The UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Peter Lundberg has said that one billion dollars are needed to provide aid for victims of Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria’s restive northeast next year.

In a statement, Lundberg appealed to international community to increase their financial aids for the rehabilitation of the victims of the conflict which he described as“the largest crisis in Africa.”

“The narrative on this humanitarian crisis can no longer be ignored and we are appealing to the international community to help us prevent the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians over the coming 12 months.

“This is the largest crisis on the African continent and I am confident that with the support of the international community and the private sector, we can begin to bring hope to the people of the northeast.”

Lundberg said that the humanitarian response plan would address the needs of almost seven million people in dire need of nutrition, food, shelter, healthcare and education.

“A projected 5.1 million people will face serious food shortages as the conflict and risk of unexploded improvised devices prevented farmers planting for a third year in a row, causing a major food crisis.”

The scale of humanitarian suffering became more apparent after Nigerian troops recaptured swathes of territory held by Boko Haram since 2015.

The Boko Haram I insurgents have waged a brutal seven-year war in Nigeria’s North East  and has since spreading to Cameroon, Chad and Niger. [myad]

Edward David Onoja, Chief of Staff to the Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has allegedly ordered the arrest and detention of the publisher of a community based magazine, known as Policy and Law maker, Prince Friday Ogungbemi.
Ogungbemi was believed to have been picked up from his residence on Wednesday night by Operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) and has since been in detention at the DSS facility in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

It was learnt that the publisher was picked up on the orders of the Chief of Staff to the governor, allegedly over his current publication where he described him (Chief of Staff), as the de-facto Governor.
In the publication, Ogungbemi reportedly said that the Chief of Staff single handedly brought more than nine of his brothers and in-laws to occupy sensitive positions in government with some of them having no requisite qualifications. He cited the Chairman and Secretary of Olamaboro Local Government Area as his biological brothers and the Commissioner of Environment and the director of protocol to the Deputy Governor as his relations, among others.
Condemning the detention of the journalist, the Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Publishers of Community based newspapers in Kogi State described the development as unlawful and illegal, stressing that it is the height of impunity by the state government.
In a statement by Abu Michael, Chairman and Gideon Ayodele, Secretary of the state chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), insisted that the arrest was a calculated attempt to muzzle the press in the state, adding that it was unnecessary and uncalled for.

“The government or any of its appointee who felt injured in any publication should have reacted through a rejoinder or seek redress in a court of law as is the practice in civilized democracy. It is the first of its kind in the state.”
The Chapel said the continued detention of the publisher for over 48 hours over a civil issue has called to question the level of impunity the present change agenda seeks to correct but still practice, saying that the arrest is akin to using a sledgehammer to kill an ant.
Also reacting to the arrest and detention of the journalist, a Right activist and coordinator of Centre for Human Right and Conflict Resolution, Comrade Idris Miliki while condemning the act, said Article 21 of the United Nations Human Rights allow every citizens of the world to participate in the affair of his or her country through a free chosen means.

“Article 19 state; ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right include freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
He said that various sections of the1999 Constitutions as amended also uphold the rights of citizens to hold opinion and freedom of expression and wondered where the security agents in Kogi State derive the power to arrest and detain a journalist for mere holding and expressing opinion through a legitimate means.
Similarly, Mr. Sam Egwu, the Correspondent of Leadership Newspaper was beaten up by some thugs on the orders of one of the Media Aide to the governor and he is currently receiving treatment in Abuja, while one of the Media Aides to the governor, Ademu Idakwo is known for howling insults on working journalists in the state with threats to deal with them. [myad]

A top environmental scientist, Professors Omowunmi Amoke Sadiq and a poet/ literary critic, Professor Tanure Ojaide, have emerged as this year’s winners of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM).

Speaking last night at the dinner and investiture ceremony of the awardees, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said that the award recipients demonstrated that Nigeria is blessed with tremendous talent and that the nation’swriters, poets and scientists in the country are world class.

Osinbajo commended the laureates for their intellectual accomplishments and asked them to remain mentors for the younger generations.

