The N5,000 Hullabaloo And The Kenyan Model, By Moses Okpogode

March 3, 2016

In Kenya, youths are not given free shillings. While no politician or anyone promises any social security largesse during campaigns, they are amongst the most empowered set of young people in Africa.
They are not socially denigrated neither are they degenerated because the laws protects and provides for them. Kenya is tackling youth restiveness and unemployment easily with the backings of its Parliament that makes laws which creates an environment conducive for young people and enables them to grow in their career, businesses and most especially entrepreneurial ventures.
Article 227 of the Kenyan constitution, which is almost the same with the enabling law of the Nigerian Procurement Acts, had through a presidential directive in 2013, made a provision for youths to be given priority in government tenders. Also included in this directive are women and persons with disabilities. It stipulates that not less than 30 percent of government tenders be awarded to people of these target groups. That’s what you get in a country of people that think before talking. Those are leaders who are sensitive to the yearning of their people and who also have their youth and people at heart. They don’t see the youth as means to an end in a political season but associates in development.
Companies managed by young people handle various contract works especially those related and not limited to infrastructure repairs, security services, transport, office wares and waste management. Old politicians and people above 35 years are barred from such services to accommodate the young people who hold the ace of their future
But the fact that Nigeria has nothing close to Kenya’s model of youth empowerment doesn’t take anything away from President Muhammadu Buhari’s character of being a realist. He is that leader who exhibits the distinctive character of having nothing to loose but has a lot to build. Often, rightly or wrongly, described as aloof about those at his mercies in the face of biting economic realities, he still understands the yearning to lead by example. He speaks candidly and directly on issues bedeviling Nigeria without hiding the facts from the people and having such abilities to douse tensions in every situation.
All these complement his experience as an ex-general and establishes resolve at dealing with and overcoming controversial subjects that sprout around him.
So it wasn’t unexpected that he made a U-turn and rescinded a key campaign promise of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to pay a N5000 monthly stipend to unemployed youths, knowing that only the denigrated can actually make an issue out of a monthly equivalent of £15 stipend in the face of shrinking public finance. I am very sure that a lot of young people have long forgotten about the stipend and are only reminded by politicians until the president reopened the hornet’s nest in far away Saudi Arabia.
Previous administrations that employed similar social safety program didn’t get much success. The program with ex-militants in the Niger Delta readily comes to mind. Much had been concentrated on talking, more talks and always talks. So when the president spoke on the N5000 stipend which is now a national debate problem, he was emphatic. He stated why he has resolved to renege on the promise. He didn’t deny the promise unlike other senior officials of the administration that tried to put a spin on things by claiming to have briefed the State House Press Corp. The President was unequivocal.
Meanwhile journalists, whose primary responsibility is to provide media coverage of the president and his itineraries, had interviewed two visiting State Governors who came calling at Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s office on the same day. Though both of them had different views about the controversial N5000, none denied that their party, the APC, made such promise during the campaigns for the general elections last year, except at the mysterious briefing that took place at night to resonate a denial.
As observed, the President must have seen that the administration of such scheme could be dampened by the mist of corruption. Perhaps, that was a reason why when he spoke in Riyadh, he mentioned his priorities and insisted that it was wiser to use a collation of the funds to put up infrastructures and empower the youths in agriculture than to give out monies, which is a good thing.
Relating his views to those of the President, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha felt uncomfortable on how the scheme will be administered.
He took a look at the anomalies that might accompany the categorization and the disbursements criteria, even as he lectured journalists on how he is running a similar scheme in his home state, Imo, but differently.
But do Nigerians really need these explanations?
I feel they don’t but only that the wounds in conscience have continued to haunt the party and the administration on this electoral promise. The explanations started in September 2015. They latter came with a call from the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung who in November last year, asked for patience from the youths during a condolence visit to APC Chairman, Odigie Oyegun on the demise of the party’s candidate in the last Kogi State gubernatorial election, Prince Abubakar Audu. He said and I quote’ I would want the youths to understand that every promise must be backed up by a budgetary provision and our promise is to pay N5000 that is not in the 2015 budget. So, definitely, it is going to begin in 2016 as we have made budgetary allocation for that.’ ‘We are committed to the campaign promises of creating jobs, providing wealth creation and combating poverty. We have embedded in our manifesto things that are translating to reality.’
Though, the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed who spoke earlier on the issue as a spokesman of the party, danced around the same reasons aforementioned by Dalung, he had however stressed in September that the government will definitely fulfil its promises but informed the people as always that the government was blocking financial leakages that have crippled its operations.
He had mentioned that one of such processes was on the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) after which the government will resume the delayed disbursements of the N5000. It is a genuine justification for the government’s inaction.
It was therefore downgrading and worrisome to be re-schooled on a subject the president has rested by realigning it with the welfare scheme for the poor and making it look like people don’t have ears on ground in the course of carrying out their duties.
It is important to note that it is President Buhari that initiated that welfare scheme which is being supervised by the office of the Vice President and it is not so different from the other initiatives of the Buhari led administration on the development of the North East; the activities of the Theophilus Danjuma’s Committee and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) assessment and reintegration programme that Professor Osinbajo is also handling.
As the economic team is being expected, I believe the Kenyan model and other worthy options geared at youths empowerment would be considered to override cases of inconclusive promises and attend to the needs of these young people who are cosmetically christened as leaders of tomorrow that never comes.

