Former Governor of Lagos state and lnational eader of opposition All Progress Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accused President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of corrupting all institutions and people with money that should have been used to develop the country. “To save his post, Jonathan and his team would eagerly corrupt every national institution within reach. Everything is for sale and nothing is left sacred. “Although the nation suffers an economic downswing that will require astute policy to overcome, Jonathan has raided the national coffers as if money were as plentiful as sand. There is no dollar in this nation that his hand has not tried to grab. No naira that his underlings have not tried to pinch. “They have thrown money at Christian and Muslim clerics, attempting to buy two great faiths as if they were two cheap commodities. As such, they have attempted to turn our houses of worship into open dens of corruption.” In a statement today, Asiwju Tinubu said that the Presidency and PDP have dangled money in the face of the traditional fathers believing that the conscience of such royal father is for sale. He noted that many of such royal fathers have been brave enough to cohere to the nobility of their office more than worry about the expansion of their bank accounts. “They have corrupted some civil society groups and organizations to engage in violent protest against the electoral process and the use of the card readers. They oppose the card reading machine because the instruments foil their customary avenues of vote rigging. “Jonathan‘s team has already read the writing on the wall. They would be handed a defeat so resounding that they would begin to fight among themselves believing that each betrayed the other.” Tinubu made it clear that Nigeria has reached point where it must answer the call of history that beckons. Saying that Nigerians should now open themselves wisely to a better future, the APC leader insisted that there can be no more fence-sitting because that fence has been torn down by the vast disparity between the current reality and the desired future. “We have a decision to make. We must decide whether wisdom is better than cunning, if bravery is sounder than bribe, if compassion speaks more than corruption, if patriotism is a more worthy vocation than pillage and if love of the nation and its people can overcome the love of power and stolen privilege. “I am filled with the expectation of a more just and rightful future. My conviction has always been that this day would come.”
Former Education Minister, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, kicked up dust when she asked what the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency has done with the $67billion left by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The dust is yet to settle as both the Obasanjo and Jonathan camps have been charging at each other. In the following articles, Femi Fani-Kayode, who worked closely with Obasanjo, and Dr. Reuben Abati, President Jonathan’s adviser on publicity, square up. I think that it is a pity that President Goodluck Jonathan’s Government declined to take up the challenge of the former Minister of Education, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, to a public debate on the $67billion USD savings that President Obasanjo left behind in 2007. I do not think that our government ought to have run away from the debating ring. Government ought to have accepted the challenge of a rigorous public debate and allow the Nigerian people to listen to it and make up their own minds about who was right and who was wrong. I thought that the response of the Special Assistant to the President On Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, to Obiageli Ezekwesili was more logical and made far more sense than that of the Honorable Minister of Information, Labaran Maku’s, but I still believe that Ezekwesili was right. I believe that the government’s position on this issue and it’s attempt to over-aggressively defend what I personally consider to be the indefensible is not only disingenuous but it is also essentially dishonest and self-seeking. The charge that our foreign reserves were heavily depleted between 2007 and 2013 cannot be convincingly or logically denied. In 2007, President Olusegun Obasanjo left 45 billion USD in our foreign reserves and 22 billion USD in our Excess Crude Account. If the two figures are added up the amount that you will come up with is 67 billion USD of savings for our country. This is the figure that Obiageli Ezekwesili cited. It represents what was in both our foreign reserves and our Excess Crude Account put together. Let us look at the history. When President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power in 1999 Nigeria only had 1.5 billion USD in her foreign reserves and consequently no-one in the world took us seriously. We were poor, weak and lonely and we were viewed as a failed state and a pariah nation. No-one trusted us, no-one wanted to do business with us and no-one seriously believed that we as a people or as a nation were capable of enduring the rigours of serious economic recovery, prudence and fiscal discipline. As far as the developed world was concerned Nigeria was only good for it’s endless supply