies are harvested for sale. She leads the baby selling gang | NAN
Nigeria Police said they have busted a gang which specialises in baby selling for as much as N700,000 each to willing buyers, even across the border in Benin Republic.
Chief Superintendent of police, Aremu Adeniran, who is the deputy force public relations officer unveiled the three-person gang in Abuja today.
The gang’s kingpin is a 52 year-old woman, Chief Lilian Nma Achumba, who runs a charity home in Aba, Abia state.
A Police investigating team was stunned when it found 35 pregnant girls and six children and a day old baby at the Nma Charity and Rehabilitation Centre,Umunkpeyi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government in Abia.
The team was led there by two of the suspects, initially arrested at the Idi-Iroko border in Ogun state on 20 July. They were caught with two newly-born babies, meant for smuggling for sale in Benin Republic.
Upon interrogation, the two suspects, 44 year old Emmanuel Chigozie Elesuwa and 33 year-old Chioma David, a woman confessed they bought the babies at N350,000 each at Nma Charity home and they were taking them to Benin to sell at N700,000 each.
According to Adeniran, investigation into the case by the Anti-Human Trafficking and Women/Children Protection Unit of the Force revealed that the suspects arrested are notorious criminals that deal in buying and selling of babies and children within and outside Nigeria.
“Consequently, the suspects, Emmanuel Chigozie Elesuwa and Chioma David, admitted and confessed to the Police investigation team that they are members of a criminal gang that specialize in buying and selling of new born babies and children within and outside Nigeria and have been in operation for over ten years.
“During interrogation and further investigation into the roles played by Chief Lilian Nma Achumba , the owner of Nma Charity Home in Aba, Abia State indicted in the confession of the two suspects, it was discovered that the purpose of establishing the Orphanage Home is to harvest babies for sale and she also operate other branches of the orphanage home in Port-harcourt and some other parts of the Country”.
The police spokesman said 28 of the 36 pregnant girls or women and three children found at the Nma charity home, have been handed over to the Ministry of Strategy and Social Development, Umuahia, Abia State and all have since been re-united with their families after receiving medical attention.
“The Principal suspect Chief Lilian Nma Achumba has admitted and confessed to her criminal roles in the case”, Adeniran said.
Achumba also revealed she has other branches of the orphanage in Port-harcourt and some other parts of the country.
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on assumption of Office on the 22nd June, 2016 expanded the Anti-Human Trafficking and Women/Children Protection Unit of the Force under the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID).
The Anti-Human Trafficking and Women/Children Protection Unit of the Force in compliance with the directives and their expanded mandate have been working in synergy with relevant agencies of Government in the fight against the trafficking of persons and abuse of rights and privileges of women and children.
Police said investigation is being intensified to uncover other illegal orphanage branches being operated by Achumba , to rescue victims and arrest other members of the syndicate still at large.
President Buhari receives Attestation and confirmation of result from West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Registrar Dr Iyi Uwadiae in State House on 2nd Nov 2018
West African Examination Council (WAEC) has formally presented to Present Muhammadu Buhari the attestation and confirmation of his 1961
West African School Certificate (WASC) result.
The presentation was made today, Friday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by a delegation of WAEC led by its Registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae, accompanied head of the WAEC national office, Olutise Adenipekun, head of the public affairs, Abiodun Aduloju and zonal coordinator, Olufemi Oke.
The President thanked the examination board, established in 1952, and which conducts the WASC examination for University and JAMB entry examination in West African countries, for upholding its integrity over the years, adding that he did not expect anything less from the institution.
The President said it would have been impossible for him to have attended the Defence Services Staff College, India (1973) and thereafter, United States Army War College, as a Nigerian military officer, if he didn’t sit for the WASC examinations in 1961.
The President recounted that during his secondary school days, it was very difficult to commit examination fraud, even though it was not impossible.
”My colleagues and I who spent close to nine years in boarding school both in primary and secondary, including Gen. Musa Yar’Adua, when we intended to join the military we had to take a military examination.
”We were examined in three subjects, English, Mathematics and General Knowledge because English is the language for general instruction throughout the country because of our colonial heritage.
”Mathematics in the military was necessary, coupled with Geography. We were trained how to be dropped off in the bush, given only a pair of compass and since we were not astronomers, you have to learn to find your way, calculate, using the Pythagoras Theorem and others to work out your position.”
In his remarks, the Registrar said it was possible for candidates to lose their examination certificates through fire and any other unfortunate incident.
”We don’t issue certificates twice but we can issue attestations or duplicate copy of the certificate.