Twitter: @MOkpogode. [myad]

Before We Get Ese Oruru’s Story Wrong, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Greenbarge Reporters

March 3, 2016

Quite a lot of noises have been made, especially in the social media since the issue of a 14 year old (who claimed by herself to be 17 year old) Bayelsa girl, Ese Oruru eloped with now 18 year old Kano boy, Yunusa Yellow from Bayelsa to Kano.
Understandably, the noises coming from both the side of the girl and that of the boy are laden with regional, religious and ethnic sentiments. But what the commentators have missed or deliberately avoided in all the noises is that the two ‘lovers’ are underage.
Another vital point that has not been addressed is the fact of the elopement by the two, even though it is being conveniently tagged ‘abduction;’ that the boy abducted the girl. The layman understanding of abduction or kidnap is that the target was whisked away on gun point or by the use of other form of coercion.
The basic story is that the boy was said to have been employed as house help by the parents of the girl. In the course of working in the house of the girl’s parents, the girl took liking to him and gradually, they fell into what one would call ‘infantile love.’
The love developed so fast, it led to a point where the two have to run away from the girl’s parents in Bayelsa and headed to the boy’s parents in Kano. The story has it that the boy’s parents also objected to their being together.
One thing led to the other and they were exposed. And till now, no one has come up with a story of any form of force or threat used by the boy to drag the girl to Kano: the girl was reported as saying that she went to Kano, on her own, to convert to Islam. Even if that point is not tenable, the fact remains that she went to Kano to join the boy on her own volition: there was neither threat nor force. Where has the form of abduction come in? It is on record that the girl herself said that she was not kidnapped.
Issue such as this has happened severally in the past. For example, a 15 year old Yoruba girl who was staying in her elder sister’s house was lured away to Zaria in 1989 by her equally teenage male school mate during holiday. The elder sister launched a serious search for the girl and eventually traced her to Zaria. But the girl boldly told her elder sister that she followed the boy to Zaria because she was in love with him.
What is worrisome in this Ese Oruru and Yunusa case is the religious and ethic colouration that have been inputted into it. This is despite the fact that the boy and the girl, who are completely underage, admitted that it was only ‘love’ that controlled them.
As a matter of fact, no one has come up with a contrary view that either the parents of the boy or the Emir of Kano or even anyone from Kano engineered the boy to take the girl to Kano or to force her to join Islam. No one has disputed the story that the girl volunteered to go to Kano, even if after the boy might have brainwash her. And no one would confidently say that in taking the action the two teenagers took, they were conscious of the negative religious or ethnic implications which the adult analysts have now been inputting.
In deed, thank God that the two are underage. If it were to be, say an old man of 45 or 50 that is involved in this Bayelsa teenage girl saga, who knows, those who are always hungry to throw this country into trouble would have found a soft spot to carry out their action. Thank God the two are teenagers and thank God the boy did not ‘abduct’ the girl for other purpose other than ‘love.’
After all, if they are adults and are fully in control of their emotions, would it not have been regarded as the love across the Niger? How sweet it would have been, talkless of its unifying force!

Postscript:

Indeed, reading between the lines of the interview the girl granted The Punch yesterday, a discerning mind would not fail to pick holes in it. Obviously, investigations by the police and other relevant agencies which are ongoing would eventually reveal what the two are hiding, but it is sickening to see enlightened people taking all that she said as the basis for analysis.