of sweet bonny light crude oil. Yet Obasanjo proved the world wrong and showed that Nigerians could do far better than they thought. After eight years of good stewardship and the display of fiscal discipline and remarkable prudence he built up those foreign reserves from a measly and pitiful 1.5 billion USD in 1999 to no less than 45 billion by 2007. This was quite an achievement yet sadly what took place after Obasanjo left power was very disheartening. It was not only a downer but it was also sad and unfortunate. I say this because by the Federal Governments own admission, and four long years after leaving 45 billion USD for the Yar’adua administration to build on in 2007, we still only have that same figure of 45 billion USD left in our foreign reserves today. Worse still this was after it had plummeted to a shameful 30 billion USD under late President Umaru Yar Adua. Had it not been for the fact that whatever was coming in after we left in 2007 and over the last 4 years was being recklessly shared and spent by the Yar’adua and later Jonathan administrations our foreign reserves ought to have doubled and reached at least 100 billion US dollars by now. That is just the foreign reserves alone and I am not even adding the Excess Crude Account figures yet. If I were to do that I would be talking about an expected increase of up to 150 billion USD by today. That is what we ought to have in the savings kitty today if the two governments that succeeded Obasanjo knew anything about prudence, good management and fiscal discipline. The difference is that under Obasanjo it was ”save, save, save” whilst under Yar’adua and later Jonathan it has been ”spend, spend, spend’. Yet if they insist on spending the question is what do they have to show for such high expenditure and what has this cost the Nigerian people in real terms. I believe that these are legitimate questions. Mrs. Ezekwesili may have been inelegant or a little too harsh in her use of words when she made those weighty assertions in her speech but her analysis and conclusions surely cannot be faulted. Yet the Government has given no reasonable explanation or response to her or the Nigerian people and they do not even appear to like the fact that questions are being asked. As a matter of fact they appear to believe that it is an achievement for us to be exactly where we were four years ago in terms of our foreign reserves by openly boasting that we have 45 billion USD saved today. The questions that we should put to them are as follows – did you not save anything in the last 4 years in either foreign reserves or the Excess Crude Account? Where did all the money that accrued to you and that you ought to have saved go? How come 4 years after being handed 45 billion in foreign reserves and after billions have come into your hands through record price crude oil sales you still only have 45 billion saved? Is this not strange and absurd? Is this the way a responsive and responsible government ought to behave? Do they know the true meaning of ”saving for a rainy day”? It is not surprising that the Prime Minister of Great Britain, The Right Honorable David Cameron, asked just a few days ago where the 100 billion USD that Nigeria received from oil sales in the last few years has gone. Would our Government be good enough to answer his question and tell him even if they feel that they don’t owe the Nigerian people themselves an explanation? As far as I am concerned it is not something that our government should be proud of that 4 years after Obasanjo handed 45 billion USD to them as savings in foreign reserves they have not built on it in all that time but rather they have spent all the receivables and inflows that came in after that time and that ought to have been saved. Yet the story does not stop there. It gets worse. Apart from the sorry tale about our foreign reserves, the story about the usage and outright draining of our Excess Crude Account is even more damning. It goes like this. When President Obasanjo left power in 2007 the Excess Crude Account had just over 22 billion USD in it’s coffers. This figure was built up by Obasanjo from zero in 1999 because at that time there was no Excess Crude Account. In 8 years he built it up from zero to 22 billion USD. Yet when the Yara’dua administration and later the Jonathan administration came in ALL the money in that account was shared with the state governors and spent. The Federal Government saved nothing for a rainy day and instead chose to just spend all the money. Umaru Yar Adua’s government but, in fairness to President Jonathan, he has now been able to build it up to approximately 10 billion USD. This represents approximately half the figure that Obasanjo left in that account in 2007 but at least it is a step in the right direction. Yet if both the Yar adua and Jonathan government’s had continued to save and not just spend all the money we would have had at least 50 billion USD in the Excess Crude Account today and not just a paltry 10. Whichever way one looks at it, when one sees all these figures and considers the strong position that we were coming from in 2007 it represents a failure in fiscal discipline by both the Yar’adua and Jonathan administrations. This is because the Federal Governmentt was meant to build up on the legacy that they