”We also have what we refer to as confirmation; usually, universities were using this in those days when Information Technology was not in vogue.
”Whoever sat for WASC exams in whatever year, we have the records in our database, and Mr President, we have the records of the examinations you sat in 1961.
”We have the attestation of results which we issue to candidates who lost their certificates and confirmation of results.”
President Buhari receives Attestation and confirmation of result from West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Registrar Dr Iyi Uwadiae in State House on 2nd Nov 2018
The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Friday, said the controversy concerning President Muhammadu Buhari’s school certificate is embarrassing and felt a sense of duty to produce and deliver to him a confirmation and attestation of his results, in form of a duplicate certificate.
This is a god-sent, with WAEC being a non-political entity. This should put to rest the absurd allegations by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, brought up again and again, that he did not attend a secondary school.
The unreasonable position of the PDP had been sustained all along in spite of testimony by classmates who read with him in school and graduated together, and that fact that a court of law had given a ruling on the matter.
In 2014-2015 when they raked up the issue, I remember that it took the courage of the then college Principal to issue a statement of results from available records. In doing so, he defied the ruling PDP government in the state which asked him not to.
At the time we got the results sheet, reports said that the government had determined to send arsonists to burn the school to ashes so that the existing records will be obliterated.
This was against the backdrop of the shocking claim by the Army Records office in Lokoja, that they didn’t keep any records of General Buhari as a military officer.
Curiously, the Army Records office had once come under Muhammadu Buhari, as Military Secretary who, during his tenure streamlined the records of the entire officer corps, and could not, by any stretch of imagination, have left his own records in a mess. General Alani Akinrinade (Rtd) reportedly dismissed this mischief as an insult to the military.
After doing his conscience’s duty by daringly releasing those results, the then government of Katsina State punished the Principal by stripping him of his seniority and posting.
As we said in a number of past statements, the matter of the President’s qualification to run for office is a non-issue, nonetheless feasted upon by the PDP which has stopped thinking and have nothing to offer to Nigerians.
Based on arguments that “education gives a human being the power to discriminate between right and wrong,” the 1999 Constitution stipulates a minimum educational qualification for citizens who intend to contest for elections at all levels, which requires that they must possess a secondary school education or its equivalent.
The provision above has itself come under serious re-examination by scholars who argue that the possession of a secondary school certification does not necessarily mean that a person is intelligent. It is equally argued that it is a mistake to assume that a person with a certificate has higher knowledge or intelligence than the one who doesn’t have.
In an article published by the Daily Trust a day or so ago, Professor Shehu Zuru quoted Wendy Sherman, the author of the book Not For The Faint Heart, that “courage and integrity are critical attributes that you cannot acquire from a classroom because they are the inert fabrics of human conscience that dictates the power of the negative and the power of the positive.”
As far as his educational career is concerned, President Buhari attended the Katsina Provincial Secondary School, before enrolling in the Nigerian Military Training College, NMTC Kaduna (1962), renamed Nigerian Defence Academy, in 1964.
As narrated by Major-General Sani Saleh (Rtd), “I worked at the Nigerian Defence Academy so I know the processes. You cannot get in with a forged certificate, it is impossible.
“At the time (Muhammadu Buhari enrolled), the army was still controlled by the British…Nigerian Army was a select and (an) elite organization, we had very few Army Officers at that time. I don’t think the whole Nigerian Army Officers were up to 50. You can imagine what it takes for you as a Nigerian to be one of those…and today, somebody will be accusing you that you don’t have a certificate.”
From NMTC, Muhammadu Buhari went to the Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot, United Kingdom (1962-63), the Defence Services Staff College, India (1973) and thereafter, United States Army War College, which upon completion, awarded its graduates a Master’s degree in strategic studies.
In the belief that the nation has the right to know the educational details of their president, Candidate Muhammadu Buhari laid bare everything and tendered an affidavit in respect of the WAEC certificate.
The masquerades wielding the real power behind the PDP, some of whom played an active part in his overthrow as military Head of State in the mid-eighties are deliberate in keeping this issue alive. As a thoroughbred, toughened general, he won’t cry out that his home and office were vandalized by scoopers when they threw him out of power.
In meeting the eligibility for the contest in 2015, President Buhari presented the WAEC results and the other degree and non-degree related results. He went through the verification process in the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the court. He ran and won against the PDP.