If those who believe in the innocence of Ese Oruru understand the way our youths behave today; tell a lot of lies and cover such lies with innocence; the way they think fast, even faster than computer and overshadow adults when it comes to twist the truth, such adults and or analysts would shudder.

What I in particular had learnt after encountering similar cases in some police stations, as an investigative reporter, has taught me not to jump into conclusion merely on the basis of what the young boy and young girl in love say. For, I had witnessed where a girl who eloped with a man, feigned near-death sickness when her parents eventually got her, but a senior female police damned her pretending and subsequently extracted information which was contrary to the one she was relating when she was brought to the station with her lover. All such earlier information was meant to show her parents that it was not her fault.

When the father of Yunusa, the alleged abductor’ of Ese said that his son was a house help to Ese’s parents for 10 years, during which time the two teenagers would have developed the love for each other, and when Ese now said that Yunusa was one of her customers that used to buy things from her, and that she didn’t know how she followed him to Kano (and spent almost seven months in Kano), who do we believe? That is even as the boy has not talked yet.

Of course, the fact remains that what the two young lovers did was wrong, but how they did it should be left in the hands of the investigators to unravel. Let’s wait for them before going into conclusion or overlabouring ourselves with anger, except if such anger is premeditated. [myad]

Lamentation on Ese Oruru, The Child-Bride, By Kayode Ajulo

Greenbarge Reporters

March 3, 2016

I chose to hold my peace when the story of Ese Oruru, the 14 year old who was abducted and enslaved in an illegal marriage by her abductor broke out.
It wasn’t because I had nothing to say but because there were too many emotions at war within me. I wanted to play the blame game but I realized that blaming either Ese or the parents was not the way to go.
I couldn’t blame Ese because after all, what could a 13 yr old know and the parents because the vicissitudes of life may compel one to act in a manner that may be against one’s best judgment.
Why am I speaking out now? Because I still can’t shake off the need to blame all those who handled this situation for the glaring mess they have made of it.
I was at a symposium organized by the Government of Ondo State, the theme of which was “Curtailing the Centrifugal Forces in Nigeria” at which one of the speakers asked “what is the value of the Nigerian’s life?”
Everyone who touched this case messed up. From the government of Bayelsa to the Police of Bayelsa, Abuja and Kano. From Dickson to Sanusi to Arase. They all messed up.
They put no value on the life of the poor child. They discounted her. They turned a blind eye to her travails. They could not empathize with the pains and anguish of her parents. They adjudged her worthless and therefore of no consequence.
Where were her representatives in the Houses of Assembly, the Representatives and the Senate? It is a pity that those who ought to look out for her are the ones who have willynilly acquiesced in her predicament.
The Governor of her state looked out only for his electoral concerns while the police in Bayelsa, Abuja and Kano were sufficiently intimidated by the stature of the Emir of Kano to turn a blind eye at such unpardonable criminality. Why then would a lawyer who is the Chief Security Officer of the nation look on so unconcernedly and throw his hands up so helplessly?
I chose to ignore the ignoble position of our otherwise respected friend and legal practitioner and self acclaimed human rights activist, even when I wondered how he could bear to behold himself in a mirror.
All the above made me bitter but now I am red hot angry!
My anger does not have anything to do with the fact that I am a lawyer but that I AM A FATHER. My anger erupted when I read that the Government of Bayelsa State issued a press statement thanking the Governor of Kano State and applauded security agencies for the “swiftness and professionalism” with which the matter was handled.
Hellooo, Governor Dickson, what manner of insipid political correctness motivated that statement? What purpose was it designed to achieve? Can you fathom the damage that has been done not only to the body but also the psyche of this poor young child?
Can you even begin to contemplate the depth of her grief? Can you imagine the extent of the stigmatization she will have to endure?
Now she’s five months pregnant!
She was raped at 13 and is 5 months gone by the time she attained 14 years of age in February this year!
Can any of these irresponsible people imagine their own daughters being this dehumanized?
Woe unto all who had a chance to help this girl but failed, neglected or refused to do so.
Haba! Let me announce to them all, there indeed is a God. May He visit them in His sore displeasure. [myad]

EFCC Takes Ex Defence Chief, Alex Badeh To Court With 10-Count Charges

Greenbarge Reporters

March 3, 2016

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has taken the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja with a 10-count criminal charges.

Alex Badeh Badeh was accused of diverting funds from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force and used same to purchase choice properties in Abuja.