inherited in 2007 and not spend and squander all that money. For the purpose of emphasis permit me to repeat the fact that had they been doing the right thing in the last 4 years and not overspending we ought to be hitting at least 100 billion USD in our foreign reserves by now and at least 50 billion in the Excess Crude Account. Yet we have not seen anything near that and instead all we have seen is a depletion and a drain of both accounts and the monies that ought to have accrued to them since 2007. Finally when President Obasanjo came to power in 1999 our foreign debt was 30 billion USD. Yet by sheer dint of hard work by the time he left office 8 years later he had paid off the foreign debt compltely and for the first time in its history Africa had a debt-free nation. This was a monuemental achievement by any standard and one that which every serious-minded and patriotic Nigerian ought to be proud of no matter what side of the political divide they stand. Yet sadly 4 years later we are back in chronic debt to the tune of 9 billion USD and we are still borrowing. In view of the foregoing it is perfectly legitimate for anyone to ask how come so much money was spent, what it was spent on and how the government has managed our resources over the last 4 years. As a matter of fact not asking any questions would be most unpatriotic and it would lay some of us open to the charge of cowardice and collusion. Since 2007 we have seen nothing but depletion of our resources and more and more borrowing. Unlike President Obasanjo, both President Yar Adua and President Jonathan’s governments did not build up our reserves or save any money. Instead they both spent recklessly and borrowed more and more. As a matter of fact if our government continues to borrow at the rate it has been borrowing for the last four years for another two years Nigeria will be back to having a foreign debt of close to 30 billion USD very soon. That was where we were in 1999 and if that were to ever happen it would be a tragedy of monuemental proportions. I sincerely hope that other than the usual insults, intimidation, sponsored stories, persecution and baseless allegations that are channeled against and heaped on some of us for pointing out these matters and raising these questions, the Federal Government will endeavour to change it’s ways and display a greater degree of fiscal discipline and accountability to the Nigerian people. To that extent I am in total agreement with my former cabinet colleague in the Obasanjo administration, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili.
Ondo state Deputy Governor who defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Ali Olanusi has opened up on why he had decided to go a different way from Governor Olusegun Mimiko with whom they won election under Labour Party (LP) and moved to PDP later. He said in a statement today: “I have decided to lead my teeming supporters and well wishers in the state into the All Progressives Congress (APC) where we can find justice, fairness, equity and democratic liberty – a party which majority of our kith and kins in Yorubaland belongs.” He said that in the unfolding political development, especially in Ondo State, it is increasingly clear that he needed to chart a new course for majority of his followers who look up to him for direction and leadership and who have watched helplessly in the last six years, the untold marginalization and total exclusion from the government they laboured to put in place. Alhaji Olanusi said that he had taken the decision to defect to APC at this critical time, in the best interest of peace, stability and good governance of the state and for the overall development of the Southwest and the nation.
Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support despite sustained damaging campaign against his person by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even as he warned against the use of soldiers for election duties. General Buhari, who addressed newsmen today as the nation waits for Presidential election in less than 30 hours from now said: “I specifically called this press conference to thank millions of Nigerians for their support and their enthusiastic commitment to the imperative of change. I am particularly overwhelmed that, despite the sustained smear campaigns against me by the ruling PDP, the support Nigerians have for me has remained intact. The enthusiasm of Nigerians for change is understandable.” The APC Presidential hopeful noted that Nigerians’ support for him stemmed from the fact that the 16 years of PDP administration is a story of despair, despondency, disillusionment and pervasive fear, caused by unprecedented insecurity. He said that the basic functions of the government are the security, welfare and happiness of the citizens which he said has existed only on paper, adding: “it is morally wrong for any government that has woefully failed in these basic responsibilities to demand or expect another mandate from the disillusioned citizens of Nigeria. “The PDP administration has exhausted all its goodwill and lost all the argument on performance and competence and is, as a result, seeking to retain power at all costs, regardless of performance, is a shameless reflection of desperation and greed for power. A government that abandoned