The Vice President said that the greatness of individual citizens is yet to correlate with that of the nation, saying that the difficulties facing the nation today are in part the result of an elite failure to accept the responsibility that privilege confers, and the responsibility of shaping the right values for the society.

“We must define clearly what is lofty, noble and deserving of honour and how these values can be sustained, preserved and enforced.”

Professor Osinbajo said that there is a burden that comes with privilege, and that is “to create the moral and philosophical premises for integrity in the public service, fidelity to the rule of law and the creation of meritocracy as a rule.”

The Vice President also urged the Nigerian elite to join in the building of a new society where merit would be placed above other primordial considerations.

According to him, placing quota before merit does not work, saying that he is yet to meet a Nigerian who needed medical surgery and insisted that only his ethnic stock should perform it.

He challenged the Nigerian elites and leaders to make sacrifices and commit to a country run on merit, integrity, hard work justice and patriotism.

“To build a new Nigeria, we need a new tribe of men and women of all ethnicities, of all faiths, committed to a country run on high values of merit, integrity, hard work, justice and love of country.

“A tribe of men and women who are prepared to make the sacrifices and resolve the constraints crucial to building a strong society; who are prepared to stick together, fight corruption side by side, insist on justice even when our friends and those of our tribes and faith are at the receiving end.

“A tribe consisting of professionals, businessmen, politicians, religious leaders and all of those who believe that this new Nigeria is possible. This requires a new way of thinking, a new leadership corps, a new tribe.

“The challenge for us today is a challenge of finding a society where everyone especially those of us who lead in every aspect of leadership agree that this country is worth fighting for, that this country can truly be great.

“And the evidence we have seen today is that this country can truly be great and so may I just challenge us today that it is time to populate that new tribe.”

Other top government dignitaries at the event included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir David Lawal, whose office oversees the planning of the  NNOM and the Governing Board Chairman of the Merit Award Prof. Moses Essien.

Responding after her investiture, Professor Sadiq thanked the Federal Government for the award and gave the assurance that it would spur her to greater contributions toward national growth and humanity. She noted the fact that the Buhari administration had focused attention on things that matter to the people and have sent serious message to the rest of the world.

On his part, Professor Ojaide commended the organizers of the award for the recognition, adding that the award was the most important in his life coming from his country.

Commenting on the Niger Delta crisis, Ojaide appealed for fairness from both the sides of the Niger Delta people as well as the federal government, in order to resolve the issues in the region.

“I want Niger Delta people to realize that they are part of the Nigerian federation and as such should cede some of the resources to the development of the entire country. But the rest of the country should also be sensitive to your own problems.” [myad]

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has raised alarm over the gathering of Boko Haram insurgents in Falgore forest, less than 180 kilometres to the state capital.

The governor, who briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the situation when he had a closed door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Friday, painted a picture of an increasing influx of Boko Haram insurgents into Falgore forest in the state.

Speaking to news men after the meeting with the President, Ganduje said: “I came to brief Mr. President on the security situation in Kano, especially on the fallout from the North Eastern part of this country in which some of the Boko Haram insurgents kidnappers will like to dominate Falgore where they will be operating to other parts of the North-Western part of the country.

“So, the security agencies are working very hard and a lot of arrests have been made; investigation is going on. We will not allow them to dominate Kano and to make it as a launching pad.

“Certainly, we expect that if they are dismantled from the North East part of this country, they will find another location and Kano being an older city, is an attractive place for such elements to come in.”

According to him, security agencies have apprehended three persons believed to be leaders of the criminal group.

The governor, who is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress’ Technical Committee on Rivers by-elections, expressed optimism that all the APC candidates would emerge victorious in the exercise.

He said that the APC would ensure a free and fair election in the state, adding: “we have fresh ideas even though the environment in Rivers is quite different. We are consulting. We are coordinating and this time around, like in Ondo state, we must ensure free and fair election.

“You know in that part of the country, having free and fair election is not normal and we must make it normal this time around. We must make sure that there is security so that people can come out and vote and vote the person they like.

“That is our main preoccupation at the moment. We are making wider consultations with stakeholders and we believe we will succeed.” [myad]