In count-six of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that the former Defence boss, between January and December 2013, used N60 million to renovate for his son, Alex Badeh Jnr, a duplex situate at No 19 Kumai Crescent, Wuse 11, Abuja. The commission told the court that Badeh’s son is currently at large.

He was said to have paid the sum of N878, 362, 732, 94‎ into the account of Rytebuilders Technologies Limited with Zenith Bank Plc, for the construction of a shopping mall located at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone, A07, Wuse II, Abuja.

The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/46/2016, was signed by the Deputy Director of Legal & Prosecution Department at the EFCC, Mr. Aliyu M. Yusuf. ‎A firm, Iyalikam Nigerian Limited, was equally cited as the 2nd defendant in the charge.

Among other assets the prosecution alleged that Badeh acquired with funds he siphoned from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, included a duplex at No. 14 Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, as well as, a semi-detached duplex at No 8A Embu Street, by Sigma Apartment, Wuse II, Abuja..

Count one ‎of the charge reads: “That you, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force) and Iyalikan Nigeria Limited, between January and December, 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable ‎court, did use dollar equivalent of the sum of N1, 100, 000, 000.00 (One Billion, One Hundred Million Naira only), removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, to purchase for yourselves a mansion situate at No. 6 Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of proceed of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act”. More details soon. [myad]

For Saying There’s No God, Man Faces Jail In Russia

Greenbarge Reporters

March 3, 2016

A38-year old man in southern Russia, Viktor Krasnov, is facing a potential jail sentence after he was charged with insulting the feelings of religious believers over an Internet exchange in which he wrote that “there is no God”.

Viktor Krasnov, 38, who appeared in court yesterday, is being prosecuted under a controversial 2013 law that was introduced after punk art group Pussy Riot was jaled for performing in Moscow’s main cathedral.

According to his lawyer, Andrei Sabinin the charges – which carry a maximum of one-year jail sentence – centre on an Internet exchange that Krasnov was involved in, in 2014 on a humorous website in his hometown of Stavropol.

“If I say that the collection of Jewish fairytales entitled the Bible is complete bullshit that is that. At least for me,” Krasnov wrote, adding later “there is no God!”

One of the young people involved in the dispute with Krasnov then lodged a complaint against him accusing him of “offending the sentiments of Orthodox believers”.

Krasnov, whose case began last month, spent one month in a psychiatric ward last year undergoing psychiatric examinations before he was finally deemed to be sane.

Krasnov’s lawyer insisted to AFP that his client was “simply an atheist” and that he had taken aim at both “Halloween and yiddish holidays” in the same exchange. [myad]

Buhari To Turkish President: Welcome To Nigeria

Greenbarge Reporters

March 2, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari Receives Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan who was on a day State Visit to Nigeria, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today. [myad]

Hunger Bites Boko Haram Insurgents, They Surrender In Droves

Greenbarge Reporters

March 2, 2016

Hunger appears to have hit the camps of the erstwhile bouncing Boko Haram as hundreds of them are now surrendering to the Nigerian soldiers.

Information reaching us indicated that dozens of the Boko Haram members who looked emaciated, have been virtually begging for food and surrendering.
It was gathered that 76 people, including children and women, gave themselves up to soldiers last Saturday in Gwoza, about 60 miles South East of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, according to a senior officer.
All are said to be detained at military headquarters in Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and currently the command center of the war against the Islamic extremists.
Food shortages could indicate that Nigeria’s military is succeeding in choking supply routes of the Islamic extremists who have taken their fight across Nigeria’s borders. [myad]

Banks Are Stealing Our Money, Over 400,000 Nigerians Complain

Greenbarge Reporters

March 2, 2016

The President of the Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), Mrs. Sola Salako has said that over 400,000 Nigerians are complaining that banks in the country have been stealing their money in style, through arbitrary charges.

Mrs. Salako who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos said: “We now pay for using other banks’ ATMs, Annual Debit Card maintenance charges and other charges.

“It (bank charge) has become more alarming and it is because the customers are complaining to us as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that looks at the right things that we thought it time to urge Nigerians to defend their rights.”

Mrs. Salako alleged that the Bankers’ Committee had been fixing charges without recourse to bank users, adding that the committee determined “what is profitable to the banks at the detriment of bank users.”

She also alleged that the banks have further extended their proposal to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for acceptance even as she said that the same apex bank which abolished ATM charges as well as Commission on Turnover (COT) charges on current account later brought back all the charges.