its citizens to their fates has no reason to remain in office a day longer than necessary. “I am pleased to say that the best judges of a government’s performance are its own citizens. The popularity of the PDP is at the lowest ebb, and this shrinkage of goodwill is irretrievable.” Buhari said that Nigerians who are desperately yearning for change are enthusiastically looking forward to Saturday March 28, and April 11th 2015 to exercise their franchise by voting for change. “Nigerians are desirous of change because they don’t want the continuation of their present miserable existence under PDP’s ruinous rule. They are tired of a government of failed promise, and are earnestly marching ahead to embrace a government that loves the welfare of its citizens.” The retired General in the Nigerian Army said that he is worried about the increasing temptation by the government of PDP to drag the military into duties outside their professional training. “This tendency makes Nigeria look like those banana republics where chaos is the order of the day. While I commend our soldiers in the current war against terrorism and threats to the country’s territorial integrity, we should exercise caution in the deployment of soldiers during elections as the courts have severally warned. It puts their political neutrality and credibility at risk.” General Buhari said that the Saturday election presents a great opportunity for Nigerians to come out en-masse and vote to remove an incompetent government from office. He said that the beauty of democracy is that it gives power to the people to change the government peacefully, asking Nigerians to come out en mass to cast their vote. Buhari reminded Nigerians if they don’t vote, it may be difficult to change their miserable conditions. “I urge all our supporters to also conduct themselves peacefully, and resist any act of deliberate provocations to derail the fast-moving train for change. “I urge my supporters and my party to show exemplary conduct of orderly behaviour. They must avoid anything that might make them play into the hands of the PDP mischief makers, who are determined to discredit our party. “As a people, this is not the kind of democracy we bargained for when we celebrated the end of military rule in May 1999. The basic challenges facing Nigerians today are: the economy, insecurity, unemployment, and corruption. These challenges demand competence and political will to handle. Nigeria is adrift under the current PDP administration. Millions of Nigerians are captives of fear because of insecurity; thousands of our unemployed youth are haunted by suicidal temptations because of uncertain future; the country cannot achieve progress because pervasive corruption guzzles huge resources meant for the welfare of the people. And finally, how can the economy do well when leaders are incompetent and corrupt? Can any economy grow under the feet of corruption? “When the government lacks the will, the competence and the courage to handle these challenges, are Nigerians not legitimately entitled to demand for change for a better tomorrow? I am not contesting this election because I want power and money. I am doing so because Nigerians believe I have what it takes to achieve the much-needed change. When the people express in your ability and integrity to lead them, you have a responsibility to answer the clarion call to national service.” General Buhari expected Nigerians to do all that is within the law to protect their votes and ensure that the will of the people is not subverted or in any way undermined.
The Nigerian military has confirmed that it has detained two Al Jazeera journalists, Idris and Mustafa and are questioned in their hotel rooms in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. The equipment of the two journalists have also been confiscated. Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa who are both Nigerian nationals, remain confined in their hotel room and their equipment confiscated after being questioned by the military officials. The military authorities said that the journalists were operating without “protection, accreditation or due clearance”, and confirmed that the two journalists remain officially detained until further notice. The two journalists were detained while reporting on the Nigerian forces fighting armed group Boko Haram as part of Al Jazeera’s special coverage on the upcoming elections. Al Jazeera has demanded the release of two of its journalists “without conditions.” The network said that both Idris and Mustafa are officially accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja with the clearance to report from anywhere in Nigeria during the entire election period. “We call on the Nigerian authorities to release Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa; they have all the relevant paperwork to report on the Nigerian elections and stories related to the election”, an Al Jazeera spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday. “Both men had just finished filming a story on the military with their cooperation. Both men are accredited and respected Nigerian journalists”, the statement read. The military statement also said that both men were said to be ‘loitering’ in various locations, however they were actually detained in their hotel rooms.