With these, the unnecessary controversy should have ended. It is equally hard to fathom how such a dead issue should get the type of attention given it by the media, considering the many matters of serious concern to the citizens – internal security that was given a short shrift for 16 years by the PDP; the diversification of the economy by focusing on key sectors (apart from oil) that can create jobs and generate revenue such as Agriculture, Solid Minerals and Manufacturing which the Buhari administration is keenly doing; the ongoing pursuit of more reforms and better governance; bolstered efforts towards poverty alleviation; ending corruption and insurgency and ploughing the savings therefrom to put in place needed infrastructure and so forth.
Do they know that Nigeria Airways, NITEL and other pensioners they left in the cold, unpaid when they sold public assets to cronies or to themselves are getting their dues under this dispensation? If these things had been done when the oil price was as high as US$140 per barrel, Nigeria would not be in the current predicament. We would not have suffered when we had no cash reserves but we had regular supply of power, a good rail system, good roads and good housing. These are the issues dear to the hearts of our people.
In its political fight for 2019, the PDP is not relying on the big issues of the day -security, corruption and jobs but on small, distractive matters that take little or no account of national interest. But what do you expect of a group that has stopped thinking, just blowing hot, toxic air, indulging in divisive politics and is raking up sectional issues so that the people will forget the real issues of corruption, infrastructure, security and economy for which they have no plans?
Garba Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.
President Muhammadu Buhari said the delays in passage of budgets by the National Assembly, sometimes lasting seven months, have been the result of delay completion of projects across the country, advising that more efforts be made to speed up the process.
The President, who received a delegation of Eminent and Respected citizens of Niger State led by Lt. Gen. Garba Duba (Rtd) at the Presidential Villa, said the government’s achievements in ensuring better roads, rails, power and repositioning of the airports was in spite of the delays, praying for more understanding and commitment to infrastructural development.
“If the National Assembly takes seven months to pass a budget, then we should be commended for the much that we have achieved, and can still achieve.
“I personally feel very disappointed. I spoke with the leaders of the National Assembly on the issue that seven months is a long time to work on a budget.”
The President said ongoing efforts to improve road, and rail networks across the country will be increased as infrastructural development remains paramount for improving the livelihood of Nigerians.
President Buhari told the delegation, which includes Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, military and traditional leaders, that his administration will pay more attention to the stretch of 2,150km federal roads in the state.
On security, he said, “we cannot manage our communities and societies without security. A lot of resources is being diverted to provide security instead of going into infrastructural development.’’
The President re-assured the delegation that his administration will stay focused on securing lives and property, fighting corruption and stimulating the economy for more progress.
President Buhari said the Minister of Agriculture and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria had been directed to increase monetary supports, through loans, to farmers in the next farming season, and ensure that farmers are not overwhelmed with the traditional demand for collaterals.
“Traditional institutions and families can serve as guarantors because we cannot continue with that colonial style of asking for collaterals that people don’t have.”
The President commended the Chinese government for accepting to finance 85 per cent of Nigeria’s infrastructural development need.
“I thank you so much for coming. It is a good morale booster for me and the country that a State will bring a strong delegation to show appreciation for our efforts,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Lt. Gen. Duba, who is a former military governor, commended the President for the significant stride in repositioning of roads, rails and airports across the country.
He said Niger State still faced challenges of security along Jebba-Mokwa-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna roads, urging the President to reinforce surveillance on the routes and also direct more attention on the construction of federal roads in the state.
The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, who is also the Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, commended the President for providing exemplary leadership for the country.
File Photo of police PRO, Jimoh Moshood addressing press
Nigeria Police Force has rejected the Amnesty International report alleging the use of deadly force by its officers against members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiite group, saying that such allegation is untrue, absolute distortion and diversionary.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, referring to the Amnesty International report published on 31st October, 2018, captioned “Nigeria: Security forces must be held accountable for killing of at least 45 peaceful Shi’a protesters,” the police said that the report was cooked up to slight it.
“The Nigeria Police Force, after a careful study of the entire report and the allegation against the Police on paragraph 3 of the report “We have seen a shocking and unconscionable use of deadly force by soldiers and police against IMN members. Video footage and eyewitness testimonies consistently show that the Nigerian military dispersed peaceful gatherings by firing live ammunition without warning, in clear violation of Nigerian and international law,” said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria”
“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state categorically that the allegation against the Police by the Amnesty International as stated in paragraph 3 quoted above is in its entirety untrue, misleading, a clear misrepresentation and absolute distortion of facts to divert attention from the heinous crimes committed by the El-Zazakky Group, which includeunprovoked attack on Police personnel and the setting ablaze of Police vehicle in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on 30thOctober, 2018 and disturbance of public peace and public safety in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on the said date.