The CAFON President said that the rate at which bank users are complaining about excessive charges is becoming alarming, saying: “the protest has become expedient due to constant complain by banks’ customers over excessive charges.

“Nigerians are known to be very tolerant. They will not complain about anything until it gets to an unbearable level.

“When it gets to a crescendo and you go online, you see people posting their complaints over excessive bank charges

“It is not every time you get angry to the point of becoming destructive.” [myad]

Major Takeaways From President Buhari’s Trips To Saudi Arabia And Qatar, By Garba Shehu

Greenbarge Reporters

March 2, 2016

At the invitation of the King, Salman Bin-Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia and that of the Ruler of Qatar, Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, President Muhammadu Buhari undertook state visits to the two Middle-Eastern states between February 22nd and the 29th.

As expected, there is much healthy anxiety at home about the outcomes. For many of our citizens, their expectation is for the benefits of these visits to reach them in Sokoto, Calabar, Owerri or Akure before the President got home after the engagements. There are good reasons for this anticipation.

The President had given impetus to and focus on foreign strategies to, as he put, overcome this country’s infrastructure deficit at a time when oil revenues had fallen by 70 percent.

This strategy draws from the enormous goodwill his election in 2015 has brought upon the country. Knowing how terrible things were for Nigeria in the past, the wold seems quite happy with us for having a president with an incredible reputation of personal integrity.

Considering our past missed opportunities, some have called this our last chance. The President calls it our best chance to shake off the shackles of poverty and underdevelopment.

He set out to achieve three to four broad objectives. One was of course to strengthen relations between these Arab states and Nigeria.

In his various speeches, the President made clear his wish to enhance the age-old relations between our nations and the various peoples of these nations built on the foundations of shared values and interests.

A matter for immediate concern to him was the wobbly state of the oil market and his inherent belief that he can rally the support of these two major oil and gas producing countries to support the return of a more stable market and better pricing.

“Why produce more, to earn less, instead of producing less to earn more?”was his constant refrain.

The President sought to persuade the Saudis and the Qatari to invest and cooperate in every Nigerian development priority, especially in the critical sectors of power, infrastructure, agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

As he did wherever he visited, he looked out for the Diasporas.

Nigerians jubilantly crowded the President’s meetings at both Riyadh and Doha. They spoke of their love for him and the work he is doing in the fighting corruption and terrorism.

The problems they have, which they brought to him were not new or different from what he had met elsewhere.

Nigerian professionals face enormous challenges getting visas for family members to join them abroad; there are difficulties getting passport renewals warranted by acute shortages of booklets and there are many grievances against frequent police arrest and sometimes deportation without the involvement or say-so of the Nigerian missions.

Nigerians in Saudi and Qatar want to vote from their current locations in our future national elections.

It is important that the President had obtained the nodding agreement of both countries to stand together for a more stable market and better pricing for oil and gas. Together, they agreed however, that more can be achieved by working together with independent producers outside the Organization of Oil Producing Countries, OPEC.

True to their word, the Saudis made a pronouncement on the issue and the market has positively responded, even if marginally so. Oil price is up by a few percentage points.

He has also obtained commitments of investment from the states, on the one hand through their enormously well-endowed Sovereign Wealth Fund(s) and on the other, from Saudi and Qatari industrialists committed to investing billions in the Nigerian economy.

The signed agreements with Qatar on the protection of investment and avoidance of multiple taxation is helpful in paving the way for the coming investments.

The other agreement on Bilateral Services Agreement, BASA bears the imprint of Nigeria’s ambition of transforming into the international travel hub for West-Africa’s 400 million people.

The Qatari Emir gave a prompt directive for support and collaboration with Nigeria on the plans to restart a national airline and a further development of airports infrastructure.

On security, the President made known the position of his administration to join the alliance of Islamic States against terror.

In an interview with the Qatar-based Aljazeerah TV, he made clear his intention to work everyone and anywhere to fight terrorism.

“We are victims of terrorism,” meaning we know the pain and we feel it and that misguided sentiment will not detract him from clear national interest.

The President conveyed condolences, on behalf of himself and the nation to King Salman, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on the spate of deaths, including many Nigerians, in the course of last year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

He took note of the new concessions the Saudis have given Nigeria, among which is the increase in Umrah slots and asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON to request for more Hajj slots. He equally wants to see Nigerians pay less for their Umrah.

Clearly, the President seemed impressed by the willingness on the part of the Saudis to discuss all outstanding issues with Nigeria. Our side to the continuing discussions have 17 consular and other matters connected to the Umrah and Hajj.