It was about 8:30 am on a humid Monday in Damask, Borno State, and driver Bukkar Hassan was getting set for the day’s business when he heard loud gunshots from the east. He stepped out of his house to find out what had triggered the shots, only to find heavily armed Boko Haram militants exchanging fire with soldiers from the Nigerian Army. “The shooting was heavy, and as people heard the gunshots they began to run in different directions,” Bukkar said. “Some ran towards the river, others to neighboring villages.” As the militants advanced, Bukkar took to his heels, running towards home—but when he arrived there, he found something shocking: His house was on fire and his sisters were struggling with insurgents who were hell-bent on taking them away. “They set our house on fire and walked through the streets, kidnapping children who were under 15 years of age and killing those who were above that age,” Bukkar recalls of the attack. The insurgents managed to kidnap his two sisters. Other family members fled into the bush. For hours, Bukkar walked south with his brother, without food or water, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All their belongings were destroyed during the attack. With a bit of luck, they were able to locate a relative in Maiduguri whose house they both currently live in. “I still can’t stop thinking about my family. Only God knows their whereabouts and how they are faring,” Bukkar said. Bukkar’s two sisters are among over 400 women and children kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in Damask. The town was liberated this month by troops from Niger and Chad. Boko Haram is infamous for its kidnappings. The sect caused international outrage in April 2014 after it abducted more than 200 girls from a boarding school in Chibok town in Borno state. Since then, the group has abducted women and children from many other towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria, Yusuf Mohammed, a Maiduguri resident and childcare expert, said women, especially the young ones, are usually married off to Boko Haram militants, while children are used as soldiers because they come cheap. “The very young girls are married off, mostly to militants while the boys are made to become spies, soldiers and potters,” said Mohammed. ”Unlike adults, child soldiers don’t demand wages. They don’t negotiate with the enemy or take bribes, neither do they form factions nor take up arms against you. ” Though a regional force made up of troops from Cameroon, Chad and Niger has recently been helping Nigeria take on Boko Haram insurgents, the Nigerian government has attracted scathing criticism after it failed to stop the jihadists, who had carried out bombings of towns, schools and company installations, killing over 20,000 people and displacing nearly two million others. The government has not explained how it failed to protect the lives over 20 schoolboys who were murdered in their sleep by Boko Haram in Buni Yadi, Yobe state. Similarly, there has been no explanation for the failure to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls nearly a year after they were kidnapped. With elections imminent, the government appears to be racing against time to prove it has the capacity to deal with the intractable insecurity situation that has plagued the northeast, in order to get Nigerians to vote it back to power. But Boko Haram’s presence still looms large. Nearly two week ago, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) operating in Iraq and Syria. This seems to have introduced a new dimension to the anti-insurgency campaign. Although the military say it is not fazed by this, many Nigerians are expressing concern. “What worries me is the fact that many young people are reading and asking questions about ISIS,” said Agafi Kunduli, a social worker based in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “I could easily have concluded that they’re doing this just for their education. But with the increasing number of foreigners pitching tent with the organization, I’m beginning to get skeptical.” As Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday to elect a president, eyes will not just be focused on the ballot, but also on Boko Haram who have sworn to disrupt the process. The Damasak abductions may just be a reminder from the sect of their long held intentions. Philip Obaji Jr. is the founder of 1 GAME, an advocacy and campaigning organization that fights for the right to education for disadvantaged children in Nigeria, especially in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram forbids western education.
Culled from The Daily Beast Photograph: Emmanuel Braun/Reuters
Senior Pastor of the Gateway International Church in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, Pastor George Izunwa, has made it clear that the Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside is God’s special choice for the state. The Pastor Izunwa, who spoke at Obi Wali International Conference Centre where Christians gathered in praise and worship with Peterside and his running mate, Barrister Asita O. Asita said that all pastors are only out to echo God’s promise, adding that the credit for the emergence of humble Christians like Peterside and Asita goes to God. “God is not a lair. If he didn’t want to do it, He won’t say he will. Secondly, God is not situation dependent. It is not only when the condition is right that God moves. God moves because He is God. We are not here to make a governor. We are here to stand with God and say: let thy will be done.” The prayer meeting which brought together, pastors and Christians across denominations, also featured praise sessions and musical interludes. The participants prayed for a resounding success for Peterside and Asita. They also offered prayers for peace, unity and a violent-free poll in Rivers State and Nigeria. Speaking at the prayer session, Peterside emphasized the God factor in his aspiration, saying that what seems straight-forward, logical and plain to the human mind always take a different curve when the God factor comes to play. Describing the God factor as that extra factor that defies laws and nature, and makes impossible possible the APC candidate re-enacted the moving story of Biblical Joseph who, despite the turbulence of his life, eventually became the prime minister of a great nation because God had decreed. He said that God’s will in Rivers State will surely come to pass through his children. “God has said that we will provide the needed leadership for our people at this time but the truth is that we will pass through challenges. We have passed through rough roads unscathed. We have also passed through water, it did not drown us. We have passed through fire, it did not burn us. “One thing we are certain: on 29 May, we will take oath of office as governor and deputy governor of Rivers State. We will be victorious, not because we are the most qualified or because we are the smartest but we will become so that the name of the Lord will be glorified. We know there is God in heaven who reigns over the affairs of men. “But we have also resolved that when we get to Government House, we will spend our time serving God because we did not make ourselves governor and deputy governor. Humanly speaking, we expect you to go and exercise your civic duties by going out to vote but the will of God will be done in Rivers State.”