“To set the record straight, there was no report of death in any Police Station in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja from the Police intervention and quelling of the disturbance of public peace and public safety, and unrest created by the El-Zazakky group in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on the 30th of October, 2018.
“The Force despite the height of provocation from the El-Zazakky group and the setting ablaze of a Police patrol vehicle resist the use of maximum force on the group but effected the arrest of Four Hundred (400) members of the group for disturbance of public peace, disruption of law and order in the Federal Capital Territory and setting ablaze of Police patrol vehicle. Some of the members of the El-Zazakky groups were also arrested with Thirty One (31) bottles of petrol bombs, other dangerous weapons and illicit drugs. All those arrested are being prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“The Force sees the Amnesty International allegation against the Police as deliberate and desperate attempt to cast aspersions on the investigation and ongoing prosecution of the arrested members of the El-Zazakky Group to pervert the end of justice.
“The Nigeria Police Force will not be deterred from carrying its statutory duties nor condone lawlessness, disturbance of public peace and public safety by any group(s) under any guise that runs contrary to the constitutional provisions and other enabling laws on preservation of law and order and protection of lives and property of all Nigerians.
“The general public are hereby implored to disregard and discountenance the allegation by Amnesty International that the Police used deadly force against IMN members as untrue, diversionary and distortion of fact.
“For avoidance of doubt, the Force has continuously in the last two (2) years contained several violent protests by the El-Zazakky group using minimum force within the Federal Capital Territory and in the process, some Police personnel sustained various degree of injuries and some police vehicles damaged while preventing the El-Zazakky group from causing breakdown of law and order in the FCT. Some Police officers were killed in Kaduna and Kano States by the El-Zazakky group within the same period. Aftermath of these violent protests, the Police have always charged the arrested members of the El-Zazakky group to Court. This can be verified by the Amnesty International and the general public.
“The Force will continue to operate within the ambit of the law and ensure the diligent prosecution of the arrested members of the El-Zazakky group on the 30th October, 2018 for acts and offences prohibited under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013.”
Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha has dismissed the rumours that he is mulling defecting from the All Progressives Congress(APC) over the fallout of the party’s governorship primaries in the state.
Okorocha who spoke with State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said he was in the Presidential Villa to clear the air that presidency was behind what Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman, was doing in some of the states.
Okorocha said that Oshiomhole’s actions had affected APC negatively, adding that there was no instruction from the president directing him to do anything illegal or create any sort of injustice.
“How can I build a house and leave it for someone else? I am in APC; I founded APC; I gave the name APC and so this is our party and we continue with the party and build the party for victory.
“Oshiomhole is on his own in this whole thing; there is no presidency support for him to refuse those who won elections and give wrong candidates who did not win election.
“So, this is the matter and I will simply say it is not on the consent of the presidency; he is on his own.
“I also requested that Oshiomhole must learn to respect the rule of law and obey court orders where they apply; this issue of court orders as tissue papers must stop; it does not reflect the image of our party.
“He must act quickly to fix the integrity of this party because his coming ought to have brought in joy into the party not sadness.’’ he said.
The governor said that APC would not disintegrate for as long Buhari was still the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the party.
Okorocha said that the party was still intact though many people were hurt.
He said that since Oshiomhole came on board coupled with the controversy surrounding his primaries, APC was losing almost five million voters because of anger and protests.
The governor said it was high time national chairman was called to order; to respect the rule of law; do the right and respect court orders.
“ He cannot stand on Hope Uzodinma because the gentleman did not win election; you cannot compare somebody who won 265,000 votes to somebody who won 7,000 votes.
“He did not; he never won the election and Oshiomhole cannot impose candidates unacceptable to people on the people.
“He should do the right thing before he creates more disaffection for our party; I do not think the National Working Committee (NWC) will not submit the name of Hope Uzodinma.
“In the first place, NWC sent a 13-man delegation who conducted election and 12 of them signed proving that Uche Nwosu won the election with 265,000 votes as against Hope who had less than 7,000 votes.
“He cannot do that and there is a letter to that effect from NWC saying Uche Nwosu won; there is a certificate of return given to Uche Nwosu; there is a police report saying Uche Nwosu; there is INEC report saying Uche Nwosu.
“Nobody can do that; and if they do that, that must be worst imposition in history,’’ he said
Speaking on the comment of the National Leader of APC, Bola Tinubu, that Oshiomhole was on the right track, Okorocha said that Tinubu must have been `ill-informed’.
According to the governor, if Tinubu is properly informed, he will not say that Oshiomhole is doing is right thing.
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