Determined to give meaning to his expressed determination to produce enough food for the teeming population, bridge the infrastructure gap and putting in place measures for the diversification of the economy now precariously over-dependent on oil, the President returned home with a promise to set up a cabinet committee to identify some protects of priority to the nation.

These priority projects, when identified will be evaluated and costed, and thereafter placed for the consideration of the sovereign wealth authorities of the two states. It is hoped that once the states lead the way, the private sector in both countries will come in tow.

With the President promising to provide all the necessary support, both the Saudi and Qatari Chambers of Commerce and Industry are expected to visit Abuja in the course of this year.

The Islamic Development Bank, IDB which met the President presented a dazzling array of opportunities to assist in mobilizing domestic and external resources to finance Nigeria’s investment program in the wake of widening funding gap.

The Bank has offered to support the Federal Ministry of Finance in mobilizing resources from Arab Countries through assistance in organizing an Arab Donor financing roundtable in Abuja. It will leverage its traditional partners in the Arab Coordination Group (such as the Saudi Fund, the Kuwait Fund, BADEA, the Abu Dhabi Fund, etc.) in order to increase the quantum of funding available to the country.

The IDB has equally offered assistance to the Government of Nigeria in facilitating a proposed Sukuk Bond issuance program, aimed at mobilizing domestic and external resources to finance Nigeria’s investment program. The Central Bank of Nigeria and the Debt Management Office are in a discussion with the IDB on this idea.

In another breath, the IDB Group is committing itself to helping to mobilize investments from private businesses in Arab countries to assist in the development of solid minerals and commercial agriculture.

In the meeting with the Organization of Islamic States, OIC, the President obtained assurances of support for the resettlement and rehabilitation of of the more than two million Internally Displaced Persons in various camps in the North-East.

In line with his observation that it is only by educating people properly about Islam that terrorists will be deprived of legitimacy and a basis for the recruitment of followers, the OIC accepted the President’s request to partner with Nigerians in bringing a good knowledge and understanding of the Islamic religion.

The above snapshot may not represent a 360-degree view of all the things that happened. For instance, the Qatari who are being sought after by nations eying their reserve funds had shown interest in Nigeria’s favorable demographics and infrastructure deficit. The low-hanging fruit was ignored because a past president refused to visit. President Buhari’s visit has deepened the enthusiasm of the Saudis and the Qatari in investing in Nigeria.

The most important challenge before him now is in packaging proposals acceptable to both sides, for business to start.

Garba Shehu Is Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari. [myad]

Nigeria Drug Traffickers Invade Europe, Senator Ashafa Raises Alarm, Says 153 On Death Row

Greenbarge Reporters

March 1, 2016

Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East) has raised alarm on the floor of the Senate about how many Nigerians have invaded Europe and other countries with drug related offences and that currently, no fewer than 153 Nigerians are awaiting execution for their involvement in illicit drug trade in Malaysia and China.
Senator Ashafa who was supported by 21 other senators described the development as an embarrassment to the country, saying that the developed needed to be curtailed by the Nigerian Government through relevant agencies.
In a motion Senator Ashafa said that Harm Reduction International, a United Kingdom-based NGO, said 33 countries impose the death penalty for drug-related offences.
In the motion titled: “Nigerians’ involvement in illicit global drugs trade and increase in domestic drug abuse by Nigerian youth,” Ashafa raised said that many Nigerians are currently on death row in different countries of the world for their involvement in illicit drugs, which attracts capital punishment in those countries.
According to him, not less 153 Nigerians are presently on the death rows in Malaysia and China alone for offences bordering on illicit drugs trafficking.
He chronicled the ugly development further by saying: “Apart from the cases of Malaysia and Indonesia, at least one Nigerian is on the death row in Singapore for drug-related offences.
“Two Nigerians were executed in China in April 2015, but 120 other Nigerians are still on the death row for drug-related offences, with 74 of them being held in Guandong and Guanxi Provinces.
“Four out of 11 Nigerians were executed in April 2015 by Indonesia despite pleas for leniency by Nigeria, the United Nations and Amnesty International.”
Senator Ashafa expressed worry that in spite of the execution, some desperate Nigerians were not deterred, adding: “The case for leniency was rendered impotent because at that point, seven fresh cases of drug trafficking involving Nigerians had just emerged in Indonesia.” [myad]

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