Alhaji Ali Olanusi, Deputy Governor To Governor Olusegun Mimiko on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dumped the party for All Progressives Congress (APC). Alhaji Olanusi announced his resignation from PDP today after months of battling with Governor Mimiko. The Deputy Governor is an indigene of Supare in Akoko South West local government area of the State. He became the Deputy governor of the State in 2009 under the platform of Labour Party before he defected alongside the state governor, Olusegun Mimiko to PDP in October, 2014. At a point, media report had it that the embattled deputy governor, who was at loggerheads with governor Mimiko, was at the verge of being impeached. Details later.
Former Nigeria military President, General Ibrahim Babangida is not happy with the way the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been questioning the reputation, patriotism and loyalty of the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari simply because he was once a soldier.
In a statement, General Babangida said that nobody is stopping anyone from campaigning for their preferred candidates contesting various positions in the elections, “but to do that at the expense of the reputation, contributions, patriotism, loyalty and sacrifice of former presidents to the Nigerian state is, to say the least, immature.
“Apart from promoting hate campaign which clearly undermines the modest contributions of these former presidents, the commentaries in the documentary against the former presidents leave a sour taste in the mouth.’’
Full text of the statement goes thus:
STOP DENIGRATING THE MILITARY
In clear attempts to whip up support for President Goodluck Jonathan, certain persons, groups and individuals have embarked on several campaigns of calumny against former military Heads of State and presidents who have had the opportunity to govern this country. Of particular reference is a one-hour documentary aired on Silverbird Television on Tuesday night; 24th March, 2015 that deliberately impugned the integrity of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, my humble self; Ibrahim Babangida, late Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and T.Y Danjuma; all of whom have had the privilege of presiding over the affairs of this great country at various levels. It is either that those promoting the hate documentary are intellectually deliquent or they suffer memory loss; or a combination of both.
I have my very strong reservations about the contents and thematic focus of the said documentary. Apart from promoting hate campaign which clearly undermines the modest contributions of these former presidents, the commentaries in the documentary against the former presidents leave a sour taste in the mouth. Nobody is stopping anyone from campaigning for their preferred candidates contesting various positions in the elections, but to do that at the expense of the reputation, contributions, patriotism, loyalty and sacrifice of former presidents to the Nigerian state is, to say the least, immature.
For record purposes, and without sounding immodest, the idea of a PDP that has now become the “largest party in Africa” started in my home, here in Minna. With the support of my fellow colleagues, we prepared the way for this democratic process that has now led us to where we are presently. We built the democratic infrastructure and architecture. Those who are parading themselves as democrats today, all participated in military governments. As a deliberate principle of remaining unsung, or blowing my own trumpet, I have elected over the years to maintain dignified silence on so many issues concerning Nigeria while I cultivate my access to each sitting President to pass across my advice in whatever form.
It is on record and this is incontrovertible that the government I ran paraded some of the best brains this country can be proud of. I still remain eternally grateful to those wonderful brains who participated in our government to fashion a new roadmap for re-engineering the country. Some of our policies have remained unsurpassed till date and most of what the country enjoys today was a creation of the Military. From primary healthcare to good roads, DFRRI, Better Life for Rural Women, housing, river basin authorities, MAMSER, new airports, agricultural development and other economic infrastructure, to mention but a few, were platforms where our interventions were felt. We achieved that much with very slim resources. If we had the several billions of dollars that are flying around today, we would have turned Nigeria to the Dubai of Africa.
The military is an institution that is so dear to my heart. It is an institution that nurtured my growing up and my achievements in life. I am not only sold to the military institution and by extension the Nigerian state, I am betrothed to it. As a profession, retirees are bound to participate in politics and democracy as an all-inclusive process, same way that Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Nurses, and Civil Servants get involved in it. It is the reason why I ventured into politics in 2003 before I quit in 2010. It is the same reason why General Obasanjo participated and got elected; and now General Buhari. It is therefore very curious that promoters of President Goodluck Jonathan’s aspiration would attempt to demonize and stigmatize former military leaders and cast aspersions on them in order to malign their reputation. This is very unfair.
Fact is; the military fought a civil war to keep this country together. What I suffer today is a consequence of the injuries I sustained during the Nigeria Civil War. I am not sure there is any patriotism that is more than that. Some of us were prepared to die for the country. The military is presently combating the dreaded Boko Haram sect to restore Nigeria’s territorial integrity. What law under a democracy forbids retired military personnel from participating in politics and presenting themselves for election? Over 90 percent of American Presidents have military background. Leadership training is better grounded in the military than any other profession. And the military parades some of the best brains in any country, including Nigeria. In fact, some of my military students that I tutored have Doctorate Degrees. It is therefore callous, wicked, out-of-sync, cynical and a show of crass ignorance for anyone to undermine the military institution by embarking on mudslinging campaigns against former presidents and leaders of military background.
While those campaigners are pointing their accusing fingers at us, they forget to recall that the present Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization is actually a retired Military Officer. It is this form of demonization and stigmatization that often compels us to exhibit espirit de corps amongst ourselves in support of our military institution and colleagues when the stakes are high. As disciplined military officers, we are patriotic Nigerians and must be treated with utmost respect and decorum.
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF GENERAL IBRAHIM B. BABANGIDA, GCFR.
The Presidential candidates of the two major contending political parties in Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and General Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC) met this morning to renew their commitment to peaceful, free and fair election, come Saturday, March 28. The election is less than 36 hours from now.
The contenders, who were brought together by the former Nigerian military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar under the auspices of National Peace Committee signed a joint document pledging their commitment to a united, democratic and prosperous Nigeria.
“We also pledge to respect the outcome of free, fair and credible elections. We want to all Nigerians to stand together at this critical phase of our nation’s history.”
The full text of the previous Peace Accord between which was signed on January 14th this year and the renewed one today were spelt out at a meeting of the two contenders at Sheraton Hotel, Abuha thus:
Renewal of our pledges to peaceful elections: Joint statement issued by His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan and Major General Muhammad Buhari on Thursday, March 26, 2015 ahead of the 2015 presidential elections You may recall that on 14th January 2015, both of us, long with nine other party leaders signed what has now come to be known as the Abuja Accord. The substance of that Accord was our commitment to free, fair and credible elections in our dear country. In the Accord, we agreed to, among other things, run an issue-based campaign and pledged that our electoral campaigns will not involve any religious incitement, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by ourselves and all agents acting in our names. Now that the campaigns have come to an end, we meet today to renew our pledge for peaceful elections. We therefore call on all fellow citizens of our dear country, and our part supporters, to refrain from violence or any acts that may in any way jeopardise our collective vision of a free, fair and credible election. In addition, we call on INEC and all security agencies to ensure strict adherence to their constitutional roles. We also pledge to respect the outcome of free, fair and credible elections. Today, we again renew our commitment to a united, democratic and prosperous Nigeria. We want to all Nigerians to stand together at this critical phase of our nation’s history. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God bless you all. Speaking after Jonathan and Buhari had appended their signatures to the Peace Accord document, General Abdulsalami said that the peace committee was set up after Abuja Accord which was signed by both President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari, adding that the committee has been working round the clock to assist the parties and Nigerians to ensure that there is peace and harmony before, during and after the elections this time around.
“Mr. President was kind enough to see us yesterday (Wednesday), one he is the President of the country and secondly he is a contestant. And this morning Gen. Buhari despite his late arrival last night or early arrival this morning was kind enough to meet with this committee.
“In essence all the meetings were held to brief them the current situation of the country and what we expect of them as stakeholders and as presidential candidates.
“I want to thank both the President and Gen. Buhari for finding time to meet with the committee. And I want to thank both party chairmen for the support received in trying to send this message of peace.
“I’m happy both parties, the contestants are committed to free and fair elections, free of violence. And this morning, a document to reiterate their commitment to peaceful elections was signed by both.”
It would be recalled that on January 14th, both Presidential candidates along with their party chairmen and others signed what is known as the Abuja Accord, which they renewed today to reassure the world and make Nigerians understand that Nigeria is more important than their own aspirations and that people should live and reflect the ideals of this.
The wordings of the accord were read by Bishop Kukah. [myad]
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‘Boko Haram Kidnapped My Sisters’ By Philip Obaji Jr.
He stepped out of his house to find out what had triggered the shots, only to find heavily armed Boko Haram militants exchanging fire with soldiers from the Nigerian Army.
“The shooting was heavy, and as people heard the gunshots they began to run in different directions,” Bukkar said. “Some ran towards the river, others to neighboring villages.”
As the militants advanced, Bukkar took to his heels, running towards home—but when he arrived there, he found something shocking: His house was on fire and his sisters were struggling with insurgents who were hell-bent on taking them away.
“They set our house on fire and walked through the streets, kidnapping children who were under 15 years of age and killing those who were above that age,” Bukkar recalls of the attack.
The insurgents managed to kidnap his two sisters. Other family members fled into the bush.
For hours, Bukkar walked south with his brother, without food or water, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All their belongings were destroyed during the attack.
With a bit of luck, they were able to locate a relative in Maiduguri whose house they both currently live in.
“I still can’t stop thinking about my family. Only God knows their whereabouts and how they are faring,” Bukkar said.
Bukkar’s two sisters are among over 400 women and children kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in Damask. The town was liberated this month by troops from Niger and Chad.
Boko Haram is infamous for its kidnappings. The sect caused international outrage in April 2014 after it abducted more than 200 girls from a boarding school in Chibok town in Borno state. Since then, the group has abducted women and children from many other towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria, Yusuf Mohammed, a Maiduguri resident and childcare expert, said women, especially the young ones, are usually married off to Boko Haram militants, while children are used as soldiers because they come cheap.
“The very young girls are married off, mostly to militants while the boys are made to become spies, soldiers and potters,” said Mohammed.
”Unlike adults, child soldiers don’t demand wages. They don’t negotiate with the enemy or take bribes, neither do they form factions nor take up arms against you. ”
Though a regional force made up of troops from Cameroon, Chad and Niger has recently been helping Nigeria take on Boko Haram insurgents, the Nigerian government has attracted scathing criticism after it failed to stop the jihadists, who had carried out bombings of towns, schools and company installations, killing over 20,000 people and displacing nearly two million others.
The government has not explained how it failed to protect the lives over 20 schoolboys who were murdered in their sleep by Boko Haram in Buni Yadi, Yobe state.
Similarly, there has been no explanation for the failure to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls nearly a year after they were kidnapped.
With elections imminent, the government appears to be racing against time to prove it has the capacity to deal with the intractable insecurity situation that has plagued the northeast, in order to get Nigerians to vote it back to power.
But Boko Haram’s presence still looms large.
Nearly two week ago, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) operating in Iraq and Syria.
This seems to have introduced a new dimension to the anti-insurgency campaign.
Although the military say it is not fazed by this, many Nigerians are expressing concern.
“What worries me is the fact that many young people are reading and asking questions about ISIS,” said Agafi Kunduli, a social worker based in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “I could easily have concluded that they’re doing this just for their education. But with the increasing number of foreigners pitching tent with the organization, I’m beginning to get skeptical.”
As Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday to elect a president, eyes will not just be focused on the ballot, but also on Boko Haram who have sworn to disrupt the process. The Damasak abductions may just be a reminder from the sect of their long held intentions.
Philip Obaji Jr. is the founder of 1 GAME, an advocacy and campaigning organization that fights for the right to education for disadvantaged children in Nigeria, especially in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram forbids western education.
Culled from The Daily Beast
Photograph: Emmanuel Braun/Reuters
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